Ling Xue leaned on her sword to stand up, her face pale but filled with determination.
"Wil Lang… you must come with me. This forest isn't safe for someone traveling alone, especially for you."
What did she mean by that? I mean, it's not like I'm looking down on her or anything, but between the two of us, the one who looks more hurt is you.
I nodded to avoid causing trouble, not to mention I didn't even know what was considered "safe" in this world. As I helped her walk, I noticed her breathing was labored. The corruption from those beasts was clearly affecting her.
"Hey, since I'm not from here, could you tell me if there's a safe place we can use as shelter nearby?"
"The Temple of the Dawn is a few miles east. It's an outpost of the Silver Moon Sect."
Well, at least I have to say these places have good names.
We walked in silence, with me supporting most of her weight. Although my body was bruised, the enhanced stats from the system allowed me to keep going without too much effort.
After what felt like hours, the lights of the temple appeared among the trees. It was an ancient structure made of white stone, with carved symbols that glowed softly under the light of the two moons.
As we approached, two guards in blue robes with swords on their backs came toward us.
"Halt! Who dares approach the Temple of the Dawn?"
Ling Xue straightened up as best she could.
"I am Ling Xue, a disciple of the Silver Moon Sect. I was attacked by corrupted beasts in the Whispering Forest, and this outsider saved me."
One of the guards narrowed his eyes at me.
"A mortal in these lands? That's… unusual."
Come on, friend, don't look at me with those eyes. If you know I'm a mortal, you'd have a better chance of selling me out. Don't look at me like I'm some great enemy.
"Let them pass."
An older woman with silver hair and white silk robes emerged. Her eyes, the color of the full moon, studied me with curiosity.
"I am Master Yin, guardian of this temple. Bring the disciple inside for treatment. And you, outsider… come with me."
While the disciples took Ling Xue inside, Master Yin guided me to a tranquil garden in the center of the temple. Silver flowers glowed in the darkness, and the air smelled of incense and medicinal herbs.
"Your energy is… peculiar. Although I can sense a faint energy, it's somewhat different from qi, or at least you use it differently. Where are you from, young man?"
That was a question I was dreading. I don't know any place in this world I can use as my birthplace, so it's best to be as ambiguous as possible.
"I come from a distant village. I travel the world with the purpose of finding a place to belong."
Master Yin smiled faintly.
"It's good to hear that. The Silver Moon Sect will be holding recruitment trials in three days. If you wish to join us, this is your opportunity, but you must be careful, as for a mortal like you, there could be many dangers."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep myself safe."
"You have guts for a mortal who can handle qi, even if only to a small extent. I hope that serves you well in managing to join our sect."
Master Yin's smile was elegant.
She gestured toward a side pavilion, modest but impeccable, with carved wooden doors and rice paper.
"This will be your accommodation during your stay. Consider the temple your home. You will be given food and whatever you may need for the three days you are here until the recruitment begins. I will also give you a technique book of your choice so you can train. Consider it a reward for helping my disciple."
I clasped my hands and bowed in a sign of respect.
"You don't need to be so formal. For now, you can go rest, and I will find you better clothes. What you're wearing is very strange."
I nodded and watched her walk directly toward where she had just pointed, so I followed her until we reached a door. Opening the pavilion door, I found a simple but cozy room: a futon on the floor, a desk with paper and ink for writing, and in the center, a meditation mat woven from bamboo fibers.
"In the mornings, you can join the disciples in the central courtyard for basic qi exercises. In the afternoons, the bamboo garden is available for you to practice your... particular methods."
When I was alone, I opened my system interface. The main mission was still there, but now I noticed the missions section was still active.
[Missions. [Monster Slayer] [Meditator][Great Swordsman] (0/2) ]
There are several missions in this section, but honestly, these three caught my attention with their names. It seems I can only accept two missions, so is that another rule of the system?
[Meditator: Assume the lotus position and meditate for the next 6 hours. [+1 Level: Aura]]
[Great Swordsman: Perform 1000 practice strikes against the wooden post with your sword. [+2 Levels: Basic Fencing]]
These two are too good.
I accept the two missions and start meditating. This is the only technique I can practice for now since I have no idea if the training ground is available at the moment.
I felt the world around me, the whisper of the wind through the bamboo, the flow of what I could assume was qi in the earth. It doesn't feel very different from my aura, but my aura feels deep within my heart, and I can manipulate it, whereas my attempt to manipulate qi while meditating is very difficult.
Is it because I don't know the practice techniques that it's harder? I need to understand the difference between these two energies to start training them separately, but for now, it's best to keep manipulating and controlling my aura since I only have three days, and I don't even know if the beasts I faced are considered strong or weak.
∆∆∆
(POV Ling Xue)
The soft scent of medicinal herbs filled my room as I lay on my recovery bed. Through the open window, the twin moons bathed the bamboo garden in their silvery light, but I couldn't see Wil Lang from here. I only heard the whisper of the wind through the bamboo and the distant sound of the disciples' nighttime practice.
I still felt the echo of the poison in my body left by those damned beasts. If I hadn't been careless, I could have emerged unscathed from that battle, but I almost died. Yet that man, Wil Lang, saved me with his resolve and his strange way of handling qi—or rather, more than strange, one could say it was rudimentary. His movements had been so different from everything I knew: brutal, effective, lacking the elegance of our martial arts.
"You owe your life to that young man, Ling Xue."
Master Yin's voice interrupted my thoughts. She entered the room with her characteristic silent step, carrying another cup of medicinal tea.
"You're right, Master. Later, I should talk to him to find out how I can repay him for saving my life."
Master Yin placed the cup in my hands, her wise eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"Tell me, dear disciple, how does that man fight? I can sense something different about him, and although I know it's qi, I notice it seems different. Perhaps you noticed something?"
"Yes, Master. He didn't seem to use elegant fighting techniques; he just imbued his fists with qi and threw punches."
The master brought a hand to her chin.
"I see. Perhaps that's why his energy feels different from what we might know. Normally, no one uses qi in that way, and the few who do only end up stagnant."
"Do you think that could happen to Mr. Lang? That he becomes stagnant and doesn't advance?"
"I don't know, but I must admit he has strong willpower. According to what the servants have told me, it seems he has been meditating since I left him in his room."
"And what does he practice in his meditation? Is he cultivating?"
"I don't think so. I didn't give him any cultivation manual or any kind of herbs to improve the little energy he has."
"Then what is he doing?"
"I don't know. His path is different from ours. We must observe his progress with interest."
"Master, what level do you think he is at?"
The master thought for a moment.
"From what you tell me, he should be slightly above the first level of the 'Mortal Realm.'"
I brought a hand to my forehead.
"So, he can barely be considered stronger than a mortal with training."
So, he's only a little stronger than mortals who train their bodies a lot, and that's only because of the qi he can use.
"Don't worry too much about him. If he passes the exam, he will be accepted and can continue to improve steadily. If he doesn't, we will give him some money and a few cultivation techniques that might be useful to him."
At least that would help him somewhat. I hope he can pass the exam; I would love to have him as a junior, as he seems to be someone brave and good. He rushed to help me without knowing me, against beasts that could have killed him if he let his guard down.
As the night deepened and I was alone again, I couldn't help but feel deep gratitude toward Wil Lang. Closing my eyes, I promised that once I fully recovered, I would find a way to repay his bravery, perhaps by helping him understand our ways.
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I couldn't upload the chapter earlier because I was very sick, I'll try to upload another chapter in a few hours.