The night deepened over Stonebrook Hollow, wrapping the village in a cloak of uneasy silence. Lin Xuan sat in the dim confines of his hut, the stolen *Qi Gathering Primer* spread before him like a map to hidden treasures. The manual's yellowed pages detailed not just breathing techniques but also the foundational principles of cultivation in this world—a system governed by the heavens' whims and human ambition. Qi, the manual explained, was the lifeblood of the universe, drawn from the earth, air, and even the stars. Those who mastered its flow could transcend mortality, but the path was fraught with perils: meridian blockages, Qi deviations, and the ever-present threat of heavenly tribulations that tested one's resolve.
Lin Xuan's breakthrough to Qi Gathering Layer 1 had been a small victory, but he knew it was merely the first step on a ladder that stretched into infinity. His dantian, the core energy reservoir in his lower abdomen, now held a faint swirl of Qi—enough to enhance his physical senses and grant minor bursts of strength. He tested it subtly, clenching his fist; the muscles responded with a subtle vigor, far from superhuman but a marked improvement over the frail body he'd inherited.
His thoughts turned to Mei Ling's visit. The bread had sated his hunger, but her kindness gnawed at him. In his old life, alliances were transactional; here, they could be the same. She lived with her family on the village's edge, her father a humble herbalist who traded remedies for food. Useful, perhaps—herbs could accelerate cultivation if properly refined. But trust? That was a variable he couldn't control yet.
A low rumble shattered his reverie—the same roar from before, now unmistakably closer. It echoed through the hills like thunder rolling in from a storm. Lin Xuan's enhanced hearing picked up nuances: a guttural growl laced with pain or hunger, accompanied by the distant crash of underbrush. A spirit beast, drawn to the village. The boy's memories supplied details: such creatures inhabited the surrounding forests, mutated by ambient Qi into ferocious predators. Most were at the equivalent of Qi Gathering stages, with hides tougher than leather and claws that could rend stone.
Villagers stirred outside, murmurs rising like a tide. "It's the Ironfang Boar again!" someone shouted. "It's been raiding the fields!"
Lin Xuan slipped to the window, peering out. Torches flickered to life as men gathered in the square, armed with pitchforks and crude spears. Wang Er led them, his burly frame silhouetted against the firelight. "Form up, you cowards! The sect won't protect us if we don't handle our own pests."
Headman Li emerged from his house, staff in hand. "Wang Er, take the hunters to the north trail. Lure it away before it breaches the fences."
The enforcer grunted assent, barking orders. A dozen men followed him into the night, their faces pale but determined.
Lin Xuan calculated swiftly. The beast was a threat, but also an opportunity. Spirit beasts often carried inner cores—crystallized essence that could boost cultivation exponentially. If he could obtain one without direct confrontation... But he was too weak for frontline combat. Better to observe, exploit the chaos.
He donned his tattered cloak and slipped out, shadowing the group at a distance. The forest loomed ahead, a dense thicket of ancient trees twisted by Qi flows. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting eerie patterns on the ground. Lin Xuan moved silently, his Qi-enhanced steps muffling his footfalls.
The roars grew louder, punctuated by crashes. Ahead, the hunters fanned out, torches held high. Wang Er raised a hand, signaling halt. "There—tracks. Fresh."
Lin Xuan crouched behind a boulder, eyes scanning. The tracks were massive, hoof prints the size of dinner plates, edged with claw marks. Ironfang Boar: a mid-Qi Gathering beast known for its armored hide and charging tusks. Valuable pelt, but the core was the prize.
Suddenly, the underbrush exploded. A colossal shadow burst forth—a boar the size of a bull, its fur matted steel-gray, tusks gleaming like forged iron. Red eyes glowed with feral Qi, and a wound on its flank oozed dark blood, explaining its aggression.
"Attack!" Wang Er bellowed, hurling a spear. It glanced off the hide, enraging the beast. It charged, goring one hunter who screamed as he was flung aside.
Chaos erupted. Men stabbed and slashed, but the boar's Qi aura repelled most blows. Wang Er, channeling his cultivation, landed a punch that cracked a tusk, but the beast retaliated, slamming him into a tree.
Lin Xuan watched impassively, analyzing. The boar's movements were predictable—linear charges, weak turns due to the injury. The hunters were disorganized, relying on numbers rather than strategy.
An idea formed. He needed a diversion to weaken it further. Spotting a cluster of vines nearby, he channeled a thread of Qi into his palm, forming a basic spark as per the manual's ignition technique. Not a flame, but enough heat to smolder.
He crept closer, igniting the dry underbrush behind the beast. Flames licked up, crackling loudly. The boar, sensitive to fire, wheeled in panic, exposing its wounded flank.
"Now!" Lin Xuan whispered to himself, but the hunters seized the moment. Two spears struck true, piercing the injury. The beast howled, thrashing wildly.
Wang Er recovered, Qi surging as he leaped onto its back, driving a dagger into its neck. Blood sprayed, and the boar collapsed with a final shudder.
Cheers erupted, but Lin Xuan remained hidden. The core—they'd extract it soon. Headman Li would claim it for tribute, or Wang Er might pocket it.
As the men butchered the carcass, Lin Xuan noted their exhaustion. Wounds needed tending; they'd carry the meat back, leaving scraps.
He waited until they departed, torches receding. Alone with the remains, he approached cautiously. The boar's aura lingered, but faded. Using a broken branch, he probed the chest cavity. There— a glowing orb the size of a fist, pulsing with dense Qi. The inner core.
Touching it sent a jolt through him, pure essence tempting his dantian. But absorbing it raw risked explosion; the manual warned of such dangers. Better to refine it later.
He pocketed it, covering his tracks. As he retreated, a rustle stopped him. From the shadows emerged Mei Ling, eyes wide, a basket of herbs in hand.
"Lin Xuan? What are you doing here?"
He cursed inwardly. Witness. "Foraging. Heard the noise."
She glanced at the bloodied ground. "You shouldn't be out alone. It's dangerous."
Her concern was genuine, but probing. "Why are you here?"
"Pa sent me for night-blooming herbs. For the wounded." She hesitated. "I saw you... take something."
Deny? Threaten? No—better to co-opt. "The core. It could help the village, but Wang Er would hoard it. Share it with me, and I'll teach you basic cultivation."
Her eyes lit. The boy's memories: she dreamed of strength, escaping poverty. "Really? But I'm just a girl..."
"Gender means nothing to Qi." A lie in some sects, but here? Irrelevant. "Deal?"
She nodded slowly. "Okay. But promise not to get hurt."
He agreed, mind already planning. An ally—informant, perhaps more.
Back in the hut, Lin Xuan examined the core under moonlight. Fist-sized, crystalline, veined with silver Qi. The manual described refinement: crush, mix with herbs, absorb gradually.
He lacked tools, but improvisation sufficed. Using a stone, he powdered a fragment, blending with water from his bowl. Ingesting it, he meditated, guiding the surge through meridians.
Pain lanced through him—raw power clashing with his weak foundation. Sweat beaded, veins bulging. But his calculative mind endured, directing the flow precisely, avoiding deviations.
Hours later, dawn broke as he stabilized. Qi Gathering Layer 2 achieved. Strength doubled, senses sharper. He could hear heartbeats from afar, smell distant rain.
But exhaustion hit. As he rested, the shadow wisp in the corner pulsed, almost approvingly. Unseen, it whispered faint words into the ether—words of ancient prophecy, ignored by the mortal boy.
Outside, the village celebrated the hunt, unaware of the greater shadows stirring. Rumors of sect scouts grew; trials approached. Lin Xuan smiled faintly. The board expanded; his moves would follow.