We left the registration hall as the five kids were being led away by other disciples toward their assigned dormitories — Mei glanced back at Chen Wu looking like she wanted to say something but she was ushered along before she could.
Chen Wu led me through the sect grounds passing training yards and meditation gardens. "The outer disciple quarters are over here," Chen Wu said, pointing to a cluster of buildings on the lower slopes. "You'll share a room with a few others — it's basic but comfortable.”
"It's more than I expected." We walked in silence for a moment.
"Fu yang, I'm sorry about your cultivation. If there's anything I can do to help—"
"You've already helped more than enough." He smiled sadly. "Still..." "Umm, why not we become brothers — true brothers from now on, I also wanted a brother since, you know I have no one in this world now..." I said it sadly.
"Of course," he agreed as his eyes sparkled. We reached the outer disciple quarters where Chen Wu showed me to a room with four beds — two were already occupied with cultivation manuals and personal belongings scattered around while the other two were empty.
"This one's yours," Chen Wu said, gesturing to a bed near the window. "Your roommates are probably at training right now. You'll meet them later."
"Ok brother.”
"Mm, I need to report to Master Yun now — but if you need anything just ask any of the disciples, they'll help you or just look for me." He turned to leave but suddenly paused and I didn't know why at first — but the moment he stopped my eyes widened as I saw the golden window screen, my first time seeing Chen Wu's. I closed the distance toward him and thankfully being taller I looked directly at his system screen.
__________
[SYSTEM : NEW QUEST]
Find the evil who had infiltrated your sect.
REWARD : Cultivation Boost for 1 hour
Meridian Enhancer pill : Emperor Rank
Spirit stones : 2000
__________
I clearly understood the system was referring to me — but the moment that thought crossed my mind Chen Wu turned back and I quickly feigned bewilderment forcing a blank puzzled look onto my face.
At first he looked deeply at me but shook his head and smiled before he left. The door closed behind Chen Wu while I stood there frozen staring at where he'd just been standing — my heart pounding, not from fear since I'd gotten past fear after dying too many times, but from the sheer tension of what had just happened.
The system had literally given him a quest to hunt me down. And he'd looked at me— REALLY looked at me, with that deep, searching expression. Like some part of him knew and his instinct screamed that something was WRONG.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
But he'd shaken it off — I let out a long shaky breath and slumped against the wall
That was close. Too close…
I walked over to my assigned bed and sat down heavily — the mattress was thin but better than sleeping on cave floors as my hands trembled slightly with the adrenaline finally catching up. I needed to calm down and think clearly.
Shortly, a notification appeared and I opened the system screen.
___________
[CORRUPTION EVENT]
[Target: Chen Wu]
[Achievement: Passed Suspicion Check]
[Corruption Progress: 12%]
[Calculating Rewards...]
I watched the text shimmer and change.
[REWARDS GRANTED]
[- Spirit Stones: 50]
[- Basic Martial Arts Manual (Common Grade)]
What Fifty spirit stones?
ONLY FIFTY?
I almost laughed — after everything I'd just been through, the self-mutilation, the acting, the constant tension, and now the system gave me only twenty spirit stones with a basic manual? "Are you kidding me?" I muttered.
But the system didn't respond — it never did. Dejected I opened my inventory and there they were, twenty small glowing stones containing concentrated spiritual energy, useful for cultivation but twenty was practically nothing since most outer disciples probably earned more than that in a month of missions. And a basic martial arts manual — common grade, the lowest quality.
"Stingy system," I grumbled..
Still I was curious about the manual and selected it from my inventory as the book materialized in my hands — plain brown cover with no title. I opened it to the first page and the moment I did the book exploded, not violently but it just dissolved, turning into thousands of tiny particles of light that rushed toward me like a swarm of fireflies.
I jerked back in surprise but the lights were faster — hitting my forehead, my chest, my hands, everywhere at once and then they were inside me as information flooded my mind, not words or images but pure knowledge and understanding: stances, movements, breathing patterns, weight distribution, how to strike, block, dodge and counter, all of it pouring into my brain in seconds like someone had taken years of training and compressed it into a single moment of absolute clarity.
When it stopped I was gasping and sweating with my head throbbing — but I understood it, all of it. The entire martial art was just there in my mind like I'd practiced it for years. I stood up slowly testing my body as my hands moved into a guard stance without me consciously thinking about it.
"Amazing," I whispered — was this how learning worked, just downloading skills directly into your brain? I threw a few practice strikes: punch, palm strike, elbow and each one felt right as my body knew exactly how to move. The manual had been common grade, the lowest quality, but it had given me instant mastery of a complete fighting style.
What would a higher-grade manual do? I sat back down on the bed, my mind racing — (this changed things. If I could acquire more manuals and more techniques I could actually become stronger and one day I could just kill these chosen ones.)
The system might be stingy with spirit stones but this… this was valuable. I pulled up Chen Wu's profile curious about what else I could see now.
___________
[TARGET: CHEN WU]
[Status: Chosen One]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)]
[Corruption Progress: 12%]
[Current Relationship: Sworn Brother]
[Personality Traits: Naive, Compassionate, Idealistic, Loyal, Seeks Approval]
[Active Quests:]
- Find the Evil Who Infiltrated Your Sect
- Advances to Foundation Establishment (Middle Stage)
I read it twice — these were the exact cracks I needed to find and exploit. The sworn brotherhood had been the right move and now twelve percent corruption, I needed to reach what, fifty percent, a hundred? The system hadn't specified but twelve was a good start. And just as I was about to close the screen I heard voices outside as footsteps approached.
I quickly dismissed all the system screens and grabbed one of the cultivation manuals from a nearby shelf, pretending to read.
The door opened and two young men entered both wearing outer disciple robes — one tall and lean with sharp features while the other was shorter and stockier with a friendly face. They stopped when they saw me. "Oh," the tall one said as his expression cooled immediately. "You're the new one.”
"Yes," I said quietly. "I'm Fu Yang."
"I'm Wei Feng," the shorter one said with a small smile. " And that's Zhang Kun."
Zhang Kun didn't smile as his eyes narrowed, then turned away sharply and went to his bed starting to organize his things with aggressive movements. Wei Feng gave me an apologetic look. "Don't mind him — he's always like this.”
"I understand."
Wei Feng went to his own bed. "You should get some rest — outer disciples have morning training at dawn and you're welcome to join if you want.”
"Thank you. I will."
The room fell into uncomfortable silence. Zhang Kun had an irritated face. While Wei Feng was trying to act normal. And I was sitting on my bed, pretending to read a manual that I couldn't understand, there wasn't even one word written on it, only fighting stances were drawn.
Hours passed and the sun set outside as Wei Feng and Zhang Kun eventually settled in for the night and fell asleep quickly.
