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Chapter 231 - Legend of the Masked Children (I)
🕑 Added 2025-09-26 21:31:34 +0000 UTC"... you did what?" That was me, living out a cliche I haven't lived out in over fifteen years of my life, all so while accompanied by a comical expression, and the tone of the voice that belonged more so in a sitcom than reality.
But... it was my reality.
"I enrolled the kids into the competition." That was Long Tao, confirming rather dismissively what I thought was him just trying to make my blood pressure rise.
Honestly, if I wasn't certain he could bend me in half like a cotton pipe, I'd have smacked him right here and now. What do you mean you enrolled them into the competition?! Weren't we leaving this place and heading north as soon as possible?!
"... why?" I gritted my teeth and asked.
"The rewards are nice," he said. "And they can finally let loose a bit."
"And did you consider what kind of scrutiny that will invite on us?"
"Very much so," he glanced over at me. "I believe I told you this before, Master, but as long as you stick with us, there will hardly be moments of peace."
"No, no, I very much understand that," I said. "What I don't understand is why you went out of your way to interrupt one of those few rare moments of peace on purpose?"
"The rewards are nice."
"..."
"Don't be a worrywart," he shrugged. "You have that token that was given to you by the Eternal Edge Mountain, no? Even if there are some Holy Lands Elders here vying for the kids, you can just flash the token and they'll leave you alone."
"You really think they'll leave us alone?"
"Well, in the city, at least." he flashed a grin. "Once we're outside..."
"Which is where we'll have to be. Unless you all manage to increase the mastery of Art of Survival..."
"Not any time soon, I'm afraid," he said. "It'll be fine. Fun and fine, even. We've enjoyed a relative peace for a while now." Did we? Did we really?! "That alchemist, by the way."
"What about him?"
"How'd you get him to follow us?"
"... my grandfather taught me the ways."
"..."
"What happened with the vine?" I asked.
"There was someone presiding over it."
"A Sage?"
"No, of course not," he shrugged. "Though, my curiosity about them has truly reached its peak. They're also one of the reasons I want the kids to compete."
"Why?"
"We're not strong enough yet," he said. "Not even remotely, I don't think. And there's only so much that can be accomplished by peacefully cultivating and friendly sparring; steel is not forged by a gentle caressing."
"Haah. Fine. Your family really will be the death of me, won't they?"
He cracked a smile as I left, exiting out into the open space.
It was evening, and the raging music was still ongoing--somewhere in the central hall, there were festivities that I excused myself out of by saying I was tired, all so because the word has already spread that Master Gu as well as the 'Sage Alchemist' he invited had managed to cure the Young Lady Zhu's condition.
... when the hell did I become a Sage Alchemist? Of all the undeserving titles...
Now, I obviously considered dabbling into alchemy if for nothing else but my background. I thought that there'd be a connection there I could 'abuse' to speedrun the ranks. But... there really doesn't seem to be one.
I mean, aside from the fact that the general prep for the medicine is loosely similar, there's little else. Alchemy, at its core, is still very much magic--it's as much about utilizing Qi to properly extract, bind, combine, and whatever else, as it is knowing the right mixture of herbs.
Speaking of herbs...
I barely recognized any of them.
I mean, the 'standard' ones existed here, too, and were used in alchemy to a degree, but having looked over some of the recipes for even the most basic pills, the vast majority of them used herbs that I've never heard of before in my life.
Was I, a 40-year-old man, going to sit my frumpy ass down and memorize possibly thousands of new herbs, as well as all their unique properties?
Hah!
Hell no.
As such, my dreams of becoming an actual Sage Alchemist were swiftly abandoned.
"Hey, kid," ugh.
"Just call me Lu, please. No, even call me, 'Hey, you'. Just don't call me kid."
"Sure thing," I feel it. "Kid." There it is.
"What do you want?"
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what? To get lost? I thought I already did."
"Ho ho. Tell me about where on earth you found your little army."
"... you're a smart guy," I said dismissively. "You'll figure it out." his eyebrows began to twitch for a moment as he coughed.
"I'm not that smart--"
"Wow! Are you really so desperate to know that you've humbled yourself?!"
"..."
"It may snow in the middle of summer, it seems."
"Will you just tell me?"
"What do you think?"
"... haah."
"The kids will compete in the Gathering," I said. "Maybe you can figure something out watching them?"
"They will? Why?"
"Beats me," I shrugged. "They're kids. They want to show off, I suppose."
"Aah, to be a passionate youth, indeed. Very well. I will try to discern their origins. Maybe we can bet on it?"
"..." Alright, seriously--I thought it was me rubbing off on the kids with the whole 'betting everything' mindset, but no, this just seems to be the default setting of the people in this world. Or, at least, the cultivators of this world. Everyone's just so damned obsessed with betting it's not even funny anymore.
"Go rest, Lao," I said. "And concoct me a few pills to cull headaches."
"Why? Did you tire yourself out putting on that show?"
"... no. The sound of your voice is hurting my head."
I've noticed the trend a few months back, even, but it's growing even more pronounced recently--I've been turning snappier and snappier. To be fair, that was kind of who I was back on Earth, it's just that the fear has put on a tight filter on me ever since I came here. Now that the fear has loosened, so did my lips.
It's one thing to do it occasionally and in small doses, but I fear if I truly let myself go, that's just going to become my new default, and, well, that might yet be the stupidest thing I'd do in this world.
Retiring to my own little bedroom, I sunk into the bed, lying down. I wasn't going to sleep, not really--I noticed that, unless I force myself to, I rarely get tired these days even after not sleeping for a week. But it's a habit, a ritual, and one so deeply engraved in my bones that I'm finding it hard to abandon.
... though I've put on a protest, I am actually kind of curious to see how the kids will perform. Though I assume they'll win with ease, what if I'm just severely underestimating regions outside of the 'starter zone'. What if the 'scaling' is so massive that the kids will actually struggle?
Haah.
Great.
Now I'm looking forward to it, too...
Comments
Gopard
Nah they have the alchemist with them though... So... This alchemist who is clearly absurdly strong and overpowered and definitely interested in them so he likely will at least "politely discourage" any idiots trying to kidnap those "monsters"...
Anthony Milton
Please Please Please let the main character gain an advantage in mastering alchemy.You can even use modern knowledge of computers to give him an edge.
NameGame
Hm...that competition is going to be a Major Problem. Given that the alchemist was able to recognize their potential instantly upon seeing them, so will MANY other people watching, including but not limited to the representatives from the Holy Lands. These are people that live a very, very long time, and can look at the long game. Every major sect, EVERY major sect, that exists is going to send out their heavy hitters to grab the kids, and keep doing it until they get them. Not one strong person, but like all their elders and sect leaders as a group. Because once they get them and start shoving resources and training at them, given a few decades the kids'll get over being nabbed (or so they'll think). Any sect that gets them will, in under a century, be the strongest sect, and they'll all know it...so no cost is too high, even if it costs them an elder or all the elders, they MUST have those kids AND must prevent the other sects from having them. They could have gotten by just fine by not being obvious. Not drawing excessive attention, staying out of the limelight and getting stronger over time until they could defend themselves, like being in the audience would probably be fine (as long as they aren't seated right in front of a major sect), they'd have been okay. However, now every major sect will know and every major sect will know all the other sects will know...and major sects not in attendance will find out shortly and also be coming for them. They're capable, but not THAT capable, not yet. They're fucked. If they compete, there's no way out of them getting nabbed and Lu killed to get rid of him and make sure they don't try to return to him. There won't be a discussion of "give us the kids" or "join us" it'll just be grabbing them and off they go.
Moon Winchester
tftc
