A Friendly Acquaintance

Fang trudged through the thick mud on the road. Despite the relentless flow of mud, he maintained a steady pace.

"Interesting...the mud is a thick sludge... a combination of the earth and water. It is an immense but underestimated force. No one understands it's true complexity. It is a relentless pushing force that can overwhelm any opponent through sheer volume and sheer power. Very interesting..." he muttered.

[Comprehension of Mud increased by 10%]

[1% increase in Law of Mud]

Fang's mouth twitched. Internally he was laughing with immense joy. He had finally found a way to exploit and trick the system.

All he had to do was make vague and obscure observations about the most ridiculous things. This way his "insight" into these elements would increase, bringing him closer to learning the true essence and the true law of each of these elements. However, they weren't particularly powerful and could not possibly account for all the elements in the known universe. They were only the simplest possible laws.

In terms of power, they could never compare to the Law of the Scythe. But they would definitely help him in controlling his usage of the Universal Annihilation Palm. After all, gaining full control of the skill would allow him to do literally anything with his attack, creating multiple variations.

Smiling, he continued to ramble on about the beauty of the mud. Trudging forth, he looked like a hobo, driven mad.

A fancy carriage was coming the other way. Driven by beautiful white stallions, it was adorned with red and gold. Gold furnishings could be seen flashing in the sunlight, never losing their luster despite the heavy rain and the mud.

The carriage rushed past Fang, splattering him from head to toe. He shook his head in annoyance and began to clean himself up.

"HEY! Watch it!" he cried after the receding carriage.

The carriage stopped abruptly. The door opened quickly and a man dressed in cyan leaped out. He had the distinct look of a hero, although a cold and aloof one at that. Gazing carefully at the hobo who had just spoken, his eyes widened in disbelief. Speechless he ran over to the hobo.

Startled, Fang leaped back. This was a classic case of asking for trouble. How many times had he heard about this classic trope.

The MC would be here and there, doing their own thing when a villain would come out from god-knows-where and insult the MC and then pick a fight with them over unreasonable things. The MC, being the typical protagonist they are, would fight back and utterly devastate the opposing party, drawing the ire of stronger parties and gaining fame simultaneously.

Leaping back, he adopted a subtle martial stance.

"Look, I meant no harm--," he began.

"My friend! It truly is you!" the man cried.

'Friend?' Fang thought.

"Do you not remember me? Tang Junxin?" the man asked nervously.

A flash of memory occurred through Fang's brain as he remembered where he had seen the man before. Smiling he greeted the man.

"Ah... Tang Junxin... did you win the competition?" he asked.

The man laughed.

"Not only did I win, I married the Emperor's daughter as well. I am on track to become the next Emperor. Meaning that I am now a Prince Consort!" he cried ecstatically.

Fang smiled, chuckling internally. Indeed, fine wines were best over time.

Tang Junxin immediately led Fang to his carriage.

"Please, sit down!" he offered.

Fang frowned and looked at his clothes. They were muddy and dirty, dripping with wet mush.

"Ahh...." Tang Junxin frowned awkwardly.

The chauffeur sniffed haughtily, turning up his nose at the hobo. Fang smiled and released his aura. Immediately, Tang Junxin felt a suppressing force. He grimaced as he resisted the urge to kneel. The chauffeur sat, mouth open in shock.

Meanwhile, Fang pushed off the dirt and mud from his clothes. They began to sparkle, tempered by his aura.

[High-Grade Farmer's Tunic Created]

[High-Grade Farmer's Trousers Created]

[High-Grade Farmer's Undergarments Created]

[High-Grade Farmer's Boots Created]

Fang's face twitched again at these notifications. Resisting the urge to curse, he smiled and retracted his aura. The very act of drawing out his aura had evolved his simple clothes into high grade battle armor, driving him to the point of tears. He really couldn't live an ordinary life, could he?

Behind him, Tang Junxin stood shocked. That aura just now.... terrified him. Who was this man?

Swallowing his fear, he approached Fang.

"Master Innkeeper,...what...what exactly is your purpose in coming here?" he asked tentatively.

Fang turned to look at him lazily.

"I'm just wandering around here and there. I guess I came hear because... I wanted insight into the Laws of Mud...," he spoke nonchalantly.

The duo nearly spit blood. Did this man think that mastering a Law was truly that easy?

"I've been walking in this for almost an hour now... and I've achieved 60% mastery...almost there!" he spoke again.

The chauffeur and Tang Junxin nearly fainted. This comprehension speed...could not be found in the entire Empire! This raw power and talent...outclassed them by such a large degree.

Meanwhile, Fang stared at them. The two looked awestruck.

'What did I say? All I did was gain mastery over the Law of Mud... I even decreased the percentage I learned so that it wouldn't seem that impressive...Why are they looking at me like I'm some kind of cultivation monster?' he thought.

The duo nearly spit blood as they saw his expression: he was genuinely puzzled. Could he not realize the greatness of his achievement? That would be impossible! Surely this man was a cultivating genius right?

"Sir....Revered Master?" the chauffeur asked.

Fang looked at him. He nodded.

"Who exactly are you?"

Fang thought about his answer momentarily not speaking whatsoever. Smiling, he waved his hand.

"I'm just a simple farmer," he spoke.

The duo's eyes bulged out as they shot stupefied and incredulous gazes towards the oblivious Fang.