Deal with Granny

The Month Of The Mists was nearing, and the townsfolk had already started gathering Vipervine. It was clear that there was a shortage this year and the people were freaking out. No one wanted to venture deeper to get Vipervine. Meanwhile, this was exactly what I'd wanted to happen, so I spent most of my time in the library looking for a way to cure myself.

I read through the final scroll from the library and slumped back in defeat, I'd yet to find anything relating to the topic… I had no clue how I'd fix myself. If I could do that in the first place.

Sighing exasperatedly, I made my way to the bath, not in the mood to play with Biscuit even as she meowed at me when I ignored her.

With Biscuit trailing behind me I walked into the bath and let myself melt in there. My eyes rested on the ceiling, and I closed my eyes, letting out another sigh. This situation had to be the worst situation I'd ever found myself in. Suddenly plucked from my world and thrown into a xianxia world… I had no clue how to handle this situation. Not to mention I had no power in this world. My situation was truly hopeless. Well, aside from those two Disciples of mine whom I've let do whatever on their own. I'd check up on them sooner or later, but for now, they were useless too.

"Meow," Biscuit mewed from the side, and I glanced to find her chilling in the bath beside me. I stared at her for a few seconds. Well, aside from Biscuit, everyone's useless…

Biscuit was more of a therapeutic pet for me than anything. Therapeutic, as in, her presence let me relax and forget about everything and just chill—just like now, in the bath.

Half an hour or so in there, I finally walked out and changed into new clothes. I was pretty sure I'd look crazy if anyone got a proper look at my face. I wondered as I looked in the mirror. Yep, I look crazy. Black circles under the eye, weird… red color? What's that? I examined myself further and found a weird reddish color spread through my neck and body, in the shape of veins. What is this?

It made me more scared.

Shaking the image of myself in the mirror from my head, I trudged toward the training grounds behind the mansion where Kai and Renji should be. Sure enough, they were there. I sat down near them and used Identify.

- System Panel -

Name Li Renji

Sex Male

Age 13

Race Human

Template Demonic Protagonist, Type D

Cultivation Mortal Realm (62% Purity)

Talent Rank 1 Trash (Suppressed Due to Yin Heart Physique)

Constitution Yin Heart Physique

Bloodline None

Affinity Suppressed

Path None

- Overall -

He who has been deemed trash due to a presumed "disease" that suppresses not only his affinities and Eclipse Heart, but his talent as well.

- System Panel -

Name Wang Kai

Sex Male

Age 13

Race Human

Template Enemy turned Friend.

Cultivation Mortal Realm (70% Purity)

Talent Rank 2 Average-Talent

Constitution None

Bloodline None

Affinity Wood

Path None

- Overall -

He who is the enemy of the protagonist and then is put in his place, only to turn into a friend and minion.

75% is the limit of Pure… let's see if they do, in fact, can go higher than that. Thinking so, I went for a grab at Biscuit, but my hands met empty air. With a deadpan on my face, I scanned for her in the place and found her nearing Renji and Kai. Sighing, I stood up and grabbed her before she could lunge at them. Biscuit didn't like them for whatever reason. Also, she did seem intelligent, more than a cat should be, but I had no clue how much exactly.

It would be nice if they could cultivate faster… I sighed yet again, face in my hands.

Mind wandering, I considered what to do. My Disciples would take time to reach the 75% mark, and there was still time for the Month Of The Mists. My plans of making crazy money had to wait. Staying huddled in the library was making it worse for my mental state so I needed something worthwhile to do to pass the time.

Should I check out my Scriptures and Techniques? Nah, it will only make me feel worse given I can't really use them… A farm, maybe? Nay, waste of time for now when I could be doing something productive that could heal my ass. Uh… Heal? Wait, should I talk to Granny about my state? But no one really knows I'm a cripple, won't it be dangerous?

Yes, no one knew that I was a cripple aside from a select few individuals aside from the Elders. I'd even had a typical misunderstanding encounter already. If I recall correctly, something about me being so high in cultivation that the guy couldn't even see my depths, while in reality, I simply held no cultivation, and he was looking at nothing.

I chuckled slightly.

Let's just go and check for any scrolls I might have missed. I clutched my hands into fists and stood up.

Another quick round through the library and I still had nothing. Grabbing the chair beside me, I threw it right on the ground, growling. Fuck. I sighed and slumped back down to the ground. This is not helping…

I was really desperate for a cure, that I'd do anything to get it. Suddenly, something flickered in front of me like lightning.

A Quest Has Been Generated.

Huh? What? I couldn't help but frown at the sudden arrival of a quest.

[Get Your Disciples To Breakthrough With 100% Purity.]

Status: Issued

You are desperate and in need of not only protection but a cure as well. Your desperation has triggered a Quest. Train your Disciples and make them Breakthrough to the Foundation Realm with 100% Purity. Good luck: you need that.

Success: Cure. Failure: Death.

Suspicion washed over me like a tidal wave. Suspicion at the sudden arrival of such a quest and how the time was just perfect. Carrot and Stick, huh… but… why? I was curious. Why would the system or whatever is behind it, do such a thing? More specifically, what would they want with someone like me? I was not arrogant enough to think that I mattered in the greater scheme of things. I was just a puny little human like everyone else. So… Why?

Then again, would a being or this system be so stupid and do this right now? Given that it should be aware that I'd get suspicious?

There was confusion alongside suspicion in my mind and I had no clue how to get over this aside from going with the flow. Given I couldn't do anything at the moment anyway. So, like everything else, I pushed it aside and tried to not think of it while a plan started brewing in my mind.

Power was needed. I couldn't give a shit about this being a carrot and stick situation. After a while of thinking I had the perfect plan for my Disciples to breakthrough with a 100% Purity, given I could find some way to get past the explosion phase of it all. If there was a restriction, there had to be a way to get past it. Now, I may not be the most mentally able and smart person, but even I could get something simple running.

I stood up, Biscuit meowing at the sudden movement. I grabbed her and chuckled before making my way out of the mansion.

First off, I needed to do research on the topic; I'd already walked through my own library when I was searching for a cure for my Eclipse Heart. While not finding any information on the cure had stumped me quite a bit, I'd found out a bunch of other information. I need to get out of town.

I had a destination in mind and for that, I'd need to leave but leaving this place unattended… seemed irresponsible. I sighed and made up my mind to talk to Granny once before I left. Of course, I wasn't about to leave this place on her shoulders, but I doubted this place needed me running it in the first place. It had been running on its own quite well when I wasn't here.

I had something else in mind for Granny.

***

"You want me to take an eye on your disciples?" Granny asked.

I nodded and found her staring right at me with an exasperated expression, "You want me to take care of some annoying kids?"

"Well," I shrugged, "You already do," I said, mentioning that Regressor kid.

She sighed, "He's not a—you know what, never mind that. Do you want me to take care of them? It will cost." Her eyes shone with a sheen quite similar to a shrewd businesswoman.

My shoulders sagged a bit, I already owed her one, and now this.

"What is it—" I asked but was cut off by her.

"Take Yunfei in the Crimson Mists."

My heart sank, "What?"

"Once you're done with whatever you're up to, take that stupid kid into the Crimson Mists, into the Gorge."

"What does he want there—"

"No questions until it is time," she raised her hand. I cursed the old hag in my mind. The reason I was even bothering with her was because I wanted her to keep an eye on the kids so they wouldn't explode while I was out. I would also be leaving Biscuit here because she was the one person—yes, I considered her a person—whom I cared about slightly and couldn't see dying.

I was alone on this journey, which didn't really sit right with me given how dangerous it potentially could be, but I had no choice but to take risks. Hopefully, [Trinket Of The Fallen] would be enough.

"Deal," I sighed. Just wait until I get my cultivation back. A partial reason for choosing Granny for all this stuff was because when I used [Identify] on her, it turned out blank, which only happens when a person is way higher in cultivation than I am, or dead like that snake bastard.

Done with her, I trudged out of her little cottage, and through the town I went back to my place. The day was getting late, and the sun was casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets. The town had a sense of quiet familiarity, a place where everyone knew everyone else's business—which was understandable given the small scale of this town—and secrets were rare commodities. As I walked, my mind wandered back to the task ahead. The Archives back in the capital of Crimson Peaks were rumored to possess unimaginable knowledge, it had Archivists who maintained the Archives, they're in charge of archives. The knowledge within was a kind that could reshape destinies and alter the fabric of reality itself—or so it was said. I knew of the place from Ryujin's memories of course, and I hoped—I dared believe—it might hold clues to my shattered Eclipse Heart and refine beyond a point without exploding.

Because people would have tried to refine their Gu more, right? They wouldn't really stop. Humans aren't like that, not to mention people with "demonic" in their names.

Reaching my mansion, I found Biscuit waiting for me. She was a peculiar companion, a creature with weird powers. Powers that had attached herself to me in a way I couldn't see her die. This pussy! Hmm, that was bad.

I shook my head at my bad inner joke and scratched and petted her for a while before informing her, Kai, and Renji, of my departure.

When I was done, Biscuit's fluffy tail swayed as she watched me with curious eyes. I could almost feel her concern as I prepared to leave; it made me chuckle.

I stepped out of the mansion, facing my destination's direction and taking my first step.