3-12 Transcending Dreams

Chapter 3: Getting Started

William had almost forgotten that he was floating in the air until he was moved into a standing position and set on his feet.

"Good, good, good!" The old man was full of smiles as he observed him, "It looks like there aren't any negative side-effects."

The old man might be happy to talk to William as if everything was normal, but that couldn't be said to be the same for him. In fact, it was more than a little horrifying.

William hadn't focused on the surroundings since he had been staring up at the ceiling most of the time. With him being able to stand with his own power, the sight of the happy old man surrounded by bodies of dead children and a headless woman was seared into his mind.

"Hm?" The old man noticed the hollow look in William's eyes and quickly understood the reason. With a casual wave of his hand, the hellish room changed into a paradise.

In place of the dead bodies and blood-stained walls, William saw a pristine beach with fine white sand as far as his eyes could see. The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a golden glow on the sand as waves gently lapped against the shore.

It was like a balm on his soul and a much-needed respite after hearing the desperate screams of the children for hours on end.

"Is this real?" William asked with his eyes closed, enjoying the fresh air with relish. His question wasn't just about the beach paradise. He wanted to know if everything was real. As unlikely as it seemed, did he somehow get placed in a world that should only exist in novels?

The old man stared at William with pity. While he didn't know the exact circumstances needed to be able to learn his master's cultivation manual, he knew enough to know that Wei Liang was more than he seemed.

The cultivators that practiced the soul-absorbing art were hunted down centuries ago after an agreement between the top sects in the world. He had occasionally lent a hand when a reclusive hermit was discovered, and others couldn't handle them. Ultimately, the true masters of the soul-absorbing art were destroyed, with a few low-level disciples escaping.

However, the survivors had the intelligence to act discreetly, so they were able to exist in the present day. They abandoned the thought of using the cultivators from this plane as targets and instead chose an odd new method.

They would kidnap scores of mortal children and summon a spirit from outside their world to occupy their bodies. A truly ingenious way to get similar benefits. However, it still had limits due to the quality of the sacrifices. It would lead to the soul-absorbing art having a ceiling of a Nascent Soul cultivator. A far cry from their glory days when Spirit Severing cultivators were common, with one even having reached Dao Seeking, the level the old man was currently at.

"When an illusion becomes indistinguishable from reality, does that question matter?" The old man asked casually.

"So I might still be able to…." William couldn't help but still hope for the possibility that he might wake up on the elevator floor.

"No," The old man shut it down, "My master often spoke of a peaceful world with no cultivation and where the rule of law ruled the land. Her dream was to turn this world into what she had in her memories."

William was staring at him intently. "Did she succeed?"

"Somewhat," The old man replied, "When she was present, none could challenge her position in the world. But it has been millennia since those days. The problem with being too strong is that you will be forced to leave this plane and ascend after becoming an immortal."

William felt his heart move. Wasn't the journey of becoming immortal what he dreamt about while binging those novels?

"That gained your interest," The old man smiled, "Good. You will need that to get the full potential out of master's cultivation method."

"Thank you," William paused, realizing he didn't know his savior's name. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, figuring this was the best way to show respect, and asked, "May I know the name of the one that saved me?"

The old man moved his pointing finger up slightly to straighten William from his bow. "There is no need for that, little Wei Liang. You may call me Daoist Chen."

"Daoist Chen," William repeated, "Thank you for everything you've done today."

"Like I said, it was on a whim. But if you want to repay me, use my master's cultivation method and become strong. I'll stay on this plane for ten more years before ascending. Become a Nascent Soul cultivator before then, and I'll give you a parting gift."

[Side Quest added: Daoist Chen has challenged you to become a Nascent Soul cultivator within ten years]

William blinked at the interruption by the system. However, shouldn't there be a prompt asking him if he wanted to accept or decline? It had been a while since he had played an RPG, but he was sure that was a standard option.

[The option to accept or reject a quest is available when there are penalties for failure]

William was surprised to see that he actually got an answer from the system. He mentally asked if an AI was attached, excited by the possibilities that could open, but was disappointed when no new text appeared.

Daoist Chen chuckled, "This brings back memories. My master often got lost in her thoughts in her earlier days."

"Ah," William felt sheepish, "Sorry."

"You're too quick to apologize, little Wei Liang," Daoist Chen shook his head, "You will be taken advantage of if it becomes a habit. Explore the cultivation method carefully. I am not aware of all the details, but my master had once told me that it will give the practitioner a chance to cultivate to perfection if done correctly."

William thought that Daoist Chen almost looked envious and soon found that he was.

"If only the requirements weren't so strict."

William thoughtfully ignored that comment since it seemed like Daoist Chen was speaking to himself. Plus, he was aware that this was a man that could squash him like a bug by accident.

Even though he was surrounded by paradise, William hadn't forgotten how unaffected Daoist Chen seemed to be by the numerous bodies surrounding them a few minutes ago. He had been able to laugh like they didn't exist.

Daoist Chen might be benevolent when considering he was a cultivator. However, he was still terrifying to someone like William, who came from a mostly peaceful country.

"I wish it was possible to help you gain a foundation, but with your cultivation method, any external help will only stagnate you."

"Daoist Chen already did more than enough," William bowed again to hide his disappointment.

"Good!" Daoist Chen laughed, "You are already learning to know when to hide your true feelings. My master never did that, even after becoming a half-step Immortal."

William's face flushed with embarrassment at being seen through.

"Find me when you reach the Nascent Soul stage, little Wei Liang. I would be disappointed if I couldn't see your progress before I ascend."

In the next instant, William found himself standing on a dirt road with endless grassy plains on either side. Daoist Chen had disappeared, and thankfully, he had taken him out of the place where he was moments away from dying.

By this point, William was convinced that this wasn't a dream. But even if he was wrong, Daoist Chen was right. If this was a dream, it was indistinguishable from reality, so why did it matter?

[+25 XP]

William frowned at the unexpected notification. He didn't think he did anything to earn those experience points.

More text appeared with detailed information, like a response to his confusion.

[Accept your place in this world: +25 XP]

William stared at the blue text before scratching his head in confusion. Maybe this was one of those easy points for a simple task at the beginning of an RPG, like kicking ten chickens or something similar.

Name: Wei Liang (William Davis)

Age: 13

Level: 1

Experience: 25/100

Cultivation: N/A

Health: 10/10

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Agility: 1

Luck: 1

Points: 0

Traits:

Soul Damage (Major) - Will reduce all base stats to 1 randomly

Main Quest(s):

Restore your Soul! (Reach Level 10 to enable the system to restore your soul back to its complete state)

Side Quest(s):

Daoist Chen has challenged you to become a Nascent Soul cultivator within ten years.

It had been a while since William had delved into an RPG. Still, he was reasonably confident that Stamina and Strength were the most important to spend points on early on… he hoped so, at least. However, there was a glaring issue with the trait he currently possessed.

It could become a disaster if William went about leveling up and spent his precious stat points like normal. Getting his hard-earned points erased randomly was almost game-breaking. Even more so when his future growth depended on it. Rather than game-breaking, it would be life-ending.

The most obvious choice here would be to bank all the points he would earn, but it was unlikely he could get to level ten with his base stats all at one.

"Hey, brat! Move out of the way!"

Chapter 4: Wang Xiaoling

[Name: Wang Xiaoling | Level: 3]

The first thing William's eyes went to was the blue text hovering above the woman careening far too quickly toward him. He wasted a precious second gaping at the out-of-control wagon before tripping over his feet in his attempt to escape.

William was barely able to get off the road, escaping death once more, and collapsed on the soft grass to slow his rapidly beating heart.

"What the hell are you doing, William? You can't die because a horse trampled on you! An old monster's expecting you to become an immortal cultivator!" William scolded himself.

He heard loud curses coming from the direction the wagon had gone and was surprised to see it stopped on the side of the road. He was even more surprised to see the woman, Wang Xiaoling, storming toward him with a clenched fist.

Rather than surprised, the proper word would be terrified. She was two levels above him, and as far as William knew, it could be an insurmountable advantage. He had no idea what these levels quantified.

William tried to ask the system information about Wang Xiaoling's base stats, his probability of winning, and many other questions that he received no answer to. In the end, the system only replied to him screaming the word 'tutorial' in his mind.

[SAFE MODE has turned off the tutorial for the user's safety]

"Don't look like you're scared, brat! Wang Xiaoling cannot be scammed! I won't be tricked by the likes of you urchins. Where are your friends hiding? I'll beat you all up!"

William blinked stupidly at the raging woman, wondering what in the world she was talking about. She was the one that almost ran him over, and he was supposed to be the victim. Not the other way around.

"What? Are you a mute?" Wang Xiaoling growled, "Scared to talk now that you got caught?"

At this point, even William, who was generally passive, was royally pissed. He had been taken from his old world, not knowing how he left but suspecting it wasn't good with how these things usually went in novels. His introduction to the new world was to be shown horrors that he was desperately trying to block mentally so he wouldn't break down. And after he had been saved by Daoist Chen, a terrifying old monster, a horse-drawn wagon almost ended his new life.

"Shut up!" William roared in anger as he swung a poorly formed fist at Wang Xiaoling's leg, the only part of her that he could reach with him on the ground.

That was a mistake.

[-6 HP]

A rush of air left William's lungs as he flew back a few meters from a kick that felt like it broke a couple of his ribs. He wheezed in oxygen as he lay flat on his back, painfully reminded that he was the equivalent of an early-game character that would have an epic fight against a fluffy bunny.

"This… This wasn't a scam? Did I, Wang Xiaoling, just kick an innocent but idiotic brat?"

William gritted his teeth and glared at the woman who was foolishly pointing a finger at herself. "Maybe that was something you should have thought about before kicking me!"

Wang Xiaoling looked guilty as she walked to William. "You look fine. It was just a kick from a little girl. Don't try to play it up and try to get compensation from me."

William looked at the 'little' girl with an even harsher glare. She looked at least five to seven years older than his current body. This meant Wang Xiaoling had long passed the age where she could call herself a little girl.

"I don't care," William said before groaning from the pain, wondering if it would have been too much for Daoist Chen to leave some vitality pills with him, "Leave me be before you do something worse."

Wang Xiaoling looked like she was waiting for him to suggest that since she moved as if she couldn't get away fast enough. William sighed in relief and laid his head on the grass, glad he was left alone. He still needed to figure out how this system worked and wasn't in the mood to meet others.

Health: 4/10

William closed his eyes in frustration at over half his health being taken away by a casual kick. He was certain that another old monster wouldn't randomly pop up out of nowhere and gift him another pill to restore his health. He was also certain that staying in the middle of nowhere couldn't be of any help.

Perhaps this hardship was another test given to him by Daoist Chen. William didn't know if that was true, but that would definitely be his truth, so he didn't have ungrateful thoughts toward the man that saved his life. Thoughts that suggested there could be better areas William could have been placed.

William figured that his best bet was to go in the direction where that crazy woman was going. With the little he saw of the wagon, there were plenty of sealed barrels and boxes packed tightly in the back. The crazy woman was obviously a merchant, so there must be a city or town in the direction she was going.

"… Hey, are you still alive?"

William's eyes shot open and he stared incredulously at Wang Xiaoling, who was standing over him with a worried look on her face.

"What are you still doing here?!" Willam exploded as his repressed rage came back with a vengeance.

"I didn't want to leave a brat like you to die here. Even the stupid deserve to live, you know."

William was tempted to tell Wang Xiaoling to fuck off, but while that would feel good at the moment, he would still be left with the same issue.

Stranded and hopelessly lost.

Besides, even if Wang Xiaoling was a crazy bitch, he didn't think she had any bad intentions… other than injuring him greatly based on mere suspicion. No, it wasn't her intentions that worried him, but her judgment.

"You're not going to attack me again, are you?"

Wang Xiaoling chuckled awkwardly and said, "You can only blame yourself, brat. You can't expect to punch someone and not get punched back."

It was William's turn to feel sheepish. That fact was true in his old world, let alone a world where strength was everything. Maybe they had got off on the wrong foot.

"Sorry," William muttered as he looked away.

"Hm?" Wang Xiaoling looked at him strangely, "You really are an idiot! What's there to apologize about? I already kicked you anyway, so we're even."

William wanted to point out that his punch and her kick were in no way equal, but he understood what she meant.

"Right, so how about I give you a ride to the city? I don't want another honest merchant like me mistaking you for a scammer."

"I'm not a scammer!"

"I know that now," Wang Xiaoling rolled her eyes, "But what was I supposed to think when you stood in the middle of the road? Only scammers do that!"

William sighed and stopped arguing with her. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere. "Fine, you win… and thanks. For the ride to the city, I mean."

Wang Xiaoling smiled and said, "No problem, brat. You can entertain me on the way there. It's still more than half a day's travel to Xuanjing City."

William was struggling to his feet when he heard the name of a city for the first time. That reminded him that besides learning the best way to use the system, his next priority was to figure out the situation in this region.

"This is painful to watch," Wang Xiaoling muttered to herself before suddenly hoisting William over her shoulder.

William gasped in pain when her shoulder dug into his most-likely broken ribs. He would have said something, but there was a chance she would try to lessen the pain and unintentionally hurt him even more than she already was. At least his health wasn't affected by this.

[-1 HP]

Wang Xiaoling was going to kill him.

Chapter 5: The Greatest Merchant

In the hour that William had been on the bumpy wagon, he hadn't been able to make the system show him anything other than his stats. As much as he loved to see that he only had three hit points left, he didn't need to constantly be reminded of that fact.

"Hey, brat. Do you know it's rude to not introduce yourself?"

William was surprised to hear Wang Xiaoling speak to him. He had expected to have his ears talked off when he agreed to her offer for a ride, but the opposite happened. Wang Xiaoling had quieted down and seemed to be on high alert as she drove the wagon.

William followed her actions and refrained from asking the questions that were bubbling inside him. He wondered how the power hierarchy was set up in this world. Was it controlled by kingdoms and empires, or were the cultivator sects the ones that were pulling the strings? It might be neither, but William doubted that with how cultivation worlds generally followed the strong.

"It's William," He replied before saying, "You know you haven't told me your name either."

William might be able to see Wang Xiaoling's name floating above her head and heard her talking in the third person. Still, none of that could be considered an introduction.

"Hm?" Wang Xiaoling looked away from the road momentarily to stare at him before turning back, "Do you not know how to say your name? It's not wee-li-eng. It's Wei Liang. It's too good of a name for you to butcher, brat."

William wondered if this was worth correcting constantly. It seemed that if he told anyone his actual name in this world, they would think it was Wei Liang, but he was just horrible at pronouncing it. He didn't relish the thought of explaining to random strangers that his name wasn't a badly pronounced Wei Liang.

With Daoist Chen already assuming his name was Wei Liang and the system apparently agreeing, William decided to do what some Chinese classmates in university did. While they had an English name, he would have the opposite.

"Right, it's Wei Liang," William pretended to correct himself, "You still haven't told me your name."

"I'm Wang Xiaoling! The greatest merchant in the Tanxia Empire!"

"… Really?" William gave her a look filled with disbelief.

Wang Xiaoling's smile grew stiff as she flicked the reins, encouraging the horses to run at a brisker pace.

She cleared her throat and said, "I'm getting there! At least I'm doing something productive with my time rather than scamming honest people like you are."

William rolled his eyes at her insistence on calling him a scammer.

"What were you doing there anyway? There's no town close by. You must have been walking for hours."

When William didn't answer, Wang Xiaoling thought he was too embarrassed to say. However, he didn't know how to tell her something believable. It wasn't like he could tell her that an old monster saved him from becoming a cultivator's nourishment.

"Were you kicked out by your clan?" Wang Xiaoling asked with pity. It was a common occurrence for the disappointing descendants to be cut out. When William looked at her blankly, Wang Xiaoling thought her assumption was correct.

"Don't worry, Wei Liang," Wang Xiaoling patted his shoulder a little too roughly, "I was like you at your age. Of course, I didn't try to scam people, but we are similar enough."

"Will you stop saying I'm a scammer!"

"I could use a little help with my business," Wang Xiaoling ignored William's protest, "Why don't you stick with me for now? I won't have to hire a helper to unload my goods, and you'll learn how to do some honest work."

William's first instinct was to say no, but after thinking over Wang Xiaoling's offer, he had to admit it was highly convenient. It would give him time to heal his damaged soul while also providing a way to earn money.

With all the excitement William had experienced, he had completely forgotten that he was a mortal, with all the mortal needs that come along with that. Before he could start his cultivation journey, he needed to be able to eat and find a place to sleep to live till then.

Perhaps Daoist Chen had foreseen this and left him in the middle of the road for a reason. Meeting Wang Xiaoling might not have been a chance encounter if that was the case.

"… Okay."

"What was that, brat?" Wang Xiaoling gave him a stink eye, "Why do you sound depressed while you're agreeing."

"Okay!" William gave Wang Xiaoling the brightest smile he could until a hard push almost knocked him off the wagon.

"Stop that!" Wang Xiaoling shuddered, "That smile was too fake. How can you try to be a scammer when you don't even have a convincing smile?"

William glared at Wang Xiaoling while holding tightly onto the wagon's side. He wouldn't let go until they reached their destination. Who knew when Wang Xiaoling would decide to playfully push him off the wagon.

"Have you ever been to Xuanjing City, brat?"

William's eyes lit up in curiosity as he shook his head. "No, I never left my village before."

"It'll be a new world for you, then. The number of people in the city will initially seem impossible to you. I know that's how I felt when I saw a city."

William was sure he would be impressed, but not because of the people. He doubted that Xuanjing City could match the millions that were common in his old world.

Still, he pretended to be amazed and asked, "How many people live there?"

"The last count had the number at over fifty million!" Wang Xiaoling smirked at his shocked face, "Amazing, right? More importantly, that means the city is a perfect place for an aspiring number-one merchant like me!"

"Are all cities this big?" William wondered if this city was an anomaly or a common occurrence.

"Of course not," Wang Xiaoling laughed, "Only three cities are this size in the Tianxia Empire. The rest have less than ten million people."

"Oh…," William felt that this empire was similar to his world's China in terms of population. However, the fact that there was something called the Tianxia Empire meant that there was land that the empire didn't control. He used his village bumpkin image to his advantage.

"What's the Tianxia Empire?"

Wang Xiaoling sighed at his apparent ignorance. "You must have come from one of those backwater villages. Wei Liang, it might be your fortune to be expelled from such a place."

"Maybe," Williams shrugged, accepting the insult to his made-up village, "But really, what's the Tianxia Empire? Is it powerful?"

Wang Xiaoling glanced at him and said severely, "Don't say such things near the city guards. If you doubt the empire's stability, that's enough reason for them to harass you."

"All I asked was if it was powerful!"

"Well, don't. You don't know what mood the people around you are in. It's better to avoid speaking about the empire unless you're praising it."

William frowned in distaste. Knowing that he would have to choose his words carefully was far different from being told to do so.

"The empire used to be an overlord in the northern region, but the neighboring kingdoms show signs of rebellion. I'm not an expert, but I think the Tianxia Empire is weaker than ever but still the strongest compared to the kingdoms that could threaten it. At least, that's what the merchants near the borders say."

"Oh," William nodded dumbly. That made sense, he supposed. Coming to a world where the empire might crumble would be perfect for encouraging growth. But where did the cultivators fall in the hierarchy if the empire was so powerful?

"Who rules the Tianxia Empire, Wang Xiaoling?"

William winced when Wang Xiaoling rubbed his head roughly, wondering why everything she did had to be so… extra.

"You really are an idiot, Wei Liang. It might be better if I seal your mouth shut. You'll implicate me with your talking. Who else rules the Tianxia Empire other than the Emperor?"

For now, William refrained from asking more questions, even though he still had plenty in mind. The more irritated Wang Xiaoling looked, the more he feared for his remaining three health points.

Chapter 6: Arrival at Xuanjing City

William rubbed his stomach as the hunger pangs started to grow stronger. The previously inaudible growls were getting loud enough that Wang Xiaoling could hear them.

"You're strange, Wei Liang," Wang Xiaoling commented when she heard his stomach growl again, "Most brats your age would be whining about wanting food by now."

William didn't doubt that, but he wasn't a thirteen-year-old mentally. That did bring up a thought that he had been ignoring all this while. What happened to the boy that owned this body? There wasn't any phenomenon of suddenly gaining a decade's worth of memories when he arrived in this world.

If that had happened, William would have come to terms with the reality of being a transmigrator much faster than he actually did. William vaguely remembered a man mentioning that he had been summoned for the sacrifice when he first gained consciousness. Yang Hua was his name, if William recalled correctly.

If that memory was accurate, it was likely that the original soul inside this body had long been eradicated. William was strangely relieved by that. He didn't know if he was ruthless enough to steal a kid's body from him if there happened to be a fight. Then again, didn't that make him seem even worse?

"Hey! Wei Liang, are you ignoring me?!"

William blinked and could barely dodge the hand aiming for his head. "I didn't mean to. What did you say?"

Wang Xiaoling pointed at a tiny dot in the distance. "We're almost at Xuanjing City. Since you're working for me, I'll treat you to a meal to celebrate when we arrive."

"A meal?" William asked as another growl emanated from his stomach, "Sounds good, but I hope you haven't forgotten to pay for the medical fees."

Wang Xiaoling pursed her lips and lightly touched her coin pouch. Her guilt pushed her to assure Wei Liang that she would cover his medical costs. Still, the merchant in her was whispering ways to avoid the unnecessary expense.

"What are you thinking?" William asked warily when Wang Xiaoling started to get a weird look in her eyes, "I won't be able to work if I'm not healed."

That seemed to erase whatever thoughts Wang Xiaoling had.

"Fine," Wang Xiaoling sighed, "But you better work hard for me!"

William nodded, happy that moving around wouldn't be torture soon. He wondered if regular food would increase his health like in an RPG. And if a good night's sleep would fully heal him. If the tutorial was available, William was sure he would already have the answers to those questions.

[SAFE MODE has turned off the tutorial for the user's safety]

William impatiently erased the alert from his vision. He had already received that canned answer before and didn't need to be reminded of it again.

As the dot that was Xuanjing City grew larger, Wang Xiaoling pestered William with repeated instructions on how to act with the guards at the entrance. Most of her advice was to shut his mouth and behave like a mute, but William wasn't offended. He was blatantly unfamiliar with the culture in this world, let alone the Tianxia Empire.

The pestering tapered off as the grand archway into Xuanjing City came into view. William expected the buildings in this world to stun him due to the fact that cultivators that strived for immortality walked the land. If they wished for something grandiose, it would be unmatched with their powers.

However, William didn't expect to be stunned by a structure built by what he had assumed to be an empire controlled by mortals.

The grand archway was made of white marble, with intricate carvings of mythical beasts and golden accents adorning the arch itself. The two pillars had golden dragons coiling around them before their heads extended away to glare at all who entered the city.

Even at this distance, William could see the incredible detail put into the carving of the dragons. The scales almost looked lifelike as they glinted gold from the light shining off them. If he didn't know better, William would have thought that two real dragons were protecting the city.

… On second thought, he didn't know enough to know better.

"Wang Xiaoling?"

"What is it, brat?" Wang Xiaoling replied between yelling at the increasing number of people to get out of the way. The road was no longer as clear as it was in the countryside. The proximity of the city crowded it greatly.

"Are those dragons real?"

"Hm?" Wang Xiaoling looked away from the road in confusion before laughing when she saw what William was pointing at, "They're just statues, Wei Liang."

"Then why does it feel like I'm being stared at?" William felt a shiver run through his body every time he met either of the dragon statues' eyes. It was like he was being looked at by a predator.

"The empire's experts are said to keep a close watch over the city. There's a reason Xuanjing City is the trading center of the empire. As long as you pay the proper fees, all transactions are guaranteed by the officials, no matter who you are."

William's interest stirred. This was the first time Wang Xiaoling mentioned anything about experts existing within the empire. Perhaps the cultivating world wasn't hidden like he had assumed.

"Experts?" William didn't hide his curiosity.

Wang Xiaoling hummed in confirmation as she went back to directing the wagon to the long line that looked to be for merchants. "The experts are the true power behind the empire, and it's rumored that the emperor himself is the strongest."

"Oh," William frowned, "So you've never seen any experts yourself?"

"The day I see them is the day I lose my little life!" Wang Xiaoling glared at William, "Wei Liang, haven't I told you to act like a mute? What good reason would an honest merchant like me meet an honored expert?"

"I didn't mean anything by it," William raised his palms in surrender until Wang Xiaoling calmed down.

"Hmph," Wang Xiaoling snorted lightly and muttered, "This must be karma for injuring you. Who told you to be so weak?"

William felt his ribs throb in pain as if to emphasize how injured he was due to Wang Xiaoling. He noticed how slow-moving the line was and estimated that it would take at least a few hours to get to where the guards were running security checks.

"Is this going to take as long as it looks?" William asked as he stared into the distance.

"Welcome to the life of a lowly independent merchant, Wei Liang. Without powerful backing, it's best to follow the rules and avoid trying to cut corners. The benefits aren't worth the risks."

William might have got off to a terrible start with Wang Xiaoling, but the more she shared about herself and how she viewed the world, the more he respected and liked her personality. She might be an ill-tempered hothead and possibly a bit too naive, but she kept proving to him that she was knowledgeable where it mattered.

Wang Xiaoling noticed that William was staring at her and assumed he was worried about not getting to the clinic in time. "Relax, Wei Liang. Your injury won't worsen if we're delayed by a few hours."

William nodded when he realized he had been looking at Wang Xiaoling with unblinking eyes. He didn't mention why he was really staring at her. Even if he now had a higher opinion of her, that didn't mean she still wasn't ill-tempered.

"The real problem will be where you can sleep. I don't want to pay for another room just for you…." Wang Xiaoling tapped her chin thoughtfully before her eyes lit up, "Wei Liang, I think one of your responsibilities will be to look after my goods during the night!"

"No," William denied flatly, leaving no room for negotiation.

"I'll pay you extra coppers!" Wang Xiaoling threw what she thought was an ignorant kid a bone.

William didn't know how much coppers were worth, but if Wang Xiaoling was willing to pay him that instead of getting another room, it couldn't be much.

"Are you going to force me to do it anyway if I say no?" William asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering if Wang Xiaoling was stingy enough to do so. The look she gave him wasn't promising for his sleeping situation.

When Wang Xiaoling opened her mouth to reply, William conveniently found something that would distract her while also giving him a healthy dose of nervousness.

"Wang Xiaoling, why is that guard walking right to us?"

Chapter 7: The Guard, Li Jie

[Name: Li Jie | Level: 9]

This was the highest level William had seen. Not including Daoist Chen, of course. The old man's status was hidden anyway, so did it really count?

That was something to think about at a different time since William was worried that this was one of those situations where a guard would harass someone who looked weak. If that was the case, this Li Jie picked a suitable wagon as his target.

William was completely useless with his level one strength. While Wang Xiaoling could easily injure him with her greater strength, he was sure she would fare no better than him against this guard.

"Wang Xiaoling! I was worried you wouldn't come to Xuanjing City!"

"Li Jie?" Wang Xiaoling asked with surprise, "Why are you on patrol? I thought you were promoted the last time I was here."

"Ah, it's a favor for a friend of mine. I'm taking his place for today."

"Tsk," Wang Xiaoling shook her head, "That's what you always say! You're always on patrol when I arrive, and you always say you're picking up an extra shift. Li Jie, that might be okay when you were a patrol guard yourself, but it's wrong of them to ask you when you're their boss!"

William looked between the two and blinked at Wang Xiaoling's impassioned lecture. It was obvious that they were familiar with each other, and it was also obvious that Li Jie was trying to pursue Wang Xiaoling.

William looked at her with a disappointed look, barely believing that she didn't see the feelings the guard held for her. It made him wonder why anyone would like the crazy woman like that. He couldn't bear the thought of having to tip-toe around her volatile personality.

"I understand," Li Jie sighed, "This will be the last time, Wang Xiaoling. I promise."

"…You also always say that."

Li Jie laughed sheepishly and looked away from Wang Xiaoling in embarrassment. That brought his attention to William. He had been so focused on Wang Xiaoling that he hadn't noticed the young boy sitting beside her.

William narrowed his eyes as he stared at Wang Xiaoling and tried to figure out what the guard saw in her. It certainly couldn't be her appearance since she was a scruffy mess from having been on the road for so long. Even when William first saw her, she wasn't in the best of states with her unkempt hair and dirtied face.

Perhaps when Wang Xiaoling was cleaned up, it was a different story?

"Hey, brat! What are you looking at?" Wang Xiaoling asked with an annoyed growl.

"Wang Xiaoling, who's this little brother? He looks hurt."

"Ah, that," Wang Xiaoling chuckled nervously, "I thought he was a scammer, so I kicked him a little too hard. It's okay, though! He's working for me now."

"What is this little brother's name?" Li Jie asked William while looking like he was apologizing for Wang Xiaoling's actions.

William floundered briefly before dipping his head slightly and said, "Hello, I'm Wei Liang."

His eye twitched in irritation when Wang Xiaoling burst out in laughter and slapped his shoulder, making it throb in pain.

"Don't be fooled, Li Jie," Wang Xiaoling said between chuckles, "This brat isn't this polite at all. All he's been doing so far is causing me trouble."

Li Jie doubted that when looking at William's frail body. In fact, he suspected that the boy had been bullied the whole way with how sorry he looked.

"I see," Li Jie said as he looked on with pity, "Little brother Wei Liang seems to need medical attention. Come, I'll let you skip the line as an emergency."

William looked down at himself and saw nothing that would be an emergency. Not that he didn't appreciate the favor, of course.

"I thought you said you didn't have any connections," William whispered to Wang Xiaoling as she stirred the horses to follow Li Jie.

"Connections?" Wang Xiaoling repeated with confusion, "This is just Li Jie, a friend of mine. Wei Liang, you don't use friends as connections unless you don't treasure them as such."

William noticed the slight smile on Li Jie's lips and looked at Wang Xiaoling with a bit of admiration. Either she was a genius manipulator and said that because she knew Li Jie would overhear, or she really meant that. William would bet on the latter.

"Captain!"

The guards at the gate saluted Li Jie and stood to attention until he waved them off.

"Check the goods and let them through," Li Jie ordered as he pointed at Wang Xiaoling's wagon.

William was looking at each of the guards carefully to observe the levels they were at and was surprised at what he saw.

[Name: Xu Hao | Level: 5]

[Name: Wang Lei | Level: 4]

[Name: Liu Sheng | Level: 6]

[Name: Yang Ming | Level: 4]

There were plenty more, but the levels were all similar. It gave William more of a clue about each level's strength. With Li Jie being a guard captain, he was likely much stronger than most mortals.

That brought William's attention to a rather significant issue that became even more troublesome. The blue text appeared in his vision again.

Traits:

Soul Damage (Major) - Will reduce all base stats to 1 randomly

Main Quest(s):

Restore your Soul! (Reach Level 10 to enable the system to restore your soul back to its complete state)

Level ten was no longer a simple matter to achieve from what he had seen with the guards. Other than Li Jie, they were all well into their adulthood. William hoped he was wrong, but he had a feeling it would be more challenging than he expected to preserve those precious stat points. His Soul Damage trait would be a headache to deal with.

While William fretted over his future, the guards hastily did the barest of cursory checks before waving them through the gates.

"Let's leave little brother Wei Liang at the Jade Healing Clinic," Li Jie suggested as he led them through the crowd, "He'll be fully healed by tomorrow."

"That's unnecessary," Wang Xiaoling shook her head rapidly, "A pharmacy is fine, Li Jie. The clinic is too expensive, and Wei Liang's injury is too minor to be worth the expense."

"The elder there will treat him for free as a favor to me," Li Jie replied with a smile, "Since little brother Wei Liang is with Wang Xiaoling, he has to get the best treatment."

"… You're too kind, Li Jie," Wang Xiaoling sighed in resignation.

William ignored what he would consider an almost unbearable public display of affection between the overly helpful Li Jie and an oblivious Wang Xiaoling. He had far more exciting things to pay attention to.

Entering Xuanjing City seemed like traveling back in time to William. It reminded him of the historical dramas in his old world.

The moment they stepped past the grand archway, the road broadened into a spacious avenue flanked by trees and unlit lanterns. From his seat on the wagon, the sea of people seemed unending, with each busily going about their business. The low murmur of chatter was a constant in the background, with the occasional yells of merchants trying to advertise their wares.

William loved the atmosphere, and it was evident by the broad smile on his face.

"Looks like this is little brother Wei Liang's first time inside a city," Li Jie commented when he saw him looking everywhere.

"He's from a backward village," Wang Xiaoling helpfully explained, "He's pretty much a country bumpkin."

"… Wang Xiaoling, saying that could be hurtful to him."

Wang Xiaoling blinked and turned to William as if confirming what Li Jie said was true. "Is that true, Wei Liang?"

"Yes, I'm very hurt," William replied blandly.

"Oh," Wang Xiaoling shrugged before saying to Li Jie, "I don't believe him."

William rolled his eyes when Li Jie smiled at Wang Xiaoling deferentially. He blocked them out to take in the sights and eventually noticed that the buildings started to get slightly taller and far more ornate.

"Here we are," Li Jie stopped in front of a small building with a jade green exterior, "Jade Healing Clinic."

William climbed down from the wagon with a wince when Li Jie motioned for him to follow.

"Take this token and show it to the attendant," Li Jie handed William a small jade piece with an engraved eagle, "They'll heal you without taking payment."

"Thank you," William said appreciatively before waving goodbye to Wang Xiaoling.

As he walked inside, Wang Xiaoling yelled, "I'll have a stall set up in the market! Find me there after you're done!"

Chapter 8: Jade Healing Clinic and the Monstrous Attendant

"Welcome to Jade Healing Clinic, dear customer!"

William stared blankly at the girl with the cheery smile behind a plain counter. She was pretty, exceptionally so. If she was to be described in one of his beloved novels, it would no doubt include plenty of words similar to being able to squeeze water by pinching her skin and other such nonsense.

William had a much simpler way to describe her.

A monster.

[Name: Li Xinyue | Level: 93]

William didn't care if this girl was the most attractive he had ever seen. He wouldn't care if she was the ugliest either. All he wanted to do was try his best not to irritate her in any way.

Too bad William had already failed at that.

"Master! There's another bumpkin that keeps staring at me! Can I kill this one?"

"Wait!" William's suddenly clammy hands fumbled with the jade token the guard gave him before shakily handing it to her. "I was sent here for healing!"

"Hmm?"

William blinked when he found the token in the girl's hands. He looked at his own and saw that he was holding onto air.

"That guard gave this to you?"

William nodded quickly, hoping to get this girl's thought as far from killing him as possible.

"… Strange, I thought he was saving this for the merchant girl."

William's ears perked up, happy that he could attach himself to someone the girl knew. "Wang Xiaoling is my boss!"

"Who's Wang Xiaoling?" Li Xinyue asked with a confused look.

"The merchant girl you mentioned. Wang Xiaoling is her name." William didn't dare have thoughts of ridicule to the girl's obliviousness. You don't think badly about monsters. You also don't wonder how a level nine guard had a token to a clinic with a monster as an attendant.

"I see," Li Xinyue nodded and shattered the jade token with a squeeze of her fingers.

William flinched, thinking it was over as the girl sauntered toward him with a sneer. The cultivators in the novels sometimes killed mortals for seemingly random reasons. If one of the reasons were to include staring at them for too long, it wouldn't be a stretch.

"Using Master's token to heal a mortal's broken ribs? What an idiot."

[-1 HP]

William wheezed in pain when Li Xinyue's hands blurred and poked at his broken ribs, likely making it worse if the notification was anything to go by. It looked like the girl was a sadist and would not kill him painlessly. Still, William felt far worse with the demonic woman trying to suck out his soul.

This was nothing.

[-1 HP]

William spat out a mouthful of blood. It should have splattered on Li Xinyue's pristine clothes, but it seemed to phase through her and added a red decoration to the floor.

One hit point left until William's second life ended prematurely.

"Hm?" Li Xinyue frowned at the deathly aura that surged from William's body, "You can't even handle the adjustment of your ribs without almost dying?"

William glared at her, barely able to believe that this was the result of her attempting to heal him. He should have just slept it off instead of insisting on getting professional help. There was even a thought that appeared in his mind that Li Jie was scheming to get rid of him for some strange reason.

"You!" Li Xinyue pointed a finger at William angrily, "If you didn't have Master's token, I would have plucked your eyes out for this disrespect!"

"Yue'er!"

Li Xinyue froze for a second before all the disdain left her expression. William had the metaphorical front-row seat to the change. He had to admire how quickly she went from an arrogant cultivator to innocent maiden.

"Master! He looked at me lustfully!"

"What! No, I didn't!" William protested.

[Name: Huang Jingyi | Level: ?]

William's heart skipped a beat. He knew it wasn't the best time to be thinking about levels when there was a little bitch trying to frame him, but the question mark where the level should be made him curious.

Since Li Xinyue's level could be seen, at what point did it become hidden? Why could he see Huang Jingyi's name and not Daoist Chen's? And how do cultivation levels equate to the levels he could see?

[SAFE MODE has disabled data on cultivation levels]

William wasn't as frustrated as usual at the alert. It wasn't necessary to have that information at the moment, and it was nice to find out that it would eventually be available.

"Enough, Yue'er!"

William flinched at the stern voice right in front of him. Was this what Daoist Chen meant when he said his master had a habit of getting distracted? If so, William knew he had to get rid of it before he got himself killed by standing still like an idiot.

"No matter who enters this clinic, they must be treated respectfully. Don't force me to take the recipes away again!"

William shivered when Li Xinyue looked at him resentfully as if he was the cause of all her problems. As if a thirteen-year-old mortal could do anything to a monstrous girl who had to be near twenty.

"As for you," Huang Jingyi glared at William, "Consider yourself lucky that you carried that token, or I would have flayed you alive for staring at my disciple."

William had assumed that the old man was someone reasonable when he had started to scold the girl. Who knew that he was a hypocrite.

That wasn't the end of the man's warning. William's breath choked off as the pressure of the old man's power surrounded him.

He was tired of having his life threatened, and he hated that there was no way to turn the situation around. All of a sudden, William understood why the main characters in most cultivation novels became psychotic killers with death as the solution to most things.

It seemed ridiculous while reading it, but experiencing the needless torment gave him a different perspective.

Just when the darkness started to seep into William's vision, the pressure suddenly disappeared, leaving him to gasp in much-needed air.

"I'll see to the boy. Go to the back and watch the cauldron, Yue'er."

William was vaguely aware of Li Xinyue saying something before walking away, but he was busy trying his best to stamp down the rage that filled him. Since it seemed these were the type of cultivators that were clearly unreasonable, any sign of defiance would undoubtedly result in death.

"Now, let's get you healed."

William hadn't realized that he had fallen onto the floor until he was lifted to his feet. It was the second time today that a cultivator had moved him without touching him.

"Hm, Yue'er was on the right track, but she didn't consider that you were so weak."

William kept his mouth shut, knowing that the man was talking to himself.

"Unfortunately, you'll need an immortal pill," Huang Jingyi sighed, "What a waste of a pill. No matter, since that boy used the token, I'll heal you regardless of the cost."

William's mouth was forced open before a pill was thrown inside. He immediately recognized it as the Vitality Restoration Pill with the rush of healing energy that filled his body.

[+9 HP]

William groaned in relief as all the damage on his body disappeared once again. He looked at the old man, making sure to look as grateful as possible.

"Thank you," William said sincerely.

William had no intention of getting injured by the old man because of something as silly as dignity. Besides, he had decided to borrow from the psychotic main characters to vow revenge once he was strong enough.

[Side Quest added: Return to Jade Healing Clinic and make Huang Jingyi kneel with your superior cultivation]

William erased the alert and wondered what the point of these quests were. With it being automatically added, it had no penalties for failure. Still, he never got an explanation of what the reward was for success.

[SAFE MODE has disabled details for user-generated quests]

"Very interesting," Huang Jingyi stroked his beard, "You show signs of already having used a Vitality Restoration Pill. And it was one of a higher grade considering how much your body resisted my pill."

William's eyes widened in surprise, not knowing it could be so easily discovered. Luckily, the man didn't seem to hold any ill intent. It only took the briefest of moments for him to decide that revealing Daoist Chen wouldn't be of any harm.

Especially since keeping it to himself obviously wasn't an option with the way Huang Jingyi stared at him curiously. Besides, it may even get William some sort of benefit, though what that could be he didn't know.

Chapter 9: Unexpected Quests

"A cultivator saved me and gave me the pill," William admitted truthfully.

"Really?" Huang Jingyi's wizened face formed a smile, "What's your name, boy?"

"… It's Wei Liang."

"Wei Liang," Huang Jingyi repeated slowly, "Same as the Wei Clan from Qingyun City?"

William shook his head warily, worried his new surname might cause problems.

"That's a surprise," Huang Jingyi muttered, "The Wei Clan is full of wastrels, so it wouldn't surprise me that they used immortal pills in this manner."

"I never heard of the Wei Clan before," William insisted again, this time verbally.

"I believe you," Huang Jingyi started to stroke his beard again, "That makes what you claim even more curious. Tell me, what did this cultivator look like? What did he save you from?"

William hesitated, wondering if this could be considered as betraying Daoist Chen's confidence. But that thought didn't last long. With Daoist Chen's level of cultivation, William doubted that there was anything he could do that would get his disapproval.

Unless it was wasting the potential of his master's cultivation method. William was sure Daoist Chen would erase him from existence in anger after how long it had taken to find a successor.

William started to tell the story of Daoist Chen swooping in and saving the day while leaving out some critical information. He wasn't stupid enough to utter a word about the system he now possessed and certainly didn't say anything about being a transmigrator. Who knew if saying those things could lead to disaster.

However, William made sure to emphasize the kindness Daoist Chen showed him and the time he spent personally making sure William was left in a safe spot… if being put in the path of Wang Xiaoling's wagon was considered safe.

Huang Jingyi's heart rate had increased, but he remained composed as he hummed thoughtfully. From what was described, he could immediately tell that the mysterious cultivator was a senior. Not once did Huang Jingyi think William was fabricating the story since he would never believe a mortal would dare to lie to someone like him. Besides, it also made sense why William was able to stare directly at his disciple.

With the aura that one with Li Xinyue's constitution exuded, only three types of people could look at her. Cultivators, mortals with extraordinary potential on the path to immortality, and mortals with exceptional potential to be lustful wretches.

With William not falling into the former two categories, Huang Jingyi couldn't be blamed when he assumed that William was a lustful wretch. However, it seemed that Huang Jingyi had wronged him with that assumption. Not only that, but there was something in him that a wandering senior saw that made it worthwhile to part with a Vitality Restoration Pill.

Still, there was one thing that he didn't understand.

"Wei Liang, was it? Did that senior say anything when he gave you the pill?"

William knew this was the chance to show off Daoist Chen's apparent wealth and, in turn, make himself seem more important. "I'm not too sure."

Huang Jingyi sighed, disappointed at the answer but not at all surprised considering the near-death experience the mortal went through. It was already surprising that the boy remembered what he did. That was until William continued speaking.

"I think I heard him say that he didn't have a lower-grade pill to give me. Maybe he was disappointed he had to give me something that valuable?"

Huang Jingyi thought the opposite. If the lowest grade Vitality Restoration Pill the senior possessed was of the third grade, it hinted at his high cultivation. A Core Formation Elder like Huang Jingyi himself would have pills of the first and second grades purely for convenience and cost-effectiveness, but once a cultivator ascended into the Nascent Soul stage, those pills would be useless.

Whoever this senior was, Huang Jingyi could comfortably assume that he was in the Nascent Soul stage at the least.

"You've made my day a little more interesting, Wei Liang," Huang Jingyi said loftily, "I feel that you deserve something in return."

William blinked, not expecting any benefits from his storytelling. The most he hoped for was to be allowed to leave without harm.

"That's not necessary," William said politely, "Getting my injuries healed is more than I deserve."

"Nonsense!" Huang Jingyi frowned, "If I say one deserves a reward, who would dare decline?"

Huang Jingyi reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a jade token that William recognized. It was similar to what the guard, Li Jie, had handed him before entering the clinic. However, there was a fundamental difference.

The token Li Jie handed him was made of dull green jade. Huang Jingyi was offering William one that was lavender in color.

"The token you had previously only allows for a one-time visit, but this will allow you to visit the clinic whenever you wish."

William stared at the valuable jade token blankly, wondering what was happening. Didn't the old man threaten to flay him alive a few minutes ago, or was that his overactive imagination?

Side Quests (2):

Return to Jade Healing Clinic and make Huang Jingyi kneel with your superior cultivation

No, that side quest confirmed that William was still supposed to come back and humiliate Huang Jingyi in the far future.

As if he had heard William's doubts, Huang Jingyi sighed regretfully. "You must be thinking about Yue'er. Her actions were too aggressive."

"Not at all!" William said in a rush, not wanting the girl's overprotective master to get any strange thoughts, "I appreciate the gift, elder. Thank you."

"Good!" Huang Jingyi smiled, "You can give Yue'er some company. Not many people in the city are qualified to visit my clinic."

William kept his mouth shut, swallowing the protest of being that monstrous girl's playmate. He didn't want to deny the equally monstrous master.

"… Thank you, elder," William said with a strained smile, "I'll be sure to visit as much as I can."

"Two or three times a week should be fine," Huang Jingyi said casually with a wave of his hand. "Off you go. I spent too long chatting with you."

[Side Quest added: Visit Jade Healing Clinic 2-3 times a week (Repeatable)]

The smile on Huang Jingyi's face stayed until he saw the boy leave the clinic. After that, it dropped off to be replaced with a pondering expression.

"Master? Why did you give that boy another token?! You saw that he looked at me!"

"Hush, Yue'er," Huang Jingyi turned to pat his disciple's head, "The boy isn't a lecher. Wei Liang had an encounter that could be the start of his destiny. That was the only reason he was able to look at you. It will do no harm to give him a small visiting token."

Li Xinyue pouted and huffed at having to see the mortal again. "But why did you say that he could give me company? I rather read pill recipes than talk to the stupid boy!"

Huang Jingyi sighed at his disciple's protest. Nothing was wrong with what she said, and most masters would love to have a disciple so dedicated to cultivation. Still, he was coming to recognize that Li Xinyue was socially deficient.

No matter how talented she was at cultivation, what was the point if she didn't have anyone to share it with? Huang Jingyi didn't think he was ready to see his beloved disciple with a dao companion. However, a beloved friend would be perfect.

That was where Wei Liang came in.

If Wei Liang was favored by destiny like Huang Jingyi suspected with the interest the senior had in him, the boy would serve as a good, long-term friend for his disciple. If that wasn't the case, Wei Liang would be a mortal who would teach Yue'er how to form a friendship before she moved on to people with real worth.

Either of those options would be acceptable for Huang Jingyi.

"Yue'er," Huang Jingyi said sternly, "Take this as an order. When Wei Liang returns, I expect you to do your best to talk to him. Understand?"

He had to fight the urge to backtrack when his beloved disciple looked at him with teary eyes. Yue'er might be socially deficient, but she had perfected the art of manipulating her master. However, Huang Jingyi wouldn't fall for it this time.

"Fine!" Li Xinyue agreed through clenched teeth before turning around to ignore her master.

Huang Jingyi didn't mind her antics and smiled, glancing at Wei Liang's figure walking out of sight in the distance. He couldn't deny that he was eager to see if his suspicions were true.

Chapter 10: Lost and Found

William still wasn't sure what had just happened.

The trip to Jade Healing Clinic was far more eventful than needed, and while it somehow ended in William's favor, the whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth. He understood that he was a weakling even among mortals, but why was it necessary to get curb stomped by people who were far more powerful.

It would be a nice change of pace if some child would insult him so William could proceed to do some classic face-slapping to get experience points. That fact hadn't escaped his notice.

The only experience points he had earned was because of some nonsensical reason of 'accepting his place in the world.' William doubted that could be repeated. The status screen or HUD, whatever it was, didn't show him what to do to get more experience.

[SAFE MODE has disabled the discovery of side quests]

William let out an exasperated sigh. With all the restrictions with this safe mode, it had made the point of having the HUD almost negligible. It made him wonder why having a damaged soul was so limiting to this strange power. The most obvious answer was that it was somehow powered by his soul. Though if that was true, he couldn't understand how.

William put his hand in his pocket for the umpteenth time to rub the smooth surface of the jade token Huang Jingyi gave him. This was another unneeded thing he received from his visit to Jade Healing Clinic. He wasn't keen on returning to where two temperamental cultivators worked, especially since they made it blatantly aware that they didn't like the sight of him.

Well, at least at the start. The story William told Huang Jingyi lessened the old man's anger considerably. Or, if not that, made him interested enough in William to give him a token and practically order him to visit the clinic.

That was both a good and bad thing. William would have to watch his actions carefully in order to keep himself alive and well during those visits. Still, on the other hand, it gave him what was possibly the easiest source of experience points.

Side Quests (3):

Visit Jade Healing Clinic 2-3 times a week (Repeatable)

The HUD refused to show the rewards William could get by completing it, but it surely had to be twenty-five points at minimum. He got that for the highly arduous task of accepting his place in this world, so it wasn't a stretch to use it as a base.

William grunted when he was shoved to the side.

"Watch where you're going!"

William rubbed his shoulder and scowled at the man who walked into him. All he saw was the back of the man's head since he was already hurrying somewhere in a rush. It wasn't the first time William was bumped into, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The market was packed to the brim, even more than what William saw at the city entrance. There were temporary stalls set up between permanent storefronts, making the choices for prospective buyers practically unlimited. It was a sight to see at the start, but it was quickly getting old.

William had been searching for Wang Xiaoling for over an hour without luck. If it wasn't for the fact that he was penniless and felt indebted to Li Jie for the jade token, no matter how terrible the experience in the clinic was, William would have given up looking.

It made him scold himself for being stupid enough to walk away from Wang Xiaoling without getting more details on where she would be. He wondered if her unreliableness had already infected him.

At the least, William should have glanced at the goods she would sell so he would have an idea of what to look for. Instead, he was wandering around like a suspicious person, drawing looks from the stall owners when he passed by multiple times.

William groaned loudly in frustration, getting the people around him to warily move away. He didn't pay them any mind and pouted like a true thirteen-year-old.

"You! Are you Wei Liang?"

William winced when a meaty hand clamped down on his shoulder. He looked up to see what might be the largest man he had ever seen in either of his lives, and it wasn't even close. It was a miracle that the mountain of meat could even walk around.

"I am. Who are you?" William shook off the hand and moved a few steps away. He learned his lesson of being in striking distance of strangers, especially one that could trip and kill him by falling on him.

"I'm Fatty Xu! Sister Wang told us to keep a lookout for a kid. I didn't think it could be you since Sister Wang is noble and elegant in temperament, and you are the opposite! Follow me, kid!"

William never understood the nickname Fatty that some characters in cultivation novels had, but maybe it was because he didn't imagine them right. He always thought of those characters as jolly, pleasant-looking people who were slightly on the heavier side. This Fatty Xu destroyed that image.

William winced when the lumbering man's body made far too many noises as he slowly turned around and waddled off. William might be wary of this Fatty Xu, but the mention of Wang Xiaoling was enough of a lure to discard that hesitance.

However, there was one thing that still seemed highly suspicious. Fatty Xu described Wang Xiaoling as noble and elegant. Unless those words mean something different in this world, Fatty Xu was talking about someone else, or he was as hopeless for the crazy woman as Li Jie.

William frowned when Fatty Xu shoved his way toward the most crowded stall in the whole market. He had painstakingly navigated through this crowd on his second trip around the market. It had obviously been a failure since he continued searching for Wang Xiaoling.

William followed Fatty Xu comfortably with a shrug since the man's bulk created enough space for him in the crowd. Even if the guy was unscrupulous, too many people were around for anything serious to happen.

"Sister Wang! Sister Wang!" Fatty Xu's yells were like fog horns with the sheer volume he was able to produce.

"Annoying Xu? What do you want now? I'm too busy to talk to you!"

William perked up at the familiar voice and moved around Fatty Xu's bulk to peer around him. He expected to see Wang Xiaoling squeezed in the crowd, more frazzled than usual with an angry look on her face.

William was mostly right. Wang Xiaoling was there with an angry look on her face, but that was the only thing he was right about.

She wasn't squeezed in the crowd and definitely wasn't frazzled. In fact, Wang Xiaoling was nearly unrecognizable.

"Sister Wang, I found Wei Liang!"

"Really?" Wang Xiaoling narrowed her eyes to see the small figure overshadowed by Fatty Xu's large body, "Finally! Wei Liang, Get up here!"

The crowd leading up to the stall parted to let William through. Not that he noticed. He was too busy staring at Wang Xiaoling.

"What happened to you?" William stared at the completely transformed woman in shock.

William's question was ignored as Wang Xiaoling studied him closely.

"You're healed! Good, you can start working immediately. Help me take the orders. We only have a few more hours before my stall permit expires."

[Side Quest Added | Help Wang Xiaoling sell her goods]

William immediately put aside his shock at how attractive Wang Xiaoling looked when she tried to look her best. There was no time to care about such frivolities.

Experience points were within reach, and he sorely needed them. William pulled up the full HUD for the first time in a while.

Name: Wei Liang (William Davis)

Age: 13

Level: 1

Experience: 25/100

Cultivation: N/A

Health: 10/10

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Agility: 1

Luck: 1

Points: 0

Traits:

Soul Damage (Major) - Will reduce all base stats to 1 randomly

Main Quest(s):

Restore your Soul! (Reach Level 10 to enable the system to restore your soul back to its complete state)

Side Quests (4):

1. Daoist Chen has challenged you to become a Nascent Soul cultivator in ten years for a reward

2. Return to Jade Healing Clinic and make Huang Jingyi kneel with your superior cultivation

3. Visit Jade Healing Clinic 2-3 times a week (Repeatable)

4. Help Wang Xiaoling sell her goods

Of all the quests available, helping Wang Xiaoling was the only one that could be worked on immediately.

"Tell me what you need me to do," William's eyes gleamed with desire, surprising Wang Xiaoling at the intensity.

"Good! That's exactly what I want to hear from my best employee!"

Chapter 11: Minimum Wage Worker in the New World

"Five Dragonfruits!"

"Two Sunberries!"

"Kid, give me twenty Spirit Fruits!"

William was like a well-oiled machine. After learning the price of the goods Wang Xiaoling had for sale, he didn't miss completing an order. He never thought that the fast food job at Burger Emperor would come in handy, but here he was.

However, one thing made this different from one of the lowest-paying jobs in his old world.

The food he was selling.

Working in the fast food industry made William swear off that garbage for life after seeing how it was made, but right now, all he wanted to do was take a bite out of every fruit he touched. They looked mouthwatering, and the scent they gave off was enough for William to start drooling. In fact, the only reason he hadn't started salivating like a hungry animal was his single-minded concentration.

No matter how much William wanted to gobble up the fruits he was selling, the experience points were more important.

… And William was sure that Wang Xiaoling might snap his hand in anger at the lost coin if he sampled a fruit.

He wasn't sure how much he would be paid for his help, but with her hesitance to pay for a room for the night, he knew it wouldn't be much. Wang Xiaoling had the penny, or Copper in this world, pinching mindset that had made most businesspeople successful. With William's expected low pay and the price of the fruits, he didn't think his wages would pay for more than a couple.

"Five copper!" William shoved five Dragonfruits into the offered basket. "One Silver!" Two Sunberries were placed into waiting hands. "Two Gold!" This order was more than usual, and Wang Xiaoling had specially made baskets for these.

William swiped the payments off the counter and dumped the coins into the bag beside him. He was already moving on to the next batch of customers yelling their orders. Wang Xiaoling wasn't moving any slower than William. She had been serious about the permit expiring, so she wanted to sell as much of the goods she brought with her as possible.

An extra benefit came in handy with this type of work for William. He was able to quickly understand the way currency worked in the Tianxia Empire. William had been more than a little worried that it would be something ridiculous, like some odd-numbered denomination equaling one of another, but it was all surprisingly ordered.

Ten Copper equaled one Silver, and ten Silver equaled one Gold. As for anything higher, William obviously hadn't encountered them, if they existed at all. From the short time he had been selling the in-demand fruits, one Gold was greatly desired with the way most people stared at said coin in greed.

Incidentally, it also let William know that Wang Xiaoling was quite the money-maker. If he wasn't doing this work for the experience points, he might make more of a fuss for better pay.

"Get me forty Spirit Fruits!"

William's eyes twitched as he grabbed two baskets and yelled, "Four Gold!"

He wondered what the profit margins were on these things. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Daoist Chen likely meant for him to meet Wang Xiaoling. How lucky would it be if he met someone like her by coincidence?

The next hour was a blur as the fruits available for sale slowly emptied. When only a couple of damaged Dragonfruits were left, Wang Xiaoling closed the stall.

"Wei Liang, you have a gift," Wang Xiaoling praised with a gleam in her eyes, "Stick with me, and I promise you'll go places."

William stared at the miser suspiciously. It was likely she was thinking of making him some sort of permanent indentured servant. More worryingly, he hadn't received his experience points despite completing the quest.

Perhaps there needed to be some sort of finishing action.

"So you're saying I did a good job?" William asked leadingly.

"Of course!" Wang Xiaoling seemed too thrilled to notice anything, "The fruits I sell are always in demand, but I rarely sell everything because I don't have decent help. You were great!"

"So I guess you'll pay me well then. How much am I getting?" William asked with his hand out.

Wang Xiaoling froze, and her smile slowly became strained. "Well, you see, Wei Liang, it costs a lot to buy these. I didn't make much this time. All I can pay you is two, uh, one Silver."

She dropped a silver coin in William's outstretched hands and looked away, looking for something to use as an excuse to get away. It was then that she remembered the bags filled with coins from her sales. There was no way to take them with her.

"Oh, that's right!" Wang Xiaoling pretended to remember, "Wei Liang, I wanted to give the remaining Dragonfruits to you. They're delicious and really good for your health!"

She offered the unsold fruits to William and became even more nervous when he didn't look at them. "And I got you a room for the night! Aren't I generous?"

William didn't ignore Wang Xiaoling on purpose, and he wasn't even aware that the compensation for the work he had done was slowly becoming greater the more he ignored her.

[COMPLETED | Help Wang Xiaoling sell her goods: +50 XP]

[HIDDEN BONUS | Sell 20 Gold worth of goods: +50 XP]

[Level Up! | 5 Stat points added]

William's breath hitched in excitement. He hadn't expected to get enough points to get to the next level, and the hidden bonus motivated him to be a try-hard in future quests with how generous it rewarded him.

Name: Wei Liang (William Davis)

Age: 13

Level: 2

Experience: 25/250

Cultivation: N/A

Health: 15/15

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Agility: 1

Luck: 1

Points: 5

Traits:

Soul Damage (Major) - Will reduce all base stats to 1 randomly

Main Quest(s):

Restore your Soul! (Reach Level 10 to enable the system to restore your soul back to its complete state)

Side Quests (3):

1. Daoist Chen has challenged you to become a Nascent Soul cultivator in ten years for a reward

2. Return to Jade Healing Clinic and make Huang Jingyi kneel with your superior cultivation

3. Visit Jade Healing Clinic 2-3 times a week (Repeatable)

William didn't like that he now needed two hundred and fifty experience points to reach the next level. That didn't bode well for the points required for higher levels. Still, as long as the visits to Jade Healing Clinic rewarded him sufficiently, level ten was well within reach. More importantly, it was looking highly likely that William would have no risk whatsoever in the process.

That would do wonders for his precious stat points. The devastating side effect of having soul damage would never be an issue as long as William patiently grinded experience points in the city.

Speaking of stat points, he did wonder why he had received five points when there were only four attributes to spend it on. He wasn't complaining about it, though. With how vital stat points generally were, the more, the better.

"Fine! You can have two Silver! If you want more, you can forget about working for me!"

William looked at his suddenly full palm in shock. He never expected Wang Xiaoling to be so generous. "Thank you, Wang Xiaoling. You didn't try to cheat me like I expected."

William expected her hand to fly toward his head and jumped back in time to get out of reach. His promise to himself to stay uninjured wouldn't be broken so soon.

"I never cheat anyone!" Wang Xiaoling declared righteously before turning around with a red face. She grunted while picking up the heavy coin-filled bags and said, "Let's go. I'll drop you off at the hotel before heading to the bank."

William followed behind her and pocketed the Silver before licking his lips while staring at the Dragonfruits. They were slightly damaged, which only made the delicious scent more apparent. The Dragonfruits were similar in looks to the ones in his old world, but they were far different from how he had seen people eating them.

William moved one of the fruits into his other hand and ran his finger over the spikes before biting into it like an apple. An embarrassingly loud moan left his lips as he devoured the delicious fruit like a man who hadn't eaten for days. It was gone in less than a minute.

[+1 Strength]

William's jaw dropped in shock at the alert. He stared at the remaining two fruits like they were the key to immortality. Disregarding his full stomach, he tore into another Dragonfruit greedily, eagerly anticipating the extra attribute point.

After William finished it, he was disappointed when he didn't see the alert he expected. He figured it would have been too good to be true for such an easy way to gain points. Still, gaining a Strength point for eating the fruit was already good enough.

[Soul Damage Trait activated | All base stats reset to 1]

"What's wrong with you, brat?" Wang Xiaoling asked with concern, "You look like you're about to hurt yourself."

William sighed and tried to look more excited. A hard thing to do when it felt like his emotions were played with. At least he hadn't done anything foolish like spending his stat points and getting that wiped out too.

Chapter 12: The Golden Lotus

"Let Wu Chang know my name and tell him I'll pay for your room. He'll get you settled."

"Wait, who's Wu Cha-"

William cut himself off when Wang Xiaoling rode away quickly. Suspiciously quickly. He narrowed his eyes before eventually facing the building he was dropped off at.

The Golden Lotus.

That was what the sign said in gold lettering. The building was a strange mix of traditional Chinese design and something familiar, it was at the edge of William's mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it. Still, with the attractive, bright yellow facade and the hotel's location in the heart of Xuanjing City, William wondered if he had misread Wang Xiaoling. This did not look cheap.

Maybe she was stingy in all aspects except where she slept? William had known people like that before.

A small bell rang when William entered the hotel, announcing that the door had opened. The lobby was small but welcoming, with walls decorated in colorful tapestries and a few comfortable chairs near the reception.

"Welcome to the Golden Lotus," A middle-aged man with a kind face greeted William with a warm smile.

"… Hi," William replied awkwardly, not ready for someone to speak to him normally for the first time since he got here. Well, unless Li Jie counted, which he didn't. The guard was more focused on Wang Xiaoling than anything else.

"Hello," The man chuckled, "Are you looking for a room?"

"Yes, Wang Xiaoling said she'll pay for my room."

"… Wang Xiaoling?"

William shifted in his spot, sensing that something wasn't right.

"Are you talking about the self-proclaimed number-one trader? That Wang Xiaoling?"

"That's the one," William tried to be optimistic, but the way the man looked at him didn't help, "She told me someone called Wu Chang would help me."

"I am Wu Chang."

William stared at the man for a second before sighing. "Let me guess, you think I'm lying about her paying for me."

"Wang Xiaoling is… careful with money. I'm afraid you'll have to make a deposit for the room. I'll return it to you if she settles your bill."

"Right," William rubbed his brow in frustration and asked, "How much is it for one night?"

"It'll be five Copper."

William winced at the price and reluctantly pulled out a Silver before handing it to Wu Chang. The rate for one night was twenty-five percent of his current net worth. That told more about how poor he was rather than the cost of the room, but still.

"Thank you," Wu Chang smiled as he handed the change to William, "Let me lead you to the room. And may I know your name?"

"Wei Liang." That was said in a low grumble as William pocketed the change. He was mentally berating himself for being foolish enough to believe Wang Xiaoling about spending money after what he knew about her.

"Again, welcome to The Golden Lotus, Wei Liang. There aren't many guests for the night, so if you need a quiet larger area, there is a communal area where guests can relax. As for food, there are plenty of restaurants within a short distance. You can find me in the lobby if you want any recommendations."

William came to a stop as Wu Chang fiddled with the door to a room. It was opened to reveal a sparsely furnished room, but one that was good enough for a night's rest.

"I hope the room is to your liking."

"Thank you," William returned Wu Chang's smile and walked past the open door. The bed looked comfortable enough, and there was even a small table with an unlit candle.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Wu Chang asked from the doorway. When William shook his head, he said, "Then I'll be in the lobby if you need me."

William waited for the door to close before sitting roughly on the bed. He sighed in relief at having something soft to sit on and stared at the remaining Dragonfruit.

If this was the type of food Wang Xiaoling had access to, it made sense why she seemed to be so freakishly strong. It made William wonder what the effects of the other fruits were.

William could understand why eating the second Dragonfruit did nothing for him. It would have been ridiculous if all he had to do was gorge himself on them to increase the strength attribute. However, he really, really hoped that eating the Dragonfruit wouldn't disqualify him from gaining the benefit of the other fruits, if they had any.

If only his soul-damaged state hadn't ruined the surprise discovery of the Dragonfruit. What William hated more than having that trait itself was the vagueness of its effect.

Traits:

Soul Damage (Major) - Will reduce all base stats to 1 randomly

William frowned at the word 'randomly.' Who exactly was deciding the randomness? And was it really random, or would he eventually find that the system had some sort of vendetta against him. The latter was a thought that appeared in his mind frequently on the ride to the hotel. It was highly convenient that the trait randomly activated the moment he received an attribute point.

The easiest way to test it was to spend one of the stat points he received and use it on an attribute, but William wasn't desperate enough to risk that. Still, it would be nice if he could get more details on how it worked.

[Visible RNG for Soul Damage (Major) effect enabled]

[Current chance of Soul Damage (Major) effect activating: 5%]

[Activation Numbers: 1-50 | Total Numbers: 1000]

[Previous result: 43]

William stared at the info dump in surprise. He expected the HUD to show something, but he certainly didn't expect it to be what he wished. With how common the occurrence had been, he was sure he would have gotten an alert about safe mode blocking it for his own good.

It was a little comforting that a random number generator controlled this, but that was as long as the RNG was genuinely random as the name implied. William couldn't exactly confirm if it was true. However, something was better than nothing.

William grunted as he pushed off the bed and put the Dragonfruit on the table. He didn't think it would be edible for much longer with how damaged it was, but even if he ate it now, it would be useless. It obviously wouldn't help with increasing his strength attribute, nor would it ease his hunger since he had a full stomach from the past two Dragonfruits he had eaten.

William stretched his hands above his head and groaned at the pops in his back. He gave the room another glance, and if he didn't know better, it would have fooled him into thinking that he was in his old world.

There were differently sized, folded towels on the counter near the bathroom, along with small bottles of what must be some sort of body wash or something similar. Honestly, everything was eerily similar to what a hotel room looked like in his old world.

With Daoist Chen's master likely to be a transmigrator or at least have some memory of his old world, it wasn't that big of a surprise that some similarities could be seen. Not that William expected to see it in a hotel room, of all places.

However, the similarity gave him a sense of calm that William didn't even know he needed. He locked the door, purely out of habit, not expecting it to do anything for safety, and climbed back into bed.

It would be nice to shut his eyes and let his mind reset from the insane hell he had been through today.