Summer Solstice

The entire Sect was in a celebratory mood. The streets were filled with paper lanterns as the evening came, and darkness descended upon the mountain, and that's when it all burst to life. Music was playing and people were dancing, and for the first time, I actually saw countless women walking the streets in colorful clothes accompanied by groups of cheerful young men.I saw kids running around, screaming and laughing, and overwhelming my senses. I had to forcefully lower my sensitivity to sound, otherwise, I couldn't even hear my own thoughts.The scent of food permeated the place, with attractive waitresses handing out alcohol, and even some sweets.It was such a drastic change from the rest of the year when everyone was calm and collected, it even moved my cold heart and got me in the mood to party. It broke through my single-minded focus in search of power and made me enjoy the moment.It was nice.I even remembered the gambling house and wondered if there was still time to place a few bets. I wasn't big into gambling, but I could still afford to waste a Spirit Stone or two.I bought a pint to drink and some meat and made my way to the other side of town. The place was bustling, people were having fun, and the usually empty streets were full of people. It was as if the population of the Sect 10X'ed overnight.Everywhere was crowded, there were carnival games, easily recognizable in their nature, but completely different from anything I ever saw. When you could use magic, of course, things wouldn't be the same.Games of skill were out of the question since Cultivators were masters of body manipulation and tossing balls to hit something would be child's play for them. Gambling and games of chance with random outcomes were something else entirely.Gambling houses were packed to the brim, and all the good spots were already taken for the games, so I made my way to the back where the less glamorous individuals did business.I entered a gambling den where a bunch of people were playing a game with some kind of tokens while drinking strong liquors. I could tell by the smell. It was as if someone just washed the room in moonshine.I bet a single spark would have set off an explosion."Hey, newcomer! Looking for something?" I heard a call from the bar and as I had nothing better to do, I came closer and ordered a shot."There you go! Cheers!"I took it and turned to toast the room, and then drank it in a single gulp. It went down my throat like liquid fire and really woke me up. Tasty poisons were always the best."Hey, wait a minute… Don't I know you?"I looked at the bartender and squinted my eyes. He seemed familiar, I just had to figure out where he belonged.[Um… Ba Lin?] I guessed. And I was right."That's right! And you are…" He scratched his chin. "Hey, you are that new guy that nearly died on the first day, right?! For touching the Formation!"[That's me.] I admitted. That guy had a good memory, considering I changed so much since we last met."Oh, man!" The guy grinned but then quickly lowered his voice and leaned closer. "What are you doing here? This is the… Wait, are those…?" He pointed at my robes. "And is that…?" And at the badge.[Yup.]His eyes went wide. "Holy-! Oh, man! A personal Disciple?! In a year?! How?!"[Eh… It's a long story…]He then leaned back with a pair of judging, squinted eyes. "You are not a bastard son some of some Elder, are you?"[What? No, of course, not!] What the hell was he saying? [Why would you even think that?]"Eh, don't worry about it, I was just curious. You wouldn't believe how often it happens. Officially it's not allowed, but it's hard to manage, so most ignore any preferential treatment until it becomes a problem."I wisely nodded and then threw the information to the back of my mind. If there was one thing I didn't want to get involved in or care about, it was politics.[Say… How come you are manning a bar? Do you work here?] I asked. [Also, I thought this was a gambling house.]"I got plenty of connections, my friend." Ba Li wisely smirked. "But, no, really, the owner just needed a few more people and I needed work, so here I am. As for your second question…. Of course, this is a gambling house! The booze is just a bonus!"He then pulled out a large book and slammed it on the counter."Now about that gambling…" He looked at me like a sly fox. "What did you have in mind?"[I'm not sure. What are my options?]"Ah, yes, of course. I'll tell you, just give me one moment. Customer." Ba Lin pointed at a new guy that just came to the bar looking all gloomy.I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and then did a double take as I recognized the face.[Tan Gong? Tang Gong from the Predator's Bane?]"Hmm?" He looked me up and down. "Who are you?"[It's me, Gerald! I was a cart puller for your team.]"Oh? Oh!" He opened his eyes wide. "You are still alive?!"[I was about to ask the same thing. What happened? I thought you were dead.]Tan Gong turned away. "I… don't want to talk about it. The thought of that day still fills me with nightmares."[Then the Predator's bane is…?]"It has disbanded. We had no chance against those Class V monsters. Even though a few of us survived, there are not enough members left."[Ah, well… Who's going to pay me then? I believe I am still owed…] I stopped talking as I felt a dangerous feeling from the man beside me. I turned and saw Tan Gong's expression twist in pure unadulterated rage. I never felt anything like it. It was as if I could feel his thoughts that wanted nothing more but to pounce at me and tear off my head.[Hey, yooooo… I was just joking. Don't look at me like that.] I stepped back with raised hands. [I didn't really expect any money after what happened. Haha.] I nervously laughed.The dangerous feeling Tan Gong was exuding lessened somewhat and he snorted aggressively and turned around. He then left without saying a word, carrying the oppressive atmosphere with him."Dude…" Ba Lin whispered after a few moments when it was clear the man was not coming back.I glanced at him. [Think I went too far?]"Too far?! I was surprised he didn't kill you on the spot!" Ba Lin exclaimed.[You felt it too?] I asked in surprise."Oh, yeah… There was no doubt about it. He just wanted to tear you apart."[What was that?]"You pissed him off, obviously."[No, I mean… That feeling. What was it?] It was so weird and… unnatural."The Killing Intent?" Ba Lin cocked his head to one side. "You don't know?"I adamantly shook my head."Yeah, well, me neither. All that I know is that after reaching the Golden Core Realm, you can project your emotions, or intent, for others to feel. Killing Intent is the most common, as far as I know. You can probably tell why."[Because… Stronger emotions are easier to project?]"Yeah, something like that."[Hmm…]That was something new. It was weird I didn't already know that, but that just proved how incomplete my Memory Harvest technique was. The older the memories, the worse their quality. Or something like that. Recent experiences were always the easiest to extract.I decided to meditate on the topic a bit."Say, you came here to gamble, right? How about it?"[Nah, I don't feel like doing it anymore.] I grabbed another drink and emptied it in one gulp. [I'll see you around, yeah?]"Hey, wait! I work on commission! Are you sure you don't want to place at least one bet? Look, here, on this one you can 5x your money!" Ba Lin called behind me. I just ignored his calls and waved goodbye. I then heard him sigh as I left the gambling den.[Now…] I stroked my chin as I thought about all the things I had to do. [Visiting a library is a must. I need some new Martial Arts now that I reached the Golden Core. But that's for tomorrow… or when these festivities end…]I realized I didn't actually know how long they lasted. The library would probably remain closed while the celebration was ongoing. The problem was I didn't know when it ended. That's why I used a secret technique to gain information. It was called AP or Ask a Passerby."The solstice celebration? It should be five days, right?" The man I questioned said, looking for confirmation from his friend. The man nodded.[Thanks, guys. Enjoy the party.]"Yeah, no worries!""You too."They went on their way and so did I. Apart from checking out some old scrolls, I still had to train various techniques. I had somewhat neglected my defensive training in Scales of the Earth, Tyrant Forging Bones, and Living Fortress. I still had to work on that.Turtle Breathing Technique could also use some advancement, though that one wasn't as useful anymore. The higher you went, the harder it was to hide those small leaks of Qi that others could detect. That's why I desperately needed an upgrade.Though I knew many Martial Arts from all the memories I stole, they were unfortunately mostly for the attack. Offense is the best defense and all that.Well, screw that. Defense is the best offense in my opinion! If people can't hurt me, then I can take my sweet time tearing them apart, piece by piece. Or even better, ignore them entirely. Imagine having a guy you cannot damage just walk into your house and casually take your stuff. That would be hilarious![Ah~ So many things to do…]I returned home and was just about to jump in bed and go to sleep when I noticed a small problem. After thoroughly scanning the nearby rooms, I realized we were missing a person. That ninja guy was absent.[Son of a…! Neve a dull moment in this world, huh?]I jumped off the bed and marched over to the other room.