An Offshoot Of His Day

"Everything begins with raising your awareness to the world around you and sensing the vital energy that flows through it—that energy is known as qi for you."

Yang Li raised a brow at the creature actually explaining it, and although what the Panda was saying was almost word for word similar to the documents that he printed, he listened to it patiently. He had ample time to get to work. He cleared his throat, "You know I purchased the first stage of qi condensation—but I don't actually feel anything with this qi you're speaking of. Although, I think I was feeling something while I was bathing."

The Panda motioned to his house and scoffed, "The qi is too stale here, call it pathogenic even. I doubt you'll actually absorb anything here or even sense it—as for that bath water, you probably got water from a spring mountain or something."

"I believe it comes from the Yangtze's river reservoir if I remember correctly, do you want me to verify it?"

"... Are you going to use your position for this?" The Panda rolled their eyes at him.

He shook his head, "No, I just need to look it up on the internet." It was a little tiring that some of the people he encountered, including this creature, they always seemed to assume that he'd do certain things differently because of his position in his company.

"Whatever, tap water, spring water or river water—despite the filtration you guys do, vital qi is still retained there and you were "feeling" it." The Panda shuddered. "Most Cultivators who absorb qi don't actually feel anything that 'good' they just freaking absorb it. I can't imagine what face you'll make when you start absorbing yin essences from your harem."

His assumptions were right then, even if the stages were called the same, what one experienced was different due to one's specific cultivation method. And his was 'harem cultivation', Yang Li kept his face blank. "I would have understood if it was simply choosing one partner… but why the need to have multiple partners? I don't think I have enough 'yang' in the first place."

"Damn, you should ask the System and not me." The creature rubbed their face and floated away from him. They threw a look at him with a sardonic smile, "I mean, why don't you try drinking a Divine Energizer Drink—oh wait, you don't have any charm points now do you? Boo hoo!"

"Mhmm, I only have 75 charm points." Yang Li agreed.

"You should have added that girl last night to your 'Harem' but no—don't come crying to me because you're regretting it."

He raised a brow at the creature's choice of words. Regret? Why would he regret something he had decided to do? The man shrugged. "I didn't even say that… although what I can surmise from my interaction with Miss He is this: I'll be able to gather charm points by impressing individuals?"

"Gee, how brilliant." The Panda's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Okay, which way do you go—this or that way, do you have any plans to eat and waste my time?" The creature motioned to the split in the corridor.

Yang Li glanced at his watch, he was already aware that the creature was hot headed but such a temper was dampening the atmosphere. Or was it his ability to sense 'qi' again that bothered him with the creature's presence? "Would your mood feel better if you eat bamboo shoots?"

The creature's head jerked to him and their eyes flashed red—

Yang Li stepped back involuntarily and realized that he could sense the qi from this creature, it made his skin crawl. It was early in the morning but he cold sweat dripped from his forehead, this creature gave him a degree of danger and chills. He had only noticed it now. But it made sense that a Panda who could knock him out had a certain degree of strength.

He swallowed, "I presume that is a no?"

"Where the heck will you even get bamboo from?" The Panda huffed at him and seemed to cool down. Or rather the dangerous vibes that they were giving out were now being controlled by the creature, "We're not in some forest in a hidden mountain—we're in the middle of this metropolis!" Their voice still held the annoyance but they had retracted the qi from earlier.

"Northwest of the metropolis area, we're actually in the outskirts of my province." Yang Li corrected him. "It takes me around two hours and a half to reach my office."

"Don't use human measurement with me—this thing is supposed to be a blink of an eye to me." The Panda crossed their arm over their chest. "But now I'm being forced to adjust to humans' perception of time."

He didn't say anything about that and took note of the information. He wouldn't point out how it goes against their earlier complaint of him sleeping for eight hours as a boring tedious thing, instead Yang Li said something else. "I have a couple of neighbors who have gardens in their homes, and I think one of them actually grows bamboo."

"...of course the neighborhood you live in is practically a paradise huh? Is that a female who has the bamboo?"

Yang Li nodded, "Yes." After a moment of consideration, he explained. "Grandma Lanfen enjoys gardening."

"What's with that look on your face?" The Panda snorted and flicked a paw at him. "The System won't ask you to do harem cultivation with that granny—their qi and yin essence is practically dried up by now."

He frowned slightly at what they were implying, "I don't think that you needed to say that to me." When one's qi energy was at a low point, they were nearing the end of their life.

"I'm just saying how it is. You humans drop dead like flies to me." The Panda moved across the hallway, "Are you going to feed me bamboo or what? I'll make your life miserable if you don't hurry up, fool."