New City

It took Li Zhang around a week to find a new place to live in. He didn't have much money and was only able to buy a small hotel room at a semi-large city. The city was quite smile compared to others in the region.

The city was very different compared to Hencewood. The city had bigger walls and more guards than Hencewood. Its layout was also completely different.

It had a huge market in the middle with the slums to the south side of the city. Besides the market area in the middle, there was also a military district.

Inside of the military district, there were also sects. The sects weren't the main three that were already well-established in the region. The sects that were in the military district either were created by the city or smaller sects that needed a place for everyone to train.

After traveling around the city for a couple of days. Li Zhang got a rough understanding of its layout and where everything was. When Li Zhang got back to his hotel room, he took a second glance at the place.

The room was quite small because Li Zhang didn't have a lot of money on him. He still hadn't unpacked everything that he brought with him. He only that the necessary on him when he was out looking at the city.

Inside of his backpack was a small cloth bag that had a small amount of food. He mostly ate everything that he brought with him when he was searching for a place to stay.

Other than food in his backpack there was also three books that he brought with him. Two of the books were legit books, having useful things in them that he needed.

The third book that he brought with him was his Dark Arts book. Inside of the book was everything he needed to learn Dark Arts. Even though he has a small grasp on the whole idea of Dark Arts he couldn't completely start using it.

The major problem with him using Dark Arts is that he needed to start cultivating. A teen at his age should be around the cultivation stage of Bronze 2.

Currently, Li Zhang hasn't cultivated once in his life. When he was younger, the school in Hencewood tried to teach him how to cultivate. Li Zhang would rather read than learn anything they taught him.

Thinking back, Li Zhang was kinda upset that he didn't listen to what they taught him. Having no teachers or anyone around willing to teach him, he only had one option.

Library!

Li Zhang walked outside of his hotel and looked around for the library. Even though he walked around the city to learn the layout, he really wasn't looking at the names of the buildings.

After walking for a couple of minutes he found the library. Luckily for him, the library was right down the street from his hotel. When he walked in a was hit with a thick smell of dust.

Looking around, there was one desk where an elderly woman was sitting. Around was dust over all of the tables and books in the whole place. Li Zhang put on a fake smile and walked up to the desk.

The elderly woman looked up and smiled at Li Zhang.

"What can I do for you?"

Li Zhang looked over to the books and smiled.

"Ah, You're quite young. I really don't see young kids as you come into the library. Usually, only older people come, but anywho it doesn't matter. You can read all you want, and if you want to check out some books just come to my desk. Just remember that the limit is two books at most you can check out at a time."

Li Zhang nodded his head and walked over to a bookshelf in the back of the library. He started to look through the books and eventually found cultivation books.

Though, the books were basic knowledge. There weren't any good techniques in them, just the understanding of what cultivation was. Li Zhang didn't have anything to do that day, so he decided to sit and read a couple of books.

He sat reading in cultivation books for a couple of hours. Once he was finished it he looked around for other books. When he couldn't find anything he was going to leave.

Right before he left, he saw a dark purple book in the back left of the room. When he walked over he felt a small pressure in the air. He learned from the cultivation books that's an 'aura'.

Li Zhang picked up the book and read the title.

"Basic Cultivation Manual"

He said this while whispering and with a confused look on his face. In the books that he read he didn't see anything about a 'Cultivation Manual'. Li Zhang decided that he should see if the woman at the desk knew anything about.

He took the book and walked up to the desk, the woman was looking down at a very large book. When she heard him walk up, she closed the book.

"Yes?"

Li Zhang put the book on her desk.

"What is a Cultivation Manual"

Her expression changed from happy to serious when Li Zhang showed her the book.

"You're not fooling anyone here." She said while looking at Li Zhang with calm eyes.

Li Zhang became confused about what she meant.

"What?"

"Your little act of yours."

Li Zhang started to get the idea that she saw through him. He changed his expression back to his normal self. Completely emotionless and cold-blooded self.

"Ah. That's better. Anyway, this book is an interesting one at that. It may say Basic Cultivation Manual, but in reality, it's quite abnormal."

She paused for a couple of seconds before talking again.

"This book, you can't just find. It finds you."

Li Zhang had no emotion on his face but in his mind turned very confused at the words the woman was saying.

The book finds you? What is that supposed to me?

"Now, now. I'm not just going to give this book out to anyone."

Her eyes suddenly turned dark yellow with red dots in the middle. Li Zhang was thrown back by this and stepped back a little.

The woman started to laugh quietly to herself before picking up the book. The woman quickly grabbed kunai off her desk and threw it at Li Zhang at lightning speed.

Li Zhang reaction speed was pretty good. He tried to dodge the knife coming at him but was still grazed by the knife. The cut on his arm started to bleed.

Li Zhang still stood still after he was grazed with the knife. His eyes were deadlocked on the woman's eyes.

Several footsteps sounded behind Li Zhang, he quickly turned around to see two demon-like beasts running at him. Bringing out his daggers he armed himself for the demons.

The first demon had black skin with purple eyes. It ran at him with its claws out. When it got close enough it slashed at Li Zhang. Blocking the claws with his dagger, Li Zhang was able to survive the attack.

He quickly counter-attacked sending multiple slashes towards the demon. The demon wasn't built like a human, so Li Zhang didn't know it's weak spots.

Since he didn't know the weak spots of the demon he just aimed for what he would on a human. The demon was extremely quick and dodge almost all of Li Zhang attacks.

Luckily, one of Li Zhang last slashes cut the demon right on its neck. Purplish blood burst from its neck, the purple blood hit Li Zhang barely.

But the blood started to burn Li Zhang's skin.

The blood is toxic, what kind of blo-

Before Li Zhang could finish what he was thinking the second demon came from his right. Li Zhang threw one of his dagger striking it in the chest.

It didn't stop the demon it kept coming towards Li Zhang. With his last dagger, Li Zhang slashed at its neck. The dagger slit the demon's throat, but this time Li Zhang made sure to move after he hit its target.

Li Zhang retrieved his daggers and turned back to the woman. Her appearance completely changed. She looked the same, but her skin was now red.

Like the demons he just fought, she had sharp claws. She didn't immediately attack like the other demons, she sat still watching Li Zhang.

Li Zhang didn't know exactly what to do. He decided to ask a simple question.

"If I defeat you… Do I get the book?"

"If you can..."

Li Zhang understood what he had to do and threw one of the daggers at her eyes. Li Zhang knew that she would dodge the attack, but it gave him enough time to deliver the killing blow.

Like Li Zhang predicted she put her arms up to block the dagger. Li Zhang had enough time to slit her throat. She didn't bleed like the other demons, she did have a cut in her neck but she was still alive.

When Li Zhang this his face became panicked.

The woman started to laugh when she saw Li Zhang face.

"You broke your act!"

She roared pushing Li Zhang back a couple of meters. When Li Zhang regained his balance she was now only a couple of meters away from him. She smiled and turned into a dark black mist.

The whole room turned black with mist, Li Zhang couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Li Zhang felt a sharp pain in his lower side, warm blood flowed down his body.

A second attack hit him on his back. This made him fall forward almost face planting on the ground. Li Zhang was able to stay up even though he was in severe pain.

Li Zhang's vision started to become blurry. Li Zhang whole body was covered in blood. Again he was attacked only this time he was hit with a hard object on his head.

This made Li Zhang completely fall on the ground, to Li Zhang it looked like he was falling into the abyss. The black mist was so dark he couldn't tell if he was on the ground or falling.

Warm blood dripped out his nose when it reached his mouth he had a little taste of it. Bitterness entered his whole body, his eyes turned crimson red.

All of his senses increased, he could sense the woman traveling around the room. She was coming at him at her full speed. Li Zhang quickly turned around and blocked the attack with his dagger.

She bounced off Li Zhang and came around for another attack. Li Zhang was ready for her attack and already planned out how to kill her. He could only see her in his mind, so he closed his eyes and waited for her to get close enough.

With his new sensitive senses, he was able to have a clear picture of her weak spots in his mind. He aimed for her right shoulder first to make her lose one of her weapons.

Right before she was about to slash at Li Zhang he stabbed his dagger at her right shoulder. When stabbed he heard a loud scream from the woman, but her left claw still hit Li Zhang.

Li Zhang took the attack and got up and waited for her to come around again. She came in range of his dagger while she was running around the room. He was able to slash, but the dagger hit an armored part of her skin.

"Oh, Are you fighting for real now? It wasn't fun beating up a poor kid like you."

Li Zhang could imagine her smiling and laughing as she spoke.

A burst of killing intent exploded from Li Zhang. He could sense her coming in for another attack. Li Zhang wasn't going to let himself be hit again. He went into a semi-defense stance, she was coming at a faster speed than before.

Seconds before she was about to attack, Li Zhang launched from his stance and rushed at her. She was caught off guard and wasn't able to defend in time.

Li Zhang stabbed with all of his force into her skull. When the dagger pierced her head she fell to the ground. The attacked instantly killed her, Li Zhang let out a small smile.

The mist started to fade away, Li Zhang fell to his knees. He was still bleeding from all of the attacks he suffered. Below him, the Basic Cultivation Manual was below him.

He dropped his dagger and his hand landed on the cover of the book. Once his blood dripped on the cover it turned bright purple.

'Li Zhang… Hm…. Fine...Dark Healing!'