Chapter 33

When I crossed the border into China, the first problem immediately arose: I didn't understand the local language. Communicating with the locals would be tricky, but I didn't think it was impossible. After all, a language can be learned, and if I were attacked, things would get even simpler.

Magical China is generally a closed-off place, where something intriguing is always happening. Very little information reaches the wider world because the local clans and sects are reluctant to share their knowledge and secrets. There's a large Chinese enclave in magical England, but that's about all I know of them.

The surrounding landscape was also fascinating—unlike anything I had ever seen. A vast lowland stretched to a small mountain range, dotted with snowy peaks. My beast found it incredibly easy to traverse this terrain. A few magical creatures attempted to attack us, but they couldn't keep up with the cheetah. I had no desire to stop and deal with them, so I simply continued my journey.

At one point, I entered a small forest, which led me to a human settlement. The first thing I noticed was a small magical school where children were practicing an unfamiliar method of spellcasting.

The children wielded staffs from which bursts of fire, lightning, and water occasionally erupted. After watching the older students demonstrate their abilities, I concluded that they often used artifacts combined with martial arts.

There's another way to learn a foreign language—by gutting someone's mind. This would be devastating to the person, but if done carefully, the damage could be minimal. I don't yet have such advanced skills, meaning there's a high chance of causing mental death to the subject. Is it worth it?

I wouldn't practice this on an ordinary person, especially as a training exercise. However, if push comes to shove, I may have to abandon this belief, but for now, that moment hasn't arrived. I could seek out someone with heavy crimes on their conscience. For that, I would need to find a prison.

As I explored the village, I did manage to locate a prison. It was a building with two underground levels, guarded by local wizards. Getting past them was easy; their theoretical knowledge of magic was basic. Sure, they could knock someone out, but that was the extent of their abilities.

The first floor had a small corridor, a reception area, and a common room that led to the cells. After exploring the ground floor, I found no one suitable for practicing my skill. Descending to the first underground level, I saw that it had the same layout as above, with no access to the outside world. Here, more promising candidates were being held. However, I wouldn't make any rash decisions until I checked the third floor.

The third floor was smaller, with fewer cells and fewer amenities. This was my first indication that the more interesting candidates might be down here. It was difficult to discern their crimes, as I had to rely on indirect methods of observation. The first man didn't meet my requirements—yes, he was a serial killer, but that was all. The second man was no better. But the third... now he was different. Cannibal, murderer, rapist, and a host of other unsavory labels could describe his life. He was the only one in the prison facing the death penalty, and he wasn't begging for forgiveness—instead, he wanted to laugh in the faces of his victims' families. He was a perfect target.

Without being noticed by either the prisoner or the guards, I opened the door and slipped inside. I wasn't going to kill him; that would mean absorbing his soul and reliving all the vile things he had done. But practicing my language-copying skill? Why not?

Feeling no pity for the prisoner, I spent over six hours training on him. Thanks to several spells I had cast in advance, no one heard his screams.

After those six hours, I walked away with a basic understanding of the new language. Of course, one session didn't give me fluency, but it was a definite step forward compared to knowing nothing. On top of that, I improved my skills in this magical discipline.

Stepping outside, I listened to the conversations around me and allowed a smug smile to cross my face. Yes, I understood bits and pieces—jumping from one thought to another, but I understood! Leaving the village, I set up my tent and cast strong protections to ensure I wouldn't have any unwelcome visitors. I had no desire to interact with the locals just yet.

Sure, it was a bit chilly, but nowhere near as cold as Astana. Overall, it was livable, though I had no plans to stay long. The night passed peacefully, and by morning, I was back on my cheetah, continuing my journey.

Along the way, I encountered all sorts of creatures, both magical and mundane. Some even pursued me, but none could compare to the transfigured animal that required no rest, no food, and moved swiftly.

From time to time, various natural formations flashed by, but I didn't stop—none held any significance to me, neither positive nor negative. Continuing on my path, I suddenly had to stop abruptly as I stumbled upon a large skirmish.

A Muggle road was blocked by cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. A fight had broken out between men in black suits and locals in traditional garb. Fire, lightning, and other magical forces clashed, while the combatants didn't hesitate to use firearms. One wizard had erected stone barricades, providing effective cover and concealment.

I observed the battlefield for a few more moments, taking in additional details. This wasn't just a random skirmish—it was a planned operation, one group systematically targeting another. The second group was surrounded on all sides and being methodically wiped out. Despite their heroic attempts to defend themselves and break through, they were failing. It was a pity my cheetah couldn't fight—I hadn't given it that functionality, and creating something effective on the fly wasn't feasible. Not that I had any reason to get involved.

At the center of the second group's formation was a luxury sports car, inside which I noticed two local beauties. For a moment, it felt like I had stepped into a movie or a novel. The question now was whether I should intervene. Siding with the attackers could delay my journey—they might try to eliminate me as a witness. Siding with the defenders would also cause delays, though there could be benefits I hadn't yet considered.

Then again… should I intervene at all? Why not? Protecting the weak is a noble act, even if they aren't truly weak. With that decision made, I dismounted my cheetah and drew my wand. I layered several protective spells on my clothing, shielding myself from both magic and bullets. For good measure, I added even more defensive enchantments.

Stepping into the open, I spotted a man hiding in the bushes with a large weapon, completely unaware of his surroundings. He was aiming through a scope into the crowd.

A flick of my wand, and the first body hit the ground. I stepped forward, absorbing his soul and its knowledge. The fight had now shifted closer to the luxury car, where the only remaining guard was an old man dressed in white robes, his white hair and beard gleaming like snow. In his hand, he held a blade lightly coated in ice.

Without descending from my position, I cast a chain lightning spell. A blue arc struck the nearest wizard and began spreading uncontrollably in all directions, obliterating anyone it touched. Thirty attackers vanished as if wiped away by a giant tongue.

I Apparated into the midst of the attackers, catching them completely off guard. With a circular spell, I unleashed a wave that fragmented bodies into pieces. Blood and other fluids sprayed everywhere, but my protective spells kept me spotless.

"***!" shouted an older man, charging at me with a large hammer. His armor glowed from enchanted artifacts, but his mind was unprotected. One strike, and his body collapsed, drooling. Unfortunately for him, he fell badly—his hammer's head crashed directly into his face, leaving a dent in the ground and a bloody mess where his head had been.

Unpleasant, indeed.

A wave of fire hurtled toward me, but I stopped it with a single flick of my wand. It was as easy as taking candy from a baby. Another flick redirected the fire, incinerating three more wizards from the opposing group.

The ground beneath me split open, and a man leaped out, hoping to slice me with his sword. But one spell later, the ground was filled with molten iron, transfigured from the air. His scream was impressive. I Apparated to the side.

By now, all attention was focused squarely on me. Finishing the job wasn't difficult. In fact, the entire battle was far easier than I had anticipated. Afterward, I collected all the souls, filling my Archive with shelves of new information.

Once the fires were extinguished, I made my way toward the old man and the two girls, who were staring at me with wide, frightened eyes. Stopping a short distance away, I tilted my head slightly, observing them with curiosity.

"Traveler, who are you?" asked the old man. For a moment, I was surprised as an artifact translated his words into perfect English.

"An unexpected savior," I chuckled in response.

"Thank you, unexpected savior, for protecting Lady Min and Lady Yan," he said, bowing deeply.

It seemed he understood me, which was a good sign.

"Without your help, we would have perished here, and the Shuèn clan would have been left without worthy heirs," he continued, still bowing.

"Thank you," the elder girl said, bowing as well. The younger one followed suit. It was hard to miss their keen interest; they practically radiated it.

"What is the name of our unexpected savior?" the old man asked.

"Timothy Jody," I answered. "And you?"

"Gu Shuèn," the old man replied. "I am a Golden Sphere Summoner of the first rank."

In terms of power, he didn't surpass a fourth-year Hogwarts student. If he was proud of this level, it was clear there weren't many powerful wizards in this region. If there were, they certainly weren't in this part of the country.

What we in England and Europe refer to as China is actually a blanket term for over a dozen different countries. That's about the extent of my knowledge.

"These are my charges, Min Shuèn and Yan Shuèn," he said, gesturing toward the girls.

"Could Master Timothy tell us his level of cultivation?" the old man asked.

"That's a tough question," I chuckled. "I'm familiar with a different classification system."

"I noticed you use a great artifact?" he asked.

"A wand?" I replied, pulling it out and giving it a few waves, summoning various effects.

The surprise on my rescuers' faces only grew.

"You are definitely at the level of the Divine Sphere," he said. "I've only encountered such wizards once in my life, during a youth tournament in Shanghai."

"Maybe," I shrugged. It didn't really matter to me what level they thought I was at. I know I still can't perform wandless magic, which means I'm not yet in the category of wizards who should never be crossed.

"Master," Min Shuèn addressed me. She was tall, attractive, with significant curves—the kind people describe as "full of life." "Thank you for saving us. Our father will not spare any reward."

"Hmm," I hummed in response.

"Master Timothy," the old man said, his tone respectful and slightly servile. "May I ask you to escort us home?"

"Where are you headed?" I asked.

"To the city of Yushu," he replied.

"Show me on a map," I said, unfolding mine before him.

It didn't take long for him to point out the location. It wasn't much of a detour from my original route. I suppose I'll help them out and take advantage of their hospitality to solve my own knowledge problems. I still haven't had a chance to properly sit down and go through the books I've loaded into my Archive.

"Alright," I nodded. "By the way, do you need your cars?"

"Not really," the old man began, "but to reach our destination, they'll need to be repaired."

What surprised me was their complete lack of concern for the bodies of the people who had been protecting them. They didn't even flinch at the fact that all their guards were dead. Strange.

With a wave of my wand, I cast Reparo over the large area, fixing everything that had been destroyed or damaged. My companions watched with wide eyes and open mouths. Internally, their disbelief was even greater. Then, I shrank all the vehicles down to miniature models, small enough to fit into a pocket. Now we were left standing on bare ground, surrounded by corpses. The road itself had also been repaired.

"Ahem, well... indeed," the old man muttered, still astonished.

I then conjured three more cheetahs—one for each of them. The old man looked as if he might choke, while the girls seemed equally shocked.

"Life creation," Yan Shuèn whispered in awe.

It wasn't life creation, but let them believe what they wanted. I didn't have the time or desire to explain.

"Mount up."

I led by example, hopping onto my cheetah. The rescued trio followed suit. The old man helped the girls mount first before climbing on himself.

"Hold on tight!"

And then we took off. The speed these transfigured cheetahs reached was impressive. Since they were enhanced, I estimated we'd reach our destination in about twelve hours.

And I was right. We traveled without stopping, arriving by evening at the outskirts of the city we needed. At that point, I handed leadership back to the old man so he could guide us to their home. All the while, I allowed my cheetah to move without much direction, using the time to sort through the knowledge I had gathered from the locals. Everything was going smoothly—beyond the knowledge, I had also gained power. I felt like a barrel filled to the brim with magical energy, ready to spill over at any moment. It's a sign that I'm close to advancing to the next level of magical strength.

The girls' home was near the center of the city, so we dismounted the cheetahs, and I restored one of their cars to its original size. The old man took the wheel, and I sat in the front passenger seat. This wasn't a simple house but a small estate surrounded by many people.

The estate was enclosed by a small wooden wall with large gates featuring a lion's head crest. As the car approached, the gates opened—not by magic, but by the effort of several young men in simple, monochrome clothing who opened and closed them manually.

We had to leave the car behind, as there wasn't enough space between the buildings for vehicles. So, we parked in a covered area and followed the group I had saved to the heart of the estate. The people around us bowed and knelt before the girls and the old man. No one paid me any direct attention, though I could sense the curiosity they held toward me. That's neither good nor bad, as I could clearly feel their emotions.

The architecture was traditional, as one might expect from China. However, there were scattered elements of the Muggle world—table lamps, large clocks resembling towers with small lights on top. It was both interesting and impressive.

The main house stood out with unique patterns that didn't appear on the other buildings. It had a sense of grandeur, separated from the rest of the estate by a low stone wall overgrown with plants. Guards in armor carrying weapons stood watch, but as soon as the old man approached, they let him and the girls pass. The guards moved to block my way, but a stern glance from the old man stopped them.

What can I say about the house? It's large, expensive, and lavishly decorated, but it's not to my taste. I don't care for such gaudy tones and over-the-top decor, which make it hard to concentrate.

We passed through a large door that closed softly behind us. From the shadows, a tall woman emerged, dressed in traditional clothing. She bowed to the old man, then bowed even deeper to the girls.

"Please wait a moment; the head of the clan will invite you shortly," she said. She paid no physical attention to me, but mentally, she regarded me as a supplicant who had somehow convinced these honorable people to bring me here. She also silently hoped they would send me away as soon as possible.

We followed her into a small room with sofas and a few armchairs, arranged around a coffee table with a strange vase-like figure on it. The girls sat on the sofa, and the old man took a chair.

With nothing left to do, I sank into another chair and relaxed a little. My wand was within easy reach, so if anything happened, I'd be ready. But nothing did. It was just an ordinary wait.

"Master Timothy, would you like some tea? Or perhaps something stronger?" the old man asked.

"I don't need anything right now," I replied. "But I am interested in your artifact that translates languages."

"Oh, it's quite simple," he said, exhaling as he showed me the artifact. "In this region, people speak many different dialects, so such artifacts are common. They're cheap, and almost any summoner can afford one."

He reached for a ring with a large crystal on its band and pressed it, causing a small spatial distortion. The now-familiar artifact appeared in his hand.

"Take it; it's a gift," he said, handing me the artifact.

I took it carefully, trying to discern the magical processes at work. I'd need more time for research and to check for any hidden dangers the locals might not be aware of.

"Thank you," I said, tucking the artifact into my pocket.

"The Clan Head, Gumei, is ready to see you," the woman said.

The old man stood first, followed by his daughters. I got up as well, curious to see how this meeting would unfold. We entered a wide office with large windows overlooking the evening street. The walls were adorned with portraits of various people. The paintings were static, with no trace of magic.

The clan leader's gaze barely lingered on his relatives but fixated on me. His cold, green eyes seemed to be trying to peer into my soul. But… that doesn't work on me. I could mentally gut anyone if I wanted. For now, though, I wasn't going to take any action. I wanted to see how things played out.

The silence dragged on. The rescued trio remained standing, even though there were plenty of seats. I didn't know this Gumei character, so why not take a seat? And that's exactly what I did.

The clan leader's face contorted, as if he had indigestion. Waves of fear radiated from the girls, but I found the situation amusing. The old man stood stoically, waiting. Well, let them wait—that's their problem, not mine.

"Do you know who I am?" Gumei asked, his eyes fixed on me. "I am—"

I rolled my eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh, cutting him off.

"Let's skip the theatrics and get to the point," I interrupted, not giving him a chance to finish.

"I am the head of this clan—"

In an instant, I cast a spell, sealing his mouth shut. My wand was out and back in its holster so quickly it was almost imperceptible.

"Don't interrupt," I told him. The anger, the irritation, the rage! You know, I enjoy playing with fire like this. "Now, I saved your daughters, or whoever they are to you. I also escorted them here in under ten hours. Any questions?"

I released the spell, but this time, I didn't put my wand away.

"Ahem," he coughed. Now I sensed a trace of fear in his mind, along with the overwhelming desire to get rid of me—far, far away. "What do you want?"

"What can you offer me?" I asked.

"Gold? Jewels? Knowledge?"

"Gold and jewels don't interest me much," I chuckled. "But knowledge... What knowledge can you offer me? And why were they attacked?"

The man pursed his lips, then waved his hand. Only after that did his daughters and the old man sit down.

"It was the Muetai clan, those treacherous dogs," he sighed. "They've been trying to gain access to our mines for a long time."

"I see," I drawled.

"If they had managed to capture my flowers, I would have had no choice but to give them what they wanted," the clan leader added.

"Hmm," I nodded. It was indeed an unpleasant situation for his clan.

"I can grant you access to our clan's library for one day," he offered. "Would that be a sufficient reward?"

"Yes," I nodded in agreement.

"Old Gu, take our guest to the library," the clan leader said. "And make sure he has a place to transcribe anything he needs."

"Of course, Clan Head," the old man said, bowing.

I stood and followed him. Honestly, I didn't have much desire to stay here long. I'd rather head out into nature and finally start sorting through all the information I have yet to organize.

We descended into the basement, passing several guards. They eyed me carefully but said nothing. Fine by me.

"This is our library," the old man said, gesturing to the long shelves filled with various books. "I think a day will be enough for you, but I doubt we have anything particularly interesting for someone like you."

"We'll see."

The library was indeed large, but I doubted I'd find much useful information here. For example, a book titled Points of Life turned out to be a basic anatomy manual covering the heart, liver, and lungs. Another book, 'How Not to Get Hit', was a guide to martial arts with small illustrations of stances. Finding something truly useful would be difficult, especially since I already had many shelves of knowledge and memories from the wizards I'd eliminated.

I wandered around for about an hour before sitting down in a large armchair with a random book. It was light entertainment, meant only to disguise the fact that I was meditating. During meditation, I planned to absorb one of the shelves of knowledge to understand which direction to focus my search.

Finding the shelf that belonged to one of the group commanders wasn't difficult—it stood out from the others in size and the number of books. What also caught my attention were the intricate patterns adorning the shelf.

Absorbing the knowledge from this shelf went surprisingly quickly. The reason was that there wasn't much information, just enough to prolong the process: training, more training, the occasional mission, sex, and then even more training.

His knowledge mainly concerned the local methodology, where a wizard—or as they call themselves, a summoner—uses a single artifact for one type of magic, such as fire or water. In local society, it's believed that once you choose a path, you can only use that one type of magic. According to their classification, only those at the level of the Divine Sphere can wield multiple artifacts, like wands. There's only one school that teaches this. I believe I encountered students from that school during the Olympics. The locals have a fascinating approach to the magical arts.

The fact that they consider me to be at the level of "gods" doesn't mean I should dismiss their achievements. That would be foolish, which is why, during meditation, I searched for interesting books to add to my Archive. I found several, uploading them immediately—two books per hour, with plans to load about thirty-six in total.

That's exactly what I did, ignoring the occasional visitors to the library. They were curious about me but soon went back to their own business. The rescued girls were particularly interested, but they didn't disturb my meditation, for which I was thankful.

When the old man appeared, I knew it was time to wrap things up. Of course, I could've ignored him and continued absorbing books, but that would've been impolite. I could always do it later by casting concealment charms on myself.

"Master Timothy," the old man began, "would you like to eat something?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I'm a bit hungry."

"Then please follow me, Master Timothy," he said, motioning with his hand.

I stood up. Within a minute, we entered a large hall where several people were seated. I saw the rescued girls, a tall man with light makeup, another beautiful woman who strongly resembled the girls—likely their mother—and the clan leader, who immediately stood up.

"How did you find our library, esteemed Timothy?" he asked. I could sense he was eager to fulfill any request I might make. Curious, I briefly delved into his mind and saw the old man's detailed account of the rescue, as well as how I'd repaired the vehicles and the road. By the way, I should return the vehicles. This had impressed him, and he believed I shouldn't be crossed. If possible, he also wanted to gain some advantage from me.

"Not bad," I nodded.

"Yes, I understand it's not as large as what you're used to," he said, bowing his head slightly, acknowledging some inferiority. "But I hope you won't hold that against us."

The young man present looked bewildered. He didn't understand why the clan leader was treating me this way. Digging a little deeper into his mind, I found a strange emptiness, as if he were drugged. His thoughts seemed to bounce around inside his skull and float off into space. I'm not the smartest person, but I've never encountered such emptiness in someone's head before.

Fascinating!

"No need to worry," I smirked. "It is what it is."

"Please, take a seat," he gestured to an empty spot between his daughters.

Should I push my luck? I didn't feel like sitting on cushions and eating like that. So, wand in hand. Before they could react, they floated into the air, the table sprouted legs, and the cushions they'd been sitting on turned into comfortable chairs. Another flick of my wand, and they were gently seated back down.

"Ahem," the clan leader cleared his throat but said nothing more.

"I find this more comfortable."

I tuned into my feelings after such a bold act. If I were in their place, it would feel somewhat unpleasant. But I really didn't want to sit on the floor. That said, I would strongly dislike being in such a situation myself.

"But, sorry about that," I decided to apologize.

"It's nothing," the clan leader nodded.

The young man, whose mind had seemed empty, now exuded overwhelming fear. He was so terrified of me that he was seeing black spots in his vision. I don't understand... Why is he so scared? I'm not going to dig into his mind, so whatever.

As I sat down, I noticed the old man had already left.

The entire female contingent was brimming with excitement. Even the clan leader's wife was giving me hungry looks, as were the girls. They were all burning with the desire to get me into bed—even the clan leader himself. Ugh... A shiver ran down my spine. I'd better not turn my back on him.

Deciding to overcome my revulsion, I dove back into the clan leader's mind. His main goal was to extract as much benefit from me as possible for his clan. To achieve that, he was even willing to offer himself. Ugh... I mentally winced in disgust. But the women were slightly more interesting.

The clan leader's biggest priority was securing me as a teacher and a combat unit to deal with ongoing tensions with rival clans. For several years, hostility had been rising, and one rival clan had even attempted to kidnap his daughters. He was willing to go to great lengths because the only thing that truly brought him joy was power.

"What are your plans going forward?" the clan leader finally asked.

"I plan to continue my own journey," I replied calmly. That's exactly what they would expect me to say. It wasn't hard. "As for what's next... I don't know yet. We'll see where the river of life takes me."

"I, too, once dreamed of traveling," he said. "But I had to take over the clan when my father and mother suddenly died of an unknown illness."

You poisoned them. I saw it clearly in his mind—how he had taken pleasure in watching his parents writhe in agony, and how he relished the moment when the clan swore loyalty to him as their new leader. Yeah, I'm done delving into his memories.

"And after that, I never had the chance to go anywhere by my own choice," he sighed. "I didn't even have the opportunity to study anything new."

That last sentence was said with great sadness, but I understood he was quite the character.

"Yes, that's life," I chuckled at his words. Right now, the decision is mine—what do I do next? The only question is, do I want to play these local games? I went silent for a moment, enjoying the delicious food.

Then they brought out desserts in the form of ice cream, but I didn't take much—just a few spoonfuls. The local ice cream didn't compare to the unicorn milk ice cream I'd tasted a while back. It was far too sweet.

"I've also been thinking about teaching someone something," I said calmly.

The eyes of the clan leader, the girls, and their mother lit up. The young man, still oblivious, continued to sit in a daze.

"Oh?" the clan leader responded, clearly intrigued.

If I'm being honest, I'm still surprised by how few wizards realize that pushing their relatives into someone's bed isn't always a good idea. Sure, they can talk about all sorts of benefits—improving their family's or clan's status, gaining some advantage—but it all still looks deviant. I would never do that if I had heirs. But as for taking advantage of other people's offers... well, that's a different story. Does that sound hypocritical? Well... such is life. And anyway, it's not my fault—it's the universe's.

I think I've found the perfect excuse!

"You know, esteemed Timothy, if you have such a desire, I could help you realize it," he began slowly.

"Oh? Really?" I feigned surprise, encouraging him to take the next step.

"We have a small house with a hall where you could conduct your lessons," he continued, eager to seize the opportunity. "And I wouldn't mind if you started teaching there. You wouldn't need to pay anything... we would pay you."

"Well, I could give it a try," I nodded. "But I can only stay for a month. After that, I'll need to continue my journey."

"Of course, I understand," the clan leader nodded, clearly pleased that my agreement was secured. "And if you decide to leave, just let me know, so we can close up the house properly."