Awakening

'Aii...' Yanglin sighed while shaking his legs over the ledge. It seems he had forgotten that this place was exactly the same place where the owner of this body went to suicide.

'What a beautiful place here... Forest in the east and a lake in the north. The village is on the west, and there's a taller mountain on the south. If I am a Fengshui Master, this might be a golden spot for one to cultivate with peace of mind...'

'It's unfortunate that I've yet to went for the awakening. Or else, I'll be able to start cultivating and produce my own Foundation Pills.' Yanglin plucks a blade of grass from nearby played with it.

"Hey!" a familiar voice came from behind as it called for his attention. With a slight frustration shown on his face, Yanglin turned his head around and took a glance at that visitor.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be going home instead?" Yanglin turned his head away from her after answering her call.

"Take this..." Xia Xuan-Xuan threw the bag with ten Water Foundation Pills beside him.

"What kind of penniless guy are you? How can you leave without taking away what you've won from Liu Shuixian? Is there something wrong in your head?" Xia Xuan-Xuan said. Gently making her way to Yanglin's side, she grabbed a seat beside him.

"This place has always been your favorite place when you have something in your mind. What is it this time?" Xia Xuan-Xuan asked. Although her attitude wasn't much better than Liu Shuixian's, the two of them still grow up together as neighbors.

Like how much Yanglin knows her, she knows a lot about Yanglin too.

"I'm thinking about what to do once I awaken my Spiritual Soul. Satisfy with my answer? Or perhaps, you want to hear something else from me? Perhaps... Something like..."

"I'm thinking how can I accompany you until you found someone to get married to. I'm thinking about how to love you willingly until you decided to ditch me after I can't catch up with your cultivation?"

"Is this what you like to hear from me?" Yanglin smirked while looking at Xia Xuan-Xuan.

"You... What's wrong with you today? What are you so unhappy about me?" Xia Xuan-Xuan's eyes turned watery from listening to Yanglin's reply. From the look of it, this was the first time she was treated this way. Furthermore, it was from Yanglin, someone who's really close to her.

"Nothing. Let's go home. I lost the mood to enjoy the scenery." said Yanglin. Flicking the grass in his hand down to the ledge, he turned around and made his way home.

This way of life continues for 3 months until the day of his awakening is finally here.

...

...

...

"Yanglin, come to the Village Square tomorrow for your awakening, and don't be late!" the chief's assistant came and left him a message early in the morning. After he's done with what he's supposed to do, the assistant left.

'This day come at last. I can cultivate at last!' Yanglin smiled. Taking away the rag that covered a part of the wooden shelf, he took a few rolls of bamboo scrolls out to continue with his reading.

Although the craftsmanship of these bamboo scrolls was poor, they're enough to serve their purpose. The technique of absorbing Spiritual Energy, Refining Foundation pills, and body strengthening were copied in these scrolls for revision whenever he found himself stuck in his cultivation.

"Look at your face..." Xia Xuan-Xuan stands outside his broken shack and comment on his smiling face. From the outsider's point of view, he looked happier than having Xia Xuan-Xuan visiting him regularly. This indirectly made her unhappy about her coming over to talk with him.

"What's bring you here again, milady?" during these three months, Yanglin never once called her like how he did before. The previous owner of this body grows up by calling her 'Xuan-Xuan' wherever they went, but not this Yanglin.

Feeling that he should draw a line between them, he called her "milady" instead. It was to show respect to Xia Xuan-Xuan and her mother for feeding him for all these years. Of course, there's more to be expected from him after he awakened.

He had a feeling that he will feel a sour aftertaste if he cut his ties with them after his awakening. From his point of view, he would be seen as an ungrateful bast*rd if he behaved this way.

Besides...

Even if Madam Xia was taking care of him for a specific purpose, it was still out of a hint of kindness. Where he was to be left alone without anyone to depend on, his life is likely harder than it is right now.

"Let's go to the awakening ceremony together tomorrow," she said. After she said what she wanted to, Xia Xuan-Xuan left without turning her head back to look at him.

'...' Yanglin was left speechless for a moment.

'Fine... I'll accompany you tomorrow. After this, we'll have to rely on ourselves. I'll just treat this as repaying what I owe to you mother and daughter so far." he said.

...

Next morning.

The two of them were walking side by side on their way to the village's square. There are already a few other youngsters waiting by the time they arrived.

"Alright. Those who will have the awakening today are all here. Each of you will swallow one of this Ancestral Calling Pellet and meditates on top of the Spiritual Gathering Mat. How much you'll be able to get will be depending on your own fortune." said the village chief as he poured seven pills out from a pill bottle.

Yanglin was looking at the Ancestral Calling Pellet in his hand before forcing himself to swallow it. There was a hint of bitter aftertaste the moment the pill came in contact with his tongue. By the time it went down his throat, a minty sensation comes.

The effectiveness of the Ancestral Calling Pellet seems to be too effective on Yanglin as he clenched his teeth together and struggled to get on top of the Spiritual Gathering Mat.

His consciousness went into the void before he knew it.