Kai trudged back to his quarters, his body heavy with exhaustion. Elder Xiao had pushed him to his limits, making him craft pills until his Qi reserves were completely drained. Despite the fatigue, a sense of accomplishment filled him. The old man's guidance had been invaluable, improving Kai's success rate and boosting his confidence in pill-making.
Twenty low-grade Qi Gathering Pills. Not bad for a day's work.
As he walked, he glanced down at his hand, where five poor-grade Qi Gathering Pills rested. His brow furrowed as he contemplated what to do with them. Throwing them away seemed wasteful, but selling them would go against alchemist ethics. Whilst he wasn’t concerned about the ethical issue behind it, the last thing he wanted was to lose his newly acquired alchemy token by breaking the rules.
Maybe I could use them for experiments. Or find a way to recycle the ingredients...
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as someone collided with him, nearly knocking him off balance. Kai looked up to see a young man in white robes - an Outer Disciple - stumbling backward.
"I-I'm so sorry, Senior Brother!" the youth stammered, his eyes wide with panic. "Please forgive my clumsiness!"
Before Kai could respond, a system message flashed before his eyes:
Name: ???
Title: Fast Hands
Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 6
Qi: 150/150
Strength: 48
Agility: 50
Endurance: 49
"Hold on," Kai called out, but the young disciple was already backing away, bowing repeatedly.
"It won't happen again, Senior Brother. I promise!" With that, the young man turned and dashed off, disappearing into the crowd of disciples milling about the courtyard.
Kai’s focus turned to the new title.
Title: Fast Hands
Description: Your dexterity and sleight of hand are exceptional. Your movements are twice as fast for acts requiring quick, subtle hand movements.
Fast hands? Wait a minute…
He glanced down at his hand again and froze. Where there had been five poor-grade pills, now only three remained.
That little thief!
***
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Su Jie's heart pounded as he wove through the crowded streets of the Outer Sect, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the Legacy Disciple he'd just robbed. It was a risky move, he knew, but desperation had driven him to it.
It's not like he'll come looking for me, Su Jie reassured himself. To someone like that, we're all just faceless nobodies.
He ducked into a narrow alley, finally slowing his pace as he caught his breath. Leaning against the cool stone wall, Su Jie closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing thoughts.
Five years. That's how long he'd been stuck at the peak of Qi Refining Stage 6. When he'd first joined the Outer Sect, Su Jie had been filled with dreams of rapid advancement. He'd imagined himself rising to the Inner Sect within a year, impressing the elders with his talent and determination.
What a joke, he thought bitterly. Seven years later, and I'm still here, scraping by on the lowest rung of the sect.
Su Jie's mind drifted back to his childhood, to the grimy streets of the capital where he'd grown up. An orphan with no name and no future, he'd learned to survive by his wits and quick hands. Petty theft and picking pockets had kept him fed, but it was a precarious existence.
Then, like a miracle, an Azure Sky Sect elder had visited the city. Su Jie, desperate for a way out, had tried to pickpocket the imposing cultivator. Instead of punishment, he'd received an opportunity. The elder, amused by the boy's daring, had offered him a place in the sect.
I thought I'd found my ticket to a better life, Su Jie mused, a wry smile twisting his lips. Instead, I just traded one form of poverty for another.
Pushing off from the wall, Su Jie made his way deeper into the alleys of the Outer Sect. He couldn't risk returning to the communal cultivation areas. The so-called "Senior Brothers" who ruled over the lower ranks would demand their cut as a “protection fee."
Su Jie had learned that lesson the hard way too. His first year in the sect, he had managed to win a low-grade spirit stone in a disciples' competition. His joy had been short-lived. That very night, a group of older disciples had cornered him and "asked" for a contribution to the "Outer Sect welfare fund."
When Su Jie had refused, they beat him so badly he couldn't train for a week. Since then, he had learned to keep any gains a secret.
After what felt like an eternity of twists and turns, Su Jie arrived at his destination: a tiny, half-collapsed shrine tucked away in a forgotten corner of the sect. He'd discovered it months ago and had been using it as a private cultivation spot ever since.
Slipping inside, Su Jie settled into a cross-legged position on the dusty floor. He pulled out the two pills he'd swiped from the Legacy Disciple, examining them closely in the dim light filtering through the cracks in the walls.
They look like standard Qi Gathering Pills, he thought, turning one over in his palm. Low-grade, but that's still better than anything I could afford on my own.
Without further hesitation, Su Jie popped one of the pills into his mouth. He grimaced at the bitter taste but forced himself to swallow. Closing his eyes, he began to circulate his Qi, waiting for the pill's effects to kick in.
At first, everything seemed normal. Su Jie felt the familiar warmth of Qi spreading through his meridians, gradually intensifying as the pill's power took hold. But then, something changed. The warmth became uncomfortable heat, then searing pain.
Su Jie's eyes snapped open as panic set in. This wasn't right. Qi Gathering Pills were supposed to be gentle, helping to accumulate and refine Qi. This felt like his very blood was boiling.
What's happening? he thought frantically, struggling to control the chaotic energy surging through his body. Did I take too much? Or is this...
With dawning horror, Su Jie realized the truth. The pill he'd stolen wasn't a low-grade Qi Gathering Pill at all. It was a poor-grade imitation, unstable and dangerous.
He tried to disperse the Qi, to push it out of his body, but it was too late. The corrupt energy had taken hold, sending him spiraling into Qi Deviation. Su Jie's muscles seized, his back arching as waves of agony crashed over him.
As darkness began to creep in at the edges of his vision, Su Jie heard a voice. Cool, calm, and terrifyingly familiar.
"Stealing from me," the Legacy Disciple said, stepping out of the shadows, "was a bad idea."