Many assumptions were running through my mind. Some were based on logic, like pondering if this guy could be from a famous family, perhaps sent to gain worldly experience. Others were more rooted in superstition, born out of reading xianxia novels.

Usually, I wouldn't indulge in such superstitions. Still, superstitions had already saved me once when I wisely exited the situation involving that jade-like beauty. So, the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach regarding this guy sent a chill down my spine.

While the guy's appearance was somewhat distinctive, it wasn't something unseen. There was also someone named Jia Man, who defeated Liu Feng and led me here. He had short red hair and looked more like a barbarian warrior than a cultivator. They may have been related. Red hair was quite rare here. But Jia Man could have dyed it, which seemed like something a rebellious teen in a world like this would do.

I just acted on my gut feelings as I asked him, "Have you ever broken off an engagement or anything like that?"

As soon as those words left my mouth, a frown creased the guy's face, and he grumbled, "Such rumors have spread all the way here. Curse that woman! I will repay the shame she has brought my family a thousandfold!"

Then his gaze shifted to me, and he narrowed his eyes. With a voice full of emotion, he added, "If you're here to make fun of me-"

"No, I don't care about such things," I interjected before he could say more.

Gazing at the night sky, I took a deep, calming breath as the cold air filled my lungs and the half-moon's light washed over me.

Strangely, I felt no panic or anger directed at anyone in particular. Panicking at times like these would be useless, and harboring resentment toward this youngster for his predicament would be foolish. Clearly, he was unaware of his situation.

Perhaps I would have panicked if this had been me many months ago. However, the times when I had allowed emotions to rule me in such situations, I had paid dearly. When I killed for the first time, the mistake of letting my emotions take over and nearly throwing up had almost cost me my life.

I would only make that same mistake once.

Yet, another part of me, the curious part, wanted to know how someone like this came to be. What made someone favored by the heavens stumble upon Earth Grade Techniques?

If his family was shamed, they were evidently not powerful enough to casually hand over Earth Grade Techniques. So, the more likely scenario was that this red-haired guy had found them.

How remarkable. I felt little to no jealousy for the red-haired guy's luck, as individuals like him were often favored by luck and, simultaneously, by misfortune. There were many things I wanted to understand about how someone like him came to exist. After all, while an ordinary person might ponder their life's path, someone like this red-haired guy had the rest of his fate predetermined. Nobody was born so special without reason.

Whether it was advantageous or detrimental to be born into this world with a purpose, something one could hardly alter, remained to be seen. Only the future would reveal it.

Perhaps all of this was speculation, and I was assuming things. If that were the case, only time would tell.

I suppressed my curiosity, even though the man in front of me had the potential to overturn everything I had learned about this world so far. Despite the temptation, I kept silent and merely smiled.

The young man's behavior made more sense with my mind now open to myriad possibilities. He appeared both seasoned and inexperienced simultaneously, as if someone was whispering in his ear.

If I were a betting person, I'd wager it was an old grandfather in a ring offering advice. However, it was only sometimes an actual ring; it could be a bracelet, bead, book, or anything else just as likely. The mentor could even be a captivating woman trapped within an accessory.

He had a tree to his left, suggesting the invisible mentor was to his right. Despite being in spirit form, his mentor wouldn't stay in a tree while talking to him.

My gaze shifted to his right side, where I could neither see nor sense anyone. That's where the invisible mentor ought to be.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a bead of sweat trickling down the red-haired guy's cheek, his face growing pale and tense.

What counsel was his invisible mentor offering now? Likely reassurances that no matter where I looked, no one else could see him or something to that effect.

I approached the red-haired man, and the closer I got, the more agitated he became. However, as we were within arm's reach, I walked past him and remarked, "Be careful out there."

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Though I harbored numerous curiosities about him and desired to witness firsthand how fortunate he was, perhaps this was all a coincidence, and the world was toying with me. For now, caution was my ally.

Sticking around longer could plunge me into dangerous situations, something I wished to avoid.

For now, I needed to reassess everything I thought I knew about this world. Despite reading all those books, the world was still a mysterious place. Part of me trembled at these uncontrollable and unpredictable elements, yet another part thrilled like a child with a new toy.

Did fate hold sway in this world? Was it tangible? How high must one's cultivation be to perceive such things?

The chill lessened as I moved past each tree, indicating my distance from the primary source. Yet, my thoughts lingered on the red-haired man.

From what I had observed, he appeared somewhat naive. While not uncommon for someone his age, I, too, was naive at fifteen and knew little of the world. However, compared to a world steeped in violence like this one, mine was like a fairytale.

Moreover, his talents were subpar for a cultivator, only reaching three stars in Body Tempering at his age. Someone with such potential would struggle to reach the Qi Gathering Realm. Individuals with such middling talent were often subjected to bullying and scorn, making his naive demeanor all the more peculiar. People who were born in violent and abusive circumstances usually matured faster than others mentally.

Either he was adept at manipulating body language and deceived me. Or he had once possessed greater talent and somehow lost his cultivation. Perhaps his cultivation had even been forcibly crushed. For most, recovering from such an ordeal was nearly impossible. Even if one recovered, their progress would never match their previous speed or talent. But if he were a protagonist, such setbacks would be just another Sunday.

Today, he was at three stars, but tomorrow, he could reach the peak of Body Tempering, and the day after that, he could become a Qi Gathering Cultivator. Progress like that was theoretically impossible for anyone, and even if achievable, it would strain one's body to the point of crushing their cultivation. Yet, with the red-haired guy present, I was prepared to cast aside everything I knew about such matters.

"Somebody! Please help me!" A haunting female cry pierced the air, jolting me from my thoughts.

Such matters were no longer my concern with a protagonist on the loose. However, the noise was so near that when I glanced aside, I saw the source: a young girl around my age, her dark hair disheveled, blood trickling from her nose, tears staining her cheeks.

I should have ignored her...

But despite my resolve to remain aloof, she appeared no older than sixteen, and my heart softened despite my efforts to ice it over. I couldn't help but think of my niece at that age, and the mere notion of someone beating her made my blood boil.

I ought to have walked away, leaving the situation for the protagonist to handle. He would save her if she was someone important.

Yet, judging by her state, she was likely nobody important. After all, she had no group with her, and it was probably a group that had subjected her to this brutality.

Curse my bleeding heart!

Without further hesitation, I leaped down from the tree branch. I scooped the girl up like a sack of potatoes beneath my arm before she could comprehend what was happening.

"Huh?" She looked bewildered, but I didn't linger, swiftly making my escape.

Perhaps she was merely a decoy, working with someone else to prey upon disciples. But if that were the case, I would deal with it. Strong individuals here didn't resort to such underhanded tactics; they simply took what they desired.

Once we had distanced ourselves sufficiently and reached the shoreline, I set her down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she burst into tears.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She sobbed, clinging to me tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Um... Don't mention it," I replied awkwardly, patting her back.

I was unsure how to handle such genuine gratitude, so I shifted the conversation to a more pressing matter.

"What happened to you? Who did this to you?" I inquired, noting the deep wounds on her shoulder and back were not bleeding.

"An applicant," she managed to say between sobs. "Even now, it feels like I was trapped in a nightmare. If it weren't for the protective artifacts my father insisted I carry, I would have..."

Her voice faltered, and she buried her face in my shoulder. Her tall frame almost matched mine. Despite her stature, she was still just a child.

Ordinarily, the notion of an applicant defeating outer disciples would be preposterous. However, there was an anomaly not far from here.

"Did the guy have red hair?" I inquired.

No matter how secretive and aloof the protagonist-like individual appeared, he didn't strike me as someone who would commit such violence against a girl. Yet, xianxia protagonists were renowned for their... unpredictability.

"No, it was-" Her words caught in her throat as the temperature plummeted, even the air in my lungs turning frigid.

Reacting swiftly, I pushed the girl away, scanned the surroundings, and got ready for a fight. My gaze settled on a figure leaping from a tree.

It was a young girl, even younger than me, wielding a translucent ice sword with an expression as cold as stone. Though dressed in the attire of an applicant, every instinct in my body screamed to flee.

What struck me most about the newcomer was her appearance: porcelain-like skin illuminated by the moonlight, a petite frame, and delicate features. Her hair, predominantly dark, featured two silver strands amidst her bangs.

Even at her tender age, it was evident she would grow into a beauty. But such matters held little interest for me...

My heart raced, threatening to burst from my chest as I recalled the description of a certain girl the three brother's village elder had warned me about. When I first heard it, I fled, sparing myself from likely death.

Yet, it seemed that no matter how far I ran, things had finally caught up with me.

Undoubtedly, the newcomer was a jade-like beauty!