It was almost midnight when I managed to step into the tunnel that led to the Spring Palace. I would have loved to say it was the Tiger Fist army surrounding the palace that delayed me — my little trick with the Imperial Sword proving even more effective than I hoped — but that would be wrong.

It was Pearyin, doing her best to thank me for my patience while she was feeling distressed.

Naturally, Aisnam wouldn't learn that particular nugget. For her, it would be the chaos of the capital that delayed me. Hopefully, the newest toy I was bringing her would keep her distracted.

I had a pack in hand, which held the forged letter, a stack of talismans for her to sell, and, most importantly, the book on formations, all framed as something for her, a payment for the services she had been preparing.

Still, I was tense as I walked into the dark tunnel, but it was not about fearing Aisnam's response. The growing conflict with the Tiger Fist and the royal family was a good excuse for my lateness, particularly since it didn't need any fake danger, just a delay in delivery.

I was afraid of Aisnam trying to protect me by keeping me in. After all, I was supposed to be a mere Skin Refinement martial artist, unable to fight against even a pesky Connate Realm martial artist.

However, it wasn't the reason I was feeling tense as I walked into the dark. No, that was about the mysterious being that was locked behind the stone doors, yet aware enough to realize I was stealing the cursed Qi.

Unsettling.

I walked through the tunnel, the cursed Qi noticeably thinner after my continuous thievery. And, once I arrived in front of the door, a whisper bypassed my ears and reached directly into my mind, the method of doing so a mystery. "Naughty little cultivator. You took my Qi again. Has no one said to you that it's rude to steal other people's things."

The voice was once again accompanied by memories of blood and violence.

I once again planned to ignore it, but just as I was passing in front of the Stone Door, the Cursed Qi, which was spread like a mist, stirred. It was a subtle stirring, almost like a gentle wind. It was probably nothing … but then, I was in a dark cursed tunnel, at midnight, looking to the stone doors of what most likely was a tomb with an occupant that was alive enough to communicate with me.

Taking precautions made sense. I grabbed my protective talisman while I walked forward, ready to move.

A good choice, as the cursed Qi suddenly gathered together and moved toward me. It didn't take shape other than a soft, misty ball, with no indication of it being an attack.

I still activated a protection talisman, and jumped back. I noticed that, as the blast tried to follow me, it lost its shape rapidly. The remaining cursed Qi splashed against the activated talisman uselessly, but my success didn't make me feel any better. The ability to mobilize Qi directly was new.

A deep breath later, I started examining the Qi flow, not wanting to commit to an escape route without checking if there was another attack. There was none. The way the earlier attack had dispersed showed that the being's reach was limited to the immediate surroundings of the stone gate, but there was a chance that it was a deliberate trick to make me misjudge the impact.

I let out a deep breath even as I waited. It was a close call. Without my skills in meditation art, allowing me to detect the stirring, it might have ended differently. It didn't feel like an attack … but that wasn't a guarantee about it not being one.

And, even if it wasn't a direct attack, there were many other results that might end badly. Maybe it was a curse, a possession method, or a way to use my power to break the restrictions. I didn't know what was possible with cultivation, but considering everything I had seen, I suspected very little…

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I waited, trying to understand their limits. Speaking was one thing, but the ability to manipulate cursed Qi was far more dangerous. I didn't move until the activated protection talisman faded, and the second one was already in hand, ready to be activated.

"No need to panic, little cultivator, I just wanted to help, because I pity your condition," the voice said, trying to sound wronged, which was difficult when every word awakened the images of a bloody massacre.

I started to suspect that it was not something the being had any ability to control rather than preference; that or they believed that such a mental image would help calm me down, and it was not a possibility I wanted to consider.

More importantly, I didn't miss that, only after the activated protective talisman faded away it contacted me again, reinforcing the idea of limitations. I didn't want to rely on my limited understanding trying to communicate with such a being, but I still depended on the cursed Qi to supply Pearyin, and Aisnam was tasked with keeping the same being inside until a formations master repaired it.

Ultimately, I decided to trust my observations, because the being tried to attack me, and failed. If they were much stronger, they wouldn't have wasted their best chance like that.

"Well, color me surprised. It didn't feel helpful."

"No, it was. I was going to help you reinforce your Immortal Root. Such a diligent cultivator like you deserves better than staying forever on Third Stage. I pitied you, and decided to help it. Too bad you missed the opportunity."

"Then, it would have been a waste. It's not my Immortal Root that blocks me," I answered. "I'm a mere itinerant cultivator, and I don't have the rest of the gate transformation technique."

It wasn't that I wasn't unaware of the risk mere communication represented, but at this point, trying to learn more about the being felt like the better option rather than ignoring its growing abilities. They were spending time getting on my good side for some reason now that their attack failed, likely to convince me to damage the formations that were keeping it trapped further.

I didn't want to see what they would do if they were convinced of their failure.

"An itinerant cultivator, yet you can control that much Qi with a mere meditation technique. Very impressive," the voice answered.

"Nothing I could do. For years, I practiced it before I could get my hands on an incomplete transformation technique. And, when I had acquired one just last month, I quickly reached the Third Stage," I said.

I mixed lies and truths together to increase my value in their eyes — if they had eyes in the first place. Even if my trick to quicken my learning about formations worked, I would still need time to improve enough to understand what was going on there, which was not necessarily possible.

"What a waste of talent," the voice said, and another whisper hit my head unprompted, and I wasn't able to push it away. "Study it well. It's a much better technique than whatever garbage you are using," the voice said, but it was visibly weakened. Whatever it had done to transfer knowledge directly into my mind, it exhausted the being.

"Just like that. Why?" I asked.

"Because it's a pity to waste such a talent," the voice said. "Take it as a gift from me. Return after cultivating. Now, I need to sleep…"

With that, cursed Qi went through a subtle change. It was still a presence that corroded living beings, but it turned softer, more docile. I asked a few more questions, but there was no answer.

I continued walking toward the Spring Palace, pondering what happened.

I had no doubt that their claim that it was a gift was a bald-faced lie … well, first of all, basic common sense, as trusting the generosity of a being that evoked the dreams of massacres with every word was insane. Cultivators were supposed to be power-hungry, but even they wouldn't go and cultivate a technique that was an obvious trap.

Right?

The second reason was more of a supporting proof. The being claimed that it was a no-string gift, but it didn't trigger the System.

I wanted to get rid of the technique, but it was already in my mind, as if it was a book I could peruse easily. It was different from a System-enhanced lesson, as those were directly comprehended. What I received was more of a mental book.

Also, those guesses were unrelated to whether that technique was a trap, or it was the bait before the trap. Maybe it was a way for them to prove their good intent and it was actually a perfectly fine technique, or maybe it was a method to change my body so they could possess me.

Either way, I didn't plan to use it unless I faced a great challenge. I barely checked its contents, only to see it hundreds of times more complicated than the Verdant Gate technique that I was currently using. It was impossible for me to check it for any possible traps.

But, as I moved away, I couldn't help but sigh as I realized something else important. The stone gates stopped radiating cursed Qi, adding another trouble to my list.

With a sigh, I walked forward, hoping that learning formations wouldn't be as hard as I feared.