Gentle rays of sunlight streamed through a nearby window, illuminating his modest suite. Subjected to nature's wake-up call, Karma stirred from the throes of slumber. Groggily opening his eyes, he lay motionless, studying the nicks and divots marring the wooden beams overhead.

Cleansed by the nourishment of a good night's sleep, a refreshing sensation washed over his being. His mattress and pillow had never felt so comfortable, rendering him powerless against their warm embrace.

Karma's attention drifted to a subtle indent nestled within his palm, picturing the immaculate bead of cyan he'd acquired just yesterday.

Qi Acceleration pill … I wonder what it does.

His curiosity towards the pill's effects gave rise to a feeling of restlessness, disrupting his state of serenity.

Karma roused his upper body, his muscles protesting in response—a poignant reminder of yesterday's sprint. Bringing the pill before his face, a tiny golden thread immediately hopped into his mouth.

Taken aback, the subsequent chill within his soul jogged back memories from two days prior. Still unclear of the implications, he simply shrugged, deferring the mystery for later.

After settling into a cross-legged position, Karma's breathing found a rhythmic cadence, clearing away any straying thoughts. Mind, body, and spirit became one, guiding Karma into a meditative trance. Feeling his spiritual energy circulate with a natural fluidity, Karma sighed in relief.

Fortunately, my body retained its understanding of cultivation. Otherwise, I'd be in quite a pickle.

Trailed by a subtle tingling, Karma's spiritual energy completed a full revolution through his body's meridians.

Feeling he'd reached a state conducive towards cultivation, Karma delicately placed the Qi Acceleration pill on his tongue. Swallowing, light blue streams of energy coursed through his meridians, eventually disappearing beneath his stomach region.

However, Karma preserved awareness of their position, tracing their intrusion into his Spirit Aperture. There, the streams began orbiting one another at astonishing speeds.

Without Karma's prompting, an invisible suction force appeared within his Spirit Aperture, usurping the surrounding energy. Waves of spiritual energy filed in, completely saturating the aperture's interior. Undeterred, the whirlwinds displayed no intent of stopping, causing the spherical membrane to emit faint cracking noises.

Understanding dawned on Karma, his participation flipping from passive to active. Bolstered by an even greater absorption rate, the resultant stress reached an unprecedented intensity, the semi-permeable walls showing signs of fracturing.

Bursting at the seams, his Spirit Aperture could no longer hold; with a thunderous boom, an explosion of spiritual energy rushed out in an omnidirectional tide, swallowing the shattered remains of its former jailor. As the blast radiated further outwards, progress became difficult, eventually crashing into an insurmountable barrier.

Karma's perception zoomed out, inundating him with deja vu. A glittering boundary occupied his vision, the surreal sight nearly identical to just moments ago. Given the change in vantage point, rough estimations placed the sphere at double its original surface area, dwarfing its predecessor in size.

Probing his cultivation base, Karma felt his capacity had grown by a startling 300%. Whooping in delight, he hastily circulated his energy to stabilize the advancement. In doing so, he realized that the pill's efficacy had yet to fully dissipate. Karma immersed himself in cultivation once more, taking full advantage of its lingering effects.

…

An hour later, he'd used up the last of the Qi Acceleration pill's residual potency. As Karma stretched his ligaments, his joints produced satisfying pops, eliciting an involuntary moan of pleasure.

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Slightly worn by the prolonged cultivation session, Karma waddled into his suite's adjoining washroom, doffing his sweaty robes. After drawing a hot bath, his weary body fell into the steaming water with a plunk.

**

Drying himself off with a towel, Karma gave his robes a quick rinse and dry before placing his arms through its sleeves. Exiting the inn, he decided a celebration was in order, swiftly arriving in the vicinity of the Celestial Authority of Luck and Misfortune.

Not to gamble, mind you, but for a purpose far more noble. Naturally, Karma sought a second tasting of those heavenly steam buns!

Stepping past the overly ostentatious entrance, he came upon a quaint food cart, rushing to join the queue. Moments later, a half-eaten steam bun in one hand, another dozen in the other, his figure blended amidst the army of shoppers.

Munching contentedly, his repeated attempts of daily planning were thwarted by sweet and savory euphoria. It was only when, much to his regret, no buns remained on his person that his thoughts could proceed smoothly.

Licking his lips, Karma fought the urge to purchase more steam buns, leveraging his lucidity to ponder his next steps.

Mmm, free of woes at last. I still need to use my time wisely; losing my hard-won agency so soon would be a great shame.

Wandering aimlessly in mind and body, Karma felt a creeping sense of danger towards his current outlook.

How insidious! I can feel myself getting lulled into a false sense of security, unable to resist without the assistance of an external driving force. Must I resort to masochism? Surely not …

Wearing a troubled expression, Karma felt slightly depressed. His first brush with freedom was proceeding differently than he'd envisioned.

Maybe I'm just overly pessimistic? Oh, but in that case, I'm bound for a life of pain and suffering. Better to think up an alternative.

Muttering unintelligibly to himself, Karma continued his trek through the bustling streets. Admittedly, he sent frequent glances toward the various storefronts along the way, hoping for a recurrence of his earlier inspirations.

Unexpectedly, his luck lay not in the arms of some random store but in a familiar face! Rushing to a nearby teahouse, he cautiously approached a table of two. Coughing lightly to draw their attention, he asked hesitantly, "Greetings, Senior Sister Tang, do you remember me by chance?"

Breaking off their idle chatter, the two disciples turned to face Karma. Following a brief pause, recognition flashed in Senior Sister Tang's hazelnut eyes.

"Ah, the Junior Brother from two days ago, of course I remember!" she greeted, lips curved into a cordial smile.

Across from her, Senior Brother Lione merely acknowledged his presence with a passing glance. Reaching for his beverage, he suddenly squealed, "My shin!"

Jerking towards Miss Tang, her impeccable smiling unchanged, Senior Brother Lione's anger vanished as quickly as it came. Meeting Karma's gaze with solemn green eyes, he intoned, "How could I forget? Don't insult me, Junior Brother—“

He shot Senior Sister Tang a frightful glance and launched into a coughing fit.

"Apologies, tea went down the wrong pipe. As I was saying, Junior Brother, I most certainly remember you. To be re-acquainted so soon is a gift from the heavens! You look great by the way, healed up nicely—"

Eyes nearly popping out of his head, Senior Brother Lione's voice ceased, instead looking at Senior Sister Tang pleadingly.

"Indeed, you've made a marvelous recovery! Since Junior Brother took the initiative to come find us, perhaps there is something you would like to discuss?"

Nodding vacantly, Karma replied, "Mm, in exchange for Senior Brother's thoughtful… gifts, I wanted to show some seniority of my own."

Sensing Senior Sister Tang's impending protest, he added hastily, "This is of my own good will. I hope Seniors can accept in consideration for Junior Brother's peace of mind."

Without skipping a beat, Senior Sister Tang responded, "If you insist, it seems we've no choice but to accept. What did Junior Brother have in mind?"

Senior Brother Lione moved to respond, a sudden jolt stopping him in his tracks. Pretending to not have noticed, Karma explained, "Many thanks. You see, a distant relative of mine who deals in the business of information has recently taken me under his wing. My first task is to find prospective customers, and he's given me two vouchers—free of charge."

Cutting off his spiel, Senior Brother Lione queried, "Free free? As in, no strings attached free or pay in installments free?"

"The former. We only ask that, if you're satisfied with the services rendered, please spread the word to your peers," Karma quickly replied, saving Senior Brother Lione from further punishment.

Senior Sister Tang seemed to hesitate slightly, sinking into silence.

"Actually, Junior Brother, we may have to trouble you for some assistance. Our clan has tasked us to represent them in an upcoming auction hosted by the Ornamental Treasure Pavilion. Would your relative be able to covertly assemble a list of those attending?"

Inwardly ecstatic, he assured, "No trouble at all. I'm sure my relative is more than capable of such a task. Discreetly, of course."

Smiling radiantly, Senior Sister Tang clapped her hands together.

"Then we'll count on Junior Brother!"

Nodding, Karma clasped his hands before departing. In his mind, gears ground against one another in full swing, streamlining the production of crafty ideas.

Ahh, I missed this feeling. Let the machinations begin anew!