Chapter 24: A Decision Part 2

Luo Ling stood before a tightly shut door, feeling calm and composed. That brief tussle had his blood boiling, and it took him a while to regain tranquility. It had been a while since he last shed the blood of a fellow warrior, and though his composure had returned, the memory of that fleeting struggle lingered at the edges of his mind.

A few moments later, the door clicked open with a faint creak, revealing Daluo's surprised face peeking out. His brows shot up, eyes widening as he took in the sight of Luo Ling standing calmly outside.

“I am not really surprised you knew where I live,” he said matter-of-factly and opened the door wider before stepping out of the way. “Come in. Let’s talk inside.”

Daluo lived in a thatched hut like most people in the village. It’s a single-room house, but spacious. Since he was not married, the house was enough for him.

Luo Ling sat on a worn wooden chair, his gaze sweeping curiously around the room. The house was modest, with simple furnishings and walls that had seen better days.

“This house is surprisingly well-kept and clean,” Luo Ling mumbled a praise. “Didn’t expect that from a brute like you.”

"I’ll take that as a compliment," Daluo said with a smirk, placing a glass of water on the worn-out table next to Luo Ling. He then settled onto the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking beneath his weight. "You came at an odd time, so all I have to offer is water."

“No problem. I’ll help myself to a glass.” Luo Ling shrugged. He was feeling slightly parched after that quick but intense work.

“I am guessing, you are here to ask me about those pills, yeah?” Daluo asked.

“Mhm,” Luo Ling bobbed his head and finished the glass in one go. “That and another matter.”

And so, Luo Ling recounted the entire ordeal, starting from catching the turban man stalking him to the small fight he just had.

By the time he finished his briefing, Daluo’s expression had turned for the worse, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. “Those damn pests,” he growled. “They got some nerve trying to rob a child. Where do all their faces go?”

“It’s not that weird, if you think about it, Daluo.” Luo Ling remained calm; his expression unreadable. He had witnessed many such examples of betrayals in his past life. If a brother—someone he had once trusted with his life—could drive a blade into his back without hesitation, what could possibly surprise him now?

“In front of tangible benefits, some moral code is easy to forget,” Luo Ling said, finishing a glass of water in one go. “What I have is the skin of a semi-demonized beast and some valuable gifts from an illustrious immortal. It’d be strange if they didn’t harbor any ideas on them.”

“Indeed, you are not a regular little brat.” Daluo shook his head, no longer surprised by Luo Ling's maturity. In this world, many children possess unique and hard-to-fathom talents, their abilities far beyond the norm. Compared to them, a child with advanced maturity hardly seemed remarkable. Special, yes—but in a world filled with prodigies, Luo Ling's composed demeanor was just another part of the extraordinary fabric.

“So,” Daluo began. “Want me to help you warn those hunters?” His eyebrows pulled up into a frown as he continued. “Truth be told, it’ll be a little difficult even for me to seek revenge for you. Those bastards are rather united when it comes to resisting authority.”

But Luo Ling shook his head negatively at Daluo’s offers. “There is no need for that. I already found a scapegoat.” His lips split into a harmless grin. “All I want your help with is to spread a rumor.”

“A rumor?” Daluo tilted his head, confused.

“That’s right.” Luo Ling grinned and revealed the plan he hatched in his head.

The more Daluo listened to the plan, the paler his complexion grew. He gave the nine-year-old a meaningful glance. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you are actually some old monster who has taken over the body of a kid to live a second time.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Luo Ling’s fingers on the glass trembled which was luckily out of the gatekeeper’s sight, or he would have noticed something. The transmigrator had always suspected Daluo’s identity, and it only grew after seeing the interaction between him and Lord Ping. He was not a fool. It was clear, that Daluo had some link to the cultivators, and probably also was one himself.

Of course, all of these were conjectures in his head with no solid proof.

But it doesn’t matter. He didn’t care.

“As if.” Luo Ling joked. Then, he took out a bottle of pills given by Lord Ping. “Lord Ping gave me a few of these bottles as a gift. You can have this one.”

Daluo didn’t stand at on ceremony and reached out to take the bottle. He shook the translucent container and eyed the pills within. “You know,” The bald man began. “These pills have the miraculous effect of cleansing your blood and invigorating your muscles and tendons. Take one and you’ll save weeks of hard work. This thing is a holy grail for them who follow the path of body cultivation.”

“Oh,” Luo Ling hummed as he listened without disturbing. All the questions he had; he’d ask them after Daluo was done with his explanation. Though, he couldn’t help but think how familiar the pill’s effects were.

Martial artists would regularly indulge in medicinal baths—special brews crafted with intricate procedures and a blend of precious herbs. After intense workouts, they would soak in these baths, allowing the medicinal properties to be absorbed through their pores. The brew not only healed internal wounds but also strengthened bones and muscles while invigorating the internal organs. It was a time-honored practice, essential to maintaining the body’s peak condition and accelerating recovery after grueling training sessions.

The Blood Refining Pill served a similar purpose to those medicinal baths, but its effects were far superior. While the baths relied on gradual absorption through the skin, the pill worked from within, swiftly circulating through the bloodstream to nourish and repair the body at a deeper level. Its potency was unmatched.

“Be careful, though,” Daluo warned, his tone grave. “Your organs and muscles are not grown fully yet, so you should not take more than one pill a day. That burst of energy would become too much for your body to handle.”

“Thank you, I’ll be careful.” Luo Ling promised. His thoughts lingered around the identity of Daluo, but he didn’t ask. After spending a little bit of time with him, he returned.

Ever since he awoke in this village, he had never bothered with anyone or participated in power-struggling among the various groups. He had always been minding his own business, hunting in the wilds and using them to fund his martial training. But that didn’t mean he was afraid of them.

With his current prowess, he could easily deal with these so-called external martial artists. External martial arts were a set of exercising techniques to increase the strength of the fleshy body. At its peak, they could only exert the strength of a 1st-rate martial warrior.

Luo Ling didn’t even think of them as threats individually. But it was a different story when they were united. It was necessary to break their unity first by sparking an infight.

Daluo’s help was crucial for this stage.

As for himself; since his secret training place had been compromised, Luo Ling decided to coop himself in the orphanage for a while.

There was an open field behind the orphanage building, and he could use it for his training.

-~X~-

On the eve of daybreak, in the quiet yard behind the orphanage, Luo Ling stood in a horse stance, eyes closed, his breath steady and controlled. The early morning air was crisp, yet his chest rose and fell with a rhythm as natural as the breeze around him. Despite the tension in his legs and core, his entire demeanor remained calm, almost serene, as if the strain of the stance posed no challenge at all. Even in stillness, there was a sense of focus, like a coiled spring waiting to be released.

Suddenly, a sharp ‘pop’ echoed from within Luo Ling’s body, breaking the silence. Instantly, a familiar sensation surged through him. His heartbeat quickened, thudding in his chest as though trying to outpace itself, sending blood rushing through his veins like rivers in flood season. Beneath his pale skin, the dark lines of his blood vessels became starkly visible, pulsing with life, as if illuminated from within.

Luo Ling’s lips curled up into a pleased smile. Finally, he was here: First-rate Martial Warrior.

Luo Ling’s consciousness sank into the depths of his mind, into his inner world.

[Iron Muscles Steel Veins Body Forging Exercise (Third Level)] – Proficiency: 0/999

[Archery (Houtian IV); Penetration (Rank 2); Weakness (Rank 1)]— Proficiency: 3477/9999

[Art of Meridian Mending Vol 1] — Proficiency: 897/1000]

For the past week, he had been cooped up in the orphanage, eating meals from the cafeteria, and spending all his time in the backyard. He had effectively transformed it into his private training field.

Luo Ling had not gone out to hunt in the past week to play his part in the plan he hatched with Daluo. But his nutrition supply had not stopped thanks to the pills gifted by Lord Ping.

In fact, due to the excessive energy of those pills, he managed to upgrade not only his martial arts cultivation but also Archery and the Art of Meridian Mending proficiencies.

As an added benefit, Penetration grew by a rank. He could now ignore 20% defense of a target with his projectiles.

But all these didn’t make Luo Ling as happy as the prospect of him finally touching upon the Mental Force. From the day he started training, he had eagerly been waiting for this moment.

At long last, he would no longer have to feel helpless in this dangerous world.

“Now, I no longer have to fear those damn hunters.”