Chapter 9: Ugly Emotion

Late into the afternoon, bathed in the orange hue of the setting sun, Luo Ling made an upward swing with his wooden sword. The practice weapon drew a beautiful arc in the air before approaching an abrupt halt; its tip pointing at the sky.

Luo Ling took a deep breath, filling his burning lungs with much-needed air. Speed was the core aspect of [Lightwheel Swordsmanship], which he practiced back in Murim. When the sword swings as fast as lightning, the glow of the practitioner’s Inner Qi coating the blade creates an illusion of a ring of light— thus the name. Of course, what Luo Ling doing was not following the steps of the sword art, but basic sword moves. He wanted the basic skill to appear on the Records of Toil.

Too exhausted, Luo Ling dragged his feet to a tree stump and sat down. Taking a quick peek at his inner world, he revealed a satisfied expression. First, [Archery] had gained a few points, which was expected since he trained for half an hour after upgrading his training equipment. With its influence, Iron Muscles Steel Veins Body Forging also gained a couple of proficiency points. He had come a few steps closer to being a first-rate martial warrior.

Regrettably, swordsmanship didn’t appear on the golden tablet, but it was something he expected. Archery took a little less than six months to enter the Records of Toil. Going by that trend, perhaps swordsmanship would also take six months before he could see it on the list. Luo Ling was not in a hurry anyway; hence it didn’t matter much.

-~X~-

After regaining some energy, Luo Ling decided to call it a day and head back home. The balance between work and rest should be maintained at all costs while he was still growing.

On his way to the orphanage, Luo Ling stopped by another eatery for a full meal of meat and white bread. To his great regret, rice was not a staple food for the people of this border village. He really missed the taste of well-cooked, fragrant rice.

After coming to this world, Luo Ling’s palette suffered greatly. A prominent figure like him, whose daily meal consisted of top-class grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat, was forced to make do with hard-to-swallow bread and tasteless curries. Rarely, if ever, he saw greens in his daily meals.

As a village built on the edge of the wilderness, the farming fields were prone to wild animal raids. The yields were abysmal after numerous plundering. There were hunters in the village trained to kill these wild animals, but even then, it was hard to maintain a quality yield. The villagers always imported vegetables from the nearest city, skyrocketing their prices. Due to these reasons, the people in the Five Fragrance Village had little to no vegetables or fruits in their daily meals.

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The dilapidated building of the orphanage appeared in the distance, and Luo Ling hastened his steps. In this new world, this orphanage was his anchor to reality. It was where his origins lie. He might not be close to the caretakers or the kids, but it’s a place where he could sleep at night without worrying about anything.

As he got closer, a small figure came to his notice, squatting by the wall. Upon closer inspection, he found it was Xiao Ru sitting on a rock, bawling her eyes out. Luo Ling raised his eyebrows, wondering what could cause this usually headstrong girl to break down like this. In his memories, Xiao Ru had always been a mature young lady. She would not cry even when scolded by Mother Yi. Although curious, Luo Ling didn’t know how to ask the girl.

Luo Ling was an adult trapped in the body of a young boy. Due to this, he never interacted with the children in the orphanage much. He felt awkward and thought it was shameful to mingle with the kids of his current body’s age. In his opinion, they were not mature enough for him to hold any meaningful conversation.

At some point, while such thoughts swirling in his head, keeping his attention occupied, he was noticed by Xiao Ru. She furiously wiped her face with the back of her hand, stood up, and disappeared into the building.

Left in the dust, Luo Ling couldn’t help but blink his eyes. The corners of his lips curved upwards in a lopsided smile, and he shook his head. His steps were rather brisk as he made his way to the building. This little girl actually ran away without greeting him; how rare! Now, his curiosity was piqued.

Xiao Ru often came to talk to him in an attempt to make him more friendly towards other kids. She would usually ramble about her day or share interesting things she saw on her trips to the market with Mother Yi. Luo Ling believed they had a somewhat close relationship, as the lass would always greet him whenever she saw him. Sometimes, she would smile, and other times, a nod. But today, she just ignored his presence and disappeared. What’s the situation?

Luo Ling suddenly recalled the two men he met in Mother Yi’s office. What was their purpose? Wasn’t it to select appropriate candidates to join their Fragrant Crown Immortal sect? Was this girl sad because she couldn’t pass the test?

In the end, it was just a thought in passing. Luo Ling really didn’t care why Xiao Ru was teary-eyed. He had better things to do than to care about a child’s tears. After all, it could be anything. Though curious, its intensity was not enough for him to enquire about it. He could ask her the next time he sees her.

-~x~-

Luo Ling’s room was only a few meters from Mother Yi’s office on an adjacent side. Their doors were practically facing each other. And now, standing in front of her door, Mother Yi wore an absentminded expression. The two men from the sect were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they finished their job and returned. Did they find any suitable candidate? Luo Ling was honestly curious.

Hence, he changed his direction and walked over to the orphanage matron.

Mother Yi woke up from his stupor when she felt someone approaching. Luo Ling’s small figure immediately put her nerves at ease. A smile, which looked quite forced, found its place on her aged face. “You’re back, Ling.”

“Mhm, I’m.” Luo Ling acknowledged her with a nod. “Are those people gone?” He enquired, his eyes darting from side to side before settling on her face.

“Yes. A few hours ago.”

“Did they find anyone from our orphanage?” Luo Ling wondered out loud. He was rather curious about it.

“Only one, Xiao Ru. She has a Perfect Spiritual talent.” Her voice had a flash of pride, yet her face betrayed her heart— longing. “From now on, she will soar to the skies like a phoenix who rose from the ashes.” Her voice was soft but laced with deep feelings.

Luo Ling kept his silence while he listened to her. He could tell that Mother Yi, this woman who had always displayed admirable kindness and maturity, was actually feeling one of the ugliest emotions in a human— jealousy.