“Keep walking!” yelled a man before kicking a young boy. The boy was fourteen and looked fourteen for the most part. He had short, messy red hair and was wearing tattered clothes. The only thing out of the ordinary was his body. He had a lean physique, not much muscle, but more than a fourteen-year-old should have. Despite the muscle, he was unhealthy, skinny, and bruised all over his body, and his hands were far from the soft hands of a child. This boy’s name was Ren Changming.
Rèn Chāngmíng was a bastard son of the Hēi Family. Despised by his father so much so that he was forced to take his mother’s name. As if that wasn’t enough, his father sent both of them to be slaves, separated into two different industries the Hei Family owned. Currently, Rèn Chāngmíng was working for the Hei family’s smuggling operations, headed by a group of bandits who had their base between Blossom Falls and a nearby city. This was the main reason for the Hei family’s hiring of them, as they were close enough to the city to go and grab the goods quickly, then hideout in their base for a day or so until the coast was clear. Then, they wouldn’t have to travel too far to get to Blossom Falls, where there was a black market for the various forces nearby.
Rèn Chāngmíng was usually forced to drag cargo with chains attached to a harness that was locked on him. The cargo was way too heavy for him at his young age. It didn’t help that the bandits had fun torturing him, either. His life was pitiful. He was enslaved, separated from his mother, and had no way to quell the rage for his father in his heart. The slight hope for revenge was the only thing that kept him going.
On what was supposed to be another simple smuggling trip, a man suddenly walked out of the forest on the road they usually took. This path was relatively unknown, perfect for underworld dealing such as smuggling. So, it was rare that you would meet anyone. But seeing as the people Ren Changming was with were bandits, he knew this man’s end was near. How could a bunch of bandits miss this opportunity?
“Hey! What are you doing all the way out here, Brother?” one of the bandits called out to the man.
‘Here we go…’ thought Rèn Chāngmíng.
He felt terrible for the man, but it was his fault for traveling where he didn’t belong. Most people knew to stay out of the depths of the Dragonwood Forest not just because you could get lost or run into monster beasts but also because of the evil of man. The man seemed distracted for a second, muttering under his breath and looking at the air before him. Right before the bandit could call out again, the man snapped out of it and yelled back.
“Just going for a stroll! What are you guys doing?” he said.
The bandits gave each other a discreet smile and nod before heading towards the man.
“We’re just moving some cargo for a noble family. Hey, you look like you might be hungry. Anything we can get you?”
The man’s friendly face slowly turned into a sly grin.
“Sure, I’ll take everything you have on you.”
The bandits looked at each other and began laughing. How stupid could this man be? They were ruthless bandits. But before they could finish, they were both met with swift kicks to the groins and were keeling over on the ground.
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“I see why that mortal lady used it on me… It’s oddly effective.”
Rèn Chāngmíng was speechless. Even with such shameless, low blows, how could the two bandits, who have had their share of battles their whole life, have lost to this guy?
…
Alert: Mission Completed
Defeat the Bandits and Save ???
Mission Reward: 2 Points, Random Mortal Tier Technique
Obtained [Increased Recognition].
“Thanks to that mission, I’m now at sixteen points. Too bad I got unlucky with the technique. It’s a Low-Quality technique and only helps you to recognize things better.”
Yù Quán’s talking was interrupted by a dumbfounded Rèn Chāngmíng.
“Are you a cultivator?” the kid asked.
Yù Quán faintly smiled. “Just barely.”
Rèn Chāngmíng’s eyes were filled with wonder. A real cultivator. Although he had seen cultivators before, he had never seen one this close or in action. Coupled with the fact that he had just beaten the guys who had bullied him for years, Rèn Chāngmíng admired Yù Quán. Unable to handle the apparent sparkles in his eyes, Yù Quán coughed and looked towards the cargo.
“What’s this that you guys were moving? Stolen Goods?”
Rèn Chāngmíng turned back towards the boxes stacked on a cart he had to pull. “Smuggled. These things are either stolen or not legal in the cities. So, they’re smuggled through the city to the black market in Blossom Falls. Speaking of which, can you…?”
Rèn Chāngmíng tugged on the lock that kept his harness on, hoping Yù Quán would free him. Yù Quán kicked the lock and crushed it. By the time he had run into the bandits, he had fully grasped gathering heavenly energy and unlocked some meridians. He was now in the 3rd level of the Heavenly Energy Gathering Stage. In the process, he had opened his Liver meridians, which connect from the eyes down to his legs. Using these meridians, he could send heavenly energy to his legs to empower his kicks when attacking the bandits. While heavenly energy isn’t enough to fight other cultivators with, it’s a big difference in strength compared to mortals like them. While his strength and the heavenly energy could break the lock, it wasn’t strong enough to prevent him from being in pain. But, he held it in for the sake of his newly found fan.
“Well, let’s look through my spoils.”
…
In a palace far away…
“I promise, my lord, the bandits will accomplish this mission as they always do.”
A man dressed in black regal robes, dark, slicked-back hair, and pitch-black eyes turned to face the man speaking, who was kneeling on the ground. “They better. This year, the treasure we stole from those idiots in the Dark Moon Villa must be given to the head of the black market. Otherwise… it’ll be your head.”
The man transitioned into a bow, with both knees and forehead on the ground. “Yes, Lord! I won’t fail you!”
…
Yù Quán
Realm: Qi Focusing Realm
Stage: 3rd Level Heavenly Energy Gathering
Main Cultivation Art: [Stolen-eyed Mùmùlián Body](Level 1)
Techniques:
[Mùmùlián Eye Stealing](Level 1)
[Mùmùlián Eye Refining](Level 1)
Attributes:
[Star Gazing Eyes](Level 1)