I took out a notepad and a quill and I began to research the contraption's runes.

- * -

I woke up groggily from within the mess of cloths within my tent.

I rubbed my reddened eyes and got up slightly before moving towards the sidearea to clean myself with a short bath.

As I woke myself little by little, I realized that there was a shadow moving around the tent...It was the esteemed senior...Just what was he doing around my tent?!

Was he trying to peak?!

No...Would he even need to act like that if he wanted to?

No... Could he not simply peak however he wanted from the start since he was at such a high realm anyways?

No...But... What was he even doing?

In the end, I decided to ignore him and finish bathing.

I then dressed up and left the tent wearily, aware that another day of guiding this eccentric mass-murderer was awaiting me.

I could not help the stress from building up instantly as I exited the tent and saw him mumbling silently to himself with eyes opened wide as he stared at one of the glyphs on the tent. He looked like a true madman with eyes bloodshot and open this wide.

The weird mumblings did not help.

The fact that he held a quill in which he kept writing what seemed to be random symbols did not help either.

He was scaring me.

Again.

I coughed a few times trying to get his attention to no avail.

I looked at the glyph...It's slightly cute, sure, but not to the point of madly staring at it like him...

I moved closer and spoke a bit louder: “Shengxia greets the Esteemed Senior!”

“Yes, hello” was his answer.

He was not even looking at me. Again.

This was very irritating.

Yes, I am weaker than you and you can kill me anytime but still! At least, acknowledge my existence please!

I swallowed my frustration and sighed within myself, not daring to offend him though. He was so much stronger that he could kill me anytime and if what happened yesterday can serve as a lesson, he seems like the type to not hesitate to swing his sword.

I survived yesterday so I would rather not die now.

I have to continue living on. My brother's share too. I will bring glory to our family by myself and rebuild our clan!

...But for now, I will go fetch something for our breakfast since this crazy senior probably is not going to do anything.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

…

I walked outside the clearing and further within the woods. Expanding my senses through the use of Qi was not difficult. Anyone who had reached the third level could do it.

From within my diantian, the energy circulated all throughout my body, deepening the perceptive capabilities of my entire self and accelerating the transmission of the informations.

I easily found a decent prey, a 1-meter tall bird of mortal level (the level before the first level, separating those who remains mortal and those who break out of this limitation).

It would be enough for two people.

I circulated my Qi further into my muscles, especially those of my lower body and swiftly moved towards my target.

I approached it faster than its reaction speed and in a single motion, I hit it in the back of the head. That hit, effective enough to shake the brain within its cranium, was enough to kill it instantly and painlessly.

Afterwards, I grabbed that corpse and unhurriedly returned to the clearing.

As I arrived, I did not particularly feel surprised to see the mad senior still madly running around the tent mumbling and scribbling.

How can someone so strong be so weird? Or did he successfully become strong because he was weird?

Anyways, let him be.

As long as his attention is not on me, there is less risks of him deciding to kill me on a whim.

I moved towards a space a bit further and began to pile rocks in a circle before dropping my prey next to it.

I then circulated my Qi and infusing it with my practiced method, turned it into fire within my palms. I freed the energy towards the inside of the circle and fire began to burn within.

It would be burning until the energy I provided exhausted itself which was more than enough time to take care of preparing our breakfast.

I returned my sight towards the dead bird. I pegan to pluck its feathers. As I did, I watched the mad senior running around the tent.

What was so interesting about?

To be honest, it was also making me curious.

However, since I feared his anger, I decided to remain a silent observer of his unexplained madness.

What felt weird was that I was having this strange feeling that there was some order to his chaotic and erratic actions.

Was I too low-level to perceive it?

Even though I had reached the third level at my age?

Sure, I was not one of those era's geniuses but I was pretty good... Was it not enough? Then how high of a level did this senior reach?

I can't just ask him though...

And in the middle of my ponderings, I finished with the feathers.

I took out a knife and began to cut the corpse and prepare the meat next. Then I used some seasonings I had also stored and began the process of letting the meat cook upon the fire.

The Senior remained entranced by something, still scurrying around the tent.