"Seongho, do you think you will be able to purchase groceries at the market again today?" Jisoo asked Seongho.

"Yes Mother," Seongho hastily replied, though he was confused as he had visited the market just yesterday. "May I visit the sweets store on the way back?"

"Very well, we're a bit low on funds currently but it doesn't hurt to look," his mother muttered embarrassedly. "But if any of the local boys give you trouble please hurry back home immediately. You should ask Yechan to come with you."

"He's busy currently," Seongho said curtly and gleefully escaped just before the unnecessarily diligent servant made an appearance.

The market was not nearby as their home was located on the outskirts of Snowlake Town. Due to his position as the Clan leader, Jungsoo was able to offer his disgraced daughter some level of comfort despite her crimes. Still, as it was located near the edge of their town, it was cumbersome to travel to anywhere. To Seongho this was a blessing. Normally jogging to the market would take significantly over an hour, but with the Shadow Walking movement technique, he could arrive in less than a few minutes. This gave him much needed independent time away from chores and forced training with Yechan.

He entered a small abandoned cabin located a short distance from his house and pried open one of the floorboards. Inside was a notebook where he had written down his past memories, a small dagger, and a large bag filled with coins. He took a few coins out and put them in his pockets. He then sat down on the small cot located in the corner of the room and began to cultivate. As he was sure no one else was around, he allowed thick red qi to materialize around his body. It was a far superior method to the foolish cultivation methods taught traditionally but had the downside of causing intense mental trauma. To Seongho however this level of pain was a joke, so he continued to diligently cultivate whenever he had the time.

After a few dozen cycles passed, Seongho left his secret cabin and took a deep breath. He wiped away the sweat on his body with a wet rag and stretched his small body. Focusing intently on his dantian, he coaxed qi into each fiber of muscle in his legs. When he felt a slight burning sensation he released his feet off the ground and flew forward at an impossible speed. The densely packed trees and bushes around him faded to a mere blur. This technique was difficult to master even for the greatest experts, as even a slight lapse in concentration would lead to either a quadricep tear or meniscal injuries. Yet Seongho had a bored expression on his face as an enormous wooden fence barely came into view. Making sure no one was nearby, Seongho slowed to a stop and brushed off the twigs and leaves that covered his raggedy clothes. He then meandered out of the forest to the guards stationed outside the fence.

"Greetings seniors, I'm here to purchase groceries for my mother." He took a deep bow and looked up.

The guards scarcely acknowledged his presence and one of them briefly paused chattering about a beautiful female disciple of the local Snow Lotus Academy to grunt at him. Smiling, Seongho walked past them and entered the gate to the market square. With impressive speed, he zipped around from shop to shop picking up the ingredients that his mother requested while deftly negotiating prices.

"Big brother Zhu, I can only buy onions from you, the other vendors cannot supply the same taste in our stews," Seongho begged. "How could I buy onions from anywhere else when yours are so incomparably fresh and plump"

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"Big brother my ass! I am 62 you rascal, I refuse to lower the price. Every time I see your face I get a stomachache. Tell me who in the heavens would be willing to sell a pound of onions for merely two copper pieces?" A short man with a crooked back pushed the sack of wilted and bruised onions away from Seongho, scowling in the process.

"Big brother Zhu," Seongho stated seriously, looking the old man in the eyes. "This child will become a powerful cultivator soon and will remember those that helped raise him. I need to purchase some Joya berries to aid in the formation of my dantian, and through your generosity I will be able to become a peerless warrior."

"Do you take me for a fool?" The old man shouted. "This is the same nonsense you say every week. You talk about becoming a peerless warrior when you still haven't formed your dantian or been accepted into a martial academy. Your destiny is to become a peerless broke merchant like me you idiot." Looking down at the boy who appeared to be nearly in tears he sighed. "Alright, alright, you win I went too far. Hand over the cash, I'll throw in a candy as well."

Seongho thanked the merchant profusely, wiping a tear off the corner of his eyes before turning around. A wide smile was found his face. He looked at the remaining 3 coppers in change before entering the flea market located near the edge of the market. Shoddy piles of junk was placed on tables and blankets on the floor, overseen by rough faces. What he really wanted to do was look at the spirit beast eggs, but that would have to come later when he had funds. For now he had to settle with picking out a few pounds of useless trinkets, along with a small crucible. Once he was satisfied, he turned around to run back home.

Unfortunately an unfamiliar group of faces blocked his path.

"What did I tell you about showing your face in town? Most importantly you even have the audacity to approach my Father," a tall boy with surprisingly large muscles asked quietly. "This is for your own good - stay in bed next time, you're an eye sore. You have enough enemies already, just live quietly and no one will bother you."

"Choi Hwan?" Seongho guessed.

"Damn, look at this lack of respect. Even we call you Senior Brother," a youth with bright red hair and freckles chuckled. "This brat is begging for another beating."

"Leave him alone Senior brother," a pretty girl with her hair in a braid pulled on Choi Hwan's sleeve. "Master will surely be angry if he reports you again."

"He won't dare report." sneered Choi Hwan.

"What are you here for, a beating? That's fine but can you please hurry up, I have to get home soon," Seongho said looking at the large clock at the center of the market. "If dinner gets cold I'll have far bigger problems than whatever you're thinking of."

The group stared blankly at him.

"D-do you think I am a joke?" sputtered Choi Hwan. "I was going to let you off easily but you've gone out of hand. Does this look like a joke to you too?" He wound back his fist and swung at Seongho's face.

Instinctively Seongho dodged the swing and Choi Hwan stumbled forwards. 'Ah damn it, I even tried to get hit,' he thought as he jumped into Choi Hwan's falling body. While he barely felt a breeze, Seongho pretended to be dying in pain, throwing his body backward while howling.

"Wow, I cannot move I am in so much pain, this Senior Brother is too powerful," he yelled robotically while rolling around. "Okay, now I have to leave." He flipped himself up and ran away leaving the group of boys in shock. Inwardly he praised himself for his acting chops.

"Get back here!" Choi Hwan roared and chased after the small boy, but he seemed to have vanished in thin air. He gritted his teeth and clenched his small hands. He had planned to end his conflict with the boy after today, but now it was personal after making him look like a fool in front of Soobin. He recalled the conversation he had with his Father just the night before and now understood why he was so nervous. This Seongho was not the same coward he had knocked out unconscious with a single punch just weeks before.