Chapter 10, Qi Huai
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Currently Lihua is close by Tengfei as she glares at the youth who was talking with him.
Though the youth didn't notice at all and continued speaking.
Just for you guys information, the youth was Lou Jun.
"Anyhow Tengfei, it was good to meet you here." Lou Jun said before smiling.
He then replied back saying "Don't tell me you got more things for me to do." As he thinks to himself 'Who knows what sort of hell like work she will put me on!'
"Not at all, I'm just here to buy food ingredients for the store silly." Lou Jun then made a cutesy pose.
In the mean while, Lihua was having a weird feeling towards Lou Jun as if she was a threat.
Even when she speaks, her insides felt like twisting to the point where she could vomit blood any moment.
She even said to herself 'Is she a doll or what?! No dang way a woman would be that beautiful with this personality! There has to be a twist of some kind!'
Tengfei then laughed awkwardly before replying back to Lou Jun, "Well... I better be going now."
But before he could run away, Lou Jun asked him "You're taking off without introducing me to this cute girl?"
When Lihua heard that she was called cute, her personality had a 360 change.
Lou Jun's question caused Tengfei to halt before he replies back "She's just a pestering money beggar who clung to me ever since she saved my life."
Lihua knitted her eyebrows before saying "Hey! I'm not a simple beggar-" But before she could finish her sentence, she was pulled by Tengfei and they took off leaving Lou Jun behind with a puzzled expression.
Though Lou Jun's face appeared calm. Her eyes were pitch black as she thought after surveying the scarlet haired girl and proud princess demeanor, '~She must be the girl that they were looking for~'. She smiled as she watched them ran away.
While they're running, Lihua asked him "Can you like let go of me now! We're like already so far away from her!"
Tengfei heard her words and stopped before wiping off the sweat in his forehead which was not due to the running but instead... pure fear.
"Now can you please explain why did we just ran away from that lady?" Lihua asked.
Tengfei looked at her and replied back with just four words "She is a demon."
Lihua notice the fear on his eyes before slowly nodding with a mouth shaped like 'o'.
"Anyway, aside from that, are you going to spend those coins for clothes again...?" Tengfei asked her.
Lihua shook her head before saying "I already have enough amount of them."
"Then what you'll do with the remaining amount them?" Asked Tenfgei.
Lihua replied back saying "I'll see if if there is any shop that has something that could unseal my mana pond."
"Do you know the amount I gave you is really small so how are you gonna afford something like that?" He asked.
A smirk appeared on Lihua face before she replies back "Well if I can't buy it, that is where you come in and steal it."
"And why should I?." Tengfei asked.
The Princess sneered at him before replying back "You can't back away now as I already witness you steal from someone so why can't you do it for a good purpose this time?"
Tengfei sighed and then said "That's different as I stole from someone who is a thief and so their stuff is already not theirs in the first place."
A 'tch' noise was uttered by her before she replies back "Well you're going to be stealing from someone not righteous anyways so what you say?"
"No way. Until you tell me where we headed." He said as he cross his arms.
Lihua averted her eyes for a moment as she looks at an alley before she says "The black market is where we headed."
The eyebrow of Tengfei raised before he asks "Out all places... why there?"
"Well duh, black markets have all kinds of stuff that could possibly fix my problem I'm having!" Loudly Lihua told him.
Tengfei asked with an irritated look and then asked "Tell me one damn reason as to why should I comply to what you want?"
She then rolled her eyes before replying back "Well I'm your only source of finding my sister."
"Ugh.. You got a got a good point." Said Tengfei with an expression which shows that his tired speaking.
Before Lihua could say something, a random middle aged man inserted in the conversation and asked both of them "I hear you youngsters want to visit the black market ey?"
Tengfei turned to look and finds a man about a head taller than him or (192cm) which caused him instinctively back away.
The man had a shady looking hood while having a roughly shaved beard with a creepy smile that could scare anyone away.
A jacket with blood like stains and a ragged undershirt matched up with his loose pants that's about to fall anytime.
Immediately Tengfei (without thinking) covered Lihua's eyes before she could have a chance to look.
Though Lihua pushed the hands away but when she caught a glimpse of the man, she quickly made Tengfei cover her eyes again and shrieking at the same time.
But before they could have a chance to run away, the middle aged man dived to the ground and begged while clinging onto both their legs as he says while crying "Please don't leave me! I have no other customers to keep my food in check for days by now!"
His clinging almost made Lihua collapse but she willingly forced herself to stay conscious as she moves her leg while yelling out "Let go!" at him.
Instead of panicking and trying to rub off away the man, Tengfei with a wry smile tries to persuade him to let go.
Even with their efforts the middle aged man just won't let go.
This made made Tengfei annoyed and so he yelled at the middle age man "We'll listen so please can you let go?!"
"Money first..." The man replied back while sniffling.
Veins popped on our protagonist's forehead before pulling out the pouch he stole earlier and giving the man a few coppers.
After the man grabbed hold of the money, he stood up immediately and had a satisfied expression as if the begging like expression he had was all an act.
He then bowed before saying to them "Let me introduce myself, I'm the great Qi Huai. A pill master and the best tomato soup maker ever! At your service."
When he thought that they would be attentively listening to him, but instead they vanished already and walked away.
As both Tengfei and Lihua thought they already lost him, the middle aged man popped out of no where in front of them.
This shocked them before Tenfgei loudly asked "What else you need? I already gave you my damn money!"
Qi Huai laughed before saying "I can't let you off without repaying your kindness and before I heard that both of you lads want to enter the black market district."
Hearing his answer, Lihua asks him "And so?"
The man pulled up his pants before saying "I can help you in cultivating with my precious pills to get stronger so that you can protect your self in the black market."
Tengfei made a 'tch' sound before asking "So what makes us trust you that you ain't a fraud but the real deal instead?"
A grin appeared Qi huai's face before both Tengfei and Lihua witness a blur in front of them which disappeared after a moment.
Nothing particularly changed except this time the man is holding a sword, but not just any sword, it's is the very weapon Tengfei had.
This shocked our protagonist by the time he notice that the weapon on his sheath is missing.
Qi Huai then asks them "Do you believe me now?"
Both of them nodded in response to his question.
He then hands back the sword to Tengfei before telling them "Tell me when you're ready, then I'll bring you to my place which I'll give further details there."
Lihua came close to Tengfei's ears then whispers to him "Why did you accept his condition in the first place? He sounds like some kidnapper."
He replied back to her saying "Better than letting him chase us to the ends of this world."
She then replied with a furrowed look, "Well I guess so, but just in case we get in serious mess... I'll be needing all the money you have as compensation."
Tengfei rolled his eyes in response.
They then started following Qi Huai.
Later inside Qi huai's shop
The place was quite spacious to say.
Shelves packed with books and pots almost every where.
The scent of medicine was also quite strong.
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Even with those said... the place wass truly a mess with a lot of thrash being scattered on the floor.
Lihua felt like turning back when she saw a fried fish sleeping inside a dirty sock.
She could have sworn that the fish's eye moved.
Tengfei also commented inside 'This room of his... makes the barn from before look much better..'
Qi Huai then pushed them inside while saying with a smile "My precious place has finally obtained visitors for so long! So please feel as if it's your own home inside!"
Both of our protagonists were standing in the middle while surveying the entire area.
The middle aged man was currently digging through a pile of stuff inside a closet.
Which then he returned to them but this time carrying a box.
Qi huai then dropped the box he was carrying in front of Tengfei and Lihua before saying "Before I go into giving both of you a pill that I personally made, I would like to understand if whether or not both of you had already cultivated?"
Lihua and Tengfei looked at each other before the latter spoke. "No, I have never cultivated before and as for this girl... she's a cripple."
Hearing the word cripple caused Lihua to shake in anger before landing an elbow strike on his sides.
The man Qi Huai ruffled his chin before exclaiming. "At least do you know how the cultivation system works for both physical or elemental culivators?"
Our red haired tsundere nodded but Tengfei shook his head.
A smiled appeared on the Man's face before he started explaining to Tengfei.
I think it is better you see it as table instead.
Stratum (Number) Name Capabilities Each Stratum has to go through stages. (Control gets better.) Low, mid, high, peak First Beginner Able to release the mana/chi from the mana source(Pond) into inscriptions(Technique initiator). Able to control stage 1 inscriptions. Like wise, stage 1 rings. Low, mid, high, peak Second Apprentice Doubles their dantian/mana pool capabilities. The speed to navigate the mana increased. Able to control stage 2 inscriptions. Low, mid, high, peak Third Practioner Able to create elemental cloaks which allows flight. The needed requirements to activate inscriptions by inserting mana is decreased by half. Able to control stage 3 inscriptions. Low, mid, high, peak Fourth Master Able to release the full potential of his/her respected element while increasing the speed of flight. Can activate stage 4 inscriptions. Their dantian/mana source turns into two. Able to cultivate two elements. Low, mid, high, peak Fifth Elder Magus Rarely seen but people state that their power is beyond anything they ever saw. ???? Sixth Arch Magus Unknown ???? Seventh Unknown Unknown ???? Eigth Unknown Unknown ????
After explaining about Elemental cultivators, Lihua couldn't help but ask "How about for the physical cultivators? I didn't pay attention to them during my classes before." As she gestures with her hand really wanting to know.
"As for them... you have to look for someone else. I don't have much information except for stuff you guys already know." Replied Qi Huan.
Tengfei's Eyes shone brightly before asking. "Then... is it possible for me to become an elemental cultivator!!?" His body was filled with suspense as he waits for an answer.
Lihua eyed Tengfei with thoughts in her head.
Qi Huan started laughing which also caused Tengfei to join with him too.
Though the laughs immediately stopped when the man said "No." bluntly.
A dejected look appeared on our main character's face as Lihua couldn't help but mockingly laugh while avoiding to show her face.
"Being an Elemental cultivator is no easy feat." He then walked and pat Tengfei's shoulder before continuing. "Firstly, you must show an affinity towards an element before actually thinking of preceding towards becoming a cultivator. Then you need to face a soul spirit to awaken your door to cultivation." Replied Qi Huan.
Both the princess and our Main character observed the messy man as he grabs hold a wooden old ancient box from the ground. The box was something special as it had numerous seals on it as if it was placed to ward away devils.
Qi Huan then slowly opened the box before saying "Hehe... You're quite lucky as you can participate in a gamb-… I mean chance to gain something beneficial..." He then showed a weird smile before saying. "Choose from this box a random pill, each pill in this box is different and would grant you a slight noticeable increase in affinity for an elemental if you're lucky that is."
Observing the box, one could see different balls with vague inscriptions written on them. Each of them has a slight change in colour while being surrounded in herbs.
At first, Tengfei was hesitant before he steeled his wills and picked a random pill up.
Qi Huan then told him “Now swallow it!”
Lihua was on the side having a worried expression as she utters out “I don’t think it’s a good ide-“ before she could finish her words, Tengfei already has swallowed the pill!
After some time, his body started to burn and his face started becoming grim.
He then fell to the ground as he grips his chest tightly, yelling out in pain. The atmosphere in the place became dreaded. No other sound could be heard except from this young man.
This caused Lihua to panic and tremble as she loudly pleads to Qi Huan. “Help him!” Though to no avail, she couldn’t find a single trace of Qi Huan’s presence and his mysterious box.
She gasped shockingly as she looked around to find him no where to be, she then bit her lower lift before bending down to help Tengfei.
Carrying his head upwards, she then softly said to him "Hang in there.... please..." Her face was too showed grief... as if they shared emotions with each other.
Her heart was in utter pain. It was a new type of miserable sensation, something more frightening than when her sister left.
Though she was powerless to help soothe the agonizing Tengfei... She did her best to support him and even looked around the place to find if there is anything to help him.
Slowly the pain uttered by Tengfei became quieter as she was about feel relief, another event caused her to almost collapse.
Bright light started appearing out of Tengfei's eyes and mouth as he shouts very loudlyin pain. It lasted for a short while at least... or else Lihua's poor heart might give out.
Slowly Tengfei returned to normal though his whole body was in tatters.
Seeing that it was all over, Lihua then sat beside him before feeling his forehead to find if it was not burning like before.
A relief welled up in her... though she couldn't help but say softly with a slight teary eye "I... I.. don't know what to do if you're gone to be honest." She wiped of the tears in her eyes before continuing. "The thought of you away from me... was very... painful... In this past days, though it was short... I can't seem to bear you separating me... because I'll feel lonely... I don't want to be alone... like back then."
She felt his hair before muttering "I hate you... but you're the first person aside sister who treated me like a human being... someone who lives and existed."
Tengfei's eyes slowly opened before he replied back "You know... those lines were quite sappy and cliché. If you want me to continue being normal then you better stop acting like stereotyp-" before he could finish his words, a sock was shocked inside his mouth... A dirty looking one.
Lihua then yelled at him as she trembled "S-Since when were you a-awake!" Her face was dyed in red as she furiously looked at him before she continued. "Also, my lines aren't sappy."
Tengfei removed the dirty sock before closing his eyes then quietly saying. "Never the less... Thank you..."
When Lihua heard this, her anger subsided and was replaced with a haughty smug look as she asks. "Can you repeat what you said~?" This was the first time she was ever thanked by him.
"In your wet dreams missy." Tengfei replied with a laughing tone.
Lihua was not angry but instead showed a slight smile, a genuine smile towards him.
"You made this princess worried when you swallowed that pill and know you are still capable making jokes normally? Are you really human?" Said Lihua before she helps Tengfei get up.
Tengfei coughed before he thought to himself 'I also ask myself the same question.'
The princess’s eye surveyed him before asking “How... how are you feeling?” As she fixes her hair.
A reply was given after he felt his chest “I don’t feel like anything has changed which is a relief and where has that man gone too?”
”He... disappeared...” Replied Lihua.
Tengfei looked around before he told Lihua. “Let’s return.”
She nodded in response.
As Lihua observes Tengfei's back, she couldn't help but think to herself. 'Embarrassing... so embarrassing as what I said before.... and he heard it!!!' She couldn't help but sigh. 'Though I wonder which element his affinity grew towards to If what that man said was correct..'
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Thank you for reading!