"Screw that damn drunk driver, how can he drive in such an intoxicated condition! I almost lost my life because of him!" A youth started to curse the moment he wakes up from being unconscious.
From how he delivered the insults, it must be a traumatizing experience plaguing his mind.
When he finally noticed the change of his surrounding, he was shocked by the appearance of only fully grown oak trees and dense shrubs.
It was devoid of any buildings made from concrete or vehicles. Heck, not even an electric pillar is seen around him.
"Did I go to heaven? I'm dead?" the youth shivered as he thought about what happened earlier. Being thrown into such an out of ordinary place without an idea of what's going on gives him a chill.
Worst of all, he has no idea about this place at all.
"If this is heaven, shouldn't the god assign an angel to my side that tells me what to do? And this set of clothing, it's different from what I am wearing before I come here..." the youth complaint about being sent here without having a guide.
But more question is added to his puzzled mind when he noticed his set of clothing.
Instead of a T-shirt and Jeans paired with a pair of sneakers, he's wearing a traditional long-sleeved robe.
Although the pair of shoes is much comfortable than his sneakers, the feeling of wearing a long robe covering until his feet is a little uncomfortable, but since it did not bother him while moving, he ends up putting this matter aside.
But as his mind calmed, a noise of something sharp like an arrow piercing through the air came into his ears.
A flying sword with a human riding on top soared past above his head. It was a sword with a length of 6 feet long, and between a feet width.
The surprises of looking at a person standing on top of a sword and fly amazed him.
"Did I transmigrated? What is this world and why can these people fly in the sky by standing on top of a sword? Wait! I have to hide first! If they're ruthless people or bandits, I am going to be dead before knowing how I end up in this world!" the youth quickly hides under the dense foliage.
Since he knows that it will do nothing good for him, he did not go ahead and alerting the others.
But moments later, he remembered some much more important matters.
"I still remembered my previous memories what happened before I came to this world, which means, I transmigrated to a different world.
But is this my body or someone else’s ?"
With haste, he runs around the woods to search for a source of water to look at his own reflection. What will he do if he transmigrated and entered the body of a rapist or a bandit? What if he looked like a murderer?
But soon after he found a stream of water flowing, his anxious mind calmed once more.
He'd transmigrated and entered the body of this youth of about fourteen to fifteen years old.
Based on his facial feature, figure, and clothing, the previous owner of this physical body must be a young master from some wealthy family.
Touching the body here and there to inspect for any irregularities, he noticed a waist pouch hanged on his belt. As he already the possessor of this body, he brought out the content and started to inspect them.
A piece of jade, a bottle of bitter medicinal pills in an earthenware bottle, and two books.
[Understanding Blacksmithing Art]
[Preliminary Education to Pill Concoction]
"Zhang? The same surname as mine?" the youth took the piece of jade up to his eyes for inspection.
But the moment he did that, a voice came into his head while he was unprepared for this kind of shock.
[System activated.]
[System name: UPGRADE]
[Functionality: increase and promotes the quality of any material user can hold in his hand. Cost of the promotion depending on the quality of the material]
[To upgrade, kindly select upgrade via mental or spoken. As an example for the user's introduction, the status of an item will now be included in the tutorial. Please note that the user is entitled to observe the information of every object before and after upgrade]
Wooden Plank (Status before Upgrade)
-Attack: 2 | Defense: 2
-Durability: 5/5
-Information: A normal plank that can be used as a weapon like a baton
-
Wooden Plank +5 (Status after Upgrade)
-Attack: 4.5 | Defence: 4.5
-Durability: 10/10
-Information: An upgraded wooden plank that very effective and easy to use in a fight.
-Special: When the plank hit the backside of the opponent, increase pain the opponent suffers by 10%
"I actually have such an amazing ability! Is this the power granted to me as somebody transmigrated into this world?" the youth laughed in delight as he read and compare the differences between the two Wooden Plank's description.
Eager to try on his own, he brought up the piece of jade in his grip and waits for the description box to pops up.
Zhang Family Fine Jade
-Durability: 2/2
-Information: A low-quality jade purchased by the Family Patriarch for the children of Zhang Family. Due to the engraver's lack of skill, the jade quality is insignificant.
"From outside, the jade seems to be precious... But from the description, this piece of jade is some low-quality trash. If I tried to upgrade this jade, will the price go up higher or comes with a special ability?" the youth inspects the jade through his eyes.
After confirming that there are no people except himself in the woods, the youth gently whispers the word "Upgrade" while staring on the piece of jade. Soon, a strand of illuminated threads came out from his body and entered the jade.
It soon brightens the jade from within as the description box appeared.
Zhang Family Fine Jade +1
-Durability: 3/3
-Information: A low-quality jade purchased by the Family Patriarch for the children of Zhang Family. Due to the engraver's lack of skill, the jade quality is insignificant.
With a point of increment in its durability, the youth choose to continue. In a flash, he upgraded the jade three more times before he felt exhausted throughout his body like his stamina and soul was sucked out from his body through some unknown force.
Still, the updated description box that came into his view tells him that it worth the exhaustion.
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Zhang Family Fine Jade + 4
-Durability: 6/6
-Information: A low-quality jade purchased by the Family Patriarch for the children of Zhang Family. Due to the engraver's lack of skill, the jade quality is insignificant.
"I should take a rest before I continue..." the youth closed his eyes for a short nap. Since he was fine from being alone inside the woods for this long, he's confident that this location is counted as a part of the save zone.
Which means it will be fine for him to take a short rest to rejuvenate himself before continuing.
Unknown of how many hours passed, the youth wakes up with the sun is almost set. Since the exhaustion in mind and body is gone from the rest, he decides to continue with the +5 upgrade. Like usual, he whispered the word gently.
But as the strand of illuminated thread brightens the jade from inside, the sound from heavy footsteps came into his ears.
"Someone's here!" ignoring the description box, he kept the jade into the waist pouch before turning to meet their eyes.
It was two youngsters, both in the age similar to his current body. Based on the clothing they were wearing, their status must be a servant or youths from a small family.
The moment they greet him as the Third Young Master, he starts to pay attention to their words.
"Third Young Master, please come back with us. It is getting dark soon, and if we return home late, I'm afraid old master will reprimand us by not allowing us to eat dinner tonight." one of the two youths came closer to him and tidy up his clothing, while the other guy filled the bottle gourd with water and handed it over to him for a sip.
"Do I know you?" the youth swing his arm to get the two away from approaching him. Walking away from them for a few steps, he smiled as he thought a way to make this two servants answer all his questions.
Looking at how they treated him the moment they saw him, the previous owner of this body must be a debauchee!
"Young Master, please don't make fun of us. We already follow you since you're five until now. Its ten years, young master. How is it possible for you to forget the two of us?" one of them speaks and steps closer to him, while the other is scratching his head with questions.
"What's wrong with our young master? Tell me he's not trying to play with us. Anyway, we'll go along with his wish until he's back home. Else, our ending will be worst than not having our dinner that simple." the smarter one between them seems to caught their young master's game and decides to play along.
"My name is Zhang Da Yang, and this is Zhang Da Zui. We're your personal servants since you're five until now." the one closer to him introduced their name again to this young master. And like how they're named, Da Yang's facial feature carries a hint of a meek goat appearance, while Zhang Da Zui's lips are exceptionally long.
"Then, what' my background? My name?" he walked over to a piece of rock and seat himself comfortably anticipating.
Meanwhile, the two of them looked at each other before they came out with their assumption on their young master.
"We'll have to go with what he asked." they thought.
"Young master... Your name is Zhang Wu Ji. You're the third and youngest child of the Zhang Family's Patriarch. Your eldest brother's name is Zhang Wu Yuan, and your second brother's name is Zhang Wu Chou. Our old master's name is Zhang Qing Feng. We belong to the Zhang Family of the Li Jiang Town, one of the four major families in the town."
"Yes... Young master... We have to go back to Zhang Manor before the old master teaches us a lesson." said Zhang Da Zui. The two of them look nervous as if they were afraid to be beaten to death if they went home late.
Since the two did not carry an ill intention at him, he decides to follow them back for now.
But before that, he secretly touches the piece of jade to allow the description box to pops up.
Zhang Family Fine Jade + 5
-Durability: 7/7 | Special: Double the value of the Jade when sold
-Information: A low-quality jade purchased by the Family Patriarch for the children of Zhang Family. Due to the engraver's lack of skill, the jade quality is insignificant.
"An increase of selling value...." he thought.
Standing up and taking a few steps forward, Zhang Wu Ji looks at his two servants with an expression of a smiling face.
By standing at there for a minute without doing anything, he speaks.
"Do I need to take the lead to bring you both back to the town?" his question startled them. Following after, the two quickly take the lead and bring Zhang Wu Ji back to the Li Jiang Town.
Since it was weird that a young master like him suddenly wake up alone in the woods, Zhang Wu Ji questioned them why weren't they accompany him before this.
It seems that because of the challenge from the young master of another family, the former Zhang Wu Ji went into the Qing Spirit Woods alone without anyone accompanying him for a test of bravery. But after that, nobody knows what happen next. But this makes sure about something.
"The former Zhang Wu Ji's death is either accident or planned by someone else. It seems I have to pay more attention of people around me. If it’s possible, I will need to upgrade something I can use to protect myself." he said to himself as they continue their way.
[Li Jiang Town]
The name plaque hung on top of the entrance into the town state their name out for the visitors and fellow townsfolk.
Looking at the design of the houses and shop lots, Zhang Wu Ji felt a tinge of remembrance towards the building and customs.
The moment he entered the Li Jiang Town, Zhang Wu Ji monitored how the townsfolk live their daily life. Stalls were erected along the street, similar to how it was in his own world.
Although their vegetables and fruits for sale are slightly different from what he'd seen, some still carry a resemblance from what he knows back in his former world.
Looking at the fruits sold by one of the stalls, Zhang Wu Ji went forward to take a look. But his action generates a stare filled with hatred and anger from the stall keeper.
Worst of all, the other stall keepers carried the same expression on their face too as they stare at him with the intention to beat him into a pulp.
"Is something wrong?" Zhang Wu Ji asked his two servants, but instead of answering, they tried to pull their young master and leave the street quickly. After turning from the main street to a different road, the three of them stands just before Zhang Manor.
"The main door is made of heavy iron metal? For what purpose?" Zhang Wu Ji is surprised by the two metal doors positioned in front of the manor. But without asking further questions, he continued his way until the Main Hall.
The two servants of his kneeled just before a person sitting in the middle seat before they speak...
"Patriarch, we brought Young Master back from outside," they reported themselves to the old master immediately. But instead of responding to their report, the old master is staring at Zhang Wu Ji with a pair of burning eyes, filled with anger!
"You ingrate! Where the hell did you go!" he questioned the youth loudly. Looking at the old master almost explode from all the anger he held, the two servants sneakily retreated until they're covering their young master.
Based on their experience, their young master's next reply is going to come with two different endings.
Either be beaten into pulps before thrown into the Ancestral Hall or kneeling on washing board for the whole night. Luckily, the percentage for the second ending is higher than the first. Or else, their daily fate will be filled with injuries and resting on the bed.
"I was having fun in the woods today," he replied without a bother to hide anything from this so-called father of the former Zhang Wu Ji. As an orphan in his previous life, Zhang Wu Ji has been longing for the feeling of having a father. But it may seem difficult in this situation.
Because of the former Zhang Wu Ji's regular antiques of causing trouble, his father, Zhang Qing Feng, is always forced to teach this brat a lesson. While he was eager to feel the life of having a father, he's fated to clean up the trouble caused by the former Zhang Wu Ji.
"Did you learn anything related to Pill-Making?" Zhang Qing Feng questioned the youth. In the fifteen years of feeding this youth, never once before he followed the arrangement from his parents.
According to the Pill-Making and Blacksmithing teachers, They're out of the skills to educate his child.
In his mind, Zhang Qing Feng is complaining.
Throughout his life, he fathered three children with his beloved wife that passed away when giving birth to Zhang Wu Ji.
Among the three, Zhang Wu Yuan, studies in Military Strategy, Calligraphy, and Medicine. Zhang Wu Chou excels in Politic, Music, and Martial Arts.
But things changed when Zhang Wu Ji reached his fifteenth year.
The youth was expelled by the teacher in all the subjects his two elder brothers attended before the two remaining teachers gave up on him before classes even started.
As compensation for not being able to educate this youth, the two teachers provided him with a manual according to their own profession.
"Da Zui! Bring him to the Pill Making Room! Da Yang! Find Old Zhang Niu to ask for three sets of ingredients to concoct the Wound Mending Pill! Let me see how good is your skills in Pill Making!" Zhang Qing Feng ordered the two servants to follow his arrangement.
"Wait..." he wanted to continue, but the quick Zhang Da Zui pulled his young master to escape from the room, while Zhang Da Yang went behind the Main Hall to look for the family treasurer, Zhang Niu for the three sets of ingredient to concoct the Wound Mending Pill.
Moments later, the young master is in the room with the three sets of ingredients. The two servants that have no knowledge in any of all these things can only stand outside while waiting for their young master to complete his task.
Speechless and blank, Zhang Wu Ji stands in the middle of the room and stares at the three sets of ingredients arranged nicely on the table. At the side of the table is a bucket filled with red stones and in the middle of the table sits a Pill Cauldron about the size of a small rice cooker.
"Oh my god... How am I going to salvage this situation? Should I just randomly concoct something out from the ingredients?" he wanted to cry as he looked at the ingredients. Left with no choice, he searched the room for any hint that can help him until he stumbles across a small single-row bookshelf.
[Pill Concoction and Relation with Ping An Continent]
[How to concoct a Pill]
[Lesson to Concoction]
[Knowing yourself and the Medicine]
[Useless Herb to Worthy Pill]
[Understanding Pill]
"Oh, there's books related to Pill Making and how it supposed to proceed." If he went forward and added his own copy of [Preliminary Education to Pill Concoction], won't the bridge to craft some a pill already built?
All he needed now is to know how it was done, and followed the instruction carefully!
Without wasting his time, he took the six books out and placed them along with the seventh book in his pouch, and started to went through the information and teaching listed inside of the seven books.
But this means his bad habit kicked in as well because before he transmigrated into this world, he was a Librarian that eat, sleep, and work inside the library.
Using the skills of reading and remembering the details he learned and tempered from being a librarian for his whole life, Zhang Wu Ji quickly finishes his revision on the method to start making a Wound Mending Pill.
Some remaining time is used on checking out other stuff, before the door into the room is knocked.
"Young Master, Old Master says he will come to inspect you and your works!" Zhang Da Zui shouted right outside of the room to warn his young master.
Listening to his words, Zhang Wu Ji laughed inside his heart.
"These two guys, they're quite loyal to me." as a man with over thousand of episodes in watching historical, modern, and sci-fi dramas, how can he not understand the effort by his servants?
He immediately went to a different side of the table and started the Pill Making by igniting the fire from the red stone and placed one of them into the fire pit of the Pill Cauldron.
Holding the Blood Stopping Grass and Healing Flower in both of his hand, Zhang Wu Ji placed the ingredients into an arrangement that's convenient for him to start concocting the medicinal pill.
Following accordingly to the book he went through earlier, the process to make a pill became easier like cooking a pack of instant noodles.
Without spending too much in his concoction, Zhang Wu Ji completed the first batch of his Wound Mending Pill.
Accurate with how the book describes, each set of the Ingredient will yield a total of 2 Wound Mending Pills.
After he took the two pills out from the cauldron, he inspects them through the description box.
Wound Mending Pill
Recovery Strength: 5 Point worth of Life Source
Quality: Basic
"Hey, not bad at all." he smiled as he studies the two successful pill he made a while ago.
But before he can do anything with them, a kick came from the door and sent it open wide.
Following from the commotion, Zhang Qing Feng stepped into the room to see what kind of shameful thing this youth has done.
But the instant he saw the two pills in the hand of the youth with the yet to cooldown cauldron, his reaction become different from what he's expecting to do before kicking the door open.
"Wound Mending Pill? This brat actually succeed in forging two pills from his first set of ingredients?" he cannot believe what he's looking.
Suspecting that the youth may cheat, he inspects the cauldron personally. Only after he smelled the distinct bitterness from the medicinal herbs and the warmth still carries inside the pills that he approved his conclusion.
"Did you concoct these two Wound Mending Pills?" he asked once more to make sure he did not assume wrongly.
"Yes. The two pills in father's hand are forged by this child." Zhang Wu Ji replied in a very modest manner.
"Great! How great! Finally!" the answer he heard bring happiness into the mind of this patriarch of a family. As for the youth himself, he was thinking about how to take back the two pills he just forged into his pocket.
But at this moment, Zhang Qing Feng suddenly turned to where he stands and throws him a pouch of a hundred Gold Coins.
"Take this hundred gold coins and buy whatever you wanted to buy. You better not spend them in the Deity Pavilion, or I will drag you out from the building naked!" Zhang Qing Feng laughed as he stored the two pills into his pocket and left.
Without anything to do, Zhang Wu Ji took the seven books with him and returned to his room for some reading. And in a flash, three days passed. This sudden change shocked even his father, but he decided to ignore it.