Chapter 114 – Life 64, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1

Author's Note: I generally do not update the version of the story that is released to Patreon. If you want the best reading experience, check out the versions on Amazon and Royal Road. Below is the story as it was originally written.

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When I woke up, I smiled my most honest smile in centuries.

Returned once more to my small house in the Su Clan, I looked around at my surroundings. It was a tiny room in a shack made out of rotting wood. Some of the floorboards were missing, and the ones that were there were so old they’d nearly been worn through.

When I first came here, this house was a symbol of oppression. I was trapped in darkness and didn’t know any way to escape. This time, the small house began to feel like it represented something different. It was a symbol of freedom and possibilities. When I was here, I could choose to go anywhere and be anything I wanted. 

So, what did I want this time?

I sorted through my thoughts and finally settled on four possibilities. I could stay in the Su Clan and show the arrogant bastards what I’d learned over the centuries, I could visit the Verdant Fields Sect and learn herbalism, or take a riskier path.

I reached into the storage space in my soul and pulled out the large red coin that Pill Emperor Li had given me. He said I could give it to an attendant at the Blue Wind Pavilion’s main branch to request a meeting with him. I didn’t know if that offer would still be valid in this new life, but it was something I wanted to attempt.

Previously, using only a book written by the Pill Emperor, I had quickly been making my way to the peak of Pill Lord. If he was willing to offer me personal instruction, it was possible that I might be able to reach the limits of Pill Emperor in only a single lifetime.

The other possibility came from Formation Emperor Du. He suggested that if I wanted to become a Martial Sovereign, I needed to visit the Nine Rivers Sect. I had never heard of the place before and knew nothing about it, not even where it was located, but the idea of advancing to Sovereign was exciting.

I would eventually want to do all four, but which should I do first?

I looked at Emperor Li’s coin, and my mind began to drift. My emotional wounds had begun to heal, but the thought of rejoining the Pavilion, with its connections to my previous life… It still made my soul ache. I could do that later. There would always be time later.

Refocusing, I returned to the other options.

I also quickly decided to eliminate the Su Clan from consideration. Roughing up their Disciples would be cathartic, but if it meant I had to become a true clan member and act friendly with those people, I would rather avoid it.

So, it was down to the Verdant Fields Sect or the Nine Rivers Sect. 

Now that I had obtained the spatial fire seed, I could begin expanding my storage space. I hoped to eventually grow it large enough that I could plant a massive garden inside and produce my own herbs for alchemy. To do that I would first need to learn herbalism. However, there was no rush. Creating such a garden would require a space of considerable size to be viable, and at the moment, my storage space was only a box with ten centimeters to a side.

That left the Nine Rivers Sect. It was a mystery. I knew nothing about it other than a Formation Emperor had suggested that I go there. It would be a fresh start away from anything I’d known before. That felt like what I needed, but there were still debts I needed to repay in the Wastes.

Another thing I had to consider was how I would meet my ever growing demand for System credits. I had enough to purchase a single low five-star affinity, but I wanted to increase all my affinities to at least peak five-star so I could make Rank 4 pills without needing to be a Martial Lord. This would require a massive outlay of credits, and that didn’t even consider a variety of other purchases I had my eye on.

To get more credits, I needed to reach higher levels of cultivation.

I could try for Martial King, but I needed more practice in the Grandmaster and Lord realms to learn how to optimize them. For example, I had already found that pushing through Grandmaster quickly would require a special type of qi purging pill, but while I had ideas for its design, it still required research. If I could find a way to rise to Peak Lord in only a few years, I would be able to quickly accrue enough credits to form a solid foundation for tackling an ascension to Martial King and beyond.

“One hundred years,” I told myself. Staking a claim that I would do my best to hold myself to. “Ten lives, ten years each. I will use this time to experiment and push myself as far as I can as fast as I can. Then, I will return to begin dealing with my obligations in the Wastes.”

By carefully employing temporary reset points, I could put myself in a position to quickly amass a large number of credits. Intentionally limiting the length of each life would prevent me from getting stuck in dead ends and force me to explore more options. As a general plan, it wasn’t perfect, and I wouldn’t force myself to follow it if it turned out to not be viable, but I believed I could find a way to make it work. 

Still, I wouldn’t let my plan blind me to the world around me this time. I would only use it to guide my actions.

Decision made, I next had to figure out how to get to a sect I’d never heard of before. I could try using the System to teleport me there, but I didn’t know where I was supposed to go or how far away it was, and the more unknowns involved, the more the price of the teleport would balloon out of control.

I sighed. I had wanted to avoid the Pavilion, but it was the best way to get where I needed to go.

“System, send me to Dragon Gate City.”

Purchase confirmed. Cost 30 credits. 125,761,655 credits remaining.

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Walking through the city, I realized I had a problem. I didn’t have any money.

My storage space was nearly entirely taken up by a faintly glowing fire seed, leaving only a small bit of room in the corners. The only other things inside were Emperor Li’s coin, a small bag of seeds,  and a jade bottle containing my last poison pill.

I couldn’t purchase a carriage to the sect without money, and even if I used alchemy to make some quick cash, long-distance travel through several empires was extremely expensive. I would need to be making at least Rank 3 pills to afford it.

I considered a few different options, but I decided to try something out. Worse case, I learned something new.

“System, I want to purchase robes similar to those I bought previously, but they should have a design suitable for a trained formation specialist.”

Purchase confirmed. Cost 1,000 credits. 125,760,655 credits remaining

Ducking into a side alley, I donned my new outfit. It was a hanfu in various earth tones. The top was a pale ochre, and the bottom was a deeper mahogany color. It had accents in a variety of other pale yellows and browns and was embroidered with brilliant gold thread.

Looking like a respectable young gentleman, I exited the alley and headed to meet an old friend.

As I walked up the steps of the Blue Wind Pavilion, my knees almost wanted to give out. My entire body was shaking.

Seeing Mei again would be… difficult.

It had been over a century for me, but the wounds on my soul from causing her to commit suicide had yet to fully heal. The thought of seeing her again, of seeing her and her not knowing me…

I entered the Pavilion slowly, but no attendant came to greet me. It was the first time that had ever happened. Usually, someone would walk up the moment I entered. I looked around, but no one was walking in my direction.

I was both confused and relieved by the situation. I didn’t know why no one appeared, but I didn’t need an attendant’s help anyway. I walked straight to the stairwell and climbed up to the second floor like I belonged there. I knocked on WuJing’s door, opened it, and stepped inside confidently.

WuJing had been studying papers on his desk, but at my entrance, his head shot up and he stared at me.

“Hello, sir. How may I help you today?” His tone was cordial, but I could see shifts in his expression as he looked at me. At first, he was angry and annoyed, but then his emotions seemed to abruptly change.

His blessing had kicked in, I realized. WuJing had some way to tell how important a person was to his future. I wasn’t sure of the details, and I wouldn’t rely on what I half-remembered from our first conversation long ago, but I knew he saw something in me that changed his opinion of me for the better.

“Hello, Manager Chen,” I said, giving him a martial salute. “I need assistance. I am looking to travel to the Nine Rivers Sect as soon and as fast as possible. Would you be able to help me arrange that?”

“Of course, sir. You are…”

“Su Fang, not of the local Su family, of course.”

“Of course, of course.” He cleared his throat. A shift in his expression suggested that he discovered my lack of cultivation. “We can certainly arrange something for you. As you are no doubt aware, the Pavilion has regular carriages going that way, and you would be welcome to purchase a seat aboard the one next month. If you want to go any sooner, though, I must inform you that there will be a rather steep increase in cost.”

I nodded, took out Emperor Li’s coin, and showed it to him. “I wonder if you recognize this.”

I wasn’t sure if WuJing would have any understanding of its significance or not, and even if he did, I had no idea if it would help me in this situation. It seemed like something worth trying though. If the coin was connected to one of the Pavilion’s Emperors, it should carry some amount of weight in this backwater.

WuJing squinted as he looked at the coin. At first, he was just confused, but it only took a second for a look of sheer terror to cross his face.

“WuJing greets his imperial majesty.” 

He knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to the coin in my hand. That was not exactly the reaction I was expecting, but it was acceptable.

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier, emissary. I will ensure the swiftest coach is prepared for you immediately.”

Before I could respond, WuJing rushed out of the room. Shortly after, an attendant came in.

“Sir, Manager Chen has instructed me that you are to be given a suite on the fourth floor until your carriage is prepared. If you would, please follow me.

It only took a single day for WuJing to prepare everything, and he made sure I was resting in perfect comfort the entire time. I began to feel bad for the man. Showing him that coin had scared him, and I wasn’t even sure why. It was from a Martial Emperor, and sure, that was impressive, but this reaction still seemed to be a bit much. Unfortunately, I couldn’t come out and ask what was going on or I would blow my cover.

The System was of no help here either. Learning about what made the small coin so impressive was… expensive.

When everything was ready, WuJing came personally to lead me downstairs. We were halfway to the exit when someone stepped in front of us, blocking the path forward.

“Who are you?” asked Mei, staring me in the eyes. I saw a mix of fear, excitement, and joy in them.

I froze. What was I supposed to say…

While fear had made me lock up, Mei’s presence had the opposite effect on WuJing.

“Mei! How dare you block the emissary's path. Move out of the way right now!”

His words and tone made her afraid, but when she looked at him, that fear ebbed quickly, suppressed by her blessing. This made her turn back to me, and the fear exploded from within her, causing her to run away.

“Don’t,” I said, putting a hand on WuJing’s shoulder to calm him down. “Take good care of her, for my sake. Never treat her poorly, or I will find out. Understood?”

“Yes, yes, emissary,” he cried in fear.

“Then let’s continue. I have a carriage to get to.”

“Right this way, emissary.”