The buzzing of insects that woke up through the night sounded through the area. Trees from the forest encompassing their shack rustled and the yard ahead of was pristine. No one would think that a mere five hours ago, he had executed the assassin of Ouyang Qianye, fooled crowd of disciples, enforcers, and an elder to shamed inner disciples.

Though, looking back on it especially, there was some regret at having not been able to rid himself of that problem as well.

Qianye banished the anxieties of those thoughts. He was in far too good a mood to be allowing such annoyances to rob him of his momentary peace.

He stood leaning against the door frame of the shack, silently watching as the elf returned with a stick that she had just broken off of one of the trees right at the forests perimeter.

"This one should be good," she said as she arrived before him.

"Thank you," he muttered back as he held it.

Earlier, as he had tried to quickly get himself up and out to go wash, when he tried to stand up, he had immediately fallen back down to his ass. Then even as he tried to walk, he couldn’t do so straight at all, wobbling at every step as he winced in pain.

’Who decided we needed so many nerve endings at the ends of our feet? Bring them before me now, I’m feeling very vengeful!’ He grumbled internally as he began walking himself by the support of the stick, into the forest.

"I will bring your dinner over shortly."

Qianye heard her voice behind him, and he only waved a little, hastening his shaky steps. He silently wondered to himself what had become of him after so many years in forced seclusion, to be flustered so easily.

Nevertheless, without glancing back, he smiled faintly.

The grass of the forest tickled his bare feet, and the smell of blood that coated him was relieved a lot by the ambient scent.

The relief of it all had him draw in much deeper breaths. It helped somewhat to relieve his pains, so he only did it more as he walked on, glancing here or there at some strange flowers that he saw and deeper into the barely moonlit depths where the canopy was thicker.

’Even if you want to make Ouyang Qianye a fodder villain at least make him have tried to educate himself seriously. I don’t know any of these colourful plants. What if one of them is poisonous?’ He thought to himself, keeping his path straight and away from everything potentially dangerous.

Eventually, he walked himself before a long, carved wooden table. Over it, he saw several different colour birds of ranging sizes up to medium size. They were all pecking away at a diminishing pile of some fine ground powder. Then the others, the bigger ones, were eating from a pile of bleeding flesh.

Qianye suddenly stopped in his tracks for a few seconds. His brain shivered within moments and he laughed faintly.

Having found himself somewhat consoled from the internal conflict that he had carried out of his ethereal soul realm, he walked with somewhat of a lighter step.

’She is still as brutal as ever.’

The birds, to his surprise, did not seem to mind his presence at all. He had continued walking, half expecting them all to immediately fly away from the brutalized remains of the assassin.

Qianye wouldn’t lie, it was nice to be received well by animals.

However, he still, despite the whims that his wilfulness wanted him to give into, did not stop to try touch them.

His whole body was already in pain. All he wanted was to bath, eat, receive his rewards, and restore his ability to cultivate.

The pond ahead was shimmering under the light of the moon. It was a large lake, more than enough for hundreds to throw themselves in. And the forest encircled it so blissfully, rustling.

His stick dropped and he gradually began to untie his robes as he approached its edge.

By the time that his bare foot was stepping him into the cool water, he was stark naked, his ass clenched faintly, bracing against the pain of his body.

Qianye hissed through his teeth faintly, and his second foot walked him in. And soon enough, he was half submerged and the lake would soon get him to a depth where he would no longer be able to stand upright in it.

His skin stung everywhere, all of the wounds shooting worse hurt through him. But he held through it all raising a handful of water, and he began to wash.

The lake water splashed and rippled. The birds behind him continued to eat everything down till their beaks knocked on the table.

By then, Qianye had scrubbed himself clean and was floating with his back over the water, mourning with a dead look in his eyes.

Qianye had gone far from the safety that he had initially said he would remain by.

And he felt as if his soul had truly collapsed this time.

What was it with this world and making him feel good then immediately knocking him down?

Qianye hurriedly summoned the system, hoping that it would have changed since he last checked it and there was something that he could do to rectify his newest misfortune.

Name: [ Laurent Saint ], [ Ouyang Qianye ]

Titles: [ Ghost of Fortune ]

Race: [ Human ]

Cultivation Realm: [ Crippled ]

Techniques: [ Azure River Art ], [ Falling Rain Sword Art ], [ Cloud Crossing Steps ], [ Blood Bane Art ]

Fortuity: [ 36’547 ]

Constitution: [ None ]

Source: [ Destroyed ]

Meridians: [ Broken ]

’Nothing...’ Qianye’s eyes blinked very slowly, pleading to the moon.

The flickers of his hope began to gutter. And in a last-ditch attempt, he asked the system, ’How much time is left until my trial ends?’

[ Your free trial ends in 00h 5m 55s. ]

Qianye felt his heart skip several beats.

Then he immediately began to swim himself back to land. Something to relieve him of this crisis had to come from his rewards.

’At least a shop! Just give me a damned shop so I can buy them back!’

He dragged himself through the water, finally reaching the point where his feet touched the ground and he could walk out.

There, he heart the soft rustling of feet, and then he heard her soothing voice, mutter delicately, "Qianye..."

He raised his head, and he immediately cursed Ouyang Qianye. Then he cursed everything else.

’...To hell with the heavens.’

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