What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 41

As the carriages trekked towards the sect, the merchant continued his effusive praise, praising Cheng once more.

"A young man of your talent will surely rise quickly within the sect! I can already see it! The elders will recognize your worth in no time!" he declared, laughing heartily. A bit too heartily.

Fu Ren was undoubtedly quite nervous sharing a carriage with a cultivator who could rip him to shreds in no more than a second.

Cheng remained silent, his gaze steady on the path ahead, staring out of the carriage's window. The merchant, undeterred by the lack of response, continued talking.

"As fate would have it, my own son will be taking the entrance exam for the prestigious sect you are part of, Young sir. He has a strong foundation, and I have high hopes for him. But, of course, the outer sect is vast, and without proper guidance, even a talented youth can struggle."

Clearly, the man wanted the best for his son, sending him to the most prestigious sect around these parts.

Fu Ren hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. "If my boy happens to enter the outer sect, and you happen to be there as well, a capable young man such as yourself... Well, it would put this humble merchant's heart at ease if someone looked out for him. Naturally, I would not let such a favor go unrewarded."

Cheng glanced at him from the corner of his eye, his expression unreadable. Then, in a voice as calm as still water, he said, "Spit it out. What’s the reward?"

The merchant blinked, then let out a chuckle. "Straight to the point! I like that. Young dragons among men must be direct and powerful like yourself! If you keep an eye on my son and ensure he stays out of trouble, I will compensate you handsomely. Gold, rare materials, access to my merchant connections, name your price."

Cheng hummed thoughtfully, his fingers lightly tapping against the hilt of his sword. "I'll accept." he said finally, his voice even.

"But only if your son enters the same part of the outer sect as me. I won’t go out of my way for some brat I’ll never even see."

Typically, Cheng might have replied a bit more casually and politely, but he was in a bad mood after what happened.

The merchant’s face lit up. "Of course! That’s more than fair! If fate is kind and he ends up in the same part of the sect, I would be forever grateful for your guidance."

Cheng’s gaze sharpened then, his silver eyes staring. "Good." he said, his tone turning cold.

"But don’t forget. There’s another favor you owe me."

The merchant's smile stiffened slightly.

"I saved your caravan." Cheng continued, his voice carrying an edge that made the older man shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Those... Bandits were quite the brutes. And yet, I was the one who dealt with them, instead of your guards. You haven’t repaid me for that. So I would suggest keeping that in your head, Ren."

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The merchant let out a nervous chuckle, waving his hand as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere. "Ah, of course, of course! I wouldn’t dream of forgetting such a debt. A man of business always repays what he owes!"

"If young sir passes by Green Lotus city in his venerable travels, I would make sure you are taken care of!"

Cheng didn't respond immediately. He stared, letting the silence stretch just long enough for the merchant to feel it settle into his bones.

"Good." Cheng finally said, turning his gaze back to the road ahead. "Then see to it that you do."

As the carriage rolled to a stop near the towering stone steps of the sect, Cheng stepped down, suppressing a wince as his wounds flared with pain. The two stab wounds, one on his left side and the other on his lower stomach, throbbed with every movement, the dull ache pulsing beneath the hastily wrapped bandages.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, his expression calm, but internally, he was cursing himself once more.

"Idiot." he muttered under his breath as he looked up at the massive staircase before him. The entrance to the outer sect loomed high above, the stone steps stretching seemingly into the heavens. Each one was carved from solid rock, worn smooth by the passage of countless disciples over the years.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng began his ascent.

With every step, his wounds protested. The pull of his muscles sent sharp jolts of pain through his torso, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself forward. There was no point in complaining. He had done this to himself.

Well, not technically, but you get the point.

He should have gone all out from the start. Should have ended that fight before it even became a struggle.

Another sharp pang from his side made him hiss under his breath.

"Stupid." he grumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "Should’ve killed them faster. You fucking idiot."

Step by step, he climbed, sweat beginning to form on his brow despite the cool mountain air. The sect's entrance was still far above, but he pushed forward.

Because no matter how much his wounds stung, no matter how much he berated himself, one thing was certain. He wasn’t going to stop.

And so, that was exactly what he did. After completing the mission, gaining his rewards, he settled into bed and slept.

As he woke up, the sun peeking from the earth, he moved the piece of wood he still had in his robes, and was surprised.

When he picked it up, it was empty. But now, it has a slight trace of Qi in it. The same twitchy, almost static like Qi that the chunk first contained. Lightning Qi.

Intrigued, he settled into the lotus pose and started meditating, gathering the surrounding Qi to invigorate him, just like he had done every morning. But to his surprise, the wood chunk in his hand seemed to draw in Qi as well, completely on its own, as if resonating with him.

At first, the Qi gathered into the fragment was similar to the one Cheng gathered. But slowly, it changed to lightning Qi. It was clear that the fragment, struck by lightning, had somehow gained the power to gather Qi and turn it into Lightning Qi.

Not only that, the rate of its absorption was somehow tied to his own. When he focused, it seemed to be resonating with him, speeding up. Even weirder, he felt something almost like a connection to it.

Cheng had not read that something like this existed. That meant one thing. This was something incredibly valuable. Especially to lightning cultivators, who would be more than happy to take it from him.

Cheng's grip on the fragment tightened as he considered the implications. A natural artifact. Or something like that.

He took a slow breath, steadying himself. He couldn’t let his excitement show. This was the kind of thing that could get a person killed if word got out.

His mind raced. Could it be refined? Formed into a peerless sword? Could he somehow integrate it into his own cultivation?

Or even better. Form a Lighting Aptitude?

But using this fragment posed a risk.

If this thing had a will of its own. If it was more than just an ordinary artifact formed by nature itself, then he had no idea what using it recklessly could do. He needed more information.

And so, that was what he would set out to do. But until then, there seemed to be no harm in using it. He wasn't one to shy away from this newfound way to gather more Qi, even if that might be stupid.

At the end of the day, he needed Qi to progress. And if this thing could provide more, at seemingly no problem, then he was in.