Chapter 1: Bodhi Village

"You should be grateful that I'm a good person."

At the end of May, the sun scorched like a blazing furnace.

High above, the sun seemed to hang like a furnace, and despite it being early summer, the temperature had already soared to thirty-five degrees Celsius. Even the cicadas had emerged from their burrows early to cling to trees and sing loudly.

"Chirp... Chatter..."

The unusually high temperature seemed to foreshadow something.

...

In Bodhi Village, Horse and Mule Town, City C.

Due to its isolation, this village remained an undeveloped, primitive settlement even in the 23rd century.

In front of a dilapidated house, villagers gathered with their palm-leaf fans, fanning away the heat while discussing the situation inside the house.

"That kid still isn't awake? He's been sleeping for three days now. Could he be... dead? What bad luck. His master didn't leave him anything useful. We searched the whole house, and aside from a broken cellphone, there's nothing valuable. Ah, this damned scorching heat!"

"Not yet. Someone just checked on him, and he's still breathing, but unconscious. Maybe the shock of his master's passing was too much. The person mentioned that he's wearing a jade ring on his right thumb, but it's gripped so tightly that several people tried and couldn't pry it off."

"A jade ring?! Let me take a look!"

A shabbily dressed man with a sharp face and gaunt cheeks eagerly interjected, his eyes glowing as he rushed into the house as if racing for his life.

The others shook their heads but didn't bother to stop him.

This man was an old bachelor from Puhé Village, without parents or children. Despite being over fifty, he had never held a woman's hand. Everyone understood his intentions, but they didn't comment since he wasn't one of their own.

The conversation soon returned to Chu Chuan. As they wiped the sweat from their faces and chins, they continued to discuss him.

"His master was just a charlatan. What could he have left behind? In my opinion, we should just leave him at the village entrance. Neither he nor his master were from our village. Staying here for half a year was long enough. Now that Ji Liuzi is gone, we have no obligation to care for him."

"Indeed. If she were a girl, we could have kept her to bear children for our village. But an outsider boy, once he grows up, would be hard to control. Best to deal with it sooner rather than later."

"A boy is good too!"

The monkey-faced man, who had just entered the room, gazed at Chu Chuan's sleeping face and chuckled lecherously. He nonchalantly shouted towards the outside, "You don't want him? Perfect, he can be my wife! After all, everyone has a hole, and once the candle is lit, there's no difference from a woman! And this boy looks quite handsome; I'm already eager to consummate the marriage!"

Ever since he laid eyes on Chu Chuan, the man had been tempted. If the villagers didn't want him, he would take him!

Thoughts running wild, the man felt his pants tighten. He glanced sidelong at the wooden door, wishing to shut it and claim the boy right then and there, before carrying him back home.

Upon hearing the man's words, the villagers frowned collectively. Some of them didn't even bother to hide their disgust.

This sort of relationship between men was too unconventional for them. They found it unimaginable, deviant, and utterly vulgar, inwardly despising the man's intentions.

...

Amidst the rustling noises around him, Chu Chuan knitted his brows slightly. He gradually withdrew his senses, gathering the dispersed spiritual energy into his dantian, before opening his eyes to look at the moldy straw shed.

His mind was in a jumbled state.

His master, Ji Liuzi, was dead.

Before his passing, he left Chu Chuan with two items.

One was the obvious fake jade ring on his thumb, which he claimed to be the "treasure of the sect." Despite his weakening state, he had personally placed it on Chu Chuan's finger and repeatedly exhorted him not to lose it.

The other was his lifetime's cultivation.

Chu Chuan's heightened senses were a result of his uncontrolled newfound power, inherited from his master's cultivation.

Closing his eyes, Chu Chuan began circulating the spiritual energy within him.

He had originally been at the third level of Qi Training, but now, he had unexpectedly soared to the fifth level—equalling his master's cultivation! This was an unexpected delight!

He had assumed that his growth would be limited to the fourth level, for transferring one's cultivation to another went against the natural order. It was impossible to fully inherit his master's entire cultivation.

Since Chu Chuan could remember, he had been by his master's side. Ji Liuzi always praised him for his exceptional talent in cultivation, stating that what others found difficult, like channeling qi into his body, came as naturally to him as eating and drinking.

If not for the scarcity of spiritual energy in this world, his accomplishments would have far exceeded what they were now. Of course, his unique approach to cultivation, differing from the traditional methods passed down by ancestors, also played a role.

Ordinary practitioners absorbed the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, while Chu Chuan accepted all, even malevolent and resentful energies, which accelerated his progress at an astonishing rate.

This had once filled the young Chu Chuan with fear.

He was afraid of becoming a freak once more.

But at that time, Ji Liuzi had embraced him and reassured him.

"The Great Way is formless; there's truly no fixed method to cultivation in this world. Paths can coexist without conflicting. It's a great fortune to find a practice that suits you, Chuan'er. Follow nature's course, and things will fall into place. Don't let your uniqueness hold you back. Harness what makes you unique, and you'll become incredibly strong—stronger than even your master."

Under Ji Liuzi's guidance, Chu Chuan accepted his difference, and Ji Liuzi kept searching for a suitable place for him to cultivate.

Puhai Village was one such place.

The overwhelming resentment here was perfect for Chu Chuan.

With a creak, the dilapidated wooden door slammed shut, followed by the sound of fabric rubbing together.

Chu Chuan traced the noise with his gaze.

The monkey-faced man crept closer, reaching out to undo Chu Chuan's clothing. But he suddenly locked eyes with someone who was wide awake. The sharp gaze pierced his heart, causing his blood to rush back up from his abdomen, weakening his limbs.

Though the man was attractive, his presence was overpowering, making it impossible to provoke him head-on.

The man's face twitched as he gazed at Chu Chuan's refined and stern countenance, swallowing hard before stammering an explanation.

"You... You're awake. I just came in to check on you. Cough... The village doesn't accommodate outsiders. If you want to stay, you'll have to be with me. I'm quite a prominent figure here. Following me would guarantee a life of comfort."

As the man spoke, his vivid imagination of a prosperous future seemed to alleviate much of his fear towards Chu Chuan.

Listening to his incessant chatter, Chu Chuan saw through the greed and malevolence lurking beneath the man's eyes.

His brows knitted slightly, and his face grew colder. Without allowing the man to continue, he raised his hand and unleashed a swift, icy gust of wind akin to a sword's edge, slicing through the lower half of the man's body.

The man first felt a sharp pain below, followed by the sensation of something dropping from his pants.

He looked down to find a two-ounce chunk of flesh severed from his body, a gruesome and horrifying sight with blood dripping profusely.

The man's eyes widened in shock, about to scream in the next instant. However, Chu Chuan, having just woken up, had no desire to hear his howls. He promptly lifted his hand to seal the man's vocal cords.

"!!" The man's pupils couldn't help but tremble violently.

With his hand covering the gushing wound, his face pale, he attempted to flee but slipped and fell to the ground.

Due to the fatal injury, it was a herculean task for him just to stand up, let alone walk.

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