I Have a Friend

On Xu Sheng's twenty-sixth day in Suotuo City, Ji Juechen changed his clothes.

He left the old ones on the steps, with a tear at the waist.

Xu Sheng passed by and glanced at them. He went to fetch water and glanced at them again. The third time he walked past, Ji Juechen finally called out to him.

"Are we still fighting?"

"In a bit." Xu Sheng squatted down and spread the clothes flat. "Let me see how bad the tear is. I'll get you a replacement later."

"No need. Sewing it up will do."

"That won't do! Look how big the tear is!"

Xu Sheng sounded concerned, but the corners of his mouth kept turning up, and he couldn't suppress them.

With that last strike, he had used White Wings to seize a position at Ji Juechen's side, then brought Crimson Holy Judgment down. Ji Juechen had already lit up his first Soul Ring and blocked the attack from the front, but the rest of the sword's edge had still sliced open his clothes.

After more than twenty days, he had finally done it!

He folded the clothes and solemnly put them back.

"Let's go again this afternoon. Remember, I'm level fifteen now, still nine levels below you."

Ji Juechen didn't argue. He simply went through their last exchange again.

"Come from that direction again this afternoon. I'll try blocking it a different way."

Xu Sheng nodded repeatedly. Ji Juechen could block it however he liked. The clothes were already torn, and he couldn't deny it this time!

Over the past twenty-odd days, he had been much busier than when he first arrived.

In the mornings, he went out on assignments with Du Wenhe, scouting the road for medicine wagons and learning to identify the traces Soul Beasts left along the way. Sometimes he stayed in the city to help move awakening equipment and listened as the deacons answered questions from Soul Masters who came in for assessments.

Two days ago, on their way back to the city, a wagon wheel had sunk into a mud pit. Xu Sheng had gone over to lend a hand, spreading his wings and bracing his feet against the gravel at the roadside to lift the wagon a little, letting the driver wedge a plank underneath.

Uncle Liang had been sitting on the wagon. When he saw the wheel start turning, he turned around and praised him.

Xu Sheng had said it was nothing, but once they got back, he stopped Ji Juechen, braced himself against a veranda pillar, and acted out how he had lifted the wagon.

"I planted my feet right here, lifted with my shoulder, and up came the wheel!"

Ji Juechen looked at his feet, then pointed to the open space beside the pillar.

"If you thrust your sword in from this side this afternoon, you could be a little faster."

"I'm showing you how I lifted the wagon. How did you start thinking about swords again?"

Ji Juechen lowered his hand.

"Go on."

Xu Sheng looked at him, then went on to repeat the words Uncle Liang had praised him with afterward.

They went out on assignments during the day and meditated at night, spending the rest of their time in the courtyard. Ji Juechen's iron sword was fast, so Xu Sheng worked out how to attack from different directions. When he couldn't match him head-on, he relied on White Wings to change position. He had been thinking about that tear in Ji Juechen's clothes for days before he finally managed to make it.

His own Soul Power had also slowly risen from level thirteen to level fifteen.

The surge when he first absorbed his Soul Ring had felt completely different from his progress these past few days. Even after first reaching level ten, he had continued meditating every day. The accumulation that had previously been held back, along with the power absorbed from the Soul Ring, had all been released when he broke through. Now, every step forward had to be earned through his own gradual training.

Ji Juechen had also reached level twenty-four.

Xu Sheng had thought he knew nothing but swinging a sword, but later discovered that he could sit still longer than Xu Sheng when meditating.

He usually spoke little, and once he began cultivating, he could go a long while without moving at all.

Xu Sheng went to the well and washed his face. Du Wenhe had given him the afternoon off, so it was a good chance to go back and check in.

The guesthouse had already been registered as his settlement point.

Back in his room, he hung up the mask he wore outside and logged out of "Soul Domain." The familiar room before his eyes came back into focus, and his phone was still beside his pillow.

As soon as he picked it up, a message from his mother popped up.

"Are you done being busy? Your dad says you've gone into the game again. Why do you love playing so much?"

Xu Sheng called her back.

As soon as the call connected, his mother asked whether he had eaten and whether he was settling in. Xu Sheng told her he had food and a place to stay, then showed her the training schedule he had written down.

"You train at night too? Don't you get enough of that during the day?"

"I have assignments during the day, so I can only make time at night. I met a swordsman who's really good, so I've been learning from him."

"Don't push yourself too hard. You dislocated your arm once when you were little. Have you forgotten?"

Xu Sheng glanced at the bruises on his arm that hadn't fully faded and tugged his sleeve down.

"He's teaching me. It's not like I'm fighting for my life. Don't worry, I know my limits."

On the other end, his father's voice came closer. "Xiao Sheng, show me that Martial Soul of yours again. You filmed it too close last time, and I couldn't see all of your wings."

"I have a video of me practicing swordsmanship. Let me find it."

Xu Sheng found the recording and sent it over, not forgetting to point something out to his father.

"Watch toward the end, when I jump over the wooden stakes. I couldn't jump nearly that far before."

"I see it!" His father's voice grew louder. "How wide are those wings when they're spread? How high can you fly now?"

"I can only glide a short distance right now. I can't fly high. Once I get another Soul Ring, it should be better."

"That's enough." His father zoomed in on the recording. "Your mom's asked me to clear out that bird's nest under the eaves of our old house several times, but even the ladder can't reach it. When you come back, help me take a look."

Xu Sheng stared blankly for two seconds.

"Dad, this is an angel Martial Soul."

"I can see that. It's white and looks pretty good."

"I mean, you want me to use it to clear out a bird's nest?"

"It won't get in the way of your sword practice. It's just a little thing. Why don't you want to do it?"

Xu Sheng opened his mouth but couldn't find a reply.

On the other end of the phone, his mother burst out laughing first.

After laughing for a while, his mother leaned closer and asked, "What kind of Martial Souls will we have if we go in? Will they grow on our bodies like that too?"

"Not necessarily. You won't know until you awaken them. There are Beast Martial Souls, and there are ones you hold in your hands. Knives, swords, all sorts."

"Then I'll have to give it a try," his father said. "We can't have you be the only one in the family who knows how to play."

"All right, tell me before you go in," Xu Sheng reminded them. "But don't just follow those posts online. When you first go in, you won't have Soul Rings. If you actually run into a Soul Beast and can't outrun it, you can't outrun it."

His father agreed, then asked whether he needed anything.

"No. I even earned a little money, and I was just about to tell you."

Before the call ended, Xu Sheng transferred some of the money he had exchanged from his earlier bounty and told his father to replace the rice cooker they had used for years and buy the pair of shoes his mother had wanted last time.

His mother still wanted him to keep it for himself, but his father had already spoken up.

"We'll buy them. I'll go with her later. Keep enough for yourself too, and don't give it all to us."

After hanging up, Xu Sheng sat by the bed for a while, the corners of his mouth raised the whole time.

He had sent money home before, but he rarely talked to his father about what he was doing. Old Xu couldn't make sense of his work, so after a couple of questions, he would change the subject.

Now, though, he watched a sword practice recording over and over, even zooming in to study the feathers.

Xu Sheng went to the kitchen and made himself something to eat, browsing the forum as he ate.

The posts on the front page about following the original story's route had already been replaced several times over.

Some people had gone to Heaven Dou City to look for academies, while others waited outside Shrek, hoping to become familiar faces. Some were still asking where to find a boat to Sea God Island, and the replies told them to learn how to swim first.

A death report had been pushed high up the page.

The poster had originally been level seven, but had dropped to level six after dying and had to wait a full day in real life before he could enter again. He had wanted to go back for a bundle hidden under a tree, only to find that six days had already passed on the continent. Even the grass shelter he had built was gone.

Some people below told him to take it in stride. Others asked for the bundle's coordinates, saying they could check whether it was still there for him.

The poster had replied with just one sentence: "Stay away from my stuff."

Xu Sheng smiled and didn't join the commotion in the replies.

When he went out, he tried to carry his belongings with him. Once a bundle was separated from its owner, he couldn't count on someone else to keep an eye on it so easily.

His phone vibrated again, and a friend message from "Soul Domain" popped up.

Yu Cheng asked whether he was free today.

"I have a friend who's reached level ten and wants to find his first Soul Ring. Aren't you in Spirit Hall? Help me ask how it's normally done."

Xu Sheng glanced at his profile picture.

"This friend of yours wouldn't happen to be surnamed Yu, would he?"

After a while, Yu Cheng sent back a smiley face.

"All right, all right, it's me. I've got a few others with me too. First help me ask about the important stuff."

Xu Sheng put away his bowl, went back into "Soul Domain," and replied.

"First, the important question: are you willing to join Spirit Hall?"

"We are. We just weren't sure, so I came to ask you."

Xu Sheng immediately sat up straight.

"You should've said so earlier! How many are level ten? What are their Martial Souls?"

"Three including me: Black-Armored Rhinoceros, Cloud-Piercing Bow, and Silver-Patterned Leopard. The rest aren't quite there yet."

Defense, ranged attack, and agility attack. That was a pretty complete lineup.

Xu Sheng glanced toward the front courtyard. Shen Zhaolin had said just last night that they were short of people for outside assignments. Now weren't some people coming to them?

"Send me the details and I'll pass them along. Come over today if you can make it. The next Soul Hunting trip hasn't set out yet. Don't waste another few days and miss it again."

"Great, you're a true friend! Once I get my first ring, I'll definitely have a proper fight with you."

Xu Sheng smiled at the message.

Such a fine Black-Armored Rhinoceros, and so eager too. He had to make sure he grew up strong.

"By the way, what level are you now? Have you found your first ring yet?"

"Fifteen. I've already got my first ring."

"Fifteen? That fast! What Soul Skill did you get? Let me see it."

Xu Sheng laid his sword across his knees, summoned a little crimson-gold light, and sent over a few seconds of recording.

The reply came quickly. "Nice! I thought you spent every day standing guard at the hall and didn't have time to level up."

"It's not just the Soul Ring. I also have a friend here who practices swordsmanship. He's level twenty-four."

Yu Cheng didn't reply for a long while.

Xu Sheng picked up his water, took a sip, and waited.

A moment later, a message finally came through: "If I come over now, will I still make it in time for dinner?"

"Hurry. If you're late, there'll only be soup left."

After replying, Xu Sheng watched the crimson-gold sword light again.

Lifting wagons by day and practicing swordsmanship at night—what was so bad about staying at the hall? He had already obtained what other people were still asking around for.

"Once you get your ring, let's have a match."

"Sure, we'll give it a try then. But let's agree on this first: you have to let me figure out my Soul Skill."

Xu Sheng was just about to reply when Ji Juechen came in through the doorway, carrying two short wooden sticks.

"Use these. I want to try that sword strike from this morning."

Xu Sheng glanced at his clothes.

"Have you figured out another way to block it?"

"Mm."

"I might not do it the same way I did this morning."

"All the better."

Xu Sheng set down his cup and reached for a stick. After spending so much time with Ji Juechen, he had gotten a little hooked himself. Whenever he had a new idea, he wanted to test it against him.

Ji Juechen stood by the door with the other stick, waiting for him. Xu Sheng was just about to go with him to the training ground when they ran into Du Wenhe.

Du Wenhe put a register on the table.

"In a few days, I'm going out of the city to awaken Martial Souls for the children in several nearby villages. We're still short of people to escort the equipment and help look after the children. Are you free?"

"Going to the villages for awakenings? Where will this trip take us?"

Xu Sheng took the register. The first few pages listed village names and roads, while the children's names came afterward.

He had lived in Suotuo City for more than twenty days, but when he went out, he mostly followed the hall's established routes. He hadn't been to those places on the map yet.

"I'll go. Juechen can come too, and we can bring a few more outsiders. How about it?"

Du Wenhe looked at him.

Xu Sheng spread the register open and pointed to several villages along the route.

"Someone needs to watch the equipment, and when there are a lot of people, we'll need hands to look after them. If there's anyone suitable in the hall, could you put a team together for us? After this trip, we'll be familiar with each other when we get back."

He had long wanted a few regular companions. He had a Soul Ring, connections, and Ji Juechen. If he didn't make arrangements now, was he supposed to wait until everyone else had picked their people and then scavenge what was left?

Du Wenhe flipped through the register in his hands.

"There really are three. They hunted their first rings not long ago, and I was just wondering how to arrange things for them. I'll call them together in a few days, and you can see for yourself."

"I'll go with you," Ji Juechen said.

"Then let's look over the route together." Xu Sheng moved the register toward the middle, pointed to the first village, and asked Du Wenhe to explain how they should travel the route.