Chengping Year 1, December 30th, afternoon.
Cloud Sun City, South City, Fallen Blossom Gang, Training Hall, the small courtyard where Jiang Liu lived.
After Jiang Liu finished meditating and withdrew his cultivation, he stood up. He stared blankly at the snowy scene outside for a while. The setting sun shone upon the snow hanging from the eaves, reflecting multicolored light that was especially dazzling. It was New Year already!
Wang Zhuang had gone home early in the morning. It was New Year's Eve, and the Training Hall had three days off.
Thinking of how he was all alone in this foreign land, he felt especially lonely on this day of reunion.
It had been over nine months since he came to this world. Ever since he embarked on the path of cultivation, he had been busy cultivating every day without a moment to spare. It always felt even busier than going to work before.
Though no one urged him to cultivate every day, whenever he thought about how people in this world possessed inhuman superpowers, he could not help but train even harder. He always felt a sense of urgency—the feeling that even his own life and death were beyond his control.
With a thought from Jiang Liu, a dark-blue light screen appeared.
Auxiliary System: Name: Jiang Liu Realm: Body Refinement (Bone Tempering 48.8/206) Alchemy (Beginner 37/100) Five Elements Fist (Great Mastery 219/600) Wandering Steps (Minor Mastery 144/800)
Jiang Liu looked at the light screen, his face full of gratification. Watching his strength improve bit by bit every day always gave him a sense of peace.
Where should he go? At a time like this, Jiang Liu always wanted to go out for a walk. Why not visit the Medicine Hall?
Jiang Liu arrived at the Medicine Hall. The usually bustling hall was deserted today, and he did not see a single person. He was just about to turn and leave.
Then he suddenly saw a figure cast by the setting sunlight onto the ground at the entrance. Someone was there?
Jiang Liu stepped through the gates of the Medicine Hall and entered the main hall.
Uncle Hai was resting in a recliner facing the entrance.
Jiang Liu walked over and shook Uncle Hai.
"Kid! You aren't going home for the New Year? What are you doing running over here?" Uncle Hai asked as he opened his eyes.
"I have no family left, so I couldn't be bothered to go back. The Training Hall is on break too, and I was bored alone. I never had time to look around before."
"Now I feel like wandering around. But why didn't you go home either, Uncle Hai?" Jiang Liu asked in puzzlement.
"Home? I'm the only one left in my home too! This old man has nowhere to return to!" Uncle Hai mocked himself desolately.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Hai! I brought up something painful."
"It's nothing! More than twenty years have passed already. This old man has gotten used to it. But you—you were so young when your family died. Weren't you sad?"
"There's no use being sad! A person can't remain trapped in the past forever, right?"
"Haha! An old man at my age is actually less clear-sighted than a brat like you!"
"Good! Come on! It's New Year's Eve today! Let's drink until we drop! Take my Identity Jade Token to the Dining Hall and order a few good dishes! I still have several jars of fine wine I've kept hidden away! Today, we won't go home until we're drunk!"
Jiang Liu took Uncle Hai's Identity Jade Token to the Dining Hall and instructed the Fallen Blossom Gang members from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall on duty to prepare several good dishes and deliver them to the Medicine Hall.
It did not take long for the dishes to arrive. Uncle Hai brought out his treasured aged wine, and the old man and the young man began drinking.
"Boy Jiang, I've kept this wine for over twenty years! I originally planned to drink it when my grandson completed his first month! What a pity I never got that chance!"
Uncle Hai recalled the past with a face full of sorrow, then continued, "Boy Jiang, do you know? I hate it. I hate my own helplessness, and I hate that I misjudged people! That wolf-hearted, dog-lunged bastard destroyed my entire family! Of my family of five, I'm the only one left!"
After saying that, Uncle Hai drained the wine in his cup in one gulp. Tears slipped down his face before he realized it, and Jiang Liu hurriedly picked up the wine jar and filled his cup.
Jiang Liu did not know how to comfort the grieving old man. He could only drink with him in silence.
"Did I scare you? Sigh! Maybe this is just what happens when people grow old! I used to think I could take revenge. But the sea of people is vast—where could I even look for him?"
"Forget it, let's not talk about that. What about you, kid? What happened? How did your parents die?"
"I actually used to live in the west side of the city. Back then, I muddled through life in a daze and didn't remember much. Then one day, my father suddenly died. My mother was overcome with grief and followed him soon after. At that time, it was as though I suddenly woke up."
"Afterward, I drifted through my days on the streets. As time passed, I realized I couldn't keep living like that, so I went to a medicine shop hoping to learn something. Then I happened to run into Master Lin while he was testing medicine. Maybe Master Lin thought I was clever, so he had me take the test to become an apprentice."
Jiang Liu told him about his background, half true and half false. He could hardly say that he had transmigrated here, could he?
"You're a pitiful one too. Have you thought about what you plan to do in the future? Your cultivation speed is very fast. It shouldn't be long before you reach Entry Grade, right?"
As Uncle Hai spoke, a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, like an X-ray sweeping Jiang Liu from head to toe.
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