Kunlun Art

In the main hall of Lanruo Temple.

An Yang and Yan Chixia sat together, poring over a worn-out booklet and explaining it endlessly. Of course, most of the time it was Yan Chixia doing the talking while An Yang listened; he only asked Yan Chixia a question when he couldn't understand something.

A week had passed since they killed the Black Mountain Old Demon, and a week since his mission was completed. But because he had to learn the cultivation method, he had no intention of returning to the real world. The time here was ten to one compared to the real world, which was undoubtedly more favorable for his training!

Besides, he couldn't go back to the real world even if he wanted to.

According to Yan Chixia, this booklet was passed down to him by a senior from Kunlun, and he had to pass it on as well. An Yang could only memorize the contents; he couldn't take the booklet away.

So...

"Alright, let's stop here for today. I didn't expect you scholars to have such low intelligence—even worse than me!"

An Yang felt a bit embarrassed. His IQ wasn't low, but he was a modern person after all. Understanding these ancient texts was already a struggle, let alone a cultivation method a hundred times more convoluted than classical Chinese—mysterious, arcane, and utterly baffling.

It seemed he needed to allocate some attribute points to his mental capacity.

Back in the attic, it wasn't dark yet, so Nie Xiaoqian dared not come out. He began recalling what he had learned that day.

Due to various concerns, Yan Chixia hadn't told him the name of this cultivation method, but since Yan Chixia was a Kunlun disciple, An Yang called it the Kunlun Art.

Compared to the various divine techniques written about in novels, this method was hardly profound. At the start, it could strengthen the body and increase and lock in one's own yang energy; only later could one generate magical power and reach Yan Chixia's level.

At first, An Yang was disappointed, but he soon let it go.

Better than nothing, right?

At least he could indulge with Nie Xiaoqian without worrying about her draining his yang energy.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his phone.

"System, allocate one physical attribute point to mental capacity."

"Allocation complete."

"Hiss..."

An Yang felt his mind become refreshingly clear. The dizziness and fogginess from pondering the Kunlun Art moments ago vanished completely. He experienced a sharpness of hearing and sight, and could clearly feel his comprehension, thinking ability, and even reaction speed had all improved significantly. Many parts that had been difficult to grasp now became thoroughly understandable, like swapping out a computer's CPU—programs that once ran sluggishly now flowed smoothly.

Light flashed on the phone screen, and the data had changed.

Chosen One: An Yang

Physical Attributes:

Physique: 2.2

Strength: 2.1

Speed: 2

Mental Capacity: 2

Unallocated Attribute Points: 1

Mastered Skills:

Mastery of Combat (Intermediate)

Firearms Mastery (Intermediate)

English Mastery (Beginner)

Military Literacy Mastery (Beginner)

Instrument Mastery (Beginner)

Unallocated Skill Points: 2

Item Abilities:

Portable Space (1 cubic meter)

Skill Stealing (Unused)

Gate of Space (Unused)

An Yang stared blankly at the phone screen.

"Hey, is this all you've got? From the novels I've read, aren't Main Gods supposed to be omnipotent? Don't you have any exchange systems, reward points, or something?"

"Brainless!"

An Yang was taken aback.

"No need to be so edgy, I was just asking."

The system was silent for a moment, then text flickered on the screen.

"Those functions I once had, but I no longer do. If you're interested, you can create a reincarnation system. And, I am not the Main God. If you're interested, you can become the Main God."

"Create a reincarnation system? What does that mean?"

An Yang's eyes widened.

"You'll understand in the future."

The phone screen dimmed, and its usual aloofness once again caught An Yang off guard.

An Yang rubbed his nose, put away his phone, and pushed open the window to watch Yan Chixia practicing his sword below, beginning to think.

He now had an item ability—Skill Stealing.

Without a doubt, Yan Chixia's abilities were not weak. Though they couldn't compare to the protagonists of many grand xianxia or fantasy works, they were far stronger than characters in martial arts, chivalric, or tech worlds. Besides, he had no idea when he'd be able to go to a xianxia or fantasy world, and even if he did, he'd need a survival skill.

So Yan Chixia was an excellent choice.

But Yan Chixia had quite a few abilities. This was only the first part of A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, and the abilities he displayed were mainly three. Unfortunately, the second and third parts' Sword Flight and Myriad Swords Return to Origin were absent.

The first was talismans—nothing outstanding, barely better than an average Taoist. The second was the incantation "Heaven and Earth, Limitless, Cosmos Borrow Law," essentially a humanoid cannon. The third was the Sword Control Technique, allowing remote control of a weapon for attacks.

He mainly pondered the last two: the humanoid cannon and remote piercing. One excelled at area damage, the other at single-target attacks.

Both seemed to have their advantages. One was powerful but flashy, the other slightly weaker but silent. One required blood as a medium, the other needed a prepared weapon. Either way, they each had their merits.

"Sigh, choice paralysis..."

An Yang sighed and closed the window.

At night, Nie Xiaoqian appeared and entwined with him again.

"Master An Yang, do you want to become a Taoist?"

"No, why do you ask?"

Nie Xiaoqian lay limply in his arms, her smooth, tender skin pressed intimately against him. Her face flushed as she said, "Nothing, I just thought that compared to Taoists who exorcise demons and uphold the Way, most people would rather pursue scholarly honors."

An Yang's hand roamed over her body, toying with that soft mound, and found himself falling more and more in love with this naturally alluring yet sorrowful and delicate female ghost—not a physical obsession, but a heartfelt pity for her character.

"I neither want to exorcise demons nor pursue honors."

Nie Xiaoqian's breath was fragrant, her breathing quickening as she asked, "Then why are you still learning the Way?"

An Yang smiled and said, "You're going to be a thousand-year-old female ghost in the future. If I don't learn some Taoist arts, what'll I do when we argue?"

Nie Xiaoqian blushed and lightly punched him. "I'd never argue with you. Whatever you say goes."

"Haha, I'm joking. I want to make myself stronger, so I can protect you later."

"You're already very strong, stronger than Brother Yan."

Nie Xiaoqian said this, a ripple forming in her eyes.

An Yang hugged her, pulling over the white gauze beside them to cover her curvaceous figure, and said, "In a few days it's Qixi Festival. I wonder if Guo Bei County has a lantern fair?"

Having come to ancient times for once, he really wanted to experience an ancient lantern fair properly, treating it as a free trip.

Nie Xiaoqian shook her head. "There used to be, but now the court is in chaos, the realm is in turmoil, and bandits run rampant. Many families dare not even open their doors at night, let alone hold a Qixi lantern fair. Even the Lantern Festival fair wouldn't have many people going out."

An Yang felt a pang of regret. "What a shame. You can only go out at night, and I wanted to take you to see the lantern fair."

Nie Xiaoqian's eyes dimmed as she said, "I actually went to a lantern fair once, a long time ago. I never had the chance again. Now, even going out at night, I can't see anything."

An Yang said, "In my hometown, it's brightly lit every night, as bright as day. Would you be willing to go back with me?"

Nie Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment, then said, "Is there such a place in the world? Could it be the Qinhuai mentioned in poems?"

"No, it's a place completely different from here. There, you'll feel everything is brand new."

Nie Xiaoqian blushed. "As the saying goes, the wife follows the husband. Though I can never marry you in ceremony, wherever you go, I go."

"Good!"

An Yang nodded, then pulled away the white gauze covering her and pressed down on her again, feeling her skin smooth and delicate, her body infinitely soft.

The next day, he continued learning the Kunlun Art from Yan Chixia, finishing only a month later.

But perhaps he lacked the protagonist's aura, or perhaps his personality didn't mesh as well with Ning Caichen and Yan Chixia's. Despite his efforts to leverage his knowledge of the plot to build a good relationship with Yan Chixia, he always felt something was missing.

At night, Nie Xiaoqian stayed by his side. A fire burned in the great hall, casting a glow that made her skin look pale with a rosy tint.

An Yang hesitated, then said, "Brother Yan, I should be going."

Yan Chixia paused, then downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp. "I figured as much. You must be off to the capital for the exams."

Nie Xiaoqian watched An Yang by the firelight, a glimmer of moisture in her eyes. She was a clever woman.

An Yang added, "I'll leave tomorrow morning."

Yan Chixia looked reluctant. "The world is full of villains, and the road is fraught with danger. I'll see you off."

An Yang shook his head. "No need. Xiaoqian is with me."

Yan Chixia's eyes sharpened. "She can only come out at night. Are you not traveling by day?"

An Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Yan, after this parting, we may never meet again."

Yan Chixia grew melancholy at these words. He was, after all, a man of deep emotion and loyalty.

"Yes, the world is vast. 'Fate will reunite us' sounds nice, but when you truly part, how many chances are there to meet again? Little brother An Yang, I'll miss you..."

"Brother Yan, I'll miss you too."

Nie Xiaoqian placed her hand on An Yang's shoulder, still silent.

In truth, little escaped her eyes, but she was a woman from an official's family, raised on ancient teachings of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, with her husband as the highest authority. She understood what to say and what not to say.

In life, like many ancient women, she had hoped for a handsome husband, then to stay by his side forever, swallowing any grievances, happy when he was pleased, accepting a beating when he was angry, even if he took another woman—she would bear the bitterness in silence. Whatever her husband commanded, she obeyed.

Now that she was dead, many things had changed, but many had not.

After bidding farewell to Yan Chixia, An Yang went upstairs. Though he kept telling himself this was a mission world and tried to restrain his emotional investment in Yan Chixia, the impending departure left an emptiness in his heart. After all, he had lived here for over a month, yet he had to force himself to calm down.

There would be many more such occasions in the future. He had to get used to it.