Lovecraftian Cultivation, He Broke His Vow?

Great Tang Dynasty, Qingshi County, Huanglong Prefecture, North Province.

In the Huayue Study, Li Qing was carefully tidying up every book in the shop.

Holding a feather duster, he swept continuously across the shelves, clearing away the dust.

Li Qing, a native of Earth, had been transmigrated to this Great Tang Dynasty for ten years.

Now a fifteen-year-old youth, he had an ordinary face and stood six feet tall, with only his eyes holding a hint of liveliness.

He had remained here ever since Mr. Huayue found him in the wind and rain.

From his initial bewilderment and helplessness to his current habituation, Li Qing had become an ordinary person of the Great Tang.

Because he was young and lacked any ability to survive, he could only live within the Huayue Study.

When he first came into contact with books, he discovered something that resembled a cheat.

There was a Jade Tablet in his mind; all the knowledge from books he had read or touched would appear upon it.

This knowledge would be altered by the Jade Tablet, its essence refined and its dross removed, transforming into entirely new books.

At first, he was pleasantly surprised, but as time passed, he discovered with resignation that while the knowledge was corrected, understanding it did not mean he could put it to use.

For instance, he had read a copy of the Doctrine of the Mean, which explained the way of Confucianism.

Even after the Jade Tablet modified it, it remained merely an ancient text, providing no substantial help to his life.

It only helped him understand more principles; compared to the knowledge taught on Earth, these lessons were more about the ways of conducting oneself and handling affairs, allowing him to acquire some skill in cultivating his temperament.

While organizing the books, Li Qing quickly finished the day's cleaning.

He went to a corner of the bookshelf where there were many new books that Mr. Huayue had purchased from traveling book merchants.

Li Qing opened them as usual, sorting the books one by one and placing them on the shelves.

As he touched these books, the knowledge within them would always appear silently on the Jade Tablet.

While placing the books, his expression suddenly froze; a new change had appeared on the Jade Tablet in his mind.

His heart trembled slightly. What is going on?

He hurriedly put away all the books in his hands, then quickly went to the shop entrance and sat on a small stool to the left of the door.

He focused his mind on the Jade Tablet in his head.

At this moment, a strange content emerged on the tablet.

Blood Refining Art (Category: Art, Foundation Establishment)

Cultivation Method: Requires the essence blood of nine living creatures; write the Blood Curse upon your body. After enduring the agony of Blood Curse Body Refining, you can extract blood-path essence from the bodies of any creature to strengthen your origin and complete Foundation Establishment.

Innate Minor Technique: Bloodletting; touching any wound will cause it to bleed continuously.

Cost: Observe a vow of abstinence from meat and fish; breaking the vow will lead to gradual alienation, turning one into an Anomaly.

New Version:

Essence Blood Art (Category: Art, Foundation Establishment)

Cultivation Method: Use your own essence blood to write the improved Blood Curse upon your body, locking in your dissipating essence and refining it to complete Foundation Establishment.

Innate Minor Technique: Bloodletting; touching any wound will cause it to bleed continuously.

Cost: None.

These characters radiated a faint blood-colored light, unlike any book from the past.

"Foundation Establishment? Essence blood, Blood Curse? Essence and energy?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Qing's mind, and his whole body grew somewhat excited.

"Is this a world of immortal cultivation? Does a path to immortality actually exist here?"

At this moment, his mind was filled with wild joy. He had originally thought he would live a mediocre life until old age, but he never expected the heavens to give him such a massive surprise.

Just as he was filled with joy, he suddenly noticed the "Cost" item in the old version of the technique.

"Observe a vow of abstinence from meat and fish? Breaking the vow turns one into an Anomaly?"

"Isn't this a world of immortal cultivation? Why would breaking a vow turn someone into an Anomaly?"

A strange look appeared on his face, and a familiar feeling rose in his heart—it was very much like the plots of the Lovecraftian novels he had read in his past life.

"Damn it, could this be a Lovecraftian immortal cultivation world?"

Li Qing felt a chill run through his heart. This kind of cultivation world was far too terrifying.

One wrong move and his sanity would plummet; another wrong move and he would turn into a monster.

His thoughts shifted again. "However, my Jade Tablet seems capable of modifying techniques, turning them into techniques without costs."

"At least for now, it's fine." A strange look flashed across his face; he had already decided in his heart to cultivate this modified technique.

"I don't want to continue this life of decades passing like a single day."

"In a world that eats people like this, I have no desire to be a commoner for the rest of my life."

A glimmer of resolve flickered in his eyes as Li Qing made up his mind.

"Li Qing," a slightly indifferent voice rang in his ears.

Li Qing's heart skipped a beat; he stood up in a hurry and called out loudly.

"Mr. Huayue, I am here!" He trotted all the way into the shop.

A scholar in a green robe walked out slowly. The man had a face like polished jade, handsome and dashing, with an inch of fine beard on his chin—the very picture of a well-read man of letters.

This man was none other than Mr. Huayue, the owner of this Huayue Study, who had picked Li Qing up from the wind and rain ten years ago.

His gaze fell upon Li Qing, his eyes cold as he said, "Here is a string of coins. Go to the market and buy an old hen."

"Yes, Mr. Huayue!"

Li Qing took the money, tucked it into his pocket, and hurried out of the Huayue Study.

Qingshi County was a large county with a population of 50,000.

Its primary livelihoods were agriculture, mining, and the North Frontier Forest located five miles away.

The people here were relatively well-off; as long as one was diligent, everyone could manage to put food on the table.

When he arrived at the market, it was still morning.

Many nearby farmers, hunters, and small vendors had already arrived with the previous day's harvest.

Li Qing strolled around carefully a few times, picked out a sturdy old hen, and spent the rest of his money on some yams to stew with the chicken.

With the old hen clucking and squawking, he headed back toward the Huayue Study.

Upon entering the Huayue Study, he saw Mr. Huayue sitting behind a desk at a glance.

He was looking at the book in his hands, a faint smile on his face, appearing quite intoxicated by the contents.

Li Qing carried the old hen toward the back hall, heading straight for the kitchen.

Having lived here for ten years, he had long since grown accustomed to Mr. Huayue's habits.

The man was an old pedant who was interested in nothing but reading and tending to the study.

All household chores were essentially completed by Li Qing.

In the blink of an eye, evening arrived. Li Qing finished simmering the chicken soup, ladled a bowl, and went to Mr. Huayue's room.

Because he was carrying the soup, he walked very slowly, his footsteps making almost no sound.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, a strange sound suddenly drifted from inside.

Click-clack... smack...

It sounded like some sort of chewing, and for no reason, a slight panic rose in Li Qing's heart.

Slurp, slurp.

The eerie sucking sound rang out again, and Li Qing felt a primal sense of horror.

He looked toward the room, but the crack in the door was pitch black; he couldn't see what Mr. Huayue was doing at all.

He hasn't even lit a lamp, yet he's eating inside? Isn't this a bit of an Anomaly?

Thinking of the content he had seen in the Blood Refining Art today, his heart gave a violent jolt.

Meat? Breaking a taboo? An Anomaly.

The thought that he had inadvertently acquired this knowledge, which was clearly recorded in the new books brought back by Daoist Huayue, crossed his mind.

Why was that book among the pile of new books? Li Qing sensed countless contradictions.

Could it be that Mr. Huayue has practiced the Blood Refining Art? And... he has broken the taboo.