Chapter 15: Once Again

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“Little Brother, you look… unwell.”

Liu Jin opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a yawn. The child blushes and quickly covers his mouth.

“Sorry, Elder Brother,” Liu Jin says to Xiao Nan.

The two are gathering herbs outside the city. Well, Liu Jin is gathering herbs. Xiao Nan is there to make sure no harm falls on Liu Jin while outside the city. Due to his status within the Xiao Sect, Xiao Nan has no need to bother with such things. For the prodigy of the Xiao Sect to use his time to guard the son of a local doctor is nothing less than absurd. Nevertheless, this is a task for which Xiao Nan gladly volunteered.

For various reasons, it is the first time the two have been together in quite a while.

“Master has been training my situational awareness,” Liu Jin explains. “According to master, I let my guard down too much while asleep. He seeks to fix that.” Liu Jin yawns again. This time he is able to turn his head aside and cover his mouth in time. “It has been… trying.”

Liu Jin’s words are only half true. While it is certainly true Old Jiang has been testing his awareness, Liu Jin has also been pushing himself to learn as much as he can. Before, Liu Jin had brief moments of free time, but no longer. Liu Jin uses his every waking moment to learn as much as he can. He devours texts one after another. He practices everything his master shows him hundreds of times.

Doing anything less would be folly. That is what Liu Jin firmly believes. After all, Liu Jin does not know when his master will reach his end, and maybe, just maybe, if Liu Jin learns all he can…

No. Liu Jin shakes his head. He does not dare think it.

“Hmm.” Xian Nan strokes his chin. “That does sound quite useful. I might try something similar with Xiao Fang. I have always said he lets his guard down far too much. Growing up as the heir to the Xiao Sect has given him too much security. He is too used to not being threatened.”

“By all means, please help Xiao Fang, Elder Brother. I am sure he will appreciate it as much as I do,” Liu Jin says, his tone carefully neutral. On the inside, Liu Jin is thinking his pain will be more bearable if he knows someone else is suffering through the same thing.

Especially if it is Xiao Fang.

Xiao Nan chuckles. “Your relationship with Xiao Fang remains the same then? Well, even calling it a relationship is a bit too much.”

Liu Jin just nods. After all, Xiao Nan is not wrong.

Once upon a time, Xiao Fang always had an insult ready for Liu Jin. Once upon a time, Liu Jin always had to bite his tongue when interacting with Xiao Fang. Their vastly different stations in life caused no end of friction between them. However, those days are gone. Their interaction is almost non-existent now. At best, Liu Jin sometimes sees him when he goes to the Xiao Sect’s compound. However, it has been a long time since they last exchanged words, hostile or otherwise.

They might as well not exist to each other.

“By the way,” Xiao Nan begins, “about the other thing…”

The teen trails off, not because he cannot bring himself to voice it, but rather because Xiao Nan knows he doesn’t have to. Liu Jin understands exactly what he is referring to. The younger boy closes his eyes. “That situation has not changed.”

“I see. I see,” Xiao Nan says, sighing. He is one of the few who fully understands Liu Jin’s plight. “A pity.”

Over a year has passed since Nine-Headed Snake God left his brand on Liu Jin’s body. Over a year has passed since Liu Jin managed to get the poison inside his body under control. Certainly, that Liu Jin is still alive in spite of his condition is worthy of celebration. That Liu Jin can now walk, eat, and sleep without being hindered by the poison is a testament to his skill. There is no doubt in Liu Jin’s mind that he will pass Nine-Headed Snake God’s test. He will survive the three years.

However, through all this time, Liu Jin has been unable to progress a single step in his cultivation.

It is just as his master predicted and just as Liu Jin feared. A year and a half has passed, and Liu Jin is still in the first level of the Inner Realm. The Dragon Bone needles inside his body help him maintain the unique flow of Qi that keeps the poison under control. However, due to that very flow, his cultivation has been severely hampered.

It bears noting Liu Jin is still young. It is still acceptable for him to be in the Inner Realm. Even by the standards of the Xiao Sect, Liu Jin’s current level is still passable. The issue lies not in Liu Jin’s level of power. Rather, the problem is that Liu Jin’s rate of progress has been reduced to non-existence, and the people of Eastern Port City have not missed this.

The whispers had already begun.

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“That poor child.”

“It happens sometimes. Some people hit a bottleneck too soon and never manage to overcome it.”

“Well, it is only to be expected. With his father’s condition being what it is, he should be thankful he even reached this point.”

“Yes, well, at least this will help him understand his place in the world. That family thinks too highly of themselves just because the Xiao Sect prizes them a little.”

Liu Jin hears whispers like that every time he walks through the city. It is not the first time he has to deal with something like this. People still whisper about his father every now and then. Liu Jin learned to cope with that. They were the whispers of fools who could not understand what an amazing man his father is. There was no reason to pay them any mind. Liu Jin knows he can learn to ignore these whispers as well. They are only the whispers of fools who have no idea what he has gone through.

His fists clench.

Yes, Liu Jin can learn to ignore them. In time.

“You know what, Little Brother? I believe a change of pace will do you some good,” Xiao Nan declares firmly. “How about leaving the city for a few days with me?”

“Leaving the city?” Liu Jin blinks. He looks at Xiao Nan’s face but finds nothing but seriousness there. Xiao Nan is completely serious about his offer. The teen is offering Liu Jin the opportunity to see the world outside Eastern Port City for the first time in his life.

“Uncle has entrusted me with some business in New Moon Town,” Xiao Nan explains. “I am going to visit the local branch of the Xiao Sect there and act as uncle’s representative. Naturally, I get to pick who to take with me. Little Brother, you are a disciple of the Xiao Sect. It is perfectly fine to take you along.”