At night, in the small courtyard of the Teng family estate at Dayan Mountain, Alex stepped out of the noisy house. Inside, his uncles, Teng Yonglei and Teng Yongfan, were drinking and playing finger-guessing games, while Qinghu's mother was busy serving food and pouring wine.
Tonight's banquet was hosted by Qinghu's mother to thank the families who had saved her son's life. Therefore, aside from Teng Yonglei and Teng Yongfan, the newly appointed leader of the Teng family's hunting team, Teng Qingshan, was also present.
"Qingshan, you're still practicing your spear technique!"
Alex walked into the courtyard and saw a young boy about ten years old, standing about 1.45 meters tall, practicing with a seven-foot-six-inch long spear. This boy was none other than Teng Qingshan, the new leader of the Teng family's hunting team and the protagonist of the Nine Cauldrons Chronicle.
Teng Qingshan stopped his spear practice and smiled at Alex. "Cousin! Is there something you need?"
Alex (Teng Qinghu) scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Qingshan, I have a favor to ask. I want to become your disciple and learn the martial arts you practice."
Teng Qingshan was taken aback, not expecting Alex to make such a request.
"Is that a no? I..."
Alex seemed to misunderstand, thinking Teng Qingshan didn't want to teach him. His mood turned very downcast, appearing deeply disappointed.
"Not at all! Cousin, you misunderstood."
Teng Qingshan quickly replied, "If you're willing, I can start teaching you right now."
In fact, Teng Qingshan had considered teaching Alex his internal martial arts ever since he saw him lift a 300-pound stone lock at the age of nine. However, at that time, Teng Qingshan was just a six-year-old kid, so no one took him seriously. Hence, he never brought it up.
"Really?"
Teng Qinghu beamed with joy. "Then, Qingshan, from now on, you will be my master!"
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
Simultaneously, Alex's mind was filled with system notifications.
"Side Quest—Befriend Teng Qingshan, Phase 2 completed. Reward: 100 Lord God points, personal progress increased by 0.1%."
"Special Quest—Apprenticeship triggered."
"Special Quest: Apprenticeship. Gain Teng Qingshan's recognition and learn his martial arts. Upon completion, you can spend points and medals to take the skills out of this world."
"Jingle!"
"The All-Heavens Reincarnation System reminds the host that you have received 100 fortune points. Current balance: 190."
...
Meanwhile, in an elegantly decorated girl's bedroom in Yicheng, Jiangning County, Yangzhou, a young girl in a nightgown lay on a soft pink bed, pouting cutely. "Oh my god! Why did I accept this development association's task? I'm still a student... a student...
Ah! What's happening? The overall progress increased again. Did someone complete another task?... Looks like I need to work harder too..." The girl suddenly sat up on the bed, full of energy.
In Yangzhou, at Qinghu Island, a young man practicing swordsmanship furrowed his brows. "The final victory will be mine!" He then swung his sword forcefully at the waves.
At Mani Temple, a fat monk paused his sermon to a believer. "Unexpectedly, someone completed another task. Fate is mysterious..." He then resumed his sermon with a smile.
At Sun-shooting Mountain, at the Snow Eagle Sect, on the grassland...
"Lord God points, fortune points, what is the relationship between them?"
Unseen by Teng Qingshan, Alex furrowed his brows. This wasn't the first time he had received such notifications. Just yesterday, when he tried to approach Teng Qingshan after returning to the Teng family estate, he unlocked the first side quest: Befriend Teng Qingshan.
In fact, Alex had received not just one, but two side quests related to Teng Qingshan.
The other notification had left him bewildered for a long time:
"Side Quest triggered—Teng Qingshan."
"Side Quest 1: Kill Teng Qingshan, personal progress increased by 10%. Conquer Teng Qingshan, personal progress increased by 20%. Randomly obtain one of his skills..."
Alex had been stunned. No wonder Teng Qingshan was the protagonist! Successfully killing him would grant a direct return, with incredibly generous rewards. Ten percent progress! Even one percent was worth 1,000 points and a gold medal, so ten percent was astounding!
"Cousin! Cousin!"
Teng Qingshan looked curiously at the somewhat unfamiliar Teng Qinghu (Alex), feeling that his cousin had become strange after returning from Dayan Mountain. His gaze was peculiar. If he didn't know his cousin had a fiancée in another village, he might have suspected something else...
"Ah~ What's up!"
Alex snapped out of his thoughts, realizing his behavior was off, and quickly gave a silly grin. "I was just too excited, that's all. Too excited..."
"Heh~"
Teng Qingshan chuckled, easing the atmosphere. He didn't overthink it; his previous life as a lonely assassin made him cherish every relative.
Teng Qinghu's request to learn martial arts sparked an idea in Teng Qingshan. "When I was three or four, or even five or six, no one took me seriously. A child teaching everyone Xingyi Fist would be laughable.
But now, I'm the leader of the hunting team and known for my spear skills. Should I... Not yet. My prestige isn't enough. I need to find the right moment.
However, my cousin's request has reminded me. Maybe my father and the elders won't believe me, but I can start promoting it within the hunting team. If my cousin shows results under my guidance, then..."
"Cousin! Let me tell you, this martial art is called Tiger Form Fist. It's not difficult to learn. You just need to mimic a tiger's movements and breathing, mastering the essentials. Come, let me teach you the first move."
"Ding! Acquired martial art 'Tiger Form Fist.' Learning it increases personal progress by 0.01%."
[Tiger Form Fist]
Type: Internal and external martial art
Quality: C-level (Three stars)
Note: Uncertified skill, usable only in this world, cannot be taken back to the Lord God's Space.
Certification required: 300 points, one bronze medal
Damn it!
The Lord God's Space's timely reminder made Alex want to scream. Hearing the certification conditions for taking the skill out, Alex almost cursed out loud.
He didn't know the exact price for skill exchanges in the Lord God's Space, but he knew this was steep. Completing two tasks had only earned him 200 points, and this certification required 300 points plus a bronze medal.
Even as a player with a favorable start, he hadn't earned a single medal yet, let alone other reincarnators.
Based on Alex's speculation, the key to exploring the Nine Cauldrons world lay with the protagonist and supporting characters.