Chapter 4 - Zi Family

Following his memories, Li Lang cut across the courtyard at a brisk pace. He found a lone pagoda in the middle of it with a large wooden sign hung right above the entrance. It had the words "Book Pavillion" carved into it.There wasn't anyone else around, so Li Lang took the liberty of letting himself in. Several shelves immediately entered his vision, with dozens of books on each one. It was quite underwhelming for someone like Li Lang, who had been to numerous libraries that were much more impressive during his student days, but it was still a welcome sight.Books meant recorded knowledge, and knowledge was just what Li Lang was after. He knew too little about the new world he found himself in and was only too eager to learn more.He quickly skimmed through the bookshelves and honed in on his goal. He brought the book to the table in the middle of the room to leisurely go through it. He had to place the book flat on the desk and climb up a chair to read, as his body was too weak to hold on to the thick book for long.I can read the texts just fine…I did get to join in our Zi Xi and Zi Xiao Mei's private tutor sessions, but the old me never showed any hints he had picked anything up. I was too busy drooling… Did I subconsciously learn it anyway?He carefully went over the geography book, paying particular attention to the maps. Some maps were very detailed, with minute details on the terrain, while others were simply labeled with a name with no other defining feature. Only the map of the local area had any details on it, which was how Li Lang discovered he was currently in Lingyun Town within the province of Yellow Qilin.The provincial level map showed Yellow Qilin was sandwiched between various other provinces, and one of them immediately drew in Li Lang's eyes. Adjacent to Yellow Qilin was a large stretch of land labeled Demonic Cultivator Territory. However, there was no other worthwhile information on it.The only other useful map was the large-scale one that showed Yellow Qilin province was on the southern end of a small island called Violet Isle that was just off the southwest of a colossal continent.There wasn't much else Li Lang could learn from the maps, as all the names of places labeled on the map were unfamiliar to him. Determined to remedy this, the old man in a child's body quickly moved to search for text on world history.However, he couldn't find what he was looking for.Hmm, I guess I expected too much from this place.Instead, he began going over the remaining books in more detail until he noticed the books from the farthest shelf all had strange titles.He glanced down at the new book he found, titled "Rabbit's Gait", and furrowed his brows.Li Lang began skimming over the book, and his frown only intensified. He found the concepts written within completely alien to him, showcasing how to perform a set of movements, and how to control the Qi within the practitioner. The book indicated if performed successfully, the practitioner could dash quickly and at great distances.If Li Lang had read this back in his world, he would certainly believe it was made-up nonsense. Now, he only felt curiosity overwhelming him, and his body moved on its own. If anyone from Li Lang's old lab were here, they wouldn't be surprised at all. Li Lang had been known to dive straight into anything that piqued his interest.There was no longer anything stopping him now that he had come across something that both piqued his curiosity and could be immediately put to the test.He followed the texts and tried his best to follow them word by word. The only issue was that he had no idea how to use Qi. The texts asked him to concentrate Qi on certain parts of his legs, so he tried imagining a flow of power gathering there.To his surprise, something happened, but not what was written in the book. A sharp pain suddenly attacked his legs, and he couldn't help but let out a yelp.No! I let my curiosity get the better of me again! That was a dangerous experiment to do with such little information…Have my impulses become harder to manage in this young body?The pain quickly came and went, but it was enough to make him collapse on the ground."Li Lang, are you in here?" A man's voice called out from outside.Startled by the voice, Li Lang panicked and tried to get up, only to slip back down as he lost his balance. His head was well in the upper ranges in terms of head size among adults. His little ten-year-old body was strained to support the disproportionate head, which made his balance poor.Hearing his fall, the man outside rushed into the pagoda and found Li Lang sprawled on the ground. He came up to Li Lang and reached out toward him.Li Lang quickly covered his face, prepared for the lecture to come, only to find his entire body lifted off the ground. He was carried onto the chair, and only once he got seated that he realized the man who had carried him was Zi Zun, the master of the house, and the father of his childhood friends."Master, I—"Zi Zun smiled warmly and patted his head."There's no need to panic, Lang Er. There's no need for you to be disappointed or afraid. Zi Xi has told me about the rumors going around, and I assure you, I won't treat you differently just because you aren't a genius."His head pats invoked many memories within Li Lang. The master of the house had cared for him many times like this in the past. He was kind and acted like a father to Li Lang in all but in name.A feeling of fuzziness welled up inside Li Lang, a sensation he hadn't felt until recently.The warm feeling only intensified when he saw the figures that suddenly peeked through the library doors."There you are! We were looking for you, Li Lang. You're here with father?" Zi Xiao Mei poked her head into the room before dashing inside when she spotted her target.Half a beat later, Zi Xi followed behind her, albeit much more composed."Come play with us, Li Lang!" the two siblings exclaimed and grabbed Li Lang from both sides.Seeing the antics of his children, Zi Zun smiled and sat back as he watched the scene unfold.Li Lang soon found himself dragged around once again, and this time, he was dragged all the way out of town. They didn't head too far, just toward the small mountain nearby. The siblings only released him when they arrived at the top of a small cliff that overlooked a pond surrounded by a field of purple flowers that Li Lang did not recognize.The flowers gave off a soft yellow glow that was even visible during the day."Look, Li Lang! It's the time of the year when the Nightembers are the most beautiful again."Li Lang stared blankly at the field of flowers before he noticed the siblings exchanging concerned gazes.They are trying to cheer me up…"Yes…This is an amazing sight no matter how many times I see it!" Li Lang said with a fake smile that soon turned into a real one when he saw Zi Xiao Mei beam from his positive response."That reminds me. We still need to have our rematch this year! Li Lang, prepare yourself!" Zi Xi declared and ran toward the shore of the lake.He then searched around and picked up several small pebbles before turning to Li Lang, waiting for him to do the same.The three kids joyfully laughed as they skipped stones into the pond and chatted merrily until the sun began to set.Acting more mature than their age, they swiftly returned home without complaint. By the time they managed to clean up all the mud and sand they had gotten on themselves, a huge feast awaited them."Xi Er, Xiao Mei, congratulations on being accepted to the Clear Heart Sect. Be sure to work hard." The loving father patted both his children gently. "And Lang Er, don't feel discouraged. With both Xi and Xiao Mei showing considerable talent, I'm sure they'll be able to earn enough merits to exchange some Ascension Pills for both of us.""Father! You should continue trying to cultivate your own power! You're at the peak of the Energy Gathering realm. It is a waste for you to stop your cultivation journey!" Zi Xi strongly said as he shot up from his seat."Enough, we've discussed this already. My work as a merchant takes priority as long as I'm responsible for this family. It'll be better for us to focus our resources on you two, who are much more talented."Zi Xi wanted to continue convincing his father, but little Zi Xiao Mei pulled back on his sleeve and shook her head. He breathed in deeply and relented, sitting back down.Seeing his son placated, the master of the house turned to Li Lang."You'll help me with my merchant work, right?"Li Lang took a second to go over his options. From what he knew from his memories and what he saw while he was out today, the materials of this world all differed from what he was familiar with. That meant much of his knowledge that may be able to help him earn a fortune wasn't possible until he found the right materials or their substitutes."...Yes, I'll give it a try."Merchant work sounds like it could fund my research. Maybe I can find a way to fund my cultivation too to offset my low aptitude.Zi Zun immediately smiled at his reply and yelled out to the servants to start serving the food. He picked up his chopsticks with vigor and took a hearty swig from his cup.The family all enjoyed each other's company and were excitedly chatting about their future prospects.Just as they finished the last of their food, a loud voice abruptly resonated throughout the manor."Ha ha ha! I'm here first!" Followed by the voice, the wind screeched, and the rooftop of the building where the family of four lived abruptly vanished.They could only gawk up through the exposed roof at the sudden development.