Approaching the capital's entrance, Hun Yu noticed the guards eyeing him suspiciously. As he neared the gate, they abruptly aimed their spears at him.
"Turn around and leave! Entering the city at night is not allowed!" one of the guards bellowed, catching Hun Yu off guard.
Confused but sensing the seriousness in the knight's expression, Hun Yu reluctantly retreated, finding himself back where he started, just outside the capital.
Sitting on a stone, he thought, "What kind of bad luck is this?" Now he had to wait until morning.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, figures clad in black robes conversed.
"Do you have them all?" one asked, their features concealed.
"We're short one," another replied grimly.
"Hmm..."
"Entering the capital is not possible."
"We won't risk another trip just for one person."
"And if we make more movements, they might find us."
The leader nodded, their voice low. "Alright, just grab anyone you can find and meet us at the designated spot."
With that, the figure melted into the shadows.
A cloaked figure spotted Hun Yu, who was silently sitting on a rock.
"Hehe... it seems our work is done," they muttered.
Suddenly, a noise behind him made the figure turn, but before he could react, pain erupted at the back of his neck, and his vision went dark.
The figure picked up the unconscious Hun Yu and walked away.
...
The cloaked figure arrived at their destination with Hun Yu slung over their shoulder. They were met by others, similarly disguised.
"This is the last one. Let's move before anyone notices the missing people," one of them said urgently. Behind them, a cart held a collection of unconscious individuals - women, elders, children, all of them.
Hun Yu was thrown onto the cart among the others. The figures swiftly shed their black attire, revealing rugged faces marked by scars and unkempt facial hair.
If someone were to see them, one word would come to mind: bandits.
Time passed, and somewhere in a forest, a young woman could be seen walking.
She held a sheathed sword in one hand and appeared to be around 18 years old, with long black hair and a graceful demeanor. She walked towards a house that seemed to be the same house Hun Yu had encountered.
Her face was like a fairy's, and she wore an elegant dress of bluish color.
Soon, she stood at the door of the house.
Su Yan took a deep breath, determination in her eyes, and raised her hand to knock. Before she could, a warm and melodious voice came from behind the door, "Come inside."
Hearing the voice, Su Yan was surprised but did as instructed. She pushed open the door, a wave of cool air washing over her. Inside, a woman sat gracefully in a high-backed wooden chair, her eyes fixed on Su Yan.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back like a shimmering waterfall. Even in repose, Su Yan could sense the power radiating from her.
"Su Yan pays respect to Sect Master," she said, bowing her head.
"Little Yanyan, how many times have I told you not to be so formal?" the woman chided, looking at Su Yan with a gentle smile.
The last time Su Yan visited was a year ago, and now she had grown. The woman's gaze turned to Su Yan, noting the changes.
"How dare I not show respect?" Su Yan replied.
Yun Xiu sighed, touching her forehead. This girl was so stubborn. Giving up on the argument, she asked, "So, why are you here, Yanyan?"
Su Yan took out some papers and placed them on the table.
"Since Sect Master has been in seclusion and is unaware of the outside world, the elders thought of providing these documents detailing recent events and developments."
Yun Xiu raised an eyebrow. When did those elders become so intelligent? Had they gained some intellect after she left? She nodded but focused more on Su Yan's face than the documents.
One could see that Su Yan's face was very pretty, her figure well-proportioned, and she possessed good talent.
"Yanyan, you're becoming more and more beautiful, almost catching up to this sect master," Yun Xiu joked.
Su Yan blushed. "How can I compare myself to Sect Master? Beauty won't help me in cultivation," she said, her tone revealing how much she idolized Yun Xiu.
Yun Xiu remembered an old saying: "Beauty will wither with time, but a good heart will not." As cultivators, their lives were long, but they were not truly immortal unless they broke through their limitations.
"So, Su Yan, how are things outside?" Yun Xiu inquired.
Su Yan thought for a moment before replying, "This junior was focused on cultivation and did not pay much attention to events. I'm not fully aware."
Yun Xiu frowned slightly. "Hmm, why not read the report for me?"
Su Yan nodded, picked up the documents, and started reading them aloud, detailing recent events in the empire and the sect.
"And last night, many people went missing from the imperial city," Su Yan concluded. "The cause is unknown, and nobody seems to be paying attention to this."
Yun Xiu's thoughts raced as she connected the events of last night with the missing people. She remembered encountering a man named Hun Yu. There must be something behind the disappearances.
"Little Yanyan, do you want to go on an adventure?" Yun Xiu asked, her eyes twinkling.
Su Yan, who had been sitting silently, nodded eagerly. Who didn't like adventures? And with someone as strong as Yun Xiu accompanying her, it would be even better.
Maybe she could encounter some opportunity along the way to help her in cultivation.
"Then let's go," Yun Xiu said, smiling.
...
Deep in the forest, a small village lay hidden. It was no ordinary village, as cages filled with people could be seen, making it clear this was a place of captivity.
In one of the cages was Hun Yu. His stomach growled incessantly, a stark reminder of his dire situation. He glanced at the bandits who were eating peacefully and laughing. His luck, he thought, wasn't just bad—it was terrible.
All he wanted was to return and start a small business, growing it over time. But now, out of nowhere, he was caught by these bandits.
How much worse could it get? They had even taken the money he spent a year earning as a servant.
Hun Yu felt utterly powerless. These bandits had weapons, and some even appeared to be cultivators. How could he challenge them as a normal person and escape from here?
Suddenly, a series of notifications startled him:
{Ding Dong!}
{HOST IDENTIFIED: SYSTEM AWAKENED}
{DING DONG!}
{Congratulations! Unconventional Cultivation System Activated!}
"What?" Hun Yu looked around but found nothing except a golden screen floating in front of him. Rubbing his eyes to see if he was hallucinating, he confirmed it was still there.
He asked the person beside him if they could see it, but they denied seeing anything unusual.
Hun Yu stared at the golden screen, amazed that he could touch and move it around. He focused his attention on the screen, recalling the words he had heard:
"System Awakened." He knew a little about this concept from reading a few novels in his previous life, though he wasn't a big fan of them.
"System, hello," he said tentatively. The person beside him moved away, looking at him with a weird expression.
{...}
{Hi, Host.}
A voice sounded in his head, leaving Hun Yu momentarily speechless. Was this real? he thought.
{System is 100% real and is not a hallucination.}
"..." Hun Yu didn't completely believe it. Why should he trust the words of this system? Without wasting any more time, Hun Yu directly tried to see if it could be any help.
"System, will you take me out of here?" He waited, but there was no response.
"System, can you introduce yourself?" he asked, hoping for more information.
{Unconventional Cultivation System. As the name suggests, the system can help the host follow the route of being unconventional.}
As the voice finished speaking, Hun Yu felt a wave of confusion. Unconventional route? Well, whatever. The main thing was to find a way to escape this cage.
"What do you mean by being unconventional?" he asked in his head.
{Being unconventional or unorthodox means not following the normal route that everyone takes and doing something that others don't do or is considered taboo. I
n simple terms, it means a departure from accepted or traditional beliefs or doing things differently.}
Hun Yu pondered for a moment. "Okay, System, what can I do right now to escape?"
{Cannot Help.}
"..."
What kind of system is this? Aren't systems supposed to help their hosts? Why was his system doing nothing?
{There is a Starter Gift. Would you like to open it?}
Just as he was feeling displeased with the system, he heard this and hurriedly responded, "Open!"
{Congratulations, Host, for receiving...}F