Li Jie sat on a solid chair painted with burnt ember, unexpectedly it's comfortable to sit on. After half an hour, the door open and Ah Cheng walks out full of bandage almost looking like a burrito. His expression was of a concern old man wondering about the price of peaches, and he was restless, "T-thanks... But, as the son of a family of debts , I can't find a way to repay your kindness."
"It's okay. I'm really rich. It's but a small amount." Li Jie comfort him with the fact. It's refreshing to say, not even in a thousand years he imagine he could say those words.
"I never met a young master like Big Brother before. You are kind." The boy earnestly said with a soft smile.
"What... with the sudden praise? You're flatter me." His eyes wonder around the room, can't look at the boy because of guilt, the boy was so sincerely and he's saying that only to boost about his newfound wealth.
Near the night, the streetlight illuminated the ground with a calming orange hue. They stop at a two-story restaurant; they eat on the second floor to enjoy the view. It seems like today is a festival celebration, lantern flew on the sky making it look like thousands of stars flying in the night. Both eyeing the view with eyes sparkling with mouth gawk open in awe. Ah Cheng pointing around lantern animatedly his eyes full of wonder, it's incredibly cute.
Li Jie didn't know what'd he ordered, but it was full of flavors, the texture was soft and is outmost delicious. "You want to know what you can do to repay me?"
Finally hearing a proper respond after pestering him, Ah Cheng straighten his back with a serious expression. "Yes! I can do anything! Like carrying big brother's stuff, cleaning, cooking and a lot of heavy lifting work!"
Li Jie snickers. "What's that? Do you want to be my servant?" He said it in a joking manner but the other didn't seem to think it as such.
"I-I do..." He didn't look reluctant, instead he's happy to the offer and couldn't stop smiling, his manner bashful to the idea.
"Sorry, I was joking." Li Jie forced to admit. Ah Cheng was disappointed, he slump down to his seat. ".... As you can see, I am not from around here. Practically, everything is new to me because where I live is far, far from here and different from here. I need someone to be my guide so that I don't get lost. I am not short in money; so how about it little boy?"
"Of course! I can show you every part of the town if Big Brother want to!" Ah Cheng quick jump to his feet, excited to spend the night with Li Jie.
The idea was let Ah Cheng guide him so that he didn't feel indebted to him. Not too long after, Wu Haoyu actually have fun being walk around the town. Little Ah Cheng is a talented tour guide, he would guide him towards the most beautiful scenery, answer every question smoothly and let him experience the fun culture for himself, like flying a lantern. Though that one was stolen, and they run away from a few trouble, it was fun and the two laugh a lot.
Unfortunately, the night ends. Li Jie walk the boy home.
There's something bothers him. For some reason, he feels a slight uneasiness. He keeps looking back to see if there's someone looking at them but to see only a crowd. The feeling keeps on pursuing him, even now.
Yawn Ah Cheng close his yawning mouth.
"You're tired?"
"No.... I still want to spend time with Big Brother..." The boy barely half open, and his mouth couldn't stop yawning.
Li Jie picks up the boy to his feet and carry him up to his chest, Ah Cheng was surprised and instantly awake. "What— put me down, big brother!"
"Hehe, don't worry! Even if I don't look like it, I'm actually quite strong. And you're not heavy, just stay still. It's not safe to walk alone, especially is a street this dead quiet..." Because of exhaustion, Ah Cheng didn't refute and obediently give direction.
"By the way, big brother. I never ask for your name. I wanted to know more about you. And why are you wearing a mask." Ah Cheng stare at him with half open eyes.
Li Jie blink, he slowed his walk and avoid swaying too much so the boy will be sleeping comfortably. He wanted to remove the mask on his face if not the boy is resting on his embrace. "If you ask for my real identity, that would be difficult. I actually don't know what tell you." Yeah, which one, I have two. "How about you? I believe Ah Cheng isn't your full name."
"Ah Cheng... Mother likes to call Ah Cheng, Ah Cheng..." He tries to stop his eyelids from closing, making a repeating scene of closing his eyelash and jerk it open. " Ah Cheng name is Zhang Cheng...." He had fallen asleep.
"Oh, Zhang Cheng!" Li Jie repeats the boy's name with an initial smile. But then, the realization dawns on him. It hit him like a truck. "Zhang... Cheng.... Zhang Cheng. Wait! What's your name is again?!" He shouted with his voice full of shock. Strangely, the boy didn't respond. Given how loud he is, it's hard to believe the boy in his embrace aren't joint awake. "Ah Cheng? Ah Cheng! Wake up!" He tries shaking him up, but he didn't move a muscle.
He notices the odd scent in the air. Sniff "What is this smell? It's giving me a headache."
"Well, it supposed to put you to sleep instantly if you're a normal mortal. I guess you're the latter that wouldn't be affected by it." An unfamiliar and rough voice call out. It calmly explains Li Jie question with a lazy tone to it.
"Who are you?!" His heart thumped anxiously as he hugged Ah Cheng tightly.
"Ceh!" It was a different voice from the first, it was deep and growly. Two figure cloth in black appear behind him, seemingly out of thin air.
Li Jie discreetly takes a step away from them, "What do you want? Just say a word, I won't put up a fight. I can give you all the money I have." He cautiously exclaimed. Before, he was fighting with a bunch of kids, so he doesn't care being outnumbered, however right now it's two full grown-up man with a bulky and tall body versus him a small 12-year-old boy with no prior real fight experience.
"Huh, you do look like you have bunch of money, but I beckon it won't be as much as our client."
The was titled "Cultivation King raise to the top", fantasy martial arts novel about a boy came from nothing to becoming the top cultivator. The protagonist's name is Zhang Cheng.... Li Jie consciously glance at the boy in his embrace, the boy body is small his bone poke out of his skin and his cloth was all rag and dirty.
It's hard to believe he'll became the strongest man in the world...
Not really if he dies now!
A warning red light siren in his head. It was not in his head. There is a magical sign board on top of his head with a loud siren and red light! There's writing on them says- IF THE PROTAGONISH DIES, THE WORLD WILL BE DESTROYED. SAVES THE PROTAGONISH!
REWARDS: 100 POINTS
"Give us the kid. He's unfortunately enough to peak the interest of our lord. After that, we will go." The buffer looking one spoke, in a calm yet sinister manner.
"No." Li Jie glare, his voice cold and unyielding. He remembers this plotline, it's in the beginning of the novel. Zhang Cheng wanted to complete in a impossibly hard competition, where he has to strike a moving target with his eyes close. He intended to win third place for the money, but he won the first price that is a Rare Rank 4 elixir that can instantly raise your cultivation level.
Little did anyone know; it was a trap by a demonic cultivator. Zhao Lu is having a rotting body because of an accident that disorientating his foundation and in return eating away his primordial qi, he's dying. He wants to suck in other primordial qi, the younger and purer is better. A glimpse of Zhang Cheng, he knew he needs the boy to continue living.
"No? Didn't you said you'd give us what do we need?" The air feels suffocating as the two-guy cloth in black take a step forward.
"Let's just kill him and let's go." The guy that's behind the calm one pull out a dagger.
Li Jie fear take over his mind, "No, no, no! Of course I'll give him!" His character is only an unimportant character in the background no plot armor that can help him, he could truly die. The sense of dreed makes his whole-body shiver. The hostile one took Zhang Cheng from his arms, Li Jie didn't resist. He clenches his hands with the feeling warmth from Zhang Cheng that change to a cold air.
He can save him. But not right now...
His hand reach to hold Zhang Cheng hands, pulled him back to him. Within seconds, he ducks his head, feeling that a sword is aiming at his neck. A swift and piercing wind went fast above his head. "WAIT!!" Cold sweat drip from his neck and he swallow his saliva. "Let me come!"
...
They were brought to a wide and narrow residence; it was silent like a burial site and even the servant all has a dead expression like they weren't even living. The two guys stop at a large slide door, and when it open, they are greeted by sharp and wide boney man, his lip was long and thin, the edge of it almost touches his jaw. Seeing the boy in the black cloth guy hands, he smiles; it pulled back to reveal his jagged teeth, some of the front teeth fall off and the other that didn't had a stain of blackness that made his smile unpleasant to see.
Li Jie remembers that description anywhere, the rich merchant, Zhao Lu, a psychopath and monster that torture and cut 5-year-old finger without even blinking. Speaking of which, the book explains a lot of this first arch of the plot, it made Li Jie uncomfortable in first reading. Like, he doesn't need to know his finger was cut off in gore details with blood splashing everywhere and the other detained kids were watching in horror!
"Hooh? Who's this?" His stickily looking finger pointed at Li Jie with a pair of red eyes as if looking at an ant.
"The boy refuse to give the other boy and ask to bring him along. It seems to me he has a dead wish." The buff man laughs like hearing a funny joke.
Zhao Lu eyelashes slightly raise, "Oh yeah, why is that? Tell me little boy?"
The man smile spooks the hell out of Li Jie, a long lip stretches across his face carrying a sinister air like he's a predator playing with his food. This scene never happened in the novel, because he was unconscious through the kidnapping and only conscious at the dungeon where he was tortured. Zhang Cheng still is sound asleep, Li Jie heart throb at this precious kid getting tortured.
"You guys look like a bad guy. Why do you want to take him?" Li Jie already read his enlightenment on his goal, he just pretended to be curious to buy as many times as possible. Until he finds some opening, or Zhang Cheng waking up. From his experience, if the protagonist knows more about the threat it'll be easier to defeat it.
"Bad guy? You're too young, bad or good doesn't matter. What matter is that we survived in this dog-eat-dog world! Kill anyone that could get in the way, before they could even stand on their feet." He spoke with a melody that trying to sooth his rough voice, with the insane expression on his face, Li Jie hair stand on end.
"So, what do you mean? Zhang Cheng is just a weak boy that can't fight back when beaten till his nose and bone broke in half! He's pathetic really!" Li Jie lips curve in a forced and waving arch. Stress getting to him, his mouth let out a nervous chuckle.
"Oh? Have you seen him holding a weapon? At that silly kid's competition, competing against kids older than him, he didn't even struggle and dominate the number with no prior experience handling an arrow. I'm never wrong, when I saw a potential talent blooming, I can smell in a distance!" He takes a sniff in the air and look at Zhang Cheng and Li Jie.
Curse you protagonist halo! "Maybe he lied about having no experience and the higher number is only luck. Besides, he doesn't have any qi in him, by that even if he is talented, he's just stronger than a normal human being and never stronger than a cultivator." Li Jie wrecks his brain trying to undermine the protagonist talent and strength, so that Zhao Lu lose his interest.
"Highly doubtful, pure luck can only get you so far. But...to know if he had aptitude for cultivating.... Right Hand, check that boy pulse. " The buff guy hold Zhang Cheng wrist. After half a minute, Right Hand shake his head proving Li Jie theory is correct.
His eyes half close, Zhao Lu lazily rest his head on his hand. "Um... That's boring. It's just like bullying a normal child."
Zhang Cheng qi was block when he was a child, it was after this arc that he unblocks his qi— wait. Doesn't that mean, if I rescue him from here, the story will not progress because the protagonist will never begin cultivating, thus preventing me from completing my mission? No, the system goes as far to notify him when the plot is amiss, it shouldn't be a problem for him to solve it later.
Zhao Lu sigh, "Just kill the boy. He's useless to me now." That casual but cold and uncaring voice as if he's just telling his subordinate to disposed a broken toy.
The system didn't want him to follow the protagonist, the system wants him to not follow the protagonist! Because he's here the plot isn't going as it should, there's nothing he can do but think of an escape plan. He reaches to Zhang Cheng unconscious body, preparing to run or do... something! His mind is blank, he thought to himself, 'I messed up!' he didn't realize his grip on Zhang Cheng became tighter.
Because of the pain, Zhang Cheng finger fidget, "What happened..." His voice still sounds weak.
Li Jie voice got stuck on his throat, he looks like he's about to cry again. This time with fear in his eyes, Li Jie didn't respond. Zhang Cheng look around; two cloth man are walking towards them armed with weapon. "Don't come any closer! Who are you people?" He demanded.
The sound of their lord, the two men stop. "It seems like our little star is awake. Don't worry, I'll give you a painless death. Your friend over there, he piques my interest a little bit, I'm going to play with him a little bit." Zhao Lu said with his creepy smile.
Li Jie could feel his skin crawl, that line is what he uses to the protagonist in the script. Before he cut his finger off... His fear fogging his mind was so strong, he didn't even notice Zhang Cheng can feel him trembling.
Zhang Cheng though speechless and didn't know what to do, he jump down to his feet, he extends his hand up to the air like when they first met, a pose that says he want to protect you. "Let big brother alone! I won't let you do anything to him!"
The coldness in Li Jie heart suddenly melts. Zhang Cheng, you are the one that's in danger, why trying to protect me? Such an idiot kid.
Zhao Lu raise his head, "Why are you smiling like that." His voice is sharp, and his brows furrowed.
"Uh, I smile?" Li Jie stupidly asks. He didn't realize.
"Are you laughing at me? Do you think I'm ugly? Thinking I'm dying anyway?? DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID THAT I DIDN'T NOTICE?!!" Zhao Lu expression became more distorted with madness, his lips were smiling but his eyes are full of anger. He stands up from his seat and slowly walk towards him with an expression that say he wants to kill him. Li Jie takes a step back, his hand pulls Zhang Cheng behind him.
"How about we calm down first? Aren't you curious who I am? My mother is this country's richest woman!" He figures he could use his mother influence as a last trump card, but Zhao Lu is too deep in his anger that he didn't listen. He let out his wimp and smack them to the floor, making a crack.
"Right Hand, Left Hand. Call the cleaner." Zhao Lu voice is cold. Something tells Li Jie the 'cleaner' is not the one that clean dust and dirt.
"Yes, my lord." The two said in unison.
Ji Lie and Zhang Cheng didn't realize they hold their breath. Do they fight? Do they stand a chance?!
Li Jie did pack his sword before he goes out today, but he doesn't know how to wield a stick much less a sword!
His eyes land on Zhang Cheng that still firmly stand in front of him, not wanting to be pushed back. He clench his fist and ready to fight even though he stands no chance again a full-fledged adult and bloodlust demonic cultivator.
Li Jie take a look at Zhang Cheng, the boy didn't have plan to die, the fiery glint in his eyes planning to do anything to survive.
"You ugly old man! Don't come close to Big brother! Your smile is too ugly people would rather not see them in their whole life!" Zhang Cheng scream. Li Jie hope immediately shatter. This kid really wants them to die!
Li Jie mentally slaps his forehead; how can he have forgot? The protagonist possesses a sharp tongue, mocking every villain he encounters, he is prideful and stubborn. Although his adult self will mock others in a more sophisticated manner, at the moment, he's blatantly provoking them, literally asking to be beaten!
Zhao Lu blue and green veins become visible, more so under his ghoulish pale skin it looks disgusting. "What did you say?!" His grip righten on his wimp, he slashes it to Zhang Cheng's face.
Li Jie jumps and shield him with his back. His skin spread in a large gap, his bone feels like it had crack in half. Some of the blood splash on Zhang Cheng face. He let out an agonizing scream. "AHH!!" He should've dodge it, he can, but his body first reaction was to jump and save the kid. Too late to regret now, he already died before, why not save another while he's as it? Wait no, he didn't want to die. He hollowly laughs in his head. Wu Haoyu is not going to be happy about me wounding his body...
Zhang Cheng froze in horror, his small body tremble and his hand clenches on Li Jie's cloth. "BIG BROTHER!!" His voice loud, screaming his name like his life depends on it.
His voice so loud and distressing Li Jie couldn't pass out, seeing the expression on Zhang Cheng face, he tries to comfort him with a smile, "It's okay.... I got a plan...." His voice is incredibly weak, his breathing shaky as if the later will be his last. He touches his pouch, it was one of the expensive and rare space pouch that can fit a whole elephant in it and still has a lot of space. He has a sword in it.
Seeing such a tragic sight, Zhao Lu make out that wicket disgusting smile. "What a shame, I broke my toys. He is just an interesting boy. It's having nothing to do with him, but he insisted on coming just to protect a kid, who is so weak and useless. It's all your fault, little Zhang Cheng." It's obvious he's taunting the boy with guilt and he likes watching other people suffer.
".... It's because of...me?" Zhang Cheng remember the creepy man face sitting on a pedestal as he fight for a chance to win the competition. He's right, it was him that cause this.
Zhao Lu went close to look at Zhang Cheng wonderfully and utterly despair expression. In a step closer to Li Jie injured body—a sharp and cold medal penetrated his heart, the boy was fast he didn't see it coming until the sword penetrated his skin. "Wh-where did you—!" His eyes were met with a bloodlust and merciless eyes of the small kid holding the sword tightly with both hands. Zhang Cheng push the sword deeper into Zhao Lu hearts as blood flowing from his mouth.
He retracts out the sword from the others chest and Zhao Lu fell down to his knees and dark energy gather on the floor but before it could attack, Zhang Cheng slash the sword to Zhao Lu's neck. Blood spatter everywhere on the floor, Zhang Cheng watch as the light in Zhao Lu eyes dim and then he smiles. "To die in my hand..." He whispers coldly that even his childlike voice rang hollow in that moment. "...how weak are you, mister?"