"Here." After a long silence, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, handing it over to Lin Kai.
"I can see you still have the heart to pursue martial arts," he said in a calm, measured voice. "There's a rule in the Ji family: if a servant steps into the martial path, they can join the family as guards."
"This is a rune of exploration. It's a one-time-use item, but it can scan a five-meter radius around you. If there are any precious herbs or materials nearby, it will reveal them." He paused briefly before continuing, "You can try your luck in Herb Mountain. It's open to servants, and if you find something valuable, you can either use it yourself or sell it to the family at a decent price. But remember, you can only visit on your day off. And be warned... it's extremely dangerous. The mountain range spans tens of thousands of miles, and Herb Mountain is just the outermost part of it. Beyond that, everything depends on your luck."
With those final words, the man stretched, turned on his heel, and strolled away, leaving Lin Kai standing in a daze.
"This... this..." Lin Kai wasn't stammering because of what the man had said. His eyes were locked on the small window that appeared the moment he touched the paper.
[Absorb Rune of Exploration?]
[Yes/No]
Resisting the urge to select [Yes] immediately, Lin Kai shoved the paper into his pocket and suppressed the rush of excitement. "Finally," he muttered under his breath.
He had spent countless hours wracking his brain, trying to figure out what to absorb next. For a while, he had almost given up hope of finding something useful in the short term. But who could have predicted that a simple chat with a stranger would lead to such an unexpected gift?
Though many things about today didn't add up, Lin Kai decided not to dwell on it. Even if there were hidden motives behind the man's actions, Lin Kai was not in a position to understand them, let alone form any plans.
"Thank you," he called out, bowing deeply. The man waved a hand dismissively, not even bothering to look back.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Kai turned and headed back to his room. He intended to absorb the rune during nighttime, just to be on the safe side and to avoid any unwanted surprises.
----------
After parting ways with Lin Kai, the man wandered aimlessly for a while before eventually stopping at a familiar clearing surrounded by a dense bamboo forest, his usual spot. He sat down, closed his eyes, and began regulating his breathing.
"It's the sixteenth one already." A cold, emotionless voice rang in his ears, breaking the silence.
"..." The man opened his eyes but didn't turn around. He sighed heavily.
"What are you trying to accomplish?" the voice pressed, clearly dissatisfied.
"..." His silence was answer enough.
"Snort... You're putting too much faith in that old man's prophecy. I've told you before, he's a fraud. Stop chasing this nonsense and focus on the family instead of planting these so-called 'seeds for the future.'" The voice grew more agitated. "You're wasting everyone's time, handing out those useless trinkets to these boys. It's time to stop."
"Heh..." The man chuckled softly and closed his eyes again. No matter how much the voice grumbled and complained after that, he didn't respond.
----------
"Brother Lin..." When Lin Kai finally arrived at his residence, he found Bo Qin waiting for him.
The tall, rough-faced man stood awkwardly, his black robes hanging loosely, his scattered hair giving him an appearance older than his actual age. After looking at him, Lin Kai just let out a sigh.
"Brother Lin, are you... okay?" Bo Qin's voice held a mix of hesitation and guilt as he avoided Lin Kai's gaze.
"No thanks to you," Lin Kai replied with a chuckle, the sarcasm clear in his voice. He still remembered how Bo Qin had been the first to run away. For a moment, Lin Kai even wondered if Bo Qin had secretly practiced some movement technique.
"You can't blame me." Bo Qin rubbed his nose awkwardly, looking at the ground. "You saw that man's strength, right? Even if the two of us had faced him together, we wouldn't have stood a chance. So... I thought it best to retreat first, and take revenge for you in the future."
"So, you ran away like a coward?" Lin Kai asked, shaking his head.
"No, it was a... strategic retreat." Bo Qin replied, shamelessly, though the nervous stutter in his voice betrayed him.
Lin Kai stared at him for a long moment. With each passing second, Bo Qin squirmed more, clearly feeling the weight of the silence. He had worked so hard to make his first friend, and the last thing he wanted was to lose him over a moment of fear.
"Hahaha..." Lin Kai burst out laughing suddenly, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I was just messing with you."
He couldn't blame Bo Qin for running away. Even he had been helpless in front of that man, let alone Bo Qin, who was still a mere mortal. In fact, Lin Kai found Bo Qin's reaction amusing. It gave him a glimpse into how the natives of this world viewed powerhouses.
Yes, Lin Kai had been afraid too, but his curiosity had quickly overshadowed his fear. He wanted to know more, to understand the gap between ordinary people and martial artists. But for the natives, martial artists were revered, almost god-like beings. The idea of standing in their presence, let alone speaking to them, was terrifying.
"You're really not angry?" Bo Qin asked, eyeing him suspiciously. If their roles had been reversed, he would have ended the friendship right then and there.
"No," Lin Kai reassured him with a smile.
"I... I see." Bo Qin still seemed uncertain, but eventually, he nodded and left, telling Lin Kai to rest.
Lin Kai didn't waste any time. After bidding farewell to Bo Qin, he entered his room, locked the door, and waited patiently. It wasn't until it was midnight that he finally took out the piece of paper from his pocket.
[Absorb Rune of Exploration?]
[Yes/No]
This time, Lin Kai didn't hesitate. He selected [Yes], and the moment he did, the rune was covered in a thin black layer before disappearing completely. At the same time, mysterious changes began to occur within his body. Unlike when he absorbed the Iron Bamboo, the changes this time were much gentler, like a warm current massaging his limbs and slowly flowing toward his brain. After a few moments of indescribable comfort, Lin Kai unknowingly fell into a deep sleep. Even if someone had observed him closely, they wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.
---------
The process lasted until morning when Lin Kai was jolted awake by the toll of the bell.
*Clang... Clang... Clang...
"Ugh... Is it morning already?" Lin Kai groaned, slowly opening his eyes with a yawn. He sat up, stretching his body lazily. Halfway through the stretch, however, he froze as the events of the previous day flooded back into his mind.
"Shit!" Without wasting a moment, he opened his panel to check for any changes.
As expected, there were new updates.
[Name: Lin Kai]
[Realm: 8th Step (False)]
[Skills: Exploration]
Lin Kai focused on his newly gained skill, and sure enough, another window popped up.
[Exploration: Can scan a five-meter radius around yourself.]
It was a simple, direct explanation. Lin Kai said nothing, but slowly stood up and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how, but instinctively, he knew how to use the ability.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his right foot and then gently tapped the ground with his toe. Instantly, the world around him seemed to pulse with ripples. Even with his eyes shut, he could "see" the rough shapes of everything around him. It felt as though the world had transformed into water, and the ripples were revealing the objects within it.
It was an extraordinary experience, unlike anything he had ever known. The world seemed blurry, drained of color, and entirely alien. It was as if he had sprouted extra heads, allowing him to perceive in every direction simultaneously.
"Huff... Huff..." Lin Kai exhaled heavily after about two minutes. He opened his eyes, but immediately squinted, nearly shutting them again due to the glaring brightness and sharpness of the colors around him. The real world felt stark and vivid in contrast to the muted, rippling vision he'd just experienced.
"This is going to take a lot of practice," he muttered, rubbing his temple in frustration. Though the skill allowed him to perceive a five-meter radius, it was far from perfect. The images were vague, colorless, and often confusing. If he intended to rely on this in the future, he would need to train extensively to master it.
"I wonder if using the rune directly would have been different," he couldn't help but think about it while stepping out of his room.
As Lin Kai made his way to the clearing, he was surprised to find that the man from the previous day wasn't sitting in his usual spot. Instead, an old man, who appeared to be in his seventies, sat there, engrossed in a book. His white hair was thick with age, and his deeply wrinkled face told the story of countless years gone by.
"Umm..." Lin Kai hesitated, watching the elder. The man briefly glanced up, raised an eyebrow, and then returned his focus to the book as if nothing in the world could be more important than its contents.
Lin Kai wondered whether to ask about the man from yesterday, but after a moment's thought, decided against it. Just because they had exchanged words didn't mean they were friends. Besides, there was something about the middle-aged man that warned him not to pry.
Sighing, he walked over to his usual spot and began his routine of chopping bamboo. After reaching there, he didn't immediately begin to chop bamboo but paused and activated his newly gained skill.
But the moment he did, he wished he hadn't.
Unlike in his room, where the surroundings were simple and easy to perceive, the clearing was littered with stones, leaves, and countless other objects. The sheer volume of information bombarding his mind overwhelmed him, sending endless ripples through his vision, nearly shutting his brain down from the overload.
Gritting his teeth, Lin Kai stopped for a moment, catching his breath. This was going to be harder than he thought. After a brief pause, he tried again, determined to adapt.
And so began Lin Kai's long and arduous journey of mastering his new skill, step by painstaking step...