Samuel walked down the street, aimlessly wandering with no destination in mind, hoping to catch sight of something familiar—perhaps the magical words Tian Lian Fang or the comforting smell of a bakery. But sadly, he had no such luck.
Instead, he encountered many other things that set this city apart from the average ancient Chinese metropolis. The city was under the rule of the Chen Clan, a powerful faction that treated the mortal populace better than most clans. Their benevolence was rare in these lands, and it was the very reason they thrived, especially given the strength of their clan.
But what really distinguished the Chen Clan from the ordinary folk was their manor. It wasn't the sheer size of it, but the fact that it was built on a floating rock, hovering a hundred meters above the ground. No matter where you stood in the city, it was impossible to miss the manor.
As Samuel continued his walk, he couldn't help but notice cultivators strolling down the street. It wasn't hard to tell who they were. Some walked with swords at their sides, while the guards didn't even bat an eye. Others moved so swiftly that they were little more than a blur. And his favorite—some walked with magical beasts. These creatures ranged from spell-casting cats to giant, rideable wolves.
Samuel wandered through a marketplace in search of the bakery, but when he asked about it, no one seemed to know what he was talking about. Some of them did but refused to speak without a little "incentive," though Samuel didn't have a single coin to his name. The system offered no help either, other than telling him that it was somewhere within the city. If Samuel could get within one kilometer of it, the system would be able to pinpoint its exact location. But until then, it was useless.
With no other choice, Samuel kept walking, hoping to stumble upon this elusive bakery or at least make some headway. But things changed when he encountered someone where he least expected to offer him help.
Turning down a side street, Samuel found himself in a red-light district, a place he every intention of visiting but not now. Just as he was about to turn around, a woman approached him—stunningly beautiful, her chest large enough to catch his immediate attention. It wasn't his proudest moment, but it was his first thought as she came into view. That must be at least double D sized.
She seemed to notice his gaze, and with a soft laugh, she spoke, "Sorry, love, I'm not a worker. But for such a handsome man, I might just make an exception."
Her voice snapped him out of his daze. "Ah, sorry miss, it's not every day I'm approached by a beauty like you," Samuel apologized, only realizing his mistake when he finally looked up from her chest.
"Really?" She smiled playfully, though a sad undertone flickered across her face. "Someone like you doesn't see prettier women than me on a day-to-day basis?"
Samuel was caught off guard. Her face, though lovely at one point, had been badly burned, likely by acid or fire, which explained the somber tone behind her words.
"I'm sorry, miss. I was distracted, and I'm terribly lost," he said, with a soft smile. "In fact, I've been trying to find a bakery for the better part of the day now. It's quite shameful, really. I haven't been able to find it or get any help from the locals."
The lady let out a soft laugh at his dejected expression. "Yeah, the locals here are like that. They don't help unless it benefits them. I apologize for their behavior," she said with a smile, one that would have been beautiful if not for the scarring.
"Maybe I can show you the way if I know where it is," she continued. "I'd love to keep talking with you. Most people avoid me or even show disgust when they see me, so it's nice to find someone willing to chat." She looked at him with a sincerity that seemed to pull at something deep within him.
"I'm looking for Tian Lian Fang," Samuel replied, now feeling a glimmer of hope.
"Tian Lian Fang?" The lady raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Why would you need a small bakery from the slums?"
"Well, I've just established a sect," Samuel explained. "I heard that the bakery employs someone very talented, someone no other sect or clan has recruited yet. I thought I might try to bring them into my sect before someone else snatches them up."
The lady's expression shifted to one of confusion. "I know everyone who works there, and no one there is particularly talented. The bakery is run by a middle-class couple who take in those who have been discarded for having no talent in cultivation."
Samuel was taken aback. The system had marked the bakery's worker as having heavenly talent, and the only heavenly talent in the entire Yan country at that. That didn't add up.
"Could you take me there? Maybe they're talented but don't know it yet," Samuel suggested, hoping he was right.
The lady smiled knowingly. "Let's hope that's the case. And in exchange, I'll ask you for one favor when the time comes. Deal?"
Samuel didn't hesitate for a second. After hours of searching, his feet sore, he had little choice. "Deal," he said confidently.
"I haven't even gotten your name yet, have I?" Samuel smiled. "I'm Samuel."
"Haha, I guess not. I'm Mei Ling, Zhang Mei Ling," she replied, a radiant smile lighting up her face. "Samuel's a rare name around here. Can't say I've heard it before."
After about ten more minutes of walking, they reached the vicinity of the bakery. As soon as they were within a kilometer, the system activated.
[They're within a kilometer. Let me pinpoint them for you.]
Samuel felt an unmistakable pull directing him towards a specific point. Logically, it was the very position they were heading toward.
In another minute or two, he saw it: Tian Lian Fang. The bakery was small, but the smell that wafted from it was heavenly. Mei Ling opened the door and led the way inside.
"Hey, I've brought an important visitor!" she called, as though she frequented the place.
Samuel learned that Mei Ling was the best friend of the couple's oldest daughter throughout their chat while walking. She had secretly hoped that it was her friend who Samuel would pick up, though the situation seemed uncertain.
"Mei Ling! How many times do I have to tell you not to shout inside the store?" A voice reprimanded.
A girl stepped into view—about Mei Ling's age and slightly shorter in height. She had a slender frame with well-defined, graceful features and B-cup breasts. Her skin was soft and flawless, like porcelain kissed by sunlight. Her cheekbones gave her face an elegant structure, and her thin lips curved up in a welcoming smile.
Her eyes were large, framed by long, dark lashes that fluttered like a hummingbird's wings. They shimmered with a depth that drew others in. Her nose was straight and elegant, her jawline soft but strong.
Her shoulder-length dark blue hair cascaded down like a waterfall, completing the picture of elegance.
As soon as she appeared in Samuel's line of sight, a system panel popped up in front of him.
[Name: Li Xiu Yun
Type: Heavenly Talent
Cultivation: Mortal
Innate Talent: Heavenly
Spiritual Root: Pure Fire Type
Constitution: Mortal Body]
Samuel was taken aback. "Wait, system… I thought she wasn't a heavenly beauty, just a heavenly talent. What happened?"
[Yes, but there is a minimum beauty standard for heavenly talents. They need to meet a certain threshold in appearance, or they're considered too common to be marked as such. Just today, you walked past two other heavenly talents—one was male, and the other didn't meet the beauty standard.]
"Damn, how pretty are heavenly beauties?" Samuel muttered under his breath.
[You'll find out soon enough.] The system replied cryptically.
Samuel didn't know it then, but the system's words were far more literal than he realized.