Eleven years passed in the blink of an eye. I lived peacefully and happily.
Zu Lian, from the day we arrived, locked himself behind closed doors to stabilize his cultivation. He hasn't come out, not even to poop. Maybe he's dead. I don't know.
My sister, the Demon Fairy, hasn't said anything about it, so I assume he's fine.
Once I learned to read and write, the Demon Fairy stopped spending time with me. She claimed she was practicing her technique, but I have my doubts. I only saw her occasionally, and most of the time, it was to criticize my perfectly lazy lifestyle.
"Hey, slacker! Take your cultivation seriously. They'll announce the sect competition for Body and Qi Preparatory cultivators any moment now. You need to be ready with items, medicines, and various techniques, or you'll die miserably," she said, descending from the sky by leaping off an object that looked like a long sword adorned with petals.
"Hmm... can I skip it?" I asked, completely uninterested.
"No, it's mandatory. We must save Master Zu Lian's face and return as Foundation Establishment cultivators. According to my calculations, there's not much time left. About 30 years," she sighed as she informed me with complete seriousness.
This girl actually called her own father "Master." So cold.
"Well, 30 years is indeed a short time... I will consider the teachings of Sister Demon Fai—... sorry, Martial Fairy," I replied, bowing in mock respect while trying to hide my sarcasm.
That was two months ago.
As I admired the evening sky, I reflected on her words while feeling incredibly bored.
"I have nothing better to do, anyway. Might as well go and learn some of those techniques I keep hearing about."
I had already reached the 12th stage of Body and Qi Establishment, the limit of this realm. Now, all that was left was to consolidate my foundation by integrating it with various techniques suitable for my dao or cultivation purpose.
"Ah, that reminds me that Master left me a technique along with the movement manual! I must find it!"
I descended from the tree like an immortal fairy and went to my room. I searched everywhere, top to bottom.
Five hundred breaths later, I found it under my bed.
"Ah, I thought I'd lost it. How careless of me! I must be more organized from now on," I thought, taking the book in my hands and reading its title.
The sharp, red letters decorated the silver book:
"Asura's Fists"
I swallowed hard.
An intimidating and ancient aura emanated from those short, power-filled words. It was undoubtedly a powerful technique... but not to my liking.
I didn't want to fight. I didn't like violence.
This technique, designed for combat and killing, struck deeply at my heart.
Still, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I remembered my master's words just before he went into seclusion:
"Even if you dislike violence, it has accompanied humans throughout history—both to take from others and to protect what we cherish. Remember this! Even if it's not your intention to seize and kill, you'll need strength and power to protect!"
I closed my eyes and made up my mind.
"Yes, even if I don't kill, I must protect myself and those who might matter to me in the future."
I had heard many bloody stories that began with a simple clash of gazes or a jade beauty. In such a chaotic world, ruled by the strong, I must be able to protect myself.
I stroked the manual and read its introduction:
"Asura's Fists: crush mountains, pulverize bones. Side effect: an uncontrollable desire to punch someone once every 10,000 breaths."
I analyzed the description deeply... and threw the manual away.
"This technique is definitely not suited for the dao I wish to pursue. (Actually, I don't even have any intention of pursuing a specific dao)."
Then I remembered something.
"Ah, the library. The sect has a massive library filled with countless techniques. There must be one suitable for learning and killing time."
I went to the river and took a bath. Then I headed to the sect's library, located on the 6th branch of the Celestial Node.
I walked leisurely, without bumping into anyone or making conversation. Still, for some reason, everyone kept staring at me.
It was uncomfortable.
"I haven't interacted with them at all, and I've never been important enough to be the center of attention like this. What's going on?"
I tried not to pay attention and arrived at the library without incident.
"Hello, fellow cultivator librarian. I've come today to look for a technique suitable for my dao. Here's my disciple badge."
The boy guarding the entrance opened his eyes and took my badge.
"I've verified your badge, fellow junior cultivator. You're allowed to roam freely between the 1st and 3rd floors. If you try to be clever and sneak into the higher floors because you think no one is watching, you'll be pulverized in less than a breath. Keep that in mind."
I nodded and bowed.
"Thank you very much, fellow cultivator. I won't delay your meditation any further." (I knew he was sleeping. His drool was running down one side.)
I tried to pass, but he stopped me.
"Wait. Tell me, I have a question, junior cultivator. Haven't you heard about facial reconstruction?"
"Huh? Facial reconstruction? I'm afraid not, fellow librarian cultivator."
The librarian sighed, evaluating me seriously.
"I see. Haven't you noticed there are no ugly cultivators?"
I paused to think.
"Now that you mention it... I hadn't noticed. I've been taking care of my master's residence, and I haven't spent much time with others. But my master mentioned something years ago, though I didn't understand it back then."
The librarian nodded, clearly understanding.
"That explains it. Let me tell you something, junior. In the cultivation world, being ugly is a sin. So is being incredibly handsome, like me. Anyway, when you spoke to me, I thought I was having a nightmare. That's why I brought it up."
He said something rude and offensive, then closed his eyes again.
In the end, he didn't explain why there were no ugly cultivators or what facial reconstruction was. I felt puzzled and annoyed.
"Is being ugly a sin in the cultivation world?" I thought, heading toward the shelves.