Xu Fang sat on the edge of his bed, his mind swirling with the fragmented pieces of his new life. As the hours passed, he tried to focus and process what little he had managed to gather about this world.
It was, by all accounts, a regular Eastern fantasy world—a place where martial arts, cultivators, demons, fairies, and other mystical beings coexisted.
He was currently in a city called Zong-zong city, a bustling hub of power and commerce. The city was home to four ruling families, and he now found himself part of the Xu family, one of these prominent families. His father, who had a commanding presence, seemed to be a key figure within the family.
However, there was something odd about the memories that filled his mind. They were vast, yes, but strangely incomplete. While he had access to all the basic knowledge about martial arts—something that was practiced by almost everyone—there was a curious absence of any deep understanding of the cultivation arts.
That was... strange.
Cultivation—the process by which people in this world harnessed spiritual energy, cultivated their Qi, and achieved extraordinary powers—was something Xu Fang had only read about in stories. In his previous life, he had spent countless hours reading novels about immortals and their magical abilities. But here, in this world, while there were occasional whispers of immortal skills, they seemed to be nothing more than hearsay or stories.
The more Xu Fang thought about it, the more it made sense. Martial arts seemed to be the foundation of life in this world. Everyone practiced it to some degree, whether it was for self-defense or personal growth. Cultivation, on the other hand, was treated almost like a myth, a bedtime story for coaxing children to sleep.
It was the kind of world where, if you were lucky enough, you might encounter a cultivator in your lifetime—but can't recognize them due to how hidden they were. It was as if the cultivation arts were kept as the domain of legends, not something real.
Ah, I see. It's that kind of genre, Xu Fang mused inwardly. It was as though the cultivation world existed in the background, a mythic, untouchable force that only revealed itself through the odd story here or there.
It was a type of world-building Xu Fang recognized all too well from the novels he'd read in his previous life. A world where the real power wasn't in the hands of just any warrior, but in the secretive, ancient arts of the immortals—arts that only the truly powerful were privy to.
Xu Fang leaned back, running his hands through his hair as the pieces clicked together. He was in a familiar kind of world, one where he knew the rules, but didn't yet have the keys to unlock the mysteries of cultivation.
His musings were cut short by a soft knock at the door.
"Fifth Brother? Are you there?" A familiar, sweet voice called out from the other side.
Xu Fang stood up, walking over to the door and opening it slightly.
Standing in front of him was a young girl—no more than ten years old—with a wide, innocent smile on her face. She had the unmistakable features of the Xu family, though her presence was much more lighthearted than the stoic demeanor of the other family members.
"Xu Yin?" Xu Fang blinked, momentarily thrown by the sudden interruption.
"Yes! It's me, Fifth Brother!" she chirped, her eyes sparkling with youthful energy. "Father said you were awake, and I wanted to play with you!"
Xu Fang was taken aback for a moment. His youngest sister—Xu Yin, huh?
He wasn't particularly great with children in his previous life, but for some reason, he found himself not disliking the idea of playing with her. It might have been the simplicity of the situation—no demands, no obligations, just a child eager to spend time with her older brother.
He had a niece and nephew back in his previous life, and though he lived as a shut-in, in a rare time of family reunion, he'd always indulged their requests for playtime or stories. It was one of the few things he actually enjoyed—interacting with the innocence of children.
Xu Fang let out a small sigh, rubbing his temple as if to shake off the remaining confusion.
"Sure, why not?" he said with an almost reluctant smile, stepping aside to let his sister into the room.
Xu Yin bounded into the room, her energy infectious. She immediately hopped onto the bed, sitting cross-legged as she turned to Xu Fang, eyes wide.
"Fifth Brother, let's play games! What should we do today?"
Xu Fang scratched his chin, looking around the room. "Games? I'm not sure what kind of games you like."
"Hmm..." Xu Yin pondered for a moment before her face lit up. "Let's play pretend! You can be a brave warrior, and I'll be your helper!"
Xu Fang raised an eyebrow. "A warrior, huh?"
Xu Yin nodded eagerly. "Yep! We can pretend that the house is under attack by monsters, and we'll have to defend it! You have to fight the monsters, and I'll help you by giving you magic potions and shields!"
The sheer innocence of the idea made Xu Fang laugh a little. It was exactly the kind of thing a child would come up with, but Xu Fang found himself surprisingly invested in it.
"Alright, alright," Xu Fang said, pretending to draw an imaginary sword. "Then I'm the warrior, and you're my assistant. But remember, I'm not going easy on you!"
The game quickly spiraled into an afternoon of laughter, with Xu Yin running around the room and pretending to cast spells while Xu Fang fended off invisible monsters. It was a welcome distraction, even if it felt completely absurd.
After a while, Xu Yin grew tired and collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily with a wide grin on her face. "You're so good at this, Fifth Brother! You'd make a great warrior!"
Xu Fang couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm glad you think so. But I'm just following your lead, lil sis."
She giggled, rolling onto her back. "It's so much fun to play with you! You don't act like the other older brothers. They're always busy and don't want to play."
Xu Fang's smile faltered just a bit. As expected from a dandy, he likes to play, well, at least he's kind to his sister.
He wasn't used to the affection, but it felt strangely comforting.
"Well, I guess that's because I'm... different," Xu Fang said, his voice quieter than before.
The child gave him a confused look, but she shrugged and went back to her playful demeanor. "Different is good! You're always fun, Fifth Brother. Let's play again soon!"
Xu Fang watched her skip out of the room, and for a moment, he was left alone once again.
For the first time since he'd arrived in this world, he felt something other than frustration. Maybe, just maybe, he could carve out a life here—even if it wasn't the one he expected.