"I am Ling Huan, as I told you..." The fat Ling Huan's voice trembled. "I can control some beasts, like the golden carp..."
"I have been watching you through them for the past few days, and this... Ah!"
Tang Han's eyes grew darker as he looked coldly at Ling Huan, increasing the pressure on him. He had been watching him? What a joke!
Tang Han didn't believe it.
'Besides my instincts, even if he hid himself and had no ill intent, it wouldn't work. I can feel anything watching me!'
He wrote: "The next lie will cost you your life."
Tang Han was not gentle. With his claws, he could dissect Ling Huan alive without blinking an eye.
Ling Huan felt a deep chill in his chest. This black cat was like a raging tiger before him!
Ling Huan cried out in fear, "E-esteemed- sir, I would never doubt that!" He hesitated and quickly looked around, then whispered in an almost inaudible voice, "I… have a prophetic ability! Thanks to this, I can predict things to some extent!"
"I saw in the future that we would cooperate!"
Tang Han eased the pressure slightly, finding this fat man somewhat amusing. Would he cooperate with him? For what purpose? It was unexpected and nearly impossible, but Tang Han didn't deny the possibility…
Besides, this time, he wasn't lying.
'A prophetic ability... Is he a cultivator of that path?'
Tang Han relaxed his skill before writing: "What do you want to trade? I am just a cat."
Now that the oppressive aura was lifted, Ling Huan took a shaky breath, trying to regain his composure. Despite his trembling lips, he mustered his courage and said, "I want the [Tome of Fate's Inevitability] that you possess!"
'Tome of Fate's Inevitability?' Tang Han frowned. He had expected this, but how did Ling Huan know he had it?
It had been less than five minutes since he had retrieved the book from the riverbed, yet this fat man appeared immediately, demanding it…
That was strange.
'Was he waiting for me to take it? Or did someone stronger send him?'
'...Was it sealed and required a condition to be retrieved from the river? Strange, did I just get dragged into an unseen conspiracy?'
Tang Han felt irritated and disliked the thought. Fortunately, thanks to his [Wisdom] attribute, he could sense how correct his assumptions were—this time, he felt that he was wrong.
He quickly wrote: "You claim to have a prophetic ability, while this cultivation art—the Tome of Fate's Inevitability—relates to your ability, and it seems extremely rare. Otherwise, you wouldn't want to trade for it. Doesn't that mean you desperately need it? How do I benefit from giving it to you? Why shouldn't I cultivate it myself instead?"
"Esteemed sir, you cannot cultivate it… Let me explain."
"In this world, cultivation isn't done using a Dantian, or a spiritual root…" Ling Huan suppressed his fear, his fat trembling as he spoke, "…There exists something called the Immortal Essence!"
"Every cultivator has one Immortal Essence, which can be one of three types: Beast, Artifact, or Concept. A beast like a dragon, an artifact like a sword, and a concept like an element… The third type is the rarest."
Tang Han listened with interest. He hadn't expected this. So this was the kind of world he was in? No wonder he failed to absorb Qi—his approach had been wrong.
Ling Huan continued his explanation, trying not to stutter: "After awakening their Immortal Essence, a cultivator must find a compatible technique. Even if they possess an Immortal Essence, it doesn't mean they can cultivate using Qi. Think of it like this: the Immortal Essence is the legs, and the technique is the path they will walk on!"
"My Immortal Essence called Invteabilty Spider. Through it, I can see multiple possible futures! I can also sense where my fortunes lie!"
"I said this technique isn't suitable for you because your path is not the Path of Fate!"
His voice grew excited: "I will tell you a secret piece of information that you told me before…"
"Every martial art from your original home can be used as a technique here!"
'Hmm? My original home? Does he mean Earth?'
Tang Han was momentarily surprised, then intrigued.
This was unexpected. Did Ling Huan know this much, or did his future self tell him? Tang Han wasn't sure.
'...But my original home, huh?'
A cold light flickered in Tang Han's eyes. His title as the "Shadow's Monarch" wasn't a joke—it was built upon a real foundation, a prestigious organization with a long history. Its origins went back thousands of years—the Tang Sect of Sichuan!
With the arrival of the modern age, their presence had dwindled over thousands of years, and Tang Han was one of the last of their bloodline—the one who revived their glory after centuries with his reputation as the "Shadow's Monarch." He was a genius who had mastered all hidden weapons and poison techniques.
Their peak technique was a secret manual called the "Mysterious Shadow's Record", which only a select few have mastered throughout it history.
'...To think it would have another use.'
'No, honestly, I should have expected this.'
Despite his unparalleled mastery of them, Tang Han wasn't a fan of poison arts and hidden weapons. He preferred the sword and direct combat instead. That was why his life as an "assassin" had been dull. And for the same reason, he had unconsciously avoided it after reincarnating as a cat.
'But even if I can cultivate them here, can I do it in this cat body? Oh, wait!'
Tang Han suddenly remembered something.
'Now that I think about it, I have the "Cultivation" trait. Will that allow me to practice those martial arts? This might not be impossible.'
'But do I need this "Battle Essence"? I don't think so, and if I do, that will be annoying…'
Tang Han chuckled to himself. He had gained valuable information but didn't show it. Instead, he wrote coldly: "I am a cat."
Ling Huan realized his mistake, and his face turned red. In reality, Tang Han was right! He had overlooked that!
Tang Han was a cat—a beast. He wasn't a human cultivator. Even if he had a cultivation technique, so what? Could he cultivate it? Did he even have an Immortal Essence to match?
Tang Han added: "Besides, this is common knowledge. Didn't you prepare to negotiate with me? Bring something that benefits both sides. I can't trade the Tome of Fate's Inevitability and be the only one losing, right?"
As interesting as the [Tome of Fate's Inevitability] was, Tang Han didn't care much for it. He didn't like the "Hidden Hand Behind the scenes" path. He would have been satisfied with a short-range prophetic ability instead.
"Give me half an hour!"
Ling Huan sat in a meditative posture before closing his eyes.
'Hmm? Is he beginning his prophecy? Tsk, tsk, isn't he afraid I'll cut his throat while he's defenseless?'
Tang Han found this fat man more naive than he seemed. Why would he lower his guard so much?
Tang Han didn't wait idly for him to finish. Instead, he took out the Tome of Fate's Inevitability, trying to understand it.
'At the very least, I'll memorize it…'
Tang Han figured he wouldn't lose anything from this. He opened the book, and his eyes landed on the text…
"In infinity, there is a thread, and within the thread, there is a path. He who walks blindly is carried by the current, and he who sees the path but does not step remains bound by the illusion of choices. But he who steps forward, aware of the outcome…"
At that moment, a white light covered Tang Han's vision, and his consciousness faded instantly.
Seconds later, the golden hue returned to his eyes, and a new screen appeared before him!
[You have learned the technique "Tome of Fate's Inevitability"!]