83 The Paths They Take

As it was time for all these guests to enter, Shou made his way towards them too. Once again, he was interested in their solution when it came to the witch. Right now, he had his attention on Zhang Yong, who had just found the lair of these beasts. He was curious about this, as in his past, there were no such monsters, and they did not seem to fit the narrative well, as they were seldom mentioned together with the witch and the village. At times, Shou wondered if Si had added this little component out of boredom, but he did know, even if she was the lowest of the low, she was honest and professional.

Continuing from last time, Zhang Yong had stumbled upon the lair of these beasts. It was during the dead of night, and if it weren't for their red glowing eyes, it would have been hard for them to see them at all. Their shadowy figures blended well with the darkness after all.

"Don't wander to far from me, you understand," Zhang Yong spoke to the little girl, who promptly proceeded to nod. He patted the little girls head, who then rubbed it again, pouting. 

The girl whispered. "What do you plan on doing, Mister Justice?"

"First of all, I want you to stop calling me by this title. I am Zhang Yong, a member of the three great families, and defender of the Wind Emperor. Following justice is a mere hobby, not my character."

The girl nodded, understand. "Okay, Mister Justice."

Zhang Yong wanted to complain, but wisely held himself back. He calmed himself down, by convincing himself she was just a little girl. 

Shou watched his actions, then spoke to him, "Hey, Mister Justice, can you try opening your status screen?"

'Fuck!' Zhang Yong almost screamed out. He almost bit his tongue and killed himself out of the embarrassment. It was fine for this illusory world to call him that, but if that name spread around the City of Extended Delight, he would not be able to show his face anymore. "For the love of God, please refer to me as brother Yong," he said weakly. "Also, what exactly is the status thingy you mentioned?"

"It's a window that accurately tracks your information. Don't worry, no one else will be able to see it," Shou explained.

║Name: Zhang Yong • Age: 34 • Species: Human • Level: 5 • Bloodline: - • Affinity: Wood, Metal

Cultivation Base: Breeze of the West

Skills: 36 Aerobics, Destructive Air, Heart of the Gale, One with Nature, Storm Coffin, Taixun Technique, Travelers Path, Windy Steps, Zhang Breathing Technique.

Conquered Instances: Deadly Witch Hunt (37%)║

"Hey Si, how come there's more info now than there was before," Shou asked his system.

"I am consantly evolving [hmph]," Si shrugged her shoulders.

Shou, naturally, did not believe that to be true. Instead, in his mind, he thought she had forgotten to add these things and sneakily corrected them before anyone started the instance. Well, he did not expect anything better with her, thus he returned his attention to Zhang Yang.

Currently, that burly man was intrigued by the window that appeared in front of him. They seemed to have captured all his relevant information, at such accuracy, he felt naked and seen. If this wasn't Shous' Store of Fates, he'd be mighty suspicious of how they had gathered this intel. However, right now, he only saw the potential it brought.

The man clicked on his level. He assumed it to be his cultivation stage (which was correct), and additional details popped up for him to read.

║Level: 5 (589/600 exp)║

Though he hadn't ever heard of the word 'exp' before, Zhang Yong could instinctively tell that this was about his bottleneck. Just as these numbers showcased, he was close to reach the sixth stage, making him a true powerhouse in this city, and would allow him to carry his weight in the capital.

"If I finish this illusory world and change my fate, no doubt about it, I will be able to rise in ranks," Zhang Yong muttered to himself, dreaming big.

The little girl observed him. "Justice, are you dunk again?"

"I was never drunk, what are you talking about," Zhang Yong reprimanded her. He looked at the girl and sighed. A small problem was that he had to take care of this kid. She had no parents on her own, so there was no way he could ever abandon her. And it wasn't as if he were particularly annoyed by her, in the contrary, she was a obedient child. But he was entering into a dangerous area, and he did not want her to get into unnecessary danger. It did not matter to him that this world was simply an illusion. He has experienced the scenery and its people. For him, this place was without a doubt real.

"Oh, look, what is that over there," the little girl spoke in a hushed tone. She pointed into the direction of the beast den. "Its eyes are so big!"

Zhang Yongs sight followed her small finger, and what he saw made him clench his fists in fright. In the middle of this giant den of monsters, there was one particularly grand. It was, to his knowledge, a dog, though its size was triple of a house. At first, Zhang Yong did not even acknowledge that thing as it was so big, it could not possibly exist. 

And then, their eyes met. Big, round, red balls, akin to two blood moons in the sky, stared back at the two of them.

Shou, watching that, also felt a sense of urgency. Not for him, but for the kid and Zhang Yong. "Hide!"

...

Li Yangyi sat at the table, in the chefs room, grumbling and pouting.

"What's gotten into you," the chef asked. "You don't like getting reprimanded?"

"That's not it, I don't mind getting lectured, as my father does it all the time." The young man crossed his arm. "Actually, what does it matter to you? I'm not someone special in your mind anyways."

"Do you have some personality disorder?" The chef gave him a confused stare. "Why does it feel like your emotions and personality keep changing without any reason? It's like you are a slightly different person every few hours I meet you."

Li Yangyis eyes twitched. "It must be in your mind."

"Anyways, you can either stay in one of my rooms, or check into a new hut. The flutist there just died recently. He went challenging the witch, what a dumbass." The old chef laughed. "Aren'tcha glad I stopped you from committing suicide?"

Li Yangyi grit his teeth. How come, even though he was this old, this guys was this immature? If it was his father, he would never make a joke like that. Yet, since he was insistent on learning the village martial arts, he could not simply leave. "If you are fine with it, I'd like to stay here."

"That's good. It's easier for me to teach you martial arts that way."

Li Yangyi was slightly surprised. "Are you willing to teach me?"

"Well, the last steps, you will have to walk your own, as I said before," the old man spoke. "But I can help you stand by yourself for now."

Instantly, Li Yangyis' bad attitude washed away. "I am willing to abide by your rules, whatever it takes!"

"That's good. That's good." The chef nodded in approval. "Then follow me, let us not waste any time."

"Yes, yes," the young man answered, elated. Though he was not the same genius as Lan Jiu, with time and diligence, he surely would get the hang out of it too. At that time, it mattered little who learned it first. With these excited thoughts, he followed this old man to the kitchen.

"Are there any dishes you like?"

"Uhm," Li Yangyi thought carefully. "If I had to choose, maybe pork dumplings? What's that got to do with anything?" He took in his surroundings. By now, he had seen this place two times, though the smell in this kitchen was always different. The afternoon light shone through the window, putting an orange tint on the cupboard and counters. By sight alone, he already felt warmer.

The chef opened the drawer and took out an old butchers' knife after long consideration. "This is perfect to cut up the pork belly." He threw the the knife in Li Yangyis' direction, who hastily caught it by the handle.

"...Wait, I am getting a bad feeling about this," he spoke. "When are we going to the martial arts center?"

"We aren't," the old man answered him, fanning the flames of his grim premonition. "If you wish to learn to see the flow of the Dao, then make pork dumplings that can satisfy me. I promise, by the time you are done, you too will be as strong, no, maybe even stronger than me."

Li Yangyi felt his whole world shatter in front of him. "No fucking way," he shouted, as he grabbed the knife tightly. "For reals, there's not a chance in hell! I have no idea how to make food, and I don't plan on learning it. These things are best left to the common cooks, not me from a noble background," he kept saying. "I wish to learn martial arts, not how to cook."

"I told you already. The Dao is in everything, and you have to grasp it through means without fighting to truly understand it," the chef spoke, disappointed. "If it is through cooking, I will be able to guide you. Unless, you have some other kind of hobby that you are good at?"

Li Yangyi remained silent. He realized he had spoken too much. He didn't really believe that making food was for only the lower class, but he spat out stuff out of pure spite. Yet, the chef remained patient with him, as it was true, he did not have anything he was passionate about. "I apologize, please teach me your arts."

"That is the spirit," the chef spoke, his expression lightening. "If you get better at creating food, you might be able to make even more."

"Oh dude," Shou spoke from the real world, "You should make spicy coriander beef. It's one of my favorites. Good luck on your journey in becoming the best cook, I am excited!"

"... but I don't wanna be the best cook."