The room felt unnaturally quiet once they were gone. No laughter, no footsteps, no voices—just me. I sat there for a long time, staring at the door Tang Mu had walked through, the phone still resting in my palm. It felt heavier than it should have, like a promise I wasn't sure I was allowed to accept. Alone again. That's how it's always been.
Suddenly, maniacal laughter erupted from deep within me, sharp and mocking, echoing through my mind. Kid… the voice sneered. Either you're incredibly smart, or unbelievably dumb. Why did you miss such a golden opportunity? You could've accepted it. I didn't respond. Why lie, it continued, amused, when you don't even have money for tonight's dinner? I took a slow breath. "To protect him." The laughter faltered. "To protect him from whatever crawled out of hell and decided to live inside me." For a brief moment, there was silence. You… confuse me, the voice muttered.
"Yeah," I replied coldly. "You confuse me too. I don't know where you came from, or what you really are—but one thing's clear. You're up to no good." My fists clenched. "You've made me do things I never wanted to do. The first time was when I beat Lu Huang. That kick… that wasn't me, was it?" No answer. "And the second time—when Ming died." My chest tightened. "You offered me power. Revenge. In exchange for my body once it was over." I opened my eyes. "But when you tried to take over… you failed." A short, bitter laugh escaped me. "So tell me—which is it? Was my will too strong? Or were you already too weak after that fight?"
Hmph. The voice returned, sharp and cold. I'll admit it, mortal. You're smarter than you look. A chill ran down my spine. Get stronger. Fast. Because when I recover my original power, I won't just tear your soul into pieces. Not just you—I'll tear apart every living soul in this world. Then the presence withdrew, its aura fading. I'm bored now, brat. Sleep. And just like that, everything went silent.
At that exact moment, my phone vibrated, the sudden sound making me flinch. I looked down at the device Tang Mu had given me. A message had arrived.
Tang Mu:
I've arrived at my mansion. I have a plan for you tomorrow. Come to this place—I've sent the location.
A second notification popped up, displaying the coordinates. I stared at the screen for a while. This was the first time I had ever used a smartphone. Slowly, I typed back: Okay. I'll be there. A moment later, a reply appeared—a thumbs up. I placed the phone under my pillow and leaned back against the bed. Now I had another problem to solve. There was only one hour left before evening. And after that—I'd have to leave.
One hour later, I found myself in a small park near the hospital. I had been discharged just minutes ago, and I didn't need to pay anything—Tang Mu had settled the bill before leaving. I stood there quietly, then clenched my fists. Even if Ming was gone, I would fulfill our wish to explore this world together. He might not be here physically, but I believed he was still with me. With that thought, I started walking.
Reality hit fast. After a few minutes, I arrived at a bright, beautiful town. Bright Luo. Qi cultivators and mana practitioners filled the streets, performing dazzling techniques and harmless magic shows. Children laughed and ran freely. Food stalls lined the roads—spiritual crab, spiritual fish, rare meats. The smell alone made my stomach twist. Then I saw the prices. One serving of spiritual crab—two spiritual stones. My jaw dropped. Two stones were equivalent to four months of exhausting labor at the orphanage. Three hundred silver—the bare minimum wage I earned after months of work. Here, it was pocket change. Candy money for children.
There was no way I could live here. With a bitter smile, I turned away and kept walking, searching for a place no one wanted. Eventually, I found it—an abandoned house hidden from the main roads. Cracked walls, a slanted roof, overgrown weeds. Rough, ugly… but livable. "I can adjust," I muttered.
My phone vibrated again. Tang Mu was calling. I hesitated, then picked up. "Hao!" his energetic voice rang out. "My dear junior—no, my friend! Where are you? Did you find a good apartment?" I glanced at the abandoned house. "Well… I found the best of the best." He laughed. "Where?" "Bright Luo." "Bright Luo?!" he exclaimed. "That's my favorite vacation town! The food there is incredible. Every time I go, I eat at least three thousand spiritual stones worth of food!" My mind froze. Three thousand. I couldn't speak for five seconds. "Hao? You alright?" "Y-Yeah! Nothing. So… what's the plan for tomorrow?" He chuckled. "You'll see when you arrive. For now, just wait. It's my training time. Bye." The call ended.
The next day, I arrived at the location—a dense jungle. I was still looking around when suddenly, "Surprise!" I jumped back nearly three feet. "What the hell, man?! You scared the living crap out of me!" Tang Mu burst into laughter. "Sorry, my bad." Then his expression turned serious. "The reason I invited you here is simple. Wanna learn qi cultivation?" I froze. "Qi… cultivation?" "Yes," he replied. "I did suggest mana before, but I changed my mind. I can sense spiritual roots within you. This is perfect."
Spiritual roots… I remembered the demonic entity. When it offered me power, it had also helped form something new inside me. Before I could react, Tang Mu grabbed my hand and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened them wide, smiling. "The heavens have truly blessed you," he said. "I've never seen spiritual roots of such quality."I knew from here my life is abou to Change.