So, six days passed in a blur of blood, feathers, and copper coins. Steadily, Li Shaobai had grinded the days away.
Besides caring and speaking with Ling'er, and occasionally Auntie Qiu, Li Shaobai only worked, feeling nothing else. He only felt the countdown. Not even time was of consequence to him anymore.
Fifty days. That number sat in the back of his skull like a nail. He'd wake up, see Ling'er's sleepy eyes, smell the kitchen's grease and boiling broth, then pick up the knife like it was his fate. Mainly because it's true.
He'd slaughter beasts until his sleeves were stiff, then scrub his hands raw until the blood smell faded just enough to let him breathe normally.
People stopped whispering about the "fallen young master" as much and now whispered "that mad butcher." Which he gained notoriety due to his butchering of the chickens and whatever animals needed butchering. That was fine. At least "mad butcher" meant he was alive still.
That morning, Auntie Qiu had him run an errand to the edge of town to buy salt and more herbs with two of the kitchen boys. On the way back, they cut through a patch of half-wild brush behind a crumbling building.
And that's when the beast popped out.
A red-furred pig that stood about three to four feet tall, eyes glowered at them like it had eaten too much filth and wanted fresh meat. Its tusks were yellowed and long, and its hide was thick enough to bounce back weak blades. It came charging like it wanted to gore them into paste.
The two kitchen boys screamed and scrambled behind Li Shaobai instantly.
"Brother Li! Brother Li!"
Li Shaobai's mouth twitched.
'Brother Li, my ass. Yesterday you were calling me 'Young Master Waste' behind my back.'
He didn't have time to roast them because pig, with its hot breath, stinking of rotten roots, lowered its head and slammed forward.
Li Shaobai shifted his stance, his assassin memory sliding into place and let it rush in.
At the last heartbeat, he pivoted aside. Its tusks only caught air.
He stepped in and drove the short knife down, aiming for the neck.
Clang.
The blade bounced.
Li Shaobai's eyes widened.
"Damn," he hissed.
He didn't retreat. He used the rebound to hook the knife under the pig's jaw, then slammed his elbow into its snout as hard as his newly tempered bones could manage.
The pig squealed and stumbled back, furious.
Li Shaobai's elbow stung, but he didn't stop. He moved like someone who'd killed for a living. His actions were quick, ugly, efficient. He waited for the pig to lunge again, then slid to its blind side and drove the knife into the softer flesh behind its front leg.
This time, the blade sank in.
The pig shrieked. Blood gushed hot.
Li Shaobai twisted the knife and yanked it free, then stabbed again, and again, until the pig's legs buckled.
It slammed into the dirt and twitched.
Li Shaobai stood over it, breathing hard, sweat sliding down his jaw.
"Try me again," he muttered. "See what happens."
DING!
[Congratulations to the host for killing wild beast: Red-furred Pig.]
[Reward: 20 EXP]
[Reward: 1 Unfair Point]
[Reward: 5 Copper Coins]
Li Shaobai stared at the reward.
"Five copper?" he muttered, offended. "So I almost get trampled for… a small bowl of rice?"
One of the kitchen boys peeked out from behind a nearby tree, voice shaky. "Brother Li… you're insane…"
Li Shaobai wiped the blade on the grass, expression flat.
"No, damnit," he responded. "I'm broke as hell."
He dragged the pig back by its leg like it was a sack that was too heavy to shoulder.
By the time he returned to Moon-Scent Kitchen with the boys, the slaughter yard smelled like wet straw. The cages were lined up. The usual chicken-beasts paced in circles, claws scraping wood.
Li Shaobai stepped in without ceremony, picked up the knife, and went to work. With how busy the restaurant had become, Manager Si didn't need to tell him when to work. He'd picked up a rhythm the past couple of days.
Grab. Slam. Slice. Blood. Feathers.
His arms burned and shoulders ached. The numbers kept crawling upward nonetheless.
He didn't even notice the sun dropping until the system chimed with a different kind of tune.
DING!
[Milestone achieved: 200 wild beasts killed.]
[Reward: Achievement Point +1]
Li Shaobai froze mid-wipe, then slowly looked up like he wanted to argue with the sky.
"Two-hundred," he muttered. "System, your mother owes ME two-hundred."
He didn't know why that number made him want to curse. It just did.
Pretty much, everything with the system made him want to curse. It had been nothing but unfair to him since his first day waking up in this new world.
Maybe because it reminded him that he'd been living like a butcher-slave for days and still wasn't anywhere near safe.
However, one Achievement Point was one Achievement Point. And that could be exchanged for a hefty sum of 10,000 EXP each.
Those things were the only times this stingy, heartless system acted like it had a bit of conscience.
Li Shaobai didn't hesitate. He opened the store and exchanged it.
DING!
[Exchange confirmed.]
[EXP +10,000]
Heat surged through him.
His bones popped, muscles tightened like someone pulled a cord through his body, his breath deepened a bit, and the constant tired ache in his joints eased.
DING!
[Level Up!]
[Realm: Body Tempering — Fourth Layer]
Li Shaobai exhaled slowly, clenching and unclenching both of his fists.
'Fourth layer Body Tempering realm. It's still not enough.'
He grabbed another chicken-beast, slammed it onto the board, and sliced cleanly.
DING!
[Congratulations to host for killing wild beast: Ironclaw Fur-Chicken.]
[Host has reached the current level limit.]
[Unable to obtain EXP or items from kills.]
Li Shaobai stopped. He stared at the screen confused.
"…Huh?"
He killed another one just to make sure he didn't misread.
DING!
[Host has reached the current level limit.]
[Unable to obtain EXP or items from kills.]
He killed a third. But the message was still gone same.
Li Shaobai slowly lowered the knife down onto the slaughter table. The slaughter yard felt colder than before.
The workers nearby stopped talking. Even Ling'er, who had been carrying buckets of water, froze with the bucket half-lifted, eyes widening.
Li Shaobai looked down at the chicken corpse, back up at the system message again, and suddenly sat down right on the blood-wet ground as if his soul had been unplugged.
"…It's over," he whispered.
His mouth opened and shut once like he wanted to laugh, but nothing came.
"I'm done for. Death surely is coming for me."
His eyes were blank he stared into the distance. He could almost see it: the clock striking in the final hour of his death.
All while being stuck forever at the fourth layer of the Body Tempering Realm, getting bullied by rats and managers until the two months ended and his soul collapsed like the system promised.
A cold rage crawled up his throat.
"System," he said softly, voice shaking. "You're actually evil."
Ling'er rushed to him, panicked. "Young Master, what happened? Are you okay?"
Li Shaobai didn't answer. He just stared at the panel. Then, as a thought lit up inside, his eyes narrowed.
The Unfair Points!
He remembered when he'd hit 100 points and the system teased him with "Unfair Function" then slapped him with "realm too low."
He'd leveled since then. So, maybe that's why he couldn't upgrade. The leveling wall hadn't been reached then.
Maybe…
Maybe this time…
Li Shaobai's heart started pounding again with renewed hope.
He swallowed hard and thought, tense as a drawn bow:
'Activate the Unfair Upgrade.'
DING!
[Unfair Function detected.]
[Cost: 100 Unfair Points]
[Do you wish to activate special mode?]
Li Shaobai's breath hitched.
"Yes," he said in his mind. "Yes! Hurry up before you somehow change your mind again!"
For a second, nothing happened. That tiny second stretched like torture. When his hope started to dim…
DING!
[Congratulations to host Li Shaobai for successfully using 100 Unfair Points.]
[Special mode triggered: "Unfair System Upgrade."]
Li Shaobai's eyes widened so hard it hurt.
"…Unfair System Upgrade?"
He didn't even have time to process it.
DING!
[Unfair System successfully upgraded.]
[Beginner's Gift Pack 3 obtained.]
[Do you wish to open it?]
Li Shaobai's lips parted, almost in a snarl.
"Open it. OPEN IT. If you scam me again I'm going to spit on your interface."
DING!
[Beginner's Gift Pack 3 opened.]
[Host gained: 741 EXP]
[Host gained: 4 Unfair Points]
[Host gained: 7 Copper Coins]
[Host gained: Cultivation Technique: Evolving Mythril Skeleton]
"…Evolving Mythril Skeleton?"
That name alone sounded unfair in the correct way.
He ignored the 741 EXP like it was a background dancer and focused on the technique.
A silver-blue tablet-like metal slab appeared in his mental warehouse, cold and heavy. There were countless inscriptions radiating a boundless might all over the tablet. Li Shaobai's mind almost went blank.
He opened its info instinctively.
DING!
[Technique: Evolving Mythril Skeleton]
[Grade: Normal (Upgradeable)]
[Level: 0 (0/1000)]
[Description: Temper the bones through impact and pressure. The more the host is struck, the more the skeleton evolves. Upon mastery, the entire skeleton becomes organic mythril. Obtaining the hardest metal and an unbreakable foundation.]
Li Shaobai stared. Then, his mouth slowly curled.
'What was that old saying,' he thought in his mind, eyes gleaming. 'If you want to fight well… you better learn how to get beat up.'
Ling'er blinked beside him, confused as to why expressions changed from despair to glee. "Young Master…?"
Li Shaobai stood up in one smooth motion like he'd been resurrected.
"I'm fine," he said, voice steady again. "Actually… I'm better than fine. Ling'er, there's still hope for us after all!"
He clenched his fists, feeling heat under his skin. Organic mythril. He laughed a bit, low and sharp.
Not wasting any time, he learned it immediately.
DING!
[Succeeded. Technique learned: Evolving Mythril Skeleton.]
A cold-hot shock ran through his bones. There wasn't pain exactly.
More like his skeleton was being transformed and his frame was being rewritten.
His ribs felt denser. And his spine felt heavier yet flexible. Like he was becoming harder from the inside out. Which he eventually would be.
The system chimed again, like it was rewarding him for not dying yet.
DING!
[Achievement unlocked: First Defensive Body Technique.]
[Achievement Point +1]
Li Shaobai didn't even celebrate. He exchanged that point too.
DING!
[Exchange confirmed.]
Heat surged again. His realm progress jumped violently. He could feel the fifth layer threshold calling him, but then reality slapped him: the EXP requirements beyond the fourth layer were disgusting. The system wasn't going to let him climb without bleeding for it.
Li Shaobai stared at the cages.
'System,' he mentally muttered. 'You want me to get beat up so I can level my bones? Are you trying to turn me into an M?'
He looked toward the slaughter board, then toward the workers.
He couldn't help but sigh begrudgingly.
"I can't believe I'm going to have to start seeking abuse for EXP."
Ling'er's face flushed, misunderstanding instantly. "Young Master—!"
Li Shaobai waved his hand quickly. "Not like that!"
He paused, realized how that sounded, and his face went even darker.
"…Forget it, Ling'er. Just pretend you didn't hear that."
Night fell quickly and it was soon dark out.
Li Shaobai hadn't gone back to the Li Manor at all after that first night. Not when Ling'er felt safer near Auntie Qiu and the Moon-Scent Kitchen, dirty as it was, felt warmer than the manor's shed home.
Near midnight, he finally stepped out into the restaurant's inner yard to breathe.
The sky was clear. Stars scattered like salt across black cloth. Their twinkling relaxing him as he looked out, wanting to know which one of those planets was Earth—if he was even in the same universe that is.
Li Shaobai looked on and let out a slow breath, bitterness still lingering in his heart.
This world was truly insane.
He muttered to the night, "Heavens, you better not think this stops me. Even if you choke my road, I'll plow through it."
A gust of wind passed and with it…
Cold air.
Cold so sharp it felt like needles under the skin. A kind of frost aura that didn't belong in Skybridge City.
Li Shaobai's eyes narrowed.
He turned his head toward the restaurant's more luxurious inner building; the one that Manager Si always kept locked and cleaned too well.
The cold aura leaked from there, subtle but unmistakable. His assassin memories stirred instantly.
It was danger but also an opportunity because the moment that cold brushed his bones, his technique reacted.
+1.
+1.
+1.
Li Shaobai froze.
His eyes widened slowly.
"The Evolving Mythril skeleton EXP… is increasing?"
He stood there, letting the cold wash over him again.
+1.
+1.
His heartbeat sped up.
"…Oh?" he whispered, voice turning greedy. "So you're telling me there's free training happening in there? Heavens, I must thank you for this opportunity."
He didn't even think about it and immediately moved toward the source as quietly as possible.
Step by step, he followed the cold aura like a moth chasing the wrong kind of flame. When he reached the door, the cold intensified so sharply that frost formed at the edge of the frame.
Li Shaobai swallowed. Even at the fourth layer of the Body Tempering Realm, he felt it biting into him. But his bones were humming. The Evolving Mythril Skeleton technique was devouring the pressure like food.
+1.
+1.
He pushed the door open just a crack. Cold air poured out like a wave. Inside, a fire raged on in the fireplace and was somehow still cold inside.
The room was lavish compared to anywhere else in the restaurant. Silk curtains lined the windows. The floor was a cleaned marble covered by soft, expensive floor rugs. Even the beds held exquisite thick quilts and soft sheets.
However, on the bed was a woman.
Only her face was visible, pale as snow, lashes lit with frost, lips that held a faint blue. Even unconscious, she looked like she belonged somewhere high and far away, not behind a restaurant. She was simply… otherworldly beautiful.
Li Shaobai's breath caught. His mind went blank for half a heartbeat. Then, his thoughts exploded.
'A fairy. Unlike the fake courtesans in Skybridge City who smiled for coin and whispered for gifts, this woman is inexplicably perfect. There isn't a single blemish.'
This was the type of beauty that made your soul leave your body.
Li Shaobai stepped closer and closer. His technique kept ticking.
+1.
+1.
He clenched his jaw and forced his mind to work.
'Why is she here? Why is her aura like this?
Why is she freezing the damn room?'
Still, he moved closer.
Her breathing was shallow, soft sounds slipping out, almost like words. As if she was talking in her sleep.
Ice constitution backlash? Some kind of sealed cultivation gone wrong?
Li Shaobai didn't know. No matter how much he'd read, nothing could prepare him for the real deal.
He only knew one thing: If someone like this died in Moon-Scent Kitchen, the whole place would get wiped if the map. Along him and Ling'er.
He leaned in, eyes narrowing, trying to sense her condition.
The closer he got, the more the cold clawed at his skin. Frost crept onto his sleeves. His eyelashes started to stiffen.
But his bones… His bones were loving it.
The body technique's EXP was rising like crazy.
Li Shaobai swallowed hard, trembling slightly. It wasn't from fear, but from the strange contradiction of pain and gain.
Then, the woman's lashes fluttered. Barely.
Her lips parted.
A whisper slipped out—weak, almost inaudible.
"So, warm…"
Li Shaobai froze, heartbeat thudding harder in his chest.
Before his brain could even react, her fingers moved; they were slow and unsteady, but purposeful. Her fingers caught the front of his robe. He leaned closer instinctively.
And in that same second… she pulled him down.
Not hard. Just enough for his lips to press into her forehead. Her skin was cold as ice and soft as a snowflake melting. Then, her hand unconsciously pulled his face down toward hers. And their lips briefly met.
A strange warmth surged from his chest outward, like his yang energy was being siphoned. Almost as if she was drinking heat because her body was dying without it.
He didn't chase it. His body just froze, stunned, because this wasn't right.
A desperate instinct wrapped in allure. Then, she released him, her head falling back into the pillow, breathing a little steadier.
Li Shaobai stared at her, shaking.
"…I—"
DING!
[Host gained: Luck +1]
DING!
[Achievement Point +1]
Li Shaobai's eyes widened even more.
"So it counts?" he whispered, half horrified, half amazed. "System, you shameless dog…"
A chill suddenly slammed into the him like a blade unsheathing.
Li Shaobai felt a strong killing intent. His instincts screamed. He snapped his eyes open fully and met hers.
Two cold eyes that were sharp enough to freeze blood.
The woman stared at him like she'd found a thief trying to steal her underwear.
Li Shaobai's breath stopped.
Her aura surged as a violent wave of vital qi exploded outward.
He didn't even have time to brace for impact and was soon slammed into the opposite wall.
His chest burned or froze, depending on how one sees it. Blood rose into his throat. He spat it out, coughing with his eyes wide.
"So strong…" he rasped.
Even while injured, he felt his bones… harden.
The body technique ticked.
+1.
+1.
He didn't even get to enjoy that before something cold kissed his throat.
An ice blade floated three inches away. He was one wrong move away from death.
Li Shaobai swallowed carefully, hands raised slightly.
"Fairy," he croaked, voice strained. "Let's not… let's not do any killing. It doesn't suit you. We can talk, right? Talking is good."
The woman didn't smile. Her voice came out like frost cracking.
"Li Shaobai."
Li Shaobai's pupils shrank, doubt flickering in his eyes. How does she know him?
"…You know me?"
The hatred in her eyes was too deep for a first meeting. Her grip tightened around the ice blade and the cold in the room intensified.
Li Shaobai's mind raced. 'Who is she? Why does she hate this body?What did the old Li Shaobai do?'
Unexpectedly, the woman's other hand flipped and on her palm was pill that was smooth as marble and shining.
She tossed it at him like throwing a bone at a dog.
"Eat it," she said, voice cold enough to make his teeth ache.
Li Shaobai caught it, staring. His instincts screamed not to but he did anyways. Despite his feelings, the sword at his throat proved to be a great motivator.
He swallowed once, hard.
"…Fine, but if this xanny kills me, I'll haunt you forever" he muttered, then popped the pill into his mouth.
It melted instantly in his mouth, turning into a warm stream that flowed down his throat. And the moment it hit his stomach, Li Shaobai felt his body jolt like it had been struck by lightning.
His eyes widened. Because the warmth wasn't just healing. It felt like… a catalyst. Like something was forcing his body to stir.
And above him, the woman's killing intent didn't ease at all.
Li Shaobai had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.