For pickpockets, the best marks are, weirdly enough, martial artists.
People with fancy swords and nice clothes.
Especially guys with beautiful women on their arms.
Too focused on the lady to watch their purse.
And if they're fresh-faced rookies who've only trained martial arts without any real-world experience? Even better.
"...Guys like that especially."
Even though his small purse got lifted, that idiot's grinning at the woman next to him.
At least Xu Yun didn't touch the main purse, so the guy won't embarrass himself at an inn.
Xu Yun entered the deserted Guan Yu Temple and opened the pouch.
Inside: three silver coins.
If he's careful, that's enough for travel expenses to Henan, where Shaolin is.
"Now I just need to deal with this annoying box..."
Throwing it away felt like such a waste.
Quan Yi was so desperate to send this to Quan Zhu.
Could it really just be a meaningless box?
The question kept nagging at him.
"Ah... screw it, I'll keep it."
Worst case, he could sell it to someone who doesn't know the rumors.
A box that can't be cut even with sword energy—some people would think it's a treasure.
Should get at least one silver coin for it.
"Gotta go somewhere far for that though..."
He needed to leave Mingzhu anyway.
Nothing but bad memories here. No reason to stay.
After rationalizing it to himself, Xu Yun headed to the inn's stable for lodging.
He paid one copper coin to rent a corner of the stable, passing others who looked just as down on their luck.
Only people with money can afford rooms at inns.
With rates over one or two silver coins per night, there was no way Xu Yun could afford an actual room.
He didn't have money, plain and simple.
Xu Yun sighed and found an empty spot in the corner of the stable.
"Haah..."
His heart felt heavy.
Still, after seventeen years living in Mingzhu, leaving felt bittersweet.
"Might as well circulate my energy..."
The only martial art he learned at Quan Family Manor.
Xu Yun, who admired martial artists, was constantly told by Quan Yi and the other warriors to keep training.
Even if you don't feel it, persistence in training will definitely help.
Even in Lower District where survival meant eating once a day, Xu Yun learned to read through sheer stubbornness.
When it came to persistence, he was confident.
Thinking that, Xu Yun circulated the Sudden Enlightenment Technique like always, and in that moment—
Click.
A sound came from the box in his pocket.
"...What the?"
Xu Yun panicked and pulled out the box.
Why would a box that wouldn't open even when Xia Lao busted his ass suddenly open?
Xu Yun gulped.
"What the... what the hell..."
He gripped the box and slowly opened it.
What could be inside?
Heart pounding, Xu Yun opened the box and let out a deflated sigh at the scrap of paper lying in the palm-sized container.
"Haah..."
Of course.
Why would he have any luck?
What was Quan Yi thinking, trying to give this box to Quan Zhu?
"...Huh?"
Pulling out the paper, Xu Yun tilted his head.
The yellowed paper had a single line written on it.
Different from what Xia Lao told him about.
With a flat expression, Xu Yun read the words on the paper.
"'I solemnly declare myself a pig among pigs'?"
The moment Xu Yun muttered the words written on the paper, a gray translucent box appeared before his eyes.
"Whoa!!"
"Ah! What the hell!?"
"Let us sleep! Come on!"
What kind of day is this for all this crazy stuff to happen?
Is he possessed by a ghost?
But even when he rubbed his eyes, the gray box didn't disappear.
When Xu Yun reached out to touch it and his hand passed right through, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked the guy yelling at him.
"Y-you don't see this?"
"Did you do drugs or something? Just go to sleep, yeah? Unless you wanna get hit."
"..."
Only he could see it?
Xu Yun gulped and looked at the gray square.
Text appeared on the square.
[Tran-lat-ng curr-nt lang-age.]
[Ple-se wa-t.]
[Translation complete.]
[Authenticating user.]
[Authentication complete.]
[Welcome to your new registration at the Dimensional Store.]
[New registration bonus will be distributed.]
[Beginning free manual gacha - with annotations.]
The text moved on its own.
A glowing orb appeared inside the gray box and spun rapidly.
And when it stopped spinning—
Xu Yun felt his hand grow heavy.
"...Holy shit."
[You have obtained (1-star) Three Disasters Mind Technique - Annotated Manual.]
[Thank you for your support.]
[We appreciate your patronage.]
[Daily check-in reward - 20 diamonds distributed.]
The text that had been appearing disappeared, and the gray box vanished too.
He felt like he was possessed by a ghost.
Xu Yun pinched his cheek and looked at the Three Disasters Mind Technique manual in his hand.
"...Is this for real?"
The Three Disasters Mind Technique is a mind technique passed down with the Three Disasters Sword, a sword technique created by Wudang's founder Zhang Sanfeng based on the natural principles of heaven, earth, and humanity.
The Three Disasters Sword consists of three basic moves—vertical slash, horizontal slash, thrust. So simple you could barely call them techniques.
That lousy Three Disasters Sword belongs to Wudang, but most martial artists in the world know it as a basic technique.
The Three Disasters Mind Technique is the same, widely known not just to Wudang's lay disciples but to sects associated with Wudang.
It builds internal energy, but so slowly that it's promoted more for clearing meridian impurities and maintaining physical and mental health, one of many third-rate mind techniques.
Most martial artists treat it like breathing exercises for monks.
But even so, unlike the Three Disasters Sword, the Three Disasters Mind Technique wasn't easy to get your hands on.
Even if it's slow at building energy, it's still a real mind technique that can accumulate power.
"...Is this real?"
Xu Yun rushed outside with the manual.
Holding it up to the inn's light to check the contents, he smacked his lips.
"Wait a sec. How am I supposed to know if this is real?"
You'd need to have seen the Three Disasters Mind Technique manual before to know if it's legit.
Reading through it, he could tell it was remarkably similar to the Sudden Enlightenment Technique.
Which meant it probably wasn't fake.
But still, he was torn.
"Breathe in and out, and while exhaling, think of the vastness of heaven. Spread the incoming energy to your dantian..."
Even low-grade mind techniques don't explain things this thoroughly.
Internal energy is the foundation of all martial arts and each sect's secret.
What kind of place would write out the formulas for building internal energy in such detail?
After reading all the detailed explanations and advice, Xu Yun pondered.
"What should I do?"
The content itself wasn't that much.
In terms of characters, less than five hundred.
If he couldn't memorize this much, he'd never survive Quan Yi and Quan Zhu's crazy errands.
"...Should I give it a shot?"
It wasn't that difficult, and the Three Disasters Mind Technique was just a third-rate technique with no risk of qi deviation.
So the danger was minimal.
Xu Yun sat cross-legged like when he circulated the Sudden Enlightenment Technique.
Then, reciting the formulas in his head like in the annotated manual, he slowly began breathing.
An hour later.
He slowly opened his eyes, trembling.
"...W-was it real?"
He could feel internal energy moving naturally.
Feeling the tiny grain-of-rice-sized internal energy flowing through his blood vessels according to the Three Disasters Mind Technique, Xu Yun clenched his fists.
"Holy shit..."
Then—
The gray box appeared before his eyes again.
[Use of (1-star) Three Disasters Mind Technique - Annotated Manual is complete.]
[The used manual will disappear.]
[Massive sale event for new Dimensional Store customers]
[You have obtained 1 free elixir gacha ticket.]
[Would you like to use the free elixir gacha ticket?]
"U-use it?"
[Beginning free elixir gacha.]
[Congratulations. You have obtained (2-star) Hundred-Year Polygonum Multiflorum.]
Like with the manual, Xu Yun looked at the huge polygonum multiflorum that appeared in his hand, his body shaking with joy and excitement.