Chapter 3

  Heart-Stitching Art (III)

  I must admit, for the first time in my life, I understand the oxymoron 'deafening silence.' Indeed, while other Elders chattered happily with their Disciples, with the latter asking countless questions, my new little follower kept his lips tightly shut. And I, knowing who he was and not wanting to step on any toes, did the same.

  At least he followed me without complaining even as we walked past the decorated, well-structured peaks full of radiant pavilions and formations and all the way to the rear of the east and the smallest, most desolate peak that was my home.

  Spirit Sword Sect had fourteen peaks in total, though, officially, it was actually 13. Because my peak was never shown to the outsiders.

  Not that I blame them—desolate greenery, dead trees, ruined structures (well, structure, actually)... it looked less like the peak of an immortal and more like a haunted mountain from a horror movie. Even so, my new disciple never complained. Could be because of any number of things, though I didn't dare probe. I merely hoped that his luck would rub off on me a bit, and I could finally step out of my putrid reputation.

  As we reached the peak, I paused; though I expected it... aah, the pure lament. My 'abode' was a two-story home made out of brick(? maybe?) and wood, with cracks everywhere. A signboard hung loosely from the porch, detailing the name of the peak—Lonesome Peak—the windows rattled by the wind, playing a symphony.

  If my memories are correct, the inside... was even worse.

  "I will ask someone to make you a house soon," I finally broke the dreaded silence. "I hope you can endure until then."

  "It's fine," the boy replied dismissively, looking around without any reaction to anything. Apathy, indeed, was strong in this one.

  "Hm. Very well. I suppose I should give you an introduction," I spoke, clearing my throat. "My name is Lu Qi, and I'm the Fourteenth Elder of the Spirit Sword Sect, mostly in charge of the Outer Sect ongoings. Though I loathe to admit it, you are my first Disciple since I've become an Elder; I hope you will be patient with me, and, in turn, I promise to help you achieve any dream you may have."

  "..." Silence, yet again. The boy, or, well, the old monster within, likely thought, 'Tsk, what can this scrawny ass-hat help me with? Maybe wiping my ass?' but if he did, he did not let it show, thankfully.

  "Khm, since it's already late," I said. "Let us go in. We shall properly start training from tomorrow."

  I loathed the thoughts that were swarming in the boy's head, especially as we entered the destitute 'house.' It was a carnage of filth and decay, with empty bottles and jugs strewn about everywhere, the stench of piss and alcohol so prominent that I nearly wept. I quickly opened up all the windows to air it out the best I could, though if the first impressions were ever ranked, this one would finish at the very bottom.

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  Luckily, the boy—or, well, the man—didn't utter a sound, merely finding a corner, cleaning it up, and sitting down in a meditative pose. It was all quite surreal in more ways than one, and all I could do was shrug and climb upstairs to my 'bedroom.'

  The room, I could sigh in relief, wasn't a cockroach-infested bulbous hive. There was a bed, relatively clean, some bookshelves, a small table, and a chair facing the window, which overlooked the Sect itself. I immediately headed over and sat down, finally letting loose a rancid breath of fear.

  Of course I was freakin' afraid!

  You think I was some special forces dude back on Earth? Nah! Not even close! Rather, my most intimate experience with guns came through the monitor! I was just your average freakin' pharmaceutical salesman... and not even a good one! Half the time I had to look up what people asked for online, and it was a miracle I was yet to be fired...

  Ah, the cruel laments of fate.

  The dew-drops of the damnable moon.

  ... Okay, that one made no sense.

  Hmm, let's look at that creation system or whatever. If I have an ounce of hope to survive in this world (memories confirmed that this was a dog-eat-dog sort of cultivation world, not the 'everyone's brothers and sisters and everyone loves one another' kind), I'd have to latch onto whatever the System can give me.

  Bringing up the creation panel was relatively simple—I just had to think it... and it was there. And, oh boy, was it ever there.

  It was... massive. Reminiscent of those old-school strategy games with so many micro-choices, it felt like you were just living a second life. There were buttons, there were sliders, there were various dropdown menus, there was just about everything... and a big, flashing button at the top spelling out 'FILL OUT RECOMMENDED.'

  Though I was tempted to just screw around, I was also scared. And, hoping that the system had my best in mind, I... clicked it.

  [...]

  [Brief introduction to the Creation System]

  [With 'Creation System,' you can design and create any martial art or cultivation method you can imagine! A sword cutting the moon? Can be done! A fist turning into an ancient dragon, devouring the world?! Easy-peasy! However—you need Creation Points!]

  [By using the 'FILL OUT RECOMMENDED,' 1 Creation Point will be consumed to create a template for 'Heart-Stitching Art,' a Special Art meant to cultivate one's heart and soul, perfect for cleansing the Curse from your Disciple]

  [...]

  [Note: Whenever you are creating a new art, Creation Points will be deducted per added benefits. For example, adding a Secondary Move to the Fist Technique would require X points, adding an Elemental Attribute to it would require between X-Y points, and so on. Major modifications all consume Creation Points]

  [...]

  [Every creation has a maximum Creation Allotment points, reflecting the host's current realm. At the moment, it is 100. Please raise your realm to be able to create even grander creations!]

  [...]

  [Confirm that you are satisfied with 'Heart-Stitching Art' and that you'd like to create it?]

  What else to do? Confirm! Of course, confirm! If I wasn't given a freebie, I wouldn't have even been able to do anything with one freakin' point!

  Upon confirmation, I felt... odd. Before I even realized what was happening, I felt myself stumbling backward and falling, both physically and spiritually. In the darkness, invisible waves carried me in an unknowable ebb and flow, slow and fast, deep and shallow. All was quaint.

  This must be what death, true death, feels like... and, honestly? It is serene.