[Ding]
[Choice 1]: Don't eat the chicken soup mixed with sleeping medicine by Old Jack — a demonic cultivator. Leave immediately after yelling, "Thirty years in the East, thirty years in the West — don't bully the poor!"
Reward: Void Escape Talisman
[Choice 2]: Refuse to eat the chicken soup. Go ask Old Jack why he tried to drug you.
Reward: Saint Realm One-Time Attack Talisman
[Choice 3]: Eat the sleeping-medicine-infused chicken soup like a good boy. Do nothing.
Reward: Permanent Poison Immunity
(Poison? What poison? From today, you're the walking antidote. Also, you'll receive the Five Elements Escape Techniques.)
Su Chen's expression froze for a split second—just long enough to register the unexpected twist. The air around him felt heavier for that brief moment, the decision pressing down on him like a weight.
Just one second.
Then, the tension melted away. He smiled.
His fingers tightened around the spoon, lifting it once more as he calmly continued his meal. The rich, savory taste of the chicken soup filled his senses, the slightly bitter aftertaste perfectly mirroring the situation.
"Heh… so this was your plan all along, old man…" he thought to himself, eyes remaining calm.
"Who would've guessed? A neighbor I trusted. A so-called friend. A demonic cultivator."
He took another sip.
His thoughts danced with a mixture of amusement and incredulity as he swallowed another spoonful.
"Guess I was right. The whole village was part of the plot, wasn't it? He wanted me out of the way—probably to let the original Su Chen awaken and start the journey. A disposable character, a stepping stone.
Rich, savory... a little bitter — fitting, he thought.
He took another slow sip, savoring the meal despite the situation.
"Let me guess… He wanted to kill me, or wipe out the whole village, and then maybe the original Su Chen would make his entrance, a hero born from tragedy. Or maybe this whole mess is to wake up that pathetic fool and make him the protagonist. An experience pack to help someone grow stronger. But now, because of my outsider aura, this whole plot might be going off-script and he wants to save me by giving me sleeping medicine. Hehe… I guess I'm hijacking the plot."
He continued eating like it was the best soup he'd ever tasted.
Finishing his bowl with an almost ceremonial air, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic, not a single drop of broth left behind. No wasted motion. He was already thinking of his next step.
Su Chen stood up slowly, walking to the nearby bucket of water. With methodical care, he rinsed the bowl. He handled the utensil with the utmost precision, not a single sound as he set it back in its place. A sense of calm washed over him as he worked, as if nothing in the world could disrupt his focus.
The only thought in his mind now was to walk around the village and find a best hiding place this was must necessarily things than anything else to do at the moment. He couldn't cultivate — not without a cultivation technique. The system had given him a choice, and he had made it without hesitation. He could feel the effects of the sleeping medicine beginning to creep up on him, but there was no rush. He still had time.
What he needed now was to find a safe place to wait it out. Somewhere no one would bother him. Because as much as he knew about cultivation, there was one thing he understood better than anyone: survival came first.
As for saving the villagers?
"Tch… they're not my family."
The real reason he didn't plan on helping them was that he had almost zero chance of defeating Old Jack. Besides, as the Earth saying went, "Don't bite the hand that… feeds you? No, wait—don't bite the finger that… fingers you? Ugh, whatever."
He walked over to an old wooden chest. The contents were simple: old clothes, neat and well-folded, just the bare essentials. He picked out a set of clothes that fit decently and changed quickly. Even after his breakthrough to the Body Refining stage, Su Chen had no real grasp of how to use the power. It was more of a step forward in his physical condition, but without a proper cultivation technique, it was all just empty potential.
His face didn't show frustration—just calm, composed indifference.
He closed the suitcase. His face showed no disappointment, only calm.
His grandfather had once told him, "No matter the situation, a person must learn to adapt. Only then can they survive."
He walked to the door. A blast of cold wind hit his face, but surprisingly, it didn't bother him. He figured it was either his physique or the body refinement that made him resistant to cold.
He turned around, shut the door, picked up a nearby wooden stake, and wedged it into the doorframe. At the very least, the wind wouldn't be able to blow the door open. Of course, if anyone really wanted to enter, they could just kick the door down. As for thieves, there wasn't anything valuable in this house — unless they wanted to steal him. Not that he considered himself valuable… but that's what he figured.
Then he walked toward the village. His and Old Jack's homes were on the outskirts.
The sky was thick with clouds, casting everything in a dim gray — like someone forgot to pay the village's electricity bill.
To Su Chen, though, this weather was perfect: cool wind, dark sky, clean air. His first real experience of peace in a long while.
The villagers, on the other hand, were used to it. They had lived in Cloud Village for generations, and gloomy skies didn't interrupt their daily routines or make them feel that anything unusual was happening.
"Stinky brat! Where do you think you're running off to?!"
The shout was followed by a laugh, coming from a boy around twelve or thirteen years old. His name was Lin Yu. He led five other children in a chase after a younger boy.
The boy being chased was about ten years old. He kept turning around, making silly faces at his pursuers. His name was Xiang Yu.
When Xiang Yu saw Su Chen, he waved while still running and asked, "Su Chen! Will you play with us?"
Su Chen raised his hand and waved back, replying calmly, "You guys go ahead. I'm too tired today."
Xiang Yu looked a little disappointed, but he didn't stop running. He just changed direction — heading toward the old Buddhist temple at the edge of the village.
Su Chen knew that boy well — Xiang Yu was his only friend in the village who was around his age.
As for why Su Chen didn't play with them?
First, he didn't really like playing with little kids.
Second, Lin Yu.
That kid was the village chief's son, and being born into that position made him naturally arrogant. He looked down on people like Su Chen — orphans without any status or background.
Thinking about this, Su Chen smiled faintly and muttered, "Don't worry… soon, they won't have parents either. Hehe... little bastards."
Then he paused.
"But I guess it's not entirely their fault. This is just how the world works."
Su Chen kept walking toward the village fields, hands behind his back like some wandering old master—except he was neither old, nor a master. The villagers were busy planting rice or whatever muddy crop they always grew. The fields were filled with water, and half of their legs were practically submerged. From a distance, it looked like they were farming in soup.
He passed by them silently.
No one looked up. No one greeted him. Not even a casual nod.
For a second, he wondered — was it the aura? Had the mysterious "outside energy" made him invisible? Was he finally a hidden expert, walking among mortals unseen?
…Then reality slapped him.
"Ah, no. They just don't give a damn."
These people weren't ignoring him out of fear or respect. They just genuinely didn't care. He was Su Chen — the quiet orphan who lived at the edge of the village and occasionally stared at people like he was plotting their downfall.
Which, to be fair, he sometimes was.
They minded their business. He minded his.
A perfect, emotionless symbiosis.
Su Chen shrugged. "Honestly? Not the worst kind of fame."