Lin Fei came to him seven days later.
Liang Yu was in the garden, alone—Shen Wei had actually shown up for once, which meant Liang Yu had been sent to the far corner to tend the rare seedlings. It was tedious work, requiring patience and a gentle touch, but it paid in minor contributions to the sect. Enough to keep him fed. Enough to keep him alive.
He sensed Lin Fei before he saw him. The qi in the air shifted, parted, made way for something stronger. When he looked up, the inner disciple was standing at the edge of the garden, watching him.
"You're hard to find."
Liang Yu kept working. "I'm in the same place every day."
"You're also invisible. I asked five people where to find you. Four didn't know your name. The fifth pointed vaguely toward the gardens and said 'the poison kid.'"
The poison kid. That's my reputation now.
"Accurate enough." He pulled a weed, examined it, tossed it aside. "What do you need?"
Lin Fei walked closer. Stopped a few feet away, looking down at the seedlings with the expression of someone who didn't know what he was seeing.
"I owe you a debt."
"You don't owe me anything. I gave you information. You used it. We're even."
"That's not how debts work." Lin Fei crouched, bringing himself to Liang Yu's level. Up close, he looked tired—faint shadows under his eyes, a tightness around his mouth. The assassination attempt had affected him more than he showed publicly. "You saved my life. That's not something I can ignore."
Liang Yu met his gaze. Held it.
"Then don't ignore it. Remember it. If I ever need help, help me. That's enough."
Lin Fei studied him for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Fair. But I want to do more than wait." He reached into his robe and produced a small jade slip—pale green, faintly glowing. "This is a basic wood-element technique. Leaf Dance. It's not powerful, but it's a start. Something to practice while you build foundation."
Liang Yu looked at the slip. Didn't take it.
"Why?"
"Because you're an outer disciple with no cultivation and no connections. Because you helped me anyway. Because—" Lin Fei paused, choosing words carefully. "—because I'd rather have friends than more enemies. This sect is small. We need each other."
He's sincere. He actually believes that.
Or he's very good at seeming sincere.
Either way, the offer was real. Liang Yu took the slip.
"Thank you."
Lin Fei stood. Looked down at him with something that might have been curiosity.
"You're strange, Liang Yu. You warn me about assassins, then hide in gardens. You ask for nothing, then accept a gift without pretending you don't want it. You're not like the others."
"Is that a problem?"
"No." A faint smile. "It's interesting."
He left the way he came, moving through the garden with the ease of someone who belonged everywhere. Liang Yu watched him go, the jade slip warm in his hand.
New Item: Leaf Dance Technique
Type: Wood-element combat technique (basic)
Effect: Allows user to manipulate leaves and small plant matter as projectiles
Requirements: Qi Condensation stage 1 (minimal)
Limitations: Very weak without significant qi investment. Useless against armored opponents. Situational at best.
Note: This is a starter technique. It will not make you powerful. It will make you slightly less helpless.
Liang Yu pressed the slip to his forehead, letting the knowledge flow in. The technique settled into his mind like a seed waiting to grow.
Qi Condensation stage 1. That's the first real step. I need to reach it before this is useful.
You have one drop of qi in your dantian. Stage 1 requires a full reservoir.
Then I need to cultivate.
He looked at the seedlings. At the garden. At the mountains rising in the distance, where two fugitives were still running.
Cultivation takes time. Time I might not have.
Then use it wisely.
He went back to weeding.
That night, he began.
The meditation posture came easily now—weeks of practice had made it familiar. He sat on his pallet, breathing slowly, reaching for the qi in the air. It responded more readily than before, the partially cleared meridians allowing it to flow instead of pooling uselessly.
But it was still slow. Agonizingly slow. Each thread of qi took minutes to draw in, and each thread was barely visible, barely substantial. At this rate, it would take months to reach stage 1. Years to reach stage 2. Decades to reach the levels where cultivators actually mattered.
This is what minimal talent means.
Yes.
I need better methods. Better resources. Better opportunities.
The system can provide them. For a price.
What price?
Actions. Risks. Choices. The same as always.
Liang Yu opened his eyes. Stared at the darkness.
Show me the missions.
The interface flickered to life.
AVAILABLE MISSIONS
Mission 1: Deepen the Connection
Lin Fei has offered friendship. Friendship can be cultivated.
Objective: Spend time with Lin Fei. Learn about him. Become someone he trusts.
Difficulty: Easy (he's already inclined)
Risk: Low (exposure to his enemies)
Reward: Advanced technique or resource (dependent on bond)
Mission 2: The Fugitives
Two men are running in the mountains. They know someone betrayed them. They may eventually learn who.
Objective: Locate the fugitives before they locate you
Difficulty: Moderate
Risk: Moderate (mountain dangers, potential confrontation)
Reward: Variable (depends on approach)
Mission 3: Build a Foundation
You cannot rely on Lin Fei forever. You need your own strength.
Objective: Reach Qi Condensation stage 1 within three months
Difficulty: Hard (given your talent)
Risk: None (failure only wastes time)
Reward: Meridian expansion technique (improves future growth)
Mission 4: The Poisoner (Continued)
The original Liang Yu's death remains unsolved. Someone in this sect killed a sixteen-year-old boy and faced no consequences.
Objective: Continue investigation
Difficulty: Hard (no current leads)
Risk: Unknown
Reward: Unknown
Liang Yu read through them twice. Three times.
The fugitives first. They're the immediate threat.
Lin Fei second. He's the best resource I have.
Cultivation third. It's a long game anyway.
The poisoner last. That's a mystery I can't solve yet.
He dismissed the interface and went back to meditation.
The qi flowed. Slowly. Patiently. Drop by drop.