The scent of medicinal herbs and successful alchemy filled Lin Feng's shack like the world's most expensive perfume. Three perfect Qi Gathering Pills sat cooling on a jade plate, their surfaces so flawless they looked like they'd been carved by a master craftsman.
Lin Feng wiped sweat from his forehead and tried not to look too pleased with himself. The Dragon-Slaying Heavenly Sutra turned out to be stupidly good at controlling spiritual flames, what should have taken him months to learn, he'd figured out in one night.
[DING! Pill Assessment Complete!]
[Quality: Perfect Grade, 100% purity]
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Try Prodigy"]
[Reward: +300 System Points, Alchemy Talent upgraded to "Heaven-Defying"]
"Heaven-Defying?" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a little dramatic?"
[Host, most alchemists spend years trying to achieve 70% purity. You just casually made three perfect pills like you were following a cooking recipe. If that's not heaven-defying, I don't know what is.]
"Fair point." Lin Feng carefully covered the pills with a cloth. Perfect-grade anything was worth more than most people in Green Leaf Town saw in a lifetime. No need to advertise.
A sharp knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
Lin Feng opened it and immediately forgot how to breathe properly.
The girl standing on his doorstep was beautiful. She looked maybe sixteen or seventeen, with flawless pale skin, delicate features that belonged on a painting, and long silver hair that seemed to catch moonlight even in broad daylight. Her eyes were the color of winter ice, cold, distant, and absolutely mesmerizing.
She wore elegant white robes with subtle blue embroidery that screamed nobility, and the temperature around his doorway had dropped enough that he could see his breath.
[DING! Love Interest detected! Romantic subplot protocols activated!]
[Target Analysis: Female, 16-17 years old, Foundation Establishment Third Stage]
[Affection Level: -10 (Disdainful)]
[Special Traits: Ice-type spiritual root, possible rare bloodline, daddy issues detected]
"You're Lin Feng." It wasn't a question. Her voice could have frozen summer wine.
"I am." Lin Feng tried to look like he had normal conversations with impossibly beautiful girls all the time. "And you are?"
"Xue'er." No family name offered, which either meant she was being deliberately mysterious or she was so important that her first name was enough. "I need to discuss yesterday's… events."
[Host, this is definitely the patriarch's daughter! Also, she's trying very hard to look unimpressed, but her spiritual energy spiked when she saw you. Interesting!]
Lin Feng stepped aside. "Please, come in. Though I should warn you, my accommodations are…"
"Modest," Xue'er finished, sweeping into his shack with the grace of someone who'd been taught to move like royalty since birth. Her eyes immediately went to his covered alchemy setup, and her nostrils flared slightly.
"You've been practicing alchemy." Not a question. Her tone was carefully neutral, but Lin Feng caught the sharp interest underneath.
"A hobby I picked up recently." Lin Feng closed the door behind her. "I find it, educational."
[Host, your attempt at modesty just made her more suspicious. Look at that eyebrow twitch!]
Xue'er turned to face him fully, and Lin Feng felt the weight of her glacial stare. "Yesterday, you humiliated Chen Long in front of half the town. Overnight, you went from trash to Peak Qi Gathering. Now I detect the aroma of high-grade pills in your home." She paused. "Either you're the luckiest person in the kingdom, or you're hiding something."
"What makes you think I'm hiding anything?"
"Because impossible things don't happen without reason." Xue'er stepped closer, and ice crystals began forming in the air around her. "There's always a price, always an explanation. So what's yours?"
[She's smart! And paranoid! I like her already! Host, this one won't fall for mysterious protagonist nonsense.]
Lin Feng studied her face. Behind the cold mask and interrogation tactics, he sensed something else. Desperation? Fear? Whatever had brought the patriarch's daughter to his humble shack, it wasn't simple curiosity.
"You're right," he said finally. "Impossible things don't just happen. But sometimes, when people hit absolute rock bottom, they find strength they never knew existed. Yesterday, Chen Long pushed me past every limit I had. Something inside me, evolved."
Not technically a lie. The system had evolved him, after all.
Xue'er's eyes narrowed. "Prove it."
"Prove what?"
"Your cultivation method. If you achieved Peak Qi Gathering through normal advancement, your spiritual signature should reflect orthodox training."
[Uh oh! Ice-type cultivators often have enhanced spiritual perception. She might detect that your technique is way above this region's normal level!]
Lin Feng weighed his options. He could refuse and confirm her suspicions, show her something basic and probably get caught lying, or…
"Very well." He began circulating the Dragon-Slaying Heavenly Sutra at its absolute lowest setting.
Xue'er's reaction was immediate and dramatic. Her eyes went wide, she actually took a step backward, and for the first time since arriving, her perfect composure cracked.
"That's…" she whispered. "That spiritual signature… it's not from this region. It's not even from this kingdom. Where did you learn such an advanced technique?"
[Busted! But look at her expression, she's not angry, she's amazed! This could work in your favor!]
"I found it," Lin Feng said simply. "An old manual, hidden in a cave where I used to go when Chen Long's beatings got too bad. Most of it was damaged, but I managed to piece together enough to begin proper cultivation."
Another half-truth. The system had given him the technique, and it was definitely old.
Xue'er stared at him for a long moment, and Lin Feng could practically see the gears turning in her head. Finally, something in her expression shifted.
"I need your help," she said abruptly.
The admission seemed to cost her something. Her perfect posture sagged slightly, and for just a moment, she looked like exactly what she was, a terrified teenager watching her world fall apart.
"With what?"
"My father is dying."
The words hung in the air like a blade. Lin Feng felt something twist in his chest, not just sympathy, but recognition. He'd been helpless once too, watching someone important slip away.
[DING! Emotional connection detected! Affection level increased: -10 → 0 (Neutral)]
"Tell me," Lin Feng said gently.
Xue'er's composure crumbled like ice in spring. "Three months ago, Father was poisoned during a business meeting with merchants from the capital. The physicians identified it as Thousand-Day Slow Death, rare, expensive, designed to be undetectable until it's too late."
Lin Feng's hands clenched involuntarily. Another poisoning. Another betrayal. Some patterns never changed, no matter how many lifetimes passed.
"The antidote requires an incredibly rare ingredient," Xue'er continued, her voice becoming smaller. "Moonfire Lily petals, refined into a perfect-grade Neutralizing Pill. But Old Man Wu has never achieved perfect grade in his life. At best, he manages 60% purity, which…" She swallowed hard. "Which won't be enough."
Understanding dawned. "And you detected perfect-grade pills in my home."
"Three of them." Xue'er's voice carried desperate hope. "I can tell by the intensity of the spiritual residue. If you can refine perfect-grade Qi Gathering Pills, you should be able to handle Neutralizing Pills. The techniques are similar."
Lin Feng considered this. "Where would we get Moonfire Lily? That's not exactly a market herb."
"I know where one grows." Xue'er's jaw set with determination. "But retrieving it is, problematic."
[Oh boy! Adventure time! Let me guess, it's guarded by something big, scary, and probably carnivorous!]
"How problematic?"
"The Moonfire Lily grows in Shadowed Valley, three days' travel from here. The area is controlled by a Foundation Establishment Shadow Panther." Her voice dropped. "Father hired mercenaries to retrieve it. None returned."
Lin Feng thought about the Silver Moon Wolf's warning about dark forces. A Shadow Panther in a place called Shadowed Valley definitely fit the description of "ominous."
"And you're planning to go there yourself?"
"If necessary." Xue'er lifted her chin defiantly. "I won't let Father die because I was too weak to save him."
[DING! Classic heroine determination detected! Major romance flag territory!]
"You won't have to go alone," Lin Feng said. "I'll help you."
Xue'er blinked in surprise. "Just like that? You barely know me. Why would you risk your life for my father?"
Lin Feng was quiet for a moment, remembering poison and betrayal and the helpless feeling of watching someone die while being powerless to stop it.
"Because I know what it's like to lose someone to poison," he said finally. "And because nobody should face that kind of pain alone."
[DING! Affection level increased: 0 → +20 (Cautious Interest)]
For the first time since entering his shack, Xue'er's icy mask completely fell away. "You've… you've lost someone to poison too?"
"My previous life was complicated." Lin Feng chose his words carefully. "Let's just say I have very personal reasons for hating poisoners."
Xue'er studied his face, and whatever she saw there seemed to convince her of his sincerity. "Very well. But I should warn you, I'm not easy to travel with. I have difficulties with…"
"Emotional expression?" Lin Feng suggested.
"I prefer 'appropriate caution.'" Xue'er's lips twitched in what might have been a smile. "My ice-type spiritual root affects more than just my cultivation."
[Host, she just made a joke! A tiny one, but still! Progress!]
"I can work with cautious," Lin Feng said. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn. But first…" Xue'er hesitated, then seemed to gather her courage. "I need to ask you something else."
"What?"
"Your cultivation technique, when you demonstrated it, I felt something familiar. Like an echo of something ancient." Her piercing gaze returned. "Are you certain you're just a lucky orphan who found an old manual?"
[Careful, Host. She's getting dangerously close to the truth.]
Lin Feng met her eyes steadily. "Xue'er, everyone has secrets. Mine are, complicated, and probably wouldn't make sense even if I explained them. But I can promise you this, I'm on the side of justice, I won't betray your trust, and I will do everything in my power to save your father."
She searched his face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "That's, acceptable. For now."
"Good. Now, about this Shadow Panther, what do you know about its capabilities?"
"It's fast, intelligent, and its claws carry paralytic toxins. It can manipulate shadows to create illusions and hide its location." Xue'er's expression grew grim. "The mercenaries probably never saw it coming."
[Host, this sounds like a perfect job for your new beast communication skills! Maybe you can negotiate with it like you did the rabbits!]
"Maybe," Lin Feng mused. "We'll see when we get there."
As Xue'er prepared to leave, she paused at the door. "Lin Feng?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you." Her voice was soft, vulnerable. "I haven't had much help since Father became ill. The other families see it as an opportunity to advance their positions. You're the first person to offer aid without expecting something in return."
"Who says I'm not expecting something in return?" Lin Feng asked with a slight smile.
Xue'er's cheeks actually flushed pink. "Are you?"
"I suppose I am." Lin Feng pretended to think about it. "When this is over, I'd like you to consider me a friend."
The blush deepened. "I… I don't have many friends."
"Then we'll figure it out together."
[DING! Major relationship milestone achieved! Affection level: +20 → +40 (Genuine Interest)]
After Xue'er left, Lin Feng spent the rest of the day preparing for the journey. He refined several backup pills, packed essential supplies, and studied what little information the system had about Shadow Panthers.
[Host, your alchemy skills are advancing at a frankly ridiculous pace. At this rate, you'll be a Grandmaster before your next birthday.]
"The Dragon-Slaying Heavenly Sutra seems designed for rapid advancement in everything," Lin Feng observed. "It's not just cultivation, it's comprehensive life optimization."
[Speaking of optimization, have you considered the romantic implications of this journey? Three days traveling alone with the ice princess, facing mortal danger together…]
"I'm focused on saving her father," Lin Feng replied firmly. "Romance can wait until after we handle the life-or-death situation."
[Spoken like a true protagonist!!!]
That evening, as Lin Feng sat in meditation preparing for tomorrow's journey, he reflected on how rapidly his new life was becoming complicated. A week ago, he'd been powerless trash. Now he was planning to face a Foundation Establishment monster alongside the town's most beautiful and mysterious girl.
[DING! Pre-adventure contemplation mode activated! Character development points awarded!]
The Silver Moon Wolf's warning echoed in his mind, "Dark forces stir beyond this forest." Was Xue'er's father's poisoning connected to these mysterious forces? The timing seemed suspicious.
[Host, you're developing quite the paranoid mindset. But given your past life's experiences, a little healthy suspicion might be wise!]
"Tomorrow we head into real danger," Lin Feng murmured. "This won't be like the Whispering Woods. A Foundation Establishment Shadow Panther is a legitimate threat."
[True, but you won't be facing it alone. Xue'er is Foundation Establishment Third Stage, and your beast communication might give you an edge. Plus, you've still got that Wolf Pack Summoning Scroll for emergencies.]
Lin Feng smiled slightly. "System, what are the odds we can save her father?"
[Host, with your ridiculous protagonist luck, growing harem of powerful allies, and tendency to turn enemies into friends? I'd say the odds are pretty good. Just remember, this is only the beginning of something much bigger.]
As night settled over Green Leaf Town, Lin Feng made his final preparations. Tomorrow would bring danger, opportunity, and possibly new understanding of the dark forces gathering around him.
But tonight, for the first time since his reincarnation, he felt like he was truly living rather than just surviving. He had purpose, an ally, and a chance to make a real difference.
[DING! Night-before-adventure buff activated! All attributes temporarily increased by 15%]
"System?"
[Yes, Host?]
"Thanks for believing in me."
[Host, I don't believe in you. I know you're going to be legendary. Now get some rest, tomorrow we save a father and probably win a girl's heart in the process!]
As Lin Feng settled into cultivation, he could swear he heard the distant howl of the Silver Moon Wolf carried on the night wind, a reminder that powerful allies were watching over him.
The journey to Shadowed Valley would test everything he'd learned, but Lin Feng felt ready.
After all, the path from trash to supreme was never meant to be traveled alone.