Under the gentle caress of the warm afternoon sun, Elias Graves leisurely led his donkey cart through the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor.
Shenhe, with her aloof nature, disliked the noisy and lively atmosphere and had returned to the shop on her own halfway through.
Elias Graves weaved through various shops, purchasing a large quantity of supplies along the way.
Soon, the supplies were piled so high on the donkey cart that the donkey—which he had named Planner—frequently let out sharp brays, as if protesting the heavy load.
As for why he chose such a strange name, it was, of course, a deliberate 'accident'.
Regarding its complaints and protests, Elias Graves indicated that the surrounding noise was too much and too chaotic, and that he needed to calm down and sort it out first.
Of course, the stupid donkey would still follow him; after all, it depended on Elias Graves for its meals.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and red, Elias Graves led the laden donkey cart through the back entrance of a shop named "Adeptal Rites."
As soon as he entered, a group of children in the courtyard came forward to greet him.
They were special, however; some could not hear, some could not speak, and some were both deaf and mute.
They joyfully crowded around Elias Graves, excitedly using their hands to sign various gestures, showing how many pieces of joss paper, paper effigies, and the like they had folded that day.
Elias Graves turned and took a bag of colorful lollipops from the donkey cart, along with a pouch of Mora, and then distributed them to the children one by one.
The children who received lollipops and Mora skipped and jumped their way back home.
Not far away, Shenhe watched Elias Graves quietly. She felt that at this moment, he possessed a strange kind of charm that kept her gaze fixed upon him.
After finishing the distribution, Elias Graves kept one lollipop for himself, walked over to her, and handed it to her.
Shenhe habitually took the candy. Still silent, a barely perceptible flicker of emotion crossed her eyes.
Then, she turned and went into her room.
Elias Graves paid it no mind, turning back to the donkey cart to retrieve the groceries he had just bought.
Soon, the sound of clattering pots and pans came from the kitchen.
Before long, he had prepared two dishes and a soup, all emitting an enticing aroma. He carried these delicious dishes to the dining table, arranged them neatly, and then went to the cellar to fetch a pot of fragrant white wine.
His Senior Sister had always been otherworldly and did not partake in mortal food, so Elias Graves didn't disturb her. He sat alone at the dining table, ready to enjoy his dinner.
Just then, with a *creak*, the door was forcefully pushed open, and a burly, rugged man strode in.
As soon as he entered, he boomed in a loud voice, "Ah, Nephew Graves, what a coincidence! This adeptus's stomach was just rumbling, and you've already started dinner. Heh heh, you're making me feel embarrassed."
Though he said that, his expression showed not a trace of embarrassment.
Without another word, he strode towards the dining table, plopped himself down on a chair, grabbed the wine pot, and, as if no one else was there, poured himself a full cup.
Seeing this, Elias Graves couldn't help but tease, "Uncle Mountain Shaper, this isn't a coincidence. You show up at the exact same time every day."
Mountain Shaper wasn't bothered by his teasing. He tilted his head back and drained the freshly poured cup of wine in one gulp, letting out a long, satisfied sigh. "Good wine! This is some strong stuff, truly invigorating to drink!"
Elias Graves chuckled lightly. "Uncle, if you really like this Erguotou, I have a proposal. I can send you ten jars of this fine wine every month, as long as you teach me those adeptal arts. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Mountain Shaper put down his cup and said with a sense of helplessness, "Nephew, it's not that this adeptus doesn't want to teach you, but your aptitude is just too poor. You cultivated under your master for over two years and consumed countless spiritual pills just to barely reach Qi Refinement. Barring any accidents, you'll likely be stuck at this level for the rest of your life..."
He hadn't finished speaking when his voice took on a hint of surprise. "You've actually reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement?"
Then, he sighed faintly again. "This is probably as far as you'll go. Your aptitude is still garbage. You know, your Senior Sister Shenhe cultivated for just one day and skipped past Qi Refinement to directly reach Foundation Establishment. You'd be better off giving up early and enjoying this life of wealth and comfort."
Elias Graves picked up the wine pot to pour for himself, but instead asked, "Then, Uncle, how can I learn your adeptal arts?"
Mountain Shaper eyed the wine pot held tightly in his hand and had no choice but to say, "Foundation Establishment. As long as you can successfully reach Foundation Establishment, this adeptus will teach you the Nine Heavens Thunder-Summoning Art."
Elias Graves's eyes instantly lit up. He had always yearned for this immensely powerful lightning art.
"It's a deal!"
Afterward, the two of them chatted about everything under the sun while comfortably drinking wine and eating.
Most of the time, it was Mountain Shaper boasting animatedly about his heroic deeds during the Archon War.
Today, because he had received Mountain Shaper's promise to teach him the lightning art, Elias Graves responded with much more enthusiasm than usual.
He would exclaim in amazement at times, and agree at others, which only encouraged Mountain Shaper to speak with even more vigor.
And so, the two of them chatted until the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its silvery glow.
Only then did Mountain Shaper, content and slightly drunk, take his leave.
Elias Graves cleared the dining table, disposed of the leftovers, and washed the dishes before returning to his own quarters.
After a simple wash to rinse away the fatigue and the smell of alcohol, he returned to his rather plain bedroom.
The room's furnishings were extremely simple: a bed, a desk, and a few chairs were all it contained.
Elias Graves walked to the bed, sat down cross-legged, and then slowly closed his eyes. He began to calm his mind and regulate his breathing, circulating the 'Flowing Cloud Sutra' technique he had learned.
As his mind sank into his body, a faint wisp of spiritual energy began to slowly circulate through the meridians within him.
Time passed quietly. After about four hours, this wisp of spiritual energy finally completed one full cycle along its designated path.
However, when Elias Graves finished his cultivation and looked within his meridians, he was disappointed to find that his spiritual energy had not increased by even a single shred.
Elias Graves couldn't help but sigh in frustration. That old fellow Mountain Shaper was right; his aptitude was truly terrible.
However, this feeling of frustration didn't linger in his heart for long.
Because he was a man with a system. With a silent thought of "System," a concise system panel appeared before his eyes.
Underworld Delivery System
Host: Elias Graves
Cultivation: Mid-stage Qi Refinement (105/200)
Skills: Flowing Cloud Sutra (Entry Level)
Overall Evaluation: Extremely poor aptitude, a failure at cultivation
Elias Graves took one look at the system panel and closed it in annoyance.
*Hmph, so what if my aptitude is a little poor?*
This stupid system even had the nerve to mock him.
If it weren't for the fact that he could get rewards from this system by sending people to their final rest in the underworld, he would have found a way to uninstall this piece of junk long ago.
Afterward, Elias Graves lay on his bed, staring blankly at the bright, round moon outside his window, lost in thought for a long time.
It wasn't that he missed his family from his previous life; they had passed away when he was young, and now, even if he tried, he couldn't recall their faces clearly.
What he was thinking about now was his cheap master. He wondered how she was doing, and if she ever thought of him, her disciple with improper intentions.
....
(Note: As the adepti of Liyue cannot be compared to the immortals in Xianxia novels, the power levels of each cultivation realm are far weaker than those depicted in Xianxia novels. The specific settings are roughly based on the game's plot. Please forgive me, dear readers! If you cannot accept this, I apologize for wasting your time!)