"Brother," Fatty Wang hissed, sweat rolling down his round cheeks. "We are dead. That's Senior Sister Liu! She freezes people into popsicles for fun!"
Ye Tian pressed his back against the damp alley wall. He peered around the corner. Liu Bing was stopping every tall, handsome disciple she saw, comparing them to the drawing.
"System," Ye Tian mentally screamed. "I need an exit strategy! She has a sketch!"
[Ding! Crisis Detected. The 'Ice Goddess' is hunting you.]
[Please make a choice!]
[Option 1: The Honest Man. Step out, raise your hands, and say, 'It was me, but the water was cold.' Reward: Title "Honest Pervert" (Charisma -100, Jail time: 50 years).]
[Option 2: The Berserker. Draw your rusty sword and fight her. Reward: A nice tombstone.]
[Option 3: The Master of Disguise. Use local resources to alter your appearance and bluff your way past. Reward: Skill "Actor" (can mimic voices).]
Ye Tian looked at the "local resources." It was a pile of soot from a nearby blacksmith and a bucket of questionable gray sludge.
"I hate this world," Ye Tian muttered. "Option 3."
He grabbed a handful of soot and smeared it aggressively over his handsome face. He messed up his topknot until he looked like he had been electrocuted. Then, he hunched his back.
"Fatty," Ye Tian rasped, his voice suddenly sounding like a sixty-year-old smoker (thanks to the System). "Kick me."
"What?" Fatty Wang blinked.
"Kick me into the street! Do it!"
Fatty Wang, panic-stricken, obeyed. He booted Ye Tian in the rear.
Ye Tian stumbled out of the alley and sprawled onto the main street, right in front of Liu Bing's boots.
"Ouch! My old bones!" Ye Tian wailed, sounding like a dying duck. "Young people these days! No respect for the elderly!"
Liu Bing stopped. She looked down at the dirty, hunched figure rolling in the dust. He smelled like soot and desperation.
"You there," Liu Bing said coldly. "Stand up."
Ye Tian scrambled up, keeping his head low and his back bent. He squinted at her with one eye closed. "Eh? Who is it? Spare a coin for a beggar?"
Liu Bing frowned. She held up the drawing of the handsome, confident youth. She looked at the drawing, then at the soot-covered gremlin in front of her.
"Have you seen this man?" she asked, thrusting the paper at him.
Ye Tian pretended to squint at the paper, smearing a black fingerprint onto it.
"Oh! A handsome lad!" Ye Tian cackled. "Yes, yes. I saw him! He flew that way!" He pointed toward the Sect latrines. "He said he had a stomach ache! Something about bad dumplings!"
Liu Bing's face twitched. The idea of the "pervert" running to the toilet ruined the majestic image of the villain she had built in her mind.
"Disgusting," she muttered. She pulled her drawing back, looking at the black smudge Ye Tian had left on it with revulsion. "Let's go. To the latrines!"
She swept past him, her squad following. None of them gave the "beggar" a second glance.
[Ding! Choice confirmed. Crisis averted. Reward: Skill "Actor" obtained.]
Ye Tian straightened his back instantly. He wiped the soot from his eyes. "Too easy."
Fatty Wang waddled out of the alley, his jaw on the floor. "Brother... that was... shameless. Truly shameless. I admire you!"
"It's called survival, Fatty," Ye Tian dusted off his robes. "Now, let's get out of here before she realizes the latrines are empty."
One Hour Later - Ye Tian's Hut.
Ye Tian sat on his bed, finally safe. Fatty Wang had tagged along, carrying a bag of steamed buns he had bought on the way.
"So," Fatty munched on a bun. "You're the guy who saw Liu Bing bathing? Is she really... you know?"
"Eat your bun and shut up," Ye Tian said.
He pulled out the rusted metal strip—the fragment of the Primordial God-Slaying Sword.
Now that they were alone, the "junk" was vibrating. A low hum filled the room.
"System, how do I activate this thing? It looks like a glorified back-scratcher."
[The Divine Weapon is dormant. It requires a blood contract.]
Ye Tian sighed. "Of course. It's always blood."
He bit his finger and pressed it against the rust.
Sizzle.
The blood didn't drip; it was absorbed. The rust hissed like a hot pan.
Suddenly, the red rust flaked off, revealing a pitch-black metal underneath. It wasn't shiny; it was a matte black that seemed to absorb the light around it. Ancient red runes began to glow along the blade's edge.
[Ding! Weapon Unsealed (Stage 1).]
[Name: Edge of Nihility (Fragment)]
[Grade: Unknown (currently comparable to High Earth Grade)]
[Effect: Ignores physical defense. 10% chance to inflict "Bleed" (unstoppable damage).]
Ye Tian swung the black strip. It made no sound as it cut through the air. He lightly tapped the edge of his wooden table.
Slice.
The corner of the table fell off. He hadn't even used force. It sliced through wood like it was tofu.
"Whoa!" Fatty Wang choked on his bun. "That's a High Earth Grade weapon! Where did you find that in a junk pile? Brother, your luck is defying the heavens!"
"Just a lucky find," Ye Tian smirked. "With this, the Outer Sect Assessment next week will be a walk in the park."
Fatty Wang's face suddenly went pale. The bun fell from his mouth.
"The Assessment..." Fatty whispered. "Brother, you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Wang Hu," Fatty stammered. "The guy you slapped? He has an older brother. Wang Long."
Ye Tian raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"Wang Long isn't trash like Wang Hu," Fatty said nervously. "He is ranked 3rd in the Outer Sect. Qi Condensation 9th Layer! And he just came out of seclusion."
Fatty gulped. "He declared that he's going to cripple you in the arena during the Assessment. He said he's going to turn your bones into soup."
Ye Tian looked at the black sword in his hand. Then he looked at the terrified Fatty.
A system window popped up.
[Ding! A challenge approaches.]
[Quest: The Tyrant's Brother.]
[Objective: Defeat Wang Long in the Outer Sect Assessment.]
[Reward: "Heavenly Lightning Step" (Middle Heaven Grade) + 500 Spirit Stones.]
[Failure Penalty: Host becomes bone soup.]
Ye Tian grinned. The smile was sharp and dangerous.
"Wang Long?" Ye Tian stood up, gripping the Edge of Nihility. "Let him come. I was just thinking my soup needed more seasoning."
Fatty Wang looked at Ye Tian's confident back. For a second, he didn't see a trash disciple. He saw a dragon waking up.
"Brother," Fatty asked timidly. "Can I have your old shoes if you die?"
"Get out!"