Chapter 2: Fate Forge

With this message appearing, a small flame seemed to ignite in Li Si’s chest. It was very warm, making him involuntarily focus his mind on it.

As if something had been triggered, the next moment, a faint light flashed, and a forge with an ancient appearance, enveloped in a sky-blue glow, appeared before him.

This scene frightened Li Si so much that he was terrified someone else might see it. However, as soon as he relaxed his concentration, the image of the forge vanished.

He focused again, and the forge reappeared. He tried to touch it with his hand but felt nothing. It turned out to be just an illusion—maybe only he could see it?

Relieved by this thought, Li Si then noticed a clump of gray substance inside the forge. So, this was the so-called Gray Firewood.

For a moment, he wanted to examine it more closely, but the sky-blue forge suddenly disintegrated and transformed into a tattered, ancient-looking scroll. Rows of information flowed across it.

Name: Li Si

Age: 14 years

Maximum Lifespan: 34 years (theoretical)

Alienation Contamination Degree: 35.102%. Note: The higher the Alienation Contamination Degree, the shorter the lifespan. Reaching 100% results in sudden death.

Bloodline and Bone Evolution Progress: 12%. Note: Already capable of resisting some erosion from bizarre forces.

Magic Power: 0/100 (Consuming one portion of Gray Fortune restores 1000 points of Magic Power continuously over the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.)

Identity: Outer Disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect

Fate: Gray Fortune ×1. Note: Everyone is born with one portion of Black Fortune, which gradually diminishes with age. One hundred portions of Gray Fortune can merge into one portion of Black Fortune, and one hundred portions of Black Fortune can merge into one portion of White Fortune.

Dao Method: Heaven-Turning Scripture, First Layer. Note: This world has been polluted by the power of the Evil God, and no spiritual energy is available for cultivation.

Dao Technique: Demon Slaying Thorn. Note: Consumes one-tenth of the user’s current Magic Power to attack any evil entity within ten steps. This technique can also be enchanted onto objects.

Dao Technique: Evil-Warding Curse. Note: Consumes one-tenth of the user’s current Magic Power to create an Evil-Warding Aura that lasts for the time it takes one incense stick to burn. This technique can also be used to create Evil-Warding Talismans.

After reading this information, Li Si had a thought, and the illusion of the tattered scroll vanished once again.

“I never expected I’d actually be a cultivator. It’s a pity this world has no spiritual energy left.”

He laughed at himself mockingly, then remembered the little girl calling him “Doggy Senior Brother.” He roughly understood—they were not refugees but a fleeing cultivation sect.

The beast-skin man and the robed youth were likely their master, elder, or something similar. Judging by their demeanor, they seemed to possess some level of cultivation. Otherwise, how could this deserted village hold back the invasion of the Dark Mist, and why would there be three Talisman Papers on the stone house’s door?

Thinking this, Li Si felt slightly reassured. After all, it’s easier to enjoy shade under a big tree, even if that tree is nearly withered.

He didn’t dare linger any longer and quickly picked up the firewood on the ground, intending to leave promptly. However, in the dim light, he hastily grabbed the charred anomalous weed along with it. The next moment, another line of information flashed.

“Acquired adult Mutant Grass Molt. Alienation Contamination Degree 19%. Edible.”

“This…”

Li Si was stunned. With a contamination degree as high as 19%, it was still edible?

The living conditions in this world must be incredibly harsh. But then he remembered his own Alienation Contamination Degree was already 35%. Didn’t that mean this Mutant Grass Molt was purer than him?

That hurt his pride.

In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to discard this Mutant Grass Molt, which weighed at least ten jin. Regardless, if it was edible, that was enough. He was so hungry his stomach felt like it was clinging to his back.

When Li Si returned to the Stone House carrying a bundle of firewood, the two young men had also come back, each holding some rotten wood they must have scavenged from the ruined houses.

This showed just how unlucky Li Si was.

There was no communication among the three, nor any sense of hostility. To Li Si, they seemed numb and indifferent.

Pushing the door open and entering the Stone House, he immediately felt a warm current wash over him. The persistent, clinging chill quickly disappeared. Without a doubt, this was related to the three Talisman Papers on the door.

Thanks to the fire, the interior of the Stone House was relatively bright. As Li Si set down the firewood, the beast-skin man suddenly made a surprised sound, stepped forward, took the Mutant Grass Molt, and then chuckled softly in a lowered voice.

“Not bad, not bad. Dinner is settled. Doggy, your luck is pretty good.”

Saying this, the beast-skin man drew a dagger and scraped off the black substance on the surface of the Mutant Grass Molt. Then he chopped it into fist-sized pieces, took about one-third, and tossed it into the earthen pot over the fire. It looked like he was preparing dinner.

Meanwhile, the robed youth across the room glanced at Li Si and calmly said, “Although this kind of anomalous weed is the lowest level of evil entity, it’s still quite remarkable that you managed to kill it alone without being affected. You may go.”

Li Si had thought there might be some reward, but it turned out to be just verbal praise. Feeling somewhat guilty, he meekly imitated the other two young men, bowed slightly, and then scurried back to his original spot. Throughout this, his presence remained very low-key. Only the little girl grinned at him.

Sitting back against the wall, Li Si first unscrewed the Fiend-Piercing Spearhead and carefully placed it in his leather pouch. Then, like a quail, he tried to stay inconspicuous while continuing to observe the others in the Stone House.

Clearly, the beast-skin man and the robed youth were the leaders here. But there was also a white-haired Old Madam, whose age was unclear, wrapped in a tattered quilt by the fire, appearing half-asleep and half-awake.

Then there was a middle-aged woman, dressed just as shabbily, sitting behind the Old Madam. She seemed to have a mother-daughter relationship with the little girl.

Lastly, there were two children, only about six or seven years old, sitting quietly and staring fixedly at the bubbling earthen pot. They looked utterly famished.

Li Si began to doubt again: Do cultivators really live this miserably? If he hadn’t killed that anomalous weed earlier, what would they have eaten tonight?

Amid his doubts, the food in the pot seemed finally ready. However, the foul smell remained strong. Surprisingly, the beast-skin man kept taking various things from a cloth bag, occasionally tasting the brew with a wooden spoon. His expression seemed quite pleased.

Finally, he took out a large bowl, filled it, and respectfully presented it to the white-haired Old Madam.

“Master, please dine.”

Only then did the white-haired Old Madam open her eyes. Without a word, she devoured the contents ravenously. One bowl wasn’t enough—she ate three large bowls in one go before letting out a satisfied belch.

Next, it was the turn of the beast-skin man and the robed youth. Each of them ate a large bowl and clearly hadn’t had their fill, but there wasn’t much food left in the pot.

“Damn it, there’s not enough to eat.”

Grumbling, the beast-skin man took the large bowl and called everyone over. Regardless of age, each person received one ladle of food. But when it was Li Si’s turn, the man grinned and gave him two extra ladles.

“Doggy, this is your reward. The rules of our Floating Cloud Sect are the fairest.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Li Si said softly. He hadn’t expected this seniority, but since Zhuwazi, Shanwazi, and even the middle-aged woman all addressed the beast-skin man as Senior Brother, he figured it was safe to follow suit.

But this meant the middle-aged woman and the little girl definitely weren’t mother and daughter.

Moreover, the white-haired Old Madam might actually be his master. Well, this surprise was a bit overwhelming.

The food cooked by the beast-skin Senior Brother was black, sticky, and constantly emitted a foul stench, easily evoking unpleasant associations.

But Li Si had no choice. Closing his eyes, he gulped it down. The repulsive smell almost made him think he was eating dead dogs or pigs.

Yet, to his utter amazement, as soon as the substance entered his stomach, a faint warm current emerged, and two lines of information flashed by.

“Alienation Contamination Degree +0.001%.”

“Magic Power restored by 30 points.”