Wei Feng dismissed the system notifications and turned his gaze toward Xiao Ling.
She was still standing in the doorway of the main hall, but her cold smile had vanished. Now her face was pale, her eyes wide with something between shock and fear.
The five guards lay groaning on the ground around him. Some clutched broken bones. Others bled from shallow wounds. None of them were getting up anytime soon.
Wei Feng started walking toward her, the stolen sword still dripping blood in his hand.
Xiao Ling took an involuntary step back.
"W-wait—" she stammered.
Wei Feng stopped a few feet away from her, close enough that she could see the blood splattered across his face, the wild gleam in his violet eyes.
"You made a choice today, Xiao Ling," he said quietly. His voice was calm. But there was something underneath it...something cold and sharp. "You chose to help me. You gave me supplies, warned me about the Steward. That's fine."
He leaned in slightly, and she flinched.
"But here's what you're going to do now. You're going to tell the Steward that I overpowered his guards and escaped. You're going to tell him I headed *west* toward the Crimson Abyss territory."
Xiao Ling's breath hitched. "But... but you're not—"
"I know." Wei Feng's grin returned, cold and predatory. "That's the point. You're going to lie for me, Xiao Ling. Because if I find out you told them the truth about which direction I really went..."
He raised the sword slightly, letting the morning light catch the blood on the blade.
"...I'll come back. And I'll remember every servant who laughed. Every guard who kicked me. And every person who stood by and watched."
He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"And next time, I won't be in such a good mood."
Xiao Ling's face went white as a sheet. Her hands trembled at her sides.
Wei Feng stepped back, his grin widening. "Enjoy your day, Xiao Ling. Thanks for the supplies."
He turned and ran toward the eastern gate, leaving her frozen in place.
Behind him, he heard her whisper, barely audible: "...What have I done?"
Wei Feng didn't look back.
---
The eastern gate was lightly guarded...just two drowsy sentries who barely glanced at the blood-covered "traveler" slipping past in the early morning chaos.
By the time anyone realized what had happened, Wei Feng was already gone.
He ran.
He didn't stop until his legs screamed and his lungs burned like fire. The forest beyond the Wei Clan's territory was dense and ancient, with towering trees that blocked out most of the morning sun.
Wei Feng finally collapsed against a massive oak tree, chest heaving, his wounded shoulder throbbing with each heartbeat.
---
[QUEST COMPLETE: Survive Your First Day]
[TIME SURVIVED: 26 Hours, 43 Minutes]
[REWARDS DISTRIBUTED:]
- 100 System Points
- Title Unlocked: "Survivor"
- Bonus: +5 to Luck stat
---
[QUEST COMPLETE: Escape the Wei Clan]
[COMPLETION TIME: 47 Hours, 12 Minutes]
[REWARDS DISTRIBUTED:]
- 200 System Points
- Basic Movement Technique: "Shadow Step" (Mortal Grade)
- +10 Agility
- Bonus: Map fragment (Azure Phoenix Empire - Eastern Region)
---
[CURRENT STATUS:]
- System Points: 650 SP
- Level Progress: 250/500 EXP to Rank 3
---
Wei Feng dismissed most of the notifications, focusing on his immediate needs. He pulled out one of his two remaining Healing Pills and swallowed it.
The cool, minty energy spread through his body immediately. The sword wound on his shoulder closed slowly, the bleeding stopping, though a dull ache remained. His bruised ribs felt better, and his breathing became easier.
He leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes.
'I actually did it. I'm out.'
For the first time since waking up in this world, he allowed himself a moment of genuine relief.
It lasted exactly three seconds.
---
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[DAILY QUEST: Foundation Training - FAILED]
[Quest Objective: Complete 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 10km run]
[Status: INCOMPLETE (0/100 push-ups, 0/100 sit-ups, 0km/10km run)]
[PENALTY ACTIVATED]
---
Wei Feng's eyes snapped open. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me..."
---
[PENALTY: DUAL CULTIVATION DEPENDENCY SYNDROME]
[Duration: 24 Hours OR until dual cultivation is performed]
[EFFECTS APPLIED:]
1. Health Debuffs:
- Stamina: -30%
- Qi Recovery Rate: -40%
- All Physical Stats: -2
- Status Conditions: Weakened, Fatigue, Mild Fever
2. Pheromone Emission (Passive):
- Unconscious aphrodisiac release
- Affects opposite sex within 10-meter radius
- Intensity increases over time
- Cannot be manually suppressed
[WARNING: Host's condition will deteriorate if left untreated]
[EMERGENCY SOLUTION AVAILABLE]
[Dual Cultivation with compatible partner will remove all debuffs and stabilize qi circulation]
[Time Remaining Until Condition Worsens: 22 Hours, 18 Minutes]
---
Wei Feng stared at the screen, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief to pure irritation.
"An aphrodisiac? Are you SERIOUS right now?" He ran a hand through his blood-matted hair. "I just fought five guys, escaped from a clan that wants me dead, and NOW you're telling me I'm walking around like some kind of... of..."
He couldn't even finish the sentence.
The System, as always, remained silent and unhelpful.
Wei Feng took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
His body already felt the effects...a strange warmth spreading through his meridians that had nothing to do with the Healing Pill.
His skin felt more sensitive than usual, and there was an uncomfortable tension building in his lower abdomen.
"Okay. Okay, think." He forced himself to focus. "Dual cultivation. That means... I need to find someone willing to—"
He stopped himself.
'In the middle of a forest. While being hunted. While I'm injured and exhausted. And apparently broadcasting 'fuck me' pheromones to anyone nearby.'
"This is fine," he muttered sarcastically. "Everything is completely fine."
He pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his weakened body protested. The debuffs were already noticeable...his movements felt sluggish, and his qi reserves, which had been slowly recovering, now felt stagnant.
'I need to find shelter first. Then figure out this mess.'
Wei Feng grabbed his stolen sword and started moving deeper into the forest, trying to ignore the growing discomfort in his body.
---
Two Hours Later
Wei Feng found a small clearing with a rocky overhang that formed a natural shelter. It wasn't much, but it would keep him hidden from casual observation.
He slumped down against the rock face, breathing heavily. The mild fever mentioned by the System was now a noticeable heat spreading through his entire body. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool forest air.
"This is getting worse," he muttered, checking his status.
---
[HOST STATUS - CRITICAL UPDATE]
Name: Wei Feng (Cory Jensen)
Age: 20
Cultivation: Body Refinement Realm - Rank 2
Power Level: 18 → 16 (Debuffed)
HP: 95/150
QI: 15/50 (Recovery Impaired)
CURRENT STATS (Debuffed):
- Strength: 12 → 10
- Agility: 20 → 18 (Movement Technique bonus partially negated)
- Endurance: 8 → 6
- Intelligence: 15 (Unaffected)
- Luck: 5 → 10 (Title bonus)
STATUS CONDITIONS:
- Weakened (Severe)
- Fatigue (Moderate)
- Fever (Mild → Moderate)
- Pheromone Emission (Active - Intensity: 45%)
[Warning: Pheromone intensity will reach 100% in 18 hours]
[At maximum intensity, Host will be unable to suppress attraction responses from nearby individuals]
---
"Wonderful," Wei Feng groaned. "So not only am I getting weaker, but I'm also going to become a walking lust beacon."
He tried to circulate his qi using the Iron Body Scripture, but the energy moved sluggishly through his meridians, as if moving through mud instead of water. The System wasn't lying about the impaired recovery.
'I can't fight like this. If anyone from the Wei Clan catches up, I'm done.'
The sound of flowing water caught his attention. Following it, he found a small stream about twenty meters from his shelter. Wei Feng knelt down and splashed cold water on his face, trying to cool the fever.
It helped. Slightly.
He was about to return to his shelter when he felt it—a presence. Someone was nearby.
His hand instinctively went to his sword as he turned slowly, scanning the forest.
"You can come out," he called, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "I know you're there."
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then, from behind a large tree about fifteen meters away, a figure stepped into view.
It was a woman.
----
A/N : is this book worth reading??...