Cultivation Nerd

"Hmmm..."

I looked at the map of the city and clan compound on my desk. The entire place had been built on top of a strange cave system.

Lately, I'd decided to leave behind a few things that might help the clan and ensure my parents' safety. At least as much as anything could when it came to situations like this.

I had also accepted a commission from the clan to build an array across the city. Of course, that was a bit unrealistic for someone at my current level. After all, the idea was for the array to last long after I was gone.

However, I wasn't a Level 4 Array Conjurer who could inscribe arrays that absorbed ambient Qi to power themselves indefinitely. But I could make something close. It would have to be fed Qi directly through spirit stones or cultivators, allowing the array to draw it from them. The array wasn't particularly defensive; it worked more like an early-warning system.

Truthfully, unless I reached Level 4, I couldn't make a remote barrier that could withstand anything stronger than a Qi Gathering-level attack.

At least the arrays I'd installed around my house were better. That was part of the deal. If I created this system, the clan would assign cultivators to keep my home arrays in top condition.

I rubbed my chin, feeling the stubble from the beard I had shaved off. I didn't have good beard genetics in this life.

Anyway, I was very close to reaching Level 4. My knowledge of arrays had peaked for a level 3 array conjurer.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Not my mother. Not Fu Yating, either.

"Come in," I said.

The door creaked open. I had made sure it did that, just in case the usual cultivator surveillance methods failed. A little noise never hurt.

"Dear cousin, what brings you all the way here?" I asked, surprised to see Liu Qian out of her stone cave.

"Nothing, just curious what you were up to," she said.

Her expression didn't change, nor did her body language. But I knew she was hiding something. Fu Yating, my dear scheming fiancée, was much better at this whole lying thing. After dealing with her, Liu Qian's attempts felt laughably easy to read.

"We are of the same blood and flesh, cousin. There's no need to be worried about me," I said, returning my attention to the map spread across the table.

"Well, your recent work with the arrays makes it pretty clear you're planning to leave soon," she said. Her speech paused at the end, just slightly. It would've been more convincing if I didn't know she always talked like that when she rehearsed what to say.

"You guessed right," I nodded.

"What do you think of taking me along on this journey?" she asked.

Liu Qian was a talented and driven young woman in her early twenties. She would be an asset to the Liu Clan, or to any Sect, for that matter.

But when it came to my situation, she didn't bring much to the table. And this journey was going to be too dangerous for someone like her.

Sure, I could somewhat guarantee my own safety. However, if Liu Qian had come along, a lot more variables would have been added. There would be just too many uncontrollable variables.

She had no practical knowledge of botany or cooking, so she'd be dead weight on the trail. She was strong but not strong enough to shift the outcome of a real battle.

And even with all that, I might have still considered taking her along if she met one final requirement I had for everyone who traveled with me.

Unfortunately, she wasn't interesting enough. Not like Wu Yan. With her, I could overlook a lot of drawbacks just because she made the road feel less dull. Her body was like an endless book; no matter how many times I turned the pages and read, there would always be more.

"Sorry, but I'd feel horrible putting your life on the line. I can't tell you exactly what I'm going to do out there, but it's related to Song Song," I said, shamelessly using my dear friend as an excuse. However, to be fair, the part about worrying about Liu Qian's safety on the trail wasn't a lie.

She rubbed her cheek, then slowly scratched her chin as she looked up at the sky, deep in thought.

After a long pause, she finally asked, "Will we be meeting her on the road... or at all, for that matter?"

"We might," I replied.

The chances of that happening were so low it was practically impossible. But technically speaking, it wasn't entirely impossible. So once again, I used a sliver of truth to build the wall I needed.

"Damn, it's like you and her are attached at the hip or something," Liu Qian muttered under her breath. "Well, this just soured my mood. Sorry, cousin, but it seems like you might have to do this alone."

"No worries," I said, waving off her apology.

I knew the whispers behind her back bothered her. But not enough to make her gamble her life on someone like Song Song.

Maybe people were saying she'd been sheltered, that the Clan Head's daughter hadn't participated in the war. But here, at least, she was safe.

"Maybe I'll take Liu Bo and Liu Heng and go on a journey of our own," she said.

"Just make sure you learn how to live off the land and how to mask your presence," I advised.

As for stopping her, that would've been pointless. Liu Qian wasn't stupid. She knew the risks. Repeating them wouldn't change anything.

"I'll go see what they think about this," Liu Qian said, waving as she walked away.

As I watched her go, I couldn't help but smile. For all the gossip people threw her way, Liu Qian was a good person.

Unfortunately, if she had come along, she would've been a massive liability in my anti-regressor plan. After all, I was planning for someone who might know the future.

Wu Yan was standing on the porch nearby, watching the grass grow during our whole conversation.

We'd probably have to work on her manners a bit since she would end up as the hidden boss.

...

A couple hours later, I sat beside Wu Yan, scribbling notes in my journal about her development and my progress as an Array Conjurer.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I would likely reach Level 4 soon. But beyond that, reaching Level 5 or higher would be a different story. The amount of Qi needed for those kinds of arrays couldn't be supported by a Qi Gathering cultivator.

Would I even know if my anti-regressor plans worked or not? Hard to say. Honestly, this whole thing felt more like a vanity project.

Even if there was a regressor in the future, I doubted they'd have any reason to be hostile toward me. I wasn't planning to become some future menace. And it wasn't like I'd benefit from that kind of relationship anyway. They'd keep all their secrets to themselves.

There was a chance I could use my Eight Mind Phantoms Technique to read their mind. But that was extremely risky, especially against people with stronger mental fortitude.

To read someone's memories, I had to open my mind to intrusion to receive them, which made it dangerous.

Though I hadn't tested the outcome, if someone managed to counter, the best-case scenario would be me getting influenced by their memories. The worst case would be those memories overwhelming me and taking over entirely.

With both of my lives combined, I barely had over forty years' worth of memories. That was nothing compared to people who had lived for hundreds of years. Trying to absorb all of that would be a disaster. Even the sheer amount of memories coming at me could act like a mental technique designed to overpower me.

Mental techniques were dangerous.

I broke out of my thoughts as I sensed someone approaching. Turning toward the source, I saw Liu Heng walking up with a grim expression.

"Both of the candidates for the next Clan Head are leaving?" he asked, clearly already aware that Liu Qian and I were planning to go. "With the current Clan Head in a... condition like this, are you sure this is the right time to leave?"

I shrugged.

"Liu Qian and I are only Qi Gathering cultivators. Just because someone gives us a title doesn't mean we can lead people in Foundation Establishment," I said. "A title doesn't give you strength."

Sure, maybe I could lead them using arrays to subdue anyone who got in my way. But I wasn't about to wade through political nonsense for a job that wouldn't give me anything but stress and complaints.

Look at the current Clan Head. Sure, he might have lost his legs, but his mind was still sharp. He could still give orders and direction just like before. But the moment he fell, everyone was looking to replace him. Most of them didn't even respect his daughter despite everything he sacrificed.

"Just get to the point, cousin. I've got things to do," I said.

"What can I do to make you stay, or at least give the illusion to others that you're preparing to take over?" he asked.

Now that I thought about it, Liu Qian must have asked him to accompany her on her journey. Judging by how tense he was, he had probably refused. That was surprising since this guy usually followed her around like a puppy.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "There's nothing you can do to keep me here. I've already spent too long twiddling my thumbs. I need to help a friend."

"Do you have any idea what kind of chaos this will cause? You and Liu Qian are supposed to be the next Clan Head!" His hands tightened into fists. He was clearly getting frustrated.

"It might cause trouble," I admitted. "But if I keep letting other people's expectations chain me down, then I'll never get to do what I want."

I'd made the same mistake in my first life. My parents and every adult around me told me to study hard and get good grades, which would lead to a good job. So I did that. I finished college with decent grades and landed a stable job.

But all it gave me was a mediocre life as an office worker with no future.

No matter what, at the end of the day, someone’s life belonged only to themselves. What they did with that life wasn’t something anyone else had the right to decide.

Maybe that sentiment didn’t work quite as well in this world, where someone could make you do anything with a sword hanging over your head. Still, the general point stood.

Liu Heng sighed, looking down with an unreadable expression. “We were supposed to be the golden generation, the ones who would finally put the Liu Clan on the map.”

There was a weight in his voice as he continued. “But Liu Bo is crippled, Liu Qian is seen as a coward, and you don’t really care for ruling or responsibility.”

“Well, there’s still you,” I said. “You’re at least as talented as the Clan Head was. Maybe even more. So why not become the beacon of light you’re looking for?”

His eyes widened. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something but closed it again, with no words coming out.

After a few seconds of silence, a small smile tugged at his lips. He nodded slowly.

“You’re right. I’ve been looking at this all wrong,” Liu Heng said, glancing down at his hand, lost in thought. “It’s not like I’m talentless. There’s a good chance I can reach the peak of Foundation Establishment. Maybe even Core Formation if I use the resources from the Blazing Sun Sect and the inheritance our ancestor left behind.”

He actually accepted that? That was fast. Still, wonderful!

Liu Heng looked up at the sky, then back at me with a hesitant smile. “Thanks. I’ve got something to work toward now too. See you later, and have a fateful journey, cousin.”

He walked out of the garden and took off at breakneck speed once he stepped beyond my household’s land.

I should leave someone else to deliver the message if Song Song came around. Liu Qian didn’t seem likely to stick around much longer.

It was clear that both Liu Heng and Liu Qian carried their own sense of guilt about Liu Bo’s arm. Neither of them had been on the front lines. In a way, Liu Bo had taken their place and paid the price without any reward.

I could sense that Liu Heng had advanced his cultivation to somewhere around seven or eight-star Qi Gathering. Hopefully, he hadn’t rushed it the way Liu Qian had. It would be a shame if he ruined his chances of reaching Core Formation.

I sighed and pulled a book from my storage ring, flipping it open. It was a set of instructions the librarian had passed to me.

I was so close to reaching the next level of Array Conjuring. And I had this new fire array forming in the back of my mind, waiting to be shaped.

…

Eighteen days later, I looked at the walls surrounding Sha Shou City, where the Liu Clan ruled.

I sat atop Speedy, with Wu Yan standing beside me and Fu Yating leaning over the edge of the turtle's large shell.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Fu Yating asked. "Shouldn't we have a custom saddle or something? I don't have anywhere to hold onto while this thing moves."

"Do you put saddles on your friends?" I frowned, waving at my parents as the city shrank behind us.

"You have a turtle as a friend?" my fiancée asked.

"Well, there have been cases where monstrous beasts who spend enough time around humans develop human-like intelligence sooner than their cultivation stage would suggest," I said, repeating something I read in a book.

"How does that answer my question?" she asked, looking even more confused.

By now, we were far enough that I could barely make out my parents in the distance, even with my enhanced sight. I smiled, gazing fondly at the walls of the city I had spent so much time in.

In more ways than one, Liu Feng and I had become the same person. This fondness wasn't fake, and it wasn't just some leftover emotion clinging to the body I had taken over. Even if my personality leaned more toward my modern self, traces of Liu Feng were still there. He hadn't disappeared; we had simply merged.

"Also, I wouldn't say Speedy is just my friend. He's more like a confidant. Or my right-hand man," I added with a smile.

Fu Yating gave me an unreadable look.

Did she think I was messing with her? Well, I was trying to. But none of what I said was a lie.

Speedy was someone I trusted deeply. During the war against the monstrous beasts, he'd had the perfect chance to switch sides. But he didn't. He had survived countless dangerous situations and never once complained.

Though I wasn't insensitive enough to say it out loud if it ever came down to choosing between my fiancée and my turtle companion... I would choose the turtle without a second thought.

"Okay, whatever," Fu Yating sighed. "I should be thankful you're taking me away from your crazy family. Otherwise, they probably would have killed me."

I shrugged, not bothering to respond to something so obvious, and laid down on Speedy's shell.

"Actually, by crazy family, I mean your grandfather," she clarified. "I like your parents."

"Well, you'd better," I replied, staring up at the clear blue sky. "Plenty of other parents would have treated you much worse once they found out you were from the Fu Clan."

Even with my parents around, leaving Fu Yating behind would've been a death sentence for her. Only time would tell if she would ever truly appreciate the effort I'd put in to keep her alive.

Though maybe "effort" wasn't the right word. At worst, she was just an annoying presence. She talked too much, always trying to get on my good side.

Still, none of that mattered right now as I looked out across the horizon, letting the warmth of the sun settle on my face.

Another journey.

What should I do on this one?