As Kai walked away from the alchemy branch pavilion, he glanced at the small vial of medicine in his hand, frustration bubbling anew. His thoughts churned with self-reproach.

  Damn it! I lost control of my emotions and didn’t get what I wanted.

  Kai gritted his teeth, annoyed at his lapse in judgment. The tier-two medicine he had acquired wasn’t even what he truly wanted. His goal had been tier-one medicine—a far more practical choice for his purposes. With just one merit, he could have obtained at least a dozen doses of tier-one medicine. Quantity was far more important to him than potency for what he intended to do. Yet, caught up in the moment, he had accepted the tier-two vial without thinking.

  Oh well. This medicine will still do what I need even if tier 1 would be better for what i need. I’ll have to sort that out another time. But I think the more important thing was that I invoked the Lei Ju name.

  Kai sighed heavily, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him. Everyone in the sect knew that Kai operated under the orders of Lei Ju, the son of a prominent elder. That association alone acted as a shield, deterring most from outright hostility. Invoking Lei Ju’s name was like a "get out of jail free" card—powerful but dangerous if overused.

  If word gets back to Lei Ju that I’ve been throwing his name around for petty disputes, he’ll be furious. The last thing I need is to fall out of his favor. This situation didn’t warrant invoking his name at all. The price of that medicine wasn’t worth it.

  He clenched the vial in his hand, forcing himself to calm down. I’ll just have to be more careful next time. For now, I’ll make this work and move forward. No sense dwelling on what’s already done.

  With a final exhale, Kai refocused, tucking the vial into his bag and continuing on his way, his mind already shifting to the next task ahead.

  As Kai walked along the path, his stomach growled audibly, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since early morning. Between tending to the spirit beasts and the long trek into the sect grounds, he had worked up a hearty appetite. He briefly considered heading back home to grab something, but dismissed the idea—it would take too much time, and he had a full day ahead.

  Just as he was debating his options, an enticing aroma wafted through the air. It was rich, savory, and utterly mouthwatering, stirring his hunger even further. Looking around, he spotted the source: a familiar noodle stand nestled near the edge of the street. A small smile crept onto his face.

  Mu Noodles, he thought. Perfect.

  The stand was run by Old Man Wu, a cheerful and sharp-tongued cook Kai had come to know over the years. Without hesitation, Kai made his way over. Pushing aside the colorful drapes hanging from the stand’s frame, he stepped inside and took a seat at one of the low stools by the counter. The space was cozy, with a large bubbling pot of broth taking center stage behind the counter and shelves filled with jars of sauces, pickled vegetables, and dried noodles.

  Kai glanced around—it seemed he was the only customer at the moment.

  “So, what’ll it be?” Old Man Wu asked gruffly, his weathered hands already reaching for his ladle.

  “The usual,” Kai replied with a small nod.

  Old Man Wu grunted in acknowledgment, his expression betraying the faintest hint of a smile. “Coming right up.”

  As the old man worked, the aroma of fresh herbs and simmering broth grew stronger, filling the air with warmth and comfort. Kai leaned back slightly, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He watched as Wu skillfully tossed noodles into the boiling pot, adding just the right blend of spices and toppings from his array of ingredients.

  Kai couldn’t help but think, At least there’s one place where I’m treated like a normal person.

  Old Man Wu and Kai shared a peculiar kinship born from unspoken understanding. Both were, in their own ways, outliers within the Ember Sword Sect—men whose paths had seemingly reached their ends. Wu, well past two centuries old, showed no signs of advancing his cultivation any further. Time had tempered his ambition, leaving him resigned to his fate as a low-ranking outer sect member. Similarly, Kai, with his modest role as the stable master, had little hope of achieving the grand heights that others in the sect pursued so relentlessly.

  This shared acceptance of their circumstances forged an unspoken camaraderie between them. They were both "dead-enders" in a sect teeming with those who dreamed of immortality and glory. While others might mock or overlook them, Kai and Wu found a subtle solidarity in each other’s presence.

  Neither felt the need to discuss their shared status aloud—it was a bond rooted in mutual recognition rather than words. Wu would serve his steaming bowls of noodles with the same care and attention he gave to every customer, but Kai often detected a quiet understanding in the old man’s gaze, as if Wu saw in him a reflection of his own story.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  For Kai, the small noodle stand was a rare oasis, one of the few places in the sect he could go without the usual ridicule.

  “So, old man Wu,” Kai began, leaning back slightly on his stool, his gaze flickering around the small, cozy noodle stand as Wu busied himself with preparing the meal. “Heard any interesting news lately?”

  Wu grunted softly, stirring the noodles in the pot with the practiced ease of someone who had done it a thousand times. “Hmm, not much that concerns people like us,” he muttered, a trace of indifference in his voice. “Though... there’s been some chatter about the Emerald Tortoise Sect visiting today. That’s got a lot of people buzzing.”

  Kai’s chopsticks stilled in mid-air, the sudden mention of the Emerald Tortoise Sect drawing his full attention. His eyes narrowed as he processed the information. The Emerald Tortoise Sect was no ordinary sect—it was one of the more prestigious members of the Righteous Alliance, a coalition of sects that banded together to preserve order in the cultivation world and rid it of demonic forces.

  The Emerald Tortoise Sect was far more influential than the Ember Sword Sect, whose reputation, while respected, was nothing compared to the might of the Emerald Tortoise. Their arrival was no small matter. In fact, the visit of such an esteemed sect to a place like Ember Sword was practically unheard of. It wasn’t just a casual visit—it was a signal of something important happening, something that would likely ripple through the entire cultivation community.

  Kai’s heart skipped a beat. The Emerald Tortoise Sect... here? His mind flashed back to the cultivators he had seen flying overhead earlier that morning. Their composure, their confidence, the way they glided through the air on their flying swords—it made sense now. Those were no ordinary cultivators. They had to be from the Emerald Tortoise Sect.

  He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now that Wu had mentioned their visit, it clicked. It’s them... they’re here for something important.

  “Emerald Tortoise Sect?” Kai repeated, his voice steady but his mind already racing. He could feel the weight of the news settling into his thoughts. "What’s got them visiting here of all places?"

  Wu simply shrugged as he skillfully flipped the steaming noodles into the bowl. “I don’t know all the details, but I heard it has something to do with demonic cultivators. So, it’s pretty serious.”

  "Demonic cultivators..." Kai repeated slowly, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

  In his mind, there was no group more vile or contemptible than demonic cultivators. They were cultivators, much like those in Kai's sect, but their cultivation was tainted with dark, twisted practices. Where normal cultivators refined their skills through meditation, discipline, and spiritual harmony, demonic cultivators sought power through the most abhorrent means—murder, torture, human sacrifice, and even cannibalism. They didn’t hesitate to desecrate life itself for the sake of gaining strength.

  Kai could feel his blood boil just at the mention of them. The very thought of these twisted individuals made his stomach churn. Demonic cultivators reveled in the destruction of all that was pure and good, casting aside morality in their ruthless hunger for power. They fed on chaos, and their very existence was a blight on the cultivation world.

  The more Kai thought about it, the more a deep, visceral hatred for them welled up inside him. It wasn’t just the evil they perpetrated—it was the darkness they embodied, the corruption they brought into a world that had enough of its own struggles.

  They were dangerous. To mortals. To cultivators. To everything.

  Even saying the words “demonic cultivators” made Kai’s stomach twist in revulsion. He despised them with every fiber of his being. In his eyes, there were no excuses for their actions, no mitigating circumstances. Kai’s disdain for them ran deep—too deep to be put into words.

  “That does sound serious. Do you think this could lead to another great war with the demonic cultivators, or is it something else?” Kai asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

  Wu shrugged as he placed a steaming bowl of noodles in front of Kai. “There hasn’t been an official statement yet, but the sect has started an investigation. They want to ensure there aren’t any demonic infiltrators among us before making any announcements. It’s probably more to reassure the Emerald Tortoise Sect than anything else.”

  “They think we’ve been infiltrated?” Kai said, pausing before slurping up a mouthful of noodles.

  “I doubt it,” Wu replied confidently, crossing his arms. “I think it’s just a formality. The Ember Sword Sect’s defenses are solid, and our disciples are loyal. There’s no way a demonic cultivator could sneak in here. This is just politics and posturing to keep the Emerald Tortoise happy.”

  As Kai listened, Wu’s casual dismissal of the possibility sparked a memory buried deep in his mind. A strange sense of déjà vu struck him—a fleeting image from those dreams he could barely recall.

  That sounds like a death flag from one of those video games or stories from my dream, Kai thought to himself. The moment someone says, ‘There’s no way,’ something terrible always happens.

  “Uh, yeah, you’re probably right,” Kai replied, his tone unconvincing. He forced a faint smile and focused on his noodles, letting the comforting warmth and flavor distract him. Still, the uneasy feeling lingered at the back of his mind.

  The conversation died down as Kai concentrated on his meal, savoring the hearty broth and the perfectly cooked noodles. Wu worked quietly in the background, tending to the stand while Kai mulled over the implications of what he’d heard.

  When he finished, Kai placed one merit token on the counter and gave Wu a small nod. “Thanks for the meal.”

  “Anytime, kid. Don’t get too caught up in all this sect drama. It’s not worth the headache,” Wu said, waving him off as he started cleaning the table.

  Kai chuckled softly but didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled the drape of the stand aside and stepped back into the bustling street. The aroma of food and the chatter of cultivators filled the air, but Kai barely noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere, his unease growing with every step he took toward the gate leading back outside.