Han Xuhan opened his eyes and found himself staring at the wooden ceiling of his hut. The dark surroundings weakly illuminated by the vague moonlight coming through the window assured him that it was still nighttime. Checking himself all over a couple of times, he found no physical evidence of the fact that he had just traveled to a faraway realm of disembodied beings as one of its newly recruited inhabitants.
"The way everything is developing almost makes me feel like a real protagonist myself. Getting dragged into conflicts that have nothing to do with me, escaping super experts by the nick of a hair, constantly finding myself inside secret realms full of mysteries...I even got a bit of a feud with the heavens! But why do I only experience the downsides of being a protagonist?
Where are the cheats, the super secret overpowered techniques, the beauties with terrible standards? What else do I have to go through in the future?"
Recalling all those generic novels on earth, Xuhan shivered in terror. The regular bloodbaths, the genocides, the masochistic cultivation techniques, the constant appearances of enemies with higher level cultivation base...
It all boiled down to nothing but a terrible life full of misery and pain. Why would anyone voluntarily go through that shit when there were more peaceful options?
In retrospect, most of those protagonists had something to fight for, something along the lines of jade beauty number 69 getting caught by his enemy, or parents' lives being under threats etcetera. But to Xuhan, weaknesses like these did not exist.
"Wait a damn minute, didn't I grow up in an orphanage?"
Han Xuhan bolted out of his sheets and sat on the edge of the bed with a frown on his face.
"How could I have forgotten such a key detail? Now that I think about it, after recalling my previous life's memories, my attachment to this world has reduced a lot. But still, I should have thought of this earlier. I never even went to visit them afterward. Why didn't I even miss them?"
For the first time ever, Xuhan started doubting his own reincarnation process. Before this, he had assumed that his own personality hadn't changed by much after regaining his memories, and that the small change had come as a mutual realization between his two selves rather than a direct suppression from one side.
"Now that I think about it, my memories of the orphanage feel rather fuzzy..."
Han Xuhan found himself getting a headache over contemplating so many of his problems at once. Looking at the dark surroundings inside his hut, he laid back on his bed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to get a good round of sleep. He had a busy day ahead, and he needed the rest.
.............. ............... .............. .............. ...............
"The sect master has summoned you in," the older disciple managing sect master Xuan Zi's residence said to Xuhan after keeping him waiting for an entire hour.
It wasn’t his first visit there. Han Xuhan navigated his way through the large building with ease, constantly replaying his planned scenarios in his mind.
After a lot of thinking, Xuhan had decided to change his current lifestyle this morning. For one thing, he had to make sure he wouldn’t end up being a protagonist-type guy.
It was one of the reasons why he had decided to meet Xuan Zi today. He was going to come clean to the old man about everything, just the opposite of what every xianxia protagonist would do.
Keeping secrets? Making shady deals with shady cultivators? Getting dragged into mysterious realms unsupervised?
No, thank you! But Han Xuhan would not accept these shitty subplot bombs being thrown in his direction that easily.
He found Xuan Zi quickly. The old man was, as usual, sitting in a lotus position, seemingly in the middle of a cultivation session.
"Greetings, sect master. I have an issue to report."
Arching an eyebrow upward, Xuan Zi gestured at him to sit down. Xuhan promptly followed.
"Explain."
"I hope you remember the law seal in my dao base, Master Zi. I asked your help in dealing with it."
"Sure, I do. Did something happen?"
Han Xuhan took a deep breath.
"Yes. Last night, someone with a unanimous identity summoned part of me over to a secret realm unique to the Holy Land of Laws. Then he forced me to make a deal with him."
The whole time he spoke, Xuhan kept his eyes glued to Xuan Zi's face, and saw absolutely no surprise or anger appear over his placid expression.
"Continue." Seeing him falling silent, Xuan Zi urged him on patiently.
"...Wait, you couldn't have seen it coming, did you?" Xuhan asked slowly, a sense of dread and disbelief coloring his tone.
Xuan Zi exhaled heavily.
"Not exactly, but I expected something to happen. I'm more surprised that it has happened this late. I was originally starting to think you were hiding the issue and working for them already."
The scenarios in Xuhan's mind crashed apart, never having anticipated a situation like this.
"But...You told me that the seal is harmless-ah, of course."
Seeing Han Xuhan cool down instantly rather than throwing a fit, Xuan Zi smiled approvingly.
"Good. I like smart children. You’ve understood the crux of the issue, yes?"
Xuhan nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. For a long time, both disciple and master stared at each other coolly.
"You wanted me to be your...spy? A middleman? A bridge that connects you to whoever is in charge of the Holy Land?" Xuhan broke the silence and said, watching Xuan Zi with narrowed eyes.
"Something like that, yes. The seal cannot directly harm you, but the cultivator in charge of its control certainly can torture you if you refuse to cooperate. But rest assured, whoever is in charge of the Holy Land, they can't do the latter part either right now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this path."
"Why not?" Xuhan asked, not feeling particularly assured.
"Hmm, I suppose you're still too inexperienced to figure it out yourself. The Holy Land of Laws has been deserted for many years, yes?
"As a makeshift jail, it shouldn't have many exits to the main world either, right?
"And its decimated lands aren't suitable to germinate decent cultivation resources, remember?
"Then, how would a cultivator, regardless of their power level, run a gigantic mechanism that can effectively control someone in a separate world? Have you thought about it? By now, you should have heard of power conversion theories in your lessons. One fact that you always have to keep in mind is that the bigger the scope of a technique, the bigger is its consumption of resources and power.
"And a mechanism like that seal should involve at least multiple incredibly powerful formations, magical instruments that can establish cross-realm connection, tracking devices that could drain a normal sect in days if kept activated for long...Elder Long Xie from the Snow Thread mountain peak could go on for hours if you ask him the details.
How is a mechanism like that supposed to run without any resources? Even if the Holy Land had all of its resources intact after all these years, they'd still have drained their stock dry with a handful of stunts like last night. Mechanisms like that are only intimidating when you're within their reach."
Han Xuhan finally realized why Brother BB had been so cooperative last night!
Now it made a lot more sense! His adamant behavior last night hadn't been the only factor affecting Brother BB's conduct, the desperation for access to more resources was the bigger influence!
Seeing him looking less anxious, Xuan Zi leaned back into a more relaxed posture.
"Now why don't you tell me about this deal you signed with the other party?"
Han Xuhan finally got back his footing in the conversation and organized his thoughts before speaking.
"He wanted me to supply him with cultivation resources. In return, he'd supply me with various types of cultivation techniques related to law manipulation, training methods, information about higher-level worlds."
Xuan Zi started laughing, startling Xuhan. For quite a while Xuan Zi's laughter continued. But looking at his face, Xuhan couldn't detect any signs of mirth. The laugh looked more like an outburst from an anger-inducing realization.
"So he's that desperate?" Xuan Zi growled softly.
"Did he tell you how to supply the resources to him? Do you need to go to the Holy Land yourself to do it? And how much resources does he need?"
"Apparently, there is a spell that can only be used by the disciples of the Holy Land, which, using the law seal in my dao base and the separate realm he summoned me to, can transfer the resources over to him," Xuhan answered nervously. The sect master was starting to appear rather unhinged...
"As for the quantity, he needs at least enough to satiate fifteen disciples at the late stages of the physique transformation realm."
Han Xuhan lied for the first time since entering the sect master's residence. Brother BB only had ten underlings at the moment, a major portion of the poor cultivators who had been possessed by his soul shards during their venture in the Holy Land. Except...
Who told the sect master to use Xuhan as a bait? Who told the sect master to let him come under the threat of torture? Since he was being used by Xuan Zi, he would at least make the risk worth it!
Resources for five extra people were enough to keep his own cultivation speed on par with regular disciples of the sect, or even higher. Coupled with his fat money bag, Xuhan was going to leave even the most talented, hardworking disciples in the dust!
"Fifteen people at the late stages of physique transformation realm? I thought his cultivation was-ah, never mind. This is a good deal. You could probably pressure them into giving away far more precious things compared to some measly resources. Do your own part carefully, disciple Xuhan. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for you and the sect. Much responsibility lies on your shoulders now that you've accepted his offer."
Xuan Zi took out a blood-red medallion from his pockets and handed it to Xuhan.
"This is something few members of this sect possess. Every time you need to supply him with resources, take this medallion and visit Elder Shen. He is in charge of the resource management of the sect. Take the resources you need from him and do your job."
For some reason, Han Xuhan felt that his little lie has been exposed. But he was never the bashful sort to begin with. He was pretty sure that the sect master wouldn't call him out for that at this point even if he knew. What would it achieve?
With an honest and solemn look on his face, he respectfully took the medallion from the elder and said,
"Is there anything in particular I should demand from the other party during our first exchange, Master Zi?"
Xuan Zi thoughtfully looked at Xuhan for a second.
"Ask him to hand over the blueprint of their hidden world fragment. He'll definitely refuse at first. Keep pressuring him using the carrot and stick method. Dangle the resources on his face a few times and vaguely mention that he doesn't have as much time as he thinks. He'll cave in. I have enough trust in your capability to pull this off. Go now, shoo."
Xuhan walked out of the sect master's residence with a complicated expression.
"Do I have such a reliable aura? Is being too competent a crime these days? Why did he choose me, the weakest disciple of this generation, to be his middleman? It definitely isn't as simple as a sheer coincidence. Xuan Zi was controlling the flow of events behind the stage the whole time. And he definitely wants something very precious from the Holy Land of laws. What could it be...?"
In the back of his mind, a single realization suddenly registered.
"Wait a damn minute, I went in there to confess, to get out of the deal and reduce my chances of becoming a protagonist...
How did I get myself into an even deeper mess despite doing the opposite of what any protagonist would do?"
Han Xuhan opened his eyes and found himself staring at the wooden ceiling of his hut. The dark surroundings weakly illuminated by the vague moonlight coming through the window assured him that it was still nighttime. Checking himself all over a couple of times, he found no physical evidence of the fact that he had just traveled to a faraway realm of disembodied beings as one of its newly recruited inhabitants.
"The way everything is developing almost makes me feel like a real protagonist myself. Getting dragged into conflicts that have nothing to do with me, escaping super experts by the nick of a hair, constantly finding myself inside secret realms full of mysteries...I even got a bit of a feud with the heavens! But why do I only experience the downsides of being a protagonist?
Where are the cheats, the super secret overpowered techniques, the beauties with terrible standards? What else do I have to go through in the future?"
Recalling all those generic novels on earth, Xuhan shivered in terror. The regular bloodbaths, the genocides, the masochistic cultivation techniques, the constant appearances of enemies with higher level cultivation base...
It all boiled down to nothing but a terrible life full of misery and pain. Why would anyone voluntarily go through that shit when there were more peaceful options?
In retrospect, most of those protagonists had something to fight for, something along the lines of jade beauty number 69 getting caught by his enemy, or parents' lives being under threats etcetera. But to Xuhan, weaknesses like these did not exist.
"Wait a damn minute, didn't I grow up in an orphanage?"
Han Xuhan bolted out of his sheets and sat on the edge of the bed with a frown on his face.
"How could I have forgotten such a key detail? Now that I think about it, after recalling my previous life's memories, my attachment to this world has reduced a lot. But still, I should have thought of this earlier. I never even went to visit them afterward. Why didn't I even miss them?"
For the first time ever, Xuhan started doubting his own reincarnation process. Before this, he had assumed that his own personality hadn't changed by much after regaining his memories, and that the small change had come as a mutual realization between his two selves rather than a direct suppression from one side.
"Now that I think about it, my memories of the orphanage feel rather fuzzy..."
Han Xuhan found himself getting a headache over contemplating so many of his problems at once. Looking at the dark surroundings inside his hut, he laid back on his bed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to get a good round of sleep. He had a busy day ahead, and he needed the rest.
.............. ............... .............. .............. ...............
"The sect master has summoned you in," the older disciple managing sect master Xuan Zi's residence said to Xuhan after keeping him waiting for an entire hour.
It wasn’t his first visit there. Han Xuhan navigated his way through the large building with ease, constantly replaying his planned scenarios in his mind.
After a lot of thinking, Xuhan had decided to change his current lifestyle this morning. For one thing, he had to make sure he wouldn’t end up being a protagonist-type guy.
It was one of the reasons why he had decided to meet Xuan Zi today. He was going to come clean to the old man about everything, just the opposite of what every xianxia protagonist would do.
Keeping secrets? Making shady deals with shady cultivators? Getting dragged into mysterious realms unsupervised?
No, thank you! But Han Xuhan would not accept these shitty subplot bombs being thrown in his direction that easily.
He found Xuan Zi quickly. The old man was, as usual, sitting in a lotus position, seemingly in the middle of a cultivation session.
"Greetings, sect master. I have an issue to report."
Arching an eyebrow upward, Xuan Zi gestured at him to sit down. Xuhan promptly followed.
"Explain."
"I hope you remember the law seal in my dao base, Master Zi. I asked your help in dealing with it."
"Sure, I do. Did something happen?"
Han Xuhan took a deep breath.
"Yes. Last night, someone with a unanimous identity summoned part of me over to a secret realm unique to the Holy Land of Laws. Then he forced me to make a deal with him."
The whole time he spoke, Xuhan kept his eyes glued to Xuan Zi's face, and saw absolutely no surprise or anger appear over his placid expression.
"Continue." Seeing him falling silent, Xuan Zi urged him on patiently.
"...Wait, you couldn't have seen it coming, did you?" Xuhan asked slowly, a sense of dread and disbelief coloring his tone.
Xuan Zi exhaled heavily.
"Not exactly, but I expected something to happen. I'm more surprised that it has happened this late. I was originally starting to think you were hiding the issue and working for them already."
The scenarios in Xuhan's mind crashed apart, never having anticipated a situation like this.
"But...You told me that the seal is harmless-ah, of course."
Seeing Han Xuhan cool down instantly rather than throwing a fit, Xuan Zi smiled approvingly.
"Good. I like smart children. You’ve understood the crux of the issue, yes?"
Xuhan nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. For a long time, both disciple and master stared at each other coolly.
"You wanted me to be your...spy? A middleman? A bridge that connects you to whoever is in charge of the Holy Land?" Xuhan broke the silence and said, watching Xuan Zi with narrowed eyes.
"Something like that, yes. The seal cannot directly harm you, but the cultivator in charge of its control certainly can torture you if you refuse to cooperate. But rest assured, whoever is in charge of the Holy Land, they can't do the latter part either right now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this path."
"Why not?" Xuhan asked, not feeling particularly assured.
"Hmm, I suppose you're still too inexperienced to figure it out yourself. The Holy Land of Laws has been deserted for many years, yes?
"As a makeshift jail, it shouldn't have many exits to the main world either, right?
"And its decimated lands aren't suitable to germinate decent cultivation resources, remember?
"Then, how would a cultivator, regardless of their power level, run a gigantic mechanism that can effectively control someone in a separate world? Have you thought about it? By now, you should have heard of power conversion theories in your lessons. One fact that you always have to keep in mind is that the bigger the scope of a technique, the bigger is its consumption of resources and power.
"And a mechanism like that seal should involve at least multiple incredibly powerful formations, magical instruments that can establish cross-realm connection, tracking devices that could drain a normal sect in days if kept activated for long...Elder Long Xie from the Snow Thread mountain peak could go on for hours if you ask him the details.
How is a mechanism like that supposed to run without any resources? Even if the Holy Land had all of its resources intact after all these years, they'd still have drained their stock dry with a handful of stunts like last night. Mechanisms like that are only intimidating when you're within their reach."
Han Xuhan finally realized why Brother BB had been so cooperative last night!
Now it made a lot more sense! His adamant behavior last night hadn't been the only factor affecting Brother BB's conduct, the desperation for access to more resources was the bigger influence!
Seeing him looking less anxious, Xuan Zi leaned back into a more relaxed posture.
"Now why don't you tell me about this deal you signed with the other party?"
Han Xuhan finally got back his footing in the conversation and organized his thoughts before speaking.
"He wanted me to supply him with cultivation resources. In return, he'd supply me with various types of cultivation techniques related to law manipulation, training methods, information about higher-level worlds."
Xuan Zi started laughing, startling Xuhan. For quite a while Xuan Zi's laughter continued. But looking at his face, Xuhan couldn't detect any signs of mirth. The laugh looked more like an outburst from an anger-inducing realization.
"So he's that desperate?" Xuan Zi growled softly.
"Did he tell you how to supply the resources to him? Do you need to go to the Holy Land yourself to do it? And how much resources does he need?"
"Apparently, there is a spell that can only be used by the disciples of the Holy Land, which, using the law seal in my dao base and the separate realm he summoned me to, can transfer the resources over to him," Xuhan answered nervously. The sect master was starting to appear rather unhinged...
"As for the quantity, he needs at least enough to satiate fifteen disciples at the late stages of the physique transformation realm."
Han Xuhan lied for the first time since entering the sect master's residence. Brother BB only had ten underlings at the moment, a major portion of the poor cultivators who had been possessed by his soul shards during their venture in the Holy Land. Except...
Who told the sect master to use Xuhan as a bait? Who told the sect master to let him come under the threat of torture? Since he was being used by Xuan Zi, he would at least make the risk worth it!
Resources for five extra people were enough to keep his own cultivation speed on par with regular disciples of the sect, or even higher. Coupled with his fat money bag, Xuhan was going to leave even the most talented, hardworking disciples in the dust!
"Fifteen people at the late stages of physique transformation realm? I thought his cultivation was-ah, never mind. This is a good deal. You could probably pressure them into giving away far more precious things compared to some measly resources. Do your own part carefully, disciple Xuhan. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for you and the sect. Much responsibility lies on your shoulders now that you've accepted his offer."
Xuan Zi took out a blood-red medallion from his pockets and handed it to Xuhan.
"This is something few members of this sect possess. Every time you need to supply him with resources, take this medallion and visit Elder Shen. He is in charge of the resource management of the sect. Take the resources you need from him and do your job."
For some reason, Han Xuhan felt that his little lie has been exposed. But he was never the bashful sort to begin with. He was pretty sure that the sect master wouldn't call him out for that at this point even if he knew. What would it achieve?
With an honest and solemn look on his face, he respectfully took the medallion from the elder and said,
"Is there anything in particular I should demand from the other party during our first exchange, Master Zi?"
Xuan Zi thoughtfully looked at Xuhan for a second.
"Ask him to hand over the blueprint of their hidden world fragment. He'll definitely refuse at first. Keep pressuring him using the carrot and stick method. Dangle the resources on his face a few times and vaguely mention that he doesn't have as much time as he thinks. He'll cave in. I have enough trust in your capability to pull this off. Go now, shoo."
Xuhan walked out of the sect master's residence with a complicated expression.
"Do I have such a reliable aura? Is being too competent a crime these days? Why did he choose me, the weakest disciple of this generation, to be his middleman? It definitely isn't as simple as a sheer coincidence. Xuan Zi was controlling the flow of events behind the stage the whole time. And he definitely wants something very precious from the Holy Land of laws. What could it be...?"
In the back of his mind, a single realization suddenly registered.
"Wait a damn minute, I went in there to confess, to get out of the deal and reduce my chances of becoming a protagonist...
How did I get myself into an even deeper mess despite doing the opposite of what any protagonist would do?"
