020 Three Strikes Again?

  Jiang Zhen studied me, his dark eyes unreadable beh the shadow of his brow. The disguise he had worn as a simple goldfish stall owner was gone, but he still wore the same loose, earth-toned robes of a mortal vendor. Despite that, his presence had shifted entirely.

  Before, he had seemed like just another old man at the marketpce—a little etric, a little mischievous, but ultimately unremarkable. Now? He stood like a mountain, his posture exuding the kind of effortless authority that came with years of power.

  His hair, oirely white, had regaireaks of bck, making him look more like a middle-aged man rather than an elder at the end of his years. A ly trimmed beard framed his sharp jawline, adding to his dignified, if somewhat disheveled, appearance. He looked like someone who had walked straight out of a martial arts legend—one of those reclusive masters who only revealed their true strength wheime was right.

  Unfortunately for him, I had ruined his grand reveal with a single skill.

  He sighed, rubbing his temples. “So, let me get this straight. You wao personally vouch for your little follower here—a girl burdened with a demonic cultivation teique—before the Isotion Path Sect? And iurn, you’re me a Phoenix Feather.”

  I nodded. “That’s about the size of it.”

  He folded his arms, gng at Gu Jie with a critical eye. She flinched under his gaze, shifting unfortably. It was obvious she wasn’t used to being scrutinized like this—especially not by someone who could probably end her life with a flick of his wrist.

  Jiang Zhe out a thoughtful hum. “It’s true that the Sect has ways to modify demonic teiques. However, suowledge isn’t shared lightly. Even among our own disciples, only a select few have access to it.”

  “Which is why I need your help,” I said simply.

  His lips twitched into somethiween a smirk and a grimace. “And if I refuse?”

  I twirled the Phoenix Feather between my fingers. “Then I’ll have to resort to… other methods.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Such as?”

  I met his gaze without hesitation. “Letting her die and reviving her repeatedly until we find a solution.”

  Jiang Zhen blihen, for the first time since our versation started, he let out a low chuckle. “Hah… you’re serious?”

  I shrugged. “It’s not my ideal pn, but I’m not above it. Pn A is your reendation. Pn B is… well, extreme. Pn C is just casting Divine Word: Life on her every day and praying something ges.”

  His ughter died down, audied me with newfound curiosity. “You really think that will work?”

  I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I g Gu Jie. She looked at me with a flicted expression—part hope, part apprehension.

  “…It has to.”

  Pn A was simple: get the old man’s reendation. If my reading of Jiang Zhen’s strength was correct, he had influence. An intermediary like him would signifitly raise our ces of ving the Isotion Path Sect to help Gu Jie.

  Pn B was… more plicated. If the Sect refused or things went south, then Gu Jie would have to die. Either by my hand or theirs. Then, I’d use the Phoenix Feather on her, hoping it would reset her physique or something. I even had other resurreethods lined up—skills, items, whatever it took. It’d be resourtensive, but as long as she was willing to endure death, I wouldn’t give up on her.

  Kindness was as expensive as it was rare, I guess. It was true no matter the world.

  It was areme measure, but eventually, it would succeed.

  After all, I had a certain gimmick item—a ridiculous thing made by the game devs as a pity meic for pyers whretted their css choices. If you died a thousand times, it let you reset your css. It was an utterly masochistic meic meant as a joke, but in this situation? It might just work.

  Pn C was if Gu Jie gave up on Pn B or if it ht failed.

  Pn C was despair-inate.

  Pn C was fairly straightforward: cast Divine Word: Life on her every single day.

  The problem?

  I could only cast Divine Word once per day, and using it on her meant I couldn’t use it in an emergency. It was a massive drain on my spell slots, and worse, it wasn’t even guarao work.

  Pn C was basically torture. A minuscule ce of success, relying on the daydream that if she cultivated long enough, she’d eventually recover. But the reality was, her bad health would always hold her bao matter how much she cultivated, she wouldn’t reach the Third Realm again.

  Yeah… Pn C sucked.

  Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes, twirling his beard between his fingers as he examihe feather in my hand. “Hmmm… How many of these do you have?”

  I ched the feather between my fingers. “Even if I had more, do you think I’d be willing to give them up?”

  Phoenix Feathers werely rare when it came to resurre items of my level, but they were still valuable. In Lost Legends Online, using one revived a character at 30% health, gave a temporary health buff, and added fire damage to their attacks for a while.

  They were ve but impractical—kind of like a half-baked insurance policy.

  It almost made Phoein LLO.

  Most pyers preferred the likes of Resurre Elixir, Immortal Fire, and Ambrosia to top off the healing, yered with multiple buffs.

  Jiang Zhen gri me like a cat that had just found a particurly dumb mouse to py with.

  “How about this? Three times.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  “I will give you three ces to strike me. I won’t move. If you mao impress me, then fine… I will set up a meeting with the Isotion Path Sect for you.” His grin widened. “But if you lose? I will have that Phoenix Feather out of your hands.”

  I stared at him, deadpan. Was this some sort of divine punishment? Karma? A ic joke at my expense?

  Because I just pulled this exact same stuerday with a certain young master.

  I sighed. The old bastard was definitely messing with me, trying to squeeze every st be he could out of this deal. I could already see the future pying out—if I failed, he’d ask me for another Phoenix Feather or demand some other treasure. And only then would he properly introduce me to the Sect.

  Cssiaster nonsense.

  Still, the guy retty fident. That meant one of two things: he was either ridiculously strong or ridiculously stupid. And giveting, I was leaning toward the former. In xianxia nd, power wasn’t just a tool—it was a social currency. Strength dictated hierarchy, respect, and influence.

  Of course, there was always the small ce that this guy was some reclusive hermit, just out here cospying as a goldfish vendor for the fun of it… but my gut told me otherwise.

  I o firm something.

  “Are you a local?” I asked, watg his rea carefully.

  Jiang Zhen tilted his head, as if mildly amused by the question. “Yes, I am a local.”

  Good. That meant he wasn’t some wandering expert with no ties to this city. His word would hold weight here. It would’ve sucked if he was just another outsider like me.

  I pressed further. “What’s your affiliation?”

  Jiang Zhe out a low chuckle. “I have nothing to hide,” he said smoothly. “But I won’t tell you… because I want to screw with you.”

  I clicked my tongue. “Of course you do.”

  Fine. If he wouldn’t tell me, I’d just ask someone else.

  I turo Gu Jie. “Does the name Jiang Zhen ring a bell to you?”

  She blinked in fusion before shaking her head. “No, Master.”

  At that, Jiang Zhe out an almost visible sigh of relief.

  …Why?

  Was his identity fidential? Hidden from the public? That was odd. If he was some well-known figure, Gu Jie should’ve at least heard of him. Ahe moment she said she didn’t reize his name, he visibly rexed.

  Suspicious.

  But fine. I’d py along for now.

  “Let’s do it your way,” I said, stretg my neck. “But not here.”

  Jiang Zhen smirked. “Of course. I’m not an idiot.”

  That was debatable.

  I turo Gu Jie. “o follow us. Go and enjoy the festival.”

  Gu Jie bowed. “Yes, Master.”

  Jiang Zheured with a tilt of his . “Keep up.”

  And then he flickered out of existence.

  I didn’t hesitate. Zealot’s Stride had cooled down, so I activated it again. A faint golden glow outlined my legs, and radiant footprints trailed behind me before fading into nothingness. I shot forward, keeping up with his blinding pace as we left the crowded streets of Yellon City behind.

  The festival lights dimmed in the distance as we rushed past the outskirts, moving beyond civilization and into a wide, dirt-den expaween a mountain and a forest. The air here was crisp, untouched by city life, and carried the st of pine and damp earth.

  Jiang Zhen finally stopped. I halted a short distance anting my feet firmly on the ground.

  The old man studied me, stroking his beard in ption. “Iing movement teique,” he muttered. “I didn’t detect its usage the first time… Hmmm… the subdued qi… It resembles a Buddhist teique.”

  I huffed. “I’m her a Buddhist nor a monk.”

  That was mildly amusing, though. He was referring to my mana as qi, wasn’t he?

  I had no idea how this world defined qi. Maybe it was just an analog of mana, just a different way of ceptualizing the same energy. Or maybe they were fually different things. Either way, it didn’t matter too much for now.

  Still, something was b me. Call it personal curiosity, but I had to ask.

  “What do you think my realm is?”

  Jiang Zhen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Your qi is very murky and subdued, like a mortal’s,” he admitted. “So I ’t really see into what realm you are. But sidering you could keep up with me… we must be around the same realm.”

  I he careful w. He was cautious—didn’t it to a real answer.

  But he did firm ohing: qi and mana were fually different. Whatever system he used to sense cultivation levels wasn’t pig up on me properly.

  That was good.

  I took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders as I prepared myself. “Just to set things straight,” I said, log eyes with Jiang Zhen, “if you move even a little bit, that ts as my win. I ’t have you g that my performance didn’t impress you despite f you to react. That would just be petty.”

  Jiang Zhe out an amused chuckle. “I’m not so childish as to do something like that.”

  I squi him. “Debatable.”

  He ignored my ent, stroking his beard. “Before we start, you don’t mind if I ask a question?”

  I sighed. “What is it?”

  His expression turned more serious. “When did you see through my stealth teique?”

  I arched a brow. “Huh?”

  “I’m fairly fident in my stealth arts,” he crified. “So whely did you figure me out?”

  I smirked. “Around the third time I lost your stupid arcade game.”

  Jiang Zhen blinked. “...How?”

  I shrugged. “Because I have eyes.”

  Sileretched between us.

  Then I added, “And I never fail to get what I want by the third try.”

  Jiang Zhen stared at me for a long moment before rubbing his temples. “You’re insufferable.”

  I grinned. “Shall we begin?”