I Will Never Fail Myself!

"Fairy Liu, what happened?" Lie Xu set aside the previous pair's mischievous comments, perplexed by Liu Yu's behavior. His curiosity hit him forcefully, compelling him to look more intently at the beautiful young woman in hat and veil, trying to see through the fabric covering her lovely face.

"Brother Lie, that matter… I'd rather not talk about it," she whispered, finally glancing back, sure that no one was following them. "I hope this won't trouble you later. Just keep in mind that it was a misunderstanding. If you can avoid those two, it will help as well."

Lie Xu had no memories to give him experience on any subject, but his instincts told him something was amiss. 'Why would I need to avoid those two? I don't even know them. Have I committed some great crime in their eyes simply by being with Liu Yu? Do they have some complicated history?'

Fortunately, Lie Xu's common sense was sharp and ready for action!

Trying to calm himself, he looked back and sighed, "Fairy Liu, just take a breath. There's no need to pull me along like that. Look, they aren't following us."

Seeing the pained expression on Lie Xu's face, she slowed her pace before releasing his arm. "I'm sorry for dragging you along like that," she said upon noticing his expression.

Lie Xu smiled at her, dismissing his discomfort. "No need to apologize. I'm the one causing trouble. I just didn't expect Fairy Liu to be so sought after. Looks like I'll have to be careful with your suitors."

"Tsk! Don't talk nonsense!" Liu Yu instantly changed her expression upon hearing Lie Xu's teasing tone.

'Seems I was right in my suspicions…'

But Liu Yu did not leave Lie Xu completely in the dark, "Brother Liu, you're not entirely correct in what you say, but you're not wrong either. However, discussing this will only bring us more trouble. Just listen to your Sister Liu and avoid those two. They will give up after a few days. Now let me show you around the village before we head to Sir Lan's house."

Lie Xu understood that Liu Yu did not want to discuss the matter concerning Du Ming and Yao Feng, so he did not press further. Yet secretly, he etched those two names in his mind.

Liu Yu resumed leading the way, finally fulfilling what she had promised Lan Renshu.

"Brother Lie, Brave Sword King Village has a total of 37 streets, with a commercial heart located in the center of the village—where we are now. Most of the products you need to buy are found around the central square, and some services, such as medical care, are also available there. But the village has a peculiar layout. To the north is the Eternal Sword Academy, while to the east is the Night Hunt Sect.

"As for the sect, it occupies a vast area—almost as large as the rest of the village. That site of the sect is naturally accessible only to members or their guests, so I won't be able to show it to you today. The academy, on the other hand, is basically a six-level tower, situated in the more affluent part of the village. The area around it is mostly residential, with several large estates belonging to the village's most important clans and families.

"Among them are the Du Clan, the Yao Clan, the Liu Clan, and the Xue Clan. They are all part of the sect and carry great influence in the village. Remember that."

They walked slowly along the streets connected to the central square. Feeling better after the earlier potion and with Liu Yu entertaining him, Lie Xu managed to ignore his pain. Learning something when he knew almost nothing was more enjoyable than Lie Xu had imagined, and in the blink of an eye, several minutes passed.

Lie Xu traversed nearly half the village behind Liu Yu, absorbing almost every piece of basic information about this place where he would begin his new life.

"… Cultivation resources are harder to come by outside the sect. Although most village residents are cultivators, those who are not sect members are mostly weak."

"Most of the village residents are cultivators? They seem so ordinary compared to Fairy Liu," Lie Xu said in surprise.

Liu Yu nodded, gazing toward the sky with mixed emotions in her eyes, "How could ordinary beings survive in the Primordial Void?" Her tone revealed a side of her that no longer possessed the naivete of youth. "More than 90% of all living beings you'll encounter from now on will have cultivation, for sure, Brother Lie. Most will be so weak that merely stepping outside their homes is a great risk to their lives, but the fraction of those strong enough to wreak havoc upon the world is not small. It's no wonder that in a village like ours, our sect has hundreds of members."

Lie Xu remained silent, accepting the teachings of kind Liu Yu. He did not suspect ulterior motives behind her words or those who had already helped him. She and the others might have secret interests, but it made no sense to lie about such basic matters. He would discover everything on his own, sooner or later.

Yet, Liu Yu was doing him a favor, and he did not intend to forget it.

Liu Yu stopped when they entered a simpler street, one with fewer carriages and more carts; a place where people in more modest clothing moved about, their faces showing tired, sweaty, and sometimes even grimy expressions.

She resumed her previous thought, "Anything related to cultivation is going to be harder to find outside the sect. But there are options. I just don't recommend them for you until you improve your knowledge and relearn cultivation," she looked kindly at Lie Xu and advised, "Cultivation is like a double-edged sword, Brother Lie. You can cut others, but you can also be cut. Be careful."

"Anyway, here we are. Old Lan's house is the one with the yellow door," she pointed ahead, about 50 meters away, where a large three-story building spanned dozens of meters along that street, with several doors and windows. Clearly, this was a building where many families lived.

"Fairy Liu, thank you for the tour and your wise advice," Lie Xu said, offering a gesture he had seen several times since entering the village. Attentive as he was, no small detail escaped his notice. "I hope to see you again soon. Next time, perhaps I can repay you by taking you out to eat."

Liu Yu gave a slight smile and did not refuse. Lie Xu was not the most handsome man in the village, nor did he have any incredible stories to tell. But she was curious about his origin, as well as where a prodigy like him might end up.

"See you later," she said without further ado, leaving Lie Xu watching her as she disappeared from his view.

After Liu Yu's silhouette vanished amid the bustling street, Lie Xu could still see the graceful form of his guide in his mind. Liu Yu might not rival her mentor in terms of physical beauty, but she was a unique pearl in her own way.

Smiling softly, Lie Xu felt more determined than Liu Yu had advised. 'I don't know what kind of life I had until yesterday, nor what awaits me in the future. But I don't intend to waste this life. I, Lie Xu, will do as I please and will never fail myself from this day onward!'

He turned to face the large residential building where Lan Renshu lived, taking the final steps from the stone-paved street onto the sidewalk, where the yellow door stood amid six other entrances.

Lan Renshu promptly opened the door at Lie Xu's call, while Kong Meng panted rapidly, clearly in a hurry with something.

As soon as Lie Xu saw the old Lan open the door, revealing the interior of his house, he noticed Kong Meng sitting on the floor, breathless and quite sweaty. The old Lan too appeared exhausted, suggesting they had been hurrying to complete a very important mission.

"Sir Lan, you didn't need to went to all this trouble to prepare your house for me..." Lie Xu said in surprise. "There was no need—just a place for me to lie down on the floor would have been enough."

"How could I do that with a guest? Especially when you're injured, young Lie. Please, don't refuse; stay in my room until we sort your situation out here," the old man said with pride and reverence, full of energy—a sharp contrast to earlier, before he knew about Lie Xu's cultivation.

"Please, young Lie, follow me." Old Lan led him toward his room, showing him his humble residence.

Lan Renshu's house was like any of the hundreds of families on this side of the village. It consisted basically of a small entrance room with a table and chairs, a tiny kitchen integrated, featuring a sink and a wood-burning stove. It also had a side bathroom with a latrine and a bathtub, and finally a small bedroom containing just enough for a single chest of drawers and at most two single beds.

There was no decoration in Lan Renshu's house. Aside from some old books on the shelf in the living room and the old man's tools, everything else was very plain.

The wooden furniture was old, bearing marks of time that suggested they were nearly as old as their owner. Meanwhile, there were hardly any utensils or porcelain items in the kitchen. Besides two metal pans, the kitchen implements could be counted on one's fingers.

Lan Renshu's room had a single bed, with some old but good-quality linens folded neatly at the foot of the bed. A hammock and a mat were folded in one corner of the room next to the only window in the entire house.

"Young Lie, sleep here for the next few nights. It's not much, but you'll have a roof over your head and won't have to pay," Lan Renshu said as Kong Meng, finally having caught his breath, joined them.

"Big Brother Lie, I'll be able to tell you many local stories before you leave for the sect. But don't forget about me later, hehe," said the boy, tugging at Lie Xu's shirt.

Lan Renshu playfully swatted one of Kong Meng's ears and said, "Don't listen to this brat, young Lie. He's a fool, despite his kind heart."

Lie Xu was at a loss for words. Old Lan truly wished to please him—to the point of offering his own bed. Yet, as difficult as it was to refuse the offer, Lie Xu also felt it would be impolite to do so.

'Refusing would be the same as offending his efforts… I'll go along with it and repay him in the future.'

"Alright, Sir Lan. Since you've welcomed me so warmly into your home, naturally I won't refuse your gesture."

Hearing Lie Xu's words was like the sound of drums among the celebratory fireworks of a great hero's achievement!

Smiling from ear to ear, Lan Renshu waved one of his hands and said, "Don't mention it, young Lie. There's no need to thank me, hehe. Meng'er and I will be at your disposal over the next few days. Do not hesitate to ask for anything your heart desires!"

Lie Xu sat on the hard bed in old Lan's room, not minding the quality of the place. He grew more serious and took in his host's words, "Then let's talk about my situation.

"I remember nothing about my past, not even about the cultivation you mentioned earlier. I know nothing beyond what you've already taught me. So I'd like to hear your opinion on what I should do. Certainly, I can't live as a useless person."

Lan Renshu signaled for Meng'er to bring a chair for him while he himself grew even more serious. "Indeed," he said in a solemn tone, "Your situation is quite peculiar, but fortunately, you are already a cultivator, as Lady Xue mentioned earlier. In that case, things won't be as difficult financially. I just can't guarantee that you'll recover your memories. As for the rest, I have already devised a plan."

"Please, enlighten me."

Kong Meng returned with a chair for old Lan and did not hesitate to sit on the floor to listen to the adults' conversation.

Lan Renshu began, "What we urgently need to do is to obtain an identification for you. Without your registration in the village—or any previous registration from somewhere else—you won't be able to live here for long. Fortunately, I have some savings and can pay for a registration for foreigners.

"Tonight is already late and the King's Office won't serve us. But early tomorrow, we'll head to the center of the village and register you. Once that's done, you can try to enroll in the Eternal Sword Academy—provided you are under 20 years old—and also attempt to join the Night Hunt Sect.

"I'm not entirely sure you'll qualify for the academy, given the age restrictions. You seem young, but cultivation is fantastic and mysterious. Perhaps you've already surpassed 20 years of age and do not meet the age requirement. So, you will have to go through a test at the academy to prove it.

"As for the sect, things should be easier. Since you are already at the Consolidation in terms of soul cultivation, you'll only need to undergo a compatibility test. That kind of test isn't difficult, especially considering you've lost your memories.

"Once that's done, you'll have a place to learn, a home to call your own, and resources. The sect provides an allowance to all its disciples, along with merit-based rewards.

"The only problem you might face is if you aren't accepted into either institution. I think that is unlikely, but it can happen. Yet, even then, given your cultivation, you could easily get mercenary work from one of the four pillar clans of the village.

"Becoming a guard would be the worst fate, while marrying into one of those families would be your best future."

Though he was weak and not up to speed on many current affairs in the village, Lan Renshu knew the basics well enough to help someone in Lie Xu's position.

The old man smiled optimistically, "I wouldn't worry too much about being rejected by either the academy or the sect if I were you. But even if that happens, you'll still have a future that only the elite can dream of, young Lie.

"And if you're lucky and join the Night Hunt Sect, your opportunities will be even greater, with chances to become an elder of the sect or even a junior disciple of the Eternal Temple in the kingdom's capital!"