Chapter 24 - The Tea She Shared

The sun had shifted by the time Lao Xie and Elder Yao rose from the stone table beneath the old tree. The shadows had lengthened across the garden, and the air carried the soft fragrance of crushed petals and worn earth.

"It's already this late..." Elder Yao muttered, glancing at the slant of light touching the garden's edge. "I forgot how fast time passes when you're talking nonsense."

Lao Xie gave a small shrug. "You're the one who kept answering."

She smirked. "Next time, bring your own tea. I won't share it so freely again."

He turned toward the stone path that led out of the garden, pausing just before stepping off.

"…Don't get used to being stuck."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Huh?"

"I didn't say I could fix it." Lao Xie spoke without looking back. "But one day… I might find a way."

Elder Yao blinked, the breeze tugging lightly at her lavender sleeves. For a long moment, she said nothing.

Then came her voice, quieter than before. "No matter how much have you changed on the outside, You're still the same on the inside, Lao Xie."

He didn't respond. With his usual steady steps, he left the garden.

....

The walk back to his hut was quiet.

The once-busy paths of the outer quarter had thinned. A few disciples passed by, whispering softly, though none dared approach. Lao Xie barely mind them. His mind was elsewhere, caught between the system's earlier task and Elder Yao's wounded pride.

"Weakened state, left to rot at the Resource Pavilion… They really did discard her."

He arrived at his hut and stepped inside. The door creaked closed behind him, muffling the outside world.

Ding~

A familiar chime rang in his mind.

[System Task - Side Task Completed]

Task: Manipulate Elder Yao into believing you got this far on your own.

Completion Reward: 30x Spirit stones, Random First-Grade Pills (x3), +1 Star Interest

Failure Penalty: None

Would you like to claim your reward now?

[Claim Now] / [Claim Later]

Lao Xie raised a brow.

"Claim now."

In a soft glow, three jade bottles appeared mid-air, clinking as they landed gently onto his table. Another small pouch shimmered into view before vanishing into his ring with a quiet hum.

But that wasn't all.

"System," Lao Xie called inwardly. "What about the bonus reward from earlier?"

Cling~

A new panel appeared.

[AFFINITY - UPDATED]

Ling Ruxin

Interest: 1 Star

Relationship: Fellow Disciple

Age: 17

Cultivation Stage: Qi Refinement, 2nd Stage

Affiliation: Silver Crescent Mountain Peak, Inner Disciple.

Yao Yue

Interest: 2 Star

Relationship: Elder - Disciple

Age: 32

Cultivation Stage: Qi Refinement, 9th Stage (Weakened State)

Affiliation: Silver Crescent Mountain Peak, Elder.

Followed by another.

[INFORMATION - UPDATED]

Name: Lao Xie

Age: 15

Cultivation Stage: Qi Refinement 4th Stage

Physique: Heaven-Piercing Sword Physique

Race: Human

Luck: ???

Spiritual Root: Primordial Ancient Spirit Root

Traits: Observe Lv1 (NEW)

Cling~

[Bonus Reward – Trait Acquired]

Trait Gained: [Observe]

Effect: Grants the ability to analyze the basic personal information of individuals upon focus. Displays name, cultivation stage, age, and affiliation. Higher levels may reveal more hidden details.

Lao Xie leaned back slightly, arms folded as he stared at the panel. "Observe?"

His brow lifted faintly. "I didn't see this feature before."

He spoke inwardly, tone dry. "Oi, system. Care to explain? What even is a trait?"

The system replied almost instantly, its tone crisp but slightly more casual than usual.

"Traits are passive functions, host. Observe was granted as a bonus for successfully manipulating Elder Yao and triggering her interest. This one is particularly useful for gathering intel."

"So they're not techniques?"

"Correct. They don't require activation. No qi cost. No special gestures. They're always active. Like a natural part of you."

"Huh." Lao Xie narrowed his eyes at the flickering panel. "And I'm only hearing about this now?"

"I don't know about that either, host. Most traits are hidden behind a specific situations and i didn't expect you to acquire it this fast."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you got this one as a bonus for Elder Yao task. System might recognizes her as someone useful or perhaps there's more to it. I don't have much information as for now, maybe i'll know more after you have reach the condition for version upgrade."

Lao Xie hummed slightly. "Mhmmm."

"At its current level, Observe only reveals basic information such as Name, cultivation stage, age, affiliation. But with continued use, it may evolve."

He turned his attention back to the flickering line of text,

[Trait Acquired: Observe Lv1]

"A trait that lets me peer into people…" Lao Xie muttered. "That's quite a sharp little knife."

"Useful," he said aloud, already imagining the possibilities. "So… traits can level up too?"

"Yes. Most traits have levels. You can improve them by using them often or meeting certain conditions related to their nature."

"And how many of these can I get?"

"Unknown."

"Hmph…" Lao Xie muttered, eyes flicking toward the ceiling. "I'll take it. Keep the good ones coming."

Lao Xie's gaze shifted to the three jade bottles sitting neatly on the table, their seals still intact and glowing faintly with protective talismanic light.

With a flick of his finger, he drew one closer and broke the seal.

A gentle medicinal scent wafted out.

[First-Grade Healing Pill]

Heals light injuries and accelerates recovery from internal strain.

"Mhm," he hummed, setting it aside and reaching for the next.

[First-Grade Mental Pill]

Clears distractions, improves focus, and temporarily sharpens spiritual sense.

"...This one's rare," Lao Xie murmured, eyes narrowing slightly.

The last bottle had a dull, earthy smell.

[First-Grade Stamina Restoration Pill]

Restores 20% stamina on use.

He let out a soft snort. "I already picked one of these earlier."

Still, he didn't complain.

"All decent pills."

With a wave of his hand, the bottles disappeared into his ring. He rose from his chair and stretched, glancing toward the window where dusk had begun to settle in.

"Time to rest."

...

Next morning.

The first light of dawn filtered through the narrow gaps in the wooden shutters. A soft golden glow spilled across the floor of the hut, touching the edges of scattered scrolls and the low table where an empty teacup rested.

Lao Xie sat cross-legged on his bedding, eyes shut, his breathing deep and steady.

Earlier that morning, he had consumed the Qi Absorption Pill from the alchemy hall. The moment it dissolved in his mouth, a subtle heat had spread through his veins, gentle and constant. Enhancing his body's ability to draw in qi like a thirsty sponge.

The difference was immediate.

Each inhale now pulled in twice as much ambient qi, flooding his meridians with ease. Every exhale refined that energy with smooth precision, settling it deeper into his dantian. What normally took hours, he had achieved in half the time.

His body had already grown accustomed to the flow of the 4th Stage, but now… now it felt stable.

Moments later, his eyes opened.

"Worth it," he muttered, rising to his feet.

With a light stretch, he stepped outside. The early morning chill kissed his skin, but he welcomed it. The outer disciple quarter was still quiet, with only a few figures moving between huts.

He turned his gaze eastward, toward the towering peaks where the sun was just beginning to rise.

But his thoughts drifted elsewhere.