Chapter Five: Extortion Delivered to the Door

The Awakening Pill had a market value of fifty silver coins per pill (with the exchange rate being one gold coin equals one hundred silver coins, or ten thousand copper coins). It wasn’t exactly a rare treasure, but it was certainly not something as common as cabbages or radishes. Xu Wen, accompanied by the naive Mu Wan’er, spent an indulgent evening, popping pill after pill like beans. Their levels soared, fueled by their secret rivalry and competition.

Mu Wan’er broke through to the second tier of the one-star level in a single leap. She not only mastered basic control over the one-star low-level spell, “Fireball,” but also began to muster her strength to catch up with Xu Wen. As her proficiency in Fireball grew, she could now summon it more than twenty times in a single meditation. Still, Xu Wen’s progress was not lagging; in fact, he handled certain details even better, advancing faster. Now, he could condense the fireball to the size of a fist, its heat and destructive power reaching the third tier of one-star—far beyond the dark red fireballs Wan’er could conjure, leaving her speechless.

“Senior Brother, the books say that the smaller the fireball, the greater its destructive power. But... in the two-star spell ‘Grand Fireball,’ why does the size increase along with its power?”

On Medicine Peak, Mu Wan’er followed Xu Wen, gathering herbs for the Awakening Pill, her little face lifted with curiosity about the nuances of magic. Though they had only been together for a day, Wan’er was utterly convinced by her senior brother.

Xu Wen seemed to know more about herbology than the books themselves; his alchemy skills were equally impressive. Under his guidance, she had successfully concocted three types of one-star pills and the two-star Awakening Pill in a single night, the process etched deeply in her mind. Moreover, Xu Wen could explain magic theory as easily as breathing. Gradually, she found herself relying on him, and her questions shifted from basic knowledge to more advanced topics.

Xu Wen’s understanding of fire magic wasn’t as profound as his grasp of necromancy, but the shared resources of the twenty-first century’s online platforms were remarkable. He knew a bit about the differences between Fireball and Grand Fireball.

“Each spell is created with a distinct purpose and effect,” Xu Wen said, seeing the half-understood look in Wan’er’s eyes. He paused, choosing words a child would understand, and explained in a gentle tone, “Fireball is a quick, long-range attack spell—low mana cost, fast casting speed, ideal for one-on-one combat. Grand Fireball, on the other hand, grows rapidly with the wind, and its larger size makes it a one-directional group attack spell. It’s advantageous in both solo and group fights, but its only drawback is the heavy mana consumption and slow casting speed—not something a novice mage can handle easily.”

Unconsciously, Xu Wen slipped in some gaming terminology, but seeing Wan’er’s thoughtful expression, it seemed she understood.

“Ah, Senior Brother, you’re so amazing. It’s like you know everything.”

“Silly girl, it’s nothing. I just have a habit of thinking more when I read, and acting boldly.”

At this, Xu Wen grew more cautious internally. He was supposed to be a fourteen-year-old from a poor family; it was plausible that his talent for pill-making could be explained as mere interest. But his magic knowledge—he couldn't just make things up. Children from impoverished backgrounds rarely had access to such expertise. If he continued like this, he might invite unnecessary trouble in the future.

Mu Wan’er was simple and kind, no threat to him—but others might not be so harmless. If word got out through her…

“I need to be more restrained,” he decided.

“Wan’er, hurry up with the herb gathering. Once your storage pouch is filled, we’ll leave. For the next few days, we’ll focus solely on making Awakening Pills. With enough pills, you should be able to reach the first tier of two-star fire magic in a month and a half. After that, just concentrate on alchemy.”

“Alright.” Wan’er smiled sweetly, nodding obediently, her attention drawn back to the mountain full of herbs.

As the saying goes, a boy and girl working together won’t tire easily.

For several days, Xu Wen and Wan’er shared a room, resting little and dedicating almost all their time to practicing fire magic. With repeated exhaustion and rapid recovery thanks to the Awakening Pills, their mana steadily increased.

Wan’er never slackened in her pursuit; Xu Wen, feeling the pressure from her copying all his cultivation details and speeding up her progress, dared not relax either. On the seventh day, the “stone target” in Xu Wen’s room finally collapsed under their relentless bombardment!

They looked at each other, staring at the nearly pulverized stone target.

“Senior Brother, what do we do now?” Wan’er asked in a panic, as if she’d broken a precious vase, speaking quietly.

“We’ll switch locations. You have a stone target in your practice room, too…” Xu Wen dismissed the five egg-sized fireballs hovering before his chest. After seven days and nights of bombardment, if he hadn’t shattered that stone, he’d feel ashamed.

“You go ahead first. I’ll tidy up and report to Senior Sister Michelle.”

Wan’er agreed cheerfully, bouncing out to her own practice room to make the most of every second.

Watching her excited silhouette, Xu Wen felt as though he saw his own shadow when he first entered the online game world, and smiled. Turning back to the messy room, his thoughts settled.

With their current strength, even a new stone target wouldn’t last long—one was a newly advanced one-star fifth tier, the other about to reach one-star sixth tier.

“At this rate, we should reach one-star ninth tier within a month. Then, we can form a team and enter the outskirts of the Blackwater Mountains for actual combat.” He was eager to experience the thrill of battling magical beasts.

Just as Xu Wen turned to head toward Michelle’s residence, a black shadow suddenly appeared at the door, blocking his path. Two angry eyes, burning like real flames, glared at him.

“Ding Yushan.”

Xu Wen recognized him instantly, his heart sinking. The inevitable had arrived.

The formerly arrogant youth’s face was now covered in biting frost as he entered, closed the door, and cut off the view of several registered disciples outside.

When Ding Yushan turned back, Xu Wen clearly saw the fury in his eyes, and the poorly hidden murderous intent growing stronger.

He sighed inwardly. As expected.

“It seems Wan’er’s identity is more complicated than I imagined. This kid must have reached the limit of his patience,” Xu Wen thought, quietly moving his hand behind his back and slipping it into his storage pouch, watching Ding Yushan warily.

Indeed, after returning from the Blackwater Mountains, Ding Yushan had sought out Mu Wan’er, only to be told that she had been spending all her time with Xu Wen, the most recent registered disciple, sharing a room and always together.

Ding Yushan’s expression had been ugly enough to burn the place down with Grand Fireballs. His grandfather was a senior elder of the Forge Peak, a reputation rivaling that of the Seventh Medicine Peak. Ding Yushan had always been groomed as a prospective inner disciple of Forge Peak, but due to an accident, he was temporarily transferred to Medicine Peak—primarily to get close to Mu Wan’er and fulfill a task assigned by his grandfather and father.

But before he could develop any relationship, the girl had been snatched away! How could the proud Ding Yushan accept this?

If Mu Wan’er’s identity weren’t special, if there weren’t senior brothers and sisters and numerous registered disciples vouching that the pair spent their days only on alchemy and cultivation, he would have rushed in to cut someone down. Even so, he couldn’t suppress his anger.

These past days, he hadn’t focused on cultivation, but lurked in the shadows, waiting for Xu Wen to be alone.

Today, seeing Mu Wan’er leave, he seized the opportunity.

“From now on, stay away from Wan’er! If I ever see you with her again… you’ll regret it!” Ding Yushan’s voice was icy, his eyes locked on Xu Wen, but he restrained himself from acting. He had an elder for a grandfather, but he wasn’t bold enough to kill a registered disciple recorded by the Hortonklin family; the family’s rules would destroy his future.

“I’m only cultivating with Wan’er,” Xu Wen replied calmly, fully aware of these dynamics. This only ignited Ding Yushan’s suppressed rage.

“Cultivating!? I’m warning you! Take my words seriously, or you’ll suffer!”

“Is Wan’er your fiancée?”

Just as Ding Yushan was about to summon a spell, Xu Wen’s shocking question made him freeze.

“What?”

Seeing his reaction, Xu Wen relaxed a little.

“So, Wan’er isn’t your fiancée… Then, are you her relative?”

Now Ding Yushan snapped out of it, frowning.

“That’s none of your business!”

“If Wan’er isn’t your fiancée, and not your relative, and I have no connection to you, what right do you have to barge into my room and shout at me?”

Xu Wen glanced lazily at Ding Yushan, secretly amused. This ten-year-old kid wanted to outwit him in verbal sparring? Impossible.

Sure enough!

Hearing Xu Wen’s dismissive words, Ding Yushan was stunned, then sneered. An ordinary commoner, a registered disciple for only a few days, really thought he was something. Had he forgotten that he was facing a two-star fire mage, ready to teach him a lesson?

He only managed to begin his incantation when a dagger—standard issue for registered disciples—pressed against his throat, its cold touch instantly stiffening Ding Yushan, sweat breaking out.

“You… don’t do anything rash!”

“Stay still, stay still…” Xu Wen said with a sly smile, watching Ding Yushan halt his chant. “The fluctuations of fire elements don’t escape me. If I get nervous, who knows where this knife might leave a mark on you?”

Ding Yushan swallowed hard, cursing himself—his anger had made him commit a grave error, chanting a spell right in front of his opponent. But the kid reacted quickly, pressing a dagger to his neck.

“Xu Wen, don’t do anything foolish.”

Though he knew Xu Wen wouldn’t dare harm him, the cold blade still made him lower his tone. Now was not the time to flaunt his status—it would be the most foolish move.

“How could I be reckless?” Xu Wen said, keeping the dagger at Ding Yushan’s throat as he pulled out a purple jade pendant, fragrant with calming essence, from Ding Yushan’s collar, cutting it off without hesitation.

“This looks nice. I’ll play with it for a few days, as compensation for you barging into my room.”

“No! That’s my grandfather’s birthday gift to me!” Ding Yushan cried, seeing Xu Wen flaunt the pendant.

“Tch, so you’re the elder’s grandson, but you can’t even part with a pendant. I’m not taking it forever, just borrowing it for three months. You’ll get it back!”

“That’s…”

“Whatever it is, it’s settled.” Xu Wen interrupted him, feeling the calming energy from the semi-purified jade pendant, while tapping his face with the dagger. “If you have guts, go tell your grandfather. Let the Forge Peak elder know his two-star fire mage grandson was bullied by a pauper—by a registered disciple who’s only learned magic for seven days. Or, tell Senior Sister Michelle, and see if she’ll help you reclaim the pendant?”

Ding Yushan, only fourteen, couldn’t help but imagine the consequences of telling his grandfather or Michelle. Sweat poured faster.

Xu Wen’s every word struck his weak points! If he told his grandfather, it would be a disaster. The elder was notoriously cold; if he found out his grandson was so useless, bullied by a pauper, he might take back the pendant and give it to another junior.

Telling Michelle wouldn’t work either! As a two-star fire mage, if word spread, he’d never lift his head among the registered disciples again!

“You…”

“What about you?” Xu Wen saw Ding Yushan’s expression and knew he was defeated. He pocketed the pendant and dagger, saying, “I keep my word. I’ll return it after three months. And stay away from me—if you provoke me again, I’ll smash this pendant and you’ll never get it back!”

With that, he left Ding Yushan, who was foiled in his attempt at intimidation and now wanted to cry but could not, to go find Senior Sister Michelle.

———

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