Chapter 7: The Curse Seal

As the man’s words fall, a blinding light suddenly appears, and a powerful spiritual energy shoots up into the sky!

Da Lu and his parents are just ordinary people, they cannot withstand such an attack. They are immediately sent flying, spitting blood and collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

Once the strong light dissipates, the man looks at the three people he has sent flying. He spits on the ground with a face full of disdain, and speaks to the air: “What a troublesome guy. System, quickly check where the protagonist is!”

[Ding! Insufficient energy, unable to query at this time.]

At this moment, the fragment in Yan Jin Chang’s hand automatically projects a white screen displaying a series of words.

Yan Jin Chang is also shaken by the sudden surge of spiritual energy and lies on the rooftop. Seeing the words on the white screen, he feels confused as he hears the man below continue.

“What the hell? Is it really insufficient energy? Don’t I even have enough energy to get a coordinate? How am I supposed to find the protagonist now?!”

However, no matter how much the man complains, the thing referred to as the “system” seems unable to provide what he wants. The man can only curse as he leaves.

After he can no longer hear the man’s voice, Yan Jin Chang struggles to get up, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. Looking at his ordinary body that has yet to absorb any spiritual energy, he grits his teeth. This won’t do, with this kind of body, he can’t do anything!

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Yan Jin Chang struggles to move his feet, but he manages to arrive at the forest at the edge of the village. This place is quiet and near the mountains, where wild beasts often appear, so the adults in the village do not allow the children to play here.

Though the children are curious, after getting beaten a few times, they learned their lesson and dared not to wander around this area again. Thus, this place became a spot Yan Jin Chang frequently visited in his childhood.

In the forest, there is a pond of water flowing down from the mountain, wide and deep. Relying on his memory, Yan Jin Chang walks to the edge of the pond. After looking around to ensure no one is present, he unwraps the white cloth around his face, scoops up some water, and drinks a few mouthfuls to soothe himself.

The water washes away the taste of blood in his mouth. He scoops up more water and splashes it on his face, scrubbing away the bloodstains that have soaked through the white cloth wrapped around him.

As the water drips into the pond, it creates ripples. Yan Jin Chang lowers his gaze, watching his reflection in the swaying water. The surface of the water gradually calms down, revealing the reflection of his young, thin face.

On the pale face, dark curse seals spread all over, extending from his face down to his neck, with the remaining parts covered by the white cloth. On these curse seals, there are also scars, some of which are still oozing blood. The combination of curse seals and scars makes his face appear especially terrifying.

The young child does not know how to remove these curse seals and can only wash his face madly. Can only rub and scratch with his hands, trying to wipe away the curse seals that bring him endless pain.

But violently rubbing only makes his tender face weaker, scratching only adds injury to the pale face. Wrapping his face tightly in the white cloth only causes the wounds to fester and rot, making his face even more horrifying.

Yan Jin Chang takes out the herbs he picked along the way then chews them into a paste, he endures the pain as he applies it to his face. After covering his entire face with the herbal paste, he prepares to remove the white cloth from his neck to clean it, but he notices a grass stalk floating in the water.

It is a grass stem standing upright in the water. Yan Jin Chang frowns tightly, staring at the grass stem for a while. Suddenly, a head slowly emerges from the water, cautiously looking around, and then spots Yan Jin Chang.

The two lock eyes, and both are silent: “……”

The boy in the water says: “Your face…”

Yan Jin Chang, with his face covered with green herbal paste, coldly stares at him.

The boy continues: “I hid a treasure under that tree at the village entrance for you. Don’t tell anyone I hid it here, especially those people in black clothes.”

Yan Jin Chang looks at him expressionlessly. “Are you trying to trick a child? By the time I dig for treasure, how far could you run?”

The boy: “……”

“Guruguru…” At this moment, Yan Jin Chang’s stomach grumbles embarrassingly. 

Yan Jin Chang: “……”

The boy: “Pfft!”

Yan Jin Chang’s eyes darken.

“Did you not eat?”

Yan Jin Chang replies: “Get lost.”

The boy takes a deep breath and suddenly dives underwater. In no time, he surfaces again and throws something at Yan Jin Chang. Yan Jin Chang dodges directly, instinctively covering his face with the herbal paste to keep it from falling off.

“Splash!” A fish, about the size of two palms, lands beside Yan Jin Chang, flapping its tail.

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Chapter 8: Puppet Battle

Yan Jin Chang: “……”

When his gaze returns to the water, he sees that the boy has already dived into the water and swims to the opposite shore, quickly disappearing into the forest. He rubs his stomach and looks at the fish struggling on the ground.

He no longer remembers how long he has been hungry at this moment. He only vaguely recalls that at this time in his last life, he couldn’t resist those children and was hit all over with stones, even being used as a horse by them.

Only when the parents of those children came to call them home for dinner did those shadows pressing on him gradually dissipate. After he started feeling drowsy, vaguely seeing someone approach. When he woke up again, he found himself in Xuan Yao Sect.

Most of his time in his last life was spent there. But this time, no one can take him to Xuan Yao Sect, and it will not happen again!

Yan Jin Chang jumps into the water and catches two more fish. After grilling them, the discomfort in his stomach eases a bit. He quickly cleans up the scraps, skillfully climbs a tree, finds a suitable spot, then closes his eyes to rest.

………

“Clang!”

“Clang, clang!”

The sound of gongs spreads throughout the small village, startling the birds in the forest. Their flapping wings and chirping echo in the trees.

Yan Jin Chang suddenly opens his eyes, sits up sharply, his chest rising and falling violently, he breaths heavily. He instinctively reaches to the side but finds nothing! He quickly grabs the nearest tree trunk to avoid falling from the tree.

“Clang!”

“Clang, clang!”

The sound of the gongs rings out again, along with shouts approaching from afar.

“The puppet battle is about to start! Anyone with children, bring them to the village entrance to give it a try!”

Yan Jin Chang peers through the gaps in the leaves to see the sky, he then slides down the tree and finds a few fruits in the forest to barely fill his stomach.

At this time, the village has become lively, with a noisy crowd audible from afar. Yan Jin Chang quickly climbs onto the roof, moves closer, and soon he sees the competition taking place at the village entrance. Around him, people are whispering.

“Hey, who do you think will win this competition?”

“I think it will be that boy from the Wang family. I heard their family consulted a fortune teller who said he has the blessings to become immortal. So they are planning to take him to seek a master from the immortal family.”

“If my child had such fortune, that would be great.”

“What about that kid from the Da Lu family?”

“Bahhh! Why mention them? Their parents caused chaos going from house to house yesterday, it was so annoying!”

“Alright, forget about him. Hey! Do you think those precious herbs the nobles talk about are really powerful? If the champion of this competition gets the herbs, will he become immortal?”

“You’re dreaming! Becoming an immortal isn’t that easy!”

……

Hearing this, Yan Jin Chang pauses in his movement to take out the fruit from his pocket. “Herbs? What herbs?”

Yan Jin Chang looks around and soon spots a group of people watching the children battle with puppets. The clothing of these individuals is clearly different from those in the village. Behind them, a row of about a dozen puppet figures stands. Each measuring up to the knees of an adult, their bodies entwined with silk threads.

These puppets are chosen for the competition, wrapped in Bai Ling Silk, which can absorb spiritual energy. After absorbing enough energy, it can be used by some ordinary people. Typically, it is used by puppeteers, to help children who have not yet absorbed spiritual energy into their bodies. It help them learn to control the puppets.

(白靈蠶絲 – Bai Ling Silk/White Spirit Silkworm Silk: It suggests a mystical or spiritual type of silk associated with purity and energy.)

Most children in the village have not absorbed any spiritual energy, so they can not use their own spiritual threads to control the puppets. They must use the Bai Ling Silk.

It is clear that many children have already tried, and the one who lasts the longest is a taller child. The others either tangle the silk around the puppet or themselves. Or they lose in the puppet battle against the taller child in the competition circle, ending up crying in their parents’ arms.

Yan Jin Chang hesitates for a moment and silently takes out the white cloth strip.

“Is there anyone else who wants to challenge?” The tall boy standing in the competition circle controls the puppet in his hand, knocking a chubby boy’s puppet out of the circle. His expression grows increasingly proud.

“I want to give it a try, is that okay?” At this moment, a slightly cold voice rings out.

Everyone turns to look, seeing a child with his face wrapped in white cloth standing not far away. His eyes peer out from between the cloth strips, locking with a man in blue sitting in a chair next to the competition circle.