The first update, seeking subscriptions~~

...

Fate is too illusory and ephemeral, not entirely trustworthy, but to say it's all coincidental seems far too fortuitous.

Among the vast sea of people, Qin Fang has encountered a considerable number of individuals, including many experts, but only the one before him has True Qi compatible with his own.

Even for Chu Yunxuan and Su Xiaoxiao, who developed True Qi through fusion with him, their True Qi is not compatible with Qin Fang's, but rather of the same origin, essentially the same type of True Qi.

If one were to trace the source, it might only lead to the origins of the Internal Cultivation Methods that Qin Fang practices, seemingly obtained from Fang Dacheng.

The version initially acquired could only be considered a simplified edition, lacking the true essence, not because Fang Dacheng was stingy, but rather because it is a familial secret skill not to be disclosed without elder's permission, a common method of inheritance among many Martial Families.

Of course, Fang Dacheng never imagined that Qin Fang's cultivation speed would be so swift that he has long since left him far behind.

Cultivation of Inner Strength isn't something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires years of accumulated practice. It's hard to believe that Fang Dacheng cultivated for over a decade to reach his current level of Cultivation, while Qin Fang has already entered Level 5 within half a year...

It's also a blessing that Qin Fang acquired the National Arts Skill; as his strength increases, so does his Proficiency with the skill, nearly starting from Intermediate level and now already verging on Advanced...

The deficiency in the Cultivation Technique hasn't greatly impacted Qin Fang, as the System automatically completes the skill, but the foundation remains the skillset given by Fang Dacheng.

Now, with such a situation, the reason still lies in the Cultivation Techniques both people are practicing.

"Right, the Boss's family seems to be in the mountains of Yanggui Province... Could it be in these mountains?"

Upon thinking this, Qin Fang was slightly startled, suddenly recalling this detail, and even briefly wondered if Fang Dacheng might be from the Tang Sect...

"It shouldn't be, everyone from the Tang Sect bears the surname Tang; there are no exceptions..."

But he quickly dismissed this possibility; those who join the Tang Sect abandon their former surnames from day one, automatically taking the surname Tang, and some even need to have their names chosen anew by the Tang Sect.

Fang Dacheng's surname is Fang, and so is his entire family's; they should have no relation to the Tang Sect...

His mind filled with doubts, but it wasn't appropriate for Qin Fang to inquire about this from Tang Xin, as the matter of Internal Cultivation Methods is a taboo subject in any sect, usually not breached even among close friends, let alone between Qin Fang and Tang Xin who had only just met.

"Cough cough, it's getting late; we should head down the mountain soon..."

Despite the mystery, Qin Fang ultimately decided to act as if nothing had happened, wearing a faint smile as he said this to Tang Xin.

"Mm, let's go..."

Tang Xin also lightly nodded, her fair visage behind the veil showing a hint of blush, clearly conflicted about their intimate posture.

In earlier times, specifically during the Ming and Qing dynasties, in the era when "men and women did not touch hands when giving or receiving objects," their current manner would have been highly inappropriate.

The Tang Sect had secluded itself from the Martial World around that time, staying hidden for hundreds of years. The thoughts of its members tend to be more traditional, and as a girl, looking at Tang Xin's attire, one can imagine what life within the Sect must be like.

However, it seems that Tang Xin is intentionally accommodating Qin Fang's habits, hence her actions, which left Qin Fang quite helpless.

He wanted to explain or even pull away, but in the end he chose not to... because the sensation of compatible True Qi was indeed very pleasant, as if unbeknownst to them, both parties' True Qi were slowly strengthening.

Such a good opportunity, Tang Xin likely did not want to miss out on, so they let it be...

Thus, the two left the secluded valley, and Black Witch Doctor Mulun's unfortunate corpse was abandoned there, naturally to be consumed by poisonous insects and wild beasts, a common occurrence in the mountains.

In fact, Qin Fang had initially considered disposing of the corpses of Shangguan Tianling, Lei Peng, and Shangguan Hao in the same place, but remembering Shangguan Tianling's final words, Qin Fang ultimately decided against doing so.

Tang Xin is now friendlier towards him, not only because there are no grievances between them, but also due to some misunderstandings that just occurred. Although their current attitude seems quite intimate, it doesn't erase the fact that they are still essentially strangers...

Qin Fang isn't quite sure why Shangguan Tianling would say such a thing back then, but there must be some secret unknown to Qin Fang. If this secret were to be exposed, it's uncertain whether Tang Xin would still be as courteous to him.

It would be quite troublesome for Qin Fang if Tang Xin were to come across the body and discover something.

To avoid such an occurrence, Qin Fang gave up on that plan. After all, the mountainous area is vast, and he could just dispose of the body in any remote corner; there's no need to do it here.

So the two of them started walking down the mountain. The sky had not yet completely darkened and was still bright. With their pace, they were confident they could get out of the mountains before nightfall.

Qin Fang glanced at the sky, then took out his mobile phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was already past four in the afternoon. He had intended to call Wen Yan to report his safety, but there was no signal at all in the mountains... Qin Fang could only give up reluctantly.

"Mr. Qin, what is this?"

Tang Xin, upon seeing the small object in Qin Fang's hand, was obviously very intrigued and couldn't help but ask. She had grown up in the mountains and never ventured far from them.

Life in the mountainous region is simple, backward, and even somewhat primitive. Only the areas close to the outskirts of the mountains have electricity; farther in, it becomes quite primitive.

Tang Xin doesn't even know what electricity is, let alone a mobile phone...

"This is a mobile phone!"

Qin Fang, without being reserved, handed the phone to Tang Xin and explained, "This is a very practical communication device for us outsiders. Even if two people are separated by thousands of miles, they can talk as if face to face... what a pity that the signal here in the mountains is so bad!"

Tang Xin took the phone, carefully examining it with rapt interest, while Qin Fang briefly guided her. She was quick-witted and soon got the hang of it.

Today's smartphones are feature-rich but also increasingly user-friendly, with various applications for their many functions. The direct tap-to-use nature makes them quite simple to operate.

Tang Xin, like a child taken by play, excitedly engaged with the phone, tapping here and there, looking around, utterly delighted—even the simple games that Qin Fang found quite childish brought her great joy...

Click~~

With a gentle click, Qin Fang took a photo of Tang Xin with his phone. Even though she still wore a veil—a Tang Sect requirement for unmarried female disciples when outside until they are married and allowed to remove it.

"Is... is this me?"

When Tang Xin saw the clear image on the phone, she could hardly believe it was real. Even clearer than looking in a mirror, almost perfect in detail, as though her entire being was encapsulated within that small screen.

The Tang Sect has been secluded for too long. Although some elders occasionally ventured out and experienced the wide world, they never encountered or tried recent devices like mobile phones that have developed over the past decade or so—they naturally didn't inform their disciples.

While Tang Xin was a favored disciple in the Tang Sect, she never had the chance to leave the mountains and explore the outside world. The mountain folks were quite xenophobic, and outsiders did not wish to venture deep into the mountains, so it was unlikely for them to encounter Tang Xin, who had no chance to see a mobile phone.

Until she met Qin Fang, that is...

"There are also movies inside, Miss Tang. You can watch them when you have nothing to do!"

Taking photos was just one simple feature. The pixel quality of Qin Fang's phone was quite good, producing high-resolution images. Although it was far from professional cameras, it was decent enough to keep Tang Xin utterly baffled...

Tang Xin might be a heavenly beauty, extraordinarily talented, and sharp-witted, but in this aspect, her experience was perhaps less than that of an ordinary village girl outside the mountains.

In this regard, Tang Xin is like the village girl among village girls, the most unsophisticated among the unsophisticated...

However, such a beauty is the easiest to impress, with her eyes shimmering with novelty and interest. Qin Fang noticed her shock had not left her gaze, her eyes almost bulging out.

If the photo already left Tang Xin speechless with shock, the sounds coming from the phone, along with lifelike images, were simply too overwhelming; she could only let go of Qin Fang's hand and cover her astonished gap with her delicate hand...

She knew the outside world had changed a lot, and the Tang Sect had been closed off for too long, but the outside world possessed many things they did not, from birth their existences revolved around cultivation, cultivation, cultivation, and little else.

As for what all this cultivation was for, perhaps they themselves didn't even know. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendations and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.