Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog
Radon Town is a very common town with nothing remarkable. Right under a dilapidated earth wall in one of the alleys south of the market in Radon Town laid a ragged young man. Though the alley was crowded with people hurrying to and from, no one even cast a simple glance at this young man, for they had long been used to this.
A black lightning streaked across the sky silently and the young man suddenly shook his ragged body, letting out a painful groan, but still, drew attention from nobody.
Just then, a girl aged sixteen or seventeen ran into the alley, chased by two middle-aged men, crying: ” Miss, hold on, Miss…”
The girl strode from the earth wall, trying to get rid of the two tagalongs, but failed. Annoyed by this, she stopped abruptly, turned around and shrieked: “Do not follow me! Do you really want me to marry that damn dwarf! ” Before her voice had died away, the girl raised her hand, threw off the necklace at the two ass-kissers with all her strength.
The man running in front was caught off guard and raised his hand to block away the necklace, which flied out after the collision, drawing a trajectory in the air before it finally dropped on the forehead of the ‘beggar’ , scarlet beads rolling down, dotting the ground with shining lights.
Han Jin struggled to open his eyes. The first thing came into his mind after regaining his consciousness was not the environment around him, nor the oddness or puzzlement he had felt through the passing of time and space, but how to relieve his hunger!
He should not be defeated by hunger considering his strong willpower if it was not for the reason the way he cultivated himself. Han Jin’s teacher was one of the legends who created a particular way of cultivation. He once instructed that spirit power, as gasoline in modern times, was also a kind of resource. Gasoline would be run out of a thousand years later due to rapid consumption speed, leaving cars useless but mere decorates in museums, the same would be for spirit power, which had already been near its end after being consumed by countless friars long time ago, thus it was impossible to upgrade one’s level through normal channels, and the original cultivating ways would also be useless for modern people.
Besides, analyzed from life form, animals are advanced than plants. It is a plant way to absorb the spirit between heaven and earth through breathing. Thus it would be better to change minds thoroughly than waste the remaining spirit power with not much left. As modern science has proved, if the body could digest food and absorb its energy thoroughly, one piece of bread would be enough for one day’s energy consumption. Moreover, it is an animal way to supplement the energy of life via feeding, which must be more advanced than the plant form since animals are advanced than plants.
In the comprehensive system of cultivation, the energy absorbed via feeding was only grain essence , sketchier when compared with congenital spirit. However, Han Jin’s teacher insisted that though various in types, energy could be traced to the same source.
He had earnestly practiced what he had advocated and gone further and further in this unprecedented path, which were beyond the understanding of many, who had laughed at him as a rice bucket, for the amount of food he could eat in one meal would be enough for hundreds of people for one day. Even the legendary Zhang Guolao who had been famous for his gluttonous appetite could only stuff half a cow into his stomach in one meal. But sneer counted to nothing, it was time that could prove the truth. Fellows at Han Jin’s teacher’s age died one after another against the erosion of time. For them, to get upgraded was merely a dream beyond realization. The only one that still survived was Han Jin’s teacher, and only survival can still bring him hope, not to comment whether it was through the right path or not.
Han Jin was really a lucky guy, for that his ancestors have had figured out a set of feasible ways for cultivation. He could just indiscriminately imitate those ways and refer to the effects at each level. He had to admit that the way his teacher practiced was to some extent more efficient and easier than plant method. Han Jin had not started cultivation until the age of sixteen, however, he had managed to surpass most of his peers and distinguished himself within merely seven years, even compared to the peers many were from noble families that are famous for cultivation.
Were there no other trifles to worry about ,he could abandon himself to eating for the whole day and digest and take in ninety nine point nine percent of what he had eaten, approximately one hundred percent.
The moment his body was destroyed, Han Jin recalled what his teacher had told him: death is absolutely not the last thing of life! And he, with his confidence in his teacher and unremitting persistence, retained his spirit and endeavored to find an incredible path which led him to this strange world.
Han Jin had no interest in whom this body belonged to, nor cared about the body’s spirit, what he was eager for at this moment was nothing but energy. His hunger was amplified, to an extent that is out of his own control.
So when he laid his eyes on the scarlet beads, the first thing came across him was energy! Without thinking over the texture of the “food”, Han Jin grabbed a bead with twitching hands and wolfed it down. After his completion of basis construction, he could swallow anything that contains energy, from Tianshan Warm Jade to Huan River Fire Essence and Star River Sand, anything that other friars considered as materials for making magic weapons would be edible to him, and he can absorb them completely.
“Hey… That is not edible!” exclaimed the girl after seeing this. In fact the necklace she wore was made of the magic crystal from long-ear rabbit, a low grade holy animal, though containing fire element, it was too little to have substantial functions, thus this crystal was usually used to make necklace for decoration.
Han Jin’s eyes protruded when the red bead rolled into his esophagus. “No!” He mused as he sensed danger in his stomach. The cultivation art he was practicing got its own limit. Edible grain essence would be no problem to be absorbed, on the contrary, the more the better, but energy from rare jewels and precious stones must be took in according to strict rules. For example, if one had already stored one thousand energy in his body, he then could take in another 1 energy within one day, that is zero point one percent of his original energy. Should he dare to take in more than 10, also one percent of his original energy, immense damage would be brought to his body, even led him to a mad status. Since now Han Jin’s body was empty without any energy, any jewel could take away his life.
If it were in the past, these red beads would be good “food” for him to replenish energy, but now he had to dig his throat with one hand and punch his abdomen with the other. “Puff!” The red bead shot out from his mouth like a bullet, his body thudded down onto the ground, motionless.
“Is this beggar out of his mind??” seeing this, the girl murmured while patting at her chest.
One of the middle-aged man stretched his finger before Han Jin’s nose, as if trying to test whether this lunatic was still alive or not. Then color on his face got changed: “Miss, we’d better leave right now, this guy is dead!”
“What?” The girl was also startled, rushed towards Han Jin to confirm by herself, but she was held back by the middle-aged man, who was grabbing her arm.
“Miss,it’s not worth to get into trouble for this beggar, let’s leave hurriedly!” The man knew clearly that his young master had made great trouble and would be in danger if someone take advantage of this accident.
“Let me go! I want to have a look at this poor guy! May be…” the girl struggled.
“Miss, please be sensible.” anxious sweat dropped down from the head of the middle-aged man, after winking an eye at the other man, they dragged the girl away from the site.
No one know how long passed, Han Jin came to himself by a burst of husky and heartrending cry. He opened his eyes and found himself being held in the arms of a dusty boy, the chest of whom fluctuated ups and downs and the vibration generated from the cry could be sensed clearly.
An attempt of Han Jin’s struggle stopped the cry, what appeared next was a miserable face, though originally delicate with large eyes and straight nose, it was totally defamed by its dirty, two strips left by tears crept on it, wild locks of hair covered the forehead like straw, dispersing some kind of horrible odor. Han Jin flinched unconsciously.
“Light god blessed! Young Master, finally you’re awake!!” The boy cried due to extreme happiness, tears burst out again from his eye sockets. He scooped a piece of bread with both hands and passed it to Han Jin: “It’s all my false to make you hungry, young master, I should come back with food earlier!”
Hearing this, Han Jin racked his brain for information, but nothing was more attractive than the bread in front of his eyes. He scrambled the bread and stuffed it into his mouth.
Along with the gulp of food, a feeling of unspeakable satisfaction filled in his heart, made him trembling and even wailing. The last thing he would think about was what hunger had turned him into! A story crossed his mind, which said that a group of miners were trapped under a mine for around five or six days. After they were saved, the most energetic one kept away from the doctors’ supervision and abandoned himself to guzzle, turning out that he was finally stuffed to death. What a woe! Han Jin now completely understand such feeling.
Though changed into another body, the cultivation formula was still in Han Jin’s mind. The swallowed bread rapidly turned into a trace of energy, moistening the nearly collapsed body and mind. As Han Jin narrowed his eyes with satisfaction, the young boy pursed his lips, grinning.
“Steelberg?” Han Jin asked tentatively with his eyes wide open,his body charged with new energy and his brain soberer.
“Yes, young master?”
“Nothing…” dry coughed Han Jin, confirming himself that the information he received was not illumination, the boy in front of him was none other than his family slave, the last property of a decaying aristocrat. ” Have you got any more bread? I…”
“Ah? I see, I am sorry that you are still hungry, wait a minute and I will buy more.” Steelberg jumped to his feet and left.
