Chapter 1 – WORLD OF CULTIVATION – Light Novel

Chapter 1

“Don’t forget!”

“And even in death – don’t forget!”

***

A strangely familiar voice seemed to come from the very depths of the thick clouds. Its echoes sounded relentlessly over and over again, overlapping each other.

Who?

Don’t forget?

Don’t forget what?

Awakening came like always, suddenly. My clothes were habitually and unpleasantly sticking to my skin, wet with sweat. He sat up, and the dark sky with the stars overhead reminded him of how long there was still time before dawn. An icy gust of wind washed his body.

And again this dream!

Out of habit, he took a deep and long breath.

It was still early, so that he lay back on his back, falling asleep again.

***

Even before he reached the mountain gate, Zuo Mo heard screams in the distance.

– Mo ge, don’t forget to water the fields for me! You promised me at the very beginning of the month. The harvest this year depends only on you.

He looked back and saw an elderly man loitering around the field – he was in his fifties – dark and thin. If you don’t look closely, you will not know that someone is standing there.

Everyone called the old man the Black Elder, but no one knew his real name. He was the oldest among the followers of the Wu Kun Sword Discipline.

Zuo Mo, wiping the sweat from his forehead, replied:

– Don’t be afraid, I won’t forget. It’s your turn tomorrow.

Zuo Mo was as thin as a bamboo stalk. The purple robes, the same for all followers, lay loosely over his body. In contrast to his soft manner of speech, his wooden face was like that of an inanimate, gloomy and dark.

And it was also his distinguishing feature. At first, everyone shied away from Zuo Mo, but gradually, recognizing in him more and more features of a beautiful person, people stopped paying attention to this and reached out to him. Well, now, two years later, he became the most famous among other followers after that incident.

The face of the Black Elder then shone with joy, he fussyly said: “Good, oh, how good. Just great! Mo ge, this ability of yours… I, the Black Elder, have never seen anything like it.”

Yes, Zuo Mo’s ability, the art of Sculpting Rain Clouds, was really special. Of all the followers, he was the only one to reach his third level. That is why he alone took almost all the orders for calling rain for the fields of ling, belonging to the followers.

In fact, the art of “Sculpting Rain Clouds” was not such a complicated spell, and everyone knew how to create it, so that way to cause rains on the lin fields. To master its first stage, it usually took only three to five days. For the second – a year or two, no more. But the third… the third step demanded a special understanding from everyone. And only Zuo Mo, the only one among all followers of the Wu Kun Sword discipline, managed to achieve it.

As soon as he managed to master the third stage of the art of “Sculpting Rain Clouds”, the effectiveness of the spell increased significantly. Accordingly, the yield of grains and vegetables ling also increased. It is not surprising that the position of Zuo Mo has changed for the better, and the careless nickname “Dead Man Mo” has been forgotten, now calling him only Mo ge.

Zuo Mo waved his hand to say goodbye to the Black Old Man.

***

Zuo Mo gritted his teeth and pushed the bag on his back. His fragile shoulders ached unmercifully. Three hundred jin of ling grains almost broke his weak, thin shoulders.

Foolish, like a living corpse, he dragged on his back a canvas bag weighing many times his own. He struggled all the way along the mountain path.

Zuo Mo dragged this bag all the way to the foot, breathing hoarsely from the strain. When he finally reached the mountain gate, he threw off those three hundred jin, bending him to the ground, and his legs immediately broke, breathing became uneven and rapid. in the bosoms of a paper crane.

The crane was the size of a palm and was made of yellow grass paper. Written in cinnabar, seals floated on its sides.

As soon as Zuo Mo breathed some ling energy into him, the crane began to grow. Little by little, it grew to the size of a real crane, even a little more. Bamboo stems served as a skeletal base, yellow paper on top. The seals painted on it blurred and now looked more like tadpoles – proof of the poor craftsmanship of the manufacturer. The paper was rubbed at the joints, and pieces of grass were visible on its yellow surface.

Zuo Mo lifted the canvas bag off the ground and with difficulty threw it onto the back of the crane.

Inside the mountain, followers were not allowed to fly – and in two years Zuo Mo silently cursed this rule more than once.

He clumsily climbed onto his yellow back, accompanied by a strained creak and crackle of bending bamboo stalks. He stiffly froze, but seeing that the transport was not going to fall apart yet, he let out a sigh of relief.

– Xiao Huang, Zheltysh, you can’t fall apart now.

The crane spread its yellow paper wings, took off, and Zuo Mo patted him on the head.

The crackling of paper and the groaning of bamboo stalks did not stop. The crane flew strangely: it was thrown up and down, left and right – it seemed to be drunk. His hoarse groans did not stop on the way.

Despite all the trials, Zuo Mo sat upright – he had a very rich experience. Such a crane was of the lowest quality, it could not lift even four hundred jin. However, such a “powerless” paper crane was the envy of all followers.

Yes, Zuo Mo was the very first among them who were allowed to have a mount. Naturally, Zuo Mo himself considered a mount, he was certainly not asked for this flying junk.

In the middle of groaning and groaning, after ten hours of pitching and wobbling, when even Zuo Mo’s expressionless face turned a little pale, far Dong Fu appeared on the horizon.

The city alternately disappeared and appeared among the clouds.

Long ago, Zhenzhen Dong Fu cut off the top of the mountain with just one wave of his sword, and erected his dwelling on this place – and this is how the town of Dong appeared Fu. Five centuries later, Dong Fu became one of the thirteen major cities of Heavenly Moon Jie. The three thousand regions of the Heavenly Moon – the three thousand jie in which the shuche lived – were incomparable with anything else. But it was a small jie, the history of which was only one thousand five hundred and a little more. It was then, fifteen hundred years ago, that Tianyue xianren found and took control of this area, giving it her name. Tian Yue was from Kun Lun, so it’s not surprising that soon Jie Heavenly Moon was taken under the guardianship of the Kun Lun Federation.

After other zhenren came to Tian Yue Jie and began to establish their disciplines and schools, this is how the region was founded.

The paper crane crackled and creaked again, and Zuo Mo wondered if he could reach the foot of Dong Fu Mountain. All his way, he heard people laughing at him, many people – thin and as if lifeless, he flew astride the same puny crane, and even drunkenly wobbling.

Zuo Mo sat with dignity, his expression his face was as natural, as if if he were a living corpse, then certainly not of the simplest blood. In fact, in his thoughts, his hands disappeared on all those mounts flying over his head – so he wanted them. Yes, those were real mounts!

For example, this one, a goose: what a wonderful gray color it has and a scarlet beak! And a smooth, soft back – sitting on such a back will surely not feel any shaking or rolling. And that shuchje, standing on an air cloud, the Magic Cloud of Fortune – how free and amazing it looks. And behind the other’s back, a barely noticeable silvery flicker – those were Thunder Wings, with which you can fly faster than lightning… Oh, what a wonderful feeling it must be.

In the city, Zuo Mo could freely shout slogans, but he could shout only about his product.

Suddenly a boat floated over his head – it was the Boat of a Thousand Wings. Everyone around froze in admiration. Zuo Mo sensed the darkness, looked up and saw that the boat was about the size of a mountain. Jinzhi’s light on her black bottom was barely noticeable.

Extravagance is the greatest sin of all shuzhe!

Zuo Mo scolded in his thoughts incredibly, but as soon as he saw that other shuzhe with regret disperse, perked up.

After another couple of hours of such a flight, the rider and the crane finally reached the foot of Dong Fu Mountain. On the ’low-level” flight of this junk, only the ground did not scratch with my belly, there was nothing to hope to get directly to the top.

He climbed off the crane and pulled the sack off its back. When Zuo Mo returned the mount to its original appearance, cracks were clearly visible on the surface of the paper. He sighed heavily: do you really have to buy another?

He looked to the top of Dong Fu, lost in the clouds, to a long and winding stone staircase. Then – on the heavy bag lying in front of him. His legs were trembling.

– Hey brother, do you need any help? Zuo Mo saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Before him stood a half-naked man, whose muscular torso was made as if from solid steel.

– How much? Zuo Mo asked warily. He looked around carefully, and several other men, catching his gaze, immediately got up.

Seeing that the competitors were not going to leave everything just like that, the man hastily said:

– Three first.

I meant three first-class jingshi crystals.

– Are you kidding me?!- exclaimed Zuo Mo and resolutely continued. – You and two for the eyes is enough. You can work, but if you don’t want to, we’ll be done.

If Zuo Mo had even raised his eyebrows in surprise, the trick would have worked. However, his face was still monstrously dead and expressionless, and from the outside this performance looked rather strange.

– Bresh! – the strong man curled his lips. However, seeing that others were eager to take his place, he gritted his teeth and nodded his head resolutely: – Okay!

On that one, he reached out with his hand to the canvas bag – a hand that was more like an open fan in size. Zuo Mo, looking at it, shouted:

– Stop!

– What?

– First you need to conclude a contract. – Zuo Mo pulled out a jade scroll.

– Yes, there is only business for two jingshi, what other contract do you need… – the man muttered disapprovingly.

– For safety. You see, the difference between us is great: I am not that strong, so if you decide to run away… – Zuo Mo’s voice was still soft, and his face, as always, expressed absolutely nothing.

Helpless, the strong man still signed the contract submitted by Zuo Mo. Seeing this, the other people finally dispersed. After that, the man easily, like a feather, lifted the sack from the ground.

Already in the middle of the way, Zuo Mo, wet with sweat, was ready to crawl up the slope. The strongman, looking at him, said contemptuously:

– Yes, with such and such a body you really can’t run far. – Then he began to urge him on. – You can’t be quick, can you? I still want to finish two orders today! And if you drag along like this, then it’s good if we have time before dark.

Zuo Mo felt like a fish without water, so he was suffocating. He plopped down on a stone step and, breathing intermittently, squeezed out:

– I … I can’t… I can…

The man fussed in an instant.

– Come on, it can’t be! Do you want me to go broke?

Zuo Mo rolled his eyes and answered emotionlessly:

– You see it yourself. I am already exhausted.

The man shouted angrily:

– Do you know how much I lost with you?!

At that the strong man grabbed him, and so he walked up the stairs with a wide step, with Zuo Mo under his armpit.

“And you guys, strong guys, deserve respect,” said Zuo Mo mercilessly, taking the opportunity.

– Well, yes, we certainly have muscles. But so what? Now I am at the fifth stage of lianqi. As soon as I get to Zhuqi, I will take more orders. It’s hard to live in our time! – said the man and sighed heavily.

– Yeah! Life is not easy. – Zuo Mo felt regret.

Suddenly he remembered the Boat that he saw on the road, and, unable to resist, asked:

– You know the Boat of the Thousand Wings? I saw her for the first time.

– This is Chi Ye Zhenzhen’s mobile palace. Be careful not to anger him, “the strong man warned him amiably. “If you see a woman in white with a veil on her face, you succeed with a bow. They are all concubines of Chi Ye Zhenzhen, and they still have the same character. For many, the meeting with them ended badly.

The strength of the man was amazing: with one hand he carried a sack weighing three hundred jian, on the other hung Zuo Mo, and during the entire journey he did not show a hint of fatigue.

– Your truth. We are small people, for us to offend their death is like, – agreed Zuo Mo.

The man’s steps were wide and quick, much faster than the flight of his yellowish crane. It took him only about an hour to climb the winding stone stairs.

Zuo Mo counted out the first two jingshi to him with a firm hand. The man, taking the crystals, hurried down the mountain.

“It’s not easy to live,” Zuo Mo concluded emotionlessly, looking at his retreating back.

He was quite familiar with the streets of Dong Fu, therefore, after lifting the sack and making a couple of turns, Zuo Mo was already there.

The small shop where he came exclusively bought ling grains. So that no one was inadvertently mistaken, there was a small flag hanging outside the door above the door, on which was written: “Lin Grains.” Thanks to the seal placed there on the flag, the words could be read both during the day at a great distance and at night.

Three hundred jian ling grains of the second grade was just a small branch of their trade. The shopkeeper did not even come out to greet him, sending an assistant in his place.

– Thirty Jingshi. Second.

The assistant didn’t think to bargain, and Zuo Mo wasn’t going to, so he just nodded.

The price was a little low, but in other shops they will not spoil either, unless he will bring more than ten thousand jian grains at a time. Then and only then will he have the right to bargain. With him, excluding the part that will need to be given for the benefit of the followers, during this year these three hundred jians came out – and even this cost a lot of work.

Thirty jingshi, albeit the second, were a huge amount for him money.

Leaving the shop with crystals in his pocket, Zuo Mo felt that all passers-by were glaring at him as sharp as daggers.

Dong Fu’s streets were wide. Houses of all shapes and colors floated in the sky. Among them were trade shops, some in the form of whole floating islands, with lawns and flowering flower beds, and beautiful music was heard from these shops. Yes, after all, this region is one of the best. Without a high-quality mount or the ability to fly a sword, no one will be allowed here, even with a strong desire.

This was a place that Zuo Mo had never dreamed of even in his sleep.

Read Light Novel WORLD OF CULTIVATION – Chapter 1

Author: Fang Xi”ang, 方想

Translation: Artificial_Intelligence

Chapter 1 – WORLD OF CULTIVATION – Read Online Free