With time sweeping the world along like leaves in the wind, the moon ventured through the darkening sky before settling itself beyond the horizon. Taking its place, the sun shone brightly overhead, ushering forth the beginning of a new dawn.

A distant sound of footsteps drew closer to the hut. After the sounds of footsteps reached their peak, a lull fell. Amidst the silence, the back of a hand struck against the door, creating two echoing knocks. Yet, the knocks, the surroundings remained unmoving. From behind the door, there was no response.

Creasing his brows, Zhu muttered, “Did Zack leave to exercise as he usually does? I did tell him we have matters to deal with today. Did he forget? Or did he not get the hint? I didn’t tell him explicitly after all. But he’s a smart kid. Maybe he’s still sleeping.”

Waiting no longer, he pushed open the door. Looking within, he saw a youth with a head of black hair, bandages wrapped all over his left eye lying down on the ground as still as a log. Taking a step within to wake the sleeping boy, Zhu’s eyes narrowed. Barely half a beat passed as he pushed back with his foot.

Having finished his retreat, he turned to take a look, finding translucent lime-colored clouds drifting out of the hut’s open door. A stench akin to rotten vegetables began spreading through the area.

Zhu’s face twitched. He couldn’t help but stop himself from gagging by the narrowest of margins.

Looking closely, he noticed the smoke appearing yellow only under the light of the sun, whilst looking virtually transparent whilst under the shade.

Poison? Doesn’t seem like it.

While keeping an eye out for any attackers, Zhu inhaled the surrounding fresh air deeply. Holding his breath, he turned into a shadowy blur, appearing within the hut in but an instant, like a ghost popping out of nowhere. A beat after, like a shocked audience, the lime clouds followed behind.

Reaching out for the kid who lay motionless in front of him, Zhu picked him up by the waist before retreating away in a flash, being faster than when he charged inside as he left behind an afterimage which appeared as if he hadn’t moved in the slightest, dispersing only a few moments after, blowing away the lime-clouds around it as it disappeared, giving him ample time to traverse a safe distance.

Looking at the hut oozing out with lime-colored clouds, Zhu’s heart sank. However, not long after, his expression turned odd.

Turning to look at the boy next to him, his brows sank. Grabbing the former’s hand, he sniffed.

*Sniff* *Sniff*

His brows arching forward, a rare trace of fury filled Zhu’s eyes. Looking back down at the kid whose hand he held, he clicked his tongue. The latter’s usually somewhat pale skin appeared comparatively darker, his skin appearing a wheat colour.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Zhu vanished once more. The next he appeared was in front of one of the smaller streams irrigating the monastery, the riverbank devoid of all people.

Dropping the boy on the ground as if he were luggage, Zhu kicked him into the river. His expression didn’t so much as twitch.

Not bothering with Zack anymore, he pinched his saffron robe by the side, lifting it up to see a dark stain forming around where he was holding Zack. A lime-colored cloud drifted up from the stain, smelling the same as rotten vegetables.

Choked between laughter and tears, Zhu cursed out loud, “Fuck! Why’re all my friends either bastards or even bigger bastards?! What crimes did I commit in my previous life to deserve such good—no, great, even amazing company of friends? All’re cut from the same fucking mould. For god’s sake! Argh!”

Meanwhile, feeling the world around him becoming cooler, Zack’s eyelid twitched. Opening his eye, he saw a twisting blue world with white and yellow lights swirling around.

I’m sinking?!

Realising his condition, Zack inadvertently sucked in a chilly breath. Yet, all he had was the water he was sinking within.

Flailing his arms about, he tried getting up. To his joy, he gradually floated up to the not so distant surface.

“Huff—Haah… Haah… Haah…” As soon as his head popped out of the surface, Zack breathed in deeply. However, happiness is short-lived. His expression took a complete 180, turning into one of complete terror.

A foot struck against his head, brutally driving him back down into the river. Unresigned, he pushed his way back up, only to be stomped back into the river, like a troublesome nail poking out of a wooden door getting hammered into position.

Before Zack could scream out, Zhu’s voice reverberated through the water, pacifying him.

“Brat, don’t do stupid things. Hold your breath and sit silently in the stream. That bas—*Cough!* I mean, Neils treated you with one of his medical pastes to drag out impurities from within your body.

“When you take in Arcana from the atmosphere, eat food for Ki or just simply breathe, more or less, as long as you’re living, your body will keep on accumulating impurities. Almost everyone has those.

“These impurities are like a hidden slow-poison. In normal times, they won’t affect you much on the surface. But they subtly slow down your progress in Ki Arts and Magic Cores, increasing the extent of division between different levels. Moreover, if you get a serious injury, these impurities will also affect healing to an extent. Worse, you’ll grow old faster the more impurities your body has.

“What you’re going through right now is impurities within your body being dragged to the surface. It makes what you’d need to remove these impurities very simple. Just wash them off.

“You should really thank Neils for this. It must’ve taken him quite some effort to make the paste in time. Anyway, stay in the river. Clean yourself as your body removes impurities, lest your body starts reabsorbing them because too many gathered on you.”

Hearing his words, Zack fell silent. A few moments later, while closing his eyes, he raised his hand out of the water, gesturing Zhu to stop kicking him back down. Poking his head out of the water, he breathed in deeply before diving back in, only coming out once in a few minutes to renew the air in his lungs.

Looking at Zack, Zhu shook his head. Watching over for a little while to make sure the things went well, he nodded before walking off to the side.

Taking off his saffron robe, he left his upper body bare; a dense mass of muscles packed within a lean frame wrapped with glossy skin, making his stature appear leagues lighter than its actual weight dimly reflected the light of the sun overhead, yet remained sorely incapable of matching up to the brightness liberated by his head alone.

Looking down at the robe in his hands, he walked for a few metres before bending down to wash it within the river. However, before the water touched his robes, he stopped. A crafty smile appeared on his face as the robe he wore disappeared within his hand following a flash of light.