How to Cultivate a Game

"NEEEEE CHEEEN! STOP SWINGING YOUR DAMN SWORD AND EAT!"

"Y-yes… YES MA'AM!"

It had been a week since the tragic annihilation of One Well Village. The party of three: Nee Chen, Xiang Ya, and Lu Gao were making camp beside the river. Their destination was still uncertain, but they had to go somewhere. After what happened to the One Well Village, the three of them could only evacuate.

The dreaded death qi that emanated from the massacred villagers would be bad for their health, thus they were forced to move. Additionally, they could not choose to stay even if they were insistent given that the mental scars would be too painful to bear. 

However, wherever their destination was, they had to wait in the meantime. They would need their rest after all mid-journey.

Nee Chen was covered with sweat as he swung his sword repeatedly since morning. It was an exercise he desperately needed to gain more strength since he had stepped on the path of cultivation since the tragedy. It was information Nee Chen learned from a mysterious old man.

~~~

A week ago, an old man came to their village carrying Zha Dong's almost unrecognizable head. The old man who brought the head didn't say anything much, except for a few words… "I have taken vengeance in your stead." He then left the bloodied head there at the village entrance on a pike, clearly presenting the head to Nee Chen and to the wronged village.

Seeing the dead demonic cultivator, Nee Chen felt disappointment and relief. Disappointment that it wasn't him who did the kill… and relief that no one would go after his, Xiang Ya's, and Lu Gao's life anymore. "Thank you, immortal..." He kowtowed in reverence at the old man's feet only to be met with an amused scoff.

"Immortal? I am far from it." The old man had a look of something close to embarrassment. "I am just an old man."

Nee Chen watched the old man then approach Xiang Ya. Curious, Nee Chen just watched as the mysterious old man healed Xiang Ya with a wave of his hand. The mysterious old man then informed Nee Chen of important information. "You had stepped on the 1st stage of the Four Earthly Attributes. As you were now a Cultivator at the Martial Tempering realm, I trust that you would not abuse your power, or be blinded by revenge."

The fact that Nee Chen had become a cultivator left him in stupefaction.

"If you desire power, come to Desolate Cave Mountain to see me." With these words, the old man vanished in plain sight. "If you could find in your heart the courage to defy fate, join my Sect." These words echoed in the wind eliciting an emotion of grandeur and awe to Nee Chen.

Shortly after, Xiang Ya woke up.

Nee Chen immediately fixed his mindset. He had to prioritize what was in front of him, so with a sense of responsibility, he cared for Xiang Ya. A mortal's life was too fragile. They would crumble with a thought. Nee Chen didn't really know how to put a finger on it, but he just intuitively knew that staying in this village would be bad for them.

While the thought of burying the dead was the right thing to do, Nee Chen decisively and persistently decided that it would be for the best for them to immediately leave.

Surely, the officials of the kingdom could take care of it. Nee Chen wrote a letter and left it on a pigeon carrier for the nearest outpost to receive. Nee Chen released the pigeon to the skies with an optimistic mentality.

Nee Chen had no choice, but to abandon the village. With his Martial Tempering strength, he safely brought Xiang Ya and Lu Gao by the riverside as he made camp somewhere else, as long as it was far from the village.

~~~

Nee Chen recalled these memories as if it happened yesterday. It had been some time since they left the One Well Village. "I am coming! I am sorry..." He sheathed his sword and followed the smell of food as he returned to their campsite. He saw Xiang Ya cooking a few fish in a stick above the bonfire.

The sun had long hidden its flames, and night had claimed the sky.

"Hmmm… That smelled nice." Nee Chen hummed as sat beside Lu Gao. "Miss Xiang Ya, thank you for the food!" Nee Chen added.

Nee Chen relished the fish that was slowly burned in the fire. Never letting go of his sword, he ate the fish with one hand. Though it lacked salt, it tasted just fine to him. He could not be picky… after all, they just survived a tragedy.

"Umuu… Just eat your fill." Xiang Ya encouraged Nee Chen to eat more.

Xiang Ya nibbled at her food with droopy eyes. She didn't know if it was because she slept on the damp soil, or because of what she went through, but she was feeling uncomfortable. There was a suffocating sensation in her chest— there was anger, sadness, and fear.

Lu Gao was even worse as the young boy just kept on staring at his food.

Nee Chen was worried for Lu Gao.

"Little Gao, eat… I caught those fish with my bare hands… did you know how difficult was that? Eat." 

Nee Chen appealed to Lu Gao's sense of shame, hoping for the young boy to eat so that he could regain his energy. They would have a long journey ahead of them. Moreover, Nee Chen was hoping he could bring them with him to meet the old man.

"Lu Gao, eat... You will need the strength." He emphasized the necessity of eating.

"Big bro, I couldn't."

Guilt, remorse, and despair— these were the emotions swirling in the young boy's mind.

"I'd rather die!"

SLAP!

Because of Lu Gao's gloomy words, Xiang Ya slapped him. It was cruel for the young boy to be slapped like that, but he could not bring himself to quarrel given that he had suffered worse. They suffered worse.

With teary eyes, Xiang Ya exclaimed, "Die? Why? Did you think living was that easy? You brat!"

No matter how painful, she had to live, and they had to live. For the sake of those who died.

"Listen here, Lu Gao!? What do you think your mom would want you to do after all that?"

"…"

"She would want you to live! I wanted you to live! And you, NEE CHEN!?"

"H-huh? Umm... What was it?"

"When were we going to the Desolate Mountain? It had been about a week already! Instead of being sad and miserable, I'd rather find a way to get the vengeance we deserve."

'S-she knew?' Nee Chen felt conflicted inside him. It seemed that Xiang Ya didn't completely faint, and was semi-conscious after getting attacked by the Demonic Cultivator. It appeared that Xiang Ya heard the words of the mysterious old man... Nee Chen had planned to go there with them, but now, he was having second thoughts.

Was it right for Xiang Ya to become a Cultivator for the purpose of revenge? Nee Chen recalled the old man's words that he should not abuse his powers as a cultivator and be blinded by revenge.

"You wouldn't have to come with me, I was enough." Gripping his sword tight, Nee Chen told Xiang Ya that it didn't matter. He alone could do it. Though 'Zha Dong' was already dead, there was still the Bones Devouring Sect which by extension was responsible for the demise of One Well Village.

"I would request the old immortal to shelter us... but we couldn't ask more from him..." Nee Chen was at the 1st stage which qualified him to join a Sect, moreover, he was invited to join the mysterious old man's Sect. It was not the same for Xiang Ya and Lu Gao who was mere mortals.

Xiang Ya didn't like what she was hearing.

"You shouldn't stop me, I'd come whether you like it or not! It was not your revenge alone."

The once most beautiful flower of the village showed a tenacity never before seen in her. Xiang Ya was persistent, and her eyes burned with hate. She wanted this. 

"He said… he could give us power… So, Chen… Please…" Xiang Ya pleaded, her eyes were a little bit misty.

Nee Chen gritted his teeth, reluctant to let Xiang Ya on the bloody path that he believed, he alone, could take. "The old man said to be not blinded by revenge. He had already avenged us! What else would you want?"

"It was not enough! I have to do it! There was still that demonic cultivator's Sect he boasted about! I could not rest knowing that such wicked people exist!" Xiang Ya shouted back, holding strong animosity to the Bones Devouring Sect.

A shouting match began between the two.

"I was enough!"

"Even so, I needed this!"

"Don't be blinded by revenge!"

"Why!? Wouldn't you want their blood to spill!?"

There was no winning it on this argument. No one was backing down. Nee Chen used the mysterious old man's words of 'not being blinded' by revenge to convince Xiang Ya, but Xiang Ya saw through this and understood that Nee Chen's goal was to dissuade her so that she would not stray from the righteous path.

Even for meager mortals who had no involvement with the martial world, they knew of the paths of Good and Evil, of Righteousness, and Wickedness, and of Karma and Fate.