After leaving the Spirit Hall, Fang Ling felt as though the world had suddenly become bright and beautiful.
The scorching sun in the sky now seemed warm, and the once gray and gloomy world was suddenly full of light.
After a year of living as a beggar, his cheat ability had finally awakened.
It was a bit obscure, but better than nothing.
From now on, he finally had the qualifications to climb to the top.
Joy always brings a clear mind.
"Aunt Wu, have you eaten yet?"
"The weather's really nice today."
"Uncle Wang, has your son gained weight again?"
"Old beggar, changed your spot today?"
Fang Ling strolled cheerfully down the street, holding his certificate and greeting everyone he passed.
Though nobody wanted to respond to him, many turned their heads or spat on the ground, and even the old beggar who once fought with him for territory only gave him a long, silent look, Fang Ling didn't mind.
He was happy today. It was a day worth celebrating.
Soon, he arrived at a familiar butcher shop.
"Fatty, look!" Fang Ling stood tall and proudly showed him the certificate.
"You thieving little cripple, you've got some nerve coming back! What do you want me to see?"
The butcher, recognizing the familiar beggar, slammed a cleaver into the chopping board with a loud _thud_, reaching out as if to grab the certificate.
"Don't touch it! Put your greasy hands down!" Fang Ling quickly pulled back, afraid it would get damaged.
"My spirit has awakened! I have a Level 1 soul power. I can attend Nuoding Academy now!"
"What? You actually awakened soul power?"
Fatty's face was full of disbelief, his jaw nearly dropping off.
"What's your spirit?"
"A sickle!"
Fang Ling raised his right hand. A flash of light later, a sickle with a wooden handle and metal blade appeared in his hand.
Under the sunlight, the metal blade looked especially sharp and dazzling.
One hit from that, and it was clear it could cause serious damage.
"Just wait and see, Fatty. I'm going to become an outstanding Battle Soul Master!"
"Then I'll pay you back for sure!"
"Aiya !"
Fatty let out a mournful cry, slapping his thighs loudly.
Then, his face changed instantly into a flattering smile, vividly demonstrating what it meant to switch faces.
"Listen to you! You'll be a noble soul master in the future. What are a couple of pieces of meat? Forget the money!"
"Here, take two more on the house."
He picked out two well-balanced pieces of meat, tied them with straw rope, and handed them to Fang Ling.
"If you ever want more, just come by. Hope you'll remember me in the future."
"Thanks for the meat. I really need it right now. But I don't like owing people. I said I'd pay you back, and I will."
This was a principle Fang Ling had set for himself: never owe favors lightly.
Favors are easy to owe but hard to repay.
In the world of Douluo, even one's willpower had strength.
He was someone who valued integrity and gratitude. To avoid creating future obstacles on his path to the peak, he chose to start with small things and remain true to himself.
That way, his thoughts would stay clear, and his cultivation would go smoothly.
Even if it didn't affect cultivation much, it didn't hurt to be cautious.
When someone helps you, you should repay them if you can. That's the right thing to do.
"But I'll only pay you back once I have the money." Seeing Fatty about to say something, Fang Ling scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
He didn't have a single coin right now and could only take it on credit.
"It's fine, do whatever you like. If you want to pay it back, just do it when you can," Fatty said generously.
"Alright, I'll get going then. Thanks for the meat. You get back to work."
Fang Ling said goodbye and headed back toward his rundown little courtyard.
His wooden prosthetic leg tapped crisply on the stone road with a ta-ta-ta sound.
"Han Fatty, that crippled beggar didn't pay, right? Can you let me have two pieces of meat on credit too?"
A nearby vendor called out.
"Get lost! He has Level 1 soul power. He'll be a noble Battle Soul Master in the future. And you? What are you?"
Han Fatty, the butcher, didn't even bother looking at the vendor's stunned expression. His eyes were full of envy as he watched Fang Ling's small figure walk away.
"A Soul Master… Why didn't I awaken soul power?"
After a short walk, Fang Ling returned to his territory, an abandoned courtyard at the edge of the city.
No windows, no doors. The holes in the surrounding walls were patched with mud.
The gate was half-collapsed, and only half the tiles were left on the roof, but it was enough to block wind and rain.
After carefully checking that the marks he left when he went out hadn't been disturbed, Fang Ling entered the courtyard.
He then started methodically setting traps on all the paths that had to be passed.
There were sharpened wooden spikes beneath the wall.
Aside from traps for rats and birds, most of them were defensive traps.
Some were hidden in the weeds around the yard.
The place was full of them. Anyone who triggered one would definitely get hurt badly.
This habit had saved his life more than once.
Everyone knew that even beggars had to fight for territory.
And since no one cared about a beggar's life or death, the fights were often brutal.
Fang Ling was small, skinny, and crippled.
Only six years old , just five when he first arrived in this world , he had to fight viciously and play dirty just to survive.
He had driven off quite a few people.
After setting the traps, Fang Ling started cooking the meat.
Using a sharp broken knife, he cut it into pieces on a stone slab, threw it into a pot with some wilted vegetable leaves, and seasoned it with salt, the only thing he'd spent money on.
Compared to the rich meals of his previous life, it was incredibly basic, but Fang Ling still ate with great enjoyment.
Just like the saying from his past life: when you're starving, you can eat anything.
Let alone meat, which was a rare delicacy.
After eating, he wiped his mouth with a leaf and began researching the source of his cheat system's "points."
That research lasted into the evening.
There were no oil lamps, only sparse stars in the sky. Moonlight shone directly into the room.
The only light was from the small campfire.
But firewood was hard to come by, so after dinner he didn't add any more, letting it slowly burn out.
He hadn't figured out how to increase his points. The cheat remained a mystery.
Fang Ling was a little anxious.
But then he remembered that he had just awakened his spirit, and the cheat had only just appeared. That urgency slowly faded.
There was still time. Eventually, he'd figure out how to gain more points.
Accompanied by the sounds of insects, birds, and the wind blowing through the cracks, Fang Ling lay on his hand-carved wooden neck pillow and drifted off into a sweet sleep.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until midnight.
"Ah!"
A short but sharp cry of pain startled him awake.
The person had tried to suppress it, it had stopped almost immediately, but Fang Ling's keen instincts, honed over the past year, had already kicked in.
The sound was too loud!
It came from inside the courtyard, near the wall. In the still night, it was as clear as a shout right beside his ear.
Fang Ling picked up the broken knife by his side, then quietly set it down again.
Now that he had awakened his sickle spirit, it might not look impressive on paper, but it could definitely kill if used well.
The spirit didn't reflect light and could be used to catch enemies off guard.
Using the moonlight, Fang Ling peeked outside.
In the tall grass just beyond the window, a dark figure was slowly creeping forward.
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