4 Ling Xia

'This system really…'

That's all Shi Long could think of before following its instruction. The system was right. He better survive first to taste the benefit of leeching off from that fair youth.

Shi Long hurriedly withdrew the talisman, who knew who made it, from the system. While reeling from the imagined pain that would accompany the use of a system-related item, he mentally prepared himself.

'Bring it on!' Shi Long shouted inwardly, preparing himself for the incoming pain.

Pssshhh!

As the killing intent from the cultivator in black washed over him, Shi Long poured his spiritual qi to activate the talisman. It burned like any other power as soon as the diagram drawn in it lit up with his spiritual qi.

[Host has used the Low-grade Thunder Defense Talisman]

[Prepare yourself for electrocution.]

Right as those system messages rang in his ears, the burnt talisman scattered its ashes as sparks of electricity instantly engulfed his body.

'F*ck you, system!' Despite preparing for the pain, Shi Long couldn't help but form that thought inside his mind.

Due to that, before the electricity reached his head, Shi Long successfully cursed the system.

[Malicious Intent was detected from Host]

[The Low-grade Thunder Defense has been enhanced to Mid-grade. Intensity upgraded.]

[Sleep for now, ungrateful host.]

When the series of system messages reached his ears, true to what's written on it, the intensity of the electricity coming out of the talisman immediately toasted him to unconsciousness.

The cultivator in black who jumped from above bashed into the wall-like now-Mid-grade Thunder Defense that emerged from the talisman. Like Shi Long, he lost consciousness on the spot.

It was truly a defensive talisman. However, Shi Long forgot that he needed to throw it out after activating. Such a blunder was blamed on the system. But is he really the one at fault?

-

-

"Are you awake, benefactor?" A slightly soft and gentle voice of a youth was the first thing that registered in Shi Long's ears when his consciousness returned.

All he could remember was how the system f*cked him up for cursing at it.

'Did I die?' He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the starry night sky. He tried to move his body but he found himself bandaged all over like a mummy.

'Ah. So I survived. But what happened?' The bandage gave the detail of his survival away.

He then remembered the voice that woke him up. He moved his head and found the owner of it on the other side of the bonfire.

It was the fair youth in a straw hat and white robes. The rectangular box was at his side. The youth was looking at him like a doctor looks to a patient. He had a mortar and pestle in his hands, grinding herbs before sending them into the pot on top of the bonfire.

When Shi Long gazed at his face, he wondered if his eyes were still working fine. 'This is a boy? How come he's even more beautiful than the most beautiful girl I saw at the Outer Court? Could it be that he's just a girl in disguise?' Suspicion swirled in his mind but as it was not his place to pry at the moment and it's extremely hard for him to fully understand his current situation, he uttered the question he wanted the youth to answer.

"How…?"

"You do not need to worry, benefactor. When the black-dressed cultivator got electrocuted along with you, his underlings ran away, leaving him alone. It was thanks to benefactor that I survived an ambush." The youth clasped his hands together and bowed towards him. His long fringes of black fell, covering half of his aesthetically beautiful face. If not for his voice, people would have no problem identifying him as a beautiful girl. Right now, he's just a beautiful boy who's a doctor at his young age.

"I am Ling Xia, may I know benefactor's name?"

"Shi Long. How did I actually survive?"

Of course, Shi Long knew how. The system only had him lose consciousness due to its spite from his cursing.

This youth in front of him was the Protagonist he was asked to find. With the name of his system, it's quite clear what his next move should be.

Shi Long would leech off from this youth's luck to make some progress in his own cultivation!

Now that he thought of it, Shi Long's appearance in that forest could be attributed to this youth's luck!

If not for him, this meek-looking Ling Xia wouldn't be able to avoid the ambush that the group of black-dressed cultivators had set up. Perhaps, thanks to his Protagonist Halo, it drew Shi Long to the area and the circumstances that happened next led to the ambush failing because of his system-produced defensive talisman.

Even if he mentally prepared for the pain, it still led to this conclusion. Now he's lamenting how to tame the effects of the system's items in the future.

"You only suffered a few burns, benefactor. I already applied an ointment to it. Also, I noticed some of your meridians were completely blocked without any hopes of opening. Luckily I had the means to open even the hopeless." Ling Xia humbly smiled as he detailed what happened to Shi Long.

'Blocked meridians without any hopes of opening it? What the… Did I just get the diagnosis as to why I'm too poor at cultivating? And as fortune has it, this maiden-like fair youth could open even a hopeless case like mine. Hey, hey! Have I already started leeching off from his luck?'

[Correct.]

[Host has received 22 Leech Points]

[Host's 3 eternally blocked main meridians have been opened by Ling Xia]

[Host's body still has 72 blocked meridians, 8 of which were main meridians and 6 extraordinary meridians]

The system messages suddenly at the corner of his eyes which detailed what happened while he was unconscious. He got points just by staying near Ling Xia as well as 3 of his blocked meridians were opened.

The 'eternally' designation looks jarring enough for someone else to give up any hopes of opening it.

It's a happy occasion, yes. However, 76 more meridians are still 'eternally' blocked!

He finally found the reason for his poor talent in cultivation. The spiritual qi couldn't flow properly due to his blocked meridians. Now that Ling Xia opened three of them, he could expect an increased rate of cultivation. However, he wasn't expecting it to dramatically increase just because of the additional three.

At least, that's what he hoped for.

"You should be the one to be called as my benefactor. Thank you for opening it. I feel like this could entirely change my misfortune-ridden life."

It's better to stay humble in front of this Protagonist. Shi Long was looking forward to continuing leeching off this youth.

"Don't be. We are most likely fated to meet. I believe that's the case. Benefactor saved my life and I repaid it by opening your blocked meridians. However, I believe saving my life wasn't equal to 3 blocked meridians. I apologize. If I have higher capabilities I could open more. Alas, I'm still far from it." Ling Xia ashamedly shook his head. "That's why I still consider myself to be indebted to you. Maybe in the future, I will be able to repay benefactor."

After he finished saying that, Ling Xia stood up and bowed again to him. His bow was truly filled with gratitude that it made Shi Long think that Protagonists like him were really something else.

When he straightened his back again, Ling Xia picked his straw hat and the rectangular box up before turning around to leave the place.

Upon seeing that, Shi Long understood that the fair youth was about to leave. He tried to stand himself up to stop him but his currently aching body wouldn't let him.

"Don't push yourself too much, benefactor. I will remember benefactor's name and never forget the debt I accrued." He put on his hat and opened the rectangular box. After taking out something from it, he put it down next to Shi Long. "I still have a patient waiting for me in a distant province so I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you for long. I'm leaving the medicinal ointment here for your wounds and a pill to help benefactor towards your cultivation."

'My leeching target will leave already?! Is this my luck working against me again?'

Although Shi Long kept on complaining, he was completely aware of his dogshit luck even before his death. He had already coped himself to live with it even.

The system reignited his hope which led him to believe that his luck did a 180 on him. Unfortunately, his luck was still the same. The system was probably also trying to cope with his unluckiness.

Before Shi Long managed to get up, Ling Xia was already nowhere in sight.

'I guess, there's still the possibility of meeting Ling Xia again. Someday I will be able to leech off from his luck again. Who knows? He might also be able to open all of my blocked meridians by then.'

[The Leech Store has been updated.]

[Ling Xia's belongings are added to the list of items that can be bought using Leech Points.]