Grandma Mu(1)
A wrinkled-faced old lady with gray hair and green eyes burst into the room, breaking the door in the process.
Her back was hunched from old age, and she held a classic tobacco pipe in her left hand, taking deep inhales from it as she stared at him.
Choa Xiang was frozen at the sight of this fierce old woman standing before him.
She looked at him as if he were prey, and he immediately recognized her as Old Mu, the owner of the shop where he worked as a butcher.
He had forgotten to go to work, completely absorbed in the sudden transmigration and separate space, neglecting his daily routine.
"Hold on a sec! Grandma Mu, I was just a bit late because I overslept, that's all. I didn't mean to-"
*SMACK*
Before Chao Xiang could provide further explanation, Old Mu delivered a forceful blow to his abdomen, causing him to be propelled across the room and collide with the wooden wall.
Chao Xiang's mind momentarily went blank before he fully comprehended the situation.
It was difficult for him to fathom that a frail lady possessed such immense strength to inflict such excruciating pain.
The intensity of the impact confirmed that this was not a dream.
He struggled to perceive her movements, but before the punch, he noticed the accumulation of luminous particles known as Qi in her arm.
Based on the memories he had acquired, this elderly woman was nearly 110 years old.
Currently, he was coughing and gasping for breath, his vision blurred, making it impossible to discern her facial features.
'That was an incredibly potent strike! Is this the extent of power wielded by these cultivators?'
"Haha! Who do you think you're fooling? I saw you take those clams out of the tank just now, and you haven't even started eating your meal yet. I specifically asked you to come early this morning because I can't handle moving all our stuff alone anymore. But you still dare to claim that you slept in a little longer. Enough with the excuses. Get up and join me right away. We have a mountain of work waiting for us, and I won't tolerate any more delays. You can only eat your food after we finish our sales. Consider it your consequence for slacking off. That may teach you a lesson about taking things seriously."
Choa Xiang struggled to get up, using the nearby wooden wall for support.
He looked at the old hag in front of him with annoyance.
She was always short-tempered, violent, and strong.
The memory of his promise to help her, made when she was suffering from back pain yesterday, flashed in his mind.
She despised people who didn't keep their promises or were not punctual and that's why she looked really angry.
But still, he couldn't believe she had punched 'him', a 13-year-old child without hesitation, sending him flying a few steps back.
However, he remained silent, focusing on catching his breath as he stared at her.
Although it was their first meeting, he felt a strange familiarity due to the memories he had received.
"What are you glaring at, you brat?..."
As Grandma Mu caught sight of Chao Xiang's furious glare, she readied herself to give him another punch and teach him a lesson.
"...!"
However, her plans came to a halt when she noticed a white mark on his neck as if it had been cut by a knife a long time ago.
Grandma Mu was certain that there was no mark on his throat before, but upon seeing it, her anger transformed into a deep frown.
Hmph
She took another careful glance at their surroundings before disdainfully walking away, motioning for him to follow her.
'Mmm?! What's wrong with her?'
Chao Xiang found it odd how quickly her mood had changed.
Based on what 'he knew', she wasn't the type to just brush off his disrespectful gaze without any argument.
Strangely, she didn't seem angry anymore.
After thinking for a bit, he decided to go after her.
Despite still being upset about her unexpected punch, he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement in his heart.
I mean, who wouldn't? This world was unlike anything he had ever seen - with floating islands, mysterious sea creatures, and real superpowers.
As Chao Xiang followed Grandma Mu to the market area, his initial excitement quickly faded away as he noticed a dark alley near his home where a group of young children, between the ages of 4 to 7, were begging for food.
The sight of these children with lifeless eyes brought back painful memories that he had tried to forget.
He looked away and continued to follow Grandma Mu.
He also saw a tall tower located in the center of the village.
It looked magnificent and grand.
This tower was where all the children who were talented in cultivation, and studies would be taken care of by the village.
Unfortunately, those children who had poor spiritual heritage and lacked talent were left behind without any help.
If they had parents, they wouldn't have to suffer as much, but the children who lost their parents at sea would suffer tremendously, just like the kids who were begging for food in that dark alley.
Each month, the orphaned children receive minimal resources, just enough to survive.
In a world heavily reliant on the sea and fishing expertise, those who couldn't fish were marginalized and looked down upon.
This discrimination extended even to children; those with esteemed spiritual heritage received ample support and resources, while the less talented children received little to no assistance.
They had to continually prove themselves just to receive what was rightfully theirs.
It was appalling to see children subjected to such an unjust system, making this world seem more dystopian than utopian.
He strongly disapproves of these flawed social structures.
Even a former Chao Xiang was also one of the heavenly talented guys who was heavily supported by this village until his downfall.
After a long walk, they arrived at a place that was similar to a harbor where strangely shaped floating boats were tied on the edge of the cliff of Celestial Thunder Village floating island.