The Li Family (1)

A/N: This chapter and the next are shorter ones meant to introduce some characters for a future storyline and as a breakpoint between becoming a vampire and becoming a cultivator mini-arcs of the first volume. Nothing exciting will happen in these chapters, but I wanted to use them as a breather because soon, we will have plenty of action without a moment of break. 

(I will try to drop another chapter later today so we can start the fun with tomorrow's chapter)

In the chapter after the next (so chapter 13) the Crimson Monk inheritance mini-arc will start, and after that, many exciting things will happen (Including the first vampire created by Xue Yang), so stay tuned.

_

Xue Yang woke up feeling groggy and confused. The last thing he remembered was having his throat sliced open in the fight against the brothel forces.

"I guess I lost." he sighed to himself.

Looking around, he found himself in a shabby-looking room. The room was constructed out of wood. Small holes could be seen in the roof and walls as light shined through them.

Nothing was in the room but the shabby-looking bed, a chair off to the side and a small chest that was opened and filled with clothing.

It was clear that whoever lived here didn't have much money, yet they still took in a complete stranger and even went as far as patching him up.

"I need to get out of here ASAP."

Not wanting to repeat what happened recently, Xue Yang believed the best thing he could do for whoever helped him was to get as far away as he possibly could as soon as he could.

Looking at his body, he noticed that he was wrapped in bandages. Special care was taken to the stump where half of his arm used to be.

"I was too complacent."

Xue Yang knew that his arm would return sooner or later. The inheritance grounds guarantee it.

Having followed the Crimson Monks life, Xue Yang knew what the trials involved. He knew that the Crimson Monk used blood that contained QI to cultivate.

He would use blood from spirit beasts of various cultivation realms and the blood of cultivators who were unfortunate enough to cross paths with him.

If he could get his hands on any blood the monk stored, then he would be able to recover in the blink of an eye. The other option would be to enter hibernation, but that is an option he'd prefer to avoid for multiple reasons.

As he planned his next moves, the door to the room opened and in walked in an older woman.

Her once raven black hair showed signs of greying as wrinkles were visible on her weathered face.

Seeing that Xue Yang was awake, she smiled and said.

"You're finally up. We started to worry that you might have passed."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name is Li Hua. My husband and daughter brought you here after she found you washed up on the nearby river bank."

"Thank you." Bowing his head, Xue Yang thanked Li Hua.

"Don't thank me. It was my daughter who insisted my husband bring you here."

"She was the one who bandaged you and sat next to you in hopes you would wake up soon."

"If you want to thank anyone, then thank her."

"Is she here?" He asked.

Shaking her head, Li Hua replied.

"She and my husband are currently at work in the town upriver. They won't be back home till the evening."

"Aha, I see…"

Li Hua then pointed to some clothes neatly placed on a nearby chair.

"You can dress yourself in those robes. They belong to my husband, but you can have them."

"What about my robes?"

"They are in tatters. You can wear them if you'd like, but it might be better to wear nothing at that point."

"Thank you again. I will be sure to repay you."

The woman scoffed.

"First, you should focus on getting better. Unless you haven't noticed you have a missing arm, and from what I can tell, it hasn't been long since you've lost it."

Xue Yang grabbed his shoulder and smiled wryly.

"It's just a scratch. I will recover in no time."

Li Hua raised her eyebrows, impressed at Xue Yang's positive outlook.

"I've been alive a long time, young man, and I have never met a warrior like yourself."

"Those I've seen would lose all composure even if they just lost a finger."

Xue Yang smiled brightly.

"Trust me when I say you have never met anyone like me."

"Fufufu, it would appear that way."

"Get dressed. I will start preparing dinner for when my family returns home."

With that, Li Hua left the room, leaving Xue Yang alone so he could get dressed.

Xue Yang got out of the bed and put on the robes. They looked pretty old yet were surprisingly well-kept.

To his surprise, they fit him almost perfectly. They were grey and relatively basic, with cheap material used to make them. Still, they were much better than wearing nothing.

At least with them, Xue Yang wouldn't have to worry about someone recognising the Crimson Monk's symbol and the trouble that came with it.

Xue Yang opened the door and left the room, walking into a large room. 

Inside the room was a basic kitchen and a small table. The table was one that you had to sit on the ground around, showing that the family was definitely on the poor side.

Li Hua was off to the side, tapping her cheek with her finger as she thought about what to make to eat.

Noticing Xue Yang's presence, she turned around to face him.

She nodded her head in approval and said.

"Those robes suit you well."

"Thank you."

"They used to belong to my husband when he was younger. Unfortunately, with age, that changed."

"I will be sure to repay you as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see them in use once again. You've already repaid me for the clothes by simply wearing them."

"You brought back some fond memories I have of my youth."

Deciding to move on from the topic, he posed a question.

"May I ask what you were thinking of cooking?"

"I'm still thinking about it. Do you have any suggestions?" She asked.

Xue Yang looked around, noticing ingredients he was familiar with, such as carrots, potatoes and pork. After thinking briefly, he offered to help.

"How about I cook? It's the least I can do to thank you and your family."

Intrigued at what this noble-looking, handsome young man could make, she nodded in agreement.