Chapter 2: Aptitude
Li Lang couldn’t help but well up with excitement as his curiosity about his new world was sparked. A world of cultivation, as told in the fictional stories he had previously read for inspiration in his research. These stories all depicted a world where humans could transcend their mortality and break free from the shackles of time, which was exactly what he had been seeking in his research. He had thought cultivation only existed in fiction, but that was no longer the case, given what he had learned from his hazy memories.
How curious, a world where it’s possible to live longer by simply cultivating these mysterious techniques… No, calm down. There’s no definitive proof that is the case yet. It is unclear how attaining power that can let you fly and change the terrain correlates to prolonging the lifespan. I need to further research this immediately!
Before Li Lang could lose himself to his curiosity, the commotion of hundreds and hundreds of children clamoring drew his attention. They had come from all the surrounding towns and villages and grew more boisterous by the second. If one looked down from above, it would almost seem like an invisible force took hold of the sea of people below and made them form neat lines in front of the disciples from the Clear Heart Sect.
Li Lang was no exception as the momentum of the surrounding crowd swept him along. He was troubled by this new development, but he didn’t know what to do. As a high-level researcher, he had spent the majority of his previous life indoors and had security guards accompany him in public venues where such large crowds gathered.
The people behind him wanted to push forward while some of the people up front wanted to travel in the opposite direction to join the tail end of the line.
Just as he was about to lose his balance from the shoving, a hand extended out of the crowd and suddenly grabbed onto his hand. The firm grip pulled him forward with surprising strength and the resistance of the people in his way weakened.
By the time Li Lang caught his breath, he realized he was in the orderly part of the line, with the struggle to join it now behind him. He glanced down at his hand and then up toward the person who was still holding onto him. He found a young boy staring worriedly at him, along with a girl.
They greatly resembled each other, and their clothes matched as well. They even wore matching jewelry, with the boy wearing a ring adorned with a red gemstone, while the girl wore a hair stick filled with smaller pieces of gemstones of the same color.
Li Lang swiftly checked his own clothes and found that he was wearing clothing of a similar design, and was also wearing a necklace with a red gemstone the size of a coin.
Upon making eye contact with them, some of his memories began to resurface.
Twins…They are…the children of the man who took me in. My childhood friends, Zi Xi, and Zi Xiao Mei.
“Li Lang, are you okay?” the girl with long black hair, who he recalled to be Zi Xiao Mei, meekly asked.