My Synthesizer Has Talent

"Disciple, listen to me. If you’re going to make allies, you have to do it while they’re still weak."

"These guys are always trying to squeeze Spirit Stones out of their sect-mates."

"There’s not a shred of camaraderie among sect members."

"Between you and me, that guy Jin Zhentu might be planning to possess his own disciple’s body."

"Or turn his disciple into a Human Pill."

Ouyang Mingming said with a look of disdain, "Otherwise, how could a guy like that stay in the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect? Among all the Elders in the Holy Pill Hall, he’s the most sinister, but he’s also the only one with a Tier Three healing Pill Formula."

"They say his previous disciples all died mysteriously. Who knows what really happened to them."

"Almost all of them died inexplicably, right after reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection."

"You be careful of that Jin Zhentu from now on. If you want to befriend cultivators with valuable skills, help them while they’re still weak. That way, when you need a favor, they’ll be eager to help you," Ouyang Mingming said, sharing from her own experience.

But Su Qing only focused on the first part of what Ouyang Mingming said. ’Jin Zhentu is that kind of Golden Core Elder?’

It seemed Su Qing had grown so accustomed to the surprisingly tame atmosphere of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect that he was only now remembering that this was, in fact, a Demonic Sect.

’It’s so hard to tell who’s good and who’s bad.’

If his master hadn’t been so well-behaved, Su Qing might have suspected she was raising him just to turn him into a Furnace Cauldron.

Considering his master had given him the Ten Thousand Tribulations Divine Body Cultivation Technique, she probably had no intention of using him as a Furnace Cauldron.

It was probably just that she chose to take a disciple because there were truly so few people on Cold Extremity Peak.

Su Qing followed his master, buying things as they went.

Su Qing bought a few things for himself as well.

For example, the Golden Jade Bamboo. At night, it would glow, revealing faint, flowing golden patterns on its jade-like stalks. It was truly beautiful.

[Golden Jade Bamboo: In an environment rich with Spiritual Qi, luminous patterns of flowing qi will appear on its stalks. It has a minor Spirit Gathering effect. Medicinal Properties: Bitter, detoxifying...]

It was both beautiful and useful.

So Su Qing bought some and planted them inside his own Great World.

His Acupoint World was empty anyway, so growing a few things wouldn’t hurt.

Along the way, Su Qing also ran into other Elders from the Sect.

Like Elder Baili, for instance. He had two True Inheritors with him; one was Chen Jiutian, whom Su Qing recognized.

The other was Zhao Handan, whose Cultivation was even higher than Chen Jiutian’s.

So now he was acquainted with him as well.

In a single Marketplace, they had already run into four or five Elders from the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

...

And so, Su Qing became famous all over again.

Every time an Elder appeared, saw Ouyang Mingming eating the food, and made a comment, she would immediately start boasting about Su Qing. "My disciple is just the best! He found me a fruit from a Divine Origin Tree," she’d say, and on and on.

She used the same lines every time, her smile threatening to split her face with pride.

Su Qing stood by, feeling incredibly awkward.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Ouyang Mingming finally got tired and they headed back to the Sect’s outpost.

Only then could Su Qing finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Su Qing didn’t feel like sleeping.

The moon was perfect just then—full, bright, and round.

Its light on the ocean’s surface made the water glow like a sapphire.

Especially late at night, the seaside was utterly silent.

He took the rare opportunity to sit down on a reef, take out a fishing rod, and start fishing.

’It’s shallow water. I wonder if I’ll even catch anything.’

Su Qing was simply enjoying some time to himself.

He hadn’t been fishing for long when he smelled the reek of alcohol.

"Hey, Su Qing, you’re here too." Holding a wine jug, Song Zhining approached, reeking of alcohol, and sat down on the reef beside Su Qing.

He also gazed at the moon hanging high in the distance and the vast, shimmering river of stars.

"What brings you here?"

"Can’t sleep," Song Zhining sighed.

"Year after year, and now I’m all alone. I just don’t get it."

"Today is the anniversary of my mother’s death."

"It’s also the anniversary of the day I killed that animal of a father from Pingchuan City a few years back."

"It felt so damn good!" Song Zhining took another large swig of wine, then continued, "I don’t know what the point of Immortal Cultivation even is. Longevity?"

"Ever since I avenged my mother, the whole world has felt meaningless."

"What do you think, Su Qing?"

Su Qing felt the same way. ’I came to this world all alone. If I died, would anyone even care?’

He thought for a moment before replying, "I just want to live, and live well. Make a few friends, and have a good life with them."

"Friends? In all my years of fighting for resources, I haven’t made a single friend, but I’ve made plenty of enemies," Song Zhining said, shaking his head.

"You know, there’ll be enemies at the Zhengxuan Sect tomorrow, too. All of them are just sore losers who couldn’t compete with me for resources," Song Zhining said with a bitter smile.

Song Zhining said, "I really envy you. You have a good master."

"How so?"

"I could tell just from the way you gave her that precious Spirit Fruit."

"She must treat you incredibly well."

"You probably know about that old bastard I have for a master. That guy... he doesn’t even know what a Fantasist is."

"You think I can’t feel the malice he directs at me from time to time?" Song Zhining said with a sneer.

"It was better the first year or two. But later, his mood soured, and now he pressures me to cultivate every single day."

"I did some digging afterward and heard a few rumors."

"Heh."

Song Zhining didn’t say anything more, just took another drink of wine.

"Su Qing, want some?"

"No, thanks." Su Qing shook his head.

"Your family must have treated you well, huh?" Song Zhining said. "You look so... clean. Like you’ve never had to work a day in your life."

Su Qing let out a hollow laugh. "My family died when I was ten. If it weren’t for a bit of good luck, I’d be dead too."

Thinking back on his painful past, Su Qing couldn’t help but let out a smile of acceptance.

"When you first saw me, I was already near the Zhengxuan Sect."

"My family lived in a dilapidated village within the Great Yu Dynasty, near the Zhengxuan Sect’s territory. Let’s just say that once my Cultivation is strong enough, there’s revenge to be had."

Su Qing spoke calmly. Suddenly, a fish bit the hook. He reeled it in, unhooked it, and was about to release it back into the water.

"You’re just going to let it go?" With a flick of his Magical Power, Song Zhining levitated the fish in front of him. "If you don’t want it, I do. It’ll be perfect for grilling."

Once Song Zhining was nearly done grilling the fish, Su Qing said, "I get a piece of that."

"No way. I’m the one who did all the work grilling it."

"And I’m the one who did the work of catching it."

"Are you going to look for Dao Companions tomorrow?" Song Zhining asked.

"There are plenty of Female Cultivators in the Demonic Sects, you know."

Su Qing snapped, "If you’re that horny, go visit a brothel. You’re always thinking about women. And Female Cultivators, no less. I want nothing to do with them. You get involved with one and you’ll be sucked dry before you know what’s happening."

"Hey, the whole point of this trip to the Zhengxuan Sect is to negotiate the formation of the Immortal Alliance. A lot of Immortal Dao Families are going to be there too."

"Those families are all looking for marriage alliances. The sects, on the other hand, aren’t so sure. After all, our Demon Sects and the Orthodox Sects can’t stand the sight of each other."

"You don’t want to find a Dao Companion?"

Su Qing shook his head. "I’m not interested in a marriage alliance. What’s the point? What we’re pursuing is Longevity."

...

Su Qing and Song Zhining stayed up all night, chatting by the sea.

They talked about their insights, their plans for the future, their views on the world, that sort of thing.

That’s just how men are. Once night falls, they always find something to talk about.

—

「The next day.」

Su Qing was dragged along by his master as she flew to one of the Zhengxuan Sect’s islands.

The island was surrounded by signs written in the common tongue of the Continent, all saying, "Welcome, Fellow Daoists."

The Zhengxuan Sect really was on another level. The island was filled with all sorts of advanced technology.

The daily lives of Cultivators and even some mortals had become inseparable from these lifestyle-oriented Magical Artifacts.

Su Qing and Ouyang Mingming followed the contingent from the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect and were led to their assigned quarters.

The place had a distinct "cyber-cultivation" feel; even the layout of the bedroom was completely different from what they were used to.

...

...