A Changed Identity!

Wind and rain raged outside. The carriage sat parked in front of the temple. Inside, only a faint firelight flickered, casting two silhouettes against the mottled gray wall that swayed incessantly with the howling wind. "Deserted mountains, a ruined temple, and not a soul around. I'd say this place is dangerous. Maybe we should just leave." Liu Le shivered, speaking with panic in his voice. Ye Huan fell into deep thought. If this world was truly the one where he had cultivated the Golden Bell Shield, then he actually knew the surrounding terrain. Reaching the next village or town would require a long journey. A rainy night in barren mountains. Driving a carriage with an injured passenger. There were simply too many uncontrollable factors. "Do monsters appear in worlds where the Ether descends?" Ye Huan asked. "They do—damn it, now I'm suddenly thinking hitting the road isn't a great idea either," Liu Le muttered. Ye Huan glanced at him. Liu Le was losing his composure. Advice given in that state of mind couldn't be taken seriously. Wait— "How is your injury?" Ye Huan asked. "The wound on my arm isn't a problem. It's mainly that blow from the captain. He struck to make it look convincing, so it hurts like hell," Liu Le said. He loosened his robe. A patch of pooled blood on his chest had turned purplish-black, looking quite alarming. "If this drags on, the fake injury is going to become a real one..." Ye Huan murmured. "Nothing we can do. Let's survive the Ether world first before worrying about the injury." Liu Le sighed. Ye Huan looked toward the top of Liu Le's head. The "investigator" tag hovering above him was slowly fading away, replaced by two prominent new characters: "Farmer." Ye Huan focused his gaze, noticing several lines of faint gray text beneath the tag: "Identity Challenge:" "A year of severe famine is exceedingly harsh. As a farmer, you are still able to find enough food in the barren mountains to fill the bellies of yourself and your companion." "Complete the above challenge, and when the proper opportunity arises, your identity will be promoted." "Note: Only a farmer may attempt this achievement." The Identity Achievement had changed! Then— What about himself? Ye Huan instinctively cast his gaze above his own head. "Bhikshu." "Identity Challenge:" "Spending the night in a mountain temple, you see the temple in ruins and the statue covered in dust. Bring out tools and spare tiles from the cellar behind the statue, attempt to repair the damaged portions of the roof beams, and sweep away the dust accumulated on the altar table to give the temple a completely new look." "Complete the above challenge, and when the proper opportunity arises, your identity will be promoted." In this Ether, one could only undertake challenges tied to their own identity! Countless thoughts flashed through Ye Huan's mind. He suddenly spoke up: "This fire is burning well. We've just arrived and are completely in the dark. It would be better to rest here first and figure something out afterward." "Figure something out?" Liu Le was stunned. "Yes. Traveling right now isn't realistic. If we run into monsters, we're finished," Ye Huan said. He supported Liu Le, helping him sit down in front of the campfire. The moment Liu Le sat, he let out a comfortable sigh, showing no desire to get back up. "All right... I'm injured, so I'll have to trouble you from here on out," he said apologetically. "Don't worry about it. We're brothers," Ye Huan replied breezily. An Identity Challenge— He could take a crack at it right now! Ye Huan glanced at the challenge description once more, then stood up. "I'll take a look around and see what's in this temple." "Sure," Liu Le said. Ye Huan first paced around the front hall, pretending to inspect the walls and roof beams before circling behind the altar table. Sure enough, a layer of dust-caked carpet lay upon the floor. He dragged the carpet aside. A cellar entrance framed by stacked logs came into view. Ye Huan lifted several logs, hopped down into the cellar, and inspected the area. Mortar, bricks, roof tiles, and wooden planks were indeed stored here. Ye Huan went back to check the roof beams. The main beam was intact. The rafters resting atop it were fine as well. It was only toward the western section of the beam where the under-tiles and boards used for waterproofing had vanished, and the roof tiles had long since gone missing. —Fortunately, the damaged area wasn't large. Ye Huan carried a stack of tiles and boards out of the cellar. He hauled the planks onto the roof first, securing them firmly with a hammer and nails to serve as roof decking. Next, he laid down a layer of mortar, followed by neatly arranged tiles. The howling cold wind sweeping through the temple vanished at once. Rain no longer leaked through the ceiling. Ye Huan then took a piece of cloth, moistened it with rainwater, and wiped down the statue upon the altar. Grabbing a broom, he swept the dust from the main hall. That was more or less everything. —Not particularly difficult. However, because the rain was pouring heavily, the roof would likely require a few days of dry weather to confirm whether it still leaked, allowing him to check for gaps and patch any remaining flaws before calling the job truly complete. "Was it really necessary to fix up this ruined temple so thoroughly?" Liu Le asked. "This is our shelter for tonight. If monsters see an intact temple, maybe they won't dare attack so readily," Ye Huan replied. "You certainly think of everything." Liu Le gave him a thumbs-up. Ye Huan returned the leftover bricks, tiles, and mortar to the cellar, putting everything back in order. A notification instantly surfaced in his mind: "You have completed the identity challenge. When the opportunity arrives, your identity will be promoted." An opportunity... That was rather vague. Just as Ye Huan was pondering this, an aged voice drifted in from the temple entrance: "Sadhu, sadhu." Ye Huan hurried back to the front hall and saw an old monk accompanied by two novice monks stepping over the threshold. With their palms pressed together, they were admiring the temple's transformation. "Huh?" One of the novices suddenly gasped, pointing at Ye Huan with wide eyes. "Isn't this Senior Brother Zhikong from Great Compassion Temple?" Ye Huan froze. Zhikong... That was his dharma name? That was the best they could do? Why not just call him Zhi Ruo—feeble-minded—wouldn't that be more direct? The other novice looked closely and smiled. "Senior Brother Zhikong, three years have passed since we parted in Jiangnan. I never imagined meeting you here." Ye Huan cast a glance at Liu Le. Liu Le, on the other hand, was overjoyed, waving eagerly for him to come over. When Ye Huan walked up, Liu Le lowered his voice to a whisper beside his ear: "Everyone has a different identity in the Ether. Yours is a monk, so it's completely normal for other monks to recognize you. Get on good terms with them, and we'll have a backer." Ye Huan nodded. By then, the old monk had already spoken: "Zhikong, did you repair this small temple and rescue a farmer?" "Yes, it was merely an effortless deed," Ye Huan quickly stood and answered. He glanced above the other man's head. The tag floating above the old monk read: "Executive Elder of Great Compassion Temple." A superior! Ye Huan knew where he stood now, asking respectfully, "May I ask what brings the Elder here in person? Zhikong is ready to follow your orders at any time." This old man seemed formidable. Ye Huan didn't dare stare at the top of his head for too long, fearing he might cause unnecessary misunderstanding. The old monk nodded slightly and smiled. "This old monk heard that you have wandered the jianghu over these past years, seeking out people everywhere for martial contests. I assumed you were pursuing empty fame, but later heard you punished evil and promoted good, aiding the rich and relieving the poor. I knew not whether the rumors were true, but today I have finally witnessed the truth for myself." Ye Huan lowered his head even further. When a superior heaped praises upon you the moment you met, was it a good thing or a bad thing? "—Did you drive the carriage outside?" the old monk asked again. "Yes," Ye Huan replied. "This old monk needs to use that carriage to travel. What say you?" the old monk asked. It seemed it was a bad thing. "Please feel free, Elder. This disciple has no objection, only—" "Only what?" Feigning reluctance, Ye Huan looked up at the old monk. While observing his identity, he replied solemnly, "That horse is rather fierce and difficult to control. Please be careful, Elder." The old monk's brow relaxed, and he smiled faintly. "No matter. This old monk has his ways of taming wild horses." "Then that is well. Please use it as you see fit, Elder," Ye Huan said. —Just now, he had caught a complete look! The Elder's identity challenge read: "No peril can prevent you from preserving your own life, because you can always find a scapegoat beforehand." "Naturally, as an eminent monk of your region, you always treat your scapegoat with immense generosity before having them die in your stead, such that some even perish thanking you." "Drive the carriage and flee! Escape this place! Live well! Amitabha!" "Complete the above challenge to promote your identity." Ye Huan went numb. There was no danger in sight right now. He shouldn't end up having to be a scapegoat, right? Yet the old monk nodded and said, "Give him the bundle." "Yes." One of the novices produced a bundle from behind his back and offered it to Ye Huan with both hands. Ye Huan accepted it, somewhat baffled by the gesture. The novice smiled and said, "Congratulations, Senior Brother. Your wish has finally been fulfilled." Before the words had even finished echoing— The old monk took a single step forward and, with barely any visible motion, struck Ye Huan squarely with a palm. Ye Huan staggered back seven or eight steps, crashing against a pillar. He felt a surge of qi transmitted directly into his chest from the strike. The qi pierced straight through flesh and bone, converging, vibrating, and resonating at a specific point within the crisscrossing network of his meridians. In an instant— A ferocious surge of power erupted from his lower back, shooting upward to connect with the Baihui point and downward to link the Hegu and Yongquan points. The blood and qi throughout his body surged like a torrent, and the faint, roaring hallucination of floodwaters echoed in his ears. An acupoint had opened!