Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 426: Door Knocking for Recruitment? _1
"Wenqi’s main attribute increases Charm?" Wang Linchi was somewhat at a loss for a moment.
Mainly, Wenqi was indeed rather peculiar; it grew with knowledge and boosted Charm. He didn’t even know how this unexpected element had come into being.
Spirit Masters did exist. They utilized Spiritual Power to perform Spirit Law. However, Spiritual Power could only be generated after obtaining the Child’s Title. Otherwise, a Spirit Master who had just broken through would have a limited number of spells they could cast each day, the exact number depending on the quality of their Spirit Law. Furthermore, if the acquired Spirit Law possessed a Spiritual Talent, it could grant additional spellcasting opportunities.
Wang Linchi’s Spirit Law had long since mutated into a System Method. Since it wasn’t yet fully perfected, Wang Linchi couldn’t figure out whether this Wenqi was an effect of the Spirit Law or if it simply hadn’t fully manifested yet because the System Method was incomplete. This was mainly because he had combined and refined his own hodgepodge of abilities into a single entity, so he could only explore it on his own; the corresponding reference data didn’t quite apply to him.
After exploring for a long time, he was still confused about Wenqi’s use. He tried to wield it like Spiritual Power, but it had no effect. He even attempted to infuse it into his body, but his physiological data showed no changes. He then brainstormed, wondering if poetry, literary compositions, or classical allusions could activate it, but that didn’t work either. In short, it could be used but had no discernible effect other than increasing his Charm.
This made Wang Linchi quite exasperated. Why does all this useless stuff keep falling into my lap?
I’ll wait until I’ve finished perfecting the Cultivation Technique. If it’s still useless then, I might as well give up on it, Wang Linchi mused, wondering if it would have been better had he not copied the Confucianism classics in the first place.
However, he suspected this Wenqi was incomplete. If it could be perfected later, that would naturally be best. After all, it was his own system, albeit in its nascent stage. If he were to truly abandon it, he would have to start all over again. Rebuilding his system in this world seemed impossible, as its established framework was that of Spirit Masters. If he wanted to leverage its resources, he couldn’t bypass them.
Wang Linchi discovered that this world was truly ruthless; even its own systems weren’t spared. He found out that even Spirit Masters couldn’t reach level 31. It could only be said that this was treating everyone equally, not deliberately capping his level because he was an outsider.
After some more tinkering, Wang Linchi resumed his reading. The Wenqi in his body increased very rapidly, showing no signs of slowing down, as if determined to overwhelm him. Unfortunately, it felt like cotton candy—insubstantial—and Wang Linchi found it more of a headache than a help.
It would be great if this were the Wenqi from Confucianism-themed novels, Wang Linchi thought. With a wealth of classics from his previous life in mind, transcribing them would grant him numerous combat methods. Unfortunately, this special energy he merely called Wenqi had no actual connection to the Wenqi depicted in those stories.
「By the time afternoon arrived」
Wang Linchi was still reading and exploring Wenqi when a knock interrupted him.
"Who is it?" Wang Linchi asked. After becoming a Spirit Master, he hadn’t moved or held any large celebrations. Instead, he kept a very low profile and deliberately avoided attention, so few people actually knew him.
When he opened the door, he saw a familiar face: Liu Ling’er from the Liu Family. Wang Linchi hadn’t expected her to seek him out, as they had barely any contact. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"Doctor Wang, your living conditions are so modest, residing in such a small alley. Ordinary people might not even be able to find it," Liu Ling’er teased playfully.
Wang Linchi made way for her and said, "Miss Liu, you’re joking. I’m just accustomed to this kind of life. Please come in."
Her coming to find him definitely meant she had a purpose. No one visits without a reason, he thought.
After inviting her in, he brewed tea. "My home is simple, and the tea is ordinary. Please don’t mind," he said.
As an educated Aristocratic Family Member, Liu Ling’er wouldn’t directly criticize the tea, no matter how poor it was.
"I’m a guest, so I’ll defer to my host. Why would I mind?" Liu Ling’er replied. After taking a sip of tea, she finally said, "I heard that Doctor Wang is preparing to continue with the Tongsheng examination. Are you confident?"
"Confidence? There’s no such thing. I’m just going to give it a try." Of course, Wang Linchi was confident, but he couldn’t reveal this.
"Mm, that’s true. I’ve also attempted it three times and failed each time. However, I did gain some insights," Liu Ling’er said, then began to share her experiences.
In this world, because women could also possess Spiritual Bone and Spiritual Meridian, there was considerable equality between the sexes. Of course, this equality existed primarily among Spirit Masters. For ordinary people, differences naturally arose due to factors like physical strength and constitution. Thus, while there was some societal division based on these abilities, the gap wasn’t excessively large.
Wang Linchi listened quietly to Liu Ling’er’s account. He could clearly discern that she was intentionally concealing and obscuring certain key points. She’s up to something, he inferred, most likely recruitment.
After about half an hour, Liu Ling’er finally paused. "My understanding is rather superficial. If Doctor Wang could consult the classics of my clan, your chances of successfully attaining the Child’s Title would greatly increase."
At this point, Wang Linchi was certain she was indeed trying to recruit him.
"Miss Liu is right, but it’s a pity. How could I possibly consult your clan’s classics? I’ll just continue exploring on my own, slowly." Wang Linchi was aware of her intentions but still politely declined.
To Wang Linchi, the Liu Family felt like a pot of oil added to a raging fire—a sign of prosperity on the verge of decline. If he had connected with Bai Changsheng earlier, they might have lasted until Liu Ling’er’s natural death. But now, it was uncertain if they could even overcome this current hurdle. Without this ’hurdle,’ how would Bai Changsheng profit?
"If Doctor Wang joins the Liu Family, you can become a Tribute. You’ll be able to browse all kinds of classics within our clan and also obtain resources for Spirit Law Cultivation from us," Liu Ling’er pressed, striking while the iron was hot.
Wang Linchi feigned interest but ultimately shook his head. "Let’s forget about it. The Liu Family is no ordinary household; a large family with a significant enterprise naturally has many rules. I’m just a country fellow, and I’m afraid I might inadvertently break them."
"Now, Doctor Wang, rules are meant to bind ordinary people. We are both Spirit Masters. As long as it’s not some heinous crime, what rules could there be to restrict us?" Liu Ling’er quickly added.
"No, no. When I first sought to become a Spirit Master, it was merely to ensure I wouldn’t go hungry or thirsty. Now that I have that, I’d rather not get involved in these affairs.
After I fail the Tongsheng examination this time, I’ll just go back to Baihe County to while away my days," Wang Linchi stated, even more bluntly this time.
He knew the Liu Family had sent Liu Ling’er to try their luck—casting a wide net, so to speak. They didn’t particularly value him; he was, after all, just one Spirit Master. However, recruiting him would still be beneficial. The Great Families naturally lacked Cattle and Horses, especially unattached individuals like him, who were prime for exploitation. Otherwise, if they were trying to recruit true prodigies, would they come empty-handed? Liu Ling’er’s words sounded pleasant, but they were essentially empty promises. The privilege of viewing various classics probably existed, but it would undoubtedly come with numerous restrictions, such as requiring a certain amount of contribution points for a single viewing, with time limits, and so on. And those contribution points would be incredibly hard to earn, likely requiring them to risk their lives. He didn’t even need to think hard to know it was a raw deal.
Upon hearing Wang Linchi’s resolute refusal, Liu Ling’er couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. With an attitude like that, how did he even pass the preliminary examination and become a Spirit Master? she thought. However, she didn’t let it show on her face and didn’t press him further.
"Very well. Everyone has their own aspirations. However, if Doctor Wang ever wishes to join our Liu Family in the future, we will welcome you with open arms." Liu Ling’er couldn’t possibly say that if Wang Linchi didn’t join them, they would kill him or warn him against joining any other faction, lest he make an enemy of the Liu Family. Only a complete fool would say such a thing. Even the Dajing Dynasty’s ruling Royal Family wouldn’t dare to be so tyrannical. If word got out that the Liu Family behaved this way, it would only invite ridicule, damage their reputation, and even affect the morale of their own Guest Elders and Tributes. Guest Elders and Tributes were collaborators; if they were told they could only join and never leave, wouldn’t they fear being silenced if they ever fell out of favor? Compared to martial might, the Great Families valued their reputation far more. After all, other Great Families also possessed martial strength. Since the upper limits of power were fixed, martial strength couldn’t decisively tip the scales; only reputation and public support could.
"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Liu." Seeing her give up, Wang Linchi didn’t pursue the matter further and changed the subject. "Do you have any news about Brother Bai Changsheng?"
"No, I’m afraid he may have met with some misfortune." Liu Ling’er clearly didn’t want to discuss this topic and quickly added with a hint of agitation, "I just remembered, I have some clan affairs to attend to, so I won’t disturb Doctor Wang any longer."
With that, she hastily departed.
After seeing her off, Wang Linchi chuckled to himself. "How pragmatic. When they need someone, they bring them to the fore; when they don’t, they cast them aside."
