There's a Sect near my residence. A lot of youngsters gathered to get their aptitude tested. You can roughly guess the results from their facial expressions.

It reminds me of a year ago.

==

They did not test my comprehension ability, martial arts mastery, and etcetera. All they did was making me touch the monolith in the center.

It didn't manage to light up in the slightest.

The assessment told me, I have no talent...but I haven't given up, yet.

I still had the memories from Earth. I was familiar with how the Cultivation world was like from reading a lot of novels. Of course, many years had passed back then.

From childhood, I trained hard in foundational martial arts. I built my physique with exercises I learned from Earth. My body's comparable to a peak athlete—but it's nothing much in the cultivation world.

Unlike the main characters of the novels, I don't aim to become the strongest. It's but a pointless goal. No matter how strong you are, there's always going to be someone stronger.

Cultivation offers a lot more than just becoming strong. It can give me a longer lifespan and better quality of life.

Not to mention, with higher cultivation, your status in society rose. In here, the lives of a mere mortal ain't much. If you offend a cultivator, they have the right to take your life.

...but when you're able to cultivate, even cultivators of a higher state can't just kill you off, especially if you had a strong background.

I can have more cards on my side, the higher my cultivation realm. It also builds my character to be someone who can carry himself around.

I really don't understand where's my lack of talent. I could feel the world's energy in a natural manner. I could even practice the fragment of cultivation technique I derived from novels and classics on Earth.

The movements of flowing water, the serene Tai Chi, the foundational punching and kicking movements from Wushu.

I wasn't discouraged. If the Sect won't accept me, I will cultivate my own way.

One day, I came across a strange beggar.

If it's the usual beggar, they would go away after I gave them leftovers. But this old man, he demanded the best wine in our tavern—furthermore, I had to pay money for it!

'What does that shameless beggar think he is!'

I was about to throw him to the streets, 'cuz he's blocking the way. The customers start to grow restless as well.

This beggar was different. Others could be easily flung away when I barely exerted my strength—but this beggar—he's so heavy.

No matter how much strength I exert, I was unable to make him budge.

After several minutes of wasted effort, I laid my bum on the ground—I was totally out of breath.

"Hahaha! For a mere mortal, your strength is something else. The way you use your body to achieve the utmost limit—have you ever checked your cultivation aptitude?"

"A year ago. They only told me to place my hands on the monolith—I had no talent."

"Kid, do you want to cultivate?"

I tried my hardest to not show interest. According to my knowledge in cultivation novels, this shameless geezer won't even hesitate to extort his own students to poverty!

"Fine, fine." the beggar stood from the doorway he blocked; patting the dusk on his pants, "If you don't want me here, I'll leave. Good grief—I plan to teach you my personal technique for free..."

"Shitty old man, did someone like you actually believe in free lunch?"

"How else can I be a beggar for so long? Ah ha ha!"

"I will get you the best wine."

"Now that's the spirit, kid!"

I got him a glass and poured a drop.

"What the hell is this?"

"You never said how much—isn't a drop just fine?"

The shitty old beggar tried savoring that single drop, but the moment he gulped it, he immediately choked and coughed, "Fuck! What kind of terrible wine is this? Are you seriously trying to pick a fight?"

"You're asking my opinion on what's the best wine, I gave you my best wine! I already gave you an inch, you treated it like shit?"

Seriously, it's the best wine ever. Even mixed with dog shit, it would taste like the Heavenly Domain.

"You little shit, I never met someone so shameless! Forget about it, you damn rascal—I hope you're never able to cultivate for the rest of your life!"

The shitty beggar stormed outta the tavern just like that.

"Sigh..."

I end up offending a cultivator for the first time. He pissed me off so much, I was unable to show a minimal courtesy.

What's going to happen next? Am I going to be struck by lightning?

Wait a minute...

The beggar left a worn-out booklet—must be the secret cultivation manual!.

I nonchalantly picked it up and stored it inside my robes.

I told my Uncle I had something to do, so I'd be at my room.

The moment I read the manual...my face fell.

'How to enjoy different kinds of wine.'

...but it doesn't really matter.

It's not like this will be the fortuitous encounter that made me walk the cultivation path.

The moment I browsed the contents...it made me ate my own words.

==

"...and that's how I started my journey in the cultivation world. Even a talentless mortal like me, who once got rejected by the Sect, was able to rise in the position of Grand Elder within fifty years."

I cultivated into the Saint realm, gaining the ability of flight and to live one thousand years.

I watched my family members getting old and die, while I retained the appearance of a middle-aged man.

I used the Sect resources and even the techniques in the booklet—but none of them had hoped for cultivation.

To be honest, I wasn't that close to them. My father and mother had died since my birth.

While the Sect rejected me at first, now I treat it as my own family. I groom the students like my own children.

The moment I was able to cultivate, their treatment differed like Heaven and Earth. There were Elders personally guiding my cultivation; personal residences so beautiful, with overwhelming spiritual energy.

Even as I underwent tribulation, the Sect gave me their aid.

So far it's been smooth sailing, unlike the main characters in novels. It's been so peaceful. Aside from exchanging pointers, hardly any fights present.

The Young Masters had strict upbringing. Even the prodigals could only have fun but the moment they cause trouble, the repercussions were enormous.

It's much different than how the novels work, but it's fine. After all, it's just Fiction. They're made to entertain.

As time went by, I realize, my novel knowledge doesn't matter much. When it comes to the real thing, the best thing to rely on is my experience. Through my trial and errors, I somehow made my own way.

It doesn't matter if I didn't achieve great things.

This kind of peaceful life is enough for me.

During these fifty years, I didn't meet the old beggar even once. Maybe he died somewhere, I don't know.

I won't give my thanks to him.

Even if I didn't get his cultivation manual, I'm confident, given time—I could make my break, in many other ways.