Making A Better Protagonist

CHAPTER 14

"Ahhh fucking illusion! I really hate the author right now."

Throwing the book he has been trying to read since noon, Xu Zhu strides out of his chamber.

Although the book seems like a scribble someone wrote half asleep, the thing Zhu was excited about was not illusions but the newly awakened spirit inside his body.
And as Shi has nicely explained to him before, awakening spirit is like awakening a shortcut to the slow simple life he has been living.
An athlete who can run 5 miles in one go can easily be defeated by a lazy fat ass with awakened 'spirit'. The way Shi explained it apparently.

Entering into the overgrown forest behind the Sect, Zhu decides to run wild.
He didn't forget to look for anyone else there. Thankfully noone was there, keeping him safe from being labelled as a freak.

Running around as fast as he could, he experienced a different reality from what he is used to. He could feel himself cutting past the cool air of the forest. The smell of wet earth. The fresh scent of blossoming flowers. He could see and perceive every single leaf and point out all the beetles hidding securely. Jumping, laughing and finally stopping before the stream dividing the forest in half.

"Holly molly, that was one hell of a run.", Zhu looks back in wonder, without a single sweat on his forehead.

Picking up the bow and the arrows the original used, Zhu looks around searching for something.
"That seems to do the task."
Getting ready, he points his arrow towards a red berry hanging singly.
'Hmm... focus focus ...little red berry... Looks delicious...might be poisonous...focus ...' Shoot!

"Ahhhhhhh!"

A loud wail echoed through the forest breaking the calm.

Startled Zhu backs away, wondering what terrible creature he has shot.

A fully grown teenager stands up from behind the bush with eyes filled with tears and an arrow tangled in his locks, looking silly.
"Sister-in-law, you broke my head."

Zhu stares at him shocked out of his wits. 'Why do all these new relatives keep popping up out of nowhere?'

"Cao Lei?"

Rushing towards Zhu with sparkling eyes, Lei almost fell down, "Sis-in-law, you know my name?!"

Backing away a little from the puppy eyes focused on him, Zhu almost cursed out loud. "How could I not know your name? You are so famous in the Sect."

Grinning like a fool, Lei forgets the arrow in his hair.
"Cousin told me to find you, Sis-in-law. You just arrived here not so long ago. Let me show you all the good places. I have been living here since 10 years, I know all about...."

'Why did that good-for-nothing rich bastard send him to me? Is he spying on me? Or is he trying to intimidate me? What's more Shi has still not returned from visiting the Chaos God.'

"Sis-in-law, let me take you to the best restaurant in the town. The chicken stew is the most delicious there. Let's drink some wine too."

Zhu sighs as he stares at the back of the guy dragging him towards the town and picks out the long forgotten arrow.
'I missed the cherry.'