- I’m Really Not an NPC

Fei Yun State. In the great Yunze Mountains. At the foot of one of these mountains, Xu Ning slowly awoke. In an instant, a torrent of strange memories surged into his mind. Xu Ning groaned as a splitting headache overtook him. After a long while, he managed to digest the foreign memories, and the pain began to subside. "I've actually time-traveled!" Xu Ning couldn't help but accept this bizarre fact. He had crossed into a martial world, becoming a peasant youth. This peasant was also named Xu Ning. Today, he had ventured into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. In his quest for a rare spiritual herb, he had taken great risks; after obtaining it with difficulty, he accidentally slipped and fell, losing consciousness, only for the current Xu Ning to take his place. This was not a peaceful era. Faction strife, state wars, family rivalries, bandit raids, and occasional monster chaos made this a time when human life was cheap as dirt. He had become an ordinary person struggling to survive in this era. "Unbelievable..." Xu Ning felt pain in several parts of his body, though thankfully it did not hinder his movement. He slowly stood up and noticed the spiritual herb that his predecessor had risked his life to obtain, lying a few steps in front of him. This herb was called Qingyu Grass, and it was exceedingly precious, fetching a price of over 500 silver taels outside. For ordinary peasants, this was an incredibly substantial sum. "Qingyu Grass..." Xu Ning hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the Qingyu Grass, bending down to pick it up. The grass was entirely jade-green, emitting a faint fragrance. Simply inhaling its scent, Xu Ning felt his bodily pains diminish somewhat. Just as Xu Ning was about to examine it more closely, a sudden flash of white light appeared before his eyes. A screen of light appeared in his vision. —— Energy detected: 6 units— Absorb? Yes/No —— —— Name: Xu Ning Martial Skills: Gale Blade Technique (Beginner)+ Available Energy: 0 units —— "What is this!" Xu Ning was in disbelief. Wasn't this the martial arts panel from the game he played in his previous life? How could it suddenly appear before him? Xu Ning rubbed his eyes forcefully. The panel remained; he wasn't seeing things. Xu Ning came to a realization. "A cheat for a time traveler..." Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. If this martial arts panel really worked, then perhaps he could seize an opportunity to make his mark in this era. "Yes!" Xu Ning willed the decision to absorb the energy. "Energy being absorbed... absorption complete—" —— Name: Xu Ning Martial Skills: Gale Blade Technique (Beginner)+ Available Energy: 6 units —— The panel refreshed, increasing the available energy from 0 to 6 units. However, the Qingyu Grass in Xu Ning's hand suddenly withered, turning into a withered weed. "Did the energy from the Qingyu Grass get absorbed?" With 6 units of energy, Xu Ning focused his mind and pressed on the "+" symbol next to the Gale Blade Technique. —— Consume 3 units of energy to enhance the Gale Blade Technique? Yes/No —— "Yes!" Xu Ning confirmed. The Gale Blade Technique was what he had learned from the elders in the village, practiced for nearly three years. Yet, due to limited talent, he had been stuck at the beginner level, unable to advance further. Now, the Gale Blade Technique finally had the opportunity for advancement. Indeed, the next moment, the panel refreshed. —— Name: Xu Ning Martial Skills: Gale Blade Technique (Minor accomplishment)+ Available Energy: 3 units —— The level of the Gale Blade Technique had advanced from beginner to minor accomplishment, with available energy decreased to 3 units. Simultaneously, as the panel refreshed, Xu Ning's previous superficial understanding of the Gale Blade Technique suddenly became profound. He felt that the moves of the Gale Blade Technique were now extremely familiar, as if he had practiced them daily for years, capable of executing them with ease. Xu Ning raised his hand in a gesture, and although there was no blade in hand, he felt as though he had been wielding one for a long time. His heart was suddenly filled with heat. Xu Ning picked up the firewood knife he used for self-defense in the mountains, confirming that his injuries and pain had lessened significantly. Then he proceeded to practice the moves of the Gale Blade Technique as they were in his mind. Immediately, the wind from his blade technique howled. After completing a set, Xu Ning took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This martial arts panel truly is like a cheat. Although the Gale Blade Technique is just a common external skill, the ability to instantly raise the level of one's technique is astonishing. In this world, developing a common external martial skill to a minor accomplishment would typically take two to three years for ordinary martial artists, yet I have only used a moment..." For the first time, Xu Ning felt a hint of anticipation for this era of martial strife. With this martial arts panel, he now had the qualification to tread the path of a strong one. Steadying his emotions, Xu Ning again focused on the "+" icon after the Gale Blade Technique. He wanted to advance it further. —— Consume 6 units of energy to enhance the Gale Blade Technique? Yes/No —— "6 units of energy?" Xu Ning furrowed his brows. To advance the Gale Blade Technique from beginner to minor accomplishment required 3 units of energy, but further advancement to major accomplishment required double the energy. However, he only had 3 units remaining, clearly insufficient. "No." Xu Ning was a bit resigned but not overly disappointed. As long as he had this martial arts panel, there would be ample opportunities to find spiritual herbs or other energy sources in the future to enhance his martial skills. "Time to head home..." Xu Ning noticed the time; the sun was beginning to set in the west. He crouched down, gathering the herbs that had scattered from his basket. These were ordinary herbs he had previously collected, not particularly valuable. Xu Ning experimentally squeezed the ordinary herbs in his hand to see if they could provide energy. Yet, disappointingly, ordinary herbs did not yield any energy. Once packed up, Xu Ning gripped his firewood knife, and began tracing his way back along the remembered path. At present, Xu Ning was at the edge of the Yunze Mountains, an area where wild beasts occasionally appeared, requiring constant vigilance. Luckily, his return journey was uneventful, and after a little more than half an hour, he finally reached a village. This was Tao Family Village, Xu Ning's place of residence. Xu Ning hadn't been born and raised in Tao Family Village; he had come here a few years ago with his sister, Xu Lian, after she married. Originally, Xu Ning and his sister, Xu Lian, lived in their own village, but several years ago, bandits raided it, leaving it in ruins, families and friends killed. On that day, Xu Lian happened to be outside with Xu Ning, escaping the disaster but leaving them without a home. The two wandered through this chaotic world, surviving through countless perils, until finally being taken in by Tao Family Village. Xu Lian, his sister, then married his brother-in-law, Tao Yunchuan. Thus, Xu Ning became a part of Tao Family Village. By now, the setting sun was beginning to fall. From afar, the silhouette of the village appeared dim. From a distance, Tao Family Village was surrounded by stone walls, with villagers armed and patrolling along them. At first glance, it looked like the entrance to a small city. Tao Family Village was a large settlement with a population of over three thousand, quite prosperous and influential in Kangyun County. Upon reaching the village entrance, Xu Ning hesitated a bit. As a time traveler, Xu Ning felt a bit estranged about integrating into this new family. However, after a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward. This was something he had to face sooner or later. Xu Ning entered the village. Tao Family Village was vast, with a large population. Yet as an outsider by name, his predecessor had never quite integrated here. "So this is it..." Following the path in his memory, Xu Ning arrived at a modest household. The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and the sound of chopping wood could be heard from within. Xu Ning paused briefly, then pushed the door open. Inside, he saw a robust man wielding an axe, chopping wood blocks. The man's movements were somewhat stiff, the chopping awkward and jerky. "Xu Ning's back?" The burly man heard the door open, looked up, and seeing Xu Ning, broke into a smile. He put down the axe and walked over. "Give me your things, take a rest." The sturdy man limped as he walked, his hand movements were not agile, clearly suffering a leg injury. Xu Ning recognized him; this was his brother-in-law, Tao Yunchuan. He had been injured in his youth, hence his slow movements. "Hmm, Xu Ning, have you been hurt in a fall?" Upon seeing the tattered clothes and superficial wounds on Xu Ning, Tao Yunchuan asked with concern. "I slipped while gathering herbs." Xu Ning was still getting used to the concern from Tao Yunchuan. "Are you seriously hurt?" Tao Yunchuan inquired further. "No..." Xu Ning waved him off. He truly felt fine now. "That's good, that's good..." Tao Yunchuan seemed relieved. "Has Xu Ning been injured?" At this moment, a young woman clothed in rough cloth emerged from the kitchen, her voice tight with worry and care. This young woman was none other than Xu Ning's sister, Xu Lian.