Ahaan was still feeling happy when, all of a sudden, a sharp, foul smell entered his nose.
He sniffed, frowned, and turned to see where it was coming from.
When he looked down at himself, he finally understood.
His whole body was covered in dirt. Mud and some strange, sticky liquid were splattered all over his clothes and skin. It looked as if he had rolled through a filthy swamp.
"Ugh…" Ahaan quickly covered his nose with his hand, his face twisting in disgust.
I need to wash this off as soon as possible, he thought.
Without wasting time, he began to walk down from the mountain range. While descending, he shifted slightly toward the east, leaving the Northern Wilderness mountain region and entering the Eastern Mountain region. His goal was clear in his mind—the lake.
He had seen this lake before from afar. Back then, he had not dared to go near it. The lake was deep and quiet, and the area around it was known to be the territory of powerful beasts. At that time, Ahaan had been too weak and could only avoid it carefully.
But now… it was different.
Now, he was no longer afraid.
After his transformation and his rapid progress in cultivation, confidence rose in his heart. He believed he could easily kill a Rank 1 beast, and even if he encountered a Rank 2 beast, he was sure he could at least fight back—or escape with his life.
Thinking this, he continued to move toward the lake region.
After walking for several miles, passing through rocky ground and sparse forest, he finally reached an open area. The trees thinned out, and a wide lakeside came into view.
In front of him, the lake stretched out like a calm mirror, its surface reflecting the sky and mountains. Gentle ripples moved across the water as a cool breeze blew past.
Reaching the lakeside, Ahaan didn't hesitate. He quickly began to untie his filthy clothes. One by one, he removed them, revealing his small but now refined and stronger body. The smell around him grew stronger for a moment, and he wrinkled his nose again.
Then, without the slightest hesitation or shyness, Ahaan jumped straight into the lake.
Splash!
Cold, clear water wrapped around him. His body cut through the surface and sank deeper and deeper, going down into the quiet, blue depths of the lake.Ahaan dived deeper into the lake, the cold water washing the stink from his skin.
Bubbles rose past his face as he kicked his small legs, feeling light and free.
The deeper he went, the quieter everything became.
The world turned soft and bluish.
Then he saw something.
At first it was just a blur ahead of him, like a shadow in the water.
He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and squinted.
…A person?
The shape became clearer.
It was a girl.
She was very close—her long hair floating like a dark cloud behind her. Her back was turned to him, and the water wrapped around her bare body. Ahaan didn't fully understand what he was seeing. He only knew: there's someone here.
His eyes grew round with surprise.
There's… a big sister in the lake?
Just then, the girl stiffened, as if she had suddenly sensed him.
She turned her head slightly.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, both of them just stared at each other in shock.
Ahaan froze like a little fish caught in a net. He hadn't expected anyone else to be here, much less a girl. He felt something strange in his chest—not attraction, just the nervous, guilty feeling of a child who has done something wrong and been caught.
The girl's eyes widened.
She suddenly realized:
He was a small, naked boy.
And she—she wasn't wearing anything either.
Her face flushed. Her expression twisted between shock, anger, and deep embarrassment.
"You—!?" Bubbles rushed from her mouth as she almost shouted underwater.
She spun around at once, turning her back fully toward him, arms crossing in front of her chest by instinct even though the water already hid most of her body.
Ahaan panicked.
"I–I'm sorry!" he tried to say, but water flooded into his mouth. He choked and coughed, bubbles exploding from his lips. His little hands flailed uselessly.
He didn't even know why he was apologizing. He only knew that the "big sister" looked very angry, and he must have done something bad.
Idiot kid, the girl cursed in her heart, more at herself than at him.
With a sharp wave of her hand, the water surged.
An invisible force slammed into Ahaan from below.
Before he understood what was happening, his small body shot upward like a cork, carried by the water.
He burst out of the surface with a loud gasp.
"Pwaaah—!"
He sucked in air and coughed, wiping his eyes with his fists. For a moment he just floated there, breathing hard, his heart pounding fast from fear and confusion.
Did I make her angry? Did I do something wrong?
A slight ripple spread a small distance away, and the girl's head slowly rose from the water.
She kept herself low, only her head and a tiny bit of shoulder above the surface. Wet hair clung to her face and neck, hiding part of her expression. But her eyes—those were clear and sharp, and right now, they were fixed on him.
"What," she said sharply, "are you doing here?"
Her voice carried cold anger, but also a hint of shaken embarrassment.
Ahaan flinched. His cheeks grew hot.
Only then did he suddenly remember that he was completely naked.
He hurriedly sank down until only his head stuck out of the water, like a frightened turtle hiding in its shell. He didn't dare look anywhere near her. His eyes stayed fixed on the ripples right in front of his nose.
"I… I was just washing…" he said in a very small voice. "I smelled bad…"
His words were simple and honest—exactly what a child would say.
The girl stared at him silently.
For a moment, the anger in her eyes flickered.
He really is just a kid…
She clicked her tongue softly.
"Washing," she repeated, her tone flat. "So you jumped naked into this lake. Are you brainless?"
Ahaan shrank a little, shoulders curling under the water.
"I didn't know you were here," he said, almost whispering. "I didn't know it was… wrong…"
He truly hadn't thought about it beyond: Water. Dirty. Must wash.
He felt guilty, the way a child does when scolded by an adult. His chest felt tight, and he didn't know what to do with his hands, so he just nervously wiggled his toes under the water.
The girl looked away for a brief second, as if holding back a sigh.
"It's not about me being here," she said, her voice cooling again. "This lake is dangerous. There are beasts and things in it that can kill you before you even scream."
She glanced at him again.
"A five-year-old brat jumping in here naked… Do you want to die?"
"I don't want to die…" Ahaan said at once, shaking his head quickly. "I thought I became stronger. I thought it would be okay…"
There was no pride in his voice. Only the simple, confused honesty of a child who didn't know where he went wrong.
She watched him for a few more seconds.
"Your thinking is worse than your sense of danger," she muttered. "How old are you?"
"Five," he replied.
Her brows drew together.
"Five," she repeated slowly. "And yet your body and Qi are like this."
Ahaan instinctively stiffened, remembering the talisman, the changes in his body. He lowered his gaze again, not trusting himself to speak.
She noticed the tiny change but didn't press further—for now.
"Whatever your secret is, keep it," she said coldly. "Just don't throw your life away so carelessly."
Her words were harsh, but there was a thin, hidden thread of concern in them.
"Go back to the shore," she continued. "Don't turn around. Don't look at me. Put your clothes on. After that, leave this place."
Ahaan nodded obediently.
"O-Okay," he said.
He took a breath and began to paddle toward the shore with slow, clumsy movements. Every few strokes, he couldn't help glancing back over his shoulder—but each time, he stopped himself, remembering her order.
She glared.
"Eyes forward," she snapped.
"Sorry!" he yelped, and quickly turned his head away, cheeks burning again.
He looked exactly like what he was:
Not a pervert, not a schemer—just a little boy who had stumbled into the wrong place.
The girl watched his small head moving farther and farther away. Some of the tension in her shoulders finally eased.
"What a troublesome brat…" she muttered under her breath.
But this time, her eyes were a little less cold....