Altering the plot's direction is divided into tiers: minor, moderate, major, massive, and a complete change of the world line.
However, due to differences between world lines, situations could arise where two alterations, both considered "minor," yield different amounts of Empowerment Points.
Only after Vander had completely disappeared at the end of the street did Lin Yan slowly rise from his chair.
He glanced at the two little ones in the guest room and, confirming they were still asleep, slowly walked into the study.
Because of the Sanctuary's properties, the house was fully supplied with water and electricity, and all appliances functioned normally.
Even the internet signal was at full bars.
The computer against the wall glowed faintly. On the wide gaming desk sat a figurine of Tifa performing a leaning split-kick and a kneeling Kurumi in lace lingerie.
Behind the gaming desk was a wall completely filled with figurines.
Ever since the "They Came to Life" property appeared for his Sanctuary, Lin Yan would come here to inspect it every day, checking to see if any figurines had changed.
As it turned out, his inspections were quite necessary.
In the dim light, an elderly figure covered in a golden glow was standing ramrod straight inside the figurine cabinet.
Although the figure had been scaled down to the size of a figurine, one could vaguely tell that his original form was tall and straight, with a long beard and long eyebrows. His eyes were narrow, and he wore the black robes of a Celestial Master. A divine light shone from within his eyes, his spiritual radiance contained.
['Mere Mortal' Zhang Zhiwei]
[From the world of Hitori no Shita: The Outcast, the 65th Celestial Master of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, one of the Ten Dons, with the Taoist name Tiantong. He is also known as the 'Old Celestial Master'.]
Seeing someone enter, the golden light on Zhang Zhiwei's body quickly receded inward.
He sized up the giant-like Lin Yan from top to bottom, only to find that there was no trace of cultivated Qi*** in the man's body. The innate Qi he was born with had dissipated over time just like a normal person's, showing no signs of cultivation whatsoever.
In other words, the person before him was just an ordinary man.
Although the ordinary man before him was excessively large, he was still an ordinary man.
The world of Chinese Outsiders was not lacking in strange and secret arts. While he didn't understand the Western Outsider world, he was aware of some of their methods.
As far as he knew, arts that could enlarge or shrink things were few, but they did exist.
But who could have possibly shrunk him from Dragon Tiger Mountain and brought him here?
His eyes narrowed slightly as Zhang Zhiwei fell into deep thought.
But soon, he broke away from his contemplation.
Looking up at Lin Yan, Zhang Zhiwei's originally stern face gradually became kind.
"Young man, do you know where this is?" Zhang Zhiwei beckoned to Lin Yan and asked softly, his expression incredibly amiable, looking just like an old man one might find in a park.
Lin Yan walked to the figurine cabinet, his eyes continuously sizing up Zhang Zhiwei.
He remembered that the Old Celestial Master figurine he had bought back then was not nearly this detailed.
It was common knowledge that while the details on domestic figurines were getting better and better, they often still left something to be desired.
They were nothing like the one before him... so lifelike.
Hey! It's like he's a living person!
While marveling, Lin Yan didn't forget to answer Zhang Zhiwei's question. He replied truthfully while still examining him, "Old Celestial Master, this is my home."
Zhang Zhiwei was not surprised by Lin Yan's answer.
He might be old, but he was experienced and knowledgeable. Although the decor was different from what he remembered, he was naturally aware that everything before him was likely modern furnishing.
The glowing screen in the distance should be a computer.
It's just... why does this computer look different from the ones I've seen?
Aren't computers supposed to be those bulky things, similar to the "fat-back TVs"?
Though he had doubts, that wasn't the main point.
The main point was where he was.
And why he had come here.
"Young man, you know me?" Zhang Zhiwei looked at the 'giant' who was countless times larger than himself and continued speaking.
"I do. Your name is Zhang Zhiwei. You are the 65th Celestial Master of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, one of the Ten Dons, with the Taoist name Tiantong. You are the 'pinnacle' of the 'One Pinnacle, Two Heroes'."
"You are also the senior martial brother of Zhang Huaiyi, the wielder of the Qi Body Origin from the Thirty-six Thieves, and the grandmaster of Zhang Chulan."
"You have ten disciples under you, each one an outstanding figure!"
"Especially Zhang Lingyu! At such a young age, he has brought glory to the Celestial Master's Mansion's signature skills! Of course, it would have been even better if he hadn't met Xia He..."
"Zhang Huaiyi's Qi Body Origin... Zhang Chulan? Xia He?" Hearing Lin Yan's words, Zhang Zhiwei's eyes narrowed.
How does this person know about the Qi Body Origin and my junior brother's affairs?
Also, Huaiyi actually has a grandson?
And what is this business about Lingyu and Xia He?
A multitude of doubts arose in Zhang Zhiwei's mind, and his attitude toward the person before him became increasingly cautious.
In Zhang Zhiwei's current timeline, Zhang Lingyu had not yet lost his virginity to Xia He, he didn't know that Zhang Huaiyi had a grandson named Zhang Chulan, and his junior martial brother Tian Jinzhong had not yet died.
The amount of information in Lin Yan's words was immense.
But based on his skill in reading people, the person before him was not lying...
What did this imply?
Could it be that he had traveled into the future?
Though he thought this, Zhang Zhiwei forcefully suppressed the agitation that had not surfaced in him for a long time and continued to ask, "You're saying... Huaiyi actually has a grandson?"
"...You don't know yet?"
"From the way you put it, I should know?" Zhang Zhiwei looked at Lin Yan in confusion.
"You will know in the future."
"Oh? The future?... You can perceive future events? Could it be that you are a sorcerer?" Zhang Zhiwei scanned Lin Yan with surprise.
Only the school of sorcerers would delve into the art of divination.
But as for truly calculating future events, he had never even heard of such a thing.
After all, how could something as ethereal as the future be figured out by someone? To be completely seen through in just a few moves?
"My identity is a secret for now, but I can tell you that I do indeed know what will happen in the future," Lin Yan said, feigning mystery.
"Oh? Do tell."
"I'd like to hear about this future of yours," Zhang Zhiwei guided him without showing any change in expression.
Unfortunately, Lin Yan wasn't about to fall for that trap. He immediately stated his demand.
"Old Celestial Master, that's not very fair of you... Trying to get something for nothing, how could that work!?"
"Let's do this. You can ask three questions about the future, but after you ask, you have to teach me the Golden Light Mantra."
"Of course, you can rest assured, I am not in your world, so there are no concepts like traditional master-disciple lineage to worry about."
"I just want to trade a 'thing' for a 'thing'." After speaking, Lin Yan pulled open the curtains, allowing Zhang Zhiwei to look through the glass at the architecture and scenery, which were completely different from China.
Outside the window, smoke and dust of various colors leaked from a network of crisscrossing, corroded, and aging exhaust pipes, filtering the light from above into eerie colors that reflected and refracted between the stained glass of the workshops.
The drifting alchemical smog, the somewhat steam-powered style of the buildings, and the various people on the streets who looked so different—it all seemed so unfamiliar.
Zhang Zhiwei was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
It's not an illusion... there's no flow of Qi.
The talk of another world should be true.
After all, the world I'm from doesn't have such exaggerated mechanical prosthetics, or such extreme human modification.
Since something like another world exists, then the idea of knowing the future also has some possibility.
Besides, the Golden Light Mantra is not that big of a deal. What the other party wants isn't the Thunder Method.
If what he says about the future is true, then this trade is definitely worth it.
"I agree."
"Then please, ask away."
Zhang Zhiwei didn't dally, stating the questions he had organized one by one.
[1 - Where is Zhang Huaiyi's grandson now?]
[2 - What will happen between Zhang Lingyu and 'Xia He'?]
[3 - What is the future like?]
Faced with Zhang Zhiwei's questions, Lin Yan was also very direct and answered them one by one.
However, before answering, he still needed to confirm the Old Celestial Master's current time period.
"Old Celestial Master, would you mind me asking how old Zhang Lingyu is right now?"
"Sixteen..."
"Oh~~ is that so?" Lin Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.
So the plot of the manhua hasn't even started yet. No wonder the Old Celestial Master is so concerned about these questions.
"...Based on this time period, Zhang Huaiyi's grandson should be in Z City right now and will attend Nankai University in the future."
"In the next few years, during a training excursion down the mountain, Zhang Lingyu will lose his virginity, which will prevent him from mastering the Yang Five Thunders, and this incident will become a source of deep-seated regret for him."
"As for the future, I can only tell you a part of it... That is, the Eight Miraculous Skills will reappear in the world, many people will investigate the Jiashen Upheaval, and you, because of a certain event, will be placed under house arrest on Dragon Tiger Mountain forever."
After rattling off the answers to Zhang Zhiwei's questions, Lin Yan extended his hand towards him. "That is a portion of the future to come. Now, can you teach me the Golden Light Mantra?"
T/n: The term 炁 (qì) is used here, a specific concept from "Hitori no Shita: The Outcast" referring to cultivated life-force energy, distinct from the more common term for life energy, 气 (qì). To preserve the source material's distinction, it is kept as "Qi" with a capital Q.