I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The village entrance is far from the lord's mansion; it takes three days to get there by carriage.

Ji Tian sat on the crossbar at the back of the vehicle, his buttocks were already numb from the bumpy ride, but his expression remained calm.

Over the past two days, he had observed the group: two knights, five squires, seven soldiers, an old butler, a young lady and her personal maid, and himself.

Both knights were veterans of battle.

The leader was named Red, in his early thirties, with an old scar on his left cheek from where an arrow had grazed him.

The other one was younger, named Allen. He didn't talk much, but his dismounting was even more swift than Red's—he was also someone who had tasted blood on the edge of a knife.

The soldiers were somewhat lacking; most were sons of free people from respectable families in the territory. They knew how to line up and obey orders, but if a real fight broke out, Ji Tian felt he could take down any three of them within ten breaths.

As for attendants... they were just there to serve the horses and luggage, not worth mentioning.

What he really cared about were the old butler and the young lady who never showed up.

The old steward's name was Gregor. It was said that he came from the capital with the young lady and had been the steward of the lord's manor for more than thirty years.

Such people are knowledgeable, insightful, and not easily fooled.

Ji Tian could sense that in the past two days, Gregor had observed him through the carriage curtain at least ten times.

And that young lady...

Ji Tian glanced at the tightly closed carriage curtain, lost in thought.

He hadn't heard many sounds, but the soft sound when he said "let the young lady go out" and the thud from inside the carriage didn't seem like accidental.

It was as if someone had heard something unexpected, and their body reacted before their reason.

interesting.

The next day at noon, the carriage stopped at a post station to change horses.

Ji Tian jumped off the car to stretch his muscles and took the opportunity to go to the well at the post station to fetch water to drink.

A few traveling merchants were resting in the inn, sitting together eating. Their accents were different from the villagers', with a kind of rolled "r" sound that Ji Tian couldn't quite understand.

"Have you heard? The werewolves in the north are causing trouble again."

"Werewolves are nothing. The goblin horde to the east is the real nuisance. Last month, they robbed my cousin's caravan. Three of them were dragged into the cave, and when they were found, only bones remained."

"Tsk, these monsters are getting more and more rampant. Aren't the church members doing anything about it?"

"Manage? With what? The main force of the Templar Knights has been transferred to the Western Frontier to fight against the Demon King's army, and the rest are stationed in big cities. In a remote and impoverished place like ours, we're lucky to even have a mid-level mage in charge."

Ji Tian paused for a moment while drawing water.

Werewolf?

Goblin?

Magician?

Demon King?

He slowly straightened up and turned to look at the group of merchants. Several of them were engrossed in eating, and no one noticed his gaze.

Ji Tian put down the water ladle and remained silent for a few seconds.

……oh.

So there are monsters in this world.

So there are magicians in this world.

I never knew that after fighting in the village for so many years.

No, they should know that those games about heroes fighting dragons—actually have real-life counterparts.

He was only focused on the "fun of fighting" and didn't consider these things at all.

He looked down at his hands—thin, with distinct knuckles, and faintly visible bluish veins beneath the skin.

He had been training in the village for twelve years, starting from infancy, and always thought that this world was similar to medieval Europe in his previous life—no spiritual energy, no cultivation, only pure physical strength.

The results of it?

There is magic in this world.

There are also monsters.

He, a reincarnated person, spent twelve years as a blind man in a remote, desolate rural area.

"...Zhao, you've been cultivating for so many years."

Ji Tian cursed under his breath, a rare occurrence for him. Then, he took a deep breath, steadied his Dao heart, and walked back to the carriage with a calm expression.

When we got on the bus, the old butler was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, resting.

Ji Tian sat back in his seat and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Sir, I have a question for you."

The old butler, without opening his eyes, said, "Ask."

"Is there magic here?"

The old butler opened his eyes and glanced at him.

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes, which quickly turned into acceptance.

"Your village is indeed a bit remote. There are no magic towers or monster lairs within a hundred miles. The church priests haven't been there for thirty years, and even the lord's tax collectors are too lazy to go."

He paused, then added, "No mage wants to go to a place like that. There are no magical resources, no bounties for monster hunting, and they can't even recruit magic apprentices, so you really don't know."

Ji Tian fell silent.

The old butler looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he were looking at a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city. "But you don't need to be too surprised. There are plenty of people in this world who don't know magic. Most of the knights are pure martial arts warriors. Magic is something that depends on talent."

"It depends on talent?"

"Yes, whether one is born with magical perception, attribute affinity, and the ability to condense magical essence—these are determined at birth."

After the old butler finished speaking, he closed his eyes again. "Your martial arts talent has been recognized by knights who have been on the battlefield, making you a rare knightly prospect. Don't think too much about magic."

Ji Tian didn't say anything more.

He leaned against the car floor, looking at the scenery outside, outwardly calm, but his mind was racing.

magic.

It possesses magical perception, attribute affinity, and magical essence condensation.

It sounds like some kind of...

talent?

He mentally reviewed all the online novels he had read in his previous life.

Magic, martial arts, cultivation, superpowers—no matter what they're called, the underlying logic is the same: some people have talent, some don't; some can sense it, some never know it exists.

He stayed in the village for twelve years and never sensed the existence of any extraordinary factors.

Was it because that village truly lacked any magical resources? Or was it because he simply lacked the talent?

If it's the latter, then that's troublesome.

In his previous life, he started from scratch, cultivated diligently for ten years, and withstood the heavenly tribulation. All he relied on was the daily tempering, but that was body refinement, the accumulation of muscles, tendons, bones, and blood, a path that everyone can take.

If magic is truly "predetermined at birth," then he wouldn't even have the chance to begin.

Ji Tian closed his eyes and temporarily suppressed the question in his mind.

Not urgent.

Once you arrive at the lord's manor, the first thing to do is figure out what the mechanism of magic in this world is.

If you have talent, then practice.

If not, then find a way to improve your cultivation talent.

In the online novels of my past life, there were quite a few ways to improve one's talent.

…………

The carriage arrived at the lord's manor on the afternoon of the third day.

Ji Tian looked up as he jumped off the back of the car.

Unlike the castle he had imagined, it was a manor-style building that occupied a considerable area.

The building features gray-white stone walls, a pointed tower, and a ring of neatly trimmed shrubs.

Two guards stood at the entrance of the manor, and immediately straightened their backs when they saw the carriage approaching.

The old butler got out of the car, straightened his collar, and said to Ji Tian, ​​"Come with me. First, see Miss Elena, then we'll arrange your accommodations."

"Didn't we already meet that young lady before?" Ji Tian asked, somewhat puzzled.

But then he thought that this might be a display of wealth and status that nobles pursued, so he silently followed him through the gate and into the manor.

Ji Tian followed the old butler through the gate. The stone path under his feet was so clean that it reflected his image. Flowerbeds on both sides were planted with flowers whose names he did not know, and there was a faint fragrance of grass and trees in the air.

Ji Tian took a deep breath.

Ok?

His steps paused slightly.

This herbal scent is different from the one in the village. It's not floral; it's more like... how to put it, a crisp, cool aroma.

He had read in online novels in his previous life that certain rare and precious herbs and plants could emit a "spiritual energy" scent.

Of course, it's more likely that he simply hadn't seen this kind of flower before.

But what if?

He memorized the location, intending to verify it later when the opportunity arose.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the old butler stopped in front of a carved wooden door and knocked twice gently.

"Miss, the person has been brought."

A girl's voice came from inside: "Come in."