Chen Ren stared into the eyes of the man, a cold realisation sinking in. Had his luck gone this bad this soon? He had just entered this world and was already thrown into an inferno of trouble.
Trouble in the face of a not-so-friendly man. His gaze had turned cold, the pleasant smile that adorned his face when he entered the room was no longer there.
A chill ran down his spine under the gaze.
Feng Ming's previous demeanour was probably a ruse, simply to know his condition and now, he was revealing his true motive for coming here. It was a clever ploy and one that he hadn't expected.
His mind had been too preoccupied with things to prepare for debtors.
He sifted through some of the memories related to this man, Feng Ming. In those, he witnessed how they would often go drinking together and it was also Feng Ming who had told him to take a debt from him when Chen Ren's money had run out. Originally, the debt was small, just for drinks and food but over time, it has accumulated to a good amount.
It was almost as if he was trying to get Chen Ren in debt. A little more probing in his mind and he realised why it was so.
Feng Ming’s eyes narrowed. "You're not going to back out of this, are you?" The menacing undertone brought him back to reality.
Chen Ren met his gaze, his expression unchanged. In his mind, he was still calculating how to act with him with all the memories he had. He didn’t want to act out of character or make himself sound more suspicious than he already had.
He cleared his throat after a while.
"Of course not, Brother Ming," he replied, his tone laced with feigned nonchalance. "I wouldn't dream of it. I was never going to hold back the money from you"
The man's eyes flickered with doubt. "And how exactly do you plan to repay me? You have no job, no prospects, and you've failed the sect entrance exams. Don’t you think you’re just fooling me… Or yourself, at this point?"
"I would never dream of breaking my promise," Chen Ren said, his voice firm. "Even if I'm down on my luck, my honour is intact." He paused, his eyes glinting with defiance as he thought on the right words to say. "Besides, I still have my connections. I'm a member of the Chen Clan of Red Peak City. I've already sent a message requesting financial assistance to repay my debt."
The man’s expression shifted. His eyebrows raised in disbelief.
Although Chen Ren had been exiled, most people in Cloud Mist City had no idea about it. Even the merchant family he was staying in was tight lipped on this matter and others only knew that he had a great background. They had no idea about the specifics.
The original Chen Ren hardly spoke about his family, so this was probably something unexpected for Feng Ming.
"You haven't asked them for money in months," he said, his voice laced with doubt. "Why now?"
Chen Ren shrugged, affecting a nonchalant air. "I've been trying to make it on my own," he explained. “As you know, a cultivator needs to be brave enough to explore and challenge the world without the help of his family. But circumstances have forced my hand. The Chen Clan is an ancient and powerful family. I'm sure they will come through for me."
As soon as the words left his lips, a new fear crawled through his skin. Will his bluff even work? From how the black eyes bore into him, and how the man’s lips had formed to a tight, thin line… he couldn’t say what was going through Feng Ming's mind.
He was fully prepared for a punch to fly and could only rely on his ability to shout to call for help from Tang Xiulan. Hopefully, she would be able to come to his aid with guards.
At the same time, he faked a confident smile to Feng Ming who still looked at him with scepticism. Finally, the man spoke. "Even if you get the money, when will it arrive? I can't wait indefinitely."
“It won't take long.”
“I don't know how long it might take. I don't even know where Red Peak City is. Just tell me how much I would have to wait.”
The question worsened his worries. Chen Ren knew he had to come up with a solution quickly. He couldn't afford a physical confrontation as cultivators loved to talk with their fist, especially young ones like Feng Ming.
The debt was around five hundred silver wen, and even if it was a fraction of the total debt he owed to various people, he knew it wasn't a small amount.
It was safe to say, Chen Ren's body wouldn’t handle another bloody punch. But he wasn't going to just die after finding himself in this world.
That would be too short of a life.
As he looked around for a solution, an idea formed in his mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the medallion that he had been looking at before Feng Ming had arrived.
If this works, it’ll buy me time. I don't even know what use it is for.
"If you're so worried about your money," he said, his voice steady. "You can keep this as collateral until I repay you. But I want a promise from you that you won't sell it. It's an heirloom, and it holds significant sentimental value… It’s also ancient, so I don’t want to lose it."
The medallion had been a gift to Chen Ren from his late father who had gotten it from his own father, meaning it was fairly old.
The former body owner obviously didn’t care for it— no emotions were attached to it and it was nothing that would keep him awake at night even if it went missing. However, he didn’t want it to be sold, especially to this man. For all he knew, it was ancient enough to go for a few thousand silver wen, but it could also be worthless.
Ordinary looking ancient treasures were one of the staples of Xianxia after all. Chen Ren didn't even have the idea of the metal the medallion was made up of.
Feng Ming’s eyes lit up with greed as he took the medallion, examining it with a keen eye. "Very well. I’ll come for the money in a month," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Two months," Chen Ren quickly retorted. "The city my clan lives in is far away."
The man paused, then nodded. "Fine. Two months. Don't disappoint me."
With that, he gave a final, menacing glance, turned and left, leaving Chen Ren to ponder his next move.
Chen Ren slumped onto the bed, his body aching with exhaustion. Everything that happened since morning came to him in waves. The transmigration, his current identity and most importantly, the big, bad news— the debt. The ordeal had drained him physically and mentally.
Although he wanted to think of an immediate solution, he knew he couldn’t. Not at this state. Therefore he did something he should’ve done right when he woke up in this body, and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.
There was a lot to do and a part of him wondered if this was all a dream and he would wake up in his original body on Earth, going back to sending resumes to every company on LinkedIn, but for now, he just wanted to rest.
***
It wasn't a dream.
It had been two days since he woke up in this world, and no one else came to see him, partly because he instructed Tang Xiulan to spread the rumours that he had gone back to being unconscious after waking up once.
His memories had assimilated by now and even his injuries seemed to have been healing at a considerable pace. He had no idea if it was because of his cultivation, the transmigration or because of the potency of the medicines of this world.
Still, the speed of healing was miraculous and it wouldn't be possible on earth. Even Tang Xiulan was shocked when she came to check on him.
It made him more curious to learn about this world and the secrets it held. At the same time, he realised that he was highly inadequate to do so.
Chen Ren hadn't been much of a cultivating genius nor was he hard working enough to fill the gaps between him and others.
The way to identify a cultivator's talent was by the number of spirit roots their dantian held and he had merely 21 of them, meaning his talent was on the far lower end of the spectrum. He did have lightning aspected roots which was considered rare, but with his abysmal number of spirit roots, it was of no use.
If he had even a semblance of talent or hard working nature, his clan wouldn't have kicked him out.
But maybe, he might be able to do something about it.
On his third day in this world, Chen Ren was finally trying out something that he should have done on the first day itself.
He was going to see if he had a system inside of him.
It felt a little silly, but transmigration itself was the strangest thing that could happen to someone.
If two days ago someone had poked him and said he would transmigrate to a world where his body wouldn't be his own and his memory would be of learning magical kung fu in a land full of magical beasts, he’d slap that man and walk away without looking back.
But now transmigration had happened, there was a chance that he’d get a system to guide him through the ups and downs of this world.
He had to try.
Similar to the countless books he’d read, he focused on his mind— on the memories of Chen Ren. The solution he had in mind was simple; if he could control the memories, he should be able to control the status screen.
“Open status screen!” Chen’s voice came loud enough in the empty room and he hoped that the maid wasn't standing outside.
He opened his eyes, expecting a see-through screen with information.
Huh? Nothing… Maybe if I use different words.
“System start!” Chen Ren commanded again.
He squinted his eyes in focus and tried once more.
Essence Display. Ascendant Tracker. Chi Monitor. Celestial Dashboard. Divine Panel. Mystical Overview. Harem Giver. Milf monitor. Young master system. Pathway Gauge. Enlightenment Screen. Aura Interface. Qi Status. Destiny Grid. Heaven's Ledger. Immortal Ledger. Soul Metrics. Fate Indicator. Dao Interface. Sage Summary. Warrior's Console. Sect System.
… And nothing.
No holographic menus, no character stats, and no inventory. Just the cold, hard reality of his new world. He couldn’t count the amount of alternative words he used, but in the end, he gave up on that.
If there was any status prompt to pop up — it would have already.
He didn’t necessarily expect a system, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that it would help him find his lefts-and-rights in this world.
Without it, he needed to find new ways to gain strength, but before that, he needed money. Over five thousand silver wen of debt loomed over him and one look at his memories was enough for him to realise that most people he had taken money from weren't simple folks.
They would surely come for him and he wasn't strong enough to deal with them. Running away wasn't an option either and he didn't want to contend with the wild lands until he had a semblance of ability and money to hire guards.
Chen Ren preferred plans that left room for adaptation and there were only so many things that could make money in this world. It was fairly easy for a cultivator to make money, but most of that required him to move to dangerous places and fight monstrous beasts.
So, he decided on a different way. One which employed his memories from Earth, the knowledge he had gained. He didn't remember everything, but he had a good memory and it would come in handy here.
He decided to use his experience of working odd part time jobs, learning things in his university and online knowledge to start a business. He didn't have the required capital to do much and he didn't want to borrow more, but he had connections and a bundle of knowledge.
As he recovered, he saw enough differences between the technological level of the world and the one he had come from. His memories revealed a lot and even if he had no knowledge of qi and cultivation, there were a lot of ideas in his mind.
He could employ those to draft up a business plan. So for the next two days, he scribbled away plans of ventures he could dabble in and also wrote down things that could potentially harm him. From debtors to rogue cultivators, Chen Ren wanted to take no risk as he went on with his ideas.
I might be in a rotten situation. Practically, an orphan and exiled. Failed to get in a sect and heavy on debts. But I'm not one to give in to circumstances. If this was a sinking boat with holes, I had no option but to learn how to swim.
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***
It had been a week since he had woken up in this unfamiliar body and finally, the day to venture outside had arrived.
Thanks to Tang Xiulan, and the kindness of the merchant family, he was able to recover in peace. She had been his only visitor as per his request to not allow anyone inside the room and even if someone came, she would turn them down by saying he hadn't woken up.
Unsurprisingly, it worked. No one wanted to visit an unconscious Chen Ren and it seemed like most of his debtors had decided to leave him be.
He could feel that Tang Xiulan didn't like him, but she had worked with a quiet efficiency when she brought him medicines to recover and cleaned his room. He was thankful and tried to be polite with her, but her wariness hadn't dropped. The previous occupant of this body hadn't been a pleasant person and it took time to change perception.
Still, he was thankful for her and planned to return the favour once he had some money to spare.
First step would be to check out my surroundings and see if my plan is going to work, he thought as he got up, feeling a surge of energy and excitement on finally being able to venture outside.
He slipped on a loose-fitting robe, making sure to cover most of his face. He wasn't sure if his creditors had taken any drastic measures; for instance, planting people outside to wait for him and he wasn't eager to find out.
It was best to keep a low profile for now. He closed the door of the room and walked outside.
He took a look around and saw that he was in a wide hallway and his memories helped him navigate through it, but as he turned around a corner, he was met with a watchful pair of eyes.
"Where are you going, young master?" Tang Xiulan asked, her voice laced with curiosity. She was holding a tray of food and seemed to be heading towards his room.
Chen Ren offered a reassuring smile. "I'm going to the market. I need to check out a few things."
She hesitated, her eyes scanning his face. “I know you have healed, young master, but the master wanted to see you after lunch," she said, her voice low.
He paused in his steps. The merchant family he had been living with was called Tang Clan and its head's name was Tang Jihao— a man who had started from nowhere and now dabbled in quite a few businesses around the city.
They hadn’t met for more than twice since coming to this city as Tang Jihao was always busy and now that he had healed, Chen Ren could guess what he would have wanted to talk about.
"I'll visit him later,” he said, delaying the inevitable for the moment. “Right now, I have some errands to run."
“May I know what errands?” she asked, her eyes not leaving him.
“Just want to check a few things in the market,” he replied, then realised that didn't know the way to it. Chen Ren hadn't bothered to explore the city and he only knew the location of the bars and the brothels. “Do you want to come with me if you are free?”
“Me?” Tang Xiulan looked surprised.
“Yes, I don't know the way to the market. I want to go to the one in the commoner’s district.”
For a few seconds, she seemed to be contemplating, but soon nodded her head.
She still looked a bit wary of him and told him to wait as she moved back to one of the rooms which he recognised as the kitchen. When she returned, he saw that her hair was down and her clothes were smoothened.
“Let's go,” he said, leading the way outside and Tang Xiulan walked next to him. He noticed that she was putting a fair bit of distance between them and even if her face was blank, her eyes kept glancing at him.
I wonder if she's going to ever warm up to me.
He shook his head of the thought and ignoring her eyes, he looked around him.
Cloud Mist City was one of the biggest cities in the region and as he moved through the crowd, he could see why. The streets were wide and carriages rolled past easily with enough space for the pedestrians. Every street was occupied by a good number of houses and it was planned well.
As he raised his head, he could even see mountains and at their peaks, he knew the Soaring Sword Sect was located. A tang of unease and guilt flowed through him as he thought of the sect.
Chen Ren's feelings hadn't completely gone away from his body, so even if he was in control, the memories brought forth more than a few displeasing things. From his guilt to his aspirations.
“Young master, can I ask you something?” Tang Xiulan's words took his attention as he turned to look at her and nodded. “Why are we going to the market?”
“I want to check out the market and see everything that's being sold there,” he replied as they rounded a corner.
“There's mostly street stalls and small shops there. They won't satisfy you. If you want to buy something, you need to walk a bit more to reach the upper district.”
He stopped and looked at her. She stiffened. “I'm not going there to buy something. I plan to start up a business and for any business, one needs to scout out the market. You can't enter a lake without knowing what type of fish swims inside of it.”
“A business?!” Tang Xiulan looked at him aghast, but he started moving again.
She followed after him, taking the lead to take him to the market, but she kept tilting her head and looked confused.
Chen Ren knew she wasn't going to believe him. His predecessor wasn't the type to like merchants and businesses, and even looked down upon them. He was using Tang Clan as a residency, but he always had an air of superiority about him.
He was an idiot and now, it was his job to change that. Soon, they reached the market and found it bustling with activity.
The air was thick with the scents of exotic spices and the clamour of merchants hawking their wares. He looked around slowly, taking in the details in broad daylight.
Silken fabrics in every imaginable hue fluttered in the breeze, their rich textures on display. On one side, artisans displayed intricate jewellery, each piece shining, catching the attention of multiple women who stood by the stall.
He guessed that most of them were fake, if not all, but they were good enough to use in daily lives.
They rounded another corner. The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the aroma of sizzling meats from food stalls made his mouth water and stomach grumble.
They didn't linger, but he took in all the items that were selling here. Most of them were meat dishes, especially pork, and he also saw a lot of fish getting grilled. There were also steamed buns getting sold and quite a few people clamoured for them.
“There seems to be good demand for the food stalls. I wonder where they get the ingredients from,” he muttered, moving to stand across a crowd that was gathered around a steam bun stall.
His words were directed at Tang Xiulan and she immediately picked up on it. “They have dealings with farmers, fishermen and the pigsty. From what I know, a lot of stall owners directly buy from them in bulk and they also give money to hunters to get specific meat.”
“What about beast meat?” Chen Ren asked, squinting to check out the different types of meat dishes on display. “Do any of them sell that?”
Tang Xiulan shook her head. “No, even a Tier 1 beast is hard to deal with and even if a group of hunters sometimes manage to hunt one, it's rare. Only a cultivator could procure beast meat easily and no sane cultivator would start a food stall or have dealings with one.” He felt like that part was aimed at him, but she continued without skipping a beat. “As you know, there are restaurants in Cloud Mist City that serve beast meat, but they have direct dealings with Soaring Sword Sect for the meat.”
Chen Ren recalled that his predecessor dined in one of them and didn't have money to pay, so he had borrowed money from Feng Ming. The majority of debt he owed to him was due to that.
He nodded at Tang Xiulan as his mind raced with the information. A part of him felt like a beast meat stall would work wonders, but if he actually started selling it, most of the commoners wouldn't be able to afford it. Beast meat was expensive and he had no plans of taking a loss.
Moreover, selling it directly to commoners might be going against the sect who probably sold it as an additional source of income.
“Let’s keep moving,” he said. “Do you know any shops that sell cultivation supplies here?”
“There will be some ahead. We are almost at the boundary of the upper district.”
They walked with the wave of the crowd. His eyes planted on the bunch of children who darted between adults, a carefree expression on their faces. For a moment, he felt like it would have been better if he had transmigrated as a child. At least, he would have more time to find his way around this world then.
As he moved further away, he suddenly felt a gaze on his back and his heart fell. A prickling sensation crawled up his skin and he wondered if he had been identified by the debtors, but he kept walking for a while before stopping around in front of a stall and sneakily looking around. But he found nothing.
Was it just my mind playing tricks on me?
“What happened, young master?” Tang Xiulan asked, following his gaze.
“Nothing. Just stay still for a while.”
She kept quiet and he pretended to check the trinkets that the stall was selling. Ten minutes passed like that before he finally gestured for her to move.
“What was that?” Tang Xiulan finally asked. “Is there someone following us?”
“I just felt like someone is. It's nothing now. Sorry for scaring you.”
She stiffened at that and he wondered if she had noticed someone, but her gaze was locked onto him. “Young master, have I offended you?”
He shook his head, wondering what it was about. “No, you haven't.”
“Then, why are you so polite to me? I have never heard you say sorry to anyone before.”
Chen Ren didn't reply for a few seconds. He had given up on acting more like his predecessor, mainly because it was too much to act as such and if he wanted to change his image, he needed to change the way he addressed people. “I'm just trying to change. My defeat at the hands of Li Xuan gave me a new perspective.”
He had no idea if she was going to believe him, but if he kept up with his current personality, Tang Xiulan had to accept it sooner or later.
They eventually reached a corner where an herbalist’s stall was booming with activity. Next to it, there was a blacksmith, creating different items. A few city guards seemed to be talking to him and even if Chen Ren was interested in eavesdropping to find out their relationship with the business owners, he didn't want to attract their attention.
There would be ample time to look into the internal structure of the city later.
Finally, they found their destination which was a small shop located in an area beyond the market space. It was called the upper district, an affluent area in the centre of the city, and he had been here before more than once.
Still, Chen Ren had no idea the market was right next to it and had never entered this shop before.
Its shelves were lined with an assortment of herbs, pills, and talismans, each item bearing a price tag that made Chen Ren's eyes widen. A low-grade healing pill, for instance, costs nearly two month's worth of a common labourer's wages in this world, which was around seventy silver wen.
The more he moved through the shelves, the higher the prices rose.
“Young master, you lookin’ for something?” The shop clerk walked from behind one of the shelves.
He was a tall, lean man with baggy eyes. He seemed to be overworked from one glance and Chen Ren had no idea why since the shop didn't seem to have a lot of customers at the moment. Maybe, he had simply come at a dull phase.
“Ah, not really, no. Was just wondering about the prices, that’s all,” Chen replied faint-heartedly.
The clerk smiled at that. “They’re expensive, I know. The path of cultivation is not for the faint of heart or the empty pocket. These herbs, pills, and talismans you see are not mere commodities. They are the essence of years of research, rare ingredients, and countless hours of refining and I'm pretty sure they would help you out on your journey. Our items are much better than anyone else in the city, directly procured from Soaring Sword Sect and if you wish, I would like to show you one of our special pills that would help out anyone in the body forging realm to make a breakthrough.”
Chen Ren smiled at the clerk's words. He had clearly identified him as a first realm cultivator due to his age and tried to use it to sell him pills.
“How much will it cost?”
“Just a hundred silver wen. If you want a few of better qualities, it will be three hundred silver wen. Do you want to take a look at it?”
His face fell hearing the prices.
“I would refrain from doing so,” he said as a matter of fact. “Like I said, I simply want to take a look around the shop for now. Thank you.”
The clerk nodded and moved out of his way to talk to someone else who walked through the entrance.
Chen Ren took that time to wander farther inside the shop with Tang Xiulan following behind him.
His mind calculated prices and noted the names of the items in his mind— just in case, for the future. As he had expected, he could buy none of the items right now.
Even the lowest grade pills would cost him a lot and he could simply not afford it right now. If he actually planned to cultivate, his talent was going to be a big obstacle for him and for him to go past realms even with his below average talent, he would need a lot of resources.
After more than fifteen minutes of staring at them, he decided to take his leave. On his way out, he looked at the clerk and gave a small nod.
“May fortune favour you on your journey, young master,” the clerk’s optimistic voice rang after him.
May fortune favour me… I hope so too.
He had no idea if the clerk was being nice to him because of his robes or if he was just like this to all potential customers. Either way, he decided to remember his face and made his way back towards the streets that housed food stalls.
The smell of fresh bread hit his nostrils once again, but this time, his mind reeled. He kept thinking over the prices of cultivation resources and his debt.
The world of cultivation was a realm of opulence and exclusivity. He knew that well, but seeing it was different. It was a cold slap of reality that sobered him up.
What kind of a mess have I gotten into?
Chen Ren winced at that thought. That was followed by another thought… And another. Until a train moved in circles inside his mind and he found himself in front of a vendor selling skewers of grilled pork, the savoury scent proving too tempting to resist.
“How much for a skewer?” Chen Ren asked, looking at the juicy meat sizzling.
“Five copper wen,” the man behind the stall replied with urgency, tending to the other customers who had already taken space.
“Give me three.”
Chen reached into his pocket inside his robe, pulling out two copper coins of five and ten denominations respectively. He passed one of them to Tang Xiulan who bowed her head in gratitude before giving the rest to the man
Soon, his taste buds were filled with the enriching proteins. After a few bites, he felt possibilities rising in his mind.
In this world, mortal currency was in wen and it mostly had copper and silver coins with a hundred copper making up one silver wen. It was an easy enough system for him to learn and his goal for today was simply to find out how the economy worked around here, for both cultivators and mortals.
His trip had told him that even if he wanted, he couldn't look at the cultivation resources until he got through his debt.
Money was the key. With enough of it, he could purchase the resources he needed to cultivate, he could repay his debts, and he could even carve out a comfortable life for himself.
As he finished his first skewer, he looked up at the stall owner and the people around him. He slowed down his chewing and simply observed him, noticing that he was selling at least ten skewers every half an hour.
His mind calculated the cost of the supplies, the time and the price of the licence to start up a stall. The more he thought, the more it seemed like a stall was the perfect beginning business for him.
“Young master, are you okay?” Tang Xiulan brought him out of his thoughts and he looked down at her.
“Yes. I'm just thinking about something.”
“Can I ask what?” she asked, her face curious.
“You can,” he replied. “I’m simply thinking that I should start up a stall. Not for selling beast meat. That would be too luxurious, but to sell food items. I believe I could start one that would sweep through the city and would be very popular.”
Tang Xiulan blinked, her face a shade of disbelief. “Young master Chen, I'm sorry, but most of the stalls around here are old and have a steady set of customers. New stall owners already have a hard time and this work is far beneath your stature as a cultivator.”
“No work is beneath anyone, Xiulan. In the grand sects, cultivators act as maids to other powerful cultivators. Is that work beneath them?”
“But they are still under cultivators, not mortals.”
“It doesn't matter. Either way, I'm starting my own thing and not working under someone else.” Chen Ren shook his head. “As for how I would make a difference in the market, it's pretty simple. I'm just going to create a product that's unique to me and make it popular.”
“An unique product?” Tang Xiulan tilted her head. “What type of dish would that be?”
Chen Ren smiled. “You will see. It will surely be one that you would enjoy.”
The more he talked, the more excited he got about what he had in mind. A dish that he had eaten a lot on Earth and even if he wasn't able to make it exactly the same, he knew a recipe that would work here.
A recipe that would take over the city.