Chapter 24:

“Good afternoon,” Sun Xia said as I sat down across from her. Between us was a wooden dining table with only two places set. It wasn’t so large as to make a conversation awkward, but not nearly small enough to be for a more intimate meal. “I hope the guest house has been to your liking. If you require anything, just ask any of the servants around the compound for help.”

We were in some kind of private dining room not unlike the one I’d had breakfast in. But this one was in the largest building I’d seen in the compound, and the walls and ceiling were decorated in Asian-style carvings and murals. The plates and chopsticks in front of us also seemed extra fancy, with a lot of decorative flourishes.

It all left me feeling quite a bit nervous. My family was strictly middle-class, so I wasn’t used to stuff like this. And I couldn’t help but be very conscious of the fact that the woman in front of me was likely very rich and influential. It did not help that Sun Xia was also gorgeous.

I knew I had no chance with a girl like her, but I was still very aware of that fact. Which made me glad Shui Jianfeng—Or I suppose just Jianfeng now, as he’d insisted we were on a first-name basis after everything we’d been through—took the time to help me fix my clothes. It wouldn’t have helped my nerves for Sun Xia to see how awkwardly I’d been dressed before.

“The house is great,” I said, fidgeting with my hands a bit as I tried to calm my nerves. “More than I need to be honest. Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Sun Xia said, shaking her head. “It is the least I can do when you were so instrumental in helping save my little sister as well as two of my retainers.”

I nodded at that, not sure what to say.

Thankfully, at that moment, Zhao Wei returned to the room. She came in pushing a cart full of food. And despite my initial impressions of her as a bodyguard, no servant came in to help her. Instead, she moved to place the food on the table herself.

My mouth started salivating just a bit as I got a whiff of all the various dishes. I didn’t recognize all of them, but regardless they smelt delicious. When Zhao Wei finished and left the room again, I was ready to dig in. But, not wanting to look like a pig or ill-mannered, I held myself back, looking at Sun Xia to wait for her to start eating first.

She caught me looking and smiled. I’d be lying if I said that smile didn’t take my breath away just a bit. “Help yourself. We can talk after we’ve eaten.”

“Okay, thank you for the meal,” I said, doing my best to sound polite. Then I couldn’t help myself anymore, and I dug in.

Suffice it to say, it was all delicious. Many of the dishes were familiar but were just way better than what I’d eaten before on Earth. Everything seemed perfectly cooked, from roast duck, to braised chicken, to crispy pork, to a bunch of other stuff I wasn’t quite sure what they were. It was even better than the breakfast I’d had earlier in the day, which had already been great.

I only just managed to keep myself from pigging out, remembering the manners drilled into me by my mom. If only to not look like an idiot in front of such a beautiful woman. Hopefully, the etiquette here wasn’t so different that I was still failing. There were so many similarities to some cultures back on Earth here that it would be rather annoying if that was the case.

“I suppose I don’t need to ask if you enjoyed the food,” Sun Xia said when I was wondering if it would be impolite to ask for a fifth bowl of rice.

I felt myself flushing a bit at that, but did my best not to let my embarrassment out in my voice. “Um… Yeah. It was very delicious. Thank you. Your chefs are really talented.”

“That they are,” Sun Xia said, patting her scarlet lips with a napkin. She’d eaten much less than me, which made me rather self-conscious. Then again, they did serve a lot of food, so wouldn’t it have been a waste not to eat it? “And you have a very healthy appetite, it seems.”

I cringed just a bit at that and rubbed at the back of my head nervously. “Yeah… That’s kind of new, and I’m still getting used to it.”

“Oh?” Sun Xia asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Yeah… A side effect of my cultivation, I guess.”

Sun Xia shook her head as she placed down her napkin. “No need to explain then. Now, shall we speak of the reward I promised you.”

“Um, okay,” I said, putting down my empty rice bowl. Then I rubbed my hands nervously. Part of me felt just a bit uncomfortable at asking to be re-paid for doing the right thing. Like asking someone to pay me after finding their lost dog or something.

But I did my best to fight off my instinctive urge to reject such rewards. Because what I did was hardly so mundane and safe. And in this world, I really could use all the advantages I could get.

“So, as I said yesterday,” Sun Xia began, “for helping save my sister and two of my retainers, you are free to stay at this compound for as long as you need. That should be quite helpful, as I believe you said you come from quite far away. It is expensive to stay in the city, or so I’m told, and you will find the accommodations here much more comfortable than most places in Everlake. However, it costs me little to allow this. So tell me, what else would you wish for as repayment for your help?”

“Well…” I said, trailing off as I thought back over everything I’d considered since the talk with Jianfeng and Lin at breakfast. Just to make sure I had my request straight, and I focused on the important things. “There’s a couple of things I’d like help with. But I’m not sure how difficult they might be so…”

“That’s fine,” Sun Xia said, waving her hand dismissively. “Speak your mind, and I will tell you if it's possible.”

“Well, I think the thing I might need the most is help with… well, this,” I said, pointing at my chest. “Jianfeng and Lin pointed out to me that my cultivation might… Attract unwanted attention given its nature. Um, I kinda cultivate a bit differently from most cultivators around here and have… Well, a core like that of a spirit beast.“

“Truly?” Sun Xia asked curiously.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Can you sense it? You have a spirit sense, right? They thought if people looked closely using a spirit sense they’d notice and might think I’m a spirit beast or something.”

“I could see that happening,” Sun Xia said as her lips turned into a small focused frown.

At the same time, I felt the now familiar sensation of a spirit sense focusing on me. Unlike before, though, it didn’t just pass me by and seemed to be peering into me. It was a bit of an unnerving feeling but not terrible. Also, it was good to know that I should be able to tell if someone is examining me this closely. Though I suppose a sufficiently powerful or skilled cultivator might be able to do it without me noticing.

“I see,” Sun Xia said, nodding. “And to be clear, you are not a spirit beast? It is alright if you are, as despite even what most cultivators believe, there are many instances of spirit beasts and humans working alongside each other. Not just as servants or pets, but actual partnerships. Although most of those are with Rank 3 spirit beast at least, mainly because that is when most spirit beast develop a greater ability to reason.”

“Nope,” I said, shaking my head. “I just practice an odd cultivation method, I guess.”

“I see,” Sun Xia said, nodding. “So you wish for something that can hide this core of yours from detection. A prudent choice, given the attention it could attract. Especially from some of the older Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“Wait, what?” I asked, suddenly feeling a lot more worried. “Why specifically Foundation Establishment cultivators?”

“It’s simple,” Sun Xia said. “The next stage after Foundation Establishment is Core Formation. From what I understand, the Golden Core is very different from a normal spirit beast core. But there are still those who believe studying spirit beast cores could help them with their own ascension. For such a person, a human with such a core would be even more useful.”

I grimaced at the thought of that. The last thing I needed was attention from cultivators that strong.

“Have no fear,” Sun Xia said, noticing the look on my face. “This is not true of all Foundation Establishment cultivators. Nor would most bother looking so deeply at a random lesser cultivator. I should also be able to procure you something that will make it even harder to notice such a thing. However, to ensure it works even against Foundation Establishment cultivators means it will be quite costly.”

“So I guess that will be my reward then,” I said, trying to wince. “Unless it's too much?”

“It is an adequate reward for what you risked and what you managed to help with,” Sun Xia said, nodding. “However, you seem like you had other things you wished to ask of me?”

“Yeah, but I guess that was just me being greedy. Or not understanding what I was asking with help for my core. It's fine.”

“You can still ask. While I can’t promise you another reward of great monetary value, if it is something simple I can do, I would not mind.”

“Well…” I said, still hesitating. On one hand, it seemed like she was already giving me a lot. On the other, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it? The other things I wanted to ask shouldn’t cost her anything as far as I could tell.

“There’s just two more things I’d like help with. One has to do with cultivation. Lin mentioned once that he thought my cultivation was perhaps closer to body cultivation than spirit cultivation. Because of that, and some other reasons, I think I might still be able to do normal spirit cultivation alongside what I do now. Would you or someone you trust be able to watch over me when I make my first attempt to cultivate like that and interfere if there is any Qi deviation?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

This was something I’d brought up with Lin between the sparring. We’d been bouncing around ideas of what I could ask from Sun Xia, and I remembered a comment Lin had made back in the mines. She wasn’t so sure about my assumption. But given my status screen still had a spot for cultivation and spirit beast cultivation, and my Minor Cultivation Talent Skill, I thought it was still possible. Enough to try, anyway, if I could do so safely.

“I should be able to help with that,” Sun Xia said after staring at me for a long moment. I didn’t feel her spirit sense, so I thought she was just giving it some thought. “From what little I’ve gleaned of your cultivation, I’m not sure if your assumption is correct. But I am quite adept at using my spirit sense and controlling Qi. Should something go wrong with your attempt, I am confident I could prevent any disasters. However, this would require setting aside quite a bit of time. You’ll have to wait for me to find an opportunity to help when I do not have other more pressing concerns.”

“I can wait,” I said, nodding. Her opinion on my chances made me a little less confident about my assumption, but since she thought she could prevent any issues that might appear, I still thought it was worth the try. The extra boost in strength from two different cultivation paths like this was too potentially powerful to just ignore. “Thank you.”

“It is no problem. Now, what was the other thing you’d like to ask of me?”

“Would it be possible for you, or perhaps Zhao Wei to help me hunt as strong of a spirit beast as you can?” I asked hesitantly. “One where you can safely allow me to make the finishing blow? Or two if that wouldn’t be too much of an issue?”

Sun Xia raised an eyebrow at that, and I winced at how odd that might have sounded. But, when I didn’t expand further, she nodded and didn’t ask. “Once again, not something of great difficulty. Zhao Wei would be better for such a thing. I will speak with her about it, though it might take some time until she has an opportunity to help with this. She does not like leaving my side, so it will have to be when I do not need to leave the compound, and I am at my safest. Was there anything else? “

“No, that’s it,” I said hurriedly. I was more than happy with just the help with my core, especially since high-level cultivators might be interested in it. So everything else was just extra, and I didn’t want to look like I was taking advantage of her kindness. “That’s already more than I could have hoped. Thank you again.”

“You are most welcome,” Sun Xia said, smiling softly. “And once again, thank you for your help. Looking back on it now, it's clear just how close things came, and your help with the ambush was very much required.”

“You’re welcome as well,” I said, feeling a bit odd at her thanks. Especially since I was getting quite a bit in return. Free housing for the indefinite future, along with what was probably an expensive solution to my problem, and help with two more issues felt like a lot.

“Now that that’s decided,” Sun Xia said, bringing my attention back toward her. “There is one more thing I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Oh, uh, okay. What is it?” I asked, feeling curious. What else would she need to speak to me about?

“If I remember correctly, you said that you are from a distant land,” Sun Xia said. “Would you indulge me and tell me the name of your homeland?”

I froze for a second at the question. Then I force myself to relax. There was no need to be too anxious about this. In stories where people get sent to other worlds, there’s always this weird idea that you have to hide it. But honestly, unless there was a taboo about traveling to other worlds, it really shouldn’t matter. The biggest issue would be people thinking I was crazy or a liar.

Then again… this was a cultivation world. And while world traveling might be more believable here, it could also actually be taboo. So maybe there was a small need to be anxious. At the very least, I should tread lightly unless pressed directly.

“I could,” I said slowly. “But I doubt you would have heard about it. It’s very clear to me that I am very far from home. I also have no idea how I got here, and I’m honestly not even sure just how I might go about getting home.“

“You don’t know how you got here?” Sun Xia asked a small look of amusement on her face. Then, for a moment, it looked like she thought of something. It made me a bit nervous. Had she figured it out? And if so, was that a good or bad thing? On one hand, it might mean that someone in this world might be able to take me home. On the other, it could mean that a taboo against such things might actually exist.

“No,” I said, trying to be as honest as I could. And also trying not to think about my time in that place that wasn’t a place. “One moment I was on the way home. The next… something happened. Then I found myself in the Amberwood.”

“I see,” Sun Xia said, nodding as she stared at me for a long moment. It made me nervous, but I kept quiet. Eventually, she spoke again. “If that’s the case, then I won’t pry any further. However, the reason I asked this was because I wanted to know just how long you intended to stay here in the city. And if you planned to leave for your home any time soon.”

I frowned at that. If I thought it was a likely option, I would definitely be trying to head home. But from everything that I knew, I doubted I would be able to make much progress towards that any time soon. Not before I got a whole lot stronger, I suspected. Something that both horrified me and excited me.

Because as terrible as this place can be at times, I would be lying if I said I didn’t like the idea of cultivating and getting stronger. Or even the chance to reach immortality and live forever. I just wished I could at least tell my family and friends I was okay.

I grimaced at that last thought, doing my best to not think about just what they must have thought happened to me. Was it better if they thought I ran away or that I disappeared? Both sounded horrible.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go home any time soon,” I said slowly, trying to push away those depressing thoughts. “Though I don’t have to stay here the whole time I’m in the city if it’s too much of an imposition.”

I added that last part quickly as I realized why she might be asking me this.

Sun Xia shook her head at that. “Do not misunderstand. I only ask because I want to know if you will be staying around long enough for me to want to invest in.”

“Invest?” I asked, taken aback. That wasn’t where I thought this conversation was going at all.

“Yes, like I’ve done for Shui Jianfeng and Ming Lin,” Sun Xia said. ”Someone in my position is always on the lookout for those with potential that we might bring into our spheres of influence. And I believe you might be such a person.”

“Me?” I asked. Had I really demonstrated anything worth noticing already? It wasn’t like she knew about the System or anything.

“Yes. At your age and level of cultivation, there is already potential. But your willingness to help during an incredibly dangerous situation also does you credit.”

“Uh, well—” I started to say, not sure what I wanted. But she cut me off by raising a hand.

“You do not have to decide now,” Sun Xia said. “Since you are from so far away, I doubt you know much about this land. Let alone the politics and problems of the city. Being a retainer of mine is both beneficial but also dangerous. I have enemies, and should you join me, they would be your enemies as well. This is not a decision to be made lightly.”

I nodded at that, feeling relieved. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with myself just yet, but also I hadn’t wanted to offend her by rejecting her offer.

“Just keep this offer in mind over the coming weeks,” Sun Xia said. “Get yourself settled in. Learn about the city and where you are. The people here. The factions. The politics. And most importantly, think about what goals you might have for the future. Only then can you make an informed decision.”

“Alright,” I said, nodding at her words. Goals for the future, huh? “I’ll make sure to do that. And thank you for the offer. It’s very generous.”

“You are welcome,” Sun Xia said before she stood from her seat. “Now, unfortunately, I have other duties that require my attention, so I must be off. We will speak again later after I’ve looked into something to help with your core problem. Until then, you should stay within the compound. While it is unlikely someone will so rudely inspect you with their spirit sense and notice it, it’s better to avoid the possibility altogether.”

“Okay, I’ll wait then,” I said, watching Sun Xia move to the door. “See you later.”

“Goodbye for now,” Sun Xia said, smiling and nodding at me before she opened the door. She walked out, and Zhao Wei quickly fell into step behind her, the two of them disappearing down the hall soon after.

I watched this all absentmindedly as I considered Sun Xia’s offer. I thought on her words about making an informed choice. And about what kind of future goals I might have.

I’d already ruled out finding a way home until far into the future. And while getting stronger was an obvious goal, it was also a bit vague. Did I have any other more definite and immediate goals I wanted to reach?

Maybe. Something did come to mind: Finishing off the remnants of the Marauders so they couldn’t hurt any more people. That could be a worthy goal. I wasn’t strong enough for that yet, but given the System, it didn’t feel like an impossibility.

Joining Sun Xia would probably help towards that goal as well. Resources to help me get stronger. Allies that would be eager for a chance of revenge as well. But, was that enough of a reason to join Sun Xia fully, and have to face off against whatever other enemies she might have?

As much as I hated the Black Wind Marauders that got away, I couldn’t let the idea of revenge against them take over my life. Especially not when it was possible they might end up meeting their end before I was even ready to do anything.

Master Fang Hong said that the Alchemy Association would retaliate for the attack made against them. And while they probably didn’t care as much about the other crimes committed by the Marauders, I would be happy as long as the bandits could no longer hurt anyone else.

Even if part of me really wanted to do it myself. To make the scum pay with my own hands…

I frowned and took a deep breath to push away the unproductive thoughts. Instead, I tried to think about what other goals I might focus on if the Marauders got taken care of by someone else. What else did I want to do in this world beside getting stronger?

I couldn’t think of much off the top of my head. There were just too many unknowns. And despite my efforts, I couldn’t help but dwell on the Marauders and what they’d done. Even if they were taken care of before I was strong enough, it wasn’t like they were the only horrible people in this world. This world was likely filled with dangers and troubles, bandits and worse doing the same kind of terrible things I’d seen.

Perhaps working to fix that might be an option for me. It would really depend on just how powerful the System could make me. If I wasn’t strong enough, then the idea of trying to make any amount of impact would be laughable. It’s why I would have never considered the same thing back on Earth. But here… It just might be possible.

There were other advantages to this path too. Of working towards being some kind of vigilante. Or Hero? Perhaps bounty hunting merc?

The System could give me a lot from spirit beasts, but I couldn’t help but think that it would be even better against people. And if I chose to take on more bandits and scum like that in the future, then I’d at least not have to worry about finding acceptable human targets.

I nodded as I considered that and moved to stand and leave. That was certainly an idea I should think about. Something I could see myself doing, even if it was so different from what I’d thought I’d be doing when I was still on Earth. Whether or not this goal meant I should join Sun Xia, however, I still wasn’t sure about. I didn’t know enough about her yet or about her enemies. Nor did I know much about the city and the world beyond.

But it wasn’t like I had to make the decision now. Sun Xia was kind enough to give me plenty of time to think about it. So I should take advantage of that and think things through fully.

For now, I would probably go rest and relax. Get settled in and explore the System and all my Skills as much as I could while living here. Probably ask Jianfeng and Lin a boatload of questions about this world and where we are.

Once I could leave and visit the city, verify everything for myself, and just learn more things firsthand, that’s when I would make my decision.