“Who keeps getting weirder?” Kai asked, his mouth set in a straight line.
The golden ferrox perked up, looking over to Bao, his golden eyes fixing her in place. The table got quiet as Kai and Relay stared at Bao. Ai swallowed audibly before opening her mouth to defend her friend when the golden ferrox started laughing.
“You should see your face,” Relay yipped, his tiny voice tinkling with mirth.
“I imagine I would seem strange,” Kai smiled, scratching his head. “But rumor and speculation won’t serve our mutual interest. I am not from the Omnistellaris Ascendancy, having only heard of them for the first time today. Interesting that they have a similar energy type.”
Kai took a sip of his warm tea. The jade cup was generous in his hands, the flavor a bitter-sweet combination that reminded him of his previous life. The Golden Blossom was a charming restaurant with small semi-private eating areas where guests could recline at low tables and enjoy superbly crafted dishes. The lighting was muted, the wood dark, and lanterns hung in the corners, illuminating the dark oak table and slate-colored dishes.
“This little one recognizes the impropriety of her words and seeks your mercy and forgiveness,” Bao bowed, her head coming close to the table surface. Kai was used to this kind of treatment from Ai, but seeing it from Bao was new. He wondered if they were always on edge around him, wondering what he might do.
“I took no offense, Bao; there is nothing to forgive.” Kai frowned. Using chopsticks, he picked out a sauteed mushroom from a meat dish. Bao peeked up to verify he was done responding before hesitantly sitting up. Kai felt the tender texture of the mushroom and enjoyed the rich garlic and butter flavor before swallowing the bite.
“I find your customs frustrating. I understand respecting those stronger than you and showing that respect by deferring to others, but I can’t live in constant fear of offending others. And it pains me to see that you are that way with me.” What was it that Old Jie said? “I’m not a jade cup that you need worry about chipping.”
Kai plucked out some seasoned meat. Surviving on rations for the last five days was fine, but this food was delectable, and he was just happy to have something different.
Song signed a message, her back straight as she looked toward Kai.
“Song says only fools tired of living would willfully offend those more powerful than they. This is fundamental to our way of life. It would be unnatural to act any other way,” Bao interpreted.
Kai sighed. Of course, it is. This world brutally punishes anyone who doesn’t learn this lesson early. It’s pointless to mention it. I am powerless to change deeply rooted cultural norms. Kai reflected on his moral position, his preference, and his discomfort. He wondered if he was wrong. The culture of his birth world valued individual expression, original thought, and knowledge. These were the most important things. Was that superior to a culture that valued respecting others, group identity, or individual strength? He couldn't make that argument. All my criticisms come down to personal preference - what I’m familiar with.
I should make an effort to adapt to this world. Wishing this place was like my birth world would only cause me needless frustration and grief.
Between bites of pork and steamed dumplings, Kai had a thought. Things would feel more natural if they could obtain the same strength as me.
“How much for one of those spatial spiritual treasures?” Kai asked. “Something good enough to store some clothes and small belongings?”
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Spatial spiritual treasures were quite expensive. Prohibitively so. Kai could have purchased one but decided against it. The ones priced reasonably that he might have considered were all large bags or pouches, which wouldn’t have served his purposes. He wanted something to keep his clothes and supplies that he could encapsulate into his metal armor to keep it safe while cultivating or fighting.
The convenience wasn’t worth the expense. Seventeen million common spirit stones wouldn’t last long if he spent ten million on a spatial treasure.
“And now they are gathering outside, waiting for me,” Kai informed the others. He sat on a carved stone bench near the Golden Lotus auction house’s entrance. Surrounded by the others, he recounted in hushed whispers the events of the ambush and how they avoided it. Their reaction was not what he expected. Instead of being relieved or grateful, they seemed visibly upset he didn’t allow them to do more.
And the news that he captured the white woman’s soul was met with universal horror. Kai regretted sharing that detail.
“Now they seek retribution. Since I’m the one that killed her, I’ll go deal with it.” He adjusted his collar. He hadn’t found a spatial treasure but purchased a boy’s robe. It was a charcoal gray, and instead of a belt, the side had bead and loop closures that ran from under his arm to his waist.
“And their cultivation is higher than yours, you can tell?” Ai asked, frowning. Being able to look at someone and tell their cultivation was incredibly convenient. Naturally, she was skeptical.
“I can tell one has a solid core. I believe that is the next rank beyond mine.” Kai said, looking through the Lotus Pavillion to the plaza beyond. “They are all stronger than you four, so you should stay here for now.” Four were waiting for him in front of the Lotus Pavillion. Another block away, another six of lesser cultivation remained.
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“They shouldn’t be able to attack out in the open in the middle of the city. There are laws and guards,” Yunfie sounded confident. Bao frowned at that, but Ai was the one to reply.
“Unless they are colluding with the guards. I wouldn’t count on any outside help. They may even be scheming to entrap you here using false charges.” She shook her head. This was known to happen to visiting cultivators; they would be charged with a crime, then extorted for legal fees.
“What if I lead them out of the city? If there are no witnesses?” Kai could imagine the exact scenario playing out like Ai described.
“You will have to defeat or come to terms with them,” Bao said. Kai could tell she was eager to fight.
“You stay with them,” Kai transmitted to Relay. “I don’t know how long this will take, so you watch over them. I’ll call if I need help.”
The golden ferrox growled but jumped down from Kai’s shoulders and joined the others.
“I’ll watch over these four,” Relay acknowledged. “Find us when you’re done.”
Kai nodded and closed his eyes. One more thing first. Energy flooded his brain, speeding his thoughts and perceptions. He shifted his awareness to his soul space, stepping out of the air before the lantern. His eyes glowed with golden prismatic light as he looked on at the woman in white.
He hovered before the lantern, looking at the trapped cultivator through the glass. Kai looked for any sign of soul dissipation, but there was none. She floated there, her eyes closed, her soul form dressed as she was in life, her lengthy hair floating up around her peaceful face. She had the same smile she wore in death. Kai tried to guess her age, but cultivators could look much younger than they were, and souls? Young, maybe twenty. Or three hundred.
“Hello,” Kai said. Her eyes opened, and her lips parted in surprise.
“You!” she exclaimed. “I knew I didn’t imagine you.” She floated over to him, her hand coming up, her fingers spread when she pressed against the glass. “It’s warm here. What is this place?” She looked past him to the starscape beyond. He could see the reflection of a sky full of violet stars, colorful planets, and fiery comets in her eyes. Beyond that, she looked over the binary star system rotated, and on the horizon, an emerging black hole.
“We haven’t been introduced. I’m Ahja Kai. I want to start by apologizing. Your death was unintentional.”
“That’s funny, you’re apologizing for killing me?” she brushed her floating hair from her face and pressed closer to the glass, refocusing on Kai. “You needn’t bother. This suits me just fine.” Then she laughed. “I’m warmer in death than I ever was in life.”
Kai knitted his brow. This was different from how he expected this to go.
“I’m Xu Meilin. I’ll be in your care.” She floated back and bowed. “What are you planning to do to me?” She smiled again, this time mischievously.
“I’m not sure what to do with you. Why were you trying to ambush us?” Kai asked.
“Not ambush, waylay. You passed through two layers of our embargo. We were the last line of defense, but we failed.” She frowned at that. “So in the end, the City Lord Protector got the antidote after all.”
“Antidote?” Kai asked.
Meilin floated over, her eyes on his face examining him. “You weren’t delivering the black heart antidote to the Golden Lotus?”
“No,” he shook his head.
“So I didn’t fail then. That’s good. Hah. We would have just let you go if you didn’t have the antidote.”
“Then why did you attack me with your dagger?”
“Attack you; you were attacking me!”
“I don’t remember it that way. I was just stepping between you and one of my friends.”
“Hmmph.” she stared Kai in the eyes. Kai blinked, and the girl smiled again.
“So what am I supposed to do about your people. They are waiting for me out in front of the Lotus Pavillion.”
“Probably my Dad. Good luck with that. He’ll probably rip your face off.”
“You asked me what this place is; it’s my soul space. I’m a soulforger.”
“Figured it was something like that. You know you’re not nearly as scary as I imagined a dark soulforger to be. You need to work on that some.”
“I’m not a dark soulforger; like I said, it was just an accident. In any case, if your Dad kills me, you’ll be even more dead so anything I can do to keep that from happening would be good for you too.”
“Fine. Just tell him Meilin says she’s finally warm.” she smiled and closed her eyes.
Kai shook his head and vanished from his soul space. It was time to meet Dad.