"Huizhong." Dan watched the middle-age farmer start at the sound of his name.

The man grew confused, but also somewhat concerned. After a few seconds of intentional silence from Dan, he spoke up.

"L… lord Cultivator, how do y-" "Join me." Dan interrupted.

Huizhong stared at him, he'd have laughed if he were not so scared of the cultivator, and he would have doubted the man if not for the fire in his eyes and determination wafting off of him.

And just like that, Huizhong kneeled. There was no threatening involved, no coaxing or persuasion needed.

Part of it, Dan knew, was from his sheer intimidation, but most of it, he somehow sensed, was a cultural thing. The strong here took what they wanted, and the weak obeyed.

It wasn't a strong base for power, but Dan didn't mind, loyalty could be earned, if not the farmer's, then other's.

Confident as Dan was, he was just following instincts he never knew he had.

Waving his hand, he hoped it worked, else this 'cult' business was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Huizhong didn't dare look at the cultivator. He didn't want to risk angering the foreign man.

Back when he'd lived in a village, he'd seen people taken by cultivators before. In truth, depending on the cultivator, it wasn't all that bad. Those who came back said it was like working as a steward or butler, though that excluded the ones that didn't come back, and the ones that were found but he wished weren't.

Just remembering the remains that clearly had unspeakable or unnatural things done to them made him feel a phantom of anger.

Though he quashed that emotion immediately. He had steeled his resolve, everyone on the continent knew that when you traveled with cultivators you had to prepare for everything, even if that cultivator didn't want to kill you.

Seeing as he was only fairly certain that this man didn't want to kill him, Huizhong immediately opened his mind to all possibilities.

Then he saw what was floating in front of him.

___

Name: Huizhong

Race: Human

Age: 38

Cultivation Base: Mortal (Qi Condensation 3/12 99%)

Other: N/A

___

"What." He stated, somehow managing to be thrown off harder than a fat lady on a mechanical bull despite trying to keep an open mind.

After staring at the floating text for some time, Huizhong realized his master was staring at him with what had to be a practiced face.

That idle serenity was just so different from his other expressions.

Then he realized something else, and tried to remedy it. "Master, I humbly request to know your name while I serve you."

Dan, while liking the subservience, had to correct something. "Huizhong, while I am flattered, I am not your master, and you do not serve me. I am your leader, and you my follower." He said while maintaining his best 'customer service' face and voice. That being his chosen face for the entirety of this cultish endeavor, because really, what's the real difference between cult management and customer service?

Huizhong cracked a thin smile, "Ah, my mistake Leader..?"

Dan had the hold back a chuckle, though he was pretty sure the 'emotional antenna' this world had fucked him over on that front.

It was short lived, however, because he actually had to consider the question. He didn't want to be known as Dan Orlin in this world, or at least not 'Orlin'. That was the name his parents gave him, the one that his friends and his world knew him by. He…

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Dan stopped himself before he fell off the edge, managing because of how physically and emotionally tired he was.

So, Dan asked himself, if not Orlin, then what?

He asked himself, but he didn't expect an answer, he had half a mind to drop the whole 'family name' business and join poor Huizhong in solidarity.

That's why the actual reply caught him so off fucking guard. It was as if the old lady you were helping across the road suddenly kicked you in the dick and sprinted away.

But, y'know, less painful. Which granted, ruins the metaphor, but… eh, fuck it.

In any case, Qi answered. Dan was startled, then made a mental note about figuring out what the actual fuck was going on, then he repeated the answer in his head.

He liked it. Something deep down inside of him agreed. Dan felt vague notions of power, progress, and control coming with the name. Qi danced around him in agreement.

He had nothing to lose. "My name is Dan, Xitǒng Dan, to be exact."

Dan waited a moment, half sure he'd have to smack Huizhong for making a 'Dan Xitǒng Dan?' joke, and he wasn't sure how that would turn out.

Thankfully, he did not. "Yes, Leader Xitǒng, I'll try to follow your instructions to the letter…"

Dan didn't notice the pause at the end of his first follower's statement. He was suddenly overcome by fatigue, perhaps, Dan thought, the stress of the day was suddenly catching up to him.

"Yes… you do that and you'll find yourself living a much more satisfying and secure life soon enough."

Gulp "...satisfying and secure, Leader?"

'H-hah, it looks like he didn't like the wording of that. Wonder what I implied?' Mentally shrugging, he went with the safe bet, "Hah hah, unless you would dislike that, follower."

Guaranteeing freedom and personal autonomy usually took the subtext out of an offer. Usually. However, it didn't seem to help lighten his follower's mood.

Physically shrugging, he started walking to the farmhouse, not caring about permission. You know what they say when you join a cult, 'Su casa es mi casa'.

Strangely, Huizhong did not say a word while he passed. Stranger still, he did not once reply to Dan as he talked to him. The entire conversation went like this.

"Don't worry about your duties just yet, we'll get started on that tomorrow."

"..."

"Oh, though you might want to do… this. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"..."

Dan stopped in front of the house and turned around. "You might want to b-butcher that pig… yawn … Or maybe bury it, I don't know your relationship with it… 'Night."

Huizhong watched the door after he left, contemplating what he just saw.

He glanced at the screen, seeing that it had changed as well.

___

Name: Huizhong

Race: Human

Age: 38

Cultivation Base: Mortal (Qi Condensation 3/12 99%)

Bloodline: N/A

Constitution:N/A

Skills: N/A

Quests: Learn Qi Gathering!

Breakthrough to realm four Qi Condensation!

Other: N/A

___

But he paid no attention to it. Whatever it was, it couldn't compare to what he witnessed.

He couldn't take his mind off of it, if he described it to anyone, would they even believe him? Hells, if he described the whole situation, he'd get laughed out of town.

For shits and giggles, Huizhong went over it in his head.

A man garbed in strange clothes walked up to him and nonchalantly asked for water and access to his home.

When Huizhong came at him for his audacity, he was instantly frozen by a wave of killing intent and anger.

Before he could do anything, his guard pig, who was over twice as strong as him, rushed at the intruder.

It died as soon as it rushed the apparent cultivator along with a huge bang. The cultivator did not appear to move.

Then things got strange. Huizhong was terrified and awestruck by a cyclone of emotions. All while there was a clear killing intent originating from within.

Then the cultivator calmed, smiled, and demanded obedience.

...And then conjured text that showed him information about himself.

Huizhong then asked for a name and received one. Oh, and the presence of the Heavens and Earth danced in joy as the cultivator told him.

And then the fucker transformed. His long brown hair straightened itself and formed a ponytail from nothing. Dirt fell from his form, he obtained a pleasant smell, and he physically grew several inches, his muscles realigned, and Huizhong swore he saw a few bones shift!

Oh, and Huizhong was bid a good night.

He shook his head, what were his options, tell someone? Best case scenario, he would be laughed at and threw out of town!

Run? Hah!

Huizhong had no choice but to listen to that 'man's' demands.

Xitǒng Dan may have underestimated the ease of which he will establish a cult.