Chapter 401

A Glimpse (I)

The kids returned fairly late in the evening, bringing me some fresh fruits and a jar of wild cherry juice. It was surprisingly good, I must admit, with just the right amount of sourness to add that necessary kick to it. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

There were four types of fruits among the gifts: pears, plums, apricots, and something that I'd never seen before--large, about palm-sized, and convex on either end, stretching out as though pinched and looking like an oversized plum seed, with the consistency of a textured slushie. Yes, massively disgusting to touch, as the surface was almost too smooth, but by god, it was the most delicious thing I'd eaten in this world.

It was pure, unfiltered, absolute sugary, juicy goodness. There were only three of them, unlike other fruits that sported multitudes, which means they are either a rare local produce or an even rarer import.

I hadn't given much thought to the 'natural' aspect of this world, to be honest; I mean, I was kind of too busy trying to figure out cultivation and all that. But large-scale economies, exports and imports, and how food produce in general exists within this world—these were the questions I knew nothing about. Can the cultivators plant seeds into their Inner Worlds? I'm guessing yes, since Lao Shun seems to have a near infinite supply of herbs that I know he hasn't purchased anywhere since the day he joined us.

Whereas most other cultivators are likely using that Inner World for rare plants and herbs, that won't be me. Once I get there, it will be these slushie-looking things, every other fruit or vegetable that leaves me near-comatose, and whatever fluffy pillows and cushions are made of in this world. I'll have an army of Disciples growing herbs and such in their Inner Worlds, not mine.

... anyway.

As the night fell, the city actually became bright rather than dark. Gems inlaid to the side of some of the buildings began to shimmer in a cool cyan, and though it wasn't quite as well-lit as modern cities, it was well-lit enough, as evidenced by the fact that, even at midnight, there were a lot of people walking seemingly everywhere.

While I gazed out the window, my mind started to drift a bit, reminding me of being bored in 2009 when my laptop crapped out and I had nothing better to do on a Sunday night than stare out my window at the snow-laden streets, where I witnessed a drunk guy slip and fall like nine times in the span of four minutes.

All of it seems just... so distant at this point that, on occasion, I wonder if it were ever even real.

Dispersing the weird thoughts, I went back to the bed and meditated for the night, though it was more simply trying not to think about my life on Earth as much.

Come dawn, the kids burst into the room basically as soon as the first beam of sunlight appeared on the horizon.

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"Master, let's go explore the city!"

"Let's go, Master!"

And thus, grabbed and yanked and pushed and pulled, I found myself leaving the little inn under the weird gazes of others, helpless and sighing, as Dai Xiu began to rattle off the city's history as though she were a local.

"The city was originally built as the connecting hub between the Spirit Mine and the rest of the world," she said. "The miners' families would live here, as would the miners if they were not working in the mine daily. Because of that, it became a pretty major hub of trade within just a few decades! And even though the mine collapsed, as the city sits on the safest route between the two neighboring regions, it still sees a lot of visitors, especially merchants who come seeking to either purchase or sell items unavailable in the other region!"

"..." Wait. This feels a bit too practiced. I love little Xiu to death, and she's many, many positive things, but a succinct thinker is not one of them. "Did you memorize all that to impress me, Xiu'er?"

"Pfft." Wan Lan's snort, the shaking of Xi Zhao's shoulders, Rayce's desperate attempt to remain impassive, and Lights' thinly veiled sneer of derision, as well as Dai Xiu's increasingly red cheeks, all seemed to be pointing toward that being the truth. I immediately regretted pointing it out, though, so I backpedaled hard.

"Silly me," I said. "You probably learned all that and then presented it all so clearly to me because you know just how much of a dummy your Master is. Thank you, Xiu'er."

"Y-you're not a dummy, Master!" ... alright. That somehow backfired even harder. "You're the smartest, most brilliant Master in the world!" Right. Seeing as we're out in the public, she's not really controlling the volume of her voice, and we're in a major hub that likely houses some powers that see themselves as greatly important, I'm expecting...

"Pfft. Did you hear her? Just what did that old man feed her head for her to believe that?" oh, there it is. The sweet sound of arrogant, if nonchalant, villainy! Alright, that's not fair; it's not even villainy. They're just making passing comments that I'd never make (just think, sure).

Before Dai Xiu could whip her head and say something that will get us into trouble, Xi Zhao grabbed her, covered her mouth, and yanked her along. I smiled bitterly before walking after them under the litany of mocking gazes. It felt... nice--no, wait, it didn't. It felt awful. Humiliating. Terrible.

Phew. Close call.

The stroll was rather pleasant as I got to see the city that didn't really sleep also wake up. Shops and stalls, one after another, began to sprout like mushrooms after the rain, and the scent of freshly lit fires and baked goods lasted just long enough to smell them before being overwhelmed by the scent of metal and burning coal.

They took me all the way to the edge, where the city borders ended and a river appeared as though from nowhere, reaching out into the vast plains. To the north of us was a forest, with a clear sign of active lumber industry, as there were already people there, cutting down the trees. It was quite a place, and, unlike Silvercrest City, which felt more like a borough than a city, this one... did feel like it.

The architecture changed styles from east to west, showing the signs of the city evolving over the centuries; there was a lot of patchwork on the facades, the streets were a tangled web of connections, and the farm fields to the southeast just further proved this was a proper sprawl.

"Daoist Qi?" a voice dragged me out of my thoughts as I spun and saw a middle-aged man standing about five yards from us.

"And you are...?"

"Apologies, Fellow Daoist, for my manners, or lack thereof; my name is Kong Lan, and I'm a Steward of the Zhou Estate, the Mayoral House of the City." Oh, it wasn't even a day.

Not a day of quiet and calm.

"How can I help you, Fellow Daoist Kong?" I asked.

"My Lord extends an invitation to Your Grace," he said. "On the recommendation of Immortal Qian."

... oh, dear, sweet Shuren. Just what the hell did you get me tangled up with now?