Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

Chapter 186 - The Faceless Errands

 

After my mind wandered for a bit, my fingers twitched. Perhaps the brain damage I'd recently suffered was still affecting me, like how people didn't make the best decisions when they were sleep-deprived.

But I was thinking about one final push. I couldn't stop now.

If I didn't act now, I would never do it again. I would only get another chance to discover what was actually happening here if I somehow became immortal. 

Cultivation was a perilous path and the thought of dying without learning what I could have left a bitter taste in my mouth. At the same time, pushing forward like this could very well accelerate the time of my death.

I stared at the guard, debating whether I should knock him out. In the end, I shook my head—no telling if an unconscious guard would set off some kind of alarm.

Besides, I wasn't planning to stick around for long. I'd be gone before anyone noticed him anyway. Stealth techniques weren't so convenient that they could magically alert the guards. I knew they couldn't see the bronze-armored figures waiting at the gate for cultivators—none of the guards reacted to them.

Leaving the guard conscious showed a certain level of trust. It could make him less likely to report me. If he did, he'd have to forfeit the spirit stones.

"You can go now," I said, waving him off. "Don't spend all your newfound wealth in one place. If I were you, I'd buy cultivation resources. Whatever crap hand life dealt you, rules are only guidelines for the strong."

The guard nodded, a resolute look in his eyes. I felt like, for once, he might not betray me.

He walked away steadily, but I didn't wait for him to disappear before using my movement technique to get out of there. 

I found an empty alleyway between a large three-story inn and a house in the wealthier district. A shadowy path ran between the buildings, and I quickly made my way there, sitting down with my back against the wooden wall of the inn.

I closed my eyes and began shutting down my bodily functions, forcing myself into sleep. As a Qi Gathering Cultivator, controlling my body this way was easy. Though I had never done something quite like this. 

But just as my vision began to blur and my thoughts clouded, I sensed the shape of my soul—now like a pristine white pearl—and used it to keep my consciousness awake.

It was easier because my soul was stronger than average. At least, that was what I assumed. Most of this soul stuff was a shot in the dark, based on my limited experience.

A strange sensation washed over me as my body became immobile. The sound of cats rummaging through trash in the distance, two rats fighting in the sewer below, and birds chirping above began to fade as sleep overtook my senses.

I had grown so accustomed to my superhuman senses that it felt disorienting to lose them. Even the subtle air shift around my body was absent, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.

The only thing I could still perceive was the Qi around me, though even that was diminished compared to what I was used to. Soon, I found myself in a dark void, the only proof that I wasn’t dead being the faint sense of Qi. It was a deeply unsettling feeling.

But that eerie sensation didn’t last long. I began to feel something again—not my body, but something brushing against my soul, allowing me to “see” again.

I was in a dream-like golden land. Hills of gold stretched into the distance, with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds towering as large as mountains far away. Golden coins shifted beneath my toes, and I looked down to realize I was completely naked.

I wasn’t alone here. Other people were scattered about, though they lay sleeping instead of standing. Men, women, young, and old—all sprawled across this world of gold and gems, with numbers from eleven to twenty floating above their heads. Hundreds of people were here, and the numbers over their heads steadily decreased.

With the massive rubies and other precious gems in the distance, we humans looked like insects crawling over a grand table.

Above, a mesmerizing sight unfolded—a golden-hued full moon bathed the landscape in its luminous glow. A serpentine dragon had coiled around this moon-like thing, its scales shimmering with the same golden light. The dragon twisted elegantly around the moon, moving subtly as if asleep. Its eyes were closed, its form gently shifting as it slumbered.

The dragon, wrapped in slumber around the golden moon, radiated an aura reminiscent of the immortal ghost I had encountered. Though it appeared to be at rest, a profound power emanated from its form. This deep and pervasive energy resonated with the very fabric of this strange reality. As I gazed upon the majestic creature, I felt an odd sensation—a weight pressing down on my soul. It wasn’t a manifestation of any technique but rather the sheer magnitude of the dragon’s existence. Its power was so immense that it subtly began shifting not my body but my soul.

That dragon in the sky… I had a strange idea. A so-called theory...

There was a chance the so-called Gold Immortal, who had created Goldwatch City, might be some kind of monstrous beast.

Yeah, that was enough snooping around.

With just a thought, my eyes fluttered open. The once non-existent sensations of breathing, smelling, hearing, and seeing all rushed back to me. Even the taste of the inside of my own mouth felt strange, almost foreign.

But there wasn’t time to dwell on that. A creeping chill washed over me, and I felt cold. It was not the cold I felt in the snow or biting winds—this was more primal.

I closed my eyes and focused on my soul. Where it had once been whole, like a pristine white pearl, it was now frayed—a white rag with dirt along the edges, and the prominent stitches holding it together were exposed once again.

Had merely looking at a slumbering immortal done this to me?

A trace of fear crept into my heart as I let out a sigh of relief.

What if I had stayed in that golden world longer? My soul might have been torn apart before I even felt any real pain.

It's easy to know when the body is injured, but the soul? That's a whole other matter. The only sensation I had was that lingering cold.

That place wasn't meant for the conscious mind.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath.

From now on, I couldn't let curiosity cloud my judgment. I had been riding a high after obtaining my Sky Grade Technique.

But even with that, I was just a bug playing among sleeping elephants.

Without wasting another moment, I bolted for one of the gates of Goldwatch City. I raced through streets and alleyways and leaped from rooftops, finally reaching the western gate—not the same one I had entered the city, but the closest to where I had been.

Even though I'd paid the bronze-armored guard, I didn't trust him to keep his mouth shut.

The guards at the gate didn't seem to care about people leaving, only those entering. Not even the younger, less experienced soldiers acted suspiciously like they were planning an ambush.

Either the bronze-armored guard had said nothing, or he hadn't found anyone to whom he could pass the message yet.

Either way, I walked out of the city, and the sight of the open grass fields—full of useless weeds and distant disciples camping—had never felt so damn refreshing.

It seemed I'd gotten lucky. The sleeping immortal dragon hadn't noticed me. Or if it had, it simply didn't care.

Once outside, my soul began healing, slowly mending itself again. A silver crust formed along the edges, marking the repairs.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, straightened up, and calmed myself until there were no visible signs of my distress.

Then, I headed toward the Blazing Sun Sect's camp. In one corner sat my cousins and Song Song. The latter was in a meditative pose, clearly cultivating. My cousins, too, were cultivating, stationed around her as guards.

As I approached, Song Song opened one eye, glanced at me, then closed it again and returned to her meditation.

I sat beside them and let out a long sigh of relief. My thoughts drifted to the dragon. The people in that strange world had numbers above their heads—the highest being twenty—but those numbers were slowly ticking down. Relating this to the dice rolls at the city gates, I figured the immortal was gathering everyone's luck for some unknown reason.

Of course, this was a big hypothesis, but it was the best theory I had. There had to be some reason behind the dice rolls at the gates.

I closed my eyes and began cultivating, blending in with the group. The last thing I wanted was to explain what had happened in the city.

As I was settling in, thinking I could act like nothing had happened and continue cultivating for the rest of my stay, someone approached me. The strange thing was that I couldn't sense this person's presence at all—no footsteps, no rustling of grass.

Yet somehow, I could sense his mental energy. I didn't know what else to call it, but his thoughts left a residue, a trace behind. My Sky Grade Technique, which dealt with the mind, could detect it.

I turned around and saw the conspirator—Song San—watching me with a smile. But as he noticed me staring back, something other than mischief flickered in his eyes.

Immediately, Song San dropped his technique, and I could hear his footsteps and sense his presence again.

I couldn't read his thoughts, but I could feel his consciousness. It was jumbled and difficult to interpret in a crowd. Still, with nothing else approaching me, his mental power stood out like a beacon. Now that he had released his technique, he blended in more, ironically making it easier to sneak up on me.

I could also sense his cultivation now—nine-star Foundation Establishment. Impressive for his age. Though his talent was supposed to be weaker than Song Song's, she was the family's star. 

Why was he progressing so quickly? He should still be under twenty-five, having recently participated in the tournament.

"You just came out of Goldwatch City, didn't you?" he asked. "Why were you in such a rush? If someone's bullying you, you can tell me. I'll handle it. After all, we're allies now."

"He was running an errand for me," Song Song interjected, her eyes now open and glaring at her brother.

"Errands? I thought he was more like your second-in-command. Yet you've got him running errands for you?" Song San's smile didn't waver as he turned toward his sister, but his gaze lingered on me. "How about you join my group, Liu Feng? I won't make you my second-in-command, but at least I won't have you running errands."

Song Song had said that to cover for me. She knew something had happened but trusted me enough not to ask too many questions.

"No thanks, I quite enjoy running errands," I smiled.

Unlike Song Song, I didn't care much about status or fear. It was a polite way to refuse Song San. As much as he was an untrustworthy bastard, he was still an ally, and we had to appear friendly in public.

Song Song stood up, the grass around her wilting as she glared at her brother. She said nothing and just began walking toward him.

Blood pooled in her palms, and two crimson daggers formed in her hands. Her murderous intent seeped out, startling everyone nearby. Distant screams rang out from merchants by the city walls. They were mortals, and despite the distance, they couldn't withstand the pressure of Song Song's technique.

Before things escalated, I stepped between the two, the smile fading from my face.

"I think we should stop here," I said.

If left unchecked, Song Song would definitely try to kill her brother. And judging by the smile on that bastard's face, he was ready for it.

Fucking hell. How had I ever thought I could make it seem like these two supported each other? That had been a foolish belief on my part.

“C’mon now, Liu Feng. Every sibling fights every now and then,” Song San said, still smiling.

This guy...

With a single hand seal, a purple barrier formed around us, cutting off all sound from entering or escaping. But the growing killing intent radiating from Song Song pressed against the barrier with enough force that it wouldn’t hold for more than a minute.

“If you start a fight here, your exact poison element will be exposed,” I warned Song San, my eyes locked on him. “And if you start a fight here, I will kill you. That’s a promise.”

If Song Song fought her brother, she’d likely lose. She was at the beginning of Foundation Establishment, while he was at the peak. But if I intervened, things would be different. I had a few arrays explicitly designed to target Foundation Establishment cultivators. I’d sparred with Song Song enough to know her rhythm.

Just as I finished speaking, someone crashed into the top of the barrier. Cracks spread through the purple shield, and within seconds, it shattered. A cloaked figure appeared next to Song San, the same one who had accompanied him earlier. His presence was barely noticeable, but now that I’d used the Eight Mind Phantoms technique, I could better read others. It was almost like I could sense their intentions, though not entirely. I had anticipated his arrival and a few shards of the barrier stuck to his porcelain mask.

His mind was so bland... It felt like there was literally no personality.

As the mask began to fracture, cracks spread across its surface like a sinister web. With a final snap, the mask shattered, sending jagged shards clattering to the ground. The face behind it was a grotesque distortion of humanity.

The man had a broad build, and his face was a nightmarish sight. His eyes were sewn shut, thick black stitches marring the pale, puckered skin. Where his nose should have been, there were only two dark, hollow breathing holes, gaping like the mouths of abyssal creatures. The skin around these mutilations was tight and discolored.

What the hell was that thing?

Song San’s smile faltered as others began to notice the scene. Still, he glanced at us and said, “See you later, sister. Liu Feng. Our alliance will be a fruitful one, I can already tell.”

He turned and walked away as his companion produced another mask and placed it on his face.

“I think we should back off for now. We won’t gain anything from this,” I advised Song Song.

She turned toward me, her piercing blue eyes studying every wrinkle on my face before she nodded.

“Sure,” she said, letting the blood daggers in her hands dissolve into a crimson puddle on the ground. She withdrew her killing intent. Thankfully, the participants left on this trip were the cream of the crop, so none had passed out from the pressure of Song Song’s intent.

Damn it. Why did Song San show up just to stir up trouble? What was that bastard thinking? He should know this move soured our alliance!

...

After that, things went relatively smoothly, though neither my cousins nor Song Song were in the mood to continue cultivating.

The Core Elders returned as evening approached and ordered us to pack our things. We were to set off and travel in the dark, though no one questioned them.

Almost 24 hours later, after traversing marshes, forests, grasslands, and rocky mountains, we finally caught sight of the marble-white walls of the Blazing Sun Sect.

 

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