Alex swallowed. “They were more like pirates. Or...well, invaders.”
Both of them paled. Dead silence permeated the room.
Alex’s heart started to race, his guts squirming, fearing he had said way, way too much. But the way the girl was gazing at him, head tilted, pert little button nose twitching as if she was onto something, and why was she wearing that admittedly chic little velvet hat even at dinner? He shook away the stupid stray thought, preparing himself to leave unexpectedly.
“What happened to the ship?” she asked breathlessly.
Alex gulped. “It sort of caught on fire and sunk.”
She quirked a bemused brow. “Next you’ll tell me they caught ablaze with their own Greek fire.”
Her smile turned to a look of wide-eyed disbelief when he slowly nodded. “Caught ablaze hot and fierce. Several other ships also lost their sails when it exploded.”
She blinked. “Where did this take place again?”
He winced. "This is the part where you'll call me a liar and kick me out. Can we wait till after dinner before finishing that part of the script?"
Her father snorted as the girl’s face paled.
“The man who helped you… did he have silver eyes?”
He slowly nodded. "Eyes of silver and jade, actually."
Her incredulous gasp was louder than even her father’s snort.
“The boy tells a good tale at least,” the father grumbled.
“Father…”
“Don’t you dare tell me he believes that madness!” He snorted. “Honestly, he should join Storyteller’s Row. His foreign looks will add an air of credulity to his wild, far-fetched tales.”
"Father, he believes it."
The man snorted, banging his hand on the table. "Do you see any snow-white beard upon his chin? Does he look like he's been sleeping for a thousand years? No! He does not!"
“But what about the wild tale about the foreigner we heard?”
Her father rolled his eyes. “A naked foreigner caught in the sacred tomb under Dragon Temple?” he snorted. “The fool of a guard was obviously drinking. And why there isn’t better security for the caves under our city’s founding cultivation school I’ll never understand.”
The girl’s gaze hardened. “You know why, Father. It's a memorial to ‘him.' The patron god of our city has never been happy with him, so every shrine or memorial site dedicated in his honor is given only the slightest official notice, the administrative fools kowtowing to their patron god, all hoping for vandals and negligence to tarnish the memory and prestige in which ‘he’ is held. Whereas Long Wang’s school is so honored and revered that every aspirant for hundreds of miles in all directions, children without the least knack for cultivating to be found in their family’s blood, still risk their lives every autumn after harvest, tramping through the wilds, hoping for a chance to attend our city’s academy.”
Liu Jian shrugged and sighed. “It’s the way of the world, my dear. You know this as well as I. The children will be welcome, even encouraged to make the trip, and sent home with bags full of rice even if they have no talent after all, encouraged to tell their brothers to risk their lives just like they had, no matter how poor their blood.”
The old man shook his head. “And really, what choice do any of us have? The lord of this city of near ten million souls, even with the allegiance of all the towns and villages to be found within hundreds of miles in all directions, is just a tiny piece in a vast kingdom, which itself is only a tiny part of a vast empire in an even larger alliance. And our king is more hands-off than most. Almost every lord within our nation is allowed to rule his territory as he sees fit, with but a single golden rule. Every city of every kingdom within our empire must meet its quota of soldiers that can walk the High Roads.”
The girl sighed, nodding. "I know, Father. We train every day so that if I earn that honor, I won’t bring shame to our family name.”
“And you won’t, my dear. I know that already.”
Alex carefully lowered his eyes, focusing only on his food, fearing he was overhearing talk that was none of his business.
He blinked, hands darting back as the heated soup, left bubbling on a tiny burner in the middle of the table, was poured fresh and piping hot inside his bowl. “More soup? You must be hungry, after traipsing about all day.” The girl captivated him with her smile. “And what was your name? I never did catch it.”
“Alex,” he said. “My name is Alex.”
She blinked, slowly sitting back down.
“What a fascinating name,” she said at last.
Her father snorted.
Alex blinked, looking for something to say to break the strange atmosphere around the table, catching sight of the herbs on display. He closed his eyes and took a deep whiff, smiling in sudden satisfaction. “Your roots and cuttings smell quite potent. Most are above median market potency.”
The girl blinked while her father snorted, but he allowed the change of subject, bringing a number of herbal bundles for Alex’s perusal, unable to deny the grudging nod of respect he had when Alex was done.
The girl’s grin grew every time he analyzed a fresh bundle of herbs, or noted the odd mixed blend when it seemed her father might be trying to trick him.
“Can’t fool a fox,” she snorted, her father scowling at his daughter before stalking back to the shop’s rear, grumbling.
“Don’t mind him,” she said quietly as Alex helped her put away the dining table and chairs after clearing the table, more grateful for the food and chance to rest than he could say, finally able to look the prospects of a night in the dark with a certain amount of equanimity.
Not everyone was cold and aloof. There were genuinely good people here, and he had no doubt that with enough hard work and effort, he'd eventually find something. Honestly, it was arrogant of him to think he could immediately start in what seemed to be a prestigious, if modest, profession. He would get a job where he could and build himself a life from there. And when he eventually got on his feet, well, one way or another he'd find a cultivation and cycling technique that would allow him to take his first steps on a life of excitement and endless possibility, even if the techniques weren't perfect, and his ability to excel would be limited.
Right now, he was a penniless foreigner without resources in a somewhat hostile land. Without some golden path carefully implemented by mysterious game designers, what the hell had made him think that he would have a chance in hell of finding divine cultivation tomes? With his luck, he would be lucky to find, borrow, or buy any cultivation tomes at all!
He couldn’t help chuckling and shaking his head.
What an arrogant fool he had been, not taking the golden parachute he had been offered by the city’s patron god, no less.
But that didn't mean he couldn't savor whatever adventures life threw his way this time around, grateful just to be upright, alive, and cancer-free.
The girl gave him a curious look. “What’s so funny?”
He shrugged and sighed. “I’m just laughing at myself. I was kind of an idiot, treating my life as, well, just a computer game, and now I find myself in far rougher circumstances than I had expected, with no golden quest compass to help me out.”
She blinked, gazing at him strangely.
He shrugged and shook his head. “But that’s okay. I won’t begrudge that impulsive version of me for daring the impossible. Had I not been treating everything as a game, had I actually let fear and disorientation consume me, I would have never survived even those first few moments aboard that vessel, let alone manage to bring it down. So, I’m going to look life in the face, smile, and accept whatever challenges it throws my way, and just be grateful for a second chance at life.”
He bowed solemnly before a now frowning Liu Jian. “This one thanks you most humbly for the food, and for the hospitality. Before I go, I don’t suppose you can’t point me to some place where penniless travelers might safely spend the night… if there is such a th
ing?”
She gave a sad shake of her head.
Alex sighed and nodded, turning around to head to the door before stopping cold, feeling soft hands upon his shoulder.
“Don’t go,” the girl said.
“Liu Li!” Her father hissed.
“You can sleep out back. Even though we’re in the city and, well, not in the best area, our home has a secret. There was a major fire a few years back. Father bought the land, even though everyone said he was a fool. Those slums were ashes and ruin, no one would pay rent to live there again after what happened the first time, and almost no one was selling the storefronts facing the roads just beyond. So, the center of the city block was just a formerly ugly patch of ruined homes crammed tightly together, between those storefronts. Only a single alleyway gave access to the hundred poor souls who once called those slums home. Honestly, it’s why we set up shop here in the first place. We purchased the one available storefront and the land no one valued, cleared out the remains of those slums, walled off the property, and planted the most beautiful garden you can imagine.”
She grinned as he turned around, her eyes twinkling, delighting in his dumbfounded expression. “It’s a great space to train and, well, cultivate in. We’ll provide you a water flask and a sleeping roll. You can sleep in comfort and safety.”
“Liu Li...” her father said warningly.
“Father, please. It is safe, secure, and our own doors will be locked. We risk nothing, and we’re helping a boy who’ll otherwise be easy prey in the city at night after dark, with no food, no resources, no family, kith, or kin. If it were autumn, we could point him in the direction of the temple for testing, so at least he could earn their rice and their pity and perhaps a job sweeping the steps, but it’s spring.”
Her father scowled, shaking his head.
“And you’re not stupid, Father. This Alex coming here in the dead of night, on the anniversary of you-know-what.”
Her father sighed, rubbing his temples.
“And considering who you married...”
“Say nothing!”
She flushed and lowered her head. “This one apologizes, Father.”
The stern-looking apothecary scowled before finally nodding. “Fine. He can sleep out back. And tomorrow morning, assuming he didn’t make a complete ass of himself in my private garden… I’ll think about letting him earn his room and board. Until the boy’s on his feet.” He tried glaring, but his gaze was tempered with a father’s love. “For the sake of your mother’s memory, Li. And you will say nothing more on that!”
Liu Li bowed at the waist. “This lowly daughter thanks you.”
Her father snorted. “You are many things, jade of my heart, but humble isn’t one of them. Now get the boy situated. We have an early day tomorrow.”
She bowed her head. “Yes, Father.”
And before long, a grateful Alex found himself within a beautiful grassy back yard that stretched a good distance on all sides, as if an entire city block had been hollowed out save for the storefront buildings on all sides, and all of it effectively Liu Jian’s carefully manicured back yard.
Alex took a deep breath of the fresh, herb-scented air, delighting in the heady mix of fragrances and flowers with a hint of mint and pine. He felt an invigorating rush with each breath he took. The beautiful Liu Li’s smile grew.
“I can tell you appreciate the garden. Father will be pleased. He spends enough hours working on it, assuring the Qi of Heaven and Earth cycle through it properly.
Alex grinned. “I’m really, really grateful not to be sleeping on the street, hoping I don’t get mugged or worse. Thank you, Liu Li. This one is in your debt.”
A throaty chuckle washed over him. “It’s my pleasure to help, Alex. It lets me feel like I’m part of a very old, very sacred tale.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
She rolled her eyes. “If you haven’t figured it out yet… but, how could you? If you really were asleep for a thousand years, then you were only awake for the very beginning.”
She quickly raised her hand before Alex could say anything. “No, don’t tell me. Honestly, I like the thought that, somehow, the stories might be true. That we are more than just an odd mutation from too much exposure to spirit beasts and unclean Qi.” She frowned at that, before shaking the thought away with a smile. “Rest well, Alex. We’ll talk more in the morning. And if you’re really lucky, Father will put you to work.”
Alex grinned. “I hope he does,” he said, but Liu Li had already darted back inside, as quiet as any woodland fox.
Alex sighed, leaning back against his bedroll in the heart of the beautiful backyard garden, delighting in the arboreal scent after a day racing about the city, feeling energized and revitalized by the natural beauty all around him, and the night sky full of brilliant stars above.
And before he could think too deeply about the highs and lows of his day, he was sleeping the sleep of a mortal boy.
For the first time in a thousand years.
7
Alex jolted awake with a gasp, for a moment utterly confused and disoriented.
Had he overslept again? He had had the strangest dream… and why was he sleeping outside?
Then it hit him with a shudder.
It wasn’t the day before the big game.
It wasn’t the horrible morning the tests came back, stage 4 cancer at the ripe age of 17 the bitter edge to the perfect life he had lived before his father and sisters were killed.
He had been cryogenically frozen and died in the process, his soul moving on to a completely different reality, his memories intact, thanks to the deluded belief he was merely being uploaded into a computer simulation.
And for all he knew, he was.
But the hard tapping against his ribs by the beautiful girl kitted in full lamellar armor, holding a fifteen-foot-long spear felt all too real. Her armor was definitely something out of a K-drama, but the sword at her hip looked like a gladius, and he noted extra steel bars secured to her armored left forearm and gauntlet.
He blinked, at a momentary loss for words, before twinkling jade eyes smiled into his own.
“Get up, sleepyhead. My advice? Take care of your body necessities where I showed you last night, and dart back in the shop as fast as you can. Maybe if you show Father you’re as diligent and hardworking as you had claimed you were last night, he might actually give you a chance.”
She gave him a careful appraisal before nodding. “Amazingly, your old-fashioned changshan tunic with the bone buttons doesn’t have a single wrinkle or trace of dirt on it.” She passed him a bone toothed comb. “Too bad the same can’t be said about your hair. Now move!”
Alex nodded. “Thank you, Liu Li. If I may ask, why are you kitted up for battle?”
“What, this?” her eyes widened. “You even have to ask? I’m training. Now get going!”
He quickly bowed his head and did just that, instinctively looking back when he heard a short, powerful cry, catching sight of Liu Li expertly spearing rings tied to ropes in several nearby trees, for all that her pike was fifteen feet long at least. He was no expert, but she flowed like silk from movement to movement, striking out at all angles despite the considerable awkwardness one would assume with a weapon that long and massive.
He gulped in surprise, bowing his head once more before turning back to the entrance of the squat pagoda that served as alchemy shop and home to the father-daughter duo.
Only then was he utterly certain that all of this was real.
Because in every fantasy novel, eastern or western, that he had ever read, in every game he had ever played, it was the glorious sword or axe that saved the day and won the war, daring death-defying feats the stuff of legend and story.
But historically, unless used in shield formations where could be very effective indeed, swords were almost an afterthought.
It was the spear that won or lost most wars, and few polearms were more decisive than the lon
g spear or pike at winning wars, as Macedonia’s own Alexander the Great and countless 15th century Swiss mercenaries could all attest to, once upon a time.
If Liu Li had been dancing about the yard with a pair of saber-like dao or a jian straight sword, Alex would have smiled in appreciation, even excitement.
Now, though, he felt nothing but grim foreboding, remembering last night’s conversation, all too well aware of the historical realities of war.
Why should it be any different here? Because the only way this reality could be a game was if Earth was as well.
He shook away the brooding thoughts, quietly opening the now unlocked back door after refreshing himself and both wetting and combing back his hair, eager to make himself useful to the man he hoped would soon be his employer.
“Oh, you’re here,” grumped Liu Jian, handing him a small basket filled with packets wrapped in what he thought might be rice paper. “These are for some of my sicker patients. Make sure you follow the directions of each of them when making your deliveries.”
His eyes widened as the man handed Alex a basket, shooing him to the door before turning to greet his first customer.
Alex blinked.
Directions?
He gazed carefully at the packages, frowning as he noted lines with numbers beside them before turning in 90-degree arcs.
Liu Jian glared at Alex, turning back to his customer with smiles and laughter.
“I have a new assistant. He’s a bit of an idiot. Please excuse me one moment," he said as a wealthy-looking man smirked at Alex before the latter's attention was distracted by Liu Jian rushing him out the door.
“Are you a fool? Look! The directions are clear as day!” He pointed to his right. “Of course, you always start facing South. Then you orient left or right or whatever other direction the lines turn, and you cross as many streets as there are numbers! Once you arrive, if you are still an idiot, you can ask any passerby if you’re before the correct address. Now get going, boy! You already overslept, and I will have you pay off your dinner before I feed you again!”
Alex blinked then nodded as the instructions finally made sense. “Yes, sir. But how would I have ever known that South was the starting… never mind, sir. The fault was mine. I’ll get on this right away.”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reborn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 1 Page 12