Both of Cai Gen’s granddaughters, who had somehow maneuvered to sit by either side of Alex by the fire, nodded animatedly at that, favoring him with fluttering lashes and smiles increasingly bold as the now late-afternoon repast went on.
“Of course, it’s more than just Grandfather finding a pair of men who can farm and fight, who will benefit the clan. It’s about us finding men who are strong and wise, fierce to their enemies, yet tender to the ones they love,” said the girl named Chun, soft brown eyes gazing boldly into Alex’s own as rose-hip dyed lips softened into an inviting smile. “It’s about finding men who are smart enough to appreciate the treasures before them, who hunger not just for adventure and the wealth of ever-bountiful crops, but who crave the sweet honey of romance, and the honor of fatherhood as well.”
Her twin sister Fang nodded, her smile an echo of Chun’s own. “And for a man who is truly a cut above all his competition, two wives could he earn the adoration of, when most mortal men could only hope for one.”
Alex swallowed, heart pounding in his ears as his now freshly-cleaned cheeks flushed a bright crimson, their wagon train having stopped for food and rest by a nearby stream some time ago.
The fire had faded to coals, and most of the men had drifted to their wagons to sleep under their cargo beds with small woolen blankets that allowed for the illusion of privacy even as a full half of the wagoneers kept careful watch on top of their produce-filled vehicles, crossbows at the ready, in case spirit beast or two-legged predator should head their way.
Somehow, Cai Gen had made himself scarce during the moments his granddaughters had taken up the reins of conversation, more than a few tidbits of luscious cooked meat caressing Alex’s lips as the night wore on and lectures about life outside the major cities turned to talk of their hopes and dreams, the girls having claimed his food bowl and feeding him personally; a high honor, they both assured him.
Alex had enjoyed listening to their insights, experiences, and life lessons, regaling them in turn with tales of a wondrous world filled with magic crystal screens that could display all the secrets and mysteries of the world, magnificent cities of glass and steel whose soaring towers could kiss the heavens, and gigantic metal birds that could carry hundreds of mortals across the heavens. So too he told tales of vast ships hundreds of yards long that held thousands of guests enjoying endless entertainments as they casually sailed all the world’s seas, or the sight of thousands cheering among a million flickering lights before the most exotic musicians anyone could even fathom, able to synthesize countless harmonies into one unified whole.
He had happily lost himself in spinning tales from his own world and childhood for a time, and had almost forgotten himself when Fang’s soft fingertips caressed his lips with a soft giggle, Chun’s husky whispers caressing his ear, enticing him with the promise of relaxation and massage.
He had fought for their lives, after all. The least he could do was allow them to ease his strains away.
Alex swallowed, suddenly realizing the peril he was in. Because what was next on the agenda for both of the giggling twins eager to claim themselves a powerful husband who could perhaps single-handedly keep their entire clan safe was obvious to everyone, the entire caravan very deliberately not looking towards the dying embers of the fire at the center of their defensive ring of wagons.
And Alex would be lying to himself if he denied that he was tempted. The now boldly-smiling girls had long since removed their hair pins, shaking free lush manes of silky black hair after insisting Alex share a flask of rice wine he was wise enough to sip sparingly, loosened cheongsams now revealing secrets he knew better than to glimpse too overtly.
He certainly couldn’t deny that they were both lush and more than pleasing to the eye, and would no doubt make their future husband or husbands very happy indeed. But this wasn’t anything like the high school he had once attended, where wealth and indulgence had been the norm, and casual relationships or friendships with the sweetest of benefits that might, or might not, turn to love, had been a regular thing.
These were girls forged in a world of constant danger who were looking not for a fling, but for an alliance with a man who was strong enough to protect them. And they weren’t afraid of being very direct about what they had to offer in turn. Sweetest companionship and loving company for the husband who would keep them safe in a world where violent death was forever just a single mishap away.
But Alex had already given his heart to another, and he dare not risk a single fall from grace, at least not until he reached Silver, which already seemed impossibly far away.
He was beyond flattered, heart racing faster and harder than it had when he had been fighting for his life, just hours ago. And at that moment, he could think of only one way out that would allow them all to save face and him to keep his cultivation base.
He raised a clenched fist and hissed. “Silence! I hear something coming this way!”
Both girls instantly paled, delicate brown eyes widening with dread, and Alex saw for the first time just how fragile a pair of sweetly seductive masks they wore, no longer hiding the desperate terror beneath their smiles.
Alex could only imagine the constant fear they lived in, understanding with sudden clarity how such a perilous life could leave any woman thinking that sharing their protector with another was a small price to pay if he could just keep them all safe, especially if the second wife was someone you already loved.
He took the time for a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. But just in case, let me do my part in exchange for the exquisite meal and fine company by helping to patrol our camp.”
And before they could say anything further, he had leaped for the nearest wagon top, exchanging quick whispers with the startled crossbowman before effortlessly leaping for the tree tops, eyes scanning the trade road and the turnoff leading to their snug encampment even as his breathing slowed and deepened and he spent the night embracing Eternal Fox so deeply it was as if his mind had split, simultaneously reveling in the revitalizing flow of Qi easing his strained channels while his eyes tracked the progression of a quiet night until the first crimson rays of dawn.
You have spent an additional 8 hours cultivating Eternal Fox. Hours needed for next breakthrough: unknown.
You have detected no signs of danger.
Your peripheral meridians are fully healed.
Alex took a pleased breath when the first golden rays of true sunlight emerged over the tree tops, automatically pulling himself free of his meditative trance, his brain just as refreshed as if he had woken after a good night’s sleep as opposed to eight hours of intensive cultivation. Best of all, the carefully paced healing of his peripheral meridians had caused him no more pain than a tingling itch that abated completely by the time he was entirely restored. Something he was truly grateful for.
Of course he knew that were some things not even meditation could fully compensate for, certain processes involving REM sleep and other elements he had learned all too much about when forced awake for days on end enduring the most agonizing of therapies, just before everyone had given up all hope and his cancer had claimed victory over his dying body.
He gave an involuntary shudder, for a moment gripping the tree he had rested in so easily as tightly as his mortal enemy or lover, heart racing with remembered dread before he took a deep breath, and pushed it all away.
One breath followed another as he found solace in the man he was becoming, having developed a body that would be the envy of any college Olympian, sleek and athletic, with a gymnast’s grace. He was no longer the delirious, dying boy who had been frozen perhaps just hours before his life completely trickled away.
He couldn’t help but smile at his now powerful grip that had actually dented the wood with strength the equivalent of a gold medalist power lifter back home.
Despite all the trials and tribulations that he had been forced to endure, he had so much to be thankful for.
He wiped
away a single bittersweet tear, more grateful than words could possibly say just to be alive and in the body of his dreams, all thanks to his own efforts and the precious handful of souls who had gone out of their way to help him.
People he would now do all he could to protect, as soon as he forged himself into a warrior worthy of standing by their side in a world of noble intrigue, elite cultivators, and deadly peril.
Qi Perception check made!
Divine artifact Finesse check made!
Alex’s eyes lit up as he spotted a number of herbs and exotic flowers filled with various forms of Qi energy, taking a quick stop before heading back to the encampment as he traced his finger across lush soil in a convoluted design that, with a single squeeze of his will, pulled precisely half the valuable alchemical plants into his artifact’s garden while leaving the other half to grow and flourish as they would. The priceless patches of herbs and flowers were glowing so brightly with Qi that, to him, they looked almost like the brilliantly glowing harvestables from his favorite games of a lifetime ago.
He now had living specimens of almost every single herb and cutting he had learned the particulars of under Liu Jian. And after collecting tiny clusters of foolsbane and deathberries he discovered under a decrepit-looking elder pine, in addition to the beneficial sageroot and lotus blossoms he had found earlier, he now had access to every ancient poison he had mastered before entering his thousand-year hibernation as well.
In fact, the only plants he was missing from his collection were silverbells and shadow blossoms. And what a prize those priceless plants would be for his garden.
He breathed deep of the crisp forest air redolent with the scents of loamy earth, honeysuckle, and the teasing scents of a dozen exotic blossoms perfuming the early morning air, realizing he had already spent nearly two hours harvesting plants, so excited with his first find that he had almost completely forgotten about the caravan of farmers he had rescued, and a part of him was eager to lose himself in the hunt for those exotic herbs.
But a faint cry far off in the distance froze him.
It could have been someone calling his name.
It could have been a call for help.
He chuckled softly to himself, already knowing what he was going to do, his easy loping stride soon turning into a sprint, Alex taking advantage of the run to try to tap into his Eternal Fox cultivation technique and embrace a sort of moving meditation. Even if he dare not fight while half in trance, after a few moments he found he could balance the needs of his body with the gifts of his technique, such that his legs tingled with a constant infusion of energy as he loped through the woods just as fast as if he were riding trails using his ancient mountain bike, bursting into the clearing to the surprised stares of over a dozen farmers getting their wagons organized and ready to head out.
Alarmed gazes quickly turned to relieved grins, Cai Gen beaming his way. “Alex! Glad to see you came to join us after all. Come, sit beside me! You look like a man excited by his find. Did you harvest some exotic prize last night, some valuable cutting? Good for you! I know just the man to sell it to, once we arrive at Erjizhen.”
Alex couldn’t help grinning and nodding, doing his best not to flush under measuring gazes of Chun and Fang, the twins once more the pictures of grace and refinement, hair done up in elegant plaits, high-collared dresses showcasing their impressive endowments in a way Alex found both seductive and classy, before quickly pulling his gaze back where it belonged.
He effortlessly hopped beside the gregarious elder taking the lead, who had a surprisingly perceptive eye, for all that Alex hadn’t thought his harvesting had been that obvious. Then again, this was a clan of farmers and harvesters who reveled in making their living in lands fraught with peril as well as the potential for grand rewards. Few would have been better able to recognize a kindred spirit with a taste for adventure and discovery as they.
Alex then carefully pulled out some of the sageroot he had found, seemingly carefully kept in his pack, earning a pleased smile.
“Sageroot in its prime, roots perfectly kept in a ball of loam. Well done, Alex. The alchemists will pay you a decent bit of copper for that.” The older man gave an approving nod. “You’ve obviously got an eye for herb hunting. That plant blends in so well with its surroundings that you could spend all day hunting for a patch just feet away, and never find it.” He gave a rueful chuckle. “It’s amazing how many plants rich in spiritual energy are so very good at hiding in plain sight, is it not?”
Alex couldn’t help smiling at that, his Qi Perception assuring that for him, the exact opposite occurred, the plants literally popping brilliantly against far more plain-looking foliage, just as if he were harvesting in his favorite games. He could only imagine the fantastic edge this would give him, should he ever seriously take up the profession in the future.
“It certainly is exciting making a find,” he conceded.
He then turned to the man whose careful gaze was only slightly at odds with his carefree smile and patter. “I’m happy to report that I spotted no slavers, spirit beasts, or other trouble heading our way last night.”
The old man chuckled softly. “I’m glad to hear it, lad. And I can only say that I am both grateful, and regret if we gave you any cause to feel that we expected it of you, or anything other than that you sit back and enjoy yourself, knowing how much we appreciate having a hero in our midst.”
Alex bowed his head. “I was just happy for the meal, and for the wonderful company of your beautiful granddaughters.” He flashed a gentle smile. “I can only imagine it is no easy thing finding suitors worthy of their hearts. Men who are both bold and daring enough to make their living beyond the confines of safe city walls, yet who are also intelligent, loving, and loyal. And, of course, I would do absolutely nothing to lower their worth in the eyes of any future husband.”
Cai Gen smirked, before giving an appreciative nod, for all that his eyes were firmly on the road. “I know you’ve got a noble heart, Alex. I could tell that straight off. So, too, I can spot a pair of wandering feet destined to see as much of this glorious land as they can before maturity and common sense grab ahold, and you find yourself thinking as fondly of a hot meal, warm bed, and even warmer company, than spending yet another sleepless night in deepest wilds, hoping the spirit beasts can’t smell you while you’re shivering in the damp, chilly hours before dawn. I didn’t quite think it was time for you to put down roots, boy, though my granddaughters had hoped otherwise.”
Alex nodded. “No doubt their future husbands would think me a fool for the choices I make.”
“And be damned grateful that such a noble fool chose to wander by in our hour of need! As if he knew just when and where to be.” The elder tilted his head, flashing a curious smile. “A wise fool, some might say.”
Alex laughed at that. “I’ve certainly been called worse.”
Cai Gen patted Alex’s back. “You’re a good lad,” he said, the pair of them enjoying a peaceful morning under the lush woodland canopy before it suddenly broke, revealing a magnificent lake of shimmering crystal blue waters, the elevated road cutting straight across the body of water. Yet Alex saw no arches which would allow the water to pass freely underneath it.
The placid waters looked virtually identical on either side, enjoying similar elevation, and Alex was near breathless with wonder at the glorious panorama before him, a stark contrast to the lush, closed-in forest. Only then did he catch sight of the walled town along the far shore that he could just make out in the distance.
“That there’s Erjizhen, perhaps the largest free holding outside the divine cities the gods themselves founded,” Cai Gen explained. “See those protective walls encasing it like a shell? Not wood, but actual stone.”
Alex looked and whistled, impressed despite himself, for all that it was only a tiny fraction of the size of Yidushi.
He took the time to study the trade city from a distance as they made their way along the perfectly straight road
Alex thought must truly be a ley line of sorts, noting a number of streamlined sailboats as well as massive triple-masted junks that reminded Alex of seventeenth century galleons more than anything else. Only a few ships were actually sailing. Most of them were secured at the docks with dozens of workers scurrying about, securing ships and cargo, looking positively tiny at that distance.
Alex noted as well a number of warehouse-like structures by the docks, just before the city wall, no doubt allowing for the efficient storage of goods and trade between vessels without either party even having to enter the city proper, the whole harbor area a miniature city just beyond those imposing walls.
Alex whistled. “Erjizhen is a major trade hub, isn’t it? You’ve got naval trade in addition to who knows how many farming clans like your own traveling these roads, exchanging produce and grain for goods needed back home.”
Even as he said the words, Cai Gen’s caravan passed another band of giant wagons going a bit faster, as they were empty save for far more condensed bags of goods, though there was the braying and bleating of considerable livestock roped up behind their wagon train. Nods and a few quick words were exchanged.
“Ho, Cai Gen! A bit late hitting the city this year, hey, friend?” said a gregarious-looking farmer wearing a conical hat, brilliant white teeth a striking contrast to skin the color of toasted almonds.
Cai Gen didn’t deny it. “Right you are, Deng. Keep your crossbows loaded and your men’s wits about them. We ran across an even dozen slavers led by a bastard who had broken through to Bronze. He was even able to ward off our bolts!”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4 Page 16