Chapter 10 ( peace )

  “What the hell kind of cultivation world is this?” Adam muttered, still half in disbelief as the cityscape unfolded beneath the drifting ship.

  Lian Hua, sitting on the rail beside him with her arms crossed and a small smirk playing at her lips, tilted her head.

  “Hits a little close to home, doesn’t it?”

  Adam glanced at her. “You knew?”

  “Not exactly, but you’ve got that look. Like someone who’s just seen their past and future high-five each other.” She turned her gaze back to the urban-sect hybrid below.“People like you end up here sometimes. Pieces of other worlds bleed in… or maybe the world’s always been like this. You’re just now catching up.”

  Adam shook his head, still smiling. “You’ve got a poetic streak for someone whose main contribution to the mantis fight was yelling ‘hit it harder’ from a safe distance.”

  Lian Hua raised an eyebrow. “Hey, don’t underestimate morale support. I like to think my yelling kept them alive.”

  Adam smirked. “Yeah, nothing gets the blood pumping like someone screaming ‘DO SOMETHING!’ every ten seconds.”

  a voice boomed from the ship’s upper deck.

  “We’ll be arriving shortly. You’ll disembark at Driftwood Brook,” called the Foundation Establishment elder piloting the vessel.

  The airship slowed and began descending toward a winding river that cut through the forest on the outskirts of the city.

  Adam turned toward Bo Jin, who had been leaning silently against the railing, arms folded, eyes closed.

  Bo Jin opened one eye as if sensing the gaze. “I am a man of my word,” he said simply. “I’ll return what is yours. Look for me after you reach the sect.”

  Adam nodded once. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Then, from above, Grand Elder Guo floated down beside them, his robes still faintly crackling from residual lightning energy. He extended a sealed scroll, his expression unreadable.

  “Adam,” he said, voice steady but calm, “I heard from the younglings”

  “you’ve shown potential… and more importantly, resolve. The Grand Harmony Sect recognizes both.”

  He offered the scroll to Adam.

  “This is a recommendation letter. Take it to the Sect Registration Pavilion. Show it, and you’ll be treated as a candidate disciple, pending evaluation.”

  Adam took it, surprised by the weight of it—not just the paper, but the meaning. “Thank you, elder.”

  “You’ll need to prove yourself,” Guo added. “But consider this an open door.”

  Then, from the deck, Zhou Ren approached, holding three jade talismans shaped like fluttering leaves.

  “One-time use,” Zhou said. “Slow Falling Wind Talismans. They’ll guide you gently to the ground. Can’t have our potential sect members splattering before the entrance exam.”

  He handed one to Adam, then one each to Old Bao and Red the fox, who blinked up at him in mild suspicion before taking it in her little paw.

  “See you at the sect,” Zhou Ren said with a slight grin.

  Adam took a deep breath, held the talisman tight, and leapt from the ship.

  Wind rushed past him, but the talisman glowed softly, slowing his fall like drifting on a breeze. Below, Driftwood Brook sparkled in the morning sun, its waters winding through gentle hills and cultivated spirit fields that led toward the Grand Harmony Sect.

  For the first time since arriving in this world, Adam didn’t feel lost.

  He felt… excited.

  And maybe—just maybe—like he was about to find out where he belonged.

  Adam, Red, and Old Bao touched down gently along the banks of Driftwood Brook, the talismans dissolving into glowing dust as their feet hit solid ground. The brook babbled softly beside them, weaving through the peaceful town like a silver ribbon.

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  The streets were surprisingly clean, lined with quaint buildings that looked like they’d been plucked from an old-world fantasy—except for the asphalt roads, working streetlights, and the occasional spirit-powered car humming past. It was a strange marriage of modern and mystical.

  Old Bao stretched with a crack of his back. “Ahh… finally back. So, kid, you got any coin on ya? Might be time to rent a room at an inn or find a tavern for some warm soup.”

  Adam blinked, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… not a single copper.”

  Bao scratched his beard with a thoughtful grunt. “Well, damn. Guess you can crash at my place for the night. Ain’t fancy, but the roof doesn’t leak. Much.”

  Adam looked at him—really looked. Then smiled and grasped Bao’s hand. “Thanks, Old Bao. I mean it.”

  As their hands touched, Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly. His ability surged—silent, unseen.

  In a blink, memories and mental impressions flooded in.

  The currency here: copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and cultivators currency spirit crystal which were just like the light crystal just not attuned to any element .

  The layout of Driftwood Brook: three major districts—Market Ring, Residential Hill, and the Outer Fields.

  Bao’s house: nestled at the edge of Residential Hill, between a talisman shop and a noisy noodle stall run by someone named Aunt Lin.

  He even learned that Bao liked plum wine, hated radishes, and once lost a bet cause of a spirit pig.

  All of it was processed in a heartbeat.

  Adam let go, casual. “I appreciate you letting me stay at your place.”

  They began walking, Red riding on Adam’s shoulder like a sleepy guardian.

  But before they got far, Bao glanced at Adam’s exposed sword-arm—the strange markings and unnatural gleam along his skin still pulsing faintly with dormant Qi.

  “Eh, one more thing,” Bao muttered, digging through his robes and pulling out a thin strip of cloth. “You’re gonna want to wrap that up.”

  Adam raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “That arm of yours,” Bao said, nodding toward it. “It ain’t right. People see it, they’ll either think you’re cursed, or that you’re some rogue cultivator who botched a forbidden technique. Either way, they’ll avoid you—or worse.”

  Adam looked at the arm for a moment, thoughtful, then took the cloth and began wrapping it. “Noted. Don’t need any more attention than I already get.”

  Bao chuckled. “You’ll get it anyway. But let’s try not to make enemies before lunch, eh?”

  The three of them continued through the winding streets, heading toward the old man’s home—each step bringing Adam deeper into this strange, twisted cultivation world.

  After winding through a few crooked alleyways and stepping past a noodle stall that smelled suspiciously like spirit beast broth, they reached a modest wooden house nestled at the edge of Residential Hill. The tiles were a bit crooked, the door had been patched more than once, and a bamboo wind chime clinked lazily in the evening breeze.

  Old Bao pushed open the door and bellowed inside, “Oi! Xiaoyan! Xiaomei! I’m back, and we’ve got a guest!”

  The house stirred.

  First came a boy, lean and sharp-eyed, stepping out with a wooden practice sword still in hand. His sleeves were rolled up and sweat glistened on his brow. Lan Xiaoyan’s gaze locked instantly onto Adam, specifically his wrapped arm, and narrowed in suspicion.

  Behind him, a girl peeked from the hallway. Lan Xiaomei’s steps were quiet, reserved, and her hands were tucked behind her back. She gave Adam a small, polite bow, but kept her distance.

  “Kids,” Bao grunted, waving between them. “This here’s Adam. He saved my hide when I was in the beast-infested wilds. If it weren’t for him, I’d be snake chow.”

  Xiaoyan’s brow twitched. “That arm…” he said cautiously. “It feels… wrong.”

  Adam lifted an eyebrow. “Takes one to notice one?”

  “Xiaoyan,” Bao said sharply, “manners. He’s a guest. Besides, that arm may look weird, but it held off a beast that nearly swallowed me whole. You’d both be lighting incense for me right now if he hadn’t stepped in.”

  Xiaomei stepped forward slowly. Her voice was quiet, but curious. “You fought a sea serpent?”

  Adam gave a half-shrug. “The elder did all that work. I just stopped your old man from getting eaten by a ice snake.”

  She tilted her head slightly, eyes flickering with cautious respect. “That still takes nerve.”

  Xiaoyan crossed his arms but relaxed slightly. “If father vouches for you, I guess that counts for something.”

  Bao clapped a heavy hand on Adam’s back. “See? Told ya. They’re good kids. Come on in, get comfortable. Xiaomei, set another bowl for dinner. Xiaoyan, help me get the kettle going—we’ve got stories to swap.”

  Adam stepped inside the home, Red hopping down from his shoulder and curling up near the low table. The house felt lived-in, worn with care—old scrolls lined the shelves, and a cracked saber hung over the hearth.

  For the first time since arriving in this chaotic new world, Adam felt something unfamiliar.

  A small, strange comfort.

  Dinner was simple but warm. A steaming pot of rice, sautéed spirit cabbage, a small dish of preserved river beast, and an egg soup that smelled faintly of medicinal herbs. The family sat around a low wooden table. The candlelight flickered, casting soft shadows across the room.

  Old Bao did most of the talking.

  “…and then he cut down a whole damn tree and hurled it like a divine javelin!” Bao slammed his cup on the table, eyes wide with excitement. “It slammed right into the serpent’s head! A beast the size of a damn house, mind you!”

  Xiaoyan raised a brow. “Wait—you’re saying he threw a tree at a snake?”

  “Threw it, then charged right after it like a lunatic!” Bao leaned forward. “And get this—Red, the fox, she blinded the serpent with a blast of light, just as it turned to eat him!”

  Xiaomei’s eyes widened. “She can do that?”

  “Oh, it gets better,” Bao grinned. “Your boy here touched the serpent and made it just… stop. Froze like it forgot how to breathe. Like he ripped the instincts right out of it.”

  Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chewing a bit of rice. “It wasn’t that dramatic.”

  Xiaoyan gave him a slow, assessing nod. “You turned a snake into a statue with a touch. That’s not dramatic. That’s terrifying.”

  Xiaomei’s gaze lingered on his sword arm. “Is that how you did it? With that?”

  Adam glanced at his arm. “Kind of. It’s… complicated.”

  Bao waved his hand. “Point is, if he hadn’t acted when he did, I’d be a block of meat ice right now.”

  Xiaoyan snorted. “And you still have the nerve to ask me to clean the gutters like that’s dangerous.”

  Xiaomei giggled behind her bowl. “Is the outside world really that full of monsters?”

  Adam paused, looking down at his rice. “Full of monsters, full of people trying to be heroes… and a few unlucky ones stuck somewhere in between.”

  Bao laughed, his voice deep and genuine. “Spoken like a man who’s lived through some nonsense.”

  Red, perched quietly by Adam’s feet, accepted a bit of dried meat from Xiaoyan with a dignified nod. Even the fox seemed to relax.

  By the time the plates were empty and Bao started yawning loudly, the air around the table had softened into something domestic. Familiar. Adam hadn’t realized how much he missed that kind of noise—the clatter of bowls, the squabbling between siblings, the warm hum of life without tension.

  Old Bao clapped his hands and stood. “Alright, that’s enough chatter for tonight. Adam, the spare room’s yours. Might be a bit dusty, but it’s got a bed, and it doesn’t bite.”

  Adam thanked him with a small smile, bowing his head to the kids before retreating to the offered room.

  —

  The door creaked softly as he closed it behind him.

  The room was small. A single window looked out onto the quiet, lantern-lit streets of Driftwood Brook. The bed wasn’t much—just a woven mat with some padding and an old woolen blanket—but it looked like paradise.

  Adam sat on the edge, slowly easing himself down, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

  “A bed… gods, I forgot what this felt like.”

  Red leapt onto the bed without ceremony, curling up right beside him like a tiny living heat pack.

  Adam stared at the ceiling for a moment. The soft creak of wood, the faint whisper of wind outside, the lingering warmth of food in his stomach… it all felt so strangely foreign and nostalgic.

  “It’s crazy how fast everything moves here… monsters, immortals, floating sects, death at every turn… but right now, this—this is good.”

  He turned on his side, arm under his head, Red gently pressing against his chest.

  “Just for tonight… no stress. Just sleep.”

  With that thought, Adam closed his eyes. The world melted away into stillness.

  And for the first time in what felt like years, he slept like a normal person—no nightmares, no tension.

  Just peace.