A knock on the door startled me. Who could it be at this hour? The people of Riverside were not the type to visit in the middle of the night.
Something was wrong. I felt a surge of fear and started to tremble. I glanced at Big. F, who was sleeping peacefully in his aquarium.
I saw my reflection on the glass: tall, 1.86 meters in height. My brown hair was medium-length and silky, envied by many.
My skin and muscles were in great shape. I realized how much I had changed since I left Earth, where I was a frail mortal who could die any minute from an accident or a disease.
I was now a cultivator! My power in the third layer of Qi Condensation was not impressive, but it should be enough to defend myself.
I approached the door, reached for the knob and opened it. I expected to see a bandit with a sword or a dagger, demanding everything I had.
But to my surprise, the person outside was a young woman in a long cloak, similar to the ones worn by the Cloud Sect.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you so late," she said, gasping for air. "This may sound weird, but can I come in?"
I sensed her aura and found out she was in the first layer of Qi Condensation. She was weaker than me and did not seem dangerous, so I let her in.
"Sure, come in," I said, stepping aside.
She walked to the dining table and sat on a chair.
"Do you want some water?" I offered.
She smiled and said, "Yes, thank you very much."
I wondered why she came to my door at night. She looked sweaty and anxious.
Was someone chasing her?
The first thing that crossed my mind was how oddly she behaved. I went to the window of my cabin and looked outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever might be after her, but I saw nothing.
"Well, I suppose I owe you an explanation for my sudden arrival," the girl said, setting the glass of water back on the table. "I'm actually an immortal!"
I knew that already, but I pretended to be shocked, widening my eyes and covering my mouth. "Really?"
She seemed pleased by my reaction and continued with her story.
"I'm just a low-level cultivator, nothing remarkable. As I was telling you, I ran into a powerful beast in the nearby forest and had to escape. That's how I ended up at your door. Could you let me stay here for a few days? My senior will come for me soon!"
I wasn't thrilled about having a stranger in my house, even a beautiful woman. But I agreed anyway.
"Alright. I'm Tian Li, and you?"
"Wan Yu. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Well, I don't have an extra room, so you can sleep in mine and I'll take the couch. Is that okay?" I asked.
She blushed and said shyly, "Sure, that's fine."
I had no idea what was going on in her head, but I decided to ignore it and go on with my life as usual.
One thing I noticed was that she was nice to me, even though she thought I was a mere mortal. That was rare among cultivators, and maybe it was because she was still weak herself. Most of them were arrogant, especially those who called themselves young masters…
Oh, young masters. I hoped I wouldn't run into one of them. They would only cause me trouble. Anyway, I got some new blankets for Wan Yu and slept in the living room while she took my bed.
The rest of the night was peaceful. I don't recall waking up again until the next morning.
I was surprised to find a breakfast waiting for me when I got up.
"Eggs?" I asked.
I didn't have any chickens on my farm yet, so where did Wan Yu get the eggs from? And the
She jumped when she saw me behind her.
"I got up early and went to the village to buy them. Don't worry, I used my own money," she said.
Wan Yu cooked some eggs and rice over a small fire, filling the air with a warm and savory aroma. I was not picky about food, so I appreciated her simple meal.
We sat at the table and ate in silence for a while. Then Wan Yu asked me, "Do you need any help on the farm?"
"Thanks for the offer, but you don't have to. You can spend your time doing what immortals do. I'm sure they're hard and exhausting."
She smiled faintly and said, "Speaking of immortals, you look about my age. Have you ever thought of taking a test to join a sect? I know that many people can't become immortals, but it's worth a try…"
She seemed genuinely worried about me, but I didn't tell her that I had already joined and left a sect. Well, I had no intention of joining another one, at least for now.
"I'm sorry, but I have no talent for these things. I'd rather stay here on my farm," I said.
Wan Yu respected my feelings and dropped the subject. As we had agreed, she stayed in meditation and practiced her techniques while I worked on the farm.
The workers I hired had done most of the new buildings, and they looked just as I wanted. They were sturdy and spacious, blending well with the natural scenery.
The fruits and vegetables I planted were sprouting. I spent the morning weeding and getting rid of the insects that tried to eat my crops. I used some of my cultivation skills to enhance their growth and quality, but the effect was mild. What I hoped was the help of my system, but I would have to wait till the crops were good to harvest.
Big T was always there, croaking near the well. He was always eating the bugs in my plot, and looked at me with intelligent eyes. We were good friends.
Everything was going well, and since I had some free time, I decided to join the hunting group from the village.
"So you showed up today!" A voice greeted me as I arrived at the meeting point.
The one who said that was the same man who invited me to the hunting team. A cultivator in the first layer of Qi Condensation. His name was Kang Duyi.
Kang Duyi brought two more men, who were regulars on the hunting team. They were not immortals, but mortals with some hunting skills.
"What's the plan for today?" I asked.
"The usual, but some villagers reported some weird noises in the forest nearby, so we'll check that out too!" Kang Duyi said.
I agreed and followed them to the forest, carrying a backpack with some survival gear, a sword and a wooden bow. I hoped it would be an eventful day.