After we had cleaned up the clearing and tended to the injured, the merchant approached us. He spoke in a kind of Chinese that I didn't understand, but Nori, the AI in my head, translated his words immediately.
"Thank you very much, strangers. You saved our lives," he said, his voice full of gratitude.
I replied in English, and Nori immediately translated my words. "No problem, man. We just couldn't stand by and let those robbers attack you."
The merchant seemed shocked, and I noticed him flinch. Confused, I asked Nori. "Did I say something wrong?"
Nori replied immediately. "Your words were very informal and could be considered disrespectful. In this culture, it's customary to speak formally and respectfully, especially when thanking someone."
I nodded and immediately added an option in Nori's translation function to speak formally. Then I turned to the dealer again.
"Please excuse my previous language. It was not my intention to be disrespectful. We are glad we could help," I said, this time in a much more formal tone.
The merchant smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, strangers. Your help will not be forgotten." The merchant handed us a small bundle. "Please, take this as a token of our gratitude," he said. I opened the bundle and found some silver coins inside. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Then the dealer turned to Mark. "Your weapon," he said, pointing to the pistol in Mark's holster. "I've never seen anything like it. Could you tell me where you got it?"
Mark, still shaken from the fight, looked at the dealer. He seemed unsure of what to say. I stepped in and answered for him. "It's a weapon from our homeland. It's not common here, is it?"
The merchant shook his head. "No, I have never seen anything like it. It is a powerful weapon. You saved our lives with it. Where are you headed?" he asked.
I looked at Mark, who still seemed a little shaken, and then replied, "We don't have a specific destination yet. We're new to Xianxia and wanted to explore the area."
The merchant nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well, if you don't have a destination yet, perhaps you could consider accompanying us. My name is Li Wei, and I work for the 'Jade Lotus' merchant guild. We are traveling from the city of Yulan to Zhenqi to sell our goods. It is still about ten days' journey to our destination. After today's raid, we could use an escort. And I'm sure you could learn a lot about Xianxia on your journey with us."
He paused for a moment before adding, "For your services as escort, I would pay you fifty silver coins each."
Mark and I looked at each other. It was an unexpected turn of events, but it seemed like a good opportunity. We could explore the world, learn more about the culture and people, and help someone at the same time.
"We would be happy to accompany you," I finally replied. Li Wei smiled and thanked us. I introduced myself, "My name is Tian Ming." Mark looked at me and added, "And I'm Park Jae-sang, but you're welcome to call me Psy."
I sent Mark a secret message via the telepathic link with NORI. "Really now, Psy?", I wrote in my mind.
Mark replied to me in the same way, "Honestly, Tian Ming, we don't look Chinese anyway."
And so began our new adventure in Xianxia, not as simple travelers, but as escorts of a merchant caravan from Yulan to Zhenqi