Li Xiaojun walked through the unfamiliar terrain, his mind still buzzing from the encounter with Xuan Yan. The landscape was wild and vibrant, completely different from the grim, concrete jungle of Newer Borealis. The air was clean, almost unnaturally so, and there was a strange sense of calm despite the looming uncertainty of his situation.
But as Xiaojun's head cooled down, the questions he'd been pushing to the back of his mind resurfaced. He had woken up in a world that looked like Murim Conquest, a game that was supposed to be fiction. Worse, he wasn't just in the world; he had a system similar to the one in the game—a system that was granting him real power. It all seemed impossible.
He needed information, and fast. A basic understanding of how this world worked was going to be crucial if he was going to survive, let alone figure out a way back to his real life—if that was even an option anymore.
After a few minutes of walking, Xiaojun came across a small dirt road cutting through the forest. It wasn't much, but it suggested civilization nearby, or at least other people. Maybe a village or a town. If he could find someone willing to talk, he might be able to piece together what exactly was going on.
But before he could take another step, the system chimed again in his mind.
[Quest Activated: Find the Nearest Town]
Objective: Reach the nearby settlement for information.
Reward: 100 Cultivation Points, 1 Minor Healing Pill.
Xiaojun raised an eyebrow. The system was giving him quests now, too? He smirked, shaking his head. "So I'm on rails now, huh? Fine. Guess I've got nothing better to do."
Following the road, Xiaojun moved quickly but cautiously. While he had some new-found strength, he knew he wasn't invincible. He wasn't even entirely sure what "Qi Condensation, Stage 6" meant in practical terms. In the game, it was still low-tier, but in the real world? He didn't want to find out the hard way that he was still weak in the grand scheme of things.
The path eventually led to a clearing, and in the distance, Xiaojun could see signs of life—wooden buildings, smoke rising from chimneys, and the faint buzz of voices. It wasn't a sprawling city like the ones in Murim Conquest, but more of a humble, rural village. Farmers were tending to their fields, and merchants were pushing carts along a dusty street.
As he approached the village, Xiaojun realized he needed to blend in. He wasn't sure how people would react to his sudden appearance, and the last thing he needed was to stand out more than necessary. After all, Xuan Yan had already made it clear that this world had its own hierarchy, and Xiaojun had no idea how deep those power structures went.
Pulling the hood of his tattered cloak over his head, he slipped into the village, moving toward the bustling market square. It wasn't hard to see that this place was far removed from any major sect or power. The people looked simple—farmers, traders, blacksmiths. There were no flashy cultivators wandering around, no grand displays of martial power.
But even in this quiet village, Xiaojun could feel eyes on him. He caught glimpses of people whispering to each other, their gazes lingering a bit too long. He tried to ignore it, focusing instead on finding someone who looked like they might be useful. An innkeeper or a shop owner, perhaps. Someone who dealt with strangers.
As he made his way through the crowd, a rough hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Oi, you there," a gruff voice growled from behind him.
Xiaojun froze. He turned slowly, keeping his face calm but alert. The man who had stopped him was tall and stocky, with a thick beard and a scar running down the side of his face. He was flanked by two other men, both similarly rough-looking and armed with crude weapons. Bandits, maybe. Or local thugs.
"You're not from around here," the bearded man said, his voice low and menacing. "You got the look of someone lost. Why don't you hand over whatever valuables you got on you, and we'll let you go without a problem?"
Xiaojun frowned. It was always the same—people looking to exploit anyone they thought was weaker than them. Even in a new world, some things never changed.
"I don't have time for this," Xiaojun muttered, pulling his shoulder out of the man's grip.
The bearded man's eyes flashed with anger. "You got a smart mouth on you, boy. Let's see how smart it is when we've knocked a few teeth out."
Before Xiaojun could respond, the two men flanking the leader lunged at him, clearly expecting an easy win. They were fast, but not faster than Xiaojun's new reflexes. He sidestepped the first swing, ducked under the second, and delivered a swift punch to the gut of one of the attackers. The man crumpled, gasping for air.
The second thug barely had time to react before Xiaojun grabbed his wrist and twisted, flipping him to the ground with ease. The man yelped in pain, clutching his arm.
The leader took a step back, eyes wide in shock. "What the...?"
Xiaojun narrowed his eyes. He wasn't looking for a fight, but if these guys insisted on pushing him, he wasn't going to hold back. He raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, summoned a small arc of lightning to dance between his fingers.
"I suggest you walk away," Xiaojun said calmly, his voice cold. "Before things get ugly."
The bearded man's face went pale, his bravado crumbling in an instant. He took a step back, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"W-We don't want any trouble, alright?" the man stammered. "We were just... y'know, trying to make a living."
Xiaojun lowered his hand, the lightning dissipating. "Then make it somewhere else."
Without another word, the thugs scrambled to their feet and hurried away, leaving Xiaojun standing in the middle of the market square with more eyes on him than ever.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He hadn't meant to draw attention, but now he'd made a scene.
Before he could think about what to do next, a new voice spoke up from behind him. This one was softer, but authoritative.
"That was quite the display of power for someone traveling alone."
Xiaojun turned to see a woman standing a few feet away, watching him with keen interest. She was dressed in fine robes, clearly of higher status than the villagers around her. Her long black hair was tied up in an intricate bun, and she carried herself with a grace that immediately set her apart from the rest of the people here. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, were focused entirely on him.
"You don't seem like a simple wanderer," she said, stepping closer. "Who are you, really?"
Xiaojun's mind raced. Whoever this woman was, she wasn't someone he could easily brush off. And from the look in her eyes, she wasn't going to leave him alone without answers.
For the first time since arriving in this strange new world, Xiaojun felt genuinely on edge. He wasn't sure what game this woman was playing, but he had a feeling she knew more than she was letting on.
"I'm just passing through," he said carefully. "Nothing more."
The woman smiled faintly, clearly not buying his story. "Passing through, with skills like that? I doubt it."
Before he could respond, she gestured for him to follow. "Come. I think we need to talk. And don't worry, I'm not like those thugs. I offer... opportunities."
Xiaojun hesitated. He didn't trust her, but at the same time, he needed answers. And this woman seemed like she might be able to provide them—if he could survive whatever "opportunity" she was offering.
With no other choice, he followed her.