Walking for a few days alongside the river, Alex settled into a routine. With each stop, he created a checkpoint for himself in the form of a house. Each new house improved his control over his skills; with more effort and imagination, the structures grew more refined—two rooms, with intricate designs, and furnished with mud sofas, tables, and bedding. The second room was a full bathroom the size of a normal room, complete with basic plumbing and a small pool big enough for five people. It wasn't easy work and took at least three refills of his energy pool each time, but he did it to become familiar with his abilities.
He tried flying between stretches of travel, but it exhausted him quickly. With his cultivation only at the second level of Foundation Establishment, which he had reached on the tenth day, his spirit had risen by just 30, bringing the total to 60.
"Finally… fucking finally," he exclaimed when he saw a semi‑cleared path—a clear sign of a road.
He was standing on a small hill; the river flowed downhill, and below he spotted the road and a wooden bridge. The planks did not inspire much confidence in any traveler.
Agreeing with his own judgment, he noticed a cart and a few people on one side of the bridge, flailing their arms in what looked like an argument.
He walked downhill and reached the bridge from the opposite side.
Finally, humans. Deciding the bridge was strong enough to hold his weight, he crossed over.
As soon as they noticed him, the people arguing fell silent and stared.
"Hello, I'm Alex. Can someone tell me what this place is called and where I can find the nearest town or city?"
One of the old man looked him up and down then laughed and replied
"Haha, I am Ma Rong. You can call me Old Ma. I have to ask, are you all right, young man? You look like you've just fought for your life. Is there anything on the way we should be worried about as we head to Raum City?" the old man asked. Alex pegged him as the carriage driver.
"Ah, no, nothing like that," Alex replied. "I got lost in the forest while traveling to the city and had to pass through it. As for these clothes, I found them on the way and had to wear them after losing my own to a strong current while bathing. I left them on the bank, and a surge washed them away. So you don't have to worry—there's no danger on the road." He glanced down at his tattered outfit for emphasis.
"Oh dear, you've gone through a lot. Why don't you join us? I can take you to the next city. All I ask is that you help move the luggage of these good people to the other shore and lessen the burden on the bridge. It's old and in need of repair, so crossing with too much weight might cause big problems for my patrons," Old Ma requested.
"Old Ma, that's not something we can agree to. What if he runs away with our luggage? It's not some cheap trinkets that can be lost due to your carelessness. Even if you forfeited your life, you wouldn't be able to repay it," one of the two men who had been arguing with Old Ma said, glaring at him. Both carried spears and looked like the typical guards of some young master.
Am I going to meet a young master even before reaching a village? Alex thought, amused.
"Ha ha, nothing like that, Mister He. Why don't you send Gao Yong to the other side while this young man helps move your luggage? That way, he won't have any chance for mischief. Yes, yes, then you won't have to lift a finger—just like proper noble guards," Old Ma said, smoothing things over.
"Ha, you should take better care of your daughter, old man." the other guard intrude in to the conversation.
"How can she fall ill on the day of our journey? If she were here, we wouldn't be having these issues, and we wouldn't be forced to trust the luggage of our young master to some stranger," Gao Yong said, sneering at Alex. Still, he obeyed when Mister He told him to cross to the other side.
Alex followed Old Ma to the back of the carriage to move the luggage toward the river end. Inside were only two intricately adorned chests, which looked small enough for one person to carry.
Maybe they're filled with precious metals and weigh a lot, Alex thought.
He climbed up and grabbed one. It felt light as a feather. Deciding to make only one trip, he stacked the second chest on top and lifted both at once, making Old Ma's jaw nearly hit the ground.
"How… Those are each a thousand catties. How are you lifting them like they weigh nothing?" Old Ma squeaked.
"Ah, that… well, they're really not that heavy. I exercise daily, you know. A hundred push‑ups, a hundred sit‑ups, all that."
"That's not how it works, young man. If exercise alone made someone that strong, I'd be doing it daily too, ahaha. Perhaps… are you a cultivator?" Old Ma asked. Alex could hear a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Well, I do cultivate. A senior passed through my village and saw some potential in me. That senior told me, 'If there is any fate between us, we will meet again,' and left me a cultivation technique" Alex replied, trying to ease their worries.
"Hm. Well, some great cultivators do like to go out and find disciples outside their sects. I just hope you weren't visited by a demonic cultivator. They usually spread slave cultivation techniques as 'teachings' and then harvest the people cultivating them, using their master techniques to nourish themselves. Why don't you let me check your manual, so you can be sure you weren't duped?" Mister He said, cutting in after hearing their conversation and realizing Alex was a cultivator.
"Ah, that… I apologize, but I lost it along with my clothes while bathing," Alex replied.
"haa.. Truly, cultivation techniques are wasted on such fools, how could you loose such precious things" Mister He muttered, shaking his head like a disappointed elder as he lost interest in Alex.
Taking the chance, Alex jumped down from the carriage and started walking toward the bridge.
Old Ma took his place on the driver's seat and urged the horses forward as soon as Alex reached the other side.
Mister He was following behind Alex, making sure Gao Yong didn't anger this cultivator; otherwise, it could end in all their deaths. Just from seeing Alex handle the chests so easily, he knew this was not an easy opponent.
Besides, although both he and Gao Yong were cultivators, it was mostly in name only. They were at the peak of the mortal realm—stronger than ordinary people, but not qualified to truly call themselves cultivators yet.
What he didn't know was that his nephew Yong was already too arrogant after spending a lifetime by their young master's side. After being tricked by Old Ma and losing the chance to travel with Old Ma's beautiful daughter, he had decided to punish this stranger in the middle of nowhere.
This is the perfect place to get rid of this nobody and throw his body into the river. Old Ma will get the scare of his life and offer me his daughter while begging for mercy once he understands his place, Gao Yong thought while planning Alex's demise.
They could have easily taken a carriage from their own household, but they had decided to use the merchant association, targeting Old Ma in particular because he usually brought his daughter along. Knowing this, Gao Yong had arranged this trip deliberately, but Old Ma had seen through him and left his daughter at home. Since they had already made a fuss about requesting Old Ma specifically, breaking the contract would have caused the association to lose face, so Mister He decided they would complete the trip—leaving Gao Yong simmering in frustration.
All of that led to the current situation.
As soon as Alex reached the other side and bent down to set the chests on the ground, Gao Yong swung his spear in a single motion, aiming to decapitate him.
When Alex bent down to place the chests, he caught a glimpse of the attack coming from the corner of his eye. Instead of fear, a strange excitement surged through him.