We made it to the first signs of civilization in just another month.
Zhi stole some clothes for us to wear, including some dark cloaks, from some bandits camped out far from the road.
Clothes.
It was astonishing how little I missed them.
I thought my fur was just fine on its own.
But I put them on anyway, because when in human town, don’t get caught.
We had to tuck in our tails, and pull our hoods low, and even then, we looked real short for a pair of adult humans.
Zhi checked over our disguises for the third time.
“Okay.
Do you remember what I told you?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Stay right next to you the whole time, let you do the talking, and if anyone asks, we’re married, and my husband doesn’t like me talking to strangers.”
He nodded.
“Okay.
Hongtai is a little backwater of a city, but it does have a third-rate sect called the Thunderous Mountain Sect.
If you see any other cultivators, stay away from them, and warn me.
All we need is to sell the demon core, and buy some supplies, then we can keep heading east.”
“Where are we even headed?
What did we have to leave the western mountains for?”
He didn’t answer for a moment.
“An old place, used by my family to cultivate for generations.”
“I didn’t realize your monkey troop had such deep roots.”
He shot me an annoyed look that gave me life, and we moved out.
Soon I got my first look at a city in this world.
It certainly wasn’t a modern city.
It had a wall surrounding it, with several guarded entrances.
The architecture reminded me of ancient China, curved roofs, homes with courtyards.
And well… the smell wasn’t that great either.
Identification was required to enter the city, but a bit of coin also stolen from the bandits was all the identification we needed.
Ah, corruption.
At least governments were the same no matter what world you were in.
I stuck close to Zhi.
In fact, I bet I was more comfortable than he was.
He stiffly walked through the crowd, freezing whenever someone stepped in our path.
Ugh, this was gonna take all day.
I grabbed his hand, making him jump.
“What are you—”
“Follow me, you’re gonna take forever at this pace.”
Tapping into my previous life, I effortlessly navigated through the crowd, turning to glare at the two pickpocketing kids as they approached us.
They backed off quick.
I saw an inn, or at least what I assumed was an inn given I couldn’t read the sign, but it was neither too busy nor too dead, so I tugged him into there.
Once we were out of the rush, I turned back towards him.
“That’s how you navigate a city.
Now, let’s go ask where we can unload our goods.”
“How… How did you do that?
You’ve never been to a city before.”
I looked around and waved to our surroundings, in sarcasm.
“Neither have you.
Yet here we are.”
His suspicious eyes reluctantly turned to the subdued conversations of the inn.
It was just before the lunch rush.
It was old, but clean, made of wood and stone.
The only workers I could see were the bartender, an older grizzled man, and a young girl, around ten, waitressing.
No child labor laws here, I guess.
We walked up to the counter and took a seat.
He set a coin on the counter.
“Two meals please.”
The bartender swept the silver coin off the counter and put two copper ones on.
After a moment, he slid those copper into his bag.
Interesting.
I quietly turned and observed the tavern, namely the money at play.
Zhi quietly asked the bartender a few questions about the city, probably where we could buy our supplies and sell the demon core.
I listened with half an ear.
Four coppers.
That was the price of a meal at a tavern.
They had holes in the middle, and some people kept them organized on strings.
I counted one careless traveler’s purse.
Ten of the copper were strung, then ten silver, and finally one gold.
Ten copper to one silver and ten silver to a gold?
I suppose that makes the math easy.
Our food arrived, and I ate my first cooked meal since I was born.
Hmmm.
Kind of bland.
I prefer food from my old world or freshly found food from the wild.
Still, the rice was alright.
I dug in.
Shouldn’t waste money.
As I finished, Zhi had his eyes narrowed at me again.
Hmm?
Oh.
I guess I was effortlessly using chopsticks.
But he wasn’t bothering to try and hide anything either anymore.
So, I just shrugged.
Zhi ate his food, then snagged the bartender, saying he wanted a room.
I figured we’d end up spending the night here.
I followed him up to our room, and he opened the door and let me through first.
There was a straw bed that could barely fit two adult humans, but we could use together comfortably, a small window with wooden shutters that were open, and a nightstand.
That was it.
That was the room.
The moment the door was closed, he threw back his hood and glared at me.
“Who are you?”
“What a weird question.
I’m Ming.
You’re the one who gave me that name.”
“No.
It’s obvious now.
You’re no normal monkey.
Who are you?” He summoned a ball of fire to try and intimidate me.
I gave him a flat look.
“Really?
Only took you over twenty years to figure it out.
I have never acted like an average monkey in front of you.”
“Then why did you ask so many questions about humans?
And you didn’t know language when we first met.”
“I don’t believe I did ask you a lot of questions about humans.
Just why you seem to think they’re so great.
And I didn’t know your language when we first met.
Honestly, how did it take you this long to ask?
Clearly, I’m not an average monkey since I was cultivating.
What did you think a normal monkey just happened to figure that out?”
He didn’t say anything for a minute.
Apparently, that’s exactly what he thought.
I crossed my arms and glanced at his fireball.
“Are you going to put that away, or are you going to burn down this whole inn?”
After a second it snuffed out, but he was still glaring.
“Who are you?
Really?”
“I could ask you the same question, Mr.
Self-Image Issues.
I can obviously tell you’re a reborn human, but I still don’t know your backstory.
If you’re ready to share, I’ll gladly do the same.”
“I already told you my name.
Don’t you know from that?”
“Again, you seem to think you’re a lot more important than you actually are.
Liu Zhihu.”
“Liu Zhihao!”
“I still can’t say that.
Look, no I don’t, and I promise you I know a lot less about this world than you do.
So, are you finally ready to share?”
Then spat it out.
“I’m Liu Zhihao.
Firstborn son of the martial family Liu.”
“That still isn’t narrowing it down for me.”
His face turned redder.
“The famous Liu swordsmanship style?
We’re the premier swordmasters of this continent!
Our family dominates all in battle with our swords and our all-around cultivation style, making us undefeated under the sun!”
It was that line, undefeated under the sun that made my brain kickstart, dredging up the memory and confirming it.
I groaned.
“Shit.
You’re… you’re that Liu Zhi…”
He growled.
“Well, it seems like you remember me now.
And who exactly are you?”
I shook my head.
“It’s not what you think.
I’m not some ancient master who ended up dying and accidentally sent my nascent soul into a monkey.
In my previous life, I was a human who lived in a different world, where chi didn’t exist.”
He scoffed.
“You’re lying.
How can there be a world without chi?”
“It just didn’t exist.
I don’t know what to tell you.
Immortality was considered impossible there.”
“Well, if you’re from a different world, how do you know me at all?
Clearly you figured out who I am.”
I nodded.
“I did, but again, it isn’t what you think.
You see, back on that world, there were stories about worlds like this one, and uh… I happened to read a story with a character who matches your name and was the firstborn son of the Liu family.”
“This is sounding more unbelievable by the second.
Is this a joke of some sort?”
“You can either believe it or not.
In that world, the Liu family killed the family of the main character.
It was a revenge plot.
The main character was called Li Xaoge, and he enrolled as the Soaring Skies Sect to get his revenge.”
Zhi suddenly looked a lot more interested.
“Go on.”
“Well, some plot happens, but the next major event of the novel is when he meets the first villain of the story at a regional tournament.
Liu Zhi—”
“I WAS A FUCKING VILLAIN!” Zhi was outraged.
He swore and kicked at the door.
I watched him throw his temper tantrum.
After he settled down, he turned back towards me.
“Continue.”
“You got your ass whooped.
So, you tried secretly poisoning his food, but he ended up exposing your plot and you were kicked out of the tournament in disgrace.”
“That is not what happened.
But continue.” His eyes were simmering.
Sure, that wasn’t what happened.
“More plot stuff that made him super strong happened, and the next Liu family plot point was when he took part in the Liang-Feng war and took down a fort defended by your uncle.”
“That did happen.
My uncle was an idiot.
Please continue.”
“Then the ball really starts rolling.
He ends up pitted against your mother in a political game of intrigue, assassins, and death that ends with him getting all the other martial families to turn their backs on the Liu family.”
He was quiet.
I went on.
“He becomes an elder of the Soaring Skies Sect, and declared a war on the Liu family who lost all their allies.
During the fighting, he confronts the patriarch of the clan, your father, with the sect leader and…”
“I know what happens next.” He turned away from me, the grief apparent on his face.
His father was killed, along with the rest of the clan.
“At the end, they find the final surviving member of the clan and kill him off.
But he spits in his face and promises to return.
And that’s the end.”
And now that final surviving member was refusing to look at me.
“How?
How did he kill off the final clan member?”
Ah.
“He confronted you alone in the treasury of your clan.
The two of you had one final duel, which you won, but he barely nicked you.
The blade was poisoned.
You succumbed slowly, cursing Xaoge and all he stood for.
And Xaoge smiled at you and said you shouldn’t worry.
He’ll make your death look like you lost the duel.”
His hands were clenched tight into fists.
“Okay… I believe you.
No one else beside Xaoge should know what really happened in there.”
I bit my lip.
“Um… Zhi?
I know… I know you can’t be okay.”
“What are you talking about?
I’m fine.
It all happened nearly thirty years ago.”
He sure didn’t look fine.
“Um… the book ended with your death.
How did you end up as a monkey?”
He took a shaky breath, and I pretended not to see him wipe his eyes as he turned back.
“It was a family treasure.
It allowed me to reincarnate with my memories intact, as if I was a Nascent Soul.
But I couldn’t pick my own body, and it ended up dumping me as a monkey.
But it doesn’t matter.
I’ll get my revenge on Li Xaoge, regardless of how many times I have to reincarnate.”
Revenge.
Of course he wanted revenge.
I could hardly fault him given everything he’s gone through.
I sighed and rubbed my neck.
“So… you want to go to the Garden of Elements?”
“How do you… was it mentioned in the book?”
“Briefly.
Because Xaoge knows about it.
I… I don’t think it’s safe to go there.
He probably has someone watching it.”
“Of course he does.
It isn’t enough he killed everyone I ever loved he has to burn everything we held sacred to the ground.
That motherfucking little…”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“Well, what do suggest?
At the rate we’re going, we won’t make it to Core Formation before we die.
That is, if you even want to stick around the villain of the story.”
“Hey, I know this world isn’t a book, and that shit’s a lot more complicated than the plot of a novel.
I don’t think you’re a villain you’re just… on the losing side.”
He brightened up.
“You… you do?”
“I mean you’re also the archetypal arrogant young master who thinks he can get away with everything by throwing his family name around, you feel like you’re entitled to everything, and you just seem to assume the world will bend itself to your will, but that’s not evil.
That’s just a mixture of being an asshole and bad parenting.”
His face fell to his usual annoyed look.
“As always you know exactly how to get under my skin.
I’m not arrogant, I’m proud.
Because my family has something to be proud of.
And my parents were great.
We all just… made some mistakes.”
I watched Zhi for a moment longer as he sighed and took off the bag, setting it heavily on the floor.
His movements were stiff and jerky.
He was upset.
Which… well, I could hardly fault him for that.
“You know, Xaoge kind of ended up as a villain at the end of the story.
I think the author was trying to comment about how the path to revenge and power can corrupt someone righteous.
So… I’ll help with your revenge, but if I think you’re going too far, I’m going to try and snap you out of it.”
He laughed, mirthlessly. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Too far?
And what exactly is going too far?”
“Um, hosting a demon in your body.
Killing women and children.
Betraying those who help you and are loyal.”
He snorted.
“What kind of idiot would do things like that?”
“Xaoge.”
He froze.
Then whirled towards me.
“I’m sorry, are you telling me Li Xaoge is a demonic cultivator?!”
I nodded.
He paused for a second before a brilliant grin stretched over his face.
“Oh, putting up with you for twenty years was worth it.
All I have to do is accuse him, and every cultivator alive will hunt him down.”
“Um, the problem is he hides it well.
If it was that obvious, he would have been found out already.
And… you don’t exactly have any credibility right now.”
“Still.
That little nugget of info is all we need to finally rip him off his high horse.
As for credibility, all we need to do is get stronger, and join a sect.
I’m sure any sect will welcome me with open arms.”
“Will they?
Because right now you’re just a monkey with illusions of grandeur.”
“Okay, the monkey thing is a problem.
But I keep telling you I’m strong you know?”
I’ve yet to see any evidence of that to back up his confidence.
“God, you’re so lucky you found me.
We’ll head to the Tang family.
They should have formations we can use to cultivate.”
He crossed his arms.
“The Tang family?
They’re declining.
Why them?”
“Because the enemy of your enemy is a possible ally.
Xaoge betrayed them during the political battle with your mother, letting them take the fall.
And… I happen to know where to find something they really want.
We should head southwest.
To the White Jungle.”
He narrowed his eyes for a moment.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.
That’s not a place where you want to mess around.”
“Xaoge stole something from the Tang and hid it there.
If we get it, we can help the Tang family and secure an ally for the fight against Xaoge.
Hmm… actually, while we’re here, can we stop by Mount Taiga?
There’s something there that can help me grow stronger.”
“Help you?
With… your blank chi?” His skepticism made me glare at him.
“Blank chi isn’t useless.
You just have to play into its strengths.
Do you want me to help you or not?”
“I wasn’t aware blank chi had strengths, but fine.
It shouldn’t take too long to get there.”
“Good.
I guess we’re doing this then.
But… it’s going to take a long time.
Xaoge was at the beginning of Nascent Soul when he got his revenge.
He’s not going to stop growing stronger either.
We should try to get to Spirit Transformation before we take him on.
That’ll take… at least a few hundred years.
At the very least.”
He grimaced.
“I know.”
“So, there’s no use rushing.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
And… what about after?”
“After my revenge?
Well, obviously I’m going to rebuild my family.”
“… As a monkey?”
He grimaced and sighed.
“Yes.
As a monkey.”
“Okay.
Well, you can’t have a family of only one.
And I’ve already thrown my lot in with you.
So… are we together together?”
He let out a long, long sigh.
“I guess it’s too late to try and back out now.
So, you want to be my first wife?”
“Ha!
Try only wife.
Even if we find another miraculously reborn female monkey, I want to be the only one you’re married to.
Or did you forget the type of monkeys we are mate for life?”
“Fine.
From now on you’re Liu Ming, my first and only wife.
Our goal is to take revenge on Li Xaoge and reestablish the Liu family, no matter how long it takes.”
I nodded.
“Sounds good to me.
But damn… why did I decide to do this?”
“Because you have nothing better to do and without each other we’d be completely alone.”
As much as it smarted, he was right.
We were just two little monkeys just starting down the path of immortality.
I could leave him and try to make my way on my own, and maybe I’d be even more successful at it, but it doesn’t change the fact that monkeys are social creatures.
I sighed.
“You forgot the grooming.
We both need groomed regularly or we’ll be eaten alive.”
“Thank you for reminding me.
Let’s rest a little while before heading out.
We’ll get our shopping done and sell the demon core and parts, then we’ll come back here.
We’ll head for Mount Taiga tomorrow, and you can tell me what’s so special about an old, abandoned mountain.”
No need to tell me twice.
I collapsed onto the bed, tired of all the talking.
Bleh.
Zhi unceremoniously collapsed beside me, just as worn out.
Well, at least we finally had everything out in the open.
I turned towards him and opened my arms.
“Cuddle?”
He grumbled but turned towards me and pulled me in.
“Ming, I’ll protect you.
So just stay close.”
“Going all mushy on me, are you?”
“No.
But you’re officially my wife now.
Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to get through me first.”
Mmm.
I closed my eyes and just enjoyed his warmth.
“I can take care of myself just fine.
You’re the one who needs more powerful techniques and a lot more practice.
Don’t take on anyone you can’t handle.
We’re going to have to raid your old family library to steal your family’s techniques back.
Then you can get some practice.”
His breathing got softer and evened out.
“Let’s just both agree to be careful.”
I was getting sleepy too.
“Fine.
We’ll both be careful.”
I drifted off tucked in his arms.