Chapter 104: Life 62, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
I appeared in a dirty alley. After taking a quick look around, I headed in the direction that sounded the noisiest. The alley opened onto a street that felt oddly familiar. Old women were selling vegetables from blankets lying on the ground, and busy men and women could be seen everywhere, hauling boxes and guiding wagons. It looked a lot like where I always appeared in Dragon Gate City.
The architecture of this city didn’t feel too dissimilar from the Wastes. The common blue brick and yellow tiled construction was evident everywhere. However, the buildings here were much taller. Most reached at least four stories, with some over six.
The clothes were of a slightly different cut. The collars, hem, and trims were all a bit off from what I was used to, but it was all subtle. My clothes might have marked me as a foreigner, but their tattered state put me in the same economic class as the people here, so no one gave me a second glance.
As I looked around, I began to wander aimlessly through the streets. I had teleported here without any real idea of what I wanted. I wanted a normal life, but I didn’t even know what that meant. I had no idea how normal people lived. All my time had been spent with cultivators. The only true mortals I had ever really talked to were the Pavilion attendants.
What was a mortal anyway? The general answer seemed to be anyone weaker than yourself. For low-level disciples, a Martial Disciple 1 was a mortal. For high-level Disciples, anyone up to Martial Disciple 3 or 4 might be a mortal. For a Martial Master, any Martial Disciple could be seen as a mortal.
As I looked around at people who had never cultivated in their lives, I had to wonder if it was even correct to call them Martial Disciple 1. That’s how the system had referred to me when I died without having cultivated. If everybody was a Disciple, then were Disciples mortals?
The nature of mortality filled my mind, and I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I was just walking. As the day began to fade, my stomach began to growl. I needed to find a place to sleep for the night. I needed to find a meal. Where could I go?
After a bit more wandering, I found a street full of vendors selling various foods to the passersby, so I approached to buy something to eat.
There were people selling some type of bun, people selling skewers of unidentified meat, and a lot of people selling stir-fried vegetables they were making over an open flame.