Is it wrong to cultivate in the dungeon?

As I walked back to the village, I thought about how to avoid making a new crater in the ground and scaring the crap out of someone.

The biggest thing I needed to do was make sure I didn’t let my emotions get the best of me and affect my Qi. I will definitely try not to get as emotional as I was before, but my emotions weren’t the core problem.

The problem was that my Qi went out of control and empowered my leg when I didn’t mean for it to. If I had kept my Qi under control, then it wouldn’t have mattered if I stomped the ground in frustration.

So, the only thing I needed to do was keep an eye on how my Qi was behaving and make sure it wasn’t doing anything out of my control. That would be the best I can do for now, until I figure out why my emotions are as erratic as they have been.

It wasn’t too often, but now that I knew what I was looking for, something was not adding up. Ever since I came to this world, I have had these little episodes where my emotions got the best of me.

And they had been getting more frequent as of late. Meaning that whatever was causing it was getting stronger.

Monitoring my Qi should give me a signal that it was happening again. And I should be able to calm down, or at the very least make sure I don’t terrify some poor soul again. Eventually, I need to get to the bottom of why it’s happening, but that’s a problem for another day.

With that plan in mind, I spent the rest of my walk back observing how my Qi acted normally. It was kinda like taking your resting heartbeat and then using the increase to realize when you were stressed or not.

I found that normally, my Qi seemed pretty active. More active than I expected, if I’m being honest.

I thought it would be more like what I read in the stories. In those, Qi usually just stays in the cultivator's meridians and lazily flows around. It only gets sped up when the cultivator is using it, if there is a tribulation, or the cultivator is going into Qi deviation.

Mine could not be described as slow by any stretch of the imagination. It constantly zipped around my meridians and interacted with everything. I tracked some Qi, and it did a full loop of my meridians in maybe five minutes.

I was a little worried about that. And there was nothing in the manual about Qi speed either. Joy.

You know, for a manual that is supposed to teach someone about cultivation, it didn’t have a lot of explanations. It was almost like it was halfway finished, or relied on someone already having knowledge that I just don’t have.

I mean, I had some knowledge. Enough to get by for now, but I was lacking a good amount of information for sure. Information about what is called the “traditional way”.

Very annoying and now, starting to become a problem. If I had a manual about the traditional way, I could find out about why the Qi had colors, or if my Qi speed was faster than it should be.

I just don’t know. It’s a gap in my knowledge that will always be there and one that I’m just going to have to accept. I have to hope that I’m not doing anything wrong and end up killing myself.

A familiar pressure settled in my chest as my stomach turned at the thought before I shoved it away. My Qi spiked at that moment too, turning more chaotic and messy before it went back to normal.

Well, at the very least, I confirmed that my emotions affect my Qi. I took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it go. Alright, no more thinking about that.

I arrived at the village after a few more minutes. The guard was still there, as was the crater I made. I strengthened my resolve to keep my Qi under control when I looked at the crater and put on a smile as I approached.

“Hey, monsters are all taken care of,” I said lightly and stopped a few feet in front of him. I figured keeping a distance was a good way not to spook him.

His eyes went wide as they looked me up and down, taking in my blood-soaked form before he shakily asked, “A-are you alright?”

“Yeah, the blood’s the monsters’. I didn’t even get a scratch on me,” I said, and waved to myself. It was true, the monsters weren’t even a threat.

“I-I see…Then, they are all dead?” The guard asked after a few moments.

“Yep, I brought their magic stones here as proof, too. Here you go,” I reached behind me and pulled out the bag of magic stones from my ring before extending it to the guard.

He hesitated for a moment before he took a few steps forward to close the distance I had left between us and took the bag from me.

He opened it and let out a gasp. He threw a look between me and the magic stones before ultimately handing them back to me and saying, “I’ll take you to see Chief then. He’ll want to thank you for it.”

I nodded and said, “Thanks, though the pot is really the only thanks I need. Oh, and a hot bath if you have it. If not, then just a bucket of water so I can wash off the blood.”

“Of course, we can get you a bath. And the pot too. Please, follow me,” The guard said quickly and turned into the village.

I followed and looked around as we made our way through it. The village was smaller than Ouka’s village, but not the smallest I had seen when I was traveling.

The walls circled the whole thing, while the buildings were mostly made of brick with straw roofs.

They weren’t particularly big, but they seemed well taken care of.

There were a few people on the street as we passed, who quickly made way for us and started talking in hushed whispers.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the not-so-subtle glances thrown my way, it was probably about why the guard was bringing a stranger in covered in blood.

There was just a nervous air in the village as a whole, I noticed. It was hard to describe, but the vibe in the place was just off.

I had a feeling that even if I wasn’t here, they still wouldn’t be happy. I was just one more thing that seemed to add to their worry.

Hopefully, they were worried about the monsters before. I already took care of that, so that should help ease the tension in the air when they learn about it.

I stopped looking around and focused on the guard again when we arrived at the big house in the center of the village.

Looks about as official as you could get in a small village. I wonder how the Chief convinced everyone to build him a bigger house than theirs?

“Please wait here for a moment while I inform the Chief of your arrival,” The guard said politely before heading into the house and leaving me alone.

I looked around again, admiring the view. It wasn’t much to look at, nothing compared to the skyscrapers back home or even Orario, but it had a charm to it.

Just some people, doing the best they could with what they had, where they were. No great quests for immortality, no heroes and villains duking it out, just peaceful everyday life.

I felt a surge of satisfaction well up in me when I saw everything. I had helped protect this place, just a little bit. Sure, the adventurers were gonna come and take care of the monsters, but I had helped just the same.

It just felt nice to do something to help them out. I notice my Qi picks up as I thought about it, but it quickly calmed back down again. Hmm, so both positive and negative emotions make it act out.

I heard shuffling coming from the house, snapping me out of my daydreaming. I looked toward the door, expecting the guard to come back out, but nothing happened.

I frowned before leaning in a bit closer to listen to what was going on. People were talking and moving about, but I couldn’t hear what was being said.

The voices were quiet, but one they were picking up in volume. It sounded like an argument. And I could guess who it would be about.

Maybe I should just leave? I already scared the hell out of the guard, and the chief doesn’t seem to be pleased with the situation either. I really only need the pot, and that doesn’t have to come from this village.

It would be a pain, but I would rather walk back to Orario, get a pot, and then walk back here to pick up my plant if it meant avoiding this.

I was just about to leave and do just that when the door opened and out came the guard. I quickly jumped back and made it look like I wasn’t just trying to eavesdrop on them.

“Follow me, please.” He said quietly. He looked kinda sad. I guess he did get chewed out by his boss just now.

I debated saying I was just gonna leave, but ultimately decided against it when I felt how sticky I was when I moved. I’ll definitely get that bath from them before I leave.

I stepped forward, trying to wipe my shoes on the welcome mat as good as I could before heading inside.

The inside had wooden floors, surprisingly tall rafters, and a small living room with chairs, a rug, and a fireplace.

The man, whom I assumed to be the Chief, was standing in front of the fireplace and staring into the mug in his hand when we entered.

He was an old man with a white bushy beard, large eyebrows, and a bald head that shone in the light. He was skinny, full of wrinkles, and looked like he was in his seventies or eighties.

“Ah, you must be the brave adventurer who lent us aid in our time of need. We welcome you and thank you for your assistance. We are still gathering the payment, but it will be ready soon. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable,” The Chief said in the politest tone possible before placing his mug down on a table with another mug and a teapot and doing a slight bow.

It made me uncomfortable. Like, super uncomfortable. One, because the dude looked like he was about to fall over when he bowed, and two, because I didn’t do it for money, I did it because I wanted to.

“Um, please don’t bow. There is no need. I helped out because I wanted to, no other reason. If you could just give me a plant pot, and maybe a bath too, then I’ll be on my way,” I said awkwardly and scratched my neck.

“Of course! Alm will prepare the bath for you at once. In the meantime, would you like to partake in some food and wine? I can only hope our humble village can offer you a taste that you find agreeable,” The Chief said, not bowing this time but still having a polite tone of voice.

I heard the guard shuffling out of the room behind me after he said that, so I guess his name was Alm. Good to know.

“I’m not very hungry, and I would hate to take some of your food. Really, just the pot and the bath are all I need,” I said. My Qi had picked up a little, but it was still well within my control.

“Oh, then perhaps some tea and pastries? It will take a couple of minutes for Alm to prepare the bath, so please forgive us for the wait. I can only offer these meager accommodations, and for that I humbly apologize,” He said before pouring some tea into the empty mug on the table.

Once he filled it up, he poured some into his own mug before lifting it and taking a sip.

“It is still warm, I assure you. I just brewed the pot before you and Alm arrived. I can only hope you find it suitable to your taste. And feel free to sit, though once again, I can only hope my meager furniture suits your taste,” He said as he took a seat in one of the chairs before gesturing at the chair across from him.

“I… I will take you up on the tea, but I’ll stand. I don’t want to ruin your chairs with the blood,” I said before going and picking up the mug with the tea.

“I thank you for your consideration, dear adventurer. Please feel free to sit if your legs get tired; my chairs are of no importance when compared to your comfort,” he said lightly before taking another sip.

“Right…Thank you,” I said after a few moments, taking the mug and giving the tea a sip. It tasted good, though the only tea I had before coming here was the sleepy time stuff with honey.

The room fell silent for a moment; the only sounds were us taking sips of the tea and the distant noises of people outside. It was awkward and stifling.

“Tell me, oh brave adventurer, how was the battle with the great beasts? I pray that you did not get hurt, though the blood makes me fear the worst,” He started talking, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

“The blood isn’t mine. It’s from the bugbears. There were a lot of them, but I didn’t get a scratch on me. I brought the magic stones back in case you want to verify how many there were for yourself,” I said, starting to reach behind me for the bag, only to be stopped by the Chief.

“That won’t be necessary, brave adventurer. Please, tell me about the battle. This old man had always dreamt of adventure, but now, in my old age, I can only indulge in stories,” He said again.

“Oh, it wasn’t much. Let’s see, they were camped out in the fortress not that far from here, just like Alm told me,” I started to explain the tale to him.

He was a good audience member. He clapped and gasped when I told him how I got over the wall and how many monsters I had to kill. It was almost like I was talking to Meteria again.

Expect, something felt off. It took me a while to put my finger on it, but eventually I realized what it was. It was genuine.

With Meteria, her reactions were real. She just wore her emotions on her sleeve, and everything had slipped out without her input.

The Chief’s reactions weren’t real. Or at the very least, he had to purposefully let them out at the right moments. He was good at faking it, the excitement and the tension that Meteria actually felt when I told her stories, but he was still faking it.

I only noticed because I had Meteria to compare it to. Otherwise, I might have thought it was real.

Now, I wasn’t upset that he was faking his reactions or anything. I don’t expect everyone to react to stories like Meteria did.

I was mostly confused as to why he was putting in the effort to act like that in the first place. Like, he was the one who asked. Why bother asking if he didn’t care?

Also, the way he was acting was awfully familiar… I had seen or heard of someone acting like this before. Where?

I kept mulling over it before the answer came to me. He was acting like those shopkeepers in

Xianxia stories after a young master came in.

He was treating me like one of them. Just like Alm did at the gate. Only this was worse.

Irritation flashed in me, my Qi whipped up in response before I crushed both of them back under control. I didn’t get to be annoyed or angry at this dude, not when I acted like one of those cultivators.

The guard just assumed I would be like them, like other adventurers, as he put it, but the Chief had heard the story from Alm and acted accordingly.

A new rush of emotions came over me as I thought about that. Guilt again for scaring both the guard and my extension, the Chief, as well as anger at myself for letting it happen in the first place.

I couldn’t hide my grimace when I thought of everything. I had helped the village, sure, but I had also proceeded to scare someone I was supposed to protect and gain a negative reputation with the Chief.

Probably the whole village, now that I’m thinking about it.

If not from when Alm tells everyone about the scary adventurer that kicks holes in the ground, then from when I walked through the town absolutely soaked in blood.

I didn’t really have much of a choice in doing the second half, but that hardly mattered. The bottom line was that I fucked up, and I was not making it better.

I sighed and took a sip from my tea. It tasted more bitter than before.

The conversation had stalled. I had finished my story and didn’t feel like talking anymore where whereas I’m pretty sure the Chief just didn’t want me to be here at all.

I was thinking about calling it, just getting up and walking to Orario, and not bothering with this at all. Hell, I almost stood up and did just that. Then a commotion outside out a stop of that as I heard both the front door open and voices loudly complaining.

“What do you mean it’s been done already?! Who did it? I wanna talk to them right now!” A feminine voice sounded from outside.

Just after the voice rang out, the door opened, and Alm came in looking a bit shaken. Oh damn it.

“Chief, the other adventurers are here for the quest. I told them that we already had someone complete it, but they aren’t leaving. They, uh,... They are asking to see the other adventurer,” Alm said nervously, licking his lips and darting his eyes between me and the Chief.

The Chief let out a small sigh at the news as he made to stand up. I beat him to the punch, though.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to them,” I said. They didn’t sound happy, and I didn’t want to leave the village at the mercy of some angry adventurers.

“Ah, real quick, do you have a rag I can use to wipe myself down a bit? I just want ot gt some of the blood off me before I go out,” I pause for a moment, thinking about how I already made a bad first impression on the village, I don’t need to make a bad one on the adventurers.

Well, judging by the tone of the shouting coming from outside, I don’t want to make a worse one than I already have.

“O-of course. Give me a moment.” Alm said before disappearing for a moment before reappearing with a damp cloth.

It wasn’t enough to remove the stickiness I felt, but it was enough to clean up my hands, arms, and face. My clothes were still bloody, but without a bath, there wasn’t a point to changing into new clothes.

Realizing that this was as good as I was going to get, I went outside and prepared to face some very angry adventurers.

When I stepped outside, I wasn’t immediately punched or stabbed, so this was going better than I thought it would already.

I adjusted my posture to still be ready for any counterattacks as I roamed my eyes over the adventurers that I had pissed off.

There were four of them. All women with dark skin, no shoes, and very little clothing made me like 90% sure they were Amazons like AIsha.

The front one had a sword at her waist, and her arms crossed over her chest while her foot angrily tapped the ground. She was wearing all purple, from her crop top to her short shorts. I wondered how the sword even stayed in place.

Two to her left were two other adventurers. They looked nearly identical. Both wore a red band that was even less covering than the croptop, and an orange short skirt. They both had a spear on their back and a braid in their hair.

Actually, looking closer, one had her braid on the left side of her head, the other on the right side. They were both quietly talking to each other, though it looked like they were giggling about something.

The remaining adventurer was the most covered up, not saying much, though. The other three had their stomachs exposed; this one wore a long, flowy shirt with short sleeves. It was very thin and almost see-through, but technically her stomach was covered. She wore a pair of short shorts like the first one, though hers were black instead of purple.. She had a pair of daggers at her waist and was quietly observing the village.

“Hello, I’m Leon! I heard you guys wanted to talk to me?” I introduced myself with a wave and a friendly smile. Only one of them seemed annoyed, so I hoped I could diffuse the tension and let this all end on a happy note.

The angry-looking one stopped tapping her foot and leveled a glare at me that quickly turned into a more curious expression when she looked at me. The twins stopped talking and threw a glance my way before growing silent as well. The last one stopped looking around and just kept looking me up and down.

It was then that I felt the world go weirdly silent as a strange tension built in the air. I shift a little, both because of nerves and to ready myself in case they decided to attack. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel⟡fire.net

Was it something I said? No way, I just introduced myself, how could that possibly offend them?

The silence stretched for a moment before the leader smiled and stepped forward. Gone was her annoyed expression. Now she was all smiles. I’m not sure what she was thinking about, to be honest, but it wasn’t hostility at the very least.

“Hello to you as well. I’m Layla. That’s Mira, Lina, and Dalia,” she introduced herself before pointing to her companions. The twin with the left braid was Mira and and the one with the right braid was Lina. The other one was Da.lia.

“We’re with the Ishtar familia and here for the quest. It’s nice to meet you,” Layla smiled, and I felt nervous again.

Seriously, what the hell was happening?

================================

Yay! New chapter done!

It’s a bit smaller than usual, but I wanted to put something out, just to try and slowly get back into the swing of things. I’ve been pretty busy, so updates are gonna slow down probably. That or be smaller. Either way, I want to try and get back to uploading consistently, whatever schedule that ends up being.

As for the story, we are at the kick-off point, as it were. The little pieces are gonna come together, and we have the first major arc, The Entertainment District. It’s gonna be fun.

Poor Leon just wanted a pot and a bath; now he’s got to deal with these thots. Truly, there is no justice in the world.

Let me know what y’all think and all that jazz. I like reading comments; it’s just fun for me. Also, shoutout to my Gunfuckers, Nikkers, and Snowbros. I just wanna see if any of y’all are reading this.

That’s all for now. Until next time, Friends!