Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

Chapter 169 - The Golden City

I adjusted to the gray and white clothes I was wearing, prepared for undercover work. They were tight around the shoulders; I should have tried them on before buying them.

The morning sun cast a shimmering sheen over the golden walls of Goldwatch City. As it climbed higher, the city began to glow as if the walls were made of molten gold. 

As that was happening, I had a front-row seat. I was walking in a seemingly endless queue along the gravel road, each of us awaiting our turn at the city gates.

Behind me, an elderly man gripped the reins of two sturdy donkeys, their coats dusty and their eyes weary from the journey. Ahead, a peculiar sight caught my attention—a man with three fingers, his knuckles white, hauling a heavy carriage without the aid of a mule. Despite the difficulty, a grim determination marked his face.

The air was thick with the scent of the morning's toil, earth mingling with the sharp tang of animal musk. Fortunately, the man before me spared me from the more pungent odors wafting from the individual behind me, who reeked of donkey and manure.

"Where are you from, young man?" the man with the donkeys asked.

"From a small town far east," I replied, turning to meet his gaze. "You might have heard of it if you're from the area. One of our farmers had a two-headed bull. Some called it a monstrous beast, but it worked on the farm and never harmed the farmer."

"Really? I'm from a village down south, so I haven't heard of it," the old man said, running his hand through the gray fur of his donkeys. "How big was the bull?"

"Big! Huge!" I looked around, finding nothing to compare the imaginary bull to. "You know those small mud houses? The ones that wash away and shrivel during Autumn."

The old man nodded as we continued down the line, almost our turn.

"Well, it was nearly the size of one of those houses," I lied with surprising ease. I'd gotten good at it.

We continued discussing this imaginary large bull as we waited in line. The old man kept asking how much the bull ate. I gave him answers, estimating how much grass a beast that size would need.

The answers weren't lies; I knew how much a monstrous beast of that size would need to eat.

The old man and his two donkeys kept me company until my turn came. When I reached the city guards, among their silver armor was the golden-armored man who had spoken to us yesterday. Another familiar figure was there too—a woman in a purple robe, indicating she was a core disciple. The loose, thick robes wrapped around her hourglass figure due to the robe she had wrapped around her mid-section.

Song Song turned toward me, raising a questioning brow. Even without asking, I knew what she meant. She wondered why I was waiting in line when cultivators could skip it.

However, I wasn't here to flaunt my status as a cultivator. I wanted the experience. Since I would likely soon learn the cultivator experience in this city, I first wanted to see the mortal side of things. Mortals might hide certain things out of fear, and I wanted to avoid that tiresome treatment.

She must have understood my intentions, as she shrugged and took the ruby dice the golden-armored man handed her.

She threw the dice on the white marble floor without much thought or concern for the outcome. The dice bounced twice and landed on a nine.

"So close, but sorry. It seems like you won't be able to enter the city," the golden-armored guard said, crouching to retrieve the dice. "It looks like your journey will be filled with inconveniences shortly. You can try again next week."

"Like this one right now, not being allowed entry," Song Song sighed. She looked annoyed but was unlikely to start a fight. She gave me one last look before walking away.

As I followed her, a man in silver armor awaited me with a red die. It looked similar to the one the golden-armored man used to test cultivators, except it was smaller.

I hadn't bothered hiding my cultivation. Someone at the level of Foundation Establishment, like the golden-armored man, would have been able to sense me even if I had tried. Yet, he hadn't even glanced my way. There was no suspicion or anything like it as if everything was under control.

"Come forward, young man," said the guard in silver armor. Unlike the others, who wore silver masks where their helmets would have shown their faces, his face was uncovered. He had a flat nose with a golden ring through his nostrils.

He handed me the ruby die. It felt colder than expected, almost like touching an ice cube, despite the warm weather and the many hands that had touched it.

I threw the die on the ground. It bounced seven times, nearly escaping the confines of the marble platform. The guards all turned their eyes on me, none seeming to watch the die—but I did.

Despite its small size and the distance, I could see the number it landed on. Yet, the guards didn't even need to look before the one who handed me the die declared, "Sixteen!"

Even the golden-armored man, who had been talking with another cultivator from the Titanic Blade Sect, took notice. The latter seemed eager to try his luck. The golden-armored guard smiled, ignored the disciple he had been speaking with, and approached me.

"Young man, it seems like you're in for some lucky encounters soon," the golden-armored man said as he approached. The morning sunlight reflected off his armor, momentarily blinding me. "Goldwatch City welcomes you, and we hope you might consider becoming a permanent resident. We can arrange for one of our Foundation Establishment Cultivators to personally tutor you."

He took a green, rusted storage ring from his pocket and handed it to me.

Huh? I rolled good? I was expecting to fail or, at best, pass by the skin of my teeth. 

"There are a thousand spirit stones in here. Use them as you wish—sell the storage ring or do whatever you want with it. I see you already have a better one," the golden-armored man added. "Do you need an escort into the city? The guards here know the place like the back of their hand."

Wow, this was some preferential treatment.

I walked past the dice-givers as the golden-armored man returned to his duties. A silver-armored guard approached me, activating a hidden mechanism on his armor. The silver mask on his helm, the faceguard, slipped off, revealing a young man.

He had golden eyes, shaggy blonde hair, and golden piercings along the dark part of the bottom of his eyelid.

"My name is Qian Yaoting, a Qi Gathering Cultivator, and I will be your attendant and guide for the day," he said, his face remaining emotionless. He didn't even attempt to smile, looking like one of those expressionless cashiers in my last life. 

The rest of the guards, including the handsome golden-armored man, turned toward Qian Yaoting, sending him cold, judgmental looks. Even behind the silver masks of the other guards, I could tell they were displeased with his behavior. But in the end, they said nothing.

This didn't bother the young man as he led me past the gates and into Goldwatch City.

As soon as I entered, I felt several arrays wash over me.

The city lived up to its name, with windows painted gold-yellow and people walking around with golden swords on their hips. There was so much gold here that it seemed like a common commodity.

Now that I was behind the walls, I could see tall golden towers scattered throughout the city, with silver-armored men stationed atop them like some kind of observatory.

People seemed happy, and children ran about. Two young men were sparring in an alley with bronze sticks, smiling at something.

"Where would you like to go?" Qian Yaoting asked, his voice as lifeless as before.

"Do you know of a library where I could learn about the history of this city?" I inquired.

"Sure," he nodded. "Follow me."

We walked silently past the crowds dressed in expensive silk clothes and other delicate garments. Surprisingly, everyone I passed smelled nice, as if they were all familiar with perfumes. Despite the city's enormous population, there was none of the usual stench you'd expect in a big city.

Even with a silver-armored guard walking among them, the people didn't seem afraid or cautious. There was likely no tyranny here. Usually, in cultivator-managed places, the system heavily favored cultivators.

In a perfect world, people would feel reassured and happy with their protectors around. However, the reality was often different. Even in my last world, people would drive slower and act on their best behavior when cops were nearby. Cars would speed up once the police were out of sight, and people would avoid making jokes that could hint at criminal intent. But none of that seemed to apply here.

Despite the noise around us, our walk was rather quiet as the young guard said nothing.

To break the monotony, I asked him, "So, how is life in the so-called Golden City?"

"Well," he curtly answered.

I wanted to learn more about this city—how it came to be and how it worked. "How did you get a position as a guard? You seem quite young. Did the leaders see something in you?"

I phrased it as a backhanded compliment. Everyone liked compliments, especially ones that seemed unintentional.

But Qian Yaoting was a tough nut to crack. There was no apparent or readable expression on his face, just the monotone look in his eyes.

"How do you think I got the job? Obviously, I rolled the dice, and it landed on a three. People less talented than me roll higher, and somehow they get the resources and chance to cultivate all day long," he said. Though his words expressed dissatisfaction with his lot, his voice made it hard to tell whether he even cared about the outcome.

They rolled dice to make official decisions like these? Things weren't decided on merit but on how well someone rolled the dice?

Strangely, despite how things were decided, it was clear that the city was functioning exceptionally well. People were happy, and everyone seemed quite wealthy. Usually, when everyone had a lot of money, the value of money diminished. But from what the man with the two donkeys had told me, a temporary residency system allowed outsiders to enter the city as "cheap" labor, which seemed to keep the residents rich.

At least, that was my assumption. When Cultivators were involved, things could get unpredictable.

The roads were made of white stones and were remarkably clean for a city this size. There wasn't a single piece of trash on the ground, which almost felt unnatural. Especially since there was no animal manure either, despite people traveling around in carriages drawn by horses.

After walking for a few minutes, we finally reached a place that looked unmistakably like a library. A dark flag with a golden book sigil woven into it hung outside.

"This is one of the many libraries here that house historical books. Do you need anything else? If not, I'll return to my duties, and you can explore the library. If you need help, feel free to ask one of the other guards," Qian Yaoting said, his words tumbling out in a rush as if he was eager to be rid of me.

"You can return to your job," I replied, no longer bothered by his monotone manner. After all, I had a whole new library to explore!

He nodded, bowed slightly, and wore his silver mask before walking away.

I entered the library and was greeted by another extravagant sight I was slowly getting used to in this city. The library was large and had two floors. Every shelf and reading table was made of polished dark wood.

Several people were seated at the tables, absorbed in their books, while a handful searched the shelves. It was surprising to see that most of them were blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Only a few people around these regions had that appearance. Then again, we had traveled quite far from the Blazing Sun Sect.

I glanced at the library shelves, tempted to browse and read whatever book I fancied. But I didn't have the time, as any day now, we would set off for whatever awaited us in those so-called ruins the great sects had found.

So, instead of the usual browsing, I approached the counter where the librarian sat. She had long blonde hair, each strand like golden threads. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and had a mature air about her. Her blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, I was lost in her beauty. 

I found her... attractive? It was a strange feeling. I usually looked at people beyond their physical appearance. After all, if I was into only pretty women with no other qualities considered, I would marry Song Song. 

Either I was under the effect of some strange array, or since I no longer needed to be so paranoid about everything and could relax a bit while seeing the beauty of things. It could be both at the same time. 

Yet, even pretty women could not keep me from my true love. 

"Excuse me," I said as I stood before the counter. The golden-haired girl looked up at me, startled, like a cat caught off guard. Despite her surprise, I asked, "Can you tell me where I could find a book about the history of Goldwatch City?"

"Ah, um, yeah," she stammered before hurriedly standing up and retrieving a book from under the counter. She placed it atop the counter. "Here, uh, someone returned this… like a week and a day… or a couple of days ago."

I took the book, sparing a glance at the stammering girl as I read the title.

'Thousand Fold of History Gold'

A silly title, if nothing else.

 At the same time, the girl was rambling. 

"The book details how the city was founded and who the leaders have been since its founding. The City Governor has even written down many personal accounts from seven hundred years ago when he was just another civilian. That was before the lake was formed… Oh, right, you probably don't know about the Battle of the Lake. It was when the Purple Cloud Sect attacked the city, and the previous governor died in the battle. We were left with a governing body of Core Formation Cultivators. It was the hardest time for the city since we were no longer under the protection of a Nascent Soul Cultivator. Many wondered whether we would keep our traditions…"

The girl continued to ramble, her long-winded explanation becoming background noise as I decided to open the book and read.

However, the first sentence of the book told a much more intriguing tale than she could have explained:

'The Goldwatch City was founded by the Golden Luck Immortal, or as some enemies called him: The Mad Gamble Immortal.'

Now it made sense why everyone here was obsessed with rolling dice.

 

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