Immortal Paladin

005 A Fine Paladin

With a flick of my wrist, I retrieved a pair of plush, cushioned chairs from my Item Box, letting them materialize in the open air with an effortless motion. Gu Jie's eyes widened in disbelief, and I couldn't help but savor her reaction. Honestly, who else would squander storage space on furniture? I would, obviously.

Back in Lost Legends Online, I'd planned to hawk looted furnishings for quick coin from tables, rugs, even broken statues. The game didn't care if you stripped a dungeon bare. If something wasn't nailed down, it was mine. If an entire throne room fit inside my inventory? Also mine. Then my PC exploded, and the next thing I knew, I was trapped in a xianxia world with enough home décor to furnish a sect.

Gu Jie, now decently clothed, lowered herself into the chair with the kind of stiff unease usually reserved for high-ranking officials and overly fluffy pillows. I followed suit, settling into my seat and letting out a sigh as I leaned back. The atmosphere shifted, more tea parlor than battlefield. Time for answers.

I laced my fingers together and rested my hands on my lap, keeping my tone measured. "Let's start with something simple. Why turn to banditry?"

Her shoulders tensed, fingers curling into fists. "I needed resources," she said, voice low.

I tapped my knuckle against the armrest, unimpressed. "You'll have to be more specific than that."

"Food. Medicine. Qi-nourishing herbs." She hesitated, then added, "I have no sect. No patrons. No one backing me. I'm alone… and I have nothing."

That much was clear. Her frame was too thin, her eyes slightly sunken. Rogue cultivators rarely fared well without a faction's support. Most wouldn't last a season without turning to theft, smuggling, or worse.

"Fine," I said, shifting in my seat. "What's your cultivation level?"

"Martial Tempering Realm," she replied. "First Star, Late-Stage."

I nodded slowly, pretending to understand, though the terminology might as well have been alchemy to a goldfish. I kept my face neutral. "And that means…?"

She gave me a flat stare. "It means I'm in the first major cultivation realm."

"Right. And how many are there, exactly?"

"Eleven total. I only know the first four. They're called the Four Great Attributes."

At my nod, she continued, her posture straightening as if reciting from memory. "At the base is Martial Tempering. It's about fortifying the body from muscles, bones, to stamina. Before a person can shape the mind or spirit, they must first strengthen the flesh."

I gestured for her to go on.

"Next is the Mind Enlightenment Realm," she said. "It focuses on refining mental strength. Cultivators become more perceptive and more attuned to qi. They gain heightened senses and stronger intuition."

The idea of fighting someone who could anticipate my every move didn't sit well. I suppressed a grimace and let her speak.

"Then comes Will Reinforcement. Here, a cultivator solidifies their intent. Their techniques become manifestations of their willpower. A strong-willed cultivator can suppress others just by being nearby."

So intimidation became a literal cultivation technique. That sounded just wonderful.

"And the last one you know?"

"Spirit Mystery Realm," she said, her voice quieter now. "That's when a cultivator begins grasping the deeper laws of the Dao. Their qi undergoes qualitative change. They gain abilities that defy ordinary understanding."

I let out a slow breath, absorbing her explanation. Each of these realms, she'd said, was divided into nine Stars, with each Star split further into Early, Mid, and Late stages. So the structure went something like this:

Martial Tempering Realm → Nine Stars → Three Stages per Star

Mind Enlightenment Realm → Same structure

Will Reinforcement Realm → Again, same

Spirit Mystery Realm → You guessed it

And we were still only four out of eleven. Whoever designed this system had never heard of simplicity.

I bit back a sigh and forced my lips into a diplomatic smile. Gu Jie was watching me closely, waiting for some enlightened insight. Instead, I gave her a slow nod, my voice calm.

"Alright. That makes sense."

It didn't. But I wasn't about to admit that.

"So… say I meet someone three Stars higher than me. How much stronger would they be?"

Gu Jie gave me a look usually reserved for people who asked if fire was hot. "It depends. A three-Star gap within the same realm might be manageable if you're talented or lucky. But if they're in a higher realm entirely, you'd be like an ant trying to fight a mountain."

Charming analogy. I didn't appreciate being cast as the ant.

"And let me guess," I sighed, already feeling the answer coming, "there are always prodigies who ignore that logic and fight people multiple realms above them."

She nodded, tone growing somber. "It's rare, but it happens. Some are born with heaven-defying talent. Others inherit powerful legacies, have unique physiques, or cultivate forbidden techniques. They don't play by normal rules."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Of course they didn't. This was a xianxia world, after all. If things made sense, I'd question whether I was still here.

I leaned back, folding my arms and silently recapping everything I'd learned so far. Cultivation was unnecessarily convoluted. I still didn't know my own realm. And apparently, some lunatics could just ignore the system entirely and rewrite physics whenever they pleased. Wonderful.

Exhaling through my nose, I gave Gu Jie a level look. "One last question."

She straightened, more alert. "Yes, Senior?"

"Where would someone go to find real information about cultivation?"

Gu Jie paused, cautious. "If you're after the best manuals, resources, and foundational knowledge, you'd need to approach a major sect, an ancient clan, or a powerful city library."

I nodded slowly. "And in this city?"

Her lips tightened before she answered. "The Golden Sun Pavilion. It's the grandest library in Yellow Dragon City. But…" She hesitated again, voice lowering. "It's not open to just anyone."

Of course it wasn't. Because nothing in this world could be straightforward.

I fought the urge to groan, already anticipating bureaucracy, bribery, or worse. "Figures."

Still, it gave me a direction. I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes. "What would I need to get inside the Pavilion?"

Gu Jie hesitated, then answered, "The City Governor's permission."

That alone introduced a dozen complications from political entanglements, exposure to sects, or becoming tangled in the power plays of local factions. I wasn't ready for that kind of attention. Not until I had a firmer grasp of my own circumstances.

Time to pivot. "Alright," I said. "Based on your perception, what cultivation realm do you think I'm in?"

Gu Jie studied me, brows drawn together in concentration. "Most likely beyond the Fourth Realm. But I can't be certain."

Not exactly helpful. I tapped my fingers against the armrest. "Try using your qi sense, if that's even real. Go on… determine my level."

She frowned at the question. "Senior, why do you ask such strange things?" She shifted uncomfortably, then continued more cautiously. "It almost sounds like you're testing me… seeing how much I understand."

I said nothing, watching her closely.

She glanced away, thinking. "Is this about your movement technique? That must be it…"

I narrowed my eyes. "Explain."

Her voice dropped, almost reverent. "The step you took earlier… that was what broke me. The moment you moved, I realized I stood no chance. I don't know what realm you've reached. I only know it's far beyond mine." Her fists clenched in her lap. "I only wish to be spared."

So that was it. To her, I wasn't just strong. I was unknowable. The Flash Step had left such a terrifying impression that she'd rather surrender herself than risk offending me. In her mind, I was a powerful cultivator indulging in some private amusement, hiding motives she couldn't comprehend.

I stayed silent, letting her dig deeper.

Gu Jie spoke again, her voice smaller. "But… your question about qi sense is odd. It has to be a test. Only cultivators in the Second Realm gain access to qi sense."

My face didn't change, but inside, something clicked. I had asked that question on a whim, but now I had confirmation: cultivators could detect each other through some intrinsic sense of qi. That meant the moment I met someone more experienced, they'd likely try to probe me.

And they'd find… nothing.

That alone was dangerous. At best, they'd think I was hiding my realm through some technique. At worst, they'd realize I wasn't running on qi at all.

If they sensed mana instead, what would they conclude? Would they think I was a foreigner, a heretic, or an abomination? Capture me? Experiment on me? Or worse… destroy me as some unnatural threat?

My fingers tightened slightly on the armrest.

The rules of this world were built around qi. The rules I came from revolved around mana. If the two weren't compatible or if mana was considered taboo, I was already living on borrowed time.

I breathed in through my nose, calming the spike of anxiety.

One wrong move and I'd be labeled an anomaly. No. That couldn't happen.

"Good answer," I said finally, offering Gu Jie a calm nod. "You passed my test."

She exhaled, relief flickering in her eyes. The tension drained from her shoulders as she bought into the idea that this had all been some lesson or trial. I let her believe that.

Tilting my head back, I stared at the sky, letting thoughts spin. If I wanted true knowledge, I'd need access to the Golden Sun Pavilion and that meant making a choice. But before I chased libraries and permits, I still had to deal with the matter in front of me.

Turning my gaze back to Gu Jie, I studied her closely. "Have you ever harmed someone with intent?"

She blinked, caught off guard by the question.

I activated Divine Sense.

Originally a scouting tool in Lost Legends Online, it doubled as a lie detector when used right. The devs had a twisted streak, designing it to punish dishonest players in negotiation quests. Here, it served the same purpose where truth was used as a weapon.

Gu Jie hesitated, then replied, "No."

My skill flared quietly. She was telling the truth.

I nodded. "You didn't lie."

She flinched slightly, and I made a note of that. Fear made people compliant. A little pressure would keep her honest.

Leaning forward, I tapped a slow rhythm against the armrest. "Now tell me your story."

She swallowed, understanding the weight of the moment. This was no longer an interview. It was judgment. Her eyes misted, and after a breath, she began to speak.

"I… My story is like most failed cultivators…"

Gu Jie was born an orphan and taken in by a demonic cultivator at a young age. Forced to train in a twisted technique, her body was shaped by methods that left internal damage and spiritual scars. She hadn't chosen that path. It had been forced upon her like a sentence carved into bone.

Under constant abuse, she somehow rose to the Fourth Realm, the Spirit Mystery. And then, just as she began to glimpse freedom, her master betrayed her. He drained her cultivation, stripped her of years of effort, and left her hollow. Dropped to the First Realm, crippled and broken, she had fled. She had been running ever since.

The frailty in her frame made more sense now. This wasn't just malnutrition. It was the aftermath of spiritual mutilation.

Her voice cracked as she finished. "I had no choice… I just needed to survive."

I let the silence hang between us, watching her carefully.

Then I sighed and rubbed my temple. Her story was cruel, but sadly familiar. This world had a way of grinding down anyone without power. Cultivation wasn't a path. It was a battlefield where the strong took freely and the weak endured. She wasn't special. But she was salvageable.

I drummed my fingers again, thinking. Honestly, I hadn't tested many of my magical abilities in this world. This felt like a good time to start.

With a breath, I raised my hand and pointed a single finger at her.

"Divine Word: Life."

The air shifted.

Golden energy rippled outward, thick with force and purpose. It wrapped around Gu Jie like a blessing made flesh. Emerald and gold veins lit up beneath her skin, pulsing with raw vitality. Her body straightened involuntarily, limbs trembling as power filled the hollow places inside her. Sunken cheeks regained their shape. Her skin flushed with health. She wasn't just healed. Instead, she was whole again.

She gasped, staring at her hands like they belonged to someone else. The look on her face was a cocktail of awe, fear, and disbelief.

Divine Word: Life was one of the most powerful buffs in the game. In Lost Legends Online, it stacked a second health bar over the original and gave unmatched regeneration. It also amplified any healing or support magic applied afterward. A spell that could tip the balance of a raid… or, apparently, restore a ruined person. It was absolute, like all Divine Words, because it wasn't a request. It was a command.

Gu Jie's voice came out as a whisper as she stood up in haste. "W-what did you do to me?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I stood and let the silence speak for itself. With a flick of my wrist, the chairs vanished into my Item Box, returning to wherever digital pocket space they came from.

Looking her in the eyes, I spoke with calm decisiveness. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. I pray you live a better life from now on."

She looked like she didn't know whether to sob or fall to her knees.

And honestly?

I was a little proud of myself.

I made a damn fine paladin.