Alfir
patreon
013 Second Day
🕑 Added 2025-02-21 09:50:23 +0000 UTCThe second day of the festival was livelier than the first.
The streets teemed with even more people, and the tournament venue was packed to the brim. A towering archway marked the entrance, with two long queues stretching before it.
Gu Jie stood just ahead of me, arms crossed, surveying the scene with an indifferent gaze. Gone was the ill-fated robe from last night—today, she wore a black robe embroidered with crimson serpents, its fabric flowing like shadows under the morning light. Though the crowd buzzed with anticipation, she remained composed, tilting her head only occasionally at something of note.
Then, just a step ahead of us, a commotion broke out.
A man brazenly attempted to cut the line, shoving himself between two others without a hint of subtlety. He carried himself with arrogance, as if mere presence warranted obedience.
A hand seized his collar.
“You dare cut in line?”
The offender scoffed. “Do you not recognize me? I am Zhao Feng of the—”
He never finished his sentence.
A dull thud echoed through the air as his body struck the ground.
A burly enforcer stood over him, his strike too swift for most to catch. Though Zhao Feng was clearly a Martial-Tempering Realm cultivator, he hadn't even put up a resistance.
The enforcer dusted off his hands and motioned to the guards. “Take him away.”
Zhao Feng groaned, clutching his ribs as he was dragged off. No one spared him a second glance.
I exhaled through my nose. Yellow Dragon City truly had no patience for nonsense.
When our turn came, Gu Jie stepped forward, producing our entry tickets. Her posture was straight, her tone calm. “We are here to spectate today's matches.”
The middle-aged attendant scrutinized the tickets, then gave us a once-over before signaling a nearby guard.
“The rules,” the guard said, his eyes sweeping over us—lingering on Gu Jie longer than necessary. “No stepping onto the tournament grounds. No disturbing the mortals. Do not approach the honored guests from the great sects unless spoken to first.”
The weight behind that last rule was clear. They wanted no troublemakers pestering the sect elites.
Gu Jie merely nodded. “Understood.”
The guard grunted but finally stepped aside.
Once inside, she loosened her stance and gestured ahead. “The City Governor’s estate is just beyond. The tournament is held in his personal arena, so security will only grow stricter from here.”
“What should I know about him?” I asked. “I mean, the City Governor.”
She hummed in thought before replying, “Lord Ren has ruled Yellow Dragon City for over four decades. He was not born here—he was appointed by the empire to oversee the region. Though strict, he is fair, and under his rule, the city has prospered.”
I nodded, taking in the sprawling inner city.
Yellow Dragon City was a fusion of ancient elegance and thriving prosperity. Sturdy buildings with sweeping, curved rooftops stretched across the landscape, seamlessly blending with the rivers and waterfalls that wove through the city like veins of jade. Beyond them, the governor’s estate stood in quiet grandeur, and just behind it, the tournament arena loomed, its towering stone walls visible even from a distance.
Gu Jie continued, her tone slipping into something almost instructional. “Yellow Dragon City was once a minor settlement, no different from countless others. But over time, it became a major trade hub. The Lu Clan’s roads connected it to the rest of the continent, and now, merchants, warriors, and travelers flock here. This tournament is among the grandest annual events—it draws people from every corner of the land.”
I listened as we walked, letting her words weave a clearer image of the city’s history.
Despite the trouble I had already encountered, I had to admit—this world had its charm.
I had never been to China, only seen glimpses of it in pictures. But magical China? That was something else entirely.
The scale of the event was staggering. Thousands had gathered for this spectacle, a testament to its importance. In a world lacking modern distractions, this was one of the rare occasions when common folk could witness true grandeur. The wealth poured into the festival was evident in the sheer extravagance of the decorations, the finely crafted banners, and the towering arena that awaited us.
Gu Jie and I followed the crowd into the coliseum, where attendants guided us toward the seating area. To my surprise, it did not pale in comparison to the stadiums of my past life. The arena itself was a vast, elevated platform of polished stone, its surface refined and solid. The bleachers stretched in a grand semicircle around the battlefield, rising like a tide to embrace the spectacle.
At the far end of the manor, an opulent viewing box loomed over the arena. There, the City Governor and the honored guests reclined in luxury, their figures visible even from this distance. Draped in silk and brocade, they observed the gathering below with unreadable expressions, their mere presence a reminder of the power they wielded.
Beside me, Gu Jie remarked casually, “The seating is reinforced with Earth Qi.”
I raised a brow. “And that means…?”
“The stone here has been tempered through special techniques. Unlike mundane construction, Earth Qi refinement strengthens the material, making it near-impervious to damage. A normal arena would crack and crumble after a few heated battles. This one will endure the entire tournament without a single mark. Well, that’s what they say at least…”
That explained why the architecture of this world remained so pristine despite the absence of modern construction methods. Even the buildings were shaped by cultivation.
Since the matches had yet to begin, I decided to ask Gu Jie about something that had been bothering me.
“So… about that bloodline ability.” I leaned in slightly. “Sixth Sense Fateful Encounter. What do you know about it?”
Gu Jie stiffened, her expression darkening.
Ah, right. She hadn’t been there last night when a certain Young Master Kang nearly purchased her like some rare trinket.
She exhaled sharply. “That name is wrong.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“The real name of the ability… is Sixth Sense Misfortune.”
I blinked. “What?”
Gu Jie sighed and rubbed her temples. “The name was deliberately altered. ‘Fateful Encounter’ makes it sound like a blessing, a divine gift. But in truth, it is nothing of the sort—it is a curse.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”
She hesitated, glancing around as if wary of eavesdroppers. Finally, she sighed and leaned closer.
“There are those born with peculiar abilities,” she said. “Some bloodlines grant unparalleled strength. Others awaken supernatural talents. Mine? Sixth Sense Misfortune grants me the ability to instinctively perceive impending disaster before it strikes.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
She shook her head. “That’s because you don’t understand the price.”
I gestured for her to continue.
She took a deep breath. “This ability does not merely grant foresight—it demands balance. If I avoid one calamity, another will inevitably take its place. The misfortune I escape does not vanish. It merely waits, seeking another moment to strike. Simply put, I accrue misfortune in the future in exchange of avoiding one in reality…”
I stared at her. “Wait… so dodging disaster just guarantees another down the line?”
Gu Jie nodded grimly.
“That’s idiotic,” I muttered.
She let out a dry chuckle. “Tell me about it.”
I recalled the matter of the ‘discounted’ robes and the ill-fated Young Master Zhao, who had supposedly perished some time ago. “…So that’s how you ended up with the Zhao clan’s clothes?”
Gu Jie groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Yes. That was one of them.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. An ability like that was both fascinating and absurd. But it also made me think—if I kept her around, wouldn’t that misfortune eventually spread to me?
Before I could voice my concerns, Gu Jie seemed to read my expression and panicked.
“I—I’m still useful, though!” she blurted out. “Sometimes—rarely—but sometimes my accumulated misfortune transforms into luck! It’s unpredictable, but when it happens, the results can be… beneficial!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
She nodded furiously. “Yes! There have been times when I stumbled upon lost treasures, overheard critical information, or found myself in the right place at the right time—completely by accident!”
“Huh.” That was… oddly compelling.
Perhaps keeping her around wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
A proper Paladin wouldn’t turn someone away just because of bad luck.
Not that I was particularly proper. Or much of a Paladin, for that matter. But still.
Just as Gu Jie began to fidget under my silence, a food vendor passed by. I waved the man down and turned to her. “Go get us some meat buns.”
Gu Jie perked up like a puppy given a task. “Right away!”
She practically bounced toward the vendor and returned moments later—carrying an entire basket.
I stared. “Why so happy? You just spent my money.”
She coughed, looking away. “It’s an investment in my continued employment.”
I rolled my eyes but let it slide.
As we ate, the arena grew livelier. Attendants moved through the bleachers, carrying ballots and calling out to the crowd.
“Place your bets! Predict the Final Eight of the Elimination Round!”
“The betting window closes when the round begins! Make your wagers now!”
The crowd buzzed with excitement as people scrawled names onto slips of paper and handed over gold and spirit stones. Apparently, gambling wasn’t just a vice back home—it thrived in Yellow Dragon City as well.
Before I could entertain the idea of placing a bet myself, a shadow loomed over the arena.
A figure descended from the sky, riding the wind atop a gleaming sword.
Enforcer Liang Na.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she cast a sharp gaze over the bleachers and declared, “The Elimination Round for the Yellow Dragon Champion’s Strongest Eight shall now begin!”
Her voice carried effortlessly across the stadium, and the audience erupted into cheers.
She turned to the VIP box, high above the arena, and clasped her hands behind her back in a formal bow. “To our esteemed guests, I hope you enjoy the spectacle.”
With that, she drew a horn from her waist and blew into it. A deep, reverberating note rolled through the air, silencing the crowd in an instant.
Then, from the far end of the arena, the great gates swung open.
Hundreds of cultivators strode forward in disciplined rows.
They marched onto the battleground in ceremonial fashion, each exuding an air of confidence—some even arrogance. Their robes bore intricate insignias, marking their sects, clans, or personal crests.
As they assembled, Liang Na’s voice took on a grand, theatrical cadence.
“Behold! The finest warriors from across the Riverfall Continent! The 221 cultivators before you stand at the peak of their generation, each vying for the coveted title of Yellow Dragon Champion!”
She gestured toward the combatants. “Each of them is a master in their own right. They have trained for years—some even decades—to stand here today! Yet… only eight will survive the Elimination Round.”
The audience roared in approval. I found myself leaning forward, intrigued.
Gu Jie nudged me. “Excited?”
I took a bite of my meat bun, chewing thoughtfully. “Maybe. Let’s see if these guys are any good.” Honestly, I was almost tempted to join… It would have been worth he nostalgia at least.
