Chapter 5: Into the Forest

“From what you just said you won’t necessarily be able to use our magic even with our knowledge and you can’t change your cultivation direction without becoming a commoner again. What exactly is it that you want from us?” James’ face was stern as he asked this.

He knew the answer to this question could change everything. His so far easy journey into this world may come to a sudden obstruction. In this sense, he couldn’t help question if his luck at being discovered immediately on arrival was good or bad.

Elder Gau frowned slightly, only now did he realise this junior was far more cunning and far-sighted than other mortals he’d encountered. It was apparent the Gau Clan wanted something, but most people would be blinded by the opportunity to cultivate with a powerful family Clan as a backer. They’d be blinded by their greed for power and prestige in the cultivator world.

“We want you to swear an oath to our Clan once you’ve cultivated some spirit power. You will swear your fealty to our Gau Clan and protect it should disaster ever befall it. You will serve our Clan and no other until death. In exchange, we will teach you about cultivation.” Answered the Elder.

“Should? Does that mean you’re expecting a disaster to happen to the Gau Clan? And what happens to us if we don’t show any advancement in cultivation or can’t even cultivate spirit energy at all?” James’ keen eyes squinted when he heard the Elders expectations.

“Naturally if either of those cases happens, you won’t be able to swear an oath with spirit power anyway and will be given freedom to live in the city with the same conditions mentioned earlier. Given a house, some land, and enough riches to live comfortably in the city for the rest of your mortal lifespan.” Hao responded.

‘That’s good and all, but I can already guess how ‘comfortable’ my life here would be as a commoner, especially once they’ve gotten everything they want from us. Perhaps if I can leave the city and travel to one of these Sects I can get a chance to learn about cultivation without having to swear over my life. However from what I saw on the way here and from what I’ve heard of this world, travelling between cities without any power is beyond difficult.

‘Unless I can fly at 60km/h like Hao, it would take forever to walk to another decent sized city. After all, in yesterday’s discussion Skay mentioned this planet’s circumference was half our sun’s radius, and the only reason we’ve not been crushed to death by gravity is because of some paranormal ‘natural law’.

‘If that’s the case 30km is nothing on a planet this size and cities will be separated by quite a distance. Its circumference alone is probably more than 7 or 8 times the circumference of Earth. That would be in the hundreds of thousands of kilometres.’

James scratched his head while doing some calculations, sipped some tea and then returned to his thoughts while Skay once again began to engage the Elder.

‘I know the Elder said the greater population of the planet are mortal commoners like myself, but even with that, cultivators are everywhere. Even if just conservatively 1 or 2 percent of the population is cultivators that would likely be in the billions on a planet with multiple times the living space of earth and a history of humans living here measured in the millions of years.

‘More important than that though is that anyone travelling without a cultivator is likely to be killed by these fuckin’ spirit animals or worse they could be... ‘ At this point in his rambling thoughts, he glanced at Hao mumbling something about how everyone knows what happens to the good looking ones when robbed by bandits. He then shivered, turned slightly pale and distracted himself in inner monologue again.

‘I guess I have no choice though. In the end, as much as I fear death I’d rather be dead than a slave bound to serve others by some perverse ‘natural law’ that controls my destiny. I will control my own fate!‘

Finished his thoughts, James gathered himself and began to deny the Gau Clan Elder’s request to join their Clan. He stood up and clasped his hands in a bow then started to speak.

“Senior this junior can’t...” James’ face turned white as his body suddenly tensed and stopped in mid-speech. Then his face dropped from the apologetic smile he’d just plastered on to reject Elder Gau, and his reflexive poker-face assumed its place. After but a second he threw a friendly and humble smile at the Elder and resumed his broken sentence.

“ ... wait to accept your offer. I can’t speak for my companions but the opportunity to become a cultivator comes only once in a lifetime, and I most humbly accept. For that opportunity, I would give my life to the Gau Clan in the form of an oath and do my utmost for the Clan.”

Dr Skay also decided to chime in. However, he showed no humble attitude and observed no courtesies of this world remaining seated drinking tea.

“I’ll swear an oath to your Clan on the condition that you swear an oath to me. You will swear that as long as I’m bound by my oath, your Clan will provide me with any resources I request within your means to do so and to never interrupt my research.

“I don’t care for fighting, what I care about is knowledge, and as such I will swear to serve only the Clans greater good, and I will answer to no one but my own conscience and your heavenly laws, regardless of internal or external matters of your Clan.”

James had to admit this old madman knew how to bargain. Indeed a clever old fox. However, the Elder had cultivated for hundreds of years and was no slouch in negotiations of this matter. He immediately countered with new conditions. After a good half hour of bickering between the two, they settled on an agreement.

James spent this half hour taking mental notes on negotiations for future use. Having no experience in these sorts of talks he was aware that in the future he must be more careful to consider his words in discussions like these. After all, should he ever swear an oath he planned on keeping it would certainly come back to bite him in the ass.

Although James pause earlier was noticed by everyone, it was completely forgotten after the hot debating of Elder Gau and Dr Skay. James also wasn’t certain what to think of what just happened in that brief pause, but he was certain he’d get to the bottom of it all once he had the chance to leave the Gau mansion. He’d find out who was messing around with his head even it cost him his life!

After this discussion was over James noticed Skay going through a series of conflicting emotions. If James had to guess it was because he had a million new questions for Elder Gau but also wanted to start studying this ‘cultivation’ and so was battling between what he wanted to do more. Elder Gau looked somewhat relieved when Skay finally made a sigh, put down his tea and made to stand up.

“I should get some rest. When I wake up I want to see your cultivation methods.” He then turned and followed a servant away to a guest room.

Elder Gau let out an audible sigh as well when Skay finally began to leave. Shaking his head he made to stand as well.

“Little Junior you should find your lady friend and ask her what her decision will be. I’ll send someone to the courtyard outside your rooms tomorrow, and they’ll teach you how to begin your training.” He then turned and left the hall leaving James standing there being eyed by the ever present Hao.

When James noticed even the servants preparing to leave, he realised if everyone left it would just be him and flying man, standing alone in the same room. Remembering the traumatic trip to the mansion, he quickly made a bow to Hao and chased after the back of Dr Skay before Hao struck up any conversation or even worse, the servants all left.

As they reached their courtyard, James noticed Jessy sitting on a long stone seat near the slushy pond blankly staring towards the tree line of the forest. When he turned towards her, he couldn’t help but over here Skay muttering “because it’s gotta be dark-matter” as he entered his room.

As James walked towards the open courtyard, he briefly started to imagine what was happening inside that mad scientist’s head. Then just as quickly stopped when his head started spinning. ‘There’s no way of even fathoming what that madman is thinking about.’

“Oi, Jess! Jess! Jessy!“ James hurried towards her a little worried when Jessy didn’t respond at all. When he reached out a hand to shake her shoulder she jumped slightly and sharply looked at James.

“Damnit James don’t sneak up on a girl! My fuckin’ heart nearly blew a gasket.” Jessy’s agitated response came as she returned her gaze towards the forest. She spoke with a British accent that was quite amusing to here when she blew her top swearing up a storm.

Now Jessy’s language might surprise some, but to James it was par for the course. Who ever said women had to be a damsel in distress with princess-like etiquette and friendly language? As a matter of fact, Jessy was the foulest mouthed women James had ever met. Which vastly conflicted with the scene she painted quietly sitting in this tranquil garden dressed in her elegant cheongsam. Her swearing only clashed even more with her polite sounding accent.

Since this whole catastrophe started, he’d not spoken with Jessy much, but he’d always thought of her as a ‘tough gal with an iron will’. Her initial reaction in the sea-lab could be considered natural in comparison to James. After all who can say they’d be able to experience a scene littered with the broken and mangled bodies of their comrades and even approach the level of functioning let alone functioning normally.

In this case, James’ stone heart and desire to survive was his saving grace, as he never even gave his mind a chance to process the situation of his peers. Had an opportunity appeared for his brain at that time, he was of no doubt he’d be much worse off then Jessy had been.

“Jess, how’ya hold’n up?”

“I’m doing just great James. In fact, I’m fucking fantastic. I only woke up on a fucking magical world after being sucked through some fucking magic portal.” At this point, she stood up and twisted to glare at James as a malicious and furious scowl disordered her beautiful features.

“Actually, fuck you James! If you hadn’t played white knight and dragged me through some fucking fairy-gate to a place where people are fucking skipping through the air like pre-school girls, I might have had a chance to escape that fucking death trap base and go find my family or my boyfriend or anyone. But I can’t now cause everything I know is over there, and I’m fucking stuck here in fucking Mordor with you, you lifeless, dead-eyed, fucking, stone hearted, piece of shit!!”