Chapter 4
Farmer Joe
I'm seriously considering just leaving the jail with the help of my Perk, but before I give up on getting to talk to someone the door to my cell opens and in walks a woman around 20 years of age along with some guards.
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Qiao Huan Young Miss of the Light-Plum Clan
Seeing the creature that supposedly wants to trade with us I can't help but think him strange. He has the horns and hoofs of an ox, the eyes of a snake, and the head and body of a human. He is apparently a foreigner based on the color of his skin. I can only think he's a half-beastman.
Seeing as he is probably a foreigner I open up in the language of spirits seeing as it's used as the language of cultivators, and traders. "You claim to have come to trade and yet you trespassed into our carefully cultivated lands and are suspected of trying to subvert a spirit under our protection. What do you have to say for your transgressions?"
He looks confused for a moment before saying "I can understand being in trouble for trespassing, but is it a crime to speak to a spirit?" He now looks like he finds something funny. "Cause if it is, then I've got some bad news for you."
"Wait, you can't possibly mean to say you are a spirit! I suggest that you tell the truth. If your goal is realy to trade then you gain nothing from lying." He barely has any qi. What kind of spirit has so little qi. Their bodys are literally formed from concentrated qi. If he was going to lie then at least he could have come up with a more believable lie. The only way it could be true was if he was an item spirit that hadn't had a master and was starving, but he didn't have any items on him that could have been his true-body, and spirits can't go too far from thier bodys. Not to mention he would be fading and appear as a ghost.
"I am a spirit. I'm just not from this world. My realm was recently attached to this reality. It was created by a being beyond my comprehension. Instead of qi my realm has access to magicka." I don't understand that last word but he just keeps making more and more outrageous claims. Next thing you know he is going to claim to be a god.
"If you are really not from this world how did you get here? We would have noticed if you had landed a sky-ship in our territory."
"I used a power that was gifted to me to travel here. If you give me your hand we can see if I can take passengers. Either it works and we visit my realm or it doesn't and you see me disappear. In both cases I think it at least proves I'm not lying about everything."
It feels like a trap but the wards of the room are suppressing all qi flow, and with so little qi he shouldn't have progressed far in bodily cultivation, so it should be safe enough. "Fine but if it doesn't happen as you said, then you leave us with no choice but for you to be judged by the elders for your crimes against the clan." Saying this I quickly warn my guards before grabbing his hand.
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Bjorn
I returned to the hill that houses the cave and am now sitting at the cave entrance watching the space Farmer Joe previously appeared from. I'm still grieving my world but I am a man of action and I need to find some kind of purpose, or I'll go mad. I'll have to talk to Farmer Joe about it when he returns. I can only hope he truly cares for my well being or at least wants to pretend.
From one moment to the next where once was an empty space now stands two figures, Farmer Joe and a woman who appears to be of a race of men I've never encountered before. She has hair as black as night and eyes that match. Meanwhile she wears a dress the like I've never seen before.
She also appears to be very much surprised by her surroundings. "You didn't kidnap a maiden did you my lord?" He better have a good answer or I'll rebel.
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Farmer Joe
"No, I didn't kidnap her. She is here by her own will. She wanted me to show proof I am what I claimed to be." If anything, her people had kidnaped me. "I should probably take her back now but we can talk later."
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Qiao Huan
I can't believe he was actually able to bring me to another world with such ease. And feeling with my spirit sense I realize there isn't any qi, besides what I breath out, but another energy entirely. Maybe his claims aren't so far-fetched after all.
I find myself with a surprised reverence for the completeness of the realm. The sheer wealth and power that must have gone into making the realm boggles the mind, add in that it must have been done without qi and it just seems impossible. At the very least it lends credence to much of what he said.
I'm brought out of my pondering by him addressing me. "Can I have your hand?" I start as for a second I think he is asking to marry me, before he continues. "I think it's time to go. Before you're people start to miss you."
"Before we go back, I would like to apologize for how we have treated you so far. As it is apparent you are truly new to our world, you had no way to know of our laws and the boundaries of our properties. I will see to it that you are treated as a guest moving forward." Saying this I offer a small bow, then rise accepting his outstretched hand.
I feel the same tugging sensation I felt when he brought me to his realm, and find myself back in one of our warded prison cells. I can see my guards visibly relax as they see I've returned unharmed, but before they can say anything I announce "His claims have been proven true. Therefore he is no longer our prisoner but our guest." It's only after making this proclamation that I realize we never asked his name, or title. This can't be allowed to stand. Among cultivators to not know the name, or title of a guest is a great insult.
Hopefully he doesn't take offense when I must ask for his name. We can't afford to offend him as he has a whole realm potentially full of valuables not seen in our world. "Honored guest if you would be so kind as to share your name, or your title. I Qiao Huan of the Light-Plum Clan, apologize for not asking sooner."
He seems almost reluctant to say his name before firming his resolve and saying "You can call me Farmer Joe." His name takes me aback but I'm able to school my features. Joe is obviously a foreign name, but for his family name to be Farmer is he born from peasants? But wait he said he was a spirit of some kind, so he shouldn't have a family. Did he choose his name? If so, why pick the family name of Farmer? Maybe he is a domestic spirit of some kind.
As I ponder such things It takes me a moment to realize we are still standing in a jail cell and I quickly direct my guards to open the door. "Farmer Joe please allow me to lead you to the guest quarters while I send a servant to fetch your merchandise."
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Farmer Joe
I now find myself in a rather comfortably appointed guest room which is a step up from my first accommodations here. They even sent a servant with a trey laden with food. Weirdly all the food they brought was vegetarian but they were all full of qi.
After eating I can feel some of the qi from the food sink below my stomach to pool around where my diaphragm is. After enough of it has gathered I can feel it sort of clicking in place, and can feel myself start to produce a small amount. Less than I breathe out with every breath, but I don't think I can run out now. Not without using it at least. This suggests to me that qi is contagious. I wonder if it will spread through the animals, and plants of my realm.
I was told that I would get to meet the clan appraiser and the young miss tomorrow morning to discuss what I want to trade for the orichalicum I brought along. I wonder how surprised they will be when I ask for supplies for farming.