Immortal Paladin

Dinner at an expensive inn should have felt luxurious, but instead, it felt mundane.

I sat at a finely carved wooden table, twirling my chopsticks in a plate of fried noodles, my appetite dulled by my thoughts. Across from me, Gu Jie signaled for a waitress and ordered a plate of greens. The warm glow of lanterns overhead cast flickering shadows on the lacquered furniture, but even the cozy ambiance couldn’t distract me from my internal dilemma.

I needed a way to detect power levels.

In Lost Legends Online, that had never been a problem. Every player had a Level Display hovering over their heads—an easy, convenient way to gauge strength at a glance. But here? Nothing. Just vague senses, body language, and subtle auras that I hadn’t yet learned to read.

More than that, I needed a way to cultivate.

If I wanted to survive in this world, my Paladin abilities wouldn’t be enough. Yet, the risk was too high. There were cultivation methods specifically designed to turn people into mindless husks—tools for someone else’s gain. Gu Jie had been a victim of one such technique during her time under her so-called master. I couldn’t afford to make that mistake.

Gu Jie interrupted my thoughts by sliding a pair of tickets across the table. “Master, I managed to get us a ticket. Hopefully, you don’t mind…”

I picked one up, glancing at the elegant calligraphy.

“It’s fine,” I said, placing it back down. “You’ll be going with me whether you like it or not. I could use a servant.”

I had expected a scowl, maybe a bitter look of resentment, but Gu Jie only smiled—genuinely, at that. The girl was far too happy to be ordered around. Suspiciously so. I activated Divine Sense, letting my awareness wash over her, but I detected no hostility, no deceit—just a calm, unwavering presence. Either she was an exceptional liar, or she truly didn’t mind.

The waitress returned, setting down Gu Jie’s plate of greens with a polite nod before retreating. My supposed follower picked up her chopsticks and began eating with quiet, practiced elegance. I watched her for a moment before sighing and returning to my own meal.

Initially, I had considered infiltrating the Golden Sun Pavilion. If I wanted to learn about cultivation and power levels, that would be a prime place to start. However, after some thought, I decided against it.

Antagonizing a sect? Bad idea. That could be a death sentence.

Antagonizing the City Governor? Worse idea. The man had an immensely affluent background, and as an imperial prince, he had resources and authority beyond what I could contend with.

Antagonizing the Empire? Absolutely not. That would just suck.

I sighed, shifting my focus back to my meal as I absentmindedly chewed on a mouthful of fried noodles. Across from me, Gu Jie had taken it upon herself to fill the silence, relaying everything she had seen or heard throughout the city.

“There was a fight between two First Realm cultivators,” she said between bites of greens. “It got pretty heated, but a Second Realm stepped in and stopped them with a single move. People were impressed.”

I nodded. That was expected.

Xianxia incidents in the wild, so scary...

“The betting is spreading fast. Everyone’s placing their bets on who’ll pass the elimination round tomorrow.”

“Anyone standing out?” I asked.

“The usual prodigies. No one new.”

I hummed, taking a sip of my drink as Gu Jie continued. “There’s also been a recent assassination.”

That got my attention. I raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“A Young Master Zhao,” she said, lowering her voice slightly. “Apparently, he got drunk and picked a fight with a Young Master Lu of the Lu Clan. The latter killed him—at least, that’s how the story goes. But it was obviously a frame-up.”

I frowned. “Describe him. The Zhao guy. Everyone knows the Lu guy.”

“Infamous for frequenting brothels,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He always had courtesans clinging to him. Wore black robes with golden dragon embroidery.”

I froze. Then, slowly, I glanced at Gu Jie’s attire.

She blinked at me, confused at first. Then, realization struck. Her gaze dropped to her own robes, and the blood drained from her face.

“…Oh.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Gu Jie cussed under her breath. “So that’s why the robe was sold at a discount!”

I pressed my lips together, trying—and failing—not to laugh. Players in Lost Legends Online wouldn’t have cared about wearing clothes taken off a dead person. Hell, if given the option, some would’ve gladly worn female-specific gear over their male characters just for the stat boosts. But here? Here, it was practically an invitation to get hunted down.

Gu Jie frantically apologized, bowing her head. “Master, I—I didn’t mean to put us in danger! I swear, I—”

I waved her off, amused. “Just fix it before someone recognizes it.”

“I—I will! Right now!” She abandoned her food, stood up so fast that her chair scraped against the floor, and stormed off.

I leaned back, finally letting out the chuckle I had been suppressing.

Fate was cruelly ironic sometimes.

I had been looking forward to a quiet evening, enjoying my meal while continuing my conversation with Gu Jie. I still had questions—specifically about the average cultivation levels of people in the Riverfall Continent. Having a general idea of where most cultivators stood would be crucial for me to gauge my own place in this world.

Unfortunately, before I could even begin, my meal was interrupted.

A young man in green and blue robes strutted into the establishment, walking straight toward me. His confident steps and the way his chin was slightly raised told me everything I needed to know—another damn Young Master. The symbol of a fist within a diamond was stitched onto his robes.

“I recognize the wench,” the Young Master said, eyes landing on where Gu Jie just sat seconds ago. “How much is she?”

I blinked. What the hell, man?

Before I could respond, one of his hangers-on rushed forward, puffing out his chest like a self-important rooster. “Do you not recognize Young Master Kang Shi of the Seven Grand Clans?!”

Another one of his cronies chimed in, his voice dripping with sycophantic pride. “Young Master Kang Shi is a genius who has already reached the peak of the Martial Tempering Realm at the Ninth Star before even turning twenty years old!”

Ah. So, I wasn’t just dealing with a random rich brat, but a rich brat with actual skills.

The first crony continued, “The Kang Clan is famous for their unparalleled close combat techniques! Young Master Kang, please, allow us to handle this insolent man!”

Several of the men surrounding Kang Shi immediately moved to encircle my table. The air in the restaurant grew heavy with tension. Waiters and waitresses scrambled away, seeking safety behind the counter. Other customers abandoned their meals and hurried out of the establishment, wanting no part in whatever was about to go down.

I resisted the urge to sigh. I just dealt with a Young Master yesterday, and now this? Fate was screwing with me big time.

I placed my chopsticks down with deliberate patience. “What do you want with Gu Jie?”

The crony practically barked at me. “How dare you lay your offending eyes on the Young Master?!”

Kang Shi ignored his minion’s outburst, his gaze fixed on me with casual arrogance. “How much is she?” he repeated. “Word around is that she sold herself into slavery. I want to buy her from you.” He smirked. “She has a bloodline ability called Sixth Sense Fateful Encounter. That makes her valuable. I’ll be generous and pay you at a mark-up.”

I stared at him. Slave?

To say I was offended would be an understatement.

I was really living the Xianxia life.

It had barely been two days since I was thrown into this world, and already, I had checked off several tropes. First Young Master encounter? Check. Near-robbery? Check. Picking up a follower? Done. Conversations with a City Enforcer? Accomplished. Mysterious, unexplained memories surfacing in my mind? That too.

And now, my dinner was being interrupted.

I was trying to enjoy my meal, but the situation soured my appetite. I put a little too much pressure on my chopsticks, accidentally breaking them in half.

The crack echoed in the tense silence.

Kang Shi took it as provocation. He straightened, his expression darkening as he roused his qi. I couldn’t see it, but my Perception stat was high enough to notice the subtle shift in the air, the faintest disturbance like a ripple in still water. His goons immediately tensed, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

I started thinking things through, abusing my Intelligence and Wisdom stats to process the situation from every angle. My mind sharpened, clear and calculating.

Fact 1: Kang Shi came here looking for a fight. An exchange of blows was inevitable. How do I mitigate the damage?

Fact 2: His men claimed he was at the peak of the First Realm—the Ninth Star of Martial Tempering. According to Gu Jie, cultivators only learned Qi Sense at the Second Realm. This meant none of them could actually detect if I had qi or not.

Fact 3: Kang Shi was relying on his family name to intimidate me. If he knew I didn’t have qi, he and his lackeys wouldn’t waste their time posturing—they’d go straight after Gu Jie instead.

Conclusion? Kang Shi was acting on his own volition. His clan likely had no idea he was here, throwing his weight around. And if he had a higher-realm bodyguard lurking nearby, they were keeping their distance to let him handle things himself.

I had my answer.

Violence was unavoidable, but I could control how it played out. I just had to shift the playing field to my advantage.

So that there wouldn’t be any angry ancestor who’d suddenly pop in the future to take revenge for there great grandson.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up from my seat. I let my expression turn somber, tapping into few Xianxia novels I’d read in my previous life.

Then, I held up three fingers.

“Three moves,” I said, my voice steady and measured.

Kang Shi’s brows furrowed.

“Strike me in three moves,” I continued. “If you succeed in making me step aside even just once, then Gu Jie is yours.”

The restaurant fell into complete silence.

Kang Shi’s eyes gleamed with excitement, his arrogance swelling. His lips curled into a smirk, and his lackeys exchanged knowing glances.

It was exactly the kind of overconfident challenge a Young Master wouldn’t be able to resist.