Immortal Paladin

008 Gold & Dignity

We finished our bowls of noodles, leaving nothing but a slick sheen of broth at the bottom. The meal had been satisfying—rich, savory, and exactly what I needed after a long morning of singing and wandering the city.

Still, I wasn’t quite ready to leave.

I gestured for the server. “Do you have any dessert?”

It was a long shot. A place like this might not have the delicacies I was used to, but to my surprise, the server’s eyes brightened.

“Yes, Young Master! We have something quite rare—shaved ice!”

I blinked. “Shaved ice?”

The server nodded eagerly. “A specialty of our establishment. Our family possesses an heirloom that allows us to create ice even in the height of summer!”

That caught my attention. “An heirloom, you say?”

“Yes,” he said proudly. “A treasure passed down for generations. Though it is merely a low-grade artifact, it serves us well.”

An artifact, huh?

I wasn’t entirely sure how artifacts worked in this world, but I knew they were akin to magical tools. That was about the extent of my knowledge. I wasn’t about to pry into their family secret, though, so I simply nodded. “Bring us two.”

Minutes later, two bowls of fluffy white ice arrived, lightly drizzled with syrup.

I took a bite. Cold. Sweet. Refreshing. Not bad.

Across from me, Gu Jie hesitated, watching me for a moment before cautiously scooping a spoonful. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened ever so slightly, though she said nothing. Instead, she quietly focused on methodically finishing the dessert.

As we ate, I decided to revisit something that had piqued my interest earlier.

“You mentioned something about the underground dealings in the city,” I said casually. “What’s that about?”

Gu Jie set down her spoon, her interest piqued. “Ah, yes. A rumor I picked up—about the underworld bosses of Yellow Dragon City. It seems they’ve agreed to a temporary truce.”

I raised a brow. “A truce?”

She nodded. “Yes. They’ve joined forces to operate a massive gambling ring for tomorrow’s dueling event.”

Now that was interesting.

“Let me guess,” I said dryly. “The City Governor is turning a blind eye?”

Gu Jie smirked. “Not just that. He’s actively supporting it.”

I exhaled through my nose. Naturally.

A gambling operation of this scale—where rival gangs set aside their grudges—wouldn’t be possible without official backing. If the City Governor was involved, then this wasn’t just some back-alley betting racket.

It was a fully sanctioned enterprise.

With major sects and grand clans gathering in the city, the betting pool was bound to be immense.

Gu Jie leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. “The dueling event is already the talk of the city. With gambling added to the mix, it’s going to be absolute chaos.”

I tapped my spoon against the bowl, deep in thought.

I wasn’t much of a gambler, but I had to admit—I was curious.

Would I attend? Absolutely.

Would I step into the ring? Not a chance.

Right now, the last thing I needed was unnecessary attention. My priority was simple: observe, learn, and stay unnoticed.

That said… I was looking forward to seeing the duels.

With a flick of my wrist, I opened the pouches Gu Jie had handed me, revealing neatly stacked gold coins, gleaming under the dim lantern light.

I let out a small hum of approval. Not bad.

These were originally LLO gold coins, now converted to this world’s currency. To think that just three LLO gold pieces had turned into this many coins… quite the sight.

Across the table, Gu Jie regarded me curiously. “Senior… why do you even need gold? You could have exchanged it for Spirit Stones instead.”

Ah. Spirit Stones.

The lifeblood of cultivators—used for both trade and cultivation. A standard in nearly every xianxia story, and apparently, this world was no different.

I scooped up a handful of gold coins, letting them clink between my fingers. “I need spending money for mortal services. Pretty obvious, don’t you think?”

Gu Jie still looked confused.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. Right. This was a xianxia world.

Mortals weren’t seen as important.

To someone like Gu Jie, using gold instead of Spirit Stones must have seemed absurd. In her eyes, why waste time with currency that couldn’t enhance cultivation?

Sheesh… xianxia nonsense struck again.

Still, I had better things to do than explain basic economics to someone who had likely spent most of her life just trying to survive.

My gaze drifted to her appearance once more.

She was in better shape than when we first met, but that wasn’t saying much. She was still too thin, her complexion rough, and her clothes—well, calling them ‘ragged’ would be putting it kindly. She wasn’t dirty, but she carried the look of someone who had struggled for far too long.

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I exhaled through my nose, then slipped one of the money pouches into my Item Box before sliding the other across the table.

Gu Jie blinked. “Senior…?”

“Take it.”

She frowned. “Why?”

I gestured at her with my spoon. “Because you look terrible.”

Gu Jie stiffened.

I ignored her reaction and continued. “Get yourself proper clothes. Maybe some skincare treatment—or whatever people do in this world to improve their looks.”

Her expression twisted with offense. “I don’t need—”

I cut her off with a flat stare.

“Listen,” I said, tone even, “if my follower looks like a beggar, what does that say about me?”

Gu Jie opened her mouth, then closed it.

I leaned forward slightly. “Do you really want to degrade my dignity like that?”

Her face went through an entire internal struggle before settling into a look of absolute guilt.

I could practically hear her thoughts.

‘I’m shaming my benefactor! I must not bring disgrace to Senior!’ Or something along those lines. Gu Jie gulped, then bowed her head. “I… I understand, Senior.”

“Good.” I waved her off. “Go fix yourself before I change my mind.”

She hesitated only for a moment before clutching the pouch like a lifeline. Then, without another word, she rushed off—no doubt already planning how to ‘restore my dignity’ as fast as possible.

I smirked to myself.

Guilt-tripping xianxia characters was too easy.

But before she got too far, I called out, “One more thing.”

Gu Jie stopped immediately, standing straight. “Yes, Senior?”

I tapped the table thoughtfully, then gestured for her to sit again.

“I want you to use any leftover funds to bribe certain people and gather information for me.”

Gu Jie’s eyes sharpened. “What kind of information?”

I leaned back, resting my chin on my hand. I had to be careful here. If I made it too obvious that I was fishing for world knowledge, she might grow suspicious. The last thing I needed was someone questioning why I was so ignorant.

So, I put on my best frivolous expression, as if struck by a passing whim.

“I’ve been thinking,” I mused, feigning idle curiosity. “I feel like building my own library.”

Gu Jie blinked. “…A library?”

I nodded. “That’s right. I want every kind of book—mundane texts, cultivation manuals, historical records, even merchant logs. If it has words, I want at least one copy.”

Gu Jie frowned, clearly struggling to understand why someone with no known sect affiliation would want a private collection of books.

“…Senior, are you a Scholar?”

I laughed. “Do I look like one?”

“…No.”

“Exactly.” I smirked. “I just happen to enjoy… knowledge.”

Gu Jie hesitated, then eventually nodded. “Understood.”

I reached into my Item Box and retrieved a dozen gleaming LLO gold coins, placing them on the table with a soft clink.

“These are extra funds.” I slid them toward Gu Jie. “Exchange them for Spirit Stones, herbs, or hire some muscle. I don’t care how you use them. Consider it an additional test.”

Gu Jie didn’t take them immediately. Instead, she hesitated, her brows furrowing.

I arched a brow. “Problem?”

She clenched her fists. “Senior… I’m only a First Realm cultivator.”

“And?” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“If I move around too much, I might attract the wrong kind of attention. If people suspect I have wealth, I could be robbed… or worse.”

Ah. Right.

A First Realm cultivator wasn’t much stronger than an above-average mortal. In the world of xianxia, she was barely above common fodder.

I exhaled through my nose, then reached into my Item Box again. If I was going to send her out to handle errands, I might as well make sure she didn’t die in the process.

With a flick of my wrist, I retrieved three scrolls, each rolled up neatly and tied with a thin ribbon.

Gu Jie’s eyes widened. “Senior…?”

I placed them on the table, one by one. “Magic scrolls.”

She didn’t react—clearly unfamiliar with the term.

I sighed. “They contain imbued spells. To activate them, just rip them apart.”

She reached out hesitantly, as if they might explode in her hands. “What kind of spells?”

I gestured to each one.

“This one is Blink—an instantaneous short-distance teleportation spell.”

Her lips parted in awe.

I moved to the second scroll. “This is Greater Teleportation. Unlike Blink, it requires two to three seconds of channeling, but it sends you much farther.”

Finally, I tapped the last scroll. “And this one is Invisibility. Self-explanatory.”

Gu Jie stared at the scrolls as if they were priceless treasures.

“Senior… these are too valuable for someone like me.”

“They’re expensive,” I admitted, “but you’re my follower, aren’t you?”

She straightened immediately. “Yes, Senior!”

“Then it’s my job to make sure you don’t die.”

Her lips trembled slightly. Was she getting emotional?

I ignored it and continued.

“If I could, I’d just give you a magic ring with the same effects,” I mused. “It would be far cheaper than using up my limited supply of scrolls.”

Gu Jie lowered her gaze slightly, hesitating before speaking. “…Then, is there a reason you prefer these scrolls instead, Senior?”

I sighed. “Because I don’t know how they would interact with qi.”

She blinked. “Qi and… your kind of magic don’t mix?”

That was just an excuse.

The real reason I even name-dropped ‘magic rings’ was to gauge her reaction.

I had already learned enough from her responses to my gold and scrolls, but more data never hurt. If she had shown even a flicker of awe at the mention of magic rings, it would have told me that powerful rings existed in this world—ones with innate abilities, much like my own.

But her reaction? Lackluster.

She hadn’t even blinked at the idea, merely asking why I didn’t use them instead. That suggested rings were common, or at least not rare enough to be worth any real excitement.

The problem was… the rings I owned weren’t just accessories.

I idly ran a thumb over the plain-looking band on my index finger. It was an enchanted artifact—something that granted innate skills or stat boosts.

And from what I had observed, the cultivators in this world only wore unassuming rings, likely Storage Rings. No elaborate designs, no flickering inscriptions of power, just simple, practical tools.

If Gu Jie had shown more reverence, I might have concluded that enchanted rings with innate skills existed here. But since she hadn’t, I was left with an unanswered question—were cultivator rings here nothing more than glorified storage?

I exhaled quietly and leaned back, my gaze drifting toward the street outside.

I needed more information.

“Gu Jie,” I said, breaking the brief silence.

She straightened immediately. “Yes, Senior?”

“When you look at my ring, what do you see?” I asked, tapping my finger against the one I wore.

Gu Jie glanced at my hand, then back at me, clearly unsure where I was going with this. “...They appear well-crafted, Senior.”

I arched a brow. “That’s it?”

She hesitated. “Apologies, but… they do not seem special. At least, not outwardly.”

I hummed. That all but confirmed my suspicions.

If enchanted rings with innate skills were common, she would have at least commented on them. But to her, they were nothing more than well-made accessories.

Good. That meant I still had an edge.

I stretched slightly before returning my attention to her. “You mentioned talismans earlier. How do they compare to my magic scrolls?”

Gu Jie pursed her lips, carefully choosing her words. “Talismans are drawn with qi-infused ink and burn upon activation, releasing the stored effect. However, their strength is determined by the skill of the one who inscribes them. A high-grade talisman can be powerful, but low-quality ones are unstable and may fail.”

I nodded. That was in line with standard xianxia settings.

“And artifacts?” I pressed. “The ones that store abilities.”

Gu Jie’s brows furrowed slightly. “Artifacts are refined through various means, but most require the wielder to channel their qi to activate them. The more profound the artifact, the stronger the requirement. Some high-tier treasures can only be wielded by Spirit Mystery cultivators or higher.”

I drummed my fingers against the table, processing the information she provided. “Good, you didn’t lie to me.” I made it sound as if she had passed some hidden test. I wondered how much I could abuse this excuse in the future.

Gu Jie sighed in relief. “Thank you, Senior.”

What for?

Never mind…

I leaned back slightly and explained. “These scrolls work by simply tearing them—no complex activation required. But enchanted rings? Those require a specific kind of energy input. And I don’t know if qi and my magic will mix well.”

Gu Jie frowned, deep in thought, her fingers brushing against the edge of the scroll I had handed her. I could almost see the calculations running through her mind, the way her brows furrowed in concentration.

This whole situation confirmed something for me—whatever this world was, it wasn’t just some undiscovered region of Lost Legends Online. If it were, she would’ve at least recognized some of this magic. The disconnect between her understanding and mine ran too deep for it to be a simple matter of unfamiliarity.

She looked like she wanted to ask more, but after a moment, she swallowed her curiosity and nodded. “I understand,” she said quietly. “Then… I’ll treasure these.”

“Good.” I smirked. “See that you do.”