Chapter 9

Once Emma was gone four maids came in to clear the dishes and take the small table and chairs they had set up away. They looked nervous around me. I was sure in their situation they would be nervous also.

“I’ve been told that all of you will be serving me at some point?” I said. It wasn’t the best way to start a conversation with them but I couldn’t think of anything better.

“That’s right my lord.” One of the braver of the maids said.

I grimaced a bit when she called me lord. The part of my memories from this world accepted that without a second thought. The part of me from Earth felt like it was wrong.

“You can call me Adam.” I said.

One of the other maids frowned. “Isn’t your name Zhao?” She said speaking before she thought. Otherwise I was sure she would have been too nervous.

For a second I thought I had screwed up. Thinking quickly I used the first excuse I could come up with. “Zhao died when my core was shattered. I’d like to put that part of my life behind me.” I said.

I felt relieved when the maids all seemed to accept that. “So what do you think of this situation? I’m sure it’s not very typical.” I said.

I was surprised when none of the maids seemed at all upset by my question. They were basically being turned into sex slaves and near as I could tell none of them were upset. In fact a couple of them were smiling.

The first maid that had talked took the initiative to answer my question. “All of us knew what we were signing up for. For each of us there were dozens of women that applied. We gain protection and shelter. And if we are lucky our children will become powerful cultivators. It’s far better than the alternatives.” The maid said the last with a bit of a shudder.

If I only had my Earth memories I would have been shocked. However, my memories of this world told me that it was a far more cruel and vicious world. The strong preyed upon the weak. Her mention of the alternatives reminded me of that. For a beautiful girl in this world with no protection they would be the prey of the first powerful cultivator that took an interest in them.

Emma had told me that all the maids had been adopted as low ranking members of clan Ashton. Something like that couldn’t be underestimated. If anyone messed with even the lowest ranked member of the clan it would be considered an insult to the entire clan. Likely they would be hunted down by the rest of the clan. In addition the maids were being provided with all of their basic needs. Something that wasn’t always guaranteed in this world.

One of the other maids spoke up. “I can assure you that all of us are eager to get started with our full duties. However, we have been told that we will have to wait until you fully recover.”

My eyes widened just a bit at how blunt that statement was. I couldn’t help but acknowledge that part of me, mostly the lower half, was ready to get started also. Although like she had said that would be a terrible idea until I regained my strength. I’d probably pass out from even the mildest exertion.

“In that case I’ll make sure to recover as quickly as possible.” I said hoping that wouldn’t be taken in the wrong way.

The maids giggled and went back to their work. A few minutes later they had managed to clean up everything. “Is there anything else you need, Adam?” One of the maids asked as they were leaving.

“Would it be possible to get a cane of some type? I’d like to get some fresh air. But I’m not up to walking around unassisted.” I asked.

The maid nodded. “I’ll make sure the guards have one for whenever you want to walk around. Just make sure not to overexert yourself.”

I was tempted to go to the alchemist's garden right away. After lunch I needed a rest though. Just getting too and from the table had tired me out. Even just sitting felt exhausting. Hopefully I’d regain my strength and stamina soon.

I spent the next couple hours querying the tutorial with different questions. Mostly I was just hoping to gain more insight into the world I found myself in. Unfortunately the knowledge of the tutorial was either focused on the dimensional originator or was very basic. So basic that Zhao’s memories of this world contained significantly more information.

Eventually I gave up and decided to just get some sleep. Of course, as exhausted as I was, I slept later than I had expected. I didn’t wake up until a group of maids delivered dinner. On the plus side I felt significantly better, although still weak.

Dinner was very similar to lunch. Meat, vegetables, and bread. I couldn’t recognize any of it when compared to Earth food. Except for the bread of course, although even that didn’t taste the same. It wasn’t bad. Just unusual.

After dinner I decided that it was finally time to go to the alchemist’s garden. When I asked the guards they handed me a cane and nearly a dozen of them came with me. After the events of that morning I’d gladly take whatever guards were assigned to me. Just as long as they weren’t trying to kill me.

When we finally reached the garden I couldn’t help but feel impressed. The plants themselves weren’t what impressed me. I had seen far rarer herbs and ingredients before my clan was destroyed. Being a central clan we had owned a far larger garden with significantly more powerful alchemy ingredients growing in it.

The part that impressed me with the garden was just how organized it was. Everything seemed to have its place. And yet at the same time all of it seemed natural. Like I was walking through an idyllic overgrown park. Whoever did the landscaping of the garden was a true master. I had never seen anything like it even in pictures of multi millionaires homes.

As I examined the plants I found a number that were potential candidates to store in my plane. Yet something stopped me from taking any of them. I wasn’t afraid the clan would get upset with me. In fact a few of my choices I could have easily claimed were medicine to help me recover quicker. Instead it was because I was afraid of defiling such a picturesque garden.

Finally I turned to one of the guards. “Who does the maintenance of the garden?” I asked.

The guard seemed to think about it for a moment. “I’m not sure who does the maintenance itself. Elder Yui is in charge of the alchemists though. He’s an early level eight cultivator but widely respected due to his skill in alchemy. He would probably know the answer to that question.”

“Do you know where he is?” I asked the guard.

The guard nodded. “He’s quite eccentric. Unlike many of the other elders he doesn’t stay in one of the mansions. Instead he has a small hut near the gardens themselves. Did you want to go visit him?” The guard was a bit surprised at how quickly I agreed. Whoever the landscaper was for this garden, I had to meet them.

A few minutes later we stood outside of a ramshackle hut near the garden. Despite it’s rundown appearance I was surprised to see that the landscaping in the area was just as exquisite. The cottage could have come straight off the front cover of a magazine or from a movie set.

“Elder Yui, are you available to meet with a visitor?” The guard said respectfully after knocking on the door. I was a bit surprised that he didn’t seem to appreciate what I was seeing.

We waited for nearly a minute before the door finally opened. From out of the hut stepped one of the oldest looking men I had ever seen. And yet he still appeared remarkably healthy. His back wasn’t stooped and he didn’t walk as if he was in any type of pain.

In my memories as Zhao I was sure I had met older cultivators. I had even been introduced to one of the rank nine cultivators of my clan. It was rumored that he was over eight thousand years old. Yet that man had only looked like he was in his fifties. This man looked to be over a hundred. And yet from how he moved something screamed to me that he was a man still in his prime.

Elder Yui looked at me curiously. “Who are you? Not many youngsters like to visit with me. Usually they prefer to visit those buffons in their mansions.”

“My name is Adam. I’m new to clan Ashton. As far as I’m concerned your garden is far more exquisite than any mansion could possibly be.” I said with a grin and then extended a hand.

“Flattery will open many doors.” Elder Yui said with a grin surprising me. Then he reached out and shook my hand.

You have successfully found a source of life energy. Passive absorption from this source equals 26,552 energy per day.