"Most wondrous." Lu Shen said for the thousandth time. In his hand was a snifter of wine. The glass was decorated with little cherry blossoms. I remember when my mother bought the set.

My folks like to entertain. They weren't snobs. My mother loves cooking but she didn't have my ambition. Cooking gourmet meals for their circle of friends every month was her joy. After meals, they'd drink with their friends in the living room and reminisce. They kept a fully stocked bar, so I invited Lu Shen to drink with me and hear his story.

"You were saying." I gently prompted.

He shook himself and continued his tale. "Apologies Master. The Shen clan took me in and gave me a home. I trained diligently to repay their kindness." He downed the rest of the wine in the glass. "It was all for naught. When the Razorbacks came all, I could do was save the princess. Her parents sacrificed themselves to give us a chance to escape."

He hung his head in shame. I felt bad for the guy. But they were still alive. If they lived to rebuild.

"Master Ivory if I may? Where is it you hail from?" Lu asked me.

"I don't suppose you've heard of Leandra?" I asked him.

He nodded his head. "Of course, she's one of the greater deities."

"She brought me here from another world." My folks always said honesty was the greatest virtue. Even if he didn't believe me, I should stick to my values.

"Then you must be one of her heroes." He was looking at me with awe. "No wonder you slew them so easily. She has sent her heroes here before. The last one was 200 years ago. He tried to bring peace to the warring clans, but he ultimately failed."

I nodded my head. "I'm familiar with failure. Tell me more about the clans." I took out a pen and paper, ready to make notes. From what I knew from my youth, they would not send me back. This world was now my new home. In movies and other stories, the MC is always trying to go home. In all honesty, I can't think of a reason. Most people have crappy lives, including mine. Why would I want to go back? My mission was simple. Restore innovation and commerce. I can do both. My business started from the ground up. I could do it again. And if I enlist the help of Lu and the last of the Shen's, it'll be easier.

Lu spent the rest of the night answering every question about the world I live in now. Currently, I was in the Gold valley. It was secluded and fertile. There were five major clans in the valley. The Razorbacks, Shen, the Bitter fang, Heavenly Bloom, and the Zhou. All the clans except for the Razorbacks got along peacefully. But the Razorbacks, with their immense strength and war-loving ways, oppressed the other clans and constantly raided them for women and supplies. The rest of the world was a beast of its own, but here in the Valley, the best way to bring peace was to get rid of the Razorbacks.

With Lu's help, that was exactly what I was going to do. If you want your garden to be healthy and fruitful, you need to yank up the weeds by their roots.

The following morning while Lu nursed his hangover. I spoke with his junior Tan. Somehow, I was stronger in this world than in mine. I needed to understand why. Tan was more than willing to help me out with that.

"Cultivation is the way of our world. For instance, I am Early Body Refining Rank 3. Senior Lu is Middle Body Refining Rank 5. Through hard work and dedication, we can grow in strength and longevity. I heard those who reach Core Formation can live for thousands of years."

I raised my eyebrow at that. The note that the crazy goddess left me was right. Like the fables, a person could reach immortality and maybe even god-like strength and power here. Or hell maybe even attain godhood. I'd table that for another time, though.

"Is there a way to check my stage?" I asked. "I'm not from this world, so I'd like to know."

Tan nodded and fished out a clear glass ball the size of an apple. He held it up for inspection. "This is a measuring glass. Most cultivators have one. It helps us keep track of our own progress."

He placed it in my hand and held it up. The class glowed brightly before words appeared.

Late Body Refining Rank 9

Flame Spirit Root

Tan's eye comically bugged out of his head. "Not even the chief of the Razorbacks has reached Body Refining Rank 9. Most of his soldiers are Body Refining Rank 1. The chief is Rank 3. You must be hundreds of years old by now."

I shook my head. "Nope, I'm 25." It explained my strength. I'd been cultivating all my life. Of course, back on earth, it didn't give me super strength or powers. But here in this world, it did. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage."

"Thank you, Tan, for your help." I clapped him on the shoulder and got to my feet. I went in search of Lu and found him in the kitchen, his head in his hands. "Lu, do you know how to get to the Razorback clan?"

Lu let out a very canine-like whimper and covered his ears. He slowly nodded his head. I lowered my voice for his sake. "When you are feeling better, take me there."

He nodded again. I left him and went into the Dojo to find a suitable weapon. Fighting with my fists was well and good but I'd rather have a sword in my hand. I'd rather have a gun, but beggars can't be choosers.

I wondered if they had bows in this world. If not, that could be a game-changer for this world.

An hour later, Lu found me. He still looked pale, but there was a determined glint in his eye. He bowed low in greeting. "I am ready to show you the way, Master."

"Good. Let's go while there's still daylight."

I followed Lu as he led me through the bamboo forest. The walk was quiet, as if the forest was afraid to make a sound. It was peaceful and eerie at the same time. I gripped the hilt of my Jian. I thought about going with the katana, but decided against it. I'd save that for later. My father believed in practicality. Every weapon in the Dojo was not some blunted replica for show. Each weapon could be used. Each weapon was there to be used if it was needed. I'm sure my dad was thinking more along the line of home invaders and not mystical pig-men.

The clan of the Razorbacks lived in a little village surrounded by stone walls. It looked like a cross between a fortress and a town. It didn't matter what it looked like. I was going to raise it to the ground. Or more accurately, kill the leader and his warriors. Maybe the women would be more reasonable.

I turned to Lu Shen. "Wait here. I'll be back." We had been observing the town/fortress from a hill. Making my way down said hill was absolute torture. I should have asked Lu to show me the way down the damn hill. It would have saved me some serious lumps and bruises.

The entrance to the town were two large wooden doors guarded by two Razorbacks. When they saw me, they bellowed a challenge and charged at me, weapons raised. Not even a 'who goes there' just roar and kill. I felt bad for Pigs back home. Pigs were supposed to be smart animals. These Razorbacks were a disgrace.

I drew my Jian. With surgical precision, I slashed one's jugular and pierced the other's heart. Both were dead in seconds. They both wore equally shocked expressions in death. Probably wondering how someone who was smaller than them could have killed them. Well, like my dad used to say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I strolled up to the gate and lifted my foot and kicked the gate open. My kick snapped it off its hinges and sent it flying.

I stared down at my foot and made a mental note to be more mindful of my new strength. If I wasn't careful, I'd go to pat someone's back and end up snapping their spine. My display of strength sent the women and children scrambling for safety. The men of the village hefted their battle-axes. The next few minutes were a blur of limbs and bodies as I dodged and parried their attacks.

I had to give it to them. They were coordinated in their attacks. They moved as a cohesive unit, and it made me sad that they were little more than barbarians. But my father didn't raise me to constantly second guess myself. A man chooses his path and sticks to it. It took me longer than expected to kill all of them. But I didn't expect them to be so well organized. Life was full of little surprises.

Twenty Razorbacks raised their axes to kill me and twenty now lay dead at my feet. A thunderous bellow had me turning my head. A hulking Razorback stood at the end of the dirt path that ran between the buildings. He easily towered a good eight feet. His shoulders were wide, and his muscles were the size of my head.

"Puny man, I will eat you for my supper!" It roared.

This must be the chief of the Razorbacks. He certainly was big enough. The first Razorback to speak words to me was a cliché declaration. I shouldn't have expected more, but I was really hoping for more. Unlike the others, he didn't wield a battle-ax but hefted a massive meat cleaver. He looked like he could chop a cow in half with that thing. Images of being tied down and chopped up flashed through my mind. I shook my head and focused on the here and now.

I'd have to take my time with him. When he charged ducked under his first swing and kept dancing around him. I needed to wear him out and bleed him out. I'd dodge an attack cut as close as I could to a major artery, then jump back out of his reach. It was death by a thousand cuts. Not quite a thousand, but close enough. After several minutes of this, his movements became sluggish, and I could see him struggling to maintain his grip on his cleaver.

When he raised his cleaver high, it fell from his grasp. He looked at the cleaver on the ground and then at his own hand. He seemed to have trouble comprehending what happened. He didn't need to think too hard about it. In the next moment, I severed his head from his shoulders. His head hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop. I wiped my blade off on the dead chief's tunic.

I turned to see one of the Razorback women staring down at the chief's head. Her face was beautiful and her nose was dainty. She reminded me of the movie Penelope. She looked cute. But her body drew my attention for all the wrong reasons. Her frame was slight and malnourished. I could see hints of her ribcage outlined by the thin material of her robes.

Other women were coming out now, and they all looked to be underfed. I couldn't understand it. I saw plenty of food next to large cooking pots. The men were well fed, some on the verge of being fat. But why then were the women so thin? Then I realized. The men must have enjoyed most of the food and left the scraps for the women.

Fuck that! I sheathed my Jian and walked right up to the woman. She didn't shy away, looking resigned to whatever fate I had in store for her. Well, she was in for a surprise.

"Can you understand my words?" I asked her.

She gave me an odd look. "Yes?" It was more a question than an answer.

"Good. Gather the other women and the food and bring it to the big cooking pot." I ordered her.

She did as I ordered without complaint, and I was glad for that. Next to the cooking pot was a makeshift prep station. As soon as the other women had gathered and brought the food, I showed them down to shop up the meat and vegetable they brought. I cooked them beef stew with plenty of vegetables. When I started filling bowls of the soup and handing them out it took them all a moment to realize the soup was for them. Sadly, I had to order them to eat. They ate hesitantly as if they feared I'd change my mind and struck them. It made me wish I hadn't killed their men so quickly.

I waited till everyone had been fed before I clued them in.

"I am Alistair Ivory. I was summoned to this world by the Goddess Leandra. If you serve me. I swear you'll never go hungry again."

There was no hesitation. They knelt before me and swore their allegiance. I really shouldn't have expected any resistance. After all, how much worse could I be? Compared to the men of their town. If there were more towns like this where women or people were treated with such barbarism, then my mission was clear. I'd feed them and lead them into a brighter future.