Chapter 8 – The Town of Kaalguda
As Aman and Ishita stepped through the town's main entrance, a wave of noise and activity greeted them. The streets were bustling, people moving about their daily lives, but Ishita had something else on her mind.
She looked at Aman in surprise, wiping the light sheen of sweat from her forehead. "How are you not tired?" she asked between breaths.
Aman blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I'm at a higher cultivation level than you, yet you're barely sweating!" she said, frowning slightly.
"Oh, that?" Aman shrugged casually. "Guess I'm built different."
Ishita rolled her eyes, muttering something about his arrogance. But her excitement over the auction quickly pushed away any lingering thoughts of his unnatural stamina.
Aman, on the other hand, wasn't thinking about the auction at all. His mind, as always, was full of the most unrelated nonsense imaginable.
'What should I have for dinner?' He glanced at a food stall, but then something else struck him. 'Wait... since we're out in town together, does this count as a date?'
He almost stopped in his tracks. 'Damn... does that mean I have to buy her something? Is there a rule for this? What are the dating protocols in this world??'
Before he could spiral any further into his ADHD rabbit hole, another thought crashed into him like a runaway ox cart.
Public Transport Crisis
Aman furrowed his brows. 'Wait a second... how do normal people even travel in this world if they aren't cultivators?'
He looked around, finally noticing something. There were no carriages, no carts, no proper transport system.
'Is it just... horse riding? That's it? Damn, I kinda wanna try that. Ahem.'
His curiosity was immediately cut short by a far more pressing issue.
The Town's… Condition
As they walked further in, Aman's face twisted in mild horror.
'Why does everything smell like shit??'
He glanced around. The town streets weren't paved--they were just wet dirt with no grass. It had rained recently, and the ground was now a mess of mud, footprints, and what he could only assume was animal waste.
'You mean to tell me this mud-infested wasteland is considered a road?'
His gaze then shifted to the buildings. Most were thatch houses, old wooden structures barely holding themselves together. The few brick structures had cracks running along their walls.
The lighting was also poor, with only a few dimly glowing lanterns scattered around. In broad daylight, it wasn't an issue, but Aman could already tell that once night fell, this place was going to be dark as hell.
Comparing Worlds
For a moment, Aman's brain tried to make sense of it all.
'Why is this town so... backwards?'
Then, he made the mistake of comparing it to his sect.
'The sect has stone-paved roads, floating lanterns, qi-infused structures, and high walls made of spirit jade…'
That was when it hit him.
'Oh. Right. My sect is a cultivation sect. Of course, it's different.'
Which meant…
'Does that mean the rest of the world is as poor as this?'
Aman suddenly felt an existential crisis creeping up on him. The realization of just how primitive this world truly was was slowly sinking in.
But before he could think about it too much--
"Aman, hurry up! The auction is about to start!" Ishita grabbed his sleeve, pulling him toward a large building in the distance.
Aman sighed. 'Alright, forget the shitty roads and lack of hygiene. Let's see what kind of nonsense this auction has in store.'
With that, they stepped into the bustling auction house.
As Aman stepped deeper into the town, he was met with desperation--a stark contrast to the grandeur of the auction house that loomed ahead.
The streets were muddy, the houses were falling apart, and the smell of unwashed bodies and livestock waste lingered in the air. But the auction house? It was well-decorated, elegant, and radiated luxury.
Aman narrowed his eyes. 'Why is there such a huge difference?'
Then it hit him.
The cultivation world. The cultivation people. The cultivation is everything.
Power is Wealth
This wasn't just a normal town. It was a place where power dictated status. The common people struggled for survival, while cultivators thrived in luxury.
If you had no cultivation, you had no worth.
Aman sighed. "Damn, this world is so unfair."
Inside the Auction House
The moment they stepped in, the noise of the outside world faded. The air was cool, fresh, and laced with the faint scent of incense.
The floors were polished jade tiles, the walls were adorned with golden embroidery, and the seats were lined with spirit beast fur.
Aman and Ishita found an empty spot near the middle and sat down.
Soon, servants dressed in fine robes moved through the aisles, offering refreshments and assistance.
"Would you like any spirit tea, sir? Some light snacks?" one of them asked.
Aman waved them off, but his mind was still processing.
'The difference between mortals and cultivators… it's too much. These auction house servants probably live better than half the town.'
The Auction Begins
A loud gong echoed through the hall, and the murmurs died down.
On the elevated stage, an elegantly dressed auctioneer stepped forward. He smiled, exuding confidence, and spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kaalguda Auction House!"
The crowd's anticipation surged. Aman leaned back in his chair, watching as the first item was brought out.
'Let's see what kind of nonsense this world considers valuable…'
As the auction continued, the only items being bid on were cultivation methods, medicinal herbs, or luxurious artifacts.
Of course, Aman expected this.
But seeing only these things over and over? That was just disappointing.
Where were the interesting things? The mechanical inventions, books on history, or something new and exciting?
He sighed. 'Guess this world really doesn't care about anything but cultivation.'
Boredom Takes Over
Aman leaned back, crossing his arms, and zoned out. His mind drifted until--
He started singing.
"I can't find those silver linings, I don't mean to judge…"
His voice was soft, but steady.
"But when you read your speech, it's tiring, enough is enough!"
A few people turned their heads, confused.
"I'm covering my ears like a kid, when your words mean nothing like--"
"Blah blah blah…"
Ishita, who had been watching the auction with mild interest, suddenly snapped her head towards him.
At first, she hummed along, trying to follow the melody. But then, after carefully listening to the lyrics, she pouted.
She had noticed long ago--Aman wasn't enjoying the auction.
Maybe it was because of his injury.
Maybe it was because it was just boring as hell.
She didn't know.
But now, seeing him break into song out of boredom, she couldn't help but sigh.
"You really don't take anything seriously, do you?" she muttered, resting her chin on her hand.
---
But despite his carefree attitude, Ishita knew something others didn't—
Aman was paying attention. A lot of attention.
His mind worked like a supercomputer, silently tracking everything—the items, their costs, the bidders, their reactions. Every small detail was being recorded.
Then, at some point…
The auction ended.
Aman blinked.
"Wait… did I just fall asleep?"
Ishita smirked, barely holding back a laugh. "Oh, you totally did."
As the crowd dispersed, they stepped out of the auction house into the cool night air.
Aman stretched. "Alright, I'm starving. Let's grab some food before heading back."
Ishita nodded, already scanning the streets for food stalls. But before she could decide, Aman suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards a crowded restaurant.
"This place looks good. Let's eat here."
They quickly found an empty table, and Aman ordered the house special.
Ishita raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. Aman was always like this—acting on a whim.
But then, she noticed something strange.
Aman wasn't focused on his food.
Instead, he was staring at a particular table… or rather, at a woman sitting there alone.
A woman in a purple dress, eating quietly.
Ishita followed his gaze, frowning. "What are you looking at?"
Aman, without taking his eyes off the woman, muttered, "Something's weird about her."
And he was right.
—
End of Chapter 8