Chapter - 14 Map and the Island
After asking a few people in the village, dodging some overly enthusiastic fruit vendors, and getting mildly distracted by a flute-playing kid on the street corner, I finally found myself in front of a small wooden shop. The sign above read something in the local script I didn't really understand, but the rows of scrolls in the window gave it away.
Maps. Bingo.
I pushed the door open and a small bell jingled somewhere above my head. Inside, the air smelled of old parchment, a little ink, and a whole lot of dust. Felt like the right place.
"Ah, welcome," said the shopkeeper--a wiry man with a long beard, wearing glasses that were far too large for his face. He peered over them at me, trying to read me.
I smiled politely. "Yo boss, do you have a map? A general one--like, bigger the better. Less detail is good too, just needs to be geographically accurate."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly catching my accent. Not that I was hiding it. He gave a small smile though--dude probably figured I was a traveler from somewhere weird. Which, technically, was true in the most cosmic way possible.
"Foreigners always want maps," he muttered, rummaging through the shelves before pulling out a thick tube. He handed it to me.
I carefully unrolled it over the nearby table. It was beautiful--faded ink on thick paper, mountain ranges drawn with care, rivers curving like dragon spines, towns dotted here and there. No unnecessary details, just the land.
"This'll do." I rolled it back up and nodded. "Boss, how much for this map? And do you also have a compass?"
He smiled. "Of course. I have a few left. Basic one should do."
I bought both, handed him a few silver coins, and left the shop with the rolled-up map and a small, bronze compass in a satchel.
But before I returned to the restaurant, I took a sharp turn. There was something I needed--something that'd make this whole world feel just a little more like home.
Clothes.
I spotted a store with bright silks and robes hanging at the front like someone spilled a bag of Skittles across the entrance. Perfect.
"Welcome, young master!" a lady called out cheerfully. She looked like the kind of auntie who'd spoil her niece and then scold her the next minute for eating too many sweets.
"I need robes," I said. "Comfortable ones. Oversized. The kind that gives you breathing room, you know?"
She blinked. "Most young cultivators prefer slim, form-fitting robes…"
"Yeah, I'm not most cultivators."
I walked past a few fancy-looking martial robes with dragon embroidery and glowing thread. They looked cool but screamed tryhard protagonist energy. Not me.
Then I saw it.
A large crimson robe--simple, flowing, not flashy, but elegant. No dragons, no flying phoenix, just smooth, heavy fabric and long sleeves. The kind of thing that would flow in the wind when I'm standing dramatically on a cliff.
I ran my fingers along it. The texture was soft, breathable. Almost felt like I was back home trying on a hoodie five sizes too big.
"This one. How much?"
The auntie smiled. "You have good eyes. That's dyed with fire lotus pigment--good luck for those who walk dangerous paths. I'll give you a fair price."
After haggling just a little, I walked out of the shop with my new robe packed neatly.
Map? Check. Compass? Check. Comfort robe to embrace my ADHD soul in style? Double check.
Time to go back and rally the pets. The next stage of the plan starts now.
—
As I stepped back into the restaurant, the rich aroma of cooked spirit beast meat and stir-fried qi vegetables hit me like a nostalgic hug. A few tables away, I spotted them--my chaos crew.
Ishita sat at the table, a soft smile on her face, feeding the little rabbit a piece of carrot with both hands. The rabbit chewed like it was receiving a royal offering, ears flicking smugly. The fox lay sprawled across two chairs like he owned the place, while the chicken sat proudly atop the table centerpiece, chest puffed out like he was presiding over a court of peasants.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat and walked over. "Ishita. I've got the map. Now I can find some good coordinates for my base."
She looked up with curiosity as I sat down, pulled out the rolled parchment, and unrolled it across the table, pushing aside a half-eaten bowl of rice and a protesting goat's head.
I scanned it slowly, my eyes sharpening. This map wasn't just lines and names--it was a puzzle. A terrain-based enigma waiting to be cracked.
I traced my finger across the parchment. "So the sect is to the north of Kaalguda," I murmured to myself. "But the entire region? It's actually on the southern part of the continent."
Ishita leaned in, frowning a little. "It's just a map, Aman. There's nothing to see."
I grinned slightly, eyes never leaving the paper. "That's 'cause you're looking at it with regular brain settings. I'm in gamer mode."
She blinked. "Huh?"
I tapped the southern border of the map. "Look here. The ocean is just one town south from Kaalguda. Now, the saltwater near the ocean doesn't support the growth of normal monocot or dicot plants. So what does it make? Beaches. Which means sand--super infertile, terrible for farming."
Her frown deepened. "So… we're not building near the beach?"
I nodded. "Exactly. What I am looking for is a flow of water--rivers or streams--that stretch inland from the ocean. Because that water gradually filters out the salt content and turns fresh. Which means--" I tapped the map again, circling a bend in the river, "--natural fertility boost."
Her eyes began to follow my finger more closely now.
"But that's not enough," I continued, tracing the river upstream. "What's more ideal is when a river cuts through mountainous terrain. You know what that creates? Natural reservoirs. Lakes. Big, wide ones. And with the right formation… maybe even an island right in the middle."
I looked up to see her fully engrossed now.
"A lake island?" she echoed.
"Yup," I said. "Think about it. Wild animals come to lakeshores to drink water. It's dangerous to build anything right at the edge. But if I can find a lake with an island in the middle? That's natural defense. The water acts as a barrier. Land-based carnivores can't cross easily."
"What about amphibians?"
I smirked. "Those slimy bastards are only dangerous in water. On land, they ain't shit. I can deal with them. The goal is to reduce attack vectors and maximize isolation without losing access to natural resources."
I circled a location further in. "So I'm looking for a near-ocean location, where the incoming river flows deep into the land, widens into a large lake, and has even a possibility of an island inside it. If I find that…"
I leaned back in the chair, vision locked on the map like I could see it from the clouds.
"…Then I've got the perfect place to build."
Ishita stared at me for a few seconds, then glanced down at the map again. The rabbit was now curled up in her lap, and even the chicken seemed slightly less arrogant, looking at the parchment with one eye.
"...You're insane," she said finally. "But I think I'm starting to get it."
I smiled. "Welcome to my brain."
—
As I finished laying out the details on the map, Ishita leaned in and pointed toward the west of Kaalguda.
"There," she said, her finger pressing on a shaded patch of green. "This spot… doesn't it meet what you said?"
I glanced at it. The terrain, the curves of the river lines, the surrounding forest density…
My lips curled into a smirk. "You've got a good eye. That's a prime candidate."
After clearing the bill and tossing a glance at the pets--who now looked like they were about to explode from overeating--we stepped out of the restaurant. The sun had dropped slightly in the sky, casting a golden hue across the buildings and dust-lined roads. People passed by, some giving us curious glances. Pets this cute, and this weirdly obedient? Not something you see every day.
But my mind wasn't at ease.
Am I moving too fast?
The question crept up inside me like a splinter.
But I shut it down.
No.
It won't be long before someone figures it out.
That it wasn't some wild beast's tantrum or rogue explosion...
But a heavenly tribulation.
A damn heavenly tribulation in the middle of a mortal sect's ground. That kind of anomaly doesn't go unnoticed for long.
I need to erase the traces. I need to move before any faction starts poking around.
We turned southwest, cutting through the edge of town and moving past open fields. The terrain shifted gradually--subtle at first, but noticeable. The air held a different warmth. A dry breath of wind ruffled my hair as the cicadas began their buzzing chorus.
Summer was coming.
The sunlight wasn't gentle anymore.
It pressed down on our backs, hot and persistent.
The trees we passed were shedding their fresh spring softness, leaves becoming thicker, greener, tougher.
Ishita walked beside me, occasionally humming, her hair tied back in a loose knot. The pets trailed us--except for the chicken, who insisted on sitting on my shoulder like he was a damn war general overseeing his troops. His feathers puffed up dramatically every time we passed another traveler.
But my mind stayed on edge.
Every shift of the wind, every whisper from the treeline--I was reading signs, listening to nature, tracking flow of Qi in the land.
This wasn't just relocation.
This was foundation-building.
A new base.
A new beginning.
And the first domino in a cascade I'd already seen in my head a hundred times.
The pets played as we walked, and Ishita kicked a rock ahead lazily like we weren't marching toward an unknown.
But I was already thinking ten moves ahead.
And the shadows?
They were already watching.
---
End of chapter 14