Red Tiger City

Amid the ancient trees, a young man with long hair and hemp clothing walked cautiously. The leaves rustled softly above his head, and the damp smell of moss filled the air. He had chosen a random direction, with no landmarks other than the towering trees around him.

He tried climbing one to look for signs of civilization, but the trees were too gigantic, their branches far too high to reach. With a sigh of resignation, he gave up on the idea and moved forward.

As the young man walked, he controlled his avatars to explore the surroundings from where they were.

By some irony of fate, the avatars had been summoned to the ruins of an ancient sect. Time-worn walls and partially destroyed pillars lay amidst the undergrowth. But after a careful search, they found nothing but abandoned structures.

There were no signs of past battles—no craters, no completely demolished walls. It seemed more like an abandoned place, as if the inhabitants had left, taking all valuables with them.

Finding nothing useful, the young man made the avatars sit cross-legged in the most well-preserved room. They closed their eyes and began to sense the spiritual energy around them.

The sect leader quickly felt the flow of energy and tried to manipulate it. The avatars of the two elders struggled more, but with the feedback from the leader's perceptions, they soon began to master the little spiritual energy present in their bodies.

'Hmm... besides having superior cultivation, the sect leader also has a natural talent for deriving martial arts. Maybe that's why he has so much control, even without any martial arts or cultivation techniques,' the young man reflected while pushing aside branches blocking his path.

Suddenly, something interrupted his thoughts. 'Huh?! A mark?' He stopped, focusing on a tree ahead.

He approached and read the Chinese writing, which, for some reason, he seemed to understand ever since he arrived in this world.

'Well, I think it's Mandarin at least... I've never learned Mandarin before, it could be another similar language too,' he pondered.

The mark read "city" with an arrow pointing forward.

"I hope it's not a xianxia prankster…" the young man muttered under his breath, imagining a youth with a fan in front of his mouth and a mischievous smile in crescent-shaped eyes.

'Bruh!' He shook his head, trying to dispel the image, and followed the direction the tree pointed.

Along the way, he found more marks guiding him. 'My luck isn't too bad! So many possible directions and I managed not to get lost in the forest!' he thought, trying to ignore the slight chill in his stomach as he remembered the skull leaning against a tree.

Meanwhile, his avatars continued to manipulate the spiritual energy, trying to make it useful. But without specific techniques or exercises, progress was slow and chaotic.

After some time, he grew tired of the attempt and made the avatars stand up to look for a city as well. Like him, the elders were beginning to feel hungry. The sect leader, however, seemed immune to hunger, probably due to his advanced cultivation.

His own stomach, however, growled in protest. Without any cultivation level to sustain him, the physical effort of walking nonstop through the forest was taking its toll.

Then, something in the distance caught his attention. 'A city!' He could barely contain his excitement as he spotted the outline of walls far away.

He quickened his pace, and the vision of the city grew clearer. Stone walls rose imposingly, protecting the curved rooftops peeking behind them.

Arriving at the main gate, he joined the line, observing the people around him. In front of him, an old man with a white beard was petting his donkey, whose saddlebags were bulging—probably with rice.

The old man looked at the young man and smiled, his wrinkles deepening.

"First time in the city?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"Ahem!" The young man coughed into his fist, surprised by the approach. He hadn't expected interaction while analyzing the gate.

Above them, on the large wooden plaque, the words were written in fluid calligraphy: Red Tiger City.

"Good morning, sir! Yes, this is my first time in the city. I don't usually leave home, and my knowledge is limited. Please enlighten me!" He bowed, trying to imitate the polite speech of the xianxia stories he used to read.

The old man raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Oh! What a well-mannered young man. Nowadays, it's rare to see a boy with such courtesy!" He laughed with satisfaction. "If you need anything, I'll be glad to help."

The line was long, and the old man seemed in no hurry. It was a good opportunity for the young man to learn more about this new world.