In the hour that William had been on the bumpy wagon, he hadn’t been able to make the system show him anything other than his stats. As much as he loved to see that he only had three hit points left, he didn’t need to constantly be reminded of that fact.

“Hey, brat. Do you know it’s rude to not introduce yourself?”

William was surprised to hear Wang Xiaoling speak to him. He had expected to have his ears talked off when he agreed to her offer for a ride, but the opposite happened. Wang Xiaoling had quieted down and seemed to be on high alert as she drove the wagon.

William followed her actions and refrained from asking the questions that were bubbling inside him. He wondered how the power hierarchy was set up in this world. Was it controlled by kingdoms and empires, or were the cultivator sects the ones that were pulling the strings? It might be neither, but William doubted that with how cultivation worlds generally followed the strong.

“It’s William,” He replied before saying, “You know you haven’t told me your name either.”

William might be able to see Wang Xiaoling’s name floating above her head and heard her talking in the third person. Still, none of that could be considered an introduction.

“Hm?” Wang Xiaoling looked away from the road momentarily to stare at him before turning back, “Do you not know how to say your name? It’s not wee-li-eng. It’s Wei Liang. It’s too good of a name for you to butcher, brat.”

William wondered if this was worth correcting constantly. It seemed that if he told anyone his actual name in this world, they would think it was Wei Liang, but he was just horrible at pronouncing it. He didn’t relish the thought of explaining to random strangers that his name wasn’t a badly pronounced Wei Liang.

With Daoist Chen already assuming his name was Wei Liang and the system apparently agreeing, William decided to do what some Chinese classmates in university did. While they had an English name, he would have the opposite.

“Right, it’s Wei Liang,” William pretended to correct himself, “You still haven’t told me your name.”

“I’m Wang Xiaoling! The greatest merchant in the Tanxia Empire!”

“… Really?” William gave her a look filled with disbelief.

Wang Xiaoling’s smile grew stiff as she flicked the reins, encouraging the horses to run at a brisker pace.

She cleared her throat and said, “I’m getting there! At least I’m doing something productive with my time rather than scamming honest people like you are.”

William rolled his eyes at her insistence on calling him a scammer.

“What were you doing there anyway? There’s no town close by. You must have been walking for hours.”

When William didn’t answer, Wang Xiaoling thought he was too embarrassed to say. However, he didn’t know how to tell her something believable. It wasn’t like he could tell her that an old monster saved him from becoming a cultivator’s nourishment.

“Were you kicked out by your clan?” Wang Xiaoling asked with pity. It was a common occurrence for the disappointing descendants to be cut out. When William looked at her blankly, Wang Xiaoling thought her assumption was correct.

“Don’t worry, Wei Liang,” Wang Xiaoling patted his shoulder a little too roughly, “I was like you at your age. Of course, I didn’t try to scam people, but we are similar enough.”

“Will you stop saying I’m a scammer!”

“I could use a little help with my business,” Wang Xiaoling ignored William’s protest, “Why don’t you stick with me for now? I won’t have to hire a helper to unload my goods, and you’ll learn how to do some honest work.”

William’s first instinct was to say no, but after thinking over Wang Xiaoling’s offer, he had to admit it was highly convenient. It would give him time to heal his damaged soul while also providing a way to earn money.

With all the excitement William had experienced, he had completely forgotten that he was a mortal, with all the mortal needs that come along with that. Before he could start his cultivation journey, he needed to be able to eat and find a place to sleep to live till then.

Perhaps Daoist Chen had foreseen this and left him in the middle of the road for a reason. Meeting Wang Xiaoling might not have been a chance encounter if that was the case.

“… Okay.”

“What was that, brat?” Wang Xiaoling gave him a stink eye, “Why do you sound depressed while you’re agreeing.”

“Okay!” William gave Wang Xiaoling the brightest smile he could until a hard push almost knocked him off the wagon.

“Stop that!” Wang Xiaoling shuddered, “That smile was too fake. How can you try to be a scammer when you don’t even have a convincing smile?”

William glared at Wang Xiaoling while holding tightly onto the wagon’s side. He wouldn’t let go until they reached their destination. Who knew when Wang Xiaoling would decide to playfully push him off the wagon.

“Have you ever been to Xuanjing City, brat?”

William’s eyes lit up in curiosity as he shook his head. “No, I never left my village before.”

“It’ll be a new world for you, then. The number of people in the city will initially seem impossible to you. I know that’s how I felt when I saw a city.”

William was sure he would be impressed, but not because of the people. He doubted that Xuanjing City could match the millions that were common in his old world.

Still, he pretended to be amazed and asked, “How many people live there?”

“The last count had the number at over fifty million!” Wang Xiaoling smirked at his shocked face, “Amazing, right? More importantly, that means the city is a perfect place for an aspiring number-one merchant like me!”

“Are all cities this big?” William wondered if this city was an anomaly or a common occurrence.

“Of course not,” Wang Xiaoling laughed, “Only three cities are this size in the Tianxia Empire. The rest have less than ten million people.”

“Oh…,” William felt that this empire was similar to his world’s China in terms of population. However, the fact that there was something called the Tianxia Empire meant that there was land that the empire didn’t control. He used his village bumpkin image to his advantage.

“What’s the Tianxia Empire?”

Wang Xiaoling sighed at his apparent ignorance. “You must have come from one of those backwater villages. Wei Liang, it might be your fortune to be expelled from such a place.”

“Maybe,” Williams shrugged, accepting the insult to his made-up village, “But really, what’s the Tianxia Empire? Is it powerful?”

Wang Xiaoling glanced at him and said severely, “Don’t say such things near the city guards. If you doubt the empire’s stability, that’s enough reason for them to harass you.”

“All I asked was if it was powerful!”

“Well, don’t. You don’t know what mood the people around you are in. It’s better to avoid speaking about the empire unless you’re praising it.”

William frowned in distaste. Knowing that he would have to choose his words carefully was far different from being told to do so.

“The empire used to be an overlord in the northern region, but the neighboring kingdoms show signs of rebellion. I’m not an expert, but I think the Tianxia Empire is weaker than ever but still the strongest compared to the kingdoms that could threaten it. At least, that’s what the merchants near the borders say.”

“Oh,” William nodded dumbly. That made sense, he supposed. Coming to a world where the empire might crumble would be perfect for encouraging growth. But where did the cultivators fall in the hierarchy if the empire was so powerful?

“Who rules the Tianxia Empire, Wang Xiaoling?”

William winced when Wang Xiaoling rubbed his head roughly, wondering why everything she did had to be so… extra.

“You really are an idiot, Wei Liang. It might be better if I seal your mouth shut. You’ll implicate me with your talking. Who else rules the Tianxia Empire other than the Emperor?”

For now, William refrained from asking more questions, even though he still had plenty in mind. The more irritated Wang Xiaoling looked, the more he feared for his remaining three health points.