The Heavenly Aerial City floated majestically against the backdrop of an impossibly azure sky, its countless spires and pagodas gleaming in the morning sunlight like the teeth of some great celestial beast. Sprawling across three hundred million miles, it was one of the Three Major Cities of Yuan Province, a metropolis so vast that legends claimed some residents lived their entire lives without ever seeing its boundaries.
Located in the heart of the Falling Calamity District—a name that belied the prosperity within its borders—the city served as the district's capital. Billions of inhabitants, both mortal and cultivator alike, called this floating wonder home, their daily activities creating a tapestry of life that pulsed with vibrant energy.
In the center of this magnificent urban expanse lay Yulong Market, a chaotic symphony of commerce where the air was thick with the scents of exotic spices, the sounds of haggling merchants, and the barely contained energies of cultivation artifacts changing hands.
It was through this sensory maelstrom that Wudi Egun strolled, the Time-space Sword strapped casually across his back as though it were nothing more special than a farming implement. His silver hair caught the light in ways that drew occasional glances, but in a city of billions, even his striking appearance was just another drop in an ocean of diversity.
"Freshly harvested spirit fruits! Grown in the sacred gardens of Mount Tianhuo!" a vendor shouted, thrusting a luminescent peach toward Wudi's face.
"Does it come with a side of exaggeration, or is that complimentary?" Wudi asked, examining the fruit with exaggerated suspicion. "Last I checked, Mount Tianhuo erupted three decades ago. Unless these are ash-flavored, I'm guessing they're from your cousin's backyard."
The vendor's face cycled through several expressions before settling on a grudging smile. "Fine, fine. They're from the Lesser Jade Mountains. But they're still excellent quality!"
"I'm sure they are," Wudi replied, already moving on. "But I prefer my breakfast without creative origin stories."
A few steps later, he nearly tripped over a small creature that resembled a cross between a toad and a teapot, complete with a spout-like protrusion on its head that occasionally emitted puffs of fragrant steam.
"Watch where you're going!" the creature croaked indignantly, its bulbous eyes swiveling independently to glare at him.
"Sorry about that," Wudi said, crouching down. "I didn't realize the local kitchenware had evolved sentience and mobility."
The creature puffed up, steam jetting from its spout. "I am a Vapor Toad of the Misty Peaks! My lineage dates back to the Dawn of Cultivation!"
"And yet here you are, getting stepped on in a market," Wudi observed. "Life's full of disappointments, isn't it?"
Before the Vapor Toad could respond, Wudi straightened and continued on his way, leaving the creature sputtering both literally and figuratively behind him.
He had traveled billions of miles from the ruins of his ancestral kingdom, leaving behind the crumbling remnants of the Trinity Heaven Saint Kingdom. By birthright, he should have been a prince, heir to unimaginable power and prestige. Instead, he was just another orphan wandering the vast world, his royal lineage nothing more than dust in the wind after the kingdom's destruction a century ago.
If he hadn't transmigrated into this world, the original Wudi Egun would have never known about his true identity. His great-grandparents had been the only survivors of that calamitous battle, fleeing with nothing but their lives and the secret of their bloodline.
Fortunately for him, Wudi Egun possessed the pure blood of the Celestial Death Family, practitioners of the Death Dao. The Celestial Death Family had been born during the Primordial Era, when the blood of Saints spilled across the world.
From that divine ichor mixed with death essence, life paradoxically emerged—the Celestial Death Progenitor, founder of the Celestial Death Family, also known as the Celestial Wudi Family.
But after countless eras, all that remained of that glorious heritage was Wudi Egun himself, carrying a sword he had dug from his ancient ancestor's coffin—a sword that even the ancestor had merely found during his own journeys, rather than created.
"Not exactly the most inspiring family heirloom," Wudi muttered to himself, adjusting the sword on his back. "Most people inherit jewelry or real estate. I get an empty coffin and a sword with an attitude problem."
As if in response, the Time-space Sword vibrated slightly against his back.
"Oh, don't get huffy," Wudi said under his breath. "You know I'm right. If you were a normal sword, you'd at least have the decency to come with an instruction manual or a tragic backstory involving star-crossed lovers or something."
The sword's vibration intensified briefly before subsiding.
"That's what I thought," Wudi smirked. "All attitude, no substance."
He continued his leisurely stroll through the market, occasionally stopping to examine particularly interesting wares. A stall selling cultivation manuals caught his eye, and he flipped through a few, snorting at the grandiose titles.
"'Eighteen Steps to Immortal Ascension,'" he read aloud. "More like 'Eighteen Steps to Emptying Your Wallet.' This is just basic qi circulation with fancy terminology."
The elderly shopkeeper glared at him. "Young man, these are authentic techniques passed down through seventeen generations of the Verdant Cloud Sect!"
"And I'm the reincarnated spirit of the Jade Emperor," Wudi replied with a grin. "We should compare notes sometime."
"You mock what you don't understand," the shopkeeper huffed, snatching the manual from Wudi's hands. "This text contains the secret to transforming mortal flesh into divine substance!"
"So does a good marinade," Wudi countered, "and it tastes better too."
The shopkeeper's face turned an alarming shade of purple. "Out! Get out of my stall before I call the market guards!"
"Alright, alright," Wudi raised his hands in surrender, backing away. "But you might want to work on your sales pitch. 'Buy this book or I'll have you arrested' isn't exactly customer-friendly."
Before the shopkeeper could respond, a commotion erupted behind Wudi. Something—or someone—collided with his back, nearly sending him stumbling into the manual display. Small hands clutched at his robes, and he turned to find himself face to face with a young woman.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with features so perfect they seemed almost artificial—like a painting brought to life by some master artist. Her outfit screamed wealth and status, the silk robes embroidered with patterns that subtly enhanced her cultivation rather than merely decorating the fabric.
The moment he saw her, a sense of déjà vu washed over Wudi. He'd seen this scene before, though he couldn't immediately place where.
"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the market's din, "save me."
And just like that, it clicked. The beautiful damsel in distress, hiding behind the unsuspecting protagonist. It was perhaps the oldest cliché in the book of narrative tropes.
"Oh no," Wudi muttered. "I'm not falling for—"
His protest was cut short by the arrival of three young men, all wearing equally luxurious outfits that marked them as members of some prominent sect or noble family. They skidded to a halt several paces away, their eyes narrowing as they spotted the woman partially hidden behind Wudi.
"You there!" the tallest of the three called out, pointing a finger adorned with enough rings to open a jewelry shop. "Who are you, and why are you harboring that woman?"
Wudi raised an eyebrow. "Me? I'm nobody. Just a passerby enjoying the market until I was unexpectedly drafted into whatever drama this is." He tried to step aside, but the woman's grip on his robes tightened.
"He's lying!" declared the young man standing to the left, his face flushed with either exertion or anger—possibly both. "This bitch must be his lover! Why else would she run straight to him?"
"Whoa, whoa!" Wudi held up his hands. "First of all, language. Second, I've never seen this woman before in my life. Third, I was just about to buy a completely useless cultivation manual when I got interrupted by all of... this." He gestured vaguely at the entire situation.
"You deny it?" demanded the third young man, who had remained silent until now. "You deny your relationship with her?"
"Yes, I deny it," Wudi said slowly, as if explaining a simple concept to a particularly dense child. "Because there is nothing to deny. No relationship exists. We are strangers. Ships passing in the night. Except one ship accidentally crashed into the other ship and now the first ship is being accused of maritime misconduct."
The three young men exchanged glances, clearly not buying his explanation.
"If you're a real man," the tall one challenged, "you would admit that she is your woman!"
Wudi sighed dramatically. "Well, there's your problem right there. I'm just a man, not a 'real man' by whatever arbitrary standard you're using. So by your own logic, I have nothing to do with her."
The woman behind him made a small, distressed sound.
"Let's settle this," said the one on the left, turning his attention to the woman. "Is this man your lover or not?"
Wudi allowed himself a small smile. Finally, this misunderstanding would be cleared up. The woman would deny any connection, he could go back to his peaceful market browsing, and these three could continue whatever pursuit they'd been engaged in before he became involved.
He waited confidently for her denial.
Instead, the woman stepped slightly to the side, just enough to peek around Wudi's shoulder. With cheeks flushed pink and eyes downcast in what appeared to be shy embarrassment, she nodded.
"Y-yes," she stammered, her voice soft and tremulous. "He is."
Wudi's jaw dropped. "What? No! I'm not! We've never even—"
"You coward!" the tall one spat. "First you hide behind lies, and now you would deny her even as she confirms your relationship?"
"Because there is no relationship to confirm!" Wudi protested, turning to face the woman. "Why would you say that? We literally just met when you crashed into me!"
The woman's eyes welled with tears. "Please don't be like this," she whispered. "Not in front of them."
"Be like what? Truthful? Accurate? Not completely confused?" Wudi threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't even know your name!"
"How dare you speak to her so rudely!" the third young man growled, taking a step forward.
The woman quickly moved between them, her hands raised placatingly.
"Please don't be angry with him," she said to the three men. "It's not his fault. Every girl's fate is like this after she falls in love. Sometimes... sometimes the one you love doesn't love you back the same way."
Wudi stared at her, utterly stunned. "What are you talking about? What fate? What love? There is no love! There is no fate! There is just me, trying to have a normal day at the market, and you, creating some elaborate fiction about a relationship that doesn't exist!"
To his horror, the three young men's expressions softened as they looked at the woman. The tall one stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Li Ying," he said, his voice now kind, "you don't need to cry. If you wanted to marry this man, you should have just said so from the beginning."
"M-marry?" Wudi spluttered. "Nobody is marrying anybody!"
"We only want your happiness, little sister," said the one on the left.
"Little sister?" Wudi repeated, his voice rising an octave.
"Yes," said the third young man, giving Wudi a look that suggested he was being deliberately obtuse. "Li Ying is our younger sister. I am Li Yang, and these are my brothers, Li Yong and Li Sheng."
"We were only concerned when you ran off suddenly," Li Yong explained to the woman—to Li Ying. "We didn't realize you were meeting your... beloved." He said the last word with a skeptical glance at Wudi.
"This is perfect!" Li Sheng declared. "We can hold the wedding next month, during the Autumn Moon Festival. The gardens at the family estate will be in full bloom then."
"The Li family's Seven Treasures Hall would be an ideal venue," Li Yang added thoughtfully. "We'll need to notify the elders, of course, but I'm sure they'll approve once they meet... what was your name again?" He looked at Wudi expectantly.
Wudi Egun stood frozen, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, as the three brothers continued planning a wedding for their sister and a man they had been ready to fight mere moments ago. Li Ying had moved to stand beside her brothers, a small, enigmatic smile playing on her lips as she occasionally glanced at Wudi.
The market continued its bustling activity around them, oblivious to the fact that Wudi Egun's life had just taken a turn into the realm of the absurd.