Chapter 9: A Lesson in Karma

  The four cultivators blocking their path wore identical uniforms, pale green robes with silver trim that marked them as members of the Jade Tempest Academy. Their postures radiated arrogance, eyes fixed on Altan with undisguised contempt.

  "Look who decided to grace us with his presence," sneered the tallest one, a young man with sharp features and narrowed eyes. "The mighty Third Brother of the 'Academy of Eccentric Geniuses,' wasting his cultivation on gambling instead of training. How typical."

  Again, why do all these schools want to bully us. Are they that insecure?

  Leo glanced between Altan and the hostile cultivators, noting how his companion maintained perfect composure despite the provocation. The milk tea in Altan's hand remained steady, not a single drop spilling as he took another casual sip.

  "Your academy is nothing but a joke," continued another cultivator, a stocky youth with a shaved head. "Everyone knows the Starlit Sage only got the land for the academy because of his friendship with the Emperor. Now that he's gone, your pathetic excuse for a school has no reason to exist."

  The tension in the air thickened as passersby slowed their pace, eager to witness the confrontation between rival cultivators.

  "All the respectable academies in Sunglow City train hundreds of disciples who serve the empire," added a female cultivator with her hair pulled into a severe bun. "While your so-called academy contributes nothing with its handful of misfits."

  Throughout the barrage of insults, Altan remained serene, his expression revealing nothing but mild contempt, as if the words were merely annoying flies buzzing around his head.

  How can he stay so calm? Leo wondered, controlling his own hands to stop them from clenching into a fist. I've barely been at the Academy a few weeks and even I feel insulted.

  "Students, enough." The authoritative voice cut through the tension as an older man approached. His silver-streaked hair and elegant robes marked him as an elder of the Jade Tempest Academy. "We must display better manners, even to those from lesser institutions."

  The elder turned to Altan with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Third Brother Altan, what a surprise to see you here. Such a shame that your academy once had someone of your caliber to win the Emperor's Cup, and now must rely on beginners like this one." He gestured dismissively toward Leo.

  "No offense intended, of course," the elder added with a perfunctory bow and that false smile. "Come, students. Let us proceed with our evening."

  "We'll see you at the Emperor's Cup," Leo called after them, surprising himself with his own confidence. "I look forward to showing your academy what real cultivation looks like."

  The elder turned back, his eyebrows raised slightly in apparent amusement, before continuing on his way.

  As the group moved away, Leo noticed Altan's eyes follow them with calculated disinterest.

  "Ignore them," Altan said, turning his attention back to the gaming house entrance. "Their words are as empty as their understanding of cultivation."

  But Leo couldn't shake his anger so easily. The confrontation had awakened something protective in him.

  This reminds me of those academic rivalries back at college, when Professor Harmon would "compliment" our research team while subtly undermining our work in front of the department. The memory surfaced unbidden, that same insincere smile, the same condescending tone masquerading as politeness.

  As the Jade Tempest group walked away, the female cultivator suddenly shrieked. A passing vendor's cart had somehow collided with her, spilling colorful dye powders all over her immaculate uniform. The vibrant blues and purples splashed across the pale green fabric created a striking, if unintentional, new fashion statement.

  Leo glanced at Altan, whose expression remained unchanged save for the faintest quirk at the corner of his mouth.

  "Fortune favors some and abandons others," Altan remarked mildly. "Shall we?"

  They entered the gaming house, leaving behind the commotion and the increasingly creative curses of the dye-covered cultivator.

  The Fortune's Favor was a riot of sound and color. Crystal lamps cast warm golden light over dozens of gaming tables where patrons laughed, groaned, and shouted as fortunes changed hands. Servants weaved through the crowd bearing trays of drinks, while the constant clink of coins created a metallic undertone to the ambient noise.

  "Was it true what they said?" Leo asked as they found an empty spot at a wheel-spinning table. "About First Brother being friends with the Emperor?"

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Altan nodded, watching the wheel spin with practiced indifference. "Yes, though they speak of it as if it diminishes his achievements. Never forget, your First Brother is mighty and powerful in his own right. His connections are merely a reflection of his worth."

  "How did they meet?" Leo pressed, curious about any detail that might help him understand the mysterious figure who had inadvertently brought him to this world.

  Altan sighed, an uncharacteristic hint of exasperation crossing his features. "I really don't know, Leo. First Brother could be hundreds of years old for all I know. I only met him when I began training under him thirty years ago."

  Leo blinked in surprise. "You've been at the Academy for thirty years?"

  "I’ve been with him since the moment he established the Academy," Altan replied with a dismissive wave. "The point is, I know surprisingly little about First Brother's past. He shared what he felt was necessary and kept the rest to himself."

  The wheel on their table spun, colors blurring as players placed their bets. The anticipation in the air was palpable, faces intent on the slowing wheel.

  If I win the Emperor's Cup, maybe I can get more information about First Brother directly from the source, Leo thought, his determination growing. And show those Jade Tempest cultivators what our Academy is really capable of.

  They watched several rounds in silence, observing the patterns of betting and the reactions of winners and losers. The raucous cheers when someone won contrasted sharply with the groans of disappointment from those less fortunate.

  "A question for you, Leo," Altan said suddenly, his voice low enough that only Leo could hear. "How does a gambling den like this prevent people from cheating when cultivation exists?"

  Leo considered the problem, scanning the room with new eyes. "I'm guessing there are powerful cultivators watching for suspicious behavior? Perhaps formations that detect qi manipulation?"

  "Logical," Altan acknowledged with an approving nod. "What else?"

  "Well, on Earth, casinos monitor betting patterns and watch players who win consistently," Leo added. "They use statistics and probability to identify potential cheaters."

  "Also a good guess," Altan said. "But think about the scale of the problem. There are thousands of cultivation techniques across the empire. No monitoring system could possibly catch them all."

  Leo frowned, considering this challenge. "Then what's the solution?"

  Altan grinned, leaning closer. "Karma charms. Every gambling establishment in the empire uses them. If they detect cheating, they trigger a severe karmic backlash that follows the cheater long after they leave. The fear of this keeps most people honest."

  "That's brilliant," Leo admitted, impressed by the elegant solution.

  "It's also a perfect example of how karma can be manipulated in the world," Altan continued. "Natural karma is too subtle to prevent most cheating. That's why they need these powerful charms to create immediate consequences."

  Leo nodded thoughtfully. "So the charms essentially amplify and direct karmic retribution that might otherwise never come."

  "Exactly," Altan agreed. "Without the charms, most people would cheat without fear."

  Altan's meaningful look made Leo pause as understanding dawned on him. "Wait, are you saying that as someone untethered from fate, I could cheat without consequence? That these charms wouldn't detect me?"

  "Now you're thinking," Altan replied with a satisfied smile. "Someone outside the system of fate and karma would be invisible to such measures."

  "Are you suggesting I should try cheating?" Leo asked, glancing nervously at the other patrons around them.

  Altan laughed softly. "I'm merely providing education about your unique position in this world. The application is up to you."

  With a casual gesture, he placed a modest bet on the spinning wheel.

  Leo watched in amazement as Altan made a subtle movement with his fingers. The wheel, which had been about to stop on black, shifted ever so slightly to land on red.

  "Winner!" called the attendant, pushing a pile of coins toward Altan.

  Leo's eyes widened in alarm. "Did you just—"

  "Do exactly what I told you others would face karmic backlash for doing?" Altan finished in a whisper, casually collecting his winnings. "Yes."

  "But what about the karma charms?" Leo hissed, glancing around nervously for signs of security or angry cultivators bearing down on them.

  Altan laughed, unable to hold it in at Leo’s concern. "How could a puny charm affect someone as powerful as me who can manipulate fate? The guards here never even noticed."

  Leo nodded, understanding now through demonstration what Altan had been explaining. So this is the practical application of being outside the system. Complete immunity to karmic consequences.

  "Come," Altan said, standing up and casually pocketing his winnings. "These small sums aren't even worth mentioning. I've made my point."

  As they left the gaming house, Altan stopped at various street vendors, spending coins with surprising generosity. He purchased snacks he didn't eat, trinkets he immediately gave away to passing children, and even pressed a significant sum into the hands of a startled beggar.

  "Good karma," he explained to Leo with a wink. "Just in case."

  The night had deepened as they walked the road back toward the Academy. Stars glittered overhead in unfamiliar constellations, while the twin moons cast dual shadows behind them.

  "Wait," Altan said suddenly, stopping before a familiar bookshop. "I should get Second Sister another novel. That always improves her mood."

  Leo immediately pictured Second Sister's frozen expression when he'd delivered the last book. "If we buy a novel, won't Second Sister know we went to the city instead of training?"

  Altan paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "You make an excellent point. Perhaps we should continue directly back."

  Leo exhaled in relief. Crisis averted. I'm not ready to face Second Sister's disapproval yet again.

  They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the lights of Sunglow City fading behind them as the dark path to the Academy stretched ahead.

  "By the way," Leo said, suddenly remembering, "I put a drink in my storage ring earlier as an experiment."

  He made the gesture Altan had taught him, and the cup of milk tea appeared in his hand. The ice had not melted at all, and the temperature remained perfectly cold.

  "Time doesn't pass in spatial storage," Altan explained, nodding approvingly at Leo's experiment. "Another useful fact for a cultivator to know. Keep asking questions, Leo. Keep testing boundaries."

  Leo took a sip of the still-cold tea, thinking about karma, fate, and his place in this strange world. The more he learned, the more questions he had.

  I'm just beginning to scratch the surface, he realized. But at least now I have a direction to explore. If I'm truly untethered from fate like First Brother, then karma might not affect me the same way it does others. That could be the key to developing my own unique path.