Master of Kaidan
Chapter 441: Strange Thing

Chapter 441: Chapter 441: Strange Thing

"In general, the style of the buildings would seem to date from the late 20th century to the early 21st century," Feng Xue said as he walked on the cement pavement, distinctly different from the ancient cobblestone and rammed earth roads, yet not the same as modern asphalt and stone brick roads. It gave him a nostalgic, retro feeling.

Occasionally, one could see spring couplets written on red paper pasted on doorframes; however, the wear and tear around the edges and the fading ink suggested that they had been there for quite some time.

There wasn’t any particularly distinct smell in the air, and although the sky wasn’t exceptionally blue, it wasn’t smoggy either. Overall, the area seemed like it had a certain level of industrial development, similar to regions in Yan Country.

"Is it because of that jade token? Ending up in the Martial World is one thing, but traveling to modern times and winding up directly in Yan Country just seems too coincidental."

Feng Xue had always been a bit allergic to coincidences, but then he remembered that he carried both the "Miraculous Alexander Gem" and "Hard Fate," two shit magnet auras. Encountering coincidences didn’t seem that strange after all.

As he left the residential complex, Feng Xue glanced at the gatehouse, which reminded him of the community where he’d lived in his previous life, with its low-stakes job suitable for well-connected retirees. It was common to not find anyone there when cars wanted to enter the complex. Residents often had to fetch the keys to open the gate themselves.

Combined with the small convenience store at the entrance to the housing complex and the vocational school across the street, Feng Xue felt a comforting sense of nostalgia, as if he had traveled back to his hometown. But the details of the language and the accents of the people proved this was not the world he had come from.

"Quite interesting," mused Feng Xue as his gaze swept across the street, noticing few cars, and even electric scooters and bicycles were rare. Every now and then, he would see a red taxi or a tricycle for transporting people, with a wooden plank and awning. Everything fit the era.

But...

"No way!"

Feng Xue grumbled internally. Even though everything seemed as it should, according to the rule that "every door beyond the 50th floor connects to a world affected by Kaidan," this world shouldn’t be so "normal." Even if it didn’t have overt in-your-face gaming Kaidan like the previous world, it should still have some subtle peculiarities, like with Chen Xiyao.

Yet thus far, Feng Xue hadn’t found a trace of any "Identity."

"Either there’s something here similar to Infinite City that serves as the bastion for Kaidan, or the Kaidan in this world is particularly adept at disguise and remaining hidden."

Feng Xue hypothesized in his mind, his vigilance increasing. Then, he saw something strange.

Strictly speaking, seeing this thing on the street might seem normal, but positioned in the brick street of this old, memory-filled neighborhood, it felt somewhat out of place.

Approaching the vending machine, Feng Xue’s expression grew more peculiar, for this machine was an old model that fit the era, without even a display window for the merchandise.

Contemplating the empty boxes where beverages should have been, Feng Xue couldn’t help but curl his lips. Nevertheless, he took a coin and casually tossed it into the slot.

Although he didn’t know what the currency of this world looked like, the reason they’re called Pseudo Artifacts is that, as long as it has the ability to recognize, even a machine will produce an effect.

He inserted the coin into the vending machine, and with a series of clinks and clatters, a can rolled out. Feng Xue picked up the drink, but before he could open the can, he suddenly realized something—

"I haven’t even chosen what I want to buy yet! Is this machine just forcing a sale?"

Feng Xue picked up the can, a black and red design that was quite stylish, and noticed the brand name. His mouth twitched involuntarily, and then he promptly threw the unopened can into a nearby trash bin.

The reason being: the brand name on the can was none other than—

"Assassin."

"Shit!"

Although he didn’t feel a hint of "Identity" or a Pseudo Artifact on the can, the déjà vu was strong enough that Feng Xue didn’t have the courage to drink whatever was inside. What if it had an ability like "Follow the Map," able to turn Pseudo Artifacts or illusions into real objects?

Besides, it’s not like he had to drink it. Feng Xue thought it best to ponder a while longer.

Discarding the can along with his salt, Feng Xue continued to wander aimlessly along the cement path.

Apart from the peculiar vending machine, normality resumed.

The smell of food wafted from the small Jianghu stir-fry shops, the dark food stalls set up awaiting the workers’ end of shift, and bustling dumpling restaurants with grand signs. There were also narrow storefronts selling varied small items like locks, fishing gear, and stationery.

Seeing "Assassin" plastic bottle beverages lined up in the convenience store, Feng Xue suddenly felt he might be overthinking it. After all, he had seen drinks with names like Scream and Fifth Season, so perhaps there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the name Assassin.

That being said, Feng Xue definitely wouldn’t touch the stuff. In the world of Kaidan, he could be cursed at any moment.

However...

A spark of inspiration flashed through Feng Xue’s mind, and he swiftly jotted down a series of words on his notebook, which could be considered the language of demons. He then continued as if nothing had happened, scrutinizing the local lifestyle and customs of this mysterious world.

"Boss, give me a stir-fried snail, twenty skewers each of roasted cartilage and grilled meat tendon, thirty skewers of beef tripe hotpot, and a jug of ice-cold beer!"

"Coming right up! Please wait a moment!" The boss was a bit surprised by the big order from a single customer but didn’t comment further—a solo diner grabbing a seat in advance was not unusual. After responding, the boss immediately got to work with the wok...

Feng Xue sat on a low stool, elbows propped on a short table, watching as men and women began to gather. He listened to their casual chatter while his gaze was fixed on the television set in the corner of the food stall.

This was one of the reasons Feng Xue had chosen this place—seeing a TV in a little restaurant was common enough, but a food stall with one was certainly unusual—

Well, perhaps it was actually quite common in this era.