《Heavenly Shae》


 Old Monster 1: Go see the world

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    Heavenly Shae


    Book 1: Old Monster


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    Chapter 1: "Go see the world."


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    Shae poked the fire with her favorite stick. It was important to have a favorite fire poking stick, everyone knew that. Sparks flew up as she rearranged the white hot coals and ash. She removed the stick to inspect the damage, the tip was blackened, and a few spots of char were glowing from the heat of the fire.


    A small gust of wind noticeably cooled the stick. Shae looked across the fire, the old monster had appeared with almost no fanfare. His physical appearance resembled an antique, worn but somehow holding onto its own self importance. His unfortunate aging belied the power he had cultivated over his long life. His shabby robes were gray with dust, the original white only showing through in a few places, but the red and blue embroidery along the sleeves still held its rich color, red dominated the right side and blue the left.


    The intricate needlework was an outlined floral pattern, almost like a Hawaiian shirt done in blackwork. The mostly monochrome design didn''t draw too much attention, you were meant to pay attention to the man, not his clothes. A large snake or scaled lizard was hidden under the pattern on each sleeve. The old man''s long white hair was tied back, covering where the pattern met behind his shoulders. He rarely faced away from Shae, so she hadn''t been able to appreciate the full design, and hadn''t seen the heads of the creatures.


    "Still using that same stick, Miss Shae? It really would be nothing to get you something more reliable, I''m not keen on the taste of ash." He said in a gravelly monotone voice that reminded her of a grandfather with a cold. Not her own grandfather, and on second thought maybe a great-great-great-grandfather.


    She looked back to the fire, it had been disturbed by the old monster''s arrival. "Ugh, if you don''t like ash, stop arriving with a gale of wind at your back." She gestured to the air above the fire, which had been filled with floating ash and sparks. Then she returned to poking the fire, trying to even the heat out again. She knew the old man would be more offended by unevenly cooked meat than a bit of ash. She wouldn''t admit it to him, but in their short time together her tastes had drifted to match. Only having a few things to eat made you surprisingly picky about those things.


    She didn''t look up at him to check his reaction, instead she chose to imagine he was frowning in thought. She knew he wasn''t, he never bothered to emote. Shae complained about it at first, how hard it was to have a conversation with him, and now she preferred it when he stayed away and just used qi communication to talk to her. He usually slipped more emotion into his qi than he let slip onto his face or in his voice. Their conversations were also much briefer then.


    "Miss Shae, praytell what have you prepared for tonight''s meal?" He asked, his words and tone too formal and stiff. He always was, unless he was angry, then the mask cracked.


    "For me or you?"


    "Surely, it must be the same?"


    "Not today, you''re getting the rabbit skewers, I''m trying something new... not sure you''d like it." Shae said, hesitating through her uncertainty.


    "Ahh, come now, I''m no picky child. And I know rabbit skewers are your favorite. I''ll try your new creation."


    She briefly wondered if the ''picky child'' comment was directed at her. Unlikely, he rarely sniped and never so directly. She was, in fact, a child, moreso in her own opinion. Mid-teens might be considered adults in this world, but she knew kids were kids for far longer than society expected them to be.


    Her youthful appearance was colored by clear signs of her upbringing. Rough cloth and tanned skin marked her a working peasant. Culturally, her shoulder length black hair was considered too short, and it also indicated poverty. The wealthy would maintain and take pride in their long hair. She considered it a style choice. All the combs, hair ornaments, and extra soap required were luxuries she didn''t want to pinch copper to try and afford. Not that she was ever close to having spare funds when on the road, alone.


    Her childlike youth still showed and would have others call her cute instead of a more adult description. It was slowly fading as she passed through puberty, though it was hard to tell if she would blossom into a youthful jade beauty or be stuck as cute for another decade. She was free of any freckles, scars, or disfigurements that could drastically affect her future prospects. Her mother had been sure to point all this out to her before she left home. Now she found that being stuck on a mountain with an old monster had a bit more impact on her future.


    She looked at him, to see if he was being serious about trying the experimental food. Impossible to tell. "Well, if you insist?" She asked skeptically. Rabbit skewers were not her favorite, but she couldn''t manage to correct him on that, no matter how much she tried. Sure they were tasty, but they were just too much work to make. She knew many other dishes she liked more, but her options were quite limited here.


    "Indeed, I do insist." he affirmed, a bit of qi-aura in his words, confirming he would not be challenged on this. Shae refrained from making the obvious "no take-backs" or "your funeral" comment, those never went over well with the old monster when he was being serious.


    Silence held until the food was ready.


    Shae had made the rabbit skewers because it was one of the few meals the old man didn''t complain about. Having it to herself, she savored the delicate flesh, with just enough spice to overcome the gamey undertones.


    "Hmmm, this isn''t your best." The old monster stated.


    Shae''s expression said all the ''I told you so'' she needed it to.


    He set his meal aside to be left uneaten, he didn''t really need to eat anyway. It had taken Shae a few conversations to get him to admit to that. It seemed he just liked having the meal as a cover for conversation.


    "Did you think on the topic I mentioned yesterday?"


    "Hmm?" Shae mumbled, food still in her mouth.


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    "About the insects." He spoke sharply, trying to jog her memory. "Living in the desert?" He gestured down the mountain at the dimming horizon, where a small patch of white desert could be seen.


    "Ah, right. I''m not sure how you expect me to remember so much detail."


    "Oh, come now, the Memory Technique I shared should be more than enough."


    "The technique that I can''t use properly because I''m too weak? And would it even work on past memories?" She shook her head. It didn''t help that she had forgotten nearly all of his instructions the day after she tried it, and refused to admit it to him.


    He shifted in his seat, expression unreadable, but his body language saying she might be correct. "Well surely you must remember something." Shae could sense the exasperation in his words, even if it didn''t touch his voice. That was fine, exasperation was better than anger.


    She paused in her eating, looking into the fire like it would reveal the truths of the world. "Desert would have... scorpions, for sure, and they have to eat something, so probably whatever they eat. And lizards, bigger ones like iguanas. They must eat some insects too. Probably small flies and sand mites. Sand mites are a thing, right, I didn''t just make those up?" She looked up at him for an answer.


    He managed a slight rise to a single eyebrow. "You sound uncertain. Mites and small flies are certainly abundant in other locales, mainly those with plenty of other life. Deserts and wintery mountaintops are extremes, however. So this seems to dodge conventional wisdom." He gestured up their mountain, the icy top was much closer than Shae would have liked, the frozen wind often whipping down to chill her bones.


    Shae prickled at his words. The flat emotionless tone somehow made it more condescending than if he tried to be condescending. She shook off the irritation, stubborn determination setting in.


    "There are cacti, of course, some grasses that can handle the conditions. Oh, cactuses can flower, so there must be pollinators, insects usually do that. Or birds, which would also need to eat, which would point to more insects... Probably not many birds then, aside from the scavengers, like vultures or buzzards."


    "Vultures or buzzards? Which is it? What sets them apart from each other?"


    "Ugh, I don''t know!" Shae''s composure cracked, "Why would I know? I barely walked by it one time and I''m supposed to be an expert all of a sudden?" She stood from her seat, but didn''t shout directly at the old monster, instead turning to look down the mountain. "It''s right there, why don''t you just go there and look. You''re a fancy cultivator, you probably have a flying sword and could get there and back in a day. Just go!" She gestured into the distance, breathing deeply.


    "Are you quite done?" Finally a bit of emotion in his voice, impatience.


    "Never." She whispered, knowing he would hear. Then she gesticulated wildly at the desert in the distance and looked at him. "The world is out there, Just, Go, Look, at it!"


    "I think not, that is why you are here, my dear Shae. To enlighten me about the wider world, you''ve seen more of it, and traveled further than I have in recent memory."


    "But that doesn''t even make sense. Why don''t you have some super qi eagle sight of the nine winds technique? You could just look at the desert from here and get more than what I could remember. Why aren''t you using your super senses to go out and experience it?"


    At some point he had risen to also look down the mountain at the desert in the distance. "The names are not quite that pretentious. I had heard of Eagle Eyes and Sky Sight in my early years but neither technique fit my cultivation style."


    "Right, why would you need to look at anything while sitting in a dark cave all day." She snarked back.


    She felt his hesitation more than heard it. "... what if I told you I was blind?"


    Shae looked over at him, he seemed serious but it was hard to tell through the wall of stoicism. "I''d call bullshit. Go on a quest and get some new eyes. Even if you were, not a good excuse, you have at least four other senses to go explore the world with, now get gone!"


    "You seem quite intent on my departure, why is it that important to you?"


    "Because, I want to leave. Getting you to leave seems like a decent first step."


    "Have you tried cooperating with my interviews?"


    "I can do both!" She said sarcastically and threw her arms up in the air. "However, somebody doesn''t take unknowns for an answer. How am I supposed to know something I clearly don''t?"


    "As you might have guessed, I have a sense for when you are lying, and when you are holding back." He paused for a beat. "You are holding back. Quite. A. Lot." He was being serious again, but Shae missed it.


    "Haha, so yet another sense that you could be using on the world out there, instead of trying to wring nothing out of me here."


    Clearly the old monster was reaching the end of his fuse, he put a bit of qi pressure into his words. "Have you heard of Divine Sense?"


    "Ugh.." Shae managed, struggling to keep standing against the pressure.


    "It is a pure sense that cultivators develop, unhindered by physicality, based only on cultivation and limited only by distance. With it I can sense the land around the mountain in finer and more accurate detail than a hundred mortals scouting the land for a hundred years."


    Shae was still struggling against him, unable to speak. Self satisfaction now the only emotion she could feel from the old monster, bleeding through the qi pressure he was putting on her.


    "Every day, when I sit in the dark and cultivate. I am expanding that sense, reaching just a bit further everyday. So in a way, I am going out there, seeing the world. We cultivators have more patience than you mortals. I can wait years to sense that desert, sense the horizon, sense the whole world."


    Shae was pretty sure she could only sense ''smug'' right now and really wanted to wipe it off his face. Finished with his lecture he had let up the pressure just a bit. "Well, -c''ugh" she coughed, "Congratulations on your inch, shame that you don''t know how to use it."


    The qi pressure crashed down on Shae without delay, dropping her to a knee. "Well, it seems you are eager for another session of tempering." The old monster stated flatly, not even looking at her. The qi pressure slowly rose, giving way to her coughing then collapsing to the ground. It let up then, just a bit. Enough that she could gather herself, catch her breath, then it would spike up again, making up for lost time. This cycle continued, repeated until one of the spikes of pressure had her coughing up a mouthful of blood.


    She felt the slight intrusion of qi as the old monster checked to make sure she wasn''t completely broken. The ''tempering'' wasn''t over however, they had just found the edge of what she could handle today. Usually he would say if she had improved, or not, since the last time, but not today. Shae must have really hit a nerve. The pressure ramped up again, just shy of her breaking point. Endurance based tempering he called it. Though he never really explained the process properly. The pressure didn''t let off again until Shae had passed out, a fair bit longer than usual, Shae thought. She had been a bit more stubborn today.


    When the girl''s body slumped limply into the grass, the old monster also relaxed a fraction, his stoic facade breaking slightly. He carefully changed his aura and the local qi pressure to once again shield the girl from the pressure of the mountain itself. He then waited for her breathing to return to normal, followed by a quick qi scan to ensure no lasting damage.


    Only then did he fully relax, slumping his posture into a slight slouch, a cane appearing in hand for him to lean on. He let out a long sigh, "Uh-haaa, mortals and their petty insults." All the bravado and anger drained from him just as easily as the sigh. Moving back to the small campfire he grabbed one of the cooling rabbit skewers, "Hmmm... but just what is an inch?"


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 Old Monster 2: Sleep-in Saturday

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    Chapter 2: "Sleep-in Saturday."


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    Shae woke the next day to what was best described as a hangover. The sun was already halfway to its zenith, but she still felt tired. Her whole body was sore and the sharp edge of a headache was clouding her mind. She must have slept through most of it, usually the headache was worse.


    Her thirst had been the thing to really get her up. Dry lips and a throat packed with something that felt like phlegm, but tasted of blood and bile, did nothing to make the morning bearable. She quickly stumbled over to the water barrel while trying to shade her eyes. The barrel was one of the few convenient amenities around the camp. An odd looking mesh funnel that drained into a few gallon barrel setup on a bench with a few drawers.


    Usually the small barrel didn''t empty, but on days like today, Shae knew she could drain the whole thing eventually. Possibly just from drinking it down and washing out her mouth. The nasty blood and phlegm slime that stuck to her throat and mouth took a third of the barrel to get out, then she drank it down to half to satisfy her thirst.


    Shae drank more water than she thirsted for, knowing that it would return stronger once she had her appetite back. Looking back at the campfire and planning for food, she groaned in annoyance as the fire had gone out.


    "Old bastard, always forgets to keep the fire going!" She grumbled, then yelled the rest, and massaged her temples to calm her flaring headache.


    He had, at least, not left meat out overnight. That could attract unpleasant wildlife. Her cooking experiment still remained, mostly untouched. It was mainly vegetables, with a light coating of egg and rice flour. She was trying to make something like tempura, but didn''t have any oil to fry it in.


    Looking at the untouched portion of the meal. It appeared almost identical to when she cooked it. With a sigh, she ate the leftovers. Any other day she wouldn''t have. It would have been tossed into the refuse pile, or into the fire to be burnt off.


    Today, Shae knew that the hunger from the tempering would set in soon. A tribulation which she tried her best to avoid, if left to build it would be stronger hunger than a couple days without food, and could result in her eating nearly anything around her, just to get the pain to subside. So she gladly risked the half day old tempura batter.


    It was unpleasant. The rice flour hadn''t cooked enough, and the veggies had cooked too much, and it was cold. Yet, it was still food, technically. She had grown to be more flexible about food since she had left home, sometimes you just had to eat something.


    The veggies wouldn''t be enough, some meat and fruit would be much better. She grabbed a small basket that was struggling to stay together, and began her usual rounds. Checking the nearby rabbit snares, resetting the few that were empty as she went. None were filled, but she found a few ripe berries on the trip, and grabbed a few more that she would normally leave to ripen.


    Her foraging area wasn''t particularly large. Less than an hour''s hike across, the mountainous forest terrain made for a tough hike if you wanted to cross it quickly. Beyond that distance, and something the old monster had set up would cause her to pass out, a qi pressure similar to the tempering he inflicted on her. Luckily it wasn''t as sudden, so wandering the edge wasn''t particularly risky.


    The forest on the lower side of the mountain also got much denser at the edge. The tree branches and plants not having been cleared to make the area more passable. Higher up the mountain, and the vegetation spread out more. Becoming rocky and lacking in regular rain. Higher up it got a fair bit colder, especially at night, but the snow from the peak was out of reach. Shae found the quick transition between dense forest and taiga a bit suspicious, but she hadn''t ever lived on a proper mountain before, so who was she to judge?


    Returning to camp, she caught sight of the only other tenant. One she was about as fond of as ashes in her food. A particularly grumpy hen. Shae thought it was about half again too large to be a simple chicken, but she didn''t have another to compare it to, so maybe it was her imagination. The old monster had claimed it was a normal chicken, and he didn''t bother with lies. It was getting on in years so only laid an egg every other day at most, but they were very good eggs.


    Shae observed the hen from a safe distance. "How many days since..?" she mumbled to herself. She could check for an egg. The hen was probably sitting on an egg. Even with the fire out, it wouldn''t be the first time she ate one raw.


    She shook off her nerves and grabbed the branch. Not her fire stick, this was the branch for getting eggs from under the hen. It was sturdy and spread out into a nice web of prongs to keep distance and shield her from the cranky bird. It never liked having its eggs stolen, who would, and Shae never liked being pecked for it, who would.


    The task was as stressful as ever. Possibly more so as Shae''s hunger was really starting to impact her. Carefully maneuvering the branch to push the hen slightly out of her nest. Too far and the hen would turn and assault her, not enough and she would be in easy pecking range. If asked Shae would compare reaching under the hen to plunging your hand into a fire to grab the one cold piece of coal, and hoping you didn''t brush the other coals or logs in the process.


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    Shae''s hand did brush something else in the process. "A second egg, jackpot!" she gasped. It must have been just laid, or she miscounted the days since she checked last. Either way it was a pleasant turn to the day. Her attention distracted, the hen took its toll by pecking at her wrist. "Ah!" Shae kept hold of the second egg, quickly retracting her hand. She swung the branch in frustration, but the hen dodged the awkward attack. "Stupid dinosaur. One day I''ll have vengeance, you''ll be dinner!" She pledged in her most dramatic tone.


    With a cautious retreat, she returned to the water barrel and bench. As the only piece of furniture in the scenic area, it stuck out like a bent nail, more so with the bizarre water collector atop it. Reaching into the back of the bottom drawer, which acted like a small icebox, she stashed the eggs. Shae thought they looked a bit lonely being the only things in there.


    She had tried making ice once, but the small formation the old monster had applied wasn''t strong enough to freeze water. He had said it could be done, but would build up yin qi and spoil the food placed in it. Whatever yin qi was. Shae had thought of a few physical work-arounds, but it was clear he didn''t actually want to redo the formations just so Shae could have ice. So she decided to be happy having a small fridge instead. She could have left her water skin in the drawer, but it rarely got warm enough on the mountain to justify it, and maybe the old man had a point, the water would taste odd if left too long.


    Checking over the selection of herbs, they were low on copperfur leaf, as she expected. The plant was similar to sage with a more blue color, a soft verdigris fuzz proving its name. Shae had found it went well with eggs, even raw. She chewed on a few of the remaining leaves while drinking more water and tried to recall where she had seen copperfur growing last.


    Uphill and into the rocky terrain to the west, she searched. It had been a while since she last checked this area, and so she assumed it might have more full grown plants, instead of the poor few in other areas that she had picked over already.


    Even though it was close to the campfire, she kept away from this area because the rocks were large, uneven, and sharp. Plus the usual chill wind blowing down from higher up the mountain made it uncomfortable. So, finding new plants and herbs was expected. Yet, Shae still felt a bit surprised by what she found. A blood red creeper vine that had spread between most of the rocks in the area. She had learned within the first week here not to just touch and grab any plants, so she steered clear as much as she could.


    Sticking to the tops of the rocks was tricky, she had to be more careful than usual to avoid the red creeper infestation. She found it to be an interesting challenge. Like traversing a jungle gym or bizarre natural playground structure. She was glad she hadn''t done her daily exercise routine yet, as she might not have the energy for it.


    Nearly an hour later, her stomach rumbled and she remembered why she was out here. The blood red creeper seemed to have prevented anything else from growing nearby, so she found some high ground to stand on and looked for the nearest greenery. A small shrubbery caught her eye and she set off.


    Shae made it back to the campsite late afternoon with an armful of various herbs. Some of which she had been snacking on to stave off hunger.


    She quickly mashed some of the copperfur and salt in a mortar and pestle. Then cracked one of the eggs into it and mixed it together. She resisted eating it right away, it needed time for the salt to work its magic and the flavors to blend. So she returned it to the cold drawer, the raw egg usually tasted better cold anyway.


    To distract herself, Shae cleaned out the fire pit, and set it up for another fire. While she had asked the old monster multiple times to teach her anything about qi and cultivation, the only thing he did teach her was a single small formation. It was a single symbol with a circle around it, meant to start a fire. It wasn''t quite what he had first tried to teach her, but a more simplified version, because she had trouble getting the basic version to work.


    According to the old man, the symbol was just ''fire'' and caused natural qi to be converted to fire qi. The circle around it contained the fire qi, causing the whole symbol to slowly heat up and eventually combust. Shae found it worked about a third of the time when she made it. Even when scored deep into a dry log, the symbol and circle filled with charcoal, and topped with dry kindling, it would take hours to ignite, and only about one in three times. The other times it would char the wood until the symbol broke, stopping the qi conversion or releasing it.


    Shae was planning on eating the egg raw, she wasn''t going to wait and hope the fire would start. Even if she didn''t need the fire today, trying to get it going was still worth the effort since there was only a small chance of it working anyway. There was only a light breeze today, and the fire needed a good flow of air to get going, so Shae gave it below average odds of igniting.


    The whipped egg and herb was quite tasty, though she found the texture left a lot to be desired. Even using the salt to break down the egg was not enough to remove the slimy texture. Yet, her hunger had grown throughout the day and so it made a satisfying meal. So much so she was tempted to have the other egg right away. "Why not, I deserve it." She mumbled before resisting the urge. She knew the eggs were actually quite filling, and it was just her tempering hunger driving her to want another.


    She knocked back a few more glasses of water, once again surprised at just how thirsty the tempering process made her. Then she washed out the pestle bowl.


    With the afternoon turning to evening, Shae began another one of her daily routines, exercise. She skipped cardio, and squats, since traveling over the rocky terrain had done most of that work for her. She had a few other body weight exercises she liked, and a few she did only once or twice a week.


    As the sun touched the horizon, she started her favorite part of the routine, a slow flowing exercise not unlike Tai Chi that they called Tao Yan. Shae had been taught it by her family in the small village she grew up in. She knew she wasn''t doing it exactly correctly. She had forgotten most of the details, and the old monster had told her just how much her form was off, somehow without giving her any instruction on improving it. Every time she asked, he just said she should be doing Qigong, but also refused to teach her that, saying that he would give her bad habits.


    Even if she was awful at it, it still reminded her of her family, so it was the highlight of her day.


    In the darkness under the stars, the campfire had not started from the formation rune. Shae scraped the ladle along the bottom of the water barrel, getting the last cupful out. She couldn''t tip it to really get the last scoops out, but she wasn''t that desperately thirsty anyway. The old monster had stayed in his cave this night, as he did most nights. So, she watched the stars alone. Just before she slept, she wondered if her family was also watching the stars tonight.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 3: How To Enlighten Your Dragon

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    Chapter 3: "How To Enlighten Your Dragon."


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    It was four days before the old monster showed up again. Shae was used to him arriving on the third day, so had made extra rice that day. She had only got the fire started again that day, letting her boil water for rice. But the meal was only rice, the snares had been empty until today, when a small rabbit was caught.


    The other egg, berries, and a carrot-like root vegetable called bitter root made up the rest of her diet, in between. She would have checked again for eggs today if the rabbit hadn''t been caught.


    Shae was convinced that the old monster mostly came out to eat when there was fresh meat to be had. His talk of his divine sense the other day confirmed it was possible, and the fact that he brought more wild rice to be cleaned without her asking suggested he did use it to check on her. The small bag was almost empty, but he always dropped off more right when she would need to ask for it.


    "New fire stick?" He asked flatly.


    Shae glared at him, "Yes, it seems someone stepped on it after the fire the other day."


    "Hmmm, I wonder how that could have happened."


    She continued her ineffectual glare, "Well, if you had kept the fire going, there might have been more light to see by."


    "You think I need a bit of firelight to see by?"


    "So you did it on purpose then?"


    "Let the fire go out? Certainly, there is only so much firewood after all."


    "There''s an entire forest out there." She swung her new fire stick at the rolling hills of forest below the mountain.


    He looked where she directed, seeming to drink in the sight for a moment. "I suppose, but all that isn''t really within your reach, is it?"


    Shae inhaled sharply, "A bit rude to mock your prisoner for being imprisoned, isn''t it."


    "Prisoner? I see no cage, no restraints on your wrists."


    "Then you truly are blind. Cages do not all need bars to imprison. I can no more walk off than I can fly away." She only let the pause hang briefly before jumping on the opening she left, "Don''t. Don''t get pedantic with me. You know what I meant."


    The silence lingered as she prodded the fire again, quick jabs as the stick was slightly too short, her hand heating up too fast.


    "Do I simply need to ask again? Have you been waiting for that?" Shae asked. "Oh honorable cultivator, please, please bring me down the mountain, take me out of your domain so that I might continue my travels, alone."


    He sat stoically emotionless, as always. "The attitude and sarcasm in that was unnecessary."


    "Well?" She snapped back. Then went back to the fire, not expecting an answer. He rarely answered questions like these, preferring silence to obvious answers and lies.


    After a few beats he rolled back the subject of the conversation. "That stick seems a bit short, it could be a few inches longer, yes?" He said it naturally, without hitching his voice on the odd word, or intoning differently.


    Shae didn''t even register the inclusion. "Well, a few inches might not be enough, I''d rather it be a f-" she caught herself about to say foot. The incorrect units of measurement finally hit the guarded part of her mind. She froze briefly, but resisted panic and just shut her mouth, silence was better than digging deeper.


    She withdrew the stick from the fire and inspected it, miming where she would like her hand to be, like she was considering just how much longer it needed to be. Nodding once, she spoke again, "Yes, I''d rather it be a full hand or two longer. Longer is preferred, can always take away wood, quite hard to add more." She smiled at her joke.


    She missed the hint of a smirk flickering across the old monster''s face. "Well, not too hard to make it longer, if you know how." He said and flicked a hand towards her.


    See didn''t see the qi cross the distance, nor did she know it was there, but it was the only way what happened next made sense. The stick twitched in her hand, almost squirming as it began to stretch and grow in length. A small leaf budding next to her thumb nearly caused her to drop it. As it settled to a stop, Shae guessed it was probably exactly two hands longer, at least according to the old monster''s measure of a hand.


    She even forgot to still be angry at him for breaking it in the first place. "Thank you." She spoke quietly, still caught in the awe of the moment.


    He gave a small shrug, "It was the least I could do."


    Shae seized the banter this time, "Quite literally, I suspect. I shall be careful what help I ask for, lest you accidentally move the whole mountain."


    This time he let himself show a full smirk, "Wouldn''t be the first time."


    She stared at him for a few breaths, either for him showing emotion or the statement itself. She even forgot to continue prodding. "This one?"


    "No, within my sect. It is a test required to become a full Elder. This one has been here much longer."


    "Yet you are here and not there?"


    He nodded slightly, having returned to his stoic pose. "It is a powerful place for cultivators. Many used to travel here, even mortals, it was once the site of the pilgrimage of a thousand steps."


    "Steps? Are there hidden stairs under the rocks and undergrowth? I''ve not seen anything." Shae asked, genuinely curious.


    "More metaphorical steps, you can see the slope, stairs are not needed. The pilgrimage starts near the bottom, the exact spot varied, but was chosen for comfort. Usually a large camp would form before very slowly moving up the mountain. One large pace a day."


    "One step a day. Why so slow?"


    "It was a form of training. Slowly acclimating the body to the mountain, a simpler and safe form of cultivation. These days it is deemed far too slow. Cultivation manuals, techniques, pills, directed tempering, far more options to gain power quickly."


    "Tempering? So that is similar? But the mountain doesn''t seem so high as to have limited oxygen, why the need for acclimation?"


    The old monster raised an eyebrow before deciding on his next words, "True, air is not the issue. When you leave the clearing, outside your cage, as you call it. What affects you out there?"


    Shae shifted in discomfort at the mention of the cage. "The qi pressure, you mean? The same as during your tempering sessions?" She paused in thought briefly, "That is you doing that, is it not?"


    He inhaled only slightly, what probably would have been a sharp inhale of surprise from anyone else. "No, Miss Shae, I am afraid you have misunderstood. The qi pressure is from the mountain itself. While I could do the same, the tempering practice is me letting it pass through the formations around the clearing. Using the mountain''s pressure is safer for you."


    Shae gasped in surprise, "Oh." She was all she managed before exhaling and taking another deep breath to process. "So, a large formation, just to keep your guests safe?"


    "Not just for you, no, but a beneficial side effect. The formation draws qi into the main cultivation room, my cave, as you call it, enhancing the density of the mountain''s qi. You might not realize the second side benefit, it keeps stronger spirit beasts away, they dislike the reduced qi area."


    "So, even if I could stay conscious through the qi pressure, I might get eaten by qi enhanced wild animals?" She asked, already knowing the answer.


    The old monster stayed silent, not responding to the rhetorical question.


    Shae chuckled, "Funny that that explains far more about what tempering is than you ever bothered to while actually doing it. And more about the mountain too."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The old man hummed in thought, "We don''t usually do information exchange, but since you got something from that, care to elaborate on something you mentioned?"


    A suspicious sentence if she ever heard one, "If I know it, I will be sure to enlighten you, yes?"


    "How did you know the air would be thinner on high mountains? And you mentioned an inch the other day, not a common form of measurement, is it?"


    Shae tried not to react to the questions, but each made her freeze her movement slightly. She remained silent, trying to think of a response.


    After a breath or two, the old man sighed. A subtle thing, made more evident by the irritation in his qi aura. Something Shae only noticed because she had experienced it so many times.


    "Well," she started before she was ready, just to cut the old monster off, "growing up, you hear things, right? You don''t- er- Us kids don''t usually remember where we heard anything. If I had to guess, inch probably relates to the worm, ya know, inch-worm." She flexed her index finger, miming a worm.


    He hummed again, "Plausible, but I can tell you don''t really believe it. You are choosing your words very carefully. And regarding the thin air, you didn''t just say thin air, or that it would be hard to breath, you said oxygen."


    Shae tried not to panic, getting called out so directly was one of her greatest fears, and she had slipped up bad, very bad, twice. "So... it''s just a thing, part of the air." She tried to act casual, pass it off as though it was nothing.


    "I would be surprised if any mortal knew the specific parts of the air we breathe, let alone a mortal child."


    "So what! I''m not allowed to know stuff? Because I''m a mortal, a child? You expect us all to be stupid?"


    He shook his head and sighed again, the stoic composure finally cracking a bit. "I would be glad if the mortals I met knew half of what you probably do. If they would be willing to have half the honesty in the conversations we''ve had, instead of fearful respect and scraping. Allowed? I would gladly encourage any to learn what you have. It just doesn''t happen, Miss Shae. Mortals just don''t learn these things, even the spoiled nobles and scholars. Where did you learn this? Villagers are busy, and keep their children busier, when would you have had the time?"


    She remained silent, turning to stare at the fire. The gig was up! She thought, and their food was starting to burn. She moved quickly to remove it, thankful for the interruption.


    Separating the two portions, she ate hers slowly. The old monster hadn''t taken his yet. His stoic pose had fallen away revealing someone like an exasperated grandparent. He stared at Shae in confusion or disbelief. She wanted to stare back, get a good look at the old monster acting human for once. Yet she just couldn''t, she assumed she couldn''t say or do anything to convince him she was ''normal''. It was clearly too late for that. So she tried to just enjoy what might be her last meal before- well, she refused to think of what came next.


    The old man didn''t watch her eat for long, he placed a hand to his face and wiped it downwards. Then shook his head and grabbed his meal. Seeming to embrace the interruption. The two ate in silence, the old man finishing his meal first. Shae dragged hers out, not wanting to find out what was next.


    The old monster noticed her reluctance. "The last mortal to spend time here was a boy a little older than you, lost in the woods hunting. The woman before him was an old merchant, not that old, just old by mortal standards, she was still healthy enough to bear children."


    Shae gave him a brief death glare at that red flag.


    "Ugh," he reacted with disgust, "No, she was simply concerned her lineage would end with her. I was able to assure her that was not the case. Both left after two weeks. They were exhaustingly deferential to me. Outpouring what little they knew at the briefest suggestion. It was work to simply guide them to what I actually wanted to hear from them, instead of having to sit through their life stories."


    Shae had expected that her behavior was different. The contrast was stunning, she even stopped chewing.


    "The boy requested cultivation assistance, like you did. He had been tested, unlike you, average ability, not enough to get him anywhere without a push. He broke down in fear and panic during his second tempering session. How many have you had now, and without serious complaints?"


    She remained silent, he would know the count better than her.


    "You are still here because of this. Because you are always holding back, carefully holding onto your words. Refusing to answer my questions without restraint, without holding something back. What or why I cannot imagine, which is why you remain.


    "Even during our many varied arguments, you hold back. Yes you are most free with your words and emotions then. Which is partly why I allow such disrespect. Do you truly think it is acceptable for a mortal to speak to a cultivator in that manner? Even to a mortal elder?" He shook his head in disbelief, bafflement touching his voice.


    The answer seemed fairly obvious, so Shae kept her silence, at first. Her emotions were stirring, something about the old monster''s methods hitting a nerve. He gave her time to respond, she swallowed her food first, "I''m surprised you find the words of mortals so valuable. What do you give them in return for such profound wisdom." There was sarcasm in the delivery, but a steely edge as well.


    "A helping hand, mostly. A path to the familiar for the lost hunter. Trust in the future for the merchant. Healing and safety from the forest for you. Safe tempering when they can handle it."


    "And you are enlightened by their words, dramatically progressing your cultivation?"


    "My cultivation? No. The mountain does that. Someone else would be here if I was not. Enlightenment of my Dao, yes, though not every time."


    "But I take it that that is quite valuable to you?" The steel in her voice grew colder. Poised to strike.


    He had sensed her building ire, how could he miss it. In an equal he would have been wary, more cautious in his words. Yet he loved to see the fire in the young girl. Such justified passion was rare in one so young. "Yes. Without enlightenment, without our Dao, we cultivators become blocked, unable to progress. I am at the peak of my stage. Once I have solidified my Dao, I will use it as a seed to progress to the nascent soul stage. A small fleck of true understanding to build my immortality upon." He had said far more than he should have, but he sensed the words had a tremendous impact on the girl, so he had continued beyond what a mortal should know.


    And Shae was stunned by his words. The revelation that what he sought would directly build the foundations of his immortality. She was speechless, and then she was angry. "A more unfair exchange, I have never seen. Even bandits have more respect for their victims."


    "Hmm?" He barely managed before she continued.


    "Such ruthless robbery! You pluck them from their lives, they give you even just a drop of immortality, then you send them on their way with a slap on the ass. I''ve only heard of worse vampires in horror stories. Are you even grateful, do you feel nothing for your benefactors that drag you ever forwards to ascension. Do you even thank them?"


    Shae had stood during her rant, started towards the old man. Then finished her rant within arm''s reach, starting him in the eyes. His stoic mask had mostly held, his lips parted slightly, jaw poised ready to drop.


    He took far too long to respond for the words to have meant nothing to him. "You''re wrong. I save people. I saved you!" Just a hint of pleading and anger in his voice, his mask stoic again.


    Shae paused, she supposed he did. Yet it still felt wrong, "You stand beneath a fruit tree, waiting" she gestured back to his cave, then held out her hand to mime her words, "and when a fruit falls, you catch it, praise yourself for not letting it smash on the ground. Then you squeeze and drink all the juice from it that you can. And when it is pulp and seeds, you place it gently on the ground, making sure it knows you saved it from a deadly fall. You believe you are worthy of the peach of immortality simply because you stand around and wait for it, taking whatever falls within reach." She paused a beat, "And me? You found that I had more juice to give. That I would suffer multiple squeezings. So you stole me away. Put me on a pedestal in your garden." Her arms swung wide, indicating the clearing. "Only returning your attention to reopen wounds and lick away the fresh juice."


    She gave him a breath to retort. When he didn''t, she stomped away, not picking a direction, just stomping off into the night.


    Shae didn''t run. Running implied she might be trying to escape, implied she should be caught, stopped from walking away from the confrontation. She didn''t know where she was going. She just picked a direction that seemed dramatic, only making sure it was clear of obstacles. Walking off into the darkness without stumbling over anything was of vital importance when trying to make a dramatic point.


    She found herself drifting uphill slightly, then she was at the field of rocks and blood creeper vines she had explored the other day. Because of their argument she hadn''t even had a chance to ask about them. Stubbornly, she climbed and hopped between them, her night vision having adapted to the clear starry night.


    She hadn''t planned on looking back at the campfire. However, on the largest rock she found, the only comfortable position let her catch the firelight in the corner of her eye. At this distance it hardly flickered, and she could tell the old monster was still there unmoving. The air was brisk here, but her fury warmed her.


    An hour later, maybe two, Shae had almost calmed down from the argument, starting to feel the chill breeze. Stargazing wasn''t her favorite thing, but she found herself doing it a lot, and this sky always seemed a bit different night to night. She caught movement to her side, the fire flickering. The old monster moving around it, a spray of sparks, and his shadow settling down by its side again. He must have added wood to it.


    Perhaps only moments later, another flicker of light caught her eye. Still from the campfire, but not the orange and red of the firelight. It was a bright white, tinged with sky blue. Like a beam of moonlight had pierced the cloud cover to strike down directly on the old monster. Yet, there were no clouds, and the moon was a waning crescent on the horizon. She saw his silhouette clearly, as he shifted from a casual seated position, to the crossed legged lotus pose of meditation and cultivation.


    The light shifted after another breath, the beam condensing onto the man. Shifting from a faint blue into brilliant gold, becoming solid, a tangible flow of golden smoke pouring from the heavens and swirling towards the old monster.


    Shae knew what she was looking at. Enlightenment, she thought, After all that and he''s getting his damned enlightenment, now? That- "Asshole!" She shouted the last word. To her smug satisfaction the gold light flickered for just a moment. The stalled edges of gold smoke seemed to suddenly burst into flame as they flowed out and up instead of down to the old cultivator.


    Then, even from where she was, she felt the pull, how he grabbed at everything around him to control it and draw it down again. She was sure that if she had been standing, she would have fallen towards him. Even the wind picked up, gusting down the mountain towards him. The cold wind. Shae shivered and tried to keep her grin of satisfaction. She wouldn''t interrupt him again, even once was likely pushing what she could get away with.


    The wind settled quickly, but it was still a slight breeze coming down from the frigid mountain above her. It still bit at her bones and made her want the warmth of the fire.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 4: An Offer You Cant Refuse

    <hr>


    Chapter 4: "An Offer You Can''t Refuse."


    <hr>


    Shae was on the edge of sleep when a footstep to her right woke her. Not a series of steps, just a single deliberate step, like that was all that was needed. She immediately recognised it. She almost got the first word in, but a yawn caught her first.


    "I must thank you, Miss Shae."


    "For the drop of immortality? Yeah, I''ll be sure to yell at you for being shit more." She smirked, that was probably as good as what she had wanted to say before the yawn.


    "Just for the yelling, I do believe I needed that, even if I did not like it."


    "Ah, well, thank away then."


    "Hu-? I did-." The old monster paused. "Alright. Very well then." He paused again, for dramatic effect. "Thank you again, Miss Shae. Even your cruelest words are a boon."


    "A bit over the top for a tongue lashing. But I accept. And the light show was completely separate?"


    He remained silent.


    "Quite the coincidence, that." She waited another beat. "Want to talk about it?"


    "Hrmm, perhaps not in the way you would like. Because I must say, among cultivators. Enlightenment is a sacred thing. It is recognition from the heavens themselves, there are tales of mortal enemies, engaged in battles to the death, who paused to allow one or another to accept their heavenly blessing."


    "Ah. Well. I wondered if it was a bit over the line." Shae said sheepishly.


    "Your regular insults and general disrespect are entertaining and they are a bit over the line. Many cultivators would have you punished or killed for such things." He said calmly, without anger or warning intended. "Interrupting an enlightenment, even accidentally, is death at the least. Those that could might even destroy your soul, simply to make an example."


    "And you still came over here to thank me?"


    "I did. Even afterwards, you gave me much to think about. I am old and set in my ways, it was good to be reminded that they are not always the best way. A lesson that I once knew quite well." He said, with a fair bit more emotion than Shae had ever heard.


    "Careful, your mask is slipping, you almost sound like a person."


    "Hah, yes. That is the idea. I will try to be more open with you, the stoic cultivator personality isn''t always helpful. Though, if you do interrupt an enlightenment again, mine or others. I will punish you severely and dramatically. Is that clear." Threat clear in his tone.


    "Hmmm, perhaps, Miss Shae giveth, and Miss Shae taketh away." She said impetuously. She might have been less flippant if he had put qi behind his words, might have.


    "I said it was unrelated."


    "Oh, completely unrelated, surely."


    The old monster paused, trying to determine how to push the conversation forwards. "It was related to my Dao, a sudden revelation after throwing more wood into the fire."


    "After adding more wood to the fire, you say?" Shae asked with a lure on the words. "The fire you always let die. The one which, just earlier today, I had told you to keep going?"


    "I was expecting you to come back. Thought you would appreciate the gesture."


    "I would appreciate credit where it is due, even third hand." She pouted, "And no, I was not planning on returning. I was nearly asleep before you stepped out here."


    "You would sleep out here? On the hard rocks, and what is this strange vine." He shook his head, and even let bafflement touch his voice.


    "The blood-red creeper, yes I was wondering as well. It''s all over the place. Do you know what it is?" She asked quickly, a bit of concern evident in her urgency.


    "Hmmm. Never seen it before. Do you suppose it''s dangerous? " He asked.


    "You don''t know!" She cried out, scrambling up and away from the edges of the rock. She looked back at the old monster catching a clear glimpse of his smirking face in the moonlight. "You''re teasing me! Ugh!" She harrumphed, sitting down again.


    "Heh, but still, you would sleep out here to make a point?"


    She exhaled sharply, trying to settle back into the conversation thread. "Yes. There''s certainly something about crawling back to the false safety of the fire that would undercut my words. Especially with you still beside it."


    "False safety." He sighed. "Once again, Miss Shae, your words are wise beyond mortal years."


    "Hmh! Thank you." She stated smugly.


    "Too wise, really. If your soul had a greater presence I would be concerned that you were a demonic nascent soul cultivator that had stolen the body of a child."


    "Huh? Can that really happen?" Shae hugged herself.


    "It is rare, as stronger cultivators always crush those who try it. And it is quite noticeable, supposedly. As it stands I have sent an information request to my sect about your mention of ''inch'' an odd unit of measurement I have never heard of. So if that is telling of your origin... Well, we shall see."


    "Hmm." Shae thought for a moment, "Does that make me an official prisoner now?"


    She saw him shrug in the darkness. "I have no reason to suspect you of wrongdoings. Even the theoretical possibilities of your origins, the more plausible ones, leave no reason to entrap you."


    "So, what now? You''ve had your drop of immortality from me, yes? Can I go home now?"


    "Hmm, are you sure you want to go home?"


    "Huh?"


    "When you first arrived, you asked to learn about cultivation. Without the spiritual root test, tempering was the best option. Even if you go back home. How long will you stay? Just enough to get tested? Maybe until a powerful sect sends a recruiter? While you may not consider yourself a cultivator, you have already stepped onto that path."


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    "I thought it was an affinity test?"


    He shrugged, "Same thing. Some say it is a measure of your potential, but it is rarely a direct correlation. Even handling the tempering well is not an indication of potential or affinity."


    "Sooooo, I should consider my future now, instead of just trying to get home?"


    "You should always consider your future. But yes. From here you could go directly to a sect."


    "Yours? Is this a slow lead up to a sales pitch?"


    "Hmm, for a more naive potential, I would push you directly into my sect. But given our... frigid relationship so far, that seems unfair. I would need to travel with you to the sect to sponsor you, forcing us into a more direct master-disciple relationship. Which I think you would take issue with."


    "I would, yes. You''ve not done much that qualifies as masterful that I''ve seen."


    "Harsh." He grumbled. "I could bargain with you, make deals for additional information from each of us. Yet, I have been in strict control of our interactions, and perhaps that is the blockage." He shuffled in place, "Using your metaphor, you are not just a fruit to be squeezed but one that has resisted squeezing. You''ve held onto what juice you have, and I do think you have quite a lot. But I''ll never find out if I continue to try to tear it out. So I must ask, I must plead. What can we do so that both of us become satisfied?"


    Shae grimaced at the poor wording. "Satisfied? I''m not sure ''satisfied'' is on the table, ''contented'', perhaps." She paused to think. "There''s the classic ''alternating questions'', but I find that too formal, and I think it favors you heavily."


    "Hmm? How so?"


    She made a noise and waved her hand, dismissing the question. "Something less rigid, maybe. We each select a topic, one the other is willing to speak on, and we discuss until we are equally satisfied- err, contented. But..." She trailed off.


    "An interesting idea. Less strict, yet requires us to be fair and open so we can reach the next topic. ...but what?"


    "Hmm, it is still... too direct? No! Too demanding. That is the issue, it means we must demand a topic from one another. Ah! Let''s flip it! Ummm, we will need to have discussions about what the other is interested in, especially at first. Then we make offers, we offer up our knowledge of a topic, as an exchange, same rules but offers instead of demands. Much friendlier." Shae grinned, quite pleased with her suggestion.


    "I''m surprised, Miss Shae."


    "Hmm?"


    "After your speech, I had expected this to be much more difficult." He let out a great sigh of relief, "I think this agreement will work quite well. Knowledge is much easier for me to provide than direct cultivation support."


    "That''s nice. So, it''s a bit late to start the first trade session, but we should have a quick chat. Tell me about Dao."


    "Uh, what?" He actually sounded flustered, "Miss Shae, that is not a trivial request, and I thought we were making offers not requests."


    "Yes, but I need to know what your whole deal is to make a useful offer. I keep hearing ''Dao'' and I don''t know what it is. Am I even using the word correctly? Should it be, ''What is your Dao?''"


    He groaned, "Ugh, yes that is a better way to ask. But you shouldn''t be asking. It is a very personal topic for cultivators. I would only discuss my own Dao with my master and only in passing, or metaphorically."


    "Huh. Okay. So, what is Dao more generally then?"


    "Again, that is not something openly discussed." He exhaled in minor defeat. "Philosophically, it is not meant to even be explained. It is not possible to put into words. Neither the whole Dao or one''s personal Dao."


    "There are like tens of thousands of words, countless combinations of simile and metaphor. Endless analogies, even poor ones. You are saying you can''t even give me the most basic of explanations?"


    "I am saying that I should not do that. A poor explanation can do more harm than good. It is like-" he cut himself off.


    "Like...?" Shae asked with a leading tone.


    "No, I''m not going to be tricked into giving you a metaphor. Perhaps, if I feel truly in your debt we can continue this discussion. Not now, hard stop."


    "Ugh, okay. So secret words for secret personal secrets. Sure whatever."


    She almost heard him grinding his teeth. "Ha ha, funny. Do not internalize that, it will not help you understand."


    "Sure. So. You are out here cultivating, asking about plants and animals. You mentioned using your divine sense, and how broad and detailed it was..." She tried to give him an assessing look in the dark. "What is your area of study?"


    He gave her an inquisitive glare. "A suspicious question. You had better not be trying to guess my Dao?"


    "Wouldn''t dream of it."


    "It is not your dreams I am concerned with." He hummed a low monotone. "Over the years I have studied many things. Plants, animals, even erosion. The mountain is a good place for these. My current focus is adaptation. How nature changes its surroundings and is changed by them."


    "Right, so nature, biology, earth and life sciences, and adaptation would be... evolution." As she said the word, it thrummed through the air around them. As though she had shouted it, even though she did not. And as though it had echoed off a cave wall, yet the wall was the old monster. "Uh, I didn''t," she stumbled, "was that you?"


    The old monster stood there, eyes wide, ignoring her question. Not even looking at her, but staring above her and into the distance.


    "You''re not going to do..." she looked up and pointed at the sky, "that, again? are you?"


    After a few more unsteady breaths, he looked down at her. A raging fire behind his eyes like she had never seen before. "That, I need that, whatever e-, tell me about whatever that is." An unspoken ''Now.'' was in his eyes, and a barely restrained pulse of qi accompanied each word.


    Shae shuddered under the intense glare and qi pulses. The only thing to crack her out of the terror was his refusal to even say the word again, as though it was a word of power or a sacred curse. The only real answer was to deny him, but could she and would she regret it after. "N- not right now." She barely whispered. "It is-" she hesitated.


    "You would deny me this. After what you just felt at that singular word." It was an accusation, not a question.


    "It is not so simple." she rushed through. "You can''t just- Would you- You wouldn''t try to teach me how to nurture a nascent soul tomorrow, would you?" She gasped and caught her breath, fumbling through what she hoped was an apt simile.


    That seemed to knock him partway out of his intensity. "I would not."


    "And even the steps before that would not be helpful for years, yes?"


    "Decades probably." He calmed to a simmer.


    Shae had stopped shaking. She thought she had some control of the situation again. "So, while I''m sure you are no bumbling novice, we should make sure the foundations of knowledge are in place. Then.." she hesitated, this would be risky, "if I feel truly in your debt, we can discuss it."


    She caught his quickly restrained rage on a faint wave of qi. His face was a grimace, even in the darkness of night. "So that is how it is?"


    "Offers, not demands." She simply said.


    He inhaled and exhaled, loudly and slowly. An equally slow wave of qi on the exhale, but with no emotion in it. The old monster still held a frown on his face. "Very well, get some sleep." His words had calmed, at least. He turned to leave.


    "Did you have questions for me? for what to offer?" She asked quickly, before he left.


    His posture stiffened slightly, "I can think of a few things. You still wish to know of cultivation, yes?"


    "Yes."


    "Then rest well. Perhaps not on the rocks." And he left, stepping away with as little impact as he had arrived.


    The sound of rock gently crumbling drew her attention. The rock he had been standing on was shattered. Not from his exit, it must have happened earlier. Pieces fell away as the pile of shards settled. Shae slowly stood and carefully made her way back to the fire. Where it was warmer, and where the light held a certain false sense of safety that she desperately wanted right now.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 5: 1000 Paces

    <hr>


    Chapter 5: "1000 Li Paces."


    <hr>


    Two days later, the old monster returned. They were ready for their first exchange of information.


    "So, what secrets of the universe will you be sharing with me?" Shae asked excitedly.


    "Hah, I thought that was going to be my question, with how our last conversation ended." The old monster chuckled quietly. "But I believe we agreed on foundational information first. So, I will offer up a brief overview of the first stages of cultivation, and maybe a bit more if you ask the right questions."


    "Will you guide me through a cultivation session?"


    He grimaced, "No. You don''t have a cultivation manual to follow, and you will not use mine, it is unlikely to be well suited to you."


    "So just theory then? Isn''t there a basic technique, a manual or method that most could follow?"


    "Hmmm, there are a few. Tempering or the pilgrimage I mentioned before is one such. Though it is much more flexible in its application. Generic methods are... counter-productive at this stage. You want a manual that is well suited to you. Ideally designed specifically for you, but that is near impossible. So instead, most sects store many variations for their new inductees to choose from. Some need assistance in that, and some can manage it on their own."


    "Hmm, we can''t even do the first step? Just learning to touch qi and move it around would still be helpful, right?"


    "You think that is the first step?" He asked with a grin, then chuckled at her expression. "In truth, there is a separate reason. The qi of the mountain is quite different from the rest of the world. Better for me, but it could be dangerous for you. Not deadly, you could certainly start if you need to. But it would be detrimental in the long run."


    Shae creased her forehead in frustration.


    "And what did you bring to offer today?"


    "Well, we did agree on establishing some groundwork, so first I need to ask some questions, figure out where you are at. Then I have a few ideas for things to explain." She smiled mischievously. "Like yours, maybe more, depending what you ask about."


    "I can see the merit in that. Ask away."


    "Ok, this is going to start a bit self indulgent but, we''ll get there. Tell me about those blood red creepers, you did know what they were, yes?"


    "Ah, yes I did. Your name is quite close, they are iron blood creepers, cousin to iron blood vine that grows in trees. Though the name varies by region. That one," he gestured to the rocky area, "it used to be dormant, and much smaller, it must have found something to feed on."


    "Something?" Shae asked.


    "The normal fare, as plants go. It also thrives in iron rich soil and will spread quickly with a carcass for it to feed on. Common for the more demonically named spiritual plants. Where have you been dumping the rabbit entrails?"


    "Not right there, further uphill, the refuse pile you told me about. Ah, so it feeds on blood? It would be iron rich, as the name suggests." Shae considered for a moment, "could the pile be draining past its roots? Out it dug down into the water table?"


    "Water table? That''s somewhat esoteric knowledge for a mortal girl."


    "Pffft." She blew out a laugh. "Hardly, villagers and farmers live off the land, they need to rely on wells and irrigation for their crops, water flow is well known to us."


    "True but few would call it irrigation. They would say canals and ditches."


    "If you stop me every time I use a technical term we are not going to get anywhere today." She gave him a glare.


    He raised an apologetic hand, "moving on then. You may be correct, the creeper''s roots were working through a small vein of iron, so something may have changed since my last guest was here."


    "Through the iron?"


    "Slowly, but yes, if the soil isn''t ideal then you mostly find them near deposits. It is also what makes them useful, though we would prefer the slower growth rate."


    "Useful... Do they refine the iron somehow?"


    "Hmm, you could say that, but not really. They use it to reinforce themselves. Their previous bounty is already being used here by you."


    "Bounty. What part... wait let me guess." Shae mentally ran through the things around camp. There was nearly no iron. Then she only considered what matched the dark red color. "The snares?"


    "Yes! Their vines are impregnated with the iron they suck up. The thin size of the snares is because only a small vein within each vine gets the iron reinforcement. There''s not enough to strengthen the whole plant. And the slower the plant grows, the stronger that thin wire of iron."


    "Impressive, that seems quite useful for farmers and villagers as well."


    "Oh many hunters and explorers know of its usefulness. Anything in a pinch as they say. But good smiths make much better wire, and it grows too slowly to be easily farmed." He paused as a thought struck him. "Since you have the free time, I can show you how to harvest it. Though I suspect the wires will be of poor quality for snares. Still, the thing will need to be pruned, soon."


    "Ah, great, that sounds intriguing! I do find my fingers to be restless these days. But onto the science of it. How does it extract and use the iron? Especially from an ore deposit, dirt I can understand. But raw iron and blood would be..." Shae trailed off in her speculation.


    "How? Hmmm, I hadn''t considered. Let''s see, there is metal aligned qi. So I suspect the species has gained a natural affinity for it, and possibly inherited some form of technique to draw in and reinforce itself." He rubbed at his chin, "I suppose it could be worth investigating if one has a similar metal affinity, and could not find a compatible body reinforcement technique."


    Shae had raised an eyebrow and turned her head in confusion. "A qi technique? No, I mean the basic chemical interactions that let it breakdown and repurpose the iron. Probably as rust. For the ore, at least, it would need to let moisture rust away the iron to break it down. Or just dissolve into water like in a rusty well."


    "Chemicals? You sound like a heretical Alchemist. Who filled your head with such nonsense?"


    "Ugh, it is neither nonsense, alchemy, nor heretical. Please don''t tell me reason and logic have crumbled in the face of a little bit of magic and mysticism. Has cultivation really replaced the classical search for knowledge of the world?"


    He remained silent. Assessing the girl.


    "Ugh," she groaned. "Well, it always was the domain of the rich, those with free time to pursue their own goals. Not something a peasant could really manage. And yea, if you could get super strength and laser eyes, why would you bother with a bit of boring science." She mumbled her thoughts, barely audible to herself, but the old monster had no trouble hearing it.


    "Miss Shae, if you do intend to exist with something approaching a normal life, even as a cultivator. You will want to be much more careful about the words and ideas you release into the world. You never know who is listening."


    She rolled her eyes with dramatic exaggeration. "Right, fine. And if you expect to learn something about the world, blaming everything you don''t understand on qi is a horrible way to do it. First things first, the plant doesn''t use qi, that is absurd." She waved a hand, preventing his interruption. "Occam''s razor. The simplest explanation is the most likely."


    "You feel using qi would be complex? More complex than a bespoke chemical reaction created and controlled by the same plant?" And what is an Occam?"


    "Who is Occam. He''s the mortal who coined the term. And yes, you explained the complex requirement yourself. An affinity for metal qi, and some bespoke technique that it can instinctively learn, both of which it must pass to its offspring. Versus one of many biological processes which are fundamental to its being." She paused for a breath. "I can''t claim that qi is completely uninvolved. Perhaps it assists in the process, catalyzing a reaction. Isolating the iron to begin with."


    "A reasonable argument, and I like this Occam''s Razor. Sounds similar to the Tenet of Least Abstraction. And yet, I''m not convinced."


    Shae shrugged, "I wouldn''t expect it to be so easy. And I could be wrong in this case. If you told me that you sensed metal qi flowing through the plant. I would believe you, but still ask if the plant itself is moving it or perhaps the qi is simply following the metal instead? Can it really intend to move and use qi? It is just a plant."


    "Just?" He questioned back. "Plants have spirits as well, however faint. A part of their being that can grow and change and even cultivate qi, given the right environment. Do not discount plants. Especially those in a high qi environment like this mountain."


    She looked at him skeptically, especially at the cultivation part, but the reminder of the qi rich mountain clouded her with doubt. "Monstrously powerful plants aside, I do believe I have a topic to start on, to lay some of that groundwork we talked about. Would you like to start your own lecture?"


    "Hmm? Not going to provide your topic first?" He raised a curious eyebrow.


    "Uh, I could, but I suspect it will just lead to more questions, and I''d rather do it all at once."


    "Fair. You have demonstrated that you have a lot to say, and we didn''t discuss who would teach first. You''ll go first next time." Shae nodded at his pause. "I will start with an overview of cultivation stages, the ones before core formation. Which is the stage I am at. You will not need that information for a long time, and by then you should have a manual that details the specifics. And a Senior to mentor you, if needed.


    "There are three primary goals to pre-core cultivation, these are generally separated into specific steps, a stage for each. Most manuals approach them in the same order. Though, technically they can be performed in any order." He paused the lecture to look directly at her, "do not change the order directed by your cultivation manual."


    Shae made a face like she was offended he had to specify that, and placed a hand over her chest. Her pose quickly became dramatic and mocking, but she didn''t interrupt.


    "The three are, in the order recommended. Firstly: qi gathering and control. Touching qi, learning to move it freely within yourself, and accumulating a large portion of it. To feel what a full Dantian is like, and to feel the natural qi of the world convert to your personal qi. That large portion then allows you to move into the second stage: body cleansing. Cleansing aims to remove blockages and toxins from the body, both called impurities. Thereby purifying the body to better hold and use qi. With the secondary effect of a small amount of tempering. There are far more specifics, but they don''t need to be listed now, you can read them from the books when you learn to read in whatever sect you join."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Uh, I can read now." Shae stated, with some actual offense in her tone.


    "You can? Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"


    "Why did you assume I couldn''t? Do you think so little of mortals? 9 in 10 from my village can read." She crossed her arms, playing up her heated emotions.


    "While I''m sure that is true, the 1 in 10 that cannot are the young, no? Your age group specifically."


    Shae shifted, begrudgingly accepting his rationale. "Still, you knew I was smart, you should have asked."


    He opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself and sighed. "Perhaps. What is done is done. Most of this lecture can be found in the basic literature available to sect entrants. Which... I don''t currently have in my residence."


    "You have books here!" She said with excitement.


    "A few. Most of which are rather specific and technical. The one about cultivation stages is still quite advanced-" He spoke as he recalled his selection then caught sight of Shae. "-and I''m sure you will manage it just fine." He recovered well.


    Shae nodded and smiled wide. "Great! So, is tempering the third stage?"


    "Ah, yes, the lecture. No, not at all." Shae let out a small gasp at the blunt denial. "Tempering was found to be an optional process that will occur naturally over a cultivator''s lifetime. The third stage is-"


    "Wait-wait-wait. What? Optional? So please clarify, with specific reasoning, why you have been putting me through that once a week."


    The old monster was taken aback by the very serious woman that seemed to be angry at him. "Ah, yes. Perhaps I should go into more detail, since you have been suffering through it." He swallowed, he wasn''t nervous, just needed to clear his throat at that specific moment. "When done early, it has many long term benefits. Such as improved qi flow and capacity, bodily resistance to qi pressure, and supposedly, partial cleansing which should reduce time spent during both the second and third stage."


    "Hmmm, only supposedly? Do go on." She wanted a bit more, and was certainly not enjoying the sight of the old monster squirming under her ire. Which he was certainly not doing, because he was a powerful core cultivator that would not be intimidated by a mortal girl.


    "Supposedly, because it is difficult to confirm. The benefits all contribute to faster progress, so isolating specific changes is near to impossible. More importantly it has largely fallen out of favor because it is very time consuming. Take the pilgrimage as example, several years spent slowly climbing the mountain instead of making more focused progress."


    "But couldn''t someone do both, cultivate during the pilgrimage?"


    "Hrm." He fluttered his hand. "Maybe. Conventional wisdom says mixing stages and not fully completing stages is counterproductive. You could gather qi, but the tempering might be blocked by too much qi, slowing the whole process. Tempering could also affect your precise control. Faster methods like what we are doing, require a more powerful cultivator to spend a considerable amount of time and effort. Without this mountain providing the qi pressure and density I would have a much harder time, possibly even at the expense of my own progress."


    Shae finally appeared content with his answers.


    "Speaking of density, that is why I still dissuade you from cultivating here. Even in this shielded area, you might find it difficult to become accustomed to the density, and may form habits that rely on it. Potentially crippling your progress when you leave. Again, another reason to not temper and gather at the same time." He shook his head for emphasis. "And that assumes that you are not overwhelmed by it... yes there are other dangers, though rare. Which is why a spirit root test is recommended. Ah, but I am jumping ahead, the third stage is meridian cleansing."


    "Meridian?"


    "Right, you would be in the dark about that. The cultivation book I have is largely about meridians and qi channels throughout the body, and how those connect us to our souls. Simply put, they are not technically physical parts of our bodies, but metaphysical connections to our spirit and soul. At least according to that book. There have been a variety of theories throughout history with most correlating specific organs to specific meridians, hence the naming structure, which I will skip for now.


    "The goal of stage three, often called foundation building, or just foundation stage. Is to clear these meridians of impurities, or whatever blockages might be there. This may seem trivial, but the specific method and the cleansing order are very important and generally the focus of any cultivation manual designed to reach the core stage."


    "More cleansing? Wasn''t that the second stage?"


    He nodded, "Second stage can be seen as physical cleansing, third as metaphysical. It is debated if the blockages come from the physical or the metaphysical, whether performing them in the reverse order would be easier due to eliminating the source first. Ultimately, cleansing the body is easier and requires less qi so that is done first. Any cleansing provides a deeper qi pool for the cultivator to use for future cleansing, and so is a natural growth and acceleration of progress. Many manuals structure the cleansing order on this idea."


    "So, either steady progress by doing the small ones first, or more trouble at the start, with explosive growth afterwards?" Shae guessed.


    "Quite right. But in practice it is far more complex. The blockages from some meridians can spill into others when cleared, causing lost progress. Which is why it is vitally important to follow your manual, it will detail a specific order that doesn''t encounter this problem."


    "Okay, sounds like I need a cultivation manual."


    "Yes, but first the affinity test, or spirit root test."


    "You mentioned affinities before, with the plant, a metal based affinity, was that the same thing?"


    He hummed a tone to himself. "Yes, you could say they are the same. Although, the test also checks for general compatibility rating. You will be given a low, average, or high grade rating. Indicating how quickly you are likely to progress through the early stages. Some people break these predictions, but they are reasonably accurate. If you also have a strong affinity, that means you will progress faster with a specific qi element. And should look for a corresponding manual and a knowledgeable senior to guide you."


    "A knowledgeable senior like you?"


    "No I am way off in the forest and would not be a reliable mentor when you are in the sect, if you do join my sect. A mentoring senior is usually only a stage or two ahead of you, but for specific affinities larger gaps are expected. Any questions?"


    "Uhhh, when can I start?" Shae whined. "You said the first stage was about control too, can I do that? I feel like I am falling behind already."


    "Heh, so then, you have made up your mind to cultivate?"


    "Well, you make it sound so easy, and I''ve got a head start. It would be rude not to."


    "Hah! Easy." The old monster chuckled. "The first few steps of a hike up a mountain are easy. Keeping up the pace is the hard part. Not giving up and resting on the way up, or just stopping because it has become too difficult."


    "Huh, good metaphor."


    "It is an old classic, from the time of the pilgrimage, actually. Back then, it was also about how long you would stick to the same task, staying on the pilgrimage, staying focused for three years is a bit of an imposition for some. Proven by the fact we don''t do it anymore."


    "Hmm, three years, so that time isn''t saved in the later stages then?"


    "It depends on the compatibility and motivation of the cultivator. For low grade spirit roots, the pilgrimage is quite helpful. Medium is about even, when also using a good manual. A lower quality manual will slow you down, so tempering can recover some time, most still find it tedious."


    "So then, high-grade sees no benefit? Or is even slower from a pause that long?" The old monster nodded at Shae''s intuition. "So, who gets recruited to sects? Only the high grades?"


    "Yes, the high grades are snapped up first. And those with affinities, especially unique ones, possibly just for the novelty. Affinities are rated as well, so some low grade affinities will likely get passed over. Unfortunately low grades are universally left behind, but it is said that the monks take all that are willing. Mid grades overlooked by the sect can join the military. Rumor is that they still use tempering, because it lets them use fewer more generalized manuals, worse for the individual, but better for the group. Untempered soldiers are also kind of useless on a battlefield with core stage cultivators."


    "They come here for that?"


    "Luckily no. That would be quite disruptive to myself. There are many other places in the world like this, of varying density and pressure. If the military doctrine is believed, theirs is much better and works well with their manuals and physical training regime to finish the tempering and make other progress within two years. But this is probably getting off topic."


    "Yea, a bit, but it''s still interesting." She considered for a breath, "Should I be doing physical training as well?"


    "Staying active, as you already are, is excellent. Sect cultivators rarely push their physical limits unless they are martially specialized. The benefits fall away beyond core creation. It is ideal for militaries that pursue a large number of moderately cultivated soldiers. Yet, not for those who wish to actually progress to nascent soul and immortality."


    "Oh, that''s kind of disappointing."


    "Ha, well, introduce yourself to the martial trainers when you join a sect. You may reconsider that opinion."


    She caught the hint and let the topic drop. "I still feel like I could be doing something more while here. Maybe some kind of qi control practice? That is part of the first stage, right?"


    He exhaled and looked up briefly. "Yes, that would be helpful. Yet, when we say control, we mean fine control, finesse. Not strength or power. Finesse is what you will need to cleanse yourself, control your internal qi, and execute techniques. Power comes naturally as you progress, and early cultivators just don''t have the qi reserves for power to have any effect. Perhaps if you were combat focused, overwhelming an enemy with one large technique might be safer than a prolonged battle. But we should not plan around such conflicts. More importantly, this mountain is nearly the opposite qi environment than what you would need."


    Shae sighed in defeat.


    "For control training, you require a very thin qi density with minimal external pressure on that qi. Thin is not ideal for initial contact with qi, as it becomes harder to find and grasp. But initial contact is rarely a hurdle. That thinness forces you to manipulate small quantities of qi improving your control."


    She hummed in thought. "Right, so, that test and a manual are still my next steps. When can we do that?"


    "So eager. And what is this we? Ha! Heh heh!" He laughed at her surprise. "You would need to bargain for my direct assistance, and there might be complications, which neither of us would agree with. Instead. I suggest you find a village and use their annual testing process. As it happens, I know a nearby village that holds theirs just after harvest. I can arrange transport, assuming you wish to leave then."


    "Hmm, yea, I might get sick of you sooner."


    "True, I should say the same, you do test the nerves."


    "Hey!" Shae appeared offended. "You don''t have to say it out loud."


    He considered an apology, but the girl had said the same first. "In any case, I will see you to your entrance into a sect, even if it isn''t mine. I think you could have accomplished that without my interference."


    A frown of confusion crossed her face. "You''re being too nice, why the quick turnaround?"


    "If there is one thing to be wary of in the cultivation world... well, one of many. It would be to be cautious in making enemies. At any moment your cultivation progress can stall or backtrack, and your worst enemy can sprint ahead. Then if you have angered them enough, they may snuff you out." He let the declaration hang in the air for a breath. "If I had fewer morals, I could be a bit more devious, try to drain you of your knowledge then snuff you out so as to not take the risk of your vengeance. Fortune favors us both that I am not so demonic. Instead I shall try to keep some balance to karma and fate and ensure I''ve not made an enemy of you."


    Shae remained silent. The direct proclamation was far more than she expected.


    The old monster let the silence breathe for a bit. "Not every cultivator will be so magnanimous. My journey is unique to me."


    "Fate and Karma. You seem to believe in these ideas?"


    "Ideas? Hmm, I know a few that would have words for you about that. They are real... but how they manifest is subtle, and can vary significantly. Diviner is a career of great prestige. To read the winds of fate, observe the strings of Karma attached to us all and make predictions. Before you try to argue, I assure you they are considerably more accurate than you might expect. Throughout history they have proven their worth to be far more than superstition or instinctual guesswork." He took a solemn breath choosing how much to reveal. "I had heard from others, non-diviners, of the rare brush with fate, the rare pull of karma or Heaven which directs us to a path. I had been skeptical, never quite understanding, or simply in denial. Until-"


    "Until you met me?" Shae cut in, and he looked unimpressed. "Sorry, please continue."


    "Bluntly, yes, but it was two days ago, the single word you said. For a single word to resonate so clearly with my Dao... a clearer sign from the Heavens I do not think we would get. And so," he gestured to her. "it is your turn, I believe."


    "Huh? Wha-?"


    "Your topic of discussion? What did you decide on?"


    "Oh!" Shae blushed a little at her lapse in memory. "That! Yes, alright. Ah, so! How do- well, in your own words, how do plants breathe?"


    The old monster turned his head to the side, looking much more like the confused old man than the powerful hidden master. "Isn''t the question ''Do plants breathe?'' And I would say they do not, no lungs. Not even the fine pathways that insect use, generally only identifiable on the very large insects that use qi to move air through themselves."


    "Ah, right, well, large insects aside, and generally, what I will be discussing is entirely within the mortal realm, not your qi and spirit plant weirdness. That is good though, it means we have something to talk about. I am going to discuss how plants breathe, how they use the sun''s energy to create sugar in a process called photosynthesis."


    The word did not thrum like evolution had, she felt no echoing response from the old monster or the world just from the word. Yet, she did see the old man''s eyes widen a fraction, so perhaps he did.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 6: The Fifth Element (swords)

    <hr>


    Chapter 06: "The Fifth Element (swords)."


    <hr>


    They continued to exchange information like this. Every two or three days, the old monster would emerge from his cultivation cave, and they would continue their conversations, choosing new topics and probing each other for their interests or existing knowledge. The old monster provided the occasional book after the first one about meridians, and once he had confirmed that she could keep up with the more advanced material. However, he said he only had a few that were appropriate for an entry level introduction.


    Similarly, a lot of Shae''s knowledge of life science required a significant amount of establishing information, and some leaps of trust from the old monster that, yes, what she was saying was fact. And no, just because qi existed did not mean it must be used in all parts of life. They had quite a few heated arguments about established knowledge going directly against Shae''s information.


    It was this reason that they did not discuss anything on days that Shae went through tempering. Once a week, they would attempt more casual discussions, sometimes clarifying points that had been covered before. Then she would get to experience the full qi pressure of the mountain they lived on. The old monster had insisted on this, as he didn''t want their arguments and discussions to influence the tempering. He didn''t want it to be taken as him acting in revenge or punishment for some argument they had. Shae called him a hypocrite once or twice.


    Shae had dismissed the breaks as unnecessary, but quickly came to appreciate the break from needing to teach something new to someone with an entirely different worldview every time they met. Occasionally he would even prepare some food the next morning. This became a more regular ritual after she devoured handfuls of raw rice flour when there was nothing else to eat. The old monster swore he had dropped off a batch of rice to husk. He claimed it must have been stolen by a mischievous spirit beast during the night.


    As the selection of books was quite limited, Shae became bored and so the old monster guided her in improving her Tao Yan practice. He wasn''t an expert, in his own mind, but having lived around martial cultivators for so long, he could still help her complete the basic practice. He also encouraged more cardio and a few other exercises to keep her busy.


    She did not do as much cardio as he suggested. Mostly because it meant she needed to eat more carbs, which meant husking more rice. A task she was quite bored of.


    Of their discussions, the most heated was about the elements. The old monster had offered a lecture on the qi elements, and how they cycle and interact. Shae had matched with the periodic elements, with less information on how they interact. This was one of the many times where she regretted not knowing more about a topic. Chemistry was a weak subject for her, not at all helped by the sheer complexity of the matter, and the massive number of elements she claimed existed, yet didn''t have encyclopedic knowledge of.


    "There are five core qi elements." The old monster had lectured. "These can be arranged into two primary cycles, a creative cycle and a destructive cycle. The names being quite literal in what the cycles do..."


    Shae had listened patiently throughout, commenting where appropriate. "These are related to affinities, then?"


    "Yes, exactly. The core five are the most common, but the five can be combined to secondary and even tertiary elements, with some odd ducks in the mix. Any of these could be an affinity. However, having an affinity does not always mean it will be found or identified correctly. Sometimes they are even confused for unique constitutions."


    Shae perked up at this "Unique constitutions?"


    "Ah, yes, we have not covered this yet. Hmm, well there is not much to say so now is acceptable. These are sometimes conflated with bloodlines. In either case, they dramatically effect how a cultivator uses or processes qi, how their physical bodies react to it, and possibly how their meridians are arranged. Ultimately, they require more specialized cultivation manuals, alchemy pills, and even unique techniques for managing their differences. But! They can have tremendous benefits, much more than qi affinities."


    "Hmm, sounds more like having a rare disease. Guess I''ll need to see it to really understand the difference and benefits involved."


    "Sadly you are more correct than you could know. While most would be offended by the comparison to disease, for many others, the end result is the same. Poorly managed, they can end up in pain, their bodies slowly being destroyed from within. Even if the correct manual or pills are out in the world, there is no guarantee one will be able to find them. Some are simply restricted to the type of qi they can process, like a more extreme affinity."


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Brutal." Shae exhaled.


    "Yes, and that does bring us back on topic, the elements have largely been identified by their qi affinities. Even without an affinity, it is also possible to specialize your internal qi to a certain element. Once again, highly dependent on techniques and manuals."


    "Hm, like sword qi? Is that an elemental affinity?"


    "Sword qi? No, not at all."


    "Eh? Not even an offshoot of metal qi?"


    "No, completely unrelated."


    "Wha- well. Really? Not related?"


    "Yes, go talk to a sword cultivator about it." He waved dismissively. "Good luck with that though, they are a strange bunch."


    That was the start of the old monster being a bit grumpy that day. His mood did not improve during Shae''s lecture.


    "So you are claiming the building blocks of the world are not the qi elements?"


    "Not just the world, the universe!" Shae declared happily. "Though, there is always another layer deeper, if I had to name as few as possible, I would say the three subatomic particles." She was rambling now, mostly ignoring the old man. "Though there are also the antiparticles. And yet another layer deeper the quantum particles, quarks and bosons and whatever." A peal of thunder rippled across the cloudy sky, distracting her. "Huh, when did it..."


    "Perhaps," The old monster looked warily to the sky, "perhaps I don''t need to know all of the universe''s finest secrets."


    "Uh, right, that''s okay, I don''t know much about them anyway. I barely even know very many of the periodic elements, certainly not all the specifics of each." She caught the odd look from the old monster and mistook it for frustration at her explanation. "Well, for example. Take air. What is it made of? Air qi? Clearly not. It cannot be all qi. I''d guess there''s not even an equal distribution of air qi in air. I think I would be right to say air qi and air don''t have a particularly strict relationship with each other."


    The old monster kind of just grimaced at this statement, but didn''t refute it.


    "So what part of the air do we breathe? Oxygen. A gas at this temperature and pressure. Two atoms of oxygen to make it stable, though it is still quite reactive. Oh, an atom is a single part of one periodic element. Like the finest piece of something you can have before it stops being that kind of thing. Iron is another base element, consisting of only itself. Oxygen, being so reactive, will combine with iron to create rust, the smallest part of which is called an iron-oxide molecule. When iron gets wet the same thing happens, because there is oxygen in water as well. Water is one part oxygen, and two parts hydrogen, another that is usually a gas. Yes, yes, two gasses making a liquid, very strange, I know.


    "But I''ve side tracked. Back to air, it''s actually mostly Nitrogen, another gas, and this one is much less reactive, harder to do anything useful with. So some plants and organisms spend a lot of time and energy trying to change it into something more useful. Because it creates a very strong bond in its two atom molecule, returning it to that state releases a lot of energy. And so it is a fairly common atom in things like proteins and plant biology. Artificial fertilizers make heavy use of nitrites to great effect. But that is about where my knowledge hits its limits on nitrogen. Hmmm, and I''m not even sure how clear I made all that, probably skipped around too much.


    "Back to air! So the air we breathe is about 8 parts in 10 nitrogen, 2 in 10 oxygen, and the rest very small amounts of various other gasses, vapors or whatever gets into it, making up less than a fraction of a part. A careful balance, more oxygen and stuff starts lighting on fire, that is a primary fuel for fire, since nitrogen is unreactive. More carbon-dioxide and plants flourish a bit more, photosynthesis being easier. Yet too much and Humans and other animals start choking on it. The mortal ones at least. Did you know that our suffocation response is solely based on detecting carbon dioxide? Not the lack of what we need to breathe, but the excess of the poison we breathe out!" She finished excitedly, proud of her trivia.


    "I see. Miss Shae you are a bit more scattered today. And I must say, if I read this in a book, I would burn it as heretical. The only thing keeping me from doing the same to you is that my Divine Sense is emphatically telling me that you fully believe what you are speaking is truth, and the truth of the world at that."


    "Uh," Shae almost stumbled at the buried threat, settling on hopeful, "quite revelatory, yes?"


    "Perhaps. However, I am uncertain. I honestly don''t know what to do with this information. An air cultivator might find the specifics revelatory, or they might flatly deny your claims. Even with more specific examples, I''m not sure I can incorporate this into my Dao. Which is the ultimate goal here."


    "Ah, right." She stated flatly. "How has that been coming along? Any more drops of immortality?"


    While he refused to answer the intrusive question, this was the beginning of Shae considering that this whole ordeal of sharing what she knew could be a mistake.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 7: You cant handle the truth

    <hr>


    Chapter 07: "You can''t handle the truth."


    <hr>


    Months later, a few weeks from the harvest festival. Both were growing tired of one another, and an argument was being rehashed.


    "No, it is still inappropriate to discuss the Dao. What you ask for is too much."


    "And discussing evolution somehow isn''t enough." The thrum from the word had reduced considerably from the first time Shae said it, but they both still felt it.


    "Perhaps if you proved that it was, by discussing it. I would feel indebted enough to do as you request."


    "And I said the same to you, you need to earn it as well."


    "And so we are at a stalemate, again." The old monster exhaled in defeat and rubbed the side of his face. "I am still bewildered as to why you are so hesitant. You have been more than free with your knowledge, even details which none would believe."


    "Hrmm," Shae considered. "Fine, you want to know why. At first, it was out of fear, you were fucking scary that first time. I thought you would rip me apart to get at your precious."


    "Ugh," he grimaced, "and now?"


    "And now I only see two outcomes. The first and most likely is that you don''t like what I have to say, claim it is useless and fail to reciprocate. That feels more likely at this point, you''ve not been particularly accepting, like with the atomic elements talk, you basically threw it out and ignored it, going so far as to forget key points when I brought them up later."


    He sucked air in through his teeth. "That was unavoidable, the- ...it is related to Dao. I cannot speak of it."


    "Still so hesitant, yourself?" She mocked and quickly continued. "The second outcome, is that it is just as revelatory as you hope, that you gain enlightenment from the talk and have to rush off to cultivate that enlightenment."


    "At which point I would be in your debt and be fully willing to discuss the Dao."


    "At which point," she corrected, "You will run off to your cave for who knows how long and forget about me. I will be stuck here, or need to leave on my own to progress my own goals."


    "I would never go back on my word."


    "You think you will be in control? You think you will have the option to just stop ascending to nascent soul? That you can just ask the heavens to wait a moment, step out and fly me to the town while delivering a sermon on Dao? You said yourself that breakthroughs can take months or years. I sure as shit can''t survive the winter here. If not from the cold I''ll starve without you handing out food."


    His grimace hardened, and he sighed through it. "I cannot deny that as a possibility. So, we are stuck in this stalemate."


    "Not quite, as I have already suggested, you need to go first, it''s your turn today anyway."


    He remained silent, a grimace of distaste stuck on his face. He had gotten much better at breaking through his stoic mask over their months together.


    She prodded him again. "Why are you so afraid of sharing? I know the risks already and I accept them freely."


    "There are other potential complications. Rumors only, as tradition dictates we do not have these discussions." He controlled his expression, looking more serious than he had been in a while. "If the consequences were more physical, more real. Would you still accept the risks? The potential pain of the outcome?"


    Shae was taken aback by the sudden shift. She carefully considered his words. "Yes. This is information I need to know. If it costs me a migraine or a dozen lashes, or the enmity of some higher power like your sect, then I accept the risks, fully."


    Seeing the strength of her resolve, confirmed through his divine sense, the old monster smirked. "Very well. Do not say you were not warned, little girl."


    "Get to it, old man." She smirked back.


    He stood and began to walk around the fire, circling Shae as well. "Sit, and meditate on my words. Pay attention to what feels correct to you, not simply what I emphasize, or what I say is correct. What you find to be true to you, within your very being."


    He paused to let her gather herself. She settled in near the fire. The mid afternoon sun beaming down through clear skies warming the near autumn air. Shae forced herself to breath steadily to shake off the anger of their argument and the adrenaline-like rush of having won. After a handful of long breaths she steadied and mumbled ''ready'' under her breath, knowing the old monster would catch it.


    "Dao can be compared to many things, has many meanings, and even the word has many uses, being both a noun and verb, both private to oneself, and of the world. The True Dao cannot be put into words, cannot be expressed or held by man, mortal or ascended, male, female, or child. Nor by spirit beasts or any others. To do so would be to hold the whole of reality within oneself, which is clearly impossible. Attempts just for larger portions of Dao are known to tear cultivators apart. Even lesser fractions of Dao can destroy a mortal for attempting to reach for them.


    "Strictly speaking, the word means ''path'', or ''way''. For cultivators it also means ''truth'' and some variation on ''thought''. We combine these meanings, and others, and form it into something that is fundamental to the world and to our own cultivation base. These lesser Dao allow us to anchor ourselves to the greater True Dao.


    "Our personal Dao will vary significantly. Even two who start with the same or very similar Dao, drift quickly as they find their own ''path'', their own ''truth'', and more. Once enough time, or enlightenment and cultivation progress has elapsed, those two might find their Dao in direct conflict with each other. To flex one''s Dao, to use it, is to test it against the world. Force it into being and force the world to obey your Dao. And to force it upon those around you.


    "While we have sat here before, argued about our knowledge and how we see the world. Two powerful cultivators could simply test their Dao against one another. The one with the stronger Dao, or perhaps the one closer to the true Dao, will be victorious. A vicious test, with a sometimes brutal outcome, but very effective." As if to emphasize his point, a peal of thunder rolled over the mountain and the sound nearly deafened Shae with how close it was.


    "Ack." She staggered in surprise, the old man grabbing her shoulder in support. After a breath to regain herself she asked, "Does it require qi to possess, or wield?"


    "Wield? Not directly, though it can be reinforced with qi, and some Dao can be used to block or resist qi pressure. Possess? Uncertain, there is certainly something you need, enlightenment, perhaps-" Another peal of thunder rolled across the mountain. "Hmmm."


    "So it''s not just knowledge." Shae mumbled to herself. "And something personal, a path?"


    The old monster still caught her mumbles. "I''ve heard some say it is not knowledge at all, that it cannot be passed with words as knowledge can." Thunder rumbled again in the background, just as loud but less insistent. The wind whipped up in response to the sudden storm.


    "But you don''t even try, you don''t talk about them." Shae argued, her focus on her thoughts, not noticing the dark skies or the chill wind. She felt so close to understanding, like the idea was on the tip of her tongue, a memory just out of reach. "You don''t even put what you know to paper, to share or spread understanding or enlightenment."


    "We enlighten each other when we can, but cultivation is a lonely path." The old man mused, as he walked away while buffeting the wind and dampening the echoing thunder with his qi.


    "A path, a truth, but it is all held within, unshared." She continued to ramble quietly, "Almost as if it was a s-" Thunder cracked again, very nearby.


    "Sorry, didn''t catch that." The old man raised his voice over the wind and echoes of thunder, shouting across the campfire.


    "Ha! Ha, ha! I was more right than either of us knew!" Shae jumped up, turning to face him, eyes wide with excitement. "It''s all about se-" A sudden crack deafened them, a flash blinding them both momentarily. Shae dropped to her knees and then bent forward, catching herself with a hand, stunned by the impact.


    "Lightning." The old monster said flatly.


    "What?" She shouted at the ground, her hearing still ringing.


    He crossed the few meters distance between them. Pulled her upright sharply, pointing to the charred mark on the ground, just beside their campfire and larger than it, the mark directly between where the two had been standing. Then he pulled her gaze upwards to the roiling storm clouds above them. The clouds swirled angrily, flashes of lightning revealing depth to the blackness deep in the clouds. Shae stared into it.


    A ripple of qi, like a sudden vibration, raced up her arm from where he had grabbed her. It tickled her ear then went deeper. "Lightning strike. A heavenly tribulation." His voice reverberated directly into her mind, giving it an odd vibrato. "This is the consequence of our discussion of Dao."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Huh? This? A freak storm. How?" She was bewildered by what was going on.


    "At least it isn''t red." He squinted up at it. "I can''t feel anything, so it is probably here for you. What do you feel when you look at it, does it feel angry?" His words were still being transmitted directly into her mind.


    "Uh?" She stared at it, trying to feel what he meant. "Umm, it''s a storm? Maybe a little angry, and judgemental?"


    "Yes, definitely here for you. Not the worst case though, the first strike was likely a warning for me not to interfere."


    "First strike? There''s going to be more?" Her eyes finally broke away from the building storm to look at him.


    "Oh yes, Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, that is what they are called. Maybe only one more if you are lucky, but it will be a direct strike, not another warning. What are you doing?"


    He watched her stomp and stumble over to the water barrel and begin rummaging through the workbench''s drawers. She withdrew their small bag of salt and dumped it into the water barrel. She then found the rope she had been working on the past few weeks. Made from the cleaned wire-like fibers of the iron blood creeper, it had been a task to keep her busy more than anything, something to occupy her fidgety hands. While the dark red wire was not great for snares, a bit too thin and weak, when woven with twine it made a visually interesting and sturdy rope. She dunked it into the water submerging it completely, then began scooping out water with a bowl and pouring it over her clothes. The rough peasant garb soaked up the water greedily, she focused only on her right arm and right leg, splashing down her right side a bit as well.


    "Well if you have time for whatever that is. You could also start telling me about your evo- " he cleared his throat, "Evolution, thing."


    "What!" She stopped only momentarily to glare at him.


    "Well, you are probably going to die from the next strike, so I would appreciate you fulfilling your side of the bargain."


    "You''re fucking serious right now?" She shouted without really looking over at him. "You''ve already given up and expect me to die? How long do I have?"


    "Long? not sure, a few breaths probably."


    She hauled the rope out of the water barrel, dripping and sloshing out most of the water with it. She wrapped it around her right wrist and arm, then trailed it down her side and kicked her leg around it, getting a few wraps there too. The rope was only about three or four meters long, so she had aimed to leave a meter loose at either end with her in the middle. "You''ve already given up on me then? A bit callous of you. Is it just one strike?"


    "Nothing personal, these are not meant for mortals. Probably more than one. Usually sets of three. Oh! Do try to not die, if you can."


    She raised her right arm to the sky, soaked with water and wrapped with the wet rope, a clear challenge. "Shit. Be helpful, make more water! When is it going to-" She had less warning than she expected, the white and blue lightning circling the center of the storm just before coming down for her. The storm''s eye at the center reminded her a lot of a tornado, though it swirled slower and was backlit with much more lightning. Just before the flash, she thought she caught a hint of gold in the clouds and in the strike that came for her.


    A moment later she gasped from the ground. A searing pain all down her right side. Adrenaline and shock took over quickly and she looked around. Thunder rolling back again as though from the distant echo of the bolt that struck her. The old man was off to the side, staring, quite the surprised expression on his face.


    Shae stood slowly, unsteadily, like a deer learning to walk. The clouds above had not dissipated even slightly. "Ha! Still conscious even!"


    "You''re steaming." The old monster said, still with his qi technique.


    She was, the water that had soaked into her clothes nearly all turning to steam in an instant. Was that the pain she felt? Just the steam. "A bit of a static shock never killed anyone!" She laughed, and coughed, stumbling back to the workbench. "More water, NOW!" She tried to get herself to shout at him. She wasn''t sure how loud she was. She might have already been shouting at him.


    "Interfering with a tribulation can make it worse." He chimed at her, more of a friendly warning, knowing she wouldn''t care. To prove this he had already started moving towards the water barrel.


    "You''re already involved!" She rummaged through the drawers again, she had used all the salt and would need something else. "Is this actual copper?" She asked as she held up a handful of the copperfur plant.


    "What? Oh, yes, it contains a small amount of metal qi as well." He said somewhat absentmindedly while channeling qi into the water barrel, forcing it to draw moisture out of the air faster than it was really designed for. He added some of his own water control as well.


    Shae quickly threw the herbs into the mortar and pestle and roughly mashed them, quickly realizing she didn''t really have the time for this. She threw it into the barrel, reaching her hand in as well to mix it.


    "That''s not going to mix, the leaves are too oily." The old monster pointed out, with some dissatisfaction. "You have a few more breaths, you could start the lecture now?" He prodded.


    She growled at him and yanked open the bottom drawer of the workbench. She grabbed a handful of rice flour, throwing it in, then noticed the egg at the back of the drawer, in the chiller formation. She grabbed it without hesitation and smashed it into the barrel, shattering the shell on the inside and mixed furiously with her right hand.


    "What, are you making bread now?" The old monster exhaled in mock defeat. Waving her away, "Let me do it." Once she had her hand out he concentrated with one stiffly posed hand in front of him, made a quick pattern with his fingers that Shae didn''t catch, and smacked his hand into the side of the barrel. A light puff of steam rose, and a splash of not quite water escaped over the top.


    Without hesitation, she reached in with the bowl. Again, scooping out the mixture to splash over her right side and limbs. Getting a bit more on the rope. The minty smell of the copperfur cut through her senses, then she caught the burning smells, cloth, hair, and flesh, she gagged once then pushed her disgust aside. It wasn''t important right now. "I need to predict the timing. Exactly when will it strike?" The bowl scraped the bottom of the barrel, and she dropped it to return to the ruined campfire.


    "Predict it? You can''t, not as you are now, though I have heard it grows more visually aggressive if you provoke it." He teased smugly.


    "Provoke it!?" She smirked. "This''ll be fun!" Cackling with nervous energy, she shouted at the storm. "You call that lightning? I''ve had worse shocks from door knobs! You bunch of self righteous static electricity. You don''t scare me, I know exactly what you are! Just a few billion-trillion loose electrons trying to get back to earth."


    The lightning crackled through the clouds in response, threads of red and gold joining the growing storm in the center.


    Shae held the soaking wet rope above her, flicking it as she yelled, a single loop sticking up from her hand like she was threatening the storm with a noose. "Yea, just a cloud full of ions, rubbing themselves off, trying to build up a bit of a charge to shock your betters!" She could nearly feel the charge in the air, her right arm and leg twitching with anticipation. Her left foot tensed, ready to act.


    As she screamed at it, more gold sparks poured into the center. "All you have is millions of volts and you think you can hurt me!? You can''t even touch me! I''ve been eating rabbit asses and rice for months so you''d better know I''m iron deficient. You couldn''t touch my blood or my heart with all the current in the world." She barely had time to finish as the lightning hit a crescendo in the center and raced down at her. Her limbs twitched and her left leg left the ground right as the bolt crashed down on her.


    She lost time again. Found herself on the ground, ears ringing and her whole right side twitching. A shadow passed over her briefly and the echoing boom of thunder awoke her. She gasped raggedly, her lungs barely obeying her over their own spasms of movement. "Hwaaa!" She called out.


    "Still alive?" The old monster''s words rung in her head.


    The world was muffled silence and low rumbles of thunder, she was probably deaf, but she was still alive. From the ground, she turned to see the old man sticking his hand into the barrel and tasting the contents, followed by a grimace that Shae found hilarious. "Ha.. ha.. ha! I- I''m still fine. Never been better!" She made a rude gesture up at the storm.


    "You were out for quite a bit, that time. Congratulations are not yet in order, another bolt is coming, probably stronger, you really do know how to strike pressure points with just words."


    She shuddered at that, and looked closer at the storm. Yes, it was just as large as before and had already built up quite the circle of white-blue lightning around the center, a clear hole surrounded by arcing lightning, like a great iris looking down at her. She considered not standing, it was probably safer from the ground. Yet, she wasn''t here for cowardice, was she?


    "I''ll be quite interested to examine your corpse after the next strike. The gold divine threads are not usually bestowed upon mortals, it will be interesting to see what it''s done to your body, what you''ve lost out on by dying too soon." The old monster quickly went from morose regret to dry mockery.


    That was enough. She nearly jumped to her feet. "You think I''m here just to fucking die?" She shouted at both him and the storm. "Do you think I got out of bed this morning to play this creepy old dude''s shit-ass cultivation games?"


    "Hey! I have a name."


    "-Just to jump through your dumb shock therapy hurdles and cower in fear of a storm? Fear is the little death and I''m not scared!" She was yelling at the storm again.


    "You do know my name, right?" The old man grumbled.


    Holding out her rope and whipping the end around as she shouted. The loop was missing now, the rope having disintegrated where the lightning struck it. So, she held the broken ends and thrashed it around. The feeling of twitchy energy pulsed through her, like she couldn''t still her limbs however she might want to.


    Thunder from the clouds continued to rumble, streaks of gold sparking into the center ring of lightning as she screamed at it. "I''m not scared of your heavenly bullshit, you don''t even get to come down here. I know how you work, lightning is a balance, it rises from the ground just as it falls from the sky, to meet in the middle, your shit doesn''t even get to touch me!"


    "It''s Heavenly lightning, girl. It doesn''t care about your rules." Her audience mocked flatly.


    "Oh well! If it''s heavenly lightning! Sure I''ll just roll over then! I can''t fathom all the special rules your dumb asses think exist just because you have a little taste of magic." She mocked him right back. The storm echoed in thunderous laughter that she was deaf to, and could only feel in her chest. She pointed at the sky again. "You think I''m going to just let you handwave off some bullshit because you''re heavenly? Bitch, I showed up with the refined knowledge of billions of mortal humans. I''m not going to die to your showy-ass magic. I have an elementary school library worth of trivia, and you think I''m not going to use it? Hundreds of hours of freely produced explainer videos on cute animal facts that I''m just going to forget so I can play with your dumbass qi?"


    The old man managed to get in a very confused "what?" as a huge wave of red and gold sparks rolled towards the center of the storm.


    "Lightning, HA! We fucking own you, we buy and sell you for pennies! I used you to make toast and dry my hair." She could feel the strike coming, her hair lifting up with the complimentary electric charge from the ground around her. "We put you in a series of tubes to show us porn and cat pictures, and I''m too young to be horny so show me some goddamn cat pic-" Darkness.


    Shae didn''t remember the rest of the lightning strike, if she had lifted her leg or jumped off the ground like she had planned. Just a single image of gold and red lightning striking her outstretched hand, biting into her body, an image burned into her soul. Distinctly lacking in cats.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 8: My House, My Rules

    <hr>


    Aside 1: "Numb"


    (Chapter 7.9)


    <hr>


    The old man stood in the doorway to the small room. A lone bed and nightstand. A sleeping girl, heavily bandaged, lay on the bed. She was probably about 15, just beyond the far too early age where children were considered adults in this empire.


    She was fairly average as young peasant girls went, black hair, tanned skin from hours out in the sun all day. Features that another place would call Asian, yet they would be unable to place exactly where, Asia was quite large, their people quite varied. This empire wasn''t even remotely theirs, and this empire''s people were equally varied.


    The old man had been forced to dress the poor girl, her clothes having been burnt along her whole right half, the rest not being particularly useful or sanitary for proper recovery. He didn''t find it to be a particular bother, nor did he enjoy it. He was far too old for such simple events to impact him personally. Some would say it reflects on his maturity, he would say he is numb.


    Using a large portion of his reserved healing talismans, however, was a bother. They were not notably expensive, but cultivators rarely made them. Pills were more useful for them, of more general use. While healing talismans needed to be applied specifically to the injury. Yet the talismans were much safer for use on mortals. As they could not process pills when unconscious.


    Because he had made it a habit to rescue nearby mortals, he had a reserve of the qi infused paper and cloth. He had enough to heal a few more mortals, but many had been gifts, small tokens of sentiment from students in the past. The talismans were an easy training tool for new talisman and formation students. Then they became common gifts from his many descendants, when they learned he could use them. This, of course, only raised their sentimental value.


    Thinking of the tribulation. He was certain the first lightning strike, yes even the warning strike, would have been lethal. Yet, the girl was resourceful. Guarding herself with improvised tools and alchemical concoctions. Sure, he understood the theory of what she had done. The fact that it had worked was what surprised him. Heavenly lightning didn''t play fair.


    He had stabilized her quickly, yet she remained unconscious, teetering on the edge of recovery. Only once during that first day did her breathing stop, her lungs or nerves too shocked to function. Lucky then, that he had caught it in time. He had been in the room for most of the first day, augmenting and fine tuning the formations.


    He had been correct in his flippant comment of examining her afterwards. The divine threads of gold lightning were working wonders on her body. They had completed months or years of cleansing in mere days. Yet, there was something off, but not by enough for him to diagnose clearly. He was no physician, especially not of the soul or cultivation. So, he could only guess at what was occurring. He had to be content that he knew enough to help her recover at all.


    The quickly modified formations changed the qi pressure of the room. Increasing it to just above the level of the upper mountain. It slowed the divine qi down, forced it to work against the pressure instead of rampaging through her body. Somehow, her tempering had borne surprising fruit, she wasn''t being spiritually crushed by the pressure. Perhaps the lightning had pushed that forward as well.


    She had briefly woken a few times after the fourth day. Enough for her to cough a bit then drink some water, not nearly enough, but some. Her eyes were clearly unfocused, and she didn''t respond to words that day, or the next three times.


    He noticed her eyes had changed. Small flecks of gold added to the dark brown. He thought it gave them a fitting depth. Her sharp pupils had always stood out against the dark brown. Now they seemed like pits, hiding depths far beyond what a mortal child should bear. Perhaps they were like that before, and he just hadn''t seen it. He thought the gold was an excellent accent, though. Adding something unique to her appearance.


    Today was the eighth day. Ninth might have been more auspicious, given the number of strikes, yet eight was still considered a lucky number by most of the empire''s mortals.


    Her breathing changed, becoming more rapid. Then she coughed and gagged up some phlegm, spitting it over the side of the bed and trying to wipe her mouth with her right sleeve, getting bandages instead.


    "Good news, then!" He declared, "You''re alive, and finally conscious." He could tell it was more than the usual autonomous actions. A spark of hope flared in his eye.


    "Ugh, alive and... hungover?" She tried to say, it was fairly garbled by her dehydrated mouth and throat. "But what''s the good news then?"


    <hr>


    Chapter 8: "My House, My Rules."


    <hr>


    Shae flopped back into her bed and asked, "Whose roof is this?" Her stomach sloshed with enough water to make her queasy.


    "My roof." The old monster said. "Technically the sect''s roof, the whole inside of the mountain is sect property. Another reason why you haven''t been allowed in here."


    "Ughhh." She groaned, not from what he said, just in general discomfort.


    "Which reminds me. You need to remember our lessons in proper forms of address. On sect grounds I cannot allow your usual disrespect."


    "Uuuggghhh."


    "Uuuggghhh, who? Title and name if you would, Miss Shae."


    "Uhhhggmm, Senior?" She saw him shake his head, "Elder... uh, guy-who-told-me-his-name-once-while-I-was-half-conscious-and-expects-me-to-remember-it?"


    He looked a little perturbed by that. "Senior is incorrect because you are not a member of the sect, Elder is appropriate because I am older or because you know my cultivation stage is core or above. For others, Cultivator is fine until they tell you otherwise." He swallowed grimly as he processed the rest of her statement. "To introduce myself properly, I am Sect Elder Ghon Fixiu. Which I expect you will have no problem remembering, now."


    "Ugh, still mortal memory up here." She paused for only a blink. "-Elder Fixiu."


    "Not anymore, Miss Shae."


    "Huh? Oh crap did I die? Is this hell?"


    "I think you mean, ''Is this hell, Elder Ghon?'' and no, it is not." He corrected. "You have pushed slightly beyond the mortal coil and joined the ranks of cultivators, congratulations. You can expect probably another ten years of lifespan, assuming you stop standing in lightning."


    "Huu-ugh. Is it supposed to hurt this much, Elder Fixiu?"


    "After a tribulation? Yes. And though we might not have covered it, using family names is more appropriate for respectful address, so Elder Ghon is preferred."


    "Huh, right, I forget sometimes, it''s kind of backwards back home... way back home. Oh, should you be calling me Shae then? That isn''t my family name. Elder Ghon." She lifted her arm from above her eyes to catch his expression, which did not disappoint.


    For the first time in many years, Elder Ghon managed a slight blush. "Well, it seems we have both been lacking in propriety. Please forgive my ignorance, miss...?"


    "Hmmm, honestly Miss Shae is fine, I kind of like it now." She smirked at his response and dropped her arm back over her eyes, blocking out the migraine inducing lights. "If that is alright with you, Elder Ghon?"


    He cleared his throat quietly, "Yes, Miss Shae, I would be comfortable with that at this point. However, I do plan to send a letter with you when you leave for the sect, and will need your full name for that."


    "Hmmm-oh! It is Zhi Chen-Ai, but please, Elder, call me Shae, it''s much more nostalgic." She groaned again as she realized he might not, and rolled over to escape.


    "Well, Junior Zhi, you could take a cultivator name, may I suggest Heavenly Shae?"


    "Aagh, why that? Elder Ghon." She groaned into the pillow.


    "Because you have been blessed by heavenly lightning, I can''t be certain, but I am sure it will come out in your complexion when you process it properly."


    "Can I die of embarrassment now instead? Seems quicker."


    He chuckled, "Haha, if you prefer, many female cultivators use the title Fairy."


    "No. That is definitely worse." Shae declared, and firmly decided not to let anyone ever call her that. "Uh, Elder Ghon. What is this noxious black goo leaking out of my arm?"


    "Ah, so it has started again." He stepped over to her right side. "This is the result of qi cleansing, the impurities are being removed from your body and are sweating out from your skin, sort of."


    "Um, how? I''m not really doing anything, I think? and what do you mean by sort of? Elder Ghon."


    "It is true that you are not doing anything, which I would doubt if not for the fact I know you have not cultivated at all yet. But the divine lightning, the gold sparks during the tribulation, it is acting on its own, coursing through your system and cleansing it for you."


    "That, sounds good?"


    "Hmm, yes, in a way. It would be a huge boon to any early stage cultivator, moreso since they could direct it and have it flow according to their manual. For you? I am not so sure. Dangerous only describes the beginnings of my worry. Junior Zhi, you will need to learn to cultivate, and quickly. So that you can direct the qi more intentionally, and prevent damage."


    "Oh." She said, and stared blankly at her arm. The black goo had seeped through her bandages in a couple spots, mostly near her shoulder.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "By sort of... well, do you recall that book on meridians? The impurities are not always removed directly, they could be flowing out your qi channels, which isn''t ideal. I believe it is mostly using your body, however. Due to your tempering being almost complete before the tribulation. The damage from the lightning seems to have pushed you past the need for more tempering, and even moved you into the cleansing stage. This is what I meant when I called you a cultivator. And one of the very few in all history, if not the only, to have completely skipped any form of qi gathering."


    "Huh, why do I feel like that is a bad thing?" Shae absently thought out loud.


    He wobbled his hand to indicate uncertainty, though she wasn''t looking at him. "You will have much more work ahead of you to master control, finesse. Special practice techniques will need to be assigned. Mostly at the sect, though I might have a few here for you. As I said, you need to get a grasp of that divine qi so it doesn''t... uh, well I''m not entirely sure what it might do. Let''s assume we don''t want it doing just anything it likes inside you."


    "Ugh, when can we get started?" She groaned sarcastically, then added "Elder Ghon." in a clear and normal tone.


    "Heh, you need much more rest for now, Miss Shae. You haven''t even asked for any food yet."


    "Ugh! Food!" She turned over, but he had already walked out. "Food!" She called. "Elder Ghon, food please!" Then she collapsed back into the bed with a wave of fatigue, nearly falling asleep right then.


    <hr>


    Shae slowly drank the thin rice soup that the old monster had served her. He had insisted she couldn''t eat anything solid for a day or two because she had been starving the past week. Her hunger disagreed, but the soup was all that was within reach.


    "You''re going to miss the harvest festival, and thus the spirit root testing." He stated flatly, from a chair at her bedside. He sipped at a minty tea whose aroma filled the air. She really wanted to taste it.


    "Oh? You''ve decided to keep me here longer, Elder?"


    "Not my choice. Nothing so selfish, I assure you." He raised a hand to forestall any argument. "The festival itself should be this week, a tight timeline for you to travel directly there. But the testing would take longer, those involved might stay another week. However, You will be here recovering for closer to a month."


    Shae grimaced at that, staring at the soup that might torture her for another month. She flexed her bandaged arm, it was a little stiff, but hardly in pain. "I don''t feel that bad? Will it really take so long, Elder Ghon?" She tried for an innocent pleading look.


    He closed his eyes in response, the strongest defense! "Physically you may be up and about much sooner. I used a number of talismans to heal your injuries, so that is not the issue. Rather your unique cultivation situation will be the major delay. As it stands you are confined to this room-"


    "What!" She shouted and he cracked an eyelid open to glare at her. "Err. What, Elder Ghon?"


    "-because the formations are keeping you stable. Outside this room, the divine lightning still in your system will run its course in a very painful fashion. It may be the faster option, but I am unsure of the consequences."


    "Oh." She simply said and he nodded in agreement.


    "With that in mind, we should start your qi control practice as soon as possible."


    "Uh, Elder, didn''t you- er, weren''t there reasons not to?"


    "Certainly, and now you don''t have the luxury of waiting, so the sooner the better. While you finish the soup I''ll walk you through the steps for first making contact with qi. We will have to modify the process to only be on the left side of your body, so you don''t accidentally touch the divine qi, of course."


    Shae nodded and tipped the soup bowl up to her lips to drink it faster. He quirked an eyebrow. "Ready!" She said, before he had even started explaining the process to her.


    "Hrmm. I hope you can keep that down."


    "Mhm!" She squirmed and nodded.


    <hr>


    Qi control was, as best as Shae could compare it, like riding a bike. In that, if you have never ridden a bike before, it was actually quite difficult. Balancing yourself on the bike, with multiple contact points that can shift and move. Your arms performing a second balancing act, in concert with the first, to steer the bike. While your legs constantly move and apply just enough force to move the pedals without additionally shifting your weight upon the bike and disturbing your balance.


    Even once she got some traction moving the qi, the bike metaphor cropped up again within her mind. It wasn''t enough to simply move the qi, or pedal the bike. You needed somewhere to go. Someplace to move the qi to, and be aware enough of your surroundings to navigate them without falling off the bike, or losing hold of the qi.


    Elder Ghon Fixiu assured her that this process was easier than it could be, because the qi was restricted to her body, to within her qi channels. For now she mostly just needed to slowly push the qi through these channels which would give her a natural understanding of their shape and flow.


    "Ugh, this is frustrating, Elder. It''s like trying to move a boulder far too large for me. I can tell I am pushing on it but it won''t budge. And if I grab at less qi, it is like grasping air, then I slip and fall, unable to tell if I''ve moved what I grabbed."


    "Yes, quite an excellent description. I may have to start journaling your metaphors, with your permission, of course."


    She glared at him, but he didn''t flinch. Grumbling, she said "Assuming that is not a joke, do as you like, Elder Ghon."


    "Thank you. Now, to address your concern. This is likely due to the high qi density in the room. As I said months ago, practicing in this environment can be good for power, moving the large boulder, but is quite detrimental to finesse, grabbing at the air."


    "But there''s no in between!" She cried in exasperation, "Elder, surely there should be a middle ground, right?"


    He wobbled a flat hand back and forth. "Outside the mountain, yes, there would be more gradient. Here, the qi belongs to the mountain, almost all of it. To grab any of it, is to grab all of it. Well, not all." He sketched a square in the air with a finger. "All within a small box, let''s say. Most of the qi in the box is the mountain''s, so you must grab all of it. The little that is left, the air, only in the corners, or the gaps between the boulders, is the only other option, and is too little for you as of now."


    "That..." Shae started, "is actually a very helpful explanation. Thank you, Elder Ghon." She bowed as best she could from her bed.


    He waved a dismissive hand, "You started that metaphor, but I will add it to the journal. Honestly it fits distressingly well in this situation as the mountain''s qi is earth based, and the opposing element would be air. But try it again, would you?"


    "Hmmm." She hummed in thought. "If... if the air is too little for me to grasp, can we add more air?"


    "Huh." The elder tilted his head and grew contemplative.


    "Err, Elder Ghon, I mean." She added, but the old man didn''t seem to register her words.


    He raised a hand to his chin and scratched while talking to himself. "Yes, it could work, should really. And with a specific element... but which... not earth of course, metal is too close, and it and water could interact with the lightning... so fire or air.." He looked up at Shae, a spark of something in his eyes. "Well, Miss Shae, your metaphor was almost prophetic, perhaps you should investigate divination in the future."


    Feeling the awkward silence, she spoke up "Umm, thanks? Elder?"


    "Ah, yes, so more air, more unclaimed qi should be just the thing." He stood and began some busywork around the room. "Neutral qi could work, but the mountain will also try to grab at it, if slowly. The formations should manage the pressure for us, so I will just need to inject more within this room. As I said, air or fire would be the best, your choice."


    "Uhh.. would fire, hurt? or just be warm?" Shae asked cautiously.


    "Hmmm, sometimes there is a feeling people associate with the elements, so some sensation of warmth is likely if you are expecting it. It may even feel hot or painful depending on your sensitivity." He replied without looking back, he was doing something along the wall, then grabbed something out of seemingly nowhere. Two small green stones appearing.


    "Uh, let''s go with air, then."


    He hummed agreement and moved to sit close on Shae''s left side. The two green jade stones in either hand, he placed one on her wrist and the other at her elbow. "Now, I shall attempt to inject air qi with one of these stones. When you sense it, try to move it towards the other stone and push it out. Ready?"


    "Eh. Yes."


    "Yes, who?"


    "Ah! Yes, Elder Ghon, I''m ready."


    Technically, she wasn''t ready. She needed to meditate to properly sense and interact with the qi, but the old monster remained silent and waited patiently as she calmed her breathing, settling into the bed and relaxing. She allowed the thoughts still stuck in her mind to drift freely, not dwelling on them, and not resisting them. They settled as well, drifting into memory for later, or out of mind completely. As she calmed, she tried to focus her senses on her left side, and her arm specifically.


    When she had focused too much on her right side. Small shocks and synesthesia like flashes of light were all she could sense. Whereas her left side was like a dull gray field. Boring, but exactly what she expected it to be.


    She felt the cool touch of the two jade stones on her skin, their exact position a blur. One near her elbow and the other near her wrist. No sparkling brilliant white or chill winter wind cut into either joint. She felt very little at both locations.


    Eventually, as she drifted deeper into the meditation, and her focus sharpened to just her arm. She felt the old monsters breathing. A light gust across her skin, out from the exhale, then back again for the inhale. Naturally her own breathing shifted to match it, but it wasn''t a conscious choice on her part. Slowly the breathing wind intensified, stronger and stronger drafts of air across her skin.


    She almost broke from her meditation when she realized it. That wasn''t the Elder''s breathing, but the qi he was injecting. He must be moving it in and out again for her to feel it easier. She grabbed at it, and nothing happened. That feeling of slipping and falling instead of grabbing onto it. She stopped and waited for another breath, calming down a fraction. As the qi was ''exhaled'' from the old man, she grabbed at it, pulling it along, a faint hint, a slight tug back as the old man shifted to ''inhale''. She had felt it.


    Then she remembered her qi channels. She couldn''t just pull it into her, she had to move it along the channels, to the other stone at her elbow. Ah, yes! It was entering at her wrist. She waited for the next breath, as it came in she moved it along, until... It stopped and was gone. Then his inhale started, she felt some qi move back to her wrist and disappear, and some leaked out her elbow, but less than there should be. She tried again, and again. With the same results. Mixing the timing up only had worse results, if she grabbed at it later it moved less and still stalled at the switch from exhale to inhale. She was growing frustrated.


    A tap on her shoulder brought her out. As slow as the meditation was to start, it ended very quickly. Her eyes fluttered open and the old man had a wry smile for her.


    "Progress, I think. You were moving some of it. But if I had to guess, you had a certain idea about the qi?"


    "Uhmmm... an idea? What do you mean, Elder?"


    "Hmmm, you had a certain thought about it. Were treating it a certain way.. ah well, if that doesn''t make sense, tell me what it felt like."


    "It was... thin.. like there wasn''t much to grab," he waved a finger at her, making circular motions, ''Eh? Before? Hmm... well to start. I didn''t notice it. There was just a draft, I thought it was your breathing on my arm-"


    "Ah! Yes, that is it then. I did notice that your breathing synced up to it, which is when I started moving more qi. Breath, that was the idea you had about it." He nodded to himself, not seeing if she agreed. "All aspected qi, elemental or otherwise, has unique features, small idiosyncrasies in its behavior. Air qi is quite fickle, it must remain in motion, wind qi might be a better name but air is still what we call it. Breath, on the other hand, has two parts, exhale and inhale, between them, nothing. So by treating it that way, there is a gap in your access to it. If you imagine, even accidentally, that the breathing has stopped, or switched, you cannot move the air qi anymore. Yes, this matches exactly what I was sensing from my side. And it is a common early mistake, so nothing to be ashamed of."


    Shae frowned and thought. "So, I need to... hmm, not think of it that way?"


    He patted her shoulder. "There are many solutions to this kind of problem, as there are many paths to thought. We shall take a break for now, rest and relax. If you are stuck on it, there is probably still some air qi in your arm, I don''t think I removed it all while you were moving it around." He stood. "See if you can move it up to your shoulder, then down to your hand. And try to move away from the idea of breath. I''ll return later and we can try again." He nodded and turned to leave.


    Shae yawned, only now noticing her exhaustion. "Yaaahh-oom. Hmm, Thank you, Elder Ghon." She relaxed to begin her meditation, and fell asleep instead.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 9: Campfire-bending

    <hr>


    Chapter 9: "Campfire-bending."


    <hr>


    The next day, the old monster had a new plan. "It is a bit odd to learn elemental control before neutral qi control. Yet, here we are, doing a rather odd bunch of things back to back."


    Shae had been expecting more practice with moving air qi, as she had yesterday. So she was unsure how to respond, remaining silent instead.


    He nodded to agree with himself. "We''ll try with fire qi today, then the other basic elements. Try not to get any ideas about how the qi should act, as with the air qi."


    She was unprepared for this reprimand, and took the warning as it was. "Yes, Elder Ghon."


    He nodded again and they started the same way. Shae slowly falling into meditation. The fire qi was much more identifiable. It was hot, and burned to move. She lost her meditative calm multiple times until her composure cracked.


    "Ugh, why does it have to hurt so much!"


    "Well, it is fire qi. And far more than there usually is because of the density issue. But, you might be giving it more power than it should have. Fire does much more than just burn. It provides warmth, cooks food. Provides safety and light. It is likely your ideas of fire are influencing it more than you realize."


    She groaned and grumbled quietly while considering his words.


    "Let''s pause briefly for a meal. Take your time and consider what other aspects of fire there are."


    The soup today had more substance to it, and a fair bit of spice. Something that left some heat on her tongue while she thought over the various aspects of fire, real and imagined.


    As they got back to more practice, the old monster changed the plan again. "Since this is supposed to be control practice, and finesse specifically. I''m going to reduce the quantity of fire qi. It was quite noticeable, yes?"


    "Yes, Elder Ghon. It was very apparent."


    He nodded and got into position. Shae drifted into her meditation a bit faster, only the lingering spice in her mouth a distraction.


    The fire qi held much more depth this time. Cycling over its various aspects, all that the old monster had mentioned and the ones she had thought of after. Even the comfort of a home cooked meal and the lingering spice of hot peppers, which were both very odd feelings when coming from one concentrated spot on her arm.


    She managed to settle on the warmth and smokey smell of a campfire, but she couldn''t quite shake the spicy flavor or remove all of the burning pain she had felt initially. The pain sharpened when she failed to guide the qi through her arm properly.


    The old monster woke her after some amount of practice. It was quite hard to tell how much time had passed for Shae. She first noticed a smoky smell in the room. He then declared, "It would be rather difficult for you to cultivate while needing another beside you the whole time. So I must leave you to practice on your own."


    She nodded in agreement. Still recovering from breaking her meditation.


    "Notably, I would like you to practice drawing qi into yourself, so I will leave this small brazier of burning incense, which should slowly add fire qi to the room." He set the jade stones on the side table next to the smoking brazier, then looked at her expectantly.


    "Ummm. Thank you, Elder Ghon, for all your assistance?" She said nervously.


    "Anything else?" He paused, "like what you should do with that qi once you have it?"


    "Oh!" She exclaimed, "Yes, how do I use it to cultivate, Elder?"


    "Ha-ha! Trick question. You don''t! Because you don''t have a manual, and because you might not want to cultivate fire qi specifically." He paused for emphasis. "Cultivating a specific type of qi will aspect your own qi to that type. With some benefits, and more limitations. Instead you should stick to simple exercises and control practice. Try to find the shape of your qi channels, especially in your left arm and leg. Try to move less and less qi, being precise with how you move it.


    "If you feel an empty space in your gut, around here, that may be trying to draw the qi in." He pointed near her belly button. "That is your Dantian. The place where you collect qi to eventually form your core. Try not to seed it with fire qi, as that will restrict your future options." He shrugged, "but if it happens, don''t panic. You can empty it out later, it just takes more work."


    "Heh, always more work." She chuckled quietly to herself.


    He checked the incense, and turned to leave, then hesitated near the door. "I''m afraid I must say something."


    Shae tensed up. "Yes, Elder?"


    "Hmm? While I appreciate not being mocked or assaulted with a litany of sarcasm. I must ask if you are doing alright. Is there something wrong? You have been far too passive today."


    "Ah.. well." She squirmed. "I''m anxious, I guess." He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. "Why haven''t you asked about it? Uh, Elder?"


    "About what? Miss Shae"


    "My side of the trade. Talking about evolution." They both flinched at ''evolution'' expecting a thrum of reverb, but not getting one.


    "Ah, that. Yes, I suppose I have been ignoring it, as well." He inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. "In short I am willing to be patient. I have lived a long life, and waited for most of it. Another month makes little difference. Though I will admit, your words before your tribulation gave me much thought." He sighed again. "If it goes as well as I hope, I will not be here to assist you, so to leave you in such a state is simply negligent. Whether I should owe you this now, seems unimportant, as I certainly would owe you much more if I gain significant enlightenment, as I hope to."


    Shae released the breath she had been holding unconsciously. "Wahhhaaaaaa-" A huge wave of relief washed over her as she exhaled all her pent up stress. "Thank you, Elder Ghon Fixiu, really. And, if it goes poorly?"


    "Hah." He smiled and left the room, "then I will try to not hold it against you!"


    ***


    Shae''s meditation that day did not go as smoothly as she expected. The fire qi was elusive. She could smell the incense burning in the brazier. Even feel the occasional prickle of heat. Yet, it was slow progress to gather it and bring it into her body.


    Like catching sparks, they would flash briefly, then be hard to find, their heat fading quickly. She focused on bringing them to her left arm, and slowly grew a small bunch of sparks, like fireflies. She slowly corralled them up and down her arm. Moving their warmth and spicy sparks of pain.


    She was interrupted by the old monster returning with more soup. It seemed she had been practicing most of the day, yet the meditation felt much less, even though she was recovering she didn''t feel the exhaustion of the day accumulating.


    The elder had some wise words for her. "Cultivation does strange things to time, and takes a bizarre toll. Sometimes, we progress like a tidal wave, crashing ourselves into the rocks along the way. Sometimes it flows like a gentle creek, slow and steady."


    While he suggested Shae rest, she asked for the brazier to be lit again. So he did. It burned while she enjoyed the spicy soup, probably from the same pot as the morning''s, but she didn''t mind. She found it was very nice to have someone cooking for her again. Like her mother had growing up in the small rural village, just a year ago.


    She lay back in her bed to rest and meditate, pulling the blankets up snugly. Now, she realized she had no energy for chasing sparks or corralling fireflies. So, she let the metaphor pass by her, just as her other thoughts would during meditation. She felt the warmth of her blankets and smelt the smokey smell of the incense, not tinged with anything strong, just the smokey charcoal of a warm campfire.


    The memory of warm campfires led to the desire for that comfort. Not the greedy need for fire and heat now, but the gentle warmth of a rest by the hearth. She let her feelings out into the room around her, not searching or grasping at the warmth, but gently calling to it. Slowly, at the edge of sleep, she felt it''s kind touch warm her skin. She smiled at the sensation, free of the heat of spice or burning pain, she almost didn''t recognize it.


    The warmth slowly moved up her arm, not rushing, until it reached her shoulder. Where she would need to turn it around and move it back down her arm. Yet, her sleepy mind, clouded with comfort, continued to call and draw in the fire qi, pulling it into the rest of her body.


    It calmed and relaxed her like a warm bath. Tension fading from her muscles, twice giving rise to sharp muscle and joint pains she had been protecting herself from. Even her right arm and leg were not spared. The qi only brushed past them, not truly entering the domain of the wrathful divine lightning qi. Yet, its slow progress seemed to go unnoticed, relaxing even those damaged and exhaustingly twitchy muscles.


    As it made the rounds of her body, faintly brushing past the meridians she had read of in the book the old man gave her. It swirled towards her stomach, to her Dantain. The presence of qi nearby seemed to awaken the previously numb thing. A spherical outline appeared in her mental image of herself.


    As the qi approached, she realized what was about to happen and tensed unknown reflexes. Pulling on mental levers that had been absent until just now. The outline sharpened, becoming a perfect sphere of hollow glass. The surface was impossibly thin. And the fire qi, in its slow gentle approach, simply floated up to it, then along its surface. It passed along the thin boundary without pushing against or forcing itself inward.


    Ah! Of course, she thought. This was her space, her Dantian. Her little domain. The fire qi was never going to enter it unless she explicitly wanted it to. She smiled at her little revelation.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Then something changed. The fire qi, so slow and keen to be floating smoothly, became turbulent at one specific point. It rushed and swirled and flickered like a candle. Shae tensed again, flexing the glassy skin of her Dantian, but to no avail. It may have even given the qi something to focus on, because before she knew what to do about it, the qi had settled into the surface of her Dantian. Pooling into grooves and lines she hadn''t noticed, forming the start of what must be a glyph or symbol, one she did not recognize.


    The fire qi, now looking closer to the glowing embers of a hot coal fire without fresh fuel to burn, became still and unchanging along the edge of her Dantian. Shae was forced to relax the tension she had held. She suddenly found it exhausting to hold back against some unknown event that was unlikely to pass. The qi remained motionless, seemingly a permanent addition. So, she considered the issue resolved, letting relief wash over her. She felt no more warmth from any fire qi in the room, no more sparks or smell of old fires, and so she drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    Now that they had a method of practice that worked for her, Shae''s next week was a repeat of that day with fire, to varying degrees of success. With the old monster spending less and less time guiding her directly. After cycling through the five basic qi elements, air, fire, water, metal, and earth, he returned to focus on the elements she had struggled with.


    Each element provided a unique experience of trying to wrap her mind around the best way to think about it. She struggled with metal. Knowing a lot about various metals seemed more of a hindrance to her. It first appeared as even finer flakes and dust, and was slower than the sparks of fire to collect and gather. Its associated feelings were very mild, the cold hardness of steel, the sharp edge of a knife, and the reflective shine of polished metal. She had hoped it would flow through her channels like liquid mercury, but it remained a fine powder. Shae and the elder were both concerned about this development. She was sure to keep the qi far away from her right side, the lightning sure to interact poorly.


    At her Dantian, the metal flakes flowed and settled just like the others. Forming a complex glyph along the boundary of her personal domain. Air was distinct in its glyph''s appearance as it was made up of swirling circles, giving the element room to keep moving along its markings. Even within the glyph it never stopped moving.


    Shae also struggled with earth qi. Primarily in that it was very difficult to separate from the mountain''s qi. After being blocked for most of the day, the old monster switched to a different qi type. They returned to earth on another day, once she had a few new ideas to try.


    During the week, Shae also spent time reviewing the book on meridians, and digging into more technical writing that she couldn''t quite keep up with. She was searching for a description of a Dantian like hers, with the odd qi glyphs around the surface.


    When the old monster was ready to have her move on, she finally asked about them.


    "Now that you have a barely passable level of control-"


    "Eh? Barely!? I thought I was doing much better than that, Elder."


    He frowned at her. "I will remind you not to interrupt. Not simply because it is rude, but because many powerful cultivators take great offense to it. Some simply for their lessers speaking out of turn."


    Shea grimaced and shrunk into a slight bow.


    "They also expect proper apologies."


    "Sorry, Elder Ghon."


    "Hmmm, passable only because of your sincerity. I''ll add overly gratuitous apologies to our next social lesson plan. Now as to your skills. For a beginner and given the circumstances, I would not expect much better. You are fortunate in not having cultivated in a normal environment, so you can''t bemoan the difference."


    The qualification did not improve Shae''s mood.


    "Most begin with neutral qi, then move to the elements later. So your path is already quite different. Yet, you have made progress. Many would find it quite difficult." Shae shrugged, and the old man mirrored her sentiment. "Truly, we cannot know how to gauge your progress until we know your spirit root grade and affinities. Yet, I believe we may progress to the next step in your escape from this room."


    She leaned forward in anticipation.


    "Not jumping to conclusions? Heh, that''s good. Since you don''t have a cultivation manual, we will focus on using the lightning to cleanse your body, instead of trying to cultivate it in your Dantian which some might try, to their detriment. You have been keeping qi out of your Dantian, yes?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. Then frowned in concern as she began to speak.


    "Ahh, about that. I''ve been meaning to ask, Elder Ghon. This Dantian, how would you describe its features? I mean, I''ve read the descriptions in the books." She gestured to the nightstand where one still lay. "But they don''t seem to match what I''m sensing."


    "Oh?" He hummed. "Well, we never quite expect any two cultivators to experience the exact same thing. Our mental map of our qi channels is more of a metaphysical place than a literal and strictly rigid one."


    "Err, yes I read that in the book as well, Elder. But this is very different. And very few detailed descriptions exist, so I just wanted a more clear, in depth example, if that''s not too much to ask."


    "Detailed description? Hmmm. It has been a long time since that stage, for myself, but there was very little to describe in detail. I can tell that you are nervous about something you have done." At her nod, he continued. "There is very little you can do at this stage, and with such weak qi control, that would be damaging or irreversible. So please, if you would, describe as best you can what you experienced."


    Shae sighed in relief. "I was worried I did something, but I really wasn''t trying to do anything with the qi. It''s more like I was trying to keep it out." The old monster made an impatient hand gesture for her to continue: drawing a tight circle with his finger. "Right, well it happened the evening of first absorbing the fire qi from the brazier. It was sort of like you described, I found my Dantian, probably. And the qi was moving towards it. But I remembered what you said, to not draw it in. So I kind of tensed up? And my Dantian... almost sharpened? Its edges became very distinct, and hard like a thin film of glass. The qi was completely blocked, I didn''t even feel an impact or any resistance."


    "Hmm, before that, the location, size, and shape, how would you describe it?"


    "It was near where it should be, the middle of my diaphragm." She touched her midsection, and he quirked an eyebrow at the word choice. "It was empty, a large hollow sphere. Its edges blurry, yet it still seemed much larger than I thought it would be. And as I said, the edges then sharpened to a clear barrier."


    He hummed in thought again. "Such a clear mental image, and its edge became sharper later? That is, surprising, I suppose. Do you have such a clear image of your qi channels and meridians?"


    "No, Elder. But I haven''t forced qi into my meridians, or focused on them so specifically."


    "Hmm. It is hard to say, I am no expert on early development. Near core formation, with qi packed into your Dantian as tight as possible, you get a very clear image of it. A large sphere, as you say. But to get that so early?" He shrugged. "It is likely the tribulation had an effect, I shall like to see if guiding a very small portion the divine qi into it would have additional effect, but that is your choice, really.


    "Normally to expect something special from qi you would need more control, a specific technique, and a manual to guide you. However, divine lightning sometimes has plans of its own, so it will bridge the gap. It has already done so in your arm and leg, where it is confined so it can only cleanse the area. So now I would like you to-"


    "Uhm, apologies, Elder. That''s not all. If it were only that, I wouldn''t have mentioned it." She swallowed nervously, now more wary that something strange had happened. "You see, after the initial contact with the fire qi. When I had relaxed a bit, and while the qi drifted slowly around the outside of my Dantian. It suddenly became turbulent! Swirling and spinning on its own." The old man frowned. "It drew towards a point on the surface of my Dantian, not passing into it, but coming to rest on the surface in a pattern. I think it could be a symbol, or glyph of some kind, but I do not recognize it."


    He drew a sharp breath in. "That is... concerning. Could you draw this symbol?"


    "Of course, though I should start with one of the others that I can recall clearly."


    "The others!?"


    "Ah, yes, Elder. I feel somewhat foolish not asking about this sooner. In the passing days the same has happened with the other elemental qi. Though, the same qi always flows into the same symbol, or same area."


    "I see." He paused and stared at her sternly. "Yes, I would agree that your actions have been foolish, I may have tried to enforce caution. However, we are unlikely to know the correct path without additional information, like seeing these other symbols. Which do you remember most of?" He handed her a piece of parchment and charcoal stylus.


    "This is water. What we reviewed yesterday. The qi was flowing quite smoothly and I found it rather refreshing. So, the glyph filled quite a lot." Shae spoke as she drew. Her movement on the page was somewhat erratic. Some curves forming natural organic curves running into one another, others being stiff and strict in their location and thickness.


    "I was wondering where the excess was going." He mumbled. Once she was done, the old monster reviewed it. "Intriguing." Was all he said.


    A moment passed. Then another. Shae squirmed in anticipation. "Well?"


    He looked at her sternly. Then quirked an eyebrow, questioningly.


    She looked away and coughed lightly, "Excuse me, Elder Ghon. Do you recognise it?"


    He smiled wryly. "No, and that is what makes it so intriguing. Here," he pointed, "this thin line, is it exactly like this? Thin and curved."


    She looked and quickly replied, "Yes, it is thin, and a more even arc than I could draw properly."


    "As I suspected, then. I would say that this is an excerpt of a large formation. The symbols being characters in that formation as well. That it is inscribed on the surface of your Dantian is truly bizarre." He squinted his eyes, looking up at the wall instead of the parchment. "This is nothing like anything I have ever seen or heard of. Mind you I am not one to look into these kinds of things. But even in my limited study of formations, nothing."


    "So we''ve no idea what it is for, Elder?"


    "Well, I''ve several ideas. Baseless speculation though they are." He chuckled. "This may seem flippant of me, but I fear we must wait and see, though we can experiment a bit."


    "Oh?"


    "One possibility... which I fear to even voice! Would not be good for you, but I think it should react poorly to the divine qi in your system. Another would react well to it, drinking it up. Whether either is truly for your benefit...?" He shrugged dramatically.


    "Uhh-ngh!" She made a noise in disappointment and frustration.


    "Haha, yes I agree!" The old monster chuckled, again. "We must proceed with our plans as they are. If you can, during today''s practice. Take the smallest portion of the divine lightning qi, and bring it to your Dantian, not inside, just to the surface, see if it reacts."


    "The smallest portion? Elder?" Shae asked incredulously, expecting the task to be much harder than she would like.


    "Yes, for the most part, you shall attempt to use the qi to cleanse more of your body. Dragging it around and letting it have-at whatever it likes. Well, in a completely controlled manner, of course."


    Shae sighed and flopped back into her bed, preparing to meditate. "Arm or leg first? And do you have some suggestions for taking a small portion, Elder Ghon?"


    "Ah, right, yes. Arm first, the leg being too close to your Dantian. As for small portions, I''ve a bit of an intrusive question for you. You did quite well at managing the tribulation, and spouted a lot of... er, nonsense? Or perhaps, not nonsense?"


    "Ah." Shae blushed. She had hoped to not explain her words at all. "I spoke in anger and passion. Certainly, some of it was fact, or based upon fact."


    He sensed her embarrassment, and didn''t mean to push, as it might affect her cultivation session. "Yes, well, even in jest or boast, we often speak shreds of truth. I meant to ask about the boast of ''owning lightning''?" He paused and continued after half a breath, when she did not. "As you said own and not use, to do so one would need some form of containment, a receptacle of sorts, to perhaps contain a very small portion of lightning." His tone grew somewhat conspiratorial at the end, hinting at what he hoped she might know.


    "Hmm... yes, I suppose such a thing would exist, Elder." She still didn''t want to start explaining anything, lest she embarrass herself further.


    "Very good. Then all I ask is you imagine such a thing within yourself, to move the lightning around." He wobbled a hand around. "It might not be as simple as that, since it is also divine qi, but perhaps you have a strong imagination, yes?"


    "Ha ha, I certainly do, Elder Ghon."


    <hr>

 Old Monster 10: Lightning in a bottle

    <hr>


    Chapter 10: "Lightning in a bottle."


    <hr>


    While the task was simple, and the metaphor just as easy to imagine while meditating. The act of actually moving the divine lightning qi was exceedingly difficult. Shae knew from the old monster''s criticism that her control was lacking, but to see it so starkly was annoying.


    However, even through her failures there was progress. Merely attempting to interact with the lightning qi caused it to arc and react erratically, sparking along the inside of her qi channels and burning through her body to cleanse its impurities in a jarringly painful way.


    After exhausting herself on the first day. Elder Ghon suggested she try some more normal cultivation. No elemental qi incense this time. Just scraping the scraps of qi from around the mountain''s, or trying to move the mountain''s qi itself. Both were equally frustrating tasks, but neither caused her direct harm. She thought she was able to do much more than with the lightning, even if it felt like uselessly straining muscles and squinting at dust in the air.


    Going back to the lightning, her various mental images of batteries, tesla coils, high voltage towers, and tiny bottled lightning storms were all blasted away and destroyed by the powerful divine force. She even considered trying to form wires or other things from metal qi, but assumed that would simply lead to more damage from destroyed qi, or at worst, metal shrapnel flavored qi.


    A small breakthrough came when she began experimenting with multiple mental images. At first she could only maintain two, which were the same image. With them she used one as a lightning rod, then had the second scrape a tiny bit of the passing lightning. It held for long enough that she could move it further down her channels and spread out the cleansing.


    When she managed more, if she created too many, they were destroyed too easily, or the survivors held too little qi. Too few and she simply felt she was being inefficient, the single survivors not holding a lot of qi either. The bolts of lightning springing from the massive storm in her arm still lashed out. They damaged the flesh around her shoulder, and on one occasion, nearly paralyzed her when it hit near her spine.


    She had to prioritize efficiency. She could only sustain so much abuse throughout the day. She disliked the divine cleansing, even though she knew the areas that were struck became thoroughly cleansed, slowly spreading the cleansed area out from her arm. Cleansing was her goal, but the lightning was so blunt and brutal it felt awful to let it have its way.


    Her mental lightning containers morphed and changed slightly every time, as she sought out the ideal vessel. A can full of batteries became jars, then those jars were filled with storms made of static coated balloons, and this varied iteration continued throughout the days. The true breakthrough came not from technology and electricity, but divinity. The lightning qi was divine, and she had been ignoring that aspect. So she drudged up iconography from Earth religions past and present. She knew very little of this world''s varied religions, so she used those from her old world, and it worked.


    Variety was the key, small glass jars, filled with light or storms or sci-fi movie props. All were plastered with religious symbols for, who she was certain were, false gods. A litany of sacrilegious little trinkets to carry real divine power.


    Shae had never been particularly religious in her past life. A bit spiritual, perhaps. Yet, she did not feel guilty. With the gulf of time and distance, both real and spiritual, between this life and that one, she felt no remorse for her little heretical jars.


    Finally, the day came. "You have a method now? Something that is working? You have certainly been leaking enough toxins for it." The old monster asked one morning, nearly a week later.


    "Yes, Elder Ghon. I can move.. maybe half a lightning strike of qi, the rest is discharged and cleanses my shoulder or side."


    "Half? I have absolutely no way of knowing what that means. Though that seems the opposite of our goal, no?"


    "Ah, right, the half gets split up into little jars, so I can spread it around, hmmm, about a dozen parts right now."


    "Jars you say? Well, if it''s working." He shrugged. "The practice alone must be working well, and improving your control. That was much harder when we started, yes?"


    "Ugh, yes, so much harder, Elder. I couldn''t grab any of the power when it lashed out at me. It would just burn every mental image away." Shae grumbled.


    "Mental images? Ah, yes, I suppose that is a method some try. A cure for the curse of knowledge, some jest." He forced a light chuckle.


    "Curse of knowledge? Ah! You mean like giving the qi too many ideas, like you warned me about. Yes I suppose that is it exactly, Elder."


    "Yes and divine lightning qi would be one to have plenty of its own ideas, quite hard to break it out of that, so I heard." Shae nodded along, commiserating. "Well, if you are ready, I am here to observe. Throw some of that lightning at your Dantian and see what sticks, as your saying goes."


    She frowned at his flippant language, but couldn''t hold the stoicism so she broke into a smile. "Right, ready!" She exhaled to calm herself. "Just a bit to start." Then pulled her legs into the lotus pose to meditate.


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    While she had done most of her early meditation laying in the bed, the old monster quickly corrected her posture once she was healthy enough to not need the rest. His primary concern was that she would continue to pass into slumber while meditating, a dangerous thing when she would later need to perform specific movements with the qi to match her cultivation manual.


    Once in her calm mindscape. She summoned a few more than a dozen jars. Some would be used as bait, and thus lost to the lightning strike. She approached cautiously, examining the expanded area, she focused on her side, along her ribs where the edge of the lightning strike zone had expanded to. She thought it best to keep the distance traveled by the jars short, so this location was best.


    She baited the lightning out by drawing a line with the jars, bridging the gap out of the storm. The majority of the jars formed a ring near the middle, and as the lightning passed, it flowed out like a spider''s web to arc between the jars, much of its potential trapped inside. She flinched at the strike, something she assumed her real body would do as well. She never managed to not flinch at a strike.


    Quickly she moved the jars away, along her qi channels, down her side towards her Dantian. Because she only needed a few, she tossed half the jars along the way. Shattering them against the sides of her qi channel. The stored lightning arced out and cleansed its way to her skin where small black dots of toxins formed. She barely noticed the pain from these smaller strikes, they still hurt, but were nothing to flinch at.


    As her mental apparition reached her Dantian, she flexed it, sharpening the edges in defense of the oncoming assault. The jars smashed across the thin glassy surface, she was surprised to still feel no impact from the lightning. She had expected at least a little from the divine qi.


    True, she could have simply emptied the jars and reused them. Yet, smashing jars was such good fun, and she didn''t have a mess to clean up as the jar fragments simply faded out of existence.


    The small sparks raced around the surface of her Dantian, bouncing along like runaway rubber balls that kept forgetting which direction they should be going. As she stepped back, to see the larger whole, she realized this was going to take forever. Unlike the other types of qi, which had been more like gasses slowly spreading out, or water and sandy earth for those two types. The lightning was not covering a lot of ground. If this was like the other elements, there would be one specific spot the qi needed to be to get drawn in.


    So, with the encouragement of the lightning not hurting her, she went to fetch another batch. Another dozen plus jars were summoned, winnowed down to an even dozen and transported along her channels. She threw a couple away again, before deciding not to deplete her supply, she might need much more of the qi to find lightning''s matching symbol.


    Her grouping of jars had spread out, the first few reaching her Dantian, the last few still near her side when something changed. One of the arcing bolts struck a thin line and lit it up, suddenly all of the lightning had a target. The sudden pull was immense, the remaining arcs in motion changed direction in unison, heading for the strike zone, as they neared, some grounded early, lighting up more thin lines with a brilliant white gold, and the pull increased. The jars she carried shattered, the sparks working their way through cleansing her skin halted and reversed.


    Shae had a sudden premonition, she saw the path she had inadvertently created and already felt the pull reach into her right arm, to the small storm still remaining. She tried to act but it was too late. Solid lines from the tip of her fingers to her Dantian lit up. Tracing through her qi channels along the path she drew for it, then along other paths, ones that were just a bit shorter, a bit more direct.


    Her Dantian, receiving this impact of qi, did not shatter, did not even tremble. Instead the entire surface lit up, not with esoteric glyphs and symbols, but with thin lines. Mechanically precise, circles outlining the whole sphere, like the lines on a basketball, multiplied and overlaid, then made only atoms wide. They pivoted slowly past each other like the circles of many gyroscopes set to rotate against each other.


    Fearing what the formation would do, Shea reacted by changing her mind. Whatever this formation was supposed to be, it wasn''t hers. She didn''t make it, she wasn''t in control. But the divine lightning qi is hers, she worked for it, it is in her body, she owns it. She would not let it simply disappear.


    When the second larger bolt began, this time from her right leg, Shae had made up her mind. Her Dantian pulled at the massive storm in her leg, untouched by her since her tribulation. The mental switch clicked over just in time. The surface of her Dantian shifted, a large circular opening in the pivoting golden lines formed, and the bolt of heavenly lightning qi directly entered her Dantian.


    Her body spasmed viciously. From the first bolt, her arm jerked out, and again at the second. With her balance disturbed, she was already tipping over when her leg kicked out and her back arched. The old monster rushed in to aid her, catching her falling body fast enough that an observer might have suspected he had been ready for this.


    He gently restrained her twitching form. Quickly repositioning her on the bed. He actively prevented her from injuring herself further, but he would withhold the use of his healing talismans until her loss of control passed. After a short breath of time, in a gap between spasms, when he thought she might hear, he spoke just a few important words.


    Within her mental landscape, Shae''s mind was nearly blank. The trauma had sent her physical body into shock, but her mind was also struggling. The heavenly lightning qi was completely contained by her Dantian, but its effects were not. Not just pain, but judgment and wrath. Each arc of lightning that struck the inside of her Dantian was an impact of imposed guilt and regret, a reminder of how she had defied the heavens, and of how attempting to contain the divine lightning qi was a mistake.


    This only fueled her rage, and she pushed against the imposition. This qi was hers. She had earned it, contained and controlled it. She felt no guilt for her actions, no regret for she had not made mistakes. She had made decisions, and she would live with them, without regret. What divinity was this? What kind of heaven to only lash out with pain and wrath? Who would accept divinity that chose only judgment and wrath?


    It was then that she heard the words, "It is heavenly qi."


    The words rung with truth. Qi not just of divinity, but of heaven. And now it was hers. Her heaven. What was her heaven?


    Like flipping a switch. The qi changed completely. Gone was the wrathful red and the judgemental gold. Gone was the guilt and regret. Now there was only peace, serene calm, and bright golden light.


    As Shae passed into the dreamless sleep of exhaustion, her Dantian was filled with only clouds and golden light, shining out from some hidden source within.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 11: Stall Tactics

    <hr>


    Chapter 11: "Stall Tactics."


    <hr>


    Shae awoke outside, under the bright warm midday sun. She smiled until a chill breeze broke the peace and reminded her it was autumn.


    She examined herself, parts of her were sore, but not overly. Dressed in travel robes, bundled and layered to guard against the wind. Her body felt fresh and well rested. She felt the soreness within her qi channels, especially on her right side.


    "Kicking me out already?" She asked the old monster sitting across the campfire.


    "Hmff, that obvious, am I?" He grumbled.


    "The travel clothes were a dead giveaway. Speaking of, I can''t believe you dressed me. Again!"


    "Pff." He waved a hand dismissively. "A parent does not think anything of dressing a child."


    "So you''re my parent now? Surely great-grandparent, at least?"


    He scoffed again. "Too many greats for you to acknowledge. Ancient ancestor, if anything, no telling who''s gotten my blood by now." A smirk touched his lips, then he shook his head. "And you needed new clothes, that last blast discharged a considerable amount of impurities. You should be thankful I didn''t leave you in that soup."


    "Bleh, gross." She stuck out her tongue in disgust, then sighed. "Does this mean it''s time for the talk?"


    "Preferably. If you are ready."


    "I thought you were patient?"


    "Yes. While I was concerned for a friend''s well being, it was quite easy to wait. Now? I''m finding it difficult."


    She smiled at ''friend'' and chose not to tease him about that. "Hrm, I would have liked to rest in a real bed for a bit longer. I can''t believe you had that in there the whole time and never invited me in!" She said in mock outrage, which was fueled by real indignation.


    He smirked again, but quickly returned to stoic. "I find it valuable to keep sect affairs and my little mortal dealings separate. Much like how we will now have this discussion outside again."


    "Ah yes, this little mortal discussion."


    "I do believe you said it yourself that this was mortal knowledge. Though, speaking of sect matters; there are two letters for you to deliver to the sect, on the bench there." He gestured to the workbench. "The first is an introduction and list of what you require in the short term. A recommendation from me for your entrance into the sect. Standard introduction, no strings attached. The second should only be delivered in the event something dramatic happens to me after our talk. Specifically, the non-enlightenment kind of drama."


    "Hmmm, details on how best to punish me for my insolence?" Shae joked.


    "Heh, no. I truly believe that neither letter will greatly impact your fate. That is why I am freely able to give them to you. Do be cautious of such ties between cultivators. Strings of karma, and what-not." He smiled at the end, enjoying his own flippant tone.


    "And your sect, is it a good one?"


    "As good as most. But I will not try to sell you on it, ask those you meet in your travels. And feel no requirement to join my sect. Choose another, if you prefer."


    "Did, uh, you tell me its name?" She grimaced.


    "Bha-ha-ha!" He loudly burst into laughter. "No, I suppose I did not. Hah-ha, or only as part of that grand introductory speech that you were only half conscious of." He gasped one last breath of laughter then calmed himself. "It is the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect."


    Shae paused schooling her expression. "Oh, that''s good that I asked. Best I could remember, it was the Horrible Dragon''s Retreat." The sect elder looked horrified. "Or was it the Adorable Dragon''s Treat?" She couldn''t resist a snicker.


    The old man relaxed his horror. "Ah. Yes. haw-haw. Do get it out of your system now. They don''t take kindly to such jests within the sect." He shook his head once, hiding a grin.


    Shae continued to giggle to herself.


    "I am glad to see you in high spirits. I was worried your tribulation had tempered your jovial spirit."


    "Hmm, being hostage to a bit of lightning does have that effect, or hostage to anything. And it''s nice to be outdoors again." She looked around. "Are you sending me away with just the clothes? Am I to eat and drink your letters?"


    He shook his head. "A travel pack is behind the bench. You saw the road ahead too quickly. Mind yourself well out there, you are a cultivator now. While you may not feel it yet, you are much more capable than any mortal. And you represent more than just one young girl. Choose your words wisely, and your wars wisely-er."


    Shae paused then burst into laughter. "Whaahahaha! What was that?"


    He smiled smugly, "Some wise words strike the soul harder when they are worded unwisely. My mentor told me that one. And I thought you would like it."


    "Bahaha! It was great! Thanks." She wiped a tear from an eye. As she calmed down, she started fidgeting with her hands. "Oh, hey, what''s with my skin? Why is my nice tan missing?"


    "Ah, I was wondering if you would ask. The cleansing process, especially when uncontrolled and fueled by divine qi, removes all defects and stains, in addition to qi impurities. So yes, it has made your skin as clear and white as good jade. So they like to say."


    "Melanin is an impurity now? That''s weird, are my eyes and hair going to turn white too? Wonder what other natural compounds count." She sarcastically complained.


    "Uh, melanin? I''m not familiar with that, but from context, no I think it depends on the natural state of something. Technically, tanning comes about due to skin damage. So, it follows..." He waved a hand in a circle, knowing she could follow the logic.


    "Hmmm, very suspicious. Also, that sucks, I wanna be buff and tanned!" She whined with forced petulance. "Can I get tan again, at least?"


    The old monster exhaled and rolled his eyes to signal his exhaustion with the subject of conversation.


    Shae ignored him. "What about people that just have darker skin? Do they turn white too? Is heaven racist?"


    "Do be careful what you say about heaven. While you probably won''t summon another tribulation, it might make the next one even more difficult, they tend to do that on their own, but still. As for skin shade, there are many darker cultivators around the world. And even some in unnatural shades. Alchemists have been spending centuries perfecting all kinds of pills and ointments for physical appearance."


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    "Ooo! Could I get neon pink hair!"


    "Not sure what neon means, but yes, probably. However, if vanity is your goal, most young cultivators in this region prize jade white skin and long dark hair. In all genders. A bit bland if you ask me, but these trends come and go... and this conversation has grown very mundane and tedious. Are you stalling?"


    "Hwaaaaa," she exhaled. "Yea, I guess I am. But I was also really enjoying the casual conversation. It was a bit stuffy, the last few weeks inside." She paused and hummed. "How long was it anyway? A month like you thought?"


    "A little over three weeks, three and a day, I believe. You sped things up quite a bit with your wasteful little trick." He frowned and shook his head in regret.


    "Wasteful? How so?"


    "That much heavenly lightning qi? You could have cleansed all your skin just with what was in your arm. Your leg could have done most of your muscles or organs." He shook his head, again.


    "And you think I wasted it? I still have it, you know? In my Dantian."


    "Huh? You''re kidding." He stood and walked over to peer at her torso.


    She felt a wave of qi pass through her, and flinched away. "Hey, some warning please!"


    "Hmm, you still feel hollow as you did before. Do you truly have it? All of it?"


    "Well, not all, all. What was left in my arm went into the formations, just into the lines, no symbols formed. That did feel wasteful, and dangerous, so I ate the rest when it arced to my Dantian."


    "Ate the rest? Absorbed or embraced would be more correct terms, if you did get it to stay in there. Hm, yes, did you tame it? Are you full of controlled bolts of divine lightning now?"


    "Not bolts, no. Last I remember, I changed it somehow, it''s all clouds and light now. Calm before the storm maybe?"


    "Hmmm... well it will be interesting to see if you can use it. Perhaps, hold off on trying to do too much until you have an advisor, specifically one that knows something of heavenly qi. Until then, get some dirt on you and you could still pass for mortal. Even to early cultivators. That formation must be blocking simple qi scans. Though, I suspect it should be capable of more, given its size."


    Shae smiled warmly. "Ahh, that''s good to hear, I don''t think I could handle all the bowing and scraping from mortals."


    "Hah! Listen to you!" He chuckled. "Most will not be so needlessly respectful if you don''t have a sect backing you. And probably for the better since your training has been so lax." Shae gave half a frown but didn''t refute him. "Oh, but you should spend time getting used to your new body, a great thing to do in your travels. Divine qi is said to do wonders to the physical form."


    "New? Oh! Am I going to be super strong and fast."


    "Compared to mortals, you already should be, some just from the tempering."


    "Huh? I don''t feel any different." She frowned.


    "Have you had a chance to truly test yourself against anything? Really push yourself?"


    "Oh. Right, not at all." She stood up, and hopped a little, amping herself up and shaking out her hands.


    "Um-" He hesitated.


    Shae crouched and jumped. Not super high, she didn''t give it all her strength. Which was good because she didn''t jump straight up. Her right leg pushed much harder than she expected. So, she immediately tipped to her left and was almost sideways by the time the old monster caught her.


    "As I was about to say, your fully cleansed limbs are likely to be stronger than the others, so be careful."


    She coughed, trying to disguise her embarrassment. "Of course."


    Seeing an opening, the old monster struck. "So, ready to have that talk?"


    "Yes! Whatever gets this conversation far from what just happened, yes!" She fake coughed again. "Right, so, the talk. Well, you see, when young girls and boys grow to a certain age, their bodies begin to change in strange and sometimes uncomfortable ways..." She trailed off, trying to only smirk to cover the overly smug grin she felt trying to show itself.


    The old monster''s expression went through a rainbow of expressions before settling on disappointment, he rolled his eyes and walked back to his seat by the fire. "Thank you for yet another joke at my expense."


    "Awww, come on. I thought of that one like ten minutes ago and just had to use it." Shae walked back to her seat as well. She frowned at him. "Moping? That really doesn''t suit you."


    He frowned at the fire while poking it with her stick, aimlessly shifting the coals around. Well, at least he learns, she thought, everyone needs a fire poking stick.


    He spoke with clear frustration in his voice. "I don''t expect you to fully understand, how could you. But, I have been waiting for months. Yes, I am patient, I have been waiting lifetimes for something like this. Yet, it has been months of being drip fed water in a desert. Just waiting for that last piece to bring it all together, to turn it all into gold." He sighed loudly.


    Shae frowned intensely at him from across the fire. Enough that he shifted in discomfort without looking at her. After a few breaths of silence, he looked up at her frown, and was taken aback slightly. "Wh- What?"


    "Seriously? Drops in the desert? You old fool. I have been pouring liters- pitchers and barrels of water down your dry-assed gullet and you simply refuse to swallow." She stood and sternly yelled at him. "You think this has all just been leading up to one grand enlightenment? You have been discarding everything I throw at you since day one. ''ooh I don''t think this fits my Dao, I don''t know what to do with this information''-Shut-up! I''m yelling at you now. You didn''t tell me what your Dao was, you didn''t tell me what you needed. So, I gave you a lake full of water. Pure, clear, and true. All you had to do was drink. Years of biology and natural sciences lectures distilled into the nectar of knowledge because I thought you could handle it. I thought you could keep up. And now this! Now I find out you have been waiting for that one miraculous piece of knowledge that is itself a drop of immortality. This whole time!" She gasped for breath. "Has adaptation, how creatures and plants change over generations, has that been your Dao this whole time?"


    As soon as she had stopped him from replying, he had schooled his features back into that stoic emotionless old monster. The one that wouldn''t laugh at a joke about his worst enemy. He didn''t respond, he didn''t have to, the fact he didn''t deny it spoke enough.


    "It is then." She shook her head then looked off into the forest, she had begun pacing during her rant. "If it was that simple, I could have told you months ago. I could have broken your little hopes and dreams in the middle of the summer and been long gone." She kicked a clump of grass. It fully broke off a fist sized chunk of dirt and went soaring into the forest like she hit it with a golf club. "Oh shit!" She quietly marveled to herself, nearly breaking out of her anger. She had been playing into the drama a bit, so it was easily crumpled.


    "Well, do it then. Crush me with your supposed disappointment. Then leave and let me drown in my memories of your magnanimous knowledge." He said grumpily, returning his frown to the fire.


    Her rage sparked again, but she looked back at him before opening her mouth to yell. ''Could she do it?'' she asked herself, ''Could she ruin this old man, would she? Would her simple explanations backfire somehow, just as she feared?''. She felt silly being so afraid of something when she didn''t know if it was even possible.


    She inhaled deeply, and exhaled the anger. It didn''t quite work. She tried again, but pulled on the comfort of the fire, like she had when cultivating. And pulled on a little bit of the calm divinity within her Dantian. Both came to her, and she was filled with a sense of peace and warmth like none other, just enough to push back the anger. It let her see the situation with a clear mind.


    That little pulse of energy got the old monster''s attention, too. He raised his head to stare, surprised now, instead of morose and self pitying.


    She walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not like this. I don''t want to do this angry, with hatred. You were an ass once, a terrible teacher, but you have been much kinder of late. Even if it is for selfish reasons I can''t spit in the face of that. Earlier, when I first woke up, you called me a friend, did you mean that?"


    His face twitched into a smile briefly. "Of course. It is hard to not think of you as a friend, after sharing so much knowledge, and time caring for you like a student this past month. Regardless of the specific reasons."


    "Then let me help you with this. Let me truly help you instead of fighting and making you follow me through the dark." She sat beside him, and when he didn''t object, began her lecture. "Adaptation, the absurdly slow change to creatures and plants, to better suit their environment, we call that evolution." And once again, the word thrummed with power. It was trapped just between the two of them, but it was as strong as that first day.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 12: Peer Reviewed

    <hr>


    Chapter 12: "Peer Reviewed."


    <hr>


    The old monster stayed calm initially, but as her lecture wrapped up he had grown agitated and then frustrated. Less than an hour had passed and he was pacing around the campfire.


    "So you would have me believe that adaptation is all just chance? Random combinations of genetic traits and mutations? All this time, I expected fate, the guiding hand of heaven, or even the collective will of the species gradually controlling qi. But you say it is just pure chaos!" He raved, not particularly angry or out of control, just frustration reaching its breaking point. "You are certain?"


    Shae shrugged emphatically. Hands to her side, palms up. "Here? In this place with its mystical qi and unknowable Dao? Perhaps not. Those certainly sound like plausible theories. Yet, this is mortal knowledge, from a place without qi, without Dao or a true heaven."


    He simply raised a questioning eyebrow.


    She coughed into her sleeve. "Well. At least not in any detectable form, perhaps it has been drained of qi. The stories and myths certainly match quite a lot of what occurs here." She looked up at the mountain. "This place is guarded from most of the mountain''s qi, yes? Imagine a place protected from all qi. In such a place you could perform real science, unhindered by the incidental bias of qi or Dao."


    The old monster shuddered. "Ugh. Such a place. I''d rather not consider it, even if it were possible and safe to exist." He shook his head. "I know I''ve complained about this in the past, but really if I accept this... my Dao." He trailed off while slowly shaking his head.


    "No one said you had to accept it." She rolled her eyes, but kept her attitude out of her voice. "Dao''s can be conflicting, you said so. And besides, reality is much more complex than theory or science. We even believe that humans no longer evolve, so things can change." She gave him a serious look and he perked up a bit, waiting for more. "We have tools, technology, and intelligence to solve our problems for us. And that is just mortals. We do not need mutation to guide us, we can modify our environment and even ourselves as we wish." She gestured around herself, "And here! It is even more true here, qi can provide much more on a short term scale than waiting for evolution to take its course. Even spirit beasts can walk that path."


    He looked conflicted. "My Dao does not include sentients, to do so would make it so much larger."


    "So just evolution then?" She blurted out, curiosity in her voice.


    He frowned. "Bah, it is not so narrow. When I chose it, it seemed like so much more. I''m baffled to hear so much is understood by mortals so easily."


    She shrugged her shoulders. "It was not so easy for them, telling the story is much easier than writing it. And you still have room for contradictions, counter arguments, and new theories." She reached for explanations to help him.


    "It is one thing to disagree with another cultivator on an interpretation. Quite another to be presented so directly with a strict counterfactual."


    "Ahh.. well..." Shae tried.


    He waved away her attempt. "Do you know of inner demons?"


    She shook her head. "Only in passing, from stories. They can halt your cultivation?"


    "They can do worse, but yes. We can''t usually tell exactly when they could occur but this seems like a prime case. Especially if I have to watch you progress, not your fault of course." Shae frowned anyway. He sighed, again. "While I may have been dismissive of some of your information. One thing you impressed upon me quite well is the methodology and rigor with which it was discovered. Your insinuation of a qi-less place strengthens that as surely as it shatters my core."


    "Eh? Your core!" Shae exclaimed.


    "An expression. Though, one usually reserved for very serious matters. Which I fear this has become." He suddenly looked at her with consideration. "You still wish to help, yes?"


    She nodded, "Of course."


    "I can''t tell you my Dao, that is not how that works. Can''t try to explain it so we can pick apart the false assumptions. But I can try something equally foolhardy." He turned to face her squarely and the world suddenly changed.


    Around them the world warped and skewed just slightly. Certain colors brightened, others dimmed. The fire dulled and appeared to almost stop burning, flakes of plasma caught in mid air. Shae felt this more than just saw it. It was perspective and opinion and fact jumbled together into a different reality and pressed into theirs.


    Someone might describe it as synesthesia, but her senses were not cross-wired. It hurt. In a way completely unlike pain. Yet, still so familiar. Much later, the closest she could come to describe it was the discomfort of someone telling you an awful pun, but with them being completely unaware they had done so, even to the point they denied the pun existed. A wise monk would say it was the synesthesia of knowledge.


    Shae braced against it. "What is- this isn''t qi?" She could guess what this was, and she didn''t like it.


    "No, this is Dao. My Dao. I cannot tell you what it is, I can only show you."


    "It''s awful." She squeezed out the words through clenched teeth. Her body''s reaction was similar to qi pressure, the feeling of being crushed by something other. She tasted blood in her mouth.


    "Hah!" The old monster called out the laugh, but there was no humor in it. He looked disappointed, remorseful. Then he flinched. They both heard a large ''crack'', like a single strike of a pick shearing a boulder apart. "You won''t have to suffer it long." He said morosely.


    Shae couldn''t take the weight, the force upon her. She had to get it off, get it away from her. Instinctually she did something, like flexing her Dantian when she had blocked outside qi. A muscle or lever she suddenly pulled that hadn''t been there until a whole other reality was leaning on it.


    "Oh!" The old monster said. "Now that is a surprise." He walked over to her. "I had felt something inside you, but I would never have expected this. Divine sense or the seed of a core maybe, but this!" He paused in thought.


    Shae barely had thought for his words. She needed more room to breathe normally, to be outside of his Dao. So she pushed harder, slowly. Just enough to force it out of her. "Why..."


    "Did you hear that crack earlier? That is why. I''ve been just barely holding it together for the last hour without realizing it. I wanted you to see a glimpse, but you surprised me again. Holding your own right from the start, which means I get to show you even more. Hopefully you can learn more from this mistake than I ever could." He looked sad. Not pitying or regretful, just sad. "This would have been much easier if we were still arguing. You have completed all I''ve asked, your side of the offered exchange, feel free to go when you are able, you can handle the mountain''s qi now."


    Shae heard the monologue clearly, having pushed the altered reality out of her body, just to the edge of her skin. He waited a beat for her to parse everything he said, then the world changed again. He dropped all of his reality on her. She lost her grip on what she was pushing back. Like the weight of a held object suddenly shifting, catching a medicine ball to find it more than heavy, full of lead. She dropped to a knee and coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She considered getting angry, she should be angry. Yet, the wisp of divine qi still floated in her mind, easing her rage. She drew on it more, just enough for stability. He was not trying to harm her, not really, he could do that easily in many other ways. So, she calmly lifted his world up off herself, pushing with those new muscles she had found. It wasn''t easy, but she managed.


    She lifted it off herself and held it before her. She saw it as a whole shape now, and it was a wretched thing. Not just its effects on the world around them, but how it was. A real thing in the warped space between them. She slowly saw how he had made it; how strong it was and where it was weak; where it could use work and where it was hopeless.


    She first saw it as a paper mach¨¦ globe. A lumpy sphere coated in a collage of newspaper clippings. As he forced it to keep working, fighting against her and its own flaws, the paper flaked off and she saw shards of glass jut out from underneath. Yet, not just glass, shards of mirror, reflecting an impression of the world, his impression. Shae understood these were his observations of the world. Which meant, the paper was... it was other''s impressions, second hand stories and all the mortal interviews he had done over the years.


    She grimaced, second hand observation was not something to build anything with. She wanted to talk to him, to talk through how to gather and validate information, but he was far beyond talking to now. So she pushed back on the stories and they folded away. Not lost or destroyed, just brushed aside so she could see the whole ball clearly. The ball of Dao, for that is what it was, it had almost turned inside out, rotating out the garbage to reveal the gems underneath. It showed the real foundations on which the whole was built.


    The old monster stood, wide eyed and nearly gawking, his expression was limp. His eyes and nose slowly bled dark blood. He could see it too, his Dao laid bare. He quietly mumbled "Incredible."


    Shae stared at the thing with clear eyes. It was an incredible sight without all the grubby paper to fill in the gaps. Shards of mirror stabbed into a lumpy gemstone core, faceted in some places like a jeweler had stopped partway through working a large shard of opal and malachite. The large shards of mirror fanned out from it like an abstract depiction of flower petals.


    "It''s beautiful!" She gasped, and felt tears welling in her eyes. Then she saw the cracks, large crawling fractures like spiderweb cracks crawling across a windshield. Then she noticed the chipping and flaking, the glass mirror shards looked like they had been knapped in places, taking off some of the edge, rounding off some of the sharp corners that should have been there. In a few places it looked like it had been done with intention, to make two shards fit close together, or so one didn''t scratch the surface of another. The flaking was all over the place, edges of mirror and gemstone flaked thin pieces of ash as she watched. The cracking continued and she mentally reached out to grab and hold it together. "There is something usable here..."


    The old man collapsed before she could touch his Dao. It shattered as he hit the ground. A wave of qi flowed out of him, buffeting her and pushing the shattered pieces out into the world, though they flew slower than she expected from the rush of qi.


    The first thing she thought of was that the qi pressure felt weak. It was less than even that of the mountain''s when they were doing her tempering. But, the elder''s wise words from earlier rang in her head, she hadn''t tested herself since the tribulation. Perhaps she was stronger, now?


    As the world drifted back into focus. The altered reality shattered, no longer warping the world. She took a breath, had she been breathing? she asked herself. How long has it been? Seconds? Minutes? Those thoughts vanished when she saw the old monster again, and he coughed a red mist.


    "Still alive?" she mimicked him, from what felt like so long ago. He didn''t respond, blood on his lips. She cursed her foolishness and rushed to him, then moved him onto his side, ''the recovery position'' it was called on Earth, so he didn''t choke on his own blood.


    "Elder?" She called to him. "Elder Ghon? Fixiu!" He didn''t respond but his eyes moved, tracking the largest pieces of his Dao, drifting away from him. "You old fool!"


    She saw his mouth move, the word "Go." barely escaping his lips, with a mouthful of blood following.


    Now, she felt, was the time to get angry. "Fuck you, idiot!" She screamed in his ear. "You pull this shit and think you just get to die in front of me?" She screamed, taking another deep breath.


    She kicked him in the stomach, she was pretty sure she couldn''t hurt him, but she used her weaker leg just in case. He spat out another mouthful of blood. She went back to shouting. "Get your ass up and clean up this mess, then get back to work. For real this time, start by getting more of these." She grabbed one of the glass shards out of the air and held it in front of his face. As she held it in her hand, she noticed what she had done, and smiled wickedly. "If you don''t, I''m going to do it for you and you sure as shit won''t like it." She stood and flicked the piece of mirror down at his midsection like a throwing knife, it stuck in his arm, she had kind of missed.


    "Most of these are not completely worthless, there is plenty to work with here." She mused, wandering out to grab one of the larger shards of malachite. Then dragged it back to him, "Like this one." She showed it to him, right in front of his eyes. Two breaths later she slammed it into his stomach, right where she had kicked, embedding the sharp edge into him. She noticed he didn''t bleed from either stabbing, which was probably good. He flinched and gasped in shock from that second one; he was still alive.


    "You can''t just leave this crap laying around," She lectured, "someone could get hurt." She threw another mirror shard at him, it bounced in front of him and stopped flat against him, not stabbing in, but she figured any contact was probably good. She collected a few more of the larger pieces, one by one. The large gemstone shards were difficult to move, like dragging a cart with broken wheels, they wanted to turn and drift in the wrong directions. She took breaks in between to clean up the mirror shards. Some of the smaller pieces shattered or flaked away into nothing when she grabbed them. Even when she was more careful with these smaller pieces they were still destroyed.


    One of the smaller shards looked new. It had held together perfectly, only a single chip, and a slight scuff on the surface marred it. Looking into it, Shae smiled warmly and tucked this ace up her sleeve for later.


    When she returned with the fifth larger gemstone piece. A wide and flat square of opal the size of a slice of bread. She showed it to him for the customary two breaths, but this time she felt it resist movement more than usual, refusing to be pulled away, and the old monster spoke. "Please, stop." He gasped. "That hurts quite a lot, actually."


    She smiled warmly and released the shard. "All you had to do was ask." It floated in front of him for a few more breaths, so she motioned him to take it. "Go ahead, it is yours after all."


    He didn''t reach out for it, instead choosing to try to sit up. She helped him move into a lotus position with the floating opal in his lap. "How?" He asked. "How did you do this?" He didn''t look up.


    "This? I did not do this. This," She pointed at the opal slice, "is yours, you made it."


    "But it''s... real." He said with exhausted bafflement.


    "It''s no more real than when you pressed it onto reality itself, overriding the True Dao with your own." She grimaced internally at the words.


    He grimaced externally. No one could override the true Dao, but he did not correct her. He merely stared.


    When Shae grew impatient. Which did not take particularly long. She might have waited longer if the old man had been trying to do something. She sat beside him and pulled out her trump card. "Look at this. Who made this?" She held the stashed shard of mirror up to him, and they both gazed into it.


    It was like a small window into a memory, a dark night with only a campfire in view. The viewer sat close enough to feel the warmth. Shae recognised it immediately, she had been there. It was the same campfire they sat near now, but a few months ago. She also recognised it because, if you paid attention to the light of the campfire, you would see it was being overtaken by a bright golden glow originating from the viewer''s position.


    Shae continued. "Would you say I created this?" and the old man flinched at her words, almost breaking his gaze away from the shard. "No, this is something you made. Just like all the others." And she could tell it had been. She might have been there, might have had some small influence on the situation, but the enlightenment was his and his alone.


    He clutched the shard and pulled it to his chest, scrunching his face up like he was about to cry. He reached for the opal slice and did the same. The two pieces melded into him, phasing into his chest like they were ghosts passing through. She stood and saw the others she had stabbed him with do the same. Then, after another two breaths of him just sitting there, she smacked him across the top of the head and said, "Good, now go clean up the rest."


    She stalked over to the fire and grabbed her stick. Sitting to enjoy the warmth and poke the coals aimlessly.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 13: Marbles and Mementos

    <hr>


    Chapter 13: "Marbles and Mementos."


    <hr>


    The campfire reminded Shae of the mirror shard. She had that memory too, but from a different angle. She reached into the sleeve she had stored the shard, impulsively imagining it was there again, but different, hers. She pulled out a shard, this time it was just glass, etched with an image of the memory. A weak copy, but still she was quite surprised it had worked.


    She just stared at it for a while before inspecting it closely. It held a little qi, or was made of it, she thought. Yet, it was mainly a ghost of a thing, like a vivid hallucination. She knew it shouldn''t exist. She looked up from the fire to the clearing around her, still littered with floating shards of mirror and gemstone. The old monster''s qi infused the area. Still leaking from him, but much slower now.


    She could feel the reality in the space. She had a small sense of it ever since the old man''s Dao shattered. She focused on it. It was a weak spot, injured like someone had bruised spacetime, or maybe more like a dented sheet of metal. Still whole yet clearly damaged and in need of repair. She didn''t think she could fix it, she knew she shouldn''t even try to. It should heal on its own, it might take time, or just until after the old monster''s mess was gone.


    She looked at the shard she made again. The others existed because reality was broken, or damaged just a little. This probably existed for the same reason. Maybe she could do something here that she never could anywhere else.


    She ran her hand over it, pivoting the perspective. Twisting it around and pulling back to where she was when she saw the old man gain his enlightenment. She zoomed the image out, making small twitches with her hand, like zooming and panning through an image on a touchscreen, but her motions were gibberish, just instinctual twitches of thought.


    It was still fuzzy, the piece of glass only wafer thin. She shrunk the whole shard down, it would be stronger this way. The image sharpened a bit, darkened at the edges. She had only glanced at the old man, a silhouette in a beam of light beside a fire. No, she thought, I yelled at him too. I called him an ass and then the light flickered.


    She added that in too. The feeling of yelling a curse and a flicker of light. The scrap of image solidified in her hand. A small postage stamp sized image. Its edges frayed just like a perforated stamp.


    She heard an abrupt curse behind her from the old monster, and the tinkling of falling glass. He had broken one of his shards. "That will happen to the smaller ones." She called out to him, not looking away from her own. "I broke a few as well. Do try to catch them all." A part of her wanted to reassure him more, maybe snarkily say ''don''t cry over spilled milk'' or something, but he was an adult who didn''t need that, and she had already forgotten his plight.


    Her little postage stamp needed something more, stamps needed to be stuck to something so she created a postcard. An image of the mountain with script that read "Pilgrim''s Temper". She flipped it over and attached the stamp. Then she saw the lines for the address and message.


    She frowned at it, postcards were meant to be sent away, but this was hers, something she wanted to keep. Not a memento for another. She had seen this with her own eyes. The card rippled and fell away from the stamp, it wobbled, trying to fall apart, then snapped into a new shape, an eye.


    Eyes were kind of gross, the back especially so. Instead of that she gave it two sides, she had two eyes after all, and with the sides opposite each other she wanted to be able to look through it. The iris became clear, with a glassy gem-like interior. But the image still needed to be there, she thought, so it appeared in the pupil. She remembered a different kind of eye-like trinket, and it changed again, the image became a slitted pupil, and the white of the eye fell away to reveal a cat''s eye marble. She smiled, it was perfect.


    She clasped her hands around the little gem of memory and held it to her chest. Just as simply she dropped it into her Dantian where it fell through the clouds, the golden light glimmering through it beautifully.


    She frowned slightly as it exited out the bottom of the clouds. She nudged it back, a little push to correct its fall. Gravity was such a hassle, she thought. She rolled her mind over, tilting the image of her Dantian. Why was there a down? There was no ground, this was its own little space. With another thought the marble began arcing around the clouds. She had not needed to correct its fall again, she had just decided there was no down, but the clouds could have their own little bit of gravity. So that the marble streaked lazily through them. Punching through the clouds when necessary, like a tiny little comet.


    She smiled and pulled her senses back out to the campfire. She looked around at the bruised reality. There was more here, more memories, and more opportunity. She really had made memories here. The tribulation was the biggest one, perhaps. She looked to where the bolts of divine lightning had landed and imagined them there, one at a time.


    The first warning strike, next to the fire. Then the others, their exact position a mystery to her, except the last which was burned into her memory. She looked at the empty air around her, the sky behind was clear and blue instead of cloudy and angry gray. Still, if she focused, she could almost pick out the exact shapes the bolts had made.


    She stood and walked to the site of the last bolt, circling where it had been, she didn''t even realize she knew it so precisely until just now. She imagined the bolt flashing down with a bright flash and ear splitting crack, replaying it in her mind. As the light from the flash faded she really could see it, what was left, a faint scar on reality.


    The tribulation had damaged reality here too. Scarring the space with the intensity of its power. Perhaps that was what made the old monster''s ordeal and recovery possible?


    Shae found the image within herself too. The memory of that final strike seared into her soul. It hummed with empathy for the scar. She drew it out of herself, slowly. Almost the reverse of what she did with the marble, but it was much larger than the sight of the campfire. It held more power that she needed to be cautious of.


    Or was it just an image? Just a brilliant picture of golden light. She decided to draw it out of herself as ribbons of yellow-gold and wrap it around the scar, carefully stitching the memory into the scar, maybe like bandaging an injured limb. It would be hollow like this, the inside just being empty scarred reality, so she added just a whiff of her divine clouds, just enough to fill the center and support the shape. Too much and it would become lightning again, she guessed.


    It took a while, but she couldn''t tell. She just fell into a rhythm of pulling the ribbon out and wrapping it around the lightning. When it got above her head she stepped back for a better view, but it became more difficult. She frowned and stepped forward again. Then stepped around it in a small circle until she found just the right spot where it clicked. Exactly where the point of view matched her memory and it suddenly became so easy. The ribbons flowing out of her and wrapping up the scar, almost of their own will.


    Then she was done. The canvas of reality hummed faintly as it healed before her. The ribbon desperately strained to become light and electricity and judgment again, but she pushed back, mentally saying ''No!'' to it. She leaned in to inspect it closer and pushed on it with her will. The flat yellow texture contoured and became woven fibers of cloth, long seams and edges forming to prove that it was still made of ribbon. A glowing ethereally-divine lightning ribbon, but ribbon still.


    Smiling, extraordinarily pleased with herself and her work, she reached out and grabbed it. With her hands, her will, her qi, and her Dao. If she even had the last, she was uncertain, but no sense in not trying. Then she pulled with everything, it rushed into her as fast as the real lightning had and uncoiled into her Dantian. Not as true lightning, just the memory of it. Her ribbons of light playing at being lightning, they fluttered through the divine clouds in her Dantian, and she felt she couldn''t be happier with the results.


    The scar in reality gone, she moved onto the two others. She had much less ceremony for them, much less memory to build from. So, she just traced their forms with her existing ribbons and quickly pulled them back into herself. These scars were not removed, just a light balm to them rather than complete healing. They would heal on their own, and faster now.


    She returned to the campfire to find the first strike as well. The warning strike wasn''t a deep scar like the others had been, and it was much less clear. Just the faint edges and lines not completely connected. Yet, she still had a memory of this, so she made some effort, and made more marbles. Little ones that each held the memory of the strike, and she flew them out to catch an edge, a faint line of white, or even the echo of the thunder. When she had a dozen or so, the scratch on reality was nearly gone, so she stopped. Looking at the little things she had made. Not all were stable, not quite enough of this or that, so she squeezed a few sets of them together. Making a handful of small memories of the warning strike.


    She wondered why she got so many, but only one of the old man''s enlightenment. Perhaps she had been too far away, or again, simply because that wasn''t hers. This strike had been for both of them, so it was partly hers. The other three bolts had been hers, and the last was now completely hers. She cast the marbles into her Dantian and watched as they soared through the clouds, making sparks and small cracks of thunder when they brushed past a bolt of ribbon, warning of their power.


    Shae sat down at the fire. Suddenly exhausted, she nearly tipped over. Space flexed slightly as reality healed just a bit more. She was pushed back, or something left her behind, she couldn''t say. A hand grabbed her shoulder, supporting her.


    "That, Miss Shae, oh Heavenly Shae. Was an amazing display." The old monster said, now standing beside her.


    "Hmm? Uh, what happened, exactly?"


    "Heh! Not surprising you are unsure. I''ve not seen many walk around during an Enlightenment. And fewer still, bend so many laws at once."


    "Enlightenment? I... I hadn''t even noticed, there was no beam of light?" She mumbled, still somewhat confused.


    "Most don''t, the first time. You''ll notice it next time, probably." He sat down beside her. "It''s like a vague feeling of opportunity. Hard to describe."


    "Hmmm." She hummed, stuck in thought. "Do I- Do I need to do anything? Meditate on it?"


    "Haha!" He laughed abruptly. "Only if you want to, you''ve already done what you needed to, far more than most would, perhaps. Can''t say I''ve seen much like that before."


    She grinned, "Heh, yea I guess I did do a lot. Didn''t I?"


    He smiled wryly, "The stories of young Heavenly Shae: stealing the memory of lightning from reality itself. That will race around the globe, shocking cultivators and amazing mortals."


    "Ehhh? Stories?" She blushed.


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    "Well, only if we tell them, and only if they believe us." He bumped her side with his elbow.


    She swayed too far away from the elbow strike, and came back smiling again. "Hmmm, I think that was just for us. Oh! You should make a mirror shard of that too!" She reached out as if to pluck it from the air but came back empty, not even the ghost of a memory, or a whisper of qi. Her face switched to confusion.


    "It will not be nearly that easy again, I think. Enlightenment qi makes the impossible: possible, and the improbable: simple. But fear not, I got mine." His palm tapped his heart and he smiled warmly, something she had seen so little from him.


    "Did you get them all?"


    "Most. I need to rest now, and maybe eat something."


    "Mmmm." Shae moaned. "Food! What do we have?" She got up to walk away but swayed and had to sit again.


    "Rest first."


    "Yep." She agreed. After quite a few breaths, she burst out, "I can''t believe you did that! I could have died!"


    "Pah! You were never at risk, I was careful." He replied. "I can''t believe you stabbed me with my own Dao! That shouldn''t be possible. I could have died."


    "Yea, but I was angry." She said, Then after a beat they both burst into laughter. The old monster cringing in pain from his injured cultivation, which made Shae pause briefly, then laugh more. Covering her mouth and looking away from him, trying to hold back.


    <hr>


    An hour or two of mostly companionable silence later, when Shae had some strength again, she got up to see what they had to eat.


    The eggs were chilled in the bottom drawer so she grabbed two. Then checked for herbs, all the copperfur was gone, reminding her again of what she had done.


    "You didn''t restock the herbs?" She called.


    "Hmm?" The old monster broke from his trance of staring into the fire. "Oh, the copperfur? Ever since that concoction you made I can''t stand the stuff."


    "Well you shouldn''t have tasted it!"


    He shrugged. "Try the ember cherry petals."


    It was something like cinnamon, with a bit more heat like wasabi. Shae didn''t like it. "Ugh." She growled but got it out anyway.


    "Oh, but before you crack those. There is a snared rabbit about one hundred paces that way." He pointed off into the forest.


    Her shoulders sagged, "Ugh. I''m tired and hungry now, can it wait?" She knew it could but asked anyway.


    "Yes, I suppose. Try to grab it before nightfall, it could attract more dangerous spirit beasts."


    She knew that already, but had never seen signs of any other beasts around here. She didn''t argue, though. Instead grabbing the salt and another herb that she thought might cut down the ember cherry spice a bit. She whipped the eggs into the seasonings and let it sit.


    She grabbed the only small cast iron pan they had and brought it to the fire. She woefully wished for some butter. They only had a little bit of fat from the rabbits and a weird tasting oil that the old man said was from a tree-nut of some kind. The pan was still oily from the last rabbit, so she resigned herself to that being enough. It would add some flavor, but might not work with the spices, it probably had its own seasoning still in it.


    She scratched her head and went to get some rice flour and a bit of the egg yolk. She thinned the yolk with water, then threw the flour into the greasy pan. In the heart of the coals it browned quickly and she hoped it would work how she wanted it to. She quickly removed the pan from the heat. It would be far too hot for the egg now.


    As the pan cooled the smell of grease and browned rice drew the attention of the old monster. After watching her wait for the pan to cool, he raised an inquisitive eyebrow.


    "Just need it to cool off more." She said, then tested the pan with a flick of water, it boiled off right away. She could probably add much more to cool it quickly, but she was fairly sure that was bad for the cast iron.


    When she finally grew impatient, and the water didn''t sizzle and boil off quite as fast, she withdrew the greasy rue from the pan. A challenging task with just chopsticks. She would have given a finger for a proper rubber spatula. She had months to think about it, definitely just a finger.


    With the rue in the watered down yolk, she mixed it thoroughly. The yolk helped the water mix into the grease and absorb into the rice, turning the whole mixture into a lumpy gravy. The lumps from some of the egg that had cooked from the heat instead of mixing in. There were probably other leftover bits from the rabbit too, but she didn''t mind, it was the best she could do at the moment.


    Setting that aside she fetched the rest of the egg and fried it up. Because they only had chopsticks she needed to keep it in larger chunks. Without already having the proper experience, it had taken her weeks of trial and error to work out a method, and she still thought she had the technique wrong. The end result was still something like soft scrambled eggs, so she was happy.


    She used a pause in cooking the eggs to split half the gravy onto their only plate. When she found that the eggs had cooked enough, she split those between the plate and the bowl she had mixed the gravy in. She considered using the pan instead of the plate, just to clean one less dish, but the egg would overcook quite fast in the hot cast iron.


    The old monster spoke up as she handed him the plate. "I''m not sure about the blister-root." It was the other herb she added. The name was a warning against using the roots for anything. The leaves were fine to eat, and had some flavor.


    "Try it with the gravy."


    He did. "Hmm. Alright, it''s edible." He shrugged. She agreed, it was passable, she might try it again with less ember cherry, maybe some milk in the gravy if she could get any. They ate in silence.


    After the meal he had a question. "You like to experiment with cooking? Have you considered... getting training?" He caught his own slip before she could say something. "I mean cultivator training, immortal chefs are quite popular."


    She snickered at his slip up and waved it off. "Nah, I cook to eat, and experiment just enough to not eat trash I don''t like. I''ve no interest in cooking a meal that makes someone''s loins explode." She would have used a different idiom, but most didn''t translate well.


    "Bff-- ack!" He choked on a laugh, surprised by the bawdy comment. Shae thought he might spit up blood from embarrassment, he had nearly spat out some food.


    Once he got control of himself, he tried again. "Ah, well. That is a very decisive answer. Knowing what you want will serve you well as a cultivator." He took a controlled breath. "Are you planning on leaving today?"


    "Hmmm, no. I''ll see you inside and into a bed before I bail. And, the morning is a much better time to start traveling."


    "Heh?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Considering what I did, you''ve no need to stay."


    She shrugged. "Should I still deliver that second letter?"


    "Hmmm." He thought, creases forming on his forehead. "I believe so. I should send another myself. But I expect someone from the sect will be here sooner, rather than later."


    "Oh?"


    "Mhm. I''m somewhat surprised it has taken them so long, perhaps the harvest festival delayed them." He paused for another mouthful, then continued when Shae just gave him a questioning look. "Because of the tribulation. Someone nearby must have seen it, and news like that will travel to the sect, eventually. But especially since it was on this mountain."


    She slowly nodded, her understanding unfolding itself. "I suppose a tribulation would be news. And on Sect property, right, yea I can see why word would make it there. So, would they send someone to check on you?"


    He nodded with closed eyes. "If I had broken through to nascent soul, I would have experienced a much stronger tribulation, each strike stronger than all of yours together. If I had failed that..." he gestured to the scene around them. "Similar final results."


    Shae looked down the mountain, towards the nearby town and the sect mountains in the distance beyond. She almost expected someone in fluttering robes to appear in the sky on a sword. No one came.


    They sat around a bit longer before the old monster asked to be helped inside.


    <hr>


    Shae was unsure when she had decided to stay longer. The old monster had reached the same bed she stayed in and went to sleep immediately. She stayed with him for a few minutes to make sure he kept breathing then went back outside.


    The next morning she checked on him. He appeared to be peacefully resting, but she thought his pose was more ''slide me into a casket'', flat on his back with wrists crossed on his chest. She was fairly certain he was cultivating, the qi in the room was shifting slowly. So she waited briefly, then walked out to the small library and selected a book at random. She returned to the room and read.


    At first she had mainly enjoyed the irony of their swapped roles. The books were about as dense and useless as reading physics textbooks to her. She never got on well with physics.


    When lunch rolled around she made him a bowl of the rice soup, like he had her, aiming to tease him with it. She cooked the rabbit for herself but found it was slightly too much for her. So, she dropped the last piece into his cold soup when she came back inside.


    The book ''History, Rules, & Guidelines of the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty Sect'' was actually a very useful and informative read. However, on checking the date it was copied, she found it to be nearly a hundred years old. She made a mental note to get an updated copy, preferably with a change log.


    As she picked over his small library, she was quite certain that some books had been removed when compared to the previous days. She didn''t ask him about it directly, and he didn''t mention why, because they did not talk at all. Not out of coldness, she thought. He was probably expecting her to leave already, and didn''t want to give her reason to stay. He did a great job with it too, always seeming to be sleeping or cultivating while she was there.


    The food she left would be gone in the morning, or afternoon if she stayed out. She only brought a single meal a day, mostly the rice soup, she was quite sure he didn''t need much, or maybe had pills if he did need more.


    She did find other things to do while she waited. She added a bit more experimentation to her exercise routine, to get to know the strength of her new limbs. She also decided to repack for her upcoming trip.


    When she looked over her travel pack, she found a few unexpected things. Firstly a filled notebook titled "Annotations for ''Formations and Talismans, an Introduction'' 3rd ED." She checked over his library and found the ''Advanced'' version of the same series, which was nigh incomprehensible to her. The first page of the notebook explained that it was to go with the standard formation class and textbook taught at the sect. Given the age of his sect rulebook, she wondered if she could even find the 3rd edition, or if it would be an invaluable collectors item at this point.


    The second thing of note in her travel pack was a set of hairpins. Three silver wires that seemed vaguely familiar when she first saw them. It had taken her nearly two days to figure out why. The texture on them looked to be corroded, like rusty wire that had been polished until it was mostly shiny, with some pitting left for visual interest. She realized it when she was checking the snares. They were iron blood creeper wire. Missing all their vine and rust coating, just the metal left, and stronger and thicker than the ones used in the snares. It would take her much longer to find out why he had given them to her.


    Lastly was another hair care item. She had shaken her head at it the first time she saw it, the man was nothing if not old and disconnected. Yet, this held a bit more immediate meaning to her. It was a hairbrush, but one in the style of earth, instead of the flat combs that were used here. She remembered complaining to him one day, many weeks ago. She had really just wanted a curved paddle brush, because that is what she was used to from her more distant past. The culture here almost exclusively favored hard tooth combs, and also displayed them as hair ornaments. She preferred her hair shorter, no longer than shoulder length, which made large hair ornamentation impractical.


    With some thought she remembered their conversation, mainly because he had asked so many questions. She thought he was just making small talk before her tempering, a common rhythm they had fallen into. He had also asked for recommendations for his own hair, thinning and gray. She had said to use a soft bristle brush, perhaps from boar bristles, to spread the oils and not damage the hair as much. She suspected specific hair care was not a common thing for cultivators, they probably had spiritual tools for that. During their talk he had pointed out that the current style was to grow it long, and that had been the style for decades, but he didn''t state his own preference, and she was silently thankful he was self aware enough to not give her any direct instruction on the matter.


    The brush she held now looked like it had been made by a carpenter that only heard it described to him over a poor quality phone call. It was roughly the correct shape, a bit smaller than she would have liked. Its bristles could have been made from the same iron blood vine, but were missing the patina of rust like her hairpins. The ends had been rounded somehow, looking like little beads of steel had been forged onto the tips. Their arrangement was both completely incorrect, but would probably still work. Three rows of bristles lengthwise instead of a more staggered pattern. It was a serviceable brush that she would probably get some good use out of, especially if she let her hair grow out more since she didn''t really need it now.


    However, the real impressive part of it was the brilliant white lightning bolt carved expertly into the back of the brush. Shae recognised it immediately, it was the third direct strike she had survived. A different angle on it, from his perspective rather than hers. Yet still, she would know it from any angle. The carving was filled with a bright white enamel that might have had just a hint of gold in it, only showing under the right light. She would have loved to see it with a black enamel on the rest of the brush, but the darker wood worked well too. Save for the odd form factor and showy bolt, it would have looked like a peasant''s brush. It still did, but the carving and enamel gave it a surreal quality, a bit too well done. She was completely confident in saying he had carved it himself, it would be impossible otherwise.


    A small part of her was glad they were not talking, it would be quite hard to thank him properly for this.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 14: Act Casual

    <hr>


    Chapter 14: "Act Casual."


    <hr>


    It took four days for the situation to change, and it wasn''t quite what Shae expected.


    She was outside during mid afternoon, cleaning up after eating. There was a gust of wind and loud thump between the campfire and the entrance to the indoor sect area. She looked up to see a cloud of dust and grass. A strict looking woman strode out of the dust in pristine Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect robes, not a hair out of place.


    "You, Mortal? What are you doing here?"


    Shae inclined her head in respect. "Honorable Elder, I am Miss Shae, here by invitation of Elder Ghon Fixiu."


    "Oh?" She said skeptically. "For how long?"


    "Four days ago my presence was no longer needed, Elder. Just before this happened." She gestured to the area around the campfire. It wasn''t a complete mess anymore, the damage from the tribulation being almost a month old. The bruise in reality was still there, however. Shae could still sense it sometimes, and about twice a day she saw small shards of mirror the old monster had missed. They glinted in the grass when the light caught them a certain way. If she watched they would slowly flake away and would shatter into nothing if she got close.


    She glanced around with unspecific interest, either not caring or not seeing the bruise. Shae thought the latter. "Yet, I see you are still here? Did the Elder succeed?"


    "You can''t tell?" Shae confronted her.


    "Watch your tongue, mortal." A hint of pressure weighed down on Shae, it probably would have been debilitating if she had been mortal. Maybe even at her current stage without the tempering.


    Shae sized the woman up more closely. She looked older than Shae''s own mother, and appeared healthier which was enough to hide a few decades. Certainly she was quite pretty, so long as you liked stern and pale librarian types. Her sect robes were probably a fashionable cut, but Shae could not tell beyond them fitting better than the old monster''s had. The robes were mostly a clean white, with delicate red and blue dragons embroidered along the outside of the sleeves and disappearing across the back of her shoulders.


    The woman had several patches over her heart like military medals, one of which depicted a stylized yin & yang symbol. The distinctive white and black swirl was widely associated with medicine, like a red cross was on earth. She had several small pouches at her side, one of which also held the symbol, suggesting it was a first aid kit. Because she was a cultivator, it might also store emergency pills. Hers was large enough that it could store copious medical supplies.


    Shae decided the woman could probably help the old monster. Then she frowned at her rebuke, which also looked like frowning at being pressured. "Elder Ghon is inside recovering, or making a show of it. He was injured four days ago when he shattered his Dao, presumably ruining his cultivation base, but to what extent I have no idea. Can I assume you are able to help him, Elder?"


    This caused the older woman to flinch, just a little, and move a hand to her first aid kit. "His Dao? Did he tell you this? How could you know?"


    "He did not need to say it. I was here for it and it was quite obvious, Elder." Shae stated flatly.


    "Hmmm, still, I cannot take the word of a... are you mortal?"


    "Completed tempering, Elder." Shae shrugged, keeping the details brief, she didn''t want to spend hours explaining, which might be needed if she was too open with information.


    "Ah, that would do it." The elder dropped the qi pressure she had been maintaining, her point seemingly made. "So, what did you do then? Something stupid to get him to save you from a spirit beast? He is always saving mortals, wouldn''t surprise me terribly if he cracked his core over it."


    Shae was somewhat offended by this but held her tongue well enough. "If you think I could get that stubborn old monster to do anything, then I''d say you''ve never met him. Elder."


    This earned her a smirk from the older woman. "True enough. Well, if you''re tempered then you can handle the way down fine." She looked down the mountain. "I''ll check on ol'' Ghon. Which way are you headed?"


    She pointed in the general direction of the sect''s mountains. "At least to Minlin City."


    "Vague. Could you run a message for me?"


    "To the village? Didn''t you just come from there? How was the harvest festival, if you don''t mind, Elder?"


    "I did." She said, then eyed Shae suspiciously. "We missed the festival, delayed because of the tribulation news. I didn''t mind it actually, festivals can be a bit... trashy. The message would be ready after I check on him." She gestured behind her.


    Shae inhaled sharply, considering. "Well I would have liked to leave right away, now that you are here. Would it take long? Elder."


    "You would rush medicine? It takes as long as it takes."


    "And you would want it delivered quickly, I assume? Would there be any compensation involved? Elder?"


    The older woman squinted at her further, "The sect always rewards timely delivery of a message, letter, or other parcel, at the sect itself."


    "All the way to the sect, then? More expensive than the city for sure." Shae was enjoying teasing the woman. It helped that she didn''t really want to courier another letter, especially one with much more time sensitive information.


    "Do you have more information about the tribulation that occurred?" The woman changed subjects, trying to ruin her fun, maybe?


    "The one from a month ago? Hmmm, would you believe me if I told you, Elder?"


    "Would I believe a rude near-mortal I met by happenstance on a mountainside? About a tribulation? No, probably not." She was a little angry, but was clearly also trying to bully Shae a bit.


    "Rude? And this from the magnanimous elder who hasn''t even introduced herself." The extra sarcasm was probably a mistake.


    That really caught the older woman off guard. She stared for half a breath then scoffed angrily. "Petulant child. You are on sect property, I''ve no need for formalities."


    At that the qi pressure slammed down hard. Shae nearly blacked out. She wavered on her feet. Her experience of arguments with the old monster spurring sudden tempering was the only thing allowing her to hold on. She wanted to gasp in surprise but her body was locked up, only leaving her the willpower to manage her balance.


    After a few stilted breaths, she recognized some of the qi, it was the mountain''s pressure as well. The sect elder had opened the formation to increase the pressure. Ah! the formation! Shae realized it could be considered sect property.


    The realization or some understanding must have shown on her face because the elder lifted some of the pressure. "I''m surprised you''re still standing, he must have trained you well, foolishly, but still."


    Shae knew what she had to do, Ghon had instructed her on formal apologies after all. She bowed deeply then dropped to a knee when she couldn''t rise from the bow. "My apologies Elder. I failed to consider the whole formation area. Elder Ghon only drew the line at the door inside."


    "Bah! That old fool was always too loose with strictures." She paused to see if Shae would react, but she did not. "At least you learned some respect. How long will it take you to leave the area."


    "Minutes if you wish me gone now. An hour if given it, though I can delay slightly longer if you wish me to courier to the village, Elder." She remained kneeling, with head bowed. Part of a proper apology was often some gift, favor, or backing down from negotiations.


    "Hmmm, ah hour should be plenty, but don''t wait for me. I can send a qi message in any case."


    Shae remained silent in case there was more. When the remaining qi pressure vanished, she looked up reflexively to see that the sect elder was gone. She got up and began her prep to leave.


    Her travel pack had stayed packed after her first investigation of it, and she had little to add to it. She had been trying to smoke rabbit meat for the journey, to little success. They did not have enough salt for a proper cure, so very dry and gamey rabbit meat was all she got. She wasn''t even sure how long it would last.


    She had another egg left from the hen, and considered simply eating it raw right then, instead of trying to pack it away safely. She prepped it with salt and copperfur leaf instead, like she would whenever the fire was out. She would still eat it raw before she left, not wanting to waste her time or dirty more kitchenware.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Mostly ready to go, she planned her route out. She only had a few options for ways to leave the clearing. She had checked most of the snares in the morning, but could check a few more on her way out, maybe get lucky. There were berry bushes and herbs on her path out as well. She stretched while she planned, working through a quicker version of her village''s Tao Yan to warm up her muscles.


    Being mid afternoon, she had just eaten lunch, so consuming more food and then as much water as she could was a very uncomfortable process. Still, it was much easier to carry it in her belly than her pack, especially since the small waterskin she had was very lacking. It was nearly the only item remaining since she left home almost a year ago.


    She considered just sprinting away, she had been practicing runs through the forest the last two days, getting used to her body without going so far as to get lost. However, if the Elder returned or checked on her with divine sense, she didn''t want to be seen as running away.


    All of the closer bushes and herbs were well picked over. So, she passed by them quickly and reached those that were further, the ones that she rarely checked. An ember cherry bush held a reasonable bounty. A dozen cherries and some spurned flowers that had wilted without being pollinated. The flowers were the source of the spicy flavor, angry at being ignored by insects and birds, Elder Ghon had said. The cherries were small but flavorful, juicy and sweet. She thought both might sell well in the village if she could keep them that long.


    Her next find was a cousin to the blister root. Unlike its cousin, this carrot-like root grew larger and was completely edible, though its flavor led it to be called bitter root. As it reached maturity it sweetened, which just meant that it was destroyed by the local rabbits as soon as it was sweet enough for their willpower or hunger to get them through the meal. She found these that way, a small field of white almost-carrots that had been slowly eaten away by the wildlife. She began digging them up with a dull knife, her only other possession from leaving home. It had served her well, but having access to the well stocked kitchen-workbench here meant she hadn''t needed to keep it sharp. She should have sharpened it, she realized.


    A few long minutes of digging left her hands dirty and a small pile of half eaten bitter root at her side, one standing out among the group for being particularly misshapen and gnarled, its top only showing a single bite from the rabbits. She began cutting the chewed ends off the roots. She could have eaten them, she was sure, but the memory of decades of picky eating had left her with firm habits. The knife was woefully bad at this task, too dull to function meaningfully. She looked back then, considering if she should go sharpen it.


    She was shocked to see the sect elder stalking towards her, already within a dozen paces. She stood quickly and cleaned some of the dirt off her hands. "Elder!" She inclined her head and half bowed to the woman.


    "Little Fairy Shae." The elder greeted. Shae winced at the name, and the elder smirked. "He said you wouldn''t like that."


    Shae just nodded in agreement. Since they were still on sect lands, silence was the game.


    She withdrew a letter with a silver ring-shaped coin tied to it. "The letter, to be delivered to the village, my fellow sect Cultivator Bai should accept it. And pay you for expedience if you make it there quickly." She withdrew it quickly just as Shae reached for it. "Clean those hands more first." The woman grimaced at her.


    She wiped them more furiously on the edge of her travel robes, not the best way, but fast.


    "Ugh, not like that." The woman stopped her. "Hands out."


    Shae hesitated but did as asked. The Elder casually waved a hand over them and Shae winced in pain. A sudden sharp scouring feeling, like having her hands thwacked by a coarse cloth and the dirt was gone in that instant, only a small puff of dust left behind. She pulled her hands back and flexed them but the pain quickly disappeared, only a slight redness on her left hand to remind her.


    When the Elder did hand over the letter, Shae saw her glancing at her hands. "What happened there?" She pointed between them.


    "Ah, just a bit of poorly controlled cleansing, Elder." She tried to keep it brief.


    "Already at cleansing? You feel too weak for that. Ah, but poorly controlled, as you said." She squinted at Shae, who could only nod slightly at the assertion. "Still, that shouldn''t... Ah-ha! The tribulation! So you were there?" She accused.


    The young girl tried to look innocent. "Yes, Elder."


    "Mhm, so you did interfere, causing Ghon to protect you... No, the timeline doesn''t fit, he would have been injured then, not a month later." She squinted at the younger girl, leaning in to inspect her closer. "Just who are you? And what is going on in there?" She pointed at Shae''s midsection.


    Having felt the wave of qi brush through her, she suspected the Elder used some kind of sensing skill, and found the same hollowness that Elder Ghon had. Feeling nervous from the attention, she rambled. "I am Zhi Chen-Ai, Elder. Though I prefer Miss Shae. Or Elder Ghon''s title, Heavenly Shae."


    "Heavenly?" She questioned indignantly. "You are too plain for heavenly. You must have done something- Ah, the tribulation again. So it was yours?" Shae nodded slightly. "Of course, that''s the only way he would give you such a title. How did it occur?"


    The younger girl squirmed slightly under her scrutinizing gaze. "Ah- Apologies, Elder, could we speak casually, instead."


    The Elder gave her another scrutinizing stare. "Alright, fine, but mind. your. tone. I am not your equal, girl."


    "Thank you." Shae relaxed immediately. Noticed she still held the letter and began to put it in her pack. "Well, I am not sure what to say. If Elder Ghon did not fully explain it, it might not be my place to say how it happened."


    "He said almost the same thing, talking in circles perhaps. Probably thinks it is your story to tell, then."


    Shae shrugged. "Ah, that makes sense, yes. The Elder and I were having a discussion... and well, I had a realization, I think it was kind of an enlightenment or tribulation scenario."


    The older woman tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at that. "I don''t think that is a common outcome for enlightenments. Powerful conversation, then, what about?"


    "Ah, well..." Shae hesitated as she had just before. "I think that is why the Elder didn''t wish to speak of it. He said it was a topic, ''not traditionally discussed''." She pitched her voice low in imitation of the old monster.


    The other woman snorted a laugh. "Ha! Can''t imagine what he''d say that to. You really won''t say?"


    "Um, I''d rather not. Not without asking Elder Ghon first, it really is a personal matter."


    Shae watched the older woman''s eyes shift up and to the side, imagining what it could be. Then she thought she saw a slight blush, and realized where the woman''s thoughts might be. "Ah, no-no! Nothing intimate, never that!"


    The elder came back to the present and shook her head. "I would never suggest such a thing!" She teased, but her tone also said she wouldn''t tolerate Shae teasing back.


    Out of embarrassment, Shae started fumbling with the bitter root again.


    "What do you have there?" The woman asked. "Ah!" She perked up, and plucked the strangely knobby root out of the pile. "An aged ginseng. Young, but still twenty, maybe thirty years old. Good find." She withdrew a small brush and dusted off the dirt stuck to it. When she noticed the bite mark, she frowned, ah the pests have gotten at it. She withdrew a knife and carefully shaved off the least amount possible to remove the mark.


    Shae stood there gawking, taken aback at the woman taking her find.


    When she noticed, she only shrugged. "It is on sect grounds, it belongs to the sect."


    Shae''s mouth snapped shut at the mention of sect grounds, her argument dying instantly. Her shoulders sagging at the disappointment, that could really have earned her some coin for the trip.


    Seeing this, the older woman softened a fraction. "You are sectless, yes?" Shae nodded. "Planning on joining ours?"


    Shae nodded to that too, adding. "It seemed a reasonable option, I was planning on asking about its reputation, though some of that worry has been lost since I read the sect history book Elder Ghon has, even out of date as it is."


    The older lady almost winced, "Yes, I imagine his book collection could use... well, burning and replacement, likely. Still, you could probably get in on tempering alone, or into other sects instead." She seemed to be thinking so Shae didn''t interrupt. She looked down at the ginseng again. "Well, a finders fee is appropriate, it should be sect comp. but you''re not in yet." She took the knife out again and carefully carved off a long thin branch-root from the larger whole. "Here you are, use it well, perfect for cleansing stage."


    "Uh, thank you?" She said with a hint of a question. "How do I?"


    "Ah, I suppose you might not know. Just eat it mostly, but there are better ways." She looked to where Shae had been working and found her knife. The woman moved fast, grabbing the knife and then plucking the ginseng out of Shae''s hand in under a second. She paused in the act of shaving a bit off it, scoffing. "Ack! What is this? Have you never used a whetstone?"


    "I have, but I forgot, the knives here are far better. So it wasn''t worth the effort. And I- uh just now realized I had forgotten." She gestured to the pile of slightly mangled roots at her feet.


    The Elder shook her head in disbelief then rolled her eyes while speaking. "Right, well, this won''t do. Seriously, you will damage the ginseng and make it worthless." She frowned, shrugged, and then pulled something else out of her satchel where her own knife came from. She held the small sharpening stone and after inspecting Shae''s dull knife, carefully drew it across the stone, being very specific about the angle and touching only the corner of the stone. She inspected it again afterwards, blowing imaginary dust off it. "There, good as... a few years ago." She handed the blade and ginseng back to the girl.


    Examining the knife, Shae was surprised. "Ah! It looks sharp again!?" The older woman nodded with pride. "So, I just slice some off?" She pointed at the ginseng with the knife.


    "Ah, right, I forgot to demonstrate. Well, you can try it. Shave just a thin slice off the cut end, as thin as you can."


    Shae did so, careful to keep the slice on the side of her knife to show it off after. The woman just shrugged and pointed at her mouth. Shae ate it, chewing slowly to see if she could sense anything different. "It''s, um, earthy? Bit blander than I expected."


    The woman snorted a laugh, covering her own mouth with the back of a hand. "You were expecting something spectacular, weren''t you?" She watched the girl''s embarrassment for a moment longer. "Thinner still, and keep it under your tongue while you cleanse yourself with qi. It''s a young plant, so you won''t notice much. One slice a day, someone at the sect could do more with it, if you can make it last that long. Even what is left over probably wouldn''t be worth the time. If you skip cultivation for a day, eat a piece anyway, it''s just good for health."


    "Ah, well, thank you for your guidance, Elder." Shae bowed again.


    The woman waved off the bow. "It''s fine." She looked down at the pile of blister root, then pointed at them. "These I can ignore, never liked the things, but please stop scavenging from the sect." She watched Shae test her knife on the bitter root. The girl then started quickly lopping off the damaged ends and storing them.


    The older woman looked down the mountain. Then after a few breaths spoke again. "There was a small group of spirit beasts in that direction." She pointed down the mountain, a bit to the right of the village''s direction. "You''ll likely run into them on your way down the mountain unless you sweep wide to the left."


    "Ah, thank you so much for the warning!" She exclaimed, standing and looking for where the Elder was pointing.


    "Not a problem, I am invested in seeing my message arrive."  She turned to leave, walking away as she talked. "Ah, and if Cultivator Bai asks, I am Elder Ngoc. Safe travels, Miss Shae."


    <hr>

 Old Monster 15: Hop, Skip, and Jump

    <hr>


    Chapter 15: "Hop, Skip, and Jump."


    <hr>


    Her short journey started out slowly. She made it to the edge of the sect''s formation quickly, but the woods were denser than expected. She had wanted to at least jog down the mountain, if she couldn''t run, really test her newfound strength on the way.


    From her practice the days previous, she had found a significant difference between the strength of her right and left limbs. The lightning cleansed limbs felt superhumanly strong, but pushing herself to use that strength was difficult, a mental loophole she had to squeeze through. It also meant that to use her full strength, her running became very asymmetrical. To Shae, it felt and probably looked more like a gallop.


    Landing hard on her weaker leg would cause it to collapse, and she couldn''t push off from it as hard either. So, her fastest running became more like hopping along on one leg, while using her weaker leg to stabilize her landing and help control direction.


    With two days of practice, she decided she really needed to cleanse her left leg properly.


    After about an hour of slowly working through the dense forest, it started to open up. Shae didn''t hesitate to pick up the pace.


    The ground fled out from under her as she kicked it away.


    The mountain wasn''t steep, but she was running downhill, making her progress feel more like falling than running. She experimented with her gallop, shifting to smaller kicks with her weaker left leg, just controlling her body angle and gaining a small bit of height as she fell. Her right leg, rocketed her forwards every time she kicked off, leaning forwards and low as much as possible to kick off at the steepest angle forward.


    She tripped a few times, of course. Missing a step or catching herself on a stronger branch. The couple downhill tumbles were softer than she would have thought, or more likely, her body could take a bit more impact now. She still expected to have bruises tomorrow.


    The real challenge came a few hours later, when the evening light was fading. She broke through a denser patch of trees to find an approaching drop, a ridge just ahead of her, no treetops visible in the space beyond.


    Having fallen into tumbling rolls already, she knew she couldn''t stop before it. Causing her to panic. She tried to kick sideways towards a tree. Succeeding, she reached out and grabbed at a branch. However, it was with her left side. That kick with her right leg pushed her that way. Her weaker left hand bounced off the branch, so she reached with the right on instinct. It grabbed the tip of the next branch, and she pulled, snapping the branch off, only shifting her slightly.


    The ground rushed at her again, and she landed with both legs far out front, trying to catch herself, her momentum unrelenting. She kicked off again, pushing back and left, trying to redirect her momentum. She was at an angle to the ridge, but still moving towards it. If she had twice the space and noticed it sooner that might have been enough. It wasn''t, the ground dropped out from under her, she was past the edge of the ridge, only empty air under her feet.


    Yet, she had kicked towards a tree. The branches brushed past her and she grabbed the largest with both hands, correcting her previous mistake. Her left hand slipped and could not find grip, her strong right clamped on. It slid briefly before catching at the point the branch split. It pulled her left, swinging her around to match with the cliff face. The branch snapped off, leaving her holding it in mid air. She was still falling off a cliff, even a short one, but she was no longer flying away from it.


    She flailed wildly in mid air, as anyone would. The steep cliff face rushed towards her as she fell. Unfortunately it was again on her left side, her weaker leg would be useless, possibly even twisting or breaking on contact. She flailed her arms a bit harder, the branch still in her hand, she got some extra control out of swinging the branch, but not enough. So she threw the branch at the last second, spinning her around to face the cliff and catch the steep surface under her right foot.


    She realized as she landed that she had no plan whatsoever.


    She tried to slide, hold her leg steady and ride it down, she tried to brush the cliff with her hands for balance. She looked below, it wasn''t a huge drop, the tops of the trees closer to her than to the ground. Her foot skipped along the cliff and pushed her outwards slightly as it caught and lost grip.


    She knew it wouldn''t work, it was too steep, she couldn''t keep up the delicate balance, and worse, she wouldn''t really slow down at all.


    While it was a cliff, it wasn''t vertical, so the treeline at the base was a dozen or two paces out from her. She tucked in, the fall straight down moving her center closer to the cliff face, then kicked off. She pushed herself out as hard as she could, towards the treeline. She hoped to just land near the top of a tree, and have a terrible time falling through the tree instead of grinding down the cliff until she hit the bottom at speed.


    She had a magnificent few seconds in mid air. Hanging upside down above the treeline. The evening light washing the scene in reds and purples.


    Then she was in the trees. She guarded her head with her right arm and tucked her left in. She didn''t think about her legs. The first branches were soft, all leaves and small twigs snapped and went by too fast.


    The first thicker branches were on par with someone swinging at her with them as hard as they could. A mortal someone, not a cultivator. They stung a bit more just because she remembered them. The real branches hit hard and spun her, not just breaking away with the impact. She bounced between a few, before there was a sudden gap. She opened her eyes to see the drop between the lowest branches and the ground.


    A few dozen paces in the air, adrenaline maxed out, she had a thin sliver of time to act. She was close enough to the tree trunk she could get half a kick in, so she did. Launching herself out from the tree. She caught the ground with a mess of uncontrolled limbs, the kick having spun her as well. Landing in the roll soaked up some impact. She tumbled for dozens of paces, rolling downhill. Her leg finally caught a tree trunk, spinning her sideways and bringing her to a stop.


    She tasted something warm in her mouth, fluffy and golden like a cloud. No, that was blood. She turned her head and let it leak out, so she wouldn''t choke on it when she passed out. Her body vibrated with energy, real energy, it was the golden light and calm clouds of her divine qi. She was packed full of the stuff now. She didn''t know when she had drawn so much of it out.


    Maybe when I first saw the cliff, maybe as late as when I hit the ground? She considered the question, but it was a blur of memory and too fraught with emotions to see clearly. She pushed the qi back inside her Dantian, most of it, she could feel darkness approaching before it was all gone.


    Those emotions were not gone, they still warred within her. Fear of the fall was slowly losing ground to the joy of still being alive. Panic was still riding her adrenaline and waiting for the shock to wear off, when she would really feel the fall. A little remaining clouds of divine calm floated through those and more.


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    She stayed still, not wanting to move for fear of the pain starting. She could see her left hand was bloody, and her right seemingly unharmed. She felt no other wounds, but moisture from sweat could feel the same as blood, and she did feel sweaty, so she was unsure. She assumed she wouldn''t feel broken bones until after the shock wore off or if she moved around more. A heat burned her skin in a few places where she remembered being hit, suggesting bruises, at the least.


    She focused on the calm divine qi within herself, letting it drift and spread around her qi channels as it wished, just nudging it with barely a thought as it slowed. She rode the little clouds down through her adrenaline high and into meditation. Once under, her mental space was chaos, her heart still pounded, the shock and adrenaline not fully dampened. Her fear and joy still pulled her in opposite directions, both trying to drag her back out.


    She went back to her classic meditation techniques, she hadn''t needed them in weeks, but they were still needed occasionally, still all useful now. She tried to accept what had happened, what she was trapped thinking about. It sort of worked, none of the urgency really falling away, it was still too fresh.


    She pushed the little cloud of divine qi into the corners of her system, the thinner channels and furthest points. The qi had its own plan for what to do, as the old monster had said. Maybe it would push out toxins, maybe it would relax her frayed nerves, maybe it would keep her alive.


    She searched her mental impression of her body for damage. That is when the pain started. Looking for it, seeking out its specific source broke through the barrier that trauma and shock had created. She started at her left hand, where she knew there were cuts and bruises. The cuts were all small, and maybe caused by that first grab at the branch, or the second. Definitely more the second, she thought, when her hand had slid along the branch.


    She then began finding the bruises, all over her arms and legs. One large one on her hip, and a few along her ribs and shoulder. Overextended joints, bruised bone, then blisters on her feet and worn out muscles from the run downhill. She couldn''t tell where they all came from, but she cataloged them diligently. Nearly breaking out of meditation every time she found one that was too painful to fully ignore. The little divine clouds acting to buffer the pain sometimes.


    Cracking an eye open, she found it was dark out. She felt like this was as good a place as any to sleep for the night. Now she found she did need to move. She was lying on something uncomfortable, a large root. She moved slowly, cautious of her injuries. She rolled over, pushing herself up with her stronger arm, it wavered a bit, too bruised to be steady. She moved her pack off her back and set it down as a pillow. Then lay down to sleep.


    Sleep came slowly, the pain and soreness keeping her awake. She considered what she would do tomorrow. Could she still walk with these injuries? A few stood out as more painful, so she summoned up more little divine clouds, the rest having dissipated into her qi channels. She urged the thing into the problem locations, asking it to heal her, to soak into her flesh and rebuild. It did soak in, but she was uncertain of the ''healing'' part, she felt no different, just tired.


    Mental exhaustion finally took her deep enough to fall asleep.


    <hr>


    The morning was an intense reminder to not fall off cliffs. Shae was sore all over. Technically an exaggeration, but once enough bruises form and enough muscles or joints are strained there isn''t much distinction between them.


    She moved slowly, working through the constant discomfort and the spikes of pain. Some joints and muscles were already stiff and she knew staying still would only make them worse.


    She checked herself over slowly, assessing the damage she hadn''t sensed clearly while meditating last night. The blood was mainly on her left hand, the thick travel clothes soaking most of the light damage and getting visibly torn and frayed from it. Somehow she didn''t find any broken bones, but she wondered if a rib or two was cracked, it was hard to tell.


    She was missing a shoe, her right foot was bare save for a scrap of cloth that served as a sock. She didn''t remember when she had lost it, probably the last kick off the tree, she would have noticed if she was barefoot for that.


    Her travel pack had marks from snags, but no major damage save a broken shoulder strap. Awkwardly, it was the right strap that broke. Since that side of her was stronger, she would have been more comfortable carrying it on her right side only. The bag had no metal hardware, just fixed stitching, so she couldn''t adjust it or switch which side the strap was on. She settled on letting it hang in front of her just so she could use her less sore right shoulder. She didn''t investigate its contents, she was too sore to bother.


    She gradually dragged herself back uphill to the tree she had fallen through, just to look for her shoe. Moving was painful, but she needed to, and pushed through the pain, knowing her joints would calm down the more she pushed. She knew the added blood flow would lessen the swelling, and thus lower the pain.


    The sight that greeted her was shocking. Maybe not as shocking as the fall itself, but the damage to the tree was far outside what she expected.


    Shae stared up at the tree, through the large hole her freefall had cut through it. The lower half of the trunk left an empty gap under the branches, and now an arc of those branches had been shorn away by her fall, revealing the cliff above.


    She was surprised by the tree itself. It stuck out of the forest around it like the sun on water. It was a golden larch, a blot of gold in a sea of green. With winter approaching its fine brush-like leaves had turned a beautiful yellow gold. It seemed to be the only one within sight, making it a beacon that drew the eye.


    Shae wondered if she had kicked towards it subconsciously. She had looked down during the fall, maybe seeing the bright gold tree acted as a target to her subconscious. She sighed and shook her head, thanking pure luck, if nothing else.


    High on the trunk, just out of reach, was a large gouge in the bark. Right away she knew what it must be from, but couldn''t believe what she was seeing. It could have been cause by a lumberjack taking a dull ax to it for an hour, but she knew it was from her single kick. Her last chance to change her angle of descent. Even now, she didn''t think she could replicate it, and not just because of her injured state. She simply didn''t consider herself capable of generating the force and power needed for that kind of impact.


    Seeing all the damage to the tree, she lamented its fate. She wondered if it would survive the winter. She thanked it in her mind. Then more directly by placing her forehead against the trunk and mentally praising it for its hard work. Wishing it good fortune to survive the winter ahead. She stayed there a few minutes, falling apart then gathering herself back together as thankful tears of joy overwhelmed her.


    She let the tears come, and reflexively let a little cloud of calming qi escape her Dantian. She moved it within herself, and putting all the thankfulness and good will into it, she forced it through her forehead and into the tree. She had no way of knowing if it had worked, if she could even move her qi outside her body. It had likely just burned itself away cleansing some of her skull or skin on its way. Yet, she felt it was the thought that counted most of all right now.


    She made a small pledge to the tree. To return in a later year to check if it was still alive, and to make good use of its wood if it was not. To that end she gathered all the shorn and shattered branches she could. Even keeping the soft feathery leaves. If nothing else, the lot would make a soft bed, and excellent kindling once dried.


    The broken strap of her backpack was not enough to bind the bundle to her bag, so she used the small length of rope she did have. Back when she had free time in the camp, she had made the iron blood creeper rope with her future travel in mind, it was good to have a piece of rope, however long. The old monster confirmed her handmade rope had been obliterated during her tribulation. He had provided a short length of high quality rope as a replacement, tucking it into the bottom of her pack.


    She found her shoe shortly after collecting the branches. She looked it over, shoe was a misnomer, she thought. It was more like a slipper, a long-soled leather slipper, with the extended sole pulled up and tied at the ankle. She had added extra lacing to keep it in place during travel, most of that lacing had snapped. Her memories jumped back to home, it was another piece remaining from that time. She had almost outgrown it now, her toe nearly too wide to fit comfortably.


    She struggled to get it back on her foot, mainly from her injuries restricting free and flexible movement. She tied it slowly, the last of the lacing, and some stolen from her left shoe, just enough to wrap her ankle. She hoped it would last the journey ahead.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 16: Whooah, Were Halfway There

    <hr>


    Chapter 16: "Whooah, We''re Halfway There."


    <hr>


    She set a grueling pace for the rest of the day. Not particularly fast, it was grueling mainly because she was so sore. She was fairly certain she was still moving faster than when she was a mortal. Finding a walking stick helped significantly by supporting her weaker side.


    She had set out to find the branch she snapped off at the top of the cliff. With little to go on, she was just searching along the cliff until she found something fresh enough, and looking like it was snapped off by force. She failed to find anything that met that description, but did find a very nice dark-wood stick of the perfect size.


    She decided that even if she could run as fast as yesterday, she wouldn''t. There was clearly too much risk. The forest had kept her so busy dodging trees that she hadn''t kept a close enough eye out ahead. At least, that was her reasoning for what happened.


    At a slower pace she was able to keep a much closer eye on her surroundings. Which was good because she wanted to be on the lookout for food. Berries and nuts and edible root plants might have been in abundance in the sect formation clearing, but that was probably because wild varieties had been planted there. Spread out enough to form a naturally replenishing harvest.


    Her trip down the mountain had seen far less edible options. Largely worsened by the season. All the fruit and berry trees had long since ripened, their bounty falling to the ground to spoil when left unharvested. The nut trees, she hoped, might fare better, and should keep longer. She wasn''t an expert ranger or wilderness hunter, so knowing which were edible was a gamble.


    She spotted mushrooms, but those were much riskier in her opinion. Anything really edible shouldn''t last long, if being scavenged by the wildlife. This made large clumps of mushrooms very suspicious.


    As the day crossed into afternoon, she decided to stop for a break, a rock outcropping making for a convenient seat and side table. She was encouraged by her strained and sore body.


    Sorting through her pack, most of the damage from the fall had been suffered by the ember cherries. They had been mashed into pulp. Their juices partly soaked into the waxed cloth used to wrap them, and coated the plant''s edible flowers that she had also collected. The whole mixture made for a very spicy jam.


    The bitter roots were also damaged, but their bruises and breaks didn''t really affect their taste. The bitter carrots made for an odd pairing with the jam. She only suffered a small amount of each before chasing the flavors off with some smoked rabbit meat.


    She really wanted to find a stream. Not just for water, she really wanted a wash after that fall.


    "Hmmmmgh." She whined to herself. "I really want a hot bath or shower!" Looking over her lunch she also wanted something sour and salty. "Aagh, and a pickle. A whole jar of pickles!" Knowing that wasn''t exactly a local option, she tried to think of what was, pickled ginger maybe? or kimchi, she made a face, more spicy was not what she needed right now.


    That also reminded her of the ginseng. Probably not good pickled, it was too bland and the earth taste it did have might clash with the sour, like pickling a potato. She had pickled carrots before, but those were sweet to begin with, and they were usually pickled with spice. She shook herself away from the distraction. Ginseng! She meant to try cultivating with it, like she was told to.


    Slicing off a sliver of the root, she then placed it under her tongue to dissolve. She tried to enter meditation. It took her a few minutes to get comfortable, and to ignore all her aches and pains. She considered lying down flat to make that easier, but settled for using some of the golden larch foliage as cushioning for her back.


    The ginseng hadn''t dissolved yet, seemingly at all. She wondered if she sliced it too thick again.


    A few more deep breaths later, she reached that familiar state of meditation. The first thing she realized was that she didn''t know what to do.


    The bulk of her practice had been drawing in specific elemental qi, just for the control practice. Now she didn''t have a specific element to aim for, and she didn''t really want one. Divine or lightning would be her pick, but those were exceptionally rare, and she would need to find much more to cultivate quickly and properly.


    She didn''t even have a cultivation manual to tell her what to do with neutral qi. "Ah, right, neutral qi." She paused. "What do I do with neutral qi?" She mentally asked no one.


    She relaxed back into her meditation. She''d have to collect some first.


    She reached out to the qi around her and was briefly surprised. The mountain''s earth element qi was weaker here. Still very present and all around her, but a little weaker. She still had trouble trying to move it. She thought she got a little shifting out of it after focusing for a while, but it was hard to tell.


    Thinking back to her first week indoors with the old monster, she remembered her metaphor. The air between the boulders of earth qi, that was what she was looking for. Not air qi specifically, that was just the metaphor.


    She also realized at this point that she didn''t have a good method of grabbing the qi around her. With the elemental qi, it was infusing the room so she just had to kind of call out to it and it would funnel towards her, escaping the pressure of the mountain''s qi.


    Wait. No. That wasn''t quite correct. she thought. She did have to fight the mountain for the earth qi. First separating it out then drawing it in.


    She could try something similar now. Separation was easy, she just grabbed at everything that wasn''t earth qi. Then slowly thought about drawing it in, imploring it towards her with feelings of need and warmth, like she had with the fire qi.


    It barely moved, a small trickle of fire qi dripped in. The qi associated with the thoughts she was expressing.


    After what felt like hours, but could have been only a few breaths, she gave up on that avenue. Instead, she thought back to how the old monster had instructed her before they started on elemental qi.


    He had talked about it without all the elaborate metaphors for emotions that she was using. That just made her first steps difficult as Shae was trying to translate his explanations into something that fit her own methods. Then she stopped herself, and took a mental step back.


    His explanation had been for neutral qi, not elemental qi. Maybe I''m overcomplicating things?


    A bit of trial and error later, she determined that yes, she had been making it more difficult. She thought that this was related to what he had said about the mountain being a bad location to learn. If she picked up weird habits to deal with it, they would be hard to break.


    She was glad she tried to do this so early, waiting longer would have made it more difficult. Both because the habit would sink in, and as the local qi environment changed.


    Trying properly now, she reached out and grabbed the qi around her. She didn''t try to feel anything at it. She didn''t plead with it to approach her. She just pulled; yanked it into her channels.


    It didn''t all move. The mountain''s qi held strong and other bits of elemental qi were left behind, but the neutral qi rushed in. She almost lost concentration from her surprise.


    A moment of discomfort as she felt her channels were overstuffed. It was focused within her left arm and leg, as that is where she had learned to draw it in, to avoid the divine lightning. She pushed it along, smoothing out the distribution. Again, Shae realized she had no clue what she was doing. Pulling it all into just a subset of her channels felt sloppy.


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    She focused and stuck with what she had learned. Simply moving it through her channels, getting used to the flow, and the shape of her channels. She moved it slowly, because she had so much compared to the trickle of elemental qi she was used to.


    She pushed it into the nooks and side passages she could find. Tiny offshoots and branches that were invisible before began to show up, spreading her mental map of her channels. She also found her impurity filled meridians. They were like large caverns; subway stations that would one day house massive flows of traffic, but which were now packed with rubble and garbage.


    The meridian below her Dantian stood out as different. Like work crews had already been in to clean up the place. Only a few large boulders blocked the space, the smaller rubble and trash was missing. However, it also looked like fire had ravaged the place, or some kind of explosion.


    She realized it was the lightning qi. The storm saved up in her leg had to get to her Dantian somehow, and it felt like this place was in its path.


    She threw the subway station metaphor away. Metaphors are dangerous, she had already seen how they could affect her qi. Sticking to the idea that the tribulation had only been lightning had almost killed her. Also, she thought, it is just a terrible metaphor.


    She knew from elder Ghon''s book that meridians were not a single point, they were a whole series connected together. Not a single subway station but the whole line of stations and the tunnels connecting them. Dammit! She cursed herself for falling back into the metaphor.


    If she remembered the diagrams in that book correctly this was either the bladder or gall bladder meridian. She considered that it would be extremely on point for the divinely judgemental lightning to have passed through her gall bladder meridian.


    Letting the idea sink in. She accepted that it would have been impossibly unlikely for any other meridian to be used. It just fit too well.


    A shiver of premonition rippled through her as she connected what sorts of reading may lay in her future. The meridian book had a lot of mind numbing diagrams and information to memorize. Yet, the most interesting part of it was the lore and stories associated with the various meridians. How they were seen in culture and what sayings connected them.


    In this culture, the word gall and its idioms were very connected to that meridian.


    She sighed and let her worries pass, an easy feat when she was already meditating.


    She pulled and neutral qi continued to stream in from outside her, a little slower now that she had taken the nearby stuff. It packed in and flowed throughout her channels, sometimes bumbling painfully into a wall. A kind of pain that was almost entirely mental strain.


    She was fairly sure there was a way for her to imprint on the qi, make it hers, but she didn''t know how. With much uncertainty she decided to not allow it into her Dantian. She feared it would dilute her divine qi. It also refused to soak into the formation like the elemental qi had.


    She could not tell what the ginseng was doing, if anything. It had dissolved by now, a while ago, really. Which she took as a good enough sign to stop for today.


    So, now she had a new problem. What to do with all the qi she collected. Storing it in her Dantian would have been the obvious answer, but she had just decided against that.


    Cleansing would also be a valid option, but she hadn''t been given clear instruction on how to do that. The lightning had a mind of its own, so she hadn''t learned anything from it.


    She picked a spot on her right side, and pushed the qi at it. Even after sending thoughts of cleansing nothing changed. The qi hit her channel walls and hurt. She could feel them stretching under the pressure and had to stop.


    While taking a short break to cycle qi and recover from the added mental strain, she decided to try something risky.


    It would need her to keep some of her qi separate, so she started by leaving gaps in the circular cultivation cycle she had settled into. Once comfortable, she made some space around her Dantian and withdrew a small cloud of divine qi.


    She kept it separate, moving it slowly along her channels to the site she wanted to cleanse. About half way there, she slipped up and the cloud was overwhelmed. The neutral qi crushed in, breaking it apart.


    Shae was disappointed, but she had seen something just before it broke down completely. A little bit of the neutral qi had vibrated and changed, she might have imagined it, but it was worth another attempt.


    She doubled the size of the divine qi cloud. Drew it out of her Dantian and into the clearing around it. Then slowly trickled in neutral qi.


    It was a challenge to do this and manage the rest of the qi in her body. She nearly lost the balance a few times, but it was working. The neutral qi was being converted to... not divine qi.


    It had a similar feel and look, but was missing a bit of the punch and self importance the divine qi held. Shae got a sense that it might be purified qi, if neutral was a general mix of everything, this was a puree, so smooth and clean it felt like nothing. As she watched, she saw something worse, the divine qi was becoming lost in the larger cloud of pure qi.


    While she thought about what to do she shuffled it around the outside of her Dantian, she still did not want to bring it inside. A flash of lightning appeared across her Dantian, no, not really lightning. The faux lightning ribbons that roiled through the clouds inside her Dantian. Moving much slower and in a visually pleasing dance. Like a gymnast doing a ribbon routine, or throwing toilet paper rolls into the wind.


    The humorous comparison almost caused Shae to break out of meditation in laughter. She felt herself buckling from her lungs suddenly trying to breathe erratically.


    She got serious and forced herself out of it when the mass of neutral qi started slamming around. Unguided, it had started to do its own thing. The migraine-like feedback instantly broke all of her humor.


    She looked to her divine qi to soothe the pain and noticed it had done nothing special in the same timeframe. It was happily drifting around her Dantian. This urged her to convert more of the neutral qi, she clearly couldn''t leave it alone like she could the pure qi.


    The ribbon lighting flashed again and she had a thought. Maybe the divine qi needs a bit more than just the calm clouds to form properly? She resisted the idea of withdrawing the ribbons. She had too few, and the biggest one was probably too powerful, who knows what it might do.


    The cat''s eye marbles roamed around in her Dantian too. She had more of those, weaker but more sealed into themselves than the ribbon. They might survive her channels and be much more controllable.


    She pulled one out immediately and winced. They hurt when removed from her inner world. Both the act itself hurt and just having them in her channels, like they knew they shouldn''t be out here.


    She surrounded it in the cloud of pure and divine qi. The effect was almost immediate. The whole cloud strengthened. Small ghostly sparks flying through it.


    Emboldened, she rushed a bunch of neutral qi into it, not so much to overwhelm it, just to see how much it could handle. It did well against the flurry, a lightning storm in a tornado. Exaggeration, yes, but Shae was not above that.


    Before her laughing fit, she hadn''t realized she was in danger. The neutral qi was a waiting threat inside her channels. She saw so much work ahead to control it all. Even with a solution, it was now a marathon.


    Throughout the marathon, the little marble didn''t waver. Undiminished, it reinforced the divine qi by making it last longer and moving the purified qi just a little closer to the divine. She had to take many breaks. It hurt just to have the marble outside her Dantian, further wearing away her mental fortitude.


    The new qi still wasn''t divine. It was missing the anger, the wrath and the uncompromising judgment, if she had to guess. Yet, it felt about half way there. Probably the better half, she wasn''t sure she wanted the extra baggage of wrath stomping around in her channels.


    It still refused to go outside her channels and cleanse her, but it didn''t hurt as much when it bumped into them. Another benefit, it only moved suddenly when pushed; otherwise drifting steadily without slamming into her channels. The lightning marble seemed to have given it some movement, and it wouldn''t sit still.


    What must have been hours later, she reached halfway. Half the neutral qi she had collected was converted. A curious equilibrium had formed at this balanced point. The two qi forms weren''t eating each other away, weren''t diluting into each other. The half divine qi was drifting through her channels on its own and the neutral qi was following obediently, and not rioting when she looked away.


    Half. That was important. Halfway to the divine, half from the mortal world. Demigod. That was what she would call it. Demigod qi. She chuckled to herself, "Heh! Seems like a great way to get halfway to immortality."


    She passed out shortly after, only cracking an eye open to lay down safely and see the sun rising, marking a new day.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 17: Double Blind Luck

    <hr>


    Chapter 17: "Double Blind Luck."


    <hr>


    Shae woke up that afternoon because the sunlight broke through the treetops directly onto her sleeping face. Eliciting a series of groans and at least one "Five more minutes, please."


    She was surprised to find she wasn''t quite as sore as she expected. Very sore, bruised and generally swollen. Yet, it felt like she had been injured about a week ago, instead of less than two days.


    With that thought in mind, she acknowledged that she was making very poor progress down the mountain. She had wasted two days and could have been at the road by now. "No!" She contradicted herself, "I''m being too harsh." She had left in the evening, made good time while running and stopped at night. Little progress yesterday and none today, yet. She looked at the sky again, midday? early afternoon? She couldn''t precisely determine the time.


    She could call it a day, maybe a bit more, spent recovering and cultivating. Progressing her qi path, if not her path down the mountain. That was still progress.


    She could make good time again today, but that would be risky.


    Her stomach grumbled. First she needed food, and water. Her pack had more bitter root, a miserable thing to eat while thirsty, more miserable was the smoked meat, now very dry. But she still ate her fill of both. Her last few ember cherries provided some liquid, and she ate them last.


    Finding water would be tricky. Head downhill, obviously, but she was on a mountain, so downhill could be very far. It was consistently sloped enough that water wouldn''t collect except in things like crevices, forming narrow streams.


    Her memory flashed back to a similar problem before the old monster found her. However, at that time she was near the base of the mountain.


    She wondered if she could use qi to find her way to water. Not actively, but maybe checking the local density, she thought it out. It would be like a painfully slow hot-cold game, but she pledged to do this as quickly as she could.


    Plopping down to meditate, she found a tiny bit of peace, her recent sleep keeping her mind clear. Then she called to the water qi around her. A slow mental chant, something new that she could pace out and keep time with. So that she could easily repeat it later.


    After three repetitions a trickle of water qi arrived. She drew it in and tried to measure it, water should have been more measurable, but she didn''t have a reference point. She brought it to her Dantian and held it near the surface, where the formation of partial symbols and lines had absorbed other water qi. She felt this gave her a small idea for how much she had, then she let it absorb into her Dantian formation.


    Leaving her brief trance and looking around for what to do next, she made a decision. She needed high ground, or open sightlines, at least. She needed to regain her bearings and it might help her find a gully or other landmark indicating a stream.


    Once she got moving she found that the demigod qi still in her system was urging her forwards. Its lightning aspect was reflected as an energetic and impatient feeling throughout her body. She would have started sprinting again if not for the incident with the cliff. She nearly ran off without her bag and had to retrace a dozen steps.


    Of the qi she collected yesterday, she felt the majority was still in her system, and still balanced equally between neutral qi and her demigod qi. She attributed her swift recovery to this new qi, and just holding onto it. Even if she didn''t know how to speed up her own healing, she expected that being charged up with life energy would let her body work at peak efficiency.


    An hour or two of swift hiking and swifter descents brought her to a stone outcropping. Few trees were near as it had jutted up from the ground, leaving rocky terrain, and a jagged fall. This vantage point was exactly what she wanted.


    She looked down the mountain and out over the forest landscape. She spotted the mountain range in the distance with the sect mountain prominent as it was the closest.


    Sweeping her vision closer, Minlin city didn''t stand out immediately, but a short time scanning where she thought it was found a discolored blotch. A gray and brown lake on the ocean of green forest. She recalled the old monster calling it a village, it wouldn''t have been visible as just a village.


    From the city she followed where the road should be, and found a few disconnected lines where it ran near the mountain''s base. The long line of cleared trees meant the two horse-cart wide road was visible from overhead, even at an angle.


    She picked a few hypothetical landmarks. Everything looked a little different now than it had before, from higher up the mountain, or from the base. She shifted her target path slightly to the left because she still remembered Elder Ngoc''s warning of spirit beasts. She hadn''t said what they were, but pack wasn''t usually used for docile animals.


    Switching her focus to finding water, she considered that maybe she should have started there and not bothered with the road, her thirst roared at her. She spotted several low points tracing down the mountain. The best and closest of which was to the right, probably towards those spirit beasts, and if her earlier luck was anything to go on... she sighed dramatically.


    Before she set off, she considered her earlier water qi test, if it was worth the time to repeat it. There was a small chance she could get a decisive answer, and it was fast, so she decided to try it again.


    The results were inconclusive. She had hoped beyond hope that there would be an abundance of water qi here, suggesting a hidden spring or stream she missed was very close by. Instead the timing and collected qi bubble were indistinguishable.


    She continued her trek, climbing down the right hand side of the outcropping, towards the nearby gully she had spotted.


    As the sun was setting, she found it. A tiny stream of water, nearly hidden in the undergrowth. It was so thin that she had to lay her waterskin on its side and let the water slowly trickle in. It was a terrible way to collect water when one was very thirsty.


    After a few disappointingly small sips, she set it down and decided to distract herself. Now that she had found a water source, she could retry her water qi experiment. Quickly flowing through the same pattern again.


    "Good results!" She shouted. It wasn''t a lot, but there was a change. The same amount of water qi arriving in just two mantra chants instead of three. She was very pleased with herself, she had done science!


    Yes, the results were very predictable, and barely needed confirming, but she still felt validated in using the scientific method.


    Those last words itched. No, that wasn''t the scientific method, wasn''t even particularly scientific. She sighed. She would need to repeat the test, probably several times. With different qi types, preferably with fewer variables, since she could have introduced bias by knowing the stream was there. She had traveled down the mountain, so the increase could be from that. She could have naturally gotten better at drawing in water qi with the practice of the chant.


    She sighed dramatically. Science was hard. Do I even want to focus on science? Make that my path through cultivation?


    She scooped up her waterskin, now nearly full, and drank heavily.


    She took in the scene around her, wilderness and nature, more beautiful in the waning light of a sunset. Brilliant colors and fresh air. Does science have that? Science from earth was lab coats and paperwork in offices and sterilized labs and glassware. Science kinda sucked.


    She relaxed, discarding that path. Maybe she would do a little test once and a while, as it caught her fancy, but she would carve her own path, not follow one from Earth.


    She returned the empty waterskin to the stream. Looking around and enjoying the sunset, she felt glad she took the risk of coming this way.


    Then she knew that she had made a mistake coming here when she heard the howl.


    "wolf" She whispered to herself.


    Shae jumped her way up a tree so fast she forgot her water skin in the stream and her pack on the ground. Her pack with smoked meat in it.


    Looking around briefly, she climbed back down thinking she was safe. The howl must have been a long distance away.


    She collected her pack, emptied her water skin into her stomach, returned it to the stream and climbed back up the tree. All while forcing a relaxed place.


    She tried to relax in the uncomfortable tree. There was no way she was letting herself fall asleep on the ground tonight.


    She considered running, or continuing moving, in some way. The uncertain part in her mind was where are the wolves? The single long howl had received a few replies and none came from a clear direction. She reasoned this was because of the gully and the trees all around. The sound could echo and bounce.


    She imagined a wolf up on the rock outcropping that she found earlier, howling at the moon. She wouldn''t be surprised if that was where the first was, calling to its pack.


    Adjusting her clothes for comfort in the tree, she looked herself over. With dirt from days of travel and blood from her injuries she would be a distinct scent trail they could easily follow. Unless, by some fortune, they recognized the smell and didn''t like human meat. That seems unlikely.


    She guessed that she would be easier to find if she moved, and she would be unable to get water faster unless the stream joined another. Thus, she decided to stay here for now. She wasn''t so tired that she needed sleep, but she did need water. She planned to drink herself sick then start moving downstream. She hoped to find a larger stream to bathe in. Washing away most of her scent before she was found.


    She snacked on the remaining smoked rabbit, but couldn''t finish it. She hadn''t stocked up on that much, yet it was just too dry to get through quickly. On considering her food stores she thought of how late she was. The trip to the city should have only been a few days. She figured she had already lost out on the bonus for delivering Elder Ngoc''s message quickly.


    After eating she jumped down to drink water again. She would have to keep going up and down, for a while longer.


    She sighed, What can I do while waiting?


    Cultivating was usually a large time commitment. She wasn''t sure she could just dip in and out for a few minutes at a time. Which reminded her she hadn''t had a slice of ginseng today, she might just eat it later without cultivating. It was better than the dried meat.


    She didn''t really have anything to do. The only book she had was the old monster''s formation notes. Up in the tree, she couldn''t do her Tao Yan practice. Oh! But maybe some body weight exercises.


    She spent some time moving around in the tree. Chin ups, weirdly angled sit ups, and leg lifts were the simplest. She jumped down between sets to grab water, and did one or two exercises on the ground.


    She wasn''t working herself tired. She was actually struggling to do so, her partially lightning cleansed body and demigod qi giving her far too much energy. Normally, when one was surviving on limited food in the wilderness, wasting calories on exercise was a very wrong choice. Yet, she found she was full of energy, and she might even be having fun climbing all over the tree. The only thing slowing her down was the occasional twinge of pain from her injuries.


    After the fifth trip down and up the tree while exercising, she realized something was off. She just wasn''t getting tired, and the tasks were not difficult enough. She hit her palm against her forehead in realization. She was stuffed with qi, half of which was her new demigod qi.


    Aside from the demigod qi wanting her to keep moving, the whole setup made her much stronger than she was used to. Even beyond her previous state a few days ago. She even found that her unbalanced strength had... not quite balanced, but it had reduced the gap somewhat.


    She started to scold herself for the rookie mistake, then stopped, she had actually become more accustomed to her enhanced body in that time. So she couldn''t think of it as a complete waste. Even burning off some of her qi, she assumed she was using some of it, was probably a good thing in the long run.


    Now nearly at her fill of water she decided it was time to get moving.


    Moving at night through a forest was an exercise in frustration. Within the hour she had tripped four times and stepped in the stream twice, soaking her left shoe. This was only partly because she was still trying to move quickly.


    She made a mental note to look for a seeing-in-the-dark technique when she got to the sect. Eyes of Night or Wise Owl''s Sight maybe? She joked to herself.


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    Her mind drifted thinking about other cool super powers she wanted. Flight being the obvious one, it would have solved all her current problems. Okay, just most of them.


    She recalled Elder Ngoc''s entrance. Did she fly in? Shae wondered. Maybe she was leaping and jumping her way up the mountain, which could be why she landed in a cloud of dust.


    Shae tripped again. Face-planting into the stream.


    As she picked herself up, she heard a growl. Instinct and adrenaline took over as she bolted away from it. The growl had come from behind her, keeping her general direction the same, down the mountain.


    A smaller stumble later, she found its source. A lone wolf stalked her. Its dark coat blending into the night quite well. It seemed in no rush to catch up to her, simply following her through the woods.


    She grinned, foolish wolf, humans are the endurance hunters.


    An hour or two later Shae discovered the real problem. The Wolf could see fine at night and she couldn''t. She feared that it might have even been herding her somewhere. Though, she would have expected to see other wolves by now if that was the intention.


    The real issue was that she kept falling, tripping and catching herself on obstacles in the dark. If she had been mortal, she might have broken her ankle or wrist several times over.


    She had sped up to lose the thing, but it kept up, and slowing down too much caused it to growl and snap its jaws at her. A scare tactic to be sure, but she wasn''t scared, she was cautious, both had the same outcome, she was still running.


    Shae was sure she could keep this up for much longer. She wasn''t flagging, she didn''t feel tired. Yet, she could still see the final outcome. She would get stuck, fall, break something, or fling herself off another cliff and then become wolf-supper.


    Her mind made up, she picked the next suitable tree, it was well lit by the moon and large with high branches. She swerved towards it and scrambled up it. With her heart pounding in her chest, she found herself grateful for the rest, even if she hadn''t felt tired.


    "HARF, HWARF!" The wolf barked and growled at her, then howled a few short yaps into the night.


    She would wait for daylight.


    Well, maybe that was a bad idea, more wolves could show up. Maybe it would get impatient and leave.


    She exhaled slowly, trying to relax and settle into the high branches for the rest of the night. She slung her pack over a nearby branch.


    Starting to fall asleep and nearly falling out of the tree was her warning that she did, in fact, need to sleep. Mediation and cultivating also seemed like valid options to her. Either way she would need to safely affix herself to the tree.


    She had rope, of course. It was keeping her pack together, and she might need to leave suddenly. Which she could do easily if she left the golden larch branches behind. She didn''t want to do that.


    Perusing her pack, she found an option. The iron hairpins. She could use them to pin her clothes to the tree, supporting some weight. Hopefully enough to not topple her over when her head sagged from sleep.


    Setting the pins took some effort. She had to use her stronger cleansed hand to slowly force them into the tree.


    When she felt secure, she opted for cultivation instead of sleep. Reasoning that she might need the extra strength the qi provided. A slice of ginseng and some deep breathing later and she was under, within her mindscape.


    At first she was a bit disappointed. Her qi was still flowing through her channels the same as she left it yesterday. So, she felt she didn''t have much to do.


    She could collect more neutral qi and convert it to keep the half and half balance, or convert what she had to see if anything happens when it was all demigod qi. The latter seemed risky, it would probably be harder to get the balance back. For the former, she wasn''t sure if holding it like this for a long time was good for her. It definitely wasn''t cleansing her properly like she expected.


    Oh, yea! Cleansing. She decided to try cleansing again, taking a new strategy. She focused on where the divine lightning qi had cleansed her last.


    The boundary between divinely cleansed flesh and regular flesh was underwhelming. She could sense very little different, and very little at all. She wanted a microscope, but here, senses were not the same. Any visual representation was created by her mind. It was all about what she could feel within herself.


    Thinking about it, maybe she could work on that. Considering Elder Ghon''s words from weeks ago, cultivating in dense qi is bad, she paraphrased. He hadn''t fully explained why. She knew it would affect her control, supposedly a loss of precision. Maybe that was also true for her senses? Maybe the ginseng could help too?


    She moved some neutral qi to near her mouth, or where she thought it was within her metaphysical domain.


    Nothing really happened, she thought. Maybe there was a slight change, but she knew she was biased by expecting it. So probably not, or the ginseng was just too young to have a seriously impactful effect.


    She moved on. Bringing that qi and some demigod qi to the cleansing boundary that she had been focusing on.


    After some negotiation, brainstorming, contemplation, and patience she found something new. Her channel walls were there, but also not. They were part of her metaphysical being, so they didn''t act like solid physical walls.


    She found that she could soak her qi into the walls slowly; eventually working its way through. She figured this was how cleansing worked, but it seemed too slow. The lightning had done a much faster job.


    The neutral qi was still kind of useless, but it could work along with the demigod qi by being caught in its wake and dragged along.


    Like elemental qi, her demigod qi could be influenced by her, taking hints from her emotions and intent. So, suggesting it soaked into her flesh worked, and suggesting it gave her better feedback on the state of that flesh also worked.


    She had a theory that the feedback was based on the nature of the qi. So her part purified/ part lightning qi''s feedback was mainly, this isn''t moving and this isn''t pure. She took the latter to mean not cleansed, which made sense with where the qi was in her body.


    She hesitated at the next step of trying to cleanse the flesh. She tried to sense what or exactly where the impurities were, but she made no progress.


    She delayed a bit longer, letting the qi soak through her channels, spreading it along, across the small area that she could pay close attention to. She also pushed it into the nearby cleansed flesh for good coverage and to check the difference.


    Then she pulled the metaphysical trigger. Focusing on the movement aspect of the lightning and the purifying aspect of the divine qi, she set off a chain reaction. Grab the impurities, the toxins, and move them out, purify the flesh, cleanse it to match this part that is already complete.


    She thought she did a pretty good job in maybe getting about a third of that idea across to the demigod and neutral qi mix.


    It started pretty well, tingling a bit, especially along the border of cleansed and normal flesh. Too late she remembered the old monster saying that the first cleansing step should probably just be her skin, and she hadn''t been specific when instructing the qi. The real movement started as a pulling feeling, like someone pinching your skin and pulling, but without the pain of the pinch, a very odd and disconcerting feeling. Shae started to lose concentration on her meditation. The repeated very odd sensations dragging her out.


    As the cleansing spread, the pulling pressure was spreading and increasing, the tingling feeling growing to a near constant electro-static-like pain. She broke out of meditation to an assault of smells. Not just the noxious smell of the impurities escaping her skin, but also other smokey burning smells.


    The first few she identified as burning cloth, wood, hair, and probably skin. A slight ozone smell signaling the lightning was doing a bit too much work. The last she didn''t notice right away as she was very distracted by what was going on just over her shoulder.


    She hadn''t been particularly specific about what part of her body she was cleansing, she was sure it was attached to her arm, as that was the cleansed region she had spread out the most while under the old monster''s care. It turned out it was on her back, around the top edge of her right shoulder blade.


    The demigod qi had mostly converted to lightning, or had the purifying half used up, so was just lightning remaining. It sparked out of her skin, burning through her travel clothes and sparking to the iron hairpins she had spiked into the tree. The tree charred there too, and her hair was a bit too close to avoid any damage.


    Nothing had burst into flames yet, which she would later be very thankful for. She still pulled away from the tree quickly, ripping the hairpins out of her clothes on that side. The single pin on the other side hadn''t charred the cloth around it, so it was torn out of the tree instead.


    She felt the pull of the pin and reacted by grabbing for it, but stopping herself before she stabbed her hand with it. She also had to steady herself in the tree as the quick movement disrupted her balancing act.


    Once steadied, she retrieved her third hairpin from over her left shoulder. Barely caught in her clothes, she didn''t want to lose it if it fell out.


    The qi was still escaping her back, and bringing black impurities with it. It arced around in more of an impressive light show than dangerous sparks of lightning. Most of it arced into her right arm, its unique nature attracting the qi. From there it tingled across her skin, slower than electricity really should move. Then found the iron pin she was holding.


    It is worth recalling all that is going on, and even some new things that were happening below the tree. Because even with all that, Shae''s attention was focused solely on the hairpin. The leftover half-lightning qi had grounded into it, charging it with a power that caused it to glow white hot. Not actually hot, she noted, but bright with stored energy.


    As soon as she could rip her eyes away, she looked at the two pins still stuck in the tree. They had undergone a similar change, though much less significant as their energy slowly drained into the tree, charring the bark around them.


    Lightning. Iron hairpins were charged with lightning. Her mind reeled. Not just iron, iron blood creeper wire. "My wire rope!" she shouted. These weren''t just any pieces of wire, they were from her rope, the one she used to ground out the tribulation. Three strikes, three hairpins. "Hahaha! Elder Ghon, you tricky old monster-bastard!" She laughed and shouted.


    "HARF!" A wolf bark sounded below her and nearly knocked her out of the tree.


    When she looked down at it, the large gray wolf went back to rummaging around on the ground. Pushing something around with its oversized snout. It was quite a large wolf and dwarfed the pack it was pushing around, that it was trying to carefully tear apart to access the contents. She also spotted a pile of familiar golden larch branches strewn about.


    She slowly glanced beside her where her pack was supposed to be hanging. It was missing, the whole branch it was hanging from was missing. On closer inspection, the break had a few very suspicious claw marks, large ones.


    "What the fuck." Shae whispered in disbelief. She looked down again, "Did you... climb up here and steal my pack?" She was horrified by the other option, that the wolf had some kind of ranged claw attack.


    It looked up with the bag over its snout.


    "Hey!" She shouted and pointed. "No doing cute shit!"


    It responded by making something like scooby-doo noises through the bag over its nose and wagging its tail.


    For a brief moment, Shae had a wonderful vision of having her very own huge wolf best friend. He''d be so soft and cuddly and protect her from all the bad shit in the world. They''d play all day and go for walkies-


    The wolf crouched down, sticking its rear up in the air and wagged its tail more, ready to play.


    "No." She whispered under her breath. She was a cat person, dogs were way too needy.


    Then she threw the hairpin at it and screamed, "No!" It was already wrecking her stuff, that couldn''t be untrained easily.


    The hairpin flew directly down, a streak of light in the dark night. The gray wolf dodged, leaving her pack behind. However, it didn''t dodge fast enough. The lightning discharged right before it hit the ground, arcing to the tree, the ground, and the wolf. It yelped and dashed away further.


    A standoff started as Shae stared it down. It was about fifty paces out, nearly deep into the trees, but she knew it could cover that distance in a flash. She had to stand her ground, not let it approach again.


    She calmly stood, grabbed her two other hairpins out of the tree and dropped down. Landing in a cool superhero pose where she punched the ground, which hurt a lot even with her stronger arm. Her own surprised yelp was covered by another large discharge of lightning as it arced off her cleansed arm and into the ground around her.


    When she looked up, the wolf hadn''t moved, it was in a more cautious stance, ready for action. It wasn''t growling yet, but it was showing a sliver of teeth that shone in the darkness. Most concerning was that it was releasing a small amount of killing intent. Shae wondered if she had made a mistake as she noted it wasn''t doing that before, even when chasing her through the forest.


    Having bought herself some temporary respect, she picked up her thrown hairpin and poked all three through her sleeve, just on the outside of her right bicep, making sure the metal contacted her skin. Her cleansing demigod qi was still working, making the whole situation fairly uncomfortable or outright painful sometimes. The leftover lightning qi should ground into the pins, and not go down her arm or shock whatever she touched with her hand, probably.


    She collected her pack and rooted through it quickly to see what the damage was.


    Almost everything was covered in a layer of wolf drool. Some more than others. The two worst packages were the ember cherry flowers and the remaining smoked rabbit meat. As soon as she opened the smoked meat package, the wolf barked at her and started wagging its tail again. Though, it did so without lowering its killing intent. Shae thought its intent and qi pressure might have even ticked up a notch.


    Since the two packages were ruined anyway she mixed them together, being sure to really mash the spicy flowers into the meat. With the juicy mess the cherries had made of the flowers she ended up with a spicy sticky ball of jerky. Which she proceeded to throw at the wolf, hoping to teach it a lesson with the spice, that much really should give it some trouble, like eating a handful of ghost peppers. She reconsidered, maybe only one ghost pepper? She had never had one before.


    She couldn''t help but crack a grin as the wolf jumped at the meat ball, instantly dropping its killing intent. It landed in a roll, now too distracted by the chewy treat.


    It made some curious noises as it tasted it, pausing, jumping away, then diving forwards at it again. Shae almost burst into laughter as it was clearly having a hard time deciding if it liked the spice or not.


    In the end it seemed to really enjoy the treat, which disappointed Shae on a parental level. It was supposed to be a lesson in stealing food, not a treat, she thought to herself.


    She tried to use the food wrappers, the waxed cloth, as napkins to get the ember cherry jam off her fingers but had very little success. Even using the wrappers as makeshift gloves when she made it wasn''t enough to save herself from the sticky mess.


    Finished with its meal, the wolf lay down and watched her, seemingly content to not fight or try to harm her. Shae tried to keep her guard up but had a hard time staying mad at the big dog-like thing. It even managed to have a stupid expression on its face.


    The tension of a possible fight against a wild animal gone, Shae relaxed for the first time in a while, a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. She felt so much better. She looked up at the night sky from under the tree and leaned against it.


    Right before she hit the tree, there was a little tingle in her arm. The next thing she knew she was a few body lengths away from the tree, lying on the ground with a ringing in her ear. Her right bicep smoldered as the cloth had been partly incinerated.


    "Ah." She said groggily, "the lightning pins." Stunned, she stayed on the ground.


    A few moments later, a wolf head appeared in her vision above her. Inquisitive curiosity in its eyes. Then it sat on her, pinning her down so it could clean the spicy cherry jam off her hands.


    She flailed at it a bit. It did nothing, it was larger, heavier, and clearly more durable. She thought it might even be in the core formation stage, or whatever equivalent spirit beasts had. She was disappointed that she wasn''t throwing lightning anymore, and realized that the huge weight lifted from her shoulders was the literal feeling of the qi cleansing ending.


    Then the wolf went to sleep, and she was stuck. Exhaustion kicked in, plus the large warm fur weighted blanket, and she said "Fuck it." and also fell asleep.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 18: Try, Try Again

    <hr>


    Chapter 18: "Try, Try Again."


    <hr>


    Shae woke a few hours later at dawn. The sun had risen just enough to pierce her eyelids as early as possible. She discovered that she was not weighed down by a large canine; the Wolf was gone. She was quite glad, as it would have been awkward to try to chase it off, and she really was more of a cat person.


    Her first step was to find the stream and wash herself a bit. It was still quite small, so she really only managed to clean her face and hands a bit. She cursed the wolf when she found her waterskin, there was a hole in it, and enough slobber to make the cause abundantly clear.


    Everything else she had was still in one piece, though not pristine. Her hairbrush was whole, just a couple bent bristles, probably from the fall of the cliff, she noted. The letters were all miraculously free of wolf drool, but one had a bent corner.


    The ginseng was still there, unharmed. The rest of her food stores were gone after she ate the last two bitter roots that morning. She set out to cover ground and forage for more food. She could likely go without it for the rest of her trip, but she''d rather not.


    She pushed hard all morning, not as fast as the first day, making sure to have room to stop ahead of her. She followed the stream, staying close to the source of water.


    As she progressed down the mountain she was reminded of a few things. First the oppressive weight of the mountain''s qi was distinctly lower, the difference was like throwing off a heavy sweater. Not incredible, but noticeable in contrast. Then there was the wildlife, the sudden appearance of birds and squirrels and so many more insects was a drastic change. With it came many more fruit trees, berry bushes, and mushrooms. Most of which she didn''t recognise. Like the days before, she avoided what she couldn''t identify.


    Because of the late season much of the fruit was on the ground rotting, the berries overripe with sour smells of vinegar and alcohol. The mushrooms were still generally suspicious. She had noticed the same higher up the mountain, but hoped the warmer air from the lower altitude would have delayed the seasonal change. If it had, the additional animals clearly preferred fruit that wasn''t rotting.


    She slowed near noon and found a single untouched plum high up in a tree. A bit of climbing got it down safely. It was juicy and flavorful and just the best plum she had ever had. It wasn''t bursting with qi, and didn''t give her any special enlightenment. She wondered how long a tree would have to nurture such a fruit for it to accumulate qi, years? Decades?


    As she ate and walked she found another recognisable sight. A red bean tree, shells open and picked clean of its namesake beans. Empty pods littered the ground around it. She finished the plum and discarded the pit under the tree. Looking up into the branches, she lamented not being able to travel the mountain earlier in the year. She only briefly considered if she should scour the upper branches for unfallen beans, or rake the earth for overlooked whole pods. She shook her head and left; unwilling to rescue other''s leftovers.


    The afternoon was more eventful, a clearing with a large walnut tree caught her eye. What looked like several seasons of nuts scattered the ground, seemingly untouched. As she approached she felt a slight qi pressure. Not the mountain but something else. Carefully checking the area over she couldn''t find the source.


    She didn''t hesitate to pilfer the abundance of food. Being picky and only taking the tops of the piles, those that had fallen recently, hadn''t soaked in the rain, and those untouched by the grass and dirt. She bowed to the tree as she left, just out of paranoia and as thanks for the meal.


    She only got one open to try, her knife wasn''t the right tool for the job, and she wasn''t keen on stabbing herself in the hand. She decided they could wait until she reached the village, and the excess should fetch some coin as well.


    As the afternoon transitioned into evening she found her next stop. The small stream she was following had joined others and eventually pooled into a rocky crevasse. It wasn''t the most ideal bathing location. Yet, Shae felt quite dirty and so were her clothes. So, she took her time cleaning everything in the cool water.


    Just before setting off again, she realized she hadn''t cultivated today. More importantly, if she did and cleansed herself more, she would be covered in impurities again. Thus, she decided to stop for the night.


    Now with a path forwards through cleansing, and one that didn''t require her to suffer extremely painful lightning. She planned out her evening. She would cleanse the muscles in her other leg first, with the long term goal of balancing her leg strength out. Even if her method was unlikely to be as good as the divine lightning, she still wanted a bit more use from her other leg.


    She wanted to move her clothes away from the cleansing location so she didn''t need to wash them again. However, it was autumn, with an evening chill in the air. She left her robes on, but moved what she could away from her left leg. She stuck her hairpins in the ground so that they would be very close to the skin being cleansed, and pull the excess sparks of lightning away. Then she sliced a thin piece of ginseng and placed it under her tongue.


    Her session began about as smoothly as it could. Knowing what she wanted to do she got started much faster. The real slow down was that with only a vague impression of her body she wasn''t able to target specific muscles. Without moving slowly to allow her qi to soak in and give her feedback about where it was, her selection would be only slightly better than blind guesswork. It would be in the correct general area, but her channels didn''t seem to map to her body in a way that made sense to her.


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    She soaked her qi across her lower back, choosing comfort over a shorter path. To further reduce the discomfort, she thinned the demigod qi out more, about half of what she used yesterday. She guessed it would require multiple passes, but it was quite painful yesterday.


    She started the process by telling her demigod qi to copy the divine cleansing. With less pain she was able to maintain her meditation and she watched the qi flow out of her and build up lightning qi outside and arc into the hairpins. So, in a surge of efficiency or frugality, she attempted to recall the excess lightning qi back into her channels.


    This was a painful decision. The qi readily surged back into her from the hairpins. It felt like it was burning through her flesh in some places, even though it never hurt her right arm yesterday.


    Shae panicked and threw it at her Dantian, letting it absorb into the formations. Surprisingly, she found that it didn''t follow the same lines as the divine lightning qi. It arced around for a breath or two and then found its own home, like the other elements, lighting up an area with new partial symbols and some thin formation lines.


    She considered this a partial success. Technically the formation wasn''t a waste, but without knowing its purpose, she had a hard time justifying filling it with qi.


    She decided to try again, but with more of a plan. She thought she could group the lightning with the demigod qi, possibly blending them together and strengthening her qi creation.


    With only a little prep she was ready, the cleansing started and the qi flowed out of her. She tried to only pull from one of the lightning pins, but got all three anyway. Fortunately, with less time passed, there was less lightning stored in the pins.


    It still hurt, but she got it to the demigod qi cluster. It cut through, not seeming to join, but with a mental nudge it started blending in. Then the neutral qi around it started converting to demigod qi. Previously that had needed a push to keep going. It had needed one of her cat''s-eye marbles nearby to provide the lightning and some divine qi to add a purifying aspect to the neutral qi.


    Now the process seemed to be catalyzing on its own. Pride and excitement soared within Shae, then a pinch of fear and doubt. What if I can''t stop it? She applied mental pressure, and it slowed down. Then moving the neutral qi away seemed to help more. Yet, the charged up demigod qi still acted a bit strange, it was moving faster, almost more aggressive, angry.


    She knew that it still wasn''t proper divine lightning qi, but it might be close. She held onto the small cluster for now. She was unsure if she could let it wander on its own like the nice balance the qi had found yesterday. She briefly contemplated ratios of qi, what the nice balance meant and if she had "given the qi ideas" again.


    That and more while she continued to cleanse more of her lower body.


    Eventually she pulled some of the calm divine qi from her Dantian, and added it to the angry demigod qi. Carefully, to see if it could add balance or change it more. She found it had little effect, if any. At some point the lightning seemed to overwhelm it and the divine qi mixed into the rest.


    She wondered if this qi could directly cleanse, like the tribulation qi did. She moved it into her left leg, a fresh spot that was separate from the other areas she was working on. Then kind of suggesting it cleanse her flesh. It moved a bit, straining at her qi channel walls, which was painful. However there was no immediate lightning-cleanse like she had hoped.


    In the end she let it soak into that same spot, using only half at once, and gave it the same cleansing instructions as the other qi. Though, because it wasn''t near other already cleansed flesh, it reacted erratically. It sparked and thrashed a little in a way that was more painful than the other demigod qi. It did seem to be working, it was grabbing the impurities.


    Then it stopped cleansing and thrashed wildly. The lightning started separating out of the combined qi. It arced into the other half of the angry demigod qi waiting nearby. Is it looking for something? She asked, then that half swelled with lightning and raced through her channels. It caused excruciating pain, only dwarfed by her previous attempts to channel divine lightning qi.


    Her meditation broken by the pain, she screamed.


    The lightning finally found the nearby divine flesh, only needing to move to her other leg, an arc formed between them, and the cleansing started again. Yet, it wasn''t content to simply arc once. It sustained itself by absorbing the nearby neutral and demigod qi.


    With an instinctual panic, Shae lashed out at it mentally, grabbing and severing its connection across her body. Then she forced the arc to her Dantian, to ground out into the formation lines and symbols for lightning qi.


    Not all the qi was absorbed, but it did take the excess lightning out of her demigod qi. That was enough to break the chain reaction and disrupt the angry qi.


    The qi in her flesh wasn''t done, though, it still hurt and sparked the same as her other cleansing project. Painfully, it forced out the impurities in her flesh.


    As she recovered. She took stock of what she learned. If I could handle the pain, this would be faster. She made a plan to examine her skin in the light to see if it matched her right limbs. She cursed that she didn''t have a better way to test the efficacy of her cleansing. Maybe at the sect they would have something. An elder''s divine sense might be able to tell right away, she guessed.


    This lightning charged qi is dangerous, she decided. Then, she realized that she had controlled her qi while not meditating. Not a lot, just forced the lightning to break, but perhaps that was more impressive. That was possibly her first step towards some kind of technique, she would need to use her qi freely outside of meditation to use techniques.


    She whimpered quietly, her clenched eyes tearing up, and she only nearly started sobbing. She desperately wanted to talk to someone about all of this, someone knowledgeable. She even considered going back up the mountain to talk with the old monster and Elder Ngoc. Between tears she choked out a sigh and shook away the idea.


    With her body now drained of most of her neutral and demigod qi, she slept.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 19: A Meager Selection

    <hr>


    Chapter 19: "A Meager Selection."


    <hr>


    Shae had slept poorly and woke up grumpy, her leg itched, and the qi channels in her hips and left leg felt strained. She chose to follow the stream in the starlight instead of trying to sleep through her discomfort. The stream met with the road as the sun was rising.


    As she looked down the road in either direction she lamented her limited knowledge of local geography. She did not know the next town in the opposite direction to Minlin City, she had probably been told in the past, but memory was fickle, especially as a child. Even nearby farms and manors were a mystery to her; she only knew what was close to the city.


    She was unsure if she would see other travelers on the road and she met no one all morning. She pledged to reach the town tonight, even just walking like a mortal, even if I have to go through someone to get there. She clenched her jaw.


    Initially, she ran which irritated her sore leg and channels, but on remembering one of her revelations last night, she slowed to a walk. She had moved and commanded her qi after breaking out of her meditation. She knew that it was technically possible, but she had been unable to do so.


    While walking, she tried her best to move the little remaining demigod qi around her channels. She guessed she had about a tenth of what she first created. She could definitely make more, but she was weary of holding qi in her channels constantly. It''s probably not the ''correct'' way to do things. She rolled her eyes while envisioning the old monster.


    One of her cultivation goals now was to charge her hairpins with lightning qi without meditating. Cleansing takes too long, can''t rely on that, she told herself. Lightning was the only attack-type-technique-thing that she could almost do, and she suspected she would need something better eventually. No sense only planning for sunny days.


    Her mind whirled with ideas. She was sure she had a couple emergency tactics: try to summon the lightning-ribbon? The cats-eye lightning marbles would probably work in a pinch. From her experience with using one marble in her channels she knew the lightning-ribbon would be nothing short of traumatically painful for her to use. The angry-demigod qi could work, if it doesn''t shred me as soon as I leave meditation, she grimaced. Something to do with my right arm? It is already near immune to lightning, and my hairpins for electricity storage and I can throw them, she fidgeted with the three pins, could I throw anything else?


    As soon as she tried to implement each new idea she was throwing them out. Just thinking of moving the ribbons out of her Dantian made her nauseous, and concentrating on trying to move the marbles while walking was difficult and migraine inducing. She thought that the angry qi needed too much setup, though my qi stores are low, I could probably risk the full conversion. She decided she could stab herself with the pins to maybe make human battery terminals, that the lightning could arc from. Ugh, that''s a bit gruesome, she just didn''t want to try it right now.


    She played with the harpins as she walked, and eventually bent one into a circle. They were still iron wire, so they bent with moderate effort. She made a mental note to be careful not to overstress the metal, it could fatigue and break. Somewhat tired of fidgeting with them, she bent the second into an open bangle for her wrist. The third was in her hair, serving more as a barrette or bobby pin, but still much closer to its intended purpose. Going back to the first pin, she wound it into a tighter circle making a ring that she slid onto a finger. The bangle tried to fall off her wrist a few times. It was a bit too short to make a proper bracelet. So, she wove it into her sleeve, following the hem curve with the bent pin.


    Electricity likes loops, she thought as she fidgeted with the ring, coils and closed circuits Electromagnets use coils too, and motors and alternators as well. Hmmm. Is magnetic qi a thing?


    Getting to the actual work, she focused on trying to move her qi as she walked. Her qi was sluggish in her channels. It mostly ignored her and moved on its own, as the demigod qi liked to do. When it did move, it didn''t obey her instantly, and she could hardly sense what it was doing within her. She kept trying, and hoped she was making progress.


    The wide open road was great for her thought process. She didn''t have to watch her footing for roots and creeks. She didn''t have to think about where she was going at all. Her injuries had calmed from the walk, only brushing her mind if she took an awkward step. She drifted forwards in a trance. It was unsurprising that she didn''t see the trap coming.


    She was startled to find she was walking past a beggar sitting at the side of the road. She snapped out of her trance as he did something, looking at her a bit too hard, in just the wrong way. She had a sudden urge to put on a large pair of headphones and keep walking.


    "Alms?" he asked.


    "Sorry, I don''t-" She caught herself. She actually did have a bunch of walnuts. "Eh, ok, do you have a knife or hammer or something, I''ve got some nuts." She stopped to reach into her bag, pulling out one of the bundles.


    "Trade?" he asked, tapping the rolled up blanket beside him, "Rolls out." He pointed.


    His terse way of speaking made him sound a bit slow, but Shae saw a glimmer in his eyes. "Eh, I really don''t have any coins."


    "EH? Erry''ne got coin." He moved to unroll it.


    She dropped a small bag of walnuts where he was sitting. "No really, I''m fine." She regretted her earlier misgivings about headphones, I guess I have met some interesting people before.


    He pointed at the bag of nuts then back to the blanket, "Eh? We look, look!"


    She sighed, "Fine. I''m just as broke as you though."


    He unrolled the blanket. It was empty.


    "Uhhh, isn''t this supposed to have stuff on it? Like for trade?"


    "Mhm." He agreed, "Yer stuff." His tone changed then, much sharper.


    "Wha-?"


    Another voice spoke from behind her. "He said it''s for your possessions. Take your bag, dump it. Any rings or other jewelry as well, and please don''t make us search you. We like to leave people with some dignity, if nothing else." The new male voice was almost suave, but it was stuffed with so much smug she nearly gagged, it''s like he ate three shit eating grins for breakfast.


    She turned to face three shit eating grins. Well, two and a mask, but she glanced back and the beggar did supply the third. They all had weapons drawn, even the beggar had a long knife. Probably had it rolled up in the blanket, she thought.


    "You bloody serious right now?" She asked, really too stunned by the expert rug pull to take them as seriously as she should.


    "Deadly." The shit eater said, flattening his mouth and leaning forwards, staring intently. The tip of his sword drooped to almost touch the road, the threatening steel replaced by killing intent that welled up from within him.


    Having recently experienced the natural born and savagely honed killing intent of an apex predator, Shae almost didn''t notice it. She thought that her tempering might have helped as well, or getting relentlessly qi stomped by Elder Ghon on a weekly basis. Still, she felt it a bit, and something behind it, he had a bit of power, maybe even touching on core stage strength. She would have to be very careful, but her leg itched, and she found herself still short on sleep and grumpy.


    "What''s that tickle? You folks feeling a slight tickle? Like when a toddler is really mad at you?" She mocked and looked at her assailants. The guy on her left had a spear, one which was entirely too close to her, and it was wobbling around like his arms were made of jelly. He was exceptionally average, save for a nasty scar that looked like it hadn''t healed correctly.


    The one on her right had a mask over their mouth. They were slim with long hair tied up neatly with a headwrap and a braid hung out the back. The mask and wrap gave them a ninja look, but Shae found their eyes way too pretty: bright green with long lashes. She smiled at mask-girl, her first impression stuck at: some pretty farm girl who ran away to play bandit.


    She had a bow, arrow nocked but not drawn, in a resting position wide out in front of her, ready to be used. Shae might mock her, but against the young girl she was just as deadly with that bow as the idiot with the sword. Maybe I''ll be nice to the pretty girl, she is probably having quite a hard time paired up with these clowns. Shae had an immortal weakness for pretty eyes.


    The sword idiot was still trying to pop a blood vessel on his own forehead. He only squeezed a little more killing intent out, and a bit more when he saw Shae smile at mask-girl. His sword was now digging into the dirt of the road. It was a jian, a double-edged straight sword. He would have looked more intimidating with a dao, which was a saber. Maybe a real heavy dao, or something more pirate-like if he was really trying to nail the roguish scoundrel look.


    The beggar had grown impatient. "Out! Now!" He grumbled in the same tone, grabbing her pack and tapping her wrist with the side of his knife. He hadn''t dropped the ''slow'' act, which made Shae wonder whether it was an act. She decided not to be too mean to him if it came to a fight. Do I want a fight?


    She turned and dumped her bag on the blanket. She did not want a fight.


    "Is that all?" Spear guy asked. He was on Shae''s right side now, his spear tip almost catching her shoulder.


    She gave him a glare.


    "Hair ornaments and jewelry, too, lady!" He said while flicking the spear tip up at her hair. She knew she should have been threatened by the weapon, but the bright red tassel around the tip was particularly eye catching and obnoxious. The way he wobbled it around felt like a joke.


    She rolled her eyes and plucked the hairpin out of her hair, unwound the other from her finger and dropped the pair onto the blanket.


    "That better be all!" He threatened again, weakly. "No hidden purses or anything?"


    "That''s it." She said flatly. Then to prove her point she shook out her robes a bit and jumped slightly to prove nothing was jingling. "Stop embarrassing yourself." She said to the sword idiot.


    He finally broke his concentration as the group moved to look over her stuff. He grumbled, "I''d like to see you do any better."


    Shae considered if she could summon killing intent. She had never really tried it, and even now she couldn''t summon desire to cause serious harm to these people. She shrugged the thoughts away.


    She motioned to the beggar, "I told him I didn''t have anything, I wasn''t lying."


    The beggar nodded, "Mhm. Poor''s dirt." He was trying to get into one of the walnuts. It looked to be a risky operation using his long knife.


    She grimaced at the impending injury. "Careful with those, they are really hard to open up. You could easily cut yourself."


    He looked up at her, then set his face to grim determination, nodded seriously, and got back to it. Now moving slower and with more care.


    "What are these made of?" Sword idiot asked, pointing at her iron blood hairpins with his sword, moving them around the blanket with the weapon.


    "Iron. The pitting is from rust."


    "Then why do you still have them?" He sounded almost disgusted.


    "Sentimental value. They were passed down to me from someone with more greats before their name than I can remember."


    "Huh." He moved on.


    Spear guy was still just behind her left shoulder. He was the only one that still had a weapon trained on her, but he was also trying to get a good view of the blanket. He saw the bundle of golden larch sticks and asked, "These any good for arrows?" then looked to the archer girl.


    She just shook her head after a glance. She had found the hairbrush and was inspecting it intently.


    "What''s that?" Barked spear guy. The archer remained silent.


    Shae offered up. "It''s a hair brush. Like a comb but better. It also has sentimental value to me. Though the bristles do need to be straightened."


    "Better how? How do ya use it?" Spear guy asked.


    She looked at him incredulously. "It''s a hair brush. You pull it through your hair, like a comb." She spoke slowly, emphasizing the words. Something she hadn''t even done for the beggar.


    The two bandits were standing close together now, looking it over. They got a little stuck staring at the lightning bolt carving. It was quite an impactful carving, Shae remembered.


    "Yea but what''s it do!?" He asked again.


    Shae had had enough of this moron. She summoned up all the hate and anger she had accumulated over a lifetime of dealing with moronic men on earth. Always asking obvious questions or explaining the obvious instead, treating others like the idiots they were. Anger at a few billion people.


    She stepped forward with a stomp. Pushing into his spear with her shoulder. Mentally lashing out at him with her anger. He paled immediately, eyes going wide. He stepped back automatically. The spear wobbled to the side as it freed itself from her clothes, making a quick ripping noise. She hadn''t felt any pain, so assumed it was too dull. Maybe not killing intent, but anger and wrath, at least. Her right arm tingled a bit, like restricted circulation returning suddenly.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "What was that?" Sword idiot asked.


    "A lesson in how little I''ll put up with idiotic questions." Shae snapped.


    He looked past her, eyes locking onto the archer girl. She was just as shocked, pale faced and green eyes quivering.


    "Oh! Sorry honey!" Shae cooed. "That was just for him. You''re doing great." She really was sorry, the poor girl looked like she was about to bolt, or fire off an arrow. "Tell you what, you keep that brush. Your long hair needs it more than mine."


    Her eyes widened and she pulled the brush close to her chest. Then she looked to the side and wiped the hints of tears away.


    "She was just going to take it anyway." Sword idiot said.


    "Nope, it''s a gift now." The young girl retorted. "One I expect to be thanked for." The other woman remained silent, even while Shae stared at her.


    "Where are these going?" Sword idiot interrupted her to ask about the letters.


    She sighed. "What, are you an out of work courier or something?"


    He held up the fancy looking introduction letter for the sect. "Some people pay good money for timely deliveries. And... I just want to hear your answer."


    Shae knew that last part was a very blunt way of saying ''this is a test''. She rolled her eyes again. "That one is to be delivered to the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect. The one with the tael is for Minlin city, the same sect''s cultivators there. And the last will be hand delivered by me, and me alone."


    The group responded by speaking over each other. Archer girl quietly said "or what?" Spear guy jumped back in, dully jabbing her in the shoulder, "This ain''t no negotiation!" And the beggar, still working on the walnut, grumbled, "No town, no go." Sword idiot stayed silent this time.


    The spear tried to dig into her divinely cleansed flesh, but it was too dull or her skin too durable, probably both, Shae figured. They were clearly too poor for even a whetstone. With the archer girl not having a secondary weapon and the beggar relying on the long knife they made it obvious they had no other weapons.


    Her anger spiked again, tingling down her right arm. She lashed out, batting the spear away with a solid crack. The tip tore out of her clothing easily, the cloth already so damaged from her fall and cleansing tests. Her sleeve slipped down her arm and a bit of metal touched her hand, she smiled.


    Everyone was silent for another breath so she went back to teasing. "Speak up cutie, I can''t hear you with that mask on." Shae couldn''t resist teasing and flirting with the pretty ones, just to get a response. Though it was only the last couple years where it had stopped being very awkward because of her age. It was usually still awkward for the recipients.


    The archer''s hand darted halfway to her face before stopping. Poor thing, she probably gets that all the time from the others, Shae frowned.


    "Said, no town. No go." The beggar grumbled again. All eyes snapped to him and he didn''t even look up. He was locked in concentration over the same walnut, trying to slice it in half with his absurdly long knife.


    Sword idiot spoke next. "She said ''or what?'' And I''m inclined to agree. You think you can stop us from taking it?"


    "Let her talk for herself." Shae jabbed. "Are they always like this, Honey? My heart goes out to you." Then turning back to sword idiot. "Oh, go ahead and take it, but you won''t be rewarded for the delivery. Unless you count the wrath of a sect elder as reward. If anyone other than me delivers it, they will be killed upon delivery, simple as that. That''s why it doesn''t have all the fancy seals."


    "Must be important then." He stated.


    Shae shrugged. "Not really, the information is outdated, the situation has already changed."


    He stared at her, waiting for her to flinch. Then said "huh," and shrugged. "Well we''re not going to the town." He pulled the coin off the letter, a ring shaped silver tael, and pocketed it.


    "Aww, C''mon, it will save me a stop." Shae fake whined.


    "And no idea when we''ll get up to the sect. I hope it''s not important."


    "What? Aw, send the cute girl. She probably needs a break from you idiots." She tried.


    "This isn''t a discussion. You do understand the situation you are in right now, yes?" Sword idiot said while trying to put some qi pressure on her.


    She raised an eyebrow. Repeatedly calling him ''sword idiot'' in her head, if she let herself think of him as anything else, she might crack.


    "The situation? The one where you are trying to intimidate a stranger on the road? Sure, you have some real strength, but is it enough?" She paused and he increased the qi pressure. It wasn''t even close to what Elder Ngoc had done without the formation. "Because here I thought you all were just some out of work couriers, looking for a job. And we both wanted to share some food." She gestured to the walnuts. Somehow the beggar still hadn''t got through the one he was working on.


    Sword idiot just stood there, as menacing as he could manage, swirling his qi around himself. He was nearly touching on something else too. A hint of something from his Dantian, and a warp in the air around him.


    Shae had felt its kind before and it just made her want to push him more, and I can''t look weak now. "Because, if you were trying to steal from me. If you were bandits? Well, the penalty for banditry is death."


    She heard a grunt from over her shoulder and turned in time to see a bright red tassel coming at her. She swatted at it again, this time with real strength and anger. "Get this out of my face." A thin red spark leapt from her exposed shoulder to the tip of the spear.


    Anger, wrath, judgment, that was what she needed right now, the actual emotions matching the tribulation lightning. The spear cracked, the top half flying off.


    She felt the qi pressure change, just fast enough for a warning. She turned back to see sword idiot stepping toward her. This fool who tried to steal from me, who had probably corrupted an innocent girl with his stupid almost-handsome face and nearly-charismatic attitude. She flicked her right hand in his direction and pushed all the built up anger and lightning out at him, a few drops of blood drawing out furiously bright qi lightning.


    He froze. The lightning crossed between them until it arced into the ground just in front of him, charring the road black where it hit. His qi jittered twice then flared up higher. At that she felt it, the slight warping of reality as he tapped into his Dao.


    A tiny epiphany unlocked for Shae, and the details of what she had been able to do on the mountain became so clear. The old monster''s Dao breaking reality and her enlightenment had let her make the ribbons and marbles. Both factors were needed, but the Elder''s Dao was first, and she had defended herself from it first, before her enlightenment.


    She pulled that ephemeral mental lever again, the one she had found against the old man''s Dao. She reached out with whatever it was and grabbed at the cultivator''s Dao.


    Because that is what he was, a cultivator, what she had been trying not to call him, even in her own head. She couldn''t stand against a cultivator, but a sword-idiot was an easier matter.


    Sword idiot''s Dao was small, miniscule compared to Elder Ghon''s, just a little shard of obsidian. It was his own personal belief in how the world worked, how he wanted it to work, and she could feel it. Her mental grip on the little shard connected her to it, it was a single simple idea, but she only received flashes of its intent. The Dao was focused around personal power, taking what you want because you had the power to do it. Making others bow just because you can. Perfect for a bandit or pirate leader. However, with it now in her metaphysical hands, she saw it was not a one way street, I can use it against him.


    He had frozen in fear at the red lightning, and she would need to reinforce that fear, reinforce the power she had over him. With a considerable effort of will and a decent bit of pain, she flickered a lightning marble inside her right hand, quickly channeling lightning into her arm and remaining hairpin then flickered it back into her Dantian. It only took the blink of an eye, but even that had been a struggle.


    She flinched and grimaced in pain. She recovered quickly, glad he missed that, the cultivator was now staring at the lightning around her arm. It was so easy last time.


    Her hand arced with lightning, jumping to her wrist and charring her robes. The iron hairpin was still hidden in her sleeve and acted as a magnet, drawing the lightning out of her. It made for an excellent illusion of her power, one the man was clearly afraid of.


    Then she did the really important step: she showed the sword idiot that other people, anyone, could have power, and that he would need to bow to them instead. A simple lesson that he should have already learned. She shoved at his Dao, forcing it back into him, sealing reality around him. He coughed pathetically; eyes wide in terror.


    She felt her mental lever snap away from her and a headache stabbed into her mind. She saw the backlash was much worse for him. He dropped to a knee and coughed up blood, one mouthful, then another. He kept his sword in hand, the point digging into the earth supporting some of his weight. His qi guttered and swirled erratically, not yet out of control, but teasing the edge.


    The cultivator in front of Shae was still conscious, still alert, even if he didn''t look it. She guessed at her odds of finishing him off and immediately discarded the idea. She only had a single lightning strike left, all her qi spent to charge up her arm with lightning again. If she could land a clean hit, what a big if, and it might not kill him or knock him out. Even if it did she would still have the others to deal with, and they might not stand by, might not let me walk away after killing their friend. The archer already had an arrow nocked and ready. The spear wielder was behind her, out of sight. I have to play out the stalemate.


    She breathed out some tension. She made her move and took control of the scene. Walking over to the blanket, she plucked the unmarked letter from Elder Ghon out of the pile then stepped back. "You, girl." She commanded. "Split this up. Take whichever letter you wish to deliver, and I mean you personally. Take the food in the blanket, leave the rest of my things. And the rest of you can fuck off, now."


    Silence filled the air. Then a sharp ''crack'' and a cheer from the beggar. "Woooo! Did, I did! Nut!" He shoved the meat of the walnut into his mouth and chewed. "MMM! Good! Good nut!"


    Everyone else stared at him. Except for the spear guy who had already made it a hundred paces down the road, and the sword idiot was still dripping blood from his mouth and staring at the ground. So it was just the two women who stared at him, both amazed he hadn''t picked up on what was going on.


    Shae smiled at him. "Good job. Please, take as many as you''d like." She gestured to the pile with her left hand while tucking her right out of view. That got the archer girl moving as well, and they quickly had the whole lot sorted out. The beggar took up the blanket of nuts and casually carried it off after the spear guy. He had cut off the road and was running deep into the woods.


    "Why?" The archer girl asked, gesturing to the letter she had.


    "Because you need a fresh start. Give it to the sect cultivators in town and go home. Or go to the sect and have a fresh start there." Shae shrugged. "Banditry only leads to pain and misery. Either yours or others, caused by you, neither is good, neither can be good for you."


    She nodded and tried to move sword idiot. He stood and stumbled off, then sidetracked off the road after a dozen steps, stopping to sit and meditate. The archer followed and stayed with him when he sat.


    Shae frowned at the pair, then discharged her pent up lightning into the ground with a roar of frustration. "AAAargh!"


    They were easily within earshot and she didn''t really want them to see her mad or angry about getting robbed. She thought this might work as if it was part of her mysterious lightning powers. Wait, she thought, is it mysterious? I am clearly a cultivator, and it was definitely qi based. That is not much of a mystery.


    She sighed then tried to take deep calming breaths as she cleaned up her stuff. A few walnuts were left, just a fist sized bundle in waxed cloth. She grinned as she found a few other things that were missed completely. Her ginseng, knife, and Elder Ghon''s formation notes were all overlooked by the bandits, some had been stuck inside her pack. Only the ginseng would have been worth stealing, but the notes might have made the cultivator curious enough to take it anyway.


    Her bag repacked, with the golden larch branches neatly tied up, she set off again. Instead of ignoring the two on the side of the road, she called out to them, "He''s going to be like that for a while. You can leave him be, he will live." Then after a few breaths she tried again. "Fresh start you know?" The girl looked conflicted, so Shae tried to wait to give her time to run ahead and put some distance between them, but it was getting awkward.


    She let them be, maybe one of the others will swing around to keep an eye on him so she can leave. Shae really hoped the woman would make the choice on her own.


    Shae decided to run the rest of the way to the village, if archer girl wasn''t going to push distance between them, then she could instead.


    Running helped her focus on something other than panicking about how close she was to getting stabbed by a bandit. "Bloody hell that was too close." She said to herself a few times, once a few li were between them.


    Her leg still itched, but her qi channels were less sore without qi in them. She had checked her shoulder to see only a few light scratches where the spear tip had slid along. Shae didn''t doubt she would have lost blood to it if he had been actually trying.


    To help herself calm down, she reviewed her personal rules for dealing with bandits or situations that clearly were not in her control. She was not particularly good at following these rules, but in the time since she learned them two years ago they had helped. She learned these rules shortly before she left home, and they were not a small piece of that puzzle.


    Rule One: show no weakness. Bandits and bullies love weakness, they look for it and exploit it whenever they can, so even if you are a literal child against trained soldiers, don''t cower, don''t instantly submit, and don''t lose your calm. She usually did great at rule one. This time was a weird exception because she wasn''t actually a weak child anymore.


    Rule Two: make no promises, tell no lies. This was probably her favorite because it was an old classic. Lies are weak links, see rule one. Lies can be turned against you. Be sources of anger or leverage the other party can use against you. Promises are just elaborate reasons to get you right back in the same situation again, which is obviously bad. She had pushed these rules pretty hard this time. ''Technical truth that can be interpreted as a lie later'' was about the same as lying as far as most people were concerned. So she docked herself points for that.


    Rule Three: be more trouble than you''re worth. This covered a few lesser rules, like not carrying anything valuable. Not making powerful enemies. And a few others. This one she wasn''t sure she managed this time, it was always a hard trick to pull off. She had been carrying too many things she was concerned about losing, and had maybe made herself sound too important. That could have led to them searching her more closely. This rule also covered the ''carry a fake wallet'' idea of having a lesser prize they could take and be satisfied with. She really didn''t have much as the one letter hadn''t been enough. She had failed to plan for bandits on such a short stretch of road.


    "Ugh." She groaned, "the letter!" Her introduction letter to the sect would be delivered by someone else, how absurdly embarrassing. A little part of her hoped the archer girl- or woman, she should stop calling her girl in her own head. She was probably a decade older than Shae.


    It could be a bit of hilarious sitcom drama. She smirked and hoped the woman would deliver it and be mistaken for Shae herself. She''d also get to see how nasty the sect was based on how they punished the woman.


    Then she immediately felt bad, she didn''t want the poor woman punished. She had tried to push her to get out of that terrible situation, not to push her right back into another. Shae supposed she might have some influence on her punishment. She doubted the woman''s ability to impersonate herself since she didn''t give the woman her name. She''d have to kick the sect security''s ass if they let her social engineer her way in so easily.


    Her final conclusion: I will have to really reconsider these rules. Having actual power changes the dynamic of most situations. Drastically.


    <hr>


    The kilometers flew by, and the li twice as fast. The local long distance unit, the Li, was almost exactly half a kilometer. It had taken Shae an embarrassing amount of time to figure that out while growing up here. The local meter was just a ''pace'' which was exactly whatever it was. Though, the standardized version was usually a bit longer than most people could walk comfortably, since it was based on some tall asshole that ruled the local area. Human body based measurements are trash. Shae cursed.


    Then she smiled wide, the city was in sight.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 20: Fortunes Flavor is Bold

    <hr>


    Chapter 20: "Fortune''s Flavour is Bold."


    <hr>


    Shae felt she had made good time running. Without qi she was significantly slower than when going down the mountain. Just balancing out her leg strength a little bit did so much for her speed. Still, the road was straight and well maintained. There was daylight remaining, about mid afternoon, and she would reach the city in under an hour. Its few tall buildings and the straight road let it peek out of the dense forest.


    She tried to plan out the rest of her day. She needed to meet the sect cultivators, do I want to do that as I am? She looked herself over, robes shredded from her fall, the shoulder burnt out from lightning cleansing and a certain spear wielder. Her pack had a bundle of sticks tied to it, and was also damaged. "Right" She decided out loud, "I''ll need a bit of help first."


    There was one person she knew nearby that could help her, well, more than one, but one that I like. She had been surviving in this area before the old monster found her, even if she never went into the city walls. She stopped in at a quaint farmhouse on the outskirts.


    "Auntie Mei!" She called out when she found the woman.


    "Eh? Who''s there... Zhi Shae? Is that you? By the heavens, I hardly recognize you. You''ve changed so much!" The older woman called back. She looked the picture of a rural medicine woman or sometimes a witch, depending on the day. Long gray hair hanging out a shawl, then more shawls to block the autumn chill. Unless she was working her garden you might miss that she was probably stronger than most young men, her lifetime of farm labor building on her family''s natural athleticism, so she said. She still hunched as she walked, however, age was weighing on her.


    "It''s nice to see you too, Auntie."


    "What happened to you? You look like you fell out of a tree." She pulled at the young girl''s travel robes, looking at the cuts and tears in the fabric."


    "Fell through a tree, more-like. I was up the mountain, had quite the adventure getting down. Say, could you help me clean this up a bit?"


    "So you can look less like you were attacked by a fire-barking wolf? Sure thing. Come come." She pulled Shae along, guiding her inside her home.


    Along the way Mei grabbed two ceramic cups of cooled water. A few drops of tarte fruit juice breaking the taste the old well had added. Her seamstress room was fully equipped and even had its own table and chairs for two.


    A few stitches later, and patches covering the largest holes, plus they had flipped Shae''s robes inside out, revealing an almost pristine interior. The girl''s clothes looked almost as good as new. Auntie Mei even wrapped her in a shawl to help cover the hole in her shoulder.


    "I can''t take this, Auntie. Winter''s coming, I can''t deprive you of warmth!"


    "Nonsense, girl, I get more of these given to me in a year than I can wear through. Even while handing them out to lost souls. In fact, take two!"


    Shae smiled warmly. "Thank you, Auntie Mei." Then she sat at the table to drink the refreshing water. "Say, do you know any good woodcrafters in the area? I have something that might be worth something."


    Mei looked at her pack; it was still tied with the bundle of branches, the leaves were drying out and dropping off now. "I can see something. Are you that desperate for silver that you''d drag this fool''s gold all the way down the mountain?"


    "Hmm, it was only, like, halfway down."


    Mei sat at the table, then her eyes went wide. "You really were up there? Dear girl, why? That can''t be good for your health."


    "Eh, it was not so bad, but not really my choice at first."


    The older woman suddenly had a look of understanding, "Ahhh, that old coot is still up to his games? But I haven''t seen you all summer, what rock have you been sunbathing on?"


    Shae grimaced slightly, she could lie to the woman but that usually ended their conversations, she could smell a lie before it was out of Shae''s mouth. "Eh well, I was up there all summer, almost since I saw you last."


    Mei gave her a serious, considered look. "If you weren''t so embarrassed by it I''d think you were lying, no one stays up there that long." Then a suspicious eyebrow, "He treated you well, yes? If he did anything out of line, I will march up there myself and crack him in half."


    "Auntie, it''s fine." She pleaded trying to calm her down, not for the old monster''s sake, she feared for the old woman''s health. "He was tolerable, didn''t do anything untoward. Took a while to crack his shell, but he opened up a bit. And cracked himself in half, really."


    "Hah! Well if there was anyone that could chip that egg, it would be you." She shook her head, "I was less worried about his behavior, more how he sent you away, did he pay you?"


    The girl cringed again, "Ehh, in a way?"


    "Stingy old rat!" She cursed. "Well, I bet he gave you a gift or two, always gives the girls a present or two." Shae''s eyes went wide. "No, not like that! The old grump might be carved from stone but he''s got a weak heart at his core. Has a huge family, so many descendants, most women, to the other half''s disdain."


    "Huh. That might actually explain a thing or two."


    "Hmm? No, don''t tell me, it will just make me want to go kick him in the shin." Mei sighed, "Well if you are out of coin we will have to remedy that." She walked over to a drawer and rummaged through a few small pouches.


    "No, Auntie, I don''t want a handout." Shae complained as she was handed a small pouch.


    "Yet you''ll still take it." She raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Consider it payment for your time. You are young, your time is more precious than his."


    The girl frowned and twisted with internal conflict. "Ah! Let''s make it a trade then." She fished through her bag until she removed a small package. "Here, a gift for you."


    The medicine woman returned to her seat and carefully inspected the package, stating "Ginseng." flatly before she even saw the root. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw the small piece. She sniffed it deeply, "Hmm, call it a 27 year, on a good day. Where''s the rest of it?" She mimed the size of the rest of the root, about how big it was when Shae found it.


    "Mmgh." The girl grumbled. "Bit of a story there."


    "I have time." She sat back and sipped her drink.


    Shea recounted a very brief version of Elder Ngoc claiming the root.


    The older woman frowned. "Within their rights. Yes. Yet, a petty move. You must have pulled her hair. Ah, look who I am talking to, of course you did, probably had her fuming after three sentences."


    Shae dipped her head, shrugged, then conceded a nod.


    "Still, it was petty and you deserved more than just this cutoff." She got up and fetched another bag of coins, swapping it for the one she gave Shae. By the sound it made on the table it was clearly much heavier.


    "Auntie no! That is too much!"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Mei waved her hand in dismissal. "If she is staying up there, she will have to come to me to sell it. And I will be sure to sort out the balance of your fortune."


    Shae smiled and lunged in for a hug. But the woman was too fast, holding the girl back.


    "Now now, you''re welcome. And are you sure the old man didn''t give you something for your time?"


    Shae thought, then pulled out the unmarked letter from Elder Ghon. "There was this, for his sect. But I''m not sure why it is unmarked."


    "Mhm, like he didn''t want it delivered. Give it here." She took the letter and smelled it, a deep inhale along the edge, concentration on her face. "No qi markers, or traps. Go ahead and open it."


    She took it back and hesitated slightly before cracking the small wax seal. There were three letters inside. They said Shae, Auntie, and Sect.


    <blockquote><hr>


    Dear Zhi Shae,


    I asked you to deliver this if something ill of fate befell me. If it has, I would like to assure you that I hold you completely apart from those events. You are not to blame, and you should hold no guilt for what transpired. I know this may be difficult to accept, but I plead with you to not be held back by my own mistakes.


    I hope you have opened this letter early, as it will make my suggestions easier to follow:


    Firstly, the second letter, labeled Auntie. Near the village there is a medicine woman called Auntie Mei. I wouldn''t be surprised if you know her already. If not I am sure you two will be fast friends. The locals should know her, please give her that letter. If you have already passed far from Minlin village, and are nearing the sect, then there are diviners who would suffice. Elder Toh, or Old Bai in the village below the sect. I have included instructions for them to charge the sect directly, so they should not ask for additional taels.


    Second, the last letter for the sect. It is encoded so even if lost it would not have dire consequences. Still, try to get it to the sect, and hand it to an Elder there directly.


    I would like to say that your path ahead is bright and boundless. In truth I do not know if you will find guidance for your current path. Cultivating divine qi is not something that I have heard of being done. You may need to backtrack. You may need to forge your own way, though most would tell you not to do that, including me. I do believe your fate is grand, but the specifics of how you get there... I cannot know. Good Luck.


    Thank you Shae. Regardless of the outcome of our last discussion. Thank you.


    Elder Ghon Fixiu


    The Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty


    <hr></blockquote>


    Partway through reading, Shae handed the second letter to Auntie Mei, smirking as she did so. "Seems he intended me to meet you."


    "Hah, that fool always was a few steps behind."


    Silence enveloped the room, the two women reading and sipping their drinks.


    When Shae finished, she struggled with a few emotions brought up by the letter. Trying her hardest to shake off all the ''what ifs'' in her mind. Mainly how she might have felt if the old monster had died from their last discussion. She looked up at a waiting Mei.


    "Take your time."


    "Nah, I''m okay, just the old monster being dramatic."


    "Old monster? Heh. But really, take your time. How about some tea?"


    Shae took a deep breath. "Yea, tea would be nice."


    In the time it took to make tea Shae was able to decompress from the emotional lance. She had already been told that he didn''t blame her, but it was still impactful to read it again. As they drank the tea in companionable silence. Shae wondered if she had let herself really process the events of the summer, and the last month especially.


    The tea was a different blend than what Auntie Mei had served Shae before. The aroma was fresh and clean, while the core flavors were strong: distinct points of freshness and fruit that were somehow not muddied. The aftertaste lingered, holding on the refreshing notes, and Shae noticed something else.


    "Auntie!" She exclaimed. "You''re spoiling me again. There''s spirit herbs in this, isn''t there."


    Mei smiled warmly with just a hint of smugness. "Well, yes, of course. I must always serve the best teas to visiting cultivators. Wouldn''t you agree, Fairy Shae?"


    The girl''s eyes opened wide, "Argh, no! Anything but that." she groaned and buried her face in a sleeve on the table.


    "Ah, yes. The old fart''s letter did say you preferred Heavenly Shae."


    "Mmghm." She groaned less dramatically into her sleeve. "That''s only slightly better. Why did he pick something so pompous."


    The older woman shrugged, "I cannot say, it is a powerful title, if he picked it, then you earned it. He would not throw such acknowledgements around just to tease you."


    The girl continued to mope. Sipping at the tea while playing into her own drama. The powerful freshness of the tea made this difficult and dragged her mood back up again.


    "You could always give up on cultivation, or rush to core and be named Elder instead."


    "Huh. Both of those seem more absurd than just tolerating either title." She sipped her tea, getting close to the bottom, the loose tea leaves clumping together in the cup. "Why do people use Fairy anyway?"


    "History and the past is not my specialty." Mei shrugged. "You might get lucky, your youth will lead more to call you Junior. Writhing at Fairy will only earn you more teasing. And Heavenly is... going to bring its own challenges."


    Shae knew she was overreacting to the title. The word had its own baggage for her, and her childhood playing with other kids, in both worlds, only added to that. She drained the last sips from her cup, a small burst of qi distracting her.


    "Ah! Empty?" Auntie reached across the table and plucked the cup from the girl before she could react. Instead of refilling it, she gazed into the bottom of the cup, twisting and tilting it as though there was a world of depth to be seen in the dregs.


    Shae took a breath to catch up. Then sharply inhaled before questioning, "Really? Superstitious fortune telling?" Her wry smile broke on the older woman''s sharp eyes. She replaced it with pursed lips, waiting for her judgment.


    Mei''s work passed slowly and Shae relaxed, growing bored. The woman''s expression did not betray her thoughts.


    "Well?" Shae finally asked when Mei clicked her tongue and shook her head.


    "Nothing I couldn''t have guessed myself. Give me your palm."


    Sighing, she extended her right hand. Mei''s focus landed on the center of her palm, her fingers tracing the fine creases, then her expression turned confused. She flipped Shae''s hand over and pulled up her sleeve. "What''s this? This isn''t normal cleansing."


    Shae grunted. "He kept the details very brief, didn''t he?" She sighed in preparation. "I survived a tribulation." She only said, as though just that was enough.


    Mei raised an eyebrow. "And then held onto the bolt for a week? This is barely your own hand anymore."


    Shae just half shrugged and offered her left palm instead. Causing the fortune teller to sigh.


    "Mhmm, this looks more like what I would expect. Hard worker, strong personality, multiple strong life lines, this is interesting, passionate lover-"


    "It doesn''t say that!" Shae interrupted.


    "Haha, it does not say that, no. I would read it that your personal relationships will be strong. The emotion and passion of your personality will carry to your friends, and your devoted as well."


    Shae squirmed in her chair, conflicted by the compliment?


    "More specifically, for your cultivation, I see no indications of specific elemental alignment. No restrictions on it either. Some of that I would look to your right hand for, but it is a blank slate." Mei shook her head in dissatisfaction. "I should have read you at our last meeting."


    "For my cultivation? Was this what the old monster asked for?"


    "Hm, more or less. He specifically asked for a spirit root test, but I do not have the tools for that here, they are expensive instruments because of their precision. What I can say about that, is that you should not take the test with both hands, the cleansed hand will corrupt the results. As to your future and fate, I do not like to hand-out specifics." She assessed the girl for a moment then asked. "What uncertainty of your future concerns you the most?"


    Shae took time to think about the question. She wanted to discard all the fortune telling as hoax and ruse, but she respected Auntie Mei too much for that.


    "Elder Ghon spent so much time holding me back from cultivating, refusing to teach me anything. Enforcing the importance of needing a cultivation manual. Yet now, I''ve had to learn without one anyway. Forge my own path with the divine qi from the tribulation. It is distressing to have no one to discuss it with, to not even know what to expect." She sighed and fought her own disappointment. "Is there such thing as a manual for divine qi? Will I find another that suits me?"


    Auntie Mei inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply. Sadness in her eyes. "I might not be an old master. But I can listen, and I think you need a friendly ear now more than anything."


    They spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Shae recounting the important points of what had happened in the last few months. Venting about the frustrations with the old monster and with her experiences handling qi. Auntie Mei provided no dramatic revelations to the girl, but was relentlessly supportive and kind.


    As the sun reached the horizon their conversation came to a close.


    "I cannot say what is in your future, Shae. But I think it is brighter than most. Now, you have a letter to deliver, and I''ve no spare bed for you tonight. So, go find that Bai boy, and sleep in a proper bed for once."


    Shae chuckled, hugged the woman, then walked to the city gates in the dimming light.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 21: Little Trouble in Big Village

    <hr>


    Chapter 21: "Little Trouble in Big Village."


    <hr>


    What Elder Ghon had called Minlin village was far too large, but it was slightly too small to be a proper city. It had been a large town for a while, yet the local magistrate insisted it was becoming a city, "Thus the name must follow." The name change and regulations to enforce its use had a negligible impact on the town''s economy. As such, it was still struggling to grow larger.


    The large earthworks on the outer perimeter marked the magistrate''s ambition. A trench ran alongside an embankment with a stone wall between. It made for a simple way of constructing a larger wall than just the stone would allow. It failed to be impressive or intimidating, settling on excessive. For a town this size Shae wondered if the magistrate had emptied the coffers building it, or if he feared some disaster would befall the town.


    Rings of old town walls marked the history of expanding the town. The passage to the center of the old village was like slowly walking back in time. Newer buildings were scattered throughout the slide show of gradually aging architecture. The surviving buildings were kept in good repair, their owners proud of their history.


    At the outer wall, Shae had almost shouted in surprise when she had to pay the entry toll. Not from the toll, but from the coins Auntie Mei had given her, it was far too much. She had kept it to a respectable yelp.


    With the sun setting, she wanted to find Cultivator Bai as fast as possible. Rumor was that they were staying at an inn in the market district. The center of the old village had been turned into a large market square. Housing removed in favor of commerce, though Shae guessed it was fire that did the removal, it usually was.


    The old walls served as checkpoints for guards and tolls, though only the outer and inner charged for entry. The toll covering the market district served as an additional tax on the goods, and they were not shy about charging merchants more, knowing they were there to make sales. The end of the harvest festival had changed the dynamic slightly, loosening restrictions since most of the tax quota had already been collected.


    Shae was stopped and asked if she intended to trade valuable goods, which she was not. "Just a courier, and staying the night if the inns are reasonable."


    "Most have left, so room prices are low." The helpful guard replied. "What''s with the sticks?"


    "Ah! Almost forgot about those. I meant to find someone today, but..." she gestured to the dark sky. "They''re golden larch branches, from the mountain. Hoped a carver or someone could use them for more than kindling. Already know they won''t make good arrows."


    "Golden larch?" The guard paused, then took a closer look at the branches. "Real golden larch? I mean, was it a True Golden Larch?"


    "Umm, how would I tell?"


    "Ehhh, don''t remember. Probably would be obvious if you''ve seen both types." He shook his head and brought out a tablet and charcoal stick. "Have to give you a slip for it, sorry." He wrote some things down and handed her a piece of paper. "It''s a taxation tracking slip. Expensive goods need to be taxed, this is how it''s done."


    Shae gave him a blank stare then scanned the paper.


    "Right, I''d guess you''ve never seen one, and maybe can''t read it. When you sell the branches, even for kindling. Have the merchant mark the slip, they''ll know what to do. Then on your way out, you get to pay the tax, even if you sold it for nothing, minimum tax covers the paperwork." He pointed at the paper. "Don''t lose the paper, don''t lose the sticks, or even throw them away or anything. If you can''t show proof when you leave the fine is quite high."


    Shae looked at the very ordinary paper, expecting some qi infused tracking mark or other spell.


    "Heh, I know that look. Nothin'' fancy here, just paperwork, I gotta file a report now about you and your merchandise. You could risk it and skip out in the long run, but don''t bother, if that''s where your head''s at, just turn around now and save us the legwork, eh?" The guard chuckled.


    Shae shook her head. "No, it''s fine. It seems quite a reasonable system."


    The guard shrugged, "It works. Enjoy your stay in the market district."


    <hr>


    After the talk with the guard she wanted to sell the branches right away. Carrying a bundle of sticks into an inn might get me some side eye. The sunset made that a challenge. Most of the shops had closed, and those that remained were general stores, unlikely to identify the wood correctly.


    She quickly gave up on that for today, and looking at the bundle again she decided to do something about it. Using one of Auntie Mei''s shawl, she rewrapped the bundle, securing it with more rope to minimize its profile. Good, less suspicious now. Not that I have anything to hide.


    She found the cultivators and their recruits in the large public square near the inns. There were three distinct groups. The largest was the military: their uniforms marked out the few experienced troops from the new recruits. Those recruits were being led in physical fitness exercises.


    The second group was her objective: Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty cultivators. Their white robes with red and blue detail were easily recognized. Their few new recruits were not in sect robes, but they were being verbally led through meditation by a sect member.


    The last and smallest were monks. Shae first mistook them as another sect. She picked up on her mistake quickly when she noticed a few shaved heads, distinct jewelry, and other trinkets. It was generally said that if a sect won''t take you, the military will, and even if the military does not, the monks always will. Many even chose monastic life over the other two more violent options.


    The monks and new recruits were performing a very slow martial art. While similar to her village''s Tao Yan, it looked to focus more on the workout aspects because all of the new recruits were sweating and struggling through the poses. Shae knew from her own practice that certain poses could be far more taxing than they appeared.


    The young girl took a few hurried deep breaths, then moved into the square. Keep calm, act professional, have a plan to- wait, wrong motto. Just the first two.


    She approached the most senior looking Entreaty sect member. He was relaxing casually in a chair that looked out of place. He ignored the meditation in favor of watching the two other groups exercising. As Shae approached she noticed him slightly flexing his own muscles, like he was mentally working through a routine in his sleep, with just whispers leaking through.


    Shae did not know how to identify a sect elder but decided to lean into respect first. "Apologies Elder, I am looking for Cultivator Bai?"


    He glanced at her and just pointed to another man.


    This one was set up with a building to his back, a chair and table set out for him to work at. Quills, ink, and paperwork filled the table, looking somewhere between chaos and casual disorder. The man was clearly stressed, dark bags under his eyes and ink stains on his hands.


    "Cultivator Bai?"


    He didn''t look up. "It''s Bai, please say it correctly."


    "Apologies, Cultivator Bai, I have a letter from Elder Ngoc." She handed him the letter, touching the loose string hanging off it, he gave her a look. "It had a ring-tael, but I had a run in with desperate couriers that were not interested in coming into town."


    "Sure." He said and opened the letter.


    A ring shaped tael was one of the more valuable silver coins for its usefulness in having a useful hole punched through it. It was technically worth a fraction of a silver tael, but its usefulness rose in some cases. When attached to a letter, it indicated an increased or conditional reward for delivery.


    He finished reading and looked up, "Did these bandit couriers delay you terribly, miss...?"


    "Miss Shae. And no, they did not. I did lose a day or two to other factors."


    "Just a day or two? The letter is dated a week ago?"


    "Eh?" Shae gawked. "Couldn''t be, Elder Ngoc gave it to me herself just...four days ago."


    He frowned at the page then back at Shae. "What day, specifically?"


    "Uhm, what day is it today?"


    "You don''t know the days of the week?"


    "I know them, but I have no idea what day it is. I''ve been on the mountain for months." She hiked a thumb behind her at the distant silhouette. "And was unconscious several times throughout. Best guess I have is that it''s... October? Maybe late in the month?"


    He sighed dramatically. "The mountain, sure. Great place to meet Elder Ngoc, I suppose. Today is Thursday. Which is also the day the letter is marked as being written on. Meaning you took a week to get here."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "What! No, it really has been just four days. She wrote and gave me that letter on Monday."


    The two stared at each other, Shae with determination, Bai with boredom.


    "A week ago!" The girl huffed, "She was probably here a week ago, surely it didn''t take her three days to get to the mountain?"


    "No, she left about a week and a half ago."


    "What?" Shae shouted. Then tightened her lips and quickly thought it over. What could have taken her so long? She might not have flown, did she just casually walk up the mountain for a week? Shae asked herself. She had come across the wolves, at least. She remembered the playful wolf, if it was as playful with the Elder... that could explain- "Oh! Does Elder Ngoc like dogs, or wolves?"


    Bai raised an eyebrow and paused. "She has been known to spend her free time on Wildthorne Peak. Home to the sect''s spirit beasts. How is that relevant?"


    Shae nodded and smiled in understanding. "I see. It makes perfect sense then. I am afraid to say that Elder Ngoc took a full week to reach sect territory on Pilgrim''s Rest," she had learned the local name of the mountain from Auntie Mei, "and she likely lost track of time herself."


    "And what could possibly have distracted a sect Elder for so long?"


    "A pack of very friendly and playful spirit wolves. At least one of which was at core formation stage."


    He paused with an eyebrow raised then gave the young girl a firm glare. "You honestly believe an Elder of our sect lost track of what day it was because she spent several days playing with wild dogs?"


    "Ehh, wolves, but when you put it like that." Shae shrugged.


    Cultivator Bai glared for a few more breaths. "Ahem. Well, knowing Elder Ngoc. That is... believable." He looked the girl up and down, a flicker of his qi passing through her. "However, your story is suspect. You were on the mountain alone?"


    "Yes."


    "You are barely in qi gathering, you wouldn''t be able to handle the pressure."


    She took a deep breath and stood taller. "Firstly, don''t assume my stage. Secondly, I''ve completed tempering, allowing me to walk the mountain freely."


    "You''re what, fourteen-"


    "Sixteen, almost."


    He frowned and gave her a look, "Still, you can''t have been cultivating that long, a year or two at most?"


    Shae shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground. "Just this summer."


    He shook his head, "That''s less believable. Okay, it doesn''t matter how you got this letter or who you want us to believe you are, if you really are tempered, you can resist some serious qi pressure, yes? So a simple test then?"


    Shae saw the smirk trying to creep onto his lips. A setup, and this seems hardly worth the trouble... unless. "Hmph. Does it matter? Elder Ngoc said there would be a reward for a fast delivery. I will admit even four days is quite slow. Do we need the pageantry? Surely you could afford a few taels."


    He glanced over the letter again. "Hmmm, well you are only on the edge of a small reward. But we must confirm the truth in your story. Shake off the qi pressure of someone at body cleansing and I''ll grant you it."


    "That''s the same stage as me, how insulting." She looked around, making a show of visually assessing people. "Pick anyone here and I''ll stay standing."


    "Anyone? Is that so?"


    "It is, you''d need the whole lot just to knock me out, with qi pressure alone."


    "Now that''s a boast." He laughed, then slowed a bit when Shae wasn''t laughing with him.


    "You''ll need to find someone at mid-core, even your Elder Ngoc had trouble."


    That shut him up, briefly. His mouth formed a tight line. "Be careful how you boast. We might seek to defend your insult of our Elder."


    "I wouldn''t completely deny you the opportunity to even the score. You did suggest a test, better make it a good one." She wasn''t sure if he would take the bait.


    He shouted to the side, "Junior Chen. How goes your qi pressure practice?"


    Another cultivator walked over, the one instructing the meditation. "Senior Bai. It goes well. Improvements in both stamina and strength."


    "Excellent, would you mind testing this junior?"


    He nodded, "Ready?"


    Shae nodded and braced, expecting an impressive pressure, but felt almost nothing. She waited as he began to strain and struggle. She tilted her head and looked at Bai, "Has he started yet?"


    Cultivator Bai stood up suddenly. Adding his pressure on top.


    She turned back to Chen, "Ah, now I feel it. Not bad for just you." She lied, I don''t want to ruin his confidence.


    "Enough!" Bai shouted. "What tricks are you using? That is not qi slipping, I could tell if it was."


    "Well, I said already, tempering. Could you pay me now, or whatever the reward was."


    He sneered, "The specifics are out of my hands, I''ll have to send it up the chain of command." Shae didn''t miss the smugness in his voice. "Senior Bai?"


    The older man in the chair walked over.


    "You''re Cultivator Bai as well? Perhaps the letter was meant for you." Shae asked and pointed.


    He shrugged and grabbed the letter. A raised hand stopped the angry man from saying anything. After a short breath and a sigh he said, "Pay the girl."


    "What? But Senior, she-"


    "I heard the exchange, she passed your test, yes?"


    "Uh, well... we didn''t clearly establish the bounds of the test." He stood up straight and flattened his expression.


    "Horse-shit, don''t move the goal posts. You brought him over and even both of you together did nothing."


    "Junior Bai, have you ever met anyone who has completed tempering so early?"


    "Ugh, don''t tell me you''re-" Shae tried.


    The older Bai raised a palm to halt further argument. "What I meant is the test was always going to be too weak."


    "She claimed I could have satisfaction, I have not had it."


    "Ugh, men. Always concerned about their own satisfaction."


    This brought a few snickers from those pretending not to listen, and a reddened face from the lesser Bai. "You!"


    Senior Bai only frowned.


    "Well, this has been a thorough waste of my time." Shae declared. She looked at the older Bai. "Please tell me this circus will be worthwhile."


    He glanced at the page, "The lesser reward is just coin, not a lot."


    "And the greater? If your Elder hadn''t set me up to fail, even unintentionally, and I had somehow arrived within the day I was given the letter?"


    "No mention of same-day, but for the day after there is something. I would think many would be interested in this reward."


    "Well, that gives me some hope the date mix-up was just a mix-up. She didn''t intentionally make it impossible or avoid listing a reward entirely." Shae squinted at Bai. "Is the greater reward simply that you would recruit me? I''ve no need for such empty gestures."


    This caused a gasp from lesser Bai and his junior Chen.


    Elder Bai responded calmly. "Miss... Shae, was it? Why do you provoke us so? Surely this matter could have been resolved with only calm words."


    Shae smirked at the man. "Why Cultivator Bai, your words are as wise as you are handsome." This got a small reaction out of the man, probably just confusion but it satisfied Shae''s baser instinct to tease and prod people with prods in them, finally!


    She stood tall and tried her best to shift into a less obnoxious persona. "I had been considering the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect for my future. Given the name, one would think you should be experts of first impressions, but instead they are a major weakness."


    Bai flinched at that, glaring at the other Bai. "Surely one overworked man can''t be considered adequate representation."


    "The fact that you recognise he is overworked is a sign of your own flawed leadership. If he is overworked, he should be supported by his team and superiors to balance his workload and certainly not have more work directed at him simply because of a shared name." She glared at the older man to make her point.


    The lesser Bai brightened up from this comment and was looking quite pleased, and vindicated? Shae wasn''t sure. The Senior Bai swallowed, turned to the side and coughed roughly.


    Shae continued. "However, to your point. No, I will not hold one man against you. I will hold three Elders against you. You are an Elder, yes?"


    "No. Not officially. But three? Do not make petty claims."


    "You would be the third, which you already know, the second I think you overheard but Elder Ngoc did worse than just forget the day in a letter. But the most grievous was who I met first. Elder Ghon Fixiu, resident of Pilgrim''s Rest. Took him weeks to present a respectable face that wasn''t emotionless stone. And even after... Well, I suppose I should take Bai''s warning and limit my criticism."


    "Weeks." Elder Bai chewed on the words. "So, directed tempering, then? You would hold that discomfort against him? Even with what you''ve gained from it?"


    "Not at all. I asked for that, and did not complain about the pain or discomfort, even when he explained it rather poorly. I simply find his actions distasteful. So, are those three Elders good examples of your sec? Should I expect more of the same if I join?"


    "Given your own attitude, why would we want you!?" Junior Chen jumped in.


    "Hmm, well I do have an official invitation from Elder Ghon."


    "An invitation isn''t-"


    "Enough Chen." Bai interrupted. "Tempering will only get you so far, and unless an Elder claims you as a disciple, an invitation isn''t guaranteed entry. If you have such a thing, I would be very interested to see why he made the recommendation."


    "Hmmm." Shae scrambled since she didn''t have the official letter. "If you were an official elder I would have something to show you. By chance do you know the sect''s messaging code? I have another encoded message that might convince you that I''m not just full of steam."


    His stoic mask was nearly as strong as the old monster''s. Yet, a pain in his eyes said her words had stabbed him in the gut.


    He recovered after a single slow breath, and his patience for Shae had ended. A few silver taels appeared in his hand from nowhere and he handed them to her. "Here is your courier fee, Miss Shae. We will be leaving with a caravan for the sect in two days. If you do not wish to follow, I will buy out that second message. Until then, please keep away from my fellow sect members, especially the new recruits."


    Knowing when a conversation was definitely over, Shae took the coins and left. She went inside the inn across the street to arrange a room. She had heard it was good, and reasonably priced. It certainly had nothing to do with it being directly opposite the square from the Honorable sect members.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 22: Glass Handful

    <hr>


    Chapter 22: "Glass Handful."


    <hr>


    Once her room was bought and her pack was settled in it, she reappeared outside the inn''s front door. She looked past the sect members, smiled at the monks, and approached the military.


    Walking up to them, she got a good view of their group. A half squad of ragged or bored looking men and a couple women. Their uniforms were fitted and clean, but it was the people themselves that were ragged. Two showed visible injuries and another two grated at Shae''s senses, like something was broken within their cultivation, they both looked despondent. The last two simply looked bored, including the leader. They were outnumbered 3 to 1 by their recruits, some of whom looked equally worse for wear just from their exhaustion.


    She considered teasing one or two of the better looking members, but uniforms were not really her thing.


    She skipped the whole squad, steering clear of the two broken ones and approaching the leader. He didn''t watch her approach. "Sergeant? or is it Captain, maybe?"


    "Staff Sergeant. I hope you''re not here to bully my soldiers into fool''s bets, Miss Shae."


    "Hah, well I''m glad someone caught on. I was worried it was me."


    "It is if you expect them to swing first when you picked the fight. Honorable cultivators don''t usually throw in for luck. They also don''t see fit to punish those below them. Unlike me. So if you try any of that shit with my soldiers I will lay you out, and not with qi pressure. Understand?"


    Shae stopped her witty retort and worked her jaw closed. Then swallowed and nodded. "Understood, Sir."


    "Will you go over to the monks next, maybe to tease them about their beliefs?"


    "No. I can''t begrudge other cultures. I think I do have a question or two for them, as I do with you. But, I''ve no need to test your groups as I did the sect."


    "You expect me to believe that was all just a test? You recovered well at the end, but it sounded more like a child''s tantrum."


    Shae frowned at him. "Now who''s picking fights?"


    "Heh, at least I know I can win."


    "Depends on the battlefield. But-"


    "It does not." He kept watching the training recruits.


    "...but really, my question for you is about tempering. I''ve heard your lot does it? My curiosity makes me ask what I should expect, or how I measure up."


    "I thought I said do not wind us up for bets."


    "I''m not. I''ve simply no measuring stick to test myself against, and I''d rather not duck in and out of fights with core cultivators to see which one knocked me out."


    "Hmf. The specifics are restricted information. But yes, you should be able to handle lower core pressures. Don''t rely on it. Is that all?"


    Shae considered if it was. "Hm. Bit of business maybe. Not sure what''s under your purview. Would you handle bandits?"


    "Me specifically? Heh. Report it to the magistrate, if it is severe enough they might ask us or other cultivators to step in."


    "Is near core severe enough?"


    He glanced at Shae again. "How near to core?"


    She shrugged, "I can only guess, but he had a shard of Dao."


    The Staff Sergeant''s glance turned into a hard stare.


    "Could have been a sliver of Dao, hard to tell with those things."


    "Why the specific language, and how can you tell at all?"


    The girl hesitated. "The language is a guess, it feels like a shard. Recent events let me get a feel for those things. Though, unreliably, I expect."


    "What do you feel from me?"


    "Hmmm." Shae squinted, then looked around the square. "Not a lot, you all have good control, keep it simmering under the surface. Except the two broken ones." She nodded her head towards the two soldiers.


    "Broken? The injured ones?"


    "Not them, the two on the side that look like their favorite puppies were kicked. How did that happen?"


    "Those two... risk of the standard training regime; some push too hard."


    "Training? You train your men so hard they shatter their Dao?"


    "Weren''t my men then. Why do you think that?"


    "I can hear it."


    He inhaled sharply. "And what does a broken core sound like?"


    "Like someone carrying shards of glass, and trying to piece them back together by sheer force of will, but as loud as crickets on a warm summer''s night."


    "That''s... oddly specific."


    "I took creative liberties."


    "Heh."


    "But the bandits, if you are heading south out of town in the next day or two you might find them. The cultivator might still be meditating by the side of the road."


    "Meditating by the road." He shook his head. "We''re staying in town all winter, for training. They must have stolen something important if you are so stuck on them."


    "Hmm, not really. A pack full of annoying walnuts and a ring tael."


    "Annoying walnuts?"


    "Hard to crack. Ah, I have some." She fished through her robes and pulled out one of the nuts. She had meant to ask the inn''s chef about it, but they were busy with the dinner rush.


    The staff sergeant took the large nut. Sniffed it and shook it. It made an apparently distinct rattle as he paused at the noise and called out, "Corporal!" The other soldier walked over, saluted, and received a thrown nut. They did the same investigation then smiled and cracked it open with almost no effort and laughed. "Yep, Never-Full Walnut." He looked to Shae, "From on the mountain I''d guess?" she nodded, "Heh, hope you didn''t eat too many. Hahaha!" He threw the nut back and walked away, after saluting again.


    The staff sergeant was smiling broadly now.


    "Care to fill me in?"


    "Heh, and you said the bandits took a whole bag of them?" She nodded, and he was clearly holding back laughter. Several of the other soldiers were also cracking up now, as the corporal spread the story. "There''s lore to it, as with most things." He showed her the inside of the walnut, one of the four chambers was empty, and the nut spread through the others was slightly shriveled, letting it rattle. "But the name does most of the work: Never Full. You eat too many and it works as a laxative, so you''re never full."


    Shae''s eyes went wide and her face went red as she tried to hold her own laughter in. She had a more conflicted time of it than the others, but did finally let herself laugh.


    Once most of them recovered, the Staff Sergeant had her report a more detailed description of the bandits to the corporal. "I could see us going out for an early morning run. Maybe even up the mountain for a nutty snack." He cackled.


    When talking to the Corporal, Shae made sure to point out how the beggar was simple and the archer might not be there anymore. She also gave a decent description of how to find the walnut tree. It was fairly simple as long as they found the correct stream to follow.


    During her interactions with the other soldiers, she became able to tune out the grinding glass noise from the broken two. With that gone she started to notice something else: a slight hum between the soldiers. Especially when they interacted with each other with salutes or military jargon.


    She walked back to the staff sergeant. "You asked if I noticed anything earlier, I think I have now. Might have earlier, if not for the ripples those two are creating."


    "Ripples? Using a different metaphor now? What did you find?"


    "Just a slight hum or tone between you all."


    "Hmm. Good or bad?"


    Shae considered the question. "Fairly neutral I think. Just like a bunch of wind chimes all ringing to the same wind."


    "And back to sound, not reeds in a pond all catching the same ripples?"


    "That would work too. But it made me wonder, you all train together. Do you practice the same cultivation manual."


    "Again the specifics are restricted information. But you could talk to an old retired soldier and get some information, so I''ll save you the extra steps. Heh." He took a breath. "One solution does not work for everyone. A long time ago we tried that and most couldn''t get their core. So there are variations, can''t say how many. But far fewer than you''ll find at any sect."


    "Right. Hmm. That makes sense, so when they progress... Well, you did say this was restricted. So, call this the rambling guesses of a foolish child. It would also fit for a large group that has to work together to think the same way, to be taught the same... path, the same truths of the world, if you will."


    "Be careful where you step. You are not nearly so subtle as you wish." He warned, a stricter tone to his words.


    "I don''t mean this as a criticism. Do stop me if I overstep. Yet, wouldn''t that be difficult for most?" With the older man watching her, she looked back at the two broken soldiers. "To replace something so personal with something so... general?"


    "It works." He only said.


    Shae hummed in thought. Frustrated that she might not be making her point. What is my point? she doubted she had one. "They''re trying so hard to hold it all together." One of the broken soldiers glanced up at her, the older one. She only had pity in her eyes for him. He looked away with a restrained huff.


    "Do you think your criticism of our ways is helpful? How can that fix what they''ve lost?" The man had some fire in his voice now, not a threat, just passion.


    "I said I didn''t mean it that way." Shae snapped back. A frustrated tension filled the air.


    She broke first, exhaling her frustration, hers was petty, his was earned and she knew it. "It must be so hard. To-" she cut herself off, and took a deep breath instead. "Have you ever seen an argument between two stubborn people? We all have. I''ve even seen two people argue about the same thing from the same side, they just couldn''t slow down enough to see it."


    He held his tongue with a frown, gaze towards his soldiers.


    She paused again, as her thoughts settled. A more direct metaphor, then, but I still need something more, after that. "A man cannot simply accept another man''s reality. They must first understand their own." She paused to let the words impact. "I think that''s a quote-"


    His arm snapped out to her shoulder, to stop her from speaking. He drew her attention to the broken soldiers.


    She didn''t notice at first, they looked the same. Only that the older one''s eyes had gone wide, then he shifted his pose, a more relaxed position and closed his eyes. The younger one looked at him, then his expression grew panicked.


    The younger man approached the nearby corporal, mouthing the words ''What happened?'' or something similar. The corporal, who was also staring at the older soldier, pointed behind, to Shae and the Sergeant. Then mouthed words and used hand signs, remaining silent.


    Shae noticed the light then. With the late hour she was surprised she hadn''t noticed earlier. The light that started light blue, then became a heavenly gold pouring out of the sky onto the mediating soldier.


    A tap on her shoulder broke her stare. "Wise Shae?" Whispered a new voice. Old and calm, "It would honor us for you to join."


    Shae turned to the old monk, and noticed a second heavenly light from their group. "Ah-." She stopped halfway through a gasp. "How?" She whispered back.


    "When the wise talk, the wiser listen." The monk smiled.


    "Go." The Staff Sergeant''s word stopped all sound in the area.


    No, he did something with qi. The square had been very quiet already.


    "It is their tradition, they will ensure you act safely."


    The monk nodded. "Join the circle. Circulate the loose qi around it, and contemplate your own words."


    She was speechless and nodded. Half a circle had formed around the enlightened monk. It was most of their group, save for the new inductees.


    Boots on gravel brought her attention around again. The Corporal and the younger broken. His face so desperate and pleading, Shae could feel her heart trip over its beats. Her face suddenly grotesque pity. The soldier frowned like he had seen it before and hated it.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Quickly." The monk pulled.


    The staff sergeant turned her towards the monks and nodded again. "I''ve got him, he''s my soldier."


    But I have to say something. "Ah- context! Context is important." He pushed her away.


    Leaving the sergeant''s bubble of silence, Shae felt a small ripple pass over her and a slight pop in her ears. She expected a lot of noise outside, but it was just as quiet. Only the rustling of clothing and occasional gasp as new people caught sight of the scene.


    Several sect cultivators and a couple soldiers were managing the few stray villagers that were now gawking, and any new arrivals. One enlightenment was a sight to see in a town or village, two in the same area at the same time was nearly unheard of. Unless you believed the stories of sects where wise old mentors would give profound lectures to scores of students and have dozens of enlightenments throughout.


    As they crossed the distance, the monk whispered one last tip. "We are not here to leech, but to support, watch the others if you get lost." They gave Shae a wry smile and a wink.


    She was about to complain, but caught herself. I''m young, it was a valid warning, and I shouldn''t talk.


    Three meditating monks were already surrounding the enlightened monk. Shae and her escort took the empty spots opposite one another. They sat in lotus pose, but with hands out to the sides, close to touching their neighbors.


    Shae took deep breaths, trying to get into her usual meditation. She was nervous, I haven''t been nervous since the first time under Elder Ghon''s watch.


    Her heart pounded in her ears. Why is this difficult? She forced herself to focus. Her breathing hitched. She wasn''t comfortable with how she was sitting. Why is this hard, now? She squirmed in place, struggling to get comfortable. Because it''s important. She forced a breath out.


    A hand reached from her left and grabbed hers, squeezing in comfort.


    She forced her breathing again, slow, steady. This was important, but it wasn''t for her. She was here to support another, with others to help. She reached for the calm of the divine clouds in her Dantian and stopped. That''s a crutch. She breathed again, slow, steady. The hand squeezed again. She let her thoughts come and go.


    It probably took too long, but that is fine. She wasn''t contributing, but that''s okay. People could process their enlightenments without help, without my help. This was just a ceremony. It was important, but also not. She breathed.


    The world fell away as she found her mental space. Then she almost fell out again. It was so different. There was so much more.


    She could sense beyond herself, the whole circle. Not in detail, she couldn''t see the center, it was an overwhelming, swirling light. The others were slow vortexes of qi, their centers dark, slowly spinning opposite to the twist of the center. I know what to do now.


    Her vortex started tiny. She only had scraps of demigod qi and neutral qi left from a few days ago. She pushed the demigod to convert the neutral and it was quickly all under her control. It wanted to move on its own, she only had to guide it to match the pace of the others. The pace was easy, but charting a path through her channels was harder. She couldn''t see what the others were doing, only the result.


    She struggled, of course. The time she had spent studying her own channels was not enough for a perfect route. Yet, with her unique qi moving on its own, she only had to subtly direct it. She drew in a little more neutral qi, until it stopped being converted and just suggested it swirled in vortex within her. It pushed through her, exploring and finding a path.


    She couldn''t push it outside either. The others were stages ahead, able to affect external qi. But I don''t need to do much. The heavenly enlightenment qi responded to nearby qi, moving with it without being told. The wisps of qi near her followed her internal vortex.


    She wanted to pull on the golden qi, to draw it in and keep it, but it was not hers to take. She had to resist. She wanted to draw in even more neutral qi, to convert that so she could swell her vortex. Yet, she had to resist the weak reflex, that would also draw in the heavenly qi, she had already felt some trickle in. Just thinking about it caused the qi to twitch, as though it was waiting for the slightest idea to follow.


    She drew a deep breath, relaxing again. So little to do, she realized. Her qi was doing all that was needed, almost completely on its own. When it strayed slightly she nudged it back onto the circular track of channels it had found. She could simply watch, and ''contemplate her own words.''


    She tried that, but only briefly. The rhythm of meditation, letting thoughts come and go, made it difficult to ponder specific ideas. Also, the vortexes around her were quite distracting.


    They each had small unique properties to them, a slightly different texture or color. Shae knew she was projecting these differences, this was her mindscape, and it was all a false projection of the metaphysical. There and not there, real but not exactly as she saw it. Elder Ghon''s book on meridians was very clear about that. Even if Shae found it hard to follow the logic, she could appreciate that it was some kind of lucid dream state. A state where her thoughts had more impact on what she saw than what was actually there.


    She saw the part of the monk''s instructions then, ''circulate the loose qi around it,'' small wisps of qi traveled around the circle. Passing around the monks, it followed the opposite flow to the center, and stayed on the outside of the circle. The monks acted to keep it separate from the center as it passed by her. She saw more tiny wisps of heavenly qi escape the center, caught in one vortex or slipping between them. Most were corralled back to the center, the others joined the outside flow.


    The ones that escaped were all near her, I''m making mistakes, failing the group. She tensed and the hand on her left squeezed hers again, and she breathed. No, there was no failure, their work was additive, only improving, not taking away. She released her recent tension with an exhale.


    With her extra focus from not needing to guide her own qi constantly, she began to guide the lost wisps back around. After a few breaths, she noticed her neighbor plucking a few away, moving them to the outer stream. She grew curious, focusing on those, they were ones she had guided back. Not all of them, maybe one in three.


    Ah! She realized that something was changing in the wisps. Am I marking them, maybe? Turned around by her neighbor, they passed by her right away and she swirled them around herself, inspecting them.


    Yes, they respond more readily than the others, she had made them her own, left a fingerprint on them? I''ll have to be more delicate. She focused on a new one, she needed to see them clearly, see the change to them within her mindscape. Then release them to the outer circle again, to pass around to the others. They would sort out any that were untouched.


    It took her quite some time, but she did it. She found a way to identify the marked wisps of enlightenment qi. Slight changes in flavor when they were close, or like a smell. She didn''t want it to be either of those things exactly, it needs to stay metaphysical... or... hmm, she just had a hunch it shouldn''t be a literal physical change.


    There were other flavors in the outer circle as well. Marks from the others. She started puzzling them out, figuring which was who. The two to her sides were easiest, the flavor the clearest by proximity. Leaving the far two... she had spent a short minute with one of them. They were calm, soft spoken, she shrugged and just guessed. After a dozen breaths she decided the guess fit well enough, the vortexes around the two sort of matched the marked qi, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly how. Does it matter...no, but it''s good practice.


    The others were releasing more of their own qi into the outer circle as well. Slowly pushing out small bits of their internal qi, something Shae couldn''t do. She shifted uncomfortably, and the hand squeezed her left again. She breathed out and relaxed.


    I can''t push it out, but maybe they can pull? She moved a bit of demigod qi to her right hand, letting it flow slowly like when she did her cleansing. Then she reached to her side just barely, touching fingertips with her neighbor on the right. They caught on quickly, a flash of surprise leaking through their qi. They pulled ever so lightly, letting the qi rise up like smoke from where their fingers touched.


    It drifted towards Shae again, pulled by the vortex and trying to return. She led it around herself, pushing it out slowly until it escaped behind her. She did it a second time, but her neighbor didn''t help with a third, pushing back lightly. Forcing her to draw that piece back in.


    She breathed and tried contemplation again. My words were about accepting myself, understanding myself. In her past she had had so much time to think. These weren''t new concepts to her. She was different back then, not as different as much longer ago, in her past life. She kept a disappointed sigh inside, there wasn''t any new contemplation for her yet.


    She watched the outer ring of qi instead. If the center was a roaring sun, the vortexes were small worlds near the sun: solar flares that had spun into their own beings, catching and disrupting new flares. So then the outside was a large gassy nebula: colorful, vibrant, and ever shifting.


    It took her so long to see all of it. Yet, time here felt meaningless, she wasn''t sure how long it had been, she meant to eat earlier, but she didn''t feel hungry. She had been fed by Auntie Mei, but a meal came with her room at the inn, and she didn''t want to waste the meal. Breakfast instead, she decided.


    Then she saw something new in the nebula. How long has it been doing that?


    The qi on the outside, the flowing nebula of color and flavor. Blobs of marked heavenly qi throughout were growing, changing. The monks peeled parts off, taking larger chunks of their own qi back into themselves.


    Shae had seen what was happening. The marked wisps of divine qi were merging with the matching monk''s qi, sorting themselves out and expanding the swarm of their own kind, like schools of fish. Shae thought more qi was even being added, neutral qi being combined and converted, maybe?


    Her own swarm had grown and changed just slightly. Maybe not enough for everyone to notice, but Shae noticed. It''s close to angry demigod qi, the result of that destructive corrupting lightning that ate into other qi. No, she shook the fear off, it wasn''t that bad. But it is slightly more dangerous.


    When it came around she pulled at it and too much rushed at her. It wanted to move, wanted to flow into her, so she had to struggle to guide it around her vortex, instead. A hand reached for her on her right side and one squeezed on her left, too. All three of them pushed the qi apart. Stretched the hyperactive qi into thin shreds that she could manage. She pulled some into herself and felt as other small wisps were brought in, as well. They hurt in a way she hadn''t felt before, scratching their way into her. She knew immediately it was wrong to take it in, it wasn''t hers, but she had so little control the demigod qi just flowing in and dragging more with it.


    Even inside her the demigod qi felt different. There was more to it, it was almost heavy, maybe thicker or denser? And just a bit too rebellious. She knew what to do right away. Pulling a small wisp of calm divine qi out of her Dantian and mixing it in. It settled down, maybe a bit thinner but it is calm.


    She looked outside again, her mess had been cleaned up. The rebellious qi moved back to the outer circle, where it continued to grow. Shae shuddered and was braced by two hand squeezes, this time. She appreciated their support, and she could fix it. I know what to do, but it has to be outside myself, there''s too much.


    She drew much more calm divine qi from her Dantian, probably more than I need. Then she corralled the painful qi from the others into her right arm, pushing it to her hand. The monk on her right knew it was coming and teased it out, slowly withdrawing the foreign qi in a less painful fashion.


    Then she presented the divine qi and the monk flinched and might have gasped. Squeezing her hand in response and only withdrawing a small puff. Matching an unseen rhythm they followed, and small enough for Shae to handle easily.


    Shae guided the puff around herself, carefully keeping a mental hold on it. Then pushed it into her demigod qi as it passed behind her.


    The monk must have seen, must have noticed more change than Shae had, the near angry qi looked the same as it had to her. They slowly withdrew more divine qi, a hint of disbelief and careful apprehension in the act. Amazing what emotion comes through qi, are they doing that on purpose?


    The three of them had split up the large deposit of her demigod qi, so she was able to feed the divine qi into the different parts with a fair bit of regularity. Shae could sense the monk on her right growing more agitated as she pushed more divine qi at him. She squeezed his hand this time.


    With the addition of the denser demigod qi, her vortex had grown. It plugged some of the gaps she had left in the ring, and gave her more time to focus on her new task: managing her unruly qi storm.


    Time passed in the most unknowable way. Like dreaming, she couldn''t tell if it was faster or slower. It felt like many hours had passed, but if she woke and it had been days she would believe that too.


    All her focus was on calming her external qi. Peeling it away when it was calm enough to absorb, and generally following the pace the others kept.


    She guessed they had passed the peak of the enlightenment and were winding down now. Heavenly qi had stopped leaking out into the outer ring. Somehow, their qi was still swelling, gathering and letting them peel it off when a clump was dense enough. Shae could notice the density change now, how much more there was. That''s how the others were choosing what to take back. When there was a dense eye at the center of a nebulous cloud, they pulled it out.


    She relaxed knowing the monk''s traditional ritual was coming to an end. Then felt herself unbalance, tipping to the side. The monk she was falling away from pulled her arm, and she used them to right herself. I almost passed out! The mental strain was finally catching up.


    The end of the session was a struggle to stay awake. Her internal vortex was on autopilot, but she still had to retake her external qi. Just pull it in, she chanted and refocused repeatedly. It had been calm enough for a while. She matched pace with the others as they all slowed the swirling qi to a crawl. The monk in the center was finally visible through the dwindling spotlight of qi overhead.


    Finally, it had stopped, the light from the sky went out. Shae felt her whole body sigh. Tension built up within her mindscape eased. She nearly collapsed again, a hand steadying her shoulder from behind. Only then did she notice the other blobs of darkness in her mindscape. People that had approached to check on her and the meditating monks.


    Almost simultaneously the seated monks started picking and sorting through the built up qi in the outer ring. Quickly filtering out their own and pushing the rest on.


    Shae was slow to catch on, but caught up quickly. Her qi only needed the faintest suggestion to come back to her. All her effort was in straining the foreign qi that tagged along. One of the others finished first, but they let her catch up. Keeping the circle of vortexes going just enough so that it didn''t collapse and release the qi. She couldn''t see the whole circle anymore, just the edge behind her.


    She barely remembered the last steps. Waking from her meditation she was surprised to find it was still dark out. The moon overhead lit up the square as much as the lanterns.


    "Careful." Someone said.


    She didn''t try to stand, just unfolded and stretched her legs across the ground. The monks on either side still held her hands. The one on her left getting her attention first.


    "Apologies if you do not like them, my ink likes to wander." Her voice was soft and feminine, like the others she was bald, but Shae caught the softer feminine features in her face. The monk lifted their clasped hands to show a lot of intricate tattoos across their skin. Like layered henna patterns, they were mostly dark tones but in different base colors.


    It took Shae a few breaths to notice the ones on the monk''s hand were moving slightly. Then another breath to realize they were on her hand too. Only a single unmoving pattern. Yet, somehow they had spread up her arm from the woman''s touch. Shae didn''t have the energy for much emotion, only mumbling, "They''re beautiful."


    "They cleanse away easily if you change your mind. Thank you for your help." She said.


    The monk on her right squeezed her hand. "Yes, thank you so much. You gave much more than you needed to." His voice was masculine, but the age in his eyes was what stood out the most to Shae.


    "Hmmm?" She could only ask.


    "Your qi, that was not just any qi. You have blessed us all, Heavenly one."


    She opened her mouth to object, but couldn''t find the energy.


    "You should sleep, that was tiring, even for us elders." Shae started to drift off. "Not here. You have a room, yes?"


    As they hauled her off to her inn, she looked across the square. The broken soldier was still processing his enlightenment and the second broken was at his back, also mediating. It was unclear to her if he had also had an enlightenment. A few of the others were standing guard around the two. The whole pack of new recruits, the Staff Sergeant, and Corporal were at attention facing her.


    As she made eye contact, the Sergeant and Corporal saluted her, followed by everyone else. The square was still silent, so the impact of their hands was distinct. She smirked in appreciation, and tried to salute back, but only managed half the gesture and half a wave. She thought she saw the Sergeant smirk back.


    She didn''t remember getting upstairs to her room.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 23: Corrective Language Lessons

    <hr>


    Chapter 23: "Corrective Language Lessons."


    <hr>


    Shae woke late the next morning to find a tattooed monk in her room, waiting for her to wake. "Hmm? G''morning, were you here all night?"


    "Good morning. No, I only recently returned, we have matters to discuss, Heavenly Shae."


    "Ughmm." Shae rolled over and pulled the pillow over her head. "Where did you hear that?"


    "Your name? You did introduce yourself- ah you meant the title. It is customary recognition for those who cultivate or share divine qi. Did you not know that?"


    She peeked out from under the pillow. "I did not. Could you just call me Shae, or Miss Shae if I need a title."


    The woman smiled warmly. "Least I can do is Wise Shae."


    "Mhm. I think I can live with that." She looked out the brightly lit window. "Did I miss breakfast?"


    "Maybe. Should I ask the kitchen to send something up?"


    "Depends how long you want to stay for." Shae smiled, and emerged from under her blankets and pillow, sitting up properly.


    "It could be a fast conversation, that depends how open you want to be about your past."


    "Hmmm, my past... I don''t mind being open, but I''d like to know more about you first."


    "Ah yes, where are my manners? I haven''t introduced myself. Wise Shae, it is an honor to have cultivated alongside you, I am Wise Kaiun Yungfan. While I am at the core stage, we do not use Elder. Our group hails from the Golden Orchard Monkery."


    "Monkery?" Shae said the word awkwardly and raised an eyebrow. "Not Monastery?"


    She shook her head. "Not for a long time, we outgrew that name over a hundred years ago. We do have one, it is one of the many buildings on our grounds. More of a library now. We are still working on the name."


    "How long have you been working on it?"


    "Nearly a hundred years."


    The two giggled. Then sat in silence for a few breaths after.


    Shae spotted the woman''s tattoos again and lifted her own left hand to look at hers. "It''s very nice to meet you, Yungfan, and thank you for the tattoo."


    "You like it?" She sounded excited.


    "Yes, it''s gorgeous! What kind of flower is this?" The girl ran her other hand over the pattern of flowers and vines that traced out from her palm to wrap around and up her wrist.


    "Hmmm, that one looks like a desert orchid, possibly extinct, they are seen so rarely."


    "Can it move, like yours?"


    She shook her head. "It won''t. Mine is called a living tattoo, but it is a combination of special ink and my metal qi specialty. Without that it won''t move. It could change over time, for various reasons, like if something powerful happened with metal qi."


    "Hmm, oh because tattoo ink is usually metal based? Is it also special metal?"


    "Oh, I''m surprised you knew that, most people don''t. And yes, it is a special metal from living qi tools, like your acupuncture needles."


    "My what?"


    "Your needles? You had two in your hair and a third on your finger."


    "My hairpins? Yea they are a bit special, not sure they are tools, or whatever ''living'' means."


    She stared at Shae with her mouth slightly open. "What do you think they are?"


    With a shrug she plucked the ring shaped pin off the nightstand. "Just leftovers from a little... well from a big qi accident. They were iron blood creeper wires. I thought the old man just cleaned them up after, and they do hold lightning qi really well. But I guess he didn''t tell me what they were, didn''t have the chance, or maybe didn''t know." She sighed and frowned.


    Yungfan moved to grab one too. "Hmm, yes they do kind of look like iron blood wire. That would explain the pitting, but they are actually steel now, so can''t rust further. And lightning? How did you figure that out if your old man didn''t tell you?"


    "My old man? Oh, no. He''s not my father, more of an elderly mentor. As for the lightning, I can sometimes generate a bit of it with my qi." Shae shrugged.


    "Oh!? Impressive ability, may I see?"


    "Hmm, maybe later, I''m still kind of exhausted. What do you think these pins will do?"


    "As acupuncture needles, they could let someone channel qi directly into vital points, or out of them, often for healing. Sometimes they are used in cleansing, especially for meridians. ''Living'' means they likely have some other ability relating to movement, like how my tattoos can move." She shrugged with both palms facing up.


    "Hmm, well, something new to learn I guess. I did use them while cleansing, I put them in the ground nearby to catch the lightning that was a byproduct."


    "Hmm, that''s very interesting, so that strange qi you had is partly lightning qi?"


    Shae nodded. "I was trying to mimic... another qi type, but wasn''t successful."


    "This is getting close to what I wanted us to discuss."


    "Oh? Umm, that so?" Shae tensed up.


    "It is so." The monk said, leaning forward. "When you were talking to the troops, you mentioned questions for us. Wise Kwan believes it is about your qi, which he believes is divine in origin. Kwan was the one on your right during the cultivation circle."


    "Oh, that!" She relaxed.


    "That?" The monk looked curious. "And I suspect it is how you cleansed your arm and leg so thoroughly."


    "Yes it was, and it was entirely out of my control!" She looked down at herself, and saw she was wearing less clothes than she would usually like to meet someone in. Yet, her embarrassment was mostly because of the bizarre patterns across her skin where the cleansing had gone on a rampage.


    Investigating herself closely, she checked the locations she had cleansed manually, and tried to compare them to the divine flesh. Only the small bit in her leg was as white as the divine flesh; matching the spot where the angry qi had gone out of her control. Other areas were paler, but she still had some tan to them.


    The monk had cleared her throat twice. "Wise Shae, would you like time to get dressed."


    "Hm, no actually. Could you do me a favor, your senses are probably better than mine."


    "Are you not... concerned by your state of dress?"


    "Are you? I figured you would be more comfortable than me. And someone undressed me for bed, I assume that was you?"


    "It was, and in fact..." the monk did look a bit bashful now. "I washed you as well, the session produced a not insignificant quantity of impurities."


    "Ah! Wow, I didn''t even notice that last night. Um. Thanks for cleaning me up then! That must have been unpleasant."


    The monk shrugged. "Not the worst I''ve seen, or had to clean up, from myself or others. And you did us all a great service. Some might think we are still in your debt."


    "Do you think that? And why? You invited me to join, which benefited me as well. This isn''t just because of the enlightenment, right?"


    "It is not solely because of that, no. We would be thankful certainly, but you did a lot more than was expected of you. Especially in sharing your divine qi."


    "Sharing? I didn''t think it worked like that. Everyone was sharing their qi into the outer orbit."


    "Outer orbit. Interesting terminology. You are correct, to a degree. We all release qi, let it mingle with others, and share the excess from the enlightenment. The arrangement is meant to mostly benefit the enlightened one by reducing lost qi." She paused with a thought on her tongue. "This will be a simplification, of course, but your divine qi combined with the enlightenment qi and produced more heavenly qi than would normally be there. That qi spread to all the other qi around it. Benefiting us all greatly."


    Shae thought about that, comparing it to what she remembered. She hadn''t noticed that happening, but her senses might not have been sharp enough for that. "Hm, I guess I don''t have a comparison to work with like you probably do." The monk nodded as the girl paused. "So... us finishing after the enlightened one, that wasn''t how it was supposed to go?"


    "Correct. It varies, but usually there is much less qi in the ''outer orbit''."


    "So, that whole setup. Can it be repeated or does it need an enlightenment?"


    The monk flashed a slight frown. "It needs it. There are group cultivation techniques, but they are not nearly so productive. Most people do not have access to divine qi."


    "Hmm." Shae thought, and her gaze drifted down to herself again. "Oh, right! Come here please." She waved the other woman over.


    She sighed and complied.


    "I''m supposedly in the cleansing stage. But I don''t have a manual or proper instruction to go off of, so I was experimenting a bit to see if I could cleanse as well as the tribulation lightning-"


    "Tribulation? This was cleansed by a tribulation? How?" The woman gawked, examining Shae''s arm more closely.


    "Ah, well I passed out after the third strike, so not sure exactly. The old monster might have done something to it. But in short: the divine lightning qi that made it inside me was rampaging, but was trapped in my arm and leg, so it could only cleanse those areas."


    "I have so many questions. Firstly, ''the old monster''?"


    "Oh, the old man I mentioned before, Elder Ghon of the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect. We were on Pilgrim''s Rest mountain, you probably heard the news about the tribulation."


    "Ah, yes, that was you two? How did it happen? Why were you close enough to get caught in a strike?"


    "Caught in a...? Oh, right. You''re assuming it was Ghon''s, it was not."


    "It was yours! How?" Her eyes were wide in pure disbelief. "How did you survive three strikes? The Elder?"


    "Slow down a little! I can''t say how it happened. It was for me specifically, the elder refused to intervene, the first strike was a warning for him. Then I survived three hits. I used a variety of items to redirect the lightning around myself, but the old man said they shouldn''t have worked at all. Something about divine lightning not following the rules of electricity."


    The monk just slowly nodded once in agreement.


    "Oh, and I think what Elder Ghon did after that had something to do with the formation and the mountain''s qi. I was almost finished directed tempering so could handle the extra pressure just fine."


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    "Oh my!" She took a few slow breaths. "I am glad we set up a privacy barrier around your room. And I think we have much more to talk about, so I will send for some food." She quickly escaped to do that.


    Shae took a deep breath while she was gone, and asked herself, Why did I say so much? I barely know this woman.


    When Yungfan returned there was an awkward silence before Shea recalled then excitedly said, "Oh, right right! The cleansing I''ve been doing myself, I want to compare it to my arm and leg, to see how close I got. I can''t really tell how different it is."


    The monk agreed to help and they discussed the different areas. The three primary areas were: the divinely cleansed arm and leg, the areas Shae had cleansed with demigod qi, and the one spot on her leg where the angry demigod qi went out of control.


    "This half-divine cleansing is quite effective, most would be satisfied with cleansing this good. You just need to control it a bit better, and overlap it properly for better coverage."


    "Yea, I am just going by instinct right now. I''m not even sure how to distinguish between skin and muscle, no idea what to do when I have to do organs or my head." Shae complained about her lack of knowledge. "Would reading other cultivation guides to get a framework help?"


    "Getting one you can use would help more. Flesh and organ cleansing is usually similar though. Meridian cleansing will be the one you need to be very careful about."


    "Oh, I''ve been meaning to ask. The question I had before yesterday for you all. Have you heard of anyone cultivating divine qi?"


    "Cultivating it?" Yungfan frowned and hummed in thought. "Not at these early stages. Some call for using enlightenments during core stage to be used in specific ways. The main issue I see is that no one could collect enough to cultivate it. Divine qi, in whatever form, is meant to be used. We teach that it is a pure form of power that is always diluted when used by cultivators."


    Shae frowned and looked down. "Ghon did say that I could have used the tribulation to nearly finish cleansing. So, if you just bring it into your Dantian, what is supposed to happen?"


    "If it was lightning, I imagine it would be very painful," Shae grimaced in response, and the monk continued. "Most would think it could kill you, but there are varying theories about tribulation qi. Enlightenment qi, would simply dilute into your existing qi, purifying out foreign qi that you may have. And generally helping to quickly convert other qi into your personal qi. This brings us to one of our questions for you: why does your Dantian look empty."


    "Huh, personal qi? So, if my Dantian was empty already when I absorbed the divine qi...?"


    "I''m not sure how it could be empty, or how it still appears empty now. Though I suppose even if there was a small amount, a lot of divine qi would overwhelm it and effectively drown it out." She hummed and fidgeted by rubbing her tattoos, they squirmed more than usual when she did.


    "It would still be marked though? Like the wisps of heavenly qi during the ceremony yesterday, some were different after I tried to move them back to the center."


    "Ah, you did notice that? Good. I was worried your senses were weak, from what you said earlier."


    "Ugh, yea, I assume I''m off the mark on a lot of my control, the old monster warned me about that. And once again, I have no idea where I stand, how to improve, etcetera."


    "Warned you about it... ah, you said you were on the mountain. Is that where you first started cultivating?''


    "Yep. He denied me for months because it would ''be bad for me'' or whatever, then I had to learn it there anyway."


    "Well, he was correct. Though, you probably could have made up for it if you were there for months."


    "Ugh, asshole!" Shae shouted and flopped back into the bed. The monk flinched. "Sorry. Just can''t believe how awful that guy is. Even knowing he usually only has visitors for a couple weeks doesn''t take the sting away."


    "Well, I think we found something the Monkery can offer you."


    "Oh?" She sat up halfway.


    "Corrective language lessons."


    Shae gawked at her.


    "Hahaha, joking, mostly." She kept laughing. "Ah- haha, covering the basics I mean. We teach to all skill levels so we are quite accustomed to catching people up."


    "Aah. That would be nice, I think."


    They sat in silence for a few breaths while Yungfan recovered from her own joke.


    "Does that mean I have to go with you all? Or can we do some of that here and now? Maybe a book I can borrow?"


    The monk inhaled deeply. "We can do some here. Though it would be easiest at the Monkery, the books are all in the monastery. We don''t tend to let them out, even if we are more open than the sects or military."


    "Hnmgh." Shae groaned quietly. "Guess it would be too easy if I could just solve all my problems now." She paused, then rerouted the conversation. "Ah, what did you think of this spot on my leg?"


    "That ''angry'' qi spot? It is closest to the divine cleansing, though it is very uneven and the center is actually damaged slightly. Taking just the best parts... I think it would be comparable, you might not even notice the difference in muscle strength."


    "Ugh, I''ll have to try it again with less qi, and beside the divine flesh. Would multiple passes of one or the other, maybe mixing it up be easier? The angry stuff was more painful."


    "My general advice is going to sound fairly obvious once I''ve said it. Balance speed and efficiency. Set goals with what divine qi you have access to. No sense planning for the best if you can only finish a third with what you have. Assume you won''t get more. And, you need to improve your senses so that you can tell the difference in quality, you won''t get even coverage if you are shooting arrows in the dark."


    "Huuuaah!" Shae exhaled her exasperation, "And I just remembered the qi from the enlightenment is denser and different again, so I''ll have to do another test." She rubbed her eyes then looked up at the ceiling. "What makes personal qi different?"


    "Jumping subjects?"


    "Not really. I''m trying to make a decision, but I don''t have all the information I need."


    "Hmm, different how? Could you be more specific?"


    "Uh, well I assume it is different. I can pull in all kinds of qi and circulate them through my channels. Doesn''t seem to do anything most of the time. Some are easier, some move on their own, like my half divine qi. Yours and the other monk''s qi from the ritual, they stung when I accidentally drew them in, so I think that means they''re different, and not meant to be used by others."


    "Sounds like you have most of it. I suppose it comes down to what occurs within our Dantians, which varies from one manual to another anyhow. If we are sticking with cleansing related things, the Dantian changes the qi only slightly: makes it yours, obviously. Sorry for being so repetitive. Think of it like having a teabag in your cup, you can pour more water in, and get more tea. Water from different wells might taste different. Yet, once in your cup with the teabag and other tea, it will then taste like that tea, and grow stronger once steeped."


    "Hmmm, okay. So is the tea better than the water? Is it like soapy water that is easier to clean with? and is this metaphor really necessary?"


    "Ah, there is a more specific question. Have you heard about not washing out cast iron with water or soap? Just add more oil in and cook it down to season it."


    "Ugh, seriously? More metaphors? Is there something wrong with using normal words for normal explanations?"


    "Heh, well, this is a normal explanation for us. We always teach and learn with metaphor, moreso for the more complex things. It forces us to clarify our thoughts and comprehend the information more than rote repetition."


    "Blehhh, that doesn''t make sense. That''s like saying- Gah!, now I''m doing it!" Shae put both her hands on her face.


    Yungfan stayed silent while the girl calmed down and thought through the metaphors.


    Shae started mumbling. "So what''s in there, if anything? I''ve heard Dao and nascent soul, but those are both later, not first... regular soul?" She spoke up to the monk. "Where''s the soul? Like something is the teabag, right? Dao is in there, but people don''t start with Dao, so how could it have an impact on our qi. But the soul is somewhere?" She looked expectantly.


    The monk sighed. "These questions might be beyond both of us. Beyond my ability to answer properly and definitely beyond what you should be considering." She spoke without reprimand, and held an inscrutable expression.


    Shae stared at the monk intently, then frowned. "Fine. Another taboo subject." She looked away and thought through a slow breath in and out. "I think I need to meditate. Let''s talk later, maybe outside. I can show you my cleansing process if you still want to see it." She sat up and moved into a lotus pose.


    "I would like that, and the others might have more advice for you. Thank you for your wisdom Heavenly Shae."


    She took a sharp inhale at the title. "Thank you for yours, Wise Kaiun Yungfan."


    The monk left the room as Shae entered her meditative trance.


    <hr>


    Aside 2: "Hallway Party."


    (Chapter 23.1)


    <hr>


    The older monk that had been on Shae''s right waited patiently in the hallway outside the girl''s room. He watched silently as Yungfan exited the room and took care to quietly close the door. She turned to him expectantly, and he reached out to the door and tapped the frame with a bit of qi, reactivating the privacy formation. They both felt it stretch over them, encompassing the hallway as well.


    "Wise Kwan." She inclined her head slightly in respect.


    "Wise Kaiun." He returned the slight nod. "How is she?"


    "Doing quite well, very talkative and curious."


    "Any signs?"


    She shook her head. "Nothing specific. She thought the Monkery should be called a monastery. Her questions and roadblocks with cultivation are... naive."


    "Naive? She struck me as much wiser than that."


    "Certainly, she is much more mature than she looks. Her questions far advanced for her realm and age. Yet, some are so simple, so direct."


    "Oh? Such as?"


    "She doesn''t know how to cleanse properly. Yet, just now we were discussing the influence of the Dantian on qi. The classic teabag metaphor. She even asked about Dao and the soul."


    "That''s quite the leap."


    She shrugged. "She made it seem natural enough. Some have excellent intuition for that kind of thing. In any other student her age I would expect that discussion to have triggered an enlightenment." She looked disappointed.


    "Hmm, yes, it would have been much easier if it had." He shifted to lean and look intently at the door. "That could suggest an incongruous depth of experience..."


    "Some of her words are from experience, I could tell. She knows that the Dao exists within the Dantian. Yet is truly unaware of so much more, so much that is basic, even for those her age."


    He frowned. "She did speak of the bandit having a shard of Dao. Plainly, as though it was obvious. Could she have touched her own? That would, in theory, cause a tribulation."


    "That would also tear her apart. She cannot hold Dao within her mortal frame, not without a huge reservoir of qi."


    "Hmm. That is the accepted theory." The old monk considered for a moment then shook his head. "How was..?" He motioned to her right side.


    "It worked. Had to weaken the link at one point, it was too strong. I think she almost noticed the influence. It definitely made her more talkative. Though, she wasn''t trying to hold back too much." She frowned.


    He sighed and looked conflicted. "I regret abusing her trust like this."


    "You''re not the one that will have to deal with the backlash if she catches on." She sighed heavily. "I think she will understand if we explain our whole case. And she does believe that it was unintentional."


    "Was it?"


    She was taken aback. "Of course! You know how they are. I would never!"


    "Not without reason."


    "I had no suspicions at the time." She said firmly, eyeing him sternly.


    He inhaled deeply, then bowed. "I apologize for my accusation, Wise Kaiun."


    She shifted uncomfortably, "You''re forgiven, Wise Kwan." She took a breath. "It is not unreasonable to assume I had suspicions earlier. Given her talk with the Staff Sergeant."


    He sighed in relief. "Ah, that does make me feel better. Her behavior was odd, even when talking to the sect."


    "You suspected her that early?"


    He shook his head. "No, but it got me curious about her. Hard not to pay attention after that."


    She nodded and they stood quietly for another breath. "So?" She asked.


    "Not enough to make a decision. Either she is a master of deception or just another lost soul and reasonably innocent."


    "Heh, reasonably." She shook her head. "Whatever is going on with her Dantian, though?"


    "Suspicious, yes. Likely why the Staff Sergeant asked us to dig further."


    "Weren''t we going to anyway."


    "Of course we were. None would let that suspicion pass."


    "Would Elder Ghon?"


    The older monk scratched his chin. "That old monster? He is quite focused on himself, now more than ever, I suspect."


    "Ah... You don''t think it''s him?"


    "I wasn''t before. We can''t rule it out, yet."


    "So we''ll need to talk to him, did you know him?"


    "We''ve met a few times. That young Elder Bai thinks a meeting is impossible. Says we may meet with Elder Ngoc at the mountain and send letters."


    "Hmm... injured then?"


    "Probably. They won''t be able to keep it quiet for long, but we shouldn''t be the source of the reveal. It would strain relations. Did she say anything?" He motioned to the room.


    "Ugh, politics." She grimaced. "Not really, it didn''t come up, just that the tribulation wasn''t his, and sounds like he was fine after it."


    "Doesn''t mean he wasn''t injured by it, he would put on a strong face."


    They paused in contemplation for a dozen breaths.


    "A mental manipulation ritual? To erase memories of cultivation?" Yungfan asked.


    The older monk titled his head, then shook it. "Unlikely, that would require outside help. They would never be so trusting as to risk another making them a puppet."


    "Ah, yes, right out then." She looked down.


    He peered at the door again. "That was quick, she''s getting dressed. We should move outside." He plucked a grape from the plate of food waiting beside the door.


    Yungfan nodded, and they walked away.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 24: Spreading the Wealth

    <hr>


    Chapter 24: "Spreading the Wealth."


    <hr>


    Shae took her time leaving the Inn. She first found the plate of food outside her room and with it she found her hunger, neither lasted long. Second she noticed the time of day and changed her plans. She had to find a woodworker or two, and couldn''t wait until night time again. So, she asked around the Inn as she left.


    Leaving with her bundle of sticks, she approached the monks. "Wise Kwan, Wise Yungfan, apologies but I have some errands to run." She presented her bundle.


    "Ah, that is fine. We didn''t expect to monopolize your time. Do you need a hand with anything?"


    "Hmm, only if you have a plant specialist?"


    Yungfan shook her head.


    "Ok, see you around!"


    Shae found the first carver on the next street over and approached him. "Hi, I have some golden larch from the mountain."


    He waved her over and looked at the bundle. "Ugh, just sticks." He frowned. "I usually work with larger pieces, could give you a few copper, but try Denfan, on third." He pointed down the road.


    She thanked him and moved on. This repeated a few times, until she almost got a sale, but was turned away again when the woman found out she had a tax receipt. "This wouldn''t cover the taxes. You''ll want to try the bowyer. He''d be near to the only one who can give you a solid identification."


    Shae sighed heavily and moved on after thanking the woman running the shop.


    The bowyer''s shop was on the edge of the market district, only separated by chance of what side of the wall he was on. She had heard about him a few times, but the distance put him lower on her list. Other cons were the bandit archer''s comment saying they wouldn''t be good for arrows, and a few of the other merchants had said he was grumpy.


    "Hello?" She called into the empty shop.


    She wandered around for a few minutes, appreciating the workmanship of the bows on display. A variety of different woods in different sizes. Some had intricate carvings along them. Yet the man never showed himself. The few arrows that were on display suggested that all her sticks could make only a handful of good arrows, if someone wanted to bother with the wood at all.


    Shae eventually decided to just invade his workspace.


    As she pushed through the canvas covering the back room, she caught a strong smell of freshly cut wood. The dusty smell was a significant difference from the oils and lacquers in the showroom. Knocks on the doorframe with her knuckle produced a satisfyingly sharp series of cracks.


    She rounded the corner and saw an older man on a sawhorse straddling a half carved bow. He was carefully inspecting it then shaving small pieces off with a drawknife. She waited at the edge of his space, giving him time to finish.


    He finally stopped, slowly climbing off the bow-horse, his movements showed his age and joint pain. He looked back at her and spoke with forced enunciation, "You always waltz into where you''re not wanted?"


    "Not wanted? Hmmm, and here I thought this was a place of business. You would want customers, wouldn''t you?"


    "The shop''s out front, not back here." He grumped, without looking up from servicing his tools.


    "And yet, the merchant is back here, not in the shop."


    "Hardly. The boy is supposed to handle the merchandise."


    "Boy? The place was empty."


    "Eh? Dammit." He stomped his way over to a side door and leaned out it, "Boy! Stop slacking!" No response came and he walked back to his workpiece. He looked at Shae again. "Ya want a job?"


    "Working out front? No, I promised myself I would never work retail again. Too stressful."


    "Shop''s empty most of the day, how''s that stressful?"


    "Well, good shops are not usually that empty."


    "Eh? What do you think you''re saying about my shop?" He leaned closer and gave her a dirty look.


    "Ah, so you do have some pride in your business, good!" She snarked. "I''m here because no one else in town seems to know what to do with this." She pulled her bundle off her back and opened the top revealing the tips of a few branches.


    "Golden larch? Really, no one wanted it? What did ya do, half burn then rot the rest?" He waved her over to a half empty workbench. She made it there first and placed the bundle in the open area. He caught up and cleared the rest of the space off, slowly returning tools to their hangers.


    Shae impatiently helped him when she spotted where a tool went. "The problem is, it''s from the mountain, and so the guard gave me a tax ticket."


    "Ahh, taxes. Always throwing a knot into smooth work." He looked over the branches and sticks. Grimacing slightly at the smaller pieces. Then he grew more curious at the leaves. Plucking a handful off and picking through them. "Heh, well. Ya did get lucky, if not with what ya ''spected."


    "Oh?"


    "See these?" He pointed out a few of the small leaves, looking nearly identical to the others. "They''re seed pods, bit late in the season but who ''m I to tell trees what to do. Lookin'' good too." He pinched one of the pods and bit the seed out of the inside. Humming and nodding in agreement.


    "Uh, so they are edible? Good for cultivators or alchemy?"


    "Eh? Nah, they''re seeds. Ya plant them and get new trees."


    She didn''t appreciate his tone, but kept her reaction to a frown. "Just seeds then. Well that is nice, it looked like it was quite a nice tree until I bumped into it."


    "Tree? Just the one?"


    "Yes, alone at the bottom of a cliff, lots of other types around it though."


    "Hmm, must have been getting choked out up there, desperate to spread its seed to new areas, I know that feeling." He chuckled to himself, then looked over the bundled cloth. "Ya carry it here like this? All wrapped up?"


    She shook her head. "No the wrap was just when I got to town, it was loose before that."


    "Heh, well the tree probably got its wish then, ya probably left a trail of seeds down the mountain."


    It took half a breath before his meaning hit Shae. Then she smiled wide. "Ahh!! That is wonderful news! You think they will grow?"


    "Should do. Can''t rightly say how many, a''course."


    "Ahh! Yes!" Shae pumped an arm and jumped up and down with a wide grin stuck on her face.


    "That''s a load of excitement for some seedlings. Something more to it?" The bowyer asked and crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Yep! I was worried about the lone tree. I kind of damaged it, and was worried it would die. So, now I''m so glad to hear it''ll have descendants!" She continued to bounce on her toes with joyful energy.


    "Ah-huh. Worried about a tree, eh?" He looked her over again. Then cocked his head sideways, "You a cultivator?"


    "Mhm, trying to be." She nodded. "Not really official yet."


    "And ya been up the mountain, yea that explains it." He rolled his eyes a bit and looked the wood over again. He used a knife from his toolbelt to slice open branches in different ways, checking under the bark and the rings in the wood. "Hmmm... all by its lonesome near a cliff. Bottom or top?"


    "Umm.. Oh, bottom of the cliff."


    He shook his head again, disappointment clear. "Well it''s no true gold, but could be a slight variant."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Oh? What''s that mean?"


    "Eh, ya know how these larches work?" She shook her head. "Right, so the name isn''t just from the color. Old lore says they are trying to make gold. True gold larches get it right, adding it into their leaves and bark and more in their heartwood." He tapped the rings at the center of a branch. "Gets them in trouble because gold is so heavy, but they become spirit plants and live forever, or until some cultivator wants a fancy looking wood floor."


    Shae grimaced.


    "Yep. So, when they don''t get it right, they get a different metal. Can still be valuable, can make for interesting pieces and sometimes spirit tools if someone knows how to use the wood correctly. Rumor is they''ll waste a whole tree trying to learn how to use it, and only get one good qi tool out of it." He shook his head. "Bloody shameful, that."


    "Ugh, yea, I don''t like the sounds of that. Do their seeds also make the same metal?"


    "Nah, don''t think so. But I''d guess half of what metal they get is where they are planted, what''s in the soil and what-not."


    "Oh! That''s a lot like iron blood creeper or iron-vine, right?"


    "Eh, yea, s''pose. I think these trees tend to become spirit plants more. That vine doesn''t, last I heard."


    "So this wood has a different metal in it?"


    "Could be. Hard to tell, no color to it. So maybe a white metal. Maybe the wood is just a bit odd. Will have to test it out."


    "White metal? Hmm, like aluminum or platinum? Wouldn''t be lithium or sodium, not stable enough, titanium would be good too." She puzzled out while leaning in close to the branches.


    "Eh? I''ve no idea what any of those are. We just say white metal to mean not iron or steel, else it would be rusty."


    "Ah! Can you compare it to iron? Determine its properties? If it''s lighter or harder?"


    He shook his head, "I''m no alchemist or metals expert. Best I can do is try it out, drying and heating it should make the properties set in. Then we can see if it''s any good."


    "That''ll take a while, I guess. So... time to talk money?"


    He frowned. "I can only give ya something for the seeds." He looked in the bundle, finding more at the bottom. "More here than I wanna plant, though. Know anyone else in town?"


    "Just Auntie Mei, just outside town."


    He let out a pleasant sigh, "Aaahhh! Miss Mei! Haven''t seen her in years. She doing well?" He smiled broadly. The expression showed far too many wrinkles.


    Shae nodded.


    "That''s good to hear. She''s a great choice then, she can spread them out outside town, too. With her luck we''ll have three true golds in the next few decades. Ha-ha ha!" His smile held. "Give her half, eh, make it two thirds, I''ll try planting the rest here. Hells, ask her to come help me plant them, I could use the luck." He smirked.


    Shae smirked back. "Sure thing, old dog. What are ya giving me for them?" She held out the tax receipt.


    "Ugh, those things. Right, a few silver should cover the tax at least. Can''t call the wood worth anything just yet."


    "Oh, there''s a monk in town specialized in metal! Maybe she could help?"


    He shrugged. "Monk eh? Couldn''t hurt, I suppose send her over. If you can."


    Shae grabbed a smaller branch out of the bundle. "I''ll just bring her this, that might be enough. She''s pretty strong."


    "Heh, strong? I could use a few strong arms around the shop?" He fished a stamp out from a drawer near the door, stamped her receipt, and marked the sale price on it.


    "Oh? I''m pretty strong, you know?" She pulled up her right sleeve and struck a pose by flexing her bicep. It wasn''t particularly impressive as the muscle wasn''t large and her divinely cleansed white skin hid any definition that might have been there.


    "Heh, sure sure. Uh, grab that long black piece and move it over to that workbench, would ya?"


    "Got it!" She dashed over. Suspecting a trick, she was careful to not treat it lightly. It was a bit heavier than she expected, but had no problem moving it.


    "Heh, good start. Not too heavy?" He asked with a smirk.


    "No." She squinted at him. "Didn''t even need my super strength!"


    "Well, that''s not the true test. This wood is incredibly tough. Most call it rockwood because of how hard it is to work."


    "So you want some free labor cutting it down to size?"


    "Heh, right track. I''ll be glad to pay ya though. This project''s been on the shelf for a while. Customer wanted a full longbow out of this stuff."


    "Is it stiffer? Making a higher pull strength bow?"


    "Ahh, so the girl shows some smarts too! Alright, how would ya like to learn to make a bow missy?"


    "Call me Miss Shae, please. And you are?"


    "Master Cheng, is what I''m called, Master for the craftsman side of it, not your cultivator disciple-mentor thing."


    "Well, Master Cheng, I can''t promise I''ll be in town for long, but maybe we can rough out this piece while I''m here." Shae smiled, getting to learn and build something new was one of her favorite experiences.


    They spent the rest of the afternoon in the woodshop. To Shae''s disappointment, almost none of it was spent carving. The old bowyer insisted on cutting off test pieces and testing the material properties of the rockwood. He did the same with the golden larch at the same time, saving a little bit of time.


    The rockwood had dried out more than he expected, and he no longer felt it would make for a good bow, the wood was too brittle now. He said he could probably soak it in oil to revive it, but the customer had long since canceled the contract anyway. The results from the larch wouldn''t be ready until tomorrow, at the earliest.


    Realizing Shae''s strength was focused on her right arm, he got her working the hand saw. They started on a few pieces, roughing out the shape of the bow with the saw, then smoothing that shape just a bit with the drawknife. Cheaper wood first that was too firm for him to work easily. Then working up to a pair of more expensive pieces. He was much more cautious and attentive when she was roughing out those.


    By the time the sun was low the master crafter was very pleased about their progress. "Dang, girl. If we make this kind of progress tomorrow I''ll have work for all winter."


    "Tomorrow? You work me like a dog and expect me to come back for more?" She was teasing him, but she probably had a point.


    "Ehh, I''ll pay, I''ll pay. Silver for each piece." He looked at her glare. "Okay two, three for the good pieces."


    "I was kind of hoping to do more than just pull a saw all day."


    "That''s most of the work, there. The carving is just to make it look nice." He shrugged. "But you''re right, I should show you the rest. Balancing the bend takes a bit of a knack. It''ll be good to see it through."


    "Great!" Shae smiled. She scooped up the seeds for Auntie Mei, the branch to show Yungfan, and headed out.


    <hr>


    Shae met the same guard on the way out of the market district, and handed him the tax receipt.


    "Oh, that''ll save me some paperwork, thanks!"


    "Uh, no problem." Shae smiled politely.


    "Hey, are you heading out with that big caravan of cultivators?"


    "Uhh, I might be? Were they looking for more guards?"


    "Kind of the opposite. We''re spreading the word so they could take more people that needed guarding, sect cultivators, especially the local Dragons, are well known for being very protective of their caravans."


    "Oh, that''s nice to hear. They hadn''t told me anything specific yet, but I''ve been busy all day, so." She shrugged.


    "Ah, well the caravan leader should be gathering at the north gates already. Really you should talk to her if you want in, unless you are already recruited to the sect?"


    She shook her head. "My letter delivery didn''t go super smoothly, but we put on an impressive light show afterwards."


    "Light show? Ah, those enlightenments? Was that you- no? You were there though? Dang, really wanted to see one of those but I was stuck here all night." He looked disappointed.


    "Thanks for the heads up, I''ll swing around the north side on my way back."


    "Ah, well, if you''re coming back late, check the Cockatrice Roost Inn. Usually where the caravan guards hang out, they''ll know."


    "Great!" Shae waved as she walked off.


    <hr>


    Auntie Mei was a pleasant treat as always. Sharing a conspiratorial look with Shae when she found out who the seeds were from. "Ahh, that Cheng. Always knows what to do with good wood."


    "Auntie!" Shae complained and looked upset.


    "Hmm? What are you upset about, you''re supposed to be too young for those jokes."


    "And you''re supposed to be too-" She cut herself off. Pursing her lips, and covering them with a hand.


    Auntie Mei gave her an intense stare. "Would you like to finish that sentence, dear?"


    "No, Auntie." Shae said from under her hand. "Master Cheng, had only good things to say about Miss Mei."


    "Good, as he should." She declared and nodded.


    Their visit didn''t last much longer as Shae had to refuse Mei''s offer of coin for the seeds since she felt the woman had already overpaid her. Then she also refused her offer of food, which she was much more hesitant to do. Mei''s food was usually very good, but she wanted to make it back to the inn before sunset. Shae was able to leave on a high note when she shared the story about the never-full walnuts, she heard Mei cackling with laughter from almost a block away.


    <hr>


    She found the caravan leader before the woman had turned in for the night. Outside the Cockatrice Roost Inn with a similar table set up as Cultivator Bai. She quickly learned the woman was named Miss Ping Ahna. She was an middle aged woman, a streak of red in her hair and a small scar on her chin. She said Shae was welcome in the caravan, so long as she could defend herself.


    "Solo cultivators are expected to assist in the defense of the caravan, so you''ll need a weapon. Even if you can''t use it too well, that will be fine with the Dragons along."


    "Ah, right. I''m new to this so keep forgetting I''ll be treated differently now. Is it different for lone mortals?"


    "Generally a flat fee and no weapons needed, that''s what guards are for. Little fee for you too, but shouldn''t lighten your pocket too much. Sect is helping offset that, just because there are fewer guards hired. Though, if you can bring some of your own food, even better."


    "Speaking of mortals, have you seen a girl with green eyes, and a bow, older than me, long hair braid? Might have been acting as a courier and looking for travel to the sect?"


    "No name? Hmm, well green eyes is a bit rare, but you''re the first solo female on the trip, mortal or cultivator. Bit of a friendly tip there, try to make friends with the wagons, will get you better meals and maybe more comfortable bedding."


    "Ah, thanks? I think I have an idea for a weapon too, I will see about it tomorrow. When are you setting off?"


    "Day after tomorrow, at first light we leave the city. Feel free to catch up if you like sleeping in. We won''t wait."


    Shae thanked the woman again and left. She had considered staying for a meal there, but she was pretty sure there was still time for it back at her own inn.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 25: Not The Help You Asked For

    <hr>


    Chapter 25: "Not The Help You Asked For."


    <hr>


    She had missed the regular serving window for guests to take supper. A late offering was available if she paid ahead, so she added herself to the list. She also paid for another night, to cover up to the morning the caravan would leave. Then she asked about food for the trip: as expected they could provide that, but freely admitted they would overcharge by a good margin. She agreed that going to the local market would be worth the trip, and headed outside for fresh air while she waited for the meal to be prepared.


    She found Wise Kwan outside admiring the gathering of people around where the enlightenments occurred.


    "Wise Shae, nice to see you again. It looks as though you are the talk of the town." He nodded towards the crowd.


    "Wise Kwan, thank you for the warning. I''ll be sure to create a disguise so I can operate unbothered. Maybe some glasses and a bushy mustache."


    "Heh. Some would embrace the attention?"


    "Some, who are not me." She smirked. "I''ll never turn away a thank you, but they were just words, they didn''t feel that special at the time."


    "Well, sometimes words can do more than deeds. Heroism is in the trying, not just what was done."


    "Sure I can get behind that. What are they doing, though? Seems a bit excessive."


    "Yes, I can''t say I''ve ever seen recreationists pop up so soon."


    "So soon? And I thought they were just posing for the painting."


    "That they are, but they are also treating it like a play, with acting and costumes and all."


    "Ugh. Well as long as they don''t try to close down the square and charge for entry."


    "Heh."


    "Or if they do, they''d better give us a cut "


    "Ha!" He chuckled heartily. "That''s quite the extrapolation."


    "Is it?" She shrugged. "Say, how long are you all in town for?"


    "Considering joining us? You would be more than welcome, but I understand if it is a difficult decision. We will remain for another week, perhaps two. I suspect at least two more of the soldier recruits will break by then. They are likely to join us after, if we are still here."


    "Really? I''d think they would just go home, maybe try again next year."


    "Heh, now that they have had a taste of cultivating, they won''t turn back. None give up so soon. And with your display? I imagine we will snag a few more hopefuls, as well."


    "My display? The others did the actual work, don''t take that from them."


    The monk nodded, "My apologies."


    "The funny thing about my difficult decision: I hadn''t even realized there was a decision to be made until yesterday." She sighed. "Going to a sect seemed like the path to follow. Now I''m not sure. You lot are much easier to get along with."


    "Most people are, when you are not being intentionally antagonistic."


    She frowned. "Fair point."


    "The members you have met might not readily accept you now. They might desire your potential for throwing out wisdom, as you have displayed. But they are a much more conflict oriented bunch. All of them, not just these."


    "Not sure I can climb out of the crater I''ve dug anymore. Expecting revelations from me doesn''t have a good track record."


    "They would still be expected at the Monkery. Maybe more so, word gets around. Though, you''d hear fewer direct comments about it than the sect."


    "Ugh, so people being too nice to make me feel guilty, or entitled morons demanding the world. Not sure which I''d hate more."


    "Heh. What a horribly succinct way of putting it. I suppose the upside is that one of those groups would gladly embarrass themselves in a duel."


    "Hah. And I can guess that there will be very few clear routes to resolution at the Monkery?"


    "Just talking things out usually works for me, but I have a distinct advantage there."


    "Why does it sound like you are encouraging me to go to the sect?"


    "The sect? Well, any sect really. I don''t play favorites. Our doors will always be open, Shae. The sects do not work like that. Rarely do they recruit struggling cultivators." He let his words hang in the air for a breath. "Do you need more?"


    "Another push couldn''t hurt."


    "Heh. Then let''s talk information access. The sects hold their secrets tight. We do not. You will still be able to visit us and pilfer our monastery of what secrets you need."


    "Hmm.. that is a very good point. Ah! And I bet the sect will pay you, where I could not."


    "Sometimes all parties come through a deal satisfied."


    Shae took a few heavy breaths, her thoughts churning. "There''s another reason that you aren''t telling me."


    "Heh. If I said it was because you are too sharp, would you accept just that?"


    "Not after that question. Compliments never hurt, though."


    "Heh. Heh. Have you heard of karma and fate? Or the threads of fate?"


    "Just once or twice."


    "Some people are pulled through life by them, others do the pulling. Once in a while, someone cuts their way through them, changing everything. Guess which I think you are?"


    "Ha." She inhaled deeply, then sighed heavily.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Not the response I was expecting. Is something else bothering you?"


    "Yea. The painting. It''s reminding me that there''s an opportunity here that I will miss."


    "Oh? If you see it clearly, speak and we shall aid you."


    "Hmm. Not sure if you can, it was something I did after the last enlightenment I saw, and only during my own enlightenment."


    "Ahhh, so you have had that experience already?"


    "Didn''t realize it when it happened, but yes. And I did something that sounds a little like nonsense."


    "More nonsense than surviving a tribulation as a mortal?"


    "Hah, maybe. Not really sure how to judge it. Anyone in your group have a space or reality focus?"


    "That is a very odd question. Are we still on the same topic?"


    "Yes, same topic. I know it''s private, don''t expect you to tell me all about your friends. Just need something to weaken reality enough. An actual space Dao seems like it would be easiest."


    He paused and looked at the girl. "You''re serious."


    She nodded.


    "So, if that is one part, how can you match the enlightenment? Surely that bridged a large gap in your ability."


    "Definitely." She nodded and looked at the ground. "That would be tricky, but I might be able to cheat it." She said and flowed her divine qi through her body enough that the monk took notice.


    "That seems different than yesterday."


    "Yea, just a bit. I finally took a step in my cultivation that I should have done a long time ago. Having all that super dense qi helped make up my mind, too. I felt like I drank a hive''s worth of caffeinated honey when I woke up this morning."


    "You sound confident this will work."


    "Eh, I''m actually pretty terrified I''ll waste a bunch of heavenly qi. It was a pretty unique situation last time. What I got out of it, though. Feels like I should risk it."


    "This location will always be here, and you will have your memories. Can''t you try again another time? When you are stronger?"


    Shae put on half a frown. "Maybe? I also grabbed some other bits, like peeling the- ugh, that''s a horrible metaphor, sorry." She shuddered.


    "These things you got? Where are they? And can you show them to me?"


    "Hah, show me yours first? But seriously, they are in my Dantian, and you would have to flex your Dao at me for me to do anything with them safely. Best I can do is just a flicker, it kinda hurts to move them out."


    "Hurts? Like makes you bleed or cough up blood?"


    "More like a migraine, but on a deeper level. And that''s just the smaller ones."


    "Hmmm." The old monk hummed in thought. "I have a hard time believing you did what it sounds like you did."


    "What do you think I did?"


    "I cannot say."


    "Uhhmm, what?"


    He remained silent.


    "Err, with all respect, Wise Kwan. What?"


    He glanced at her and smirked. "You have spoken with someone about Dao before."


    "Yes."


    "Then they told you that those conversations are not normally held, yes?"


    Shae nodded.


    "That is not the only restricted topic. In the Monkery we get around some of these restrictions with heavy use of metaphor and lots of winks and nudges." The girl smirked up at the monk. "Not like that." He scoffed. "So, that is what I mean when I say: I cannot say."


    "Huh." She thought. "So, for the sake of discussion. Let''s say you''re correct, as absurd as you think that would be. What would you recommend?"


    "Nothing. I would urge you to not attempt this. You said yourself you cannot use it properly, that it is a risk. The qi you would use to even attempt it would be much better spent on progress through your current stage." He sighed. "If I can bring myself to believe you can do what you imply. I would actively try to stop you. Possibly even taking away what you made before, it would be for your own safety. I won''t, and I think I''d rather not see what you have, just so I don''t have to make that decision."


    Shae stared at the old man with frustration and a touch of anger. "I''m going inside to eat. See you around, Wise Kwan."


    <hr>


    Aside 3: "Complaints Department."


    (Chapter 25.1)


    <hr>


    After the girl went inside, Elder Bai approached the old monk. "Wise Elder Kwan."


    "Cultivator Bai." He nodded.


    "I''d like to discuss your abuse of privacy formations in a public space."


    "That was quick. Are you really that concerned about what I was talking to a teenager about?"


    "I''m concerned you are dragging her away from her true fate."


    "Aaah, and you are an expert, now? I didn''t know you were a Diviner."


    "It was clear she was interested in joining our Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty Sect."


    "Was it? My understanding was that she was quite disappointed by your Elders."


    "She has an introduction letter from one of those Elders."


    "And you think she will jump at it? Just because it is a golden ticket for any peasant? Some people prefer to execute a small amount of free will, Cultivator Bai."


    "She''ll be wasted in your Monkery."


    "That I agree with." He paused to let the man look dumbfounded. "I gave her a solid push towards the sects, not just yours. But be careful, young Elder Bai, and warn your betters. That girl could be a boon that casually bestows comprehension and enlightenment. Or she could gut the rot from your sect, tearing it down from the inside and then casually bestow enlightenment to those that remain."


    Bai held a firm frown. "And are you the Diviner now?"


    "I do not need such profound wisdom. Look to yesterday, and your own Elder Ghon."


    "Do not presume to know of our sect''s Elders." He turned towards the inn. "Good eve, Wise Kwan."


    "Let her finish her meal first, Cultivator Bai." The monk remarked, without stopping the man.


    <hr>


    Aside 4: "Hidden Messages."


    (Chapter 25.2)


    <hr>


    A few minutes later a third person contacted the old monk.


    ''Any news?'' Yungfan sent via a silent qi message. It was a significantly more discreet means of private conversation than a privacy formation in a public square.


    ''That girl is absurd.''


    ''Should I ask?''


    ''I couldn''t answer.''


    ''That bad?''


    ''Yes.''


    ''New leads?''


    He paused for a bit. ''No time to think.''


    ''Time? From you?'' Her tone was sarcastic.


    ''I know.'' He paused again. ''No sure bets.'' Then, ''She can''t be normal.''


    ''Right? Big scary?''


    ''No clear signs.'' He paused half a breath between sentences; each getting its own message. ''No tricks, lies, tails. No greed or lust.''


    ''Flirts a bit.''


    ''Not with everyone. No riddles. No unique hunger.'' He thought over more lists in his own mind. ''Too open.''


    ''Too nice.'' Yungfan returned.


    ''Time will grind it off.''


    ''What a shame.'' Then her again after a breath. ''Her direction?''


    ''Sects, better there,''


    ''-than here.'' She finished, and their conversation ended.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 26: Juiced Dessert

    <hr>


    Chapter 26: "Juiced Dessert."


    <hr>


    Shae enjoyed her meal alone. It was a dramatic change from the rough fare she had been eating for the last few months, and even before that when she was traveling alone after leaving home.


    Her thoughts wandered back to her childhood. Bittersweet memories of her loving family tinted with the knowledge that she would leave them eventually. She didn''t believe in fate, but she knew hers was not going to be the tedious life of a peasant wife.


    She forced herself to stop reminiscing. It was bringing her mood down.


    This wasn''t a high end restaurant but the food was still well made. The large town knew how to cater to more expensive tastes, even with simple local ingredients. She asked for another serving of the main course. She was still a growing teenager and could muster an appetite to match, especially when it was her first real meal in a few days.


    A few of the other customers sent over drinks, and there was an immediate tension as Shae had to sort out what their motivations were. She flatly denied one, but accepted the others as they were related to the enlightenment.


    The most recent had been brought over by the man himself, with all the awkwardness that followed.


    "Could I offer you a drink?" Elder Bai asked.


    "Elder Bai, aren''t I a bit young for you?" She teased.


    He sighed. "Miss Shae, could we have a discussion without the prodding and teasing?"


    "Only after I get you to blush again."


    "I don''t believe I blushed before."


    "Hmm... There it is! Thank you. What would you like to discuss, and what did you bring me?" She looked in the cup he brought over.


    "A local juice and tea blend, variations are available at most places. One of our group recommended it."


    "They did? Did you try it yourself?" She sipped it and made a pleasant hum from the sweet and herbal flavor.


    "Um, I did not. She said it was a favorite of most young girls."


    Shae lifted an eyebrow. "You got me a ladies drink? Or worse, a little girl''s drink? Well you had better order yourself one or this meeting will not go particularly well."


    "Over that? You wouldn''t."


    "I will, I''ve done more for less."


    He grumbled under his breath and waved over a server.


    Once the drink was ordered she continued. "So, come to bow and scrape, or just try to bribe me into the sect?"


    He frowned. "Do you really think so highly of yourself?"


    "No. But yesterday had to count for something, and I don''t think I''ll have the opportunity to use that line much."


    "So, you just enjoy the drama then?"


    "A bit of controlled conflict is always exciting. And some people need their buttons pushed so they can get up off the rods they are stuck on."


    "That is colorful." He grimaced.


    "Why have words if we don''t use them? Now, why are you here, Elder Bai?"


    "I don''t like games, so to get to the point: I would be severely reprimanded if I left things as they are. Ignoring a possible recruit that triggered three enlightenments with one conversation might be enough to get me demoted."


    "Three? Two and a half, and that is being generous."


    He raised an eyebrow. "You haven''t heard?"


    She frowned slightly. "I really should talk to the others. But what''s this about demotion? My understanding was that your standing was based mostly on your cultivation stage. How does demotion work?"


    "Painfully. Though, it is rare. The usual method of punishment is sanctioning access to sect resources. Which you should take note of if you intend to act the same way within any sect."


    "Ah, already getting warnings from my elders." Shae faked a pout.


    "No, Elders do not give warnings."


    "Do they understand humor?"


    "Of course. They find many things funny."


    She waited for the punchline.


    "As I was saying. I would be remiss to not follow up. If the situation was different, another might be trying to sway you with gifts and promises of what privilege you will have at the sect."


    "Not you, though... yea, you don''t seem like the type."


    "And your own actions are to be considered as well."


    The silence lingered between them. Interrupted by the server dropping off Bai''s drink, which turned out to be called a Flower Nectar by this establishment.


    Shae spent the time looking over the man''s clothes. He wore the standard white robes with blue and red embroidery, matching his sect. His blackwork made the dragons look particularly fierce, with sharp talons and clawed wings. Like Elder Ngoc he had several badges on his chest. A half moon at the top, with a sword piercing it.


    "This is quite good." He said, gesturing with the drink.


    "Of course it is, your sect mate did recommend it." She sighed. "I hope you''re not trying to bait me into an apology."


    "Hm? Apology? Why would you think I''d want that?"


    "Yesterday? I feel no guilt about it, but I imagine I wrinkled a few feathers. And the dramatic pause before the drink arrived?"


    "I noticed the server approaching and didn''t want to interrupt our conversation."


    "Ack!" Shae almost choked on her drink.


    "Careful." He said plainly, without mockery, then switched back to their conversation. "Like the other elders, I am not the type to ask for apologies." Shae felt a slight ringing in the air as the edge of his killing intent was revealed. The rim of his clay cup caught the light and glistened like a shard of broken glass. "I prefer to cut-"


    "-cut right to the point." She barged in. "You''re a sword cultivator!" Shae smiled wide and leaned across the table. "That explains a lot!"


    He froze for half a heartbeat. "That. Was not the reaction I was expecting. And why does everyone say that explains anything?"


    "Well, I can''t speak for everyone. For me it explains... well, I suppose I would be taking an unkind opinion of athletic types by saying that it is why you were staying away from other Bai''s paperwork. Also, why you don''t bother to mince words, and why you manage to be so blunt."


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    His intent sharpened, again. "Blunt?"


    She smiled wider at his reaction. "Words have a strange way of being able to mean vastly different things. And contradicting words can mean the same thing. You say you are being precise, cutting to the point of the conversation. Yet, you are also being blunt, throwing the entire purpose of the conversation out before you, slamming it between yourself and others so all know exactly what you want out of it." She paused. "There is probably more meat to this metaphor, but I think you''ve heard this lecture before."


    He was frowning and looking slightly above Shae, possibly resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "One of the Elders insists we spend time honing out conversation skills. It sounds even more absurd from the mouth of a child."


    "Ah, and now you reveal a weak point-"


    "Don''t. She does that too. It''s not effective."


    "Clearly your defense against common sense is quite strong."


    "Heard that one too."


    "Hah, I think I am going to like this woman. When can you introduce us?" Shae thought she heard a stifled groan from across the table.


    "If you join the sect. And progress to core, I''m sure she could make time for you."


    "Nonsense. People can interact without being in the same sect, or near the same rank. We are talking now, are we not?"


    He frowned again. "She is very busy."


    "I''ll meet her within the first week. Especially if she has time to teach you lessons you don''t want to learn."


    "I want to learn from her." He said a bit too defensively.


    "Hah, you lie to yourself-"


    "I do not." He cut in.


    "Hmmm? Half a lie then, or a buried truth, a feint of truth!" She said, almost getting through to him, she thought. "You want to spend time with her, have her teach you anything, but you do not want to learn. If you wanted to learn you would understand what she is trying to teach you. Stop wasting her precious time and tell her this."


    "I do not appreciate being lectured by a child."


    "Same weakness again, would you show the same opening twice in a fight? Especially after it was pointed out the first time? You underestimate me because I am a child. Have you never fought a shapeshifting spirit beast or cultivator specialized in deception or illusion?"


    "Of course I have."


    "Then you should know..." she prompted.


    "Not to rely on a single sense. It is the first lesson."


    "Good, what do your senses tell you about me? All of them?"


    "That you are young-"


    "Skip the boring ones, please."


    "... you are as you appear to the basic senses. You appear to be in qi gathering, but have also performed some cleansing."


    "Why do I appear to be in qi gathering?"


    "Because your Dantian is empty."


    "You can see inside it?"


    "The scan technique gives basic feedback about your stage based on gathered qi within the Dantian."


    "So how does it distinguish anything above gathering?"


    He sighed, not enjoying having to explain this. "This is explained early in your first year, do I really need to repeat the whole lesson?"


    "Fine." She dismissed her question with a wave. "So, you believe it can see if there is qi in my Dantian. Would you prefer I attempt to meditate and try to watch while your scan fails to see within my Dantian, or would a simple demonstration that I do have qi suffice?"


    "Suffice for what?"


    "In proving that your assumptions about me are wrong. You might need to re-evaluate me based on my actual actions rather than my appearance."


    He tightened his jaw. "I''m not going to argue and split hairs, but I think you''ve made your point."


    "Hmm, I''ve certainly threatened a point, brought it near your neck, but I haven''t landed the strike yet." She paused to stare at him but he didn''t respond.


    Shae took off her hairpin ring, and pulled one of the other two pins from her hair. Placed the straight one across her cup and hung the ring off of it. Then she pulled up her right sleeve, flourishing to reveal her arm was bare.


    A few moments of concentration and qi movement within her arm were enough for Bai. "You''ve made your point, Miss Shae."


    "Mhm. But now I''m having fun, Cultivator Bai." She felt the tingling of sparks in her finger, wanting to leap to the ring as she held it close, but did not touch it. Her qi had changed a lot just today, the added density alone making lightning easier to generate. It was still a challenge to get it out of her body, however.


    Small sparks began leaping across, barely visible, and the ring took on a slight glow, which passed to the other pin.


    "Good trick." Bai said, trying to sound impressed, but Shae caught that it was placating. She was focusing too hard on the moment to miss it.


    "I think I can try something new, then." She said cautiously, trying not to lose her focus. Sparks were flashy, but electricity could do so much more. She made a loop with her index and thumb, then placed it near the ring coil with the two circles facing each other. She focused on running the lightning qi inside her hand, around the loop of her fingers.


    It stuttered as she recognized that her finger and thumb were not a complete loop, there was technically a break there, but it had started to work before she thought of that. So she decided it was close enough, and it worked again just as easily.


    Another push on her qi, asking for something more specific and the ring started to wobble. Then she got the angle correct and the ring spun, slowly rotating on the other pin''s axis. After a few more breaths it sped up then started glowing brighter. The slight scraping it was making on the cup and pin started skipping, and finally it rose slightly to hover in place without touching the pin or cup.


    Bai looked at his drink, finished the rest, then asked the passing server, "Another flower nectar, and add some hard spirits to it."


    Shae waved off the server without ordering anything. Then looked between Bai and the spinning ring. Finally she gestured at it, "Impressive, yes?"


    "For any wandering cultivator below meridian cleansing, yes an impressive parlor trick. Within the sect, disciples are expected to excel. Expected to progress quickly. This ability to use spiritual tools in a unique way will not set you apart."


    "Tough crowd." She muttered and shook her head. "Out of curiosity. What would impress you?"


    "From you? If you knew why or how your Dantian was blocking the scan. But why would you want to impress me?"


    She didn''t bother to hide her grimace. "I do suspect a reason why, but how or why it happened, I do not know. As to why?" She shrugged. "Got carried away with an example and thought it was neat, but I suppose I am more accustomed to a simpler crowd. Also, I''d like to ask you more questions and don''t want you to run away because they are too simple, covered within the first year, or something else you might use as an excuse."


    "Let''s finish the business I came here for first?"


    "But if we do that, you''ll be able to leave whenever you want!"


    "Mhm, yes. So." He placed a small vial on the table with a single pill in it. "Just in case you are still uncertain about joining our sect. I would like to demonstrate how we treat our inner disciples. This is a qi gathering pill. Useful even to meridian cleansing cultivators. We regularly supply these to ensure their steady advance."


    She leaned forwards to look at the small pill. It had a metallic sheen to it like it had been polished with silver. "Why is it so shiny? You guys don''t add mercury or something do you?"


    "I am not an Alchemist. You would have to ask one of them. Hundreds are made and consumed every year, so there''s no need for concern over the ingredients."


    She reached to grab the vial, hesitating only to glance at Bai to see if he stopped her. She cracked the cork open and sniffed it. It had a sharp chemical smell laced with herbs, like gasoline if it was brewed into tea. She flinched away.


    "It is meant for long cultivation sessions, so don''t just take it to see how it works. That doesn''t usually end pleasantly."


    "Wait, you''re giving this to me?"


    "Of course. It wouldn''t be much of a demonstration if you didn''t get to use it."


    "Umm what happened to not trying to curry my favor?"


    "As I said, I could be reprimanded if I did nothing. Most find the effects of these pills to be invaluable."


    "Huh. How does it compare to... let''s say a 27-year ginseng?"


    "Oddly specific. I''ve only heard it compared to a 50-year. They said the ginseng is gentler and can be used more, but the effects were better from the pill, when measured on a monetary value basis."


    Shae gave a twisted half frown. "So, a first one''s free kind of deal. Do I want to know what this costs? No, don''t tell me, I''ll have a hard time using it. Actually how do I use it, dissolved under the tongue like ginseng slices?"


    He nodded. "It can be swallowed, but usually that is only done after clearing your stomach meridian."


    "Is it just for drawing in more qi? Like the name suggests. Or does it also aid cleansing?"


    "Mostly the former. Some have said it helps with cleansing, but I found that to be wasteful."


    "Hmm. I guess then, thank you, Elder Bai. Can I ask you about sword qi now?"


    He quirked an eyebrow. "You wanted to ask about that? Well, perhaps I will stick around longer."


    "Hah! I knew it!"


    <hr>

 Old Monster 27: Keeping it Clean

    <hr>


    Chapter 27: "Keeping it Clean."


    <hr>


    Yungfan met Shae as she walked out of the inn''s dining room and into the dim twilight. "Wise Shae, are you ready to show off your-? Ah, you seem upset, is something the matter?"


    Shae was frowning. "Wise Yungfan, can I ask you a question about other cultivators?"


    "Of course!"


    "What the eff is wrong with sword cultivators?"


    "Ah-ha ha-ha ha-ha," she giggled, "I see you''ve been talking to Elder Bai." She nodded knowingly. "Yes, they can be quite strange. Truthfully, I am not sure why that is."


    Shae shook her head then exhaled with a pout. "Is there somewhere where this will be easier? Black sludge and all?"


    "I believe most of these inns have a dedicated room, but I have already asked mine to prepare a room, they have several." She led them a few doors down to one of the more expensive looking buildings, the sign was a near-white metallic tortoise.


    "You''re staying here? I would have expected somewhere a bit more conservative."


    "Because we are monks? Some do go the pauper route. Mostly as a means to a certain type of enlightenment. Still, nearly any organized group of cultivators can outbuy a small town. We cultivate to challenge the heavens, so to make your own fortune is a simple task."


    "Ah, fair point."


    They passed through hallways to the back of the building and found a room without windows, but there was a skylight that opened to circulate air. There was also a small fireplace against the inner wall that didn''t have wood or ashes in it. Yungfan walked to the fireplace and charged a qi formation around it.


    Shae investigated it and found a small draft sucking air up the chimney. "Ah, smart! How did you...?" She wiggled a finger at the formation.


    "Activate it? Well, not at your stage I am afraid, you would need a qi crystal or a spiritual tool to let you do it.


    Shae gestured to her hair pins and raised an eyebrow.


    "Needs to be neutral qi or air qi. A crystal would be a waste though, ask one of the attendants to do it, if you need to." She gestured to the rest of the room. "If you would."


    Investigating the center of the room, the girl found a very clear location where cleansing was done. A worn patch of stone floor with a bag of sand and sawdust nearby. "Hmm, not sure if the lightning will ground out properly here, but I''ll do a few short tests anyway."


    "Have you decided what locations you will use as test sites?"


    "Oh, umm, not really. Probably, along my ribs, there are a few spots where the lightning left very erratic patterns. Oh, I guess you should check it now, get a solid before and after "


    Yungfan lowered her eyes as Shae loosened her clothing, then she stood behind the girl. "Hmm, around here? Between the second and third ribs?" She tapped the girl in the indicated location, and helped her adjust clothing away from that area.


    "Sure, but I can''t pick super specific locations yet."


    "Ah, yes, we should work on that at the same time. One way is to use a small cut as a reference location, but any constant stimulation will work. So I will press gently at a point. Try cleansing that location first."


    "Hmm, first? I usually work out from the existing cleansed flesh."


    "Ah, right, you mentioned that. Hmm, well, work directly towards it then. You can also work on your fine control by making the path smaller."


    Shae started breathing slowly and evenly to prepare for meditation. Then set out her pins, arranging them to catch the lightning that was a byproduct of her cleansing. "Hmm. Not sure how this will work, mind the lightning after it starts."


    Yungfan smiled, "I''ll be fine, core stage, remember." She patted the girl''s shoulder.


    Shae nodded and closed her eyes, beginning the session.


    Since the morning, she had been quite excited to try this again. The earlier conversation with Yungfan was enough to convince her that properly attuned personal qi was something she was missing out on. So she had accepted all the dense demigod qi that resulted from the enlightenment ritual and drawn it into her Dantian.


    It hadn''t converted instantly, but she could tell a small amount of it was different. It was the first to respond when she called for it, so it was what she used to do the spinning ring trick at dinner. Upon first accepting it into her Dantian, she had noticed that the divine qi wanted to merge and change it all at once, but she had resisted flow, pushing the kinds of qi apart. Her Dantian was hers and she would not let the valuable divine qi burn itself out just to speed up the natural process of converting qi to her personal flavor. It was an interesting trick keeping them separate. Like with the gravity first pulling the marbles down, she had to warp her way of thinking to accommodate the odd behavior she wanted.


    She now held two storms within: a central storm of dense demigod qi with a small eye of personal qi, and a smaller storm of clouds that was her divine tribulation qi. The marbles soared around both, punching through the central storm more often. The lightning ribbons fluttered through, amplifying the sense that it was a storm and not just colorful clouds.


    She drew out some of her personal qi, a bit of unconverted tagging along. Then remembering how the demigod qi worked with neutral qi. She reached out and pulled in as much neutral qi as she could at once.


    Yungfan took that as a signal that she was ready because she felt the monk touch the spot on her side.


    There was at least twice as much neutral qi as she needed, so she cycled it around to see if it would balance out quickly. After a few cycles she moved the excess neutral qi into her Dantian, pushing it into her central storm.


    With the rest, she moved it to where she felt Yungfan''s touch, then moved it again as she realized she was also holding her shoulder. The converted qi responded much faster, dragging the unconverted and neutral qi around with it.


    She let it seep into the desired area, trying to thin the connection and hone in on the target point. She even felt like she was getting more information back from her senses. Remembering how much she had sharpened her senses during the enlightenment ritual, she stopped attributing that to the denser converted qi.


    Finally she pushed her intent into the qi, telling it to pull out the impurities, and improve the flesh like the divinely cleansed flesh that it was also connected to.


    With the much smaller area than what she had done before, the ripple through the qi was much faster. She also thought it was less painful, but that could also be because of the smaller area.


    Yungfan removed her hand as the qi triggered, but Shae felt no lightning qi build-up. Instead she focused her senses on the small area and tried to watch it being cleansed. It happened faster than she could follow and exited her meditation with disappointment.


    The smell of toxins greeted her, not as strong as the last few times, but maybe more distinct because her sense of smell wasn''t overwhelmed. "Well?" She asked.


    The monk leaned in to look closer. "Hmm, you need to work on your control."


    "I know. I mean, how does the cleansing compare to the others?"


    "Ah, right. Just a breath." Yungfan wiped away a few drops of impurities, she checked the other areas Shae had cleansed on her own, and the tribulation cleansed flesh. Concentrating with her eyes closed and a hand over each spot. "Ah, hmm, it looks better?"


    "You sound confused."


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    "Yes, there is something... different about the divine flesh. It''s almost as if... No, I''m not sure."


    "Go on, you can say it, I won''t mind."


    Yungfan smiled and nodded. "It feels like someone else''s limb. Like it''s been grafted onto you, but the transition is too smooth."


    Shae raised an eyebrow, and pointed to the erratic patterns the lightning had made.


    "Messy, yes, but smooth."


    Shae turned her head in thought. Something Yungfan said tickled her memory. "Uhm, huh, Auntie did say it ''wasn''t my hand anymore.''"


    "Your aunt looked it over?"


    "No, Auntie Mei, here in town."


    "You know Miss Mei?" Yungfan looked surprised for half a breath. "Of course you know her."


    "I met her before all this nonsense started. She was always really kind to me. And it helped that she''s outside town."


    "She has a knack for meeting significant people early in their journey."


    "Aww, don''t say that." She put a hand over her face. "That''s worse than saying you expect great things from me."


    Yungfan leaned in. "Oh, Heavenly Shae, we are all-"


    Shae tackled the teasing monk. "Don''t even!"


    Yungfan started laughing while Shae tried to cover her mouth. The core stage monk could easily overpower the girl, but let her struggle and eventually succeed. Her laugh had reduced to a giggle, but Shae had worked herself up from a smirk to resisting her own giggles.


    The two stopped with Yungfan sitting comfortably and Shae in an awkward position covering Yungfan''s mouth with both hands.


    "Are you going to be good?" Shae asked.


    ''I''m always good.'' Yungfan sent via silent message. ''Some say the best!''


    The girl''s jaw dropped open. "That''s cheating!"


    ''Is that so?''


    "Definitely."


    ''Punishment?'' She raised a challenging eyebrow.


    Shae inhaled slowly, then nodded to herself and blushed slightly. "Nope. Your punishment will be delivered by the heavens." She declared with nose upturned. Then as she was removing her hands from the monk''s mouth, she used her right hand to flick her forehead.


    That just set the woman giggling again.


    Shae quickly turned and sat back in the center of the room, and tried desperately to get her heart rate and breathing calmed down again. So she could meditate. She exhaled, "Hwuaa- so the arm and leg are way different... Because of the divine qi, and maybe because it wasn''t my personal qi?"


    "Hmm. Yes, that seems like the best guess."


    "So, if it is so different from my own body, whose body is it?"


    "Ah. That is a very good question." Yungfan suddenly grew very serious.


    "Eh? C''mon it''s not that serious? It was just the obvious follow up."


    "Right." The monk paused. "Anyway, the new qi works well. You should keep working with that. I did notice some lightning qi leaking out, but it''s not as bad as what it sounded like."


    "Mhm, when I got it before I was using a lot more qi. Should we try a larger area?"


    "Yes, that is what I would suggest next, as well. We''ll work in the same area, and I''ll use my fingers to mark out a circle. Try to clear everything in the circle."


    "Mhm!" Shae nodded and fell back into her meditation.


    Several breaths later, she drew in more neutral qi, and pulled out the matching ratio of her dense demigod qi. She took longer to circulate it around herself, just to keep the same pattern of actions. If it was not a useful step, Yungfan would probably tell her.


    She looked through her mindscape for the woman''s touch and soon found it. She tried to estimate the area she was covering and guessed she was using one hand and splaying her fingers fully apart, a much larger area. Again, she still used the opportunity to sharpen her senses.


    The larger area was more painful and produced some lightning qi that arced off into the pins. Since it took longer to complete, Shae was able to keep a close eye on the process. She got a sense for just how bad her senses were because she couldn''t detect the impurities until they had been grouped up just before exiting her skin.


    Once the process was near to finished, she exited her meditation.


    "Ah, you''re out already?"


    "Hmm? Shouldn''t I be? It mostly works by itself, I can leave meditation once it''s started."


    "Oh? That is a bit odd, most methods require some attention. You said you were trying to copy the divine qi cleansing?"


    "Yea, Elder Ghon said divine qi had its own plans. So, I just kinda tell the qi to copy what the divine qi did. Probably helps that I have divine qi mixed into my qi." Shae shrugged. "Oh! It stings a bit too, is it supposed to hurt?"


    "Pain or discomfort is common. If it is very painful that would be concerning. Elder Ghon is correct about divine qi. To the best of my theory knowledge, it should provide the best cleansing, but is very painful. Body focused cultivators believe that progress cannot be achieved without pain or struggle."


    "Hmm, all this pain talk reminds me of the lightning qi cleansing, when I drew the excess lightning back in to reuse it. Should we try replicating that?"


    "Oh, the angry qi? Yes, but first, we should examine this attempt."


    "Right, right, we didn''t do that yet." She held up her arm for the monk to examine her ribs. "I tried to watch with my senses but could only see the impurities as they were leaving my skin. How does that compare to others starting out?"


    Yungfan nodded. "That is what most see at first, but if the process is automatic, you should have more mental energy to focus on it and improve. You will have to go over some exercises for that, and your control."


    "Ugh, is that bad too?"


    She bounced her head left and right. "Not bad, you are able to grab an impressive amount of qi from around yourself. Given how early into your journey you are, I might compare that to a high grade spirit root. However, that is a guess. We rarely get to examine those cultivators so I am extrapolating from low and mid grade information."


    "Ahh, so the precision is lacking? The old man said that would happen because I started on the mountain."


    "I see, yes, that is likely why you seem stronger when drawing qi in."


    "Oh, Elder Bai gave me a qi gathering pill to show me the wealth of the sect or whatever. Should I use that tonight?"


    Yungfan shook her head right away. "Not tonight, not yet at least. If you wanted to cultivate all night afterwards it might be a good idea."


    "Might? What''s the catch?"


    "If you can draw in a lot, and your Dantian isn''t near empty, you could fill it quickly, thus wasting some of the pill. Also, the qi in the area might not be able to sustain the flow. Hmm, though, I don''t think that will be an issue unless many others are also cultivating tonight."


    "Shouldn''t they? There are lots in town now, the newbies too."


    "The new members of the groups here just started and won''t draw in much. We may need to test your endurance and how full your Dantian is. You just drew in all that dense qi, yes?"


    Shae shrugged. "Yes, but it doesn''t feel very full. Not sure how much it can handle, seems like there is a lot of room in there."


    "If you''ve not filled it before, it can be quite hard to tell what completely full is like. One thing at a time, though. Let''s get back to this, then try with the lightning."


    Shae nodded excitedly.


    They spent almost another hour going over different versions of Shae''s cleansing process. The fastest was using the excess lightning qi, with a spiritual hairpin in an acupuncture point to let the lightning qi move directly back into her channels. It was more painful than without the extra, but much less than the first time she tried it. Using the hairpin in an accu-point also meant the return path of the lightning caused much less pain.


    The major hang-up with that style was Shae didn''t know her acupuncture points at all. So Yungfan had to set the pins, and she only had the three, meaning the area they could work with was quite small.


    They still made progress comparing the methods, and Shae felt like her senses were slowly improving. She had used up all of the converted qi and a good chunk of her dense demigod qi.


    "So, any advice for what I should do next?"


    "Ah for the rest of the night?"


    The girl nodded.


    "You plan on working through the night?"


    She shrugged and gave half a frown.


    "Hmm, you could work slower with what you have left. Then use the pill tomorrow afternoon or evening. You''ll need a break at some point, you can''t go constantly even if it feels like you can. Or call it a night here, get some sleep and use the qi pill tomorrow morning."


    "Oh, hmm, I had plans for tomorrow. And some sleep probably would be good. Using the pill tomorrow night does sound good. Hmm, I should get a better baseline, though. To know how the pill changes drawing in neutral qi." Shae bobbed her head side to side a few times. "Yea, couple more hours, then call it a night, oh I can probably go to my inn for that too."


    "This room is reserved for the full night here if you would like to stay. Though, I do imagine falling into your own bed is much nicer than the floor here."


    She nodded, "Mmmmm, bed! And a bath first! Yea, I''ll head back. Thanks so much for the help, Wise Yungfan! We''ll have to go over those exercises tomorrow."


    "Mhm, yes, thank you for reminding me, Wise Shae."


    The two said their goodbyes and parted ways for the night.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 28: Making an Example

    <hr>


    Chapter 28: "Making an Example."


    <hr>


    The next morning, while on the way to Master Cheng''s shop, Shae found the military recruits doing laps around the edge of the market district. "Corporal, lovely morning! Glad I found you."


    "Miss Shae, great to see you. That''s an interesting, err, lope you have there?"


    "Heh, yea, my body cleansing is very uneven, so it makes my run a bit odd when I want to push past my mortal limits."


    "Ahh, that will happen. Mind if I use it as an example for the recruits?"


    Shae tried to shrug while running. "Go ahead. I wouldn''t mind hearing it too."


    They were at the back of the pack, so had to speed to the front to be in everyone''s vision.


    "Eyes on me recruits." The corporal yelled as they began passing the group. "Pay attention to Miss Shae''s running style."


    As they passed by, she caught the edge of a few questioning sounds, maybe a snicker of laughter or two. Then a few sharp reprimands from a couple soldiers. "Oi, you respect that girl like you''d respect divine lightning or you''ll wish I gave you a tribulation." From the gruff voice she could guess it was the older broken soldier, and she glanced over and gave him a polite smile and nod.


    Once at the front, she expected them to stop, but the corporal just turned around and kept running while facing backwards. His own running rhythm looked a bit odd now. "Miss Shae has once again given us a wonderful opportunity to see an example of something we don''t see every day. This time, however, it is something to be avoided. Her strange running rhythm is due to uneven cleansing strengthening her right leg more than her left. Much more if my guess is correct."


    "It is." Shae added in.


    "Now as you can see she is keeping up with us, and I''d bet she can get quite a head of speed on straights, but she might have a hard time cornering or stopping suddenly."


    Shae was glad she was facing away from the group because she could feel a heavy blush of embarrassment form on her face. Please don''t ask if that''s gotten me into trouble.


    "Group participation time, pros and cons for anyone trying to do this?"


    The group remained silent for a moment. "Newbies answer first." One of the soldiers called out. "Everyone says something in three... two... one." A cacophony of yells came from the new recruits.


    Shae couldn''t tell who said what, but the corporal treated it as though it was expected. "Good, though a few of you will need to work on your enunciation, and one or two more will do extra laps for not having clear answers." He paused to let a few of them groan, then yelled the main points between explaining them: "Pros first. Surprise! Having one limb cleansed fully can greatly surprise an opponent who isn''t expecting it. Alpha strike! One strong limb can mean dealing a lethal or at least winning blow to a stronger opponent. Speed and efficiency is a half answer as it''s more neutral. Not just movement speed, but efficiency in cultivating, cleansing one limb at a time could be much faster than two, depending on your style. For us it is not, keep that in mind Recruits." He paused as they took a corner.


    "Cons! Bad habits! This is the big one, now that Miss Shae is in the habit of running like this, it will be much harder to unlearn later. Musculature is second! If she tries to build muscle like this, it will be very uneven and difficult to train as each leg needs different levels of exercise. Similarly, her bones and joints could have issues, it''s rare, but it is possible to break bones if your muscles are too strong. This is also covered by Balance! And lots of related cons to do with martial training, we''ll skip over that for now as I don''t believe Miss Shae is intending to be a martial cultivator." The girl shook her head in agreement. "Lastly is: cleansing skill! As we cleanse we improve our efficiency and ability to cleanse, so later parts are cleansed more thoroughly than those done first, meaning we sometimes need to cycle back and re-cleanse an area to bring up the quality. Obviously this would be a problem if Miss Shae didn''t cleanse her leg particularly well."


    Shae nodded along, but then wobbled a hand at the final line. She had been trying to turn around to also run backwards, but her loping gait was so odd that she couldn''t manage at the speed they were traveling at, so she settled for just looking at the corporal. "In my case that won''t be a problem. Due to the nature of the cleanse, both my right leg and arm are cleansed much more thoroughly than I am able to on my own, but I am getting close."


    "Oh-ho ho! That''s an interesting situation. Would you care to share how you managed such a thorough cleanse that you cannot repeat? Some pill or spirit plant maybe?"


    "No, it was fairly simple. Both my right arm and leg were cleansed when I was struck by tribulation lightning three times."


    The corporal missed a step and hit the ground rolling nearly into the group of recruits. He recovered quickly and Shae noted that he didn''t actually bump into anyone, but the dominoes had been tipped. The front few recruits moved to dodge their leader and a chain reaction of falling bodies occurred. Several of the seasoned soldiers had to take action to snatch up recruits and prevent trampling. Shae suspected one of the other soldiers might have also missed a step as more than just the front of the group was affected.


    With some distance between them, she greatly considered using this distraction to make a dramatic exit, but she paused too long and missed the timing.


    "Ah-em. Well. Form up!" The corporal cleared his throat as everyone got back into loose formation and the run continued. It hadn''t stopped fully, only slowed to a mortal pace. "That there is an abject lesson in not letting your guard down for anyone. Especially not heavenly cultivators, their words can bring the light of the heavens down, and pull the ground from under your feet. Now say it with me squad: Thank you, Hea-ven-ly Shae!" He beat each syllable like a drum.


    "Thank you! Hea-ven-ly Shae!" The whole group shouted out in surprisingly tight sync.


    "Myself and Private Franz will be joining in for the extra laps."


    "Yes, sir!" The private called out from mid pack.


    "Now that you''ve all heard it clearly, we''ve no need to further comment on Heavenly Shae''s cleansing or running. And that ends the practical lesson."


    "Thank you, sir!" The group shouted together, not quite as in sync without the clear prompt.


    The corporal drew Shae to the side and they fell back behind the group again. "Sorry about the title, noticed you flinched when I said it."


    "It''s fine, not the first time I''ve heard it, just surprised me."


    "Don''t wave it off, I can tell it''s not entirely fine. But just so you know: the monks use it because you called down an enlightenment, we use it for those who have passed a tribulation."


    "Speaking of, a couple people mentioned there was news on that front, did the other...?" She pointed ahead at the group, not wanting to call the man out as ''broken''.


    "Yep, was nearly right at the end of Ol'' Hans'' enlightenment that the boy managed his. Not surprising, really. They were injured at the same time, only fitting they recover near the same."


    "So, are they... fine? Now?"


    "Oh, heavens no. That kind of thing takes years to heal, decades sometimes. Oh, speaking of--speaking of, we found that lad you did a number on, along the road."


    "Did a what-now?"


    "Hah, that''s what I was going to ask. More frankly though, he deviated his cultivation as well as whatever you did. The fellow practically begged us to deal with him when we found him."


    Shae gasped, "He asked for death!?"


    "Ah, no, no. He surrendered, wanted help from us, but there''s only so much we can do for him. Had the same look in his eyes as Ol'' Hans back when he broke, but we couldn''t feel anything wrong with the kid when we found him."


    "Hmmm, I would like to feel sorry for him, but banditry is banditry."


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Right, but what did you do? He should have had you overpowered. No offense."


    "None taken. And yes, he should have won any kind of fight. But he was more interested in intimidation, and then he chose the wrong battlefield." Shae smirked, opened her mouth to say more, but reconsidered. "I understand there are some things cultivators don''t talk about in public?" She gestured around them.


    "Ah, sure, sure. Another time then." He looked disappointed, then cheered up suddenly. "Ah, right, are you leaving with the sect group?"


    She nodded. "Tomorrow morning."


    "Well, find us again tonight or tomorrow morning, we got a bit of a gift for you, as proper thanks." He gave her a wide warm smile. "And if you don''t, the Sarge''ll chase down the caravan to give it to ya!" He laughed.


    She smiled back. "Well, I''ll do just that then. Thank you for the lesson, Corporal." She nodded and broke off from the group.


    "Thank you for the same, Heavenly Shae!" He called after her.


    <hr>


    They had been running quite close to Master Cheng''s shop, so Shae slowed to catch her breath and cool down from the run. They had kept up a surprising pace for new recruits. Nothing superhuman, but still a fast run.


    She heard wood chopping as she reached the store and went around back to find Master Cheng and his ''boy'' in the back.


    "Good morning, Master Cheng." Shea called out.


    He turned and waved weakly. "Gu'' mornin''."


    "This the boy you mentioned?"


    The boy rolled his eyes in irritation. He was clearly a man. Easily twenty and built like a brick chimney. He was dutifully chopping wood while Cheng watched.


    "Aye he is."


    "Does he have a name?"


    "He did and he might again, once he''s finished his punishment for slipping work yesterday."


    "Ah, I see." Shae did see his muscles clearly, mortals needed to do a lot of work to get that strong. From the way he comfortably swung the ax it was clear the boy had suffered many such punishments.


    "Speaking of names, Miss Shae." The boy glanced up and missed the log with his ax swing. "You wouldn''t happen to be this Heavenly Shae the town''s been talking about?"


    "Ugh, you heard the soldiers."


    "Heh, half the old town could ''a heard that. An'' my old ears are still sharp."


    "Oh? Sharp enough to keep an ear on the whole store from back here?"


    "Of course." He nodded proudly.


    "So when I came in yesterday and was calling for service, you were deliberately ignoring me?"


    He flinched his head down like she had struck him across his scalp. "Ah, well, Miss Shae. I was working ya see-"


    "Save it." She snapped, then more warmly. "I understand what it''s like to get drawn into my work." She looked at the boy, who had stopped chopping to stare at her. "Unlike some!" She glared and he began splitting the logs faster.


    "Heh, be glad she said something, boy. If it was me I would ''a added another dozen." He chuckled. "And speaking of work. Got two dark hardwoods on horses inside. Marked up for ya, if ya wouldn''t mind starting. I''m going to stay out here and enjoy the fresh air."


    The boy missed another strike during that, but recovered quickly when they looked at him.


    "Great!" Shae said and went inside.


    There were three bow blanks set up on bow-horses, but only two had markings on them for where to cut, so she didn''t have to get clarification. The morning passed quickly and as she was finishing the second, Master Cheng came inside.


    "Ahh, see ya figured out which two I meant. Well done."


    "Hmm, well that third one wasn''t marked up, so it wasn''t hard."


    "Ehh? Ah, fresh carp, knew I had forgotten somethin''." He blew out a slow raspberry in frustrated defeat.


    "Uh, was that third a softwood or something."


    "Yea, pretty much. Guess ya lucked out of the test this time." He wandered over to the bench where the golden larch branches were still stacked up. "Oh, did ya get yer monk friend to look at that branch?"


    "Ah! Uh, no. I forgot, sorry. I''ll ask tonight instead, she''ll be staying in town a bit longer anyway."


    "Eh, and that sect group won''t be, ya going with them?"


    "Yes. That''s the plan. That reminds me. For my payment, I''d like a bow, something with a heavy pull for my cultivator strength." She flexed her right arm proudly.


    "Eh? Payment? Did I owe ya something else?"


    She put her hands on her hips and stared at him, then gestured to the bow-horse she was working on.


    "Err, ah, right. You''ll get paid for the work, of course."


    "Considering this is the hard part, and I''ll have done most of several bows by tonight, I think a finished one and arrows is more than a fair deal."


    "The hard part? Most of? Nah, not even close, and now we''re going to have to spend the afternoon dissuading ya of that idea." He shook his head. "The hard part, the part that takes skill and experience and knowing what you''re doing. That is the final carving, anyone can do the bit yer on, even the boy."


    She frowned at him, the boy''s reaction said otherwise, but kept her silence as she knew better than to argue with a master craftsman about his craft.


    Before lunch he got her to rough out a third hardwood bow, then they stopped for a quick lunch snack that the boy had fetched. Bits of cheeses and cured meats, with just a few fresh veggies mixed in. "I don''t like breads or fruits during the day." the old master said. "It works up the appetite, and the sugar makes me jittery and impatient."


    Shae didn''t have much to say in response. "I like a good sandwich or wrap, and fruit is nice, but I''m young enough I''m always impatient and jittery." She finished with a smirk.


    He chuckled in response.


    That afternoon, they worked on something new. Taking a rasp to the bows to slowly shape them into their final forms. The master artisan quickly looked over each piece and marked areas with charcoal where they needed to have material removed. He instructed Shae to only remove the charcoal, and not get too aggressive with it. He repeatedly cycled through the three bows she had roughed out that morning while she laboriously shaved the markings off each in turn.


    She found the work harder than the rough cutting of the morning. Working up a sweat just from working the rasp constantly. Partway through he stopped her to sharpen the rasp, which was a fair bit of work for the complicated piece, only showing her the basics before they swapped to a new rasp to keep the real work moving. "If I''ve only got you for today, we''re not stopping to sharpen a tool I have six of."


    Each pass barely changed the bows at all, but Shae noticed their shapes slowly changing and the three drifting apart. One was to be a longbow, the second a shortbow, and the last a recurve. She was surprised the old master could work on all three at once, keeping the different designs in his head without confusion. Her respect for him skyrocketed.


    As they got down to the last touch ups, he had a few comments. "This last bit really determines the life of the bow. Too much taken off leaves a thin spot, meaning it will bend more and become the weakest part of the bow, eventually snapping. Too much left on resists bending, meaning the narrower sections on either side takes the stress instead, then ya get the same story as the narrow part. A good bowyer can look a bow over, mark a line on it, and years later the bow will snap right on that line."


    Shae could only agree that his words made sense. "How do you know what is too thin or thick?"


    "Most people gotta take the bow out and bend it a few times, watch the curve it makes. I know these hardwoods well enough to get them nearly done. I''ll do that soon enough. But ya won''t get much from watching as the differences will be too subtle."


    They slowed down as the last touches came together. Then he pulled one of the three out and had her bend it like she was stringing it.


    "Nah, use the weak arm. If ya can''t string it with the weak arm, ya won''t have any aim."


    They continued for a little bit longer until he declared the recurve done. "This''ll be the bow ya requested. I''d usually put a bit more flare on it, but we don''t have time for that, and it lets me count it as cheaper so I can give ya a second bow." He grabbed one of the other blanks they had roughed out yesterday.


    "Um, this one isn''t finished?"


    "Course not. Ya think I showed ya all that today just to hand over two finished bows? This one will be a higher pull weight than that one. For when both yer arms are strong enough to use it."


    "Ahh! Thank you, Master Cheng!"


    "Don''t rush it now, match the bow you''ve got and remember recurve is a harder design, so don''t rush it, ya won''t need it for a while. Even I wouldn''t finish it before the end of yer trip, but really I''ll be surprised if ya don''t snap it along the way. And let me know how it goes, see if you can''t find another bowyer to critique it for ya."


    Shae found his nervous rambling a bit endearing. Clearly he wasn''t used to letting his work walk away so soon.


    He quickly switched back into merchant mode, a gleam of mischief in his eye.


    "Alright, so. Thank ya for the work, and now that we''re even: what else can I sell ya?"


    "Oh umm, I think this is enough for-" she stopped mid sentence, then sighed. "Arrows, and a quiver. And bow strings, is the grip supposed to be wrapped? Leather or cloth for that, Ugh oil for the wood, right? You monster. A rasp. No! A sharp one." She corrected as he reached for one of the dull rasps. She continued, "Do you do use sandpaper or something finer than the rasp for finishing the wood?"


    "We can get you that. And ya should note that the heavy bow will need different arrows, don''t need ''em now, won''t matter to yer aim, but when yer better ya will. From heavier wood and less flexible so they don''t snap right when ya loose ''em."


    "The arrows can snap too?" Shae exhaled in defeat.


    "Yep, but recover them even if they break, good sharp heads can be reused a bunch of times, fletching too, I''ll throw in some practice arrows. Ya manage to get any food for the road?"


    She shook her head.


    He raised the bow, "Well ya could hunt, but ya''d wanna get some practice in first. Road food will be hard to scrounge up now, with the short notice and all. But I''ll send the boy out for some. And get some spices and salt, people will drag ya to their fire if ya have good spices. Now clean up a bit and get out. Got a visitor coming that ya don''t need to be here for."


    "Oooh, is it Auntie Mei?"


    The older man blushed a bit. "No aunties, only a lovely lady that I haven''t spoken to in far too long."


    Shae giggled as she walked off to clean up herself and the shop tools.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 29: Dinner Party

    <hr>


    Chapter 29: "Dinner Party"


    <hr>


    "Um, Miss Heav- uh Miss Shae?" The ''boy'' caught up to her as she was leaving.


    "Yes?" She stopped and looked up at the young man from behind the shop.


    He was now properly dressed in a gray linen tunic and large beige robe. A dark red rope tied the assembly at the waist, but he wore it loose to reveal the tunic and pants underneath. "Old Cheng said you needed provisions for the caravan?"


    "Yes please, though he did say spices and salt could work."


    "Planning on hunting with that bow?" He pointed.


    "Only if the animals hold still so I can land a lucky shot or two." She turned to the side and mimed drawing back a bowstring.


    "Heh well, I''m picking some stuff up too, so I can ask for seconds. Could you come with, uh, to pay?"


    "I sure can, Mister...?"


    "Oh, sorry, I''m Don Flatao. Call me as you like."


    "Alright mister as-you-like. Where-to, first?"


    "Oof, only heard that one from old guys like Cheng."


    "Well, get ready to hear it more if you keep saying that."


    "Alright, just Don is fine. Not Just Don, just, ugh. Don is fine."


    "Heh, quick learner, at least. Lead the way, Don."


    <hr>


    They found one shop on the way out of the market district, but their prices were too high according to Don. He said there would be a lot of places like that, but she should try them again tomorrow morning when they were on their last chance to make a sale.


    Outside the market district, the places they stopped at were more similar to houses than shops. Don had a few bags packed into his own travel pack, and Shae had just one. She decided to ask a question. "This just normal grocery shopping for you? Seems like it is also traveling food."


    "Uh, yes, it is traveling food. Um, can you keep a secret?"


    "Sure!" Shae said, too excitedly.


    "Uh, well, I''m leaving with the caravan too. Gonna make my fortune in the sect!"


    "Oh! Congrats! You must look older than you are, didn''t think they took many past twenty."


    "Well, I am in my twenties. But I have it on good authority that I have good chances with whoever I choose!"


    "Oh! You must have a high grade spirit root! That would be a ticket to anywhere, even with a late start."


    "Err. No, low grade, actually." His head dropped. "But I have a bit of an affinity, if we can figure out what it is."


    "Ah. Well. Don''t let me pry if you don''t want me to. Buu-ut, who said you have good chances?"


    "Un-huh, that''s the best part, it was Auntie Mei. She always knows what is best, and is always right about it too."


    "And she specifically said that you would get into the sect?"


    "Err, no, not exactly like that."


    "Ugh, this is the issue with fortune telling, you tell people anything and they only hear what they want to hear. Please, Mister Don. What did she say, the exact words?"


    "Uh, err, well I''m not gonna recall the exact words. Something like, there are three paths available to you. And, you will have a pleasant life with whichever path you choose."


    Shae glared at him.


    "What?"


    "What are the three paths that you see before you?"


    "Uh, well there''s three cultivator groups here in town now, so, three paths!"


    "Uuugh!" She shook her head. "Just like I said, you heard what you wanted to hear. Available, that is the key word. What paths are available to you. Did you ask the sect if they would admit you?"


    "Well, no. They only accept those newly awakened at the harvest festival. Would be inappropriate to ask now. So gotta go to them first."


    "Did they ask you to join back when you awakened? And what has changed since then to change their minds?"


    He remained silent and looked away from her.


    "Sorry to put this so bluntly, but why would they accept a low grade if they also turn away mid grades during the festival? All those people joining the military? Are you better than them?"


    "Uh, well I''m more fit than most, so maybe! Why are you going? What grade are you?"


    "I have a letter of introduction from one of their elders, and even then, I might not get in." She nearly yelled. Then calmed herself down. "Sorry. I shouldn''t yell at you."


    He grumbled something and shrugged.


    "If I am still rejected, I will try another sect, or go to the monks. The monks will accept anyone, even low grade spirit roots. Especially those who are dedicated and show good work ethic. Like you." She poked him in his well-muscled bicep, she nearly couldn''t reach it.


    "If you''re really set on it, go talk to the sect here in town, say I sent you if they don''t listen. Find out if there really is a life for you there. It might just be a peasant''s life in the nearby town. But it could still be a good life." She paused to let him think. "Staying here is also a valid path, you are clearly well known around town, you could have a great life here."


    He grumbled noncommittally. "-kinda wanna be a cultivator."


    "The military might also take you, might. But maybe you don''t like that either, it''s not as glamorous as cultivation. But you''re big and strong already." She poked him in the bicep again and he tried to swat her hand away. "So, they might take you. But really, the Monkery is a clear and true path to cultivation for you. Have you talked to them about it?"


    "Uh, not really, no. Didn''t think baldness and vows of silence were for me."


    She flicked his elbow. "It''s not all like that. I''ll introduce you to Wise Kwan or Yungfan. You''ll like her. She might even help out at Master Cheng''s shop once I''m gone. Why aren''t you helping him out anyway?"


    "He''s angry with me."


    "Angry enough to just be angry, but not make you chop wood?"


    He nodded.


    "Want to talk about it?"


    He shook his head.


    "Do you think you have no future here because of that?"


    He hesitated, then nodded.


    They were interrupted by arriving at their next destination. A few minutes later and a package of smoked sausage each later, they exited the small cottage.


    "People get over grudges, especially if they have to. I think Master Cheng doesn''t have many people, losing you won''t help that. But if he is lucky, Miss Mei might be helping him forget his worries right now." She smirked.


    Don blushed a dark red.


    "Heh. I''d guess that you feel you are at a low point here in town, running away won''t fix that. And you might be able to forget about it while cultivating, but probably, it will sit with you. Fester and become a blockage that you can''t get past."


    He paled as he understood what she meant. "That can really happen?"


    "Talk to the monks. They will know better than I. They will not try to convince you, they will help you with what you need now, which is guidance. They''ll do it far better than I ever could."


    He remained silent until they reached the next house. Then after they came out of it. Shae with a bag of salt and a smaller pouch of spices. Him with a dense travel bread.


    "Thank you Miss Heavenly Shae. You''ve given me a lot to think about. I think- I think I''ll need... uhm-"


    "To make the rest of the rounds alone? I agree, and this is a great opportunity for me to leave, especially to maintain my air of wisdom and mystery." She tossed him a silver tael. "In case you find others willing to sell more, I''m no picky eater. I''m staying at the Fragrant Glade, but I may be with the monks at the Silver Tortoise."


    She looked at him and thought of one last piece of advice. "Think, find your real options, then feel. Feel what you really want to do." She then walked away, leaving him slightly stunned.


    <hr>


    Shae made a quick trip to the edge of the town. She had asked the guards if there was somewhere to practice her bow, and outside town was the only real answer she got. She expected them to have a range for the guards, but understood that it might not be open to the public.


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    She passed by Auntie Mei''s house, just because she knew the area. Noted that she was gone, then snooped around a bit to look for fresh planting. She only found two spots of dug up earth, but she could imagine them with huge golden larches. The mental image seemed to be quite remarkable, Miss Mei chose well. She wasn''t sure they would last the winter, but if the rumors of Mei''s fortune skills were as good as they said, they would be untroubled. Maybe that''s why she only planted two?


    She wandered around a bit more, seeing sights that she remembered from half a year ago. The changing season made it almost unrecognizable. When she found a good spot to fire a few arrows off, she had asked permission from the locals, no one seemed bothered by it. Her aim was worse than she expected, but she managed to get used to the weight and feel of the weapon before sunset. I''m still going to need tons more practice. And proper lessons.


    <hr>


    Shae left as the sun was setting and made it back to her inn, the Fragrant Glade, as the last rays were fading. She was looking forward to a warm meal but didn''t make it to the door.


    "Shea! Wise Shae!" Yungfan called as she ran up to the girl.


    Shae smiled at the tattooed monk. "Wise Yungfan! Good evening."


    "Have you eaten? Come-come, you must dine with us!" She grabbed her arm and pulled her along.


    While dragging Shae off to their Inn, the Silver Tortoise, she explained, "The others wanted to thank you properly for your help with the enlightenment ritual."


    She was introduced to the whole crew of Wise monks. The only one not overly thankful was Wise Kwan, whom she had met already.


    "Sharing a meal is the least of our thanks." Kwan said. "There are gifts as well, since you will be leaving tomorrow. Just small things, I assure you. Kaiun has given us ideas on what you need."


    Shae mock gasped. "Gah! Traitorous spy!" She called out dramatically. Then hugged the woman as revenge.


    "After the meal, Wise Kwan. We agreed." Yungfan complained, but she was blushing and smiling.


    Like at the other inn, the food was simple fare. Yet, here it was made extremely well, plated to look expensive even when it was simple ingredients. Shae thought it all tasted divine. Many of the monks had restricted diets, vegetarian or something like it, so the table had a variety of meals on it.


    When the service staff noticed Shae had a bit more of an appetite, they brought her out larger portions and more daring dishes. With more spices and herbs to punch up the flavors.


    Like any good feast she over ate, and was glad there was no dessert. Wise Kwan insisted on one final serving of tea that they could all share.


    "This is a special blend using just one or two spiritual herbs. It is called a soul soothing tea. It is said that stronger brewings can bring one''s soul into harmony with their body."


    It was richly scented, with a strong yeasty aftertaste, like a pungent sourdough. Though, it tasted mostly of tea leaves and fruit. Mmm, peaches?


    She found the monks drinking in silence, calmly reflecting to themselves and enjoying the tea. She waited for some of the conversation to start back up. When it did, she asked, "Is it rude to ask a philosophical question about gifts so generously served to you, Wise Kwan?"


    "Heh, is philosophy ever not rude?" He joked and got a glare from one of the other monks.


    "Wise Shae, I will field the question if you need someone more serious." The monk said after finishing their glare. It was the same one that had invited her to the enlightenment ceremony.


    She smiled. "Thank you. I wanted to ask about Wise Kwan''s description of the tea. If we are born with our souls, how can our bodies not be in harmony with them?"


    The other monk actually froze up at the question. "Err, that''s not exactly philosophy. At least not in the cultivation world."


    Shae saw everyone shifting their gaze and acting reluctant to answer further. "Ah, right, and it''s about souls so it''s taboo. Hu-waaaah." She exhaled her exasperation.


    "Truly the wisest of Shae''s. What other un-answerable questions will you have for us tonight?" Yungfan snickered. She had loosened up a lot and this wasn''t the first joke at Shae''s expense tonight.


    Shae didn''t mind though, and gave her a wry smile back. "Well, it''s not a particularly common name, so you might be correct."


    "It is a strange name, does it run in the family?"


    "No, and I suppose it is a nickname or childhood name, if anything." She saw the curiosity from the group so continued the story. "I had several siblings, younger and older, and when I was born I was named Chen-Ai. The kids couldn''t pronounce my name so it became Shena, then Shae. I liked it so kept using it."


    The table was calm, many of the monks bearing wide smiles at the warm story of family life.


    Yungfan got a tear in her eye, then a spark and smirk. "Ah, so it is your given name. Well then, we must know your family name. Truly, we haven''t been honoring you properly by using a nickname!"


    Shae could tell it was teasing from just the tone, but the smirk was an early giveaway. "If you must know, I hail from the Zhi family." Her guard was up now.


    "Then thank you again, oh Honorable Heavenly Wise Fai-"


    Shae had been waiting for the F title to be used, and spiked her killing intent in response, causing Yungfan''s words to cut off suddenly in surprise. Obviously she didn''t want to kill Yungfan, so it was more of a wrathful-play-fighting-intent. It still worked quite well.


    Kwan cut in, "I think she means, thank you deeply, Heavenly Zhi Shae. It is rare for us to find enlightenment in other''s words, rarer from one so young. And rarest that we can repay them properly afterwards." He gestured to one of the monks who jumped up and presented Shae with a bundle of parchment and pamphlets.


    The monk spoke. "From me, whom you have enlightened, a list of reading material that I found very helpful early on. Many led me close to enlightenment on their own. And something of more value, one of my personal techniques that I am able to give freely. I hope it serves you well. Thank you, Heavenly Zhi Shae." He bowed then set the top bundle off to the side indicating it was his contribution. Then the next monk approached.


    "As one with a low grade root, I experienced much growth from these qi training exercises. I hope they can serve you just as well. Thank you, Heavenly Zhi Shae."


    This continued through the remaining handful of monks, the gifts more similar to the second monk''s simple training exercises.


    When only Yungfan and Kwan hadn''t given gifts, the pile was empty.


    Yungfan approached. "I am truly sorry for my words-"


    Shae waved her off, "Please don''t be, you are forgiven. I was being as playful as you."


    "True but you expressed your dislike of that title before and I should have remembered."


    "I recognise that it is a commonly used title, and my distaste is rather odd. I hold no grudge for your teasing use of it."


    "But you''re intent, it was so... Sudden."


    Kwan butted in. "I must agree, it was a rather precise use, impressive for one so young."


    Shae waved it off. "I saw it coming a li away, and was ready for it. Funny enough that''s only the second time I''ve had to muster intent, the last time was for a similar social ear flick."


    Ear flick made Yungfan smirk. "That was an ear flick? I''d hate to see what happens when you get really angry."


    "Oh, it''s not that impressive, like any teenager I scream and rage and pout." She smirked back.


    "Sorry to interject," a monk said, "but this title would be...?"


    "Fairy." Shae said it with as much disgust as she could, but without intent. Then she shook it away. "It means something different to me, because of my roots. On multiple levels in fact."


    Most of the monks shared surprised glances.


    "Oh?" Yungfan asked. "Can''t say I''ve heard of such things, could you elaborate?"


    She shrugged. "Maybe later, in private. No offense intended, but there would be a lot of context to share. A long story if I had to explain it thoroughly."


    She let the silence hang for a bit then cracked as she felt she had to say something. "Ugh, okay, if you must know, one meaning is similar to calling someone a Kitsune. The fox demon, or any sort of otherworldly trickster. And the other meaning is worse, though more of a nasty insult. Is that enough explanation?"


    "Ah, sorry for prying."


    "Stop being sorry, Yungfan. I count you a friend, and friends are allowed to pry and annoy if they want to." She smiled then leaned in to hug the older woman


    The older woman hesitated only a little to sniff back a tear, then returned the hug, "Thanks, Shae."


    Kwan waited until they seemed to be done. "We have a few more gifts, if you would like to take them now?"


    Shae gave one last squeeze and broke away. "Yes, please! This feels like my birthday, but better! Because it''s stuff I actually want!"


    The joke didn''t land particularly well in the room full of monks. Someone coughed.


    "Actually, this is pretty close to my birthday, I''ll have to count it as that if I get too anxious from all this cool stuff that I''m not sure I deserve."


    "Heh, you deserve far more. The soldiers have yet to repay you. Yes?" The senior monk asked.


    "Erp! Are they going to do this too? That''s going to be much harder to get through. I don''t know them that well."


    "I''m sure you would do fine. But no, they usually go in for one large gift from the whole troop. Often the officers are the only ones with decent funds to splurge on a gift. So they do so for the group. Should be interesting to see what they get for a double."


    Shae got nervous thinking about it. "Ahgh, and the corporal said they had something for me." She put her head on the table with an arm over top.


    "How can you be so wise and so childish all the time?" Yungfan teased and pulled the girl upright.


    Shae resisted, trying to squirm away. "Everyone is childish, they just pretend to be adults!"


    One of the bearded monks inhaled suddenly and the whole room went still. Even the two wrestling women. He looked up at the candelabra above them, which flickered dramatically, casting an auspicious light down on the man.


    Then he sneezed, and the room burst into laughter.


    When the tea was cleared the other monks took the opportunity to exit with it, thanking Shae again as they parted.


    "I will take my leave as well." Kwan said. "My gift is small, and I think Wise Kaiun''s gift is not." He presented a small piece of paper with a complex green symbol on it. "It is an escape talisman. A small sample of my path that should keep you on yours."


    "Master, this is not a small gift." Yungfan cut in.


    "Of course it is. Look, it fits in my palm."


    She glared at him.


    "Heh, it is small, but some would say it carries great weight because of the power it makes use of. I hope you never need it, and if you don''t, one day you may gain great insight by comprehending it."


    Shae stared at the talisman. Taking it carefully from Kwan''s hand. The green ink seemed to almost glow and pulse with energy. It reminded her of something. Well if it is his qi... she thought back to their time meditating together, just two days ago. Yes, it feels a bit like that, but this is so much stronger, so much denser.


    "It''s quite strong, isn''t it?" She asked.


    "Heh, yes. Wanting to use it should be enough to trigger it, but some people tear them to really get the intent across."


    "Just intent? So someone could trigger it without touching it? Maybe trigger one someone else has?"


    "Heh, dangerous thinking, but no, there are minor protections for that, mostly it will attune to your qi as you carry it, and then only respond to you. A neat feature of talismans that we don''t really have to build in."


    "That''s convenient."


    "Heh, yes, it is. Sometimes it isn''t, but those times are rare."


    "It feels a lot like when we were cultivating. Were you using your power then, too?"


    "Hmmm, just a bit, but it affects people differently."


    "Oh? Hmmm. I was meaning to ask. I mean, Elder Ghon said that cultivation is strange, it can distort our perceptions, but it really seemed like we cultivated for a lot longer than we did."


    "Heh." He looked at Yungfan. "Be careful with this one, her intuition is quite sharp." He squeezed Shae''s shoulder and moved to leave the room.


    "So, when I asked about a space warping Dao the other day, you could have done it?"


    "Hmm? Space? No, no. I do not deal with space. Just the one thing at a time." He smirked.


    "Huh? Just that?" She could have said it, but decided to play along.


    "What do you mean just? It''s quite complicated as it is." He frowned and Shae thought he actually looked somewhat hurt by her words. "Why would you think it so simple that it needs more?"


    "Err, well, sorry, I didn''t mean- ah, I shouldn''t say."


    "No, no, you started already, get it out, in metaphor preferably. If you can''t, still say it anyway, I won''t shirk directness."


    "Well, uhm, a blind man might think color a simple thing. It''s just a different way of thinking about it, I guess. Just the way I was taught. I''d hate to have it color your own view."


    "I''ve not lived hundreds of years with a Dao so fragile it can be shattered by a child." He did seem angry now, or maybe just impatient.


    A part of Shae wanted to snark at him. Instead she stilled and felt a tear crawl down her face from his words. "Talk to Elder Ghon about that before you ask again, Wise Kwan. Goodnight and thank you for the gift, I will treasure it until the day it saves my life, then I will continue to treasure my life." She turned away from him, sitting at the table to let her tears out into a napkin.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 30: Acupuncture 101

    <hr>


    Chapter 30: "Acupuncture 101."


    <hr>


    Shae didn''t cry for long, but was glad that she could. She needed to let out the wave of emotion Wise Kwan''s words had stirred up in her. I didn''t think that mess was so unresolved. Maybe I felt it more because I like Kwan, and don''t want that to happen to him. Though, I don''t really hate Ghon.


    She found Yungfan gently rubbing her back and humming when she regained control of her senses. Her first impulse was to stiffen slightly then shake off the tears and force herself back to seriousness. She did the former but a lifetime of experience told her shoving the emotions aside wouldn''t work.


    She relaxed and leaned sideways into Yungfan. The older woman was ready to switch to a hug. Squeezing the girl once, then matched the girl''s lean with her own. "Was it bad?"


    "Mhm." Shae grumbled through her tears.


    "Want to talk about it?"


    She took a deep breath, trying to grasp at words. "I thought... hmm, no, I didn''t think about it. I haven''t let myself process it properly. Didn''t know I needed to."


    "Sometimes these things sneak up on us." The monk''s arm was still draped over the girl''s shoulders, and she squeezed her close again. "Was it scary?"


    She sniffled. "I didn''t really notice, not in the moment. The lead up was scary. I- I had guessed from a long way off, that the old monster wouldn''t react calmly. Didn''t have a clue what to expect, don''t think I could have guessed, even with way more clues."


    "Hwaaa," The monk exhaled. "I can''t even imagine what facing a tribulation that young must have felt like."


    "Eh?" Shae sat up, pulling away just enough to look at the older woman. "That''s not what I''m crying about." She stopped and looked to the side, staring off in thought. "That wasn''t scary either, it was just really stupid. What kind of asshole makes comprehending that trigger a tribulation?" She shook her head then fell back into Yungfan''s side. "Thanks for being so nice."


    "Thanks for being so adorable!" She teased and rocked the girl side to side.


    "Mmmmghmm." Shae groaned and blushed. "Okay, what cool presents did you bring me?" She poked Yungfan in the ribs.


    "Presents? Plural? Who says you get more than one!"


    "Mmm. I do. You''re too nice to only get me one."


    "And you''re too adorable to only be given one." She fought back by tickling Shae''s side.


    "Ah! You fiend! Ahaha" She giggled. "My only weakness!"


    Eventually their roughhousing led to Shae nearly falling off the chairs and she had to stand up.


    "Alright, Yungfan, the curiosity is killing me. May I please have my gift?"


    She smiled. "Yes, come." She grabbed the girl''s hands and dragged her out of the room.


    "Wait, wait! All my new stuff!" Shae ran back in the room. Carefully tucking Kwan''s gift into her robes, then stacking the paperwork that was everyone''s gifts into a pile.


    Yungfan came back in at that point and waved a hand over the stack, Shae felt a slight wobble of qi and rush of air as the stack disappeared into her spatial storage item.


    Shae gasped in surprise. "Ah! You''re not giving me a storage ring, are you? That would be too much."


    "Too much? Well if you insist, we''ll have to settle for the backup plan." She smirked.


    "Hey!" The girl pouted.


    "He heh, no that would probably get your hand cut off so someone could steal it."


    "No!" She clutched her hands to her chest. "I just got this hand."


    "Ah-ha-ha!" The monk laughed. "Alright, in here."


    "The cleansing room again?"


    "Yes, but this is the better one. Usually used for only gathering qi, like with that pill you have."


    "Oh! Is that the gift? You rented the room for me?"


    "It''s part of it, yes."


    "Ah-ha! I knew there were multiple gifts. Thank-you!" Shae embraced the woman awkwardly from the side.


    "Well it will also be helpful for the other part, which is more instruction on cleansing."


    "Oh? You had more ideas?" She asked as she went into the room and set herself up for meditation and cleansing.


    "Not just me. Most of the monks contributed to this. They were quite interested in the nature of the qi providing autonomous cleansing. I hope you don''t mind that I shared."


    "Hmm, it''s fine, I would have said yes. The qi is just like that anyway, I''m not doing anything. It''s probably already in some book somewhere."


    "Ha! If it''s not then it will be when we return to the Monkery. But you should take some credit, getting it to start cleansing again can''t be that simple, and mimicking the cleansing must also be unique. Most cultivation manuals don''t use that method."


    "Ah, right. How do you all cleanse then?"


    "It varies. That is why I asked around. More minds that have experienced more cultivation methods are always a boon for new styles." She paused, considering how much to share. "Some are as simple as stuffing yourself with qi and cycling it around, it leaks out slowly taking impurities with it. Some think that was the first technique discovered."


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    "That easy? Must be... slow? As a trade off?"


    "Right you are. Quite slow, though one of the monks thought it could be paired with tempering to save time."


    "Hmm, no." Shae said authoritatively. "Local qi pressure would prevent the personal qi from leaking out. That''s how Elder Ghon kept the lightning in my arm and leg."


    "Ah! Good point, and with practical proof. I''ll let them know."


    "Hmm, maybe the reverse though? Can you pull impurities into your channels? Get them out some other way?"


    "Hmm. An interesting idea."


    "Don''t patronize me, that means it''s bad."


    "Err, well, there would be side effects, certainly. I think you would need to cleanse your meridians first, which is nearly impossible that early."


    "Oh, yea, the cleansing order thing- Elder Ghon told me about that, you wouldn''t have enough to do it. I think he had a metaphor."


    "Correct, and we do like our metaphors. We monks call it the ox-less wagon problem."


    "That''s definitely different. Ox-less...? You need something to pull the wagon...? Pulling it by hand is wasteful? Not sure I''m getting it just from the name."


    "A merchant only has so much money to start his business, he can buy goods, an oxen, or a wagon. Though not all three."


    "Ahhh. I get it! He needs the goods to sell, and the wagon to carry the goods, and the ox to pull the wagon. Etcetera, if you start with the wrong purchase, you get nowhere fast."


    "Hah, some monks would cry over that etcetera, but we should get to your cleansing."


    "Yes! So what have you got to show me?"


    "Well, teaching you acupuncture or hiring a specialist to help would be best, but we clearly don''t have the time or funds for that. You should consult someone at the sect about this once you are there. And especially for meridian cleansing. Don''t try to cleanse any meridians! This is just to hold you over until you find a proper cultivation manual." ...


    The two dove into a few more experiments testing how Shae''s qi worked. Once Yungfan had narrowed down which of her options would work the best she instructed Shae on how to perform it. It wasn''t much trickier than what she had been doing; the difficult part was getting Shae''s special hairpins placed in her acupuncture points correctly.


    "Because your needles conduct lightning so well, we decided that you must use them. Well, you could go without, but the speed advantage is quite potent."


    "So I need to learn acupuncture?"


    "Yes and no. Ah, well, not at first. The others and I all recommend that you do eventually learn it. For now, even if you are awful at placing the needles, it should still reduce the pain from the lightning. Wise Kwan even suggested you use them to practice your control and senses. There is a note somewhere about how. It should be in the writing I will give you, but it may be quite a painful exercise, and there are other ways to stretch those skills."


    "Umm, isn''t placing an acupuncture needle wrong, like, really bad?"


    She wobbled her hand quickly. "It can be, you could damage a nerve, qi channel, or similar. Which is why we included a body map. We think it has enough locations that are safe, even if misplaced. And several other locations where you will need to have a professional place them."


    "Hmmm, could you use your tattoos to mark them on my body! Then I could do lots of points!"


    "Heh, not with my tattoos, they like to wander, remember. Some people have done that, however. It''s not enough for many of the more delicate points, however. The angle and depth of the needle is also important."


    "Hmmm." Shae frowned.


    "Am I making you nervous?" The monk chuckled. "We included guiding notes, and most of the points are quite similar in nature, so I believe you will figure it out quickly."


    The next hour continued with Yungfan walking Shae through a cleansing session using the new technique. She made sure the girl first read and followed the instructions without help. Then stepped in with additional comments. These were mostly summarized as: You''ll feel almost nothing when it is perfectly correct, or feel extra pain when it is too far off.


    The first part of the cleansing ritual was a small circuit of cleansing. It was small to only draw in lightning to test the needle and cleanse the area surrounding the needle. With the option to reposition it when it is placed incorrectly.


    "Eventually, your senses will tell you when the needle is wrong before you have to run any qi through it." Yungfan assured her.


    Her next step was to infuse a large area, similar to how she had been doing it. She was to push her qi as far out as the pins would allow the lightning to arc back to. For whatever reason, her newly cleansed flesh didn''t freely conduct like her right arm and leg would.


    Yungfan instructed that the infusion step should be done with much less qi than she had been using. This would slow the process down, yet make it more efficient because of the final step.


    That step was to draw in and circulate four-fifths neutral qi and one-fifth her own qi while the cleansing was happening. They confirmed with their testing that this caused the returned lightning to grab onto more neutral qi and draw it into the cleansing process. Ultimately letting Shae use less of her own personal qi to cleanse the area. The ratio was mostly a guess from one of the monks, and Yungfan told the girl to experiment and let the exact ratio drift a bit.


    After an hour of testing, an hour of teaching, and a third hour to let Shae go through the whole process once with one hairpin, she had become a bit exhausted by the process.


    She laid on her back while playing with her lightning infused hairpins. "Uh, I am done. Today was more tiring than I expected."


    "Hmmm, very well, you can be done if you like. Do read over all our notes on the road, of course."


    "Yea, I already said that I would." She bent and unbent one of the pins. They had discovered during their tests that one of the properties of Shae''s living spiritual tools was its ability to bend freely. Even though the metal should have fatigued or sprung back, while charged with lightning qi it bent easily and could be returned to its naturally straight shape with a thought. "Ugh, I can''t get the trick to straighten it out properly." Shae said in frustration.


    "Hmm, yes, it will take quite a bit of practice. You might not get it until late meridian cleansing. One of the benefits of that stage is easier external qi control. But back to the present. You could be done, or you could stay the rest of the night and use that pill, refilling your reserves, you must be getting low on qi?"


    "Hmm, not sure if I''m low, the dense qi is kinda weird. But yea, I guess I don''t know just how full I can get."


    "Yes, that would also be a beneficial fact to discover. Not only that, but this room is a bit special too. Did you notice it while practicing?"


    "Uhhhm. Not really? I mean if I had to guess... it has a formation that draws in more qi?"


    Yungfan''s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but Shae cut in again quickly. "But that is just a guess from the name of the room."


    The woman deflated a bit. "Ah, yes, I suppose that was an easy guess." She shrugged. "It''s not so fancy that it draws the qi in or increases its density, that requires quite a lot of extra power from qi stones. What it does is balance the qi out faster, so if you draw a lot in, it will refill the area quicker than the natural flow would."


    "Hmmm." The girl thought. "So, it almost acts like it is providing more qi, but technically isn''t?"


    Yungfan nodded.


    "I guess that is good. Do you think I would actually need it? I''m not sure I can move enough qi?"


    "I''m not sure either, but I''ll let you know tomorrow if you try it out with the pill. That qi gathering pill should let you draw in more qi than usual, it will be the deciding factor. But remember, it would be a waste to only use it a little, you really should cultivate all night."


    "Ugh! Fine, fine! Now I''m too curious. Let me go to the little ladies room and then I can get to it."


    <hr>

 Old Monster 31: Reward Protocol

    <hr>


    Chapter 31: "Reward Protocol."


    <hr>


    Shae stumbled out of the Silver Tortoise the next morning feeling like she had drunk a dozen beers the night before. The first rays of morning threatened a migraine. She had been forced out when an attendant came to get her, saying her time in the room was up.


    The night had been a blur, the qi gathering pill was like a rush of various drugs. She put the intensity on par with those dozen beers she didn''t get to drink, except with more variety. The aftereffects did match, unfortunately.


    The hangover didn''t kick in until she stepped out of the special formations, then gradually grew as she left the building. Maybe it was leaving meditation that did it, she thought. I''ll have to ask if this is usual.


    "Miss! Miss Heavenly Shae?"


    She thought it was Don Flatao for a heartbeat, but the voice was too firm. "Uugh?" She shielded her eyes from the sun and nodded.


    "The sergeant''s been looking for you all morning, c''mon, the squad''s got something for you!" The private dragged her away.


    "Ugh, wait, how far? Need to get my stuff first." She grumbled.


    "Just in the square, come. Monks were asked to keep an eye out for you, too!"


    "Ugh, why didn''t they...?" she trailed off as she stumbled to keep up with him pulling her along.


    "Wow, you look a right mess." The corporal said, too loudly. While stepping in on her other side.


    "Mhmm... stupid qi pill. Stupid sword Bai gave me it."


    "Qi gathering? Aye, they can be right nasty the first time, or the first few times, I hear. Something about not using all their power, or... overusing it? Don''t remember."


    "Hm, helpful. Corp- hey, I never got your names?"


    "Hah, not surprised, we don''t give them out much. We''re just the sixth-less-two seeker squad to most."


    She rubbed her head trying to convert six-less-two from Imperial standard''s base-twelve to base-ten. "Oh... can you write this all down, I''m gonna forget when I pass out in five."


    "Five what?"


    "Yea."


    An awkward pause later they reached the main square with the full squad of new recruits squared up in formation.


    "There she is!" The Staff Sergeant called out.


    Shae''s painfully sensitive hearing caught quite a few relieved sighs. "Mhm." She managed and waved weakly.


    "Corporal?"


    "Qi gathering pill withdrawal, I think she just got off it, Sir."


    "Hmgh." He grunted. "Give her some of the wake-up tea."


    "Sir?"


    "Just a little. She''s small."


    The corporal shrugged and a waterskin appeared in his hand. "Small sip of this Miss Shae, should help."


    She heard should help and took a big sip instead.


    It took a few slow, anxious breaths from everyone in the audience for the effects to hit her. She suddenly inhaled deeply, her eyes opening wide.


    "Wow!" She wobbled on her feet. "I''m going to need a whole case of whatever that is."


    "Gonna have to join up for that."


    "Huh. How long to get into the... alchemy division?"


    "The group that makes that? Four years."


    "Ugh, not worth it. I''ll just find someone to sell me some crack at the sect."


    "Ugh, Miss Shae, please don''t do any cultivator drugs, those are exceedingly bad for everyone." The grunt that had escorted her spoke up awkwardly.


    "Noted, Private. So I heard your squad made up a little thank-you card for me?" She saw one of the monks across the square spot her, so she waved and he waved back, then ran off like he had something important to do.


    "Bit more than a little." The Sergeant said. "It would be right shameful for us to not give you a proper thanks after two enlightenments. Just one is enough for something special most of the time."


    Shae saw the corporal weighing the waterskin with an uncertain look. She checked her pulse and found it racing. "Sorry to interject, but how bad is the crash?"


    "Heh, drink lots of water and get some food in you and you won''t feel much worse than you already looked."


    She grimaced. "Any other side effects?"


    "Only if you keep drinking it."


    Shae saw another monk come rushing, oh it''s Yungfan! The woman stopped when she saw that the girl was busy.


    ''Where were you?'' Shae heard a silent message that sounded a little bit like Yungfan.


    The corporal perked up like he had heard it too. Turned directly towards the monk and waved her over, which she took as the signal to finish rushing over. "We haven''t started yet, make it quick, please."


    "We were waiting at your inn?"


    "I never left the Tortoise."


    She looked back down the road. "Why not? Surely your own bed would be better than the floor?"


    "You know why! I was cultivating." Shae looked confused.


    "All- all night!?" Yungfan nearly shouted, then shifted it to a whisper.


    The girl nodded.


    "So you must be..." The monk puffed-up her cheeks and rounded her arms about her torso.


    "Full?" Shae shrugged.


    Yungfan''s eyes got wider somehow. "Were you doing it wrong?" She leaned closer.


    Shae pushed her back. "Could you go get my things, I''m supposed to be at the edge of town... like an hour ago." She squinted over at the sun peeking over the rooftops.


    "So you are still going. Right, good, yes I''ll do that." She turned to leave, then paused. Looked back at Shae, then at the corporal''s waterskin. "What did you-?" She stepped forwards quickly and got a sniff from the open waterskin. "You didn''t!" She accused.


    The corporal glanced sideways at the staff sergeant.


    "She''s a child!" Yungfan rounded on the man.


    "She had qi pill withdrawal, and it was just a sip."


    "A big sip." The corporal muttered. Earning a stern glare from his Staff Sergeant. Then he took a sip out of it too, capped it, and made it disappear back into his storage item.


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    She grunted angrily. "Right, I''ll add extra water and fresh food to the list." Yungfan began stalking off.


    "Oooh, see if you can get some of that Flower Nectar juice."


    Yungfan paused and turned like she was going to tell Shae off, but instead said, "Hmm, yes that is a good idea, the sugar will help." Then she turned away.


    "Right, straight into it then. Squad sound off." The staff sergeant barked.


    What followed was a few minutes of loud and formal military precision, ending with the group shouting: "In our thankfulness, we honor thee, Heavenly Shae. Please accept this gift."


    What the Staff Sergeant presented was a black hilted sword in a charcoal scabbard. From the shape she guessed it was a Jian. Clean and well made with just a few brass embellishments that might have been gold. It could pass for a dress uniform weapon, except its hilt and a good portion of the scabbard were wrapped with a fine silver wire, making it look like a spider had wove a nest all over it.


    At her curious inspection, the Staff Sergeant explained. "Since you''re young, you probably don''t know this old tradition. It''s not used much anymore, what with sword cultivators all over the place. This is called a peace-wrapped blade. It signifies the holder is not interested in violence, and that you have, in the past, resolved conflict with words alone. Which we figured you did with the bandits."


    Shae gave a hesitant nod.


    "There''s some ambiguity about whether qi and such counts as without violence." The corporal filled in.


    Shae took a moment to appreciate the craft involved with the wrapping and construction. "It''s lovely. Really, it is." She ran her hands over the hilt, feeling the texture of the grip interrupted by the wire wrapping. She was even fairly sure she could still get a grip on the weapon to use it as a club, or to block with.


    "Peace-wrapped means different things to different people. Most use cloth as a temporary wrap, just to pacify the weapon, or imply the idea, cultivators are rarely pacified. Here, the metal wire means it''s intentionally permanent. Which means there''s a lot more meaning to carrying this around, responsibility too. While the tradition is old, stories stay young, and those in and around the service will know what it means."


    "Which is?" She asked and looked up at him.


    "It''s not really about the bandit. For us, it means you did something great. That we can trust you like one of our own. It''s about the closest I can get to deputizing a civilian, in terms of trust, at least."


    Shae smiled widely and tried not to cry. "I love it, and I will wear it with pride."


    He smiled back and said, "Thank you, Heavenly Shae." followed by the whole squad, Corporal included, yelling it into the square for all to hear.


    The several people that were around had become a larger audience and they all applauded. Some immediately recognized the performance was over and walked away to finish their own morning duties.


    "I think I''ll have to have a proper thankful cry about this tomorrow when I''m not wired on energy drink. Uh, how do I wear it? Properly?"


    "Ah, of course." The staff sergeant said and brought out a belt for her. On your hip would be the correct way, as to be prepared for battle. But for you, you may also wear it on your back like a larger weapon, since you have no need to use it."


    "Great!" Shae said as she let him adjust the belt.


    Yungfan returned about this time. "Ah! A pacified blade. Very good gift, Sergeant. Looks well made too. Who''s blade was it?"


    "Oh! Good question! None of you had to give yours up, I hope?" Shae followed.


    The Sergeant smirked. "Not one of ours, no. You might not recognize it in the new sheath. It was that cultivator''s Jian. The one we picked up out of town."


    "Oh." Shae said flatly, unsure how to feel.


    "Cultivator? Having another cultivator''s sword means she fought and defeated them, but she didn''t have it before." Yungfan looked to the Sergeant for explanation.


    "It''s peace bound." Was all he said.


    The monk squinted at it and leaned closer. "So, you didn''t defeat them directly? When did- oh, this is a very nice blade. It is good that you cannot draw it, it might get you into more fights that it will get you out of."


    "The idiot would have won if he had just played fair. A lesson for all of you not to underestimate people." Shae snapped, then lectured.


    "You might have to tell me about it, but now you need to drink this." She shoved a waterskin in front of the girl.


    She drank. "Mmm, tasty!"


    "With your leave, Staff Sergeant." The monk asked.


    "I might come with, to hear this story, you still haven''t explained how you did it. Corporal, standard formal wear training."


    "Yes, sir." He saluted.


    Shae mimicked the salute towards the group of recruits and privates. They all saluted back in unison. "Oh, neat!" She whispered.


    The staff sergeant returned the salute and the three walked away. He whispered to Shae. "Their salute was for me, not you. You''re still a civvie." He winked.


    "Heh, well the new recruits sure seem well trained already, they did the salute all at the same time."


    "They worked pretty hard, even the newbies wanted to impress you."


    "Aww!" She put a hand over her face as she blushed.


    Yungfan squeezed her shoulder. "Keep drinking and eating or that junk is going to hit you pretty hard."


    "Mhm!" She drank more of the Flower Nectar the monk had brought her. The juice today was a bit different, and she supposed they probably didn''t have a solid supply chain to get the same juice all the time. "Do I want to know what that stuff really was?"


    "Pssh, it''s not that bad." The veteran officer said.


    "Just don''t drink anything people call wake-up juice or quick-morning tea. It''s always some alchemist''s concoction that will leave you worse off for more hours than it helps you get past."


    "Miss Shae, sometimes you need to be awake, alert enough to respond to anything, even if you regret it later."


    "Hmm, yea, I get it. I''d rather just have some coffee or high caffeine tea."


    "Coffee? Only heard of that once or twice in stories. And what''s caffeine?" He asked.


    "It''s the stimulant part of tea and coffee. Much more in coffee, but lots of teas have it too. Well, technically it''s... Eh nevermind, doesn''t matter. If you are really tired and drink some normal tea and get less tired, that''s caffeine."


    "Hmm, I think I have heard of some monks trying to breed tea for its wakefulness properties. Don''t think they succeeded though." Yungfan mused.


    Shae shrugged. "It doesn''t replace sleep anyways. Just pushes it back a bit. Supposed to be good for focus and concentration. Though, we are talking about a mortal chemical produced by a plant. It''s not going to do anything crazy special "


    "As much as I''m enjoying the, uh, botany lesson, Miss Shae. Did you want to explain what you did to that poor bandit?"


    "It''s a bandit now? And why would you call him poor, like he deserves pity?"


    "Because of what she did to him, Wise Kaiun. You''re right, though. He deserved what he got."


    "Hmm..." Shae hummed. "Not sure I''m supposed to talk about it. I did mention this when we talked in the square that first day. I said he had a shard of something?"


    "Huh." The staff sergeant tilted his head in thought. "It''s about that? Yea, not a public subject, at least."


    "Care to let me in?"


    "You weren''t listening at the time?"


    "Not that part, I think Wise Kwan was, but he didn''t retell the whole thing to us."


    The staff sergeant reached over and put a hand on the monk''s shoulder. She tilted her head like she was listening, then her eyebrows went wide.


    "You disaster of a girl! How could you even know that?" She grabbed Shae from behind and lifted her into a hug she vainly struggled against. ''Dao, really?- Is that why you.- Are hard to sense?''


    "Nope, that''s something else. Who knows, though. Even Elder Ghon wasn''t sure."


    "Hmm, well rumor is he''s been on that mountain for a while, might not be caught up on current... err, sensitive topics."


    Yungfan put Shae back down. "So, your assailant demonstrates some power and you...?"


    "Uhhh, so he jumped up in the air to assert dominance, and I spun him and pushed him back down. Metaphorically. Then I threatened him with some power of my own, normal power, which was mostly a bluff. But because he was just so very convinced he should win, he had a bit of a mental breakdown, or backlash, or whatever the cultivation equivalent of that is."


    "Qi deviation?"


    "Hmm, almost, but not fully. He wasn''t in that kind of trouble when we found him. Though, that is what I told the squad. Easier that way."


    "What state was he in?"


    The sergeant shrugged. "He hadn''t broken. But he did surrender immediately. Based on what you described, his power -his dao- might have turned against him." He swapped to silent messaging for those two words.


    "What?" Shae asked. "What does that mean?"


    He wobbled a hand around. "Varies, think of it like grabbing the wrong part of the sword. You could still use it,-"


    "-but not safely." Yungfan finished.


    "Hmm. Well, anyway. If you think what I did to him was bad, don''t go talk to Elder Ghon. You''ll have your own qi deviation, or whatever."


    "That doesn''t make me less curious." Yungfan pouted. "And should you really take credit for that?"


    Shae flinched out a grimace.


    "Heh, how are you going to keep up this streak of ridiculous encounters once you get to the sect?"


    "Keep up? Why would I want to do that? I''m going to relax, and take lots of baths, and sleep in!"


    "Heh, I don''t think basic initiates get that kind of freedom right away."


    "Oh? And who says I''m basic?" She glared wryly.


    "Ah, that is true, you are far too adorable. They will have to make you the class mascot!"


    "Mascot! Classes!? Ugh, don''t tell me I''m going to have to put up with teenage school drama!"


    Both adults remained silent.


    "Ahhhh! Nooo!" Shae ran ahead in a mock panic, with her hands clutching her head.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 32: Inquiring Minds Want to Know

    <hr>


    Chapter 32: "Inquiring Minds Want to Know."


    <hr>


    Shae was held up at the gates out of the market district, letting the other two catch back up. She eyed the pair carefully because they were getting along suspiciously well. She kept out of their conversation even after they passed through the gates, a conversation that they were both clearly enjoying. She even picked up on the subtle flirting the two were doing. They were clearly trying to hide it from Shae, but she was no naive child.


    Her pleased grin gave her away quickly. "Something catch your humor, Wise Shae?"


    "Hmm, nothing to interrupt you two over. Better yet, give me my stuff and you can go enjoy the morning together."


    The staff sergeant had the good manners to blush a bit. Yungfan was still playing innocent. "Together? But we need to see you off."


    "Ah-ha, you said we." She leaned forward, and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Please continue, I don''t mind. Just be sure to name one of your kids after me."


    "Kids!" Yungfan yelped in surprise, then flushed a deep red.


    The Sergeant kept up his blush, but was staring intently at the woman beside him, the edge of a smile on his lip.


    "I.. I''m a monk, Shae, I have vows!"


    "Oh come on, you can''t have a vow for that. And if you do, break it, you''re really missing out. Trust me." She tried to give her most knowing smile.


    The monk was speechless, and looked away from both of them, focusing on the road ahead while her face went beet red.


    After a breath or two of embarrassed silence, the staff sergeant cut in. "I don''t really want details, but how would such a young girl know such things?"


    Shae raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?" She looked between the two. Yungfan seemed to have gotten curious enough to look back at her as well. "You haven''t guessed already? Since no one was asking, I assumed you had all figured it out on your own."


    The pair looked at each other, then Yungfan looked away quickly. Blushing strongly again, she raised a hand to cover her mouth with her sleeve.


    "You can just ask, you know."


    "Miss Shae, most in your situation would be more conservative. Keeping their secrets close and not wanting to be discovered."


    "Hmm, I guess that might depend on what you think my situation is. I was pretty sure Elder Ghon figured it out and he didn''t seem to care."


    The Sergeant glanced at Yungfan, clearly expecting her to glance back, but she still had her sleeve up and eyes forward.


    He stopped walking and looked around. Shae felt him activate a privacy ward that felt similar to the one he used during the enlightenments. Hmm, it''s different, stronger?


    Yungfan''s head snapped around to stare at him. Seemingly having forgotten her embarrassment.


    "Heavenly Shae. By the authority granted to me as a serving military officer in the Empress'' Army. I, Staff Sergeant Xiang Leilong, demand a formal inquiry into the state of your soul, and its origins."


    Shae felt a particularly strong qi pressure rest upon her shoulders. She didn''t think it was Staff Sergeant Xiang''s. It had a particularly distinct feeling to it, like the edge of a headsman''s ax. Somehow it reminded her of the tribulation. Yet, unlike tribulation''s wrath or enlightenment''s approval and opportunity, this was very neutral, very uncaring.


    "Sergeant!" Yungfan objected. "This isn''t-"


    "Wise Kaiun, I''m afraid it is completely appropriate, she even provoked it directly. Would you please serve as Witness?"


    She swallowed nervously. Shae was surprised to realize this was the first time she had seen the monk nervous. She nodded then glanced upwards, "I, Wise Kaiun Yungfan, Witness the inquiry."


    The pressure firmed, and Shae wondered, Could I run? Would the pressure stop me, or punish me?


    She felt she needed to reply, and chose her words carefully. "I, Heavenly Zhi Shae, participate freely, without coercion or bribery." She didn''t know if it was required, yet it felt appropriate, and she thought the pressure backed off, just a touch.


    Staff Sergeant Xiang smiled warmly at her words. "Then let us begin. Heavenly Shae, you have demonstrated a depth of knowledge beyond your upbringing. Was this knowledge gained outside your current mortal lifespan?"


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    "Yes, it was."


    Yungfan gasped quietly. Raising her sleeve again.


    "Would you please detail how you obtained this knowledge?"


    She nodded. "I learned it, as any mortal would, throughout the course of my previous mortal life. Uh, presumably previous." She shrugged.


    He nodded. "Do you know how your soul retained those memories, and how you obtained your current body? Include all details."


    "The exact details? No. I have no specific knowledge of either of those questions." She really didn''t, but as her mind wandered over the possibilities, she felt the incorporeal blade pressing at the back of her neck.


    "Explain quickly, Shae, even guesses." Yungfan blurted out.


    "I do have guesses, as anyone would." She said, and felt the blade pressure ease slightly. She forced a focused breath then looked at the monk. "You believe in the Buddhist cycle of reincarnation, yes? That souls pass on, to be reused, their memories removed by someone, or somehow?"


    "I lean more to Taoist belief. The Monkery teaches both, but neither are required. I assume you mean Meng Po''s soup, which is not exclusive to any single belief."


    "Alright, yes, that. Well then, my best guess is that I went through some of the reincarnation process, but did not drink the soup. I can fully recall my past life, as I could within that life. Yet, I have no memories of the afterlife, hell, or purgatory. Further-more, I did not steal this body, or displace its soul in any way; I remember warm darkness and then being born. I can clearly remember the first time my mother held me." She smiled from the memory, and the blade pressure lifted off her neck, content enough for now.


    Both the adults visibly relaxed as she talked, then showed some discomfort at the last reveal. The Sergeant opened his mouth to ask the next question, and hesitated. "While we don''t normally pursue criminals beyond the pale. It might be pertinent to identify your previous life." He glanced between the two women.


    "That wasn''t a question." Shae said. "But you would find the details of my past identity completely useless."


    "Oh? How so?"


    "That was a question." Yungfan pointed out.


    He flinched at her declaration. "Sorry." He whispered.


    She waved a hand dismissing his apology, even as she felt the blade''s pressure again. "I don''t mind sharing. Though, I''m not sure how this fits into Taoism or other reincarnation theories. My past life was not on this world, so my being here suggests that this world, maybe this reality, is not the only one connected to that cycle." She felt something within her resonate at those words. A slight vibration through her qi. She raised a hand to forestall more questions and closed her eyes.


    She dove into a forced half-meditative state, focusing only inside her Dantian. It was the ribbons of lightning and her cat''s eye marbles. They were vibrating in harmony with each other. Or, she considered, in harmony with something else.


    She snapped her eyes open. "Please Sergeant, don''t dig into that topic, let those secrets stay secrets."


    He tilted his head, raised an eyebrow, and opened his mouth.


    Yungfan jumped in. "She''s right." She was looking up, eyes focused outside their realm of privacy. "Some things should not be freely shared. Lest the Heavens show their wrath. And we already knew that was the case; you are not the only lost soul from other worlds, Shae."


    Xiang followed her gaze up, then staggered through his thoughts, "But this is ... this proceeding is to reveal ... How can it want both?"


    Shae spoke first, the pressure insisted on an answer, "Even Dao''s can be conflicting. They can be parts of the true Dao, and also in direct conflict with each other." Her words rang with truth. Thrumming against the world harder than evolution had with Elder Ghon, vibrating the qi pressure that filled the area.


    A golden light shone from above and enveloped the whole of the privacy formation. Yungfan spoke next, "Judgment, wrath, and enlightenment. All in harmony."


    "All a part of the heavens." Xiang finished with a whisper. The golden light swelled, but he kept talking. "I bring this inquiry to a close. Let it be known that the providence of Heavenly Zhi Shae''s soul is beyond reproach."


    The pressure lifted, the golden light faded, and Shae guessed that the gathering storm overhead broke apart, if there ever had been one. She couldn''t see the latter through the privacy barrier.


    Yungfan smacked Xiang''s shoulder with the back of her hand. "Xiang! You stopped it!"


    He looked bashful and bowed slightly. "Err, sorry?"


    Shae looked between the two and smiled. Then tilted her head. "Um, you two have something... here?" She pointed to the center of her own forehead.


    "You do too, Miss Shae."


    "Uh?" She touched her head and felt the drop of blood that had formed on her skin.


    Yungfan now looked concerned. "Okay, maybe it was good that you stopped it. I''m not sure she could have survived that."


    "What!?" Shae asked.


    Xiang opened his mouth to answer, then wobbled his hand through the air. "It''s kind of a divine sense thing. And far too early for you."


    "Aww." She pouted. "But I want cool magic senses."


    Yungfan giggled and mussed her hair. "You''ll get them sooner than most, I''m sure. Now, let''s get going again, you''re still late for the caravan."


    "Ah, right!"


    Staff Sergeant Xiang dropped the privacy screen to find a dozen people had frozen in their daily routines to stare at them. "What?" He shouted with unquestionable authority.


    Just like someone had shouted ''action'' on a movie set, they all started moving again, content to ignore the three cultivators.


    "So, do I want to know what that inquiry was all about?"


    "Hmmm, someone will tell you when you''re older." Yungfan smirked and fixed Shae''s hair with a gust of qi.


    "Hah. Why didn''t you do it earlier?"


    "It''s generally considered impolite." Xiang said.


    Shae snorted a laugh and let herself chuckle while shaking her head.


    The rest of their walk through Minlin City was pleasant and much less exciting.


    <hr>

 Old Monster 33: Queue up Roundabout

    <hr>


    Chapter 33: "Queue up Roundabout."


    <hr>


    "Aye, they left at first light. Mistress Ping sure keeps to her schedule. But don-a'' worry, we always find a group for a late catch up run. Good for late couriers and sleepy ''eds." A lithe old runner spoke to them in the tavern of the Cockatrice Roost Inn. There were a few others, including Don Flatao. They had either missed the caravan or were waiting for someone, like Don and the runner.


    "Oooh! That accent! Where''s that from?" Shae leaned in and asked.


    "Ho-ho! Yer peppy this mornin''! Tongue''s from the coast, up north. Ain''t been back home in a dog''s age. But hoping the words will take me back o''er the hills."


    "The words?"


    He pointed to the stack of letters on the table. "We runners go where the words drag us. So long as there''s coin to eat too." He smiled wide showing a couple silver teeth.


    "Haha! The words! I like that!" She smiled back.


    "When do you expect the group will leave?" Yungfan asked. She had stuck around, but Staff Sergeant Xiang had left them when they reached the inn. He only managed to escape after Shae had forced the two to make plans for a dinner date.


    The runner scratched his chin. "Hmm, depends on the group. Were it just me, I''d leave ''round lunch and catch them setting camp. ''ow fast could you move? Cultivator, right?"


    "Yes-sir, pretty fast, I think. Was keeping up with the troops doing laps around town, no problem. But I''ve not tested the new leg much on straight roads."


    "Eh? New leg?" He asked and leaned forwards for a better look at her calves.


    She obliged and pulled her robes up to flex her right calf muscle. The lines of it stood out clearly even with her white-jade skin obscuring the shadows.


    "Ayyo, now that''s a sight!" He exclaimed quietly.


    "Uh, sir!" Don Flatao spoke sharply.


    The runner looked up to find a blushing Don and a glowering Yungfan. "Eh? Oh calm down, ''tis not like that. Good muscle definition. How''s the other one?"


    Shae swapped her legs to show off the other less-impressive leg.


    "Dang, that really is a different leg. Who''d you pinch that from? I''d like a pair of my own."


    Don cleared his throat loudly. His face was blushing dark red, and he was trying to look angry. Yungfan had noticed his reaction and was quietly giggling into her sleeve.


    The old runner smirked at him.


    Shae had a smug grin for the man. "It''s a cultivation technique, though not one I would advise, it''s quite painful. I''ve already switched to something less drastic."


    "Ah! That''s quite the change. You gon-a'' be all jade beaut'' soon?"


    Don coughed loudly to the side, but everyone ignored him except Yungfan who set off into louder giggles.


    "No!" Shae said sternly and crossed her arms. "I like the muscles but I much prefer my tan."


    "Aye! Tan is good." The runner said and reached back to scratch over his shoulders. His complexion was pale with liver spots in place of freckles all over his face, arms, and exposed shoulders. He didn''t wear travel robes, going with a vest and trousers, which were clearly much easier to run in. His hair was a dark red with traces of silver at the temples. "Wish I could get a tan like yours. Best I can get after a day in the sun is about as red as this fellow is now." He pointed at a blushing Don.


    That broke Yungfan completely as she burst into a proper laugh. Don was also having a hard time staying angry, his face twitching between emotions.


    Shae chuckled too, then laughed harder when she realized why Don was so flustered.


    "So, the real question is can you run with a heavy pack? Oh, and is the beet-boy running too?"


    "Ah good question! Mister Don, have you decided which future-path you are pursuing?"


    "Ah, uh, I-" He was still quite flustered and the serious question caught him off guard.


    Yungfan was no help as she was still laughing, but she had moved off to the side to be less of a distraction.


    "Close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. And don''t try to defend cultivators that are at a higher stage than you. They can handle themselves." Shae said and patted his elbow. She would have patted his shoulder but she could barely reach.


    After a few breaths of following her advice, he said."Err, sorry, Miss Shae."


    She swiped at his arm, clipping his bicep with the tip of her fingers, and eliciting a flinch. "Titles are important to cultivators, Mister Don. Wise Shae is my preferred title. You''ll get much worse than that from others if you don''t learn them."


    "Ah, was wondering tha''. We heard a load a'' rumors about a ''eavenly Shae and wasn''t sure." He tried a bit harder but still clipped the ''h'' off her title.


    "Heavenly is acceptable if you must be more formal, but I''ve grown to like the monk''s title." She waited another breath to ask again. "So, Don? Did you talk to anyone, as I suggested?"


    "Uh, a bit. Only the corporal. The sect was a bit, um, intimidating. He said pretty much the same as you. Well, that and they are here all winter, training the recruits, if I can keep up I''m pretty much guaranteed a spot."


    "Oh? Thinkin'' a takin'' the Empresses Taels? I''ve seen their training, ''tis tough stuff."


    "It''s also the path with the most violence, if the sect isn''t an option. Do you want that?" The serious girl asked.


    "Um." He shrugged. "There''s no big wars right now."


    "But there could be."


    "And- and I want to learn to fight."


    Shae frowned. "Martial arts are always a part of cultivation. You need to exercise and learn about your body on all paths. Wise Kaiun." She turned to the monk.


    Yungfan snapped out of her giggles at hearing Shae use her family name. "Ah-em. Yes, Wise Shae?"


    "Mister Don here is uncertain about his options for cultivation. Could you do me a favor and give him a consultation?"


    "Hmm, normally I''d send him to the others, but for you?" She smirked at Shae who had half a frown on her face. "Ah, I''m just teasing. Mister Don, nice to meet you. I''m Wise Kaiun Yungfan. Core stage member of the Golden Orchard Monkery."


    "Uh, hi." He said, some red returning to his cheeks. "Uhm, what''s in the orchard?"


    "Oranges, mostly. Now, let''s discuss your future." She began to lead him to the side.


    "Oh!" Shae stopped them. "Can I get my stuff? I should make sure I can carry it comfortably."


    They spent a few minutes depositing Shae''s possessions on a table. They mostly consisted of the papers the monks had given her and her new bows. Don had managed to find her a bit more food for the road as well.


    When the monk and the boy had split off, Shae kept half an eye on them. They had started with Don doing a lot of talking and Yungfan listening, which Shae thought was a good sign.


    As she re-packed her things she realized she didn''t get a new travel pack. The old one still worked but she would need to use her rope to act as a second shoulder strap, again.


    "Hmm, ya could use a runners pack."


    She jumped a little at the old runner''s sudden comment. "Ah. Well yes a new pack would be good. But I don''t expect to need it once I''m in the sect."


    "Hmm? Getting one of them fancy storage rings? Heh, heh. They still do trips out, won''t be trapped there for years or nothing."


    "Oh, Hmm, good point. And no storage ring. That''d get me killed, I hear."


    "Ah, maimed at least. Unless yer a good fighter. Got a few weapons, at least. Not sure the peace-bond will help ''gainst much, though. Bow looks good, an'' is that a staff? Really following the monk path, eh?"


    "Not really. It''s a bow blank. I''m going to carve it out while on the road and after. Should be a heavier draw than this one, and it''s already above average."


    "Oh? Gon-a'' have some good stopping power then? Where''d ya learn bow carving''? Ya do this one too?"


    "I did, but while learning, and recently. I was just following the master bowyer''s instructions."


    "The master? Which one? Only one around here is old Cheng."


    "Yes, it was Master Cheng. I helped him rough out a few of these hardwood bows."


    "Aye? Rumor was ''is apprentice ran off a month or two back. Talk moves a bit slow for us runners, but not tha'' bad."


    "True as far as I know. I''m not his apprentice. Just helped him out for a day and a half."


    "A bow in a day and a ''alf? That seems quick, guess the cultivation ''ad to ''elp, yea?"


    "Heh. Faster than that. We got three this far just yesterday."


    "Three? Dang, girl. Musta ''ad you sweatin''."


    "It was a good workout. I''m not even sure I had time to learn enough to finish this new one."


    "Well, ''m sure ''e didn''t think you''d finish it right away. Hah, you''ll have to spend time thinkin'' on what ''e taught you."


    "Yea, he even said I shouldn''t finish it before we get to the sect." She paused to think. "Hah, guess I will have to meditate on what he showed me, just like cultivation."


    "Haha! In any case if you''ve got one Cheng bow, even ''alf finished, that''s a fortunate find."


    "Half? It''s at least eight-tenths, maybe nine."


    "Ahh! Well, you really ''aven''t spent much time around crafters then. Ma pa'' always said. Eight tenths done only means there''s eight tenths left to do."


    "What!" She looked at the bow again, trying to clear her mind of bias.


    Running both her hands over the carved wood she noticed something new. To her mortal hand, the wood was smooth, if a bit uneven. To her divine flesh, it was coarse. The edges of the cuts were sharp like the blade that made them. I can see there''s work left, sanding and smoothing, balancing the shape of the two arms, and maybe sanding finger grooves into the grip. She noted that just carving the intricate details of Master Cheng''s showroom work could take days, though she didn''t plan on trying that.


    "Ahh, that''s good yer seeing it. I''ll go ask around if someone''s got a spare pack. You''ll need it to protect all that paper from the rain."


    "Eh? Rain? Oh, I should have thought of that!" She silently reprimanded herself. Then sighed and went back to packing.


    As she packed, she occasionally glanced over at Don and Yungfan. Eventually she noticed their talk had shifted. It became clear that Yungfan was doing most of the talking, with Don nodding along. That''s good, he''s listening.


    The runner was taking his time doing the rounds of the inn, chatting and talking up the other couriers. Shae couldn''t fault him, being unprepared was her mistake. Same as yesterday when Don was helping her get food, she had to let him have first pick.


    She looked at the bow again. She had a weapon that could hunt food, but not the training to use it. She sighed, she wanted another week to prepare. Though, in a week I could be at the sect, maybe.


    She thought about the whole summer and couldn''t help but laugh at herself. Crazy events had been rushing at her and now she was complaining about not having time to prepare for a routine caravan journey. She sat down at the table and put her head down into her arms and just laughed silently at herself.


    "Wise Shae, are you alright?" Yungfan had snuck up on her.


    "Ah, Yungfan. I''m alright, just made myself laugh at myself."


    "Hmm." She leaned in and looked at her eyes, moving the girl''s chin around to get different angles. "Have you been drinking and eating? That wake up tea might be fading."


    "Oh. Right, I should do that." She grabbed the waterskin of juice and sipped at it.


    "Drink the whole thing." Yungfan insisted.


    She opened her mouth to complain that she wasn''t thirsty, then stopped and drank.


    "And now more water." The monk said and withdrew another waterskin, swapping it out of Shae''s hand. Then she walked off with the waterskin, giving Don a little push forwards as she left.


    "Uh, Wise Shae."


    "Mhm, Mister Don. I hope that chat was helpful?"


    "Ah, yes, it was very helpful, Wise Shae." He glanced over his shoulder towards the monk, who was at the bar refilling the waterskin. "Wise Kaiun made me realize I don''t need to rush. I was rushing to the sect to escape the trouble I had created here, but my future doesn''t need to be decided today. I''ve already waited ten years since I awakened. I can explore my options and go to the sect next year."


    "Hmm, you sound different too. Much more relaxed."


    "Er, yea. I guess I am." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.


    The runner made it back to them. "Sorry boss. None available. You''ll have to buy new ''round town."


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "New?" Don asked.


    "Runner''s pack. Or something waterproof for my paperwork." She pointed at the stack.


    "Oh, I''d give you mine but-" He stopped. "Hah, I guess I could since I''m not going. Don''t think it''s water-proof, though." He quickly grabbed his pack from a nearby table and brought it over.


    "Oh, right, and you wanted more travel food, yea? You should take all mine, don''t need it now."


    "Ah, yes, I''ll buy it off you."


    "No, no, you''ve really helped me, you can have it."


    "No, yourself, Mister Don. I can pay you for it, so I will. I''ll be a wealthy cultivator soon, a few silver is no burden."


    "Ah, um, a couple silver is fine then."


    "Too vague." She pointed. "I''m giving you... three silver taels. If you can prove it was less than that, you can give it back. Or better yet, donate it to the Monkery, Yungfan deserves something for her effort."


    "Oh, you are planning on paying me for all the work I''ve put in? I was wondering." Yungfan teased.


    "Uh, um, I can? Maybe? What would you charge?" Shae asked cautiously.


    "He-he!" She giggled into her sleeve. "A cultivator at my stage would charge far more than you can pay, even for a short consultation." She explained to Shae.


    Don paled.


    "Oh, don''t you worry, Mister Don. The monks do this as charity for mortals all the time."


    "Uh, Wise Kaiun, I''m not needing the generos-"


    "Yes, you are. Now take the girl''s coin for your pack and thank her."


    "Yes, Ma''am. Thank you, Wise Shae." He bowed.


    "Ah, this ain''t too bad. Boy probably overpaid for this food pack, looks protected enough to stop rain." The runner said, having dug through Don''s pack while they talked. He pulled out the smaller pack from the larger.


    "Um, well, yes, needs to be protected from the elements, or the food will spoil."


    "Not these travel rations you have, they''re already wax wrapped." Yungfan pointed out.


    "Ah, good, so I can pay you another silver for the food pack then?"


    "Heh, that''d be a deal." The runner said. "Good runner''s pack''ll run you ''alf dozen taels."


    "This one was cheaper." Don quickly rattled off. "Got it for cheap without the arm straps."


    "How much?" Shae asked.


    "Uh, um, just two taels?"


    "Hah, na'' likely."


    "Oh, and speaking of straps, can I swap for your pack too? Mine''s a bit broken."


    "Ye were planning on runnin'' with that. Girl, thing''ll fall off your back ''bout two li out."


    "It''s not that bad." She defended.


    He picked it up and stuck his fingers through the holes the wolf made while rummaging through it.


    "Ah, right, um. Might need to buy your pack outright. Not sure this is worth the trade."


    The runner shrugged. "Leather is leather. Unless it''s fer shoes."


    She looked at her own feet and looked her footwraps over. The right one was quite worn from the more intensive running she did on it. "Hmm, thanks for the reminder."


    The runner looked down and clicked his tongue.


    Shae looked at the pile of supplies in front of her and sighed. "Guess it''s good I have a few more hours."


    A server arrived with a plate of food: hot stew and bread.


    "Ah, good. Eat up, or you''ll regret it when that tea hits." The monk warned.


    Shae didn''t feel hungry, the juice and water had filled her up, but she dug in regardless.


    The old runner demanded three silver taels and ran off to get her new shoes, taking the worn out right shoe with him. The others helped her out, repacking her things into Don''s pack while she ate. He did take her pack, but just to wrap up his possessions for easier transport, it wouldn''t last much beyond that.


    Shae considered her options while she ate the heavy meal. She glanced back and forth between Yungfan and Don, then suddenly voiced her thoughts. "Am I rushing?"


    "Uh, rushing?" Don asked.


    Yungfan smirked, already in the know.


    "I am aren''t I?" She sighed. "Well, Mister Don, it seems Wise Yungfan''s advice works just as well for me."


    "Um, sorry? I don''t follow, Mi- Wise Shae."


    "You said you were rushing, trying to leave with the caravan right now. I am too, trying to catch up when that''s going to put me into a mess of trouble tonight when exhaustion and that tea catches up."


    "Tea?"


    "Doesn''t matter. How far will the caravan get today?"


    "Um." He looked to the monk.


    She shrugged. "Oxen could easily cover as much as you or I walking. They might run them harder or longer if there''s a town to reach that night."


    "Oh, is there a town? I don''t know the geography."


    "Next town north is a hundred li, Xengo Village." Don added in.


    "So, probably not today?" She questioned, looking back to the monk for guidance.


    "They could, might be why the caravan master wanted to leave on time. We should ask Runner Thanh." She said looking up past Shae.


    "As'' me what?" The runner appeared again, holding two shoes in one hand. "Try this on."


    "That was quick." Shae said, putting the shoe on her right foot.


    "I know a good place. And ''ow to get anywhere fast." He smirked.


    "Hmmm, seems to fit well." She said, bouncing on her toes and taking a few steps around the table.


    "Really? Though''tid be too small. Well, Miss merchant knows ''er stuff better than me most days. Got you two rights." He held up the second shoe.


    The girl looked down at her feet. "Not sure I like the mismatch." Frowning up at the runner.


    "Dang, lost a-gain." He held up his other hand with another shoe in it. "Miss merchant did say you wo-na'' put up coin without the set."


    "She''s a smart lady!" Shae smiled.


    "Best in the biz. And I would know." He bounced in place for emphasis.


    "Do I owe you another coin for the third?"


    "Nah, she wo-na'' let me leave with two rights, made me take a left for free."


    Shae smiled at the older man''s antics. "So, Runner Thanh, we were talking about my options for staying in town another night. How far will the caravan get today?"


    "Ah, good thinkin'', if you can run fast, can make the next town easy. Hmmm, Ping''s caravan. She could make it there, but would need to run the muscle. An'' bigger ''vans start and stop slower, and she''s got a big one this time. Ah, but the Ol'' Quan''s just past the town."


    "Oh!" Don jumped, then saw the two women looking at him and explained. "Ah- Jian Quan is a natural spring about fifty li past Xengo."


    "Ayy-oh, so the ''van misses might be planning on campin'' there on night two, ''specially with the sect along." He rubbed his chin. "That''s a good one day run, I''ll ask around, see if any of the boys want to try it."


    "Would you try it?" Shae blurted out.


    "Me? Nah, got-a'' tweaked arch that acts up after 80 li. I''ll still try to catch them today. Might wait ''till after lunch now, if we''re sure that''s the ''vans plan."


    "How could we be sure?" Yungfan asked, with a chuckle.


    "Ah, good point. Flip a tael I s''pose." He laughed as he walked away again.


    She watched the man go, then exhaled. "Hwaa... That makes me feel so much better."


    "Me too, I''d hate to see what could happen if the tea knocked you out while running. Now eat up and I''ll take you up to a room."


    "Uh, but I''m not hungry or tired!"


    "You''ll eat that now, and finish all this water, then I''ll see you to bed, with no more complaints." The monk said sternly.


    "Hrmgh, yes Mom." Shae grumbled.


    "Oh-ho, you don''t want me as your mother, we would have words if I were."


    Shae smirked with a spoonful of stew in her mouth. "Mhm! Good, you''re a much better older sister, Yungfan Sis!"


    She snorted and mussed Shae''s hair. "Brat!" Then walked off to see the inn owner about a room.


    "Wow, um, I thought you two were family? You''re really close, uh, Wise Shae."


    "Yep, we get along really well! Makes me not want to leave. Why''d you think we were related?"


    "Oh, um, the tattoos mostly."


    "Oh right! Forgot about this, just got it!" She stretched her left arm out to admire it.


    "You forgot that you just got a tattoo? Wasn''t it painful?"


    "Nah, Yungfan did it by accident, her tattoos move!"


    "Huh." He kinda froze for a breath, with his mouth half open. "You two are really not what I expected. From cultivators, I mean."


    "Heh, yea, if you''ve only heard stories about sect cultivators. I could see that."


    "Are, uh, you going to make friends like that at the sect? Wise Shae?" He added her name when she raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmmm," she chewed her stew. "Hope so, but they really do act differently there. The few I''ve met have been pretty stiff, and strict to the rules, especially on sect land."


    Don shifted uncomfortably. "Aren''t you nervous?"


    Shae paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. Then set it down to think. "About going there? No. That''s easy. Getting in or not isn''t even in my hands. But being there? Making friends and putting up with the formality and giving face. Pffffffth." She blew air out in a slow raspberry. "Yea, yea I''m nervous." She paused again. "But the good news is I can always bail out and go become a monk!"


    "Hah?" He exhaled a stuttered laugh like he wasn''t sure if he should let it out. "You''re so relaxed about your future changing dramatically." He shook his head. "Oh, um, Wise Shae, why do you have this one branch?"


    Shae looked up at the short branch Don held. "Oh! That''s golden larch. Ah! Right! I keep forgetting to ask Yungfan about it. Master Cheng thought I could be- actually, I think he decided it was normal. But he first thought it might be a special variety."


    "Oh, so Wise Kaiun is a master of plants and trees? Wood qi focused, maybe?"


    "Oh, uh no. She''s.. huh, not sure if I''m supposed to say."


    "Say what?" Yungfan said as she returned.


    "Wise Yungfan, what''s the common courtesy about discussing other''s qi abilities? Your specialty just came up in conversation."


    The monk shrugged. "It varies depending on the details and who you are talking to. Simple qi affinities or aspects are pretty obvious to skilled observers, so not usually restricted."


    "Okay, so you''re good at metal stuff, right? Can you identify trace amounts of metals? Like what kind of metal pigment a tattoo is made of?"


    "That''s a very specific question. Was your discussion related to tattoos? Or is that just a metaphorical bridge?"


    "Oh, yea, bridge." She waved at Don and he handed the branch over. "This is golden larch, and maybe has sucked up a specific metal, probably not gold like true golden larches do."


    "Ah, that is interesting." She took the branch to inspect it. "Who thinks it''s different?" She slowly ran her open palm over it.


    "Master Cheng thought it might not be the normal variety. But he pretty much retracted that yesterday. He was trying to test it." Shae frowned and looked a bit disappointed.


    "Hmmm." Yungfan tilted her head. "Well, I''m not getting anything out of it either."


    "Aww, well, it was worth a shot."


    "Is this the same Master Cheng you mentioned, Mister Don?"


    "Oh, ah, yes it is, Wise Kaiun."


    "Aha! So that is how you two met? Interesting. And he is a master bowyer?"


    "Yep! You should have seen him yesterday! We carved three different bows at the same time in a day!" Shae was pretty excited.


    "I heard, and different designs, yes? That is quite impressive. Good that you kept up with him."


    "Haha, thanks! Oh, I think he might still need help, you could send a monk or two there to help out, he''s kinda old and is having trouble carving the harder woods."


    "Ahh, yes. Old men usually do have trouble with their hard wood."


    "Pfft! Yungfan! I''m eating!"


    "Well, that depends on how Mister Don addresses his issue. We might send over a monk or two. They get a bit restless sometimes, and bowyer skills are always in demand."


    "Don? You''re going back to him?"


    "Er, yea. Wise Kaiun advised that I try to patch up the relationship. Apologize properly, or get him to apologize maybe, I''m not sure which."


    Shae tried not to laugh and just let out a short snort. "Erk, sorry. That''s good, though! Don''t leave on such a sour note, you might regret it."


    "Heh, that''s nearly what she said."


    "Oh, please. I was much more dignified and wise."


    "Of course you were, Wise Yungfan."


    "Hey! I can tell that was sarcastic."


    "Of course you can, Wise Yungfan."


    Don snorted with laughter.


    "Ha-ha! Finally got a laugh out of him!" Shae exclaimed.


    "Just in time too, your bowl looks empty, Wise Shae. Time to go to bed." Yungfan stated, then scooped up Shae''s gear. "Nice to meet you, Mister Don."


    "And you, Wise Kaiun, Wise Shae. Thank you for your generosity."


    "Aww, but I''m not sleepy!" She waved to Don as he left. "Thanks for the bag and food, Don!"


    "You are tired, you just don''t know it. You''ll pass out with the windows open once you lay down in bed."


    "What! Wanna bet!"


    "Hmmm, what are the stakes?" The two moved away from the tables and to the stairway at the back of the inn.


    "If I win, you... have to go on two more dates with Xiang!"


    "Ah. Well. Then if I win, you have to come visit me next year at the Monkery."


    "That''s not a bet! I was going to do that anyway!"


    "Hmm, well maybe I was going to go on more dates with the Sergeant."


    Shae smiled wide in excitement and pumped a fist. "Yesss!"


    At the top of the stairs Yungfan faced Shae and mimed a yawn.


    Shae mirrored her with a real yawn almost immediately. "Heeeaaay. That''s cheating." She said through the yawn.


    "Well, we haven''t established rules."


    "What do cultivators usually wager? Aside from money."


    "Hmmm, techniques, spiritual tools, information. All sorts, really."


    "Weeeaaaahhll, alright, you pick something." The girl said through another yawn, then stretched her arms out above her head.


    "Still feeling confident?"


    Shae paused and realized she had yawned twice. Then sighed, "No." She followed Yungfan into the room and immediately closed the window blinds.


    "Hey, that''s cheating." Yungfan said in mock offense.


    "We didn''t set any rules." The girl chimed. Peeling her shoes off she scattered clothes onto the floor so she could sleep comfortably. Then she flopped into the bed.


    Yungfan waited a breath, then asked, "Asleep yet?"


    "No." Shae mumbled into the pillow. Then tried to get the blanket over herself. "Can you get the inn to wake me up before sunrise?"


    "I already asked. With a hot breakfast ready as well."


    "Ooooh! You''re the best!"


    "Hmm, one of them, at least." She moved to help with the blanket.


    "Will you be here tomorrow to see me off?"


    "No, I think you can manage."


    "Alright." She finally settled under it. And yawned a third time. "I guess I won''t see you for a while then. Take care of yourself."


    "Hah. That''s my line, but I will. Be careful on the road, but be more careful in the sect. Not everyone is as casual and accepting as us. I''m going to worry about you, Shae."


    She smiled. "I think I knew, but it''s nice to hear. Thanks. Hwaaaahh-ah. Yungfan? Are the sect stories true?"


    "I''ve heard a few I can''t believe, but seen some play out that I would never believe otherwise."


    "Oh? What happened?"


    She almost answered, pausing with her mouth open. "I''m not going to tell you a bedtime story, Shae."


    "Aww, but Yungfan Sis. I need one."


    She mussed the girl''s hair. "No, you don''t. You''re an adult. And you might need to start faking it better."


    She sighed long and slow. Mumbled "never" with a smile, then fell asleep.


    Yungfan watched the girl for a dozen even breaths, to make sure she was asleep. Then touched her left hand. The tattoos on both women twitched then a part of Shae''s squirmed and flowed off the girl and onto the woman. A bit of the sharpness and saturation leaving with the tattoo, but not enough for many to notice.


    The pattern on the younger girl''s arm changed as the ink drained away. The flowery vines changed to a sharp lightning pattern with wide fans of branching arcs. The monk decided to leave some flowers, because she thought they looked nice.


    When Yungfan was done, she kissed the girl on the forehead and left the room and inn with no fanfare.


    <hr>


    Book 1 End!


    Stay tuned for the Epilogue-Aside over the next two weeks.


    Shae will return in book 2: Manifold Journey, debuting near the end of July 2024.


    <hr>

 Old Monster Epilogue Part 1: A Short Hike

    <hr>


    Epilogue Part 1: "A Short Hike."


    <hr>


    Wise Kwan exited the Minlin City outer gates just after sunrise. It was a pleasant autumn morning, and he smiled during his walk down the road that led out of town. His smile changed to a smirk as he spotted someone sitting on a bench beside the road.


    "Diviner Mei, what a surprise to see you this morning."


    She was sitting with her hands on a cane laying across her lap. She was dressed in well made travel robes and wore a small satchel. Kwan noted the satchel had a Diviner''s mark on it, for those who knew to look. She looked up at the monk with a slightly annoyed glare, "Wise Kwan. You''re late."


    "Late to a meeting I wasn''t aware of? Well... I didn''t leave the inn as soon as intended. And I was delayed at the inner gates, just a moment or two, though."


    "I was expecting you yesterday, when the caravan left."


    "Ah, yes I suppose that would have been preferred. Someone I know missed their departure, so I was equally delayed."


    "She''s still in town then?"


    "She? Could you be more specific?"


    "Yes."


    He smirked at her. "Well if you mean the girl that missed the caravan. Then no, she left with two runners just as the sun rose."


    "They''re going to catch it? No one was worried?"


    "Are you? We are not, because Wise Kaiun reported that Staff Sergeant Xiang had been scouring the land around the town."


    "Scouring? Did he say whatever for?" She got up from the bench and joined the monk''s walk.


    "Trying to find a beast core."


    "Ugh, that will change a few things. Did he try the mountain?"


    "Of course not. The sect still has their exclusivity demands."


    "Bleh, meddling politicians. The spirits are not stupid, they will just hide there. Feeding the stronger beasts."


    "I assumed that was part of the point."


    "I wouldn''t know what was intended. Did Xiang say why?"


    He smirked. "He implied. But he didn''t find one."


    "Ugh. Probably cleared out the forest for fifty li."


    "And the roads for a hundred."


    Mei shook her head. "Probably for the best he didn''t get it, whatever it was for."


    "Oh, he had one already, he just wanted to replace his."


    "What? What fool thing did he do with it?"


    "Wouldn''t say. But he claimed it was for the best."


    "The best of my ass." She shook her head. "You can''t just hand a little girl a master''s sword with a rank three beast core enchantment."


    "Ha ha ha!" The monk laughed joyously. "Ah-ha. Miss Mei! Heh. Remind me why I tell you anything. You always seem to know more than me already."


    "Because you''re weak to a pretty smile."


    "Hmm, in not sure-"


    She swiped at his shoulder with her cane. He smoothly slid away, shoes scraping along the gravel just far enough to avoid the cane.


    "I mean, yes. That explains it perfectly." He smirked and straightened his monk robes.


    She glared at him, but kept walking down the road leading to the mountain.


    "So, you''ve invited yourself along." He asked.


    "You would have invited me already, if I had needed to step in earlier."


    "And when would you have needed to step in?"


    "Nearly yesterday. I felt that... confluence."


    "I''m quite surprised he stopped it."


    "Me too. But it''s for the best."


    "Whose best of whose ass, this time?"


    "Hmm, that''s always the real question, isn''t it." The Diviner mused and lightly snorted a laugh.


    They walked in silence for a short while, passing the furthest housing of Minlin City. The monk took the time to contemplate her words.


    "Are we walking the whole way?" The older woman asked.


    "I had considered it. Are you in a rush?"


    "I''m never in a rush."


    "Yet, you said I was late."


    "Well, I''d like to get there before dark, and I have a few trees to see on the way."


    "Trees? Looking for imprints?"


    "Yes, but there will be plenty of those at the top." She pointed up the mountain.


    "It''s not technically at the top."


    She waved him off with a frown.


    "I believe she followed Song''s Creek to the road." The monk spoke.


    "Why do you think this is about her?"


    "Who or what else would it be about?"


    "Perhaps our shared old acquaintance that recently shattered his Dao?"


    The monk cringed at that. "So, he really did? I thought he was doing well enough."


    "If by well, you mean digging himself the deepest grave, then certainly."


    The monk sucked air between his teeth. "That bad?"


    Auntie Mei opened her mouth then closed it to reconsider. "You''ll hear it later when he tells it. Then you can listen when I have to explain why he''s an idiot, if you don''t comprehend it sooner."


    The monk nodded in acceptance.


    "So, Song Creek? Care for a jog?"


    "After you." He gestured to the road.


    They took off running, much faster than an observer might have expected from the older pair.


    <hr>


    The sun was setting when they finally crossed into the sect formation, high up the mountain.


    "Stopping again? What is it this time?" The monk said, a bit sharply.


    "Ember Berries, and flowers, both quite nice."


    "I didn''t know you liked spicy food." He said with a defeated sigh.


    "Oh, I don''t, but others do. Only a few good ones here, though."


    The monk took a deep breath, then exhaled it slowly and loudly.


    "How can you be so impatient?"


    "Talent." The monk said with his eyes closed, and a smirk on his lips.


    When they reached the unlit campfire, another figure was waiting for them. "Monk, Diviner. What business have you come for?" Elder Ngoc demanded.


    The two in question shared a slow surprised glance between one another.


    "Can we not simply enjoy the mountain?" The monk asked.


    The elder stood firm.


    "Don''t bother." Mei said. "She doesn''t know how to play along, and plans to stonewall instead."


    Ngoc continued her stern expression, refusing to respond to their prompts.


    "Very, well. Business it is." The monk sighed. "I am Wise Kwan, here to follow up with Elder Ghon on an investigative matter."


    "He is in seclu-"


    "He is not." Mei cut in. "Since you were not going to play along, I will not let you act the fool."


    "And you are?"


    "Diviner Mei, but Miss Mei is enough for you." She smirked. "I''m here to settle a debt. And maybe catch up with an old friend."


    "Sect debts may be settled at the sect, not at our satellite locales."


    "This is a personal debt."


    "With who?"


    "Why you, of course, Elder Ngoc."


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    Ngoc swallowed and thought for a breath. "I don''t recall being in your debt, or any others, recently."


    Mei smirked. "Then you have a short memory. Why don''t you handle Wise Kwan''s business first, lest you forget he is here."


    She frowned at the older woman. "The nature of your investigation, Wise Kwan?"


    "Souls. Grade three inquiry. Recently resolved, but there are loose ends to tie up. Elder Ghon should be able to do so."


    "I am able to ferry messages to the Elder. That is the most I can offer."


    Mei clicked her tongue loudly.


    "I have prepared a message, he will most assuredly ask us inside when he reads it."


    "I disagree, he is-"


    "We are well aware of his condition, girl." Mei cut in again.


    "I do not know what you-"


    "Stop." The monk raised a hand. "The world aches with his failure. Even if we did not already know. We would know simply by being here."


    "Your foolish act of ignorance does not save him face." Mei scolded. "You lower yourself for nothing. Stand with pride that he is not dead from his missteps. Most would be."


    Elder Ngoc swallowed again, this time her pride instead of her nerves. She gave half a bow. "I will bring him your message now, Wise Kwan."


    <hr>


    Elder Ngoc returned a short time later. "Wise Kwan, Diviner Mei. Elder Ghon will see you at your leisure." She gestured towards the doorway into the Sect''s interior space. "I will give you privacy."


    Kwan made for the door, hesitating briefly as Mei stayed still.


    "I''ll be with you shortly. I''d like to talk to Cultivator Ngoc about a young ginseng that doesn''t belong to her."


    Ngoc tilted her head, brows furrowing. "Are you accusing me of theft? That is a bold accusation."


    "It is not an accusation, but a statement of fact. You pilfered from another, claiming it..."


    The door shut out Mei''s voice. Wise Kwan nearly shuddered. He had heard a similar setup used by the Diviner before, and had even been the target once. He would be surprised if it was as effective here as the other times, it was rather situational, but Mei could always surprise.


    He entered the only room with a bed. An old man sat up in it, facing the doorway. Looking like he''d rather by lying down.


    "Kwan." He greeted, in a weak voice. His usual stoic mask, nowhere to be found.


    "Ghon." The monk inclined his head slightly to cover the grimace of feeling the man''s shattered Dao. The feeling was worse here than it had been outside. To Kwan, he''d rather see someone leaking blood from every orifice than feel this from them.


    "I assume this is about Young Shae?"


    "It''s about a soul inquiry."


    "I commend you on taking up such important work."


    "Important, yet not important enough for you to pursue it."


    "This is about the girl, yes?" He breathed raggedly. "What did she do?"


    "Staff Sergeant Xiang was suspicious of her, and made the request. It naturally progressed to grade three."


    "That''s not what I asked. Why was he suspicious?"


    Kwan looked at his one time friend. So close to progress before, yet now so damaged and broken. "She was behaving oddly..."


    "And?"


    "She spoke of Dao. Inquired about the sergeant''s training, including implied questions of their Dao. Recognized two of his soldiers were broken. And then made some off hand comments that eventually led to both the soldiers and one of my monks having an enlightenment."


    "Three!" The old man coughed repeatedly, then hacked painfully, spitting up phlegm and blood. "That wretch!"


    Kwan remained silent. Using his divine sense to check on the man''s physical condition.


    "Two broken? What did she say, word for word."


    "Ghon." The monk reprimanded with only his tone of voice.


    He took another slow breath. "Please, Wise Kwan, surely you would not deny me. Am I not already broken?"


    A pitying face did not match his flat words. "Fine. I will not keep it from you, however, their situation was different. Their struggle was over accepting the Dao imposed by the military. She said: ''One must accept their own world, before accepting another''s.'' Xiang and I agreed they are words far wiser than her age."


    Ghon paused in thought, closing his eyes to look inward.


    Kwan waited.


    "She just said it? Sounds like a quote."


    He nodded. "She began to say as much before she was interrupted."


    "But the enlightenments? You said eventually, not immediately?"


    Kwan sighed, "One of the soldiers didn''t catch the whole speech. Staff Sergeant Xiang provided the additional context and the younger soldier was able to match his brother in arms eventually. The full context was important."


    The broken man waved a hand dismissively. "I am not so helpless to need that. I can tell it would not help, your monk then?"


    Kwan shrugged. "He has not consulted with me about it."


    "Still, two and a half is quite good. It''s a decent start. Has the old record been broken?"


    "Not that I''ve heard. Though, I wonder if any would claim it, even if they had."


    "Hah."


    They paused briefly to consider it.


    "So, your initial assessment of the girl?"


    "She was suspicious, too knowledgeable. But her soul had no more weight than a feather."


    "She was quite clearly being shielded when I met her. No qi presence, yet she clearly had qi, powerful qi."


    "A side effect of the tribulation."


    "Unlikely. How can you be sure?"


    "She found the shield, a formation around her Dantian, and told me about it. She only gave it power when I was teaching her to draw in qi."


    "It wasn''t powered by the tribulation?"


    "We managed to keep the lightning qi in her arm and leg, instead of letting it run rampant."


    "You interfered?"


    "No, this was after. The mountain''s pressure did the work."


    "Ghon." He frowned at the man. "How could the lightning form the shield, but stay in her arm and leg, and also not power the formation?"


    The man on the bed stilled, his mouth hung open. Then his jaw shifted sideways as his head tilted. "Huh."


    Kwan held his disappointed frown on the man.


    "Oh, don''t give me that look. I''m not one of your students."


    "No, they would have caught that. I might test them with it later to prove as much."


    "Ugh, harsh."


    Kwan stayed silent for a few breaths. "You were blinded by opportunity."


    "Bah, so what if I was. Recommend the sect demote me or something. Perhaps it will make it through their courts before I die."


    "Right, so, back on topic. You did nothing about the girl being a risk?"


    "No, I sent letters to the sect, and the girl herself. They could handle it easily."


    "You warned them? What did you write?"


    "Not as much as I should have, that child is a monster."


    Kwan rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, now. Really?"


    "She''s- No, first what I wrote. She is clearly a lost soul. She used language which isn''t local to the region, though she did grow up here. Reincarnated from somewhere else, or whatever you wish to believe, and I encoded as much in the first letter. My second letter, which she also has, should lead her to a test by a Diviner. But it is mostly... well, more of a pardon against what happened to me."


    "A pardon? You believe she needed that?"


    Ghon shook his head. "I could have sent her to another sect if I was that worried. I was concerned over the timing, someone could piece together that she was involved in my... current condition." He waved a hand at the bed.


    "And sect politics is nothing if not idiotic. So they would easily believe a mortal child shattered your core."


    "Well, she did."


    Kwan stared at the man with that same disappointed frown.


    "What I should have written is to not test the girl''s ability. Not challenge her directly in knowledge or Dao. Many will, I can see it. They will hear of her as a smith hears of a powerful forge, hotter than any they have used."


    Kwan waited for the man to finish his rant.


    "She is the anvil at that forge. Simply waiting impartially as men heat their steel. Then place their unfinished weapons and tools against her, hammering them until they are either sharp or shattered. And she is no helpful tool, she will shatter more than she shapes."


    "Ghon. That is an awful metaphor."


    "What? It took me hours to select that one."


    "Hammering their tool-steel into her. Ghon, she is a child!" Kwan turned to make a disgusted face to the side. "Could you have made it any more inappropriate?"


    "Oh. Oh my." He grimaced. "Alright, good catch, please do not repeat that to anyone." He huffed and shook himself. "Would you do better?" He asked honestly.


    "Hmm, she is a tree stump. Impassive to the ax that splits the-." The monk cut himself off with a click of his jaw.


    Ghon started to chuckle then coughed, then hacked, spitting another small bit of bloody phlegm. "Heh. Splits their woods on her? That''s far worse."


    "I stopped myself, didn''t I? It''s definitely bad, but it''s not worse."


    "It is." The man insisted.


    A third voice joined in, "Those are both equally disgusting. You two should be shamed and shunned by your peers and families." Mei said from the doorway, walking into the room.


    "Miss Mei!" Ghon bowed. "How much of that-?"


    "Too much. Do you fools have these twisted metaphors for all cultivators?"


    "Usually they are much less... evocative in that way. I like them less layered."


    "Aren''t metaphors supposed to be layered?"


    "Only the good ones." The monk chirped.


    "So, do you have one of these good metaphors for me?"


    Ghon started. "Surely not."


    "We would not, could not." Kwan continued.


    Mei was squinting her eyes at them with suspicion.


    "Diviner Mei always sees right through us; can gauge our worth."


    "She knows our measure, our approach, even before we do."


    "Can divine how we will endure, through any encounter."


    "Knows exactly when and how to handle any-old monster. To benefit herself and others as much as possible."


    "Yes, yes. Truly she knows how to ensure everyone comes out of any situation completely satisfied."


    "Never to settle for simple contentment!" Ghon finished.


    Kwan nodded appreciatively.


    "I''m not sure this has as many layers as you two think it has. But if you want some hot, breathy action, I can oblige." Mei moved quickly to the bed and placed something in Ghon''s mouth, then did the same for Kwan. "Eat." She commanded. Neither resisted. "And treat this more as punishment for your earlier disgrace. At least I am here to defend myself from your verbal attack on my purity."


    The two men shared a glance, then returned to chewing.


    "Ah. Ember flowers. How courteous of you." Kwan said through a mouthful.


    "I''ve always wanted a-"


    "Don''t." Mei cut Ghon''s words off.


    He coughed lightly, clearly forced. "These seem hotter than usual."


    "Yes, I found the strongest three."


    "Three? What''s the third for?"


    "Leverage, of course. You two wouldn''t shut up without the threat of more. So, the third is for some playful wolf that doesn''t know when to stop barking."


    The two old men quietly chewed the spicy flower, and chewed on her words.


    "And just in case you can''t resist another bark. I assure you my third flower will not find its way to your tongues."


    The monk coughed, clearing his throat. Breathing carefully.


    Ghon was already doing the same. He added a forced cough, then they both nodded. "Right, where were we?"


    "Hopeless metaphors about how you should have warned your sect about a 16 year old." Mei supplied.


    "Ah, yes. Would you like to try one?"


    "No."


    "Good choice." Observed Kwan with disappointment.


    <hr>

 Old Monster Epilogue Part 2: Dao or Dao Not

    <hr>


    Epilogue Part 2: "Dao or Dao Not."


    <hr>


    Kwan got back to business, "Right, a short answer please, Elder Ghon. What does the girl have that is to be feared?"


    "Hmmm, the poignant thing to say would be knowledge. But she is not the first to bring such as that from beyond. Even if hers holds greater rigor and truth." He scratched his chin. "I fear I must say that she has a Dao."


    "She does not." Mei corrected.


    Kwan hummed.


    "Wise Kwan? Don''t tell me you sensed something from her?"


    "Not as such, Miss Mei, though given a report I received, I might be convinced." He looked at the injured man. "However, Ghon''s testimony is suspect, at best."


    "Hey!" He objected, then coughed and hacked, but did not need to spit anything out this time.


    They waited for him to recover.


    "I threw my Dao at her, and she resisted. Then pushed back, and I pushed harder, and she still lifted it off herself."


    "Was this before or after her tribulation, and then her lengthy explanation of her past life''s knowledge?" Mei asked.


    He shifted uncomfortably. "After both, just after the second."


    "And your core had already cracked, I assume?"


    He nodded. "It had started failing, yes. Excellent deduction as always, Miss Mei." He sighed. "In the moment, it seemed as good a time as any to show her a taste of true power. Lest she get the idea her tribulation was the pinnacle of heavenly tests."


    "Usually never is a good time to crush a child with one''s power." The monk mused.


    Ghon frowned. "It''s not like that, she had completed tempering. And I started soft, she would have been fine." The two continued to look at him skeptically. "What?"


    "Was there more to it? Or just rejecting your path after seeing how well it has served you?"


    He grimaced. "Harsh, and accurate enough, but there was more. For starters, she manipulated my Dao."


    The monk cleared his throat. "Perhaps this part is best left as metaphor?"


    "Hm, still the same monastic reluctance." Mei teased.


    "I''ve seen too many poor outcomes." He frowned.


    Ghon nodded in agreement. "Well, there is evidence of her actions; hard to be too metaphorical." He pointed to a clothes rack in the corner that held his shredded set of gray robes with pure blue and red stitching. "She stabbed me- oh, well, Ngoc shredded it more trying to treat my wounds, but the holes are still there."


    "With what?"


    "With metaphor made real."


    "With your Dao?" Mei asked, and the monk grimaced slightly. "Why?"


    "She thought I had given up. That I would just roll over and die if she did not take action."


    "Would you have?" The other two echoed the question.


    Ghon shrugged. "Anyway, she couldn''t do all that without some Dao. Mei you can read the imprint. And what she did after. It might be harder to find, but it is recent. At the campfire."


    Miss Mei turned to look through the walls. She nodded. "I will." She held her gaze locked outward and the room stayed quiet for a few breaths until she turned back. "Shall I do that first, or would you like to have this conversation resolved now?"


    Ghon shrugged again, confusion on his face. "Now is fine, I suppose, if it''s all the same."


    Mei nodded. "So, a theoretical question first, to establish a reasonable correlation. How many mortals are required to slay a cultivator?"


    "Depends on the stage. An order of magnitude multiplier per stage is generally accepted, though that is simply for the sake of argument."


    "Then for the sake of argument, those numbers assume each mortal lands a single clean blow, or some number together may land one stronger one. So, as many single blows from a single mortal would also compare."


    "Ah, I see." The monk said. Then bowed in apology for the interruption.


    "Sure, for the sake of argument." Ghon nodded.


    "Kwan, would you like to finish?"


    "So, the same idea, when applied to Dao?" He asked.


    "A mortal cannot contest a Dao." Ghon stated.


    "Not with their own... they don''t have a sword. But they could... ah, Miss Mei?"


    "You may leave, monk, if this bothers you."


    He shook his head. "I''d rather not speak of it, but I will endure the lesson."


    "Good. It is true a mortal cannot hold a Dao. Save the sword of similar name. Yet, they must be able to reach for one, lest we would not be able to either. To reach, they must know the direction, some piece of information to lead their reaching." She paused to assess if Ghon was understanding her words. "For the sake of argument, many mortals could together reach and maybe grasp a Dao. Likely impossible in practice, and what would they do with it? However, a cultivator could follow their guidance, find and hold onto what they reached for."


    Light flickered around Ghon, a confused then frustrated expression crossing his face.


    "Stop that." Mei smacked him over the back of his head. Breaking his concentration.


    Kwan moved to object but Mei raised a single finger for him to wait.


    "You cannot force enlightenment." She scolded. "Yes, I can tell you found something in those words, but they are a fool''s path. Moreover, and to get to the point. Miss Shae shared her knowledge with you, over months. You sat attentively and let her strike you, over and over. Metaphorically wearing you away. Unintentionally, she directed you to build a Dao. One likely opposing your own. Yes, I can see it is true just from your reaction." Mei shook her head in disappointment.


    "But, I... She... That doesn''t explain everything."


    "I don''t know everything." Mei said sarcastically.


    "That certainly makes more sense than the alternative." Kwan commented.


    "Ah, but you heard something else?" Ghon reached towards the monk.


    He shook his head. "I trust my sources, but it is ever the lesson that eyes deceive. What we see and thus think has happened is only a guess at the truth of the matter."


    "So, I just did this to myself?" Ghon''s voice sounded hollow.


    Mei slowly swayed her head, not quite in disagreement. "If you fought another''s Dao directly, would you blame yourself? You followed her words, but she led you into the dark."


    Ghon grimaced at the final word. "Your word choice wounds me. Why that metaphor?"


    "Because you understood it." She paused to let that sink in.


    "So, you choose them deliberately? For each person?" Kwan asked the diviner. "You always have weighed your words well."


    "Of course, they are my words, only I can set their weight. Not others, nor I the weight of their words."


    Kwan nodded slowly then offered a bow. "Wise Mei."


    "No. I still reject that title."


    Kwan shrugged, he had expected as much.


    "Any advice for moving forward, or just moving on?" Ghon asked.


    "I cannot divine your fate." Mei shook her head.


    "Is the Dao you... made from her words still with you, then?" The monk asked with difficulty.


    Ghon inhaled sharply. "There was one piece, after the shattering, one piece that she handed me-"


    "Handed?" Both listeners said in unison. Then they looked at each other.


    Ghon continued, "It could be that one, but..."


    "-but it is not related." Mei finished. "It should be obvious, the girl could not have hidden it. She did not make it."


    Ghon and Kwan nodded in agreement.


    "So I need to find it. Then extract it somehow. Do I give it back to her? Will she need it?"


    The monk let out a sharp laugh. "You cannot give someone Dao."


    Mei stayed silent, turning her head. Ghon looked to her, distracting the monk from his laughter.


    "No!" Kwan complained. "Don''t say it is true."


    Mei shrugged. "She might take it up, understand it, but it is not hers. You made it, it would not fit her."


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Kwan sighed in relief.


    "Hmm, seems a waste to just destroy it."


    "Then that is it talking. It is no inner demon, but it is fair to treat it as such."


    "Put it in a weapon or other artifact." Kwan suggested.


    They looked at him in surprise.


    "What? It is commonly done. How do you think Dao tools are made?"


    The other two silently considered his words.


    "I''m surprised you''re willing to talk about this." Mei said.


    "I always thought they just spent a lot of time sharpening their swords."


    "Is that an innuendo?"


    "Oh! Not intentionally." Ghon chuckled, then stopped himself as he started to wheeze. "Does the helpful and wise monk have instructions on how to accomplish such a feat?"


    He shrugged. "To answer Mei first: tool construction is not as personal as Dao, even when imbuing one''s own Dao. To do so is simple, in theory. Use and flex the Dao while making the item. Teach the spirit of the item the Dao, as they say."


    Ghon grimaced.


    "And it must be a compatible item. Something the Dao can harmonize with."


    "Maybe something mortal, due to its source?" Mei asked.


    Kwan shrugged. "Perhaps. That would make it simpler to do. Though it might not last as a spiritual tool would. It was knowledge based, yes?"


    "So writing? Not just what Miss Shae said in words, I think." Mei supplied.


    "Like how it was used, then? It was a kind of weapon." Ghon said bitterly.


    Kwan and Mei frowned at each other, urging the other to speak with only their eye movements.


    Kwan broke first, "I believe Wise Shae would take issue with it being a weapon."


    "Wise?"


    He nodded, "She enlightened one of my monks. It is traditional, and she prefers it to Heavenly."


    "Heh. She would." Ghon smirked. "Ah, but there is another tradition for a monk''s enlightenment, isn''t there?"


    Kwan nodded his way into the trap.


    "So, five of you and her? You cultivated with her?"


    "No." Kwan objected with a frown. "It is a group effort, but it is not... that." He grimaced. "Don''t be so crude, old man. She did quite well, and was able to share some of her divine qi from the tribulation. It had an interesting effect on the ritual."


    "Ah yes-" Ghon started before smirking again. "And how did she, an early cleansing cultivator, add qi to the group effort? Her control is shoddy, I can''t believe she can release external qi yet."


    Mei snorted a sudden laugh. "Hah! You think she has a Dao, but external qi is beyond her." She continued to chuckle.


    Kwan also smiled. "She did require some assistance."


    "Ah, one of your monks helped it out of her. Of course.''


    Kwan''s smile froze. "Me actually. But I don''t like your insinuation."


    "Right, of course, you were just there to help her release-"


    "It wasn''t like that." The monk nearly shouted. He took a deep breath, calming his temper. "It is not related to dual cultivation, or any similar technique. No matter how much you bullhead your way into that logic."


    "As fun as it is to watch Kwan lose his calm, I must agree that the jest is in poor taste, Ghon. She is but a child."


    Ghon frowned. "I didn''t mean it like that. There is a difference, even if most cultivators act otherwise. But the reminder is useful, I often forget her physical age as her mind and soul are clearly older."


    "All souls are older." Kwan helpfully supplied.


    "She is certainly more mature than most. Though, at her age there is more to consider than mental maturity." Mei warned.


    The two men nodded. "Puberty."-"Appearance." They said at the same time.


    Ghon coughed. "Appearances. I meant. But puberty is a more significant issue."


    The other two stared, considering how to react.


    "I mean if she appears young. People will treat her that way." He clarified.


    "Ah!"-"Yes"-"Yes, certainly."-"Of course." The two rambled over each other.


    Ghon angrily frowned at them. "So anyways." He waved a hand in a lazy circle.


    "Um, where were... right, the traditional ritual. Everyone benefited from her contribution. There was an odd reaction between the two divine qi''s. Like a partial confluence."


    Ghon and Mei both looked surprised.


    Mei spoke first, "I didn''t hear of this outcome?"


    "We kept it quiet. Don''t want others trying to recreate it. Might be considered an abuse of power." He gestured up at the ceiling.


    The other two nodded in silent agreement.


    "And she gained as well?" Ghon said with only a little bitterness.


    "She did. Though her qi was... odd. She tried to create personal qi without using her Dantian."


    "That''s impressively detailed knowledge of Miss Shae''s intent." Mei arched an eyebrow.


    "She got along well with Wise Kaiun. The two worked on improving the girl''s cleansing methodology. She was attempting to recreate the divine cleansing, with mixed results."


    "Foolish girl." Ghon chided.


    Mei shook her head at the injured man, "And you would have had her wait years to find a manual."


    "That is the proper way."


    "Did you even teach her anything while she was here?"


    "Yes, we had an agreement to exchange information."


    "An exchange you benefited from more?"


    Ghon just raised his hands gesturing to himself and the bed.


    Mei coughed. "Right, I apologize."


    "It wasn''t a traditional exchange anyway. We offered each other information. Speaking on topics until we were content to move on."


    "Until who was content?" Kwan asked.


    Ghon shrugged. "We did not make that clear. But it was generally obvious when a topic had run its course."


    "Hmm, seems ripe for dissatisfaction."


    "If we had ill intentions, perhaps." He shrugged again. "I cannot say I am satisfied, given the final exchange. But Miss Shae wanted the dynamic to be about offers of information, not demands. Aside from the final exchange, I can count myself content."


    "And the final exchange was?" Kwan asked.


    "One tribulation for another."


    "That is... correct enough, Miss Mei." He nodded solemnly.


    Silence held for a few breaths.


    "Well, Elder Ghon, do you seek assistance in returning to the sect?" Kwan asked.


    He shook his head. "Not now. The formations are helping to keep me stable. Perhaps once I''ve removed the offending shard of Dao."


    "The staff sergeant will be here all winter." Mei suggested.


    Kwan nodded. "That is likely to be the more direct option. And I''m sure he would be interested to hear of your story himself."


    "Hmm, giving me all winter, that''s generous."


    "Have more faith in your path. It''s gotten you this far." Mei said with a hint of pity.


    The topic silenced the room again.


    "Is Ghon Ling still at the Monkery?" Elder Ghon asked.


    "Your granddaughter? Her second grandniece is, Soh Linlin. Should I inform her?"


    "Ahh, Soh. Is that doofus Chin still with her?"


    "They married and he is nearly at nascent soul now."


    "Bah, that doesn''t stop anyone from being a churlish fool. I am proof of that."


    Mei burst into laughter, with Kwan chuckling just behind. "Well said, you old brat." Mei slapped Ghon on the back, eliciting a coughing fit that ended with another glob of phlegm. Her slap pivoted seamlessly to more supportive physical contact. "Let''s get you some tea, what have you been eating out here? Rice and hare asses?"


    "Heh. Do you have any of that minty western blend?"


    "The cerulean green? No, the fields were burned a few decades ago by a wandering demon beast. Hasn''t been the same since."


    "Ah, that would taint the qi quite drastically."


    "Kwan bought the last of my Smokey Soul blend, but I saved one dose if you think it would help?"


    "Hmm, tempting. But I''m not that close to passing. And the thinner fabric up here is easy enough on the soul."


    "A black maybe?" Kwan offered.


    Mei frowned at him. "I have dozens of blacks. Could you narrow it down?"


    Kwan flinched out a grimace then considered. "He is still leaking qi."


    "Ah, yes. A sludge then." She nodded.


    "Bleh, I hate sludges. They make it so hard to move my qi- oh! Right. I see. Still, they fog the mind as well."


    "I have one with persimmons and I''ll add ginseng. I''ve just acquired one young enough to mix well."


    "Mhm." Ghon assented. Then he looked back to Kwan, who raised an eyebrow. "My family should know. And you reminded me that I''ve been out of touch long enough I suspect the current head of house has changed."


    "Was it ever you?" Mei asked as she prepared the tea.


    "No, I''ve been too isolated too frequently. And I was never really interested in the position. My descendants insisted on letting me have peace, and given what the family focuses on, I would have been quite the odd duck if forced into it." He chuckled silently to himself.


    Mei and Kwan exchanged a glance and a shrug.


    Ghon sighed. "As nice as this has been, I do feel rest calling. Was there any other business, Wise Kwan?"


    "Hmm. No. While I do feel you made mistakes in your assessment, we cannot demand perfection in this matter. And as I said before, the situation is resolved."


    "Oh? Did you figure out the girl''s formation just from the description?"


    "Ahghk! Dammit Ghon." Kwan pinched the bridge of his nose. "That complicates things. But thanks for the reminder."


    "Formation?" Mei asked.


    "Our Miss Shae has an interesting formation on her Dantian." Ghon supplied. "She made a few drawings, they are... in my study." He grimaced.


    "Which way?"


    "No, no. I''ll have to get them, security is tighter there."


    "Elder Ngoc?"


    "Hmm, no, I''d rather not let her snoop around." He paused to think. "After the tea, then."


    "It might slow you down." Mei warned.


    "Not that much, unless you put something else in it?"


    She shrugged. "You have a few sets of breaths before it is ready."


    Ghon frowned, then nodded. "Kwan, could you?" He waved the man over.


    The monk silently obliged, tucking himself under Ghon''s arm to carry his weight.


    Kwan supported the injured man through the formations, and even into the private room itself. Ghon had the monk take a few items, with instructions to pass them on to certain descendants. Some he gifted to Kwan so he could give them to his monks. Most were of little value, more important for their uniqueness than their value to cultivation.


    When they returned they found Diviner Mei and Elder Ngoc seated at a new table and chairs, with two seats open. They nodded and took their seats in front of already streaming cups.


    "Well done Diviner Mei." Ngoc bowed her head slightly and passed Mei an item.


    "Hmm?" Ghon hummed inquisitively.


    "I''d say, a wager on where we would sit?" Kwan guessed.


    Mei nodded. "One of a diviner''s many skills, winning coin flips."


    Ngoc raised an eyebrow, unsure if it was a jest.


    Ghon shook his head. "Never bet against a diviner. Especially not on a sure-thing."


    Kwan added. "Moreover, I''d say this did not require much talent to scry. Ghon''s seat is closer to his bed, and the door." He shrugged.


    "Ugh." Ngoc exhaled her frustration and crossed her arms. "Should have guessed."


    "Guessing was your mistake." Mei informed her. "And you were still frustrated from our earlier exchange."


    "Hmm? Is that why you entered later?" Ghon asked.


    Mei just nodded.


    Ngoc shifted uncomfortably under Ghon''s inquisitive gaze. "Just a minor mortal matter."


    Mei smirked.


    Ghon let the issue pass. "The tea smells excellent, thank you for the brew, Miss Mei."


    "It''s no trouble, I''ve far more than I can work through on my own."


    The four sat and silently enjoyed the first cup of tea before they turned to simpler conversation.


    <hr>


    Epilogue End


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 1: Morning Run

    <hr>


    Heavenly Shae


    Book 2: Manifold Journey


    <hr>


    Chapter 1: "Morning Run."


    <hr>


    Shae and two runners left Minlin City as the first rays of light lit up the road heading north. She had been awake for a few hours already, awaiting the runners and then the town guard to let them leave. There was slightly more scrutiny over her travel plans, since she wasn''t a regular courier.


    Once on the open road the runners started giving her side eye about her uneven loping running style that relied heavily on her stronger right leg. A bit of awkward positioning occurred between the three of them as they tried to set a pace they could all follow.


    "Are you sure..?" The younger runner asked. A man nicknamed Curly, for his hair.


    "Yes. This is harder because you keep slowing down." The girl claiming to be a cultivator said.


    "But you''re falling behind." The older runner said. A whip slim middle-aged woman called Lari. That was her given name, and she refused to say if she had a family name.


    Shae didn''t like that she was the ''Moe'' in the group, but tried to push the coincidental superstition aside. Ugh, whatever. I don''t even know what that might mean, I never really watched that show.


    "My running rhythm is a bit odd. Like I said it would be. Setting a specific pace is... Agh this is stupid. If you won''t listen." She leaned forwards and burst ahead of the other two. Quickly putting distance between them.


    They let out soft curses, and she heard their foot-falls quicken and land harder.


    She didn''t put them to shame immediately. Her loping gait was hard to manage at speed. Even a few days without practice let her body forget.


    She found a rhythm, but wasn''t happy with it. She could still hear the others behind her, but they were not asking her to slow down yet.


    The roads in this region were well made, as they likely received upkeep from Minlin city. Not surprising, especially this close, but will it stay this nice all the way to Xengo Village? she wondered. The village was supposedly a hundred li north, or about fifty kilometers. A ridiculous run for a mortal, but these people seem to take it in stride, they must be doing some kind of cultivation practice, and it''s not even the end of our journey today. She shook her head.


    She switched her focus to her own body instead of her companions or the journey ahead. This lunge-hop pattern is missing something. She thought back to her trip down the mountain. Yes, having the gravity assist was a big help, but that''s not it.


    She nodded at her thoughts, I feel weaker now. Even with more cleansing and more qi in my- "Ah!" She gasped and shook her head at herself. Breathing deep to focus on her body, she reached into her own reserve of personal power and immediately felt more comfortable.


    From her Dantian she slowly drew her personally attuned qi into her channels, then some neutral qi as well. The two evenly cycled around inside her on their own, just as her demigod qi did during her run down the mountain. The name she had derived for the qi still felt ambitious, but she hadn''t thought of anything else. And now that it''s my personal qi, it feels even more egotistical. She huffed out the thought as she ran.


    With the qi flow growing more intense, she felt the strength in her other limbs swell so she pushed harder, putting more distance between herself and the other two.


    A dozen breaths later she heard a call behind her. She smirked to herself and slowed.


    A shoulder glance wasn''t enough to see them, and she didn''t trust herself enough for a full look behind. She was spending more time in the air and didn''t think she could just twist back to look so easily. It was the same problem she had had when running with the recruits a couple days ago. She was too new to this type of running, and she knew risking a tumble was silly, so she didn''t.


    Their footfalls were still faint, so she slowed more. She took the time to focus on her rhythm and gradually lowered her air time, giving her more control.


    After that they had a quick conversation to sort out their running order and then the rest of the morning was nearly silent.


    The experienced runners made a point of stopping about every ten li. Mostly to adjust clothing and hydrate. They made sure Shae was aware of how her clothing sat on her body, and where it might start to chafe. Insisting that she needed to catch these things early. If her skin was irritated it wouldn''t be able to bear more stress and would quickly blister and bleed.


    This was especially important for her shoes, but they were very approving of old runner Thanh''s choice of footwear for her. When Shae noticed a hot spot on her left heel, Lari shared a waxy skin cream that she said was a secret recipe. It quickly soothed the irritation and seemed to prevent further irritation.


    Shae had gotten a larger waterskin from Don Flatao, but it rarely neared empty. The runners had water stops planned out, so she didn''t fear emptying it and drank heartily. The water stops were the same stops they made every 10 li, usually farmhouses, but a few were just lone wells or creeks that were slightly off the main road.


    Halfway to the next town, Xengo Village, they stopped for an early lunch. Shae thought that they were making decent time.


    "I''m surprised you are holding out so well, Wise Shae. Most first timers complain much more." Curly said with a smirk.


    "Hah, well, Mister Curly, say that again near the end of the day, I''m sure I could manage some complaints by then."


    Lari doubled down on the point by waving a finger. "He''s correct though. Most have some concern over specific muscles and joint pain by now. You''ve really not trained for this?"


    Shae shook her head, then fixed in thought. "Hmm... This could be qi related, I should examine myself more thoroughly. Thank you for your concern." She gave them both a slight bow, and took her leave to meditate while they ate.


    A dozen slow breaths later and she was in a meditative trance. Her heart rate wasn''t as low as she liked, still high from the run, I''d guess, but she had meditated through much worse.


    Her personal qi, acting and feeling much like the demigod qi she had created from true divine qi, swirled through her channels. It pushed neutral qi along with it, the two in a balanced ratio close to an even split.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She had found that the neutral qi would slowly convert to her personal qi, just from being circulated. This revelation showed one benefit to why many cultivators spent so much time meditating and cycling their qi. If your Dantian had a constant conversion rate, it made sense that adding to that was important.


    As her mind wondered about other cultivators, her curiosity about cultivation manuals grew. Perhaps the specific cycling directions in those manuals would also improve the conversion rate, maybe even increasing the rate within the Dantian as well!?


    She mentally shook off the thoughts. That was not why she was here. She grimaced at her mental map of her body. It was sorely lacking for what she now needed. The calming nature of her divine qi was also acting as an obstruction. It might be dampening the painful feedback my muscles and joints should be giving me.


    Bracing herself, she slowly moved her qi back into her Dantian. Slow enough that she wouldn''t be suddenly surprised by sudden pain.


    Instead, she was surprised by how normal she felt. Not perfect, certainly, but not like she had just run half a marathon. With the last of the qi stored away, she focused on her breathing and the mortal senses of her body, slipping out of meditation.


    "Shae?" Lari asked when she saw the girl moving again.


    She smiled at the woman, appreciating the less formal address. "Thank you for your wisdom, Lari. And you too, Curly. I did need to do that."


    They glanced between each other and Curly raised an eyebrow to Shae, his mouth stuffed with bread and cheese.


    "I had been using qi to supplement my strength. It was how I sped away from you the second time, when we first started out. I hadn''t realized how much work it was doing to let me ignore my body."


    They grimaced. "That, uh, sounds bad?" Curly asked through his food letting a few crumbs escape their fate.


    The girl nodded. "The naivety of youth and inexperience. I''ve stored the qi away, and I can really feel the li now." She stretched and massaged her muscles for emphasis.


    Lari nodded, "That''s great, actually. Better to know what will hurt tomorrow than to let it break today. Words to run by." She smirked.


    "Hah!" Shae laughed. "Indeed." She nodded and dug into her own food.


    The rest of their run to the village was uneventful. Shae used her qi again once they were running. It was clearly reducing her fatigue so it would be a requirement to complete the run, even if she regretted it tomorrow.


    As they approached the village gates, they slowed to discuss their plans. The two runners had letters to deliver and another errand or two to run. Shae didn''t and just wanted to get something to eat. So they agreed to meet up at the exit gates leading to Jian Quan, where they would meet the sect caravan.


    This planning turned out to be helpful as Shae was held up at the gates. Lone travelers, even cultivators, were tracked and their journeys overland were recorded in logbooks. The couriers had paperwork already in order; being regulars to this town had them through the gates with a wave.


    The guard was acting uncomfortable as he gave her the news. "I apologize, Cultivator Shae, but we do need to have the shift supervisor interview you."


    "And he is nearby?" Shae asked.


    "Err, she should be, but we haven''t seen her since lunch."


    "Would she be in town? Could I go find her directly, perhaps with an escort?"


    "Ah, well, no. If we had a man to spare and the runner boy has already been sent off. I could allow some leeway if your papers were... more in order. Perhaps a more official letter to the sect. " He gave her a certain look that said this could be solved with coin. She had seen it before during the early summer around Minlin City. At that time, she never had spare taels, and while she did now, she felt no need to line the guard''s pockets.


    "I have some time, currently. If she does not return soon enough I will simply go around the town. I''ve no need to spend what coin I have here." She felt proud of her subtle refusal.


    "Uh, very well, miss." He waved her over to the side of the gate. A grassy area that was slightly trampled, more by cart and horse than boot.


    She set her pack down and leaned against the gate-wall. After a short time she considered trying to meditate, but she wasn''t sure what she could accomplish in the short time. Glancing over at the guards, they were clearly trying to ignore her, and they might succeed if she began to meditate. I might also lose track of time.


    Her fingers found the hairpins on her right hand. She had made all three into rings for the run, so they couldn''t fall out of her hair. A long strip of cloth replaced them, wrapping around her head as a sweatband, to keep her short hair out of her eyes. She removed that now, in hopes it could dry out before she needed to run again.


    Her rings, however, gave her an idea. She could practice generating lightning.


    Very quickly, the display drew the attention of the guards and many of the people in line. Most looked nervous. Finally one of the guardsmen, not the one she had originally talked to, came over.


    "Excuse me, Miss Cultivator. Um, could you not lean against the wall? Just strictly speaking, it''s a security concern."


    She smiled politely at him, if only to ease his nerves at her causal qi use. "Alright, not a problem. Did you have a chair I could use while we wait? Maybe in the guardhouse. Some tea would also be nice." She made sure to say it loud enough the other guard would hear, and he flinched when she suggested tea.


    "Uhm." He looked back at the other guard who refused to make eye contact. "You can wait in the guardhouse." He led her to it and once inside, made an excuse. "I don''t believe the wait will be so long as to allow tea. I doubt the water will boil in time." His smile didn''t touch his eyes, and he bowed out of the room.


    The small room had no windows facing the road, only a few narrow arrow slits. She tried to spy on the guard leaving, and saw him wander directly to the first guard. He was out of her sight, but she imagined the two were having a very pleasant conversation that went something like:


    <blockquote>


    "Why did you detain a cultivator?"


    "I didn''t think she was a real cultivator, everyone says that to just get through quickly."


    "We just had a whole lot of them through here yesterday."


    "But they had proper paperwork, and very nice sect robes."


    "So you what? Just thought there couldn''t be any others."


    "Yes! What are the odds of another right behind the caravan, she should be with it, not trying to catch it."


    She imagined the second guard dragging his hand over his face.


    "C''mon, they usually just pay the bribe." The first complained.


    "Why are you extorting people-?"


    </blockquote>


    No, she thought, they wouldn''t ask that in public. She tried to back the conversation up and imagine a different path it could have taken, but the moment of fun was gone.


    "Um... Miss Cultivator." The second guard had returned. "We just- uh, the runner boy returned, the guard captain is busy at the north gate. So, we''re going to let you into the town, uh, you did say you had plans here?"


    "Just to grab fresh food, then I will be on my way with the other two couriers."


    "Oh! Um, you''re with some couriers? As protection?"


    Shae shrugged. "I suppose if it came to a fight I would be most prepared, but mainly we were all just traveling in the same direction. Curly and Lari went through just before I was pulled aside."


    He looked relieved and relaxed at the mention of the runners'' names. "Ah, well! I do recall seeing those two pass through. In that case, don''t worry about catching up with the guard Captain, she is a busy woman."


    "Captain? I thought the other guard said shift supervisor."


    "Ah, yes, same person, some people get skittish when we say Captain. Anyway, if you''re here with the runners, we can let you through, they''re good people. Err, not that you aren''t." He paled and bowed quickly.


    "Hmmm, thank you for your diligence. I am known as Wise Shae, I didn''t catch your or the other guard''s names."


    The guard was hesitant to share but he did give his and the first guard''s names, being sure to apologize to her more as he walked her through the gates, and dragging the other guard into the apology as well. After the first guard said his emotionless "Sorry." he had the guts to suggest she try a late lunch at his cousin''s steamed bun stand. Shae shot him a look and he backed off.


    As the second guard saw her off, he had one last thing to say. "Sorry ''bout him, but he''s not wrong. Chen-Long Bao are the best in town."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 2: Wisdom For The Unenlightened

    <hr>


    Chapter 2: "Wisdom For The Unenlightened."


    <hr>


    Shae wandered the town in search of a light meal. She had asked about, then found the guard''s cousin''s Bao stand, but was greeted with a closed sign. The owner, Mister Chen, gave her a slightly pitying look. She had just missed the last of the lunch supply, bought by the two runners she had traveled with, in fact. Surely a testament to their quality, if nothing else.


    When the owner recognised she was a cultivator, he offered to make her something fresh. Yet, she could tell it was an imposition, so she refused, stating that her purse was lighter than expected this day. The man looked relieved. She asked for recommendations, or places to avoid, and the man was content to give her advice.


    She now snacked upon a variety of offerings from the local food stands, the most distinct of which was a sausage in a bun, the meat of which the proprietor refused to specify, saying only that it was a family recipe, and that he was bleeding himself dry just to offer such low prices. The taste itself was flavorful and memorable, but she could not identify most of the spices, so overpowering was the assault on her senses.


    The rest of her meal was bland by comparison. Yet, she felt the need for the large number of palette cleaners was justified. She savored the singular and milder flavors all the more for the contrast.


    When the large sundial in the market square had shifted to the next hour mark she made her way to the north gate to meet her traveling companions.


    Not finding them, she assumed she had arrived first and settled down to wait. This time deciding she could attempt to draw in qi while she waited.


    With a small amount of her personal qi circulating itself through her channels, she drew in the neutral qi that suffused the world around her. She let it circle her channels, pushed along by her own qi, then stored it away in her Dantian after a few trips around her body. A few repeats of this later she was politely interrupted just before she drew in the energy again.


    "Excuse my interruption." Was all she heard, a precisely pitched feminine voice cutting through her meditation.


    Shae backed out of the meditation quickly and opened her eyes. "Well timed, what do you require, miss guard? Or are you the Captain I''ve heard so much about?"


    The petite woman flushed in surprise. "I am the captain, yes. Guard Captain Hua Julei. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss cultivator."


    "The pleasure is shared. I am Zhi Shae, please call me Wise Shae." Shae rose from her lotus position to offer a small bow. As she rose to her full height, she found the captain was only half a head taller than her. Maybe younger than she looks.


    "An honor then, Wise Shae." She returned the bow. "Ah! A peace-bonded weapon," she reached a hand towards it. "May I see it? They are rare."


    "Sure, I was told it might not be recognized much. Even your guard at the south gate seemed to ignore it."


    "Hmm, yes, they would." She looked the weapon over carefully, examining the fine detail work on the hilt and the wrapping wire. "Strictly speaking, we should treat them as any other weapon, but I''ve instructed the guard to ignore them. They might not know their importance... Especially an example such as this! It is a very fine blade, and the wrapping is exquisite. May I ask...?"


    Shae nodded. "I received it recently as a thank-you gift from Staff Sergeant Xiang, who will be training in Minlin City for the winter."


    "Training? Ah, yes of course, new recruits! But this. The blade is a cultivator weapon, high quality, though I can''t be certain with it covered."


    The girl nodded again. "I suppose that makes sense, it was wielded by a cultivator before the Staff Sergeant peace bonded it."


    "So that means you..?" A twinkle of curiosity shone in her eye as she gazed questioningly at the girl.


    She nodded. "He made a poor choice of how to challenge me: choosing the wrong battlefield. Arrogant bandits will do that, I suppose."


    "Bandits? Around Minlin? I hadn''t heard of any."


    Shae shrugged. "I suppose they were just starting out, they seemed poorly equipped."


    "I would not call this sword poor equipment, but you mean the others, mortals then?"


    Shae nodded. "Three others."


    "Well, though it is far from my own town, I thank you for having dealt with them." She glanced at the blade. "However it was done." She looked Shae over once more, the girl feeling the flicker of qi this time. "Oh?"


    "Oh, yourself. You cultivate as well? You must have progressed quickly to reach Captain."


    The woman was quite young, appearing to be still in her twenties, likely aided by her cultivation. "Too quickly, I''m afraid. This position is more responsibility than I''d like." She glanced back at the blade and returned it to Shae with a slight bow. Once the girl took it, she felt the scrutiny of the other woman''s qi again. "Ah-ha! So I wasn''t dreaming."


    "I''m sorry? I don''t follow." The girl tilted her head.


    "Oh? You were not warned about the sword, then? I see... Well, it appears to have a minor enchantment on it, making you appear a stage higher than you are."


    Shae looked surprised, then smirked. "Hmm, that might be awkward. So, I appear to be in meridian cleansing then?"


    The woman had begun a nod then froze. "Meridian? Uh no, just cleansing, you mean you are in cleansing?"


    The girl nodded. "Yes, though I kind of skipped most of qi gathering, which could be affecting your scan, others have had the same issue." She presented her two hands, displaying the different skin color.


    The woman leaned in and brought her hand up, hesitating until Shae nodded her onwards, she grabbed the girl''s hands to examine them closely.


    "This is... quite good cleansing. But why only on one side?"


    "Bit of an accident, really. Though mostly resolved, the monks in Minlin were able to aid me in fixing my cleansing method."


    "Ah, that is good to hear. The monks and the military? You must have impressed them, or had a lot of taels that you couldn''t..." She looked down at Shae''s clothing. "Ah but I say too much, old habits of bickering girls, I apologize."


    The peasant girl shrugged. "You say what we all see, I feel no shame. Fine looking clothing is expensive. So is good quality clothing, but it doesn''t always look it."


    "Oh?" The captain grabbed some of the loose cloth. "Hmm, better than it looks. Still, if you don''t mind sharing, what did you do for them? More than just bring in a bandit or two?"


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


    "It''s a long- well no, it''s a short enough story, but hard to believe. Although, did you get gossip and rumor from the caravan? Word may have preceded me."


    "We call it intel, not gossip." She smirked. "I encourage the guard to mingle with caravan members, and myself with cultivators. People like to talk." She shrugged. "But I suspect I will find it more believable than the tales of the Heavenly child, who brought about three enlightenments on a whim."


    "Child? Has the story warped that much already? Shameful that they cannot remember my name."


    "Yes I was surprised that no name was included but-" she stopped and stared at the girl in front of her. "Your name?"


    "Yes, I am also known as Heavenly Shae. Most recently for multiple enlightenments at once. Though, I only count it as two and a half. One monk and one private in the military, then a second private later when he was caught up on the details. The two privates had a similar broken Dao."


    "... And the monk?"


    "Not sure, he was keeping quiet about the details."


    "Eh, but what did you say? Um, if you don''t mind?" The woman was acting nervous suddenly.


    "It''s no trouble. We were discussing the shared Dao and cultivation of-"


    "Wait, wait! You''re just going to tell me?" She was looking surprised again. "And why were you discussing Dao with them? Isn''t that, like, private, and personal. Like, shouldn''t..." She stepped in close to Shae and activated a privacy formation bracelet. Then prompted Shae to continue.


    "I think I need to get one of-" Shae gazed at the bracelet.


    "Quickly please." Captain Hua grabbed the girl''s shoulder.


    "Ah alright. The military shares most of the same manuals amongst themselves, so I assumed a similar Dao, as well. But how do you teach a Dao, it should be personal, not directed by another. So I said: ''In order to accept another''s point of view, you must first understand your own.''" Shae paused to let the woman soak in the saying.


    Captain Hua closed her eyes and breathed deeply, then stopped and deactivated the bracelet. She dropped into a lotus pose and tried to meditate. Mumbling Shae''s words under her breath.


    After a few breaths and a pitying frown, Shae moved behind the woman and grabbed her shoulders. She dug her thumbs into tense muscles. "Relax. Breathe. Don''t try to force it. Just let your mind wander over the words, expand on them." She felt some of the tension leave the woman in a heavy breath. The kind of breath you release when trying to force relaxation.


    She continued the shoulder massage until she felt the woman relax properly; a little bit more, at least. There were only so many muscles that Shae could knead without reaching under the woman''s clothes and armor. She felt a slight blush at that thought and distracted herself by examining the armor. It had the same general appearance as the guard''s armor but was clearly custom made and high quality. The thicker armor pieces had been slimmed down so that it didn''t bulk out the woman''s small frame. The plates that should have been metal only appeared so at first glance, instead appearing to be polished leather. Delicate scrollwork traced the outline of the finely made pieces and Shae felt a slight shimmer of qi as she ran a hand over it.


    She blushed again as she realized she was practically fondling the woman''s clothes. She quickly turned and sat with her back against the Captain''s. She tried to match her breathing and felt a hiccup in the captain''s rhythm.


    "Why is it so hard?" Came a quiet plea.


    Shae inhaled deeply as she recognised the desperate plea, a bit of understanding sparking her thoughts. "What works for some does not work for all. Even something that works for most may not work, and for the least of reasons. I think that very few can tread the same path."


    The woman''s breathing was erratic, the staccato of someone on the verge of tears. "But I''ve... I''ve never had one."


    Shae inhaled again, pure surprise this time. She remembered her own enlightenment, how it felt, how little she noticed it. "Are you sure?" She waited a breath. "When I had mine, I didn''t notice."


    "You... Of course you did. What was it like?"


    She reached for the woman''s arm, threading her right through the woman''s left elbow, pulling it to the side to grab and squeeze her hand. "I didn''t notice at all. I was just thinking and doing, and then everything I was thinking and doing was working. Qi workings became effortless, things I can''t even replicate. Everything just clicked together like it was meant to be."


    The woman squeezed back, intertwining their fingers. "But then, how did you know it was an... an enlightenment?"


    "Someone else was there, they saw it. They told me what it was after, and said most people miss it their first time. Maybe even their second and third if no one mentions it. He said there is a feeling of opportunity. I think there was. Have you ever been meditating or training, and suddenly made a lot of progress? You said you advanced fast."


    "I always advanced fast, before anyway. It''s been so hard lately. I noticed it more when cultivating, sometimes when training alone."


    "Hmm, alone in both cases? So, no one would have seen it if you had enlightenments?"


    "I.. I guess not. It just seems so unlikely, though. Like, I should know when it''s happening."


    "Perhaps. Um... do you know your Dao?"


    The woman flinched, almost pulling away.


    "No, I don''t need to know it." Shae squeezed her hand again as she spoke and turned to put her other hand on the woman''s left arm. "But maybe it''s personal. I mean they all are, but yours might be more personal. Not about the workings of the world, but about yourself? Or something that only makes sense when you are alone."


    Tension really left the woman now, she slumped backwards into Shae. Forcing the girl to push back or be used as a recliner. Captain Hua asked, "It can''t be that simple, can it?"


    "Some things are very simple, and some things only seem very simple. I''ve gotten hints from two old monster''s about their Dao, and my guesses at what they were are some of the simplest things. Things you could explain to a child with just a piece of paper."


    "Ha, just the paper? No brush or charcoal?"


    "Heh, for one of them, maybe. Depends how smart the child is."


    "Ha-ha." The woman kept giggling. Letting out the occasional louder "Hah!"


    Shae worried the manic laugh would break down into tears, but they never came.


    When the woman finally calmed down, she was embarrassed. "I''ve made a bit of a scene, haven''t I? Ah, we should get up."


    Captain Hua began to move, but Shae pulled her back down. "Nah, we''ve already broken custom, we might as well enjoy the freedom it brings."


    "Ah, but-" She paused then moved again.


    Shae pulled her down again, the woman was definitely letting her, she wouldn''t have the strength to stop her if she wanted to get up. "What did you come to bug me for, anyway?"


    "Oh." The guard captain slouched into the girl again. "Just that, this is not a great place to meditate."


    "Really? Is it not allowed or something."


    "No, it''s fine. But you have a pack, and there are street rats around. Their boldness has been made worse by the recent caravan. I''m not sure of your senses, but some people wouldn''t notice a sneak stealing their clothes off their back while they meditate."


    "Oh." Shae looked around, seeing one or two scruffy kids hiding between buildings, or begging in the shade. She also spotted the nearest public sundial, it was well past time the runners should have shown up. "Hey, do you know many of the runners? I was waiting for Curly and Lari."


    "Hmm.. I haven''t seen them today. When are they due back?"


    "By now, or a half hour ago."


    "Ah, I can send our runners to look for word of them." The captain did get up this time, effortlessly pulling away from a groaning Shae. "Back to work, I''m afraid."


    "Hrmm. Don''t be afraid," she smirked, "You''re the captain, you can''t be afraid, Captain Hua."


    The captain smiled at her and shook her head. "What a puzzle you are. Words as wise as the mountains one minute, then a childish goof the next."


    "Thanks!" Shae smiled wide, still sitting on the ground as Hua walked away.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 3: The Old Town Road

    <hr>


    Chapter 3: "The Old Town Road."


    <hr>


    Shae decided to wait by the gates, only taking short trips away to stretch her legs, see more of the town, and keep herself from boredom.


    Curly showed up within the next hour but Lari did not. Shae was getting worried. "Guard Captain Hua?"


    "Heav- I mean, Wise Shae. Have you found your companions?"


    She pointed to the man beside her. "Curly is here, and impatient to leave. But we''ve seen no sign of Miss Lari."


    "And yourself? Are you impatient to leave?" The woman didn''t seem worried.


    "Hrm, I wouldn''t say impatient. Yet, I''d rather be on the road now, so we don''t have to run in the dark."


    "You''re going to the geyser?"


    "Huh? Is that what the Jian Quan is?" Shae tilted her head, and the captain nodded. "Huh. I suppose the name makes sense, then."


    Captain Hua nodded. "Our runners say she was seen leaving town through the east gate, shortly after you all arrived."


    She turned to Curly. "Is that where her deliveries were?"


    "Yea, probably. A few farms all around Xengo, and close enough for quick deliveries. I had one to the west."


    Shae exhaled in frustration.


    The captain made a suggestion. "Would she have other business here? Maybe she cut around on the old road?"


    Curly shrugged. "Could be, I don''t know her jobs."


    "Where does it meet up?" Shae asked while glancing between the two.


    "Hmm, ''bout ten li up." He pointed north.


    She nodded slowly. "So, she might already be waiting on the road ahead?"


    He shrugged again.


    "But she should have said that, if that was her plan." Shae grumbled.


    "Plans change." Captain Hua added with a smirk. "She was probably delayed and used it as a shortcut."


    Shae sighed and looked up at the sun, squinted, then looked down at the sundial nearby. "We have to leave, Captain, could you do me a favor?"


    She nodded. "I''ll let Lari know to catch up if she arrives."


    "I was more thinking sending someone east to make sure someone saw her using the old road?"


    Captain Hua inhaled sharply, then frowned. "Sorry, Wise Shae. We stick to the city unless a crime is reported. Missing persons isn''t our bag, unless you have a lead that says it''s a kidnapping."


    The younger girl grimaced, "Right. I was worried about that."


    "If you don''t find her, you can make it back easy. Even sweep the old road and come back in the east gate, not many connecting roads like that around here." She offered.


    Shae nodded and bowed. "Thank you for your time, Captain."


    "And thank you for earlier, Wise Shae." She gave the girl a slight bow.


    They left immediately, Captain Hua waved them through the gates so they were not held up longer.


    As they made it out of earshot of the gates, Curly asked "You know the Captain? She''s not usually that nice."


    "We had a chat earlier. I think I said something useful."


    "Huh. Girl stuff?"


    "No!" Shae said a bit too quickly and loudly, she blushed and lowered her voice. "Cultivator stuff."


    "Uh. Right."


    They got up to speed and didn''t speak again until they reached the first ten-li watering hole, Curly led them off the road and up to a farmhouse.


    "If she came via the old road, she would have stopped here, no wells along it."


    Shae nodded and followed the runner to the front of the farmhouse, where he banged on the door.


    "Papa''s round back." A soft yell through a window. The voice clearly from a young kid.


    "Hey, Milo. We''re getting some water!" He yelled back.


    "Eh?" Shae heard the kid shout, followed by some scuffling noises.


    "Round back." Curly shouted back again, as they walked around the farmhouse.


    They were greeted by a grizzled old man. More beard and hair made up his face than bare skin. He was concentrating on carving details into a small piece of wood. Many more were in front of him on the table he was seated at. Shae flinched as she saw that he had the stump of his right leg propped up on his bench.


    Curly frowned at him. "Leg acting up again?"


    "Always." The old man said with a smirk, then titled his hat. "Welcome, miss. New runner?"


    "Not really, just running with Curly and Lari to catch the caravan."


    "Hmm." He looked around. "Don''t see Lari."


    "Hoping you have, pops. She missed the meetup leavin'' Xengo."


    "Hmmgh." He shook his head.


    "We thought she might have taken the old road from the east." Shae offered, getting an uncertain look from Curly.


    Pops blew dust off his carving. "Hmh." He pointed to two pieces in front of him that matched.


    "He means ''same'' or ''same answer'' or... well, yea, you got it already." Curly helped out.


    Shae leaned in to get a better look at the pieces. "Is this chess?"


    That got her a sharp look from the old man. He pointed at the pile of pieces then the board.


    "Do I play? Depends on the rules, I guess. Who knows if they are the same."


    He pointed again, repeating the gesture with a bit of intensity.


    "Ah!" She said, then began seeing the pieces up.


    Curly watched, then grabbed her water skin to go fill it up. The farm''s well was nearby so he didn''t get out of sight.


    When she finished she turned the white pieces towards Pops.


    He made the first move with a knight, slipping over his wall of pawns.


    Shae smirked at the clear use of one of the rare odd rules. She matched by advancing a pawn two spaces.


    He grunted and pushed it back one square.


    Shae nodded. "One square for pawns. Except off the start position, where they can move two. Added later to speed up games."


    He hesitated in his own move, then nodded and pulled her pawn forwards again, before making his own move.


    The rest of their turns went smoothly. None of the other weird chess rules like castling or en-passant needed to be used. Which Shae was glad for, she didn''t want to be seen as just making up rules if the man didn''t know them. She lost after about two dozen moves each. The man played fast and well.


    Shae stood from the bench after, bowing to the man. "Well played, Master."


    He gave a chuckle and waved off the title.


    Only then did she notice that Curly and the kid from inside had moved off together to chat.


    He set up the set again as she prepared to leave, drinking and topping off her waterskin. When she walked past his table again, he had the white side turned to her, and two silver taels set out on his side of the board.


    "Bets?" She shook her head. "I know when I''m beaten."


    He held up a finger, then reached under his bench for something. He revealed a small pill bottle with a green jade colored pill in it. He gave it a shake and a grunt.


    She inhaled sharply and couldn''t help but lean in to look at it. She had no idea what it was, but any good pill was worth something, and this one looked to be in good condition. "Tempting. If I didn''t have somewhere to be I''d probably waste most of my coin, just to test my luck."


    He snorted a laugh.


    "Yes, yes, even though there''s no luck in this game." She bowed to him again, just enough to show respect. "I was never a studied player. Maybe I''ll put more time in, and come challenge you again."


    He chuckled. "Don''t wait long. I''m not that young, or that good." He waved her off and went back to carving details into one of the pieces.


    Curly was up and ready when she got to him. "You decide how far down the old road you''ll search?"


    "Hmm, hopefully none, she might be waiting there."


    "Yea, but she coulda been waiting here instead."


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    Shae grimaced. It was a solid point. "I''m not sure yet."


    He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yea, you''ll go the whole way. Leave your pack here, it''ll let you run faster."


    She considered it. "And if Lari is waiting there?"


    "Then we''ll both gladly wait for you to come back and get it. But I don''t have the time to wait by the old road for ya ta wander the whole thing. I''m already going to be pushing hard getting to the Quan before nightfall."


    "What happens at nightfall?"


    He looked at her with a confused glance for a beat, then shook his head and smirked. "It gets really bloody dark out."


    <hr>


    They found the old road about a li from the chess-master''s house, which was affectionately named ten-li-house according to the signage. The road was nearly barricaded off from the main road, brush and branches piled where it should connect. Curly guessed that it was to stop merchants from skipping the town on their journey.


    "I''ll give ya a few li wait. Just in case ya find something right away." He said.


    "Your accent is showing more." Shae teased.


    He shook his head. "Bloody Milo, always brings out the country in me."


    She smirked and set off. Speeding up quickly, but not reaching her top speed. The road wasn''t well maintained, and it swerved and curled more than the main road did.


    As she ran she kept grip on her good bow. It was one of the few items she had brought. Along with arrows, her waterskin, a snack, and Wise Kwan''s escape talisman. She almost felt silly expecting to need it so soon. She had considered the sword, but the bow worked just as well as a club in a pinch.


    As the second li passed by, an old white stake that marked the distance, she realized she wouldn''t find Lari here. The chance of them crossing paths was just too slim. She almost stopped, she probably would have, if stopping was easier. Her loping run wasn''t meant for stopping.


    She swallowed her anxiety at what happened to Lari and just decided that she would make the whole trip out and back around to the east gate. She could even ask the eastern locals if they had seen her. Track her down that way.


    At the fourth li marker she almost missed it. An odd lump of something hanging from a tree. She glanced down as she was landing again, and spotted a large black blotch in the light-gray dirt road.


    It took her a while to stop and find it again. When she did her stomach almost turned. The blotch was definitely dried blood.


    She found the thing hanging from the tree again. Just a small flag of sackcloth. She felt so relieved that it didn''t look like Lari''s clothing, and that it wasn''t anything else.


    The blood stain also extended into a smear. A clear sign something had been dragged away, off the old road, and towards the hanging cloth. She took a deep breath, looked around more carefully, took a second deep breath, and followed.


    Ten paces in and she nearly lost her supper. Scratch marks in a tree. Made by a human, she matched her own fingers up, her scratches would have been closer together. A torn out fingernail embedded into the bark as proof. She turned away and gagged, spitting up a mouthful of mostly water right after she spotted it.


    She didn''t want to look again, she just wanted to keep following the trail. Yet, she had to. Have to check it again. To see how fresh it is.


    She looked, then vomited again. More this time, still mostly water, it had been hours since she ate.


    She had seen enough: the fingernail was dried and old. Blackened by a drop of blood. No red to be seen on the tree.


    She exhaled in relief and stepped down the trail again. Towards a killer. Towards something that could drag off humans, kicking and screaming, larger humans. She froze in place.


    Tears welled in her eyes as she decided what to do. Decided what she could do. If Lari had come this way, would she have stopped? Would she have investigated the obvious danger?


    She was nearly a li away when she had calmed herself enough to start running again. Running back to the main road, the way she came, then back to town.


    <hr>


    "Wise Shae? Woah, Woah, calm down, breathe." Captain Hua grabbed the girl staggering towards her. Steadying her as she gasped for breath.


    "Old road. Blood."


    "Breathe, Shae. Is it an emergency?"


    She took a huge breath of air. Focusing on the question. Then shook her head.


    "Then just catch your breath. Come, sit and drink something." She led the upset girl into the guardhouse.


    A short while later, there was a warm cup of over-steeped tea in front of Shae. Captain Hua had found a blanket somewhere and wrapped it around her. The warmth and comforting tea working fast to calm her down.


    Captain Hua spoke first. "Did you find Lari?"


    Shae shook her head. "No. I hope we don''t, I hope she left before us."


    "Where''s Curly?"


    "He ran ahead to the caravan. When I went down the old road."


    "What happened? Can you tell me about it?"


    She nodded. Then slowly explained what she had seen.


    The other woman took it in calmly. Shae noticed her demeanor hardening as the details came out. The woman fading away, and the trained guard captain and cultivator talking over.


    "Okay." Captain Hua finally said, a few breaths after Shae was done. "We''ve had more reports of runaways than usual. We thought it was just the caravan attracting the desperate." She nodded sternly. "Could you show me the location?"


    Shae swallowed the nerves that spiked at the request. Then put on her best serious face. "Yes."


    A few shouts to organize guards in the Captain''s absence later they were on the road. "Fast as you''re comfortable, Wise Shae. I''ll keep up."


    The experienced cultivator gave Shae some looks as they ran, especially when she tapped into her qi, but she didn''t say anything.


    "It''s about four more li." Was all Shae said as they switched onto the old road.


    The fourth li passed agonizingly slowly as Shae slowed down to keep her eyes open. She didn''t re-tell Captain Hua what to look for, she had already described what she found.


    The captain sped up suddenly, then stopped at a dark spot in the road. Shae slowed as she recognized the blood stain. Catching up, she looked around. "I don''t see the sackcloth."


    The captain''s head snapped up from the road and she quickly glanced around. Her hand went to her weapon. She used a short spear, and a small buckler was strapped to her off-hand bracer. The weapons looked larger because of the woman''s small stature.


    Qi pressure began pressing down on Shae, slowly ramping up. Because of her tempering training she barely noticed it.


    It let up suddenly when the captain saw her again. "Sorry about the pressure, I''ll need to head in alone because of that. You can head back up the road, or all the way to town."


    Shae had her bow ready, and strung an arrow. "It''s fine, I''ve been tempered, I can handle much more than that." She walked into the trees where the trail led, to the tree with the scratches, it was unchanged. She just motioned to it and looked away.


    Captain Hua looked at her instead of the tree. "Are you a good shot with that?"


    She looked down at it. "No. Just got it a few days ago. Seems better than nothing, though."


    The armored woman frowned. "Just don''t point it at me. Even if something attacks me, I can handle it, arrows would distract me just as much as it."


    Shae was nervous again. "I''ve shot a few dozen arrows with it, most of the last dozen hit the target." She flinched at her own words, realizing how it sounded.


    The captain smirked at her. "Try a hundred and you might be able to hunt something alone. A few thousand and you might be considered good."


    "How are you with that spear?"


    "I''m fantastic." She grinned wide and checked the tree, then immediately swapped the grin for a stern frown. "Yes it''s ... you were right." She quickly scanned the area then cautiously moved deeper into the woods. "Stick close and just watch our backs."


    Shae felt a light touch of qi rush past her, then back to the captain a few breaths later. The experienced cultivator nodded confidently and picked up her pace.


    A tense fifty paces later they slowed and Captain Hua whispered. "A mound, there. Maybe a burrow. I''m going to use qi pressure, stay out here, watch the trees."


    Shae nodded and watched the woman approach the natural looking mound. She circled it once and Shae felt her qi pressure spill out again. Stronger this time. In a blur she moved to the other side and stabbed at something. Then jumped a few paces back into a defensive stance, with her buckler up and the spear point glinting in the light. Nothing jumped at her.


    She cautiously moved around the mound again. Finding one of the larger openings that Shae could see. Even with her petite size, it was still a tight fit for the grown woman in armor. After checking the entrance, she flicked her spear tip to the side, then drove the base down into the earth with a single movement. She looked back at the girl and pointed to her eyes then the woods around them.


    Shae got the message and quickly glanced around, checking the woods. Her curiosity made her look back at the guard captain. A short sword was in her hand now, and she took up a different stance. Her buckler and sword were far ahead of her as she moved into the burrow.


    Shae felt the qi pressure spike again, actually forcing her to focus and be aware of it. It was enough that she might lose her balance, or misstep if she wasn''t careful. She scanned the forest around them, unsure what she could do if something did come for them. She fumbled with the arrow, it had slipped off the string and she had trouble nocking it with the pressure assaulting her.


    The arrow snapped onto the string and she pulled it taught, only about half drawn. She looked up at the forest again and scanned the trees. Following her eyes with the bow she swept over the path they had come from. She tried to relax, forcing herself to breathe evenly.


    "Shae."


    The girl jumped, the string slipping from her grasp, the arrow flying off into the woods at chest height.


    "Heh, at least you didn''t turn and shoot me." Captain Hua teased.


    "Hua. You did that-" Shae turned to quip at the woman, but froze when she saw her.


    Only a few smudges of dirt marred her armor and clothes. Yet, her sword and face said so much more. Her sword was bright red. Her face strained by anger and concern. She looked down at herself then flicked the sword at the ground, shedding it of color. The splatter of blood on the ground sounded like a tidal wave crashing in the quiet forest.


    "Wha- what was...?" The girl stuttered.


    "Scavengers."


    "Any...survivors?"


    She shook her head. "Ah, and no sign of Lari. Nothing fresh at all."


    Shae nodded, then relaxed. A lot of tension falling away that she didn''t know she had. "So, just animals? Any meat or skins?"


    "Wh-" Hua froze, disgust flashing across her face. "Ah, they are not good for that."


    Shae looked confused.


    "Sometimes, if something- I mean, things can go wrong. Spirits can be twisted. Then there is nothing to salvage. All we can do is deliver a quick death."


    Shae still looked confused but nodded. "I.. feel like you''re avoiding saying something. Do I want to be protected from that?"


    Captain Hua tried to smile but settled on a grimace of sorrow. "Yes, I think so. You are still so young. You shouldn''t have to-" she swallowed and glanced at the mound, "know about that." She flicked her short sword at the ground again.


    Shae moved closer, grabbing her shoulder and squeezing. "Thank you for this. For coming here, and for protecting me. I can imagine a lot, but getting it confirmed..." She shuddered.


    "Go." The captain said. "I''ve got it from here. Trust that Lari is safe. She''s fast, she would not have been caught by these monsters."


    Shae''s reply was only a look of concern.


    "I''m fine. I''ve... seen worse, but it''s hard when it''s this close to home." She flicked her sword again, then sheathed it so she could pat the girl''s hand, still on her shoulder.


    Shae tried to give a friendly smile. "I''m going up to the sect. Keep in touch, would you?"


    The cultivator returned the girl''s attempt at a friendly smile. Much more conflict on her own face. "Yea, I''d like that."


    <hr>


    She made good time back to ten-li-house. Drank a full skin of water then sat at the old man''s table. After an inscrutable stare, he just gave her a nod.


    Then she lost a few coins to him at chess. "You''re worse." He said after the game, and "Still worse." after the second. She thought the game had lasted longer than her first. He refused a third, pointing her away. "Go. Run." Was how he said goodbye, giving her a shoulder pat for the road.


    She collected her pack and left quickly; knowing she had time to make up.


    The road flew past. She skipped most of the water stops. Only when her skin was empty and she was thirsty. Which was only once over the short forty li journey.


    She lost track of how far she had run, and so she was surprised when she saw the geyser in the distance. A huge plume of water shooting above the trees. The setting sun sparkled through it, hinting at rainbows.


    "The setting sun." She mumbled. Curly was expecting to arrive just before dark, or was it just after? She couldn''t recall. She wondered if she was about to catch him, and worried she had passed him somehow. Probably by skipping the water stops. She shook her head at running so far in one day.


    At the peak of the next lunge she exhaled to calm herself, and focused on running again.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 4: An Old Geyser

    <hr>


    Chapter 4: "An Old Geyser."


    <hr>


    When Shae approached the site of the geyser, she was surprised to not find the caravan strewn about. She wasn''t sure what to expect, but some kind of formal campsite was her number one expectation.


    There had been multiple paths off the road, and she had followed the one that headed to the actual geyser she had seen on her approach. Instead of oxen and wagons and campfires, she found a desolate rocky plateau with a couple dozen sect cultivators scattered across it. Some practiced martial forms, most meditated.


    Her gaze searched for someone she recognized. Either of the Bai''s, or that other one.. Chen. Her gut clenched at the regret of not really knowing anyone from the sect. Hindsight said she should have spent her time in Minlin city getting to know them. Instead she rushed in and made a scene, and then another scene a short time later. She had set herself apart so much that she was asked directly, by Elder Bai, to keep her distance from the group that could very well be her classmates for the next year, or longer.


    "Hey! Girl! Get out of here." A musclebound sect cultivator said to her, after moving to stand a bit too close.


    She swung her tired gaze up to his face, the weight of her disappointment at herself, and now at him landed and his eye twitched.


    "You''re trespassing."


    "Oh. Here too? Has the sect claimed all the interesting landmarks?" She looked away and kept talking. "I''m looking for either Cultivator Bai, with the caravan?"


    "Oh? You''re with them? Uh, fine." He turned slightly and pointed at a larger group. "Over there. You''re late. Try not to interrupt the lecture." He stayed still, obstructing her way, and making her step around him.


    Walking away from the rude man, she registered his words. I''m not here for a lecture, that could take too long, I just want to find the caravan, find Curly and Lari. She recalled and paraphrased Captain Hua''s last advice, ''trust they are safe''. The thought relaxed her and she took calming breaths.


    As she calmed she found the qi that she had been running with still rolling through her channels, she repeated several thorough exhales and deep inhales, packing the qi back into her Dantian as she breathed. Her joints and muscles came alive with pain and soreness as the qi was withdrawn, reminding her she would be feeling the run for some time to come.


    She walked in a wide arc, approaching from the rear of the gathered group of sect hopefuls, with the intent of disturbing fewer of the listeners. She was nearly empty of qi as she stopped behind the group, and found herself nearing exhaustion. Even her qi channels felt sore.


    All of the students were sitting. Some in a lotus pose, some on their knees and sitting on their heels. Most had at least a blanket to sit on, some fancy cushions. At the head of the group, Elder Bai sat to the side. In that same chair he had in Minlin City. He was facing the group, giving Shae a tight lipped glance, but he was not the lecturer.


    Shae sat with a sigh and a groan, stifling both to not make a scene. She nearly collapsed as she began to crouch, her legs suddenly jelly. She looked up at the night sky and carefully released a sigh of relief that she didn''t know she needed. Instead of matching the others, she simply extended her legs straight out in front of her, massaging and flexing the muscles as they demanded attention. Eventually, her focus returned to the lecture.


    The lecturer was an older man who could have claimed to be Pop''s brother, just from the assortment of gray hairs sprouting from his face. He was dressed considerably better than the chess master. In sect robes as beautifully embroidered as any she had seen. His long gray hair was tied back and folded several times behind his head, but a trail of hair still fell down his back. A sword sat prominently at his hip, and Shae guessed it was a Jian from its thin scabbard.


    Unlike the master of ten-li-house, he had been talking since she began her approach.


    "Much like a lunge with a weapon. The geyser is not to be underestimated. It can happen suddenly, without warning. Bursting forth into the world from seemingly nothing. Similarly, a weapon master can strike without warning."


    His lecture went on in a similar way. Constantly rolling over metaphor and often setting up comparisons to swordplay.


    Shae was tired and had little patience for it. It could have been interesting, she thought, especially if I didn''t know what a geyser was. She tried to imagine it as something else, something she felt still held mystery for her.


    The speaker was skilled however, he knew how to lecture students, even easily distracted ones like Shae. His words snapped her out of her distraction. Over and over again.


    She frowned slightly as his words began to feel almost repetitive. No, she thought, not repeating, just covering all the angles, he spoke in enough variation to not miss a potential metaphor; he struck at all the vital points. She frowned as she was making the swordplay comparisons now.


    Her mind wandered again, back to find other mysterious things she couldn''t explain. Including things that elicited feelings other than mystery. Her memory flashed back to the old road and she shuddered, pushing it away. She looked away from the group to the mouth of the geyser. A wide dark lake with unknown depths.


    When she looked back at the lecturer he was looking at her, and had a wry grin he was holding back between the words of his lecture. Yet, he didn''t draw attention to her, or any other students, she noted. The lecture ended soon after.


    "Now I suspect most of you have questions. And I''ve done enough of these to know that not all of you will be willing to ask them. Enough to know who might actually ask the good ones. Like you!" He lunged forwards, his sword suddenly in his hand, stretching over the group and pointing at Shae.


    She was too tired to flinch, and when she registered what had happened, she also noted his sword was still in its scabbard. "Uhm, yes, Senior." She inclined her head appropriately. "Perhaps I am misinformed, but I understood geysers to be quite predictable, yet you have made this one sound sudden and erratic."


    He withdrew his lunge. The sword now acting as a cane he leaned forwards on. "Not technically a question, but I''ll take it as one. It''s true that most are. The one across the road, near the campsite and baths, is quite regular. Though, it is smaller and generally considered to be less impressive than this one."


    He turned to look back at the pond the geyser would erupt from. "This one does not adhere to a strict schedule. We have loose estimates, times we assume it will be active at, but I won''t spoil the surprise as to when that is."


    He turned back to the group, and selected another to ask a question. This repeated until either he was content, or the class had asked enough questions. Shae couldn''t tell which.


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    Elder Bai stepped in to take over. "As discussed earlier, you will be using the night to expand your senses. The area has peculiar qi flows, especially during an eruption. For those without cultivation manuals, do not absorb the qi, simply observe. You have already been assigned your groups, so go on, until first light." He inclined his head, signaling the end of the lecture. The students stood and bowed to both teachers before migrating away.


    Shae remained sitting and stared out at the lake. Stuck somewhere between just tired and mildly curious about the geyser.


    "New girl! Not sure where to go? More questions?" The older lecturer called out as he approached.


    She leaned back to look up at the older man, then stood so she could give him a proper greeting bow. She groaned as she stood, her legs and hips complaining profusely. "Senior, thank you for the lecture. I am Miss Zhi Shae, and I always have questions, but very few are about the geyser."


    "So few? Your first question was so good I expected more."


    "Hmm, yet you didn''t call on me again."


    "And he shouldn''t have, because you shouldn''t be here, Miss Shae." Elder Bai stepped in.


    "Nonsense," the old man scoffed, "the timing question adds an additional excellent layer of mystery to the geyser. But do elaborate, Young Bai."


    "She is not officially in the sect, Master Long"


    "Neither are your other applicants. And do you really mean to tell me that this girl, the one known as both Wise and Heavenly, has not been invited by yourself directly?" He gave Bai a stern glare.


    Bai had the polite manners to squirm slightly under his gaze. "No, Master."


    The glare continued.


    "It is surprising to hear that Senior Long has heard of me." Shae interrupted.


    "Not so surprising when you know the right people to listen to." He smirked, gesturing out at the assembled cultivators.


    "Ah!" She gasped. Then a breath later asked, "If I may, what is Senior Long a Master of?"


    He kept up his smirk, shifting his stance slightly to rest his hand on his sword. "Take a guess."


    "Uhm. Casually threatening a defenseless girl? Surely you could kill or subdue me in dozens of ways that don''t require a sword."


    "Heh, dozens! Quite imaginative. But you look hardly defenseless. Three weapons is more than most. Which do you prefer, bow, staff, or sword?"


    "I prefer the weapon I can actually wield. The sword is peace bonded, the staff not a staff, but rather an uncarved bow. And the bow I''ve had very little practice with. So, I must resort to words."


    "Hah, peace-bonded. And a good weapon at that, how did you earn that?" While his tone was casual, he was quite serious.


    "Um... How I earned the peace-bonding, or why it was given to me?"


    She felt a razor of killing intent from Elder Bai. Who had steadily been growing more irritated.


    "Not the same? Start with the how."


    Shea hesitated. "I cannot -"


    "Insolent brat!" Bai snapped and grazed his palm over her scalp, just clipping her with enough strength to sting but not injure. "Answer your better''s questions."


    "Ow!" She snapped her gaze to him. First with bewilderment, then with indignant focus.


    He glared back and answered for her, "She made a scene in Minlin city, like she is now. Then lucked into causing enlightenments for the military that was recruiting there. They gifted her the weapon as thanks."


    The area was silent for a few breaths as a lot of eyes stared at the three. Master Long and Shae both started at Elder Bai.


    "Why"-"Respe-" they both began. Shae immediately bowed to let the older man go first.


    "Why did you hit her? Isn''t qi pressure enough?"


    Bai nodded an apology to the older man. "She has completed tempering. So pressure is ineffective, and she has proven herself very disrespectful in the past week. Plenty of time for her to heed warnings."


    Long looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, "Quite young for that, which means... Directed?"


    Shae nodded.


    "Impressive. You must have made quite the scene to have Junior Bai so against you."


    She tried not to smirk when he said Junior Bai. She smirked anyway.


    "You were saying." He motioned for her to continue.


    She nodded in respect again, then turned to Bai. "Respectfully, Cultivator Bai. That is incorrect."


    "What? You dare-" he stepped forwards, hand on his sheathed sword hilt, and burning intent to kill in his eyes.


    Master Long stuck out his own sheathed Jian. Blocking the irate Bai. "Let the girl finish, Junior Bai." He looked at her. "Do give a good answer, girl."


    She nodded once more and swallowed her nerves. "Cultivator Bai, aside from your clearly biased summary of events. You answered the wrong question. That was why it was given to me, not how I earned it, as Master Long asked."


    The old man smirked. "An acceptable answer. Yet, your method was sloppy, you left a wide opening. A feint if I''ve ever seen one, but too wide, too risky." He turned to Bai. "And you!" He swung his scabbard around quickly and knocked Bai on the back of the head. *Thwack!* He flinched too much, like he had been expecting it, even Shae saw it coming. "Don''t hit your students, unless you are in the ring."


    "She''s not my-" *thwack!* He hit him again.


    "That''s worse!" The old man declared.


    Bai wisely didn''t object again.


    "Now, Miss Shae. I take it that means you did earn the peace-bonding properly?"


    She nodded. "By resolving a dispute without a weapon, yes."


    "But not just any dispute." Long corrected. "Peace bonding is an old tradition, going back before techniques were common, when a cultivator had only his own bodily strength and skill with weapons to protect himself." He looked out at the gathered cultivators. Most were paying attention to them now. "A history lesson, then. As most have forgotten it. It means you overcame or defeated another cultivator without your own weapon. Nothing steel or even wood. The blade you now carry would be the one wielded against you."


    Shae nodded at the slight pause.


    "And judging from its quality, and the ornateness of the wire wrap... He was quite strong, early core perhaps."


    That caused a murmur from the gathering. Even Bai looked surprised.


    She shrugged. "Hard for me to tell, just before at the least, he had begun his Dao."


    "And your victory? How?" Bai jumped in, too taken by a moment of curiosity to still be upset.


    She gave another nod, intentionally stretching the drama out, really enjoying the moment. "He underestimated me. And he got sloppy, flaunting his bravado, then choosing the wrong battlefield." When the tension didn''t break she added. "To say more would break propriety."


    Master Long raised his eyebrows again, this time letting the exaggerated gesture drag his vision up and away.


    "Not like that!" She jumped in again, a blush creeping across her face, difficult to see in the dark. "Just a cultivation topic rarely discussed openly. A perfectly normal one with no strange implications." She spoke the last sentence clearly and loudly.


    Bai inhaled sharply. "What you said in the square to the Sergeant. A shard, you mean that?"


    Shae nodded severely.


    "Really? I don''t think anyone believed you."


    "Yes really. Blame your Elder Ghon if you need it explained."


    "Care to loop me in?" Long asked.


    Bai frowned and placed a hand on the old master''s shoulder. A pause long enough for a few silent messages passed. Then the Master''s eyes widened. "Really?"


    Shae nodded again and smirked, "Of course." displaying a bit more attitude, a spike of killing intent from Bai was her reward. She straightened up quickly, clearing her throat. "A-Hem. Yes, Master Long, I really did sense that."


    A silence of a few breaths followed, interrupted by someone around them coughing.


    "Right!" Long said and turned to the waiting observers. "Wise Shae is correct to withhold this information. While not strictly dangerous or embarrassing. Custom dictates we avoid the discussion." He clapped once. "History lesson over, thank-you."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 5: Long Bao

    <hr>


    Chapter 5: "Long Bao."


    <hr>


    A short silence gripped the plateau. Cultivators shuffled around to face the geyser again, the entertainment of the moment seemed to have passed. Shae''s stomach gurgled. "Ugh, apologies seniors, I haven''t eaten since lunch." She turned to leave.


    "Ah, I''ve something for that." Long exclaimed. A small Lunchbox appeared in his hands. Steam leaked from the edge on the box in casual wisps.


    She looked at it and her hand reflexively reached out, but she hesitated. "Thank you for the offer but-"


    "Don''t try to refuse. Stay, eat. I insist." He pushed it forwards.


    With her excuse firmly denied, she bowed and accepted the box. "Thank you, Master Long." The stream that wafted off of it was delectable, sweet and spicy. She nervously spared a glance for Bai, who was completely stone faced. "I''ll still need to head back to the caravan, my travel companions will want to know I arrived safely."


    Long tilted his head sideways and up. "I''m not sure I understand that sentence, shouldn''t they already know, if you traveled with them?"


    She tore into the soft and fluffy steamed dough, a burst of scents escaping as the spiced interior was revealed. She quickly stuffed her mouth, "Mmmhhmmm! This ish shooo good!" She mumbled through the food. Her excitement at the strong flavors made her want to bounce in place, but she resisted enough to reduce it to just a small bob up and down. Her sore muscles complained slightly, doing the real work of dampening her excitement.


    The box contained three Bao buns, steamed buns filled with spiced meat or vegetables. These were perfectly steamed, the dough a soft chewy texture. The meat filling was an adventure of spices.


    "Heh, family recipe." Long stated proudly.


    Swallowing, and resisting the next bite, she said. "As in Chen-Long Bao, from back in the village!? I didn''t get to try theirs because I missed the lunch rush."


    "Hah. Chen-Long, what a joke! They don''t even use spiritual ingredients."


    Shae stopped with a mouthful of food and glanced over to Bai, who had raised an eyebrow. Then she kept chewing.


    "Master Long. Would these spiritual ingredients be safe for an early stage cultivator to consume?" He asked.


    "Eh? Of course. It''s not a pill, and they are sufficiently diluted. That red box is even a lesser batch, where the dragon spice came out weaker. Now, if it was the blue box...!" He trailed off with an eyebrow raised, leaning towards Bai.


    "Master Long, that is a blue box." Bai pointed at the box in Shae''s hands.


    Her eyes went wide, a flutter of panic ran up her spine, and yet, her mouth kept chewing and swallowing the delicious meal.


    Long scratched his chin and leaned forwards. "Hmm, so it is." She felt his qi sweep over the box then her. "Well, you should probably stop eating those."


    She did not, they were too delicious, and she could barely feel the spice he had mentioned, only a little heat tickled at the back of her throat.


    As she reached for the next bun, Bai stepped forwards and stopped her. Batting her hand out of the way and closing the lid on the box, then handing it back to Long.


    "Well, at least you only ate... two. Gives you a good chance to purge qi from your system."


    "There''s a way to do that?" She asked.


    Both other cultivators stared blankly at her. Then opened their mouths to explain, they stopped when they noticed the other had started. They passed the privilege of teaching back and forth silently, with glances, then audibly.


    "Go ahead, Master, you are the experienced cultivator here."


    "But you are an equal Elder, by rank. And in charge of the recruits."


    "Yet, I still call you Master, the hierarchy is clear. And you are a famed teacher."


    "True, but you will be at the sect with the girl, you can teach her more there."


    "She''s not a martial student, that is unlikely."


    "Yet, you still learn from your Fairy Dawn, and you are no poet."


    "Surely that is irrelevant, you''ve more experience teaching new cultivators."


    "And you need more experience teaching new cultivators."


    Shae jumped in before Bai could continue. "Elders. Is it just normal fire qi? Or something else. I hardly feel it yet."


    They stopped and looked surprised she was still here. Master Long answered, "Other elements as well, but yes, quite pure, it adds to the flavor. I believe that specific sun-pepper plant had also touched a Dao. Hard to say what that will do."


    She frowned but it was Bai who asked the question. "You recall the specific plant used to make that, but managed to mix the boxes up?"


    Long looked slightly embarrassed. "These things happen."


    "Right, Elders, so do I actually need to do anything? I''m really not... Oh! Okay, there is the spiciness. Would either of you like to give me any direction?"


    They looked at each other again. Then Long spoke, "if you are ejecting qi, sit over there. If you''d rather try to balance the fire with water and earth, sit over there. By the lanterns, like the others." He pointed in near opposite directions.


    Shae stalked off to the second area with the lanterns.


    Falling into meditation was harder with the fiery spice in her mouth, but she slowly managed it. Once under, she looked around the mental landscape of her qi channels to find the offending fire qi.


    While she waited, she drew in a small amount of neutral and water qi. The area was suffused with both, so it was almost hard to not get the extra water qi. She also mentally dug into the earth for its qi. That was harder to pull up, but it was there. She noticed the first qi flames while doing that.


    The warmth was overflowing around her stomach meridian. Pushing through her body and spilling into the nearby channels. She thought to call to it, drawing in the elemental qi like she had learned to do, then froze. She suspected this might trigger a wave of fire qi, like a damn breaking. She withdrew her will from the area, letting it play out naturally for now.


    She focused on her breathing, keeping herself calm. She broke the situation down. Qi could be spilling in faster soon, probably damaging the weakest nearby channels. So I need to protect the area or lower the potential damage. I''d like to guide it to the larger channels. Going through my stomach meridian would also be preferred. That should solve the overflow issue.


    She examined the meridian, like she had seen before with her other meridians, it was like a large cavern full of boulders and rubble with black pitch binding it all together. It wasn''t quite full as the pitch was more of a coating or glue, clumped mainly where pieces touched. Still, that made it roughly as dense as loose dirt, just scaled up. Hmm, well, that''s a perspective question, this is probably smaller, right?


    She fetched some of her personal qi, the slight variant of demigod qi that she had named previously. It felt so long ago, but it had been less than a week. Like she would with her flesh cleansing, she let it soak into the back pitch and around the boulders. Right away, she got confirmation that the pitch was impurities; old impurities that had hardened and begun to calcify into a cement like resin.


    She wondered where it had come from. The impurities in her flesh were different, softer and newer, like a thick sludge, not even a tar. This is beyond tar, more like dry old asphalt.


    The boulders in between were a surprise. At first they felt like nothing, like they were not even there. Then she got her qi to soak in, and found the feeling very familiar. They had a small sprinkling of fresh impurities inside them. Just like my other flesh has. Ah! These are also a part of me.


    The realization disturbed her meditation, rocking her mental landscape. The qi she had collected vibrated slightly, knocked against her channel walls and threatened to riot. She breathed to calm herself, and calmed the qi in turn before returning her focus to the leaking fire qi. She guided a small portion to her Dantian and let it absorb into her formations. It worked, but the process was slow, it will only work for this small amount leaking through.


    The fire qi resisted her attempts to move it. It has ideas of its own, just like the divine lightning qi had. Is this the result of the plant''s Dao? She wondered. It was difficult to safely guide because it wanted to wander and lash out searing her channels as it passed.


    She wondered how much qi she had consumed. Will it be this slow trickle for hours, or a gradual increase, like the enlightenment ritual. She remembered the mass of her demigod qi growing during the ritual, when she couldn''t draw it all in safely, even though it was her own qi.


    I have to plan for the worst.


    She pushed thoughts of cold and cooling into the water qi, then guided it through all the smaller channels that the fire qi was leaking into. It mostly accomplished what she wanted, lessening the strain on those channels.


    As she felt the strain lessen, she noticed the rest of her body. Most of her channels were already stained and worn out from the day''s run. Holding qi to boost her body for the whole day had taken its toll. She would need to be cautious. I do not want to find out what severely damaged channels feel like. Will they burst and tear? Can they?


    The water she had used to cool her channels was starting to produce a side effect. The fire combined with it and created steam qi. Worse, she felt the steam was too hot because it had easily overwhelmed her cooling suggestion and kept itself hot even as the new element.


    The heat of the fire and steam qi were similar to how she had first experienced fire qi. It was a painful scalding heat wearing away at her focus and meditation.


    What else do I have? She looked through her Dantian and found the cloudy divine qi. Clouds are close to steam. She reasoned. Will that help? Mix?


    She moved some of the calm cloudy qi to the steam. It responded to her much faster than the steam did and quickly rushed to her stomach meridian. Right away she felt better. The calming qi soothed the area.


    She tried to mix it with the steam. Tried to blend the two into... Nothing, they won''t blend. She was surprised, that should have worked, right?


    Shae thought back to what the divine qi was supposed to do. Something Wise Kwan had said about converting personal qi faster. Well, that was for enlightenment qi, this qi is different... probably?


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    She decided to try it anyway. She told the divine qi to make the steam hers and the two roiled in response. Steam and clouds pushing and punching through each other. Trying to fight and wrap around one another. She decided she needed to help and grabbed at the steam. Like grabbing a hot pan, she flinched away, then tried again, ready to hold on. Its heat seared her mind, burning away at her willpower and focus.


    She still slowed it down enough and the divine qi did the rest, wrapping and combining. Adding density to the steam and calming its raging fire.


    The new steam was warm, but not painful. It felt like a steam sauna. As soon as her mind landed on that idea, the steam twitched, the idea snapping into place. It relaxed her just a bit. Perhaps I got to keep some of the calming nature. She guessed.


    She swirled the new qi around the area. It scooped up some of the new steam, but quickly reached its limit of what could be converted without more divine qi.


    What now? She asked herself, and looked back at her Dantian. She decided to test the formation with it. She let the steam glide over the surface, and unsurprisingly, it found the area between water and fire and was sucked in. It settled into a new formation glyph on the surface.


    Now I''m back at square one. She sighed.


    She had a path, but it was not one she liked. It would work, but she didn''t want to spend so much of her divine qi on this, she didn''t even know when the fire would run out.


    She tried to relax and get in a rhythm of moving the steam and fire to the formation. Even if it wasn''t hers, she could still slowly push it around and let it soak into the formation. I can''t keep this up.


    "Aaargh!" She mentally roared out her frustration. Stupid old man, giving me stupid steamed buns made of too strong spirit plants and meats. Who could make that mistake?


    She froze in thought. Even the qi she was guiding slowed suddenly. Was it a mistake? She considered it. He has said there was Dao in the food, and she had claimed something to do with Dao was how she got the sword. It clicked into place, a test!


    She felt a grin creep into her face. So now..? How do I progress, knowing that.


    The fire qi continued to burn her mental stamina away. Dao, is that why? She nodded to herself, agreeing with the assessment. Dao must be why the steam stays so hot, why it is hard to move and why it burns, all while refusing to accept my mental influence to change.


    So, the divine qi took over the Dao? She could believe that. Maybe it destroyed it? Either could work. She summoned more divine qi for the next test.


    Take the fiery Dao. She thought at the calm little clouds and released them into the fire qi. It floated slowly, different from last time. She would have scrunched up her face in confusion if she could.


    The two qi blended together, the clouds acting more like fresh air, fuel for the fire. They swelled slightly, growing in density.


    Shae felt very glad she had learned to sense density back in Minlin city. It added so much more texture to the experience. She wondered if there were other aspects she was missing. Ah! Dao is one. She realized.


    She felt out her new fire qi, asking it to turn its flame away from her. She didn''t want to change it yet, even if she could. It will probably be harder to change with the Dao there to resist.


    Yes! Yes there is something here. She could feel the shape of the fiery Dao. It''s not just the heat, it''s a kind of pain, a regret and a vengeance. Something that comes after. She thought it through carefully. It is an idea that the plant embodied, something that stuck with it, even after being harvested and used in dishes, a lingering heat.


    "The spice!" She gasped. The Dao is embedded in the spice the plant was harvested for. The plant harnessed its anger and rage at being eaten. Buried it in the spice so it could linger and exact revenge on the thing that had the gall to eat it.


    The right word is there, just on the tip of my tongue... Spite! That is what it is. It is the plant''s spite at being eaten. She felt the little flames she had control of vibrate at the thought, wanting to flare out and rage within her.


    In response, the flames she didn''t have control of also flared. The fire qi pushed into her again, stronger, forcing its way around her blocked stomach meridian. The pain spiked and her remaining water qi boiled off into steam. Even that steam felt nice compared to the flaring fire digging into her.


    She pushed back with her own spiteful fire qi, what little of it she had. She threw more divine qi at it in a panic. Stealing more of the flaring fire''s Dao for herself. It was even easier now that she knew what it was. She even told her own fire qi to take over the new. It worked slowly, but it worked. Fire qi was just qi, after all.


    In her wider qi channels she couldn''t block them completely with her fire qi, so she brought in her personal qi. That little twist on the demigod qi that she had made. Much like how Elder Ghon had helped her stem the flow of the tribulation lightning qi, she now fought off this spite qi with the pressure and density. Slowly reaching an equilibrium.


    As the pressure balanced, she stopped feeding it divine qi. She kept asking, no, demanding, her fire consume the invading fire. As the pain lessened she exhaled a breath that she hadn''t known she was holding. The battle, for the moment, was delayed.


    And what now? She asked herself. She looked at the messy disorder of her channels and began to clean them up. Mainly moving the steam qi into her formation. Now that she knew the Dao, it was easier to manipulate. Still painful and spiteful, but she could lead it better. The pain was still there but so much less than what she had just dealt with.


    She floated her calming divine clouds through her channels as well. Soothing and relaxing them. The little cloud dwindled with the effort. Showing just how much damage had been done.


    As peace returned to her mindscape, she asked again, What now? What do I do with this Dao? She recognized that Qi with a Dao was clearly stronger, better than base qi, it had ideas embedded into it, but how can I use it? That sparked a separate idea: the divine qi should have a Dao. It has so many ideas of its own, it must have a Dao, and a strong one.


    Her own qi, by extension, might have some small part of that. The addition of lightning from the cat''s eye marbles, themselves a memory of the heavenly tribulation lightning, maybe capturing some of that Dao. That could be why the lightning survives cleansing. She guessed.


    A new spot of warmth and pain distracted her. The spicy fire qi was leaking through her stomach meridian. Trapped within her, it took the only paths available. It pushed through the blockages and resin-like impurities. Shae thought she even saw the impurities sweating, like they had begun to melt. I need to do something about this... I''m going to be so horribly sick later.


    Or. She groaned at the realization, it''s so stupidly simple.


    She quickly groaned over her mental landscape, checking for immediate problems. Without seeing any, she swirled her personal qi to keep the whole system moving, then mentally nodded and dropped out of meditation and snapped her eyes open.


    Master Long was waiting for her when she woke. "Not done already, are you?"


    She barely heard the question through the pain in her gut. "Ugh.. I need to.." she moved her hand to her mouth and reached two fingers to the back of her throat.


    "Not here." He grabbed her arm, dragged her up, and started walking. "That is what the other area is for, as I said." They had moved across most of the flat terrain before Shae realized how fast he had dragged her. When he released her arm, a few tight breaths later, her stomach churned in agony.


    She tried to use her fingers again, and she dry heaved in response. More attempts, then success as her gag reflex triggered fully. The spice burned much more on its way out.


    "Good try, but that''s not going to be enough. Drink this." Long offered her a flask.


    She drank from the large flask. It tasted like salt and charcoal and it might have been exactly that. It cooled the spice on the way down. A few breaths later it all came back up again. All that she drank and more.


    "Right, got most of it. Now you''ll want to stuff a bunch of qi into your stomach so it can heal faster. Can''t imagine you got off without any damage."


    She had moved to her knees at some point; bracing her weight with her arms and keeping her head forwards and low. Shae wheezed, trying to catch her breath through the discomfort and lingering pain. "Why did... you feed me that?"


    He gave her a stern gaze that she couldn''t read through her teary eyes. "You think it was intentional?"


    "Sure, a test or something. I don''t approve." She began turning her head to glare at him but stopped suddenly and scrunched her face in discomfort.


    "Poison a student as a test? A bit extreme for a... What stage are you anyway?"


    "Cleansing." She sat upright enough to point at her hand, then lurched forwards, dryly heaving at the dirt.


    Long stepped to the side. "Hmm, you waited too long, let it bloom too much."


    "Bloom-?" She spat to the side. Then dug through her pack for water.


    "Oh, don''t drink anything yet. Fire and water make steam, you know." He motioned to the geyser, which was steaming at the moment.


    Shae scowled at him. "Thanks. Master Long." Then took a gulp of water to wash her mouth out.


    "Don''t get too comfortable, there''s some left in you." He handed her the same flask again.


    She accepted it without thought, but instead of drinking more, she turned her senses inward. She felt the pressure around her stomach lessened and little uncontrolled fire qi lingered, but I didn''t  sense it well before, either. "If the source is gone, the rest I will keep."


    "Will you now?"


    She summoned more personal qi from her Dantian, then had it cycle through her system, past her stomach meridian, and back to her Dantian. Dragging her new fire qi with it, it splashed into the formation where the fire qi could be absorbed.


    She broke her partial meditation and asked, "Is it safe to partly thaw out the meridian to heal my stomach more?"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Thaw out? That''s an advanced question asked in a simple way."


    "Hardly. Is your sudden spite for me that strong? I thought Sword Bai was the one angry with me."


    He cracked a shallow grin. "Why spite? Why that word?" He leaned in for the answer.


    She rolled her eyes, rinsed her mouth again while she thought, using some of the charcoal to dampen the stomach acids lingering in her throat. Then she answered, "Better question is why does a plant ... have such a clear and specific understanding of a human emotion? Master Long?" She missed a beat at the word plant because Master Long activated a privacy field around them.


    His grin deepened to show some teeth. "That, is a much better question." He summoned the buns from his storage item again and offered her the box.


    She traded away the flask she didn''t want to drink more from. Then considered the box without opening it. Just the scent of the steam leaking out the sides triggered her hunger again. Reminding her that her stomach was suddenly empty and the buns were just so delicious. She kept the lid tightly shut, not trusting her self control further than that.


    What an impressive chef to be able to trigger hunger so easily after vomiting. She snapped her eyes up to Long. "Master Long. Are you a master chef?"


    He leaned back slightly at the off topic question. "I am skilled at many things. Sword arts and immortal cooking are among them. Though my specific mastery is only really over the Bai boy. He wishes to learn some of my sword techniques."


    She looked down at the box in her hands. "So you did cook these, and would it be correct to say, as part of that cooking you... refined the spice plant''s Dao into spite?"


    His deep grin returned, but he did not answer.


    "Ugh, are you trying to get me to call you a master of avoiding questions?"


    "Well, I think you''ve proven yourself well enough." He reached for the box and vanished it away, a brief flutter of qi brushing her hands away from it. Then he clapped once, dropped the privacy barrier and walked away. "Do stay for the geyser, most find it quite enlightening." Then he barked "Bai!" Across the area, disturbing most of the new cultivators'' meditation. "It''s time for more training."


    "Master!?" The man spoke the single word like an excited boy.


    "The young Wise Shae has put me in the mood for it. Make sure to repay her."


    His expression dropped. "Master." He turned his obviously conflicted emotions to her and gave a tiny bow that was mostly a nod. Then he skipped off after Master Long.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 6: Sudden Expectations

    <hr>


    Chapter 6: "Sudden Expectations."


    <hr>


    Shae nearly fell asleep from the tense situation resolving so suddenly. Her mental exhaustion from fighting the fire qi catching up more swiftly than her physical exhaustion from the day of running.


    A familiar acrid stench caught her nose and woke her up. She quickly got up and left the mess behind. She moved back to the water & earth qi location that Long first pointed out. She cycled a small amount of her qi to keep herself awake and energized. The lightning aspect seemed to act as a mild stimulant. Probably not as strong as coffee, maybe like a morning tea? She mentally gauged, though it drops much faster when I stop cycling, more like sugar then.


    The short walk woke her up more and reminded her of her hunger. That made her first task to refill her belly, she needed to eat, even if her stomach still hurt, and the smell of the buns had restoked her appetite.


    Looking through her pack, she found some things that would be easier to digest. She slowly snacked on a soft flat-bread and partly dried fruit, accompanied by lots of water. While eating, she thought over what she had learned. Reminding herself of all the little revelations about Dao and heavenly qi. The implication that divine qi has Dao built into it. Is that why my demigod qi always feels like a pale reflection? Does it need Dao for each part, judgment, wrath, and enlightenment?


    I need to make a choice, to find a path that I want my demigod qi to follow. Do I even want those three? Or really, do I want wrath or something like it? The opportunity was there today, but spite is so wrong. Both for me and for divine qi.


    Opportunity. She sighed and looked up at the sky. Not tonight, there is still work to do. More comprehension to discover first.


    Once her stomach was settled, she decided to spend some time meditating and try to heal her injured stomach and its meridian. Maybe just an hour or so, I''ll probably pass out if I go much longer. She didn''t think it was terribly injured, but it was hard for her to tell, even once she was meditating.


    She thought back to Elder Ghon''s book on meridians that she had read while recovering. Then again while Ghon was recovering. He didn''t have many books that she could easily understand. She recalled that how one mentally envisioned their meridians varied, but there were generally three parts. The impurities were the first and easiest to discern. These are thought to have formed at birth, or near to it. The lack of qi to disturb them, and then subsequent static nature of the body''s state lead to their hardened state.


    The book included some theories on how to keep them soft, but most were listed as being dangerous. Then only one Shae understood was to begin directed tempering as an infant, and maintain regular sessions as the child matured. The book did not include whether this would work, it was just a theory of the authors.


    When asked, Elder Ghon suggested that anything close to tempering would kill the child. Though he refused to say why. He also commented that people probably had tried it, even knowing the risks. Because there were always people desperate for a strong cultivator in their family. Whether they succeeded or failed at any of the suggested methods, he assured her they would guard that secret with their lives. Though, he did insist that a clear and overwhelming advantage like that would be impossible to hide.


    She pushed through the grimness and returned to the three meridian parts. The second and third parts were: the associated organ''s flesh, and the metaphysical meridian itself. These were trickier to identify as they would vary depending on the cultivator''s mental impression of them. That is to say, the mental image they saw during meditation was not a constant between cultivators.


    So, Shae thought, the cave-like structure which kind of feels like a large mental space might be the metaphysical meridian. Leaving the large boulders and rubble-like blockages to be her actual stomach. Or it''s reversed.


    She thought, since the fire qi leaked to my channels so easily, the cave could be my stomach, if it was the boulders shouldn''t the fire qi have been leaking from them?


    She pushed her senses into the meridian again. Her personal qi slowly passed through the impurities and blockages to give her feedback on what was in the space. Ugh, this would have been easier while I still had the fire qi in my stomach. Then she remembered the pain of the spiteful fire qi, or maybe not, this is fine.


    It took her a while to make any definite progress. Her qi moved so slowly, like it did when she was starting a cleansing attempt, but she couldn''t then ignore it and let it cleanse. Instead, she needed to pull it back, or move it to the next boulder. She mixed in more of the calming divine qi, hoping it would at least heal some of the damage while she worked. That ended up being what let her find the first damaged piece, one larger boulder that sucked up the divine qi and her own qi in equal measure. Not particularly fast, but she had been on guard for anything happening, so she caught the change.


    Okay, so this is probably part of my stomach that was damaged by the fire qi. Hmm, I suppose there could be more. There''s no obvious connection between the pieces, or shape to suggest what any of them do. She groaned internally at the situation. Why is it like this anyway? ... is it because my senses are so poor, or because I don''t know how my stomach works? I guess a general idea isn''t enough to base a mental image on.


    Ghon''s advanced meridians book did have some sections on how various organs functioned, but Shae found it about as accurate as medicine based on the four humors. Ugh, I guess maybe you don''t need perfect anatomical knowledge for cleansing progress? It''ll be interesting once I''m at that stage. She felt the book had been an interesting read, even if she couldn''t understand most of it. Like the details on how each meridian was far more complex than just the three parts mentioned, and why the connections to qi channels and the body were not counted as main parts.


    She sighed to herself and quickly devised a plan to generally heal the whole meridian without disturbing it. It wasn''t a complicated plan.


    She slowly flowed her demigod qi and the cloudy divine qi through the meridian as efficiently as she could, letting the constant movement of the demigod qi do most of the work. It was more tedious due to the impurities obstructing the process. Generally the qi flowed around the sludge, but in some places she had to get it to move through to get to specific areas that she hadn''t checked yet.


    She didn''t want to accidentally start cleansing, so she had used fairly thin qi. Taking some and mentally stretching it out to reduce its density. She didn''t even know she could do that, until she tried it. Hmm, guess I need to try compacting my qi, too. Ugh, another chore on the list. The list was quite long, and Shae didn''t actually expect to get through it. She assumed she would be able to throw half her theories and experiments out after a week in the sect''s library.


    While she remained cautious, she wasn''t sure she even could cleanse the area. Actively trying to pierce through the impurities proved ineffective. Without the information on how to clear it properly she was stuck with the slow way. What little Wise Yungfan had provided on meridians was advanced notes for an acupuncturist to work from, and not detailed instructions for her.


    <hr>


    Eventually she grew more exhausted and left meditation with the intention to go sleep somewhere. Looking up, the position of the moon suggested she had spent more time in meditation than expected.


    In crossing the open area full of cultivators she was distracted by Master Long and Elder Bai''s sword training. A small group of cultivators were watching them, most in the guard''s colors, including the large cultivator that had tried to stop her earlier. She joined the group, assuming their location would be safe to watch the violent training from.


    Shae observed that watching the training battle was akin to watching a movie skip like a DJ was scratching out a track, without the expected musical backing. Though the violent noise was suitably dramatic, with high pitched whooshes and the occasional pang of steel clashing. The placement of the sounds seemed delayed but predictable enough. The whoosh coming after the two had disappeared in a blink, then a clang after they stopped.


    The most Shae could figure out was that master Long''s style involved a lot of sudden lunges. Mostly from a relaxed stance with his jian sheathed. Mostly a guess based on the display during his lecture. Bai was probably trying to replicate the move, it is training after all, but they were both moving so fast she could never tell who was attacking, and who was defending. Hmm, maybe it''s more of a counter, or parry? Meh, I would have to ask someone. She knew she probably wouldn''t, she wasn''t that interested in swordplay.


    Shae turned to glance at the geyser and got an idea where the Master had developed the move from. She was slightly disappointed. With nothing to see, and her qi still keeping her awake, she sat and fell into meditation.


    This time she pushed her senses out. Focusing on the qi around her. The qi here was slightly denser than the road and towns. Though, much less dense than the mountain.


    When in Minlin city, she had been surprised to discover that her sense of the qi around her seemed to be related to the density. With higher qi density letting her sense farther. She had been able to sense most of the recovery room on the mountain, but much less in the city.


    Now, however, with practice and guidance, she could sense about twice as far. No where near the battle, and like her mindscape, everything was vague impressions. Though, she did sense what she was looking for. The qi wafting away from the training session had two major types. Water and Sword. She also saw that someone near her was using a technique, but she could not tell what qi was involved. Probably a neutral sight boost. Something to actually see the action. Ah, unless that needs to be a thinking speed improvement.


    Stolen story; please report.


    She wasn''t trying to find out the obvious aspects of their qi, though. Mentally prodding the qi as it passed around her, she tried to determine if either had Dao infused in it. And just what the hell is sword qi. Even after her discussion with Bai in Minlin city she was still lost to the concept. It did not help that he was more evasive than Master Long had been when trying to dance around her questions.


    A tap on her shoulder brought her back to the physical world.


    The big sect cultivator she had met before was looking down on her. "Wise Shae, please do not draw in the qi right here, theirs will injure you greatly." He motioned to the training duo.


    Her eyes popped slightly at his change in disposition, and that he knew her name now. "Mhm. Thank you for your concern, Guardsman. Did you sense that I was?"


    "Well, no. But you did pull on it, yes? It seemed worth the warning."


    "Ah, good. I was worried that I did so accidentally." She tilted her head respectfully as additional thanks.


    He shook his head. "You would know, especially if it was theirs. Foreign qi like that is quite painful."


    She recalled her group ritual in Minlin city. "Ah, right. I remember that during the monks'' enlightenment a few days ago. It was painful."


    "So, that was you? I had expected someone more..." He coughed, "ah excuse the thought, please."


    "Hah-ha, yes, I''m too young, I know it. It will be some time before more is expected of me. I take no offense, Guard...?"


    "This one is Guard Tu. Pleasure to meet you, Heavenly Shae. As I see your entrance to the sect is all but guaranteed, you may call me Senior, if you wish. Apologies for the rough treatment earlier. It''s hard to keep people away if we''re too soft."


    "Alright, I understand, Senior. And apology accepted. For my name, Zhi would be more correct, but Wise Shae is excellent. Or with any title other than Fairy, really."


    His eyes widened at her correction, but he relaxed quickly. "Very well, Junior Zhi. If I may, could you share a few words, as you did with the military group?"


    "I have little else but words to share, Senior." She smirked. "Most are not as effective as those were, so if you lower your expectations, we can talk on something."


    He nodded, and they both noticed a few others listening in.


    She hummed, "You are... Close to core, then? Looking for Dao or you''ve decided and have yet to grasp it?"


    He coughed suddenly and roughly, then spat something to the side. "Apologies, I didn''t expect you to strike for the heart." He looked to the others who were all clearly listening and trying not to be obvious. When a whole group is trying that, it becomes entirely obvious. Especially when they were all shifting nervously or had wide eyes from her last words.


    She inhaled swiftly, "Ah right. Social propriety and what-not. At least the monks would speak in metaphor."


    "Metaphor class is restricted to core elders." He supplied with a frown.


    "Bwahaha!" She burst into laughter. "Haha ha.. Oh! You''re serious! That''s even funnier! Hahaha-" she rolled onto her side laughing. Someone used qi pressure or intent at her but she hardly noticed.


    She did recover fairly quickly, though. Standing swiftly, wiping herself off, and giving the now staring group a polite bow. "Wise Zhi Shae greets her seniors." Most nodded back, some were frozen in surprise or disgust. "Let''s start with classes then. Do you have a class about choosing a Dao, or steps to forming one?"


    Guard Tu responded. "Outside of personal instruction, there is one lecture a year. Usually given by a guest lecturer. It was mid summer and we all attended."


    "You all? So you are a group? Joined the same year?" She looked around.


    He nodded. "We joined three years ago, and have all had enlightenments at this geyser, making us ideal for guard work at it."


    "Um... Because you won''t have another? Or are less likely to?" A few nodded at her suggestion. "That does make sense. Were they all about the same thing?"


    The group looked confused, searching each other''s faces.


    "Really? You didn''t talk about it?"


    One of the observers began, "I would assume-"


    "You''ve assumed wrong." She interrupted, then frowned at herself. "Sorry Senior, I also assumed." She offered him a quick and low bow.


    "I, uh, think you got it. We likely assumed we all had the same revelation."


    Nodding, she smiled. "But you didn''t talk about it. The idea itself is not necessarily wrong, the act of assuming is. Or not checking it, at least." She paused. "One of the monks explained to me that... Well he gave me a metaphor, or a long proverb, really."


    She cleared her throat and did her best wise old monk impression, "The heavens are like a forest. You may find a guide for the forest. The guide may lead you through, but the way will be picked clean."


    The group waited.


    "That''s it?" Tu asked


    Shae nodded. "I took it as explanation for how you all teach each other, or don''t teach. You want the best for each other, so you hide your path. Make sure there are few game trails to follow. Even Master Long leads the new recruits just into the edge of the forest, then leaves so they can wander." She motioned to the group mediating around the geyser. "I think the goal is... That you figure it out on your own."


    She paused to let them think, then waited patiently for the conversation to continue. It took long enough that she had to stifle a yawn and drink some water. Then, her mind wandered to her own words, Hmm, if Master Long''s earlier behavior is that same method of teaching, I''m not sure that I''ll particularly enjoy it.


    Frowning she inspected the group again, they seemed less obnoxious than she expected. Ah! I should have seen it earlier. Their clothes are modest, they haven''t told me not to talk down to them or obnoxiously defended against my criticism. And they''re working as guards, they were peasants, like me.


    She had to slow down and reconsider her approach. Or is that just pity? They''ve been in the sect a few years, I don''t need to coddle or feel bad for them.


    A few had turned back to the fight, and some looked like they were ready to leave. She cleared her throat, then spoke, "I won''t pretend like I can give you better advice than a proper lecturer. But I think you do have an interesting choice here." She paused briefly to let them focus on her. "If it''s expected that you won''t have enlightenments to distract you, then sharing what you learned with each other could directly help that. This is because, as I understand it, plainly and clearly explaining the knowledge gained is unlikely to cause immediate enlightenment."


    She gave them a breath or two to think it over. Looking between their faces more intently.


    "Or?" Tu asked when she looked at him.


    "Or you can use that to spur yourselves on. Maybe just have candid and vague conversations, one on one. To get a hint of what others discovered. Then contemplate and see if it leads you somewhere. I''ve also heard explaining something helps you understand it better." She glanced at Tu, "This may not have been the wisdom you all were looking for, but I hope it gives you something to think over." She shrugged, bowed shallowly, and turned back to the training.


    She saw Bai sitting in meditation, which is when she realized she hadn''t heard sword strikes recently. And all the guards are also deadly silent. She guessed a direction, the only other one since she had just pivoted. She turned to see Master Long right there, peering down with a slight smirk. "Has explaining that helped you understand it better, Miss Shae?"


    She forced a cough, "Master Long, apologies if we disturbed your training." She bowed a bit deeper than necessary.


    "You''re not any more of a distraction to us than we had already created. Not a bad attempt at a lesson either. Good proverb your friend had, though I wouldn''t have explained it as much as you did. You were correct to not say anything on Dao, that would have caused an interruption."


    She nodded but remained silent.


    He turned to the others. "To be clear, your role here is security. That does not preclude cultivation or contemplation in your free time, but I ask that you try to keep your enlightenments to one at a time, just so we have proper guard coverage, yes?"


    They all loudly replied "Yes, Master Long." and bowed.


    He looked at the stiff and serious group. "Thank you, and that was a joke. Never intentionally limit your own or other''s enlightenments." He glanced over at Bai. "We are taking a short break, those of you on duty should take this opportunity to complete a patrol."


    Several bowed and walked away.


    "And you, little Shae? Will you contemplate the geyser? Most gain a decent enlightenment from it eventually. I thought I saw that you were close to something during my lecture."


    She tried to remember what he meant, wiped at her face, and tried to stifle a yawn. "If I was more well rested, I''d cultivate. As for the lecture... I think I only got close to existential horror."


    "Was my lecture that bad?" He half smiled, his face was mostly expressionless.


    "Ah-heh. No, I was thinking about something else."


    "Something other than my lecture, that''s not a vote of approval."


    "Agh, no... I''m going to have to explain it, won''t I?"


    "If you''d like to understand it more, then yes."


    "Hah-ha, fine." She took a deep breath. "Throughout the lecture you were talking as though there is so much mystery in the geyser. But for me: I feel none. I know how it works so it''s hard to be amazed. I was trying to think of it as something that was mysterious, overlaying something else, and stumbled into horror territory because of the other thing."


    "Hmmm. Well, I suppose some might find the truth horrifying. And it''s interesting to hear that you have it all figured out."


    She frowned at him. "I don''t, I''m not so arrogant as that. For the geyser, all geysers, I don''t need to figure them out because I''ve learned how they work already."


    "So, you need to be reminded of your own lesson? You''ve assumed there is nothing new to learn?"


    She flinched, then opened her mouth to respond. "..." She took a few breaths to think. "Yes, there is always more to learn. Right now I''m interested in teasing apart the secrets of your and Elder Bai''s qi. Especially the sword qi. I still don''t understand it."


    "Well, the geyser will wait, and Guard Tu has already warned you about our qi. Though, I will clear up an earlier misconception. Those you see meditating are not cultivating, they are simply observing. Some practice their sensing skills, if they know how. They are to simply sit and observe the geyser, waiting for it to erupt."


    Shae looked at the gathered group again with new eyes. "I ran over 170 li today. If I sit down to watch water boil I will fall asleep."


    "Hah! Well, I never say no to a good nap. Oh-ho, Bai is ready. Enjoy your time here, Miss Shae."


    "Thank you, Master Long." She bowed.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 7: Silent Slumbering

    <hr>


    Chapter 7: "Silent Slumbering."


    <hr>


    Shae moved a dozen paces away, putting the watchers between her and the training. She tried to sleep right there but the sword clashes made just enough noise to keep her awake. Hmrgh, I''m already comfortable though. She accessed her calming divine qi and cycled it to her head, it seemed to help her drift off faster.


    She was startled awake by a louder sword crash. Eyes snapping open, she saw the moon had jumped across the sky. Well, a few hours is better than nothing. Then the next clash woke her again, I should have found somewhere else to sleep. She stretched out and wiped sleep from her face.


    The training had been reduced to longer pauses interrupted by much louder clashes. Shae thought it looked like it was Bai testing the new attack style against Long, instead of sustained exchanges. The main indication was Bai''s pose after flickering past the Master.


    She sensed her own qi had become more active while she slept. Bits of various qi types that she had collected were migrating around her channels, being pushed by a few small wisps of her demigod qi. I don''t remember... Oh, I must have left a mess when I stopped to expel the bao buns.


    She felt much more awake now. Still tired, but she recognized she was in a state where more sleep would be difficult. As her personal demigod qi floated through her mind, she felt it energized her, just a little bit. Ah, caffeine for the soul. She frowned, that''s definitely why I''m awake now, can''t believe I left it going.


    She moved into a lotus pose and began to meditate. Cleaning up the small bits she left from dealing with the spicy qi was a simple task. All of the elemental qi settled into her Dantian''s formation with the only trouble sorting out the types. I must have been so sore and tired that I didn''t notice all these scraps. She had absorbed the larger quantities of fire, steam, and water qi the night before, but these smaller scraps had escaped her notice. Until now, just them bumping into my channel walls stings. Bleh, I guess I didn''t notice the taps were still on while the house was burning down.


    Partway into sorting she realized she didn''t need to. Instead she moved the whole lot around the formation, letting it figure itself out. She thought she sensed a few new types starting to form from the mixture, like mud from earth and water, but she didn''t feel the need to explore that right now. I''ve still got no idea what this thing does. If any had formed, they were too small to be a concern, or maybe were too unstable and torn apart by the formation?


    Out of habit she filled her channels with her own qi mix from her Dantian: neutral, demigod, and her personal demigod qi. She cycled it around and started to catch small scraps of qi she had missed. They didn''t last long, getting overtaken and dissolved into the larger mass.


    That encouraged her to fill her channels more, to make sure no area was missed. All the qi she had collected with the qi gathering pill a few days ago had been neutral, and only a fraction had been converted to her personal qi. Especially since this is the first time I''ve cultivated since then.


    Many of her qi channels were sore from abuse. Either from the endurance run, or damaged by the fire qi. She quickly found it to be too uncomfortable and returned the qi to her Dantian then left meditation.


    Remembering her gifts from the monks, she dug through her pack. Aside from the ones that Wise Yungfan had guided her through, she hadn''t had an opportunity to read any of the works the monks had provided her.


    Even with the moon out, the sky was still too dark to read under, so she walked back to the group of cultivators spread around the geyser. The small lanterns that scattered the area were her target. At first she was just going to return to the spot she had before, but saw a single cultivator with two lanterns providing him better light to work under.


    As she got close, she recognized the ink stained hands of Cultivator Bai, the scribe with the similar name who she had met in Minlin city.


    She made sure to get the enunciation correct. "Cultivator Bai, may I use some of your light?"


    He didn''t look up and just waved her forward, to the opposite side of the paper lantern. She noticed the second light wasn''t another lantern, but a light source he had likely supplied himself. It appeared to simply be a floating orb of light, but the way it swayed subtly suggested it was anchored in place somehow. Shae couldn''t figure it out, since it was like staring right into a bright flashlight and trying to see the handle.


    She dug into her own paperwork. Quickly flipping through the bundles of pages. She thought that one of the monks must have worked in a copy shop in a past life because the title page and headings were expertly made. Each containing a clear title and description of the work. Those pages were clearly all done with a brush, the traditional method. Whereas the insides were often done with a quill-pen, one made for calligraphy so as to mimic the wide strokes a brush was naturally capable of.


    She had seen much writing in her youth, then more at the mountain, and neither style prevailed. Brushwork was generally considered more appealing, so titles and cover pages used it exclusively, and of course poetry and more creative works preferred the brush. Quill pens and a modified script were used in legal documents, to write the characters smaller thus fitting more text on one page. In fact, quill-pens dominated most professional fields reliant on writing. Some skipped the calligraphy style, simplifying the characters to shrink them, and likely speeding up the scribe''s work. Shae noted her experience might be biased; quill-pen documents were more common among peasants as it was cheaper in every way. Even harsher inks that would destroy a brush could be used.


    Having experienced ballpoint pens, brush pens, and markers, Shae disliked both methods because they required ink pots. She was surprised to discover those developments were not in use. Now, with more confirmation she was not the only soul from Earth, she was even more surprised no one had created them. She watched Bai make a few notes, his hand going from a delicately supported position over the ink pot, to a blur, then back to the pot. Yet cultivators don''t really need the convenience. They might not even need printing presses, she frowned, though the peasants do.


    For the thicker stacks of paper she was given, the monks had chosen a simple string binding method. Like a duotang, a few holes along the long side of each page, string threaded through to hold them. When only a few pages were needed, paper clips were used. she had seen them before, but it was still jarring to see the little objects appear here. Moreso because she could have sworn they were identical to every other mass produced steel paperclip on Earth.


    To the untrained eye, the writing looked similar to Mandarin or Cantonese characters. Shae expected the Empire''s language and text would be vastly different from Earth''s, but she had never learned them in her past life, so couldn''t compare. Some complex characters were made up of stacked simpler characters, it seemed to be to limit how many consecutive characters were needed for a single word, thus compressing the text again. Though, that did make it rather challenging to write small.


    Most of the writing was done with the page turned sideways, in landscape, as that was standard here. Bound pages would have a line of writing flow down, passing from the back of one sheet to the face on the next, crossing the horizontal spine. This was considered a cost saving method and was avoided in more auspicious works. The most expensive texts didn''t even use both sides of the page.


    The monks had used both sides of every page. Some only had a roughly scratched thought or two, but they were used. Aside from title pages, the writing was all small tight characters written with a fine tipped quill-pen. Only the occasional character or word received a flourish to clarify its meaning.


    She finally found what she had been searching for. "Ah-ha." Slipped from her lips, barely audible.


    "Shh-" came the terse response from Bai.


    She looked up, ready to complain, but saw he was quickly writing a longer document and she got swept up in the display of skill.


    When he finished the page, she had forgotten her complaint and went back to her reading.


    The document in question detailed several practical exercises a cultivator could perform to increase their control. Each exercise had a specific aspect of control that it focused on. Senses, precision, and speed were the most represented. These and more all counted as control because that was just the broad term for all qi manipulation skills.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    She started at the Senses section and quickly found the one that required the least qi use. It was primarily focused on expanding one''s senses, and required a higher than average qi density. She assumed this area would qualify. It was weaker than even the base of the mountain, but was still noticeably stronger than the city had been.


    The first few paragraphs were general theory, then setting up a baseline. So thorough, I shouldn''t be surprised, but the old monster''s loose approach really messed up my expectations. She skimmed most of it and found that it was focused on proving out progress, which she wouldn''t be able to do until she got to the sect. It would do that by reusing the same qi-stable area to accurately measure out her range.


    The last page made Shae smile. It was covered in scratch notes from Yungfan. Knowing the woman had put in the extra effort warmed her heart.


    Her notes were a list of ideas about how Shae''s qi moved on its own and interacted with the practice. Some were ideas that Shae had as well, but seeing them here, and properly thought out, made the girl feel much more comfortable with testing them out.


    The notes ended with:


    <blockquote>


    Some of us argue that not moving the qi yourself will be a bad habit.


    If done manually, this technique can lead into multitasking practice ver. 3, so there are downsides.


    Monk Wuan claims it won''t work at all if you don''t do it yourself, but he is an idiot. Testing will prove it all out.


    -with peace, Kaiun Yungfan.


    </blockquote>


    The words were just what she needed to get started. She quickly stretched, was reminded of her built up aches and pains, then got herself comfortably seated on the warm ground.


    Entering meditation was easy, and she quickly followed the steps involved. First she verified her channels were empty, pushing out even imaginary wisps that could be lingering unseen in the channels she needed to use. A very important step according to the documentation. Then she spread her senses out as far as possible. The main breathing rhythm was a deep and slow inhale-exhale pattern combined with stretching out her sensory range on the exhale.


    The guide had also included historical lore which claimed the practice had been adapted from stretching exercises. Shae''s rushed stretches just before had confirmed that the original physical exercise had merit. Exhaling caused the body to relax, and stretches to extend. She didn''t even need to force her limbs to prove it worked.


    After a dozen cycles she thought she had the hang of it, though she wasn''t sensing anything new past cultivator Bai and his lamp. She guessed that was partly because her aches and pains flared up, and even her stomach twisted in discomfort.


    The next step was to introduce some of her own qi into the cycle. The document stated this would help the process along so she could notice the progress. A small wisp of personal demigod qi floated out and began its circuit through the qi channels in her head, then down past her heart, to her Dantian and back up.


    As the mind was most associated with senses, her instructions were to only cycle a small amount of qi through her head. One of the potential pitfalls of her demigod qi moving on its own was whether it would stay in the required area or not.


    She didn''t get to find out. A hard tap on her shoulder and a loud "A-hem. Miss?" Brought her out of meditation.


    The sound had been loud enough that the trailing hiss of ''miss'' echoed and rang through her head.


    "Ugh.. wha-?"


    "-ssss-do that-ssss-else" Scribe Bai''s words were interrupted by the continued hiss.


    "Ugh, wait, what did you do?" She tried to flex her jaw and rub her ears to banish the sound.


    "Nothing strange."


    "Ah there, it''s mostly gone."


    "What is gone?"


    "Your words were too loud, they kept ringing afterward."


    "It was just a simple sound transmission. Shouldn''t have done that."


    "Are you sure you did it right?"


    "Yes. I''m no fool. What were you doing to change it?" He leaned around the lamp to look at what she was reading. "Ah, a sensory technique, or practical exercise?"


    "Control practice, yes."


    "Looks like... Slumbering Sense Expansion. Or a variant?"


    "Yes, the notes mention that as a follow up practice. It''s just called... Silent Stretching Senses." She read off.


    "Ah yes, I believe that is the work which Slumbering is derived from, and explains perfectly what happened to you just now."


    "It does? How so?"


    "One of the faults with Silent Stretches is that your mortal senses are also amplified, especially at the beginning of the practice. I apologize, if I had known... Well, you are going to the sect, yes?"


    "Yes. Don''t you recognise me?"


    He leaned further around the lantern. "Ah! Miss Zhi Shae!" He stopped with his mouth open and she felt his qi sweep over her. "Odd, your core feels different from our last meeting. You seem to be at the stage you claimed, now."


    "I always was."


    "Sure, anyways. The sect has the Slumbering method available, I suggest you switch to that as soon as possible."


    "Huh. Are you not still mad at me?"


    "Ha ha, no! As cultivators who plan to live hundreds or thousands of years, we can''t hold grudges against every near-mortal that shows disrespect. None would last two decades just remembering everyone that looked at you sideways?" He shuddered. "The stress and annoyance are one thing, but the mass of minor personal demons that could cause would still be enough to consume most souls."


    "Err, uh, wow. I never considered it from that angle."


    "Heh, start to. It''s worth considering the broader future, not just what you dream will happen. Many cannot let go of their early ties; grudges, regrets, guilt, and grief are all heavy ties that may bind you to your past."


    They both say in silence for a moment, considering his words.


    "Thank you, Cultivator Bai. So, uh, that technique, is it more complex than this one?"


    "Of course, I believe there are half a dozen additional steps devoted to dulling certain senses while not affecting others."


    She frowned. "That seems needlessly tedious for a simple practice exercise."


    He shrugged. "Yes, it would seem that way. Most practices that the sect supplies are designed to transition into more advanced techniques later, so getting the habit of the correct qi patterns and rhythms first is quite important."


    "Oh! That''s actually quite helpful, thank you."


    He shook his head. "It''s nothing. You''d learn it in the introductory classes."


    "Classes, about that-"


    He raised a hand, "ask me when we are on the road. Right now I have work to do. Which you were interpreting with your qi channeling."


    "Ah. But really? Just that small amount?"


    "Small? I can see why you were doing control practice. Maybe focus on a finesse practice, if you have one."


    She cringed to herself. "Uh, yes, that is a weakness right now. And I will pick your brain more later, but may I ask...?" She gestured to his work.


    "You wouldn''t understand."


    She sat upright, pitching her voice towards mock offense, "Oh? I''m not as simple as I seem. And that sounds like a challenge."


    He sighed. "What''s five times seven?"


    "Thirty five- err... In Imperial it''s thirty-less-one."


    He titled his head. "Correct, so, what else do you know of mathematics?"


    She sighed, "A mathematician, that explains a lot."


    "Why does everyone say that?"


    "I mostly know that the Empire''s fixation on using base twelve is frustrating; base ten is so much easier."


    "Hah, are you a descendant of an Earth human?"


    Her eyes went wide, "Uh, well, yes. How did you know?"


    "Earth''s lost souls always insist on using base ten. Always claim their math is better. Do you feel that way? Is Earth''s math really so much better?"


    "Um. I never really got on well with math. Memorizing two multiplication tables was annoying. Don''t get me started on the way Empire-Standard writes numbers. Just use digits and pick names and characters for ten and eleven." She sighed and rubbed her temples.


    Bai burst into laughter. "Ah-ha-ha, yes, yes! Spoken like an Earth soul." He finished his laugh while Shae watched with a frown. "Ah, don''t give me that sour face, I''ll introduce you to another at the sect, you''ll get on well."


    "Hmm. I guess that would be nice. Thank you for the offer, Senior Bai."


    "Heh heh, not a problem. But!" He pointed at her papers. "Back to the issue at hand. If you are going to move qi around so roughly, please move to another lantern, try that one. Also, silent stretching might backfire again if the geyser does erupt. So keep an eye on its activity, or switch practices. Oh, and last thing! Put your paper away, lest it gets soaked by the geyser, yes!?"


    "Oh!" She felt a strong blush of embarrassment. "Thank you again, Senior Bai." She gave a seated bow. "I am possibly in your debt."


    "Only possibly? Hah, I''m just acting as a proper senior should. And just between us..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I owe you for calling out Elder Bai for overworking me. I haven''t had to lift a finger since then." He ended with a friendly smile and a nod of respect. "Enjoy the night, Junior Zhi."


    She bowed again and went back to her papers, searching for a new practice.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 8: Under Pressure

    <hr>


    Chapter 8: "Under Pressure."


    <hr>


    Shae passed the rest of the night mainly by reading through the various practices. Reading had always kept her awake and it let her pass the time easily until morning. She first found the single line in Silent Stretching Senses that suggested it would affect her other senses.


    <blockquote>


    You''ll find the first steps stretching all your senses, and slightly amplifying their sensitivity.


    </blockquote>


    The first steps didn''t involve qi use, so it was up to the reader to intuit that qi use would amplify all the senses further. Only with hindsight was it clear, anyone could make that mistake once. I''ll have to read the rest much more diligently.


    She did spend more time meditating with Silent Stretching, and she used the extra pain sensitivity to run more qi through injured areas to speed healing. Still not sure if this is efficient, but better than nothing. Her calm divine qi would soothe her pain, but she didn''t freely throw that around as it wasn''t replaceable. She had only used it mixed with her personal qi for her stomach meridian as that seemed more important.


    She was alerted to the morning by the sun warming her skin. Then her ears perked up at other cultivators moving around. This led to her quickly backing out of the stretching practice so there wasn''t another incident.


    A group of civilians were dragging a small cart to a long table set up near the edge of the marked off sect area. She hadn''t noticed the small flags in the night, but now saw they marked the area off. It reached out about a hundred and fifty paces from the edge of the geyser''s lake.


    The lake itself looked serene and beautiful in the morning rays. Steam rose up, denser near the cultivators, and caught the light. Shae kept seeing the edge of a rainbow from the corner of her eye, but it was always gone when she looked for it.


    The civilians from the caravan were setting out a buffet of breakfast foods. Several of the meditating cultivators had stopped to line up. Two stepped up to help out with the menial task.


    Shae''s stomach turned at the thought of food. Both from the discomfort still remaining after the spicy fire qi, and simple hunger. Hmm, I wonder if there will be other consequences from that... Ugh, gross. Let''s hope not. She wondered if she could ask Master Long for something to make her future less unpleasant; it was his fault after all.


    She didn''t see the old man but quickly spotted Elder Bai passing nearby her position.


    "Pleasant morning, Miss Shae."


    "It is, Elder Bai. I had a slight question." She tilted her head towards the buffet.


    "Ah, I suppose you don''t know the whole plan." He nodded to himself. "We plan to stay another full day and night, the area is great for new cultivators. The caravan will move ahead then we will catch up near the next town. Guren Town, I believe it''s called."


    "Uh, that''s... Wait, I thought you all were acting as guards for the caravan?"


    "Hmm? Oh, so why are we abandoning it? Heh heh." He shook his head. "There''s more danger here, right around this geyser than the next fifty Li out. And we brought the guard change, so will send those relieved with the caravan."


    "Here? What''s dangerous here?"


    "Spirit beasts love to snack on cultivators. Anything above mortal, really. Here there are so many just sitting around, ignoring their environment to focus on cultivation. So we must guard against ambushes. Though, just having the guards around does the trick." He paused to let her scan the area. "Do take this as a lesson. Never cultivate alone in the wild, it will go poorly for you."


    She swallowed, "Right. Thank you for the lesson." She offered a bow.


    "Was there anything else? A question about forming a core or something else beyond you that will make a scene."


    She frowned at him, then flattened her expression. "I was here for something else but since you prodded. I am actually more qualified for core formation than most as I have already survived a tribulation."


    "Eh?"


    "Now, my real question: may I eat from the buffet? And could you recommend something to counter that spiteful fire qi in Long''s Bao."


    "Eh?" He took a full two breaths while staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. Finally clearing this throat, "Ahem. Well yes, we can easily spare food for one more. For the Bao, if you are not writhing in pain, then you have fought it off. But stay away from more spice, and maybe just lighter foods for this morning. You might know what you will handle better than my guesses."


    "Thank you, Elder Bai." She bowed.


    His qi swept over her. "The Staff Sergeant really spoiled you with that sword. Take care, Miss Heavenly Shae." He nearly whispered the title.


    She smiled wide anyway and set off for the buffet.


    <hr>


    Shae snacked on the variety of foods prepared for the sect cultivators. It wasn''t particularly fancy, but was probably the best of what the caravan had to offer, and was definitely better than her own trail rations.


    She chatted with Scribe Bai as they ate, taking advantage of his freely shared knowledge of the sect.


    "So these classes, is it one mandatory track, or do we get to make selections?"


    "Nobles always get to make selections for the first year, they always arrive with most of the early training complete, some even start right in on the second or third year classes."


    "And the peasants have to catch up?"


    "All of the less fortunate. Merchants and minor nobles can''t get the more specific cultivator training, some just challenge the simplest classes."


    "Oh challenges, that''s handy. I could probably do that, at least for reading and writing. How advanced are the first year classes?"


    Bai froze his chewing to stare at the girl. "So arrogant. Be careful in how you ask for a challenge. Some will take it as open ended."


    "Wha-? They''ll get petty at us wanting to skip a class we don''t need?"


    "More students now means less work for them later, when their cultivation is higher. The teachers are paid for it, just in sect comp, but still."


    "Comp? I think someone else mentioned that too."


    "Compensation. But it is just an internal monetary system. Many of my associates get a lot of work balancing the books, as they say."


    "Ah, accountants. Yes you would need a few."


    "Why do you know that word?" He squinted at her.


    "Um. Read it in a book. Probably."


    "And you understood its exact meaning?"


    "With context clues, yes... ?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "Well if you''re really reading at that level, you probably could challenge the language class."


    "Oh! That''s good to hear. Though, it does seem like a high bar for children that hardly know how to read their own name."


    "It is, but gathering all the information from a technique you are learning is vitally important. Just a simple oversight, like a practice affecting your senses, can cost you your life."


    Shae dipped her head, and resisted a blush, or hoped she did. "Right, of course, the first mistake would be a valuable lesson. And is less likely to be deadly at my level."


    "Mhmm." He nodded.


    "Oh look, the geyser is starting."


    "A bit of a boil is hardly enough."


    "Oh, sure. It''s been going a while, though." She looked over at where Bai had been working. "Is all your stuff still out?"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Ugh. Yes. Thank you." He walked off, taking several bizarrely long strides that covered more ground than they should have.


    Shae watched as more cultivators noticed the lake and scrambled to get back into their meditation. Most just dropped to a seated position where they stood.


    Master Long appeared near the food tables as they cleared, not suddenly, just with impeccable timing. Grabbing a plate and filling it as he glanced over at the geyser every few breaths. Shae looked at her own scoured plate and quickly stepped over to get seconds.


    "Ah, Miss Shae. Pleasant morning."


    "It is, Master Long."


    "You''re choosing food over the wonders of the geyser, I see."


    "Little wonders both. But I think I prefer to stay dry this morning."


    "Am I that obvious?"


    "When there is no one else around to do it, yes."


    "I could let some through, you probably need a wash."


    "So direct, yet blunt. Is that a swordsman thing?"


    "I should hope not. We''d be out of work fast."


    Shae niffed at her travel robes. "You might be correct. Though, I''d bet I can bathe over at the caravan side."


    "True, but you really should stay here."


    "For the food? Are these dumplings your doing?"


    "Ah, yes, well spotted, do try them, they are excellent. I made them this morning, as an apology for the unfortunate mix up yesterday."


    "Hmm, thank you. Are these spicy as well?"


    "They are completely mortal fare, I assure you. But the recipe does call for some heat, yes."


    "Still, wouldn''t that further upset my newly tender stomach? Surely you have something more soothing?"


    "Ah.. well. That is a fair point. I would still... hmm, no you''d best not. Unless we have a healer clear you first. My sincere apologies, Miss Shae, I will make it up to you."


    "And such a shame, the Bao were quite delicious. Alas I fear my memory of them is tainted by how they-"


    "Yes, yes, I''ve apologized. Don''t be greedy!" He snapped his chopsticks in her direction.


    She could only smirk. When he looked away, she grabbed a dumpling anyway.


    A call rang out across the lake and the geyser erupted. Shae''s smile held throughout, changing from the teasing smugness to joy at seeing a natural wonder at work.


    Up close the fury of the steam and water pressure was the focus of the show. Mist rushed out in every direction and instantly filled the sky with clouds and rain.


    Master Long did something qi related and the rain missed the table of food, save for a few drops hitting Shae''s upturned face. Even that didn''t spoil her mood.


    She mumbled about something else, "Ahh, qi pressure? I should have expected that." It felt to be around meridian cleansing. A similar strength to what Cultivator Chen had challenged her with in Minlin City, and still too weak to slow her down.


    "Quite revelatory, isn''t it?" Master Long smiled wide and looked expectantly at her, then across at the meditating cultivators.


    Gradually, golden beams of light began to cut through the steam and mist. Enlightenments from several of the seated cultivators.


    Shae sighed. "Is it just that simple for them?"


    "Simple?" He shook his head. "Don''t spoil the mood, girl."


    "Hmm." She frowned at herself, I think Captain Hua''s attitude rubbed off on me.


    Shae finished her second plate of breakfast snacks. Looking out over the area, she saw the steam and mist were starting to clear. "I think I''ll head over to the caravan for that bath you suggested."


    "Hmm? Oh, no need, we can set one up here." Long offered.


    "Not just for me. I''ve other business there too. Should have stopped there first last night. Probably just slept there too, honestly, I''m going to be- well, you don''t need my complaints or itinerary."


    "If you insist I''ll send a guard with you. You''ve met Guard Tu, yes."


    "I did, is that really needed? Can''t be that dangerous crossing a road."


    He waved a hand. "It''s fine, his shift is ending, he might need to go anyway."


    She shrugged.


    A short conversation later and they were walking away from the geyser.


    "Pleasant Morning, Heavenly Zhi."


    "It is, Senior Tu."


    "Ah, if you don''t mind, Guard Tu while I''m on duty."


    "Long said you just got off?"


    "Err, well, this is Master Long''s request, so... and I just prefer it."


    "Very well, Guard Tu, I don''t mind. Now, if you don''t mind, I''ve taken a liking to Wise Shae."


    "Hmm, you don''t seem like the monk type?"


    "True, but I made a few monk friends, and they liked to use it, so."


    "Still, Heavenly is quite the impressive title, do you dislike it?"


    "No, not as much as I dislike Fairy. For myself I mean, others may enjoy it as they like. Heavenly just seems so... pomp- err, well, it''s just too much, isn''t it?"


    Guard Tu shrugged, "Seems fine to me. Though you are quite new. It is quite the auspicious title for one so young."


    "Ah, there. Auspicious... that''s... hmmm... well, I''m not sure if that is the right word either."


    "I think it means something that is quite important, very favorable and promising."


    "Thank you Guard Tu, but I did know what it meant."


    "Oh! Well done then, I only figured it out this year, before that I was running on context alone."


    "Hmm, yes, I suppose I was the same when I began reading."


    They crossed the road about this time.


    "Already a reader! And if I''m not mistaken, you''re no noble or gold-blood."


    "Gold blood? Meaning wealthy? No, my family were farmers, not abysmally poor, but no merchants or ministers."


    "You must have put in quite a few hours of study then. Um, If I may, abysmally?"


    "Like severely. From abyss, which is like a large hole or crevice, like a bottomless chasm or pit. So it works well for intensifying negatives."


    "Ah... that was quite clearly explained. Thank you, Wise Shae." He took a moment to stop and offer her a bow.


    She returned it out of politeness. "Guard Tu. I must ask. Have you been pressuring me with your qi this whole walk?"


    "Err, my apologies, Miss. But it''s an order from Master Long."


    "And did he say why you were to do this?"


    "Well, not directly."


    "But you still know why."


    "Yes, Miss."


    She waited with a raised eyebrow.


    "I''m impressed, you are handling it quite well, Miss."


    "But why! Guard Tu," she snapped out while trying to keep her voice level.


    "Right, yes. Well I don''t know the specifics. Not how it works, really. But all sect cultivators, when they arrive at the Jian Quan for the first time, must stay there a full day, more is better. Something to do with getting used to the pressure."


    "So, it''s a type of tempering."


    "Ah, yep, that''s it. You''ve heard of it?"


    "I''ve completed it, which Master Long knows, because Bai told him yesterday."


    "Err, completed? Didn''t know you could do that."


    "The goal is to make our bodies more accustomed to qi pressure, yes?"


    He nodded.


    "Right, if you are only here for that... Well, I don''t mind if you follow a bit, but you can stop wasting all your effort. I appreciate the gesture, from you and Master Long. Yet it does nothing for me."


    "Alright, Miss Shae, I would stop but Master''s orders... he''s a pleasant Master, but I''d rather not mess this up."


    "Okay." She nodded, an unrelated twitch affecting her left eye. "And you''re sure he said to apply qi pressure to me? It didn''t sound like that when he asked you to accompany me."


    "Right, yes, it wouldn''t. Rules are that we don''t really tell all the new recruits. They can get themselves into trouble if they think extra pressure is good for them. So, we just accompany them in the rare event they need to leave."


    She sighed. "That makes sense." Then tilted her head and frowned. "Are you concerned that I''m lying or something?"


    "Uh, err, not as such, you are the Heavenly Zhi, but it wouldn''t be the first time someone was too uncomfortable and wanted a break from it."


    She huffed, "So lets say, I was lying, then I would be affected by stronger pressure, yes?"


    "Mhm, yep." He nodded.


    "So, how strong, high cleansing or right into meridian cleansing? What should stop me from moving?"


    "Err low foundation, that''s meridian cleansing as you say. Low foundation should slow you down at least. Upper or peak foundation could freeze you up, and you might topple."


    "I''ve fallen much further than my own height before. I''ll be fine taking a small spill. So, you''re nearing peak, or at it? And you''ve probably practiced pressure exercises, yes? So, let''s have a test, you hit me with as much pressure as you can, and I''ll walk away. Then you can go tell Master Long I didn''t need incidental tempering."


    "I''d rather not hurt you, Miss Wise Shae. I can reach low core pressures, Elders confirmed it."


    "I''ll be fine, trust me. Or you can trust me more and just drop the pressure and enjoy the rest of the walk with me?"


    He cleared his throat. "Right, well, I''ll have to count this as fair warning then. And I do apologize, but I have to stick to the letter of my orders, miss." He nodded a question.


    Where in your orders lets you crush the person you''re supposed to be with? She nodded as a ready signal and his qi pressure swung into overdrive. Not bad Tu, I expected you to hold back. She waited a breath or two, to see if the pressure would waver, but Tu held it strong. "Well, done. That might be stronger than Elder Ngoc''s. For the tempering, Elder Bai can confirm it as well, he knows where I was before Minlin City. Good day, Guard Tu." She bowed and walked away.


    The qi pressure only dragged at her a little. She kept her back straight and did her best to not show it.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 9: Steam Cleaned

    <hr>


    Chapter 9: "Steam Cleaned."


    <hr>


    Shae had to ask around to find where the runners had been camping. Many of the wagons had begun cleaning up and replacing their camps, but no one looked to be in any rush.


    Curly''s distinct hair made him easy to find. He was busy with the other runners and only exchanged a few words to direct Shae to where Lari was.


    Two more people gave her directions to the woman before Shae found herself at the doors to the public bathhouse.


    The large building hadn''t stood out to her as it wasn''t taller than any of the wagons. Most of its footprint was open to the sky, with just short walls cutting the space into more private areas. Clever plumbing had allowed the geyser to do the work of moving fresh water above the baths, then trickling down through them to keep the water clean. The outflow spilled further out into what was now a swamp, letting it naturally filter back into the geyser''s lake.


    Shae got distracted by the information boards explaining how the baths worked. Luckily, Lari spotted the girl on her way out.


    "Wise Shae! So good to see you!"


    "Lari! I''m so glad you''re safe!"


    "Why wouldn''t I be safe?"


    "Ah, err, I don''t know. I was worried when you didn''t show at the North Gate."


    She smiled, "I know, I heard from Curly. What happened after you split?"


    She sighed heavily. "I found... something suspicious on the old road. You didn''t go down it, did you?"


    She frowned, "I did, but didn''t see anything, and at that point I was already late and rushing. What did you find?"


    "Uhm.. I''m not sure. It looked like someone was attacked by a wild animal."


    She gasped, "Oh no! Sena!" Lari''s hands quickly shot up to cover her heart and mouth.


    "Sena?"


    "Rin Sena, a young girl from the local farms, she..." Lari rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    Shae pulled her into a side hug then soothed her by moving a hand in circles over her back.


    "Her mother asked me to look for her." Lari spoke quietly between deep breaths. "She was why I was late. They hadn''t seen her in days."


    "I''m sorry to hear that, Lari. After I found the signs, I ran back to the town and got Captain Hua to check it out. She took care of it."


    "What did she find- no don''t tell me, she wouldn''t have known Serena anyway."


    "She didn''t tell me what she found, but said she would sweep the rest of the road, and check on the farms. We were still looking for you at the time. I''m sure she will sort it out, and let her family know, when she can confirm if something like that happened."


    "You sound confident in her, she''s never been that helpful towards the farmers."


    "Hmm, I suppose I don''t know her that well. I might be overstating it then. Right, she didn''t want to leave the town when I was looking for you. But I think I got her in a good mood, well, a more active mood. Hard to be in a good mood with what she found. Still, I think she''ll do what she promised."


    "No offense, Shae," she mussed-up the girl''s hair, "but I''d bet she didn''t promise anything." She returned the girl''s half a hug. "Thanks though, it means a lot to me that you got her out there at all."


    "Mhm, it was no trouble, I''m glad you''re okay."


    "Me too! And you need a bath, you smell like you ran a hundred li!"


    "Almost two hundred, actually."


    "Hah, come on, my treat."


    <hr>


    Lari left shortly after walking Shae inside. She was able to be so generous because they were public baths: entry was free. This was standard when there was a large caravan as the caravan leader had effectively paid for everyone. "A clean ''van is a healthy ''van." Lari said.


    Soap, shampoo, and wash cloths were a different story, as was laundry services. The business collected a tidy sum from Shae for these. Though she had only been on the road for a single day, she was glad for the relaxing bath.


    Afterwards, she elected to visit Mistress Ping Ahna, the caravan leader.


    "This better be important, I''m busy."


    "Ah, Mistress Ping. It is not, but it is quick. I am Miss Shae, we spoke in Minlin about me joining the caravan."


    She looked Shae over. "I spoke with a lot of people."


    "But not many solo cultivators."


    "Ah! The solo girl, yes. You made it then? Why didn''t I see you earlier?"


    "I missed the departure by a full day, and only caught up last night, which I spent with the sect." She pointed across the road.


    Ping Ahna tilted her head. "You made the run in a day? Aha, you were with the two runners! Well if you can make that run, you hardly need the ''van. Are you staying with them again?" She jerked her head in the same direction Shae had pointed.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The girl shrugged, "Undecided. I''m not getting as much from the location as the others."


    "Well then, let me sway you: we could use another pair of legs and a bow. Especially with a cultivator behind them."


    "I thought the sect was providing guards?"


    "Guards, sure. Not scouts, hunters, or runners to alert the next town. Gotta check if the road''s clear. Van''s far more involved than just guards."


    "Oh! That makes sense."


    "Of course it does. I''ll waive the fee for joining, but can''t promise any payment until we can see what you can do. As long as you''re not useless or annoying I''ll cover meals."


    "Annoying?"


    "Long story, but I try not to make open invitations anymore. We''re leaving before noon so make up your mind quickly then come find me." She turned to walk away.


    "Um, yes, I''ll think about it, thank you Mistress Ping."


    She just waved behind herself, already talking to someone else.


    Hmm, I should talk to... Bai or Long, see if they can give me a reason to stay.


    Master Long found her before she had crossed the road again. "You, girl! Why did you ditch Guard Tu?" He looked the most upset she had seen him, which wasn''t much as he kept up a stoic mask. Though, it was less stiff than Elder Ghon''s, especially now.


    "Master Long, I''m glad to see you." She gave a too formal bow.


    "Don''t dodge the question with formality. Are you so arrogant you don''t know when your betters are trying to help you."


    "Help me? Did you listen to Guard Tu''s report, or confirm with Elder Bai."


    "Impudent wretch. Has no one given you proper lessons in manners?" She felt a wash of qi pressure laced with killing intent. Though, not so much it would bother another at her cultivation stage.


    Shae squinted at the man. She hadn''t seen him act anything like this yet. Their conflict was drawing attention from the passing caravanners.


    She took a deep breath and tried to settle this in a different way. "Master Long. My deepest apologies for avoiding your questions." She bowed lower than she had. "Please, if it was for something else, enlighten this one to Guard Tu''s purpose, or test this one''s tempering directly."


    Long seemed to take a moment to assess the girl; she felt his qi sweep through her.


    "You are unworthy of this locale''s benefits! Begone!" He turned and stalked back across the road.


    Shae stood stunned for a breath before shouting, "Hey!" Which went ignored.


    Her mind ticked over into rage. She pulled her bow out and strung it. A few people nearby started to mumble and gasp louder as she nocked an arrow and pulled it back.


    Her cleansed right arm had no trouble with the heavy hunting bow, but her aim wavered as her weaker left side struggled to hold steady.


    From the side, an older man stepped towards her. "Uh, Miss cultivator. You, um, shouldn''t do that."


    She relaxed the pull a bit, looking over at the aged worker. "Yes. I mean, I would probably miss."


    "Err, and Master Long is quite the capable fighter."


    "That''s not Master Long."


    "What?"


    "Yea, not even him. Probably some shit-head that thinks they can scare me off. Or just playing a prank, not sure what level of pranks the sect are ok with."


    "But how, he looked just like him."


    "Nah. Have you ever seen Long act like that? He didn''t even have his jian."


    "Uh, I don''t know Master Long that well."


    "And his qi was wrong. Steam instead of water. And, if that really was that clumsy cook, he''d hear what I''m saying about him and come back here to punish me for it." She gestured an open hand to the empty space the mystery cultivator had left behind.


    The peasant paled. Then he ran off after he started breathing and thinking again.


    Ugh, now I really need to go find Master Long or Sword Bai.


    <hr>


    As Shae sourly stomped across the road towards the sect cultivators, she considered not reporting the impersonation attempt. It would be easy to use this as an excuse to leave with the caravan, she huffed to herself, but I can''t let some spoiled brat bully me... and it could be another test.


    Hmm, did I actually confirm that the Bao buns were a test?


    She found the geyser clearing was back to its boring inactive state, with people scattered around the lake shore, meditating, no, just waiting, long said. A few had taken to physical exercise, but it looked to be another slow Tai Chi type. Qi-gong maybe?


    The guards recognized her from last night and let her through. Sometimes it pays to make a scene, she smirked.


    Not spotting Master Long or Elder Bai, she gravitated towards Scribe Bai''s elaborate setup of math homework. He had a full table out, low enough that he could sit on the ground in reasonable comfort.


    She walked up close, but paused for a break in his writing. "Senior Bai, do you have a moment?"


    "Little Shae. Good to see you back. Is that enough of a moment?"


    "Heh, I was looking for Master Long or Elder Bai. Have you seen them?"


    "Seen? No, I''ve been busy, but I heard some commotion at the lake, and sensed their qi near it. I think they went into it to train. Based just on the commotion the gathered guards had made. Did you ask them?"


    "Ah, no. That would have been better, sorry for the trouble."


    He shrugged, keeping his focus mostly on his work.


    "Hmmm." Shae hummed, peering down at the page.


    "You could go ask a guard whatever you need."


    "Eeh. I think I''ll wait." She continued looking over his shoulder.


    A few breaths later he twitched his wrist and tapped the table, "If you are going to wait here, why don''t you go back to reading your practices. The light is much better during the day."


    "Ah, thank you for the reminder, Senior!" She dropped her pack and pulled her bundle of letters out then sat at the table.


    "Not literally here." Bai whined and stared at the girl right beside him.


    She shimmied over to the far corner of the table.


    "I mean not at my table at all." He tried to say sternly.


    "Senior, you have a large table, I only need this small corner." She batted her eyelashes.


    He sighed. "You''re not as pure and adorable as you''d need to be to get away with that. But. If you agree to never try that on me again you can have half a square pace."


    She started to object, then smiled. "Deal!" She nodded at him and opened the first document in her stack.


    He forced a second sigh and went back to his work.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 9.5: Unofficial Complaints

    <hr>


    Chapter 9.5: "Unofficial Complaints."


    <hr>


    Shae flipped through her stack of practices and exercises searching for something specific. During her relaxing bath she had decided which practice to focus on. It took a quarter hour just to find the correct set of bound pages. Mortal memory being fickle, she couldn''t recall the exact title or where in the pile she had found it last night.


    Manifold Journey was a series of twelve practices Wise Wuan had combined and adapted to be used by new cultivators. It was meant to be used during a journey, and ideally, soon after a cultivator learned to control qi. The notes explained that this meant it was rarely used, as it would need to be taught quickly to inexperienced students.


    While Wise Wuan''s work had made the practices much easier, new cultivators still found the practices difficult to control. Few brand new to do usage could easily move themselves and their qi without problem. Thus, the monks rarely had an opportunity for their students to use Manifold Journey as their skill was usually only adequate for the practices after they arrived at Golden Orchard. Once there, they didn''t possess a strong reason to make a large journey adequate to satisfy the practices needs.


    One exception to the cultivator needing good control was if they had a compatible qi type that wouldn''t riot within their channels when left alone too long. Yungfan had told Shae that while her qi was strange, it''s behavior wasn''t unprecedented. Users with high elemental affinity could often leave their aspected qi in their channels for long periods without backlash or rioting.


    Wind qi was well known for moving on its own, as well as a few others. These types often took a toll on their users by wearing down their mental stamina or painfully impacting their qi channels. Shae was no exception as her demigod qi wore her down. A day of qi strengthened running had left her channels rather sore.


    Her qi''s combination of continuous movement and staying within her channels was unique, but Yungfan claimed it was well within theory. The monk''s concern was what the trade off would be. What clear downside would emerge that might restrict her future?


    Shae was less worried about it. I''ll take it as it comes, and restart my path if I need to.


    She looked over the first practice: Scout Destination. She thought that was a poor name: it was too metaphorical in meaning, and the so-called scouting was more about the journey than the destination. It was simple in that it required the user to cycle a bit of qi through their head in a certain rhythm, then think through their destination and what the user wanted from the journey and what they expected at the destination.


    It included a suggestion to use this time to research the trip. The distance to be traveled, how many stops and for how long. Most important though, was what the user wanted from the trip. The text used flowery metaphors but Shae read between the lines. This was the step that laid a mental foundation for the other practices to build on. Sloppy work here would limit her overall success.


    She decided to take it seriously, and began testing the practice immediately. What I want is to be able to use all these practices successfully. She knew this circular logic might backfire, but she hoped it would help her learn the practices faster. She intended to set other goals as well, but told herself she was just waterproofing right now.


    She cycled the skill and read through the next practice. She was immediately restless and stood to walk circles around the table where Scribe Bai still sat.


    "Miss Shae, do you recall what I asked you not to do last night?"


    "Um, qi practice? But I thought that was just for your lamp?"


    "It was for my own peace of mind, the lamp was an excuse."


    "Oh..." She kept walking and slowly returned her qi to her Dantian.


    "Since you''ve interrupted me anyway, and my curiosity now has the better of me. What did you need to tell Master Long?"


    She squinted her eyes at him. "Hmm, will you help?"


    "I promise nothing, but if it''s a simple question..." He shrugged.


    "It''s kind of a security concern."


    "So the guards should handle it?"


    "I''m worried they are involved. When did Master Long go in the lake? Much before I returned?"


    "Hmm, nearly right after the geyser calmed, so yes at least an hour before."


    "Right. So." She sat back at the table, lowered her voice and leaned forwards. "Someone who looked like Master Long approached me just before I came here."


    Bai didn''t look surprised. "How do you know it wasn''t him?"


    She ticked off her fingers, "Completely different personality. Ignored my very reasonable response. Different qi element. And completely ignored my threats and insults after he walked away."


    "Very reasonable response?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "And he didn''t have his sword."


    "Ah, now that is actually suspicious." He nodded.


    "Yea, so?"


    "So?"


    Her eyes went wide briefly. "So what do you think? Subterfuge and impersonation? Fox spirit?"


    Bai shook his head, "Not a fox spirit. Did he respond directly to something strange you said?"


    "Uh, Hmm, what do you mean?"


    "Many elders and masters are known to send illusory messengers to deliver specific orders or news. Only ever over short-range, but if it didn''t actually converse with you..."


    "It might have just been rehearsed?" Shae thought. "Could be, but they scanned me, I felt their qi."


    "Hmm, like this... Or like this...?" He made two hand gestures, releasing qi with each.


    "Ah? Well, those felt the same, but they felt like your qi. It didn''t feel like Long''s, his is water, this new person''s is steam."


    "Steam is one of the main illusion elements."


    "Mhm, and it just didn''t make sense. They knew Guard Tu left me alone but not why. He should have reported to Long and- and it just didn''t make sense, okay!" She crossed her arms.


    "Have you spoken to Guard Tu yet?"


    Shae stopped with her mouth open.


    "Well, it seems like you have a task now." He looked back at his work.


    "Yea." Shae''s stomach rumbled very loudly. "Uhhh, new task, which way is-?" It gurgled again.


    Bai pointed to the tree line, "Red flag. I''ll watch your things."


    "Thanks!" Shae shouted, already a dozen paces away, running awkwardly in the direction indicated.


    <hr>


    Aside: Scribe Bai


    <hr>


    <blockquote>


    Bai immediately restarted his work after the tedious girl left. He made swift progress without the distraction present. Even her flipping pages at the table had been enough to slow him down. I really need to work on my focus, again.


    The busy square in Minlin city had been great for that, it let him practice a focus technique, but the calm and quiet of the geyser had him ignore the technique in favor of his more useful abilities.


    Focus, Bai. He breathed and let the concerns pass him by. Meditation practice could be helpful even outside of cultivation.


    The work flew by, and he grimaced at the footsteps approaching from behind.


    "Feeling better?" He asked.


    "Uh, Senior Bai. Yes, I am well." The girl walked to her spot, skimmed a few pages, and looked over her things, slowing at the bow and strange staff. Then she began cleaning up her papers.


    He frowned at her back. Checking his own paperwork he tested a hunch. "Getting back to earlier: what''s eleven times nine?"


    "Uh..." She froze.


    "Come on, it''s not that hard. You were doing well before."


    "Eight sets and five- no, three?"


    "Correct. Leaving now? I thought you were staying to wait for Master Long?"


    "Hmm, well, I changed my plans. I''ve decided to leave with the caravan."


    "Oh? And why are you taking all of Miss Shae''s things, Apollo?"


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The girl that looked like Shae froze. "Sorry. Who''s Apollo?"


    "Why you are, my dearest Apollo. Do you know why you''re my favorite disguise specialist?"


    She sighed and stood straight. She still looked like Shae, but something in her body language had changed. "Why?"


    "Because your master always announces when you will be on these outings."


    She sighed dramatically and flipped her hair back. "That has been rather inconvenient, though I didn''t think it mattered that it was me specifically. What gave me away?"


    "Your usual tell."


    "And I suppose you won''t tell me what that is?"


    "Who says it''s just one thing?"


    She huffed and flipped her hair again. "Ugh. That''s not funny. So the same deal as usual?"


    Bai sucked air between his teeth. "Can''t see that working. This is new ground for us."


    "What? How so?


    "I can''t just ignore your attempted theft from an outsider."


    "Outsider? Who?" She followed Bai''s gaze down to Shae''s pack. "The girl? We''ve been over this, new recruits are fair game."


    "She''s not been officially recruited, Apollo."


    The girl that looked like Shae paled. "This isn''t an okay joke, Bai."


    "It''s no joke. She missed the testing. Supposedly she has an introduction letter, but no one''s seen it."


    "Right, well," she quickly pulled out the bound pages and replaced them on the table. "Good thing you caught me or I might have gotten myself into trouble."


    "Good that I caught you impersonating a non-sect member to investigate their personal belongings?"


    The woman hissed, "They are out in the open, unguarded, anyone can see. And I was just testing you personally. Nothing to do with the girl."


    "Hmm, but I may have to report you for failing proper scouting and reconnaissance. You should have known she wasn''t a recruit."


    She finished replacing the papers, Bai thought they looked exactly as Shae had left them. One of the pages was even tucked under itself, threatening to crease if more weight was applied. He reached out to correct it. She batted his hand away.


    "What do you want?" The woman snapped off.


    "To fix that- oh, you mean to overlook this?" He paused and hummed. "Keep yourself and your friends away from my whole department for the foreseeable future."


    She grimaced. "Friends! Hah! Can''t control them. And we get assignments for specific departments too often, even for Scribes and Analytics. Best I could possibly get away with is a month."


    "That''s hardly enough. Tell me when you all get assignments for Analytics?"


    She shook her head, face stern, "Not a chance. Info leaking is basically a death sentence. I''d rather let your worst report of this go through."


    "My worst? Do you know that Shae saw through your sorry attempt at Master Long." He shook his head and looked sad. He clicked his tongue, "tsk tsk. Impersonating an Elder to an outsider?"


    She went pale again but her face held firm.


    He sighed, understanding she wouldn''t budge. "Fine, no info. Stay out of Analytics until you get a direct assignment, or two months. And you leave me out of your pranks as long as possible. The girl, too." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to where Shae still was.


    The false Shae sighed heavily, then batted her eyebrows at him. "Why include her?" She put on a better cute and innocent act than Shae had. Bai guessed she was changing her disguise or using some technique to help.


    He squinted and thought he saw her eyelashes lengthen. "What part of no pranks makes you think that is acceptable?"


    She ran a long fingernail along her jawline then down her neck, drawing the sharp point down the front of her robes. The cloth split revealing entirely too much cleavage. It was a very incongruous sight, considering the girl had practically no chest. Her voice pitched lower as she leaned across the table. "Come on, Bai darling, can''t we work something out."


    "Stop that!" Bai flicked his fingers at the woman, a few streaks of qi flying across the table and impacting the woman''s torso with a ripple. She didn''t react as the extra layer of qi illusion fell apart and returned her appearance to a fully clothed Shae. "That''s just weird, she''s practically a child." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked around. No one seemed to be staring at them. "Staying away from Shae is probably doing you a favor if she''s spotted you once already."


    The woman slumped slightly. "Uh, fine. You''re both off limits until I have no choice."


    "So we''re in agreement?"


    "Yes."


    "Excellent. Now that the business is done. I would love to take you out for dinner at the sect."


    "Hmm, I think you already turned down that offer."


    "I''d rather not build a relationship on bargains and your seductress talents. You are interested in me aren''t you?" He gave a pleasant smile.


    "She blushed and looked away. I wear a lot of masks, you know."


    "Yes, but through those masks, a lovely personality still peeks out. I''d like to get to know the real you." He reached across the table and set his hand on hers. She flinched slightly but didn''t pull away.


    "If we were to meet, would you have a preference for my appearance? Not this body, I hope."


    Bai flinched and almost pulled back. "Oh, heavens no!" He shuddered slightly. He took a breath and centered himself. "I assume your true self is off the table? Then, whoever you are most comfortable as."


    "It''s my job to be comfortable as anyone." She smirked.


    "Then take your pick. Perhaps I''ll use that to know how interested you are." He smirked back.


    </blockquote>


    "Stop, stop, that''s enough." Elder Bai said. "We don''t need the details of your romantic life, Junior Bai."


    "Hmm, I''m not sure, a bit of surreal drama is nice once and a while." Master Long chipped in.


    "Surreal?" Scribe Bai sounded hurt.


    "You can''t expect us to believe every word of that? Can you?" Long explained.


    "It''s what happened!"


    "Thank you, Junior. Just a few points to clarify. You are reporting to us, yet you agreed to not report Apollo?" Long asked.


    "Allow me." Elder Bai butted in. "You''ve been away for quite some time, Master. The rules for Apollo''s department have changed due to a bit of inter-sect politics. The key highlights are that reporting guidelines changed slightly, but we are more informed of their activities. Apollo would only receive penalties if Junior Bai reported directly to Apollo''s master. He is required to report to us regardless."


    "Hmm, so the bribe is intentional? Smart, adds another realistic layer to their training. What about the information change?"


    "A safety precaution, supposedly. Sect members above body cleansing are informed of that department''s general activities. Thus we knew that a member was on this expedition. We do not know their identity or goals, but it has supposedly saved many lives."


    The younger man was nodding along. "And Apollo''s Master likes to give her a challenge, so leaked that she would be on this outing."


    "Hmm.. training injuries were always their largest challenge. Yet, the masters I knew would claim this will make them soft."


    "That was the pushback. Yet the department was suffering, still is, really." Elder Bai shrugged.


    "Hmm, they always did struggle, but those that survived were the best of the best. And were entirely too cautious, we could hardly get them to take assignments." Long shook his head. "I''ll have to get caught up on the finer details sometime. Let''s continue."


    The sword cultivator nodded. "My question is, what was the significance of the math question? Have you gotten better at bluffing? Surely she shouldn''t have answered?"


    "I expect Miss Shae would have answered faster, actually. Probably in base ten as elevens are quite easy in base ten, much like thirteens in Empire Standard."


    The two other cultivators looked at each other then back to Bai. The sword cultivator opened his mouth, then paused.


    Master Long spoke first. "So, the girl knows some math? She is full of surprises."


    Elder Bai snapped his jaw shut and nodded along.


    "Some? By my standards... Well, I haven''t tested her but I suspect she is much better than most her age. Reads fast, too. She was asking about challenging first year classes this morning."


    Master Long smiled wide. "Ahh, I always enjoyed a student that was up for a challenge."


    "He means testing to skip the class."


    "I know what he meant." Snapped Long. "Most think their tutors covered everything, it''s so fun to teach them that there is always more to teach!"


    The Bai''s shared a glance.


    "Yes, I know that the first year classes are based on prescribed tests." Long frowned at them.


    Both Bai''s sighed in unison.


    "What happened with Shae when she got back?" Sword Bai asked.


    "I told her I''d report the incident, the original one. It wouldn''t do to tell an outsider that someone had impersonated her and tried to walk off with her belongings." He shook his head and the others nodded. "Then she wanted more info about the trip back to the sect. Said she was planning on joining the caravan today. I directed her to the guards as they have made the trip several times."


    "So, she just left?" The swordsman said with surprise on his face.


    Long shook his head. "Missing out on valuable tempering, and possible enlightenment."


    Both Bai''s looked at the man then at each other. "You tell him."


    "No, you were just about to."


    "But you already had the floor."


    "And you are my senior, I might miss a detail."


    "What''s to miss? You already-"


    "What is it!?" Long interrupted, his words sharp.


    Scribe Bai cleared his throat, "Miss Shae had already completed tempering, Master Long." He bowed slightly.


    "Yes, Junior Bai mentioned it." He shrugged. "I remember him using it as an excuse. Likely just avoiding showing off his qi pressure''s strength. You have been doing your practices, yes? Why I remember when you were younger-"


    "Master!" Sword Bai pleaded, looking nervously at Scribe Bai. He turned to cough into his sleeve. "The point is she doesn''t gain anything from the pressure here."


    Long frowned. "No, no, there''s always more tempering to do. Just one little step on that path doesn''t let you forgo the journey."


    The Bai''s glanced at each other again. The younger''s facial expression silently communicating: Your turn.


    The sword cultivator tried again. "Miss Shae delivered a letter from Elder Ngoc who had traveled to Pilgrim''s Rest. Elder Ghon apparently completed Shae''s directed tempering there and she returned to Minlin City from the mountain, alone."


    "Hmm." Master Long glanced at the ground in front of him. "Well." He paused for a few breaths, then nodded to himself and looked up. "I suppose she''ll have to find somewhere more challenging for the next step on her tempering journey."


    The Bai''s shared a confused glance.


    Long raised a finger. "Ah! One last thing. Why is this specialist called Apollo? It is a nickname, yes?"


    "Hah! Nope!" Sword Bai yelped. "I''m leaving, I''ve heard this too many times." He turned and scurried away.


    Scribe Bai smirked and watched the man leave. "So, as she left..."


    <blockquote>


    "Excellent doing business with you. I''ll be off." Apollo bowed deeply to the scribe, "Cultivator Bai, my sincere Apollo-gies, for the inconvenience."


    </blockquote>


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 10: Sets of Questions

    <hr>


    Chapter 10: "Sets of Questions."


    <hr>


    Shae was wandering between the guards, interviewing them about the trip back. How long is it? What is on the way? Where''s your favorite scenic location? Many answered that it was this geyser, or the next large town: Flame Well City.


    In between she would stop to meditate for a dozen breaths to refresh the qi practice she was trying to use. Her personal qi liked to wander her channels, not always following the pattern she had left it in, which meant the practice sometimes stopped working.


    More often she would lose concentration as she spotted the red flag marking the sects facilities, a flush of embarrassment crumbling her focus. They were remarkably modern and she was able to clean up after herself easily. She had even felt waves of qi passing over her, lightly scouring everything. She guessed it was some kind of disinfectant formation, the third pass of which had started to irritate some of her exposed skin.


    Luckily the qi practice mentioned it could be started and stopped repeatedly. That was one of the key features that made it good for new cultivators.


    She noticed a small change after the fifth interview. A small shift in her focus and mindset. The practice asked her to focus on her goal of clearly setting out the foundations of her journey. So, she had developed a structure for what she expected of the journey. Now, it was a structure she felt on an instinctual level, like knowing the layout of a very familiar room. With this change, if her qi broke out of the practice pattern it caused this mental map to fade out of her awareness. Yet, she would feel it again after meditating and resuming the practice.


    This was about what she expected from the description in the monk''s writing. This first step was said to be the hardest, as the focus and qi manipulation required was difficult. It probably would have been much harder if my qi didn''t do half the work for me. What a cheat! She smirked as she went to the next guard.


    "Ah, Miss Shae, Guard Tu was looking for you." The woman said.


    "Oh? A few hours ago, maybe?" She let the guard nod. "Did he say why?"


    "Sort of, I think he couldn''t report to Master Long, and maybe needed to tell you that? Or was he supposed to ask a question?"


    "Hmm, the first sounds correct. Thank you, Guard..?"


    "Guard Shu, at your service." She smirked down from a full head and a half above Shae. The guard was built like an old muscle car: skin like steel and the obvious power underneath to back it up.


    "Excellent! How well do you know the return trip to the sect, Guard Shu?"


    "Quite well, I think. What did you need to know?"


    "I''m trying to get an idea of the whole path back. How far, how long, how many stops the caravan might take, anything interesting along the way, that kind of thing."


    "Well you''ve come to the right woman. The family are merchants by trade." She smirked and winked at Shae''s reaction. "So, whatever you need. And more, for a price."


    The girl held half a frown from the pun. "If I''m paying for something, do you have a map?"


    "Not on me, I could draw one, or add to an existing one."


    "Hmm, well I''ve no spare pages or ink. How about in the dirt? No one else has managed anything close to a good map."


    "For you? Sure, I''ll even let you pay me back at the sect."


    "Fine, but if you are going to charge me sect comp, you better include a good explanation for what that''s worth. I''d like to be only gouged once."


    "Hah! Smart, will do. You were good to us guards last night, so I won''t overdo it. It''s good business to have repeat customers."


    It took several cycles of Shae resetting her technique to draw out and go over the map. By the end she felt a firm image in her mind about the path ahead.


    "The caravan won''t push as hard as that first day, expect fifty to seventy Li a day. Mistress Ping likes to keep it easy, but doesn''t put up with delays. So, it''s safe to say it''ll be another ten days of travel."


    "Counting today? I think they are leaving soon."


    "Yes. Counting today. Should be enough light to get to the narrow pass by dark. She''ll use that to camp. Easier to protect with only the two entrances."


    "Hmm, so about... Six hundred li?"


    "I believe the saying is, Five square sets from the Dragon''s Circle to Minlin square. Dragon''s Circle is the trade center of the sect''s nearest settlement, built as a circle instead of a market square, in Tail''s Wake town."


    "Hmm, how thematic." A square set is the second order of base twelve, so 5 by 12 by 12... 60 then 720, and we''ve already done 150 from Minlin. So 570 Li left. She sighed and returned her attention to the guard.


    "Heh, expect more of the same, but don''t worry too much, it only stretches so far."


    Huh? Oh, more themed names. "This larger town here, you said that was halfway?"


    "Yep, Flame Well is the next largest in the region after Minlin. Ma always said those two and the sect are fighting for who will get to be the real city in the region."


    She turned to look into the distance. "Flame Well? Sounds like a volcano name."


    "Hah, they wish. Almost the opposite, a mining town where they do a lot of smelting and smithing."


    "Ah, I suppose that works."


    "I''m sure they''ll be glad to have your approval, ha ha ha!" Shu broke into a quiet giggle.


    Shae didn''t stop her own smile from showing.


    So, ten days travel, if I can switch to the next practice when we leave, I''ll only need to squeeze one double day in, or switch on the last day, to do all twelve.


    They exchanged a few more questions before Shae left for the caravan.


    <hr>


    Mistress Ping was glad to have Shae join and she quickly sent the girl off to be assessed by her existing team. Shae only claimed to be a fast runner, but Ping wanted her bow and tracking skills tested as well.


    Shae was not surprised when she was told she had no skill in either.


    "Fire a hundred shots a day and I''ll think about letting you on a hunt the last couple days, maybe sooner if you''re a quick study. You cultivators can learn fast, I hear." The hunter specialist said.


    They regularly scouted out ahead of the caravan, finding wandering game before the ''van scared it off. They also served as an early warning for anything dangerous. The group was a little disappointed at Shae''s lack of a sight or messaging technique.


    In the end her open road speed saved her from being a total disappointment. "We don''t usually need emergency runners, but it''ll be nice to have you around. Or not if you''re out running, ha-ha!" The scout leader said.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    <hr>


    Within the first few days, her speed was used only once. It was when the sect cultivators didn''t show up on the second day. The caravan had rested the second night in a small town where they expected the cultivators to meet them.


    "We expected them last night, but plans can change so I''m not worried. I''d like to know if they cut ahead of us, though." Mistress Ping told her. "Stay here for the morning to see if they catch up, then get to us with their plans for the day. If not, catch up anyway and I might have you go to the next town to see if they are there instead."


    She nodded. "Yes, Mistress."


    The busy woman walked off without another thought.


    "Uhm, apologies, Cultivator Shae. Mistress Ping is quite busy and means no disrespect." Her aide said.


    "It is fine, Mister Fen. Though, please call me Miss. I''m too new to this to need the extra formalities."


    He looked relieved. "Thank you, Miss Shae." He hurried off after his Mistress.


    <hr>


    The sect cultivators did not show up that morning. Shae was glad to have the morning to review her practices. Though she was a little worried that cramming the practice into just the afternoon would be an issue. After some thought, she decided that even the wait in town was part of the journey. So, she spent some of the wait exploring the town as she practiced the new qi exercise.


    She was quite glad to find that the practices after the first were much easier to maintain than the scouting one had been. The bulk of them only required her to cycle her qi past a specific group of meridians. Not through them, just past the entrances to the clogged areas. A part of her hoped this would soften the impurities, but the pages said nothing about that being a benefit.


    After a tasty lunch at a food cart, she set off to catch up with the caravan. She didn''t push herself super hard. The Manifold Journey text specifically said to not use other techniques at the same time, so Shae was hesitant to flood her leg with qi to support her running. Even though reinforcement wasn''t a technique, the notes from Yungfan had said to be careful with her qi. Because it moved on its own it might counter what the technique was doing, if she wasn''t cautious.


    She only used a small amount, and spent most of her focus keeping the two groups of qi apart. Her speed suffered, but not as much as not using qi.


    She caught up to the caravan a little later than expected.


    "I thought you were fast?"


    "Mistress Ping." She bowed slightly as apology. "They did not arrive. I decided to conserve my energy in case you wished me to run ahead."


    She huffed through her nose. "Sure. And now I''m supposed to expect you to make more than a day''s travel in a few hours?"


    Shae scrunched her forehead. "Clearly I misunderstood. I thought I was expected to only reach the next stop, not the one past it?"


    "Well, if they are not at the next, clearly you''d need to check the one after!"


    The girl''s eyes went wide. "Mistress, do you really think they jumped that far ahead?" Her forehead creased with confusion.


    The woman''s stern face cracked into laughter. "Hahaha, I''m just teasing you." She slapped the girl''s shoulder. "You''re fine to stay with the group. They used a spirit messenger to inform me of their delay. Got it while we were on the road this morning. Take the rest of the day off."


    The girl recovered slowly from the unexpected teasing, "Thank you, Mistress Ping."


    She didn''t receive a response, the woman had already switched to the next task. She tilted her head respectfully anyway and took her leave.


    <hr>


    The Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect cultivators arrived the next day, short one Elder Bai. Scribe Bai filled Shae in while they walked alongside the caravan. "It''s sect business, but you''ll find out soon enough. Master Long has chosen to return to the sect, and Elder Bai agreed to watch over the geyser until another is selected." He frowned slightly.


    "I take it, that wasn''t the plan?" Shae asked.


    He frowned again and rocked his head to the side. "it was a possibility. Like with Elder Ngoc, switching out elders at sect territories is planned for. It''s just that... Well, two in one year is surprising, I suppose."


    "Did he say why?"


    "It is not our place to ask, or expect explanations."


    "Hm. Oh, did they say why they went into the lake?"


    He just frowned and raised an eyebrow at her.


    "Right, same answer then." She bit her lip briefly. "How about you, did you enjoy the extra day to do math?"


    "It''s not just math. But yes, I made good progress with the extra day. Thank you for asking."


    "Heh, is it pushing to ask for details? We have a lot of walking ahead of us."


    "Ordinarily, I wouldn''t bother trying with a green-robe like you. Hmm.. What is eleven times nine?"


    "Ninety nine, err, eight and three."


    "Right. How about four ascend three?"


    "Ascend? Haven''t heard that one... Err wait! Don''t tell me, I''ll guess..." She set a fist under her chin to think. "Hmm. There''s only so many operations I know of, so exponents seems a reasonable guess. I''d say four to the power of three, or four by four by four. So sixty four, or five sets and four in standard."


    Bai sighed and shook his head. "The girl says she doesn''t get along with math, yet knows how to ascend by some other name."


    "So, I''m right?"


    He nodded, "Yes."


    "Whooo!" She pumped a fist and raised it into the air.


    "Now, do tell me. Who taught you that in earth standard before imperial standard?"


    Shae''s celebration froze and she almost missed her next step. "Ugh... Wah!" She called out as she stumbled.


    Bai snorted lightly.


    "Well, I guess my teachers knew Earth math a lot better than imperial. Call it a local tradition?"


    "A local tradition where they can teach children reading and writing to a high proficiency before they are affinity tested." He shook his head with his eyes wide. "Sounds more like a noble house than a peasant village. You are from a peasant village, yes?"


    "Yes. And even there, I am considered quite advanced for my age. I only learned as much as I did by making and insisting I be able to learn. Not something the other kids did. And I worked myself raw to have the free time to do so."


    Bai sighed. "What I would have given for such an opportunity. My family barely had enough for a second book to read."


    "Mhm. I know what you mean." Shae''s tone became sullen. "We only had one. Took me a solid year of arm twisting to get the families to just trade books around so everyone could learn faster."


    "You did that? And what do you mean by arm twisting?"


    "Well, a proper lady wouldn''t say blackmail."


    "But you still could."


    "Hey!" She batted his arm.


    He only laughed.


    <hr>


    They continued to chat about this or that. Bai never dove fully into what he was studying, only quizzing her with more math whenever she brought it up. Testing the limits of her knowledge, he said.


    Eventually, Shae remembered to ask about the first year''s classes again.


    "There is a standard progression of classes and learning you are expected to match. Can''t have an ignorant core elder so they say."


    "So everyone takes the same ones?"


    "Mostly. The nobles tend to be ahead of the others. Some have private lessons, some just start on the second or third year classes. The rest of us peasants need to be brought up to match them, as their propaganda goes."


    Shae frowned.


    "Your first year will be mostly on reading and writing. But a lot of other classes on cultivation basics. Don''t think you can skip just because you can already read. There are standard techniques that the sect expects everyone to learn. These are started in the first year, so you''ll probably be held back by those."


    She hummed and frowned more.


    "Don''t take it personally when it happens. Even if it seems like they are holding you back because of your quick advancement." He turned and met her gaze to make sure his point landed. "There is far more to learn from your teachers than just what the class is said to be covering."


    She nodded as she considered his point. "About the techniques, practice exercises or actual techniques?"


    "Both. As I think I mentioned at the geyser, most practices can be advanced into techniques. For you the one that will seem useless will be qi slipping."


    "Hmm, you mentioned that in Minlin, didn''t you?"


    "Good memory. Yes, it is a technique for avoiding qi pressure, but can be advanced later into more practical techniques. Controlling your own qi pressure being the most important. At core we need to be able to restrain our presence when around mortals. Slipping is the first step of that. It can also be used on others, to protect others from qi pressure."


    "Hmm, that does sound useful."


    "Very. And you will likely have a difficult time with it, as you don''t need to learn it. Don''t ignore the lessons just because they don''t seem necessary. That is the most important piece of advice I can give you."


    She bowed deeply. "Thank you for your wisdom, Senior."


    He smirked. "Thank me again when you actually remember to use that advice."


    "Heh. I will."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 11: Sangrias and Shopping

    <hr>


    Chapter 11: "Sangrias and Shopping."


    <hr>


    Master Long arrived on the fourth day. The caravan was on its final leg to Flame Well City. Shae let her curiosity stew, as Bai said, it''s not really important I ask why he''s here. Many of the other cultivators and members of the caravan had business with him.


    Her own duties kept her at a distance anyway. She spent the day running ahead with the regular scouts. Before noon she returned to the group and caught sight of the man, but her new responsibilities then had her leaving to run messages ahead to Flame Well.


    She was in no rush to talk with him, though I should check-in about the impersonator while it''s still fresh. He may have questions, maybe tonight is fine. The main reason she didn''t go out of her way to talk to him was because they would be traveling together for another six days.


    She was given four messages to deliver to locations in the large town. Two were missives aimed at booking inns for the cultivators, and one to have feed prepped for the animals.


    "Don''t underestimate the logistics of properly feeding the livestock," Mistress Ping had lectured.


    "Just the livestock? Not the people?"


    "People are much better at handling their own meals." She smirked. "And there is much less bargaining involved in livestock feed. We''re not running a catering service."


    Shae chose to shrug and let her confusion pass. She wasn''t planning on learning how to operate a caravan, so the finer details went ignored.


    The deliveries went smoothly until she was at the fourth. It was a sealed letter to be delivered to a high end restaurant. She would have double checked the address a few times, but the name of the building and a title were the only things on the envelope.


    She entered to find a cozy reception area with a well dressed older man standing behind a podium desk. A more stylized version of the restaurant''s name was carved into the front panel: The Gilded Aurochs.


    "Hmmm, may I help you, Miss Cultivator?" The formally dressed man said.


    "Yes, I have a letter for a... House? Sorry, I can''t quite read this title." Shae handed over the ornate letter. Like the one from Elder Ngoc, it had a ring tael looped onto a ribbon, meaning she should wait to receive a delivery bonus.


    "Ah, thank you. Hmm, can''t quite read it, you say? Were you not told by whoever sent it?" He asked with a friendly smile while unsealing it and checking the contents.


    "No, I don''t normally do deliveries, so it slipped my mind. I''d take a guess, but it''s hard without more context." She shrugged and smiled back.


    "Well, you have more context now. The letter is for me, or whoever is working this position. Try it again?" He handed her back the empty envelope.


    She looked at it with confusion. When she had seen it the first time she had mistaken it for Head of House, but some of the lines were definitely different. The symbol for House was still clear. "Is it supposed to be a variant of Head of House?"


    He nodded in response without taking his eyes off the letter he was reading.


    She mumbled to herself, "but it''s your job title instead... I would call you the host, or head host if there are others working the front. Oh!" She looked closer at the other lines making up the word. "Is it just Front of House?"


    "Heh, I wouldn''t say just. You are correct, though." He folded the letter into a pocket then gestured to the side of the room where a low bench was tucked against the wall. "Please wait here, or would tea in the side room be more comfortable?"


    "Uhm. I''ve just been on the road, something cool or refreshing? If it''s no bother. Even just cold water would be excellent."


    "No trouble at all, and we can offer much better than just water, please take a seat." He directed her to the side room and vanished as soon as she turned away.


    A younger woman in stylish formal robes quickly brought out a serving tray with an iced beverage. Shae was a little surprised to see the ice cubes floating in the pitcher, but neither of them chose to draw more attention to it.


    "This is one of our favorites." She offered half a glass of a deep red juice.


    Shae sipped the drink and found herself almost draining the glass. "Ah! That''s very nice." She tilted her head at the aftertaste. "Is that... a sangria?" She used the English word for the drink.


    "So the young Miss has had something similar before? I don''t recognize the name, but you are correct that it is not a local blend. In short, it''s an ice wine blended with citrus fruit juice. Would you like the full provenance of the wine?"


    "Ah, no thank you. I''m not much of a connoisseur. The juice is oranges? Or did you find some... Hmm... I don''t know the word, I''d say grapefruit, but it is a larger somewhat bitter citrus." She sipped the drink again and had to struggle to only sip.


    "Mostly oranges, yes. The other citrus is a blood-orange, though ours are not particularly bitter or large."


    Shae looked into the glass again. "And how strong is the alcohol? I''ve really not had much before."


    "As a cultivator you shouldn''t have a problem with it, but you are young. I''ll find something else for you after this." The woman gracefully tipped another few sips into the glass, then looked at Shae and added another splash with a smirk.


    "Thank you. Really just water is fine, I could use the hydration."


    She bowed and backed away from the table with a single step then was gone. She took the pitcher as well, which Shae was thankful for.


    "Wouldn''t be the first time I''ve gotten sloshed on sangrias," the girl mumbled to herself.


    A few dozen breaths later she had emptied the glass, taking most of her willpower to make it last that long.


    The woman appeared again, right as the glass was set down. She carried another pitcher and a clean glass on a tray. The new pitcher could have held water, but a few sprigs of green and yellow made Shae curious.


    "Apologies for not introducing myself earlier," the woman said while deftly pouring Shae a glass of the new beverage. "I am cultivator Yun Linnuan. As I am serving you, feel free to call me Miss Yun."


    "It''s nice to meet you, Miss Yun. I am Miss Zhi Shae. As I am new to cultivation, I still prefer Miss, but if you need to, I''ve taken a liking to the monk''s title of Wise Shae."


    "Well met, Wise Shae. I think you will find this quite refreshing. It is a very diluted spiritual water, with cucumber and lemon for freshness."


    "Spirit water!" The girl''s eyes went wide and she carefully sipped the drink. A huge sigh escaped her after she swallowed. It was the single most refreshing drink Shae had had in... "At least two decades." She mumbled. Probably ever.


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    "I didn''t catch that?" Yun leaned in with a smile.


    "Ah sorry. This is incredible, Miss Yun. I''ve never had anything like it."


    The woman''s smile spread wide, taking up most of her face and revealing pearly white teeth. "I''m glad." Then as she leaned in more, she whispered, "The spirit water should slow down the alcohol, and anything else you''ve regretted eating lately."


    "Uh, thanks? Um, isn''t that a bit expensive to serve to a courier?"


    She snapped back upright. "Ah-ha, not at all. Not for our cultivator couriers, at least. Also, Chef Van is quite excited about your letter, he gave me clearance for the good stuff." She winked.


    "Ah, I''m not sure I follow. It''s not my letter, I was just running the delivery."


    "Yet, you are Wise Zhi Shae?"


    She nodded.


    "And you came from the caravan, with the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect members, including their leader."


    "Yes, though the leader is just Master Long."


    The girl chuckled, "Just Master Long she says. You also go by other titles, Heavenly and in a few years Fairy-"


    "No, not fairy, please. And Heavenly is just embarrassing." Shae blushed while frowning.


    "Aha, well, there''s no denying it now, so you can''t squirm out of this."


    "Huh? Out of what?"


    "You''re not the first bashful dinner guest that was too humble to dine with a Master."


    "Eeh? I didn''t agree to anything."


    Her wide smile grew slightly predatory. "Don''t worry. Nothing untoward is expected of you." She leaned in a bit.


    "So, why do I feel like you are about to expect something of me?"


    "I''m afraid that if you are to dine here, there is a certain level of dress and decorum expected."


    She froze momentarily. "Oh." Her mind quickly cycled over the possibilities and she scanned the state of her own clothes. "On whose tab is this all going?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.


    "Master Long''s of course, I shouldn''t spoil the fun, but you might know already. The letter mentioned he owed you an apology."


    "So... Will we have to go shopping?" Shae''s expression slowly changed to a wide eyed smile.


    The woman shook her head. "No. First a makeover, then shopping!"


    Shae couldn''t resist giggling at the situation and the other woman quickly joined in until they were both laughing.


    <hr>


    The makeover was mainly an exercise in proper hygiene with high quality soap and shampoo. Shae wasn''t a slob, but running all day for the past four days since her thorough bath at the geyser left her with a rather particular road funk. This was shared by all the scouts, and to a lesser extent, the rest of the caravan.


    The next step was a haircut, cleaning up her short style to look more intentional. It had been some months since she had the opportunity for a proper cut, and even then, it was at a very cheap rate. Shae was worried she would get pushback about the style, since nearly everyone wore theirs long. Yet, the stylist was professional and followed her request perfectly.


    Yun did suggest hair extensions and then makeup, but Shae shot both ideas down as she had no intention to present herself as something she wasn''t. She was also fairly sure that the current style of pale makeup wouldn''t work at all with her tanned skin.


    Clothing was a different story. Shae had hoped for fabulously glamorous silks, complex embroidery, and rich dyes. However, Yun''s first clothing stop was simple under clothes and a new set of travel robes.


    "I appreciate the practical clothing, Fairy Yun, but I assumed something a bit more intricate when you said formal dress code."


    "Did I say that?" Yun teased. "I''m following the instructions in Master Long''s letter. You will be getting proper sect robes later, so this is mainly to get the sizing right. Did you think you could bankrupt the man today?"


    Shae frowned. "The way you kept offering makeup and hair treatments, I assumed money was no barrier."


    "Money is always a barrier. The fact is clothing is much more expensive than makeup or salon visits. Especially good clothing."


    The girl looked down at her new robes. "Are these.. special? Somehow?"


    "Ha ha! Not at all, well, they are good quality as travel robes go. But nothing beyond natural."


    "Uh, not that I was expecting anything like that. I just... I''m not sure I understand the purpose of replacing my travel robes if dinner clothes were the issue?"


    Yun shrugged. "I believe the purpose of Master Long''s request was as an apology. But you will have to ask him for the details. And now that your travel clothes are replaced..."


    "Uh, replaced? Or this where I need to thrash and complain so that you don''t throw out my previous clothes?"


    "Not at all, they have already been destroyed!" She said with a smirk.


    "What!? Why would you destroy perfectly good clothes?"


    The woman''s smirk broadened into a toothy smile as Shae gawked at her.


    The girl took in the grinning woman and had to take a few breaths to catch up. "Oh. You''re teasing me."


    "Hehe-he, yes, I couldn''t resist. I''ve already asked the seamstress to repair them, and resize them for you."


    "Oh. Thanks." She felt a bit odd at the whiplash. "Hmm, actually, if I am getting sect clothing as well, I might not need them for a while. Can she leave them loose so I can still grow into them?"


    "Hmm? Are you still growing?" Yun leaned close to the girl.


    "Yes!" Shae insisted and pushed the nosy woman back.


    "I''ll let the seamstress know you expect to be three paces tall with a bust to shame every mother!"


    "Yun!"


    "Haha-hehe-he! You are so fun to tease, Miss Shae!" She gave the girl a slight bow. "I''ll be right back. Our next stop is the fancy formal gowns shop, so prepare yourself!"


    "Fairy Yun!" The girl repeated her outrage as the woman left the room.


    She slowly controlled her breathing. Maybe that wasn''t a joke?


    Within the hour she had her answer. They stood in front of an expensive looking dress shop. Well, robe-shop is what they''d call it, but that''s a dress shop if I''ve ever seen one.


    "We''re really going in? Getting me a dress robe? You''re not teasing me again, Fairy Yun?"


    "I would not jest about formal dresses, Wise Shae."


    Shae smiled wide and turned to face the entrance to the shop.


    "But!" Yun blocked her with an arm. "We need to go over ground rules before going in."


    "Ground rules? Do I look like a child, Fairy Yun?" Shae crossed her arms and looked back at the woman.


    Yun only raised an eyebrow.


    "Don''t answer that!" The girl blushed.


    "Firstly, we are not buying you a dress, we are renting one."


    The girl swallowed her half formed complaint.


    "Renting is much more affordable and you yourself just mentioned you are still growing."


    Shae inhaled and exhaled slowly, clearly trying to keep herself calm.


    "Second, be very careful what you touch in there, some fabrics are very delicate and can be easily damaged."


    "Uhm?" The girl raised a finger. "Why would someone wear tissue paper clothing?"


    Yun smirked. "Cultivator fashion is always a bit strange. The short version is: it is a display of finesse. To hold a soap bubble in the midst of a hurricane. Compare it to fighting with a heavily weighted sword."


    "So... Just wearing it is a display of skill?"


    "Yes, you understand. Third rule. Their selection will likely be limited, moreso by the nature of the formal occasion, so you can''t just pick anything. Try not to whine or complain if you don''t like the color or something."


    Shae''s eyes snapped wide, "Why would you think I would whine?"


    Yun raised both hands in placation. "It is not you, this business is very important and your behavior will reflect on my employer and Master Long so in turn his sect."


    "Oh." The girl slowly closed her open mouth. "So, my best behavior, or do I need to put on an air of high class and higher privilege?" She lifted her chin and straightened her back.


    Yun stared at her for a breath. Then shook her head, "Please don''t embarrass me. And relax, you look like you''re going to pull a muscle."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 12: Substantial Style

    <hr>


    Chapter 12: "Substantial Style."


    <hr>


    Shae had almost nothing to say for the next quarter hour as she gawked at the robes and dresses in the shop. Each of the display pieces they wandered by was its own unique work of art. By comparison, the displays that were in the front windows seemed less impressive than those inside.


    Unlike what she expected from a retail clothing store, this building was set up like an art gallery, and the girl could find no fault in that choice. Each piece was on a mannequin and given plenty of space around it for observers to orbit and appreciate the colors, fold of cloth, and style. Several included qi-powered spotlights to simulate daytime conditions.


    The first words she managed were a whisper, "Yun, these are amazing!" She turned to find another woman walking alongside Yun.


    "I''m glad to see the girl isn''t without taste. Even if her choice of traveling clothes leaves something to be desired." The woman was definitely older than Yun. Gray streaks started at her temples and stylishly blended into her dark red hair to be tied up into a tall bun. Shae could tell she worked here, as her own clothing was as glamorous as the display pieces.


    "Oh, hello! I''m Miss Zhi Shae. Apologies for ignoring you." She bowed to the woman, both as an apology and to show respect.


    "Considering you were appreciating my work, I''ll forgive it. Though, only Miss?"


    Yun filled in, "Wise Shae is a new cultivator, and has yet to embrace her customary titles. Shae, this is Heavenly Fairy Silken Sashes."


    "Please, please. Call me Jani, that name is so restrictive." She said with a dismissive hand wave that was entirely wrist. "Yet you have titles, plural? Rare for one so young, or did Fairy Yun misspeak?"


    "She did not, Heavenly Jani. It seems we share that title, though I doubt it''s for the same reason. Though I prefer Wise Shae, if you need to be formal."


    The woman raised an eyebrow slightly then stepped close to the girl and swept qi over her. A frown later and she pulled back slightly, "Hmm, no I don''t see it. Very unlikely, little Wise one." She suddenly seemed in a less pleasant mood. "Well, Fairy Yun, you didn''t just come to browse, did you?"


    Shae barely felt the woman''s qi and didn''t have time to get a sense of it. She hadn''t even noticed any pressure or presence from the woman. Not exactly my specialty anyhow. Looking over to Yun, the woman was now a little pale. Uh, hope I didn''t mis-step.


    "Just a simple formal rental, Fairy Jani." She bowed.


    "Simple! You''ve come to the wrong place for simple." The woman applied a bit of qi pressure to them both, and Shae picked up on some killing intent directed at Yun.


    Yun dropped into a kowtow immediately, but stayed silent.


    Shae felt a tingle of qi and the word ''quiet'' in Yun''s voice rang in her ear. She stayed silent and still. Do I bow too?


    The woman made a move before Shae decided, "Come, little Heavenly scrap. We will start while Fairy Yun finds an acceptable apology from her employer." She walked off and the girl took the hint to quickly follow.


    ''Fair warning.'' silently came from Yun.


    She rounded a corner and had to step quickly to catch Jani entering the next room. Her mind caught in trying to puzzle out Yun''s silent words.


    Her rushing led her to abruptly halt at the center of a fully equipped seamstress and tailoring room. A raised platform in the center was surrounded by mirrors. Shae had to stop herself on the platform or trip off it and into the organized clutter at the sides of the room. Her attention was drawn to all the stuff and then another mannequin with a dress on it in the corner.


    "Eep!" For the second time that day, Shae yelped as her clothing was removed with a qi technique. She did manage to keep her yell a lot quieter this time. That was not fair warning Yun!


    As she forced herself to relax after the surprise, she saw her new travel robes land on a side table, neatly folded. She felt slightly better that all her underclothes were still on. She snapped her jaw shut.


    "What?" Jani demand. "Say it."


    She cleared her throat, trying to think of something else. "I was just thinking, that technique... It must be awkward to learn."


    The woman gave her a flat stare through one of the mirrors as she collected some cloth. "No you weren''t. You came here for clothes, you should have expected something like that technique. It had to happen eventually, and I''m a very busy woman."


    Decent point, still, some fucking warning, please! She breathed slowly and kept her thoughts to herself.


    Jani turned and flicked the piece of cloth wide around Shae''s shoulders. It draped her like a cloak or cape would. She felt the older woman''s gaze sweep over her with an intensity she hadn''t expected, like the woman had never really looked at her before and was now looking for each and every flaw. It wasn''t a qi technique, just a professional crafter appraising their working material with a critical eye.


    Shae shuddered slightly and the cape began to slip. She didn''t want to move under the woman''s fierce glare but couldn''t resist the involuntary twitches caused by nervousness.


    Shae moved too late and missed grabbing the cloth as it fell off her.


    "Now this is interesting." The woman pronounced.


    "Um?" She blushed.


    The older woman circled the girl and prodded a few places, shifting the edges of her underclothes slightly.


    "Ma''am?" She yelped after the fifth such prod.


    A hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. "You''ll have to excuse this, you are here for a fitting. Yet, I was rather taken by your coloration. It is a rare sight to see such a case, and one that is much more than just blotches and scars."


    Shae looked up into the mirrors, seeing herself properly in the well lit room. She had seen herself at the other seamstress, but hadn''t really looked, especially not without full robes. She had redressed in the new robes almost immediately.


    Her right arm and leg were a stark white, while her left pair was a dark tan. Between, though mainly at her right shoulder, webs of jagged white spread out. It was very striking, she had to admit.


    "You, um, like it?"


    "Like it''s a very strong word. Well it''s not, but for my work it is. I''ve seen countless jade beauties walk though here. A few bronze goddesses as well. But this is new. And new is good."


    "Really?" Was the girl''s first thought. "No one has ever messed up their cleansing before?"


    "Is that what that is?" She leaned in and Shae felt her qi again. A smooth and soft touch that felt like it should be harmless. "I think most wouldn''t dare appear before me with a failed cleansing. Oh, it is not a bad thing, dear. Just that high class people would be ashamed of it because they are shamed by anything that is seen as lesser, or any mistake."


    "Hard for me to feel this was a mistake when I didn''t really have control of it. I suppose stopping it was the mistake."


    The woman smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder again. "Well, Heavenly Shae. It seems we do have something in common."


    Her eyes went wide and her mouth flapped open, ready for word.


    "But! That is not lightly spoken of. This canvas, though. Nice work on the tan, and the color in the eyes helps too."


    "Ah.. uh... It''s just my heritage. I''m from the East, and both are very common there."


    "Oh? I thought gold was a South-West trait?"


    "Huh?" The girl scrunched her face, "gold?"


    "Have you never seen them?" She pointed at the mirror.


    Shae stepped towards the mirror beside the door, avoiding the step off the platform. Which she saw was more of a dropped floor than a raised platform. The platform had a small walkway to the door, removing the need for the customer to take a step up to reach it.


    She leaned in and stared at her eyes, flecks of gold brightened her once brown irises. "Huh, that''s new." She shifted her head around, then pulled and poked her eyelids just to see if anything happened.


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    "Any other accessories?" The woman asked, now standing by the girl''s clothes, inspecting her peace-bound sword.


    "Umm, I have a few hairpins. Though they are supposedly acupuncture tools, and I can bend them into rings." She pulled one out of her hair to display it.


    "Spiritual tools too? Well, you are full of surprises. How many?"


    "Only three."


    She looked at the pin and frowned. "A bit rustic, and your hair doesn''t really need them. Any piercings?"


    "Uh, no?"


    "Do you want some?"


    "Eh?"


    She smirked at the girl. "If you can bend them, you could make hoop earrings, they would work well with your skin tone and eyes."


    "Oh. Hmm." Shae stretched the one she had been using as a ring into a larger loop and held it up to one ear to check the mirror. "Oh! I do like that."


    "Good, so silver and gold accents, and something that shows off your dynamic skin."


    "Dynamic? It''s not actively changing, and this is a formal event, is showing a lot of skin customary for one as young as I?"


    Jani huffed and shook her head. "Right, children. In any case, I believe I can get started on something now."


    Shae inhaled in surprise then smiled wide, "You''re going to make me something?"


    The woman raised an eyebrow at the girl, then burst into laughter. Bright, clear, joyous laughter. Shae slowly settled down, understanding that the laugh was directed at her question, but it was so bright and joyful she didn''t feel like she was being mocked.


    "Oh, my! That was quite the surprise. No, dear. While you are an interesting canvas, you have years, probably decades ahead of you before you should even think about becoming one of my art pieces."


    "Ehh, decades?"


    "Yes, for a few reasons. Firstly, as you just pointed out, you are too young. I''m looking for mountain lions, not street kittens, no offense. Second, you need to get to core stage, at least, and make a name for yourself. No one who is no one wears my artwork. Yes, I am that skilled and important. Thirdly, and most important, you need to decide if that cleansing accident is something you want to fix or not."


    "Ah... I suppose I was expecting to."


    "Right, right. Most would. But you could embrace it, maybe add to it, like with the tattoo you also bear, humans are living canvases, we grow and change, and so should our artwork. Decide how you want to present yourself. Are you a perfect spring orchid? An ancient cherry blossom tree? Maybe a flag pole, standing proud?"


    "Ehh? Flag pole?" Her mind flashed through what that metaphor could mean until she remembered the woman didn''t mean a 15 meter steel pole, but rather a May-pole. "Oh! Like a festival pole, with all the ropes and ribbons?" She looked at Jani.


    "Maybe! These are just ideas, what they are, what they mean to you, can easily change, just as you will change in time."


    "Just ideas... that can change..." The girl repeated while staring into the mirrors around her.


    "Most will interpret them differently. Think about what you want, and not just what will get you back through my door. Ah... Now, I''ll excuse myself, Miss Shae."


    The girl had already stopped listening. Her thoughts dragged her into a spiral of intuition and inferences. As the woman walked out of the room a neuron fired in the girl''s brain and she managed, "Mhm, thanks Jani." When the door closed her mind made one final leap across a vast chasm of intuition and she gasped loudly as golden light flooded the room.


    <hr>


    Brief Aside: Jani


    <hr>


    Jani stepped out of the room to find Yun waiting beside a small folding table with a single teacup and teapot on it.


    "Thank you for waiting outside, Fairy Yun."


    "Of course, Fairy Jani. The Vans send their regards with this special blend." She lifted the teapot, powered it with her qi, swirled it in a circle twice, then carefully poured half a serving into the ornate jade teacup. The tea and cup vibrated slightly as their respective qi reacted with each other.


    "Ahh, you really do know how to get the good stuff out of the old man, Yun."


    Yun bowed to the woman as she offered the tea. "My deepest-"


    "You''re forgiven, dear."


    "Senior?"


    "You brought me an interesting one, I can forgive a slip of the tongue easily if the work is also easy."


    "You like the girl?"


    "Like is such a strong word in this line of business." Jani smirked from behind her teacup.


    <hr>


    Shae''s enlightenment had started from the simple topic they were discussing: the individual''s interpretation of ideas.


    How one interpreted anything was wholly up to them, bent and twisted through their own mind, through their worldview, and even their understanding of language.


    She thought back to her short internal struggle at the geyser. Spite is what I called it, but it might not be what the chef thought it was, and it certainly wasn''t what the plant thought it was. Plants don''t have language, or even human emotion. So, spite would be an impossible concept for it to form so perfectly.


    It could have been almost anything to the plant, just a bit of anger and vengeance, but not those words or ideas. A bit of hatred for whatever planned to eat it in the future. Then the chef took that Dao and sculpted it with their cooking tools and other ingredients. Changed it into a more recognizable shape, maybe their goal was something else, like vengeance. I was the one who saw it as spite, not them.


    Equally, I have viewed heaven''s lightning as judgment and wrath, and those too are my interpretations. They are filtered through my expectations, what I think the heavens embody, but are not necessarily what they actually are.


    When first cultivating, I easily sculpted fire into other concepts, not just heat and warmth, but comfort and a sense of home like a fireplace. Broad and distant from fire itself. I was focused on how I wanted to work wrath into my demigod qi, but there''s no reason for that, it doesn''t need to be wrath or judgment or the warning of that first strike.


    The enlightenment qi tingled around her as it built up and she paused her train of thought to draw on it. It moved slowly, and she pulled qi from her Dantian to create that ritual vortex she and the monks had used in Minlin City. The golden qi swirled around her but didn''t rush into her.


    Right, I''m not even meditating.


    She dropped to the floor and reflexively crossed her legs into the lotus pose. A single deep breath and she was under. The golden qi calmed her and pushed her into meditation.


    Her thoughts drifted as she exhaled, clearing and slowing. The rush of implications and ideas for application seemed less important now that she had something to do. She inhaled and pulled at the qi, drawing it into her channels and sending it along to swirl into her eagerly flowing demigod qi.


    With each breath she drew more in, and when she felt her channels straining, she forced it all into her Dantian. She separated the enlightenment qi into its own cloud within her private little world. Her large swarm of demigod qi swirled and churned as it converted to personal qi faster, neutral qi mixing throughout and also converting into demigod qi. She wasn''t even using the enlightenment qi. Or am I? She considered, I am circulating it, maybe that is enough?


    Have I ignored what happens in here while I cultivate and circulate qi? She scolded herself for the oversight. Now isn''t really the time to test it, but let''s assume it helps, and maybe some of the qi is being used, not like I can track it all.


    I''m forgetting something... the enlightenment, I need to do something with it... right? She did the mental equivalent of squirming uncomfortably. Last time it just happened, I just did stuff... stuff that Kwan said was way above me and completely unnecessary. And now I was thinking about interpretations, and what to do with my qi. Do I need to do something? Embrace some path for my qi?


    Shae opened up her feelings, trying to sense anything from the enlightenment. Opportunity is there, just as it was before, but that is also an interpretation, isn''t it? She felt another burst of something, approval. Her mind''s eye went wide, enlightenment is approval from the heavens! Of course, it''s not just fulfilling an opportunity, it''s a reward for realization and understanding. The opportunity is secondary.


    She felt the qi swell in response and she smiled and pulled down on it harder, quickly swirling more of her personal qi out to her furthest channels then back into her Dantian. She stopped focusing on drawing in and circulating as being separate. Instead as she inhaled she drew in the golden qi and drew out her own to fill her channels with both. Then exhaling she spun it all back down into her Dantian. Her personal qi and the demigod qi rushed freely and dragged at all the qi around it, greedily pulling the enlightenment qi along.


    The rhythm was simple and she was able to free up focus to return to her speculation. So, the question still is: what do I want to interpret divine qi as? What is my own vision of heaven? She breathed out. And do I want to be that, embody that with my path?


    <hr>


    "Who dressed me this time?" Shae asked just after exiting meditation. Her enlightenment had ended a short time ago, but she kept meditating to clean up the last scraps of qi that were floating around.


    "Fairy Jani insisted on it because some of the folds and wraps are challenging to place perfectly." Yun replied while mimicking the other woman.


    "Ah, well, not the first time and probably not the last. The robes are quite beautiful." She said absently as she admired her reflection.


    "And she did wait for your enlightenment to end, and sends her congratulations, Wise Shae. From myself as well, it was an impressive display considering your stage."


    "Oh! Thank you. Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. You mean some enlightenments are stronger than others?"


    "Not just that. That was stronger than we would expect from one so new to cultivation. The way you interacted with it was also impressive. Most new cultivators cannot absorb so much and so efficiently."


    "Ah, I had some help with that. In Minlin City, I joined the monks in their ritual assistance of their fellows'' enlightenment."


    "Wait, that was you!" Yun gawked at the girl. "You''re the heavenly child?"


    "I am Heavenly Shae, don''t forget the name if you are going to repeat the rumors." She raised her chin.


    "Ah, well.. I''m-" She began a bow but was interrupted.


    "Calm down, Fairy Yun. That was a joke. I''m just a girl, not some heaven-blessed child."


    "Hmm, well what I''ve seen today might suggest otherwise. Did you really deny enlightenments to the sect? Is that why Master Long is apologizing?"


    "What? Is that what the rumors say?" She shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. We had a little argument before that. Which, to be fair, was mostly me being childish. Then the two enlightenments happened by coincidence while discussing broken Dao with Staff Sergeant Xiang."


    Yun paused before her reaction, "Just two? The rumors said three, then five more among the monks, including your own."


    "Ugh." Shae stuck out her tongue. "Rumors are so corrupting. How did all of that get here so fast, and so wrong?" She turned and saw the sun was low through a sky light, giving the room some natural lightning. "Oh, it''s quite late, how long did that take? Oh, it doesn''t matter."


    "We should head back soon."


    "Then I''ll properly explain what happened on the way back, so you can set the rumors straight."


    Yun nodded and led the girl out of Jani''s shop.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 13: A Mild Interrogation

    <hr>


    Chapter 13: "A Mild Interrogation."


    <hr>


    Master Long looked up from his tea as Shae entered the empty dining room of The Gilded Aurochs. "Ah! Miss Shae. You look splendid."


    "Thank you, Master Long. Fairy Jani does excellent work." She twisted left then right, displaying more of the intricate folds of cloth assembled by the expert craftswoman. Its dark fabric with gold and silver highlights were an extreme contrast to Long''s white sect robe, with its blue and red embroidery.


    "She had time to see you? That is wonderful. I became worried when it seemed you would be late."


    "She met us right away." She sat at Long''s table when Yun pulled the chair out, being careful to not snag her elaborate clothing. The many folds were asking for a mishap, but Shae couldn''t complain as the complex wraps revealed gold and silver cloth underneath the dark charcoal cloth. "The lateness was my own fault. I had an enlightenment from my talk with Jani."


    Long smiled wide. "How fortunate! In that case I won''t hold it against you, ha ha ha!"


    The girl snorted then forced a normal laugh. "Hah hah. I should hope not."


    "But I should thank you, since you missed the first course I was able to indulge with higher stage food a bit more than I would have."


    "Well don''t restrain yourself on my account."


    "Oh, it''s fine. Considering this is partly an apology for feeding you something inappropriate for your stage, eating the same lower stage food seems more appropriate."


    "This does seem extravagant for just that. What is the other part?"


    He gave a strained grin. "Well, other parts, really. Most recently you encountered a certain individual that had my appearance?"


    "Ah yes, the impersonation attempt. Did you catch them? And how is that your responsibility?"


    "Yes, they were discovered. Unfortunately their exact motives can''t be shared as they relate to an internal sect matter. As such their actions reflect on the nearest sect Elder, me. Such things are not normally revealed to recruited prospects, or even accepted first-years until much later."


    "Hmm, I had considered a sect members'' involvement as a possibility. Yet, I assumed it was a petty scare tactic. Like, perhaps I had offended someone and they sought revenge, or simple adolescent bullying. But..." She tilted her head and squinted her eyes. "This sounds more... organized?"


    Long broke his casual calm by holding a flat expression, and sipping his tea. "I can''t really say more."


    "You did just say this isn''t normally revealed, and it seems like you haven''t revealed anything." She hummed in thought. "So, something was revealed already? I have to assume you are referring to my encounter with fake-you. Maybe that it happened at all... Hmm, did you perhaps mean they are not normally exposed? Would other new cultivators be exposed to this while in the caravan? I mean those officially recruited to the sect, which I am not?"


    "Excellent question..." He titled his head in thought, then nodded after a beat. "Yes."


    "Hmm... So, an expectation of exposing sect members to disguises, and allowing members to use them on each other. Not normally suggests it''s in an organized fashion... maybe structured somehow? With strict rules?" She looked up at a stone-faced Master Long. "Right, you couldn''t say. Well I suppose they need some way to train. Both groups would. If this is what it looks like, then the apology is accepted." She bent slightly forwards.


    "Ah, thank you, Wise Shae." He exhaled. "Truly, that was some impressive deduction. I had worried you would need more clues."


    "Ha-ha, someone that needed more clues wouldn''t have figured out it wasn''t you in the first place. Not that they were trying that hard."


    "Oh? Do tell. I didn''t get the full story from Bai."


    "To keep it short, they didn''t seem to even know why I left Guard Tu, and were using that as an excuse to send me off. They wouldn''t even engage in a dialogue. Plus they didn''t have your sword, or any other sword on them."


    "Heh, I don''t have my sword now. Is that a concern?"


    "Hmm, true but the location is different. I only have my sword now because it is peace-bonded, and it fits well with the robes Fairy Jani picked out."


    "But, are you not suspicious of me now?"


    "Should I be? You''ve not done anything to provoke suspicion, and you''ve shared enough details to suggest it is you. I think you wouldn''t have said there are more reasons for an apology, or what they are."


    "Yes, and speaking of that, and specifically your past interactions with the sect. There we find the other reasons for this apology. I''d like to assure you that not every Elder in the sect is awful at first impressions."


    "Hmm, wasn''t our first conversation the one where you poisoned me with fire qi?"


    "I''d say it was when I gave the lecture on the geyser to your group."


    "Not my group, per say. Elder Bai did explicitly ask me to stay away from them. And I wouldn''t really call that lecture a positive experience." She smirked.


    "Just because you took nothing from it doesn''t mean you should disregard its help for others. It seems that attitude is the reason Bai asked you to stay away, isn''t it?"


    She squirmed in her seat a little and looked down at her own tea, which she hadn''t touched yet. She took the opportunity to try it.


    He nodded. "If you weren''t tempered, I would be crushing you with qi pressure right now. Simply to discourage that kind of behavior."


    The tea was pleasant, but with a bitter aftertaste. The experience had also been spoiled by the man''s threat. "You always have physical violence to force compliance. Why not use that when meta-physical fails?" She frowned at him, no snark in her voice, just disappointment.


    "We do not use violence to get our way. How dare you accuse us of being so barbaric."


    "You say that as though you are innocent. You just threatened me with violence. I''ve seen you strike Bai. These other elders you are attempting to defend did use qi pressure as you just threatened."


    "Pressure is not simple violence. It is a measure of power. You wouldn''t say the mountain threatened you with violence as you walked up it."


    "I could. Gravity itself is the threat of violence. Sure pressure may not be simple, it may not be as visceral as striking another. But how can it not be violent? You are using the power you have to smother another person. You just described it as crushing."


    "Gravity? Bah, you are stretching your definitions."


    "A threat is a threat. The source or delivery method is irrelevant. Especially when the result is pain and injury."


    "The result? Do you think the result of pressure and a punch are the same? Please tell me you listened when Elder Ghon explained directed tempering to you?"


    "He did, eventually. More through explaining the history of the pilgrimage than anything else."


    "Tsk. Well, he never was great at teaching anything other than formations and talismans."


    "Hmm, he may have lost that edge too. Could barely teach me how to make a fire starter rune."


    "Tsk." He clicked his tongue and frowned at her. "Which one? No, I should ask when?"


    "First week I was there."


    "While you were still mortal?" The girl nodded while sipping her tea. "Then he succeeded if you got it to work at all. Mortals are not supposed to be able to make formations or talismans."


    "Huh." She smacked her lips and considered the taste of the tea.


    "So then, as directed tempering is repeated applications of heavy qi pressure. The exact pressure doesn''t matter so long as you do not permanently injure the subject." He waved a hand in a circle, encouraging Shae to find his point.


    "So, you claim to be benefiting the victim every time you enact your violence? Hah, now who is stretching? Do you take everyone that you pressure as a student? Do you return to check on them later? Inform them of their progress?" She paused to taste the tea again. The flavor was growing on her.


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    He frowned in silence, his own tea cooling.


    "More importantly, even if I accept that your intentions are not so simply negative, could you claim the same for everyone else? At least, for the members of your sect? Is there a regular lecture for new students on the benefits of being crushed by their senior''s qi? When you teach how to qi pressure, does it include restraint enough to not permanently injure, or medical techniques to repair damage?"


    A kind of chill entered the room that Shae recognized as qi pressure. Not the harsh and sudden pressure she had experienced before, but the slow gradual building that started with someone opening a window to a wind that smelled like a stormfront. "Are you done?" Long asked.


    "With the tea? Not quite." She sipped again, then smirked at him. "I believe Cultivator Chen was working on his qi pressure skill, perhaps I will ask him about the ways the sect uses pressure-" Shae stopped suddenly and tensed as the qi pressure in the room twitched.


    Within the next heartbeat, Master Long raised an empty hand and retrieved his sheathed sword from his special item. The qi pressure didn''t change again, but a gust of killing intent passed by Shae as he slammed the flat side of the weapon down onto a nearby table. Not their table, which had a very expensive looking tea set on it, but the next one over which was cleared and just within reach.


    Shae felt the thrust of intent as though he swung the weapon at her, just missing her neck to maybe clip her hair or clothes. Neither were damaged as it was just intent. The chair wobbled and creaked, but seemed unharmed. A testament to Master Long''s control over his strength, and the quality of the chair''s materials.


    The room sat in silence. None of the restaurant staff came running, no one checked in on them because of the loud noise. There were no other patrons to look over at their disturbance.


    Shae slowly exhaled a very tense breath.


    She firmed her resolve and inhaled her courage. "I do not expect the world to change, Master Long. My point was mainly to ask: why one violence and not another. If you wish to wield your power over another, I couldn''t really stop you with actions or words. Yet, to think I will simply stand by and accept it?" She shook her head and stood. "Thank you for the tea, Master Long." She turned and stepped towards the exit.


    "Where are you going?" He asked flatly.


    "To get some fresh air. If you would like to continue your apology, I will be outside." She bowed a little lower than she needed to and left the room.


    <hr>


    Shae stepped outside with a plan to walk around the block, but found Fairy Yun Linnuan standing beside a small table and single chair that matched those inside the restaurant. She smiled and poured a steaming cup of fresh tea.


    "It is a chill night, Wise Shae. This will keep you warm. It''s a sweeter blend than the one you just had."


    "Fairy Yun. Thank you for your consideration. Though, I had hoped to go for a short walk."


    "I also have jam biscuits, since you missed the appetizers." She lifted a cover to reveal an assortment of treats.


    The girl sighed, a slight smirk touching her lips. "Very well."


    Half way through the first Cup, Yun couldn''t resist a comment. "We don''t usually criticize our guests. It''s just bad form, and yet..." She forced a light cough into her sleeve.


    "Go ahead. I can take it." Shae nodded.


    "Why start that argument? What would you do if he had struck you?"


    "I would have left sooner, certainly. But, argument? Is that how you heard it?" Shae sighed. "Where I''m from, open discussion and even some arguments are natural parts of conversation. When used well, they can improve our interactions and culture. Sometimes they go nowhere, sometimes they turn into a fight, as anything could. Yet, if you don''t have the conversation, how is anything supposed to change or improve?"


    "You believe our ways are wrong? That they need to be changed? We have done this for thousands of years." Yun showed half a frown, but didn''t sound upset.


    "It''s not about right or wrong. I feel that I need to challenge them. Do you put up a wall or a building, then never check the structure?" She pointed across the street. "I know that I would regret not challenging them. Change is unlikely, I accept that. But I cannot simply accept your ways as my own without dissecting why they exist."


    "So, do you think you can exist in our culture without using threats of power? Direct violence aside. How can you achieve anything without at least a threat? A show of force?" Yun looked bewildered.


    "I believe I can choose a different culture to exist in, you can''t tell me you need to fight for every step forward in your life. Will I need to interact with that side and use threats and raw power? Of course, but I''d like to know exactly how much is needed and why I am doing it. And, how will it be perceived when I do so. How else can I learn that without directly interrogating the methods?"


    "A history book, for starters." Master Long said from the restaurant''s door. "The sect''s libraries are rather thorough."


    "Hello, Master Long. While that might answer some questions they would only cover the past reasons, not the current situation. Even assuming every question I have is recorded clearly and without bias. Though, let''s not tangent into a discussion about inaccuracies in recording history before this one is resolved." The girl spoke while only half turning to glance at the man.


    "Inaccuracies!? Is it your learned opinion or your ignorance that has caused such disrespect to our sect?"


    "It is my knowledge of humans that has made me a critic until proven otherwise. Have you heard of the saying that history is written by the victors?"


    "Yes, it is a common fault found only in bickering towns and smaller regions, not from cultivators and sects."


    "While the specific impact can be argued, I take the point of the saying to simply be: recorded events are always colored and always interpreted. Interestingly, my enlightenment earlier today was on the nature of individual interpretation. We all do so regardless of intent; claiming otherwise is foolish. Even if we assume a writer has recorded the events exactly and perfectly, we then read those events and interpret them again."


    Long crossed his arms. "So, you think our histories are flawed because of your interpretation of them?"


    She tilted her head, then grew a wide amused smile. "Yes."


    Yun snorted a laugh from a few places behind them, then quickly stifled it.


    "Yes?" Long asked with an eyebrow raised.


    "If my argument is valid, then that is true. Additionally, I have read a copy of the sect rules and history, however, it was an old printing. So, it has surely been revised since printing."


    "What an accusation. You think we would revise our own history books?"


    She smirked. "Your reaction betrays your interpretation of my words. If I was less forgiving I might hold that against you. I said that it was a history and rules book. Surely at least one rule has shifted or been reworded in that time."


    "Hold what against me? Contextually, what you said was clear. Do not walk back so cowardly and blame me for what you intended."


    "With all respect, Master Long. Contextually, I was making a point about interpretation, not making any accusations. We cannot help but interpret words in context. That can change easily. The sentence before or after is vital to any given meaning."


    "Says you who set and sprung the trap." He huffed. "Now, did you have more points to batter me with?"


    "Always, but we should refrain from this topic as it is becoming more argument than discussion. And if you wish to discard our earlier conversation as well, I can comply."


    He shook his head. "This night was meant to be pleasant. How did we arrive at such antagonism?"


    "I was born into this world with it," the girl stated proudly and grinned.


    Yun burst into a laugh again, causing Shae''s smile to widen.


    Long looked sideways at her. A more evaluating glare than the moment seemed to call for.


    "Oh, you meant tonight specifically? It was... when you threatened me for having a personality." She ended flatly.


    He broke from his concentration to flinch at her words. "Is that how you saw it? No wonder your reaction was so intense." He frowned in thought.


    "Intense? Antagonistic? Even Fairy Yun thought that I was starting an argument. This is just conversation. Do you never challenge each other?"


    Yun jumped in at being named. "Of course, bouts and duels are common. Though they are kept within the same stage for fairness."


    "She meant challenge ideas." Yun coughed at Long''s correction. "But Fairy Yun is correct that the challenges usually stay within a stage. How can you have the arrogance to challenge your Elders?"


    "Easily. I''ve no fear of reprisals or punishments." Shae shrugged. "Perhaps once I am a member of the sect, then I will need to step carefully. But now, you have shown me kindness and spoken casually with me. So I have taken advantage of that to gain a better understanding of your thought process and the sect''s culture. For that I apologize, but I will not apologize for challenging ideas or exploring my own curiosity. Would you forgive me, Master Long?"


    He paused in thought for several breaths, examining the girl again. "Perhaps, if you would sate my curiosity?"


    "Ask, please. None of you ever just ask."


    "You referenced it earlier, where are you from, Miss Zhi Shae?"


    "That is not the right question, Master Long."


    "Then where is your soul from, Wise Shae."


    She gave him another amused smile which stopped abruptly when her response was not what she intended: "The origin of my soul is beyond scrutiny." Her words reverberated with power, then she stammered, "ah-uh. Wha- What I meant was-"


    Yun gasped from behind them.


    Long stared at the girl with wide eyes. He had raised a hand to stop her. "I did not mean to pry. Please, Heavenly Shae, you do not need to answer," he muttered through his surprise.


    "What was that?" Shae looked around, confused. She was having a hard time focusing her eyes in the well lit night. Well lit? She thought and saw that a spotlight was on her table, centered just on her, but it was fading quickly.


    "Breathe." Long placed a steadying hand on her arm.


    She inhaled and found herself shaking.


    "That is dangerous for one at your stage. Try not to force others to ask that again."


    "What was it?" Yun asked from behind them.


    "Some call it the voice of the heavens. Though, it is not truly that. Instead, it seems Miss Shae has been previously interrogated under heaven, and passed. This is the result; indelible proof that her words are true."


    Yun gasped again, then mumbled, "Interrogated under heaven!"


    The slightly less confused girl blacked out.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 14: A Master and A Chef

    <hr>


    Chapter 14: "A Master and A Chef."


    <hr>


    Shae woke on a comfortable couch in an unfamiliar location. "Hmm-ugh?"


    "Wise Shae, you''re awake! Take it slow." Yun appeared at her side to guide her into a sitting position.


    "What happened?"


    "How much do you remember?"


    "Hmm. We were outside at night, and there was a light?"


    "What were we talking about?"


    "Uh, Long was there. He called me out for being... Well, on not towing the line. Then I apologized and got him to ask about... My situation. Then it gets blurry."


    "Hmm, that''s most of it. What''s towing the line?"


    "An expression. Er, sorry, that''s obvious. It''s following the rules, even if you don''t agree with them. In this case, it would be unquestioned deference to Master Long, and treating everything he says as law." She grabbed the older woman''s hand and squeezed it for comfort. "You''re probably very used to that in your line of work."


    "Hmm, I couldn''t say. It would be inappropriate to discuss that with a customer."


    "Heh, how very politic of you. Sit with me?" She patted the couch beside her. "Please?"


    Yun hesitated but chose to sit.


    Shae leaned into the woman. Putting her head against her shoulder, and holding her arm tighter. The woman stiffened slightly then relaxed when the girl settled.


    "Sorry, I''m just tired. Hmm, and even with a whole other life behind me, my mother here was very much about touch and physical contact. Now that I''m alone I miss it way more than I expected."


    "A whole other life. So you really are a lost soul."


    "Hmm, lost. Funny that that''s the name. Yes, I''ve reincarnated here from somewhere else. I''ve lived most of my life here in fear that needed to be a secret. I can always tell when someone gets suspicious because I''ve slipped up. You cultivators don''t seem to mind, but no one just asks about it."


    "It would be rude to point it out. Also, there are other things to worry about, so I hear." Yun took a breath. "And now, you should stop provoking people to ask about it or this same thing will happen."


    "Ah, right. Did Long explain it?"


    "He did. In short, you were questioned under heaven before, and the verdict has been written into your being. So, if you are asked again, you respond automatically with the authority of the heavens."


    "That''s concerning."


    "It is a strange thing. Master Long said it is to prevent repeated heavenly interrogations of the same person. You remember the one you had before?"


    "Hmm, yes. It was... Am I allowed to talk about it?"


    "I believe so, but you don''t need to tell me the details. That process uses a lot of power from the heavens, like an enlightenment or a tribulation. So it is structured to prevent abuse via repetition. If you are questioned again, especially under threat, a small bit of heavenly qi, and your own qi, are used to produce a unique effect that cannot be faked."


    "Hmm, the light? I remember the light."


    "It''s more than just that, but yes. And yours was a bit brighter than most, according to Master Long. He thinks your qi has something to do with it."


    "Oh. Yes, that makes sense."


    "Does it? How so?"


    "My qi is built from heavenly qi, to mimic the divine qi from a tribulation."


    Yun tensed up at the last word. "Tribulation. How is that possible?"


    "Hmm..." Shae slumped into the woman even more as she drew out some cloudy divine qi. It relaxed her body and soothed her channels in places she didn''t know were sore. "A bit of divine qi from my tribulation, mixed with lots of neutral qi, then a dash of lightning for power, and enlightenment qi for density."


    "Should you be telling me all this? Surely your Master wouldn''t approve?"


    She put the calming qi away and cycled her dense personal demigod qi. "I made this myself. So I can tell whoever I want. And you sat with me, so we''re friends now." She squeezed the woman''s arm tighter.


    "You developed all this by yourself?" She glanced at the girl''s right arm and held her hand so she could feel the cleansed skin. "Is that how you did this?"


    "No, that was just tribulation lightning. It could have got my whole body, but I worry what would have happened to me if we had let it." She sighed.


    "It is very nicely cleansed. Many Fairies would like such clear skin. But who is this we?"


    "Elder Ghon Fixiu, of Long''s sect. He helped me recover and safely contain the remaining divine lightning."


    "Hah, you are such an absurd girl." She tousled the girl''s hair.


    "Thank you." She smiled.


    They sat in silent comfort for a short while.


    The front of house employee that Shae had delivered the letter to leaned into the room. "Wise Shae, the next course is almost ready. Master Long has requested your presence in the kitchen."


    "In the kitchen?" She straightened up.


    Yun stood and pulled on the girl''s hands. "Yep. Come on then?"


    She followed the woman through the building.


    "Wise Shae, Fairy Yun. Thank you for coming quickly." Master Long called across the large kitchen.


    Shae''s eyes went wide at seeing the familiar kitchen. It looked like it fell out of a portal from Earth. Though, as she scanned it closer she started noticing differences. Qi stones and gems embedded in surfaces where electronics or knobs would be. Formation patterns around the stove and freezer box.


    "Hah, that''s always a great expression to catch. You''ve never seen a proper cultivator''s kitchen have you?"


    "I have not. Yet, my surprise has more to do with its familiarity than anything else. It looks just like a professional kitchen from another world."


    "I''m so glad you recognize it." A new voice spoke from the side.


    She glanced over and saw a middle aged man with streaks of gray at his temples. She bowed then spoke to the man, "Hello, Chef. Permission to enter your kitchen?" His white apron and stereotypical hat marked his profession clearly.


    "Hah, and good manners. You have my blessing, but Master Long is cooking tonight, so you should ask him."


    She turned and bowed to Long as well. "Permission to enter, Master Chef Long?"


    "Hah, I am no Master chef, but yes, please come in, I did call for you. Hmm, and it seems I should have brought you in here first if this is what it takes for your respect."


    She grimaced. "I''ve not had the time to properly regret it, but it seems my actions have been quite petulant."


    "Hmm, yes petulant is an accurate assessment." She felt him scan her with his qi. "Are you feeling better? Unless you need it to stand, please stop cycling qi."


    "Ah yes, I am well." She focused and returned it to her Dantian.


    "That qi is very interesting. If it were from a manual, I would be afraid of its potential."


    "Uhm, thanks? Did you overhear our conversation?"


    "I did, I wanted to make sure Fairy Yun explained your situation clearly."


    Yun coughed, then cleared her throat, "Ahem. Master Long, did I?"


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    "As expected, Miss Shae took over the conversation and prevented you from giving the final advice."


    The girl snickered at Yun''s shock.


    "Ah! I apologize." She bowed quickly and turned. "Wise Shae, if you do find yourself in that situation again, draw out your own qi and circulate it before trying to speak. The heavenly edict effect will draw it out and not wrench it from you as it did this time. So, you shouldn''t pass out."


    "Good." Long nodded. "When you are stronger, you may also be able to resist the edict, preventing it entirely. Though, if it comes up at later stages, you may need it."


    The girl hummed in thought. "You said it was if I felt threatened or pressured into answering? Wouldn''t not feeling that way prevent it?"


    "Yes, it should, but for now assume it will always trigger when a higher stage cultivator asks. Now, for why I asked you in here." He gestured to a dish on the stove, it steamed and sizzled lightly, a warm glow came from beneath the pan.


    "Ah, immortal cooking? Did Elder Ghon put you up to this?" She asked with a frown.


    "Him? No, I''ve not talked to him in decades. Are you not interested?"


    "Oh, sorry, I shouldn''t have thought- right, it doesn''t make sense, he couldn''t have." She sighed heavily. "I am curious, and like to learn new things, so yes, I am interested, but first." She took a deep breath and bowed low. "I sincerely apologize for ruining this evening. You clearly put a lot of your own effort into this, and I have taken it for granted since I arrived. I should have tried to enjoy the event and saved my critiques for another day." She turned to face Yun and the Chef. "I''d also like to apologize to Fairy Yun and Senior Chef. Provoking a higher stage cultivator in your restaurant was foolish and dangerous. I apologize for causing additional stress and possible property damage. It is unlikely I could repay damages, but if there is something you would like from me, please ask."


    The room fell into silence, save for a light sizzle from the hot stove.


    A few slow breaths later, a light cough came from the corner. "-Hem. It seems we weren''t properly introduced. This one is Master Van Geto. But I do appreciate the title Chef in the kitchen."


    "Pleased to meet you Chef Van. This one is Miss Zhi Shae. I am still new to my titles, please use Miss, Wise, or Heavenly as your own preference dictates."


    "I''ve heard a few of those already, I take it you prefer Wise Shae?"


    "That is correct. If you would like a more casual discussion, Miss it a good start, but please be warned I may push propriety." She smirked.


    Long recovered next. "Hah, may! She most definitely will, regardless of how you address her." He smiled. "Thank you for the apology, Wise Shae. I accept it without reservation, and hold no ill will toward your actions. I''ve thought about what you said, and even if you challenge my ideas, as an Elder, I should be able to handle that challenge without flinching. Just as I could handle a martial challenge. If you can repeat that barrage against others, we may need to pit you against other sect elders." He raised a finger. "However! Like a duel, you should only do so in a controlled setting. My lashing out was controlled anger, others may not do the same and direct theirs at you."


    She bowed. "Thank you for the warning, Master Long."


    "Now, this night was supposed to be my apology to you. Starting with a demonstration of immortal cooking. How are your qi senses?"


    She hunched her shoulders briefly. "Poor for my stage, but better when meditating."


    "Hmm, then meditate near the stove. I am about to do something similar to what I did to those steamed buns."


    "Ah? You mean... reforming the, uh, spite?"


    Chef Van coughed from the corner.


    Long frowned, "Try not to speak of it more directly than that, but yes."


    She nodded and looked for where she could sit. She moved to the cleared counter two paces from the stove. "Is here fine?"


    He nodded, then she jumped to sit on the counter. Yun coughed this time, and she heard a single beat of laughter from Chef Van. She didn''t see Long''s reaction as she was already falling into meditation.


    Once under, she pulsed the Silent Slumbering Serpent practice to enhance her senses. She stopped after the second pulse and focused on the stove beside her.


    The sizzling noise and smells almost brought her out of meditation. She could only pick out a few spices, like the sharp smells of garlic and pepper, but there were more under those. She pushed past them to focus on her qi senses.


    Long was a void of black, and the pan was gray. She returned the small bit of qi she used on her sense practice to her Dantian and the gray receded. The once gray blob steamed with qi, and fire qi below it marked the stove''s workings. Slowly it resolved into a complex mixture of unfamiliar qi.


    The pan was identifiable by the metal qi thinly spread through it. Long''s water qi flowed through it and released steam around the pan. She was unsure of the intention, he might just be controlling the temperature. Hmm, I suppose he has to interact somehow, maybe it does more?


    She got hints of other qi around the room, and sensed the two voids representing Fairy Yun and Chef Van. She used her meditation to let those feelings pass her by and focused only on the pan and Master Long. He had tossed the contents of the pan, an assortment of veggies by what she had seen earlier. Is the qi plant based? Nature qi maybe? She tried to recall her lessons with the old monster, Elder Ghon. Hmm, he called it something specific, didn''t he... bah, I''m calling it nature qi.


    I can''t sense this very well at all. Even with the special practice, her sense of qi was quite diminished when the qi was not in her own body. She reached out her will to grab some of the qi, but halted. That might be too rough, I need a light touch to not disturb Long.


    She decided to use her calling method that she had developed for elemental qi, instead of the more brutish grasping she used for neutral qi. She started with the simple thought of condensation forming to call the steam qi.


    Aha! Dew on grass! That change caused more wisps of steam to draw towards a point between her and the pan. She limited the call to just that much, then focused on the grass half of the thought. The nature qi was slower to respond but a few trickles came eventually.


    Long was already moving to the next step, he added something to the pan and the sizzling became a roar. She flinched at it, the sense practice was still increasing her sensitivity. An overpowering smell of cooking meat quickly filled her mind, and she felt her mouth fill with saliva.


    She lost focus on her image of grass, but the qi had already been pulled away. She recovered quickly by relying on her meditation mantras to move past the distracting senses and thoughts.


    She was quick to recover the wisps of steam and nature qi with the image of her plucking a dew covered flower. The nature qi even responded faster this time, another wisp leaving the pan. She visualized pulling it towards herself and to her right hand. It should hurt less through the cleansed flesh, right?


    The qi stung as she pulled it in, but the pain was just a pinch compared to what she had experienced in Minlin City. The steam floated through her but didn''t spread out, it clung together like it still had water''s surface tension.


    The nature qi flowed slowly and filled her mental impressions with a pungent scent of flowers and something sweeter. Both of these are so strange, but seeing these qi types in cooking is not surprising.


    They both moved slowly through her channels and towards her Dantian. She considered using divine qi to capture them immediately, but didn''t want to disturb Long more than necessary.


    She refocused on the pan as he moved it around. He was cycling more of his qi through the pan, and Shea noticed he was moving more of it through the parts of the pan with the vegetables in it. He doesn''t want to overcook them, maybe? She wondered. The fire qi might be stronger, now? So a higher cooking temperature.


    A new smell came to her as the meat browned and the distinct smell of the Maillard reaction reached her. If she thought she had trouble resisting hunger before, it was now overwhelming, she felt her stomach gurgled in anticipation. The sounds of laughter from the others in the room bled past her meditation, and she allowed herself to smile before moving past the humor.


    She searched the pan and area for new types of qi, but found none. She did see Long move his qi in a new way. Instead of moving it through the pan to cool it, he moved it into the ingredients. In short bursts of buildup then movement, it gathered amongst the vegetables then stabbed into the meat. The nature qi flowed with it and quickly all of the nature qi had been forced into the meat.


    A few more movements of qi that she couldn''t follow, and then the dish was removed from the pan. Someone tapped her shoulder and she almost pulled out of meditation. Wait, the other qi... She looked at her channels and found that the steam and nature qi had reached her Dantian.


    She removed a wisp of divine qi and noticed the room''s reaction right away. Gray blobs appeared where the pan was, then in other areas and finally surrounding her, blocking out her sense of the room. Another tap on her shoulder came, but when she didn''t respond someone picked her up and moved her. She barely noticed as she was too distracted by her own intentions and actions.


    She directed her divine qi to capture the new qi in the least destructive way, especially preserving the Dao that could be there. She quickly found that the steam qi held a Dao similar to pressure, and she guessed Long''s water qi hadn''t changed much when transitioning to steam.


    The nature qi was much more complex. Multiple traces of emotion and intent suffused it. She was confused enough by it that she sent the steam into her Dantian''s formation to focus on the nature qi.


    Want? Desire? What is this? She couldn''t figure out what the Dao was focused on. Hmm, I need more of it. Looking outside herself she saw she had been moved to a different room, and the ready access to the qi was gone. She pulled in a little bit of neutral qi instead.


    I don''t have much time, and I''m not getting anywhere, so it''s worth a try. She pushed more divine qi into the nature qi with a few thoughts: grow, spread, then added the neutral qi. It slowly swelled, absorbing and converting the neutral qi. She mentally sighed, too slow. Oh, but I have this too. She pulled out a wisp of the enlightenment qi that she had collected just that day. She mentally whispered to it to strengthen the Dao then fed it into the pile.


    The reaction was immediate, the bundle of diverse qi swirled and twisted like an angry tornado. It compressed down into a dense glob of liquid. Syrup? Or honey? She asked no one. The sweet and fragrant smell she had first noticed from the pan was still embedded in the qi. Ah! A flower''s nectar, which becomes honey, might have been both in the pan.


    She tried to get a sense of the Dao, but it was still a mess. Huaa, I guess amplified static is still static.


    Now, what the hell do I do with this?


    She rolled it around the outside of her Dantian, trying to find a spot for the nature qi to fit into. Looking at where the steam fit in, between water and fire, she thought, what''s nature a mix of? ... Earth and water? Even that guess didn''t help her find where it fit. Maybe it''s too different, or I need much more of it to start.


    With another internal sigh, she decided to stop. But I can''t just leave it here. She moved it to her right arm, a simple act now that the qi was hers. Not wanting to risk it rioting when left alone, she added some of her personal qi to keep it moving. It moved slowly, like a slime monster being battered by harsh winds, it wobbled and moved slowly as her qi raced around her arm.


    She felt safe enough to leave it be, and woke herself from meditation.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 15: Devouring Desire

    <hr>


    Chapter 15: "Devouring Desire."


    <hr>


    "Welcome back, Miss Shae." Long said from across the table they were both now sitting at.


    "Apologies for the wait, Master Long. That nature qi is quite the puzzle." She looked around to see it was the same table they used earlier, and the dining room was still empty of other guests.


    "Heh, I didn''t expect you to try to take it in, and never would have guessed you would refine it into something stronger. I didn''t think you even took enough."


    She looked down at her right hand, where she could still feel the qi. "Oh? Is that what I did? I was just trying to learn its Dao."


    Someone coughed from across the room behind her.


    "Fairy Yun?" Shae called and turned to look for the noise. "Was it you who moved me? Thank you for not trying to wake me."


    "Of course, Wise Shae. Master Long asked me to be careful with you. I would never force someone from meditation. It is rarely ever safer than leaving them be."


    "Ah, right, because of qi rioting? I know my own qi is a bit of an exception, but how do most people learn to move qi outside of meditation when it wants to riot like that?" She glanced between the two cultivators.


    Long raised a hand to Yun. "I''ll take this one." He gave an assessing look at her right hand. "Your qi is rather... unique. I suspect your question comes from inexperience more than anything. Since you said you created that qi yourself, you wouldn''t have found the difference naturally. Personal qi, that is, qi stored and attuned to the user within the Dantian, it responds much faster and is much slower to riot."


    "Oh!" She nodded. "Hmm yea, I didn''t notice that." She shut her eyes and focused on her Dantian. Quickly pulling strands of her demigod and personal qi out to test their responsiveness. Her personal qi was the same demigod qi that had been in her Dantian long enough to attune to her.


    It took a few attempts of making it move faster and faster to really notice the difference. Then she stored it away. "Ah yes, I feel it now. I guess I wasn''t trying to get either to move as fast as they can."


    Long smirked and shook his head. "Young cultivators rarely push their true limits, and lightning variants can move much faster than most can even think at your stage."


    Shae tilted her head, then nodded. "Hmm, yea, that makes sense."


    Long just raised an eyebrow.


    "I suppose light qi would be even faster. There is light qi, yes?"


    Long took a moment to respond. "Yes, its behavior is mostly theorized as it is very hard to collect. Anyone that has managed keeps the secrets to themselves."


    "Hmm, it''s probably embarrassing, like staring directly into the sun, or naked sunbathing."


    Yun squeaked out a laugh from the corner of the room.


    Long just gave a smile and a single huff of laughter. "You seem surprisingly confident in your guesses?"


    She shrugged. "Well it''s light, there''s only a few ways to get enough of it for qi to form. Maybe as a byproduct of fire or lightning with this refining you mentioned. Does that let you do things like that? Change one qi into another? I''m not really sure what to do with this blob of... honey? now?"


    He nodded, "It is usually a more advanced cultivation step. For when you cannot acquire the qi type you need. Very time consuming, however."


    "How does it differ from, say, mixing fire and water for steam?"


    He opened his mouth to answer then paused. "How is it that you refined that from wood qi, but don''t know what the refining process is?"


    She shrugged. "Easy, I was just playing around and got lucky."


    Yun made a choking noise then coughed loudly twice.


    Long cleared his throat, "Well, I would advise against playing around with qi, it will get you into dangerous situations."


    "Um, like not knowing what to do with refined qi?" She smiled and lifted her right hand to wave it at him.


    "Yes, like that." He sighed. "Hmm, it''s not going to be as compatible as how it was used in the meal. If your stomach meridian was cleansed, you could stuff it into there and let it deal with it."


    She shook her head, "And I don''t know how to just reject it from my body. I guess I''d need open meridians for that, too?"


    He nodded. "Or a specific technique.


    "Oh, I think one meridian was partly cleansed... My gall bladder meridian."


    Yun couldn''t contain her laughter this time and quickly left the room.


    Long stared at the girl for a breath. "It explains so much."


    "Hey! Don''t say that!" She huffed and crossed her arms.


    He couldn''t hold back his smirk. "Try to take it as a compliment, you are the most bold and galling young woman I''ve ever met. So, it is only fitting."


    She still frowned at him.


    "Well, for the problem at hand." He paused to rub his chin. "If the wood qi''s Dao is intact, I don''t know what that will do to you. Sequestering qi in that meridian can be safe, but Dao adds a layer of complexity."


    She focused on her index fighter tip, trying to just force the qi out. She thought she saw it glisten with wetness. "Can''t you just pull it out?" She reached across the table.


    He looked at it with wide eyes. "That''s not usually done." He coughed to the side. "It''s seen as... inappropriate."


    "Surprise surprise. Well, I''m used to it. You don''t need to keep it, just get it out into the air. I got one of the monks to do the same."


    He still looked at it like it was a weapon. "I''d rather not, and I find that hard to believe."


    "Do you have another solution?"


    "Hmm. I might actually." He shooed her hand away from him then produced a short glass, then a dark bottle from which he poured a clear liquid, filling only half the glass. "It''s all in your finger? Put it in here, it should start to dissolve out, you may need to push it with other qi to get it all out. If it starts to sting, remove your finger immediately."


    She started to move, then hesitated at the last sentence. "What is it?"


    "Spiritual water."


    Yun coughed from the corner of the room again.


    Shae glanced over her shoulder in reaction. "Isn''t that kind of expensive?"


    "Yes, though this has been diluted."


    "Oh." She shrugged and put her finger in, a light peach color leaked from her. Almost like her finger was seeping ink except it settled near the bottom of the glass instead of mixing. "It''s fast. How diluted is it?"


    "Oh, about half and half."


    Another squawk came from Yun and she rushed over. She stared at the bottle that was still on the table with her mouth open, then at the glass. "Master Long, this-"


    "This is fine. I know a cultivator or two who refine it. So my supply is not lacking."


    Yun continued to gape at him. Then she looked back at Shae''s hand. "But- but her hand!"


    "Is not made from mortal flesh, she will be safe. Probably."


    "Probably?" The girl asked.


    He shrugged. "Safe enough. Like I said, if it hurts, remove it. If it doesn''t hurt already, it isn''t likely to."


    "Hmm, am I going to owe you for this?" She frowned at the glass.


    He wobbled his head. "It depends how much is consumed. I think it will be a fair trade. I know another cultivator who might want to test this as a refined spirits ingredient."


    "Huh?" Shae asked.


    "He means it could be used to make alcohol. Cultivator alcohol can be more expensive than pure spirit water."


    "Yes, but this probably won''t be. Not enough of it, and not pure enough, you will leak impurities into the spirit water."


    Yun leaned in, getting a closer look at the glass. "Hmm, shouldn''t we see the impurities?"


    "Yes, of course. They should be thin black threads."


    All three of them leaned in closer.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "I don''t see any black." Yun said.


    "Nor do I." Long echoed.


    "Huh. Well, it is divinely cleansed flesh."


    Both cultivators looked at the girl and said, "What?"


    "What?"


    "What?"


    "How?" Yun said.


    "Surely you misunderstand cleansing?" Long suggested.


    She looked between them. "Didn''t I say it earlier? Tribulation lightning? Got trapped in my arm and leg and cleansed them?"


    The two looked at each other.


    "Her arm and leg are cleansed differently." Yun confirmed. "And she did say as much earlier."


    "But how did it-" He stopped and turned to the girl. "But how did it start cleansing and not just destroying and killing you?"


    She shrugged. "I dunno. That''s just what happened. I was unconscious at that point." She sighed and tried to explain more. "Elder Ghon used the qi pressure of Pilgrim''s Rest Mountain to prevent it from spreading freely. So, maybe it could only cleanse? He said he expected the gold part of the lightning to have positive effects on my body."


    "Hmm, yes, that could have... well the little bit of gold in tribulation lightning is thought to be intended as a reward for surviving it."


    "And to make up for any damage the blue and red does." Yun added, causing Long to nod.


    "What do you mean little bit?" Shae asked.


    "Well, at your stage, it should have only been a small tribulation. Just one bolt that even a mortal could possibly survive, yes?"


    Shae stared at him flatly.


    "What did you do to get one so early, anyway?" Yun asked.


    She looked between the two, then her finger started to tingle. "Ah!" She pulled it out quickly and checked it for damage. Looks fine, and the tingle is gone. She squinted and felt for the nature qi. There seemed to be a little bit left, so she did as Long suggested and pushed at it with her personal qi. "Do you really want my personal qi in this too? Or would neutral qi be better?"


    Long accepted the distraction. "Hmm, your strange half-divine lightning? Yes that will be fine, it should separate from the wood qi''s, don''t fill up the whole glass, though."


    She put it back in the glass and didn''t feel the tingling. "Oh, right, so it''s wood qi? What was its Dao? I couldn''t figure it out, it just felt needy or like it was desiring something?"


    Yun turned and coughed into her sleeve. "Hasn''t anyone told you: talk of Dao isn''t appropriate?"


    "Yeah, lots of people. It''s really annoying how reserved you all are. This isn''t even mine or his, it''s a plant''s."


    "Most cultivators are still quite put-off by the topic." Long supplied. "Let''s save it for later, we really should get to the actual meal portion of the night."


    "Ah!" Yun jumped and ran off.


    Long seemed comfortable waiting in silence, so Shae used the break to focus on extracting the last bit of foreign qi from her system.


    She watched the glass closely as the threads of rich yellow and orange from the nectar faded to nothing. Her own qi was a pale brown. As it mixed into the spiritual water it started separating. Breaking into a thin milky blue spotted with dots of yellow-gold and  vibrant red.


    "It seems to be breaking down," Shae whined.


    "Hmm, yes I wondered if that would happen." Long agreed. "I think that''s enough for now."


    "Ah!" She pulled away quickly, she had grown distracted watching the colors separate. "Hmm, sorry, that''s more than I intended."


    He waved it away. "It''s not a problem. If you can refine and filter qi so easily then I may have work for you."


    "Hmm." She frowned. "As long as I am doing more than just acting as a walking sieve. Though I''m not sure I can repeat the refining without additional instruction. Small portions perhaps, but I don''t believe I did it correctly."


    He looked at the glass. "Correctly? This nectar is more refined than your own qi. It wouldn''t hold together so well if you did it wrong."


    "Hmm, still. I''d like proper instruction on refining. This used up a limited resource. I''ve not done the same to my own qi because I don''t want to waste it. I''m still not sure if my qi is what I want to cultivate."


    He looked at the glass with more consideration. "If you are implying... I''m not sure I can accept taking this-"


    "It''s fine. You did not ask me to refine it like that. It was my own choice. Which I did to examine Its Dao. You just helped me extract the product, which I''ve no need for now."


    He held back his concern and just nodded. "I''ll get you some reading material when we get to the sect. Regardless of your status."


    "Thank you. Speaking of the nectar, the best read I could get was just a general want or desire. Was it more specific than that?"


    He cleared his throat and glanced to the side. "It is quite disarming to speak of such things so plainly. To answer in a more roundabout way. The spicy buns you had before. Do you think a plant could create such a strong and specific emotion?"


    She sat back in her seat and considered. Hmm, well I know the chef refined the Dao a bit. It would be strange if a plant formed such a clear human emotion, so maybe he refined it a lot. "Ah, so you are really working with that little? Just a suggestion?"


    "Every chef works with very little. They combine simple ingredients into complex dishes."


    She nodded along. "Careful preparation, mixing at specific times, letting the flavors combine. Can I ask more specific details within this metaphor?"


    "We are talking about cooking, there is very little metaphor here. So ask what you will. Though, I may not answer."


    "Right, so. Like trimming a vegetable down to the best parts, would you do the same to the nectar? Or is it... it''s not like bending, so more like blending flavors of spices in a curry, maybe to accentuate one specific flavor?"


    "Hmm, like a curry, that is a good example. Bending might really be the most accurate, though. It is very difficult to cut a flavor." He raised a hand. "And that is the most we will speak on it. Our next course has arrived."


    Yun reappeared with several plates, then set three in front of Shae and two in front of Long. "Wise Shae, since you missed the first two courses, we have a sample of each on this first plate. Then the pan seared devouring eel filets Master Long prepared. Those should spark your appetite for the real third course, a large fresh salad." She bowed to both of them. "Please enjoy your meal." She left quickly.


    Shae didn''t notice her also set down large glasses of ice water as she was distracted by her meal. She scanned the two samples with her eyes. They looked like simple enough appetizers.


    "The cracker is more of a pallet cleanser, so that should be second." Long supplied.


    The other appetizer was a fruit skewer. Thin slices of several fruits stacked into two sets. The whole skewer was probably a full mouthful, but Shae was smaller than an adult so the separation was appreciated. Each bite was an adventure of sweet and sour, and even one caramelized fruit in the mix.


    "Ah! That was magnificent."


    Long nodded. "Thank Chef Van, he made these. They''re a signature of the restaurant."


    She smacked her lips a few times, the flavors staying with her. "I can see why the palate cleanser is needed. Those''re very strong flavors." She took a sip of the ice water and found it only renewed the flavors in her mouth. "Amazing, they are sticking around like strong spice would."


    Long waited patiently without touching his own food.


    "How long between the first and second course? I can''t tell if waiting like this would be enjoyable, or torture."


    "Hah. I believe you got a slightly concentrated version of it, to make up for what you missed. The real first course is more like an exploration of each flavor and its combinations, several smaller bites that build up over time."


    The girl inhaled deeply and nodded through the explanation. "That makes more sense. Though, this is also quite the experience." She dug into the cracker next. It looked like a simple cheese and pat¨¦, and it too was two bites. The first was almost tasteless and simply fought off the sweetness of the fruit. The second let her really enjoy the smooth buttery cheese and savory taste of the pat¨¦.


    "Excellent work Chef Van, I''ve never enjoyed a palette cleanse so much." She looked over her shoulder towards the door. "He can hear me, yes?"


    "Heh, probably. You can thank him in person later, he also made the salad."


    She nodded and had another sip of water. "Would you like to introduce the eel, since you made it?"


    He smirked. "The devouring eel is the name of the dish, not the animal itself. While it is from a spirit beast, making it very nutritious and hearty. The meat contains very little qi and is widely considered unpleasant to eat for its incredibly tough and chewy texture." He stopped and gestured to her plate, then plucked one of the two slices from his own plate.


    With a raised eyebrow, she matched him and they each ate a piece. She found the texture to be as he described, though not as tough as advertised. It was chewy, but soft, and a rich juice rushed out of it as she chewed, her own saliva flooded her mouth and she found herself swallowing just juice as she worked through the thin piece of fish. Almost like a juicy chewing gum, she thought.


    She was rather surprised by the taste: a very light fish taste that paired well with a sweet and flowery freshness in the juice. Small bursts of garlic, pepper, and other spices hit her tongue slowly. The final surprise was around the third swallow of sweet juice, her stomach rumbled with hunger and her eyes snapped wide. The piece of eel melted away just as suddenly as her hunger struck.


    Master Long looked up from his salad with a smile on his eyes at her reaction. Then he quickly turned back to digging into it like he was starving.


    Shae was reminded of the all consuming hunger her directed tempering caused. That gave her a hint of resistance to the effects of this hunger. She more calmly tore into her own salad, trying to vanquish her hunger as a respectable lady instead of a ravenous animal.


    Her supernatural hunger abated as she neared half the salad. She finally got a good look at what it was made of. Instead of a variety of vegetables, nuts, or fruits. The salad contained only leaves and flowers. She was quite surprised by this as she could have sworn that the bright and colorful things she had been eating were fruits.


    "Hah ha, you held together quite well, Lady Shae." Long teased her with a mostly stoic expression, just a hint of a smile showing.


    She stuck her nose up in defiance. "A lady never lets hunger get the better of her. We would all be wide as oxen otherwise."


    "Hah! So. Do you understand the nectar''s wood qi better now?"


    "Oh! I hadn''t had time to think of that." She paused and turned her head. "Such a strong desire, it wasn''t originally hunger... Unless they were carnivorous plants?"


    "Excellent guess. At least one was, but those rarely taste of flowers and sweetness."


    "Hmm, so if they are just flowers, it is the desire to..." She felt herself blush. "Master Long. How inappropriate!"


    "Heh heh heh! It''s nothing so lewd. Though, I''m sure some plants could be found for that. Rather, consider what nectar is."


    She tried to dispel her blush, focusing on the new suggestion. "Nectar attracts bees, which make it into honey. The bees travel to many flowers, providing pollen." She tried to recall the feeling of the nectar''s Dao. "What would the flower want?" She asked herself out loud. "Not just to have the bee gorge itself as we have." She paused to let long interject, but he remained silent.


    She took another mouthful of salad, then looked closer at it to find many different flowers present. "Variety? It''s the desire for variety!"


    "Well done, you are truly deserving of your title, Wise Shae."


    She snorted a laugh. "It''s nice to know it wasn''t just a fluke."


    They moved on to the next slice of eel to repeat the same experience. The eel acted faster this time, and knowing what to expect she kept a little more control. She even managed to enjoy the variety of flavors in the salad. As mild as they were, she suspected that none were so great as to be good outside this situation. The Dao of hunger likely amplifies the experience several-fold, she smirked to herself.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 16: Beginner Questions

    <hr>


    Chapter 16: "Beginner Questions."


    <hr>


    Once the course was cleared from the table the two sat in an awkward silence. Yun had brought out another round of interesting drinks, and Long busied himself with separating the spiritual water into separate containers.


    Shae broke the silence as soon as he was finished. Proving that only she had found the silence awkward.


    "Master long. Would it be appropriate to ask you some cultivation related questions?"


    "So long as you find it appropriate when I dodge them and refuse to answer."


    She gave half a frown. "Hrrm. Well, now that is my first question. Why do you do that? Other cultivators I''ve met have also been rather stingy about answering questions directly. You''re far worse for it, but perhaps that''s my own bias, or the questions I''m asking."


    "Hmmm. The way you ask questions." He shook his head. "How is it you are so naively curious, yet ask in such an aggravating way?" He huffed. "I suppose I will sate your curiosity. It is related to the sect''s culture. After your lecture the other day, to the guards at the geyser, did you notice them treating you differently?"


    "Huh, I didn''t talk to them much before that. I guess they were nice, accommodating even."


    "As they should be, because you taught them something. You acted as a teacher would."


    "Uhhh, so anyone that teaches is a teacher? And then what? They should be revered?"


    "Not exactly. They might have discounted your advice, but I arrived at the end to agree. As the elder, I accepted the true responsibility of the teacher. Something I am quite accustomed to doing for those guards."


    "Responsibility of the teacher?" She scrunched her eyebrows together.


    "Yes. In sect culture, and this has spread to other cultivators, though, not so much to the smaller towns and villages. For us as cultivators, a teacher who instructs a student in anything is responsible for that student''s actions. Or seen from the other side: what a student does with that information reflects on their teacher directly."


    Shae''s face continued to wrinkle with confusion and concentration. It took a few breaths before she said, "I think I understand."


    Long waited a bit longer before interrupting her thoughts, "You seem to be taking this more seriously than I expected."


    She inhaled deeply and sighed, then looked up at him. "I feel somewhat ashamed for not considering this sooner. At least, not considering it with the added weight that cultivation power adds."


    "You are young, why would you take time to comprehend it?"


    She shook her head. "But I am a lost soul. I feel it should have occurred to me in my past. Even in this life, I taught the other children in the village to read."


    "You were a teacher in... Your past?"


    "Not officially, but I worked alongside teachers, and with their students directly."


    "Hmm. Even in your village, this responsibility holds little weight. You are all expected to learn the same things. Save maybe a hunter or two that might instruct with more care."


    "Hmm... I suppose he did, and the other tradespeople to some degree. Thank you, that comparison actually makes me feel a little better."


    "It''s not solely why I mentioned it. For as cultivators, there are other ways a teacher must take care."


    "Oh?" She perked up a little.


    "You said you knew how the geyser worked. Did you wonder why I never explained it to the group?"


    "Hmm, yes, I thought maybe I missed it. You seemed to avoid a lot of topics, and direct answers. Not something I''ve seen many teachers do."


    "Hah! Well, you should get used to seeing it more. A cultivation teacher''s responsibility goes beyond simply providing the information a student needs. They must help them find that information on their own, especially when it comes to enlightenment."


    "Alright yes, that''s teaching thinking. Reason, logic, ability to research, all very important skills. Sooo, is enlightenment a skill like these?"


    "Not so directly. What we do know is that-" He stopped himself, "well, you are not the usual student, so I will continue. We know that enlightenment cannot come simply from information. If I tell you my exact thought process at the time of my enlightenment, you will not gain enlightenment from it, even if you have the same information and agree perfectly with my conclusions."


    "Because it is about discovery. Yes, I already knew that one."


    A muscle in his face twitched.


    "Heh, kidding, I was fairly sure though. Sudden comprehension seems to be the trigger, not simple understanding or learning."


    He shook his head and sighed at her. "Yes. Though the precise way it works is unknown. We suspect if you did know, you would stop gaining enlightenment entirely."


    "Or be able to force it, and maybe call down a tribulation on yourself if you mentioned it to someone?"


    He pointed a finger at her and nodded. "A frightening possibility."


    "So, if I was being cynical: avoiding questions is abdicating responsibility for that person''s future actions. Or, with a more generous view: half answering questions is intended to lead them to comprehension?"


    Long frowned and cleared his throat, then had a sip of his drink. "Describing the true responsibility of a teacher like that is a very good way to start a fight."


    "Heh, sorry to be so blunt." She shrugged. "I''m used to oversimplifying things."


    "It is an interesting test of will. Now that I know you are not being intentionally aggravating."


    "Hmm, though that does imply that you are afraid- no!" she raised a hand before Long could object. "No, not afraid. Rather, concerned about what I will do with the power I gain."


    "That is one way to look at it. If you need a confidence boost."


    "Hardly. Though you taught a dozen new recruits, why should you be more concerned about me?"


    "Who said I was? We are careful of every new teenage recruit. How are we to know their true temperament?"


    "I''m not a simple teenager."


    "And isn''t that more concerning? The other village recruits are predictable by comparison. Answer yourself why I should be concerned, you seem convinced that I am."


    "Hmm... maybe Elder Bai warned you that I was a brat? Though it seemed like he hadn''t reported anything from Minlin the first time we met."


    "True, he hadn''t had a chance yet."


    "Yet? So he did later?"


    "Why wouldn''t he report?"


    "Because... well if he thought it wasn''t relevant to you. If you were staying at the geyser, you wouldn''t really need to know."


    Long just spread his arms slightly, and took another sip.


    "But you didn''t stay. So he''d need to report everything to you. Hand off all the details or ensure other Bai got you any... reports? Do you do written reports? OH!"


    "Oh?" Long smirked.


    "Elder Ngoc''s letter. Uhm, are you a higher rank than Elder? Could you read the code?"


    He stared at her for a beat. "Why does that question sound like a lie?" He tilted his head in thought. "You said you read the sect rulebook, you should know that already."


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    "Err, yes, but it was an old copy, and I want to hear you say it."


    "Yes, in sect politics, Master is a half step above Elder, and I know the messaging code. Elder Ghon speaks highly of you, but Ngoc less so."


    "Pfft, I only said like three things to her and she was ticked off, and after she fell out of the sky and didn''t even introduce herself. Don''t get me started on what happened after."


    He snorted a laugh then continued to chuckle. "Ever the brat. I also had to confirm that you, really are you. The letter could have changed hands on the road."


    Shae gave a grimace. "Speaking of, the other letter Ghon gave me did change hands, my introduction letter to the sect."


    "Hmm, I think Bai did mention some bandits? Was it sealed?"


    "Yes, it looked rather official, but didn''t proclaim exactly what it was."


    "Good. Then it should arrive in its own time, I''ll be interested in what Ghon said before his accident."


    "Hah, accident, more of an intentional. He wasn''t even- Oh! That reminds me, he wrote another letter."


    "Did he? And you still have this one?"


    "Uhm, yes, it''s in my bag, though... I''m not sure what he wrote in it. And it was more of a get out of jail free card."


    "A what?"


    "Err, him saying it wasn''t my fault for what happened to him."


    "And if that contradicts what he wrote in Elder Ngoc''s letter?"


    "Huh? Why would it... hmmm, well he wrote this one before anything bad happened. Under the assumption that something bad could happen. You know, now that I think about it, I''m not sure I want to share it at all."


    "Ha ha hah! Took you long enough to figure that out." He continued to chuckle. Then he leaned forwards with a sharpened glare. "But what makes you think you have that option now?"


    "Uh- um... You see... His instructions were to only deliver it if something really bad happened to him."


    "And you don''t consider a shattered core to be something bad?"


    "Uh, well it is, but I think he meant if his death occurred. Last I saw he seemed to be doing well."


    "The state of an experienced cultivator can be deceiving. A shattered core or Dao means he has lost most of his qi and will slowly die. Many cannot recover even the pieces to begin to continue their path."


    "Oh! Um. He collected most of his shattered Dao. I''m not sure about his core, he was leaking a lot of qi at first but it seemed to slow down as we collected the pieces."


    "How could you know that? And what''s this we?"


    "Ah, well..." She turned her head. "Have you ever seen a Dao shatter, Master Long."


    He frowned. "I have seen them after. Watched powerful cultivators wither to nothing from lack of qi."


    "Was it fast?" She tried to correct herself when his frown intensified, "I mean, I was with Elder Ghon for several days after. His outward condition didn''t deteriorate. While we didn''t talk, he was eating what food I brought him."


    He lessened his intensity. "Hmm. The worst cases do die quickly, but some hold on for weeks. Even seeming to improve before their deaths."


    The girl''s eyes widened. "The human spirit is powerful."


    "Let us pretend your words are accurate. He recovered enough of his core and is stable. Why wouldn''t you want to deliver the letter to me? Don''t you trust what he wrote?"


    She shrugged. "It seems unnecessary. The letter contains speculation at best. And will surely bring up as many questions as this conversation has. Questions I''m not entirely comfortable answering."


    "This place is safe for most discussions. Feel free to talk as you like."


    She frowned at him.


    "Have I done something to dissuade you?"


    "I would like to think this letter carries some measure of responsibility, as would my answers to follow up questions."


    His forehead creased together slightly. "And?"


    She smirked, took a sip of her drink, then tapped her fingers on the table. "I expected you would be unwilling to bear it. Since you refuse to bear the comparably light responsibility of a few beginner cultivation questions."


    His scowl deepened, but the girl felt no animosity. "I think your questions will be anything but beginner, or simple."


    She waited, taking another drink.


    "Ask your beginner questions then, girl."


    "Great! Firstly, regarding the conversion of personalized qi, how long should that take, say for a recently filled Dantian at my stage?"


    "What type of qi?"


    "That matters? Uh, neutral is most common, yes?"


    "Heh, everything matters, but in different amounts. Hmm for a cultivator new to cleansing, using only neutral qi, I''d suspect a few days to convert their full Dantian."


    "A few days?" The girl frowned with concentration.


    "Surprised by something?" He chuckled. "Some would say I estimate too low. But cycling and manuals generally have a positive effect, as does cleansing and other advancement. At the same time, those will grow your Dantian, changing the answer more."


    "So... it''s hard to gauge if one qi type is slower or faster than another?"


    "Precisely. Once you reach core or above, you may be able to partition qi within your Dantian. Allowing you to test the speed directly."


    Shae''s eyes went wide, haven''t I already done that?


    Long clearly mistook her expression. "Hah, yes, more powerful cultivators are capable of impressive things, especially within a higher stage internal domain- ah but I shouldn''t speak of that."


    "Uh, okay. Could they convert several types at once? Or do they have to alternate somehow? Uh, for testing types?"


    "Ha! I knew you wouldn''t stick to beginner questions."


    The girl flinched.


    He waved a hand. "It''s hardly worth answering, it will be easy enough for you to figure out."


    She hesitantly replied, "it will?"


    "Well yes, you just have to spend a few decades getting a good core first! Hahaha!" He leaned back in laughter at his own joke.


    Shae rolled her eyes at him and stuck to her own thoughts, pondering her line of questioning.


    He had calmed down when she asked her next question. "Are there major factors to conversion speed? My half divine qi is converting very slowly."


    "There are." He nodded.


    She stared across the table for a breath. "Like?"


    "Again, I would say that is not a beginner''s question. But it is valuable information for selecting a cultivation manual." He scratched his bare chin like he was itching at stubble. "How about a cooking metaphor?" He withdrew the glass vial that held her dissolved qi, then swirled it to show the flecks of gold and red swirling through it. "Any two recipes can have very similar preparation times, yet taste vastly different. A drink that tastes divine," he sipped his beverage, "may be quick to make, while a bland gruel may take much longer." He opened his mouth to continue, but clearly changed his mind. "You''re a smart girl. Put the rest together yourself."


    She frowned at him. "When''s the next course?"


    "Feeling your hunger again? Soon, I think."


    She wasn''t distracted by her hunger, but an assortment of concerns she now had about her Dantian. Enough that it interrupted her focus on the metaphor Long used.


    Long raised an eyebrow. "Do you prefer challenges with dire consequences or simple tests without rewards?"


    "Challenge seems to be the obvious answer, but I''m not a fan of dire consequences." She gave half a frown.


    "Then a compromise. If you sort out that metaphor before the next course arrives, I won''t take Ghon''s message from you by force."


    "And if I refuse to play?" She looked at her drink and fidgeted with the glass.


    "Oh, this isn''t a bet. It''s not optional. Go on, talk it out."


    Her first few breaths were panic, then she closed her eyes. I''m panicking about nothing. I don''t care if he sees it. She forced a slower breath, but didn''t completely discard the problem.


    The man''s words tumbled through her head again. It''s about qi, but how? What part is what, what''s important?


    She opened her eyes. "The food is qi, that seems easy. Between taste and recipe... recipe is the focus of the metaphor, taste isn''t." She continued to think.


    Long raised an eyebrow then took a sip of his drink.


    "You started with both, but the last sentence focused on the recipe. How can you even compare a fancy drink to gruel? Not the result or the ingredients, just the preparation. Maybe learning the recipe, but both are similar."


    He didn''t react.


    "If it''s qi... The result is the personal qi... Which can have varying effects, like varying flavors. There''s a lot to be attributed to skill or knowledge. If the metaphor goes that deep. Cultivation manual, skill, and user talent can match training as a chef, tools, and similar personal skill."


    She inhaled deeply. I''m getting side tracked... Conversion factors. "Let''s say neutral is the fastest. There''s very little there, thus it''s easy to make that recipe. Elemental qi must be the next simplest, just from the name. Fire, water, air, earth, metal are still simple concepts, easy recipes compared to more complex ideas like nature or space."


    Long flinched, "Put a pin in that, I''ve a correction, but carry on."


    "Secondary elements, steam for example, can be made from fire and water, but I can''t imagine it takes twice as long to convert. Steam and ice are just phases of the same thing, different preparations of the same ingredient... But maybe that''s not using the metaphor correctly." She shrugged.


    She heard someone walking across the room. It was Yun with a tray that held glasses. She swapped their drinks for a new beverage. "Chef Van is currently plating the next course, I think you''ll both enjoy it." She smiled and walked away.


    The girl took another deep breath. "Am I just overcomplicating this?"


    Long was stone faced. Only a slight curve up to the edge of his lip signaled anything, but that could have been there since the start.


    "What takes longer from one recipe to the next? Prep-work for each ingredient. Cooking time. How well the chef knows the recipe. How many steps there are. A simple dish might only be -ah!- it''s simple. A complex dish is complex. Is it just that? Some qi types are just more complex?"


    She looked up and found Yun setting their plates down.


    Long smiled. "I''m comfortable calling that close enough. Hold those thoughts while we eat."


    Shae mentally tripped over the response, stalling her reaction. Yun removed the cover from her plate and the smell summoned the girl''s hunger.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 17: Another Tea Break

    <hr>


    Chapter 17: "Another Tea Break."


    <hr>


    "Okay. Now I''m full." Shae groaned and leaned back into her chair.


    "Really? There''s two more courses to go," Long said.


    She groaned again, "Whhyyy?"


    "Well the next is small, and the last is a dessert. You wouldn''t turn down a dessert, would you?"


    She sighed up at him. "I''m not an actual child, Master Long."


    "No, but you are a teenager, and you should eat like one. Growing body, and all that."


    Yun arrived with tea. She set a hand on Shae''s shoulder. "A simple tea, Wise Shae. It should settle your stomach."


    She lessened her groaning, "mghm, with honey?"


    Long produced the refined nectar in spirit water from earlier. "This would sweeten it up, and maybe help with your appetite."


    The girl grabbed Yun''s arm, and whispered loudly, "Don''t let him poison me. Again."


    Yun''s eyebrows shot up and she gave Long an accusing glare.


    "It was a joke. I wouldn''t have given it to her." He returned the vial to his spatial storage. "Though, there''s little harm in a bit of foreign qi. Especially when she refined it."


    "Speaking of, Wise Shae, have you had a chance to finish comprehension of Master Long''s metaphor?"


    "Ha, like I''ve been able to think about anything but food since you brought it out. Hmm, what did I miss?"


    Yun deferred to Long with a look.


    He grabbed the vial of Shae''s dissolved qi off the table. "This central qi. The milky blue part. Is quite recognizable. I believe it is pure qi. It can be refined from neutral qi and is on par with elemental qi, as far as the metaphor and original question are concerned." He set the vial down in front of the girl.


    "Hmm..." She poked at it, then swirled it to see the colored flecks. "So my additions are what made it complex? Too complex to convert quickly?"


    "Essentially, so the question isn''t what did you add, I think you know that. Rather, why are the few drops you did add so complex that it slowed the conversion?"


    "Hmm, I do know what they are. Though, when I put the qi together I didn''t know as much." She tilted her head. "Is that part of it? My interpretation of their complexity?"


    "That is a good part of it, and reminds me of the correction I wanted to make. The elements you listed are not always taught as the base elements. Especially when the cycles of creation and destruction are concerned."


    "Oh? What was I taught wrong? Wait, let me guess. Metal is kind of like refined earth, so that might be out. Or fire, since that is more energy focused like lightning. And a replacement... Light? Maybe? Still energy, but more pure than fire. Does Yin and Yang fit in somewhere?"


    "Hmm, curious logic. Usually we teach wood instead of air. You said you were on Pilgrim''s Rest peak, with Elder Ghon? He is a formation and talisman teacher. They usually use a different list because they are more commonly used in formations, and are much simpler for that task."


    "Wood qi? Ugh, right, you said it earlier. That''s also what was in those plants you cooked then? I was thinking of it as nature qi."


    "Heh," he chuckled, "it''s a fine name. Some call it that, or grass qi. But each name carries history, and is usually used in a different way."


    "Right, different interpretations, and different manuals and techniques. Still, why the eff is it considered a base element? How is an entire category of biology an element?"


    He smirked.


    "Ugh!" She threw up her hands and decided to try the tea. It was good and reminded her of something she had before. "Mmm. Ginger! Which I would say could use some sweetness, but..." She tapped the side of the cup in thought. It tastes like ginger, but there''s something else, something I can feel.


    "A-hem, Wise Shae? Is there something wrong with the tea?" Yun asked from her side.


    She looked up to see the woman''s concerned face. "Oh, no. Not at all. I think I''ve had this before, I was just trying to remember where."


    Long responded first. "It is a unique preparation. Though ginger is rather common in teas, perhaps it has simply triggered a memory? Do let us know if you are having a reaction to it."


    She frowned, then glanced between Yun and Long. "Oh, come on! Please tell me this isn''t something weird or special!"


    Long took a sip of the tea, and Yun shifted slightly.


    Not a nervous shift, but what qualifies as one when it comes to cultivators? Shae took another small sip, not focusing on the flavors, but the feeling.


    She spat it back into the cup and wiped her mouth with a napkin Yun instantly produced. "Ok, the gig''s up! This is the third time in two weeks that someone''s dosed me with this shit, and that''s probably only because Elder Ghon didn''t have any. Explain." She pointed an accusing finger at Master Long.


    "It''s perfectly normal tea, Wise Shae." Yun scrambled and inclined her head downwards. Shae recognized this as a half step towards an apology, which made her more angry.


    She slipped into English swears to express her frustration, "Fuck''s-sake, stop covering for him. That response is worse than denial. Spill the beans, old man." Her fury was still directed at Long.


    "Thank you, Fairy Yun. I''ll deal with this fallout."


    "You''re going to deal with my divinely blessed foot in your ass, if you don''t start talking."


    "While your uniquely colorful language is entertaining, threatening any cultivator is a quick way to find yourself in severe pain."


    "Oh! I''m so sorry that slang from my last life is bleeding through while you try to fuck-around with my soul. Yea, asshole, I already know what it is. The monks and Miss Mei had the courtesy to tell me what it was instead of tricking me into drinking it."


    The slightly curved lip on Long''s stoic face dropped, but he didn''t start explaining, instead letting the silence hang.


    "Yet again. You do a disservice to yourself and your sect." She snatched the vial of her qi off the table and walked out of the room.


    "Miss Shae." He flatly called after.


    She didn''t stop.


    <hr>


    Yun was waiting outside with tea again.


    Shae stormed towards her with the intent of walking right past. "That''s not going to stop me this time."


    "Please, Wise Shae. Your anger is justified. I promise you the tea is completely harmless."


    "This one or the one inside." She yelled and gestured.


    "Both." Yun grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it gently.


    Shae deflated only slightly with a large exhale. "Why didn''t he say that? Why won''t he tell me why?"


    "The menu was set earlier in the day, before we knew you were just a lost soul. We didn''t think you would react so strongly."


    "Or you didn''t think I would notice." She turned and slammed her palm flat against the small table. The teacup rattled on its saucer and pain shot into her hand, blanking her thoughts. She had used her right hand, throwing all her strength into it and the pain had been enough that she didn''t hear the impact.


    The shock wasn''t enough to break her anger. She swung her arm around and under, seeking to topple the table. A hand grabbed her arm and another wrapped her left side, pulling her backwards into Yun.


    "Please don''t, Dear Shae. None of us, Master Long included, none had ill intentions for tonight. The soul calming root has only positive effects. And is supposed to be undetectable."


    The girl''s fury crumbled almost as fast as it had risen. She leaned back into the comforting embrace Yun had trapped her in. "Undetectable. Except for when?"


    "Except when someone''s soul doesn''t match their body. If you were not born with the same soul you have now, we would know and would not be having this talk... or, in the rare case your soul is stronger than a mortal''s should be."


    "What happens then?"


    "Older cultivators say it has a very particular taste, but is unlikely to calm the soul, as it normally would."


    "Then it''s especially irritating?" She scowled at the tea set still in front of her.


    "No, it does nothing. Your anger is justified. I should have introduced it when it was served."


    Shae choked back the start of tears. She didn''t want to be angry at Yun. "It''s not your fault, please stop taking his blame."


    "Nor is your anger yours. You are right to feel betrayed."


    "Do you still have my stuff?"


    "Yes, but I need the dress back."


    "What?"


    "It''s a rental."


    "Oh." Shea took a deep breath, squeezing Yun''s arms. "Do you have a punching bag or something? I''m still kinda angry."


    "Yes, let''s go back inside before you catch a chill from the rain."


    "The rain?" She looked up, and felt drops on her face, "I didn''t even notice."


    <hr>


    Shae''s fist slammed into the punching bag with a satisfying thwamp.


    She was getting far more power and impact out of each swing than when she started. Yun had given her a small number of very specific instructions, saying, "I won''t teach you any techniques or style, but I''m not going to sit and watch you break your wrist."


    First it was just making sure her wrist was straight. Then a tip about how to hold her hand, she was just clenching it in anger.


    The girl kept punching, getting slightly more comfortable with each swing and putting more power into it. She was still visibly angry and was enjoying the exertion of violence. Yun began asking her simple questions about how she was attacking. "How would you use your shoulder more?" "Can you get more power out of your hips?"


    Each question was something to focus on other than how betrayed she felt. She was still here because she knew her anger wasn''t completely reasonable. She knew it wasn''t fair to desire violence against anyone in particular. There was a torso shaped practice dummy, but she had chosen the cylindrical bag to disperse those thoughts.


    "That''s decent for a beginner. Have you tried without qi?"


    That caught Shae off-guard. Qi? I was using qi? She felt her channels, a small trickle of qi ran through her, more in her arm. She took another swing and felt the subtle tingle of lightning in her right arm.


    She took a deep breath and pushed her qi back into her Dantian. Then focused and punched again. It felt almost the same.


    "Not as satisfying." She swung a few more times.


    "Huh, that''s still a good hit. I thought you were reinforcing yourself to get that strength."


    "Just funneling anger, I think." She summoned way more qi up and channeled it all into a rage filled punch. Thin red lightning surged over her bare arm, burning into the bag with a sizzle.


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    "Dang girl. You''re right though, the qi doesn''t seem to be changing your strength at all." She walked over to look Shae''s arm over.


    "Qi helps my other muscles. Balances out the strength a bit."


    "Huh, run some through?"


    She did, cycling her personal qi through her arm and flexing it as Yun watched.


    "It''s like it can''t reinforce or improve it at all."


    "Well it is divine flesh." Shae smirked.


    "Yea, no kidding. I''m no expert, but I wonder how this compares to body cultivation."


    "Huh?"


    "There are some cultivators that use qi and alchemical baths to transform and improve their bodies."


    "Oh, that sounds familiar, they can get, like, different hair and skin color, right?"


    "No, that''s just cosmetic pills or shampoos. They do stuff like dissolve half their bones with acid so they can replace it with alchemical super steel."


    Shae grimaced, then switched to a smirk. "Adamantine? And which half? Top, bottom, left, right?"


    Yun rolled her eyes at the girl. "Har har har. Usually it''s just called bone steel, because that''s what it''s for, and that''s the only way to get it. Pretty sure it''s not actual steel though."


    "Mhm, probably not. Most metals are not good for the body. Um, well, that''s in mortals. Maybe titanium? Uhh, a white metal?"


    "I don''t know how you sound so certain, but yes, it looks like a white metal. Though, most people say that is because of the bone." Yun smirked.


    Shae groaned. "Ugh, I deserved that."


    "The point I was trying to make is, you''re near the limit for what strength your muscles are capable of producing, so qi might not have an effect on them, at least without a technique."


    "Really? Huh, I thought I would be able to get way stronger. Surely body cultivators have a way?"


    Yun smirked at the girl. "You do it the old fashion way, exercise to build muscle. And you really have to push your limits."


    "Ugh. I gotta become a muscle-head, now?" The Fairy gave her a cute giggle that distracted her when even the physical contact hadn''t. Stupid teenager hormones.


    Yun shook her head, cascading her hair back and forth. "You don''t have to. Most don''t until they get far into martial weapons training."


    Shae smirked and turned away. Then started lining up a kick. "Any advice for kicks?"


    "Heh. Other than: don''t?"


    "Wha-?" She stopped herself from going full force and had to catch the bag for balance.


    "You can kick the bag like that. Hit with your ankle centered, spread out the impact as much as possible. But don''t try too hard, and don''t kick anything actually solid unless you get those steel bones and something for your joints."


    "Uhhmm," the girl stammered, "because I''ll break something?"


    "Yes. You''ll break your foot or shin before whatever you''re kicking. That divine strength doesn''t change the fact that bone shears quite easily; sweeping kicks just don''t work. Even if your bones were cleansed too, they are not reinforced. You''ve probably just removed the weakest spots, if anything."


    "Ugh. Good to know. Um, what about just..." She leaned back a bit and tried kicking forwards, nearly losing her balance again. She had to smile at the Fairy''s giggles returning.


    "He-he he-he. If you want to, go ahead. Compression is bone''s strength, which is why punching is fine, and your punching form is much more effective than that kick. I can''t help a whole lot with that either, I was only taught flying kicks for rushing an enemy."


    The girl''s eyes went wide, "Flying kicks! Show-me, show-me!"


    Yun gave a hesitant grin. "Fine. Stand back."


    A brief equipment setup later and Yun was rushing the target dummy from across the room. Two long strides covered half a dozen paces and she was in the air, flying the other half dozen to kick the target square in its chest. Shae felt like the world froze as Yun''s foot was planted sideways, her whole body stretched out in a Mantis stance: her hands raised above her head and her other knee bent up to her chest. The scene seemed to pause like she was just standing casually on the ground, except she was parallel to the floor.


    Formations activated around the dummy and across the floor as the force hit, and it resisted being knocked back. Shae didn''t see the shockwave or hear the impact, but she felt it in her chest like a low bass note. Yun casually completed a backflip to land facing the young girl, not a bead of sweat on her, nor hair out of place.


    "Whooah!" Shae said, her eyes sparkling. "Again! Again! Again!" She clapped along with her chant.


    "Ha ha-ha, well aren''t you easy to impress? Did you even see much?"


    Shae hopped once and tried to mimic the striking pose. "Yea you were like BAM! And I felt the shockwave. Oop-" she almost fell over trying to get the pose right.


    "Heh, I did think that was too fast to see properly. I''ll do it just once more, and try to slow it down."


    "Yes!" The girl threw a fist up.


    A knock interrupted and a man''s voice spoke through the door, "Miss Fairies?"


    Shae''s mood dropped like a stone. She slumped and walked back to the punching bag.


    "Come in, Van." Yun called.


    Shae hitched her step at the chef''s name but decided she wanted another swing at the bag anyway.


    "Fairy Yun, Wise Shae, I thought you could use a distracting treat." Van held a covered platter which he set on a table near the door. It was the only table to sit at in the training room.


    "Ugh, another course?" Shae grunted then swung with fresh rage and not a small bit of qi in her arm. She timed the lightning better and left an imprint that trailed a wisp of smoke.


    "Not at all, Miss. Master Long was well aware that you wouldn''t entertain him any longer. This is something I prepared just for you. I''m sure Fairy Yun will enjoy it, as well."


    "Oh?" Both women echoed.


    Van sniffed the burning leather smell in the air with a grimace. "I believe the other dummy has formations to handle qi attacks, Miss." He walked to a window and cracked it open.


    "Uh, yea, sorry." The girl dipped her head as she walked across the room.


    "She wasn''t doing that before, and didn''t really want to hit the dummy. Still lots of empathy left in this one." She mussed Shae''s hair as they reached the table.


    "Well, that''s quite good to hear." Van waved a hand and a light whistle of wind sounded, it breezed around the room, pulling at clothes and escaping out the window leaving a fresh clean smell.


    "Ooh! Handy," the girl chirped. She leaned close to the platter and sniffed. "Hmm, can''t tell. Something sweet, for sure. Nothing weird, right?"


    "All completely mortal ingredients, I promise you."


    "Thank you, Chef Van." She nodded and sat down.


    "Tell us about it?" Yun asked.


    "Of course. This traditional dessert is completely ordinary to some, yet cultivators world wide prize it as a delicacy. This preparation is more elaborate, yet still based off of the tales of travelers to match some level of authenticity. Some have described it as better than sex."


    "Van!" Yun gestured to Shae. "She''s just a girl."


    "Chocolate?" The girl asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.


    "She''s a lost soul, Yun. And yes, one ingredient is chocolate. Fairy Yun, Shae, allow me to present the iced cream sundae." He removed the cover to reveal a perfectly iconic and large sundae, one that had dropped right out of a 1960''s Earth diner.


    The metallic ringing noise from the cover was interrupted by Shae''s squeal of joy. She dove at the chef, wrapping her arms around his waist. Like any capable cultivator, he didn''t drop the metal cover and kept his balance, but let the girl push him away from the table a few paces. Her squealing turned into rushed words, "aaaaa-you''re-my-new-best-friend, can-I-stay-here-forever? Thank-you thank-you thank-you thank-you."


    He just chuckled and patted her back with his free hand.


    "Oh!" Yun said with a spoon in her mouth. "Mmmhhmmm, this is very good!"


    "Ah!" The Earth girl shouted and rushed back to the table. Without another word she dug into the dessert.


    <hr>


    A quarter hour of delighted moans and muttered appreciation later and the two women were scraping the final drops of colorful syrup and melted ice cream out of the serving dish.


    "Didn''t you say you were full earlier, how did you eat all that?" Yun asked. She had taken a much more reserved approach, taking only small spoonfuls and savoring them for longer.


    "Mmmhhmmm." Shae mixed a hum of enjoyment with one of discomfort, then pulled the metal spoon out of her mouth. "Teenagers are magic. They can and will eat anything you put in front of them. Double for sweets." She had rested her head on the table, cradling her stomach in pose that signaled she was uncomfortably full.


    "Hmm, I don''t think so. You would need at least your stomach meridian cleared to process food that fast."


    "Ugh. It''s a turn of phrase, Yun." She waved a hand without looking up.


    "Oh." The woman blushed.


    When she did look up to see the blush, Shae found her previous thoughts replaced with a raised heart rate.


    "Ahem." Chef Van interrupted. "I hope you don''t consider this interrupting, and I realize you may not want to discuss the matter. However, I hope you''ll accept our most sincere apologies for the incident earlier. This establishment takes great pains to cater to its customers. We had no ill intentions towards you, and we consider this oversight a black mark that needs correction. If there is anything we can do to make this up to you, please don''t hesitate to inform me or Fairy Yun." He paused to let Yun stand and they both gave a low bow.


    "Hmgh." Shae swallowed. "Rise, you two. Hmm. A little part of me wants to be greedy and take you for all your worth, but that''s so stupid that now I don''t even want to ask for anything." She smiled. "I know it''s not your fault and you shouldn''t even have to apologize to a teenager who had a tantrum, however well deserved it was. Chef Van, Fairy Yun, I hold nothing against you or this business for any part you may have played in the matter. I completely absolve you all of guilt, responsibility, and debt. Assuming that''s within reasonable custom to do so. Please let it be, this was more of a misunderstanding than anything serious."


    The two employees shared a glance and Yun returned to her seat.


    "Thank you, Shae. We still want to do something for you."


    "Hmm. I''m not sure you need to. Heh, the ice cream was more soul soothing than the tea was, even the first time I had it."


    "But Miss Shae, either of us could have insisted on withholding the root. We all heard what happened outside, and we did not doubt the truth of it."


    "Thanks Chef. But really, I''m not upset about drinking it. You had valid reasons. How much worse would it have been if your bogey monster had slipped past because of the rare chance I might detect it and be offended?"


    They nodded slowly. Watching for her reaction.


    "The problem- no, the person I''m mad at is Long. He showed no reaction, no remorse or empathy or even willingness to admit his mistake when it happened. He could have dosed my tea at any time. Why set up this elaborate apology, just to completely undermine it by sneaking something into my drink." She frowned and rubbed her forehead. "I''m worried he will argue away his mistake. Use the facts to blind himself to the real mistake he made."


    "You''re worried about him?" Yun asked.


    "Shouldn''t I be? I''m heading to a sect full of Elders like him, and the others I''ve met haven''t been much better. These are people who have huge amounts of power and are expected to teach and lead generations of cultivators. I need to believe in them. Know they are making the best decisions they can. And just trust them. I wouldn''t be so doubtful, but how do I trust Long after this absurdly stupid slip up?" She dropped her head back to the table.


    Van stepped forwards and put a hand on her shoulder. "I fear you''re correct."


    "Van?" Yun asked.


    "I''ve known Long for many years, and he might just convince himself he was in the right. We all have the responsibility of finding and properly identifying the threat of soul takeovers. But Wise Shae is absolutely correct that we don''t need to let it impact our lives and infest events like it did today."


    She rolled her head on the table to smile up at him.


    He squeezed her shoulder. "I''ll go talk to him. He may not be able to gain your trust tonight. But I''ll make sure he knows what he lost, and why."


    "Thanks, Chef."


    "And thank you, Wise Shae. Most new cultivators don''t know enough to hold their betters to any standard, let alone the one you just set." He smiled, quickly cleaned the table of dishes and left the room.


    A few slow breaths after Van left, Yun asked, "Still need to throw more punches?"


    "Mmmgh, I''m worried what will happen if I overexert myself right now." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis.


    "Heh, well, it is getting late, I think Long intended for you to have a room at the inn with the others. Though, there are other inns."


    "Ugh. Is it petty to turn that down? Huwa-" she sat up quickly. "It probably is, but I do feel like moving. Last time I ate ice cream I ran a dozen li to ''burn it off''."


    "Running? I thought you said no overexertion?"


    "Yeah, I don''t want to run, but a walk would be nice. Oh! I have a qi practice to check on, that needs a walk too." Her bag was in the corner of the room, so she went to it and brought her stack of papers back to the table.


    "A practice that requires movement, and checking? Comparing results to previous days?"


    "Mhm. More or less. It''s a multi-step process, so I need to make sure the one I was working on today is complete. Going over tomorrow''s wouldn''t be bad either."


    Yun raised an eyebrow at the stack of pages covered with tight script. "Are these all qi practices and techniques? Aren''t you new, and from a peasant family?"


    "Yep, yep, and yep. These are all from the monks I met in Minlin. And this one is the one I need to check." She pulled out the thicker bundle that had been bound like a thin magazine.


    "That''s one practice?" Yun asked with incredulity.


    "Eh, it''s closer to twelve. I do them in order as we travel, pretty much one a day. Though, I''ve noticed them finishing at different speeds, when I actually notice. I''ve been mostly guessing. I''m about a third of the way through, maybe half, now."


    "That sounds quite involved for a normal practice. Should you be telling me about it?"


    Shae looked up with eyebrows raised, then relaxed and shrugged. "Dunno. I think a lot of these have better versions at the sect. And this one is for new cultivators, so not that useful to anyone."


    "But you''re doing it?"


    "The opportunity arose. The monk who made it hasn''t had a lot of people use it, because of the limitations."


    "What''s it supposed to do? If you don''t mind answering."


    "I can say, but I''m not entirely sure. It seems to be intended for answering a question about one''s cultivation, or maybe their future. You travel a path and it tells you what''s ahead on that path, sort of thing. Here, read the introduction."


    "If you''re sure."


    "Yep." She turned the book around with the summary page revealed.


    Yun flicked the cover closed quickly to read it, then opened it up again. "This... reads like divination." She inhaled deeply then looked at the girl with a stern expression. "I will help you with this. What do you need?"


    "Pffft! Ha-ha ha, so serious!" Shae put a hand over her mouth and leaned back on her chair.


    Yun''s expression stayed firm except a twitch of her cheek raising the edge of her lip, but her eyes were what really made her smile clear.


    "Okay, okay. A quick meditation, then I need to go for a walk."


    The Fairy looked down at the summary again. "Don''t you need to go somewhere? You can''t just walk in circles."


    "Huh. You got that just from the summary? I hadn''t considered it, but you''re probably right."


    "I''m definitely correct. We can go to your inn, how long do you need?"


    "Uhm, not sure how long. Maybe an hour to be safe?"


    "Then we will take the scenic route. Flame Well is spectacular at night, even more so in the rain."


    "Oh right, rain. Do you have umbrellas?"


    "We can do better than that! We have qi!"


    Shae smiled and opened the Manifold Journey manual to the practice she needed to review.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 18: Side Door

    <hr>


    Aside: "Van and Long."


    <hr>


    "Long." Van entered the room with a nod. "I saw the rain." He set a small corked jug on the table, and two short glasses.


    "Yes. It''s been a while since I slipped that badly."


    "You should tell the girl. It might save you some face in her eyes."


    "I''d rather not share that particular weakness, thank you. What do you have here?"


    "I believe you once called it: peasant swill."


    "Ah! My favorite!" Half a smile showed, and he leaned forwards to pour two glasses.


    "I hate to say I told you so."


    "If you did, you wouldn''t have said that." Long slid the second glass to Van and waved him to sit.


    The pair mirrored each other in smelling the drink deeply, knocking it back and loudly returning the glasses to the table. They held themselves still for two frozen breaths, then faced the ceiling to exhale deeply. The air wavered above them, like they had exhaled a summer''s heat haze.


    "Remind me why you insisted on poisoning the girl tonight?" Van asked with a smirk.


    "It''s not poison. How many times must we have this discussion?"


    "Until you admit that I''m right."


    "The dose makes the poison. That''s always been true. That amount couldn''t have hurt anything."


    "Yet, it''s enough to detect a demonic cultivator? Just because they wouldn''t have their soul ripped out of them by the poison, doesn''t mean it''s non-toxic."


    "It had to be done."


    "Three times, apparently." Van paused to let Long grimace in response. "The last time you killed someone. Did they die mysteriously from blood loss, or from your blade?"


    "They drowned in their own blood and my water qi. But I understood your point the first time."


    Van poured the second round. They skipped smelling the drink this time, but held it in for slightly longer.


    "She''s had her dessert, and this counts as yours."


    "Then we skipped a course."


    "Do you think she should trust us enough for another?"


    "You could make it instead."


    "I made her dessert, and I was surprised she didn''t question it. Probably only because it was mortal fare."


    Long grimaced. "A mortal''s dessert? What a miserable end to the night."


    "She liked it a lot more than how you ended the night."


    "It wasn''t poison." Long chopped his hand down on the table, softly, just enough to make his point.


    "Still feeling defensive? Maybe it''s not about what it was. Yun explained it and she readily forgave the restaurant."


    "She understands? Then I should go talk to her." Long stood.


    "No. You will do no such thing." Van poured their third round. "Not yet. Probably not tonight at all."


    The sect cultivator froze at the words. Then returned to his seat for the drink.


    They sat in silence. Long was clearly deep in thought until he poured their fourth round. They lifted the glasses towards each other, but switched to just sipping the clear liquid.


    "What a waste of a night. She needs to learn some discipline. And to learn the custom of accepting apologies without lashing out."


    "Long. Friend. You wasted the night, not her."


    He snapped his gaze up and held it for a breath. "I didn''t have a tantrum from a harmless drink I didn''t like."


    "That''s the drink talking. You convinced Yun to lie to her face about the tea. You insisted on undermining your own apology with this ghost hunt. You made light of her complaints. You refused to just explain it to her when she caught on, and you sat passively like you did nothing wrong."


    "I did nothing wrong."


    "You did everything wrong. This whole night was unnecessary, and you know it. She was more excited to spend time with Fairy Yun, and have that mortal dessert than the entire meal you insisted on serving."


    He turned away.


    A breath later his glare snapped back to Van. Eyes narrowed. "You made her iced cream." He emphasized the name.


    Van smirked.


    "You told me it was reserved for a special occasion."


    "And I used it for a very special occasion. It''s not every day a lost soul from Earth shows up."


    "But you said-"


    "I said no earlier because we didn''t know she was a lost soul, or from Earth." Van looked down at the jug and re-corked it. "You''re losing your resistance to this stuff."


    "The rain took more out of me than I''d like."


    "Tell her. She needs to know that you actually felt something from that disaster."


    Long shook his head. "I can''t."


    The silence stretched again.


    "So what now? I assume I can''t try this again."


    Van nodded.


    "She might not get into the sect."


    "I''m not a betting man, but I''d wager... a lot, that if she doesn''t enter. It''s because she chooses not to. Do you know what she said to me earlier? She said she was worried about you."


    "What?" Long frowned and brought his glass to his lips.


    "She might not have known the first responsibility of teachers. But she sure knows the second."


    Long froze with the glass at his mouth. The pause lasted a breath then he put the glass down and wiped at his mouth. "Ack! P-waa." He summoned a waterskin and rinsed his mouth. "Dammit Van. How do you always get me like that?"


    He shrugged through a chuckle. "It''s never my fault that you forget to swallow."


    "Once or twice maybe. Yet, your timing is too consistent to be waved off."


    "Why, thank you. Timing is very important." He locked eyes with the spluttering cultivator.


    Long slowed and searched for the intended meaning.


    "Even the slightest change, a spice added at the right time, half a breath longer on the grill. These things can have a huge impact on what something is, or means."


    "You''re not usually so blunt."


    "You''re not usually so dense."


    "It was the righteous thing to do. We needed to do it."


    "Yes, when we made the plans it sure seemed that way." Van sighed loudly. "I''d like to say that if you explained why you were apologizing to the girl, that we would have caught the obvious fact you were undermining your own apology. But I''m not sure, cultivators are awfully dense sometimes. We might have just argued it away as the right and righteous thing to do. That, or that it needed to be done, and who would care if she discovered the deception."


    Van stood and collected his empty glass and the jug. Long swirled the remainder of his, staring deeply into it.


    "I can''t tell you how to fix this. Or even if it needs to be fixed. What I can say is that you''ve lost her trust. If she were just some other teenager, you could shrug and forget this, but we both know how lost souls move through this world. How they slice through fate like it doesn''t exist." He sighed heavily again, then began to leave.


    As he reached the door, Long spoke, "Van, old friend. Thank you for the drink. And the advice... Especially for the advice."


    Van smiled back at him. "Any time, old friend."


    <hr>


    Chapter 18: "Side Door."


    <hr>


    Shae''s review and preparation took a bit longer than expected. Partly because of Yun asking exactly what she was doing and how this specific practice had been progressing.


    Once they were finally leaving, Shae hesitated at the door. "Is Long still in the building?"


    "Hmm, yes he is moping at the table where you left him."


    "Moping?"


    Yun shrugged.


    Shae frowned. "Well, is there a side door? I don''t want to run into him."


    "Hmm... Yes, follow me."


    They cut through the upstairs hallway and exited into another dining room. Then passed through a dark set of glass doors and out onto a balcony.


    "Oh? I didn''t see an external staircase." The girl asked.


    "Right, because there isn''t one. Ready?" Yun grabbed her hand.


    "Uhm, sure?" The girl blushed. Then she yelped loudly as Yun lifted her up and jumped off the balcony. The fall was so quick she didn''t have time to inhale and scream properly.


    "Ah!" She gasped. "Warning next time!"


    "Hehehe, I asked if you were ready, what did you think we would do?"


    She gaped, jaw moving but not forming words, until, "I don''t know. Who jumps off a balcony?"


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Ha ha-ha. Cultivators who can do it as easily as taking a step. Get used to it, some buildings don''t even include stairs."


    "What!? But that''s-" Shae stopped herself and thought it through. "Actually, I suppose that makes sense. I''m surprised they don''t build them anyways, make it a statement of wealth."


    "Oh some do. There are some buildings with expensively-made ultra-fragile stairs. To show excess wealth. And so the owners can show-off even more by actually using the stairs without breaking them."


    "Huh. Oh, like the fashion Jani mentioned!"


    "Yep exactly. Let''s get moving, the rain''s stopped, but there should still be steam-fog in some areas that will look lovely."


    "Oh, uh, I need to fix my qi practice, your little stunt spooked me into dropping it."


    Yun giggled again.


    A quarter hour and a li of peaceful walking later, Shae''s qi practice was under control enough for conversation. "The city does look quite nice at night."


    Yun smiled. "And we''re nearly at the forging district, where it will look even better. The glow of the forges is spectacular, and only improves with the steam from the rain."


    "Oooo!" Shae cooed as they rounded the corner.


    "M-hm! Oh, and you reminded me earlier. Jani said she''d like to meet you again, later in your life."


    "Yeah? She sort of said that to me, too. I think she said I need to be at core-stage..." The girl was quite distracted by the sights around her. "And um, something about making a name for myself?"


    "Hmmm. Sounds about right. She likes to set a high bar so she isn''t swarmed by young Fairies constantly, but don''t be discouraged. Any time you are even near the city, please stop in to see us. I''ll be very interested in your progress, and I''m sure Van would enjoy the visit, too."


    "Of course! I said we were friends, didn''t I? What kind of friend would I be to not stop in."


    "Hah, well, you''d be surprised or disappointed how quickly people forget their friends in the search for enlightenment." She gave a sorrowful grin.


    "Like I''m going to forget the only person who has iced cream on this backwater planet!"


    "Ha ha ha ha!" Yun''s laugh was clear and loud.


    Shae found herself grinning widely at her friend''s laugh, and not blushing this time.


    "Speaking of planets, can we discuss your past?"


    The girl hesitated.


    "Oh, but first! About Jani. She''s really not that picky. If you progress quickly, I think she''d love to see you after only five or six years. I''ve heard of people making their core easily within that time."


    "Ah! Thanks, that''s good to know. As for my past... It''s not off-limits or anything. I''d just-" she paused, then forced out a loud sigh. "Growing up again, I had a lot of time to think, and I decided to put most of my past behind me."


    Yun reached over and grabbed the girl''s hand, she gave it a squeeze then held it gently. "Loss and grief are difficult. Even worse when you have no one to talk to."


    Shae squeezed back. "Thank you. I was forced into spending a lot of time in my own head, but I know I wasn''t alone. I had my family. My mom was really attentive, and all about physical contact. It kind of messed me up," she winced, "because I really miss her hugs sometimes."


    Yun stopped and turned Shae to face her. "There''s nothing wrong with that." She grabbed the girl in a powerful hug and squeezed.


    "Ugh, Yun." The woman relaxed but didn''t let go. Shae returned the hug and found herself tearing up. "Th- Thank you." She forced out before giving in to her tears.


    <hr>


    Tears from both women and many comforting hugs later they continued their walk.


    "Oh, I need to reset the practice again." Shae sniffled.


    "Let''s walk a bit more first. I had some questions about it, if you don''t mind?" Yun pulled her along.


    "Okay."


    "I''m curious what your focus for the practice is. The intro mentioned thinking about questions and goals?"


    "Mmhm. Yeah. Mostly just cultivation stuff. To do with my qi and... well, after today, how I want to interpret aspects of it."


    "So, you have been giving it some thought then?"


    "Uhm. Kind of? I mean it''s just that my recent enlightenment was related, and talking about my qi with Long helped." She paused in her steps and grabbed her forehead. "Ugh. Am I too mad at him? He was a little helpful."


    "You''re allowed to be as angry as you want. Expect it to fade, but for now, feel what you need to feel. We live long enough that resisting emotion only harms us." She looked at the girl. "Back to your practice. You''re halfway through, right? It sounds like you haven''t put that much thought into your own questions."


    "I guess, yeah. I thought that was the point of the practice though. To answer the questions for me."


    "It might be. I haven''t read the whole thing, but from the little we''ve discussed, I think it''s just a helping hand. It is designed for new cultivators, so its reach is limited. Let''s say you asked me each of your questions. Don''t, I don''t need to answer them for you, especially if they''re personal to your journey. So let''s say that I did, and you didn''t like the answers, what would you do?"


    "Hmm, ask for clarification? Or rephrase my question to be clearer about what I want, then see if you give the same answer."


    "And there''s the problem. I didn''t say we would have a discussion about it. Just that I gave you an answer."


    Shae''s eyes snapped wide. "Oh!"


    "Heh heh, exactly! This isn''t a magic box that will give you all the related information. It might be as simple as a yes or no, if you get any answers at all."


    "Huh? You think I won''t get answers? And have I been wasting my time by not thinking about it?"


    "Hmm, you''ve probably not wasted anything. It is designed for new cultivators, for people who would make that same mistake. As for the answers, have you heard of the coin flip trick, for making decisions?"


    "Uh, yes. I understand the concept of a randomized outcome." The girl stared up blankly at the Fairy.


    Yun smirked and resisted a laugh. "Well there''s an extra trick you can do to break indecisiveness. Everything is the same except at the end: you don''t look at the result."


    "Um, isn''t the random result the whole point?"


    "The point is to make a decision. Having it pulled out of your control, even for just the breadth of a coin flip," as she spoke she flourished a hand and flicked a coin into the air. "Usually that is enough to realize what you really wanted." She caught the coin, then flourished her hand again, showing it had vanished.


    "Huh. That''s less impressive knowing you have a storage item, but I think I get your point."


    "Heh, and it''s less impressive because you can''t sense whether I used the storage item or not. So, how does it relate to your practice, explain it back to me."


    Shae sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. Explain it back to me, classic teacher trick. She stopped suddenly. "You''re actually trying to teach me stuff!?"


    "Of course! You didn''t think we were all as stingy as old Long, did you?" She chuckled.


    Shae stepped in and wrapped her in a quick side hug, then looped her arm through Yun''s so they could keep walking.


    "Besides, what horrible trouble could you get up to with this? With anything?"


    "With anything! I''ll have you know I''ve already..." She talked off and frowned.


    Yun continued her laugh, "See! Innocent as can be."


    "Hmm. No, not quite. Just doesn''t feel right to joke about it."


    Yun quickly controlled her amusement. "Hmm. That''s rough to hear, but it still validates my point. Whatever it is, that reaction means you''re treating it with maturity beyond your years."


    "Pffft." Shae half laughed. "That''s a terrible joke."


    "Then why did you laugh? Come on now, tell me what you learned." She playfully bumped the girl sideways.


    "Okay okay." She took a deep breath and exhaled to gather her thoughts. "The special qi practice might not be super-divination. It might just be making me work through my own problems. Especially if some of it is indecisiveness."


    "Hmm, a good summary. And what do you need to do now?"


    "I need to think through the questions. Work out all the information that I could have figured out on my own."


    Yun squeezed her hand.


    "And talk to the people around me. I''ll have to double check, but I''m pretty sure it doesn''t say I can''t ask for help."


    "Great! So, what right now?"


    "Now... I need to start the practice up again, and think about what my questions were."


    Yun smiled warmly and directed Shae to a bench.


    A few dozen slow breaths of meditation later and Shae''s eyes snapped open. "Aahh!" She inhaled sharply.


    "What is it?" Yun reached a hand out to steady the girl.


    "It... Clicked."


    "Hmm? What did?"


    "The qi structure that the practice had been making. It, like, snapped, or turned over. In a good way. Like when a key fits perfectly into a good lock, and you turn it over to get that satisfying ka-chunk."


    "That''s... Good." Yun raised her eyebrows.


    "Yea, and it happened three times. In different parts of the thing."


    "The thing? This qi structure you mentioned? Was that mentioned in the practice?"


    "Um. Yea. I think it was mentioned in passing."


    "Did it say that you should be able to feel it?" Yun smiled and raised an eyebrow at Shae.


    "Uhm. Not that I specifically remember. We could check the manual?"


    Yun looked around, "Hmm, it''s still wet right here. I know a friend in this area, let''s go see if we can use his table."


    "Ah! Sure. Sure." She mumbled, falling into thought.


    As they walked, the girl couldn''t keep in her curiosity. "Yun, what do you think it means?"


    Yun smirked. "What do you think it means?"


    She tilted her eyes. "Ugh, not you too!" She dropped her face into Yun''s arm which she had grabbed to hold onto as they left the bench.


    "Don''t give me that. You''re smart. You can think it out."


    Shae smiled but kept her face down, this time from slight embarrassment. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." She said with sincerity.


    Yun used her free hand to mess up the girl''s short hair. "Of course."


    Shae snorted and giggled briefly. "Okay. I guess it means I did something right."


    "Just something?"


    "Well, probably what we just talked about. Hmm, oh! You said it was made for new cultivators that would make the same mistake. So, this is- it''s like confirmation that I did the right thing?"


    "Sounds about right."


    "Not just about right, I''m sure it''s right. There were three clicks, so that''s the first three steps... There''s twelve steps, but the first and last might not count."


    "Oh? Why not?"


    "Well the first step was setting up the whole qi structure. That''s when I first noticed it. And last is probably setting it off. Oh! It''s like Mouse-Trap!"


    "You''re going to catch rodents with it?"


    "Eh, no, Mouse Trap. Ah! Sorry. That''s an Earth proper noun. Do you have dominoes?" She couldn''t translate the name so had to explain the idea of toppling dominoes.


    "Oh, that sounds like Toy Soldiers. The strategic war game." Yun nodded.


    "What? Wait, I think I''ve heard of that in passing. It''s a strategy war-game? How is that like toppling dominoes?"


    "If you''ve seen it played you would know. It''s a placement game, like Go, but the pieces are tall pillars that can topple. Players keep placing them, wherever and facing however they like, there''s no grid like in Go. They continue until they are toppled accidentally, or one player decides to end the game by tipping one on purpose."


    Shae titled her head as she imagined a chaotic Go board scattered with dominoes, and a small bump toppling half the field. The familiarity of Go passed by her without a thought. Someone had brought Go from Earth and popularized it, they had even played the smaller boards in Shae''s village. That had been the first hint that she wasn''t the first earthling to be reincarnated here.


    "As you could guess, toppled pieces are considered out of the game, and a winner is declared based on the remaining pieces."


    "Sounds fun, but really hard to play? You''d have to predict how the pieces fall very precisely."


    "Correct! It''s almost exclusively played by cultivators. They even add in extra pieces that are different sizes and weights to represent more powerful soldiers."


    "Oh! I can see why you called it a strategy game, then. Otherwise it just seems like a toy."


    "Heh, well that is why the common name is Toy Soldiers. So, is that closer to dominoes or Mousetrap?"


    "Ugh, that''s almost an RTS- err, no, I shouldn''t say, because we''ll be here all night digging into that rabbit hole. Setting up and knocking down dominoes isn''t really a game, so that''s probably closer to Mousetrap. But in all three, there''s tension in setting up the individual pieces, then a lot of satisfaction knocking them down."


    "Quite the diversion to explain what you were expecting from the qi structure?"


    "Oh! Right! Hah heh hmm." Shae rubbed her neck, then squinted and frowned with thought. "Hrmm, not quite the perfect analogy, Mousetrap is more complex and harder to follow what should happen next. Well, okay it''s not. It''s made for kids, but the chain reaction contraption idea is what I mean. We have another name for that too, but it''s just some guy''s name."


    "Another name for a chain-reaction-contraption? What for? That has a very nice ring to it."


    "Hah, it does!" Shae chuckled.


    "So, a convoluted qi structure- oh! Here we are!" Yun moved them off the main path to a shop door.


    Even in the starlight, Shae got the impression that it was a smithy of some kind. The smell of charcoal was heavy in the air, and had been for some time. The real giveaway was that the sign over the door had the silhouette of an anvil.


    The darkened shop looked almost abandoned compared to the well lit displays along the street. Shae couldn''t even find the shop''s name before Yun took them past the front entrance and to the side door. She knocked loudly, then after a few breaths spotted something, "Oh! There''s a note... Away on vacation." She huffed.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 19: Tiny Unexpected Prophecies

    <hr>


    Chapter 19: "Tiny Unexpected Prophecies."


    <hr>


    Fairy Yun frowned at the closed shop door for a few heartbeats.


    "We could go to my inn?" Shae offered.


    "Hmm? Oh, no thanks, H?u wouldn''t mind." Yun set a hand on the doorframe and concentrated. Shae felt a wash of qi from the woman. An anxious breath later, the door and frame flashed with thin qi formations and she pushed it open with a proud smirk. "The key is still the same."


    "Um, isn''t this... Kinda... Bad to do?" Shae complained as she followed the woman inside.


    "No, no. It''s fine. Nothing to steal in here. There''s a separate vault for that."


    "O-kaaay." The girl raised a concerned eyebrow.


    The Fairy stepped through the darkness and a small click sounded, followed by dim light swelling above a cleared table. Three chairs sat around it.


    "Convenient."


    "It sure is, that''s why I brought us here." Yun waved a hand, depositing Shae''s backpack on the table from her spatial storage item. "Spatial storage is much more convenient. Make that a goal before the next time you travel."


    "They must be expensive? Unless they are much more common and easy to make?"


    Yun impatiently opened Shae''s bag, plucked out the practice book and returned everything else to her storage. "They are nearly impossible to make, and quite expensive."


    "Sooooo, how would I get one?"


    Yun smirked wickedly. "Easiest way is to kill someone who has one."


    The girl coughed. "What!"


    "Ha ha ha! That expression! Priceless!"


    She frowned at the woman, and waited for her to finish laughing.


    "Okay okay, hehe he-he. A joke, clearly. But they are dangerous to carry if you can''t protect yourself. Luckily, most cultivators only need one, so it''s not actually worth killing someone for. Some dumb mortal might try it, though."


    Shae huffed through her nose. "And how do I collect the funds to buy one?"


    "Frankly, I''ll be surprised if a sect Elder doesn''t make you their disciple within the first year. They could just give you one. When there is fighting, they will pop up for cheaper, and Elders like to give them out for special challenges, so there will most likely be a path for you there. Remember to always check the mission boards, at least once a week. You''ll miss so much if you don''t."


    "Wait, are you part of the sect?"


    "I was, for a few years. I didn''t keep up and had to leave for various reasons." She sighed.


    "Keep up? Now I''m worried."


    Yun waved a hand. "You have a head start, you''ll be fine for a few years, unless you stop completely."


    The girl still looked worried and hadn''t opened the practice book yet.


    The older cultivator signed, setting she would have to explain more. "Alright, they tell you this when you start, but here''s their deal. Mortals don''t have money, so can''t pay their way. Yet, some mortals have talent the sect wants, so what do they do?"


    "Uhm, student loans? Gah! Nooooo... Uuugh." Shae''s head dropped to the table and was quickly covered by her sleeves.


    Yun snorted and chuckled a bit. "Got it in one. As long as you are making progress, they don''t call in the debt, and there is no interest accrued. When you slow down, you have to start taking more jobs to pay them back."


    The girl rolled her head to the side to look up. "That sounds horrible, that would slow you down even more!"


    "Bullseye! You do eventually pay back what you owe, and can cultivate again. Except they then want payment up front, so more of your time goes into working. You saw the caravan guards, yes?"


    "Yeah."


    "That''s one of the more common peasant cultivator jobs. Pays better but can be dangerous. I wandered around to different jobs and eventually found the restaurant. They offered better pay and high quality cultivator food if I went full time, so here I am. Less stressful than searching for jobs constantly, and I''m still making progress in my own way."


    Shae propped her head up on her crossed arms. "Do you miss it? Anything you can''t get here?"


    "Hmm, miss it? Not terribly. The learning environment there is great if you can find like-minded people. And there''s lots I can''t get here. Mostly information, their library is second to none. Well, maybe to other sects or the Empress''s, but nothing even close to those."


    "Where is the next sect?"


    Yun raised an eyebrow. "Checking the competition, or exploring your options?"


    "Hmm, options, and curiosity."


    "There''s a small sect far north, but they are specialists and only take water cultivators. The next general entry sect... Maybe the one in the capital if you want something as good or better."


    "Oof, the capital. Must be harder to get into?"


    "Not really, it''s more expensive, and I heard room and board wasn''t covered like other sects. The capital is expensive to live in."


    Shae grimaced. She didn''t have to imagine what that would be like, she had lived in an expensive Earth city for many years. "If I decided I couldn''t go to the Dragon''s, where would you recommend?"


    "Hmm, that depends on your talent and speed. The capital is great if you can keep up with spoiled nobles with high grade spirits."


    "Hrmm. Let''s assume I can''t."


    "Right, especially if you don''t figure out how to convert your qi faster." She tapped the book the girl hadn''t opened yet.


    Shae forced a smile. "Okay, fine, enough stalling."


    <hr>


    Together, they reviewed the introduction and first few steps of Manifold Journey. The qi structure was only mentioned in passing, as Shae thought, but the notes added by the monks and more context.


    <blockquote>


    We''ve included more detailed notes at the end, but don''t read them until the full practice is complete. They are mostly in case problems arise.


    </blockquote>


    Shae suggested Yun read the detailed notes, but she refused, saying, "If I do, I cannot keep helping you. I might cause the same problems you reading them could cause. You trust the monks said that for a reason, yes?"


    Shae agreed, of course, so they continued without the extra information.


    Next they went over what goals Shae had set for herself in step one, Scout Destination.


    First, her goal to understand her strange demigod qi. Shae felt she had made good progress and Yun agreed that she was on the right track after Long''s cooking metaphor.


    Second was her desire to have a good journey and arrive safely. Yun helped to clarify it by asking "Arrive where?" The caravan''s destination was probably the town below the sect, whereas her final destination could be acceptance into the sect. "Or anywhere in between." The girl added. Shae agreed to give it some thought, she wasn''t sure which point exactly she had been thinking about, and knowing that would let her properly time the final qi practice.


    Third and finally, the young cultivator bashfully explained her goal of making progress with all the qi practices, including the ones in Manifold Journey itself.


    Yun let out an angry shout about never forcing a divination into a self fulfilling prophecy.


    Shae missed some of the details as she was reeling from the intense wave of qi and intent released by the woman. With her tempering, it wasn''t enough to harm her, yet she hadn''t been expecting such an intense reaction.


    Yun quickly restrained herself but continued to glare at Shae with a darkened expression. "I can''t believe you''ve done this."


    "What? I didn''t know it was forbidden." Shae protested.


    "It''s not forbidden. It''s just a stupid idea."


    "How was I supposed to know this counts as a self fulfilling prophecy?"


    "It''s obvious! You''re trying to use a divination qi practice to get better at qi practice. It''s clear as day!"


    "That''s what practice is for! Getting better!"


    "Not this one, and stop painting pinheads, you know what I mean."


    Shae scrunched up her face, "Painting pinheads?"


    Yun waved a dismissive hand. "Same as splitting hairs. Cultivators can actually split hairs, and sometimes do so for their professions. So they say painting pinheads instead."


    "Couldn''t they also do that? Paint pinheads, I mean."


    "Well yes, but nobody does. Except maybe just as an art statement- doesn''t matter. It''s just a turn of phrase." Yun exhaled loudly. "Back to you. Why didn''t you pick something more discrete? Like to finish skin cleansing or something?"


    "Cause I didn''t know! Okay!" She threw her hands up. "All of those practices were supposed to help me improve my control, and that''s what I was thinking about at the time."


    Yun''s eyes widened. "Wait, all? Was your goal to get good at all of the practices you were given?" She removed them from her spatial storage and let the stack land on the table with a thump.


    Shae grimaced. "Uh, I guess I wasn''t specific, so maybe?"


    Yun crossed her arms and stared at the girl.


    Shae squirmed in her seat. "What''s the big deal, anyway? There weren''t any warnings in Manifold Journey."


    "The big deal is it''s a waste of effort." She sighed. "Perhaps I''m overreacting. I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to yell at you, or throw my power around."


    "Mmm. Thanks. It''s fine, I guess. Sounds like an important thing to know."


    Yun nodded. "I''m no expert on divination, but the first lessons in the introductory class I took were all about prophecy and how to avoid self fulfilling clauses. The main risk is it''s very hard to back out of one, once it gets started. The practice is simple enough, it probably won''t explode and hurt you if you fail. Yet, divination is always risky."


    "And you''re sure it''s divination?"


    Yun swayed her head. "We should assume it is. Did you think of anything else while setting up the first practice? That Scouting one."


    "Hmm, I learned a lot about the trip to the sect. I guess I hoped we would have an easy journey."


    Yun nodded. "Did you ask anyone about the sect? Or the entrance tests?"


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Entrance tests? Um, I talked with Scribe Bai about it a little bit. Learned there would be classes and stuff. That wasn''t while I was doing Scouting though."


    "Okay, you might not have walked yourself into a corner then."


    "Um, what entrance tests? Like the spirit root test?"


    "Root test is only if you haven''t done it before, there are more, but the less you know right now, the better." She said sternly.


    Shae frowned and looked down at the pages.


    Yun leaned over to pat the girl''s arm. "Hey, don''t worry, you''re going to do fine. I''m just worried about the worst case scenario."


    "Which is?"


    "Okay, Uhm, don''t panic," she frowned and paused to think before continuing. "I''ll go over it, but I don''t think you are anywhere near the danger of this. Let''s say your Journey practice was a full technique, and way stronger. Like a square dozen times stronger. That kind of power can bind you to a path. Then if you don''t follow that path or can''t complete it, bad things happen. Usually just your cultivation gets blocked. It''s happened before."


    "Just blocked?" Shae raised an eyebrow, then tilted her head. "How does that happen anyway? Like technical details, I mean, you did just say how."


    Yun shrugged. "It varies, if we knew exactly, it wouldn''t happen as much, or we could fix it. A lot of it is up here." She tapped Shae''s forehead.


    "Like inner demons? Though, I don''t really know what those are either."


    "Heh. You got it. Lots of times they are just a metaphor, or shorthand for something more complicated. There''s a lot of folklore about them being real though." She shrugged again. "Back to your problem?"


    Shae nodded.


    "If you included entry to the sect with the technique, which I don''t think you did, that could mean a couple weird things. Oh, and this assumes Manifold Journey has more power in it that the intro suggests."


    "Does it?"


    "Very unlikely, though it also reads like you shouldn''t be able to feel the qi structure." She gave another shrug and a warm smile before she continued, "So, two main ways this could go wrong. And again, these are the worst cases, don''t lose sleep over them. First, if you don''t get into the sect, the last practice might not complete, meaning you don''t get whatever benefit it conveys. Given this is an entry level technique, that''s probably close to nothing anyway. However, you might feel it nagging at you for a very long time. Especially since you can already feel it."


    The girl grimaced. "Ugh, that would be bad. But I didn''t think about getting into the sect that much, right?"


    Yun sorted a laugh. "Why are you asking me? They were your thoughts."


    "Okay, um, I''m pretty sure I didn''t. Just getting to the sect with the caravan."


    "Good, but that might be the second case. If you don''t get there with the caravan. Say that the caravan stops in town before the sect, ends its journey there and just you go on. Does that count?"


    "Uhm, well there is a town there. And I wouldn''t expect the whole caravan to go into the sect. So yes, that''s fine."


    "Good, what if the caravan gets attacked, wiped out by spirit beasts and only you escape? Or just gets slowed down? Do you have to stay with it, or can you go ahead on your own?"


    "Ah, Hmm." Shae frowned.


    "You have a bunch of cultivators with you, and Master Long. So, I wouldn''t worry about that." She patted the girl''s arm again. "From the other side of things. What if you don''t make progress with your qi practices?"


    Shae froze for a second at the prompt, she was expecting Yun to continue her lecture. "Um. One of the other things fails? Ugh, are you trying to give me an anxiety attack?"


    Yun nodded encouragingly. "You''re doing fine. I sensed more nerves today when we were dress shopping."


    "Hmfh. Okay." She wiped a hand down her face, then scratched her nose. "So, I might not get into the sect... Which could just be a coincidence. Or... The caravan might not arrive?"


    Yun giggled. "Probably not that one, you don''t have even a shred of the kind of power needed to bind the whole caravan to your path, and that''s not counting the cultivators."


    Shae''s eyes went wide. "You''re serious about this stuff? I thought it was half superstition and half religious babble. Err ah, no offense!"


    Yun stayed calm and smiled. "None taken. It takes a while and a lot of coincidences to convince most people of fate and karma. Even with Diviners running around and flexing their powers, many Elders are still unsure. For myself, I had a fairly unique experience that wholly convinced me."


    Shae raised an eyebrow as a question.


    "A private experience. Yet, that is also why I am taking this so seriously with you. Lost souls are some of the most skeptical in the world. I need you to take this seriously, or at least, to know that you will work hard on it."


    The girl took a slow serious breath, looking years more mature than she usually did. "Okay. I will treat this like it was life and death. I''ll put my all into it without hesitation."


    Yun covered her mouth for a breath, then her eyes sparkled and she started giggling uncontrollably.


    A few breaths of laughter in, Shae heard ''I''m sorry. - I''m sorry.'' as silent qi messages in Yun''s voice, ''I didn''t - expect that.'' Seeing the woman fall apart, still trying and failing to control her laughter, Shae couldn''t resist a few laughs either.


    When Yun was almost settled down, Shae gave into her curiosity. "Does everyone learn silent messaging?"


    "Heh, not always. A similar skill is common, martial cultivators usually go for long range speaking and clearer hearing. So they can communicate on battlefields without using their mental focus."


    "Mental focus? Is that what you''re using to do it?"


    "Yes, though I am quite bad at explaining what that is. Silent messaging is difficult and uses a lot of mental focus."


    "Oh, so I probably can''t learn it anytime soon?"


    "Hmm, does one of your practices mention mental focus, or focus stamina?"


    "Uh, I don''t think so. There was mental endurance, is that the same?"


    Yun shook her head. "No, that''s just endurance, or resisting mental fatigue. How long you can mentally run for, so to speak. Focus is more like... sprinting, a huge burst of strength, but it''s not just strength, it''s also precision and speed of thought. Focus really is just the best word for it."


    "So, it''s just focus? Then it''s like how long one can unwaveringly hold maximum focus on a task? How long can most people manage, at first? There has to be some metric, right?"


    "Huh, glad you''re interested in this. And yes, that''s a good generalization. Except that, when using it for qi techniques it is usually burned away much faster. The more information you pack into a silent message, the faster your focus depletes. As a basic guess for mortals, they probably have a heartbeat or two of focus."


    Hmm, a heartbeat, so basically a second or two. "I think I heard some sports science on Earth that matched that. So, can I train my focus? Just focus on stuff completely over and over again?"


    Yun raised an eyebrow at Shae''s mention of Earth, but continued their conversation, "Hmm, it''s not so easy as that. You need a goal, something you are trying to do, preferably with qi. Something that takes all your attention and focus, you can''t really force it. Then you need to relax, reset and take a break in between attempts."


    "Huh." Shae sat back in thought.


    "We should get back to your practices, it''s getting late."


    "This is practice, isn''t it? Oh, maybe during my archery practice? I can try to really focus on each shot, holding the aim for a heartbeat before firing?"


    "Needs some qi movement, ideally."


    "Hmm, well I could use qi to strengthen my left arm, it would make aiming easier. Hmm, maybe also focus on using as little qi as possible to do that?"


    "That would be a good idea, many people overdo it while reinforcing their muscles. Though, that sounds more like martial focus, or battle trance training."


    "Oh? Is that different?"


    "Hmm, yes and no. Battle trance is kind of like being in perpetual focus. Taking in all your surroundings and being constantly aware of the battle you''re in. Or so I''ve heard, I''m no battle fanatic. It''s also why they don''t learn silent messaging, because it would sap focus and interrupt their trance."


    "Wow, a constant trance? They must still get tired, or right exhausted when they stop?"


    "Some do. Though really, it''s more about having it last long enough for a single fight. That''s what is counted as small success. Defeating a single opponent while in battle trance."


    "Hmm, that seems like kind of a broad definition?"


    "True, but I think for them, it''s harder to gauge and test themselves. It''s not everyday you can enter a life and death fight."


    "Huh, yea. So, what about mental focus? How do you gauge that? How many heartbeats of focus do you have?"


    "Heartbeats are a little impractical, but silent messaging is a good metric. I''ve reached small success in that technique. Which means I can send a message in my own voice, and it is at least three syllables long."


    Shae opened her eyes wide. "Just three?"


    "Yes, oh, a syllable is like a-"


    "I know what a syllable is."


    "Heh, of course you do. Where did you get such a massive vocabulary anyway?"


    "Dictionaries!"


    "Really?"


    "Yep, nearly every little town has a public dictionary for learning the language, they build them up on their own. Adding new words as they go. But we''re getting side tracked again. How do I ensure I don''t mess up this whole Manifold Journey practice?"


    "Ah, thank you for redirecting us. So, you could go through all your practices and try them all out, but that''s a fool''s game. We can see this stack of papers, there are too many here. So, what you should do is focus on your weaknesses. Improving the stuff you know about, and improving what you want to work on will improve your ability to use all the practices, thus fulfilling your goal."


    "Huh, that does make a kind of sense. So, just whatever I think needs fixing?"


    "Hmm, maybe if there are some general practices? Ones that improve a lot of stuff a little bit. Did you have anything you know you are weak at?"


    "Yea, my sensing is pretty bad, because I started cultivating in a high density environment."


    "Oh! Hmm, yes, I''ve heard that can cause issues. How''s your precision?"


    "Uh, I think that is lacking too. Same reason?"


    Yun nodded, "Yes, that''s why I asked. So, you do have some direction already. Oh, and while doing the journey practices, think! Think throughout the journey, about your problems and how to improve them, and plan out your day or evening practices. I bet you''ll quickly feel a few more parts click into place like you did today."


    "Heh," She sighed. "Thanks Yun, did you ever say what you thought the clicking was?"


    "Hmm, maybe I didn''t. There are twelve parts to the technique, right?"


    "Mhm."


    "And you''ve done a few of them, maybe the first doesn''t count?"


    "Yep... wait, this sounds familiar. This is what I said earlier!"


    "Haha, it is because I think you were correct. Each part might need to click in, to signal it is done. I''m still surprised you can feel the structure, you might have overdone it when doing the first step, the Scouting." She got up and cleaned off the table. "We should really get going."


    "Heh yeah, maybe I did do too much. Thanks for doing this Yun. It means a lot to me."


    "Well, I''ve only known you for today, and already, you mean a lot to me!" She picked the girl up in a hug and carried her out of the building. Shae giggled in response then squealed in surprise as Yun ran down the street, heading for her inn.


    <hr>


    Shae was initially surprised that Yun didn''t ask where to go, she quickly brought her to the same inn that Shae had dropped the sect''s reservation request off at. Instead, while running through Flame Well, Yun clarified that yes, staying under the sect''s reservation, with the other recruits, was part of Master Long''s apology.


    They slowed a street away and Yun set her down, then gave her back all her belongings that were in her spatial storage. "We''ll have to be a bit more formal in public, Wise Shae."


    "Alright, Fairy Yun." Shae smiled as she repacked her pack and slung it over her shoulders.


    Once at the inn, few people were still in the main room, but those that were stared at the pair a little more than was appropriate. Mostly at the pretty Fairy, Shae thought.


    The attendant that greeted them was glad Shae made it, because of the late hour, she got her own room to not disturb the other guests. Shae asked and found out that, because of the large number of recruits, multiple people to a room was expected, but everyone still got their own bed.


    "Are you going to see us off tomorrow, Fairy Yun?"


    "Hmm, I''d like to, though I do have some early morning duties at the Gilded Aurochs. I''ll be sure to ask for relief, but don''t wait for me, Wise Shae."


    "Mhm. I understand. Oh, actually. I''ve been helping the caravan with scouting, so they might send me off early."


    "Oh? Were you short on coin? I can help you out if you need more time for your practice."


    "Nah, I just wanted to help out. It gives me something to do instead of just mindlessly following along."


    Yun poked the girl''s forehead. "Think! That is what you can do while walking. We just talked about this."


    "Ow. Okay yes, I can still do that." She rubbed at the spot even though it didn''t really hurt. "I don''t do much scouting anyway, just running messages around. Lots of time to think and run the Journey practices."


    "Good! Then I''ll probably not see you again any time soon. Good luck, and don''t be a stranger! Send letters too! We''re close enough that mail is cheap."


    She smiled, "That''s a great idea, we can be pen pals!"


    "Or brush buddies? Pens are so plain, there''s no character or flair to them."


    "Oooh, Yun''s a writing snob! I''m so excited to learn more about you, Fairy Yun. Thank you for the assistance." She bowed.


    They had reached Shae''s room. Forcing the two to part.


    "I loved spending the day with you, Wise Shae." Yun returned the bow, then checked to see that the attendant had left the hallway.


    Shae felt a slight pulse of qi while Yun paused in place, then the woman struck! She lunged at the girl and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. "Don''t ever change, you are too precious and adorable for this world."


    "Eugh! Tight!" Shae croaked out.


    "Oh!" Yun relaxed, then kissed Shae on the top of her head and squeezed once more before breaking contact, switching to holding the girl''s hands between them instead. "If you even have any trouble, or need anything. Don''t hesitate to ask. I''ll make sure your name is left with the restaurant so they''ll help even if I am away. And when you write, you can call me Linnuan."


    "Thanks, Linnuan. That means a lot to me."


    The woman smiled, but Shae saw conflict in it. "The cultivation world, within sects especially, likes to break people. Put them through just enough hardship and grief to force them into being stone faced idiots like Long was today. Don''t let them do that to you, Shae, it would break my heart."


    Shae lunged in for the hug this time. "I''ll write lots. With good brush and paper. And visit as soon as I can."


    "I know you will."


    They stood silently for a while longer, until Shae could peel herself away from the tender moment. Then Yun was gone before they could drag out the parting again.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 20: An Ax Named Marta

    <hr>


    Chapter 20: "An Ax Named Marta."


    <hr>


    Shae woke just before the sunrise, and because an attendant banged on her door. "Wake up call for Wise Shae! Mistress Ping is expecting you!"


    She looked at the sparse dawn rays flitting through her blinds and mumbled, "At least it''s not still dark out. Ping must not be in a rush today."


    She was assisted again by the owner''s daughter as she left, she was an older woman that could have filled in for anyone''s mother. "Miss Shae? We have a bagged lunch for you, lots of fresh water, and please take something from the breakfast cart, to go, if you can. Mistress Ping was insistent we get you on the road as soon as possible."


    Shae''s eyebrows rose steadily. "Did she say why?"


    "Not really, but she''s not usually in such a panic. I think I heard some of the runners talking about a problem on the road North; so it''s probably that. Between you and me, and if she''s that panicked, make sure she doesn''t ask too much of you. If she does anyway, charge her extra! Oh-ha ha ha!" The woman''s laugh was deep and joyful.


    Shae smiled. "Thanks for the advice."


    She quickly found the breakfast cart and filled one of her waxed food-cloths. Peasant''s Tupperware, she smirked. Then she shrugged and filled a second with items that would last longer. Filling up her waterskin, she spotted a few more and asked, "Hey, Mistress Chef?"


    "It''s Miss Dong, deary. Though I prefer Min-an, as you could imagine."


    "Min-an, can I buy an extra waterskin?"


    "Hmm, no, not at all. But you can take one for free, just for being such a polite young woman."


    "Thank you, ma''am." Shae''s mind caught up with the words and she froze for a beat. Huh, I guess I am a young woman now. I''ve been called a girl so long I didn''t notice.


    She winked at her, "Oh, I''m hardly a ma''am, and we low-born folk have to stick together."


    She almost missed the woman''s point, stuck in her own thoughts. "Ah, well, thanks all the same. Which way out is fastest?"


    "The back door here, of course. Then follow the sun ''till the wide road and head straight North. Ping''s not with the caravan though, so keep your eyes up!"


    "Thanks again!" She said and grabbed another breakfast biscuit off the cart and dropped a large silver tael in the tip jar.


    "What, what? That''s too mu-" The door closed behind Shae before Min-an could refuse her.


    Running and eating quickly proved a bad idea because of Shae''s strange loping run. Her strong right leg did most of the work, but she needed to concentrate to maintain a decent place through the busy streets.


    She arrived in front of Mistress Ping Anha, mortal caravan leader, with the half eaten biscuit still in her mouth. "Allo!" She gave a sloppy Earth salute.


    Ping raised an eyebrow for half a second, then recognised the young woman. "Wise Shae, excellent! Thank you for arriving so quickly. Uh, do you need a half dozen breaths?"


    She had begun to eat her breakfast in front of the woman. "Nah- ears work!" She tapped the side of her head with her pinky while holding a strip of bacon. Mmm, cooked just right! She thought while chewing it.


    "Good. We''ve had a slight delay with the wagons. Someone broke an axle during hitch-up. No idea how, but that''s not why you''re here. We received news that the rain last night might have washed a hillside out onto the road, and brought a few trees, blocking it. You can swing an ax, yes?"


    Shae nodded enthusiastically and flexed her right arm. A sight which looked particularly silly because it was thin, and her mouth was full of breakfast.


    "We''re going to put that cultivator strength to good use today. I need you to run ahead and clear it, at least a little. We would do it with the wagon''s oxen, but with the existing delay, that will be a problem."


    "Uh, can''t send a few ahead?" The young woman asked.


    Ping shook her head. "Can''t split the ''van up. Merchant guild rules. Stops a certain kind of competition, and overzealous idiots from getting killed by spirit beasts. Even if it causes trouble like this sometimes. Oxen are slow anyway, wouldn''t get enough of a head start. If the rumors are true on how bad it is," she muttered the last bit under her breath as she looked around.


    Spotting her target, the caravan leader waved a man over who presented an odd looking tool that Shae first mistook as a spade. "So, yer the one?" The gruff man shrugged. "Well it takes all kinds. This her'' is my baby. You lose ''er and you lose yer baby too." He pointed at Shae in an attempt to be menacing.


    The young woman raised an eyebrow to the taller muscled man, then she continued chewing her bacon and biscuit sandwich. She had also found leafy greens and something like a partly dried tomato to fill out the meal.


    "You have it from here, Fedir?" Ping asked.


    He nodded.


    "Err, wait." Shae protested. She swallowed and put on her game face, which was her normal face but with a crumb stuck to her chin. "Is this covered by our original agreement, Mistress Ping?"


    "Why wouldn''t it be?" She squinted.


    "Hmm, I believe I was hired for scouting, not infrastructure engineering."


    "What?" Fedir said.


    "I think she means the road work." Ping filled in.


    Shae nodded. "I wouldn''t object to a one time amendment. It does seem rather important."


    Ping squinted harder. "And if I said this is part of your existing job?"


    She shrugged. "Then I will take you at your word as a respectable caravan leader often hired and trusted by the Honorable sect."


    Ping turned to the side and half coughed. She turned back to examine the young woman again. "You seemed more relaxed last time we bargained. Why the sudden need?"


    "Honestly, I''m not convinced I''ll be staying with the sect, I may need to afford my way to a further destination."


    The woman cracked a smile and relaxed instantly. "Too honest! You just killed your last argument in the street. Points for trying, though, and I''ll not rip you off."


    "And danger pay? I''ll be alone, yes?" The young woman scrambled to keep up her argument.


    Ping waved it off. "You''re already a scout, danger is in the job. But I''ll include a bonus if the road is fully cleared and flattened. And a second if there were more trees than expected. Heavens, if you have time to chop the dry stuff into firewood, someone will pay for that too. Agreed?"


    Shae stopped her nod partway through. "You didn''t mention a baseline payment?"


    "Didn''t I?" She smirked. "I said I wouldn''t rip you off. That counts in my books, but good catch, not all are as kind as I. Credit of half a stud for the rush job. Plus the bonuses."


    Fedir coughed loudly to the side. "Mistress!"


    "Agreed!" Shae jumped.


    "It''s fine, Fedir. A cultivator''s time is valuable, and I know what it''ll cost us if we''re late." She grimaced. "See you in a few hours, Miss Shae." She called and waved back as she left.


    "Pah! Half a stud, I woul'' ''ave run the boys out ther'' for that."


    "But would they have the energy to clear it quickly after that run?" Shae asked with honest curiosity.


    The man wavered side to side briefly, "Fair point." He looked down. "Will you?" He handed her the large tool.


    "Hmm, we''ll see. Depends how large the trees are." She hefted it and found it was heavy towards the metal end, but only a little more than expected.


    "Used one like this before?"


    "Nope. What is it?"


    "An ax, but better. An'' it''ll pinch as a shovel and sledge if you need."


    "Ah, I see it now." And she did: the spade-like tip was rounder and very sharp on one side, then flattened and dull on the other. She shifted her weight to test swing it overhand. "Um, does it do anything?" The ax head slammed into a log the man had set up as an example, easily splitting it into firewood.


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    "With qi you mean? Nothing real fancy. Mostly just some passive ''chanter work. The hammer side has a wide rune, so it''s-a more hammer than edge. The real treat is the gravity runes. Set it inta dirt and channel some qi, for yer strength."


    She used some qi without seeing it down first, to see if it reacted. It didn''t, but it did feel easier to wield with her core strength reinforced.


    She halted channeling, then pushed it into the ground. When she channeled this time, she felt it shift slightly. Like someone else had stomped the spade into the dirt.


    "Keep yer qi up, you''ll need it."


    When she tried to lift it from the earth it felt like a twenty kilogram sledge. Maybe more, I do have super-strength now. She moved it slowly, widening her stance to better use her own weight. She glanced at Fedir and he gestured to another small log that had been set up for chopping, this time it was on its side so she could cut across the grain instead of along it.


    Her first swing was more of a test. To check the weight and her own balance. Still, the blade dug deeper than she expected. She was further surprised when it pulled free easily; she looked at the blade end sideways.


    "Heh, noticed it quick, did ya? Third little treat on ther'' stops it getting stuck in logs. Also, works better as a shovel when muck don''t stick to it." He smiled wide, showing pearly white teeth.


    Shae almost dropped the shovel at that distraction. Blinding white teeth were not what she expected from the man. "Uh, when does it get lighter?"


    "Return it to ground and stop cycling qi."


    She nodded then decided she wanted another swing first, the log''s not chopped yet. She lifted the unbalanced tool and reinforced her core with qi. This is less of an arms task, and more a whole upper body swing. She threw the heavy metal end high above and behind her then yanked it over and down into a chopping motion.


    It felt exciting just to do. The blade hadn''t quite lined up with her previous cut. It landed with a less satisfying chunk, and vibrated the handle out of her left hand. Her right stayed firm and she frowned at the crooked blade. It had turned in mid air and was now slanted over.


    "Hah, good effort, but you gotta work on yer technique. Ha-ha ha!" The man enunciated technique like it was a hilarious punchline, then laughed because it clearly was, to him.


    Shae only gave him a smirk, "Yep, one more try then." She twisted the blade out, trying to break away some of the wood. Only a little came away, chipping out to where her first cut landed.


    She froze part way through moving the ax back behind her. Hmm, if I leave my feet planted, the chop distance should be reliable. She moved the blade back to the log, reaching out while visualizing her last strike.


    "Heh." Fedir chuckled and Shae looked over to see him smiling and nodding.


    She pulled the ax behind her and began another swing. Less effort, more control. She moved fast but focused on controlling the swing, getting her aim and the blade''s rotation just right.


    Thwack! Clunk-clunk.


    The blade stuck nearly perfectly upright in the chopping stump; the two log halves had fallen to the ground on either side of it. Shae grinned.


    "Hah! Well done lass. Well make a timberjack outta you yet!"


    "Timber jack?" Shae tilted her head.


    "Course, ''cause we work with timber!"


    Shae opened her mouth and then realized she didn''t know the Empire''s word for lumber. Well, the peasants do all just build with timber, anyway. "Right, makes sense."


    He nodded, then looked around. "Err, the Mistress was supposed to brief ya a bit more. So, I guess that leaves me to fill in yer blanks."


    Shae coughed to the side.


    <hr>


    The unknowns Fedir filled in were how far the obstruction was, and about how long she had to clear it, based just on when they expected the caravan to reach that point. Then, he gave her a short tutorial on how to flatten the road with the weird ax, including how to cut timbers to fill ruts.


    He claimed the tool did have a proper name, but he couldn''t pronounce it so he called it Marta. Shae was a little surprised by the Earth name, but she chose not to comment on it. Perhaps it''s more surprising I hadn''t heard one before. Hmm, wait, I suppose I could have, just that I would only recognize the more English names. Is the name Fedir from Earth too? Could be, and Marta isn''t really English... maybe eastern Europe, could be Ukrainian? Huh. And they''re probably not modern names either. If Go and Chess have had time to get around, people have probably been reincarnating here for a long time.


    As she walked and thought she didn''t notice the tiny trickle of enlightenment qi seeping into her qi channels and mixing with the qi still in her system. An event that was surprisingly common for new cultivators.


    When she reached the North gate, there was a lineup. It was moving slowly, but it was moving. She saw most were being questioned, and some turned away. Another guard was patrolling the line, talking briefly to people and some of those left the line, most with carts. They looked disappointed.


    Maybe because of the blocked road? Shae thought.


    She took the opportunity to pull out and look through the day''s Manifold Journey practice. Having read it over last night, she just wanted a quick review. I''ll have to wait ''till I have the road cleared, anyway. She froze, then hit her own thigh. No, Yun said to think. She cleared her mind and thought about her morning plan.


    Fedir had said the obstruction was "about a set and a half out." So that''s 18 li. The caravan was expected to get there around noon, it would have been sooner but the wagon''s repair would eat their spare time. Stopping a whole caravan for one wagon, weird, unless it''s an important wagon, or just an excuse to flex those guild rules.


    So, I can get there in an easy hour, maybe half if I push. Giving me four or five to clear the road. She sighed. I have plenty of time to do the practice, and even think of some solutions while I run and plan my afternoon. She smiled to herself. "Thanks, Yun."


    "Who?" The guard in front of her said.


    "Err, what?"


    He waved the confusion away. "You know the road''s blocked?"


    "Yep." She gestured to the ax. "Me and Marta here are going to clear some of it."


    "Uhhh," he stared awkwardly, "ah, you''re a cultivator?"


    "Sure am!" She smiled and nodded.


    "Skip to the front then?" He asked, but didn''t wait for an answer. Instead he looked to the gates then waved, followed by a guard there warning back. "Go on then." He immediately went to the next person.


    She quickly moved up and waited for the next free guard.


    The one to speak to her wasn''t the same one the guard had waved at. "What''s your business?" He spat out roughly.


    "Going to clear the road for Mistress Ping''s caravan." She tapped Marta where it was securely strapped to her back.


    "You. Just you?"


    "Yep."


    "You are going to clear a set or two of trees washed over the road?"


    "Um, yes. That''s what I said."


    "Prove it."


    "Oh-kaay." She took a breath to think, then stepped away slightly and checked for enough clear room around her. With a bit of qi to her legs she focused on her balance and jumped straight up, clearing her feet above the guard''s head. Then landed softly, fairly close to where she jumped from.


    "Oh. Well, why didn''t you say so? Hope you had a nice time in Flame Well, Miss Cultivator." He bowed slightly and looked to the next person in line.


    "Un-huh. Err. By the way, why are you stopping everyone, anyway? Not just for the road, yeah?"


    The guard froze and hunched his shoulders, then raised a finger to get the next person in line to wait. He turned back to her, leaned in too close and whispered, "Smugglers." Then nodded like she should know what he meant.


    She looked back at the line of people, many of which weren''t carrying anything more than simple packs. It would be the line into the city in the evening when people brought goods through the gate. She raised her hand, palms facing out, and said, "Alright, carry on, I guess." Do not want to stick my nose in that.


    Shaking her head, she scurried away from the gate to find somewhere to sit and read. Like Minlin City, there were more houses and farms outside the city walls. A park bench with a dedication plaque on it drew her attention.


    The plaque read:


    <blockquote>


    "Dedicated by the illustrious Choun family to memorialize those lost during construction of the grand walls of Flame Well City, protected by the honorable and steadfast Flame Bulwark Guards."


    </blockquote>


    She grimaced at it. "Bleh." She sat roughly, and her nose quickly found the inside of the practice manual again.


    This time she made sure to check her surroundings before entering meditation. No one seemed to be obviously spying on her, but the Guard Captain''s warnings from half a week ago kept her internal reflection short.


    This day''s practice was called Cresting the Hill, a clear allusion to a halfway mark. Like some of the others it recommended heavy exercise and exertion during the practice; though, yesterday''s was about rest. She skimmed over the others. Yep, alternating exercise and rest days, I approve. Particularly convenient today.


    Day one had been leg training, three was arms and back, today, day five, was mostly core. Oddly coincidental. She raised a skeptical eyebrow. The other days had not lined up with anything in particular. I guess one coincidence was bound to happen.


    Now that she was looking for it, today''s practice looked a lot like an exercise guide. The qi movements were fairly minor, but it encouraged upswings of qi activity during physical recovery. Training to use qi for recovery maybe? My qi is pretty good at that, but neutral qi wouldn''t be.


    She decided to push for a neutral qi heavy balance. Half and half was the balance she found when traveling down the mountain. My personal qi is denser now, so maybe I can get it down to a third. Maybe that will help it work?


    This decision was curiosity and exploration as much as practically. I might swap my qi type when I get to the sect or finish cleansing. Would be good to not rely on it.


    After the first few Li of running she got into a rhythm. Two li of sprinting with very little qi use. Just enough to support her left leg and keep Cresting the Hill going. Then one Li of a slower pace where she cycled the practice harder.


    Near the start of the fifth cycle she found the road blockage. A few individuals are already trying to navigate around it with smaller carts, a few others helping out.


    The guard had undersold the task. Easily two dozen trees were spilled across the road like someone knocked over a jar of toothpicks. The offending hill to the east had coated the whole road in mud, and filled the eastern ditch, further blocking that side.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 21: Road Work Ahead

    <hr>


    Chapter 21: "Road Work Ahead."


    <hr>


    Her first thought was to help out those struggling, and found herself walking towards them. She saw more travelers far down the road in either direction, the travel route looked quite busy. I can''t help them, I''ll be stuck doing that and not get anything cleared.


    She walked past them, alternating examining their slow progress and the toppled trees. They were using the western ditch, and making slow hard-earned progress. It was too muddy from the rain, and filled with ruts from carts forcing their way through.


    The trees had mostly piled up on the east side and center, leaving only a handful to block the west side. Shae immediately saw that her first task would be clearing those and scraping the road down to its usual gravel. She circled around to the east side again, and saw that the mud fill had maybe made a wider route over the east ditch possible. A problem for later. She shook her head at the thought and returned to the west side.


    The tree she started on was the smallest, but her powerful swings quickly drew attention and wide eyed stares from people nearby.


    She cast the pieces of the first tree into the ditch. They landed right over the ruts, and she noted to herself they would be in the way of the carts. But if the road is cleared, they shouldn''t care.


    She registered a few upset shouts from the carts and ignored them. After the second tree someone finally approached to look through the logs. They grabbed one and dragged it off, trying to use it to fill a rut so their cart could pass easier.


    Her chopping technique hadn''t changed much from when she first learned it. The narrowest of the thigh-thick trees broke in two or three swings. Though the recently alive & rain soaked wood was noticeably slower than Fedir''s example logs.


    After one particularly frustrating piece, she swung the hammer side of Marta into the log and was very satisfied to see it spin off into the woods. She was less satisfied to lose her balance and fall in the mud, the sideways impact affecting her when the handle jumped away like the log had.


    She took the opportunity to rest and cycle her practice. She moved qi up to her hands as well, her left was already getting numb from the impacts.


    A stranger took that as a chance to interrupt her. It seemed he had spotted her embarrassing moment in the mud as his face showed he was trying to hide a cringe. "Sorry to interrupt. You uh, alright there, Miss cultivator?"


    "Been better, but no harm done. Miss Shae is fine for me, and yourself?"


    "Most call me Shuwen. Say, could you split these into planks with that?" He paused then continued in a panic when she didn''t respond and just breathed deeply. "I mean for the carts to fill the ruts, much easier than round logs."


    She shook her head. "No can do, Shuwen. If you''d all just wait, this side of the road will be clear soon enough."


    "Right, but there''s already a back up, and thanks for your help Miss, but-" he swallowed. "You''re kind of making it harder to use the ditch."


    "I''ll not stop you from using the ditch, but it might get dangerous if I find doing that is faster." She gestured at how the last log flew off. "I''ve not been hired to build a new road in the ditch, Mister Shuwen. I''m here to clear this one, and it''ll be passable by those smaller carts in an hour, the wagons soon after."


    He looked like he wanted to object again.


    She raised a hand, palm towards him. "If you want to speed this up, gather more strong legs, and help clear the logs. Then I''ll cut bigger pieces so you lot can drag them away. At least spread the word that everyone should wait and not bother with the ditch. It will be full of these trees soon enough, or your strong legs can drag them past the ditch and people can do both."


    She stood to begin again and positioned the ax to cut a piece twice the size of the last. If I have help this will go much faster.


    Her second swing nearly cut through the tree so she switched to the hammer side for the third. She set her stance differently and made an adjustment to her hand placement. Hope this works better. Slamming the hammer into the loose end of the trunk almost did what she wanted. It jumped forwards, hingeing on the cut she had made, the thump of the hammer was echoed by snapping wood fibers.


    "Bloody hell." She shook out her hands and surveyed her disappointment. The live tree was too flexible and did not snap off cleanly. She stepped in for a half hearted chop to finish the job and swore under her breath when it needed a second. "Alright, no half measures, do things properly," she said out loud, just to hear it.


    Kicking the log away, she stopped to rest again. Remember to think, she thought. The peasants aren''t coming to help any time soon. Shuwen''s words had just caused a few of them to scurry faster trying to get past the blockage.


    The young woman shook her head. Focus, leave them be. Then, after a shocked pause, she grinned, focus! This could be training, too.


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    For her next attempt she decided to worry less about her Cresting Hill guidelines. Instead, fully reinforcing her core and left side. The ax went up and she forced herself to focus through the whole swing. Then exhaled and relaxed her qi after the impact.


    Opening her eyes again, she grinned wide. The ax was buried more than halfway through the tree. The next swing went the same, aim for consistency, and it cleaved the tree apart.


    Her grin stayed as she moved to the next cut, foregoing moving the log away. Focus. She repeated the process. This time she restricted her qi flow slightly. Her left leg didn''t need so much. Her second swing was the same and she was through the tree again.


    Her grin now showed her teeth as she moved to the next position. More adjustments to her qi, more tweaks to when she used her focus and she was suddenly done with the third tree of day. She moved swiftly to the fourth, keeping up her new rhythm. The first cut went smoothly, but she found herself slowing during the second. During the third she staggered, leaning on Marta and dropping her qi cycling to lighten the tool.


    A wave of exhaustion crashed over her: blurred vision, thoughts blanked, and she would have lost her balance if not for the ax acting as an additional support. "Ugh," she groaned, finding her mouth dry, she looked for her bag. I set it down...


    A thwump drew her attention to the side. A few blurry individuals were moving logs a few paces away.


    Why can''t I think straight? Focus, no, resting first... Recover. She swirled her qi, just, anything. Whatever qi she could pull at first began to move through her body. A few breaths later she grabbed some cloudy divine qi and cycled it through her head. Relaxation and relief came slowly, aaaaahhh! Better!


    With more brain power, she switched to using Cresting the Hill for recovery. Unsurprisingly, it wasn''t as effective without the boost of divine qi. She let it continue working to recover her legs and core, then her arms and shoulders as well when she felt those were tense. Keeping the divine qi cycling through her head, she looked around for her pack and got some water.


    Finally out of emergency recovery mode, she got a look at the road around her. A few of the travelers had organized and were moving the cut logs and smaller branches off the road. It was more than nothing, so she let herself have a tense smile. I''ll have to be careful going forward, don''t want that to happen again, whatever it was.


    She took a few dozen breaths to recover, then finished off the tree she had been working on. The next tree, her fifth, went quickly. While chopping it up she spent some time refining her swing and how much qi she was using.


    Stopping herself from jumping to the sixth downed tree, she paused and dropped her qi cycling. Again, the wave of fatigue hit, but it was lessened slightly as she was ready for it, and had some calming divine qi ready to clear her mind.


    Okay... So that''s consistent, she thought to herself once she recovered. What am I doing that''s causing that? Probably not just using qi. So the Cresting practice, or... Something else?


    Slightly stumped, she looked over the working travelers again. More had gathered and one used their pack animal to drag the larger pieces, but most were able to be carried by the small group.


    With the satisfaction of seeing a community work together she approached the final tree. It was a bit larger, but if they have an oxen to drag it away. She paced along it, trimming branches and planning out her cuts with lighter ax strikes. Since they had the oxen, she decided to make these pieces longer, and to save herself a cut or two.


    Starting her qi cycling, she increased the weight of Marta, then looked at the tool with consideration. Hmm... No, probably not you, Fedir would have told me if there were side effects. She made her first swing without the Cresting the Hill practice. It was actually a little easier without as much to manage.


    She sped through the cuts, aware that it had already been longer than what she had promised Shuwen. She didn''t owe him anything, but if he had spread words to all the waiting travelers... She shook her head. Not really a problem to worry about, focus on the task.


    Once finished, the narrow side path along the road was essentially cleared. She checked the sun and guessed it had been almost two hours since she arrived. "Tsk, should have set up a sundial." She muttered to herself.


    She sighed in relief as it looked like the travelers had done most of the work of clearing the road of mud and debris. A cart could pass now. All she''d need to do was widen it a bit so the caravan''s wagon could pass.


    As she relaxed she stopped cycling her qi and returned it to her Dantian. Her vision blurred and she staggered, leaning on Marta for support. "Bah. Knew it... Not that... Simple." She stammered out as she tried to regain her balance and draw out qi. Slumping to her knees, she closed her eyes and tried to meditate.


    It wasn''t easy, but without having to keep her balance it was much easier to access her qi and begin her recovery. The use of the calming divine qi quickly let her slip into meditation.


    Ah, that''s better. She took a few breaths to float freely on the clouds of qi. Then started the Cresting the Hill practice again, cycling it quickly as the practice suggested during recovery. She elected to use her personal qi this time, and found it working very quickly. Her physical exhaustion passed far faster than before, though her mental fatigue was slower to pass.


    Hmm, well, that was less work, I wouldn''t be as spent as the other times. So, it''s not the practice. Though the mental effects may have hit harder... Because I was rushing maybe? Less time to recover naturally between swings...? Wait, so it is something I''m doing while swinging Marta?


    She let her mind wander a bit, seeing if any new ideas popped up, but none did. With a final deep breath she exited meditation. "Tsk." She clicked her tongue and grimaced as she rose from the kneeling position; a rock had dug into her left knee. Looking down, her right probably should have felt the same, but the divinely cleansed flesh was much more resilient to such simple injuries.


    Checking the sun again, she didn''t think much time had passed. Yet, it was enough time for the previously gathered workers to break up as their carts were now able to pass by the blockage. A few wagons were even braving the narrow pass. Though, the road edge wasn''t sharp or steep so the risk looked minimal, maybe an overloaded cart might tip, or break a wheel? She shrugged, the drivers probably know the risks, better than I do, at least.


    She stretched and looked around to see a new group of peasants. A couple at the front were looking directly at her.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 22: Deal Ordeal

    <hr>


    Chapter 22: "Deal Ordeal."


    <hr>


    A dozen men and women had gathered across the road. They stood in a friendly group on the east side where the blockage was greatest and where they were out of the way of the passing traffic. Most held simple tools like axes and shovels. The two that seemed to be in charge waved at her then approached Shae like they had been waiting.


    "Miss cultivator. That was impressive work." The man said with a stiff bow.


    "Hello, are you feeling well? That looked like it took a toll on you." The woman asked and gave her a smoother and deeper bow.


    "Good morning." Shae respectfully tilted her head to each of them. "I pushed harder than I should have without a break, it''s good training though, I''ll be fine shortly."


    "That fast? Impressive recovery, Miss cultivator." The woman said with some surprise.


    "Please call me Miss Shae. Wise Shae if you feel the need for titles."


    "Thank you, I am Dong Chiden, and this is my wife, Ai-del."


    "Well met, Mister Dong Chiden, Misses Dong Aidel. Say, do you know a Dong Min-an? She works at an inn in Flame Well?"


    "Hmm, no, haven''t heard of her. Lots of Dong''s in the area. We''re not all close, or family." Chiden supplied, and the couple both shook their heads.


    "Ah, of course."


    "Indeed. Our group are tradesmen and farmers, and as you can see," she gestured to the half dozen others, "we have a small work force with us. We''d like to offer our services to aid you."


    Shae frowned slightly. Everybody just wants to get paid. "Hmm, guess I can''t begrudge the initiative." She switched to a smile. "Are you with wagons passing by, like the others?"


    "We''re locals, we usually get employed to help with this kind of thing." Chiden supplied.


    "Does this happen often?"


    "Hmm, ''bout once a summer. This''ll be the second this year, though."


    "And who usually pays for this kind of thing? Who''s responsible, Flame Well''s magistrate?"


    The two glanced at each other and the woman spoke. "The larger caravans usually clear most of it, after the low folk are forced to clear the first path just to get our own food through. We are quite grateful for you to have done that for us."


    She smirked. "So grateful you want me to pay you? Heh heh heh." She chuckled as they both went a little pale. "Relax, I''m not offended. I''ll be honest, I''m only here because I was hired by one of those ''vans to clear it. Though, I''ve only done the least of what they asked." She pointed at the mostly cleared path.


    They relaxed, and Aidel continued, "Then, in honesty, we had guessed you must be hired. Cultivators don''t just stop and help for no reason."


    Shae grimaced. "Maybe they should."


    Chiden shifted uncomfortably, but remained silent.


    "Perhaps. Many don''t consider the attention of a powerful cultivator to be a boon. A-hem. But to business: we will likely haul the wood away anyways. Just over a few weeks instead."


    "Instead of right now?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow, but kept a smirk on her lips. "I''ll ask you not to haul anything away. I''d like my employer to see all the work that needed doing. I''m not sure she''ll believe I cleared this all away, even with help."


    "Mmhm. We''ve not brought wagons for that anyway. Did you mean the caravan leader is a woman? Is it Mistress Ban, or Mistress Ping?"


    The young woman nodded. "Ping. She''s quite the merchant, which I can see you know, from that reaction."


    "Ugh, yes. She''s quite frugal. I fear she will claim the timber as her own."


    "Hmm, shouldn''t she?"


    "Well, it''s within her right, having paid for the clearing. It would help the community a lot to leave it, with winter around the corner."


    "Yeah? I''m from further south, how is winter here?"


    Chiden chuckled. "Not half as bad as it is up in the mountains, but we do get some snow."


    "And enough chill to kill the summer crops. Some don''t bother with winter crops, just using the break to let fertilizer set in, so I''ve heard." Aidel finished and her husband hummed his agreement.


    "Not farmers, then? Would you mind sharing your trades?"


    "My husband is a carpenter, and I am - between work at the moment." She looked down.


    Shae scanned the woman with her eyes, she was in good physical fitness and had a few small scars on her well worked hands. Her husband looked soft by comparison, though his thicker forearms suggested it wasn''t all fat. She kept her tone light, "Pffft, liar, you do twice the work he does."


    Aidel grinned back. "Not having work is hard work."


    "Hah. Fine fine. Carpentry though. That''s helpful at the moment. Could I beg your expertise about timber?"


    His slightly concerned expression broke into a pleased grin. "Of course, though I do prefer to be paid for it."


    "Hah, right, right. Well I''ll ask my question anyway, answer or not at your leisure. The length of these logs. I''m not sure what is ideal for carpentry use. Longer would get the work done faster, but be harder to move. Suggestions?"


    He looked around and opened his mouth to speak but shifted to a half grimace of uncertainty.


    "My husband is right to hesitate. While it might speed the work up, well sized timber would be more valuable. Making Mistress Ping more likely to seize the lot."


    Shae nodded slowly in understanding. "I''m not entirely familiar with the local economy. What''s a day''s labor worth? And what about a skilled tradesman?" She looked towards Chiden specifically.


    "For a one off job," Aidel started, "a silver for basic labor, as many as five taels for experience and skill."


    Shae raised an eyebrow and spotted Chiden''s eyes twitching glances between the two women. "Unless there''s a flood of silver up here, I''d expect those are small silver?"


    Aidel clenched her jaw, but it was the carpenter that broke first, "As she said, for a one off job, and that is a good job. If this is urgent, and ''cause the work is rough." He tilted his head to imply the rest.


    "I assure you that my husband has been paid five large silver taels for a single day of his work."


    The woman''s serious expression caught Shae off guard and she snorted a laugh. "Grk. How many times? And was it just fixing a wheel on a rushing noble''s carriage when they broke down right outside your house?"


    Chiden cracked a grin at that. "Wheels are not my specialty, kind of hate the things, and always charge extra."


    "Hahaha, that''s not a no!" The young woman giggled.


    "Fine. It was just the once, and your guess is close enough. Basic labor is a small silver and tradesmen don''t get much more, they should, though." Aidel bit out.


    Her anger crashed through Shae''s good mood. "I didn''t mean to tease, Misses Dong." She stood and waved them to follow. "I''ll gladly hire you Mister Dong. Let''s make it two tael for what I''m about to ask. Listen first. I''ll be receiving a bonus if the road is fully cleared, or clear enough that it doesn''t impede the caravan, since being fully cleared looks impossible in the time frame."


    She led the pair past their group to the far east side of the road where the mud filled the ditch. They looked over the many trees blocking the road, far more than what she already chopped up. "The whole thing looks like at least a full day''s work if I could keep up my earlier speed. I can''t, partly because many of these trees are larger. My plan is to use the mud filled ditch to form a second detour, at least passable by carts. Then switch back to the first side and widen it for wagons."


    The two nodded along, but their skepticism was clear as they glanced at each other while Shae talked.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "As for labor, are any of your people here because they are blocked? Will they leave once the way is open for wagons?" She pointed back to the west side where some work was still going on to clean up the newly opened road.


    "Some of them might have places to be." The carpenter admitted with a shrug.


    Shae nodded. "Not surprising, since they have their own immediate need to clear the road already, I feel no need to pay them. Any that stay and work hard until an hour past midday will receive a small silver as payment."


    "I thought you said the ''van would be here at noon?" Aidel asked.


    "Supposedly, but they were also delayed so I can''t be precise. In any case, I''d like Mistress Ping to see the work being done. She might be more amenable to payment and leaving the logs for you if she is able to see the scale of the work. I think I would be."


    Aidel grunted. "Not sure she''s that type. She might just be happy to have the bonus labor."


    "Maybe, but I''ll take a happy Mistress over a grumpy one."


    "Hah, ain''t that right!" Chiden called out, getting a sour look and a shoulder slap from his wife.


    "You should like me however my mood." She said sweetly.


    Shae stifled a cough. "Regarding the bonus. If I do get the clearing bonus. I''ll be happy to share it with your lot, half and half." She pointed to herself and them to indicate the halves.


    Aidel raised her eyebrows. "Any idea of the bonus?"


    "No, but Mistress Ping said she wouldn''t rip me off. Which I trust, as she has her reputation to worry about."


    Chiden was starting a grin, "But what did you need me to do?"


    "Right. Yes. You brought tools? Just more axes or saws?"


    "We brought a few axes, yes, and at least one good timber saw."


    "Good. At your discretion, I''d like you to assess each piece of timber for value. We should optimize my time spent cutting, compared with what you can reasonably drag away. Doing so without leaving a bunch of useless firewood. Clearing is our first priority, but I see no reason not to approach it constructively. Let''s get good timber out the end, if that means your workers go through first stripping branches, so be it."


    The man was grinning wide.


    "You see what I''m asking?"


    "Yes Miss. I like the idea, I''ll need to direct the workers then?"


    "Yes, or your wife, I''ll include another tael for the trouble. Do you have any chalk or charcoal? If you could clearly mark where I should cut I will be able to move faster. That other path took me under two hours, so keep that in mind for how fast I need you to work, if you don''t you''ll see soon enough."


    He rubbed his hands together. "I think I have some charcoal, but I''d just as soon strip some bark and do cuts with a handsaw for marking."


    "Sounds fine." She nodded.


    "Not yet, it doesn''t." Aidel interrupted. "You''re going to work us hard, can''t do that without some idea of the reward, vague promises don''t hold up, even from cultivators."


    Shae considered then nodded to herself. "Out of curiosity. How much is half a stud? I''ve never heard that term before."


    The two looked to each other, surprise then worry on their faces. "Uhm, would that be the bonus?" The man asked.


    "No. As I said, I wasn''t told the bonus, just that she would be reasonable."


    The woman twitched a worried frown before speaking. "It''s a bit of slang that isn''t particularly nice."


    Shae suddenly smiled with childlike joy.


    The two took half a step back.


    "Hah, awesome! Please tell me, I won''t mind any crudeness." She leaned forwards.


    "Heh, well." The woman swallowed. "It''s not crudeness that''s the problem."


    "Aww come on! Not telling me is making me more annoyed!"


    "Fine, fine." She held up her hands. "So you know how the crown coinage has the Empress and Emperor on it?"


    "Hmm." Shae turned her head, then rooted through her pack for a crown and only found a silver one. "This is just the Empress, so a gold crown then? But why not just half a crown?"


    "Because it''s not half. Can we skip the politics part?"


    "Hmm, no. This sounds interesting. More so because of how hesitant you are."


    "We''re just not sure how you''ll react, Cultivator Shae."


    "Please, Mister Dong, Wise Shae, if you have to. I met some monks in Minlin and took a liking to it. And never Fairy, not even to your friends after I leave. I can''t be that pretty anyway for you to want to."


    "Err, you''re not bad looking."


    Aiden slapped her husband''s shoulder, hard this time. "What my foolish husband means is that you look lovely, Wise Shae." She gave a slight bow then forced Chiden to do the same.


    "Ah-haha." Shae giggled into her sleeve. "Alright enough butt-kissing. Out with it! What''s the stud for?"


    "For making babies, silly." Chiden chimed automatically.


    "Chiden!" Aidel shrieked and paled.


    "Bwahaha!" The young woman burst into laughter, slapping her thigh and leaning on a felled tree for support. A few breaths in she stopped and gasped. "Oh! I get it!" She jumped in place and clapped. "The Emperor is the Empress'' stud! So, half a stud is a quarter crown!" She continued laughing.


    The duo had frozen to watch the cultivator. They relaxed after she explained her small revelation.


    "Yes, that is correct." The woman confirmed when Shae was mostly recovered.


    "Why stud, though? You mentioned politics?"


    She glanced at her husband and he shrugged. "The Empress is the heir, so it''s a bit of a bite at her husband''s station."


    "Ahhh, that he is only there for children. I suppose that is not uncommon. Hmm, a bit nice to see the trope flipped, at least."


    "What?" They asked.


    "Hmm? Oh, nevermind. So, will you help? And can you agree for the others?" She asked the pair in turn.


    "You didn''t really answer the question."


    "I can''t, so I won''t."


    "And your end goal is too vague. Ping might not pay up. You have to set a baseline for us to hit, and a base payout."


    Shae sighed at the woman and she flinched back a step. "I could... But if I did I couldn''t also offer the bonus split."


    The couple looked at each other. Aidel was trying to be stone faced, Chiden had a pleading expression. He leaned in to whisper a bit too loudly. "Take the deal dear."


    She shook her head. "I can''t just trust her." She waved a hand at Shae. "We need a firm commitment."


    Their loud whispers were a courtesy to Shae. They knew a cultivator could probably hear regardless. Not asking for a private moment was thanks to her for being open and honest in their bargaining.


    "She has agreed to pay a good day''s wage."


    "But she wants us to overwork ourselves for potentially nothing. We both know half the boys will exhaust themselves and be useless tomorrow."


    "And that would be their mistake. They do need to learn to pace themselves."


    Shae looked at the gathered workers. Some were on the young side, they shifted with anxiety and pent up energy. Some straightened up then flexed and posed when they saw her attention was on them.


    She missed what the woman said next.


    The man sighed. "I''ll leave it to your decision, wife. They will trust you made the right call."


    "Then we keep the offer of this mystery split out of their ears."


    "Very well, dear."


    Aidel turned back to the young woman. "Apologies, but we need a firm commitment. Exactly what needs to be done for a bonus, and what the bonus is."


    Shae nodded. "Then let''s restrict the bonus to only your workers. You and Chiden will receive fixed pay with no bonus. To let you keep your own decisions unbiased."


    "Hah, I agree, Wise Shae!" He called out with a sudden smile.


    "What?" Aidel gasped. She looked at him and he just nodded. "Fine. But the bonus is a large silver each."


    Shae frowned and looked at the bunch, there were about a dozen workers not counting the couple. A few more had strayed over from the other wagons while they waited.


    "Plus the small? That would be four times the base pay. I can do triple. Change the small to a large if we succeed."


    She frowned, "and what does success look like?" Her tone was sharp and her husband elbowed her gently. "A-hem, Wise Shae?"


    "Two paths cleared on either side. Wide enough to easily pass a wagon without stopping."


    The two finally took a moment to look unsure, glancing at the work to be done with worry.


    "We should also clear and flatten the mud as best we can. Easy on the west side, if it is too soft on this side, that might not be a deal breaker. The caravan will have sect cultivators. I believe they could harden the mud easily, so we will leave room in the agreement for that. I''ll pay them myself if needed."


    The couple relaxed somewhat.


    "Finally, I''ll only pay those dozen that you brought and that stay the whole time. Make sure they agree to stay, and introduce them to me before you start." She pointed at the group, it had swelled with observers interested in their exchange.


    The couple looked over and nodded in understanding: Chiden first, and more eagerly.


    "And to clarify, two large silver to Chiden for his expertise, then one large silver for you, Aidel, for managing the workers."


    Aidel continued a slow nod as she turned back to Shae. She approached the young woman and extended a hand, "Agreed."


    Shae accepted the handshake and nodded. "Agreed."


    Aidel''s grip tightened. An uncommon choice to boldly challenge one''s strength against another, especially a cultivator. Shae smirked and stopped channeling any qi, she squeezed firmly but still well under what her right hand was capable of. The woman''s eyes widened and she looked at their hands.


    "Your hand? Why is it so white?"


    Chiden coughed loudly.


    "Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean-"


    "It''s fine." The young woman raised her other hand to stop her. "It was cleansed by tribulation lightning about a month ago. Haven''t been able to put much of a tan back on, yet. Might not be able to."


    "Tribulation!" She gasped, "So that was you in the south? We heard that it happened, but-" she swallowed, "I didn''t think you were..."


    "It was a unique situation. I''m no elder or ascendant. This task would be trivial if I were." She hiked a thumb at the trees. "Mister Dong. If you wouldn''t mind finding me some wood to chop. I think I''m nearly ready to start again."


    "Yes, Wise Shae!" He rushed off.


    Aidel was still stunned.


    "Misses Aidel?" Shae pointed at the gathered crowd with an eyebrow raised.


    "Ah, right." She bowed stiffly then walked away to sort her workers out of the gawking crowd.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 23: Putting in the Work

    <hr>


    Chapter 23: "Putting in the Work."


    <hr>


    As Shae walked back to her travel pack, she sighed heavily. So serious! Wasn''t expecting that from them.


    She grabbed a water skin and more breakfast in expectation of her body needing more food with all the work she expected to do today. Hmm, how much did that deal just cost me?


    She knew the basic exchange rates, but doing the math on the fly was tricky. A small silver was the smallest denomination acknowledged by the empire, three of which made a large silver, also called a silver tael. Four of those taels made a silver crown, meaning twelve small silver to a crown. Most of the empire''s commerce is done in silver so these were used often, but still, crowns were rare to see. Gold crowns were even rarer, and were worth twelve silver crowns.


    Small villages like the one Shae was from didn''t see much commerce, and peasants really didn''t have valuable goods to make silver useful. Some just traded favors, but more commonly they had their own local currency made from copper or bronze, she''d even seen some that were iron. This was just so the locals could do business with each other, not strangers passing through. Which is why a small silver was the minimum day-rate for hiring anyone, you really couldn''t pay them less.


    On the other end, cultivators supposedly used qi crystals as currency. She''d never seen any, so wasn''t sure what to expect. The stories in the village said they were solidified qi mined up from the earth. Rumor also held that gold crowns had small qi crystals in them to prevent counterfeit, or ground up into an alloy with the gold.


    Shae found both unlikely since gold was valuable as gold. That and crowns were quite small already, so to accommodate the value of a crystal they would need to trade some of that gold, making them even smaller. She had heard that the Empire would certify larger amounts by embedding qi crystals in gold bars, though she suspected it was mainly the crystal that set the value, and the gold was only to stamp an official value onto. A qi crystal alloy, it does seem plausible. Though, why not use some other metal or alloy that is more valuable?


    She took a big swig of water and looked back to the carpenter. He had fetched a few tools and had started looking over logs. He was already focused on the task, and she didn''t feel bad about what she was paying him. Two or even three taels was well worth the money. Paying Aidel extra to manage the workers was unexpected, but still worthwhile. She wouldn''t even end up with more than them if they got the bonus.


    It was the bonus pay she was really worried about. Without it, the workers would only cost a silver crown, and most of another for the couple''s service. Sooo, a half-stud: a fourth of a gold crown, which would be three silver crowns. I''m losing just over half my pay, at least. But I can see why Fedir was surprised, a half-stud could easily pay and feed a laborer for a month.


    She scanned the pile of trees in the road. But I''ll probably get the bonus for quantity at least. So the question is, what will it cost me with the bonus? For the dozen workers she agreed to pay, a full tael at the end of the day would cost her three silver crowns. Hah, there goes the half-stud. And then, with the Dong couple''s pay, I could lose more than I''m getting paid. Great.


    She shook her head and sighed. Time to get to work.


    <hr>


    Shae picked out a larger log that Chiden had marked and started slowly, she knew she couldn''t match the speed she had before. Can''t hyperfocus that much of I''ll pass out. Need to sort out why- oh wait, was it focus?


    She nodded to herself and set a new rhythm. These larger trees will take at least twice as many cuts. If I force my focus on every cut I''ll burn out far too fast.


    The first couple strikes into the log didn''t need to be super accurate. Around the third or fourth, a missed strike became a wasted strike. She focused heavily on that third downswing like she had before, landing it perfectly. Then she paused.


    Hmm, can''t tell. Three more focused swings finished the cut. She paused after each to evaluate herself.


    Still nothing noticeable. After another, then.


    She cut through another part of the tree, focusing only on the last three of the six strikes, pausing less between them.


    Hmm, I maybe feel something, but probably just imagination and bias. How else could I tell? Ah! She summoned a tiny wisp of cloudy divine qi. While talking to the Dong couple it had helped her recover quickly at the expense of being used up. So she guided the small wisp through her mind, letting it heal as it liked.


    Hah, yep, gone. I don''t feel much different, but it''s definitely wearing away at my mental stamina. She looked inside to her reserves of divine qi, she had been hoarding it, and now also had a reserve of enlightenment qi from yesterday at Jani''s. Wonder if one of the two will let me recover faster?


    She looked up at the pile of trees blocking the road and frowned. Kind of expensive to use it just for this without getting anything out of it. She tilted her head at the thought. Am I getting nothing? Surely this is training, I should be improving, like working a muscle. So the question is: does the divine qi heal like normal recovery, or reset the body to before the exercise, nullifying the training?


    She grimaced and moved to the next tree. What did Yun say about mental focus training?


    ''You need a goal, ... , preferably with qi.'' Check, land the perfect ax chop.


    ''Something that takes all your attention and focus,'' Hmm, might be under-doing it, reinforcing with qi takes more effort though.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ''Then you need to relax, reset and take a break in between attempts.'' That will be the tricky part, there''s so much to do!


    As she worked through the next half dozen trees she worked out a plan. Narrow the window to use more mental focus in a shorter time-frame. That seems like it should be better training for silent messaging. Just using it a lot and constantly should be more for battle trance; if I''m understanding it correctly.


    She decided to wait until she had begun the downswing, focusing only then. She increased the difficulty by trying to be very efficient with her qi reinforcement. Strengthening only the muscles she was using and only as much as required.


    She rested briefly after fully cutting through a tree trunk, then for longer after every third. During that time she would quickly meditate and use some divine qi, as well as using Cresting the Hill for recovering her muscles.


    As the day progressed she increased the work between breaks by an additional log until she could really feel the physical and mental fatigue at around a dozen cuts. Her change in methodology let her do more without becoming completely exhausted. She also alternated which type of divine qi she used. She guessed that enlightenment qi could have other benefits. It feels more refreshing too, unless that''s my imagination.


    The only interruption came when she asked Chiden if he thought she was cutting logs fast enough.


    "Miss Shae, I''ll be honest, our whole crew couldn''t cut these logs as fast as you. Maybe if they were dry, then the saws wouldn''t bind on the sap." He stared off in bewilderment.


    "Heh, thanks. But I mean, do you think we will finish before noon? I can push a little harder if needed."


    "You can go faster!?" He scratched his head and looked at the work before them. "I''ll talk to my wife, she''s probably keeping a better eye on the schedule."


    Indeed she was, she thought they were tight for time. If the caravan arrived an hour past noon, they would probably be fine, but noon or sooner and they might not be done.


    Shae decided she could push herself harder, she hadn''t had another close-to-fainting incident yet. She did find another side effect, though. Aidel''s expression when they had talked made Shae pause and eventually smell herself. She wasn''t just ripe from sweat but she also reeked of impurities. It hadn''t reached the potency of a full cleansing session, but the thin gloss of toxic fluid had a very distinct odor.


    <hr>


    As the sun approached its zenith, Shae found herself spending more time finding new trees to chop into logs, than doing actual chopping. It was made slightly less difficult by people giving her a wide margin of space, especially downwind. She had drank all her water so had no way of cleaning herself. I''m going to need more than a little splash anyway.


    Aidel eventually sent her to the west side of the road to widen the path. The ends of less than a dozen trees were all that stood in the way of letting a full wagon pass with enough breathing room. Most only needed single short sections cut off; a few paces here, just one or two paces there.


    Previously the lengths she had been cutting were six to eight paces long. At first she thought the wider logs were also the short ones. Meaning Chiden was picking the lengths based on weight, but she soon found that wasn''t a strict rule. I''m sure there''s a method to the mania. I''ll have to ask him later, if I remember.


    She had tried using Marta to scrape the mud and flatten the road as Fedir instructed. However, the tool was much more frustrating to use than a simple rake or flat shovel. She left that work to Aidel''s workers.


    Finally someone called out and she saw the scouts that were leading the caravan. Looking up at the sun, she guessed they were a little late, but should arrive within the extra hour she had allowed for. Exact times were difficult to gauge without a proper sundial.


    "Wise Shae. Excellent work! Mistress Ping was very concerned."


    "Thanks... Lan? Was it?"


    "Yes, Miss. We''ll be glad to report the good news immediately. With your leave." He smirked and inclined his head respectfully.


    "Yes, but I''ll need you to run a message as well."


    "Me?"


    "Whoever is going. We''ve made a second path, but it''s all mud, and is a bit soft. Talk to Master Long and the sect cultivators about it."


    "Um. Wise Shae, I can tell Mistress Ping, but making requests of the sect is a bit above our station. By a lot." He frowned.


    She sighed. "Sorry, Lan. I''m a bit exhausted and not thinking this through. Tell Mistress Ping. I''ll see if I''m needed here and go myself, if I can."


    "If you can? Are you that tired?"


    She smirked. "No, I mean there might be more urgent work here. Do any of you have a slate I can write on? A written message should be more agreeable, yes?"


    "Ahm, it would be, I''ll ask around."


    "Thank you, Lan." She was quite sure they all had writing slates, but her wording gave them an excuse to say no if they thought the delivery was risky. "How far behind are they?"


    He smirked, "You should know that, Miss Scout in training."


    "Heh, the usual hour then?"


    He nodded. "Little less, she''s been running the oxen hard."


    "Got a later start then?"


    "Yes, and as I said, she''s been quite worried, hope your second path works."


    "Me too, Lan. Me too." She clapped him on the back and he stumbled forward.


    "Ah! What was that for!?"


    "Sorry, sorry. Forgot I was channeling. Good thing that was the weak arm."


    He forced a laugh, "hah. Scary." He walked away shaking his head.


    While Lan checked over their work, Shae tracked down one of the Dong couple.


    Aidel was hesitant to let her run off, but knowing that she would be back with more cultivators eased her worry. As did having a firm time on the caravan''s arrival.


    Shae picked up all her things, including the odd shovel-hammer-ax, Marta. Not going to risk losing something, especially not Marta!


    On her way out she informed Lan she''d deliver the message instead, he was grateful to pass off the responsibility of updating Mistress Ping.


    <hr>


    "Ack, did the mudslide wash out a rot-swamp? What did you step in, girl?"


    "Sorry, Mistress Ping. It''s impurities from working hard and channeling qi."


    "I thought this only came out when cleansing?"


    She shrugged. "Seems prolonged heavy qi use also does it, dunno, I''m no expert yet."


    She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve. "Is the road clear at least?"


    "Mostly, it was worse than expected. We have one full wagon path on the west side, and a second over the east ditch that just needs a cultivator''s touch to dry out the mud. Can we send one of the sect to manage it?"


    Ping grimaced. "They are not under my command. Hardly even my place to ask. I''d have to offer a job, probably pay more than what I will for you."


    "Ugh. I''ll go talk to them, maybe I can squeeze it down to just a favor."


    "Thank you, and do me a favor and clean yourself up."


    "Hah, as soon as I can." She nodded and ran off.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 24: Proof of Progress

    <hr>


    Chapter 24: "Proof of Progress."


    <hr>


    Shae found Master Long nearby and approached. He was talking with someone new. A younger well-dressed boy about Shae''s age. Long held up a hand to pause the boy''s questions and looked at the young woman stalking directly towards him.


    "Long, I need a favor." She called as she approached.


    "I heard, Miss Shae." He frowned.


    The boy gawked, too surprised and offended to speak immediately.


    "Then, quickly, I need an old priest and a young priest!" She smirked.


    "What?"


    "You dare!" The boy began. "Bow and address Master Long properly you filthy wretch!"


    Shae tilted her head at the boy, then looked back at Long. "A joke, yes? Just some mud to deal with, as you heard."


    "Indeed." He looked at the boy, who was still in an outrage.


    "The only mud is you. How dare you present yourself covered in impurities!? Have you no respect!? Kowtow this instant!" He screeched.


    Shae frowned, narrowed her eyes, and pointed a finger at the boy. "Talk to me like that again and I will kick you in the testicles."


    He wound himself up for another go until Long raised a hand, palm facing the boy.


    "Disciple Zhango, I''d like you to meet the Wise and Heavenly Zhi Shae."


    "Her! Ho-w!" he stopped himself when Long switched to a single finger raised.


    "She is slightly out of sorts from working all morning to clear the caravan''s path. You might find out later why she is choosing to not use my title, and why I am permitting it. In the future, I would recommend against berating individuals you don''t know for disrespecting other people." He paused to take an exasperated sigh and glanced back at Shae still giving Zhango a glare. "Finally, her colorful warning was not one of outburst and rage, but a calculated threat. One she is very capable of carrying out against you."


    The boy swallowed his complainant with obvious nervousness.


    "Miss Shae, even within the rules of a duel, intentional attacks against sensitive organs are heavily frowned upon."


    "Frowned upon, but not disallowed?" She asked.


    "Technically not. One cannot be allowed to let their guard down. I must ask, why are you covered in impurities?"


    She shrugged. "Same reason I told, Mistress Ping." The boy flinched and reapplied his angered expression. "Working hard and channeling qi, guess it forced some out."


    He frowned slightly. "It shouldn''t. Unless you were stuffing yourself with qi like a swollen..." He waved a hand. "Waterskin?"


    She smirked. "You were thinking of something nasty, weren''t you?"


    "Not at all." He kept his face stoic. "I was going to say cloud."


    "Oh." Shae nodded.


    "Cloud?" The boy asked.


    Long nodded and gestured at Zhango before looking back to the young woman with satisfaction.


    "Ah, he''s a bit thick, then?" Shae smirked.


    "I am- no- such- thing!" He sputtered.


    Long sighed. "Miss Shae, is antagonism really necessary?"


    Shae opened her mouth then froze, and decided to bite her tongue instead. "As you say, Cultivator Long. We do have roads to build instead of bridges to burn."


    He seemed surprised through his stiff stony expression. "Well spoken, Wise Shae." He nodded in thought.


    Zhango looked between them, confused and angry in turn.


    After a breath of pause, she clarified, "I do mean actual roads to build."


    "Ah! Yes." Long coughed into a sleeve. "First, I am interested in how you were cycling qi during your work. For it to cause so much cleansing is... concerning."


    Shae shrugged off her bag and untied Marta. Might as well show a full swing, he''ll ask anyway.


    "Ah, I haven''t seen one of those in years. It''s a ch''th''knarr, yes?" He rolled the R sounds almost into a pure.


    "Uh, if you say so. Its owner, Fedir, said it was hard to pronounce, so named it Marta. A-hem. The qi practice of the day is..." She closed her eyes to focus on correctly circulating Cresting the Hill. "A little bit all the time, then more during recovery." She swirled qi faster and felt Marta''s enchantments twitch slightly.


    Long''s attention snapped back to Marta. "Oh and it''s enchanted! With what-? No, let me guess. Hammer side is narrower so probably something like impact there. Something on the blade, sharpness or similar, and is that...? Yes, a gravity based weight enchantment, quite impressive." He looked up to see a surprised Shae. "What? It''s an important skill to identify enchantments. Could save your life someday, especially if you intend a martial path, Disciple Zhango." He turned partway through to lecture the boy.


    The young cultivator nodded along, then patted his lips like he was about to ask a question.


    Long looked away suddenly, back to Marta and his face brightened slightly. "Actually, hold the demonstration, Miss Shae. I''d like the whole group to see this."


    Shae groaned, "Get a log or something to cut then!" She yelled after him.


    The short time they waited was spent with Zhango glaring menacingly at Shae. She tried not to laugh at the boy. He was mustering a nearly imperceptible flicker of killing intent that wavered as he breathed.


    "Students and recruits to the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty Sect." Long bellowed to the group. "We''ve an interesting demonstration before us from prospect Zhi Shae. Some of you might have seen her last spectacle in Minlin city. This won''t be so breathtaking. Yet, I believe you won''t regret seeing it."


    "Something is taking my breath away!" A voice called just loud enough to be heard.


    "Yes! I smell like shit. I''ve been working my ass off so the caravan can keep moving, get over it." Shae yelled back. Several people that had been smiling or snickering now had the decency to look ashamed. Most did not.


    "Indeed." Long added and the crowd silenced. "The tool she is wielding is not a weapon, though it can be used as one. It is called a ch''th''knarr, though most shorten that to knarr modified by the material type. Making this one a sky-steel knarr."


    Shae flipped the tool over to look more closely at the head, it seemed the same as any steel. Her budding curiosity was cut off by Long''s explanation.


    "One side has a hammer face, this one with an impact enchantment, possibly to protect the tool from rebounding. If you would, Miss Shae."


    She shrugged and swung the tool overhead without using any qi reinforcement. Though, she did make sure to use her strength and a smidge of focus to ensure the hammer side landed flat on the ground. A satisfying whump sounded with a puff of dust.


    She noticed, this time, that the head did not bounce up, rattle, or show any sign of the impact. The same could not be said of the handle, it twitched and vibrated in her grip. Yet, she had swung it many times today and so her right hand kept its firm grip.


    The reaction from the crowd was underwhelming. A few mutters and shifting feet.


    "Good." Long declared. "A well executed strike using mostly mortal strength. The low weight of the knarr''s head allows for an easy swing, but is a detriment to striking power. Against the heavily packed road, it is no surprise the impact seems weak."


    Long pointed at one of the observers who threw a piece of firewood in front of Shae. "Miss Shae''s underwhelming strike could still break bones, however. Perhaps demonstrated more clearly with the ax side. If you would, same swing." He nodded at her.


    She returned the nod, poked the log into place with Marta and swung again. The log was a shade smaller than the thinnest trees she had been cutting through all day. With the expertise she had built up she wagered to herself that she could part it in only two strikes. Though, this weaker swing would take more.


    Again the crowd seemed unimpressed, but Shae didn''t mind. By appearance, she was just swinging the side of a straight shovel at a log.


    "Again, decent form. Though, many of you will not be able to pick out those details for a long time. And, I see it cut into the wood quite well for a mortal blade, perhaps due to a sharpness enchantment?"


    Shae coughed. "The owner didn''t mention sharpness, just one to prevent binding. Does sky steel hold an edge for long?" She tugged Marta out of the wood, it jumped up and only imparted a small wiggle to the log.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Sky steel does hold an edge quite well." Long walked over to take the tool, then inspected the edge and enchantments. "Hmm quite right. It still has most of a good edge. Rather lacking if facing a high grade spirit beast, but excellent for timber."


    He got more of a laugh from the crowd than Shae expected, then returned Marta to her.


    "Now, what should Miss Shae do if she wanted to land a stronger blow to the road, or cut deeper with the ax?"


    A snarky reply came from the crowd. "Get a bigger tool!"


    A few people laughed out loud, including Shae, but most kept it to a snicker.


    "Excellent suggestion. I would have preferred the adjective heavier, but I''ll take an evocative synonym. The third enchantment on this knarr does increase its weight. Miss Shae, just the hammer with weight, keep the swing the same."


    She frowned in disappointment at being restricted. So she set it into the ground and threw a lot of qi into increasing the weight. She moved a bit slower when swinging the heavy tool. She guessed it weighed a good fraction of her own weight. Though, whether a tenth or a half, she couldn''t say.


    The thump and dust cloud were much larger, though not outside expectations. A few people clapped a few times, but Shae heard no gasps or exclamations of surprise. She was busy containing the squirming handle. It pitched and bucked against her grip. She grunted in effort.


    "Huh." Long spoke. "A-hem, well." He waved a hand and cleared the dust. "A much heavier tool, but still swung with mortal strength. A very strong mortal, don''t let Miss Shae''s appearance deceive you, she is quite strong. And a small flaw in the tool is revealed." He raised his voice slightly, "Take this as a prime lesson in testing your spiritual tools before relying on them." He took the tool again, raising an eyebrow as he tested the weight. Nodded then examined the head, and where the handle connected. "Yes, I see. The handle was replaced at some point, and the impact formation is slightly damaged. The handle is no longer included, or perhaps it sends the impact up the handle. I''d wager no mortal could keep grip on this thing at this weight."


    Shae smirked. It had been some time since she received such a public acknowledgement of her abilities. Well, maybe not that long. Guess I should count my last day in Minlin too.


    "I''d ask her to use more strength but that risks injury so allow me." He swung the hammer side around in a blur and a column of dust shot up from around the impact site.


    Shae could swear she felt the ground ripple.


    He waved a hand again to clear the dust as the crowd applauded. "While I''m not certain of Miss Shae''s true strength, that was not mine." He held Marta up, showing the handle glowing slightly, even in the noon-day sun. "I''d expect if either of us tried that without reinforcing the handle, it would shatter. A skill which Miss Shae lacks, as it requires cleansed meridians. Now the ax side." He pointed down at the log, intent to continue.


    "Oi!" Shae said. "I can do that part." She beckoned him to give her Marta. He did with some hesitation. "No qi strength, first." She called out as she swung it around. Her focus let her aim it just to the side of the last strike, and at the opposite angle.


    The blade sank twice as deep and she left it in. "Twice as deep, which really means more than twice the power, these things are not always linear," she lectured.


    "A-hem." Long interjected. "Linear, in this case, means a one-to-one ratio, and Miss Shae is correct. As the blade sinks into the round log. There is more width of log to cut through, so it requires more force. Now, the qi powered strike. Can you split the log?"


    She looked down at what was left, she wasn''t sure. Twisting Marta as she pulled it free, the wedge between her cuts chipped free leaving the perfect target. Might as well try. She nodded.


    Testing the weight, she considered if it should be heavier. Speed matters too, faster could be better than heavier. She nodded and lined up the strike, shifting her feet and bending her knees. A rush of qi flowed through her, reinforcing the muscles that she had practiced all morning with.


    Marta went up, then at the peak of the swing she engaged her focus, and maximized her qi''s effects. The day''s training stretched the moment, letting her fire off qi movements in practiced symphony. Her eyes were focused on the log, her muscles made minor adjustments to have the blade hit the exact center of the chip. She twisted the blade slightly to correct the angle just before it made contact.


    She didn''t relax instantly as it bit through the wood. She applied more pressure, maintaining force during the follow through.


    She exhaled forcefully after the blade stopped in the packed ground. A third of the shovel head was buried in the road. She returned her qi to her Dantian, making the weight enchantment disappear as well. She released her grip and straightened up without removing Marta from the road.


    One half of the log rested less than a hand from the blade, the other had been sent skittering to the side. A few people in the audience cheered, but most simply clapped politely. The spectacle had been tame compared to Long''s thunderous dust cloud.


    Long stood frozen, staring at Marta''s shovel head, and the log beside it.


    Shae breathed a few times then decided to address the crowd. "Right. So, that was a very clean strike, I worried I''d need another. I suppose it shows that beyond the quality of a tool, or the strength of the cultivator. Skill is vitally important. I could only get such a clean strike at the center of the wedge because I''ve been practicing all morning."


    A few more people clapped at the pause.


    "Long." She hissed at him.


    When no response came, she cleared her throat. "Um, any questions?"


    The crowd shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. Even here, no one ever had questions. Except... She pointed at someone that looked like they were about to speak up. "Name first, for the crowd."


    "Um, I''m Chen. We met in Minlin City."


    "Ah yes, I thought that was you, question? Comment?"


    "Yeah. Hitting the center of the cut. Was that a fluke, or could you do it again?"


    "Sure, I could do it again. Been practicing all morning."


    He just pointed at the log.


    She nodded and grabbed Marta. Tapping the closer log to line it up better she took a quick half swing, making sure only to have the blade land vertically. "There''s a notch." She said, and made Chen look at it to verify it was the only one.


    Once he had, she reset her stance and swung again. Just a normal strike, only a trickle of qi in her system. And all her mental focus to hit the cut. It made a slightly different thunk into the wood than her first swing and she leaned side to side to check. "Yep, got it."


    He scrambled over to look. Long followed him in a daze.


    "Wow, good hit! Glad I didn''t bet anything," Chen joked.


    "Ah, shit." Shae cursed, then exhaled a short raspberry.


    "How- no, who trained you?" She heard the question over the murmurs from the crowd, it seemed they were uncertain how to respond. Yet, the one who asked was Master Long.


    She shrugged. "Fairy Yun told me about mental focus yesterday. Meant to practice it with archery, but this worked great too."


    His eyebrows shot up. "You''re joking, yes? I was sure you only met her yesterday? Did she put you up to this?"


    Shae shook her head. "We first met yesterday."


    "You''re not..." He stopped, his qi swept through her, then again with more force behind it.


    "Hey!" She shuddered.


    "Had to check. Are you tired? You can''t have been doing that all morning?"


    "Oh, I have stuff for that. Almost passed out after the first hour straight."


    "Stuff?" He said flatly, the questions more in his expression than voice.


    "Yeah uh... Well, you know the yellow drops in my qi? That stuff, and uh what I got at Jani''s yesterday. You know, stuff."


    "Can we be let in on what this stuff is?" Chen asked, eliciting a loud agreement from the crowd.


    "Nah, if I wanted everyone to know, I would have said it. Don''t get too jealous, though. It''s very limited, if it wasn''t training my mental focus, I wouldn''t have used it for cutting logs."


    "That shouldn''t be possible." Long said. Then moved to the log, plucked Marta''s blade out of the log, with Shae still held onto the handle. He then wedged a gold crown into the cut so that only the edge was visible. "Cut it. Swing as fast as you can." He demanded.


    "Can I get a please?" She cycled her qi. Including sending a bit of enlightenment qi up to her head.


    Long stared her down while standing directly opposite her, with the log between them. If she swung Marta, the blade would pass a hand''s breadth from him. He ground out a word like he was chewing rocks: "Please."


    Shae''s legs tensed, and the tool blurred into motion. At least she hoped it did. To her it was slow. She was already using all her mental focus to guide Marta around her, pushing her muscles to their qi reinforced limits. As the ax head descended, she pushed harder on her focus, trying to keep up with the blade screaming through the air, without the added weight it could move much faster. She managed one last twitch of movement to her right.


    A sharp and short p''tang sounded out, followed by a slight hum. Long''s arm shot out low to her left clutching a fist. He pulled it towards himself and looked at it without opening it. "Back up a set of paces." He commanded the young woman.


    The audience finally reacted with a controlled applause and one loud whoop of excitement further in the back.


    Shae forced more divine qi to her head and tried desperately not to stagger. Shit, I overdid it. She kept her qi moving, lowering the muscle reinforcement, but keeping the excess qi in her channels. She moved slowly and deliberately; checking the cut in the log as cover to lean on Marta, and take more time to recover.


    If I did hit the coin, and cut it at all, another piece should have... She looked to her right. Guard Tu was standing right in the line of fire for the gold chip that could have flown off. Wait, gold? Gold is too soft to do that. She checked for a flake or mushed scraping in the wood and on Marta''s blade but found nothing.


    "Hmm." She took a few slow breaths and began her dozen steps, unsure what to expect. Feels like a shoot out, or... A shoot out. She grinned. Turning at the end she set the shovel into the road and leaned it into the packed dirt.


    "Get ready." Long said.


    She blinked.


    "Again, cut." He said as he threw the gold coin in a slow underhand arc, right at her.


    She waited, shifting her footing slightly as she was unable to stay still.


    The audience went silent.


    The crown reached its apex and she held. It descended towards her and she held. Just before it reached her range she released her grasp on Marta, her right hand shooting out to grab the coin firmly, then quickly tucked it into her robes.


    "Alright! Shows over!" She called out and clapped once. "We have a road to fix. I need volunteers, water or earth specialty, experience moving mud is an asset."


    The audience was stunned, save for one man. Guard Tu began cackling madly with laughter, clapping and slapping his knee. He walked over to Long, slapping him on the back, "She got you good, Master Long."


    With much more reserved actions, the crowd started chuckling and clapping. The organized audience began to brake up, groups forming and some watchers wandering off. Guard Tu left the still stunned Long and disappeared with them.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 25: Lessons in Respect

    <hr>


    Chapter 25: "Lessons in Respect."


    <hr>


    Shae walked back to her pack, frowning as she was still out of water. She looked up to see a few guards and others still waiting awkwardly at a distance.


    Someone stalked up to her. "Why did you throw the test?" Long demanded. "Is cultivation a joke to you?"


    She rounded on him. "Am I a joke to you?" She spat viciously. "Do you think you can just test me whenever you please? Without reason or permission, and in front of an audience?"


    "I have my reasons, and no cause to share them. Furthermore, sect elders do not need permission."


    "Yes, you do. I am not your student. I am not a disciple of the sect, not even an official recruit. You have no authority to demand I dance like a trained bear."


    She heard several gasps from those still watching.


    "My authority is evident, Miss Shae, and you should remember that." He growled. His qi pressure rose and a trickle of killing intent leaked out.


    It took her a breath to reign in her first rebellious impulse. Probably can''t get away with a tantrum in public. She breathed, trying to ignore the Jian-like needle of killing intent focused on her. It pressed into her neck, then her heart, then her Datian, in turn. And there is only so much disrespect I can get away with.


    When the intent moved back to her neck she stepped into it. The pressure increased slightly, but it wasn''t an actual blade, just the threat of one. I''ll have to thank sword Bai for his clear explanation on that, even if almost nothing else made sense.


    She stepped closer to Long, within easy lunging distance, even for a non-cultivator. Then closer again, to within arm''s reach. Her finger itched to poke him in the chest, she kept it busy by reaching into her robes and fidgeting with the gold coin. She whispered as silently as she could. "We''ve had this discussion. Violence is not authority. Power is not respect." A quick step back lessened his intent, for a moment.


    Just for a moment. A second needle joined the first, then a third. He held his expression in an unreadable stony mask.


    Shae remembered that she hadn''t felt this much of his intent before. Even when they argued in the restaurant, he kept his control, kept his usage minimal. Ah! Even this is a demonstration of control. She bowed to him. I have to cede ground, this can''t go anywhere good. Her bow was slightly too low, slightly too formal. She hadn''t been aiming for sarcastic, just petulant, but these things were difficult without years of experience. "Then by your authority, may I borrow several sect members to expedite the caravan''s journey?"


    A few mutters escaped the crowd. Long held firm. A forced cough sounded behind her and a woman''s voice quietly whispered into her ear, "Say, Master Long."


    Shae waited a breath, then bowed again. "Master Long."


    The silence held a few breaths longer. She spotted the brat from earlier, Zhango, with a smug smirk on his face. She sent a whip of intent at him, focusing on replicating an ear flick. He flinched and she had to resist her own smirk.


    "Very well." Long spoke. "As repayment for your cooperation in demonstrating the ch''th''knarr, one active duty guard and one other may accompany you. Both must be volunteers." He turned and left. Several others left with him, including the brat.


    Shae waited for everyone else to clear out, then addressed those remaining. "The task before us is simple. A mudslide has blocked the road ahead. I''ve already spent the morning chopping up the trees and guiding local workers to clear them. The blockage was too large to fully clear, so we''ve used the mud to form a new cart path around it. However, since it is fresh the mud is still soft and unfit for use." She took a deep breath to let that sink in.


    "What we need you to do is harden the mud. For example, dry it out with water qi, or force it to separate with earth qi. Please suggest anything else you think might work." A few people raised eyebrows, but most looked skeptical. She looked down briefly, considering her options. "While long said you must be volunteers, I would count this a favor and repay it in kind." She shifted her grip on Marta, remembering she still held it. "And I''ll let you test out the knarr. It''s kind of fun if you are not under time pressure to chop up dozens of trees."


    More people looked interested, but a couple left. Then Shae saw the expressions on a few faces, expressions she didn''t like. "The favor must be in the same vein. Work for work, or cultivation related, at least. Nothing social." She shifted, and was immediately reminded she was covered in sweat and impurities. Several people scowled in disappointment, most were slightly surprised. More people left than she expected, leaving only a handful behind.


    She cursed her teenage emotions because her disappointment spiked from so many leaving from that simple comment. She felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck and thanked her darker complexion for hiding it.


    Of those remaining two she recognized. Cultivator Chen and Guard Shu; the guard with the merchant family. She nodded to both.


    One of the others spoke up, a teen probably a year or two older than Shae. "Uhm, do we need a specific technique for this?"


    Share raised an eyebrow. "If there''s one for this, I wouldn''t know it. Can you move water, mud, or earth outside your body, even just moisture?"


    "Ah, Hmm. I just aspected into water qi. I could cultivate the water away?"


    "It''s not qi rich water, just mud from the rain. Would it be fast?"


    Guard Shu spoke up. "For a decent stretch of road, that will take hours. Rumor is we are already near the blockage. Especially if you are able to run back to get us."


    Shae frowned, then gave the teen an apologetic smile. "Thank you for the offer. I''d like to complete the work within the hour, faster if possible. The ''van should reach it in half an hour, and Mistress Ping requested as little delay as possible."


    The teen nodded and walked away. The other unknown looked disappointed and began to move away but stopped after a pace and waited.


    "Uh, would it be Brother? Chen." Shae asked.


    "Once you are in the sect, yes. Cultivator is fine, or just Chen, if you don''t mind just Shae." He smiled.


    "Hmm, I''ve never considered myself particularly just, but if you insist."


    He chuckled and Guard Shu put her hand on her face and groaned. The other boy tilted his head for a slow breath, then smiled and nodded.


    "Chen, Guard Shu, I''m not familiar with your skill sets." She made brief eye contact with the other boy.


    "Please call me Shu, we got on well before. Brother Chen has earth qi, I have wood." She turned to glance at the boy and frowned.


    He spoke up. "Uh, I don''t think I can help, could I quickly try out the ch''th''knarr?" He pronounced it surprisingly well.


    Shae sighed and handed the tool over. "Her name is Marta, and if you break her then her owner, Mister Fedir, gets to do the same to you."


    Shae wasn''t sure he heard because he nodded quickly, grabbed it and ran over to the wood log chunks.


    "So, you have wood qi? Have a plan for the road?"


    Shu wobbled a hand. "Not really. Roots can soak up water fast, but maybe not fast enough. You said there were trees, though?"


    The young woman nodded. "Dozens of large ones," she looked to the treeline at the side of the road, then pointed, "like those. Knocked over and scattered across the road. Can you easily move them?"


    Again, she wobbled her hand. "A few, sure, but not that many. I can tell you if any are still alive, or spirit plants. Maybe drain qi from those that were near awakening into spirit plants."


    "Hmm, so good senses? I guess that if there are still roots in the mud, you could drain or dry around them?"


    She nodded.


    Shae nodded slowly, trying to imagine what else the woman could do. "Do the roots swell from that? Messing up the road? It''s already been flattened."


    "Uh, it might, they like to twist and bunch sometimes too."


    "Hmm, then we have voids. Oh! Can you sense voids? Would be good if the road didn''t collapse."


    She nodded, "Yea, that''s easy."


    "I can do that too." Chen added.


    "Ah, right. That probably would be easier for you to solve too."


    He nodded. "Drying out the mud will be tricky. But reinforcing it for a wagon is also doable."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Hmm, is that permanent? It''s a long stretch of road, and there are lots of wagons." She gestured.


    "Uh, probably not that easy then, and not permanent." He winced.


    "Well you''re still the most capable, it seems. Maybe just a layer of bricks and logs up top will do the trick, just need to hold the wagons and horses for today."


    "Water would work best though. Too bad you chased off the noble brat." Shu mused.


    "Huh? Noble?" She asked.


    "Yea, the one with Long. Zang, or something."


    "Oh. Disciple Zhango," Shae said flatly.


    "Yeah, yeah, so he has taken him as a disciple? Guess that makes sense, he''s supposed to be good at water tricks already."


    Shae frowned. "Doubt he would want to get his hands dirty. Seemed kind of spoiled. You know of any other guards with water focus, I thought Guard Tu said they were all water focused."


    Shu shook her head. "Not all, but Tu is."


    "Oh! Well, let''s go find him!"


    "Uh, he''s not here. He stayed at the Quan."


    Shae opened her mouth to disagree, "No I-" she snapped her head around to where he had been standing. "It was that bloody illusionist! Ugh, I knew that was out of character for Tu!"


    "Oh!" Chen perked up, "I''ve heard about her!"


    "Her?"


    "Well, just heard a few rumors, and Bai told me she goes by Apollo."


    "Bai? Scribe Bai? Ugh! When did he say this?" Shae scowled.


    "Uhhh," he hesitated, "couple days ago?"


    "Why is that a question! No wait!" She lowered her head, raised a halting hand, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, Chen. I''m not angry with you, I shouldn''t yell. I complained to Scribe Bai at the Quan about this Apollo, and he acted like he didn''t know."


    Guard Shu forced a cough to the side. "Didn''t know, or just didn''t want to share?"


    "Could have been that, I guess." The young woman sighed.


    She nodded. "We don''t all know, but many of the senior team were informed someone would be along for the trip."


    "Someone?"


    "Uh-huh. Can''t really say, since you''re not in the sect."


    Shae exhaled her frustration. "This Apollo uses steam, though. That should work, right?"


    Shu thought. "Probably, she is supposed to be stronger than us. Prevents accidents if we jump her thinking she''s a real spy."


    Shae raised an eyebrow.


    The guard faked a cough again. "Pretend I didn''t say that."


    "Can you find her?"


    She shrugged. "Maybe, I''ll talk to Bai, she''s supposed to have a few dead giveaways."


    "Yow!" A shout came from the boy with Marta. Everyone looked over to see him shaking his hands out.


    "Mhmm, the hammer side has a bit of a sting to it." Shae nodded, then turned back to Shu. "If you do, tell her I''d like to meet her properly. Ask her to wear something nice, something more her, someone not in the caravan."


    "You want me to make demands of a higher stage cultivator?" Shu asked skeptically. "Why would she listen?"


    "Hmm..." Shae shrugged. "I feel like she owes me a favor."


    "How so?" Chen asked.


    "Just a hunch." She repeated the shrug.


    Shu shrugged as well. "I''ll have to find her first. Meet you there?"


    Shae nodded. "Thank you, Shu. Oh! Do you have some seeds, or can you find some plants that will suck up water fast?" She pointed at the forest.


    "Hmm, maybe some vines? I think there''s a water creeper in the area that could work."


    "Cool! Feel free to look, then. No offense, but I''m not sure how much you can do there."


    She waved it off. "None taken, we all have our strengths." She nodded to them both and left.


    "Well, we should get going. How fast can you run?"


    "Ugh. Running! No one said there would be running!"


    Shae laughed, turned towards where the boy should have been, and found an abandoned Marta. It cut her laugh short as she clicked her tongue in distaste.


    <hr>


    Shae and Chen ran in silence. Her hops set an uneven rhythm of footfalls, while his earth technique provided a more constant on-off of grinding gravel and silence.


    She had tried striking up conversation, but he was locked in concentration. The closest to an exchange came when he tried to say something to her.


    "Slow, stinky." He had called out between leaps.


    Shae was slightly offended by this. "Ah! How rude!"


    It was immediately clear he didn''t expect this as he missed his landing and toppled head over heels, falling further behind the young woman.


    She quickly slowed to check on him. However, he was back up and catching up before she had stopped to change directions. It was then she caught a whiff of her own smell. The pungent sour aroma of impurities still covered her. Oh, right, I am stinky. She called back, "Sorry. You can lead. It''s just a few Li."


    He nearly missed his footing again. "Just." He said, and something else under his breath that Shae assumed was a curse.


    When he caught up, she wanted to say something, but saw his face strained in concentration. Right, this is why he hates running, guess it''s silence for us.


    His pace was faster than she could run without qi, but it was clear the earth qi technique was not ideal for speed. She wondered if metal was faster. Which brought her thoughts to paraplegic Olympic runners. Those spring-like prosthetics are really efficient. Could you do something similar with metal qi?


    The steam rising from the area ahead brought her back to reality. She quickly spotted that it was coming from the blocked road.


    She heard Chen grunt in recognition of seeing it.


    "Smoke?" She asked. "I''ll run ahead." She switched to a full sprint without waiting for an answer.


    The once muddy east road was steaming when she arrived.


    "Glad to see you back, Miss Shae." Aidel strode up to her. "That cultivator you sent does quick work."


    She saw the whole length of the road was steaming now, the closest end wasn''t, but the surface was dry and cracked. "Yeah, seems like it. Are they still around?"


    "Nope, you just missed her. She said I should say hello for her, and that ''She might have time for you when you''re not covered in muck.'' those words, exactly."


    She paused for a breath. "Ah. Alright. Thanks for the message Aidel. I''ve another man right behind me that can do a bit of earth moving if there are spots that still need it, and a third that might have another trick or two... If they''re even needed now." She gestured to the steam.


    She nodded. "Good to hear. I''m not sure I like the cracking the road is doing. Shouldn''t be an issue, but I''ve never seen it before."


    "I think it''s just from rapid drying, but I agree. Since the caravan is arriving a bit later: I apologize for keeping you all later than agreed. Feel free to stop-work if they need the rest."


    She shrugged and waved a hand. "We were practically fine before you left. Boys have just been picking at it for something to do."


    "Good to hear, suppose that means I owe them more coin. I''ll wait to see what Mistress Ping says. I would like her to see the crew as well."


    Aidel squinted at her. "You do have the coin, yes."


    "Hah. I do now." She pulled the gold crown from her pocket to inspect it. When fidgeting with it earlier she hadn''t felt any nicks so wanted a better look at it. "Huh. Looks brand new."


    Aidel''s eyes went wide. "Is that a...?"


    The young cultivator flipped it around a few times. "Oh! It''s not a crown?"


    The woman moved on closer. "You don''t know?" She turned and coughed into her fist quietly. "Um, I mean. It makes sense you wouldn''t have seen one before. It''s a sect''s coin. What''s the animal side?"


    "Uh, snake? Or dragon, I guess, right yeah, I see it now, definitely dragon."


    She nodded. "Good, would be weird if it was someone else''s."


    "Uh-Kay. So it''s still worth a crown, right?"


    Aidel coughed again, louder this time. Looked down, then twisted her foot in the dirt. "Right, I could swindle you out of it, since you don''t know any better, but you''ve been good to us." She exhaled and inhaled sharply. "You know how sects use spirit stones as currency? Yeah, so those are worth too much, can''t really get change for them most of the time like you could a silver or gold crown. Tsh, I couldn''t give you change for a gold crown."


    "So, it''s in-between? Like ten crowns, then?"


    She looked confused and shook her head. "Usually full sets of crowns. Is there a number on it?"


    "Uhhh, a two, and a year."


    "Two sets then." Aidel stiffly inhaled and exhaled again.


    "That''s entirely too much money." The young woman said.


    "Yep." The older woman nodded seriously.


    Shae took one last look at the undamaged edge and stuffed it into her robes. Being sure to use one of the deeper and more secure pockets. "It''s weird. I was expecting a scratch on it, but it looked brand new. The minting year isn''t even recent."


    The pulsing crunch of gravel signaled Chen''s approach.


    "Oh? I''ve heard they''re indestructible," Aidel said.


    "Really!? Indestructible!"


    "What''s indestructible?" Chen asked.


    "Sect coins," Shae replied.


    Chen shook his head. "Not completely. They have spirit stone fragments worked into them, and internal formations supposedly. I''ve heard they can self-repair, so they usually look freshly minted."


    "Huh, wow. I thought formations needed to be larger?"


    Chen wobbled a hand. "Depends on the symbols used. One symbol can be quite small, especially if the effect is weak or slow."


    "Ah, I see. So, if a sect coin was marked, how long until it''s fixed?"


    Chen smirked. "He swap the coins on you? That''s pretty funny. It takes about a day. Just ask him for a look later."


    Shae frowned. "I''d rather not." She grumbled something to herself. "What about a lost piece?"


    "Hmm, from what I heard, they are quite hard to cut, and not made of gold, even if they look like it."


    "What am I missing from this conversation?" Aidel interrupted.


    "Ah, Misses Dong Aidel, meet Cultivator Chen. He should be able to clean up what our steamy friend started."


    Chen nodded, and Aidel bowed. "Well met, Honorable Cultivator."


    Shae crossed her arms. "Hey, you didn''t do that for me!"


    "You''re not in sect robes, Miss Shae." She replied with a smirk.


    The young woman huffed.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 26: Team Wrap-up Meeting

    <hr>


    Chapter 26: "Team Wrap-up Meeting."


    <hr>


    Chen made slow progress along the steaming road. Mainly because the heat of the steam was a bit too much to bear, and he had to wait for it to dry fully before fixing the cracking anyway. He only claimed it was the latter, but Shae suspected the former just as much. She had tried walking over it and was uncomfortably warm after only a few paces.


    She silently wished she had a large supply of warm water to use the steam like a sauna and clean herself off.


    The dried and cracking dirt only went a hand deep into the mud. Though, it ran deeper near the road edge where there was less mud to dry. So, Shae asked Chen to just look for voids or softer spots where the mud was softer, or where water had pooled. They marked those with wooden stakes Shae quickly made from loose branches.


    They had given up on trying to get the water out after their first attempt made a mess of the road. The water being pushed to the surface quickly turned too much of it back into mud. Shea had to use the skills Fedir taught her to patch the spot with wood planks cut from the trees.


    Guard Shu snuck in just before the caravan''s arrival. She had found a water vine, but it had already gorged itself on water from the rain.


    "So, this swollen bit is full of water?" Shae asked.


    "Not just water, you can''t cut it open and drink it. Well, maybe better than dying of dehydration, but it''s not recommended."


    "Uh, not sure how you''ll take this: can we cut it off and just use the plant as a pump?"


    Shu scrunched her eyebrows together. "Why would I have a problem with that?"


    "Well, because it''s a plant, and you use wood qi?"


    "So? I don''t follow."


    "Uhm, well like, what if I wanted to burn down a forest?"


    She shrugged. "What for?"


    "I guess, just fun? Don''t you like plants? Get angry when people trash them for no reason?"


    She sighed. "Oh, ugh, this old idea again. No, I don''t like plants. They''re just things. Burning a forest down would be wasteful, but I wouldn''t stop you. Well, maybe if there were spirit plants in it. But those are different, they are alive, more so than mortal animals."


    "Uh, right. That makes sense." Shae paused then pointed at the vine, right where the water sacs were.


    "Oh, uh, yeah. We can try that." Shu nodded.


    After some struggle to get the plant to stop healing the wound, then to stop it from trying to make another water pouch, they got a working pump out of it. It ran very slowly without Shu running wood qi through it, but it did dry out the mud quite well.


    "So, what else is in this?" Shae asked while playing with the first water bulb they cut off the plant.


    "Why do you still have that?"


    "I''m thirsty." She stared blankly. "And it''s good to know how to scrounge for water. It''s it like a cactus?"


    "What''s a cactus?" Chen asked. The three had started working together to soak up the damp spots they had marked out. The caravan was already using the road and passing them slowly.


    "It''s a spiky round plant that grows in deserts and fills itself with water."


    "Oh, those." Shu said. "Uh, probably not. Teach said the vine more or less stores it as watered down sap, nectar, and some other fluids. Gets a decent bit of wood and water qi too."


    "Nectar too? Does it flower and fruit? If not it could be the plant''s ovaries."


    Chen coughed a few times. "What? Did you say... Ovaries?" His cheeks flushed slightly and he looked away.


    Shu rolled her eyes. "Pay more attention in botanics class. Plants have all sorts of embarrassing organ names. This one did have flowers, but that doesn''t rule out your idea. Hmm, it''s not supposed to be poisonous, and the flowers were tasty."


    Chen gaped. "You ate them?"


    "Yea, they have wood qi."


    "Do you want this for wood qi?" Shae asked.


    "No, too much water mixed in. Wait, don''t!" She said as Shae tipped the bulb into her mouth and drank from it.


    The young woman swallowed. "What, you said it wasn''t poisonous."


    "That doesn''t mean safe. What will you do with the qi? I don''t think you''re wood or water based. What is your qi, if you don''t mind?"


    Shae shrugged. "Kind of between pure and divine. But something about my cultivation base can soak up any kind of elemental qi. As long as it''s pure enough. The last wood qi I tried didn''t work, so I was hoping this would."


    "Heh, this wood." Chen chuckled.


    "Okay. Two questions: what the fuck? And: what the actual fuck?" Shu asked.


    "Um, you know that tribulation on Pilgrim''s Rest Mountain? From a month or so ago. That was mine, thus divine qi. Second answer is: I''m making it up as I go, which is why I need to go to the sect, or I''ll be completely lost at meridian cleansing."


    "You''re not lost now? I wouldn''t have gotten through body cleansing without my manual." Chen said. He looked back to see the two women staring. "What? Oh, come on, you can''t tell me you could have just free-formed it, Shu."


    "Hmm. Probably not." Shu shrugged. "Not with wood qi, that''s for sure. Needed the manual to aspect properly."


    Another sect cultivator stepped over from the wagon passing by. "You three know you are in public, yes? Stop talking about cultivation, especially your own styles."


    They all turned and forced a cough to the side. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Jan." Shu said, the other two bowed to Jan, as thanks.


    Shae took another sip from the plant bulb.


    "Oh-stop-that." Shu slapped the plant out of her hand. "Here, take my waterskin."


    <hr>


    They were about halfway done when Aidel found and dragged Shae to Mistress Ping. Chiden tagged along as well as a few of the workers. The others had set up a card game and refused to be disturbed.


    "Miss Shae, still haven''t cleaned up, I see."


    "Mistress Ping. Apologies, for the smell. This is Mister Dong Chiden, a carpenter by trade, and his wife Dong Aidel, who managed the dozen workers that helped to clear the road." She pointed to the workers behind her and those in the ditch playing cards. "Before I forget. Is there a stream nearby that I could wash in? Later, I mean."


    "Nice to meet you, Mistress Ping." Aidel bowed.


    "Same here, though I think we met once, a decade past." Chiden gave a shallower bow. "Miss Shae, there''s a river straight east a few li. Though it does feed the local farms and Flame Well. If you don''t mind a bit of alkali, there''s a stream and slough out west, past the farms, follow the slope of the land and you''ll find it."


    The young woman sniffed her clothes. "Alkali would be like a clean summer''s breeze. How far?"


    "Further than the river, but not by much. The farmers will know it as Brittle Pond."


    "Thank you."


    "Right, I''m busy. Why a carpenter?"


    "Cut the trees more efficiently. And into more useful lumber." Shae snapped off.


    "Good. Did you promise I''d pay them."


    "No, I''ll pay them. I thought you might want to meet the people that did most of the work-"


    Chiden choked and coughed.


    "-and they said the unclaimed timber could be a boon to the locals. Which they all are."


    "Ah! That''s the angle." Ping smiled. "Did Miss Shae promise you any rights to the wood?"


    Aidel responded, possibly because Chiden was still recovering. "No. We mentioned you would have claim rights, since you hired her. She paid well for Chiden''s expertise and our work, including a fixed bonus for clearing the second path before your arrival."


    Ping looked surprised. "How honest of you!"


    "We bargained hard and she was generous. I''d rather have friendly relations, than grasping for small slivers."


    "Good on you, then. It will be good to have another reliable contact, even this close to the city." She extended a hand to shake both of the couple''s.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Shae refused a handshake. "I''m quite filthy. I''ll give you a hug later instead."


    One of the workers cracked out a laugh.


    "Only the one? I thought it was a better joke than that." Shae complained.


    "Hah, it was very unexpected, Miss Shae." Chiden said with a boisterous chuckle. A few others stopped holding back their laughter. "Meetings involving a cultivator are usually a tense affair."


    Shae frowned. "I''m literally covered in mystical shit right now, how is this tense?" That got her a few more laughs, and she smiled.


    "Quite well said, Miss Shae." Ping smirked. "Would you prefer privacy to discuss your own performance and payment?"


    Shae shook her head, then froze. "Considering how filthy I am, passing money around seems awful. Let''s walk and talk, into the wind. I''ll have to ask you two, and five, to wait just a bit longer. Hopefully, you won''t have to launder the coins after."


    Ping smiled, "That would be excellent."


    Ping started their walk with, "So, you do want me to pay them?" And a knowing smirk.


    Shae smiled back and explained that, "Yes, that would be easiest..." quickly going into detail about their bargain and what she owed the workers.


    Ping was surprised how well she paid them but said that cultivators were known to be generous, so it wasn''t too much. Shae asked if she should give the couple another tael as a tip, and Ping agreed.


    "But you''re a bit short by half, with just that quarter stud."


    "I believe I was promised a bonus for a full clear, and based on the quantity of trees."


    "I still see trees in the road."


    "Do you run more than two wagon trains side by side? Two full paths let the caravan pass without additional delay, or stretching it out along the road."


    "Hmm. If I had a tighter purse, I would argue the details, but I agree with the sentiment."


    "If it''s still not enough, I have this." She tossed the woman the sect coin.


    She almost dropped it in surprise. "I can''t hold this for you. I can barely break it into gold."


    "It''s not entirely mine. I kind of filched it from Master Long. In front of a crowd. He might want it back and I''d rather not be caught with it while traveling to the slough."


    "Hmm. Or back to Flame Well."


    "Huh?"


    "To return Marta to Fedir?" She pointed to the knarr.


    "Oh! Right, I suppose that is necessary. Yes, not for that either."


    The coin disappeared into Ping''s clothing. Shae couldn''t follow where she placed it. "Do you have spending money?"


    "For Flame Well? Yes, a few more taels and a silver crown."


    "Hmm. Take another tiara, you''ll need a serious bath, even after the slough." She tossed Shae a silver crown, then gave her directions to find Fedir, and to a bathhouse. "Tell them I sent you, and ask for my usual. They also have laundry. You won''t go through that town without stopping there ever again." A devious sparkle flashed in her eye.


    Shae examined the woman and thought that she did look a bit fresher than she remembered. "Alright. Do you need me back tonight?"


    Ping shrugged. "I suppose tomorrow is fine, you run fast enough I don''t have to worry."


    "You would worry?"


    "About my runners? Always." She looked serious.


    Shae inclined her head in respect. "Thank you."


    "And thank you. There is always room in the schedule for one delay a day. Two is a disaster."


    "What about the timber?"


    "Ah, yes. I was going to say it to them. They may take what they like, but should do it quickly."


    "That''s generous of you."


    "Not particularly. I''ve no room to take any. But I did arrange for pickups from the city. They bargained too harshly, so they can have firewood. I''ll let the Dong''s know how much to leave to fulfill my agreement."


    "Excellent. Thank you, again. Do you mind if I run off, this is starting to itch." She pulled at her robes. In truth they had been uncomfortable for a while, but she had been just distracted enough to ignore it.


    "Go. Thank Fedir for me. And let the Dongs know you are going."


    "I will." Shae waved and sprinted away.


    <hr>


    The waiting couple nodded at the approaching young woman, then they grimaced slightly when the wind caught the wrong way.


    Shae cut right to the point. "If you agree, Mistress Ping will take care of my debt to you. I would stay for it, but I need to see a slough about a basic bath."


    The couple nodded in understanding. One worker behind them snorted a laugh, getting the warning of a sharp glance from Aidel. "Of course. Just to confirm, Chiden and I together are expecting ... taels?" She held three fingers close to her chest, out of sight of the workers.


    "Correct, and you performed quite well so there should be a tip. You also have permission to collect what timber you need. Mistress Ping can explain it properly."


    Both their eyes twitched open in surprise. "Wise Shae is most generous." They chorused and bowed. Then Aidel waved at the workers. "Thank Miss Shae."


    "Thank you, Miss Shae." Echoed the five, save for one who said "Wise Shae." His bow was also a bit stiffer and shallow. Shae thought it was the one who laughed, possibly the first to laugh earlier too.


    "And thank you all for your assistance." She inclined her head respectfully, as a full bow would be too much. "Ah, and, if any of you see that steamy cultivator again, please give them my thanks for their wet work." The group straightened up a little as she addressed them. She locked eyes with the joker and he smirked briefly, then went impassive as she talked. "Truly, I don''t know how I would have dealt with this hot mess without them."


    A few nodded their agreement but the moment was awkward.


    "Ah, I believe planking out the road would have worked. Taken longer, but with your quick ax work, maybe only another hour." Chiden helpfully provided.


    She turned back to him with a smile. "And that''s why the advice of experts is always welcome. Thank you again, Mister Dong."


    He blushed proudly and waved the comment off. His wife spoke next. "Well, I guess we have timber wagons to fetch." She clapped once. "Let''s go!"


    <hr>


    She swung by Chen and Shu as she left. "I''m off to get washed. Do you need anything from town?"


    "Flame Well? We just left." Shu shook her head.


    "Eh, anything?" Chen smirked.


    Shae shook her head, mirroring the smirk.


    "Can you leave the knarr, I''d like a few swings when we''re done." He said.


    "Ah, farts!" Shae slapped her forehead. "Forgot I agreed to that. I need to take it back to Flame Well. Is a dozen swings right now, fine?"


    He nodded and took Marta from her. She quickly explained how to use the weight enchantment. He nodded and said they had similar ones at the sect. Shu called next for when he was done. So, Shae sat down for the wait. She made sure to be downwind of the train of wagons. Unsure what to do, she let the rhythmic sound of pack animals guide her meditation. The meditation practice of acknowledging senses and thoughts and letting them pass made it an excellent break from the smell of herself.


    Her first step was to empty herself off qi. She had been cycling all morning and wanted to assess her exhaustion. Sure enough, her channels were sore, and muscles strained, especially those in her core and shoulders.


    Her Dantian was her next focus, she was disappointed to find she had used more divine qi than she liked. The cloudy reserve and the new enlightenment qi reserve were noticeably diminished. I hope the results prove worthwhile. She couldn''t deny that there were results. Simply being able to recover quickly from mental focus exhaustion was an obscene cheat in her eyes. I''d like to save it for something actually important, though. Not just odd jobs. She assumed her mental focus had improved, but had no firm way to measure it. Perhaps the sect has a spiritual tool for testing it?


    Her imagination stirred up other niche skills and testing tools that she might find at the sect rushed through her head. She took an intentionally slow breath and let them pass, her meditation letting her easily regain control of her thoughts.


    She thought of the Cresting the Hill practice she had been working on, and felt no need to continue it today. A quick flow of qi in a specific pattern let her feel the qi structure the first practice established and she found another latch had clicked over. Likely signaling Cresting the Hill had been completed. She had an urge to check the practice book for the next, but remembered her current state of filth and decided she didn''t even want to open her travel pack until after she washed up at the slough.


    So, for now? She felt the qi around her. Mostly neutral, but she recognized earth qi where Chen had been working, and wood qi near that, where Shu''s vine was working. She recalled the young water cultivator mentioning cultivating away the water and decided to try.


    Only a little water qi was in the area, and less earth qi. She suspected Chen had been using up the latter. She drew the water qi towards her with thoughts of rushing rivers in the rain, but didn''t absorb it. How do I move it around without it being personal qi?


    Previously she had always just coaxed elemental qi towards herself in this same way, not grabbing at it like she did neutral qi. Except metal qi, that I had to pluck out of the air one grain at a time.


    Is there enough water qi here to do anything with? She grabbed at the water and found it was swept along but she didn''t get a firm grasp of it. Well, if it''s like water, I need a bucket.


    She chuckled at her own joke then let herself have an exaggerated internal sigh. I''m too tired for this.


    Switching to drawing in neutral qi, she tried out variations of the flow pattern she used when absorbing the enlightenment. An inhale drew her qi from her Dantian and flooded out through her channels. She mentally gripped the neutral qi around her at the same time. Then an exhale pulled it in as her qi rushed through her system in a spiral vortex funneling down to her Dantian.


    Shae couldn''t tell if it was more efficient than her previous method of just grabbing and pulling while cycling at the same time. The rhythm helped her feel better about it. Even if it''s personal bias, it feels much better.


    Every dozen breaths she paused to check around herself. She expected to find signs that Chen and Shu had returned to fixing the road.


    Strictly speaking, the work didn''t need to be done. The caravan was already using the path. Yet, she expected it wouldn''t last without a bit more attention. I suppose it doesn''t need to last, the road is still there.


    Eventually she felt she had recovered a noticeable part of the qi she used during the day. A dozen breaths to a minute, maybe? Half an hour?


    She exited meditation to find the last wagons of the caravan passing her. Chen and Shu were nowhere to be seen, though Marta was stuck in the ground beside her pack.


    A guard walked over to her when they noticed she had risen. "Miss Shae! Glad you are up. Brother Chen and Sister Shu said I should admonish you for cultivating in public."


    "Oh? Is it frowned upon? Honestly, I thought they would wake me when they were done with Marta."


    "Eh? Marta?"


    "The knarr." She tapped the tool.


    "Ah, right. Likely they didn''t because it''s not always safe to bother someone who''s cultivating. Qi riots and deviations, yes? Ah they also said, about the knarr? It is very similar to weighted axes the sect has for training. Shu recommended you try them out."


    "Hmm, I suppose I should have expected that. Now that I think on it: I was told not to cultivate publicly in Xengo Town because people could steal easily. Any other reasons?"


    He nodded. "That''s a good one. I''ve also heard high level cultivators can copy your cultivation techniques."


    "Hmm, well, I''ve very little to lose."


    "Eh!? That one you were using seemed potent enough?"


    She shrugged. "I don''t have a manual yet, just some practices... that I''ve had help with." She added when she saw his expression.


    He shook his head with wide eyes. "Well I''ll be sure to keep an eye on you, for when you get a proper cultivation manual."


    "Please, it can''t be that impressive. Have you watched many others cultivate?"


    He paused with his mouth open, then nodded. "Fair enough. Well, have a safe trip to the city." He gave a rushed salute and hurried back to the tail end of the caravan.


    "Hm. Rude, he didn''t give me his name." She squinted after the retreating guard.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 27: Basic Cleanliness

    <hr>


    Chapter 27: "Basic Cleanliness."


    <hr>


    Shae''s trip to the slough was uneventful. As the Dongs had said, she could follow the lay of the land to where the water should collect, and the main feeding stream was quick to find. It wound haphazardly across fields and stood out right away when she looked from a high vantage point.


    The smell of the slough was pungent, yet still managed to be a breath of relief compared to the sticky impurities soaked into her clothing. A small shack was the only structure within sight of the slough. She approached it and found an old man in a rocking chair. He sat on a covered porch facing away from the slough.


    "Ah-ha ha! Now that''s a cultivator if I''ve ever smelt one!" He laughed.


    "Mister, would this slough be on your property?"


    "And a young lass. Don''t get many of those ''round here." He chuckled with less enthusiasm without looking her way.


    She stepped around to his front to see vacant eyes. "Ah," she said, quietly.


    "Ah, indeed! Heh heh. Name''s Blind Gregor. And the slough is public land. No qi in it, so I''ve been told."


    "I am Miss Shae. Are you alone? And actually blind? Or just enough for the nickname."


    "Oh! My pride." He clutched his chest. "Striking right at my shame and without mercy!"


    She frowned and waited. I suppose that was a little insensitive.


    After a pause he asked, "eh? No apology? Good on you, I guess. You are still here, yes?"


    "I am. I''d like to use the slough for a bath, and I''d rather not be seen."


    "In that muck? I don''t even wash with that." He sniffed, then coughed. "Ah, right. Suppose it''s better than cultivator muck."


    "Precisely."


    "You''re safe enough out here, shack''s empty, and nowhere else to hide. Mine own eyes can only see the depths of hell, as they say."


    "Who says that?"


    "Eh? Whoever wants to, I suppose. Probably mostly me. Heh heh heh."


    "And you''re not some hidden Master with other senses to spy on me with?"


    "Hah! If I had even a scrap of cultivation, I wouldn''t be Blind Gregor. But you must be some peerless beauty to be so worried about it."


    "Hardly."


    "Ah, just wait ''till I tell the boys that a Heavenly Fairy graced the old slough with her beauty."


    "Please don''t. Especially not the Fairy part. And I''m too young for anyone other than teenagers to be lusting after me."


    He frowned at that. "That does spoil a bit of the fun, the boys I mentioned are all older than me." He chuckled.


    "Good response. If I thought you perverse enough I might have slain you where you sit."


    He swallowed his laughter.


    "Are there others around here that would embark on such perversions?" She forced her voice flat. In for a penny, in for a pound.


    "Ehhh, no Miss cultivator." He coughed. "Well, Jensen, a few li South is a massive dickhead. If you really need to spill some blood, he has a working shower."


    "You think I would kill a man for a warm shower."


    "Didn''t say it was warm. But you haven''t used the slough yet, eh?" He forced a laugh.


    "And he lives alone?"


    "Nah, wife and three sons."


    "So, I''m supposed to execute them all, for a cold shower." She tried to let more intent and qi into her words this time.


    He didn''t seem to notice. "Hah. Ask that after your bath."


    "And is your own shower broken?"


    He stiffened. "Er, now. Let''s not do anything rash." He coughed. "It was a joke, of course. You could pay them to use it, or just ask."


    She paused, trying to discern if the man''s humor was genuine.


    "Ah, right. My shower''s got a leak. So doesn''t get warm in the sun; just leaks out as fast as I can pump it. It''s around back if you want a cold shower. I just stick to sponge baths from the kettle. Too much work otherwise."


    "Thank you, Gregor, I''ll take a look. Please continue not taking a look at anything."


    "Easy as pie, Miss."


    "Pie can''t be that easy for you."


    "It''s very difficult, yes. Thanks for reminding me."


    She coughed and walked around the building.


    The shower was, approximately, a bucket two paces above ground with some holes in it. Some of the holes were intentional, making up the shower head, and some were caused by rust. Shae clicked her tongue at the choice of material. "What idiot used iron for this." She asked out loud.


    She had seen copper and brass and other metals at the inns she stayed at. Her own village even had showers of a similar design, but from those metals, so why here?


    She considered the almost-city of Flame Well briefly: a large mining and smithing town devoted to the production of metals. Is iron just so cheap there that it can be replaced when rusted, is steel so much harder to produce? Though, it would be used for weapons instead.


    As she pondered she washed some of her clothing with the shower. It was functional enough, water could be pumped to the tank with a large hand pump, then washed with as it flowed down out the shower head, and other leaks. She first washed her hands, sleeves, and parts of her backpack with the intention of halting the cross contamination spread of the sticky black impurities.


    With clean hands she sorted through her bag, removing most of it to the side so she could clean it properly and picking out sheets of waxed cloth that she wasn''t using to store food. The wax could be used for small holes in the iron. The cloth worked to patch over the largest breaks from inside the tank. Both patches needed to be forced through holes and molded slightly to hold in place. She only discovered that when filling it again caused the wax to float, ruining her efforts. On her second attempt she added rocks to the larger cloth patch to hold it in place.


    Why hadn''t Gregor done this himself, surely he has wax. He could wax the whole tank to stall rusting. That riddle began to reveal itself when she wanted to heat the water. A modification to the structure had been made to allow a brazier to be lit right where the largest rust hole was. The heat of the sun softening her wax cloth was the second clue.


    Right, fire melts wax. Too much and bye-bye rust protection. She sighed at her criticism of Gregor. And he''s blind, so this task would be far more difficult for him. Maybe even his age makes pumping the water too much. She decided not to worry too much about her fix lasting at all. He may appreciate it, or he may not care as it won''t last past the first use. If he''s using a kettle now, he must like the heat, he really needs a new shower, in copper.


    She considered being a secret benefactor, hiring someone to solve the man''s problem. But his real problem is age and blindness, those I can do nothing about. A meager kindness might be more of an insult than nothing at all. I''m not going to fix every shower in the world, even if I could. She chuckled to herself with a grim frown on her face.


    She moved the brazier to the opposite side of the tank, and added some small pieces of wood. Then she remembered the fire lighting rune that Elder Ghon had taught her. Hmm, would it work better, now that I have qi?


    She looked out at the slough, then at the sky to check the time. I''m getting distracted, but I do have all afternoon.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She carved with her small pocket knife instead of marking with charcoal. Her first two attempts proved fruitless. Just as when she was on Pilgrim''s Rest mountain, the runes did almost nothing. She assumed they would gradually warm and char, but nothing suggested they were more effective. She discarded them by placing them inside the water tank, symbol down. Maybe they will still heat the water.


    She huffed, what had the old monster said to do?


    Her exact memories were foggy, but she had been reading the journal he gave her. It contained his companion notes for an introductory guide to formations. One she suspected was so out of print it might be considered a lost text as it was likely the guide Ghon had used when he was young. How did he have these notes, but not the book itself? Maybe more evidence it''s a valuable collectible. With a thought she acknowledged his journal should also be a collectible, maybe he copies it out for all his students?


    She froze at the idea that she just called herself one of his students.


    Something caught in her throat and she coughed loudly.


    One of the first practical examples in the journal was the fire rune and Ghon had provided more notes for it as he had worked through the simplification process himself. That had reduced the formation by a line to be only one qi symbol and one line. These notes included a summary of how he taught it to Shae. A pang of emotion had caught her when she first found it, but it evaporated when she connected the idea that he taught this to many people, not just her.


    <blockquote>


    As you inscribe each part, you must be precise, focused on accuracy, and a clear purpose for each stroke must be held in your mind. Each symbol and line has no definitive purpose or meaning. You give it power as you carve or write, forcing your thoughts into it to define its purpose.


    The symbol means fire, mental images of any fire or heat will do. You don''t even need to know that it will be qi fire, especially if you have no reference for that. The simple idea of fire and a whole will be stronger, anyway.


    The more complex form has two line types. A channel and a trap. One draws from the symbol and channels qi along it, the other traps qi within. Any clear idea those invoke will function for this formation, as its simplicity allows more freedom.


    </blockquote>


    So, there''s no specific part of being a cultivator that makes this easier. Focusing on ideas seems to be key.


    "Huh, it can''t be that simple can it?" She frowned at the coincidence. Better try something else first, no sense expecting I''ll be right on the first try.


    She cycled her qi as she carved, moving more through her head as she concentrated, and down to her right arm that held the knife. Hope it''s not a special tool thing. Hmm, no, Ghon would have said that.


    She waited after finishing but it looked like the formation wasn''t working faster. If it''s a matter of small degrees, I need a better test. With faster results. She squinted at the carving. Looks better than the other attempts. Practice or qi helping? Both probably.


    The small slats of wood she was using were laying around the shed, and they were all fairly similar. "What are these, anyway?" A few steps around then glancing up had her pale, then blush with embarrassment. She saw the roof of the shack: the same plate sized square wood tiles were the roofing material. Another thought had her more embarrassed, If someone uses the marked tiles, they could easily burn the house down. She recalled how effective the formation had been when she used it on the mountain. Then again, probably not.


    She stretched and her sticky clothes reminded her of how uncomfortable she was. Right, a bit more washing first. Even if the shower was working, slough first is probably easier.


    A few minutes later she stopped mid-wash as she had an idea. Hmm... needs to be consistent, though. With a stick she carved the symbol for fire in the mud at the edge of the slough, then a circle around it. The sun was her focus for fire, and a ring of campfire rocks for the circle. Keep it simple and easy, just the one idea.


    She carved a second one while channeling qi. Then a third without qi, but while trying to throw her mental focus into it. This last proved the hardest, simply because the sudden split second focus of an ax strike was very different from the slower constant focus of writing a large symbol in the mud.


    Even before she had made the circle, she noticed the second symbol had started to dry and the same on her third symbol. Though that one was much more erratic in where it was drying. She focused and added the campfire ring circle around it, expecting that to even the drying. It did not.


    "Huh, qi and focus, I guess." She mumbled to herself. Then drew a fourth doing both things. It dried as she wrote the symbol. The dryness spread beyond the circle before she could finish it. This had the annoying effect of preventing the circle from being closed, as she couldn''t carve into the dry mud with the stick.


    She huffed at it. "That solves that, I guess. Seems too easy, though. And I should draw the circle first."


    A few splashes of slough water and stomps in the mud destroyed the formations.


    A quarter hour later saw her scribing the symbol into the back of the tiles she previously used, then she stuffed them back into the brazier. The first was getting warm to the touch when she finished the third. Even with two being wet from floating in the water tank, she still expected them to char before she finished cleaning herself. Impurities are nasty, so glad I have soap. I should buy more today.


    After inscribing the test formations and then the three more, she could feel the effects of draining her mental focus. This time she could still manage moving around. It mostly felt like a mild headache or sleep deprivation. So, she decided not to rely on her divine qi for recovery. It''s probably too precious to use for this, right?


    The cleaning work was tedious and time consuming, so she decided she was glad to have the mental strain to distract her from it, and she thought her mental haze cut the smell down slightly.


    She noticed the smoke from the brazier almost when it started, and made sure to keep half an eye on it. As much to see if her wax-cloth patch held as to make sure it didn''t burn the blind man''s shack down.


    An hour of cleaning passed and her head started to clear. An occasional pulse of her personal qi had helped when she needed her wits about her, but that clarity only lasted as long as she cycled qi through her head.


    She had interrupted herself a few times to test new ideas for carving formations. To test her bias, she had also carved a few things that were obviously wrong, but she tried to believe they would work. None had worked significantly better than her control formation.


    The lukewarm water in the old shower was an incredible relief compared to the cold and slightly slimy slough water. She used the last of her soap that she had saved for this, then had to rinse with cold water from the well. She had committed to stop burning Gregor''s roof tiles during one of her more clear headed moments.


    The soap and slough water had worked well enough to clean her clothes, and she was super grateful to Fairy Yun for insisting she buy a change of clothes. Yun hadn''t had to argue with the young woman much. Shae''s only concern was that she would be limited to sect clothes, so a new set would go unused. Yun assured her there would be times she could wear what she liked.


    She thanked Blind Gregor as she left, mentioning that the tank might be fixed for a little while, if he kept the water temperature low. He was overly grateful and Shae had to tell him to stop groveling.


    <hr>


    A mental itch bothered her as she returned to the road, and she decided it was her Manifold Journey practice. She could move on to the next practice now, even though she was back tracking.


    She sat near the main road and scanned the next practice. Controlled Descent was the title and it was largely about thinking and looking forwards. She saw that if Yun hadn''t pointed out her lack of consideration for her journey, this would have brought her back on track. It provided several interesting questions regarding her journey and what she expected to find at the end of it.


    She was a little surprised she hadn''t read over these before, I have skimmed ahead several times, weird that I didn''t see this.


    The qi cycling process was very simple and she started it immediately, without needing to enter meditation. Her run back to Flame Well was slower, as she stopped to pull out the guide and reference the questions several times.


    Entry into the city was much easier than leaving in the morning, and she found Fedir quickly by asking around.


    He was quite pleased to have Marta back. Shae mentioned what Master Long had said about the impact formation being damaged.


    "Aye, I suspected it, but having a master fix it is rather expensive. I''ll keep that in mind while using her in the future." Was his reply.


    She pointed out that it was mostly a problem for cultivators that can swing it quite hard. He agreed but was clearly still concerned for his favorite tool.


    She considered asking Yun to join her at the spa, but a walk past the restaurant showed it was very busy. So she decided to stop by tomorrow morning instead. As much as she wanted to spend time with the woman, she was very drained and wanted more time alone, especially to think about Controlled Descent''s questions.


    Her interaction at the bathhouse didn''t go as smoothly as she expected.


    She noted a few qi formations as she approached the front desk. A few lights glowing when she stepped up.


    The receptionist glanced at the lights, and forced her smile wider. "How may we help you, Miss Cultivator?"


    "Hello, I am Miss Shae. I''ve been recommended by Mistress Ping Ahna. She said I should ask for her usual."


    "Ah, Mistress Ping was just here, it''s wonderful to have you, Miss Shae." She flipped through a nearby drawer full of folders and pulled one out. "I see. Hmm, does tomorrow afternoon work well for you?"


    "Oh? Is it by appointment? I should have guessed and not delayed my arrival."


    "We might be able to get you in tomorrow morning." She looked at the lights on the desk, a hint of nerves showing in how she fidgeted with the paperwork.


    Shae shook her head. "I am a member of Mistress Ping''s caravan, and would like to be back on the road tomorrow. I''m not sure what her usual is?" She pointed at the page the receptionist held. "Is anything similar available tonight? And better still, I was cleansing earlier today, anything for that? And my clothes need a good wash from that as well."


    "Ah, um, yes. We are somewhat understaffed in the evenings, but laundry services are available." She fidgeted again. "I''ll see if someone is still around for the more hands-on aspects."


    Shae smiled and spotted the woman''s name tag. "Please relax, Miss Cho. I came here without expectations." She set a silver crown on the desk. "Mistress Ping suggested this might be appropriate. Let''s just get me into a warm bath and you can surprise me with whatever other services are available."


    Miss Cho spared only a glance at the silver and signed in relief at her words. A warm smile appeared that also showed in her eyes. "Thank you for your accommodation, Miss Shae. Please let us know if there is anything specific you need. For now, right this way." She swept the silver into a drawer and guided Shae down the hall and into the humid corridors of the building.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 28: Fresh Chopped Gossip

    <hr>


    Chapter 28: "Fresh Chopped Gossip."


    <hr>


    Shae found the street outside Fairy Yun''s workplace, The Gilded Aurochs, deserted the next morning. She took a seat at that same single chair and small table that was set out two days ago. It was later than she had planned because the relaxing spa evening and a day of urgent physical labor had her sleeping much later than expected. She had stayed at the same inn and had another pleasant exchange with the same Miss Dong Min-an that had helped her the morning before.


    Yesterday, she had decided to wait outside the restaurant, because she wasn''t in the most presentable state then. Now, she stuck to that plan as she didn''t really have business with the restaurant itself. A travel snack from Miss Dong held her attention as she waited.


    This area of town was surprisingly quiet for this time of day. Shae expected to see merchants and customers crowding the streets. Eventually she switched to reading her practice manual again.


    She was mulling over if she should move on from Controlled Descent when footsteps drew her attention.


    "Chef Van! Glad to see you this fine morning."


    "Wise Shae, how unexpected. I fear what has brought you back so soon?"


    "Oh, nothing disastrous. I am assisting the caravan with scouting and other duties, those brought me back last night. I swung by then too, but there was quite the crowd. Are you normally that busy?"


    "Me? No, we have a rotation of chefs and I am one of the less prestigious." He shrugged. "But that is what I prefer, it lets me work my craft at a more comfortable pace."


    "Really? I found your cooking to be excellent. Surely Master Long bought out quite a lot of business the other night?"


    "He did, though his own talents could have brought even more in. Visiting chefs attract large crowds, even if they are less skilled. While I am no slouch, people don''t flock like that for my mortal dishes. Though, I could be called a staple of the community."


    "Ah, but that just means the community is bored of you, and takes your presence for granted."


    He placed a hand on his chest. "Ah, it pains me to hear you say it so plainly, no, don''t apologize. You are correct. My preferred style does me no favors either."


    "Hmm, yours was the fruit skewers, the cracker, then later the soup... ah! I think I see it. Well made food, but with simpler ingredients. Reliably delicious, but not as flashy as Long''s devouring steak, or whatever someone else might do with strange ingredients."


    "Thank you for the buried compliment, and yes, you saw through it well. I''m in no rush to change, however."


    Shae nodded. "Yes, do what you enjoy." She smiled. "You could always take a vacation, I bet you''d pull quite the crowd on your return."


    He returned the smile. "A bet you''d win, but that no one would take as we have done that before. Now. Were you looking for some breakfast? It might be a bit pricey, but I can accommodate another table."


    "Hmm, tempting, but I did just eat. Speaking of food, though. Is immortal cooking mainly about interesting dishes like Long''s or can one obtain significant benefits from a well made dish?"


    "A good question. Though, I would first argue one point. We are not immortal chefs. The distinction is in power and ability. We dabble in their methods, make imitations of their dishes." He sighed. "It''s somewhat depressing to know just how far you have left to go."


    "Depressing? I''d think it would be exciting?"


    "Hmm, for you youngsters, yes. For us, we are finding our limitations, the edges of our potential. That can be stressful. But you have the right idea for what their true abilities are. Immortal chefs are closer to alchemists. Their dishes are capable of astounding benefits to cultivation and health." He shrugged broadly. "Master Long''s signature fiery Bao buns are approaching that, they can be used by fire cultivators for a short boost in qi reserves. Yet, that also means that others must contend with the excess fire qi in the meal. It is said that some immortal chefs do not have this limitation." He shook his head in bewilderment at his next words, "Truly impressive feats of cooking."


    "How extraordinary! I can see- well, start to see what you mean about knowing the difference in ability." She nodded slowly and sat in a daze thinking over his words.


    He waited, letting himself get lost in his own thoughts. He pulled another chair out of seemingly nowhere and sat with Shae.


    "Hmm, what about simpler ingredients with their own cultivation benefits? I found a ginseng on Pilgrim''s mountain, would that work just as well in a dish? Or the spiritual water that was added to some of the drinks?"


    "Yes, there are some like those. Some need special preparation and careful cooking. Some lose their benefits when mixed too heavily with mortal ingredients, ginseng is a good example of that. Spiritual water is a unique case. It can be used to dilute and break down some things, allowing us to serve potentially toxic foods safely, or to reduce the impact of some strong herbs. Usually, like in the drink you had, it is consumed for its cleansing properties. It can flush quite a lot out of your system when diluted and drank over time."


    "Hmm, including Long''s spiteful Bao, I''ve had at least one other case of absorbing a small amount of foreign qi lately. Would you recommend I do that?"


    "Recommend? I am no doctor. So, no, but it''s not a bad idea. It is somewhat pricey here, you will be able to buy it for cheaper at the sect."


    "Hmm, but will it be mixed in with a drink I rather enjoyed?"


    "Haha, no I suppose it will not. What is your budget?"


    She grimaced. "More if I hadn''t left most of it with the caravan. I think I have about two silver crowns I could part with."


    He nodded. "More than I suspected, given your apparent upbringing, but being a cultivator does have its perks. If you are certain I''ll see what I can get you. Do you have a glass flask?"


    "Just waterskins."


    He shook his head. "It should always be kept in glass, and served in it too. That might make it more difficult as glass can be expensive." He looked up and into the building. "Hmmm. Did you dislike that ginger tea?"


    "Hmm, the tea at the end? No. I just noticed it. I disliked not being told what else was in it."


    "Heh. Noticed it, she says." He shook his head. "In all the commotion, did you understand what that meant?"


    She thought it out slowly. "What does it mean to notice the -?"


    He held up a hand to stop her. Then pointed at his ears, eyes, and out around the street.


    She opened her mouth to silently say "Ah." and nodded. "I am drawing a blank. So...?"


    He frowned. "Now is not the best time to go over the details. Do you think you will enjoy spending time in the sect library?"


    She smiled. "I''m quite excited for it, actually."


    "Oh?"


    She nodded. "I am quite the avid reader. Have been since I first learned to read."


    She paused to let him react. A subtle widening of his eyes and a nod saying he understood her hidden meaning.


    "All the little towns I passed through before this summer had a book or two I sought out. Mainly the dictionary kept by the town''s Elder. The dynamics of how small towns keep up with language and teach their young is quite interesting."


    "Wise Shae, that is not an answer I was expecting." He paused. "Truly a woman of many talents. I take it you would assist them somehow to gain access to this revered tome?"


    "Heh-heh. Of course. The first few were tricky. But eventually I developed a reputation and had letters of recommendation. At least, that was the plan. The events of this summer cut that a bit short. But anyway, to explain. I would fact check their dictionaries. Looking for mistakes and adding to lacking entries. That is why the first few were hard, no one had reason to trust me, and my knowledge was lacking."


    "Still, quite impressive to do that at all. You must have quite the memory."


    "Not as strong as I''d like. Mostly just for words. Especially since... well, leftovers from my younger days. I would like to learn another language, but I fear that opportunity has passed."


    "Surely not, you are still so young! And as a cultivator now, there are techniques for memory."


    "Ah, I suppose there are. I guess I''ve been too busy to consider that benefit."


    "Heh, yes, the young generation rarely stops to consider what they have. Oh, don''t look at me like that. I really just mean, you don''t know what you have, not yet. Let me fetch that spiritual water, then you can tell me why you are really here."


    Shae gasped in mock surprise as he disappeared without waiting for a response. He was back by the time her heart rate had slowed back down.


    "You have lucky timing. We just emptied a bottle." He set a long stemmed green glass bottle on the table. The stem had an interesting visual feature in that it twisted to the side before ending vertically. "The bend helps to stop the liquid from dissolving the cork. Which it can do, so be sure to keep it upright or it will taste of shoe leather."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The bottle seemed slightly larger than a wine bottle from Earth, except the center was pinched slightly. This provided a lip for several strands of blue string to tie around it and weave up into a thicker carrying rope. Shae thought she could tie this to her bag and let it hang so the bottle didn''t tip. Though, it might not manage as well when she ran.


    "Thank you!" She said then quickly fished out her coin purse. It was the same one that Auntie Mei gave her in Minlin City, and she was using the last of the coins she gave her too. She grabbed one silver crown and four taels to set out on the table.


    "The bottle had a few drops of something still in it, so you will notice a specific taste. I think you will recognize it, and I assure again that


    Shae nodded. "May I?"


    "Ah, yes, I suppose a trial taste is in order." Van agreed as he plucked the coins from the table.


    The young woman grabbed the large bottle and awkwardly tried to drink from the twisted stem.


    The chef smirks and tries not to snicker.


    She ignores his antics. "Hmm, seems diluted enough. I do like the flavor."


    "Good to hear. Hmm, it''s a bit impolite, but you don''t have a second crown, do you?"


    She squeezed her purse. "I do not. Couldn''t even count another out with taels."


    "Thought so." He handed her back the silver crown, she accepted it with a confused look. "I''m undercharging you anyway. But really, it is said to be bad luck to take someone''s last crown." He shrugged. "Now, you were really here for Fairy Yun, weren''t you?"


    "Thank you, Chef Van." She stood and bowed. "Yes, I was looking for her. I said I would see her again next time I was in town." She shrugged with arms wide and smiled.


    "Heh, it is barely the next day, I think you could be forgiven."


    "We agreed to be friends. I wanted to at least try. Is she busy?"


    He nodded. "She is off to market. I would send you along to help, but it is not the mortal market."


    "Oh? How would I help anyway? She has spatial storage, right?"


    "Some items are better kept outside of spatial treasures. This market is more of a private auction anyhow. I don''t think I could get you in, and you wouldn''t really get to socialize with Fairy Yun, she has work to do there."


    "Ah, right. I can accept that. Will she be gone all day?"


    "Probably not, but I wouldn''t expect her until late afternoon, at the earliest."


    "Ah, I guess I will see her next time. Heh, I did just see her, I shouldn''t be so disappointed."


    "We can''t always control our emotions like that, especially at your age."


    Shae burst into a laugh. "Ah-ha ha! That''s so true!"


    Van watched her laugh with a surprised look.


    She looked up and flushed with embarrassment. "What?"


    "I wasn''t expecting that laugh, but I hadn''t considered the fullness of your situation." He said with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yes, definitely that." She nodded. "Oh! Can I leave a message for her?"


    "Certainly!" He smiled.


    "Tell her I already made progress on-" She stopped and looked around. "Should I write it down?"


    "If you think it''s sensitive enough, or very long. We could also step inside." He pointed at the restaurant.


    She nodded and followed him into the small reception room.


    "Chef Van, Miss Shae, was it?"


    "Just need a bit of privacy, Zanru."


    "Of course, Chef." The concierge said and left the room.


    "I''m surprised he remembered me."


    "He has a good memory for names. And we do not get many like you through these doors, but I can''t chat much more, I have prep work to do. Firstly allow me to apologize, I hinted at it, but there was soul calming root in that bottle."


    "I got the hints, and it was quite noticeable. Didn''t you rinse it?"


    "Ah, well. There are secrets there I cannot share. To say the least, it is harder to rinse out than sticky oil. I would have to rinse it several times with pure spiritual water, letting each sit. But still, there should only be the equal of a couple drops in there, it should be weaker than that ginger tea."


    "Really? It seemed stronger. Maybe because the other flavors are weaker?"


    Van looked confused then surprised, then ashamed. "My apologies again. I seem to have unwittingly performed an interesting test upon you." He rubbed the back of his neck.


    "It seems to be a genuine accident. Please, explain." She asked flatly.


    "I didn''t consider how it would interact with the spiritual water. It seems the flavor has been enhanced, may I try some?"


    She shrugged and offered the bottle.


    A small sip from a glass later and Van was thinking deeply. "I still cannot taste it. And I don''t believe its usual effects are present. Hard to tell at this dilution, but that is most likely. There are not many possible interactions with spiritual water, I had assumed it wouldn''t interact, soul and spirit are... well, that would be saying too much."


    "Are they not connected? Related quite closely?"


    "Hmm, within a living being, yes." He gestured at the bottle. "How is the taste, by the way?"


    "Oh, hmm, not terrible? Distinct like sour or bitter, but it isn''t really a taste."


    He nodded. "Right, I should have guessed it would be something else."


    "Is this worth publishing in a paper or something?" She asked.


    "A paper?"


    "Yes, it would have to be checked again with another lost soul, to do the research properly."


    "Oh! You mean a research record, or journal of notes. This would likely just be an observation, without more accounts. A paper? Really? Is that a term from your last world?"


    "Yes, they sometimes say white paper. Usually they publish in scientific journals for wider peer review."


    "Hmm, curious." He shook his head. "I''ll write it up and submit it. It will be my first time, so I don''t think they will take me particularly seriously. Oh, and I''ll wait quite some time to do it. We should keep you anonymous."


    She nodded slowly. "That makes sense, I suppose."


    They both considered it silently for a breath.


    "Ah, well, you said you were busy. Thank you so much for your time, Chef Van. If you would, please thank Fairy Yun for her explanation of mental focus. I had a busy day yesterday, and was able to make progress on it thanks to her advice."


    "Progress on mental focus? Are you sure? It is quite hard to measure progress. Harder still to make progress in such a short time."


    The young cultivator insisted with a smirk. "I''m quite sure. I was able to cheat a bit. My qi has a restorative effect, so I was able to train much harder than expected. It does still have limits, though."


    "Truly impressive, Miss Shae. If for nothing else, that could make your qi incredibly powerful. I would even say to be careful who you share that with. Even consider hiding your swift progress, if you can. Let it come to the surface slowly, at least until your next cultivation stage."


    "Ah, um, well. It''s a bit late for that. I think Long figured it out and started testing me in front of the whole sect entourage."


    He inhaled sharply. "Testing how? The only two I know about are a spiritual tool he doesn''t have and the four crowns test. But I didn''t think you used a bladed weapon, considering your peace-bond is still intact."


    Shae rubbed the back of her neck. "Right so, we''re getting into the full story of what happened yesterday. In short. I took a special ax, Mister Fedir''s knarr, Marta, do you know of that?"


    Van shook his head. "I hardly followed what you just said."


    "Basically it''s a long handle ax with a weight enchantment. I took that ahead of the caravan and cleared out a bunch of trees that had swept over the road with a mudslide, from the rain."


    "Alright, and from the rain, you say? Funny coincidence, that."


    "Oh? I only thought it was weird that a little rain caused a mudslide so easily. Didn''t think there was that much to the storm."


    "I suppose it was unusual." Go coughed to the side. "It could have been a spike storm: very heavy rain at one location, lighter further out."


    "Huh. Are those common?"


    "When qi is involved: far too common. But back to the ax?"


    "Ah, right. So, I was practicing hitting the same spot with the ax, to make the work go faster. Then I remembered Yun mentioned focus, so I started using that to correct my aim. Nearly overdid it and passed out when I took my first break."


    He was nodding along, but stopped and raised his eyebrows at the end. "Most need a lot more work than that to tap into their mental focus or battle focus. Even longer to use enough to exhaust themselves. And you make it sound like you kept working?"


    She rubbed the back of her neck, and forced a smile. "Yea, a lot more. But like I said, my qi is weird. I think it still has a lot of leftovers in it from the enlightenment the other day."


    Van widened his eyes then tilted his head in consideration. "That is... possible, I suppose, and far more likely. Enlightenments can be quite helpful for focus advancements. If you know how to make use of them."


    Shae nodded along. "Speaking of, divine qi and enlightenment qi both seem to heal injuries. Do you know if either are similar to natural healing, where the body repairs and improves itself, or do they work more like a reset, restoring the body to before the damage?"


    Van looked a bit stunned and just blinked.


    "Chef!" Someone called as they entered the room.


    Van turned stiffly to look over at the boy in the doorway and exchanged glances, head jerks towards the kitchen and a nod, then the boy left. "It seems I''m needed in the kitchen. Which is good because that question is beyond me. Most of this conversation has been because I am not your mentor. Even the talk of martial focus is as I''ve never trained for that. Only heard about it and the four crowns test."


    Shae perked up at that. "Four crowns? You said that earlier, too. Crowns as in the coins? Is it common to use sect coins instead? And we are talking about the one where you just cut four coins out of the air with one strike, yes?"


    Van stared stunned again for a breath. Then he squinted at the young woman, "You''re teasing me."


    "I am." She smiled. "Long, without even asking, threw one sect coin at me and told me to cut. I caught it instead and kept it!" Her smile turned smug.


    "Hah! Serves him right. And here I thought you were poor, or did he take it back?"


    "I left it safely with the caravan. Would you like that last crown now?"


    "No, no. I don''t mind. I do have to go, however. I''ll tell Fairy Yun your absurd news. She may chase you down and test you herself. Heh heh heh."


    "Thank you for your time, Chef Van. It has been quite helpful."


    "And thank you for yours, Wise Shae. I''ll be excited to hear of your progress from Fairy Yun."


    They bowed to each other and Van rushed out of the room before Shae could turn to leave.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 29: Nobody Expects a Sudden Imposition

    <hr>


    Chapter 29: "Nobody Expects a Sudden Imposition."


    <hr>


    While walking through Flame Well, Shae''s disappointment at missing her friend Yun was interrupted by a thought: How would you cut four coins with one strike, a flat plane only intersects three points, unless you''re really lucky.


    The distracting thought was enough to make her stop walking and turn to reading through her practice manual again. She needed something else to think about and starting the next practice seemed easy enough.


    She had been expecting it to focus on physical exercise again as they had been alternating. Instead it was more philosophical like Controlled Descent had been. It was called Painful Landing and its questions were focused on the nature of violence and when it was appropriate to use the power that cultivators gained. It was clear the subject matter was intended to be impactful to someone who hadn''t considered the details, someone young and naive.


    Shae didn''t engage with the ideas as much, simply because she was too busy being smug. Some of the concepts were exactly what she had been brow-beating Long with the other day. Such as how power does not grant authority. It recommended sitting with the first half in cultivation for a time before moving on. She had places to be, however, so instead she cycled the qi exercise and made her way through the city to the northern exit.


    She frowned as the line to leave through the North Gate was longer than yesterday.


    She spent the time reviewing the last few practices, and trying to consider her current practice. She felt many of the answers were obvious, but hadn''t sensed the practice click into place yet.


    "Ahem." A deep voice sounded at her side. Outside the lineup. "Miss Cultivator, I''m surprised to see you in line. Surely you of all people could use your privileges to skip it?"


    She looked over to see a guardsman that she had never seen before, she was certain. "Guardsman? I don''t believe we''ve been introduced."


    "No, we haven''t. But I''d recognize the marks of your station anywhere, and I must say that''s an excellent choice of weapon at your hip."


    Her hand shifted from her bound pages to land on her peace-bound sword. "Thank you, it was a recent gift." She tilted her head quizzically.


    He inhaled suddenly then nodded. "Still, come, please. Surely you are owed that much."


    She took the hint and followed. After a few steps she whispered. "Is this just because of the sword?"


    He didn''t whisper, but did lower his voice. "More the binding. But not just that. Cultivators rarely wait in line, I''m surprised you did."


    "I did yesterday."


    "And you got through fine?"


    "Yes, after a few questions, and a display ... Oh!"


    "Heh, yeah, thought so. Most cultivators feel their time is too valuable for a peasant''s queue. Though, I think that might mean your sword truly does belong to you."


    "Of course it does. And thank you for recognizing it. Most seem to ignore it."


    "The lowest ranks forget the lesson easily. Partly because hard peace-bindings are rarely seen. I wonder if our dear inspector will see it." He said the title with vitriol, and pointed towards the gates with his chin.


    "He''s not as capable as some, I take it?"


    "To the point of being a thorn. Did your benefactor explain the expectations associated with that sword?"


    "No... But he mentioned responsibility. I thought he just meant not betraying its ideals."


    "Ideals... Yes, there is that, I suppose. I won''t impose, nor direct you. But in the past, peace bearers have done more than just carry a useless blade around."


    She thought about that as they approached the gates.


    It was a different sight to yesterday. The guards were being more aggressive, yet their aggression clearly stemmed from the influence of their supervisor. A slightly pompous figure watched and listened carefully, occasionally making a subtle gesture that the guards caught, leading to more aggression.


    "Inspector Choun. Look who I found waiting in line. This is Cultivator... Ah, I''m afraid I''ve forgotten your name."


    "There was nothing to forget, Guardsman. We skipped introductions. Inspector Choun, nice day to meet you. I am Wise Zhi. Though I prefer Miss Shae."


    The inspector had a sour look on his face up until she said Wise. His smile wasn''t much better as it was clearly strained. He wore formal gray robes trimmed with gold. Too much jewelry weighed him down, and too few badges marked his station.


    Shae was used to the many sect badges and Sergeant Xiang''s large collection, however, so she assumed she was biased. Though, a quick glance at the Guardsman''s chest made her reconsider.


    "Wise Zhi. Excellent day indeed! Shame we must pursue assailants instead of enjoying it, no?"


    "I''m not aware of your obligations. But yes, a day without is always a better one."


    He seemed to take that as an invitation. "Ah, well, surely the Guardsman filled you in on the smuggler situation? Is that not why he brought you?"


    Shae smiled and used her intent to gently flick the Guardsman''s ear. He managed not to flinch. "I hoped he simply wished to speed me past the gate."


    "Oh, I suppose he could have." He grew an honest grin on his face. "But we must still ask our questions. Though, why not do it comfortably? Come inside, please, I have some tea brewing."


    "Certainly. I am feeling parched." She replied flatly with a nod then followed the man. As he passed through the doorway she turned back and once more flicked at the guard with her intent, but stronger this time. The Guardsman and half a dozen people around him flinched. Oops! She swiftly ducked through the doorway, her sleeve covering her embarrassed face.


    Her embarrassment quickly passed as the inspector led her to the guard''s break room, but her annoyance only grew.


    "You''ll have to excuse the mess." Were the first words the inspector said when she walked into the cluttered room.


    I''ll do no such thing, especially if you don''t ask for forgiveness. "I suppose your men are quite busy harassing the townsfolk."


    "Oh, those aren''t townsfolk. They are passing peasants and con-men with old vegetables. Ah-ha! I knew there was enough for two left!" He triumphantly raised the teapot out of a mess of clay cups. "Still hot even."


    She eyed the teapot suspiciously and touched the side of it when he turned away. Hot is generous, warm would be a bargain.


    "As for cups... yes! You are in luck, one fine bone china teacup for just this occasion. It is mine, however, and still has my morning leaves in it." He frowned into it, then shrugged.


    She spotted a clean looking glass cup in one of the low cabinets, and fished it out.


    "Ah, well spotted. It seems we are set."


    "If you insist, is the tea blend any good? How does it manage this neglect and abuse?"


    "Hah! Quite funny, dear- Wise Shae. I personally prefer the strong blend of an old pot. It really wakes one up from the tedium, no?"


    "I wouldn''t mind waking up right about now." She mumbled.


    He quickly rinsed his own cup then poured their tea. It did not steam.


    She tried it and did her best to only grimace. "Well. Had I questioned reality, that would bring it into focus."


    "Yes! Quite the eye opener." He smiled broadly.


    She really couldn''t tell if he was stressed out and doing his best, or just that much of a poser. She feared the latter. In the dim light, his gold jewelry now had hints of brass, which did not help her fears.


    While struggling through her second sip, she tried to count how many ear flicks she owed the guardsman. Oh, just cutting his ear off will save us both so much trouble. She smiled, which was the wrong thing to do.


    "Ah, it''s growing on you, I see!"


    She remembered an old line her mother once used. "So much so I feel smothered. Soon, I will need to grow out of it."


    The man nodded along without any spark of humor in his eyes.


    She''d need to be more blunt. "I could finish the glass, but my preferences lie elsewhere." She set it down on the table.


    "Mhm. I do find that strong flavors are a necessity in life." He smiled and took another sip.


    Thick as the town walls. Could change the subject, I suppose? "So, this investigation seems rather intense?"


    A flash of something unpleasant crossed his face. Then his eyes locked onto something beside Shae. "What a strange glass bottle. Say, it is open?"


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes, I just bought it and had a taste."


    "Say," he regrew that honest grin, which looked more sinister in the poor light, "I''ve shared a drink, there is custom for this, yes?"


    Shae resisted a frown, the custom he spoke of did exist. It was usually for travelers sharing a meal, each would contribute and share what they had. Shae thought he was blatantly taking advantage of it. Suppose I walked into that one, could have said it was sealed. Maybe the idiocy is partly an act? He might also have noble ties, and their customs might be similar.


    She looked into her tea and decided she could give up the whole bottle to not finish this drink. She sighed and unhooked the bottle. "I guess a splash could be spared. Hmm, and I only tried it once. A second opinion couldn''t hurt."


    The splash into his cup had an interesting effect, it cut into the dark tea and swirled between the black and the clear brown of a lighter tea. Her own cup did similar, but the brown was lighter, the black closer to dark green. Proves there''s something to be said for using a clean glass cup, I suppose.


    She was pleasantly surprised by the change in flavor, and hummed an appreciative note. The harsh over-steeped edge was cut away, and a fresher grassy flavor replaced it. Probably not the original blend, but something new. She thought. More like a strong green tea.


    Seeing that, Inspector Choun smiled and raised his cup. It was immediately clear that his experience was quite different. Shae put his reaction closer to drinking hard alcohol for the first time, though he handled it a bit better than a true novice. So, maybe the second or third shot.


    "Hwa-! That has an edge to it! Can''t say it''s my cup of tea."


    "Really? I think it quite literally is." She raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmm? Oh, haha! Yes, I see." He forced a chuckle and lifted his teacup to her.


    "Any particular flavor that stands out? The seller and I disagreed on its specific profile."


    "Ah, well." He frowned and took a second sip. Trying to show he was spending more time tasting it by smacking his mouth open and closed after swallowing. "Pungent, certainly. Cuts away the tea, quite considerably. I may have to pass on the rest, shouldn''t be drinking while on duty."


    "Oh, it''s not wine." He looked up, confused. "Not any other alcohol either. I''m not convinced it''s as strong as the seller claimed." She took another pleasant sip. More pleasant when I can watch him squirm.


    "Really?" He swirled his cup. "Well perhaps it just hasn''t mixed well." He took another sip, larger this time. "Ahk." He slapped his thigh.


    Shae smiled and drank more of her own. She was reminded of seaweed. A surprising flavor from a tea, especially this far inland.


    "Definitely strong. A bit sour, I''d say. Not like a lemon, no sweetness." He considered while grimacing. "You''re sure there''s no alcohol in it."


    "Quite sure, it''s diluted spiritual water. With a few things for flavor. Quite the rarity among mortals, I''d think. And what did you say earlier? Strong flavors are a necessity in life?"


    He straightened up and considered his cup with more appreciation. "Well. You don''t say?" He swallowed nothing and stared down into his cup.


    "I''d recommend finishing it. It''s quite good for one''s health, I understand. Unless you''d like to save it for later and focus on something else?"


    He gladly took the provided out. "Ah, yes! The investigation, you did ask about that." He set the cup on the counter behind him, burying it among the clay cups. Not that he could lose the only bone china teacup.


    Shae wondered if the bone would hold up to the diluted spiritual water. She covered her smirk with another sip.


    "I''m not sure what you''ve heard already. Word does get around."


    "Almost nothing, start from scratch, but keep it brief, please."


    "Of course, we have been trying to limit information leaks. So do keep this to yourself." He nodded. "Theft and smuggling has always been a- small issue in the city, but late this summer it became a real problem. Large shipments of metals, tools, and weapons being strategically picked clean, only to show up outside the city in the hands of rebels and criminals."


    Considering he had called the farmers and merchants conmen. She wasn''t sure to trust his assessment.


    "Then we received a tip. They were using a spatial storage ring." He paused to let her gasp. She did not, so he continued, "Yes, I was speechless as well. The tip-off wasn''t proof, however. Dutiful investigators spent weeks tracking and infiltrating their operation to narrow down suspects and discover the facts." He paused again, turned to look for his cup, then flinched away when he realized what was in it.


    "Were they using storage rings?"


    "Right! Yes. Well. Just the one, so far as we could tell. And that brings us to this drama." He gestured out the door. "Almost a week ago, the delivery of that ring was interrupted by our hard working Inspectors. The ring-leader was caught red handed with the thing and chased through the slums."


    Shae couldn''t resist leaning forward.


    "He was a fast one, however. Got out of sight for just a few heartbeats and then they caught him. But surprise-surprise. No ring. Even though they had just spotted him with it."


    The pause lingered before Shae realized she needed to say something. "No sign of it at all? No chance it got pocketed in the scuffle? Those things are quite valuable, yes?"


    "Of course not. Our city''s Inspectors are all highly trusted individuals. And they were all searched thoroughly by each other afterwards. They wouldn''t let something like that slip."


    "Were you there? Did you see the ring?"


    "No-no. My involvement was specifically requested after the fact. To aid in the search for the ring. We believe it is still in the city somewhere. Several known accomplices were found scouring the slums where their leader was caught. And even some outside the slums, on the opposite side of the town wall, even!"


    "So, you are managing the search of all peasants leaving the city?"


    "Yes, exactly."


    "Ah, I see. And I suppose they don''t like that. Are they blaming the guard?"


    "Well, I''m pushing the guard as much as is reasonable, the city can hardly blame them for not finding the ring. We don''t even know if it''s passed through yet."


    Shae tilted her head. "I mean, are the peasants angry with the guard for this unpleasantness."


    "Unpleasantness! Hardly. It is a necessity! But yes, the rabble are rather upset, I suppose."


    I hope I''ve distracted this lout for long enough. She finished her glass of tea. "Well, I wish you good luck in your endeavor, Inspector Choun."


    "Thank You, Wise Zhi. Hmm, say. That title, they don''t just give those out, do they?"


    "Hmm, I didn''t ask. Though, I did receive mine for providing a unique bit of insight to one of the Monkery''s own. I''ve grown to quite like it."


    "A bit of insight? Surely you are playing coy!"


    "I''m no fish, but I am understating the facts."


    "Ha-hah! You know, you might have the kind of out-of-the-box thinking we need for this investigation. How much of an imposition would it be to take some of your time?"


    Shae swallowed. "Will I get it back later?" She''d rather not get pulled into this, but she was also annoyed as she did have a few ideas she wanted to follow up on. He didn''t respond to her joke, so she continued with an answer, "It''s still early, I could make up an hour or two on the road if strictly necessary."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t want to impact your travels. But you must admit the mystery is enticing? How about a tour of the slums- err, well, that might sound unpleasant. Just the spot we lost track of the ringleader. Cultivator senses are said to be much better than a mortal''s."


    Shae squirmed and tried to bite her tongue. "I must admit one area of curiosity. Do you have a map of the city? I''d like to get a better mental image of the slums in relation to the wall. I take it they are close?"


    "Yes, directly adjacent. I''ve been asking for a wall-sized map since I began. However, best I can do is my pocket notes." He produced a small notebook with a very rough sketch of the city. Districts and neighborhoods were blocks, the wall a thicker line. Crosses at the gates and a few notable streets were marked. The richer districts had far more notes on them, mostly obscure symbols.


    "I suppose you can''t clearly point out the crime scene, then?"


    "Hm? Crime scene?"


    "The place where the ringleader was caught? Where he likely ditched the ring?"


    "Ah! Well, that would be... about here?" He seemed uncertain. As he pointed out a spot in the slums nearer to the wall.


    "Few tall buildings in the slums, then?"


    "Oh yes, several illegal constructions, actually. Very unsafe building practices. My cousin is constantly roaring about how a collapse or a fire will kill half the occupants, but no one really pays him much mind."


    "Because it will only kill peasants?" She frowned.


    "No, because he''s a lunatic. Hasn''t ever been to the slums, I don''t think."


    "Oh."


    The awkward silence was interrupted by a guard entering the room. "Inspector, Miss." He walked to the kitchenette and rummaged through the cups and seemed to be intent on making a fresh pot of tea.


    He turned back when they hadn''t stopped staring at him. "Oh. Uh, shift change on the wall, sir."


    "Ah, of course." Choun nodded.


    "On the wall?" Shae asked. "You patrol along the top of it? Right, of course you would. How''s the city look from up there?"


    "It''s quite the sight, Miss. Even at night. It feels kind of wasted on us sometimes." The guard supplied.


    They exchanged a friendly smile at the sentiment. "Inspector, what''s your opinion on the sight of the city from the wall?" She asked.


    He looked at the floor, then back up. "Can''t say I''ve been up there long enough to appreciate it. My preferences lie elsewhere."


    "Really? But the overhead view would be a wonderful substitute for a large city map."


    He shook his head, "Well, you can''t bring it with you, or set pins in it to track criminal activity."


    "I suppose, but if you just want to show someone a specific area, let''s say, the slums, without actually going into the place. It would be effective, no?"


    "It''s dangerous up there." He claimed. The Guardsman beside him disagreed by dramatically rolling his eyes.


    "Oh? How high is it?"


    The inspector hesitated.


    "The wall is twenty paces up on the interior, twenty five outside, because of the ditch, Miss." The Guardsman tilted his head respectfully, likely as an apology for the interruption.


    "Is that all? I''ve fallen off a cliff at least twice as tall."


    "Fallen off?" The inspector paled.


    "Well, it was an accident." She admitted. "And a tree caught my fall."


    Inspector Choun looked into the distance in stunned silence.


    The Guardsman smirked while washing out cups.


    Shae smirked, "Please hand the inspector his cup. He looks like he could use a drink."


    The Guardsman did, and the inspector nodded in thanks while taking a sip. When the liquid hit his mouth, his eyes went wide. "Hmmgh." He pursed his lips and forced a swallow. "Still. Quite strong." He coughed out.


    Shae smiled wide. That was too much fun.


    "Well." The inspector said, after dumping out the last sip of his cup and having some water instead. "I''ve some work to get to. I''ll have Second Captain Lou escort you along the wall. Let you see the sights, since you insist."


    Ah, right. That is the problem with teasing. It often backfires. "Alright." She stalled. "And is the second captain as familiar with the case as you?"


    "Hmm? The case?"


    "The investigation? The search for the ring?"


    "Oh, yes, of course, that. Yes, yes. He is up to speed on the details."


    Guess I''m stuck in it now.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 30: From the Walls

    <hr>


    Chapter 30: "From the Walls."


    <hr>


    When Inspector Choun led her outside Shae discovered that Second Captain Lou was the same guard who picked her out of the queue. She gave him an apologetic bow from behind the inspector as they approached.


    "Second Captain Lou, you''ve met Wise Zhi. She was interested in the layout of the city, and I thought you would be an excellent choice to show her along the wall." He pointed up at it, as though the Captain needed the clarification.


    "Inspector." He nodded in greeting. "I''d rather be here at the gates, just in case."


    "Worry not, I''ll be staying to cover the gate."


    "Couldn''t we send Guard Bai?" Lou pointed over his shoulder, the man in question waved and smiled.


    "Well I suppose. Yet, you are more knowledgeable on the current goings-on." He both winked and tapped his nose at Lou.


    "Alright." He sighed through his teeth. "I suppose there is a chance I might spot something as well." He gave Shae a glare when Choun looked away.


    She looked down and kicked the dirt.


    "Right this way. It was Miss Shae, wasn''t it?" He waved her onwards as he took the lead.


    "Yes, thank you for remembering, Captain Lou."


    "Just Second Captain, unfortunately."


    "Very well, Second Captain Unfortunately."


    "Ooouagh." He groaned and shook his head without looking back.


    Shae smirked.


    Second Captain Lou led her back inside then down a different hallway. "It''s rather tight up there so you''ll need to drop your pack. We have lockers, though, and I''ll personally guarantee the safety of your belongings."


    She nodded and loaded up the locker, it was a tight fit.


    "Oh, you should bring your bow. Good to have on the wall."


    She started a glare that she quickly flattened. He hid his smirk well, but eventually let it show briefly just to make sure she saw it. This was followed by another dozen breaths of shifting her gear around, and then they were on their way.


    "I was really hoping you would distract him longer." Lou muttered while they walked up the guard tower stairs.


    "Did you get many through?"


    "Yes, and a few of the larger wagons that he would have held up forever."


    "I didn''t really mean to put my nose in this, or drag you away."


    "Yes, I got that from your reaction out there. This past week has been hell for us, though. If you can do something, please do. Even get in a fight with the fool and cut his head off."


    "Captain!"


    "Hmm? Ah, apologies. I guess you are not the type for that anyway. Peace-bound sword and all."


    "Yes, I''d rather delay my first brutal slaughter as long as possible."


    "Heh." He chuckled, she did not. "Oh, you''re serious?"


    "Taking a life is always serious, no?"


    He coughed. "Of course."


    They let the silence stretch.


    Breaking out of the dim tower into the bright sunlight and onto a beautiful vantage point over the city was pleasant enough to bring both their moods back up.


    Lou sighed. "I really need to come up there more often."


    "I might need to insist on the same, next time I''m in the city."


    "Ah, yes, you were on your way out. Heading to the sect?"


    "That''s the idea, though they seem to be trying hard to convince me otherwise."


    "Oh? There''s definitely a story there. Who''s the they?"


    She frowned. "The several sect elders I''ve met. Mostly I''m just feeling a bit bitter."


    "Not living up to the expectations of cultivator stories and legends? Those are stories for a reason. We don''t get cultivators like that often."


    "Hwaah." She exhaled. "Partly, though I do know how to manage expectations. They have been a lot less violent, and with minimal absurd conflict, which I appreciate. However, while the Elders have attempted a certain air of mystery, their wisdom has been lacking."


    "Heh. That''s a nice way of saying they fucked up. Euh, pardon the language. In the fairness of all things, mistakes do happen, we all make them." He shrugged. "Without the details, I can''t say if you should forgive and forget. Even with that info, it still wouldn''t be my place to say."


    She looked at him sideways. "Why not? Surely your opinion would be valuable; you must be at a higher stage than me. I''m not sure I follow all the deference that I''m receiving."


    He nodded, "I am, but my path has already narrowed. I''ll not see my cultivation much further, whereas you could go all the way."


    "So... you''re hedging your bets that I''ll surpass you?"


    "And quickly! If you''re already cleansing, you might beat me to core."


    She inhaled sharply. "I didn''t think I could progress that quickly."


    "Heh, you might not. It''s more that I''ll be going quite slow." He stopped to point over the city. "Here we are, the slums."


    "Yep, those are slums." She sighed.


    As she feared, the situation didn''t look great. It was overcrowded and only as clean as splashing a bucket of rainwater could make it. Aside from the streets, anywhere people could gather and camp out, they did.


    The buildings were not as bad as she feared, but the improvised shelter style she expected from Earth was seen here too. She wondered if the thing that kept it under control, and not looking like the construction horror show of an Earth slum, was a limited access to cheap building materials like plywood and shipping pallets.


    She had to admit, when compared to Blind Gregor''s shack, some would call this an improvement. The smell wasn''t better however.


    "Any reason it''s so bad? I didn''t see this in Minlin City."


    Lou grunted, turned and pointed outside the wall.


    She expected to see houses, instead it was clear-cut forest. Further out, workers replanted trees and she thought she saw a cultivator moving from tree to tree to check on them. That individual stood out for being well dressed and clean.


    "The city uses a lot of wood for the forge fires. Growing it closer is easier, but it means less housing for workers."


    She spotted a few houses further out. "Does it need to be this close? The Wall could move out for more housing? Or just have more housing out there?"


    "Minlin is a surprisingly safe city to live around. The predators out here are a bit more aggressive, most don''t feel safe living outside the walls. Get a dozen li out and you''re fine again."


    "Hmm. Something in the local qi?"


    He nodded. "Dead right. The qi stone mine and other metal mines dredge up a lot of qi from the world''s core. So I''ve heard." He shook his head. "Don''t know much beyond that. As for moving the wall. That way leads to politics."


    Shae sighed and rubbed her head. "Someone in power owns the land and doesn''t want to give it up."


    "Dead right, again. At least that''s the rumor."


    "Ugh, well that''s a problem for another day. Other people too, I hope."


    "Hah. For your sake and theirs, I hope the same."


    She turned back to the slums and quickly spotted a few guards lingering around one set of buildings. "That''s the site of the arrest?" She pointed.


    "Nah, the arrest was further down the street. That is where they lost track of him."


    She frowned at the semantic correction but kept her mouth shut.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was close to the wall, as she suspected. But not next to it, a full street was kept open along the wall, with no buildings built against it. Though, it was full of loitering peasants.


    "Are there usually this many stuck inside? Unemployed?"


    He shook his head and frowned. "It''s worse because of the lockdown at the gate. No one can get out to their day jobs. Lines would be too long if we tried to search them all."


    "Are they being fed by the city then? Given a stipend to cover lost wages?"


    Lou shifted his weight.


    "And this hunt for the ringleader, and his ring. Ugh, just got that." She nearly slapped her own forehead.


    He chuckled.


    "Someone''s pocket is leaking, so they are the one pushing this garbage lockdown onto the city?"


    "Interesting choice of words. It''s supposed to be a thievery and taxation issue. Yet, there are always political motivations for everything big in this town."


    "What''s the motivation for a troll like Choun to be running the gate?"


    "Heh. Family connections. His uncle''s a big fish, their grandfather was a bigger fish. With the old man''s passing, our Choun needs a minimum public service record to get into office." He threw up his hands in an exaggerated shrug.


    "I suppose the quality of that service doesn''t matter, then."


    "Involved in a popular case will look good for him; for everyone involved, really."


    "And how long until there are riots and the search has to be called off?"


    He inhaled deeply. "They don''t call you Wise for nothing, do they?" He paused for a response. "A week, I''d guess. Longer if they bothered with fresh food and water for the slums. I''ve not seen it ever get to that, though. We have Diviners on call for a reason."


    "Ugh." Shae shuddered. "Did you just imply they use Diviners to check just how far they can abuse the population?"


    "They have nicer ways of talking about it. But there''s no getting around the implication."


    "Disgusting." Shae slumped into the wall. "And what did their Diviners say about the smuggling ring?"


    "The group or the spatial item?" He gave a dead smile.


    She returned it. "I''d laugh but I feel like I''ve been kicked in the heart."


    "They are expensive to hire, we only got the one reading."


    "More expensive than restricting trade and employment for a week straight?"


    He shrugged. "The Diviner said the ring was still in that block of housing. Said we''d find it in five days if we searched thoroughly."


    "How many days ago?"


    "Six."


    "No way to track it with qi senses or spiritual tools?"


    "Supposedly it''s guarded by shadow qi, undetectable. Traces of it on the ringleader when they caught him. Maybe a nascent stage elder could do it, but why would they bother."


    "Hmm. And that is the alley he used? Is it open above?"


    "Yes, the one you can see. A small courtyard in the middle, with windows to several apartments. We searched the whole block, bottom to top."


    Shae walked along the wall, trying to line the alley up for a better view. She saw crates stacked up in the middle, stamps on the side that probably marked them as belonging to the city guard, or inspectors, she wasn''t sure.


    "Emptied out the apartments?" She looked to Lou with concern.


    "The individuals are being treated well. A dozen people are easier to care for than the whole district. Makes for good publicity so long as people don''t look too closely."


    "A dozen? Only a dozen in that whole block? Ugh, don''t tell me I can guess they are only supporting those that are legally registered or something obnoxious."


    Lou nodded and tapped his nose.


    Shae sneered. "Shadow qi, you said? A hidden stash protected by it?"


    "We have a few light qi specialists for that. Any mist or air type sensing ability works well too. Can find secret compartments hidden from sight. The inspectors do this for a living, Miss Shae."


    "Of course. Now that my nose is in it, I have to do my due diligence. I don''t mean to offend."


    He nodded again.


    "So the ringleader was a cultivator? How strong?"


    "What stage, you mean? Just qi gathering. Enough to use the storage ring and provide it qi."


    "Hmm, I did mean how strong." She tracked an imaginary arc from the alley, over the wall and out into the tree farm.


    "Heh. Took us a whole day to think of that one. I can throw something over the wall from that alley. I doubt he could have. Still, we searched outside and the rooftops in due course. Caught a few collaborators who had the same idea."


    "Back to the buildings, then. Sewer system?"


    "In the slums? No. Only access is a block away."


    "I assume the search was well organized? No one ran off with the ring?"


    He nodded his head. "After the initial suspicion when catching the ringleader, they took great pains to ensure that wasn''t possible."


    "Including the Diviner, I suppose? How reliable are they?"


    "In general? Hard to say. The way we use them, very."


    "But he said five days. Specifically? What was searched on the fifth day?"


    "Within five days. We''ve had that problem with searches before. The Diviner says five days, so we first check where we would have been on the fifth day. Doesn''t work. At least once it''s caused complete backlash. Can''t have a repeat of that incident."


    "Hmm. The prediction changes your search pattern, nullifying the prediction?"


    "They like to make it more complicated than that, but yes." He smiled.


    She turned back to face the city. "So what''s changed since the prediction?"


    Second Captain Lou grunted in response.


    Shae thought it out and matched Lou''s grunt.


    They stared at the slums for a few dozen more breaths.


    "Is there a way down nearby?" She looked over the edge of the wall. It was further than she would like to fall, and she wasn''t sure if she could do so safely.


    "We could jump?" He smirked.


    She considered it. That building is a little far, maybe if I had a run. She bobbed her head side to side. "I''ve not practiced my falls since the incident. Could you throw me to that roof?"


    "Hah! Now I need to know what this incident was. And I could throw you, but it would cave in. See the patchwork colors? Shoddy work, that is." He pulled out a thin rope from behind his belt. "We can still get down. Have you ever rappelled?"


    "Let''s say no. But I know the basic idea, and have one really good arm." She shook out her right hand as warm-up.


    "Good. I only have the one descender, so you just hold on and kick out."


    She nodded and made sure her bow and quiver were secure to her back. Then climbed up on the edge.


    "You''re as light as you look, right? Not full of earth qi, or something?"


    "Are you asking a lady her weight?"


    "Never!" He snapped back.


    "Good!" She grabbed the rope from him, wrapped it around her right arm and waist, then leaned over the edge.


    "That might hurt a bit." He said as the rope tightened. He leaned back and put one foot up on the ledge.


    "It''s a very good arm." She pulled the trailing rope around her left side while turning to face down the wall, then began walking down it.


    "I thought you said you''ve never done this?" He called as he let the rope out faster.


    Her walk turned into a light jog with longer hops. She braced herself from spinning off the rope with her left arm, but found she wasn''t facing as directly forwards as she had hoped. A bit of qi reinforcement was needed to keep her posture stable.


    When she neared the ground she kicked out harder, and then let her waist unwind from the rope, putting her into an upright fall. She tensed her arm as it caught her weight, but the divinely cleansed flesh didn''t complain about the abuse. The unwinding caused her to spin, her travel robes flaring out around her, blocking her sight to the ground.


    Initially, her legs hit harder than she expected, but Lou expertly slowed the rope at the last beat, letting her keep her balance through the added spin.


    Several people stared in awe. One person clapped.


    She unwound from the rope and Lou yanked it back up. He was already running down the wall when she looked up, the rope whistling along behind him. Three more hops and he was in freefall a half dozen paces above the street. He spun much more gracefully than Shae imagined she had, and landed with a puff of dust around him.


    The crowd had gasped at his descent, then cheered at his landing.


    "Couldn''t let you upstage me like that." He smirked.


    She crossed her arms. "It''s not a contest, Second Captain Lou."


    "True, there never was any contest." He smirked and whipped the rope up the wall. The ripple of rope traveled all the way up and flung the end off the railing he had hooked it over. He even managed to catch it flashily as it fell.


    "Are rope tricks all it takes to become second captain?"


    He turned in mock hurt. "It''s not the only thing. There''s also the roguish charm. That takes real effort to perfect."


    "Is that why you''re still working on it?"


    He sucked air through his teeth. "Is that how you won the sword? A battle of lips?"


    "I earned this sword through wise words that helped heal the broken. But it was forfeited before that by a coward afraid of a few sparks."


    He stopped grinning and stood straight. "I apologize, Wise Zhi Shae. That was uncouth of me."


    She waved it off. "You''re forgiven. I attacked your station first, and as cover for my ignorance. So, please, educate me while we walk: how does one advance in the guards?"


    He led the way. "Bah, that''s boring, and you''re not getting out of talking about the incident so easily."


    <hr>


    Second Captain Lou found the retelling of Shae''s accidental fall very funny. So funny he had to duck into a side alley to laugh out of sight of the guards and inspectors at the crime scene.


    "And then you kicked off the mountain towards the trees! Ah hahaha-ha!" He leaned on a wall and slapped it a few times, causing dust to fall and cracks in the player to form.


    "Try not to put a hole in the wall, Lou." Shae warned.


    It didn''t seem to hamper his enjoyment. "Wha-hahaha. I just can''t believe it."


    "Well what would you have done?"


    "Not fallen off a cliff! Ha ha ha!" He crouched down and slapped the dirt instead, kicking up a larger cloud of dust.


    "Do you have to slap things when you laugh? And really what could I have done?"


    "There''s a dozen Qigong exercises -hah hah hah- and techniques just for falling gracefully." He kept chuckling.


    "Well, how nice. I''ll be sure to learn those once I reach the sect."


    That cut into his humor, but only slightly. "Oh come on, I''m not trying to mock you. Heh heh. The situation is just funny."


    "Sure, after the fact, many life threatening situations are hilarious."


    "Heh, what a buzz kill."


    She finally let her own smile show.


    "Oh, you sneak, you''re just teasing me." He chuckled again. "Well, I''ll have to have a good laugh with the guards later." He winked.


    "So long as it provides a valuable lesson." She smirked.


    "Heh heh heh, I can think of a few." He wiped tears of joy from his face. "Alright, your teasing dug me out of that humor pit. Let''s go see the scene."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 31: To the Windows

    <hr>


    Chapter 31: "To the Windows."


    <hr>


    Shae and Lou approached the scene and found themselves blocked by two guards and an inspector whose face was shrouded by her loose hair, her eyes locked downwards on her clipboard.


    When the inspector''s hard gaze did look up at them it showed little patience. Yet, Lou turned to Shae with a smirk and whispered, "Good Fortune!" Then quickly stepped ahead of her.


    "Inspector Tan." Lou saluted the severe looking woman.


    "Second Captain Lou." She returned the salute awkwardly while holding the clipboard. "To what do we owe the visit?" Her dark eyes scoured over them and Shae felt the hair on her neck stand up. The sense that a wisp of qi scanned her followed soon after.


    "A visiting consultant was interested in the investigation. Meet Wise Zhi Shae."


    "Good morning, Inspector." She bowed, slightly unsure if it was deep enough.


    "Is it, Wise Little Zhi? A good morning, I mean."


    She shrugged. "I was having a good time before I reached the gates. Fortunately it''s only gotten more interesting, if a little upsetting."


    "I wouldn''t think a little smuggling would upset many?" Tan raised an eyebrow.


    "Neither would I, yet someone decided it''s worth disrupting the lives of an entire city district over." Shae emphasized her point by glancing at the slums surrounding them.


    Lou coughed. The guards beside them shifted uncomfortably. Tan inhaled deeply while trying to keep surprise off her face. "Oh," she said.


    Shae decided to let the point linger.


    Lou cleared his throat and asked, "Well, do you mind if we snoop around?"


    "Is there a particular area you would like to snoop in?" The inspector smoothed her robes flat with her free hand. Shae thought they were nicer than Choun''s, maybe just better fabric? and she wears less jewelry, which makes her look more professional.


    "Yes, I was curious about the search pattern used, and if there were any interruptions?"


    "Think we missed something?" Tan asked her sharply.


    "Just curious. Though, I hear a certain Diviner might think you did." She turned to Lou. "Oh, did you say why they weren''t brought back?"


    Tan made a few sounds as she was trying to process what just happened. Lou answered, "Too expensive, and they really don''t like it when people mess up their predictions. They take it as an accusation that they were wrong."


    Tan recovered and continued Lou''s point, "Yes, they were rather upset when they heard the news. Accused us of sabotaging their reputation."


    "Did they give any insights as to what went wrong?" The young cultivator asked.


    Tan smirked. "They did not." She looked past the guards. "Alright, look but no touching, and don''t run into the buildings." She led them down the alley to the pile of crates.


    Shae started reading over the labels on the crates. They were dates and locations where the contents were found. "Very organized." She nodded.


    "Of course." Tan spoke. "Basic ground up search pattern. Though, it was disrupted slightly when a certain guard thought to check all the rooftops from here to the wall. That''s the time gap in the logs on the second day."


    Shae hadn''t seen that gap, the crates didn''t have time of day on them. "These are the most recent?"


    "Yes, the top floor and roof. Searched from two days ago through to yesterday."


    "In the rain? Or was that earlier?"


    "The rain was overnight. We do take breaks."


    "Good to hear." She looked around the courtyard, then up at the rooftops. "The exterior was searched at the beginning? With the ground floor?"


    "Correct."


    Shae hummed and softly clicked her tongue while she thought.


    "A-hem, something on your mind Miss Shae?" Lou asked.


    "Getting there. Which way is the wall?" She guessed by pointing in a direction.


    "More left." He pointed with his chin.


    She scanned the rooftops. A dark flicker caught her eye, it was about a slight turn left from the direction Lou pointed. She moved around the courtyard, trying to get a better angle on it. As best she could tell, some shingles and the edge of an awning looked to be fully in shadow, when they should have been well lit.


    She pointed and looked at the two others. Tan and Lou both had pleased smirks on their faces.


    "You already know what that is?" She asked.


    Tan nodded. "It''s a window to a hidden room guarded by shadow qi. Took us a while to find it and our specialist disrupted the shadow qi. So it visibly sticks out now."


    The inspector pulled out a long clear-yellow crystal and pointed towards the rooftop. A bright spot appeared on the wall and she moved it across the shadow as she narrated. "It''s not just to hide, but to refract the light so the room appears further left, hiding the protrusion and making it less obvious the room exists at all."


    "Huh." She stared at the visual illusion. "So, the ringleaders'' headquarters? Or just a safe room?"


    "Safe room, with travel supplies."


    Shae looked around and grabbed a small stone.


    "I believe I said, no touching." Tan warned, flaring a touch of qi and intent.


    Shae ignored it. "Right, sorry." She hefted the stone and looked up. "Second Captain Lou. Think you could hit that shadowy window?"


    "Hah, of course. How many pieces do you want it in?"


    "Pretend like you don''t want to break anything."


    "Ooo, that''ll be tricky. I like breaking stuff."


    "And that if it makes any noise, you''ll be executed for treason."


    "Treason? Tax evasion and smuggling isn''t that severe."


    "True, but it''s about the incentive, at that moment he probably felt more pressure than you can imagine now. So, imagine that you are trying to silently leave a note for your secret lover, Princess Tan."


    The inspector coughed violently. "What?" She was already showing some red in her cheeks.


    Lou grinned wide, "ah, I see, and if I''m caught, I''ll be beaten and hung by her disapproving father."


    Tan meeped.


    "Exactly." Shae nodded sagely.


    Lou gracefully swung the stone underhand, stepping forwards as he did. It silently arced through the air and passed into the shadow. Shae thought she heard a slight clink of glass, but it could have been stone on wood, or her imagination.


    Tan gasped. "Perfect throw, Captain."


    "Anything for my princess." He bowed.


    She blushed again. "I''m not a..."


    "Of course," Shae stepped over to her and patted her back. "It''s just a thought experiment, Princess. Now the real challenge for your secret lover."


    "What?" She squeaked.


    Lou smirked at the woman, and Shae thought she saw a twinkle in his eye.


    "Lou, can you make the same throw, but two or three paces to the right?"


    He stepped two and a half paces right.


    "I meant aim to the right."


    He flashed a smirk, looked up at the windows, then back with a serious expression. "Hmm, I''m not sure. I might need some more motivation, to get into the proper headspace." His serious tone was undercut when he finished with a smirk and head jab towards Tan.


    Shae sighed, what have I started, then she smiled anyway. "You just found out that the Evil Court Vizier has cast an illusion over Princess Tan''s window. Your last throw missed and you need to do it again."


    Inspector Tan meeped again at being called a princess.


    "What''s the evil vizier''s name?" Lou asked.


    Shae inhaled, then nodded to herself. "Choun, obviously."


    "That bastard!" Lou punched his palm. "And here I thought he was a doddering old fool!"


    "Indeed, but he is also a cunning fool. You must aim where the window would be if the shadow illusion were reflected to the right."


    Lou turned his head slightly and concentrated. "I think I''ve got it."


    Shae saw Tan put her sleeve over her mouth and take a deep inhale, and she held it as Lou made the throw.


    It sailed through the air, completely missed any windows, and bounced down the roof with the clink of clay tiles to land out of sight.


    The three paused, Tan exhaled.


    "Huh. I expected it to get caught up there." Shae said.


    "Oh, right! The investigation." Lou said as he rubbed the back of his neck.


    Inspector Tan coughed then replied, "Yes, of course. Let''s go see it, then." and rushed forwards to find where it fell.


    Shae grabbed more stones. "Maybe a few more between the two points. Feel free to make them louder so they are easier to find." She passed them to Lou and followed Tan.


    "Sure." He said, then threw them all in a single motion.


    Shae followed the noise of clattering rocks on clay around two corners and out into the street where Tan already was. A couple stones chased her out as they rattled off the roof and onto the street. She nodded to Tan.


    "We checked the eaves, troughs, and rain water barrels." The inspector frowned and stared at where the stones were bouncing off the roof. Lou was still throwing them.


    "In that order? Or did you check the barrels before the rain?" The young cultivator asked.


    Tan stiffened, then looked around at all the barrels that were next to the street, under the eaves of the housing they had walked out of.


    Shae traced the spouts and pipes that brought the water to the barrels. There were more than she expected. Like someone had built three buildings on top of each other, but left all the troughs and barrels behind.


    Tan shouted at the nearby guardsmen and soon they were tipping barrels into the street. Tan yelled at them again and they stopped to sort out a more organized method that she could keep track of.


    Shae''s attention was drawn back to a few stones bouncing off the tile roof and not coming down. She tracked the eavestroughs and found down spouts at both ends. One end led into the barrels they were already searching. The other ran up above their heads where it was being used to hang clotheslines and colorful banners.


    She was surprised no one had taken the banners down, I bet they didn''t expect them to be hung off a drain pipe.


    As Lou excited the alley to aid in the commotion, Shae wandered down the street to a noodle vendor. "One please, extra spicy, extra sauce. And do you know where I could get one of those noodle baskets? Even an old one?"


    The vendor joked she could buy one of his for a tael. So she did. He then tried to get her to try the ''crab juice'', but she did not.


    She wandered back to the group of guards while eating her meal and with a new toy hung off her belt.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Hey, great idea. Did you get one for me?" Lou joked while pointing at her bowl.


    She shook her head with a mouthful of noodles.


    "Oh and great idea about the rain barrels. Tan says they were checked after, but the logs are thin that day."


    "Mhhmm. Someone sloppy? Mmm, or a cover up?" Shae said through her meal.


    "No, I mean the rain got the paperwork wet, hard to write on wet paper, harder to read."


    "Huh." She said after swallowing. "Are they going to replace all that water they are dumping out?"


    "Uhm. Maybe? It''s just rainwater."


    "Those people seem pretty upset about it." She pointed to a group of angry peasants. They weren''t about to do anything, but were glowering at the guards dumping barrels into the streets. "Probably just looks petty to them. Here, finish this for me." She handed him the noodles.


    "Wha-? Um, thanks? But I could go explain."


    "Nah, if anything, get ready to ask Tan to stop. I''m ready for my big reveal!" The young woman approached a water barrel on the other side of the road and hopped up beside it. It was a pace above ground, with a tap at the bottom. She pried the lid off and reached in with the noodle basket.


    "Oooh, this is spicy!" Lou said. "Good, but spicy." He kept eating.


    "Street noodles are always good." Shae insisted then grunted as she withdrew the basket. Several objects were caught in the wide flat mesh. "And better when spicy."


    "Is that a bone?" Lou asked.


    "Ugh, and a... don''t want to know, actually." She dumped it behind her and reached in again.


    Tan showed up with a question. "This is the wrong side of the street?"


    "Ah-ha!" The young woman cheered.


    "Find something?" She asked, the two adults leaning in close to see.


    "Yes, a... Triangle?"


    "Arrowhead. Should probably save that as evidence. Could solve a murder," the inspector said seriously.


    Shae slowly dumped the scoop behind her. There were other things in it again. The black sludge of silt and slime plopped onto the ground with a wet thwap.


    "Third time''s the charm," she said while reaching into the murky water.


    "Is it?"


    "You should try this!" Lou said to Tan.


    "Is that from the vendor over there? Is it spicy?"


    Lou nodded and Shae looked over to say, "Extra spicy, extra sauce."


    Tan nodded, "Good choice, they''re one of my favorites around here."


    Lou scooped up noodles with the chopsticks and held them out to the woman.


    "Thanks, I''ll get my own later."


    Shae was focused on the barrel. She could feel something metal in the silt, but it kept evading the scoop. She pushed it against the side, but couldn''t be sure it was landing in the scoop and not under it.


    "Could you..." She started and turned to see Second Captain Lou feeding Inspector Tan a mouthful of noodles. They both froze like startled deer.


    A solid clink came from the barrel. "Oh! Got it!" Shae yelled and jumped down with the scoop full of silt. Dirty water splashed after her and the two adults deftly dodged away.


    She switched the scoop to her left hand, then shook out her right. It was cold from the water, and her uncleansed shoulder muscles were a little sore from reaching. She shook her head and cycled a bit of qi through it.


    Lou slurped the noodles as they walked closer to the young woman digging through a handful of black muck.


    "What is it with me and black muck these days- oh! Tah Dah! One suspiciously black ring."


    "Wow. You actually found it in there! No wait, how did it get there?" Tan asked.


    "That''s a drainage pipe." Shae pointed. "Now how do these things work?" As her intent to open the ring hit it, a lot of things happened very quickly.


    Lou and Tan were already saying, "No." and "Don''t." respectively.


    A flash of shadow qi burst from the ring, latching onto Shae''s hand and pulling at her qi. She screamed as the invading qi was cut into her channels with the intent to cause more pain.


    "Cursed." Tan snapped off. "Cut off her arm."


    "What!? No!" Shae yelled.


    Lou was already moving as Tan''s words left her mouth but his blade slowed to a stop before it hit flesh, he carefully watched the shadow qi. The noodle bowl and a hint of hesitation were the only thing to save her arm.


    "I''ll fight it off, this is my favorite arm." She strained to say.


    Both experienced cultivators watched with some surprise as the shadow didn''t immediately climb up the young woman''s arm and didn''t dive into her Dantian.


    "Don''t cycle the qi." Tan warned.


    "No shit, Sherlock." Shae cursed. She grunted as she poured more qi into the infected limb. Her small reserve of personal qi, divine qi, and enlightenment qi dwindled as it fought back the shadows.


    Red lightning qi sparked around her hand and soaked into her hairpin that she was still wearing as a ring.


    "Lightning won''t do it, you''ll need light or fire." Tan said.


    Lou''s grip on his sword firmed, the blade following the leading edge of the shadow qi''s progress.


    "What? Lightning is both of those, it makes light." Shae argued through clenched teeth.


    "It''s just a flash, hurts shadows but doesn''t kill. It''s trying to take you over."


    "Grrr." She growled and pushed her qi harder. Then I''ll take it instead. She started instructing her enlightenment qi to not destroy but to take, consume and subvert the intent of the shadows. Slow it down and trap itself.


    She focused her other efforts by more carefully using her qi, she knew she wouldn''t last at this rate. Instead she threw mental focus at the problem to direct her qi faster and with more intent. Cycling fresh divine qi to her head so she didn''t pass out.


    She focused her own thoughts as well: Lightning could make light, could make fire. The divine qi in her Dantian was cloudy, but also held light. She drew the lightning from her ring back into her hand to reuse it and speed it up.


    "Good, but you''re just pushing it around, you need to destroy it with light." Tan insisted, and shifted nervously.


    Lou held firm, his blade harmlessly scraping up her elbow.


    Light, where do I get light. She searched her Dantian, the ribbons glowed but were still lightning and still too much for her. The cat''s-eye marbles were the same. Except one. One marble that held the memory of Ghon''s enlightenment as observed by her. A bright beam of fire and light in the darkness.


    She mentally wrenched at herself with a scream of pain and threw the marble into her arm. She felt it slam into the shadow qi just above her elbow and stop.


    At some point during that scream she had dropped to one knee. Her mental focus had snapped then, bringing her back to the present and all the pain it held. Her arm burned. Misty qi edged with black billowed out of her hand like it was silver fire, taking some of the shadow qi went with it.


    "It''s not stopping, we need to break the trap, wear it down. Shae attack the trap formation."


    "How?"


    "Anything, throw more light at it." Tan waved her arms in a panic.


    "Spiritual water?" Lou asked.


    "Ah- Yes! That could work." Her panic stopped suddenly as she considered the idea.


    "My bag, the bottle." Shae grunted but he was already gone. Dust and wind chasing his passing.


    Tan caught the falling noodle bowl with inhuman reflexes. Then she splashed the remains into the gutter and washed the clay bowl in the rain barrel.


    A commotion in the crowd drew screams of distress and one voice shouted very near to Shae, "Give it back!" The shadow of a man suddenly loomed over her as he swung a blade at her arm.


    "No!" Tan screamed and lunged, but was too slow.


    Shae''s mental focus kicked in like adrenaline. Her first thought was surprise, as she thought it was expended. The blade drifted in slow motion and she twitched her arm away from it, bending her elbow to try and let it pass. It struck her forearm like a cudgel, a new pain, but not any worse than the rest. It slid down her arm like it was a shaving razor, the steep angle preventing a bite into her flesh. The tip met her wrist and she was not so lucky. The slow-down from the instinctual mental focus let her feel it ten times over as it bit into her wrist and scored a line down her hand.


    As her focus snapped again she screamed out and her arm whipped around behind her. Rage filled her, muscle memory and instinct took over as she threw a punch. The man''s side was wide open, he hadn''t expected to miss, and she saw too late that he was just a man, not some shadow demon like she had first feared.


    Red lightning coursed down her arm as she stepped into the punch. Some turned golden-white as it passed the cat''s eye marble. Far more turned black as it passed through the shadows clutching her flesh and seeping from the ring. As her fist connected with the man''s side she somehow had time to feel her bones crunch and mentally noted that it was not soft like the punching bag in Fairy Yun''s training room.


    All the colorful lightning discharged into the man and they both collapsed to the ground unconscious.


    <hr>


    Shae woke to a stinging sensation in her arm. She flinched but her arm held still like it was in a vice, so the rest of her twitched instead.


    "She''s up," came Lou''s voice, near her ear.


    "Shae, stay awake. You blocked it somehow, but you need to keep pushing the shadow qi out." Tan said from her other side.


    A pulsing pain came from just above her elbow. It was the only thing she felt aside from the sting of something hot on her hand. She smelled the fresh aroma of Chef Van''s spiritual water. Then the pungent smell of burning blood, her own blood, she knew. It pulsed again and fear came with it, and loneliness. Fear she would be alone.


    "Ah!" She cried and groaned. "Fairy Yun, Chef Van."


    "It''s Tan and Lou, Shae. Can you release the ring?" He  asked, sounding irritated.


    She cracked an eye towards her right hand, it was hidden below the dark liquid in the noodle bowl, but darker lines ran up her arm to her elbow. She first mistook it for her tattoo, but it wasn''t as jagged as lightning. Silver and black qi burned like fire from the wooden bowl. She was surprised to see it undamaged.


    Something bumped the pain in her arm and she cried out.


    "Relax Shae, meditate if you can. Tell the ring to unlock, disarm, deactivate. Anything you can think of." Tan placed a hand on her left shoulder.


    She did that. She pushed the thoughts through her arm, through what qi was left in it, and added more with the same. She recalled what started this, and her intent firmed, directed at the ring to open up. It is still a storage item.


    A flash of something new opened within her mindscape. No, not mindscape, I''m not meditating. It was like seeing into a room that hadn''t been there before, smaller though, a closet if she thought about it one way, a broad shipping crate if she turned it over.


    It contained mostly metal. Bars of iron or steel. Maybe brass or copper. It flickered and she couldn''t get details. On top of that were tools: some smith''s hammers and tongs, then cooking pots and pans, then smaller boxes of... nails? She saw no weapons or armor.


    She pushed it to dump itself out, like tipping over a box. She heard a few thuds and clanks beside her but the pain surged again and she lost concentration. She didn''t think she got much.


    Her rage bubbled up again. Why trap this? Why be so cruel? Such pointless vengeance and wrath.


    The words resonated inside her. The red lightning cheering at her rage and at the cursed wrath the shadow qi still inflicted upon her. Almost instantly, her previous dilemma of whether to embrace the tribulation lightning''s wrath was solved.


    "No!" She shouted. "No wrath, no vengeance! Pain is for the petty and cruel." She mentally pushed against the ideals the red lightning was resonating with until she found a solid thing that she could grab onto. Desperately, she pulled and tore it out of her personal qi and cast it away, through the enlightenment memory, transforming it. From there she directed it without hesitation at the ring''s trap like a perfectly aimed ax strike. She inhaled and screamed again. "I will never be so desperate, so spiteful, so afraid. I will not use the tools of cowards and empty gods."


    Thunder crashed above her. Sudden and unyielding.


    Her onslaught of qi shattered something in the ring, and the painful infection of shadow qi vanished as quickly as it had come.


    She took one last breath and started up at angry clouds. "I will not... be a tool... for de-"


    She passed out again. The same pain in her upper arm insisted upon something, but she could do nothing. She fell to the ground, unsupported by Second Captain Lou or Inspector Tan.


    <hr>


    Aside: ~{/ Chapter: 3?.X


    "A Totally Normal Dream."


    <hr>


    Something stirred her out of unconsciousness. Insisting that she wake up, that there was something left undone. An icy spike of pain brought her fully awake.


    She opened her eyes to find her Dantian, the inside of it, and only that. A vast empty sphere with a few pitiful clouds. Just shadows of what they had once been. Their intensity wasn''t lessened, just their size. Representing mere fractions of the power she once held. The fight with the shadow curse had taken so much.


    Her ribbons of lightning played through the empty space. Small marbles streaked through the emptiness, puffing out trails of mist and cloud as they passed through the various qi. There were fewer now. She felt that was correct, but also wrong, something was missing.


    A knife tapped at a window in space, the act drawing her attention like someone flicking her ear. Revealing a little bubble of perception that shouldn''t be there, yet was. Its connection was fading, the image in the window flickering.


    She grabbed onto it. This part was important, she needed to keep it. Not it, but what it connects to.


    The spherical window showed darkness on one side, and a crack off light on the other. The crack widened and voices came through.


    "This is peculiar. Never seen something like this." An older male voice spoke from the other side.


    She saw a white mask covering half a face that peered into the crack, possibly the owner of the voice. Bright lights behind the figure made his features dark aside from the mask, and bushy white eyebrows.


    Finger tips swept in quickly to nudge up against the crack in the window, tapping it. This... window, it''s so small that a fingertip can cover it.


    "Calcified meridian?" A familiar female voice asked.


    The masked face shook. "No, it shouldn''t be so well formed. Looks more like a monster core." He was the owner of the older voice.


    "But it has no qi presence." The woman said.


    The mask nodded. "And it''s definitely doing something to the patient, we should remove it."


    No! Shae cried! She knew she needed that, whatever it is.


    They hadn''t heard her.


    "Heart-rate up." A third voice said.


    "Now or never? Inspector Tan?" The surgeon said.


    "Do it." Tan said.


    No! She screamed again. The fingers wrapped around the little window, obscuring her view.


    No, you cannot have it. It''s mine! It belongs here, inside me!


    Something popped and the window vanished. Replaced by a small cat''s-eye marble. Its eye held the silhouette of a man at a campfire, surrounded by golden light.


    Shae smiled as she slowly blacked out, watching the marble fall into the heart of her personal qi, right where it should be.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 32: All According to Protocol

    <hr>


    Chapter 33: "All According to Protocol."


    <hr>


    Shae awoke to an autumn evening''s moonlight streaming through a window and onto her face. She tried to roll over but found her right arm bound to the bed, slightly raised up, and in a cast. Ugh, right, that stupid ring.


    Second Captain Lou rose from a seat beside her, "You''re awake. Congratulations." He did something and the whole room brightened.


    She groaned while squinting up at the bright light, half the tiles in the ceiling seemed to be glowing white. "Hghmmm? What for?"


    "Oh, just a few things. Finding the spatial ring to close out a months-long smuggling investigation. Fighting off a far too powerful shadow curse. Disabling that curse so it can''t harm others. Killing a foundation stage cultivator in a single blow after deflecting a sword strike with bare skin. Possibly with the shadow curse, now that I think about it. You know, just a few, simple tasks."


    "What?" Shae furrowed her brow. "I didn''t kill anyone."


    "Heh, of course you would focus on the least impressive feat. I''d bet that it wasn''t your intention. You recall the man that attacked you, tried to cut off your hand."


    "Uh-huh. I punched him. I think he was wearing armor."


    "He was, but lightning has a fun way of getting past metal armor. According to Inspector Tan, you also used shadow lightning, light aspected lightning, and whatever your red lightning is. The shadow is probably what killed him, it''s nasty stuff."


    "Ugh." She grunted and frowned. "So, the ultimate victim of the curse was the one who made it?"


    Lou shook his head. "We don''t think so. I''d guess that one was the ringleader''s right-hand man. The other half that picked up the goods outside of the city. He also wouldn''t be strong enough to add a curse to a spatial item. That is some delicate work."


    "Hmm so, a loose end? Some stronger asshole is going to hunt me down for breaking his stupid curse?"


    Lou shrugged. "Probably not worth their effort or pride. Tan thinks it was contract work anyway, so they''d have no real reason to. Our concern is mostly how they made contact with a shadow qi user at all. It''s not a nice path to walk."


    "Hmm." She paused, then sighed. "Would he have survived after the trial? I''m not familiar with local laws and punishments."


    Lou looked concerned. "Don''t worry about it. I believe it was an accident, you should too. Now. One more thing to cover. Well, more than that, but this first. What you were saying, just before you passed out at the end. Do you remember it?"


    She thought back, and nodded slowly. She opened her mouth-


    "Don''t say it now."


    I will not be a tool for death and destruction. Quite the claim to make after accidentally killing someone. She frowned.


    "Was it intentional? Or caused by something?"


    "Hmm? The words? They were my decision to say. If that is what you mean."


    "And what language was it in? It wasn''t Empire-Standard."


    Shae inhaled quickly. "Oh."


    Lou spoke after a few breath''s silence. "You don''t have to say, your... identity has already been cleared. I just wanted you to know, since it''s clear from that reaction that you didn''t. Also."


    He took a breath to stare seriously at the young woman. "Tan was the one to stop you from finishing it. She knocked you out. She thought you were claiming a vow to the heavens, and the thunder suddenly above us at that moment gives her argument validity." He continued his stare.


    "Oh." She considered. "I suppose it could have been taken that way. In that case, it was unintended."


    Lou relaxed and sighed. "Good. I was worried she interrupted something important to you. We can never be certain with all sorts of cultivators and techniques."


    "Um. This might sound like a stupid question. What is a vow?"


    "Heh." He shook his head. "So young, so naive. The most dangerous time to have the power of a cultivator. A vow is a promise, but one that ties your cultivation to you keeping that promise. If you break it, you break your cultivation. That is the simple answer, and the answer used to scare off anyone from using them, and yet, they still get used. The monks are most famous for them. Pacifism, poverty, innocence. Some cultivation manuals will claim they work better with a certain vow attached." He shook his head again. "It''s impossible to say if that is true. I advise you to never take one. Even accidentally, or to save someone''s life. Vows have caused far more pain and setback than any possible progress they could add." His gaze was hard.


    Shae nodded. "Alright."


    "And it should be obvious not to take a vow to someone. Like to follow their orders, even if they won''t teach you otherwise, or to save your own life." He seemed more relaxed now, and even smirked. "Except marriage vows, I guess. Do as you like, I''m not your father."


    Shae smiled back. "Speaking of. Are you and Tan...?"


    He looked down and rocked on his heels, then coughed to the side. "Inspector Tan is a wonderful professional colleague. I''m not sure what you mean by your question."


    She looked at the door to the room, it was slightly ajar. She pointed and raised an eyebrow.


    He nodded. "Now, the second order of business. Payment for a job well done. After the ring wasn''t found by the deadline set by the Diviner. A new bounty was placed on information, and for its direct return. Two gold crowns are yours, if you''ll accept them."


    She almost said yes immediately, her short time wandering alone jumping at the chance for so many meals. "Why if?" He didn''t respond so she continued. "And isn''t a spatial ring worth much more than that? Who would give it away for two crowns?"


    He remained silent, choosing to look at the floor and shift awkwardly, though it looked more intentional than earlier.


    "No," she said while squinting at him. "At the very least, I''d expect a similar spatial item, plus the value of the goods within should be exchanged. Or do you capture criminals just for the value of their confiscated treasures?"


    That got his attention. He looked up with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.


    Inspector Tan entered the room. "Well done, Wise Shae." She walked over to the young cultivator and flicked her ear.


    "Ow!" She yelped, more for the surprise than the pain.


    "That''s for that baseless accusation. We do our duty for law and order within the city. Not for profit but the safety of its citizens."


    She opened her mouth but was stopped before she could speak.


    "And Lou mentioned you flicked his ear a few times so I wanted to pay you back."


    She rubbed at the ear and frowned in an attempt to garner pity. "Only twice, and just with intent."


    "Sure, and you also caught some bystanders with the second flick." Lou reminded her with a frown.


    She cut off her attempt at garnering pity: she knew she wasn''t getting anywhere.


    Tan smiled, then spoke quickly, like she was reciting from memory. "To address the reward. Returning the confiscated item is fairly standard. However, that assumes it is a reasonably priced mortal item. The contents of the ring do fall under that, except they are stolen goods so will be returned to their rightful owners."


    "So the ring?"


    "Worth too much, far too much." She shook her head.


    "Okay, well I guess I wasn''t expecting to get the ring out of this. What''s with all the legal, though? It''s like you''re leading up to some technicality."


    "At this point I am required to offer you the reward again, and even double it, given the value of the item in question."


    Shae shifted in the bed, as much as she could with her arm stuck to the side. "Eh." She shrugged, if a sect coin is a dozen, and the one I have two dozen, a few crowns doesn''t mean much. "No thanks. Give it to people who need it. Buy everyone in the slum a meal at Chef Van''s restaurant."


    She thought she heard something from the hall. When she looked at the door Tan shifted to block it. "Does that mean you accept and will defer it to charity? A noble option." She raised an eyebrow.


    "Uhm. I want to say No. It feels like you are leading me there, but you could just be leading me to getting no reward altogether. That seems unlikely, too petty." She looked between the adults in the room, "Can one of you just tell me the rules in full regarding these things so I can make an informed decision?"


    Lou had looked at the floor again, and now turned away from her.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Tan looked reluctant but pressed on. "Here is the full text of the Flame Well legal code. I can narrow it down to a specific section if you have a specific subject of interest." She pulled a large book from her spatial storage and set it down on Shae''s lap.


    She immediately shifted out from under it. "Ok, seriously, why the run-around?" She paused and no answer came. "Do I need to request legal counsel?"


    "You are not under arrest or investigation at this time." Tan recited.


    Shae huffed angrily. "That was not an answer, and it wasn''t even close to the question I asked."


    "It''s all part of protocol." Tan whispered into her sleeve and forced a cough.


    "I don''t care. It''s stupid." She was getting angry and annoyed. "Why, Tan?" She flicked the woman''s ear with her intent, like she had with Lou. "What." Flick. "The." Flick. "Fuc-" a hand covered her eyes and another grabbed her ear and pulled it back.


    "Shae." Lou interrupted. "Stop assaulting Inspector Tan. She is just doing her job."


    The young woman rounded on him angrily, inhaled stiffly and kept her voice to a low simmer. "Doing their job is what people say when they execute innocent prisoners under direct orders. It''s not a good excuse."


    Lou let go and lowered his hands. "You are being unnecessarily vicious. I''m not technically on duty right now but I can''t let that pass."


    Shae took another deep breath but was still angry. She looked back at Tan. The woman was blushing and appeared ashamed. The young woman''s ferocity shattered instantly and she exhaled, releasing her anger. "Inspector Tan. I apologize sincerely, that was very inappropriate behavior on my part." She looked back to Lou then at Tan again. Ok, the blush might be because Lou kind of saved her.


    "If you''d-" Tan started, but Shae raised a hand because she wanted to think.


    A few breaths later she said, "Inspector Tan, I refuse to answer questions at this time. Including about claiming the reward. Furthermore, I''d like to file a complaint regarding the method of questioning used to resolve the reward, but that can wait until I learn more about it. Though, I assure you, I will file it."


    Tan looked kind of panicked. "But, it''s protocol."


    "And sometimes protocol is completely stupid and designed to keep money in rich pockets and out of poor pockets. Say, did you replace all that rainwater you dumped into the street in the slums?"


    Tan remained silent.


    "Shae," Lou said with concern.


    She inhaled and exhaled. "Inspector Tan, thank you for knocking me out while I was babbling in another language. Second Captain Lou informs me I was likely about to make a dangerous mistake. Is there a commendation request form? Something the opposite of a complaint?"


    "Oh, not formally. You have to talk to my superior directly. Same with the complaint, actually."


    Shae sighed. "And I bet not a lot of people do that because they are big and scary or something?"


    Tan shrugged. "Busy, hard to get a meeting."


    "Bureaucratic walls, hooray." She said flatly and waved her left hand. Shifting in the bed again, she was reminded of her arm. "How long am I stuck here? Is it the same day?"


    Lou answered first, "Yes, it''s the same day."


    Tan continued quickly after, "How long will depend on how fast you heal. Doctor Ho will have to check you over again. He did say you were healing quickly and was interested in... well, in the specifics of how you got the flesh in your arm to be like that. Oh, and if you knew what that small orb was. We couldn''t make heads or tails of it before it vanished."


    Shae''s eyes widened as she remembered the strange dream. "Oh! That was mine, yes. You shouldn''t have told him to take it out."


    Tan''s eyes widened in surprise, but her voice was firm, "What do you mean?"


    "Is he the one with the bushy eyebrows?" She looked between them.


    Lou also raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a vaguely accurate description of him."


    "Right, so during the surgery, he recommended it be removed. Which is a stupid thing to do. Lou didn''t you just say cultivators can have weird personal business these days, and you should be careful not to mess with it?"


    He crossed his arms over his chest. "I''m sure I didn''t say that. But point made. Continue."


    "Right so he asked you directly, Tan, and you said he should."


    The inspector''s face wrinkled with confusion. "You were asleep, more than that, unconscious."


    Shae shrugged. "Well, that was basically all I heard. Other than a couple of your guesses. It was neither calcified meridian nor monster core. Honestly I''m surprised someone didn''t feel it out. Oh! What did it look like? Was there an image in it?"


    "Uh, what? But how did you hear us?" She paused for an answer, but Shae just waited. "Uhm, no, I didn''t get a good look; it was covered in blood. Doctor Ho might have."


    Shae nodded then thought for a breath. "Honestly I don''t know how I heard. Glad I did though, that thing was mine. Made by me and put in my arm by me to fight the shadow qi. Really one of you should have noticed it was right above where the shadow qi had stopped."


    "Oh." Tan said and put a hand on her forehead. "Of course. I''m so sorry, Shae, if I had known."


    Shae waved her apology off, "It''s fine, I didn''t lose it. Although, why your Doctor Ho was working on something he didn''t understand is questionable. Does the hospital have a complaint form? We are in a hospital, right?"


    Tan''s eyes went wide, then she looked down and mumbled, "I''m going to lose my job."


    Lou didn''t have to say anything this time.


    "Oh, but you saved me and were healing me." The young woman frowned at herself. "I shouldn''t be so ungrateful."


    Tan straightened up and took a deep breath. "No. No. It was my mistake, I am a cultivator, I will face my mistakes."


    "Hmm, I''m not sure it was. That quack doctor recommended it. You were working off flawed information."


    Tan frowned and slowly turned to the door. She swallowed stiffly and one hand clutched at her robes. When no one burst into the room after a couple breaths, she relaxed.


    Lou sighed. "Shae, it''s usually bad form to insult your doctor. Especially when they haven''t finished." He pointed at her cast. "Even if they don''t succeed completely, there are very few expert doctors and medicine specialists that are affordable. Those cultivators that pursue the path stick to the sects and tend to advance beyond what us city folk can afford. If they even want to spend their time healing us."


    She frowned and looked down at the bed. "But this is a hospital? How are there so few doctors? Can''t someone train more?"


    Tan jumped back in. "I think you missed an important qualification." She briefly glanced at the door again. "Though, try not to repeat this within earshot of the doctors and nurses, please. There are many that are trained to serve mortals, and new cultivators. Yet, very few experts."


    Shae gasped in understanding. "Oooh! So that''s why he didn''t recognize it. And you two..." She tried to feel at them with what little qi sense she had managed to find in herself.


    "Yes, but you already know... so?" Lou asked.


    She had half-expected them to be at core stage, with developed Dao, but she felt very little from either. She scrunched her face, "What stage are you two? Sorry, I can''t scan, yet."


    "Peak formation, or meridian cleansing. Depends what scale you use. Some call it the long half-stage." He said.


    She raised an eyebrow and looked between them. "I haven''t heard that."


    Tan shrugged. "You wouldn''t have, it''s not mentioned until later. It''s all preparation to break into core, some take longer than others and some never try."


    Shae paused with her fist under her chin. "Because breaking into core summons a tribulation?"


    Lou chuckled. "Hah, good guess. Yes, it does. Many people are not willing to take that risk. They can be deadly."


    "Hmm, then I should say that what the orb is, that is need-to-know only."


    "Ah? Are you sure?" Tan leaned in, disappointment clearly written on her face.


    "And I''ve already said I wouldn''t answer more questions." Shae raised an eyebrow at the inspector.


    As the young cultivator stared down the curious inspector, a familiar giggle came from outside the door.


    Lou coughed. "Right, moving on. While you were fighting the qi trap, you said two names."


    "Mmm. Oh! Fairy Yun and Chef Van. Yes! Did either of you try to find them?"


    Inspector Tan stood proudly and flattened her robes. "Of course. I am an Inspector, after all."


    "And?" Shae leaned forwards. Then remembering the giggle she yelled past Tan, "Yun, come in!"


    The woman elegantly flowed into the room like the door wasn''t there. "Finally. I can''t believe it took you that long to tell them off, Shae. You are doing better." She rushed to the young woman''s left side and pulled her into a hug, pushing Lou out of the way like a curtain.


    He casually vacated that corner of the room to stand closer to Tan.


    "Ah! Thanks, Yun." Shae mumbled right into the Fairy''s chest. Dammit, hormones! I thought this was over, especially with Yun. She was quite sure she was blushing.


    "I was so worried when I heard!" Yun squeezed the young woman harder and twisted back and forth. Which conflicted with how Shae''s arm was stuck to the bed, trapped by the cast. Yun stopped when the bed moved.


    The trapped cultivator reached out awkwardly with her free hand and patted the older woman''s elbow. "I''m okay, Yun. I didn''t even lose my arm."


    "But you did get hurt!" Yun pulled away to look at Shae. "Oh you''re all red! Was I smothering you!"


    "Uh, not-"


    "You''re so warm!" She now had a hand on Shae''s forehead now. "Are you okay? Is it a reaction to something they gave you?" She turned to Tan.


    "Well, Doctor Ho did say she might feel some after-effects from the anesthesia."


    Shae turned to glare at the woman. "Effects like?"


    "He didn''t say."


    "Because you didn''t ask? Inspector Tan?" Yun backed up Shae''s glare.


    Tan coughed into her sleeve. "I was already aware it had a very minor emotional effect."


    "Emotional!" Shae yelped.


    Shae could almost feel Yun''s killing intent as she spoke, "I believe it is time for you to leave, Inspector Tan."


    Shae guessed that either Yun was holding back her intent or she had excellent control over who was affected.


    "Wait, do you mean that you knowingly interviewed me while I was drugged? That you tried to do, whatever, that nonsense was with the reward while I was in an altered emotional state!" Shae nearly shouted at the woman.


    Tan had already turned away and now remained silent.


    Lou tried to intervene, moving directly into the line of fire, "Shae, come on, she was following protocol."


    "No! You can''t defend her, Second Captain Lou. There''s no way forcing an unfair agreement from a drugged person that was fucking helping you is part of protocol. If that''s in the bloody protocol I will burn this city to the ground." Shae grabbed the heavy law book Tan had left on her lap and hefted it at the pair. It was much heavier than she thought because it hardly cleared the bed and just flopped onto the ground with a disappointing thud.


    After a heavy breath of awkward silence, Yun added. "You two should leave. You probably should have left when Shae refused to answer more questions. Or invited me in when she directly asked for legal representation."


    Lou raised a finger. "Uh, but I''m suppo-"


    "OUT!" Shae screamed and the pair flinched. She felt her qi flare with emotion, but was pretty sure she hadn''t suddenly learned how to apply qi pressure. They left before she could come up with something suitable to do with her intent. Ear flicking clearly isn''t enough.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 33: The Talk. No, the Other One

    <hr>


    Chapter 33: "The Talk. No, the Other One."


    <hr>


    Yun closed the door behind them and fiddled with the frame. Shae saw a few symbols and lines light up. She wanted to talk but was still overwhelmed. All she got out was a huff.


    "So, unspecified emotional effects." Yun asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow as she returned to the young woman''s bedside and sat on it. Grabbing her free left hand between both of her own.


    Shae squeezed in thanks for the comforting gesture and tried to force a smile. "I... I think that I don''t want to see those two again. Definitely not anytime soon."


    "That''s probably for the best, and should be simple to manage. But, you had quite the blush when I came in. Don''t dodge the question."


    She looked away from the woman. Mentally reciting, don''t stare at her cleavage, to herself wasn''t working. Even with Yun''s conservative outfit, she still had plenty to show. This is ridiculous, I was never like this on Earth. Even that one time I got a little too personal with my personal trainer. She felt herself flush again.


    "Oh?" Yun teased. "What are you thinking about now?"


    "Vari~ety." Her voice cracked. She forced a cough. "A-hem, I think it''s safe to say my emotions have been elevated by the doctor''s drugs."


    "Aahh. Elevated. That''s it. Yes, I suppose you didn''t get quite this flustered by me the other day. I was worried it was the other two."


    Shae gave her a sharp glare then had to look away immediately. "Fairy Yun is very attractive. I wasn''t expecting her to hold me so close to her heart."


    "Oooh, sly wording, and, informative. I appreciate the compliment." She hummed while considering her next words. "Do you need a moment to recover?"


    "That would be appreciated."


    Yun set her hand down and patted it. Then walked to the other side of the bed. She bent over in a very particular way to recover the legal book that Shae threw on the floor. Then walked back with a noticeable amount of sway in her hips.


    Mainly noticeable to Shae who was watching intently. She looked away again as Yun turned to face the bed.


    "Please, look, look!" Yun was smiling wide.


    "But-"


    "Yes, look at my butt, too!"


    Shae snorted a laugh.


    Yun pushed her towards the right side of the bed and tried to climb on. The bed was too narrow, but that couldn''t stop a cultivator, she sat as though there was plenty of room. "I don''t know how it was in your past life, Shae, and I won''t speak for all women in this world. So I''ll say that I like being looked at, appreciated for all the work that goes into my daily routine and the decades of cultivation that has gone towards making me the beautiful Fairy I am today. It''s most of the reason I still mind tables at the restaurant."


    Shae shifted so she could grab the other woman''s right hand with her left, wrapping their arms together. "Some people liked that. In my past life."


    "And you? Did you like it? Were you as beautiful in your past as you are adorable now?"


    She snorted out another laugh. "I thought I looked nice. I kept fit and dressed well. Hard to compare to the fairies here, though."


    "Hehehe. Well, you''ll have to learn painting at the sect and send me a self portrait of the old you. I''d love to see it, I bet you were lovely." She leaned over and kissed the top of the young woman''s head.


    Shae found herself blushing again. At least this time it''s just from embarrassment. She glanced over, directly into Yun''s cleavage. Mostly. "Not fair, Yun. I''m in an emotionally vulnerable state!" She squirmed away from the attention and got nowhere.


    "Oh, if you think this isn''t fair, just wait until you get to the sect. Dozens or sometimes hundreds of beautiful fairies all around you, and the men! You do like them too, yes? That''s what that variety comment was?"


    She groaned and tried to squirm straight down through the bed.


    "Well, most will just be cute boys for now, but they will mature into handsome, muscular men. Muscular women too, though not as many. I always thought that was a shame." She sighed.


    The young cultivator had almost squirmed down into her blankets but her bound right arm was really restricting further progress. "This is cruel and unusual torture."


    Yun snorted a laugh this time. "I suppose I may be taking advantage of the situation. It''s good that you''re exploring your attraction. Too many kids get scared off by the talk and just repress a lot of their feelings. They won''t talk about it much, but you can bet it affects their cultivation."


    Shae peeked out from her nest of embarrassment. "Scared by the talk? Do you mean a different talk? Or the sex one?"


    "Yes, the sex one."


    "And that scares people off of exploration and getting into relationships? This must be a very fire and brimstone type talk. Religious extremists back home would kill for something like that."


    "Hehe. Well it sounds like it could be a different talk than the one you are used to. You won''t be getting it from me, however. I think they do a seminar at the sect in the first or second term. Hand out pamphlets and have tiny sandwiches."


    "Yea, sounds like celibacy brainwashing camp. Do they hand out rings or other jewelry to signify your purity or something?" She emphasized with heavy sarcasm.


    Yun made a noise as she rapidly inhaled her breath through clenched teeth. "Well, that would probably be a bad idea. A bit dangerous even."


    "O-kay. Now I feel like I should be worried. What''s the big deal?"


    "Hmm, well maybe I''ve said too much. You can look it up at the sect, or wait for the seminar. And do wait, Shae. Not just because of the fire and brimstone. Oh, and try not to freak-out about it. I suppose from a mortal''s perspective it would be rather absurd."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "You''re teasing me."


    "I''m not." Yun looked down at the young woman, stern gaze that said she was deadly serious. The next beat she smiled, "But, it looks like you''ve gotten over your blushing fit!"


    "Mmmhm. I guess." Her face was still scrunched up in confusion.


    "Honestly I''m a little regretful I won''t be there to see you tear someone''s head off about how absurd it is."


    "Hey. You don''t know that I''ll do that, and you just asked me not to freak out over it."


    "Well, you did storm off in a rage because of an implied threat to your person."


    "That was not why I walked away." She huffed.


    "Hehehe, I suppose it wasn''t. Now, let''s look at your little legal dilemma." She unwound their hands then flopped Tan''s large legal book onto both their laps.


    The young woman crawled up into a sitting position again while the fairy scanned the table of contents. Shae smiled at how they were sitting, then called out with childish glee, "Yay! Story time with Sis-Linnuan!"


    Yun snorted out a laugh without breaking her focus on the book. "It may just put you to sleep." She kept a wide smile that wrinkled the corners of her eyes.


    Shae smiled back for a breath or two, then looked down and frowned at the long list of chapter names and subheadings. "Is there an index? Might be faster to search ''reward'' or ''bounty'' there?"


    "Hmm, good point." The older woman shifted the book to the side and lifted the bulk of the pages vertically between them. "You look there, I''ll look here."


    Shae awkwardly managed the pages with one hand, but quickly found the entry. Then checked a few other places until she had several pointing to the same place. "Try section three-seven, probably the latter half."


    "Three-seven did look promising. You flipped around a bit, did something else point there?"


    "Yep, contractors and deputies both did."


    "Ahh good, let''s start there."


    Yun quickly flipped to the section and read through it much faster than Shae could. "Good guess. I think I found the problem we are dealing with, though I''ll need to cross reference a few sections. We can keep chatting if you''d like."


    "Sure!" The young woman began to think of the next topic with a hum.


    "Oh, no humming, please. I could never handle humming while I work."


    "Ah, speaking of work, then. You seem like you''ve done this before?"


    "Broadly, yes. It''s similar to my role at the restaurant."


    "Uh, similar to waiting tables?"


    "Hah, not that. I guess we haven''t talked about it." She looked up from the book to give Shae a sorrowful smile. "Maybe I need to apologize. I''ve learned so much about you, but shared so little."


    She shrugged, and matched the smile. "It''s been a weird couple days. Well, a weird couple weeks and months, for me."


    "Heh, still. We should talk more. I guess we did plan on sending letters, you can drag my life story out of me then, I guess. Save them for me, though. Will cut down on the work when I need to write a memoir." She chuckled. "So, what I actually do there is manage their books and finances. Tracking the money, in and out."


    "Oh! You''re an accountant. So, what were you doing at the auction house today? They let you spend their money too? Seems like a conflict of interest."


    "Well, someone has to. I just so happen to have contacts at that auction house, so I get to go. Good business in this city is mostly about socializing, and cultivators are good for that because people step more carefully around them." She turned an accusatory raised eyebrow toward Shae. "Most people."


    That just made the young woman giggle. "Yeah. I''m kind of a menace sometimes."


    "Oh, thank the heavens you can admit it." Yun looked up at the ceiling then returned to the book.


    "Heh. So, accountant, eh? And you were at the sect? Were you in the analyst department with Scribe Bai?"


    "Scribe Bai. Brother Bai. Junior Bai. Which Bai?"


    "There was more than one?"


    "It''s just a name, there are many."


    "Sure, but in the analyst department?"


    "Ah, well not as many, but the analyst department isn''t technically real. It''s the Scribe department, so it''s larger than you might expect. What people choose to study there is their own business."


    "Oh. Huh. So, you were acting as hostess the other night just for fun?"


    "More or less. When I first took the job posted at the sect it was for an account-ant, as you call it." She emphasized the added suffix. "Hmm, I like that title, shorter than accounts manager or the other variants. Anyway, it would be absurd for the restaurant to post a job for a server or other front-of-house staff at any sect. Still, having stronger cultivators on hand is important. So once here, I was asked to try it out, and I liked it."


    "Huh, makes sense."


    Yun nodded into the book. "As I said, I like being admired, and being stuck in the back office wasn''t working for me. As a plus, I am able to help the other servers out by acting as muscle."


    "Muscle? Like a bodyguard? I didn''t get the impression the restaurant had that problem."


    "Usually not, but we do serve cultivators, more on some days. Having someone that can meet their gaze evenly is quite important. There were rarely problems before I arrived, but now that I''m here: we avoid those situations much more easily."


    "Hmm, wait. So, how does that answer why you were serving me and Long? Just because you wanted to? Oh! Were you expecting trouble from him?" Shae snickered to herself.


    "Heh, mostly because it was already planned as a slow day, and so most of the staff was off duty. I was picked for two reasons, well three if you include being a capable hostess."


    "Uhh, because Long is a strong cultivator?"


    "Surprisingly, no. He''s a regular, and Van''s longtime friend, so he gets along with all the staff quite well. First was because I know Jani, family connections have had us meet on several occasions."


    "Connections like at the auction house? And plural? You either have a very large family or a very important family."


    "-And second was because Master Long briefed us on you."


    "Me!" Shae yelped in surprise.


    "Yes. He had several concerning sentences about your unpredictable potential, and that you might be rather argumentative, especially against authority."


    "That''s completely unfounded!" She folded her one good arm across her chest and huffed.


    "Mhmm. I''m sure it is, dear."


    She huffed again.


    Yun remained silent, only reading and flipping pages as she waited.


    "Okay, maybe I''m a little argumentative, but he had it coming." Shae glanced over at the book but couldn''t follow along with how fast Yun was reading. "What was that first part? About my potential?"


    "Apparently the head monk gave a young sword-saint Bai, one of many I''m sure, quite the warning about you. That Bai was somewhat upset by it, he couldn''t see what Wise Kwan saw in you."


    "Huh? What for? I barely talked to Wise Kwan."


    "Some old monsters get ideas in their head and can''t let go of them. Maybe he saw a thing or two and fixated on them?"


    "Heh heh, okay, that I can understand. Not sure I should mind that Sword Bai didn''t see the same. He was about as sharp as dirt."


    "Pffft." Yun blew out a laugh and had to turn away from the book with a hand over her mouth. "Shae, I''m trying to concentrate." She continued to laugh to the side, clearly trying and failing to control it.


    "Hehe, didn''t think it was that funny."


    Yun got a clear breath in, "He''s a sword cultivator. His qi is sharpness itself."


    "Huh. Is that what sword qi is? He tried to explain it to me and kept bungling metaphors and contradicting similes. Most I got out of it was that intent can''t actually hurt me if I don''t want it to. If sword qi is just that simple, someone should tell him that."


    Yun cracked up laughing again. Having to hand the book to Shae so she could turn and sit facing away from the younger woman.


    Shae smiled wide while watching her friend crack up uncontrollably. Then leaned back and waited patiently for her to recover.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 34: Review and Retelling

    <hr>


    Chapter 34: "Review and Retelling."


    <hr>


    After waiting through several long breaths of laughter from the fairy, Shae got curious and checked what part of the legal book Yun was reading over.


    <blockquote>


    ...


    Cultivator treasures recovered from a crime shall be held until the crime is fully resolved and a suitable period beyond to allow for challenges to the resolution to complete.


    If the treasure was instrumental to the crime itself, it may be confiscated to prevent repeated offenses. If not, it may instead be held by the city until the criminal has served their sentence, or paid all due fines.


    Any provable loss of value from the confiscation may be: (a) included in the offender''s sentence like a fine, or (b) compensated with an equal value of treasure or spirit stones from the city''s treasury or armory; selected by the lead investigator. Option b may also be used if the item was damaged by city personnel during recovery.


    ...


    </blockquote>


    Shae frowned at the section. Interesting, but not particularly helpful.


    Yun finally settled down and turned around to sit beside the young woman on the bed again. "Don''t frown too hard. Legal''s not that bad to read."


    She shook her head, "It''s not that. I was just hoping it would be more relevant."


    "Hmm, I think it is." She paused to watch Shae''s confusion then tapped the last paragraph.


    Shae read it over again. "Was I city personnel?"


    Yun smiled. "Good question. That was my next thing to check. We should also note that the spatial item was used in the crime, but whether it was instrumental or not is debatable." She tapped the other section.


    "Hmm, they did say it had shadow magic cloaking it from detection. That part seems instrumental. Any other spatial item could have been used, but would have been found sooner, I assume."


    "Good point. Let''s assume they do use that as an excuse. Spatial items are very valuable. I highly doubt the stolen items exceed the value of the ring, so the fines might not either."


    "Meaning the city might need to repay the value. No, definitely will. It was full of raw metal and simple tools, no way that even comes close."


    "Hmm, Flame Well has an interesting stranglehold on some metals. Could you tell what it was?"


    The young woman shook her head. "No, but they were basics, like pots and pans, kitchen knives. Lou said they were smuggling weapons and armor, but I saw no trace of that."


    "Hmm, but you only saw inside the one ring, yes?"


    Shae snorted, "Heh, sorry, that wording was funny to me." She waved away any further explanation. "Yes, I only saw one shipment. But if you were going for weapons, why stop completely this late into the operation? Surely space in the ring is at a premium, you wouldn''t put something inside you didn''t need."


    The two women took a moment to think.


    "You might be on the right track." Yun nodded.


    "I''m worried that I am, and what that means for the group getting these supplies. At worst, the city is framing this as a rebellion. Claiming they are stockpiling weapons. They could use that as an excuse to crush whatever group is outside the city. Even if it''s just peasants trying to get by."


    "That seems rather extreme."


    Shae forced an exhale, trying to expel her worry, "I read a lot in my past life. History and fiction. I might be looking for vipers in a can of worms."


    Yun gave her a questioning look.


    "Eh? Sorry, that was a mangled metaphor." She forced another breath. "People in power don''t like to be challenged. They will make excuses, push pieces into place, and encourage others to do the same so that they can keep that power. No matter how absurd the end result is." Another huff. "Just look at what Tan did today. Now that I''ve had a moment to get a few clear thoughts in: I just know that she only did that because her boss made her. Maybe she was trying to lead me in the right direction, but it wasn''t her idea. She''s too nice for that."


    "Oh? How do you know? Didn''t you just meet her?"


    "Uh. Well yes. I suppose it''s just a hunch then. She was very nice and cooperative earlier. Even if her ability to act was limited, she could have had Lou explain it to me, or you. I feel that her hands were tied by direct orders, I can''t imagine it any other way."


    "Hmm. I only heard this one conversation. Yet, I agree. Her attitude and demeanor shifted when handling the reward discussion. So, we need to figure out why." She tapped the book a few times.


    "Right." Shae nodded. "So. Hmm. We know they can confiscate the ring. How exactly they get away without paying for it maybe isn''t our problem. Not to be too self-centered, but the question might be around my place in the puzzle. I wasn''t directly hired, but assisting of my own free will."


    "Were you? How did that happen?" Yun turned a curious gaze on her young friend. "Why did they let you snoop around so easily?"


    "Oh, because of my sword. Oh, right. I guess it wasn''t completely of my own free will. More like an implied obligation."


    "Your peace-bound sword? I had heard they were meaningful to some groups, yet have never heard the details directly."


    "Hmm, right, Sergeant Xiang said most people don''t know, even grunts and basic guards don''t seem to recognize it. Second Captain Lou did recognise it, and all but demanded I help him out. I think he just wanted me to distract the inept Inspector Choun for a bit so they could get more people through the gates. Yada yada, you know the rest."


    "I don''t, actually. Tan was very tight-lipped."


    "Oh." Shae nodded and gave Yun a fast overview of what happened, answering some questions along the way.


    <hr>


    <blockquote>


    "Hmm, so he did refer to you as an outside contractor when introducing you to Tan, that we should remember."


    </blockquote>


    Shae nodded and continued the story.


    <blockquote>


    "Princess Tan! Really! You said that!" Yun laughed heartily, a more open and joyful laugh than the surprised one she had broken into earlier.


    </blockquote>


    Her laughter was short lived, yet it returned throughout Shae''s narration.


    <blockquote>


    "Haha, what fun teasing, and you say she was blushing the whole time? Do you think he''ll court her now?"


    "He''d better." Shae said sternly.


    "Hah, I agree. Tell you what, I''ll keep an eye on them, and maybe give a little push if nothing happens."


    "Heh, thanks Yun." The young woman smiled.


    "So that''s how you found it? It wasn''t just on the roof, right?"


    "Right."


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    </blockquote>


    Shae continued her story.


    <blockquote>


    "Why the noodles?"


    "I was hungry." She shrugged and continued.


    </blockquote>


    <hr>


    "And that''s when the trap triggered. The rest is kind of a blur of pain and panic."


    Yun patted her hand. "I don''t need you to relive that now. Tan''s report might be more useful for what happened."


    Shae frowned.


    "Not that you''re unreliable. Rather, that kind of situation tends to warp our perceptions. What you experienced may be easily summarized by a more experienced cultivator."


    "Oh, right. Except the thing in my arm that they have no clue about." She chuckled.


    "And did you want to fill me in on what that was?"


    "Hmm. I''m not sure. I don''t think it''s something I''m supposed to have. Not yet, at least."


    "You do seem to like doing things far too early, out of order, and quickly. Van said you already improved your mental focus? How?"


    "Heh, I spent a few tough hours learning to swing a knarr." She chuckled. "Heh, that sounds so unimpressive, I know. It had a weight enchantment, so I had to use qi strength. Then I pushed my mental focus to improve accuracy of the ax strike, and also to reduce qi usage. That brief window where the blade is descending and about to hit wood worked as a great focal point."


    "Weren''t you with the caravan? Why were you chopping wood?"


    "Oh! You probably didn''t hear. There was a mudslide: it washed dozens of trees across the road. I had to clear it before the caravan got there. A dozen-ish li north of the city."


    "Why you?"


    The young woman shrugged. "Because I agreed to help. I was acting as runner and scout for Mistress Ping. So she had an easy means of asking, and we worked something out. A guy in town named Fedir had the knarr, though he calls it Marta."


    "Marta? Well, okay, that all follows easily enough. And you had to return it after, which is why you came back," the young woman nodded and the older continued, "but surely you couldn''t have practiced mental focus more than a few times, maybe a dozen or two if you spaced it out and recovered properly. Which you wouldn''t have known to do. How soon did you almost pass out?"


    "Actually that took a while, I had almost cleared out one side of the road before it really hit me, but I think my qi was helping maintain me. Less than an hour."


    "Hmmm, that shouldn''t be that easy. You must have had strong mental focus to begin with. I don''t think it would carry over from your past life, but other challenges might have forced you to train it."


    "Huh, didn''t consider that. I don''t think I could have trained it in my past life, unless putting up with screaming children counts. Heh. Even if I had, it would need to be attached to my soul and not my mind, right?" She missed Yun''s raised eyebrow as she continued thinking out loud. "Hmm, other challenges, there have been several things that could fit. The only repeated one was enduring Elder Ghon''s directed tempering."


    "Directed tempering? Did you mention that before? I think I knew you were tempered, but directed tempering is rare. Takes a lot of effort from the Elder controlling it."


    Shae wobbled her head and hand with uncertainty. "He kinda got to cheat a little. He used the mountain''s pressure as the tempering force, and just had to monitor me. I had to push through and stay conscious, so the session could last longer. Longer sessions meant fewer, he said."


    Yun nodded. "Yes, I suppose that could do it. You might have strengthened your mental focus by reflex, just straining to stay awake. I''m not sure the old man would have noticed your tenacity, since directed tempering is so rare."


    "Heh, the stone-faced grump probably wouldn''t have said, even if he had noticed. Send him a letter and ask."


    "Me? Why not you?"


    "Surely, Miss family-contacts-everywhere has to have a good reputation with an old man on a mountain."


    "Pfffff. Silly girl!" She mussed up Shae''s hair. "So, back to your other absurd exploits. You almost passed out after an hour of work? Then what? Came back? Van said something about Master Long noticing."


    "Oh, I took a quick break, hired some locals to move logs, then kept going. Swinging Marta and focus-training my way through the other, more crowded side of the road. Not as sloppily as the first time, though. I used it more sparingly and took more breaks."


    Yun stared at her, clearly expecting something else. "You''re serious?"


    "Uh, yep!"


    "Even with some existing mental strength, you should have been unconscious after a few dozen well-trained focus strikes. I can''t even imagine." She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "How? Focus use takes hours to recover from."


    Shae coughed. "Like I told Van, I think some of the enlightenment from the other day helped me out. It must have let me recover faster."


    Yun frowned. "Theoretically possible, but why are you lying about it? If you were going to boast about something, just say that you got an enlightenment while working, and used it to keep going. That''s still absurd but believable."


    The young cultivator looked down at her lap. "Sorry. I''m worried."


    The fairy sighed and reached a hand over her shoulder to pull her into a side hug. "I promise, whatever it is, I won''t make fun of you for it."


    Shae snorted a laugh. "I''m more worried that it''s not something I should be able to do, like the little orb thing in my arm was, and how people will react to either."


    "Shouldn''t we just be excited for you? Unique bloodline abilities and body constitutions are rare, but they are generally seen as positive. What really worries you?"


    "Hmm, I guess I might be overreacting. But like, you know the other night, when I refined that nectar qi, then got it into the spirit water without contaminating it?"


    "Yes, that was a little impressive, but not impossible. Just improbable for your stage."


    "Right, so if that was more important, someone might turn me into some kind of living qi filter, just doing that all day with no freedom!"


    "You have heard far too many stories." Yun squeezed their hug tighter for a beat. "People don''t do that. Rumors claim demonic cultivators did that to people a long time ago. Yet, even back then, honorable sects put a lot of effort into wiping them out. Divine Inquiries, like the one you experienced are a huge part of that. They are supported by the Heavens directly but must be used cautiously. Soul Calming Root has also helped a lot for the really nasty and evasive demons and cultists."


    "Huh? How so?" She scratched her head. "Uhh, did I hear this already? It is sounding familiar."


    "Heh, I think I mentioned it while you were rather angry at Master Long, so I guess I shouldn''t be surprised. Did the others you received it from not explain it either?"


    "They said it did what it says on the tin. Calms the soul. The monks said it... increases harmony between the body and soul, or something? Then they wouldn''t answer my follow up questions."


    "What follow up did you ask?"


    "Hmm, how our bodies could be not harmonized already, if we were born with our souls."


    "Ahh." She sucked in air through her teeth. "I can see why they didn''t answer that."


    Shae groaned. "You too?"


    "Mmhm. Me too. Though, I don''t think I could give you a solid answer anyway."


    "So about the root then?"


    "Right, in short, if a person''s soul is corrupted, or wrong in some specific ways, then the root acts like a poison. High doses can kill outright. What is usually served in testing tea, like you received, is only enough to show the effect, not do permanent harm."


    "So, if I was some cultist, I''d start coughing up blood, or something?"


    "Hmm, I''ve never seen it, but I''d bet that''s one possibility. Depends on the specific case, I believe."


    "Hmmm. Uh. What about just not liking the flavor?" The young woman asked cautiously, then turned to look up at Yun for the answer.


    She raised an eyebrow. "I suppose. Stronger or older souls can supposedly taste it, like you say you can. So, it makes sense they would not like the taste."


    "Uhh, that''s maybe bad then."


    "Oh? Why?"


    Shae quickly explained her encounter with Inspector Choun and how he disliked the addition of the diluted spiritual water, which was stored in the old Soul Calming Root bottle.


    "...But, I guess we mixed it with old tea. And it wasn''t served in glass, like spiritual water should be. His cup was bone china, can spiritual water dissolve bone?" Shae backtracked at the end, making a few reasonable excuses for the situation.


    Yun''s worried expression finally broke. "Well, those are good points, actually. You had me rather worried there, but spiritual water can bring out strange tastes. I''ll follow up with Chef Van, he will be interested to hear the results of the mixing either way."


    "Thanks, -"


    An odd knock came from the door. Then some weirdly distorted speaking.


    "What?" Shae asked.


    She looked at Yun and the woman shrugged.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 35: Doctor Whomst Among Us

    <hr>


    Chapter 35: "Doctor Whomst Among Us."


    <hr>


    The odd knock sounded from the door again. It was hollow and almost echoed, like it was coming from down a long hallway.


    "Oh, that''s the privacy formation." Yun went to the door and opened it. "Yes?"


    "Why hello miss Fairy. I am Doctor Ho, here to check on Miss Zhi."


    "Wrong room, this is Wise Shae''s room." She closed the door and turned back to Shae. "Now where were... we...?"


    Zhi Shae was covering her mouth and trying not to laugh.


    "Oh. Right," Yun said and briefly hunched her shoulders.


    A single knock struck the door and Yun opened it immediately. "Yes?"


    The Doctor gave her a raised eyebrow, but she held firm. "I am here to check on a..." He looked at his clipboard, "Wise Zhi Shae."


    "Of course." Yun said and smoothly stepped back from the open door.


    Shae did her best impression of someone utterly failing to hold in laughter.


    "Well, it''s good to see you are in a pleasant mood, Wise Zhi. The pair outside warned me you might be foul."


    The reminder broke away some of the humor. "Ahhh, ha-heh. Well, I guess Fairy Yun can be commended for lightening my mood. Are you going to get this cast off?"


    "It''s more of a brace, but yes, I think so. I found your unique flesh heals amazingly fast, especially when healing qi is added."


    "Yes! That''s great to hear. Oh, and I should thank you, Doctor Ho. I''m sure it wasn''t an easy task, even with the quick healing." She smiled.


    "Hah, you''re not wrong. Frankly, if you were not a cultivator, you would have lost the arm from the state you left it in."


    Yun gasped. "It was that bad?" She looked almost as concerned as when she first rushed into the room.


    "That severe, yes it was. Bad is too subjective. All injuries are bad, yes?" He smirked as he unlatched the brace holding her arm steady. "Now, I''ll need some time. Carry on as you were, please."


    The women exchanged glances then shrugged at each other and went back to flipping through the law book. Their conversation instantly switched to murmurs and pointing at the pages. Shae understood immediately that Yun was slowing down for her, letting her be involved. She thought she had pointed them in a few new directions, so didn''t feel bad about it. Even if slower, the tangled web of legal jargon was still being unwound.


    The key they focused on now was that Shae had been essentially hired by the guard to assist. Initially it was only an implied request, but Lou had introduced her as a consultant to Tan. If they''re argument held up, it meant the city would be liable for Shae''s injuries during the job. Same as any employee.


    However, if she had accepted the public reward, the implied dynamic would change. Shae still wasn''t convinced Tan''s deception was appropriate, but could now see some of the why.


    "In either case," Shae had to ask, "any claim on the found item?" She pointed at herself, with a raised eyebrow.


    Yun understood the half-question; they had reached a shared mental wavelength and were dancing around most of the specifics because the doctor was in the room, and the privacy formation on the door was off.


    The fairy wavered, tilting her head back and forth, wobbling a hand, then frowned and gave a thumbs down briefly before flipping to a section they had reviewed several times and tapping a paragraph.


    It was the section detailing outcomes from damage to evidence during an investigation. Employees and contractors would be investigated, but not held liable. Whereas outside agents could be fined for such occurrences. Shae sucked in air sharply as she read. "That''s bad." She thought for a breath. "So we need to double down?"


    Yun raised an eyebrow and looked at the door then back.


    Shae mimed placing a key in a lock and turning it. "Click."


    Yun smirked and nodded. Then gasped. "Shae, your arm!"


    She looked over and made a startled noise. The doctor had removed the bandage and her arm was, charitably, a mess. The damage started at her upper arm where the incision from the surgery to remove her mysterious marble made a clean line half a hand long. It was slightly red, but was otherwise just a faint scar with a few small stitches.


    The rest of her arm was a disaster zone. At the elbow, where the furthest shadow qi strands had reached, thin black lines started. The flesh around them was red and puffy. Yet, it was the quantity that was the concern. It reminded Shae of Yungfan''s tattoos. Not like the single one she now held, but more like the mass of writhing, moving tattoos the monk possessed.


    These didn''t move, and were all identical, but the density was there, like dense cobwebs that had been woven over each other repeatedly. They joined together like streams into a river as they went down her arm, collecting together at her palm, where a large black spot resided.


    Ah, right, they breached out from the ring, not the other way. Unlike branches and rivers though, the lines stayed thin. They clustered but never got beyond the width of a pin until reaching her palm.


    "Doctor Ho, is that safe?" Yun asked.


    "Hmm? Oh the lines? Yes, perfectly safe. We scanned them thoroughly. Just scar tissue tinted by dormant qi."


    "Dormant shadow qi?" Shae asked.


    "Well yes." He looked at the young woman. "You don''t remember what you did, do you?"


    Her flat stare was answer enough.


    "Instead of destroying all the qi, you seem to have deactivated some of it, stripped it of all power and intent. It likely slowed the curse down considerably and saved your life. Or your arm, at least."


    "Can it reactivate?" Yun asked as she reached out to run a finger over one of the lines.


    "Hehe, tickles."


    "The reddened skin will be sensitive. But no, it shouldn''t reactivate. You should be able to cleanse it away naturally. It should even fade in the sun and break up on its own."


    "Heh. I did want to get a tan again."


    A cough came from the door.


    "Not you!" Shae called with annoyance.


    "Not yet." Yun corrected with an apologetic frown. "Can she be released?"


    "Yes, I believe so. Try not to exert yourself too much before the healing completes. I''d normally say a few weeks, but this flesh is so different that I can''t be sure."


    "That different?" Yun asked.


    "We don''t get many patients with strange body constitutions in here. Most have their own doctors through their sects." He shrugged. "Is it reproducible? Can you cleanse your whole body like this?" He asked with clear interest.


    Shae shook her head. "Unlikely. And I wouldn''t want to try it on my head and organs, anyway. The process was very messy and destructive."


    "Ah, yes that type of body cultivation is always a bit... existential, for the young." Doctor Ho nodded sagely.


    Shae looked at Yun with an eyebrow raised. The older cultivator smirked like she knew something. "Uhm, well," she looked at her hand again. "Couldn''t you cut it out?"


    "Certainly. If you''d like to spend even longer healing as your flesh slowly regrows. But, if you had that kind of time, I don''t doubt you could have just grown a new arm and saved plenty of effort."


    Yun gasped. "Full regeneration, Doctor?"


    Shae''s eyes bugged out. That would have been much easier.


    He shrugged and smirked. "It''s not something you want to test. But maybe. I did some digging after the surgery, and the closest match seems to be divine cleansing."


    Shae''s mouth went dry. So it has been done before.


    "That''s just a rumor, though." Yun said and squeezed Shae''s leg.


    "Of course." Ho agreed.


    "Uhm. What is it?" Shae asked genuinely curious now.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yun hesitated, nodding to Doctor Ho.


    "It takes a few forms in stories and rumors of cultivation techniques. If anyone has done it, they refuse to be tested, or sampled." He paused while debating how to explain. "One common method is to use enlightenment qi to cleanse and refine a certain body part. Eyes are common. Nervous system, or just a part of it, like the spinal cord. Though, a manual would point to a specific meridian and specific branch, vague directions leading to a similar result." He frowned slightly and rolled his eyes. "The quantity of qi, however, requires a grand effort of enlightenment, or several combined efforts. Many that have tried could not complete the refinement and so aimed for a lesser result."


    After a pause, the young woman asked, "but if done fully, the result is supposed to be divine flesh?"


    Ho nodded. "Though the name isn''t specific, and gets used a lot to mean other things."


    Yun picked up the thread. "Stories also speak of certain items giving similar results. That is usually just assumed to be written as comparison. As good as, not literally divine flesh. And then there''s ascension once beyond nascent soul stage."


    Doctor Ho waved to stop her. "No need to speculate about that. The girl''s far too young for it."


    "True, but it''s an interesting fact." She paused and let the doctor shrug. Shae was clearly still interested, so Yun continued, "Supposedly, to ascend beyond immortality, your body needs to be perfect. Meaning you must completely purify your mortal form, or build a new one."


    Shae''s eyebrows rose. "That is too far to think ahead. I can barely cleanse properly. Maybe worse now if my lightning has changed, hairpins might not help anymore." She looked at her right hand again and saw something missing. "Hey where''s my pin?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Oh, were you wearing it as a ring again?" Yun asked.


    She nodded.


    "Oh. I think I know to what you refer. I''m afraid it was destroyed. A mangled scrap of twisted iron was all we found around your center finger."


    Shae scowled at him. "And you took it and threw it out? Go get it, Doctor Ho. It is important."


    He looked shocked and slightly upset, switching between the two expressions.


    Yun silently applied some social force with an insistent expression.


    Shae raised her voice and looked at the door. "Or perhaps Inspector Tan and your surgery assistant know where it went? Should I ask if anything else is missing?"


    Doctor Ho''s expression flashed with anger. He took a step back, bowing slightly and excusing himself from the room without a word.


    "Well done." Yun patted Shae''s hand.


    She smirked, then whispered, "and for my next trick." Then she called to the door again. "Second Captain Lou, do you have a moment?"


    He came in quickly. "Wise Shae, Fairy Yun. I''d like to apologize on behalf of the guards-"


    "That''s fine, Lou." Shae interrupted. "Close the door and turn on the privacy formation, please?"


    He did. "Turn on?" He asked as he stepped away from the glowing formation.


    "Sorry, old slang. I should also apologize for my behavior earlier, but it seems my actions and emotions weren''t entirely my own fault. Let''s just move on for now. When you first approached me, what were your intentions?"


    Lou was slightly shocked. Then a flush hit his neck when he looked at Yun. Any expression she held was gone by the time Shae looked.


    Lou coughed. "Simply to distract Choun. I''m ashamed to say I didn''t expect much from you, sorry."


    She shrugged. "I don''t look like much. Yet, you implied my sword carried responsibility, surely more than just a petty distraction?"


    He shrugged. "Yes, I suppose it does imply more than that. A different day I might have asked for more, and more directly."


    "And when you do, is it just favors? Or proper consulting work for real pay?"


    He considered, "Depends on the case, how official it needs to be."


    "When inspector Choun asked you to take me for a stroll on the wall, was that official enough?"


    "Hmm, that was just to see the city, I believe."


    "Alright, let''s talk hypotheticals. If you had known I was affiliated with the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect, and knew that I was more capable than I looked. Let''s say I was older and more experienced than my current appearance suggests. Would you have hired me to investigate, or consult?"


    "For the crime scene specifically? No, that would imply I thought you were better than the existing inspectors. Besides, I''m a wall guard captain, not the inspector''s captain. Wouldn''t be my place to act."


    "Right." Shae chewed her lip for a breath. "Why did you take me down into the slums? If we were only to see the city from the wall?"


    "Hmm." He thought, then nodded. "As you said, due diligence. You were asking the right questions, and it would feel wrong to not let you try, since you wanted to."


    "And just anyone can try? Anyone can request Inspector Tan walk them through a crime scene? Just to have a go?"


    "Well, no. Obviously, it was a unique situation."


    "Unique? Or one that was by the books, if slightly off them? One where you introduced me to Tan as a consultant?"


    "Did I?" Lou asked and fell into silent thought. "Huh. I guess I did. That was mostly to get you in, though. Can''t say it meant a lot, no offense."


    "Just to get me in? So casual. Do you lie to your co-workers often to get things done, to grease the wheels?"


    His expression darkened. "I don''t appreciate that accusation, Miss Shae. Why the leading questions? Are you trying to trick me into something?"


    Shae raised her hands, palms out, then was distracted by being able to move her right hand again.


    Lou leaned in to get a better look at her freed arm, but just frowned at it. He had seen it before.


    Shae got back on topic. "Uhm. Not at all. A trick wouldn''t be enough for a proper agreement, you could easily deny it and point out the obvious trap. Being a government official gives you power to deny that kind of thing. Unlike in the reverse case, an official can trick a peasant or outsider, and getting that sorted out is nearly impossible for the pleasant."


    The young woman paused to frown at the door. "Too bad inspector Tan didn''t overhear that. I feel she really should." She inhaled quickly and huffed. "Yun, I''d ask Lou to do it, but it might affect his budding romance."


    "Oh, and we wouldn''t want that! I''ll see if I can''t find a time to repeat the point to the inspector."


    The two smiled conspiratorially then Lou cleared his throat, a darker blush was creeping up his neck.


    "Ah! Right, where was I?" Shae asked the room. "Tricks? Yes! Second Captain Lou, I am trying to determine if my presence at the crime scene was in an official capacity. Even informally official. I believe Tan''s actions were to push me into firmly being an outsider acting on their own. Accepting the reward would certainly suggest that. Whereas if I had been hired or even officially requested to look into the situation, I think the outcome, and the city''s responsibility will be significantly different."


    "The outcome, Wise Shae?" Lou looked puzzled. "How would that affect the smuggling case?"


    "Oh, not that, my language was vague."


    "The outcome of pocketbooks, Second Captain Lou." Yun explained. "What, if anything, is owed to Wise Shae for her assistance and injury." She tapped the law book for emphasis.


    "Surely the injury is resolved? You look, mostly fine." He asked.


    Shae flexed her hand, testing for pain. It was sore, and the stitches pulled, but was surprisingly well off, considering. "I used a lot of power to fight that trap off. Power beyond simple qi collection. Whether you believe that or not doesn''t really matter. Doctor Ho just ran off to find the remains of a unique spiritual tool that may have been destroyed. And when I say unique, I mean it was one of a set of three living metal acupuncture pins that were created during a heavenly tribulation. So, it''s safe to say it would be very hard to replace."


    Lou paled slightly. Any signs of the blush on his neck vanishing as well.


    "Both you and Tan were ready to warn me not to use the ring. As though you knew it could be trapped. Yet, prior to that, there was no warning of that possibility. Even when you saw me personally searching for the thing. What excuse do you have for that failure to communicate?"


    His training had kicked in while she talked. His posture straightened and his expression became flat and stoic. He took a beat to collect an answer. "Considering a recent discussion with Inspector Tan, I can say neither of us truly expected you to find it. The warning didn''t seem necessary as shadow qi was mentioned. Shadow cultivators usually trap their valuable items."


    The room stayed silent for a few breaths.


    "It seems my appearance, and perhaps my actions, have led me to be underestimated yet again. To my severe detriment." Shae sighed.


    Yun rubbed the young woman''s back. "And yet, they overestimated your knowledge of shadow qi." Shae looked up at that. "Or it''s a clearly hypocritical lie to cover their blunder." Yun finished by glaring at Lou.


    He coughed. "I accept that we did make a mistake. It was very hypocritical of us. In my case, all our on duty guards were briefed of the risk, thus I overlooked the need. I cannot speak for Tan in that matter."


    "On duty." Shae pointed at the man. "Again, an action that treats me as working with the guards." She looked up to Yun. "Do we have enough?"


    "Maybe. Something more formal would be nicer, but I think I can work with this. Thank you, Second Captain Lou."


    He relaxed. "Is it really that important? Heh. I''ll lay out a few coins as payment if it clears up the situation faster."


    Yun shook her head. "This isn''t about a few coins anymore. And even if you did, a transcript of this conversation could easily look like we browbeat you into it. We need to establish what was socially expected of Shae. Show that she felt she was working for you. Not just acting on her own."


    He looked contemplative. "Then it hinges on her peace-bound sword. The expectations involved in that are vague at best. But we should establish its credibility before she leaves."


    Yun nodded. "I agree."


    "Wait, I''m leaving? When?"


    Yun giggled. "Hehe of course Shae. You have a caravan to catch, no?"


    "Oh. Yeah, I suppose." She flexed her arm. "Guess I was expecting to lose more time to this."


    Lou chuckled. "What were your words earlier? You can make up a few hours on the road?"


    "Heh, yes. But this legal mess doesn''t look like it''s going to wrap up today. Don''t I need to be here for that? Even if I''d rather not be."


    "Usually, for legal matters, you hire or appoint a representative." Yun smirked.


    "Ah! Yun! You''re the best! You''ll handle this for me? What will it cost me?" She extended her arms to hug the woman beside her.


    Accepting the hug, she said, "I will handle this for you. I think we''ve sorted out most of the paper knots already, so it''s mostly talking to the right people. Which I''m quite good at. As for cost, I''m your friend, do you really think I''d charge you money?"


    "Mmh, Fairy Yun is so kind and talented." The young woman mumbled into her friend. Then she sighed, "It is nice to hug with two arms again."


    Yun giggled, "You were only without it for an hour at best. Don''t act like it was years." She mussed up the young woman''s hair and returned the hug.


    Another knock came at the door.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 36: Hardly Enough Lunch

    <hr>


    Chapter 36: "Hardly Enough Lunch."


    <hr>


    Another knock came at the door.


    "Who dares interrupt hug time with Fairy Yun!" Shae called out in mock outrage. She looked up to see the second captain. "Oh, Lou, you''re still here?"


    "Well, yes. You didn''t ask me to leave."


    "What am I, the guard captain? I don''t need to dismiss you, do I?"


    "Well, no. But I am here for your protection."


    The knock came again, sharper this time, then the door opened to admit Doctor Ho, the formations flashing just before it opened. "Sorry to interrupt, but I do have a busy schedule." He came in and handed Shae an envelope. "Nurse Jo had placed it with your other belongings, which you can recover at the front desk. Inspector Tan assures me we acted according to policy. If you are still upset about it, there are channels other than me to vent your frustration. You are clear to leave, please fill out the paperwork at the front desk." He bowed curtly and left.


    "Oh, Doctor Ho." Shae called. "My apologies for my earlier attitude, anesthesia and all. Thank you for your hard work."


    He looked back to nod to her then left.


    She looked at the envelope, it was stamped with an official looking seal, like letterhead paper would be. "Oh? What''s this?" She flashed it between Yun and Lou.


    "That''s the emblem of the city guard. Well, the one for paperwork." Lou replied.


    "Uhm? Why?" She was still confused.


    "We are at the guard''s hospital." Yun smirked at her.


    "Oh, okay." She cracked it open and dumped out the single bent piece of wire it contained. "Ah!" She yelped.


    "Hmm?" Yun hummed a question.


    "I think it moved." Shae looked at the metal wire in her hand with a creased forehead.


    "Well, you did say it was a living spiritual tool, yes?" She leaned over for a better look.


    Lou had also stepped forward to do the same.


    "Well, yea, but it never moved on its own. Just flexed easily and could be straightened out with a bit of qi flow."


    "Hmm, try it out." Yun smirked again.


    Shae tilted her head and shrugged. Running a small bit of her qi down her arm. Slowly at first, she was still weary of her injury, then to her palm where the pin sat. "A bit of qi, then I just pull it, and think it should straighten-" she reached with her left to bend the pin, but before touching it the pin twitched then snapped fully straight. "Ah!" She almost dropped it. Then once she caught her breath she said, "That''s new."


    Yun finally released her held laugh, bursting into giggles and louder guffaws.


    Lou wasn''t as entertained, but had a wide smile. "That is in line with what I expect from a living tool. Can you get it into other shapes? Just with a thought?"


    Shae tried to frown at the woman beside her, but her own smile was hard to resist. "Well, clearly someone was expecting that." She focused back on the pin, and the ring shape she usually bent it into. Sure enough, it curled into the ring shape after a short delay. "Huh. That''s handy. Much easier than it used to be."


    "So, you avoided losing a rare spiritual tool? That''s good." Lou commented.


    She nodded and removed one of the other hairpins that she was still wearing as earrings. "Hmm, guess I need to sort out what changed, the other ones didn''t change too."


    Yun rubbed her back, "I believe you can figure it out. If not now, it can be a research project at the sect."


    "Hmm, any suggestions?"


    The pair of adults looked at each other, then grinned. "I think you can handle it." Yun said.


    "Traitors!" Shae called out, then smiled.


    A cough came from the hallway.


    "Oh, right, door''s open again." She huffed, then put her earring and ring back on. Grabbing the envelope to clear it away, she froze. "Wait, we''re at the guard''s hospital? That''s not open to serving the public is it?"


    "Heh, I was wondering when you would catch that." Yun smirked.


    "Ugh, why didn''t you mention it earlier?"


    "I didn''t want you to rely on just that fact, it''s not enough anyway."


    "But is it something?" Shae turned to Lou. "Why was I brought here, instead of a public hospital?"


    He shrugged. "We were on guard business, and the inspectors don''t have a hospital."


    Shae gestured to the man with an open hand and looked at Yun.


    "Okay, that is a good response." The fairy conceded.


    Lou raised an eyebrow.


    Shae tapped the law book as though that was answer enough. Then she frowned at the door. "Is Tan still out there?"


    Lou nodded. "I believe so."


    Shae sighed and looked at Yun. "I should apologize, shouldn''t I?"


    Yun shrugged and smiled. "If you think you need to. We should get going, either way."


    "Hmm, only if there is food on the way. I''m starving."


    "You ate earlier." Lou commented.


    "Half a bowl of noodles is hardly enough lunch," she complained.


    "Oh, what kind?" Yun asked.


    "Uh, spicy? From a street cart."


    Lou filled in the blank for Yun. "Soba noodles in sweet cream sauce. Lots of spice."


    "Oh, those are nice. Though I prefer slightly less spice, myself. Is that what you want?" She asked the young woman.


    "Hmm, maybe something heavier? What about something like that last course Chef Van made? The dumplings? Any food carts do those?"


    "Hmm, not sure, we could probably get Van to make some, but it wouldn''t be quick."


    "Dumplings? There''s a place in the north quarter that works fast." Lou suggested.


    "Oh, you''ll have to show us then." Yun smiled.


    "Bring Tan along!" Shae insisted.


    "Really? I''d think you''d want some distance, still?" Lou asked.


    Shae shrugged. "I plan on making nice, well, trying to." She looked around the room. "Ugh, not in here, this room isn''t helping my mood. Can we go now?"


    Everyone nodded in agreement and they set off, first stop, just outside the door.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Inspector Tan." Shae said pleasantly.


    "Wise Shae." She returned. "You''re doing well?"


    "Well enough. Some of me heals fast. I need to say something, Inspector Tan." She inhaled deeply.


    The group was interrupted and pushed to the side as a group of nurses passed by in a rush.


    "We could go back in?" Lou pointed at the room.


    "No, there''s too much bad air in that room." Shae gave half a smile. "Inspector Tan, I apologize for my earlier behavior. While I was under the influence of those drugs, to some degree. That doesn''t excuse everything. To you as well, Second Captain Lou. I''m sure my age could excuse some behavior, but that doesn''t mean I need to let it, or let myself ignore my mistakes."


    They both looked at each other and nodded. "Considering the circumstances, I hold nothing against you, you are forgiven." Lou bowed.


    "I agree. If I wanted a reasonable discussion, I should have chosen a better time to pester you." Tan smirked. " You are forgiven. Now let me apologize as well."


    "Hmm, no, not yet." Shae shook her head. "I need to thank you both first."


    "You did before." Lou said.


    "Not properly, I don''t think. At least, I feel I need to say it again. Lou, thank you for quickly retrieving my spiritual water, and for hesitating enough to not cut off my arm." She smirked. "That must have been a challenge to trust me enough to not do the most pragmatic thing."


    He shrugged. "The noodles slowed me down."


    Yun raised an eyebrow. "The noodles? The same ones as earlier?"


    He nodded and mimed eating them.


    Shae ignored the distraction. "Tan, thank you for guiding me through the trap. And at the end, for... interrupting me." She paused. "I hesitate only in the wording, nothing more. While I still believe in the words I was saying at the time, you were right to think there could have been unintended consequences." She bowed low to them both.


    Tan smiled, "It was what needed to be done at the time, nothing more."


    "Still, I feel I might owe you both. As silly as that sounds. I''m not familiar enough with these kinds of debts. Perhaps a small favor, not work related, something personal."


    The two smiled, though Lou''s was more smirk.


    "That sounds fine, though we both owe you as well. In a work related way." Tan inclined her head. "You did resolve the case, after all."


    Shae waved a hand. "Bah, I''ve had enough of that, let my legal counsel handle it." She leaned into Yun.


    Yun smoothly picked up the thread, "Yes, I insist I do. Inspector Tan, please direct all further matters to me directly. I will be representing Wise Zhi Shae from here on out."


    Tan paled slightly. "Uh, of course. But I must ask, because my superior would require me to: what interest does the house of Yun have in the smuggling case?"


    Shae looked up and mouthed ''house?''


    "Not my house, and not in the whole case. This is just me representing Shae. As her friend, I need to watch out for her interests."


    Tan relaxed considerably. "Oh."


    "And considering there is a spatial item involved. We must make sure little Shae gets everything she is owed."


    Tan slouched. "Oh."


    Silence stretched out briefly until Shae''s stomach gurgled loudly. "To dumplings!" She called out and turned to walk down the hallway.


    "Other way." Lou chirped.


    She quickly rushed back.


    "And we have paperwork at the front desk to do," Yun chimed.


    The young woman slowed. "Aww. Can''t you do that for me later?"


    Yun snorted. "I''m your legal counsel, not your assistant."


    Lou followed behind but Tan did not.


    "Tan!" Shae called and waved. "You''re coming too!"


    "Uh, am I? I don''t think you need me at the front desk."


    "No, for food! You have to come, or..." She smirked.


    "I don''t like that look. I''ll come."


    "Aww." The young woman deflated slightly.


    The paperwork went quickly; Yun asked for a copy to be sent to her and Shae had to sign off on the request.


    Their walk to the edge of the city was brief and Lou''s dumpling restaurant was a small mom and pop shop tucked away off the main road. They all got a table together, but Yun and Shae ditched as soon as their food arrived, saying they needed to hit the road. Coincidentally forcing Lou and Tan to share a meal together. The dumplings weren''t exactly road food, but Yun''s spatial item made it a simple task to juggle the food and Shae''s bag.


    "Hmm, it''s going to take all night to catch up." Shae whined as she finished the delicious meal.


    "For you maybe, but this is why I''m here." Yun smirked then removed something from her spatial storage.


    As she unfolded it, it looked like a large version of a folding fan. "Oh! Is that a flying fan?" Shae gasped.


    "Haha, not quite. Flying treasures are rather expensive and rare, almost as much as spatial items. I don''t move around enough to justify flight."


    "Expensive? I thought cultivators could just jump on a sword or fan and fly it around?" The young cultivator jumped into a surfing pose.


    "Hehehe," Yun giggled at her antics, "maybe once at or above nascent soul, but no. The rest of us are ground bound. Well, unless you have a particularly compatible qi aspect. Wind is good for that. And some sword cultivators learn to fly early. We are stuck with the lesser gliding today." She unfurled the item and wrapped it around her like a cape.


    "Oooh! Pretty!" Shae cooed. It was mostly a cape, with the outer edge pleated and like a folding fan. It attached at Yun''s neck and to her upper arms, producing a sweeping frill across her back.


    "Ready?" Yun asked and beckoned Shae to her.


    She wiped dumpling sauce off herself with a handkerchief. "Hah, I was half expecting you to sweep me up like last-" right as Shae returned the handkerchief to her robes Yun did just that, grabbing the smaller woman and sprinting down the road. Shae let out a surprised shriek then laughed with glee.


    As they picked up speed Shae noticed the frilled cape billow out like a strong head wind was holding it up. Yun''s run gradually became hops that held them in the air much longer than natural as the spiritual tool gently held them off the ground.


    Yun expertly controlled their descent, gliding into a long swoop just above the ground instead of a sudden drop. Each time they came close to the ground she would run and kick off several times, raising their speed again before pushing them into the air.


    "Mmm, Yun, do you need to concentrate?" Shae asked quietly.


    "A bit, yes. Did you need something?"


    "No, I just wanted to talk. I''ll try to rest instead." She snuggled into the woman''s arms and relaxed. The speed and jostling wasn''t much worse than a car or airplane, so she quickly found peace in meditation.


    Quickly her mind found the questions her manifold journey had left her with. Then ones that she was supposed to think about today. Guess being on the road brought them back up? She wondered.


    She remembered the qi practice as well, but recalled it was to be used after contemplating the questions. She had little more thought for the questions now, but one stuck out more than the others. They were all light-ish philosophies about violence, but she saw now that they were not intended as moral high ground to look down on others from.


    The one that caught her was a very similar case to what happened to her. Broadly, if one lashes out in defense, yet strikes a killing blow, is that a just defense or simple uncontrolled violence? The practice''s name of Painful Landing seemed to fit well with her guilt.


    Yun roused her from meditation some time later, but she didn''t feel like she progressed much further in her contemplation.


    "Have we arrived already?"


    "Not yet, only half way there, I think. We are passing through a town." She pointed ahead and Shae spotted one or two lights in the distance. The darkness of night had fully arrived while she rested.


    "Oh! Still, that seems fast. Are we slowing to a walk? I could use a stretch."


    "We can, yes." Yun didn''t slow right away, but waited until the gates were within sight.


    "Gates and walls? I thought this was supposed to be a small town."


    "Most towns north of Flame Well need walls. Spirit beast activity rises as you approach the mountains." She set Shae down to walk on her own.


    "Hmm, so there are lots around the sect?"


    "Not lots, but more than here, certainly. They do a good job keeping the immediate area clear. The beasts are drawn to the increased qi density. The other less populated mountains, those are much worse. Supposedly getting through the range is impossible without cultivator protection."


    "Supposedly?"


    "There are rumors of runners making it through. Desperate couriers seeking their fortune with a single delivery." Yun shook her head. "I don''t recommend it."


    Shae hummed in agreement. Then focused and started the Painful Landing qi practice.


    "Hmm?" Yun asked.


    "Qi practice. A simpler one today. Might have to use it a bit tomorrow, since today was kind of a bust."


    "Ah yes, from those monk''s. Speaking of practice. I still can''t believe you made progress with mental focus." She shook her head in disbelief.


    "Heh, yea, yesterday was quite the training montage."


    "Huh?"


    "Oh, sorry, don''t know the word for that. Hmm, training sprint? That''s close. Is there a way to test focus?"


    "Hmm. They have tools for it at the sect. Though you should avoid them. Such early progress might set unreasonable expectations."


    Shae grunted. "Ugh. Right, good point. Van said the same." She hummed in thought. "Let''s not talk about cultivation. Tell me about you. What''s the Yun house? Are you a noble?"


    It was Yun''s turn to grunt. "My family has noble ties, yes. I left that behind when I joined the sect and became a cultivator."


    "Oh? They didn''t want you to?"


    "They didn''t expect the path I chose. They had been hoping for something more... traditional."


    "Aahh! Say no more, if you''d rather not. I think I understand. I suppose we have that in common then."


    Yun looked down at the young woman. "Hmm, maybe not exactly what you''re expecting, but thank you for understanding."


    Shae smiled.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 37: Gifts and Goodbyes

    <hr>


    Chapter 37: "Gifts and Goodbyes."


    <hr>


    They passed through the town''s gates. The guard was surprised to see them, but quickly recognized Fairy Yun as a cultivator.


    "I think I''ll need to come up with a gift for the next time we meet." Yun mused.


    "Huh? Why''s that? I should be thinking of something for you! You''ve already done so much for me."


    "Oh, because I''ve never had a younger sister to spoil!"


    "What!" Shae tried to act offended but couldn''t fight her wide smile.


    "Do you have any specific interests, yet? Profession wise? The four arts are always a classic choice, and you do need to get me a picture of your past self."


    "Oh." She covered her face. "I hoped you had forgotten that."


    "Haha, well, a painting set for sure then. If only to tease you with. Then something else, maybe as an apology for that?"


    "Hah. If that''s what it takes to get gifts from big sis Yun, I''ll suffer through." She snickered.


    "Ah but what to give? Alchemy or forging?"


    Shae frowned. "Neither of those, please. Alchemy will just set me into a rage about science. Forging might do the same, materials science and all, but really it would be uncomfortable, I don''t like the heat that much. Hmm." She placed a hand to her chin to think.


    "That''s too bad, both would benefit from your mental focus. Forging especially would translate well from singing an ax to a hammer."


    The younger cultivator just shrugged. "There are a few that I need to look into. But I''m not sure I''m fully interested in them yet. Oh! I made progress with a formation symbol yesterday."


    "Formations? That''s unexpected. And yesterday? Quite the busy day. What did you do this time?" Yun asked with no enthusiasm.


    "Don''t sound so excited. It was just getting better at a single form, something Elder Ghon showed me to start campfires."


    "A formation for campfires, of course, a valuable skill at least. Sooo~, this was back when you were on Pilgrim''s Rest? What did you do before that?"


    "Not a lot. I had a striking steel, but traded it for food. Bad trade, but I was hungry that day." She sighed. "Most things can be eaten raw, anyway."


    "Ah. That''s unfortunate." Yun reached down to grab the young woman''s hand. "I hope you never need to feel like that again."


    "Thanks Yun." She smiled.


    "But, well, that doesn''t quite answer my question. On the mountain, what were you doing for fire? Just keeping it going, or was Ghon lighting it?"


    "Ugh. No. That jerk kept letting it die out overnight. Then I''d have to relight it. But his stupid formation only worked some of the time."


    "Oh. So there was another formation there already? I can see how a mortal would have a hard time with it." She nodded in understanding.


    Shae looked up at her with confusion. "Just the one formation. The one he taught me the first week I was there. I would carve it into a log, cover it with kindling and a stack of logs. And it would take a few hours, either burn the formation out or light into a full fire. Shoddy thing only worked about a third of the time."


    Yun remained silent for a long breath. Then another. "You absurd girl. Mortals can''t use formations, let alone make them."


    "It was only one symbol and a circle."


    "Show me."


    "Ugh, not you too!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You''re doing the same thing as Long. You need proof, like you can''t just accept what I say."


    Yun picked the young woman up into a hug. "Don''t you dare compare me to that geezer." She squeezed and tickled her. Lifting her up to eye level, she locked eyes and spoke sincerely, "I''m not trying to test you, Shae. I''m honestly impressed and interested in what you''ve done."


    Shae couldn''t stop a smile and laugh from escaping, shattering her previous anger. She switched to hugging Yun. "Thanks, Linnuan."


    Yun squeezed back, then broke the embrace. "Do you want to show me? I''m no formation expert. Ok, much less than that, I might not even understand what you''ve done."


    "Heh." Shae tried to break her sudden guilt, she hadn''t been fair to Yun. "Sorry, Yun. I jumped at nothing. Hmm. Yeah, I can show you." She looked around, they were still in the town, nearing the far gates. "Huh, I could probably just draw in the dirt?"


    "Hmm, well we don''t need a fire now, so I suppose that could work. Should have some qi flow I can sense from just that."


    They found a spot that was open like a public park. A gravel path became Shae''s canvas. She quickly sketched two fire symbols and circles around them.


    "This one is without qi or focus. So it''s closer to how I originally made them. Though, like I said earlier, I would make them with wood and charcoal." She scattered some torn grass over the symbol. "And kindling which could be lit by the gathered heat. Most of the time the wood burned and broke the symbol."


    She drew a second symbol, circle first, as she had learned from her earlier practice. "This is what I learned. Use qi and mental focus while drawing or carving and it improves the effectiveness dramatically." She sprinkled grass over this one and it withered and started to smoke immediately.


    "Very good." Yun smiled, but stared at the first symbol more intently.


    Shae waited, she could start to feel the heat of the second symbol. She threw some more grass into it and it was dry ash when it hit the ground. No flame started on the grass, there wasn''t enough to actually start a fire, Shae guessed. She frowned at it, deciding not to swipe a foot through it to break it up. I like my shoes not crispy, thank you.


    "It is actually drawing in fire qi. Impressive!" Yun said quietly while still staring at the first symbol.


    Shae gasped, "You didn''t believe me!" She threw her handful of grass at Yun. Right over the second formation symbol. It smoked and a few cherry red embers started.


    "Oh, that one is working well. Actually I''m more surprised that the weak one is working at all with the other right there."


    They both stared at the stronger formation as the nearby grass started to brown.


    "Should we do something about it?"


    Yun shrugged. "Probably. Too bad neither of us is a fire cultivator, they could suck it up right quick."


    "Hmm, so is this like a qi gathering formation then?"


    Yun shook her head. "This can only draw in the local fire qi. There is a bit of each element around us all the time. Well, the basic ones. Depends who you talk to, though. This can''t make more, or pull from that far."


    "So, it should stop heating up at some point?"


    "Hmm, depends on what you were thinking. It will bring in less and less fire qi. Yet, heating up is a different matter."


    "Uhhh. Okay." Shae looked sideways at the symbol. They watched it for another few breaths. "Oh! Oh I get it. The existing qi can keep heating the area, even without more qi."


    "Correct. Though if you were thinking about a campfire while making it, it probably won''t get much hotter than one, which will let it last longer."


    "Hmm, right, makes sense. So this is a campfire symbol now? Paint it somewhere and instant campfire without the wood?"


    "In a way. Though there are pros and cons. No light, for starters. Fire qi tends to be more aggressive, burning instead of heating, so cooking with it may not work."


    "But that''s based on my intent when I created it?"


    Yun snapped a firm gaze onto the young cultivator. "Please tell me you just used intent by coincidence."


    "Uhm, yes?"


    She sighed. "Good. You''re not allowed to be that advanced already."


    "Well, maybe... Maybe Elder Ghon just explained it poorly? He mentioned giving the qi ideas. In that intent?"


    Yun rubbed her face. "What are we going to do with you? You''re going to be a menace." She sighed out her exasperation. "That''s more or less correct. You said you didn''t want to talk about cultivation, however. So I will use that as an excuse to not explain it further."


    The young woman made a noise between a growl and a hum.


    Yun frowned at the symbol again and threw something into the center, resulting in a puff of dirt. Then she kicked through the weaker symbol. "Be careful with this in the future. Breaking the edge of the circle could be dangerous. Disrupt the symbol first, to break the control it has over the qi. Then wait and break the circle later."


    Shae watched and waited.


    "We don''t really have time though."


    "Oh! Can I absorb it?" She sat down and prepared to meditate.


    "You''re not a fire cultivator."


    "Yea but I can-"


    "Wait." Yun held up a hand. "I''m not sure I can handle another absurd Shae trick tonight."


    She pouted, "It''s not a trick."


    "You can say that. And yet it feels like a bunch of tricks and pranks." She pitched her voice up. "Oh, I''ve only been cultivating for a month but I can match knowledge with someone a decade my senior."


    She continued to pout. "I don''t sound like that."


    Yun sat beside the younger cultivator and bumped their shoulders together. "No, you don''t. But maybe slow down a bit. Mistakes are cheap early on, but you don''t want to get in the habit of making them." She wrapped an arm around Shae. "That fire qi still thinks it''s a campfire, it will be very painful to draw in. Even a fire cultivator would think twice about it."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Ah, right. I suppose it would." Probably way worse since I was thinking about the sun. She glanced at Yun. I probably shouldn''t open that can of worms right now.


    They say in silence for a bit longer.


    "Okay, I think I''ve prepared myself." Yun stated. "What nonsense do you have this time? Why can you absorb fire qi? Is it just fire qi?"


    "You''re making me self conscious." She squirmed.


    "Good, you should be very conscious at all times. Especially about yourself."


    "Pffft! I mean you are making me worried about what I say. About how weird all my stuff is."


    "Oh. Hmm. Well, you are a lost soul. You''re all supposed to be a bit weird and special."


    "Supposed to?"


    Yun shrugged. "You are special just by avoiding the normal cycle of reincarnation. Or whatever cycle you believe in. To be selected for that, you must be special somehow. Maybe you saved enough lives in your last, or something else to generate a lot of good karma. Who knows? I''ve never heard of a lost soul just being a farmer or carpenter, though. You always get up to something."


    "Hmm." Shae shook her head. "That''s confirmation bias. If a lost soul farmer existed, you wouldn''t know about them."


    "Huh, look at you. Smart and succinct."


    She snorted a laugh. "Flattery will work wonders on me." She huffed and inhaled deeply. "I don''t know where it came from, but I have-"


    "Wait!" Yun clamped a hand over the young woman''s mouth. "I''m not ready anymore."


    Shae tried to glare at the woman.


    "And we should probably get more privacy, I didn''t bring a ward, so we''ll have to leave the town."


    Shae mumbled into her hand.


    "Right, and we should fix the fire qi." Another flick of her hand broke the circle along the edge nearest the road. "That, uh, should be fine."


    Both women stared at the broken formation for a few breaths.


    "Okay, let''s go!" Yun scooped up Shae with casual ease and set her seated on her shoulders.


    Shae let out a small yelp, but was growing accustomed to Yun''s sudden grappling. The woman didn''t run, but made good time to the gates, then out of the town. The guards gave them uncertain looks, but that was mostly because of the way Yun carried the young cultivator. Shae wasn''t small like a toddler, so the shoulder seat looked a little awkward with her. Yun didn''t let it slow her down, she moved as though the teen weighed nothing.


    Once out of town, she picked up the pace a little, but not enough to use her gliding treasure again. Shae wondered if it would even work with her almost sitting on it.


    "Sooo? Ready?" The young woman asked.


    "Not yet, a little further." Yun slowed in the next breath, not suddenly, just letting her momentum carry and gradually slowing to a walk.


    "I have a formation on my Dantian." Shae quickly spit out when they had slowed to almost a walk.


    Yun missed half a step then laughed. "Hahaha! I was wondering how long you would wait. I could feel you growing impatient."


    The young woman was still sitting on the other''s shoulders, so she tried to look over her head, to see her face. "That''s it? No reaction?"


    The woman shrugged, easily bouncing her up and down. "I''m no formation master. I don''t even know what that means, or what it has to do with absorbing fire qi, which is where this started, right?"


    "Oh. Yeah. So, the formation can soak up elemental qi. Mostly just the base elements right now, but I haven''t experimented much because I don''t know what it does."


    "Huh. That''s weird. What do you mean it''s on your Dantian?"


    "Like on the surface. My Dantian is a really clearly defined sphere. The formation is on the surface of that sphere. On the outside of the boundary, if I had to say a side. Though, I''ve not tried feeding it qi from the inside."


    Yun remained silent for a couple breaths. "Nope. I have no idea what that is. I think you''ll have to talk to a formation master, or a soul specialist. Maybe just a historian, see if another lost soul has had the same thing."


    "Hmm, yeah." Shae yawned.


    "Heh, back to running?"


    "Su- Aahh!" Shae was suddenly tossed up into the air and caught again.


    Yun smiled down at her glare and sprinted back up to speed.


    "You enjoy that too much." The young woman raised a suspicious eyebrow.


    "Maybe." Yun admitted and smirked.


    Again they stayed silent as Yun ran; the gentle bounce and glide rocking Shae to sleep.


    A blink of time later, a pinch on her shoulder woke the young woman. "Huh?" She twitched awake.


    Yun had already reduced her speed to a normal run. "I was thinking. That formation, is that what shields your Dantian from scans?"


    "Hu-eh?" Shae rubbed her face. "I guess so? Do I still seem like I''m in qi gathering?"


    "You seem exactly the same as the other day, even though you said you used a lot of your qi, you should feel slightly weaker. But that is also because of your sword."


    "What sword?"


    Yun snorted a laugh. "Wake up girl." She chuckled and pinched her again.


    "Ow! What was that for?" She frowned, then her mind caught up as Yun intentionally jostled the sword at her side. "Oh. Right, that sword. Uhhh, what about that sword?"


    "Your sword is enchanted to shield you from scans, making you feel like a mid-cleansing cultivator. But, it always feels exactly the same, and many people will recognize it as fake. Especially martial and sword cultivators."


    "Oh, yeah. I sort of knew that. Though, the specifics are interesting. Hmm, so you think the formation is doing the same thing?"


    "Maybe. When you didn''t have it, the other day at Jani''s, you felt like a new qi gathering cultivator, just a little bit of qi in you. Does it use qi up?"


    "Uh? How would I check that?"


    "Heh, that''s a no. It could be so slow you haven''t noticed. When did you first find it?"


    "Err, when I was first learning to use qi with Elder Ghon. I pulled in fire qi, and didn''t want it in my Dantian, so it floated outside, blocked. Then found a spot on its own and was sucked into the formation, lightning it up. Hmm. Oh, I didn''t see any formation before that."


    "Huh. And it takes other elements too?"


    "Yeah. I have to kind of roll them around the outside until they find the right spot, then the qi is sucked it. There are symbols too, but Ghon didn''t recognise them."


    "Hmm well, if he already knows about it, there''s not much I can do. Maybe send you some information if I come across it. Was this before or after your tribulation?"


    "Didn''t I say that earlier?" She scratched her head. "After, when I was bedridden because of the divine qi in my limbs."


    Yun shook her head with wide eyes.


    "But the lightning didn''t hit my Dantian. So, it could have been there earlier. And later, the formation did eat some of the divine lightning, before I stopped it. So, it could have done that right away if the lightning had gotten down there."


    "Hmm. So, it must be a lost soul thing."


    Shae shrugged. "Is that good or bad?"


    "I''ve no idea. The only similar formations, soul seals they are called, are in stories and legends. They are almost always bad, put there to cripple someone or let a demonic cultivator do something nasty. If you had it already, and have always had it. It could be anything. I can''t imagine it''s bad though. Stories like those are notoriously unreliable sources of information."


    "Bleh. Now I''m glad I stopped feeding it qi."


    "Hmm, maybe, but maybe you should give it a lot more, see if it does something."


    "But... Didn''t you just?"


    Yun raised an eyebrow and glared at the young cultivator. A fairly useless gesture in the dim light. "I said old stories shouldn''t be trusted. Fiction is fictional. You should know this, you''re no child."


    "Hmm. Yea." Shae thought and turned to silence.


    After a few breaths, Yun picked up the speed of her run again.


    <hr>


    Shae was still awake and pondering her future when Yun slowed.


    "Do you want me to approach with you?"


    "Hmmm, I want you to stay and not leave." Shae twisted to wrap her arms around Yun.


    Yun giggled. "I would also like to spend more time with you. But we both have responsibilities."


    "Hmm, I''m not sure I do."


    "Heh, you might, or might not. I''m no philosopher. I think you want to see how your path works out, yes? See what your future looks like at the sect?"


    "Yeah, I guess so. And I need to finish that whole Manifold Journey practice-thing."


    "And that, yes. I''ll tell you what." She set the young woman down on her feet. "If I find something really interesting or something that I can''t share in a letter. I''ll come visit."


    Shae smiled. "That would be nice. I''m supposed to visit the Golden Orchard Monkery sometime too. So I assume I''ll have to pass through and see you then too!"


    Yun smiled and nodded. "The Orchard? Hmm, if you can plan in advance, let me know. I may be up for a road trip."


    Shae bounced on her toes excitedly, "Yeah! That''d be great!"


    "And don''t forget to write! Once a month, at least. The first as soon as you''re settled, so I know you''re safe." She removed Shae''s pack from her spatial storage and lunged in for a hug, squeezing the young woman tight. "It was nice to see you again. Even with the trouble involved."


    "Thanks so much for helping, big-sis Linnuan!" She cheered enthusiastically and squeezed back.


    The hug continued until Shae relaxed and tapped Yun''s back. She gasped for air when the woman relaxed, but smiled easily instead of complaining.


    "Oh, one last thing." They stepped apart and Yun pulled out a letter. "Give this to Master Long. It''s a brief account of what happened and detailed notes about your hospital stay. So that you don''t have to try to explain anything to him. Are you still upset with him?"


    "Eh. Yeah. I think I will be for a while. Not for any one specific thing." She huffed and looked at the letter. "Thanks for saving me the explanation." Her smile faltered momentarily.


    "Well, I feel I should warn you. The sect is rather strict about showing respect."


    "Yeah, I know. Elder Ghon gave me some lessons. Though, his info might be out of date. Do they really need us to say Elder at every sentence."


    Yun giggled. "Kind of, yes. It depends on the setting. Classrooms are very formal. Out in the town or market is informal. Everything else you kind of have to get used to."


    "Ugh, depends on the elder?"


    She nodded. "Don''t tell them you''ve had lessons already, they''ll cut you some slack, but not for long. And-" she paused. "And talk to Master Long. You don''t have to forgive him, but a conversation, a fair conversation, can go a long way."


    Shae worked her jaw twice, "I don''t know if I should be upset at the implication, or that pun."


    "What pun?"


    "Err," she dragged a hand over her face, "Right, it doesn''t translate. I''m tired."


    "You slept a lot this afternoon, I bet you''ll wake up after the last few steps to camp."


    Shae turned to look down the road, the lights of the campfires could be seen in the distance, at least a li away. "Last few steps?"


    "Ah, right, your strides are shorter than mine." She smirked.


    The young woman shook her head and chuckled, a smile creeping back on her face. "Thank-"


    "You''ve thanked me enough for one day. Maybe for many days. Thank you for being you, Zhi Shae. Now go do night-camp stuff, and put the day behind you. You''ve survived and maybe learned a few new things."


    Shae''s smile turned into a wicked grin. "Just a few things, yes. I want to chat more but you''re right, we could be here all night if I don''t say farewell. Give the inspectors a mess of a headache for me. I don''t even need anything in return if you can make them improve things."


    "Oh? Now you''re a philanthropist too? Or should I scold you for greedily expecting anything out of that mess?"


    "Anything is greedy? Look who''s taking care of it for me? I bet best-Fairy Yun Linnuan can get me half the city!"


    "Hah! Well if you want to lose a bet I''ll take that one."


    "Hmm, I think you might have a conflict of interest in doing so. Wouldn''t really be honorable."


    "Well, good thing I''m no longer an honorable cultivator." She leaned in and wiggled her eyebrows.


    "Hahaha. Fair point!" Shae laughed.


    A sharp whistle from the camp caught their attention.


    "Well, that''ll be the guards spotting us, time to go!" Yun grabbed Shae in one last hug, spinning her in a circle, and setting her down. Then she grabbed the young woman''s face. "Stay safe, cultivate well." Then kissed her on the forehead and took off into the night.


    Shae blushed slightly at the attention then waved into the darkness. "You too!" She shouted.


    She waited for a response for a breath, but none came. Slinging her pack into her back, she set off for the caravan''s camp.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 38: Elegant Forms

    <hr>


    Chapter 38: "Elegant Forms."


    <hr>


    The caravan''s guards and scouts recognised Shae, making her return smooth and simple. They even offered to notify Mistress Ping. Shae agreed and sent along an apology, saying she would be staying around the sect cultivators tonight, but she would still be at Mistress Ping''s disposal tomorrow.


    They directed her to where the sect had set up camp. Shae hadn''t been staying with them previously. Yet, she assumed Master Long''s attempted apology included retracting Sword Bai''s request of distancing herself from the group.


    The area was easy to find as it was lit with qi lamps similar to the ones used at the geyser. Brighter lamps surrounded the three leaders, and a few dim ones between the students, likely just so they could see the ground. She found them in the middle of a large group exercise. Master Long, his disciple Zhango, and Guard Shu were leading the routine. She almost didn''t recognize Shu out of her armor, but there were very few females among these cultivators that were as physically built as her.


    The exercise reminded her of Tai Chi, and her village''s variation: Tao Yan. Slow flowing movements between poses that looked simple, but Shae knew they would be harder to hold and balance than they looked.


    She watched and compared for a few slow breaths before she was interrupted.


    "You can join them, if you want to." A familiar voice said.


    Shae turned to the voice and startled. "Shu?" She looked between the guard beside her and the woman leading the group.


    The Shu beside her smiled.


    Shae spotted a few things and pointed at the unarmored Shu. "So, that''s Apollo? Did she ask first?"


    "Hah! Good guess, or good deduction, but she didn''t ask, I did; even paid her to do it."


    The young woman gaped, "Paid her... You... don''t like leading?"


    Shu shrugged. "Not really. My form isn''t great and I get scolded for it, then overworked by my master."


    "Your master? Have I met them?"


    She shook her head. "No, but you should. She''s a great martial instructor. Can teach you to use those better." She pointed at Shae''s weapons. "Or even if you just want to swing an ax better." She smirked.


    "Heh, well, I''ve little interest in fighting for its own sake. But I should learn to defend myself. Is it qigong, what they''re doing?"


    Another nod. "It''s our sect''s version of qigong, sometimes called moving cultivation. Everyone learns it, but few master it. Most practice it for the unique skills and techniques that use it; few actually cultivate with it."


    "Have Long and Apollo? Mastered it, I mean."


    "I don''t think so, but it''s hard to tell, Apollo is smart enough to not overdo it when impersonating me."


    "Hmm."


    Shu patted her back. "Go on, join in, they are about to begin another set." She pushed the young woman towards the group.


    "Fine, fine." She skipped forwards from the push and dropped her bag near the back, then found a spot in Apollo''s section, and noticed Scribe Bai at the front, right across from the disguised woman.


    She caught glances from a few as they returned to the base stance. Feet as wide as their shoulders, hands cupped into each other over the sternum, close to a military salute.


    Apollo grinned when their eyes met, and they nodded to each other as greeting.


    "Little faster?" The woman called out and looked to Master Long.


    Shae saw that Long''s attention was on his disciple. Though, he must have heard me talking to Shu. She knew how much he talked about always listening, and could only guess how good his hearing must be.


    Long nodded anyway. "Yes, most are following well enough. Half again as fast, then double on the next round."


    A brief frown flashed across Apollo''s face, then she smiled smugly, her gaze catching on Shae again. "A set of spring squats for each misstep, two if you fall over." She called out, eliciting a few groans from the group.


    Shae frowned at the obvious bullying, but had no reason to object. Technically, I won''t even need to do them, I''m not in the sect yet. Yet, she also knew that wouldn''t end well. Someone would pass on the punishment to her, even if she never went in for physical training at the sect. She was planning on some training and learning qigong, so avoiding it wasn''t helpful, but a little pressure right now might help.


    When they started, the first thing she noticed was how different the forms were. Her center of gravity was low, but it was clear she wasn''t holding it the same as the others were. She first felt the movements were jerky and sudden compared to her Tao Yan. Hmm, but we are moving faster.


    She did need to shift her feet a couple times. She wasn''t used to the static stance they were locked in. Instead of the long steps and balance used in her style and in Tai Chi, their feet were stuck, planted flat where they were. She was confused at first, but quickly realized it was because they were in a large group, so large movements would cause disruption to their neighbors. She also noted that if they moved around like Tao Yan, they would quickly lose sight of the instructors as they pivoted and turned around.


    It''s restricted, that''s what''s wrong, why it feels different. It''s cramped into this static stance, unable to move freely.


    Almost as soon as she put words to those thoughts, the missing steps became clearer. Not all of them, but she could spot a few places where there should be a step out of the stationary stance, followed by a shift of weight.


    Unfortunately, getting distracted by that only led her to make more mistakes. Multitasking to follow along, learn the new movements, while also looking for steps that weren''t there was a fool''s errand. Yet, she couldn''t resist the puzzle.


    As the third repetition started, she began to shift her weight from foot to foot with how she expected the steps to operate. It wasn''t that different from her village''s Tao Yan. The steps alternated from foot to foot so she mostly had to monitor where her center of gravity should be: find when it should shift from one foot to over the other, and without conflicting with the arm movements that were the majority of the exercise they were doing.


    The fifth repetition was the last, and the group paused for a rest before the double speed set to come.


    Shu-Apollo had a devilish smirk that Shae thought didn''t quite match Shu''s personality. She called out to the group, "Well done, most of you. Except for a few standouts, let''s average out the group''s mistakes to three each. If you know you made more than that please do an extra set. As for the standouts..." She rattled off a few names and how many mistakes they had made, the most being twelve.


    Shae was impressed they had done so well, but knew better than to think she had escaped ridicule.


    "Of course I was not tracking us group leaders, I''ll leave that count to Master Long. And lastly, one very notable standout: Wise Shae. You seem to need additional attention. I''ll not embarrass you in front of the group with your mistake count, but why not move up to the front to have a clearer view of us leaders."


    Ah, yes, this definitely isn''t embarrassing, Apollo. She frowned at the woman.


    The entire group turned to stare at her as she moved to the front. Taking position beside Scribe Bai and sending another grateful student to her spot in the back. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Wise Shae. I hadn''t seen you arrive." Master Long perked up.


    "Oh? Master Long, I thought for sure you had overheard my conversation with the guard beforehand. Should I congratulate the group, or cultivator Zhango on earning so much of your attention?"


    "Ah, hmmm. When did you join?" He ignored the barb.


    "Before the last set, just before the speedup was requested, Master Long." She bowed slightly and gave a meaningful glance at the fake Guard Shu.


    "Ah, I see." He nodded, but gave no clear indication he had followed her hint.


    "And how did you like it, Wise Shae. Any wise words to share with the class about the exercise?" Apollo teased.


    Zhango scoffed. "Pffft. After one rushed set?"


    Apollo''s grin grew fierce.


    Good job Zhango, now I have to say something. She didn''t, of course, but silently accepting the taunt went against her personal rules. That might make her seem weak, like she would just accept any bullying and disrespect.


    "Well, I''m no expert, even in my village''s style, and as it was my first experience with this style, I can''t say I''ve formed much of an opinion." She paused for half a beat to let Zhango and Apollo grow smug, "However," she raised her voice and left another beat of silence to enjoy their reactions, though Apollo seemed to only smile wider. "The constant movement and weight shifting felt erratic initially, though that could easily be my own inexperience or that it was a rushed version. The thing that stood out most clearly was how restricted this version of the exercise felt. I''ll be very interested to see the real, full version displayed at the sect."


    A few confused murmurs played over the crowd. Apollo was hard to read, Zhango just looked confused, but Master Long''s expression was the most interesting. He was smirking; even breaking his stoic mask to do it. "Well said, Wise Shae, though Guard Shu and I could do that demonstration right now?"


    A flash of panic crossed Apollo''s face. "I''m more interested in what Wise Shae said earlier, about her village''s style. What style is it?"


    Good deflection. Shae flashed a frown. "They called it Tao Yan. I was never praised for my ability in it, but it''s good to have something to keep the body moving."


    "Hah, Tao Yan. I believe I''ve heard that to be rather elegant." Long scratched his chin.


    "Less so in the hands of a novice. I assure you. Last time someone saw me practicing they recommended I switch to qigong. Could we get back to that, Master Long?" Shae rushed out.


    "Ah, but the group could use a breather after that fast round." Apollo commented.


    Shae looked at the group, no one was breathing heavily.


    "I wouldn''t mind a demonstration of something new," Zhango chipped in with his own smirk.


    Shae snapped her intent towards him, flicking his ear. Stay out of this you brat. She shouted internally. He only flinched a little, a confused expression crossing his face. She had only used a little intent, hoping Long wouldn''t notice.


    Yet, her action was too late, the old fool either had it out for her, or was just that oblivious. He nodded slowly, hardly showing any emotion. "I must agree, Disciple. Seeing a variety of forms is an important learning opportunity. And Wise Shae can show us what an unrestricted form looks like. While I''m sure it was mentioned during the group''s earlier practice, we are doing a stationary version of qigong. Some of you new recruits may have forgotten that by now."


    Shae sighed with defeat and moved to the well lit section of the field, picking a spot where she wouldn''t collide with any lamps. "Since it is a direct request from a Master of the sect." She emphasized as she walked out the area. "You three, I''ll need a bit of room here part way through." She nudged a few onlookers back. She looked back to Long. "Perhaps you can owe me a favor for this? Though, again, I am not a good example of the forms. I think they would learn more from a full qigong demonstration."


    "True." Long nodded. "But we don''t want the new recruits to get ideas and learn bad habits before proper training."


    "And my example won''t do that? Ah, how about our Senior here performs qigong after me for comparison?" She pointed at Apollo.


    "Hmm, that would take too long, we had better get back to training soon." Apollo said.


    "Oh? First a rush for a rest, now a rush to get started again. Come here and do it at the same time then. A direct comparison is always better." Shae blurted out without looking at the woman. She took off her outer robe, exposing her bare arms and tunic underneath. A few gasps came from the crowd. "Oh, it''s nothing you haven''t seen before." Shae snapped at them, then tied her lower robe up to free her legs. She had gotten more used to this clothing arrangement because of having to run around so much during the day. I should really just get some pants.


    She stretched a little bit, the previous exercise had already warmed her muscles, but the habit was still there. Then dropped her sword as well, uncertain if it would get in the way.


    She was surprised to find Apollo right next to her, shaking her own limbs out in preparation. "Uh." She stammered, she hadn''t expected the woman to join. "I''ll be going slower, it''s what I''m used to." A quick look at the space they would use, pointing around the imaginary circle that Tao Yan would take her. "It''ll go... East, then South, and around. Is yours the same?"


    Apollo shook her head. "Opposite, but I can match pace just fine."


    "Hmm yes. I''m sure you could mirror me quite perfectly if you wanted."


    The woman let out a quiet chuckle, then looked at Shae''s right arm. "That''s new?"


    "I had an interesting day. Shall we?"


    "After you."


    They lined up back to back and Shae concentrated on her breathing, ignoring the murmuring crowd. Two breaths in and she started the first movement.


    Shae almost missed a step in the fifth form as Apollo came into view. Then had trouble with the sixth and seventh as they passed close to one another. Seeing the similarities and differences in the forms was distracting, as was the close up of the woman''s muscled body wearing almost as little as she was now.


    Shae felt a bit of conflicting emotions at that. Darn teenage hormones. Knowing it''s not Shu isn''t helping either: way more awkward.


    She pushed it to the side and focused on her own exercise. Remaining control and feeling more confident during the last few steps where they came back around to face each other again. Her youthful emotions seemingly resolved, for the moment.


    She slowed to a stop, matching her breathing and held the last pose for an extra breath, then relaxed out of the stance and turned to face the crowd. Apollo mirrored her without even lagging behind.


    Scribe Bai clapped first and a few others reluctantly joined in, unsure if the gesture was appropriate when Long and Zhango did not join.


    As the awkwardness cleared Long clapped once to get everyone''s attention. "Well, excellently done Guard Shu. Wise Shae, thank you for that. I might say, I had heard Tao Yan was a bit more... elegant?"


    Shae had started picking up her belongings again, starting with her sword. As she buckled it on, she took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. "As I said, several times, Master Long. I am no expert. If I need to make more excuses I''ll remind you that I am in the body cleansing stage where muscles and strength are being alerted, affecting my stability."


    Someone in the crowd muttered, "Is that what''s up with her arm?" A few scans went off from the crowd, waves of light qi touches passing over Shae. Then she felt a stronger one from Long, his qi was distinct in its power and element.


    "Ah, yes. Unbalanced cleansing. Well that does give us the opportunity for a lesson." He held his gaze on Shae for a moment too long.


    "Master Long." She jumped at the gap between sentences. "While I''m certain it is a lesson the new recruits should learn. I do not need to learn it. I have already been the subject of that lesson in Minlin City, by the military Corporal stationed there. Moreover, you should know that this cleansing wasn''t under my control. If you have a lesson on uncontrolled qi, that I would find much more enlightening. Though, even expertise would not have prevented this." She held her glare on him.


    He held it stoically, as he always did. Then nodded slightly and turned to the group, "Well, now is not the time anyway. The new recruits are not near cleansing and the rest have already had that lesson. Take what you can from the demonstration, but please don''t experiment with adding steps to the stationary practice. Let us resume. Guard Shu, did you still want double speed?"


    She smirked. "I''d say even faster, now that they have had a chance to rest. But yes double is fine, then straight into a slow set afterwards. Let''s not forget how effective the practice is when done properly."


    The crowd echoed a few groans as she spoke.


    Shae found the faster exercise harder to follow, and felt it was even more erratic than before. Once they slowed down again she was able to learn much more. Though not until the second and third rounds when she had caught her breath.


    They took a longer break after that with more focus on breathing and stretches. Then one final set with gaps between rounds of forms to cool down. Shae noticed a few of the weaker qi lamps fading and going out on their own. This seemed to be a signal for the end of the session as Long dismissed them at the end of the next round.


    Apollo remembered her punishment right after that. "Spring squats will be tomorrow morning before we set off. Don''t forget!" The crowd groaned unanimously.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 39: Rain on Her Parade

    <hr>


    Chapter 39: "Rain on Her Parade."


    <hr>


    Shae found Yun was completely correct in her assessment of how ready for sleep she would be. She had slept all afternoon and was now wide awake.


    Instead, she dove into her practice notes for Manifold Journey, reviewing the practice she had started today, then the one she would need to do tomorrow. Right before she decided to meditate she was interrupted by a guest.


    "Long? I wasn''t expecting you."


    "Ah, Miss Shae. I had hoped something had changed." He frowned slightly.


    "Everything always changes. But in our case, not really. As for earlier, I don''t feel the need to annoy the whole sect by disrespecting you in front of them, just you in private is enough." She smirked.


    "And here I thought word of this morning''s events might have reached you."


    Shae snapped her fingers on her right hand and pointed at him, they both flinched at the snap, it was louder than she expected. She forced a cough and continued, "That reminds me, I have a letter for you." She reached into her pack. "Oh, but what happened this morning?"


    He stared at her strange gesture, then continued a beat later. "Ah, well. I''m not the type to brag. I''ll let you find out on your own from the others." He leaned forwards slightly, looking into her pack.


    "Or you could just tell me." She said and pulled out two letters. She offered them to Long.


    "Ah, yet where''s the fun in that? Surely you would get a better retelling from the others, and you''ve barely spoken to them this whole trip." He raised an eyebrow and extended a hand to accept the letters.


    She snapped them out of his grasp. "Or. You could just tell me. I''m not some loner child that needs to be taught how to socialize. I''m several times older than any of them, and I''ve kept my distance because Sword Bai explicitly asked me to stay away from them." She pulled something else from her pack, a small vial with white liquid in it, then tossed it to him.


    "Err- oh? I thought..?"


    "You said you would give that to another cultivator, yes? I''m not upset with them. Why should they suffer from your mistakes?"


    "Hmm, I see." He tucked the vial away.


    "And I should note that I''ve pulled the red qi out of my mix. We had a moment of disagreement that I couldn''t abide."


    "Disagreement? With qi?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "With the Dao of the qi, yes. Remember I was trying to mimic heavenly tribulation qi. The red lightning represents wrath, vengeance, or punishment. Things that I decided did not agree with my path, so I discarded that part of the qi."


    He looked a hair worried, even glancing up at the sky for a heartbeat. "Are you sure that''s wise?"


    She tilted her head, then nodded. "Yes, very wise. The wrath was focused on anger and pain, both things that are hard to control, hard to use wisely. If I have power, I need to be in control of it, not the reverse."


    "Some would say learning to control that power could be a more bountiful journey. You might find more wisdom at the end."


    "That assumes I can control it. Even as a glimmer of divine power, should I be able to control it?"


    "A cultivator''s path is to challenge the heavens." He said simply.


    "And wrath and pain is not my path. I''ve no need for it. If you want to be helpful, I''m still trying to figure out the gold drops."


    He lifted the vial and shook it; Shae could barely see it in the dim moonlight. "I''d think that''d be the easy part. Gold light from the heavens?" He raised an eyebrow at her.


    "Except it''s not enlightenment qi, that qi is different. They are similar, can be used for some of the same things, but go about it in different ways. They are not the same." She emphasized her point with a serious expression. It was likely undercut by her young appearance.


    He showed a tiny smirk, hard to see in the dim light. "You seem to have a good understanding of it already. What do you expect me to say?"


    She froze with her mouth open, about to say something. Then she leaned back from him slightly. "From you?" She said with a raised eyebrow. Then handed him the letter Yun gave her. "I had an interesting afternoon in Flame Well. Fairy Yun wanted to update you so I didn''t have to explain it myself. I''ll be interested to hear your thoughts, and not your predictable leading questions." She turned away from him and sat to meditate while he read.


    He grunted out, "hmgh," but didn''t stop her.


    She was in her meditation and mindscape before he opened the letter. Unless he opened it silently. She shook away from thoughts of Long and their conversation. Hardly a conversation, I might as well ask a magic 8-ball for advice. Again, she brushed the thoughts aside, this time successfully letting them emerge and pass by as her meditation method prescribed.


    She examined her Dantian, and saw that very little qi remained compared to before yesterday. She elected to cultivate, to soak up the energy of the world, thus refilling her reserves. The method she had experimented with yesterday didn''t work as well anymore because she didn''t have as much personal or demigod qi as she needed to make it work.


    She also noted the demigod qi felt weaker without the red parts representing wrath. It was slower too. She sighed and just drew in the qi around her with brute force as she had initially. She kept her personal qi and some demigod qi cycling around her channels. It met the new qi first, balancing with it in even proportions and then cycling it around her channels on its own.


    She only needed to actively draw the neutral qi into her Dantian as it passed. Though, she quickly found that taking all of the qi in and then splitting it apart inside her Dantian was easier.


    Right when she found a rhythm, the qi around her had grown sparse, with distinct traces of water qi. She remembered Long was probably waiting for her and she carefully stopped the cultivation pattern. She knew she could just break meditation without doing this, but he doesn''t need to know that.


    She rolled her shoulders and stretched. "How long was that, Master Long?"


    "Just over half an hour. Where did you learn that brutish cultivation technique?"


    She tapped her temple. "I learned it up here. Heh heh. Is it any good?"


    "Hmm. Fast enough to drain the local area. Though, the qi here is rather weak."


    "Hmm. I had it working better before, I think. Not sure I can do as much without the added speed of the red lightning, though."


    "It''s not terrible, most of the other recruits should be able to match it with their own desperate grasps."


    "Ah-ha! So, I''m slower than an untrained high-grade child. That is an actual answer, thank you."


    He shook his head. "It''s not definitive. Not objective."


    "It seems like very few things are. How was the letter?"


    He lifted it like he was surprised to be holding it, then flashed back to his stone faced expression. "It was interesting. Good job. How did you know where to find it?"


    "The ringleader had a plan. There''s always a plan, people don''t just do things for no reason. Well, not usually. So, he threw it somewhere with intention. But he''s human: they make mistakes. I just found the mistake. Then found how it slipped through the search, which was the only way it could."


    "That''s a very broad and vague description."


    "Well, I don''t know what''s in the letter. It''s still more of an answer than you usually give. Don''t you want some loose ends to puzzle out on your own? If I just give you the perfect answer, how will you progress on your own." She spoke the last line rather sarcastically.


    "I can hardly make progress in cultivation with a simple criminal mystery." He spoke as though the whole task was beneath him.


    She found herself to be suddenly, rather irritated. "And who said it was for cultivation progress? I''m trying to help you make progress where you really need it: To learn to think gooder. Because every time we talk I find you make more foolish mistakes, a clear sign of thinking less, surely you''re not so old to be reaching senile. It doesn''t take an inspector to see that I brought you that letter because I didn''t want to talk with you about it." She found her anger with Long to still be very fresh. "Take the hint and scatter."


    Instead of leaving, he said, "Why do you feel the need to be so antagonistic?"


    Her anger roiled inside her like a pot waiting to boil over, so she let it. "Why do you feel the need to answer everything with another question? Don''t answer that, because you won''t. It''s not even a new question, you''ve asked it before. Now, here''s a top-tip that no one else will tell you. That kind of bullshit doesn''t make you sound smart or mysterious or wise. You sound like an asshole. I didn''t ask you about one of the fundamental aspects of tribulation qi because I wanted you to help me sound out words in a children''s book." She took a quick breath. "I asked because you are one of two people in this whole caravan that might have an actual bloody answer. And I was forced to pick you because I don''t want to have to trust another sect ass-hat with more of my fucked up secrets." She held up the second letter she had. "This is that letter Elder Ghon asked me to deliver to the first sect Elder that could receive it. Implicitly, the first one I trusted enough, and guess what Long? You fucked it up again." She slammed the letter back into her travel pack, then sat facing away from him. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    She tried to ignore him, but the awkward silence stretched and he just stood there.


    "Miss Shae." He finally said.


    She turned to face him and received about a bucket''s worth of water splashed into her face. She spluttered, "Wha- what the fuck!?"


    "It''s just water. You got so upset about the supposed use of violence the other day that I had to think of something new."


    She wiped her face and tried to ignore the water soaking into her clothes, choosing to glare at the man instead.


    "Now, I''ve explained this before, but I''ll say it again. It is the responsibility of the teacher to guide the student to enlightenment. Even when they think they want simple and direct answers. Some teachers take that more seriously than others. I do know what the gold lightning is, or what it represents to me, and a few others that have shared or written it down. But I will not share that with you because I believe you can figure it out on your own. It''s a vote of confidence in your abilities, not some attempt at mysteriousness."


    She began to speak and was splashed again. She didn''t even see him move to do it.


    "The suggestion that you''ve removed the wrathful lightning from your qi is disappointing. That would be a very effective combat option. Yet, simplifying your qi will make it easier to handle, and should convert to personal qi faster. If you cannot comprehend the gold lightning, then you should know comprehending it is different from knowing about it. If you cannot comprehend it then I recommend stripping that from your qi as well. The pure qi base you have is good and there are many cultivation manuals for that. I cannot say if you will discover one for your strange divine blend."


    Shae kept silent, waiting for more. After a few breaths, she spoke, "You can just say you don''t know. I won''t hold that against you."


    He shrugged, "People expect a certain level of knowledge from Elders."


    "And aside from a bit of water as a consequence. Why are you letting me be so antagonistic and disrespectful?"


    He let out a faint chuckle. "Heh, I was wondering when you''d ask that." He gestured out to the rest of the caravan with open hands. "It''s customary to give new recruits the opportunity to make mistakes. Especially before arriving at the sect. Have you seen much bullying or ruthless violence from stronger cultivators?"


    "I... Well, no, I haven''t. But the stories suggest-?" She gestured at the air, leaving him to fill in the rest.


    "In this Empire, it is seen as dishonorable to bully one''s lessers. When going beyond a stage or two difference, it is even illegal, only technically, and punishment is another matter. That is not true within the sects. Qi pressure, killing intent, even Dao pressure, you will undoubtedly experience all of these. Not just as a slap on the wrist when you step out of line, though that is most common. Get it out of your system now, Miss Shae."


    "Should I expect a dramatic reprisal right after I join?" She folded her arms at him.


    "From me? No. In group settings I will not tolerate it, thank you for being respectful during the exercise session. One on one I may permit more casual talk, though I really would prefer you to speak with more maturity."


    She raised an eyebrow and bit her tongue. Then took a breath, "What about my mode of speech do you find immature?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" He also raised an eyebrow.


    "No, Long. It''s not obvious. That''s why I asked the bloody question. People ask questions when they are unsure of the answer, not simply to speak rhetorically."


    "Well, that, then. Cursing and speaking down to me like I''m ignorant."


    "Swears are expressions of emotion and frustration wrapped up in a single word, they are complex and efficient communication. Explaining something plainly isn''t talking down, it''s clarity of communication. But yes, if I was going to explain something quickly, it would be in a way a child could understand because my professional career in my last life involved a lot of talking to children, so it''s a firmly set habit of mine." She raised a finger for him to wait, and took a deep inhale. "Of course, swearing is inappropriate around children so I very much can speak without using them. However, that would actually be me treating you like a child, like you couldn''t handle a profane word or two."


    She took another breath. "Now, what excuses do you have for your own poor method of communication? Stone faced, devoid of emotion, evading answers like they will cause the conversation harm. Operating with the assumption that the other party wants a riddle to solve and not a direct answer to their question? These are all things that end conversations. If you don''t want to talk to me, why are you here?"


    He frowned and splashed her with water.


    She frowned back and resisted the urge to flick his ear with her intent. Instead she just said, "How very mature of you."


    He cleared his throat and looked away briefly. "To answer most of those questions. This is how older cultivators behave. Especially when they are teaching the new generations."


    She glared and waited, while shouting into her own mind, Did I ask you to teach me anything?


    "More specifically, I came to check your temperament. You were behaving almost like a true cultivator earlier, and I had hoped something had caused a change of heart." He looked at the paper in his hands. "I know now that even a brush with death won''t do that."


    "A brush with death? Hah. You do realize that I have died once already."


    He turned and coughed into his sleeve. "True. Do you remember it?"


    "Would you treat me any differently if I did? Would I receive pitying eyes if you found out it was particularly traumatic?"


    He glared for a beat. "No. Many face death every day. They do not want our pity."


    She raised both eyebrows, "Good answer, and an actual, real one too. Thank you, Master Long." She couldn''t keep the sarcasm out completely, her anger from earlier wouldn''t let her, but she said it with honesty. "How about we do more of that? I don''t really want you to teach me anything if our previous conversations indicate how you insist on doing it. I''d rather have a real, honest conversation with another adult. Maybe about cultivation, but it doesn''t have to be. Again, not many people around here know about my past, and while I may still be a child relative to you, all of the other cultivators are still children to me."


    "Surely you have more in common with them? Your cultivation paths are near the same point."


    She nodded. "Yes, to some degree, we are all taking our first steps. Except that I''ve spent the summer with a sect Elder, exchanging information. I''ve stepped beyond qi gathering, even without a proper manual. I''ve learned to cleanse on my own, and refined that method with Wise Kaiun of the Golden Orchard. I''ve had enlightenments stronger than most of these kids will see in the next decade. And that is just the tip of the iceberg." She breathed heavily, controlling her annoyance. "Need I go on?"


    Long considered for a moment, then pulled a thin cushion out of his spatial storage and sat down on it. "Yes, please do."


    Shae huffed and rolled her eyes. Glaring at him she asked, "Could you do something about your water, I''m getting cold."


    He shrugged.


    She huffed again. Glaring for another breath of time. Then she grumbled and reached into the grass between them, scraping away some of the greenery to reveal a small patch of dirt. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Just focus on radiating warmth, comfort, and the flickering of firelight. Opening her eyes, she spent that bit of mental focus on a few quick gestures scraping lines in the dirt, and closed a circle around them. With that there was now a small campfire formation on the ground between them. It was the same symbol she showed Yun earlier in the night, but she hoped using different intent would let it behave differently now.


    "What is that?" Long leaned forwards to stare at it.


    "You''ll see shortly. But if this is a proper conversation, then you need to share next. How has your cultivation been going?"


    He looked up and frowned at her. "I don''t think you''ll be able to follow, let alone help me with it."


    "Did I say that I could? But certainly, if you don''t share I cannot. Unless..." She paused but he didn''t take the bait. "Unless you''re more predictable than you think. You were staying at the geyser, maybe just a coincidence that your qi is water and your Dao is pressure related." She saw him flinch at the mention of his Dao. "I think a smart cultivator overlaps their Sect duties with their own goals and progress. You were also showing Bai a sword technique, presumably related to the geyser, though that could be a coincidence. Then you went into the lake to train with Bai... A separate, underwater technique maybe." She shrugged. "Maybe there''s something down there he needed to know about, since you were leaving. I think there''s a decent chance these are all related, however."


    Long had stopped frowning almost immediately and even went a little slack jawed. After a few beats of silence, he coughed to the side. "Excellent deduction, I suppose. I''m unsure how to compare it. Certainly not comparable to your peers here, your technical peers: the recruits, but also not to elders of a village or similar. Hmmm."


    "Good choice of distraction. Maybe stall a bit longer and you''ll come up with a good response."


    "Right, comparisons are a little unfair. Yet, I would say you nearly compare to a well trained merchant heir. Not a noble, they know more about early cultivation. And not a young heir, but one who has had time to learn a lot and pick up rumors of this or that, but not quite put them all together."


    She tilted her head, "I''m not sure how I feel about that. Better than calling me a village elder, certainly."


    "Oh, not at all a villager, they have far too much respect for other cultivators."


    "Fear, I think you mean."


    He shrugged again. "Could be that too. Hard to say."


    She sighed. "Is it, now? Unless they are as stone faced as you, I can''t imagine it being difficult to discern. Though, you would have to care to check."


    "Are you suggesting I don''t care about villagers?" He raised a hand palm up and swirled a ball of water in it.


    "No. I suggested you don''t care if they respect you or fear you. Perhaps a little too accusatory on my part, I''ve not seen you interact with any to make a real call, but I am saying that it''s hard to say, which paints its own picture."


    He continued his stone faced glare, flexing his fingers in sequence to spin the ball of water. A breath later he glanced at the dirt. "That''s going to start a fire."


    "Hmm, maybe, but we''ll get a lot of warning as it dries out the grass. And I think it will be fine, especially if it starts glowing."


    "Especially then?"


    She nodded and continued watching it. "I tried to give it cooler, less flammable ideas of fire."


    "Giving it ideas, definitely learned from Ghon. Did he teach you anything else?"


    She snorted, "He hardly taught me this. I''m not even sure it was working before I had qi. Could have just been the qi density of the mountain doing the work."


    "Before... Well it shouldn''t have been working at all."


    "Mhhmm, Fairy Yun said the same." She shrugged and reached a hand out, the spot was getting warm, but not as quickly as with Yun. "Is all your water qi suffocating it?"


    "I wouldn''t say suffocating. But it will have an effect. Did he teach you any others?" He pointed at the formation.


    "No, a water one might be helpful right now. That would work, yes? Draw the water qi to a different point to make the fire more effective?"


    Long nodded. "That''s one solution."


    She turned her head in thought. "Hmm, or..." She reached out and drew another circle around the fire, concentration clear on her face.


    Long stared silently for a few breaths, then nodded. "Efficient. Blocking is simpler than a second symbol. So, you mentioned your time with the Golden Orchard?"


    "Hah, no, I didn''t. I mentioned one of their monks. And you won''t get out of sharing something that easily. I''ve already shared plenty." She gestured to the fire formation.


    He remained silent.


    "Wow, such excellent conversation. I''m so glad I let you splash me with water for this."


    "Like you could stop me." He splashed her again. With less this time, like a fine spray, or misting.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 40: Avoiding the Point

    <hr>


    Chapter 40: "Avoiding the Point."


    <hr>


    Shae rolled her eyes. "Fine, I''ll just ask some other question, and we can circle back later. Someone mentioned to me that stronger cultivators can hold multiple qi types within their Dantian. What''s that like?"


    Master Long frowned. "That is rather advanced."


    "Even a terrible metaphor would be fine. Is it like a second stomach? Or... I don''t know, learning to breathe with each lung independently?"


    "Those are terrible metaphors. Why would you even want to do that?" He almost squinted at her, then sighed through his nose. "I suppose the description is hardly a secret, you could find it in the library, and it probably doesn''t hold any hidden enlightenment."


    Shae leaned forwards.


    "How would you describe your Dantian currently?"


    She groaned and leaned back. "Ugh. Really?" She forced a loud sigh. "It''s like shoving fog into an empty room, except spherical."


    Long nodded. "Misty or foggy is a common descriptor early on. As you progress you will compress that fog into a liquid. The liquid qi change is usually during the meridian cleansing stage. Some consider it the true sign of a stage three cultivator."


    "Hmm. So, moving to core formation is compressing it again? Into a solid? That sounds familiar, I think Elder Ghon mentioned it."


    "Mmhm, correct. Though, exactly when varies. Some can form a core from liquid qi, then harden it later. Some only make the outside layer solid, the inside remaining usable liquid qi."


    "Huh. A difference in visualization? In how we perceive our own progress?"


    He nodded reluctantly.


    "And cultivation technique?"


    He gave a firm nod.


    "I recall Elder Ghon mentioning a cultivator that couldn''t compress their water core because of-" she stopped at Long''s raised hand.


    "Because of how they understood their water qi. That was not me. Though, I did have my own trouble, as most do. I''ll ask that you be cautious in how you describe cultivation issues to other cultivators. Something like that could add a seed of doubt that could grow into an inner demon."


    She forced a slow inhale through her teeth. "How much damage can something like that cause?"


    "Hmm, depends on the experience of the cultivator and how much they trust you." He sat upright and gestured to himself. "For me, I am past the point where that specific example could affect me. I''d hope that few other simple descriptions could either, but never say never, as they say."


    She nodded and stayed quiet.


    He leaned forwards slightly. "That question sounded more personal. Did you want to talk about it?"


    "It''s a long story." She shook her head.


    "We have all night. And another few days, if you wanted to sleep instead."


    "I think I wanted to cultivate instead. But if I tell you a long story, I can''t hear Long''s story."


    "That... Was phrased like a joke, but I didn''t catch it?"


    She shook her head. "Pun from another world. Long in my old language sounds like your name."


    He looked up slightly, and she saw his mouth moving slightly. "Ah! I follow it now. I''d say it''s clever, but only if you use it to catch out another lost soul. Tricky, as they would need to know the same language as you."


    "Heh, yep, though, I''d probably just be excited to use that language again. Remembering a whole language and not using it is... Weird. Well, maybe not that weird, people travel." She shrugged.


    "Was it hard to learn this one?"


    "Of course. I was considered late to the language. Even then, I had an accent for a few years, buried under baby speak, luckily."


    "You still have an accent."


    "Sure, but not one from another world. Was forming your core hard?"


    "Heh, yes, but likely in a very different way. You were trying to memorize the dictionary, err, maybe a little too literal for metaphor. Well, I was trying to build the library. Not the books, but the building itself."


    "And what''s after solid qi? Metaphysically solid? Uh, the phases of matter metaphor breaks down, kind of... There are probably options." She turned her head then titled her whole body sideways as she tried to imagine the next step.


    "Trying to get back to your question?"


    "Of course, because you almost sounded like you would answer it."


    "Heh. Metaphysically solid? What would that be like? In your imagination."


    She shrugged. "Does solid mean it''s literally physically solid? Like qi crystals and monster cores?" She paused enough for him to nod. "Then maybe pushing it to be not physically present?"


    "And that would happen with more pressure? Crushing the qi tighter like the other steps?"


    Shae shook her head. "No, that would be continuing that phases metaphor, in a way. Pressure can turn a gas to liquid and liquid solid," she wobbled a hand, "usually. Pressure also adds heat. With that idea we would get a molten center, like the planet. Then a soup of unbound matter and energy like the sun. There''s at least one step after that, maybe more."


    Long waited for a breath. "And those are?"


    She smiled devilishly. "A bit beyond your knowledge, I think."


    He frowned and glared, spinning his orb of water again.


    "Hey, not that! I just got comfortable. And I''m serious, like, what do you know about gravity?"


    "The basics, it is not my path to know more."


    "Hah. Thank you for proving me correct." She smiled and leaned back on her palms.


    He flicked a single drop at her forehead. A direct hit.


    She stretched an eyebrow high and summoned her intent to flick him back, then stopped. "Fine. Let''s test your basics. What is the major contributing factor to gravity?"


    "Size, weight, or mass. However you want to say it."


    "Wrong."


    "What? The planet has gravity because of its size. The sun has more because of it. How can that be wrong?"


    "Because weight is a singular factor, distance between is a double-factor. It contributes multiplicatively twice instead of just once, as weight does. The half the distance, quadruples gravity''s effect. Weight is one to one."


    "So if I climb a mountain, I''ll weigh less?"


    "Yes, though it''s a very small change at that scale, which is why most people don''t notice it. Even cultivators flying around the globe. Unless you specialize, I assume."


    "Huh. I would assume the same. Though, I''m surprised it''s not talked about more." Long pondered. "Oh, no, that does make sense."


    "Sense why they wouldn''t share? Hmm, is gravity a strong qi type?" She asked.


    "Quite strong, yes."


    "So... it''s hidden intentionally. So that fewer gravity cultivators exist?"


    "Yes, that is my guess as well."


    Shae nodded in understanding. "Oh! You distracted me again!"


    "Of course. That''s part of the fun." He said with the start of a grin.


    "Fine, if we''re having fun, what happened this morning that you thought would impress me?"


    His stone mask appeared again instantly. "It would be inappropriate of me to share. My impression of events is surely biased."


    "Ahh, what a shame, I guess I''ll never know. Oh! Unless I go talk to Zhango, I''m sure he''ll have a completely unbiased opinion of what happened."


    Long shifted on his seat. "Perhaps... or perhaps I can give you a brief overview."


    "Hah! This is fun!"


    Long frowned at her. "We were attacked by spirit beasts."


    "Oh. Less fun. Well, unless the guards enjoy fighting them?"


    "Not these. They were rot-dogs. Neither dog nor rot, they are more like a type of ghost. Ambient qi given life and a small bit of desire. These were from the swamp to the east, roused by something and sent to seek qi elsewhere."


    "Huh? Swamp-qi ghosts. Given the name, I''d guess they''re four legged and vaguely dog-sized? What are they made of?"


    "Mostly rocky earth and swamp water, with a dose of plants or other organics that are swept up in their creation."


    "So, they''re like mud and compost elementals? Guess that''s why they get called rot-dogs. Probably stink a bit?"


    "There is certainly a smell. Elemental spirit is a closer descriptor than ghost, but there is no such thing as swamp or compost qi."


    "Ah. So they attacked and you wiped them out easily?" She leaned forwards.


    "What? No, no. They are hardly a threat. Excellent training for the guards and a good show for the recruits. Unfortunate you missed it, might have hit one or two with that bow."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Hmm, only if they stood very still."


    "They are rather slow." He shrugged.


    "So, if I''m hearing this correctly. The noble deed you thought could earn my respect is... Leadership? Guiding trained guards to defeat a minor nuisance?"


    "Ah, well, without us, the caravan would have found them more than a nuisance." A slight hitch in his voice was the only giveaway he was stretching the severity. "And yes, leadership is very noble, and suitable for my position." He straightened up.


    She froze as her mind crept up on an idea. "Master Long. Does Master simply refer to your noble status?" She rubbed at a temple.


    "Hah, you finally guessed it. Of course it does." He smiled and seemed genuinely proud.


    "Ugh." She flopped back onto the grass. "Fucking nepotism." She swore in English. "Please go away."


    "Uh, I didn''t catch that? But titles are rather common, in any case. I''m surprised you didn''t get it earlier. Fairy Yun is as well."


    "Ugh, don''t throw her under the caravan."


    "Our ties are rather distant, and we are from lesser houses. Though, not so lesser that they would need us on hand."


    "What do the larger noble houses do anyway? I get that the smaller ones are mostly doing landlord garbage. Is it just that and taxes all the way up?"


    "We run the country, dear girl. Didn''t your world have nobles? Or some kind of ruling status?"


    "Uh, classism kind of died in France when the peasants revolted and cut off a bunch of expensive heads. Now it''s just sparkling capitalism." She sprinkled on English words while muttering through the sentence.


    Long didn''t have trouble hearing her, and remained silent.


    "Right, sorry. To translate: my past world didn''t have cultivators. No single person was as strong as an army. Without actual personal power, you just have the power of money. Probably closer to the merchant-class here."


    "I would rather not have them running the empire. I can''t imagine that it would be successful."


    "Anything can be successful if you try hard enough. People still tried to claim divine right to rule without any proof. Lots got away with it for a long time. Division still exists in that modern society, it''s just not strictly formalized like here. Oh, and governments of mortals run those countries." She summarized.


    "Ah, well, our nobles run the country as well."


    "Sure."


    "They do!" He insisted.


    She sat up again. "Ya-ya-sure, they probably do a better job than where I''m from." She frowned out into the darkness.


    "Something wrong?"


    "Yeah, talking about the slightly different ways powerful people step on the working-class is really depressing."


    "Ah." He snapped his mouth shut.


    Shae leaned forwards to warm her hands on the campfire formation. It was warm now, but not emanating heat as much as she liked. She did feel comfortable though, and the area was lit with a dim flickering orange, not unlike firelight.


    "Is that working as well as you hoped?" He asked.


    "It''s a bit weaker than I expected. The heat isn''t spreading out as much as I hoped. Is your water qi still interfering?"


    "If it was, couldn''t you sense it?"


    She sighed with exaggerated effort. "I had hoped asking you would be the faster option." She gave him her best disappointed frown.


    He shrugged. "If your formation is drawing all the fire qi up, more water qi makes sense."


    "Why are you making poor excuses? You dumped a bunch of water qi around me while I was cultivating to get me to stop, or just used yours to block the neutral qi. Why the half truths?"


    "Ah-ha! So, you did notice. You''ve passed the test! Many don''t realize other qi interferes with cultivation speed."


    "Uuugghh. Fucking ass-hat!" She swore in English. "How is a secret test reliable? I almost didn''t call you on it. Would I have failed for not revealing that I actually passed the test that I didn''t know was happening?"


    He shifted on his seat again. "It''s a standard testing practice. I would have asked more directly eventually, but even that is only half-marks because you could guess at the answer."


    "Please, stop testing me without explanation or permission. It''s infuriating."


    "I am doing you a favor, getting these out of the way early will save significant time at the sect."


    "Favors can''t be demanded like that. You can''t just do anything and claim it''s a favor."


    "I didn''t mean a literal favor. You don''t owe me for it."


    "You''re so far in the hole that I wouldn''t anyway. So, do me an actual favor and answer one of the questions I asked earlier."


    "Hmm. A secret test is reliable if you are convinced the person would speak out about the solution to the test. Not speaking out doesn''t mark failure, but can be used as evidence if you are suspected of cheating on the proper test."


    Shae stared at him silently for three slow breaths. "Now you owe me an extra favor for that."


    He smirked.


    She stuck her hand in the campfire formation, and frowned. She tried to wipe exasperation off her face, then sighed and shook her head. "I heard I can challenge classes at the sect. How many do you think I can manage?"


    He looked up at the stars, seeming to genuinely think about it. "Do you read as well as you speak?"


    "Better, probably."


    "Then the first two or three literacy classes. The third and fourth might catch you because they begin to deal with cultivation topics. A few introductory courses could be avoided, like for qi gathering. Others so long as you study over the course material. You''ll have time for that, though they might not let you into the library right away."


    "Hmm? Why not?"


    He shrugged. "Politics. The rules for that have been changing a lot. People raid the library, then leave the sect before classes start."


    Shae scrunched her forehead. "That''s weird. They can''t really get that much, can they? There must be some separation for stages."


    He nodded. "There is. Mainly based on qi pressure. With the density around the sect, it''s easiest to mimic and sustain pressure. Yet, anyone properly tempered can stroll right into the deeper parts. Well, almost. There are a few attendants and guards for safety."


    Shae inhaled deeply. "So, because I''m tempered, that alone might void my access?"


    "It''s possible. Depends when the last incident was. To be fair to you: your existing track record is positive. You might only need to wait a week for the request to be processed."


    "Oh. That''s not so bad. I really should spend more time cultivating and cleansing."


    Long tilted his head side to side.


    "Ugh, don''t tell me that has the same issue?"


    "I won''t. It''s more that you should look for a cultivation manual first, and switch to that."


    She sighed. "I''ve been waiting for one of those for long enough that I already have a path paved to meridian cleansing."


    "You think so?"


    "I did say Wise Kaiun helped me with cleansing, yes? Really all the monks there at the time helped. It was a rush job, but the results seem to get quite close to the divine flesh of my arm and leg."


    "Divine flesh?"


    She shrugged. "Well, what would you call it when it''s cleansed by tribulation lightning to the point of it hardly being mine anymore?"


    He paused in thought, then nodded. "Pure-flesh is common for pure qi cleansing, but if you think this is something more?"


    "It''s definitely likely. Ghon probably mentioned it in my introduction letter."


    "Elder Ghon."


    "Yes, him."


    "No, I mean, you must call him Elder, especially to other Elders and when within the sect. You''re not his family or personally close enough to justify skipping his title."


    "As I was saying, my good friend Fixiu''s letter should have details on the divine flesh. He was excited to examine it, even when he thought it would kill me."


    Long made a short grunting noise, and then spritzed the young woman with water when she finished. "Really. I can tolerate disrespect to myself, but not to other members. Now, is that the letter you won''t give me."


    "No. It was the one that was stolen from me outside Minlin. Presumably it should be delivered to the sect whenever the bandit courier gets there."


    "Bandit courier?"


    "Yes. More importantly: please stop being a judge of other people''s relationships. I am closer to Elder Ghon Fixiu than is appropriate to explain in public. I''ve seen him break, watched him give up on life, then dragged him back from the edge. He has nursed me back from near death, and I for him. If you still believe I cannot use his name freely then you are a fool." She glared sternly at him, doing her best impression of his own stony mask.


    He inhaled deeply, parting his lips to speak.


    She interrupted him before he could start. "Now. If you are going to continue avoiding my questions while using this conversation as a game to have me reveal more about myself, you can, instead: fuck off."


    He snapped his mouth shut and frowned. "Is that what you think my goals are?"


    "It is what you have been doing. More to the point, if this really were a friendly conversation between mature adults, like I requested, then specific hidden goals like conducting secret tests wouldn''t be acceptable. Neither would your immature splashing of water."


    "You yourself must have goals. You are asking rather pointed questions about cultivation."


    "I am following my curiosity, and I''m doing so plainly and openly. We both have interests, it''s natural to follow them. It would be the polite thing to do to answer freely, where appropriate. I wouldn''t be so bothered if you would just say when specific information is off-limits. Even my monk friends did that to me a few times. I wasn''t happy with that answer, but I didn''t hold it against them. Instead, you just dodge the question, refusing to even properly deny me answers." She shook her head. "You almost answered the one in there about higher stage Dantians; directly implied you would answer it too. Then the conversation wandered, and even when given the opportunity to circle back, you refused, treating it like a game instead."


    "What could you do with that information? Surely it would only trouble you this early in your cultivation?"


    "And is that for you to decide? Clearly you think so. I am looking to sate my curiosity, as I said. Of course, there''s a specific reason I''m asking. We all have reasons for doing things. Yet, you seem to have none for your avoidance. A teacher''s responsibility is only a valid excuse if you are actually good at teaching, and if you actually do it. You asked me to elaborate on a metaphor, then said it was incorrect like I had failed somehow." She huffed and quickly drew in another breath. "The very thing you should have been guiding me through, you intentionally misled me, then berated me for exploring the wrong path. Don''t claim it was some test, I won''t believe you. Moreover, I could have easily followed another metaphor. Metaphors are easy, and enough fail to be effective that they could bridge a river." She slowly shook her head at him, disappointment clear in her eyes.


    "You can try it again now, if it means that much to you."


    She squinted and tried to huff-out deep exasperation. "Go away."


    "But you just-?"


    "I''m not trying to impress you with a clever metaphor I thought up while we talked about something else. I was telling you how misguided and incapable you are. Skip the dumb metaphors and answer the bloody question or get walking." She pointed back to the road.


    "But it''s comfortable here."


    "What are you, a five year old? It''s comfortable because I made a fire formation that radiates comfort. Which your ignorant ass is smothering with their water qi because you have no faith in me, and you think you are stopping it from starting a fire, which it can''t actually do. Yet, you won''t even let it get to that point because you are too busy reacting to a problem that doesn''t exist to notice that it doesn''t exist. Now, again, fuck off and take your water qi with you or I''ll take it away myself."


    Long sat slightly stunned, only shifting his eyes to glance at the formation, then back to Shae. Finally he said, "You shouldn''t take in elemental qi unless you are aspected to that element."


    She rubbed her temples, both of them. "Is this your personal water qi?"


    "Uhh, mostly no."


    "Then I am going to begin cultivating. I had better not see you when I next open my eyes. Good night, Master Long, try not to trip on your privilege on the way out."


    "My what?" He asked.


    She ignored his confusion and began meditating.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 41: Future Favor

    <hr>


    Chapter 41: "Future Favor."


    <hr>


    Forcing herself into mediation didn''t immediately clear her mind. Shae still had to deal with all the frustration and anger of the conversation. She focused on breathing evenly, letting the thoughts pass by as she moved forward. Some were harder to ignore, but ignoring them wasn''t the goal. She had to acknowledge them, which meant giving them some thought. It could be described as the difference between stopping to read a road sign, and reading it while driving past it. One didn''t need to stop, but they did need to read it.


    Once she had settled, she reached out to her surroundings, sensing the water qi still filling the autumn air. She was surprised it hasn''t been colder, if the qi had been humidity, it certainly would have felt colder.


    She knew the problem she would have back when she was arguing with Long. If she tried to use his personal qi, it would be painful. Stuffed with his Dao, it wouldn''t really listen to her and would cause problems in her channels. It might not even absorb into her Dantian''s formation.


    The obvious answer was to call the qi in a way that was opposing his Dao. His is pressure, so just call out to water qi unaffected by pressure.


    She took a slow breath. Letting the thoughts come naturally.


    His pressure is from a geyser. Well, maybe it is. Could be the ocean too, probably something natural. So go with the sky? Clouds and rainwater?


    She focused on those ideas, falling back to the simpler method of harmonizing with the qi to draw it in. The way she had learned when under Elder Ghon''s supervision. He hadn''t taught her to do it that way specifically, but it was what she found worked.


    The qi was slow to move, drifting into her in thin wisps and small drops. Just like clouds and rain. She kept up the mental image, adding in small streams and runoffs. That drew it in faster. Right, movement, it wants to move. Hmm, it should also want to settle, build up in low areas, but the weather cycle would stop that.


    She made her mental image more complex, including heat and weather patterns, flows of water along the ground that evaporated with the sun then returned as rain. She was deliberate to not let it pool and build up reservoirs.


    The flow of qi picked up again, and she noticed some of the qi around her not moving. That must be his. Could I...? No. Best to leave him be.


    She funneled the wispy river into the formation around her Dantian. The water rune glowed slightly, but it was the formation lines around it that grew and spread.


    She also cycled her own qi around her channels while she waited. After about half the water was gone, she felt a lot of the qi moving out of the area, specifically the other water qi that she wasn''t drawing in. Ah, he''s leaving, finally.


    Shortly after, she sensed more neutral qi returning to the area, drifting in slowly from outside her sense range. When it felt almost as dense as before Long arrived, she began to draw that in too. It was a careful balance to keep the two qi types separate. Fortunately, if there was water qi in the neutral qi, she could run it past the formation to suck out the water. The inverse worked even better, as it absorbed into her formation it would leave behind accumulations of other qi that had been mixed into the water qi.


    She found that the various scraps of other qi didn''t affect her much. They would get dissolved into the neutral qi and possibly purified by her own demigod qi, the pure qi base seeming to cleanse and destroy the small deposits of other qi.


    Once the water was mostly gone she switched to only bringing in neutral qi. If Long wasn''t lying, I should slow down and cycle it more. She thought to herself. But where''s the fun in not finding out?


    She tried to match the speed she used earlier in the night and was quite sure the local qi kept up for longer; suggesting Long had interfered. If nothing else, his water qi interrupted the flow. She was prevented from cultivating for too long, however, as another qi type invaded her space: steam qi. She sighed internally but also hoped for a pleasant conversation and not more games.


    She wound down her cultivating rhythm, the same way she had before. Then opened her eyes to find a familiar face.


    "Oh," she said while rolling her eyes dramatically.


    "Hmm, I really didn''t think your planet metaphor was that bad. It has a certain ring of truth to it, even." Someone who looked and sounded like Master Long said.


    She stopped herself from calling them out and chose to play along instead. "How so?"


    "Well. It''s in the stories, isn''t it? Usually space cultivators, but everyone at a certain divine stage seems to have a whole planet or solar system inside their Dantian."


    "In their Dantian? I never read it as being literally within their body."


    "Well yes, it''s more accurately within their soul, but..." they trailed off.


    "But their soul is... A part of their body, metaphysically, at least?"


    "Ehhh, technically true. Though I feel you don''t have it quite sorted out. I probably shouldn''t say, with souls being involved. Yet, ah, well, I think you could get it eventually. Think of the stages." They pointed at Shae.


    She mumbled off the first few, "... Core, then nascent soul... Oh!" She paused. "Within their nascent soul?"


    The one who looked like Long wobbled a hand, frowning with too much expression showing. "Not quite the right terminology, but you have the idea."


    "The nascent soul..." The young cultivator wondered. "I really don''t know much about it. Elder Ghon said it was too advanced, and Master Long has been almost no help with anything."


    "Hmm, yes, they wouldn''t speak on it in any case. As for myself, I am just learning these secrets. Consider that the mortal body and soul are flawed. They cannot live forever. The body will fail, and the soul... Will do something else, probably. Maybe it just can''t handle being constantly attached to a physical form. So we cultivate." They gestured to Shae to continue.


    "So we cultivate to... Cleanse the mortal body of imperfections. Destroying weaknesses and rebuilding it with qi, into something that can last much longer, but that alone isn''t enough." Shae spoke slowly, working through it as she went. "Cleansing removes impurities from the metaphysical connection to our soul as well...?"


    They wobbled a hand.


    The young woman continued, "Maybe. Or that''s not enough for the soul to be safe. So, the nascent soul stage... Which is often considered the first steps of immortality. Wait, but I skipped a step."


    "Several, but yes there is the core formation stage."


    "Where a ball of qi is compressed down into a solid core of qi. And most seem to have a solid grasp of their Dao then." She added as an afterthought.


    Faux Long leaned forwards, raising an eyebrow.


    "Oh? Are they related? Hmm..." She paused to consider. "If I think of solid qi as a crystal, then crystals form faster around a seed of something. It doesn''t have to be the same crystal, but it helps. So the Dao, if it is supposed to be in the cultivator''s qi, how does it get there?" She stared at her small campfire, which was brighter now that it wasn''t being drowned. Even the steam qi didn''t seem to have a negative impact. It felt humid, much hotter and it could be like a sauna.


    Shae blocked away the distraction and continued, "If I count Dao infused qi as crystal, then a cultivator only has to infuse a small amount of qi with Dao, using that as a seed for their core to grow around." She bit her lip in concentration. "And Elder Ghon said two people could stay with the same Dao and wander away from each other. So maybe the seed could be from someone else?"


    They raised a hand, palm facing out. "Maybe. That might even be how the army does it, I''m not sure. The sect does not do that, however. Cultivator''s must develop the Dao that is best for them, not something sold as one-size-fits-all."


    Shae nodded. "Makes sense. Then the question isn''t just can it still grow and develop? But does it need to? Does Dao progress equate to cultivation progress?"


    "Hmm, not directly. Some say understanding does, but that could be directly related to enlightenments jumping us forwards. For the next stage however. It is usually assumed you need a Dao to be developed to a certain extent. Though, you can''t really measure that."


    "Hmm, I think Elder Ghon said something about Dao not needing qi to be used, but the cultivator needs qi to hold the Dao? Or something. Does that hold for the next step?"


    "Hah. A good try, I''ll not give it away that easily."


    Shae frowned, but after a breath, understood what they meant, even if it had been unintentional. "Hmm so the core stage compresses the qi and adds something. Is it a repeat? Compress and add? Or just add? Maybe compression is done?"


    "You''re getting there. What would you add?"


    She shrugged. "Well, it''s called nascent soul, so add soul, or nascent. Whatever that is."


    They stared at Shae with a frown.


    "Okay, okay. I know what it means, but in context it could be different. It''s like budding or just formed, new, I guess?"


    "You sound uncertain."


    "Well, yea. I am stumbling in the dark here. New soul is a weird name for a stage. Like, how would you even do that? The other stages make some sense in their progression, adding more qi and making it denser. A new soul comes out of nowhere."


    "The stage before brought in Dao. Isn''t that wholly different?"


    Shae paused with her mouth open. Then closed it and set her chin on her fist. "Hmm."


    They both started into the light of the campfire formation for a few slow breaths.


    "Right, so. You said the soul can''t survive forever? Or something like that?" Shae waited for the nod. "So that means the nascent soul stage is about remaking our soul to survive? The same way we remake the body? Or making a whole new soul? But then we''d need to move into that one, or discard our existing weak soul at some point?"


    "Hmm. Yes, I''ve wondered about that as well. It''s good that you are just as confused. I''d be worried I''d you already knew the answer." Fake Long spoke, a hint of disappointment in their voice. "I shouldn''t tell you more though. Soul information is tightly held and guarded, people can do some nasty things with it."


    "Ugh. That''s not at all worrisome." She huffed. "So, where does that leave us?"


    "Us? Oh, progressing to your original question? What was it? What''s it like inside a high stage Dantian? One that can hold multiple qi types easily?" They took a deep breath. "I think you can move forward without more details. I''ve given a few clues already."


    "Pfffff." She blew air out in frustration. "Lucky if I remember any of them."


    They shrugged.


    "Do you mean you gave me clues, or Master Long?"


    "Heh, found out easily, eh? When did you figure it out?"


    "Right away. I was meditating when Long left and when you arrived, your qi is different. And the first thing you said was as if you were a different person." She lowered the pitch of her voice and sat up straight, "I didn''t think your metaphor was that bad."


    They snickered at the young woman''s impression. "Heh, heh, heh. You would be surprised how often people trust their sight over everything else. And yes, I suppose that was my first clue. Long did leave an earlier clue, a good one too, but saying it again would make this too easy."


    "Ugh, like I''m going to remember our whole conversation. I was too busy being annoyed with him to think everything through, let alone memorize it all."


    "Ah, hmm. I suppose you don''t have our memory techniques yet."


    "Nope." She rubbed her temples trying to remember.


    "Well, think it through out loud, I''ll consider guiding you in the right direction if you get close."


    She looked up at them. "Could you look like someone else now? I''m still angry with Long, it''s distracting."


    "Hmm, maybe, but... then I''d be breaking character. I am still acting as the wise and helpful mentor figure."


    "Hah! You''re already breaking character. You''ve been way more wise and helpful than he ever is." Shae smirked.


    "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Their laughter loudly broke out of Master Long''s voice and into a bright and feminine tone. They quickly controlled the volume, but kept going for longer than Shae thought the joke deserved.


    The honest joy was infectious and brought a smile to Shae''s face. She had a new question when they calmed down enough. "Should I call you Apollo, or do you prefer something else? And any title to go with that?"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Their tone of voice stayed a bit higher pitch, but was still close to Long''s if you were just passing by and kind of deaf, "Hmm, I usually don''t like people blowing my cover by calling out my nickname. Senior is fine, and works most of the time. If you know no one is listening, which even I never do, Apollo is nice." They shrugged. "Pronouns have never been a concern, personally, but again, fitting the disguise is preferred. You''ve clearly shown you can indicate you know without fully giving away the game, and I should thank you for that."


    Shae smiled. "Which time? During exercise or the other day with Mistress Ping and the Dongs?"


    "Hah, both times!" They tilted their head forwards as a small seated bow. "Now that''s getting a little off topic, did you want to continue puzzling it out?"


    Shae shrugged. "I suppose, or I could be doing it during meditation; I might need to think it through. Am I wasting your time by going slow?"


    Apollo shook their head, "Not at all, I''m on night watch, and your campfire is much nicer to sit at than the others. The light doesn''t ruin my night vision."


    "Heh, you don''t have a technique for that?"


    "I do, but there are still limitations of the flesh and true workings of light. A bright source will always interfere." They pointed at the formation, which was no brighter than a candle. "That''s quite dim, and not a single point, I think that helps too. Though, no light would be better."


    "Hmm, I can make another without light. Unless there''s a way to change this one?"


    Apollo shrugged. "There probably is. I''m no formation expert. Though, the basic theory is straightforward. It should be a bit advanced for you, but you could surprise us."


    "No hints? And what do you mean by us?"


    "You don''t think I was the only one eavesdropping earlier, do you? Or that I won''t eventually report this all to someone?"


    Shae quickly glanced around her, into the dark night. "Ugh, you''re going to make me paranoid."


    "Heh, good. You should be. And you should be more careful what you talk about, and with whom."


    The young woman studied the false face of Apollo. "Like talking through cultivation details with you?"


    "Oh, not me. You can trust me unquestioningly?" They smiled wide and showed lots of teeth, sharp canines distinct in the firelight.


    "Hah." She shook her head and looked away with a small shudder. "I''ll keep thinking about it. One last clue?"


    Apollo sighed and looked up at the stars. "There, up there. That bright one near the horizon. That''s not a star."


    Shae looked at it and nodded. She considered where it was and compared the path of the moon. "A planet?"


    Apollo nodded. "I suppose you would already know about that."


    "Hmm, is that the clue? Some stars are planets? Or some planets can be seen easily?"


    "Come now." They lowered their voice back to Long''s and put on a flat stony expression. "Cultivator lessons and clues are not so easy to summarize."


    Shae snorted a laugh then shook her head. She took a deep breath in and out, then closed her eyes to meditate. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."


    "Mhm, and you yours, Wise Shae."


    <hr>


    Within her mindscape, Shae took a moment to decide what to do next.


    Yun said to keep an eye on my Dantian''s formation, to check if it''s burning qi. Now would be the time to do that. She mostly hesitated because it would be a decent amount of work trying to record the exact state of each symbol and line set. Hmm, well I did just fill up water, could focus on just that. And which has the least... Metal, probably.


    She looked both over and found there to be a lot of detail she had ignored before. This will take forever, and I don''t trust my memory that much. She grimaced internally, then sighed. I should do it now, the sooner the better.


    She started on the metal symbol. The character in the middle was dimmer than the others and only a few lines surrounded it. I''m pretty sure the lines can move around, I know they did when I absorbed the tribulation lightning. So this might be futile, unless I take a lot of notes.


    After making mental notes and guesses she left meditation.


    "Thought of something already?" Apollo asked.


    "Hmm? Oh, no. I got sidetracked." She rummaged through her belongings for paper. Ghon''s journal was the first thing she found. Did I even have blank paper, or a marking stick? She wondered as she looked, eventually frowning.


    "Can''t find something?" They asked.


    "Marking stick. I need to make notes. Not sure I even had one."


    Apollo leaned in close to her bag and Shae felt qi sweep over it. "Nope, nothing to write with."


    Shae clicked her tongue. "Dang. Say, you wouldn''t happen to...?"


    They smiled and produced a marking stick. "Always have something to write with, do you need paper?"


    She shook her head, and raised the journal. "Thank you, Senior."


    Apollo jerked the stylus away as the young woman reached for it. "What''s that notebook about?"


    "Not: what am I going to write?"


    They shrugged. "I''ll find out when you do."


    She frowned briefly. "It''s Elder Ghon''s notes for introductory formations. Though, the textbook it goes with is probably a collector''s item now."


    "What textbook?"


    "Hmm." She checked the journal. "Formations and Talismans, an Introduction. Third edition."


    "Huh. That does sound like an old copy. Although, formation theory hasn''t changed much in centuries. Could be the same as modern printings, or close enough."


    "It seems to be from when Elder Ghon was learning formations."


    Apollo grimaced. "Ack. Good luck then."


    Shae extended her hand again, and received the stylus. "This seems well made?"


    "It''s a bit fancy, yes. Technically a spiritual tool, it can mimic colored inks and charcoal. I think it was last set to a royal purple used in official documents."


    Shae glanced between it and the cultivator. "Should you be telling me that? And should we change it? I''d rather not be accused of stealing Royal ink."


    They shrugged. "It''s a fairly popular color to replicate. Only certain officials will know it''s close enough to be concerned. And no, you can''t change it, and I won''t because it doesn''t have a memory, so it would be very inconvenient if I needed that purple again."


    "Oh." She looked at it and shrugged. "Royal purple it is."


    She flipped the journal to the back, most of the back pages were blank. She found a clump of blank pages to use, and folded a corner to mark the first page. As she roughly sketched the symbol for metal she found the stylus quite easy to use, almost as good as a ballpoint pen. The tip was square and behaved more like a split quill. Though, she noticed it slid over the page easier and didn''t cut into or get snagged like a sharp quill would.


    She also noticed Apollo leaning in to watch her work. "Do you need to spy on what I''m doing?"


    They looked up and smirked. "Yes. It''s quite literally my job. I could be less obvious, so you weren''t quite sure if I was or not. Yet, I thought you deserved a bit more respect than that. Plus you are using my stylus. For all you know it records everything you write."


    She gaped slightly and looked at the stylus. It had no obvious place for a piece of Jade to inscribe information into. But I suppose it wouldn''t, that would defeat the point. She tilted her head. "If it could do that, why also the ink swapping? Seems counter to the point of covertly recording someone."


    "Perhaps." They nodded. "But trying to disguise a spiritual tool as a normal item is quite hard. Easier to disguise a spiritual tool as another spiritual tool."


    "Then lie about what it does, with a reason to not demonstrate how it works." Shae squinted at them.


    Apollo grinned devilishly. "Smart girl."


    She looked down at her notes. She was about to start writing more details, she smirked to herself and began writing.


    "What''s that language?" Apollo asked.


    "Oh this? Just one you probably don''t know."


    "There are other lost souls at the sect."


    "That''s good to hear, but I bet they are not all from the same nation, maybe not even the same world. There are many languages, the whole world doesn''t speak Empress''s Tongue, do they?"


    Apollo grunted in agreement, then leaned in to stare at the notes.


    Shae wanted to object, but figured that might lose her the stylus. Guess I have to roll with it for now. Unless... She looked at her pack again. Did I have a marking stick?


    She shrugged and kept writing. The color is quite nice. "This is rather nice to write with, how do I get one? Or something similar but cheaper?"


    "Depends if you want it to record everything or not." Apollo chuckled. "No, that wouldn''t be available freely anyway. Neither is the good ink I have in this one. But I understand the question." They hummed and looked up while thinking. "At the normal rate newbies make money, it will probably take you a year to save."


    "What!" Shae gasped, looking at the stylus with new appreciation.


    "And you really should put that towards tuition, or cultivation progress. You have a head start, so you could maybe shave a year off tuition, a huge savings, really."


    "Tuition?" She groaned.


    "Of course. You didn''t think the sect was a charity, did you?"


    "Err. I guess not. No one has fully explained it to me."


    Apollo nodded. "They usually wait until you''re officially accepted. Makes you feel like you can''t back out of their offer."


    "And do I need to accept it?"


    "You can, and should try to bargain." They shrugged. "There are different strategies. Nobles tend to pay upfront, saving on interest and getting a small discount."


    "Ugh, the rich get richer. Of course." She frowned.


    "Some people try to save by reducing the resources the sect provides regularly. Skip a few qi gathering pills a year, that kind of thing."


    "Does that work out?"


    "No, it''s not worth the risk. It almost always slows them down and they have to pay out another year instead. If anything, you should ask for more resources."


    "Will they agree?"


    They shrugged. "Depends on your ability, or how much they want you. You could probably... Well, maybe I shouldn''t say."


    "Aww. Please?"


    "Hmm, owe me a favor?" They raised an eyebrow.


    "Owe a favor to a mysterious spy character with unknown motives? Oh yes, I''m sure that can''t backfire at all." Shae grinned.


    Apollo matched her grin. "Excellent, so what you should do is-"


    "No-no-no. That was sarcasm and you know it. Pick something I can do now. Or tell me the favor now, that I can do later."


    "Heh heh heh. Good choice. Hmm." They looked down at the campfire formation in the dirt. "This is quite nice. Make this into a formation plate for me, so it''s portable."


    "Uhhh. That''s it? Um, sure, that sounds easy, though I don''t really know how yet. Is it just inscribing it into better materials? Oh I guess that will cost something. Who''s paying for materials?"


    "Almost that simple, I believe. Though I''m no expert, or I''d do it myself." They passed a hand through the formation. "I''m not even sure what-all intent you used for this. The material will be your responsibility. I can''t fund a dozen mistakes before you get one half working. However, if you take an introductory formation class, they will have you doing plates relatively quickly."


    "Oh? Will that class be available right away?"


    Apollo shook their head. "Unlikely, unless you can challenge a bunch of early classes and get a mentorship specifically for formations."


    Shae pressed her lips and considered it.


    "You would have to be a generational talent to swing that. And probably have a noble''s backing with previous training. Do you know more than this one?" They pointed at the campfire.


    She half grimaced. "No. Just that. Wasn''t taught anything else."


    "What about those?" Apollo pointed at the journal.


    "Oh. Hmm. I''m not sure if these work. Or what they do."


    Apollo raised an eyebrow and stared into the young woman''s eyes. "You''re serious?"


    "Uhm, yes."


    "So where did they come from?"


    Shae shifted uncomfortably. "I''d rather not say."


    "Hmph." Apollo let out a sharp noise like a laugh. "Well, don''t worry about it any time soon then. I''ll come find you when you start working on formation plates."


    "Okay. I agree, then?"


    Apollo nodded. "Since you are not technically in qi gathering, you can argue for more resources. Second years get more, they are assumed to be in cleansing, so need more for that. They probably won''t start you out there unless you demand it."


    "Oh, that sounds good. Why isn''t it just dependent on what stage you are in?"


    "They don''t want people jumping stages early. Especially into meridian cleansing. If you ''accidentally'' cleanse a meridian early, you could claim you are at that stage and demand more resources, even if you are not using them for that."


    "Oh. Yeah, that would get abused. And you''d put yourself further into debt, possibly too deep if you get stuck early."


    Apollo nodded. "Very much so. Now, there might be a trade-off. They might accelerate your whole progression schedule by a year, don''t agree to that."


    "Mmm. I could see that being a problem, yes. I''m not confident my cultivation speed will match the high grades the sect is used to."


    "Exactly. And there are consequences for falling behind. You''ll find them out later, nothing terribly dire, but they will slow you down even more."


    Shae frowned briefly. "Why set hard dates then punish failure with slower progression?"


    They shrugged. "It''s just how it''s done. I think the higher ups like to rely on fate and karma a lot. If you are meant to progress quickly, you do." They said it plainly, like that should explain everything.


    She frowned, again. "Weird."


    "Fate works in strange ways. Now, one last tip. If they really don''t let you haggle, ask for their superior. From there, if you are really blocked, you might be able to get a sponsorship from a sect Elder."


    "From you? Or Master Long?"


    "Heh. If it''s from me, you''ll definitely owe me a favor, maybe a few. You''d also have to be quite confident that either of us will agree. If the Elder says no, they might completely bar your entry."


    She frowned with concern.


    "That shouldn''t be needed." Apollo offered open palms. "But that''s enough for now, you were telling me about those symbols?" They pointed at the journal.


    Shae smirked, "No, I wasn''t. This one is almost done, though." She looked it over while biting her lip in thought. "Right, be back in a few." She set the stylus as a bookmark and began to meditate again.


    It took her two more trips in and out of meditation to finish her notes on the water symbol. When she was done, she handed the stylus back with thanks.


    "You''re not being nearly as subtle as you think." Apollo said as they took back the tool.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Your notes. You told me too much about your formation knowledge. There''s only so many places you could be getting those from. Are they the only two?"


    Shae frowned and thought about it. Right, to them, I came out of meditation, wrote one down, then did the same for the other. Where else would I have found the symbols? She worked her jaw, trying to come up with an excuse.


    Apollo raised a hand. "Don''t bother lying. We learn a trick for that very early, and the lie often gives away more information. You don''t need to say anything if you don''t want to."


    The young woman nodded. "I''m not sure I''ll have any thoughts about our earlier discussion, I''ll probably just cultivate all night. Is your steam qi still filling the area? Could you remove it?"


    "Heh. You don''t want to take care of it? Like you did Long''s water?" They smirked.


    Shae frowned. "Not really, it takes too long and slows down my regular cultivation."


    The smirk dropped off their face. "Alright, I''ll see what I can do. It might take a while though."


    She nodded and smiled. "Thank you again, Senior. You''ve been very helpful. If I do think of something, I''ll let you know, maybe tomorrow night?"


    "Heh, if you make this formation again, I''ll be there." They smiled back. A more youthful face briefly bleeding through faux-Long''s stony mask.


    It was a little uncanny, and Shae was glad it was only a flash. She smiled again, moved back into lotus pose and closed her eyes.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 42: Turning on the Physics

    <hr>


    Chapter 42: Turning on the Physics


    <hr>


    This time, Shae let herself slowly dip into meditation. She didn''t like the earlier rushed feeling when having to write out the formation, so decided to enjoy the calming and relaxing nature of meditation.


    Gradually, she drew out more and more qi from her Dantian and cycled it through her channels. It felt like it had been a while since she didn''t have a clear goal, so now she just let it wander, pushing into channels rarely explored and saturating her.


    She used a balanced combination of her personal qi and neutral qi, like she had found when first creating the demigod qi on Pilgrim''s Rest Mountain. She found the balance to be more relaxing than just her personal qi. With only that, or only the base demigod qi, it was made from, she felt energetic, antsy, and hyper. Like she was full of energy. Which, I suppose I am.


    It''s been a while since I focused on my senses. She thought. Or has it been? Maybe it''s just been a busy couple days.


    She tried to pay attention to areas of her mental map that felt dark, unknown. Corners that probably had something in them, but were yet unexplored. However, as she stuffed herself with more qi one spot grew sore quickly: her right arm. Ugh, right, that injury was today. She sighed and relaxed, letting some qi back into her Dantian, reducing the strain on the injury. She kept her attention on it for a time, examining what the damage felt like, what parts hurt more, or less. When she finally grew bored, she checked it again, but didn''t notice any improvement.


    Reducing her qi flow further, she focused on her Dantian, and the problem she had been given by Apollo.


    So, the planet and star metaphor isn''t terrible, and there''s a hint there. But what was Long''s hint? She sighed. And did Apollo give more than one?


    She tried to think over both conversations. Apollo''s was easier, being more recent and shorter. The rambling, distracted nature of her talk with Long was all the harder to recall because of her anger at the man.


    Ugh, I claim I don''t want my qi to embody anger and wrath, yet I still rage and swear at people who annoy me. Fear the rage of Shae, wielder of the Dao of hypocrisy. A heavy breath and she acknowledged the thought, and let it pass. Her meditation practice allowed her to escape the regret quickly.


    What did we first talk about? ... The gold lightning. She looked at the golden ribbons of lightning freely fluttering around her Dantian. He said he knew what it meant to him, and tried to get me to say what it meant to me. She took a few breaths, remembering her annoyance and letting it pass. I guess I need to think through that, or be the hypocrite again.


    What is the gold lightning? She didn''t know that much about tribulations, Ghon hadn''t been particularly forthcoming, even after her experience with one. A cultivator defies the heavens, and the heavens respond with a tribulation. A punishment, a test, and a reward all in one. Though, that''s my summary, Ghon wouldn''t put it so plainly.


    Right, my summary is the point, isn''t it? Red is the punishment. Wrath at the infraction made by the cultivator. Hot and fresh and instant, it might only seek pain and revenge.


    Blue is the conduit. The basic lightning that a storm cloud generates. It carries the red and gold, and is probably the test. The easily adjusted challenge, tailored to each cultivator''s ability. It had taken her a while to figure that out. Not every tribulation was the same, it was stronger or weaker as appropriate to the cultivator. Arguably, red is also part of the test, but I have to start simple.


    So, that leaves the gold as the reward... Ghon did hint at that didn''t he? When he saw the mass of lightning forming, red and gold. He wanted to see the results of what it would do to my body after. Maybe just how much damage the red would do, but the gold also cleansed, rebuilt. He would have known it''d do that.


    But reward is a terrible descriptor. It''s still lightning, it still destroys, burns as it goes. It feels similar to enlightenments, which are like an acknowledgement from the heavens that you''ve done well; understood something. Hmm, maybe that you understood your infraction against the heavens? Hmm. Doesn''t feel quite right.


    She ran into a few mental dead ends. Thinking about the tribulation as a justice system, or a court of law didn''t get her anywhere: you don''t reward illegal acts. Other comparisons had similar problems, the tribulation doesn''t prevent the infraction, it doesn''t stop you after, it lets you carry on if you pass it, lets you keep breaking its rules.


    It lets you progress afterwards; lets you continue chasing immortality. Accepts your infraction. Acceptance? Hmm, almost. That is very similar to enlightenment''s acknowledgement. Yet, it could do that without providing anything. Just letting you be is acceptance.


    She thought back over her own words. Progress? Change and improvement? Could be, it fits much better.


    She looked outside her Dantian, outside her body. Checking the heavens above for that trickle of gold qi that might signal she was correct. Nothing. Do I need to shout it to the sky to be heard?


    She turned inwards again and looked at the golden ribbons. Are you progress? Change and improvement?


    They might have twitched in response, might have moved a little faster when she asked. Not the quivering excitement of wrath, but progress is harder to make. Wrath is easy, change is hard.


    Looking at the whole of her Dantian; seeing the cloudy, unstructured clusters of qi, she thought to herself, Time for some change.


    The large cloud in the middle, surrounded by orbiting marbles and smaller clouds of qi made her think of a few things. Mainly planets, since that had been on her mind already. A full solar system or even just a planet with moons. Is this what Apollo meant? Though it could be seen as atoms too, especially with the marbles.


    But those marbles, they might be unusual. I doubt every cultivator uses cat''s eye marbles to catch memories. Ghon used shards of glass, and stuffed them together for his Dao. ... Did I make pieces of Dao?


    The question caught her off guard, and she froze for what felt like a small eternity. No, couldn''t be. Could it?


    She took a deep breath and let the thought pass by. She had never considered them to be her Dao. They''re not even mine, strictly speaking. One is Ghon''s enlightenment, and the others the warning strike, meant mostly for him, before my tribulation. She looked at the golden ribbons. Those, however. Those are mine.


    The marbles can definitely add something to my Qi, maybe Dao, memories of Dao? Solidified intent? She wasn''t fully sure what intent was yet, but that won''t stop me from using it.


    If they are not mine. Is that why they hurt to use? Or I''m not using them correctly, maybe I''m not supposed to pull them into my channels. They are probably supposed to stay inside here, seeding the qi here with their... whatever it is.


    She sighed at the problem again. Trying once again to let the thoughts pass her by. Back to planets and space... Space? Long said something about space, didn''t he...? Shit, what was it?


    She was drawing a complete blank. It probably wasn''t one of his questions, those are too annoying to forget. Ugh, going to have to mock him by telling him that the only important thing he said wasn''t a stupid question but a passing anecdote that I don''t remember because it was the only not annoying thing he said.


    Maybe not in those exact words.


    So, space. Solar systems, planets. Probably go with the smaller option, since I''m a beginner. Or atomic nuclei. Those kind of fit too, and are smaller.


    I could ask Apollo. She moved her focus out of her Dantian to feel at her surroundings. The telltale steam qi was gone, and she felt no sign of the cultivator. Hmm, cleaned up her qi, and maybe left. I did say I wanted to cultivate. Then again, she wouldn''t be a particularly good spy if I could sense her that easily.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Shae took a deep breath and began doing just that. Inhale and exhale, she breathed in the qi of the world and cycled it down into her Dantian. Not literally breathing it in, she was only using her breathing to set the pace of her cultivation pattern.


    She kept at it until the neutral qi around her thinned out. Not completely, just enough that she noticed. That definitely took longer than before. She frowned at Long''s test and the lies he used earlier tonight. The situation was definitely a lie, but the comparison might not have been. He has little reason to deceive me just to stroke my ego. I could even take the comparison as a compliment... If I needed that.


    At this point, she knew she didn''t have a high grade spirit root. Then I would definitely be noticeably faster at cultivating qi. Long or Yungfan would have said as much. Especially with a technique to go faster. A seed of doubt sprouted. Unless... She flexed her divinely cleansed leg, remembering an old piece of advice from Elder Ghon. Unless I''m just not pushing my limits.


    She breathed and let the worry pass. Won''t know for sure until the spirit root test.


    With the qi around her thinned, she slowed her cultivation pace. She settled for something she barely had to pay attention to. Inhale to pull a bit of qi from her Dantian, exhale to return some of her qi and neutral qi. The rest of her qi flowed through her channels as it liked, spinning the qi around her slightly and dragging more in when it flowed into her Dantian. It was slow, but she didn''t have to force it constantly.


    This could backfire. If someone else''s qi leaks in, it will be a problem. It might even be taking in elemental qi. If it was, she didn''t have the precise senses to notice. Bleh, I''ll have to risk it... should be fine anyway, I''m not drawing it in fast.


    A deep breath let the worry pass and brought her back inside her Dantian. So, back to my earlier guesses. The Dao and soul infused solid-qi-core turns into a planet? That doesn''t really make sense. Probably more sense than an atomic model, though.


    She looked around at the scattered chaos that her Dantian was, it could use some form of organization, though.


    She looked at the center where her personal qi was being formed from neutral qi. Sun or planet in the middle? Sun is rather ambitious, and too singularly elemental, but it would work if I was fire aspected. Planet then, or even smaller with a moon? ... Weird, I feel like a moon needs to be orbiting something larger, and yet a lone planet feels fine, planet it is.


    She mentally crushed the qi down, squeezing it into a near perfect sphere. I''m probably not ready for liquid qi, don''t think I have enough. But. She pressed a mental impression of a large mass onto the very center. Whether she was forcing it upon the qi itself, or the physics inside her Dantian, she wasn''t sure. Probably just the physics, I did shut that off at one point so the marbles would stay inside nicely.


    That brought her attention to the consequences of the sudden gravity. The cat''s eye marbles, ribbons of lightning and bundles of divine qi all started falling towards the planet. Oh, right. She easily nudged the marbles into a lazy orbit. The ribbons she ignored, but the two divine clouds she was more careful with.


    The enlightenment qi and the tribulation qi, what little was left of them, were precious resources and she knew mixing them fully with her personal qi would mean they would disappear into it. There would be benefits to doing that, of course, but she wasn''t certain they were worthwhile compared to what else she could do with it.


    She slowly nudged the two clouds into a wide orbit around the qi planet. It definitely doesn''t feel like a planet yet, maybe an asteroid, it''s far too small. She recalled the fate of Pluto, well, maybe that''s a bit arbitrary.


    A large spark of lightning drew her attention. It was real lightning, not the gold ribbons. Something was happening in the mass of qi, the ribbons had fallen into it and not emerged. She mentally grimaced, I don''t know what''s happening and that''s bad. This is my space, I need to be in control.


    A thought plucked the first ribbon out, and she casually tossed it into an orbit without worry. The other two came readily after, the third and largest being the only one that felt difficult to move; she left it in a lower orbit than the others.


    Stepping back, she observed the new arrangement. Hmm, it''s good to know the lightning aspect isn''t completely gone from my qi, but this looks like more of a mess than before. I suppose I didn''t really try to organize the orbits at all. True to that thought, she watched as the orbits criss-crossed and intersected each other. Are these even real orbits? And wouldn''t they affect one another?


    Like a switch being flipped, the orbits shifted slightly, then she noticed the real change, a marble flying past one of the divine qi clouds curved around it and shot off in another direction. Huh. Quickly, the orbits of all the other entities began to shift and change as they passed one another.


    The only unmoving pieces were the main planet of qi, and the larger lightning bolt circling it like a planetary ring. Hmm, rings, eh? Rings would be much more organized. The two divine qi clouds also didn''t move much in their orbits. While the marbles acted like they were nearly weightless, being grabbed and tossed back out without shifting the others.


    I wonder... Shae thought with a wide smile.


    <hr>


    Aside: Faux Long (Apollo)


    <hr>


    Apollo sat comfortably beside the strange campfire formation. Passing a hand through the formation let her taste the fire qi. The intent of the formation rune echoed through the qi and came to her senses. Warmth, comfort, and a touch of light. Flickering light, perhaps.


    Intent wasn''t a mystery to Apollo. Yet, sensing such a clearly defined intent from a rough formation made by a beginner was quite the surprise. Even then, telling a newbie just how surprised you were was never recommended. Can''t let her get a big head so soon.


    Praise and acknowledgement would come, and was better dealt out by more experienced masters of the craft, and best measured out by heaven itself.


    The young woman had taken some time to begin cultivation. Clearly too preoccupied with something else to notice Apollo had retracted her steam qi from the area. When she did begin, it was slightly surprising for one that supposedly didn''t have a cultivation manual.


    The young woman''s technique was very similar to a wind cultivator''s. Timing her draw in and qi cycling with her breathing. Even Apollo''s own method included some of that. Steam shared some aspects of wind, after all.


    Her technique wasn''t stupendously fast or particularly efficient. Yet, it was enough to unbalance the qi in the area. Thinning it out so the pressure and density further out pushed more qi to fill the space. A normal process, and a good sign that she didn''t have a low grade spirit root.


    Apollo saw immediately when Shae changed her cultivation. It was as the density reached a more noticeable change. Apollo nodded in approval. She could have drained out more first, yet switching to a slower pace was common near this point. There was a careful balance to consider: draining the area dry could attract unwanted attention. Plus, with so many cultivators in the area, slowing sooner was the polite move. Although, Apollo guessed, I doubt she considered any of that.


    It was a while later when the next shift came, maybe an hour. In that time the girl''s cultivation had grown noticeably different. Matching her breathing exactly and being less picky about what types of qi it took in. Sure, the tiny scraps of elemental qi were hardly noticeable, and wouldn''t impede her cultivation in a noticeable way. Yet, Apollo did notice the change from earlier. She''s probably not even paying attention to it, hah, lucky girl.


    Apollo didn''t have the patience to count the time exactly, but perhaps another quarter hour later, a light flickering glow from the heavens began.


    Apollo looked up. It was probably an enlightenment, but those were usually more steady. This was odd, and slightly worrying, though not in the tribulation sort of way.


    "Hmmgh." She hummed out a groan. This will draw attention, I probably need a different disguise. A short scroll through her options, followed by some intense focus on her technique and she no longer looked like Master Long.


    "Ahhhh~!" She sighed out in a distinctly feminine tone. "Much better." She smiled. There was a certain comfort in being a little closer to who you were supposed to be. It was a feeling that Apollo always had an interesting time describing to others. Even if it was just how she looked, she still knew it wasn''t right.


    The flickering light could only be a few different things. Apollo knew the first two, and suspected the third, though she had never seen it. Forcing and enlightenment was the first, a naive move by the desperate. It wouldn''t damage the young cultivator, but would make for an unstable foundation if she based more of her cultivation on that.


    The second she had only heard of in passing, but had been confirmed by her master. It seemed the least likely, she looked down at the young woman''s pack, remembering the journal she was writing in. Well, maybe more likely than is reasonable. A shielding formation could dampen heaven''s ability to sense and grant enlightenments. But that would mean she has a shielding formation around her Dantian, maybe shielding her whole body and soul from the heavens? She recalled the report that the young woman always registered as early qi gathering, until she got that sword to change that, of course. Apollo was hating how plausible this explanation was becoming.


    The third option. Only heard of in children''s stories and legends. Was a confluence. Hmm, no, that makes less sense, maybe she''s just thinking quickly and indecisively flickering between enlightenment and not?


    The flickering stopped suddenly. Snapping into place as a very weak trickle of gold light. An enlightenment then, but she hasn''t accepted it. She might not even know.


    Apollo watched as the gold light fell around the young cultivator. She sensed as it was drawn in with her regular cultivation. None spilled out to be wasted. It seemed as though the heavens knew exactly how much she could absorb, and only sent that much.


    Apollo sighed. What a silly heaven-favored child.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 43: Highly Eccentric

    <hr>


    Chapter 43: "Highly Eccentric."


    <hr>


    Shae had been experimenting. She wasn''t sure for how long; time was a weird thing while meditating, and weirder still when focused inside one''s Dantian. She was testing the interactions between the different divine qi and her lightning ribbons. Then testing it all again against the memories trapped in the cat''s-eye marbles.


    There seemed to be an interesting interaction between the enlightenment qi and the divine lightning qi, especially when connected by the lightning ribbons. The marbles didn''t add much, but they still had a small effect, now that she knew to look for it.


    Without knowing exactly what was happening, Shae was hesitant to combine them all and see the results. Wouldn''t want to summon a tribulation inside my Dantian. She worried this was the case as the reaction mostly took the form of arcing lightning.


    She was reminded of the three colors of tribulation lightning, and the three aspects of the heavens that she had discovered during her inquiry in Minlin. A few misspoken words had almost led to something happening. Wrath, judgment, and enlightenment were what she had spoken at the time. How true they were, seemed up for debate, Xiang and Yingfan probably know. Wrath was representing heaven''s tribulations, but she knew now that a tribulation has three parts, and wrath was only one of them.


    Can I break the others down as well? Enlightenments are similar to the gold qi, progress and change. The comprehension of an individual recognized directly by the heavens.


    The inquiry was similar to the blue lightning''s test, and held some part of punishment as well. But I never felt that punishment was intended to be wrath. The executioner''s blade was a threat and warning; impetus to obey. Warning and obedience. The words resounded within her Dantian, vibrating off certain parts. Warning was easy to find, the half dozen marbles that were memories of the tribulation''s warning strike. Even the tribulation uses warning, though it is an aspect mainly represented during the inquiry.


    She hummed in thought, the tone resonating within her, not a real hum that she needed to breathe for: it continued unbroken as her body autonomically inhaled and exhaled.


    Obedience. She thought again. The response was subtle, not coming from anywhere in particular. Something hidden? She wondered. Something less physical? More automatic or natural? There was a nagging feeling that she couldn''t place her finger on.


    Ugh! She wanted to scrunch up her face and drag her hands down it. Here in her mindscape the best she could do was imagine it and that wasn''t as cathartic.


    A learned behavior? Obedience from threat of death? She recalled the feeling of the executioner''s blade. That impending doom. That was a warning, but it could also be part of obedience. She slowed herself down and walked over the events of the inquiry. Slowly getting to the last words spoken by staff sergeant Xiang.


    Ack! I''m an idiot! She called out within her mind. The bloody enchantment, or curse, if I had to name it something. She had finally remembered the automatic response delivered to Master Long when he had pushed the topic of her soul.


    Obedience, that''s it. The proof that I''ve been through an inquiry already. My own obedience to reveal the proof, and the implied obedience of others when they hear it.


    She compared it to the other aspects of the heavens, looking for similarities, and found a surprising comparison. It''s almost a form of progress, and so reveals more about the gold lightning. Not the progress of the individual, but progress on heaven''s terms. She thought of her right arm and leg, they were flesh cleaned and progressed towards divinity. But as Auntie Mei said, it''s hardly my flesh anymore. It''s not my own progress, but the progress of the heavens, advancement according to its will.


    She sighed heavily; as much as she could while meditating, and without interrupting her actual breathing. This is exhausting. While it had been brief, she had tapped into her mental focus several times to speed up her thoughts. To find the resonant vibration of the warning marbles, for example.


    There is so much more to unpack here. I suppose a beginner can''t be expected to understand the heavens completely in one evening. Hah! Cultivators probably spend centuries of their lives puzzling out its mysteries.


    She let the larger puzzle fall away and looked over her Dantian again. A smile worked its way onto her face. She now knew exactly how to arrange the various parts within her Dantian. Put like with like, blend across the gaps, like a rainbow.


    Some parts were easy. The divine lightning qi cloud joined the larger lightning ribbon. They were so close to embodying the same qi, she felt the weight of their presence as they joined into a ring around her central qi cloud.


    Progress, even according to someone else, should be my main goal. Using it to get through cleansing faster; it seems appropriate.


    The two other ribbons of lightning took the next orbital ring outwards. They were nearly the same, but she had made them quickly, and made them out of enlightenment qi. So, she flooded their ring with what was left of her enlightenment qi.


    Technically, the large ribbon had also been made of enlightenment qi, but it was then filled with tribulation qi, and was made to best replicate that last strike of the tribulation. One that held the most gold lightning of the three. So much so that it even held the scar on reality from the strike. Oh! Shae mentally gasped as she made the connection. I almost forgot about the scar.


    Clearly there is much more to understand there, not that I have a clue what exactly I did at the time. She shook the thoughts away. Enlightenments are scary, it seems like anything could happen during one. Another burst of realization struck her. Progress, enlightenments are also about progress, but perhaps, progress unhindered by the heavens? The power to make leaps and bounds forwards? That''s quite the reward for comprehension.


    A few breaths to settle her thoughts and she got back to the task at hand.


    With barely a thought, the single enlightenment marble joined the second ring. It kept some distance from the ribbons, tracing the outside edge of the thin qi cloud.


    Now, what to do with you six? She asked the remaining marbles, all representing warning.


    Warning was closer to tribulation than enlightenment, so really, it should go on the inside of the rings, but Shae was very hesitant to give them that much prominence. And they were not even for me, they were warnings for another, to not interfere with my path...


    Oh! She chuckled to herself. Well, that does work, I suppose. She began nudging them around. Slightly correcting their wild orbits, then pausing to make sure they didn''t interfere with the other rings.


    Still, a full ring of six seems excessive. If I just had one that''d be easier. Hmm. She considered crushing them together, but quickly discarded the idea. Another thing worried her, too close to the ribbons and they may be infected with wrath like the others.


    If only there was another option for their orbit.


    She paused to let her thoughts wander. The six marbles were still in their own wildly erratic orbits around the mock planet. She watched their elliptical dives toward the planet, saw them brush past it then shoot out into the empty space again. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Oh, well of course there''s other options. I''ve been limiting my options too much.


    She had to laugh at herself, the solution is laughably simple. She gathered the six marbles in a very wide orbit, then slowed one to drop it from high above; testing the full orbital path. It produced a long eccentric orbit at a steep angle from the flat plane of the rings. Like a comet on a flyby path it dropped towards the planet gaining speed as it fell. From above it arced over what could be called the north pole, keeping just inside the divine rings, skimming the surface of her personal qi at a blistering speed. Then finally mirroring its entrance and streaking back out towards the high point she dropped it from.


    She smiled to herself, yes this is perfect.


    It wasn''t quite perfect, actually. It took her almost an hour to get all six on the same trajectory and spaced out evenly. She also adjusted the path slightly so that they didn''t skim the surface so closely. Her intent was to grow the ''planet'' as she collected qi, so it needed room to do that.


    As she wrapped up the changes inside her Dantian, Shae felt something was missing. Hmm, there should be something at the planet''s center. Something heavy, anchoring it in place. Even just metaphorically. She considered it for some time, looking over what she had and what she might expand on in the future. Using one of the marbles or lightning ribbons could work, but they don''t feel correct. They don''t really embody me or my path.


    Right, it will be where the Dao sits, according to Apollo''s clues, then the nascent soul. But it''s far too early for either. Needs to be solid first, or at least liquid. For now it''s just the origin of my personal qi.


    That thought struck a memory, and it took her a few breaths to dredge it up. My soul? My spirit root? Could be either, or both. The more she thought about it, the more right it felt. She smiled and nodded to herself then pushed at the space with her intentions again. Like she had when changing the gravity here. My soul and my spirit, anchored here, she projected the thought at the spot in the very center of the qi planet, the weight of both holding all qi within.


    The false gravity within her Dantian shifted again. Strengthening in force and collapsing the qi planet down to half its previous size. The rings shifted, began to fall inwards at the change, lightning sparking across the two rings as they crossed paths. The warning marbles broke from their perfectly measured sequence as they arced off the other objects, and scattered into separate orbits.


    She laughed at the chaos. Of course! She casually batted the lightning ribbons and divine qi around, finding it even simpler to move them now. Yet, only moving them enough to stop them from joining the planet of personal qi. She was too busy laughing at the chaotic scene to properly repair it.


    What felt like an hour later her Dantian was organized again. It was possible that more time had passed, she wasn''t sure how long she laughed for, and again, time is such a bizarre thing while meditating.


    The rings of divine qi and ribbons of lightning were further out now. The lightning had a speed it wanted to travel at to keep its ring a circle. So it would only fit into one specific orbital distance from her core. She had begun thinking of it as a core now, even if it isn''t solid yet. It seemed more reasonable than calling it a planet.


    The warning marbles still used the same highly-eccentric orbit. Traveling most of it slowly, then rushing past her core. The single enlightenment marble floated just past the second ring. It looked lonely and Shae regretted not having more of them.


    When I figure out how to make more of them, I''ll need to take a trip back to Flame Well and Minlin to get reality impressions of the enlightenments there. Hmm, or not? I guess I didn''t do that for this first one, that was just the lightning ribbons.


    Looking over her qi collection she scrutinized the enlightenment qi. She wasn''t sure, but it looked like she had slightly more enlightenment qi now than when she started. Yes, I really will need to make more marbles, ... especially if they''re... making more within my Dantian? ... No, that can''t be correct? Must be my imagination.


    The rest of the night was spent without a clear goal. She kept her focus inside her Dantian, and calmly enjoyed the meditative rest. She let thoughts drift in and out of focus, addressing small concerns and leaving large problems for another day.


    The issue of what to do about Master Long popped up a few times, and after the third she finally let herself think about it, but only briefly. His bizarre teaching practice was completely antithetical to Shae''s own, and it infuriated her endlessly. Yet, it was also clear he was trying to do something when talking to her, something beyond his inane tests, and she would have to confront him about it.


    The subject of teaching brought her to thoughts of her own distant past. To the many students she occasionally taught. Being a librarian meant she didn''t teach classes often, only as an emergency substitute, but working in an elementary school meant lots of curious kids with many many questions. They always expected their teachers to have answers, and how could I disappoint them?


    Most of what she knew was a direct result of some innocently curious child asking about the world, then her own obsessive research to ensure she could answer follow up questions. Whenever she didn''t know an answer she would always say: "I don''t know that right now, but I bet the library does know, and I''ll do my best to find out for next time."


    If she wasn''t busy, she''d take the kids aside and they could find the answer together. She regretted not doing that more. Most of the time, the student would have forgotten their question by their next visit.


    Then the internet happened, or more accurately, cell phones happened. Suddenly everyone could look anything up on a whim. Some absurd parents even gave them to their very young children, too. She sighed at the memories. She had intentionally left her past behind long ago. What a strange time to be reminiscing.


    <hr>


    Aside: "Apollo, Again."


    <hr>


    Apollo watched as Shae''s enlightenment faded. The qi provided by the heavens had been slowly fading over the course of the night. She had considered disturbing the young woman, just a slight nudge. In the hope she wouldn''t fully break meditation, but that it would be just enough she could sense the heavenly qi. Yet, that was just as likely to interrupt the enlightenment itself.


    It was weak enough now that she wouldn''t sense it anyway. Apollo shook her head and sighed. There was a theory that a missed opportunity at enlightenment wasn''t as bad as it seemed. That heaven still wanted to reward you, even if you didn''t accept it, that the next enlightenment would be all the stronger, to make up for the missed chance.


    Apollo wasn''t sure if she agreed with that idea. Heaven was capricious, rewarding with one hand, while punishing with the other. Yet, she had heard the young woman had an impressive enlightenment just days ago in Flame Well, so she probably wasn''t going to suffer for missing this smaller one.


    Another theory said there was a limit to the frequency of enlightenments. Too many too quickly would make them weaker; as though heaven would limit your progress if you progressed too quickly. Again, Apollo didn''t care to put weight on superstition. Fate was one thing, the whims of the heavens another.


    She lost track of the flow of golden qi just before sunrise. Well, at least it won''t hold up the caravan. She smirked to herself.


    The first rays of the sun brought activity to the campground. Everyone scurried around, packing tents and getting animals ready. Apollo nudged the young cultivator''s shoulder then stepped unseen into the shadows.


    She watched as Shae stirred out of meditation. She smiled up at the sunrise, watching it creep over the horizon, with no apparent urgency to get the day started.


    After a dozen breaths, the young woman reached out to test the campfire formation, then broke the boundaries keeping the qi inside. Apollo sensed the rush of fire qi and shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the dangerous qi to ignite, but it never came.


    The absurd girl ignored it, and began to meditate. Another dozen breaths and the fire qi started to move. It drifted to Shae and was absorbed, like she was cultivating it.


    Apollo managed to not gasp or gawk. She had done enough of that last night when the girl did the same with most of Long''s water qi. Water and fire, yet her qi is pure, free from both and even free from steam.


    She pressed a knuckle to her lips, remembering the odd symbols the girl had drawn in the journal. Definitely parts of a formation, but how it worked was beyond her reasoning. At least she can clean up her mess.


    Apollo watched a bit longer, as the young woman withdrew a stack of bound pages and read from the middle. Following the written instruction to start a qi exercise. Apollo had seen her use the folio before, it seemed like a set of sequenced qi practices. All were rather unexciting, but they all came from the same folio, suggesting a greater working was the intended result.


    This wasn''t spectacularly unique. Apollo had seen far more complex and impactful workings in her time, and heard tales of far more. Really, it was only paranoia about lost souls making her pay attention to this one. Somehow, they always seemed to find the most absurd combinations of qi techniques, and this could be the start of Shae''s.


    It was enough coincidence to overcome her dislike of superstition, it could also be dangerous, lost souls got themselves into trouble twice as often as not. She shook away the worry. In any case, the young woman intended to join the sect. She would not be a threat to her, or the sect. Quite the opposite, really.


    Apollo breathed carefully, falling into a slow old rhythm that felt comfortable. Then she slunk off into the long morning shadows. Ready to start another day of mischief.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 44: A Fresh Start

    <hr>


    Chapter 44: "A Fresh Start."


    <hr>


    Shae had risen from meditation with the sunrise and now found herself rushing. Mistress Ping generally had the caravan moving just after sunrise and she sent the scouts out first, so Shae was late.


    She carefully rushed through the next manifold journey practice, luckily it focused on strength and exercise again and not philosophical questions that she didn''t have time to think over.


    It was called Controlled Push. After clearing the halfway mark, one needed to keep momentum and keep moving instead of slowing down, according to the monk''s writing. It was a sprinting and endurance exercise. It encouraged her to quickly rush forward with qi reinforcement, pushing her speed and limits, then slow and withdraw her qi until she could feel the damage she just caused by pushing her body.


    She first thought it was a strange practice to start so late in the journey, but perhaps there is more nuance than I have time to consider this morning.


    She sought out Mistress Ping before finding breakfast, which might have been a mistake. The savory-sweet smells of cooked meat and honey sweetened porridge teased her as she approached the woman''s campsite.


    They had nearly packed it up, but someone was still yet to finish their breakfast. One plate sat out, untouched.


    "Miss Shae! I heard you returned, but it''s nice to see you reporting for duty." Ping smiled.


    "Mistress Ping." Shae returned the smile, and gave a distracted glance at the uneaten food.


    "That is why you''re here, yes?"


    "Uh- yes, of course. I did agree to scout the whole trip, I believe."


    The caravan master shrugged. "I don''t recall the exact agreement, and after the excellent work you put in clearing the road, I wouldn''t complain if you needed to change it?"


    "Ah, no. I''m still comfortable scouting. Honestly, staying away from certain people in the caravan is probably for the best."


    "Oh? If someone in the ''van was giving you trouble, I''ll whip them into line."


    "No. None of them. The sect members, actually, well, just one or two I don''t get along with, for personal reasons."


    "Ah. I see. Nothing I can do about that, then. Best to talk to Master Long about it."


    Shae couldn''t stop the frown that flashed across her face.


    "Hmm, I take it that he''s part of the problem? Hopefully today won''t be worse for you, then."


    "Hmm?"


    Mistress Ping gave her a slightly pitying smile. "Because of the rot-dog attack yesterday, we''ve asked the sect to help scout. Master Long and one other will be assisting throughout the day."


    Shae grimaced slightly.


    "That bad?"


    The young woman controlled her face, giving an apologetic smile, and a wobbly hand gesture. "We had a disagreement last night. I will try to remain professional. I imagine avoiding any casual conversation will help."


    Mistress Ping nodded slowly. "I think I follow. If you need a break, though. Ask him to swap with the other cultivator, or come to me and I''ll assign someone else."


    "The other cultivator?"


    She shrugged. "He was a little vague and mysterious in that stuck up cultivator way."


    Shae chuckled. "Stuck up. Heh, that''s a much nicer way of saying it than the words I used."


    Ping''s eyes showed surprise, but her mouth smiled wide.


    The young woman hummed. "I think I might know who the other cultivator is. Though, I only know their nickname: Apollo."


    "Apollo." Ping tried out the strange name. "Wonder why Long didn''t just use that name?"


    Shae shrugged. "I suspect you''d have a hard time asking for them directly, they prefer to... keep to themselves."


    Ping thought for a few breaths. "Ah. One of those. Well, they''ll make for a good scout, then. So long as they report properly."


    The young woman dragged her own attention away from the still streaming breakfast. "Hmm, yes. Though, they might report as someone else. Probably just one of the guards, but who knows, maybe you''ll see me an extra time today."


    "You? Oh. A disguise specialist? Interesting. I''ve probably talked to them already and not known it then. Anything I should watch out for?"


    Shae thought, "Steam qi, if you can sense it. Though they might keep that a bit restrained now, I called them out on that yesterday."


    Ping shook her head.


    She leaned in close to whisper, "Weapons and accessories, then." Standing straight up she patted her sword and adjusted her pack.


    "Hmm. Thank you." Ping nodded. "Did you want to leave that pack with my wagon? Looks uncomfortable."


    She considered it, then shook her head. "I''m used to the weight, and I have snacks and things in here." Her eyes drifted again.


    "Did you eat breakfast yet?" The woman raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah. No. I decided to report for duty first."


    Ping nodded. "If we needed to leave early then I would have agreed with that decision. Today is going to be short, though." She swept her gaze over the young woman, then waved her at the seat in front of the breakfast. "This is actually an extra portion. No one will miss it."


    "Really?" Shae asked, but quickly sat and grabbed a piece of grilled meat. It was much like bacon, though it looked like a different cut.


    "Yes, I usually have an extra portion of every meal made. Someone always forgets or skips a meal. Then regrets it later. Means I can charge them a shiny silver sliver for it." She smirked.


    Shae froze with a spoon full of porridge in her mouth. "Uhm?" She mumbled.


    "Haha, go ahead, no charge. I think I recall our agreement would cover feeding you, under some circumstances."


    Shae smiled and nodded. Once her mouth was empty, she said, "Thank you, this is very good."


    "There are some benefits to being in charge. Great food is one of them."


    "So, how much would you charge?" The young woman asked.


    "Depends who''s asking. For you?" Ping paused to think, eyes scrutinizing the cultivator across from her. "A full crown."


    Shae almost coughed out porridge. She clamped a hand over her mouth and nose as the reaction passed, then swallowed carefully. "Well, that''s more than just a sliver of silver, but I suppose..." She looked at the meal and nodded.


    "Oh, not a silver crown. A full gold crown." The woman smiled devilishly, showing plenty of teeth.


    "What!?" Shae croaked. Her mouth flapped helplessly for a few beats. "That''s absurd, I don''t even have that much."


    "Ha ha! Yes you do. Your roots are showing that you think you don''t. You''re not used to the absurd buying power a cultivator can harness, yet." She flourished an empty hand, a coin appeared in it as the gesture completed. Shae recognized it as the sect coin she had entrusted to the woman. Ping smiled and waggled her eyebrows.


    "Oh." Shae said as she recognized the coin. "Long didn''t demand you return it?"


    She shook her head. "He hasn''t mentioned it. I suspect he has already forgotten he lost it to you. Even if he remembers, he probably thinks less of it than you would a small silver."


    Shae stared at the coin, forgetting her meal for a moment.


    Ping laughed again. A low chuckle that swelled into a proper laugh. "It''s always fun to see the new ones figure it out." She got the words out before laughing at Shae''s expression again. She flourished the coin a second time, and it vanished just as easily. "Eat up." She patted her on the shoulder while walking away.


    <hr>


    Shae got on the road with a slightly too-full stomach. She had tried not to overeat, but the food was very good, and her hungry teenage body refused to let her stop.


    Luckily she had out-smarted her stomach by packing away some of the meal into one of her waxed-cloth food wraps.


    "I wasn''t expecting the first thing that qi practice would get to test was my stomach." She grumbled as she got up to speed in running ahead of the caravan.


    Once she had determined that she wasn''t too full to run, she picked up the pace. Following the qi practice, she pushed herself to see what kind of speed she could manage.


    As a scout, there wasn''t a specific distance she had been told to keep ahead of the caravan. Five to ten li was what the scouts recommended. Enough that if something came up she could get back quickly, and with lots of room still ahead. Since she could return quicker, she could also scout closer to the ''van, if she really wanted to.


    Today she was interested in being far ahead, partly to test herself with the new qi practice. Though mostly, she had to admit to herself, in the hope she wouldn''t run into Master Long.


    She was nearing the first ten li rest-stop when she decided to slow, withdrawing the qi reinforcement, as per the practice. During the run, she found it hadn''t increased her strength or speed nearly as much as her own method. Though it still seemed enough to close the strength difference between her normal and divinely cleansed limbs. Not entirely, but enough for her loping run to still be effective.


    She suspected it was actually applying more resistance to her movement, while also increasing her strength. Since the divine flesh couldn''t be reinforced, it was only restricted. She wasn''t really upset about this. Finding a new way to balance her strength seemed important. A way to add resistance for training was also an excellent technique. "Like weighted clothing." She mumbled and smiled to herself.


    She slowed to a walk, turning off the main road and onto the marked path that led to the traveler''s well. Taking a moment to feel out what muscles she had pushed during the run. The nearly faded qi practice also seemed to amplify the soreness her muscles and joints felt. "Amazing. This is going to be really useful for training." She said out loud, while rounding the final corner.


    "Hmm, what is, Wise Shae?" A familiar voice said.


    "Ugh. Master Long." She sighed and felt her mood collapse.


    "Yes, I am. But you were referring to a technique? I''m surprised again by your resourcefulness in finding so many on the way to the sect. Even if they are likely to be subpar, when compared to our vast libraries."


    She frowned at his words. "Are you dead set on annoying me with your first words every time we meet, Master Long?"


    "Uhm. Just stating the facts. You didn''t take that as a compliment?"


    "Oh, half a compliment, sure. Yet, the other half was an insult to those I received the qi practice from. Was that not the intent?" She crossed her arms at him.


    "It was not. I was merely trying to show the benefits the sect will provide."


    "Are you that insecure about what my decision to join will be?"


    He frowned back at her. "I had really hoped to avoid this today, Miss Shae."


    "Then perhaps you should have avoided me, Master Long." She turned to leave.


    "Wouldn''t that interfere with our scouting? Hard to work together without any discussion, isn''t it?"


    Shae stopped and ran a hand through her hair. "That assumes we can work together, or that we even need to. Surely your perception and senses far outstrip mine. Why have us both out here at all? I''m not going to catch anything you didn''t already sense a few li before I would."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "You might be thinking too highly of my abilities."


    "Might be?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow.


    He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Shae noted it was one of the first explicitly clear signs of emotion from him. Her eyes went wide with surprise as she realized that, then recovered quickly by taking a drink from her water skin. It was nearly empty.


    "Could we, perhaps, treat today as a fresh start?" Long asked.


    Shae shook her waterskin, frowning at it. Long''s interruption has stopped her plans to fill it. She sighed and moved back to the well, working the pump to give her time to think.


    Once she got the water started she said, "I think. Fresh starts and clean slates would require us to forget an awful lot. We would need to approach it from new directions. Showing new aspects of our personalities so that the same ones didn''t lead to the same arguments."


    Long slowly nodded once. "To avoid the same pitfalls. We would need to know what to avoid, yes?"


    She glanced at him with a frown. "Have I not made that perfectly clear?"


    "Well, it goes both ways, yes?"


    "Sure." She clipped the word and turned back to the pump.


    "I suppose we should clearly state the behaviors we plan to change, or simply what the other is bothered by. I can start, if you like?"


    Shae clenched her teeth through a breath, then said, "I would think, if we were that aware of the other''s dislikes, we should simply avoid that behavior in the first place. But yes, fine. Go ahead."


    "And that is why this step is important. Making sure we do understand one another. Clearing the air, so to speak." Long said the last with an obvious smirk on his voice, since Shae couldn''t see his face.


    She clenched her teeth again. Why is this man so grating? She tried to push past and focus on his explanation.


    "So, I believe you are frustrated with the way I chose to teach. While it varies somewhat from the other elders at the sect, I assure you we do all attempt to ensure our students have the greatest opportunity for learning and obtaining enlightenments. Yet, I do understand that leading questions can be quite frustrating. Most would prefer simple answers, and by not giving you them I have been a source of mystery instead of knowledge."


    Shae had stopped pumping the well to glare at the man.


    "And yourself?"


    She continued to glare.


    A few breaths of time passed before Long spoke again. "I take it, by your obvious hostility, that I missed the mark somewhat?"


    Shae took a deep inhale and said, "Somewhat."


    "... Would you care to... Elaborate?"


    "Did you hear a single thing I told you last night?"


    "I like to think I am a very good listener." He nodded.


    "So, last night, I told you you were not being mysterious. Then I asked you to stop treating me like a student and have a conversation like an adult. What about what you just explained should give me the impression you heard and understood that?"


    He managed to look just slightly confused through his usual stony expression. "You are an adult. All of the new sect recruits are adults. Unlocking your spirit root so that you may begin cultivation, whether or not you choose to, that is the mark of adulthood."


    Shae''s eyes went wide and she pressed her lips in a frown. Turning away from him she set her head down on the well pump and put her arms around her head. Then she screamed, her sleeves slightly muffling the sound.


    While screaming, she swore quickly a few times in English, "Fucking-bloody-clueless-idiot-asshole." Then threw in more non-specific cursing as her breath ran low.


    She took a deep inhale and screamed out her frustration again, then stayed leaning against the well-head, panting to catch her breath.


    Long opened his mouth again, "I can understand your frustration at a miscommunication, but is swearing at me in a language I don''t understand really necessary?"


    She didn''t have the energy to glare at him, or to yell in frustration again so she let her intent flail in his direction.


    "Hm. Yes, that is how I understood the intent of your words. Even as messy and undirected as your intent is, the basic meaning of highly emotional words is easy to guess. Take that as a lesson not to do that in the sect either."


    "As messy..." She mumbled and rose to her full height. "That was supposed to be messy. If I wanted something better you would know it." She growled at him while shaping her intent into something more deadly.


    Staring at the man, for as much as she disliked him, she still didn''t wish for his death, so it couldn''t be killing intent. Yet, last night she had found a clearer angle to view the threat of violence from. Warning.


    It started as the simple headman''s ax directed at her during her inquiry, then morphed into the less personal guillotine. The blade grew larger and rose higher above the man as she focused. Something even less personal. She pushed it higher, above the clouds and the blade became a tungsten rod dropped from orbit, No, what''s less personal? That''s still directed by humans. Quickly it became the idea of a meteor, then more firmly, a comet. Falling and striking anywhere, at any time.


    "If I wanted to direct my intent at you, Master Long. I would. And you would know it." She pushed the comet higher, further away but falling faster. But comets can still be seen, watched for and possibly avoided. She let the intent fade to conserve her mental focus.


    She inhaled slowly to gather her thoughts, the ones more relevant to their conversation. "Context, Long. Clearly, if you can determine from intent that I am swearing at you specifically, then you can determine from context what I meant when I said to treat me like an adult. Reaching the age of adulthood doesn''t make one mature enough to be treated as one. Another decade of study at the sect prepares them for their life but does not automatically confer maturity and emotional intelligence."


    She took another deep breath. "You asked for a fresh start, yet our initial start wasn''t awful. At Jian Quan you were not like this. What happened? What are you trying to do that is driving your awful decisions and grinding against my nerves."


    He opened his palms before him. "Merely filling my role as Elder of the sect. I assumed it was a simple matter of teaching preferences that caused last night''s disagreement."


    Shae took a deep breath and tried to push past her irritation. "Yes, that is a large part of it. I dislike your methods, that should be plain and clear. My own past gave me ample time to learn and teach. I''ve had the chance to impact the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands of students. Not as much as their regular teachers, yet still, being a teacher was part of my role."


    Another deep breath and she raised a hand to forestall Long''s possible interruption. "Perhaps it would be right of me to apologize for letting that fuel my anger. The world here is different, we never needed to contend with the possibility of enlightenment, or the potential that our simple teachings could be used to move mountains." Another short breath of air as she felt her emotions rise again. "Yet, never, never have I seen someone teach as poorly as you. Do your students actually appreciate the ignorant mysteries you claim to supply? Do they truly require the most blunt and obvious questions to be supplied to them?" She found herself nearly laughing at him now.


    He frowned, of course. "My students, especially my disciples, appreciate my clear and concise guidance. They appreciate not being shown a clear path, not being given a roadmap, but being subtly led in the correct direction. They appreciate the numerous enlightenments my words lead them to. Do not think you know the mountains above you when you''ve not even looked at them." He splashed her with water while clearly restraining his killing intent. The tip of his Jian-like intent hovering over his shoulder, distant, but pointed directly at her heart.


    Shae was soaked with water, much more than the night before. She was glad she set her pack to the side, although it is somewhat weatherproof. She took a few breaths to wipe the looser drops of herself, push her wet hair out of her face and generally compose herself.


    "Fine," she said, "Fine. I apologize for judging your methods too quickly."


    He just nodded, a slight smile beginning.


    Shae interrupted it. "But. I must question your methods. When we first met, you avoided giving answers like they were poison. Later citing that I was not your student, so teaching me would be irresponsible, or something to that effect. Now you say that you are acting as teacher, but you still don''t give answers, you still respond with... Bleh." She waved a hand, trying to find a way to not start insulting him again, "with what you call mysteries. A descriptor I disagree wholeheartedly with."


    Again she took a breath with a hand raised to signal she would continue, "So. Two opposite cases where you fail to provide answers to questions. So when, Master Long, when will you guide your student? How long must they flounder and drown in their own ignorance before you save them? Years? Decades? Just how long will you let your students, your own disciple, fail to solve a problem before you step in to directly guide them? How long, if it might cost them an enlightenment?"


    Long''s demeanor hadn''t been improved by the question, he was back to vaguely threatening her with his restrained intent. "There is no one answer, girl. Each student, each disciple is different, and that decision will be made by me at the time I see fit."


    Shae waited for more. Her questioning gaze unchanging.


    Long splashed her with water again. "That is for questioning your seniors. It is the least punishment you will receive at the sect. Consider very carefully when to do so. And consider that never is often the answer." He paused for a beat. "Never is also how often you should direct your killing intent at your seniors."


    She felt his intent sharpen, ready to strike out if she took action against him. She held back her prepared response, it isn''t quite time yet. "Never. That is your answer. Never will you provide clear direction to your students. Yes, I know you didn''t say that, but your intent is clear, Master Long. You will continue to provide your strange definition of guidance, but you never really intend to simply tell someone what to do." She nodded at him. "Never, is also my answer to you."


    He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise held his stance, waiting for her.


    "To the question you won''t ask, because that would require far too much spontaneous action on your part. You have been testing me. Attempting to teach me in your inept way because, and I think I just realized this. Because you wanted me to be your student, maybe your disciple."


    His eyebrow dropped, his face becoming even more of a stony mask than usual.


    She chuckled. "Oh, I''m sure you might say it is not my decision. That I need your approval first, before you ask me, which would just be a formality as I would of course accept. But I will save you the time and effort of continuing that charade. Never. I will never be your student. I will never be your disciple. I refuse your pathetic guidance. If you teach a class at the sect I will drop it like it will burn me. If that costs me years or decades of advancement, so be it."


    "Foolish child. That truly isn''t for you to decide. You cannot simply drop a class. They are mandated by the curriculum." He scolded through his stony mask.


    "And yet. I will. Because I know how to take action. I do more than simply react to the world around me. There are some things you cannot control, Master Long, especially if you don''t act. And I am one of them." With these last words she focused on her intent again. It had changed over their conversation. Now it was a more subtle threat. Not a physical object falling from space, but an unknowable power descending from beyond the stars.


    Back on Earth, one of the more distressing facts Shae had learned about deep space related to supernovae. Specifically that they could release unfathomable quantities of energy in the form of gamma ray bursts. Energy and energized particles that were undetectable, traveling at the speed of light, and in the worst case scenarios were theorized to be able to wipe out all life on the planet, or enough to cause mass extinction. A truly existential threat to life.


    Intellectually, she knew such an event was practically impossible. Occurring billions of light years away, too far to be dangerous. And so unlikely to actually hit a single planet as to be not even slightly worth considering. Still, the fact it was possible felt important, it drove a certain existential fear, if she let it.


    She harnessed that fear now, and showed it to Long. Not in the simple explanation of what it was, or how impossibly unlikely it was to happen. Just as a threat from beyond the stars, unpredictable, unfathomable, and unstoppable.


    She saw his face pale as he slowly understood a new existential threat to his life. Something not even of the heavens, but beyond. "No." He croaked out quietly.


    A rustle in the trees behind them drew their attention. An emaciated hound made of dirt and clay staggered out of the bushes some forty paces behind Shae. Its beady stone eyes set either on her or the well, she couldn''t tell which.


    Unfortunately for it, the two cultivators around the well were engaged in a battle of intent. Both of their ire crashed down upon it like a hammer from the heavens. The loose collection of earth held together by the will of a spirit was overwhelmed by crushing intent. It instantly collapsed into a pile of dry earth. The few larger stones that once protected its center were now the tallest part of it. One glistened with a sheen of condensed qi.


    A single heartbeat passed and Shae felt Long''s Dao descend on the area. An overreaction to the lone already-destroyed creature, but perhaps she had put him on edge. This allowed her to more than confirm that his Dao was pressure related. He used it to brutally shatter the creature''s attempt at a core, and she briefly felt how he used its focus on pressure to squeeze the thing. The glistening rock had no chance and broke apart with a small release of stored qi.


    The pressure that forges the blade, hammering the surface and concentrating along the edge and at the tip. She nodded. Smart enough idea, it''s like an extension of blade qi. And there''s something else... I don''t think this is how he usually wields it... hmmm ... Oh, that''s disappointing. She sighed. Right, it''s about water as well.


    She watched the poor creature crumble to dust; forced herself to stand unphased by Long''s Dao. It had been heavy at first, yet she had pushed away Elder Ghon''s once before, and the old monster''s was much more convoluted. Back then, it had also been directed at her, which this wasn''t. It still blanketed the area, and had a strange effect on almost everything: flat surfaces bowed inwards like a great force was being applied, making their edges and points all the sharper. The enhanced features caught the light where they hadn''t before, reflecting their sharpened edges as a sword would. Even the air itself sat heavy, dense and threatening to restrict movement like the bottom of a deep, watery trench, though that sense of it thinned as one neared the edge.


    Long hitched his breath and began retracting his Dao. "Apologies, Miss Shae, are you..." He trailed off upon finally looking at her, standing unperturbed by his Dao''s presence.


    As he pulled away, she acted with her own strange power. Grabbing at the retreating ideas in the air, getting a better feel for them. It wasn''t the clear, fully formed picture she had seen of Ghon''s Dao, but she still got a better sense of it.


    The older cultivator felt the resistance. His stony mask slipped. Showing a bewildered old man.


    "Hah." Shae laughed once at him, then mentally discarded any snide remarks that came to mind. She grabbed her pack, careful of the sharp edges and sharper points and walked out of the clearing.


    He did not react, but simply watched her go with an open mouth.


    Once she cleared the corner, out of his line of sight and out of his Dao pressure, she finally let herself stumble to the ground. Her qi, mixed with enlightenment qi, rushed through her system. It now went to work helping her recover, instead of simply slowing her inevitable failure. She tried to gasp for breath quietly, and forced herself onwards.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 45: A Much Better Conversationalist

    <hr>


    Aside:  A Minor Disruption.


    <hr>


    Apollo breached the clearing, finding Long still standing and staring at the path back to the main road. He finished retracting his Dao. Then nodded at her, after a pause. "Apollo," he greeted.


    She returned a more respectful head tilt. "Master Long. She''s quite the handful, isn''t she?"


    "Were you watching her or me?" He asked after a breath.


    "Everyone. Always." Apollo smirked. It was hidden by a cloth wrap covering the lower half of her face, yet her eyes and tone of voice said just as much.


    He glared at her.


    She didn''t change her expression. "I heard through the grapevine that I''m expected to help scout today? More so than usual."


    He pointed at the collapsed pile of earth and mud. "Spirit beast activity is high. We''ll need to scout tomorrow as well."


    She shrugged. "Oh, is that what I felt?" She looked up at where the third cultivator in the area was walking away. Though the trees blocked her sight, they did not block either of their divine senses or her scouting techniques. "She tear you a new one again? I''m sad I missed that. Would have been here if I''d known you were planning on confronting her again." She walked to the destroyed rot-dog and checked over the larger rocks.


    "Honestly, a witness to that would have been helpful. I''m still not entirely sure what she did with her intent." His gaze went hollow briefly. A subtle thing, but on his face it meant a lot.


    "She helped with this then? Wouldn''t think you''d need the assist."


    "I didn''t, of course. It interrupted us during a tense moment: fell victim to both our intents."


    Apollo looked the pile over more carefully. Sharpening her qi senses to feel the disturbed qi lingering in the elemental''s body. After a few breaths, she inhaled deeply. "Complete intent disruption? That''s... rare."


    "Exceedingly. Though, I''d wager the timing of both our assaults was a factor. And the fact it was already so weak "


    "Hmm. So if you shattered the body''s intent, she shattered the spirit?" Apollo raised an eyebrow.


    "Shattered is generous, in both cases."


    "Still, why did you crack the core? Surely it was harmless after that?"


    Long sighed. "Reflex. A small mistake, in hindsight."


    Apollo shrugged. "Wouldn''t be small during a real battle. But yes, R&D would have appreciated the core." She picked out a piece of the central rock. "Huh."


    A glimmer of green caught the dappled light through the trees. It sparkled both a deep green and a lighter creamy green.


    "A Jade core?" Long asked, knowing the answer already. "Which kind?"


    "Nephrite. Half decent quality if you hadn''t shattered it. Still, a few good practice pieces." She reached out to grab the larger chunks, then hesitated. Instead, she replaced the missing pieces and carefully reassembled the shattered rock. Once done, the whole puzzle disappeared into her spatial storage in the next heartbeat.


    "You should let the qi disperse. It won''t be able to later, what with the added density in the sect." Long lectured, no real admonishment in his voice.


    "I know. But, the boys and girls in R&D have a few tricks up their sleeves. I think they''ll want to see it. Well, if I can convince them this actually happened." She looked at Long with a questioning eyebrow raised.


    "Alright, I''ll write a report."


    "Thank you."


    "They''ll want it right away, though. Even in your storage the intent will fade."


    "Hmm. I''ll scout today, then head back tonight? You can handle tomorrow." She flapped her hand in his direction.


    "Hmgh. No, we both should be here tomorrow and the rest of the trip. The beasts won''t get any nicer closer to the sect. Go now, and be back to take over scouting this afternoon." He waved a hand and a small writing desk appeared out of his spatial storage. He sat on the ground and prepared to write.


    "Be back..." Apollo gaped. "I''ll run my legs off trying that."


    "Don''t be humble, you''re faster than that. Didn''t you check on the girl over lunch the other day?"


    "That was a technique, not travel."


    "Oh? Divination? Didn''t know you had that."


    "Hah, barely an augury on a good day. It didn''t even tell me she was injured." She walked over to watch Long write.


    "The threat was brief, perhaps she had healed enough by then?" He asked absent-mindedly while planning the letter.


    "Brief? Didn''t you see her arm?" Apollo shuddered. "Don''t know who the idiot was that let her fight the thing."


    "She brought back a report; if you''d really like to know."


    She paused to consider. "Nah, it won''t go well if I find out."


    "Fairy Yun is taking care of it anyway."


    "Ooooo! That''ll be fun to hear about. Someone should get strung-up for that."


    Long shook his head. "Probably not, but she thinks the city should provide some compensation to the girl."


    "Tsk." Apollo clicked her tongue. "The city. Hardly a city. If they were a city they''d not need a lost child to fix their problems for them. And they''d pay her properly without needing Yun to throw their own laws at them."


    "She''d not like you calling her a child."


    "Perhaps, but she understands humor, so would laugh at that, unlike some." She glared at him.


    "Mhm." Was all he said, his attention was fully on the page in front of him. With a nod he began writing. His movements were smooth and fluid. One continuous action without hesitation, only pausing to dunk his brush in the inkwell again. While the brushstrokes were grand and dramatic, the writing was not, and somehow it all fit on a single page. The writing was tight and precise, but with the characteristic style that could only be achieved with brush. Though it was small the writing was still finely detailed with brushstrokes that looked far smaller than the tip of his brush.


    The two observed the work for a few breaths. Apollo clicked her tongue again. "Tsk. Cheating water cultivators."


    "You''re not far off. You could learn it too."


    She flapped a hand at him. "I''m no scribe. I''ll be back tonight." She extended a hand to accept the letter.


    He almost handed it to her before pulling back. "Just after lunch at the latest."


    "I can''t run that fast." She frowned and tilted her head. Her mouth was still covered by the cloth mask, but at this distance Long should be able to sense her expression.


    He eyed her for a breath. "They didn''t provide a movement tool?"


    "No, I was going to be gone too long. Unlikely to need it, they said."


    "You could have Elder Riko throw you back?"


    "Ugh, no. I''d rather just be late, or run my legs into nubs." She retracted her outstretched hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "I could borrow a flying tool with your permission?"


    "Hmm." He hummed and frowned slightly.


    "Or you already have one?" She leaned in excitedly.


    "Can you test your augury technique? See if it says you need to be back?"


    She shrugged, "It''s more for specific people, and only the present. At least, it is before large success."


    He frowned and rested his hand on his Jian.


    "Ahh, it''s your sword. I can see why you wouldn''t want to part with it." She nodded. "A trade then?" She summoned a sword from her own spatial storage. It was too long by a hand, and the scabbard was a menacing dark purple with black engravings that were hard to examine.


    "Your cursed blade!? I can''t take that." He recoiled slightly.


    "It''s not actually cursed. Just store it away and don''t use it." She proffered it to him again.


    He hesitated again, then sighed and deflated. "Fine, but don''t tarry." He waved a hand over the sheathed blade to store it, then handed his Jian to her. "You don''t need to draw it, and just hang from it if you can''t balance."


    "Oh-ho! I''m going to balance on it." She declared. A flare of her qi and the blade twitched in response. It flipped out of her hand to float parallel with the ground, about a pace up. She jumped up on it to stand mid-air. It hovered and wobbled under her so she casually stuck a hand out for balance.


    Long watched with a smirk.


    "This doesn''t seem so hard." Apollo said while constantly adjusting her balance with minute muscle twitches.


    "Try moving."


    The blade twitched and vanished out from under her, appearing again two dozen paces into the forest. Apollo fell in place, rotating backwards slowly. Right before she landed, she tucked into a tight ball and spun through a backflip to open up again and land perfectly on her feet. "Hah. Wow! Has some kick to it."


    Long stood and handed her the letter. "Be back before lunch."


    She accepted the paper without complaint. Then flinched when she noticed she had. "Ah, shit."


    "Have a safe trip, Junior Apollo." He turned to leave.


    She sighed. "You as well, Master Long. Oh, and don''t harass the poor girl for a couple hours. You both need to cool off. Better yet, wait for me to get back so I can watch the show."


    Long shook his head and kept walking, waving a hand behind him without looking back at her.


    <hr>


    Chapter 45: "A Much Better Conversationalist."


    <hr>


    Shae was grumpy for the rest of the morning. She tried to shut her brain off and focus on the current Manifold Journey practice. Mostly ignoring her scouting duties, she repeatedly sprinted a dozen li ahead of the caravan then back to it.


    Because the other scouts noticed this, they began giving her updates, but she forgot most of the ones that were basic updates until Mistress Ping chewed her out. She recognized that the young woman was frustrated but insisted that she at least keep her updated on the status of her scouts.


    <blockquote>


    "Your spat with Master Long is less important than whether or not one of my scouts is missing. If something is picking them off, or even if one has simply gotten lost, I need to know. Forgetting reports is unacceptable."


    Shae cringed at the very valid criticism. She ran an embarrassed hand through her hair, then straightened up and bowed deeply to the woman. "I apologize, Mistress Ping. I''ll be sure to track down all of the scouts this time."


    The woman nodded in approval. "Be sure that you do." She said then went about her other business.


    </blockquote>


    It wasn''t all the silly arguments with Master Long that were bothering Shae. Her thoughts about her past life that she had let crop up last night kept returning like a song she couldn''t get out of her head.


    Reminiscing about her past life was something she had decided not to do; a decision she made when she was quite young. It wasn''t that her past was traumatic or depressing. Quite the opposite. The joy of meeting children and showing them the library was what gave her past life meaning. It wasn''t a perfect life, of course, she had regrets, had made mistakes, and had experienced unfortunate events. Yet, she had learned quickly that losing herself in the nostalgia of the past was possible and was quite dangerous. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I made a promise. She recounted her first lesson learned in this world. A promise to not dwell on what is gone. A promise to not lose sleep, not waste time regretting what can never be. She took a deep breath, focusing on her memories of that first philosophical breakthrough. A promise to make this life different. To have fewer regrets--she wasn''t so delusional to expect no regrets--and a promise to never fear anything.


    Fear had been her greatest adversary upon being born into this world. Fear of disability, serious injury, and of a more generalized loss of control. She was a baby and could barely see properly, couldn''t control her body well, and couldn''t control its natural functions. Intellectually she understood this was natural, but emotionally she was a wreck. Even remaining conscious and aware of herself was a difficult thing.


    Between the short bouts of light and sound and warmth was darkness.


    She didn''t dream; she wasn''t simply sleeping or unconscious. She was trapped within her own soul, detached from her body, the connection too tenuous or weak to allow her old soul constant residence in her new body. At that time she didn''t understand; all she had was the fear of the dark nothingness and her nostalgia of the past.


    She felt it had been a kind of torture. Possibly an intentional trauma meant to separate her new life from her old. Surely any mind would break, and in healing itself later, it would shut out those memories as nightmares and delusion. Surely a mind would not allow itself to hold onto such trauma.


    Perhaps ironically, it was a fear of the loss of who she once was that drove her out of the dark.


    She emerged from her nostalgia fugue to find some time had passed, her eyesight and body control were stronger, but her sleep was still full of darkness. She forced herself to find new things to do in the darkness. New thoughts and dreams of the future, instead of reminiscing on the past she could never reclaim.


    She slowed as she neared the next ten li water station: another well. There were fewer and fewer houses and farms the further north they went.


    She found a few of the scouts gathered around the well.


    "Ah, good." She said and marked their names off the chalk slate she had borrowed. After Ping''s words, she had taken checking up on the scouts as a serious task that she needed to focus on. Quickly getting a list of names she could track as she did her laps ahead of the caravan. Looking at the last unchecked name on the list she asked the group, "Anyone seen Tunai?"


    The group silently looked between each other, they had stopped chatting almost as soon as she appeared. That awkward silence of an outsider wandering into a private conversation filled the clearing.


    "Ah, no, Miss Shae. But I think she''s up ahead with Master Long." One of them offered.


    She frowned at the name, then added Long to her list, and Apollo a beat later.


    "You seem more focused, Miss Shae?" Another one asked. "Feeling better than this morning?"


    She paused for a breath to consider the question. "Was it that noticeable?" She nodded. "Yes, I am feeling better, thank you for asking."


    She checked her waterskin and found it mostly full, she turned to leave, waving and asking as she left. "I assume nothing to report?"


    The group collectively waved back and agreed they had nothing to report.


    As she returned to the road, she frowned at having to go find Long again. Even if Tunai or Apollo isn''t with him, he''ll probably know where the other two are.


    <hr>


    Shae caught up to Master Long a short time later, he was alone and walking along at a normal pace, matching the pace of the caravan. He was a little further out than her laps had been taking her, probably a full dozen li from the caravan.


    She slowed and approached wide along the other side of the road. She noticed his sword was missing and immediately grew suspicious. Yet, the qi she felt flooding the area was still his water qi.


    She used her wide approach to manage her qi practice, feeling out her body for soreness indicating what muscles and joints she had pushed during her last sprint. She had been slightly disappointed by how little she was pushing her body. The distance just wasn''t enough to seriously strain her.


    She got a little ahead of the old cultivator and confirmed her suspicion, his eyes were closed. Likely using some Long range sensing technique, good thing I didn''t run right up to him... probably.


    A few breaths later he roused. "Back so soon- oh! Wise Shae! To what do I owe this surprise?"


    "Master Long." She stepped closer and gave a slight bow. "I''m checking on all the scouts, have you seen Tunai?"


    "Ah, yes. She''s been traveling with me at the front. Just saw her crossing to the east."


    She nodded and checked off the last scout name on the list. "And..." She glanced at his missing sword. "Apollo? I assume she was the other cultivator involved in scouting?"


    "She was. Now she is traveling to the sect to deliver something, she''ll be back near lunch."


    Shae''s eyes went wide. "That''s rather fast."


    "Yes!" He smiled and nodded. "And there''s something else bothering you? About me perhaps?"


    She opened her mouth to quip, but held it.


    "Something new, I mean."


    She nodded. "Just paranoia, I suppose. Would it be inappropriate to ask where your sword is?"


    "If you added my name and title, that would be the correct way to ask. Though, without a good reason, some might still take offense."


    She nodded and tipped her head forwards in a slight bow. "My concern, Master Long, is only about Apollo. I''ve noticed she doesn''t carry weapons, even when disguised. So-" she gestured to his side. "I just wanted to be sure."


    "Hmm. Not a terrible reason. More than good enough if you were my equal, or senior, though I''d suspect you would be able to tell more directly if that were the case. Alright, I''ll give the question a pass."


    Shae noted he hadn''t answered the question, but chose to wait him out.


    He nodded once after a few breaths. "Any other tells you''ve found? Reasons to be suspicious of me?"


    "If she reveals her steam qi, I''d count that. You are using yours, clearing you of that suspicion. Which is why I asked if it was appropriate, instead of assuming you were her. I don''t actually suspect you, if that was unclear." She sighed then continued, "To the sect and back? Since she doesn''t have her own, did she take your sword to fly on?"


    He inhaled sharply at the question then coughed to the side. "A-hem, a dangerous assumption, to say she is without a weapon."


    "Is that what I said? Maybe I meant flying tool?" She teased with a smirk.


    He cleared his throat again. "That would be a rather good guess if you did."


    "Hmm, it''s not much of a stretch. Unless she just needed it to show that you sent her."


    "Ah, but couldn''t I just write a letter?" He asked with an equally teasing tone.


    "Heh. I suppose. I don''t know how your sect operates."


    "Really? Didn''t you say, back in Flame Well, that you read the sect''s history and rulebook?"


    She nodded. "The one from over a hundred years ago. Nine sets and two, to be exact."


    "I understand base ten. You don''t need to convert. Hmm, a hundred and ten years, yes I suppose the rules have likely changed, though only the fine print. The base intent was laid out by our matriarch at the founding of the sect."


    "Matriarch?" Shae''s voice pitched up in excitement.


    "Of course, the empire has an Empress as well. Were female leaders uncommon in your past?"


    Shae sighed at the memory. "Without qi to balance strength, testosterone makes men stronger and more aggressive. You might think sentience would balance the scales. Maybe at least, let people understand each other." She shook her head. "Social progress is something people resist, as idiotic as that sounds."


    Master Long let the declaration hang in the air.


    A dozen breaths later he spoke up. "I''d like to claim we are better, and yet." He shrugged and gestured back towards the caravan. "I think it''s evident that this world is no utopia. Having seen more of it, I would say this land is more fortunate than most. Yet I believe a cynic would still say we are socially stagnant." He let out a deep sigh. "How was progress made?"


    She nodded and thought. "The will of the people. I suppose. Generally politicians needed to agree and champion the new ideas. They always claim to represent the people, but ultimately they tend to mainly represent their own wealthy sliver of like-minds. The past had revolutions, the lower classes rising up to physically change who was in charge." She shook her head. "But not in modern society. We moved away from that kind of violence, fewer wars, and generally better living conditions. A cynic might say the people are passive now. Unable to rise up and change their fate." She laughed bitterly. "Fate? Maybe doom. But that''s not the same thing you think it is here."


    He nodded along in understanding. "The cynical view often sheds the most light. You could say... Well, most wouldn''t, but the most cynical would give reasons for the way things are, unpleasant reasons. The will of the people, as you say, can easily be overcome by a single cultivator. It takes individuals with great vision and power, mostly power, to make changes."


    She looked back at the caravan. "Peasants versus nobles, what are the numbers for entry into the sect? Somehow I assume we will be outnumbered, though there should be more of us."


    "Us? Speak for yourself, heh heh heh. But you are mistaken to a degree. There are always more peasants, by at least two to one. The advantage the nobles have is the same as the merchants, but stronger."


    "Money." She sighed.


    "Yes, and family connections. People that have come before and can lead them. We are all trained from a young age to be cultivators. Even before our spirit roots are tested. I''ve been told there is less resentment between young nobles if all the children are treated equally, even if that is more expensive."


    "But when they are tested? Only the high grades leave for the sects?"


    "Correct, Wise Shae. The others are still taught and given opportunities within the family''s ability. Though, low grades are usually provided with very few resources."


    She sighed, then tilted her head, remembering something. "Master Long. Forgive me if my memory is misleading me, but couldn''t the low grades go through tempering? Even the slow way?"


    He nodded. "No forgiveness needed," he coughed, "in this case. Some choose to do so. Many consider their potential to be lower to begin with, so don''t bother. Even so, families still need mortals, or weaker cultivators to fill out the ranks. So to speak." He waved a hand around, implying he was simplifying.


    "Hah, everywhere needs their fail-sons." Shae chuckled.


    "Hmm? I don''t think I''ve heard that one?"


    "Err, just a term from my old world. Powerful people sometimes raise individuals who were rather incapable of matching their parents. Usually fathers-and-sons, Thus-" she shrugged and offered her palms forward.


    "Ah. Hmm. I suppose we don''t see that as much. Families try quite hard to find something for their youth. Ah, and there''s always death."


    "What?" Shae gawked.


    "Heh, what I mean is: if a stubborn young cultivator attempts to stand above his own ability-" he matched her earlier leading gesture.


    She inhaled sharply. "I see."


    Silence stretched between them again.


    "Will I have to worry about that?" The young woman asked.


    "Hmm. I wonder..." The old man stretched out his answer, receiving a sharp glance. "Heh. Usually the ones who are least worried should be the most concerned, and the mirror is also true."


    "Hmm. So be aware of it?"


    "Heh, depends what it is?" He chuckled. "You know, Wise Shae, you are a much better conversationalist when you''re not screaming and swearing."


    She frowned at him. "What a shame it took you so long to have a normal conversation with me, instead of whatever misguided motivation you previously had, Master Long."


    He frowned back and summoned a small ball of water.


    She continued her glare.


    He splashed her in the face.


    She smiled, "Thank you, Master Long, I was still feeling warm from my run. Which I should get back to."


    "Anytime, really." He smirked. "Before you go. I should commend you on that use of intent earlier."


    "Hmm? All of it, or just the last bit?"


    "Heh. Considering your age- or cultivation stage rather, all of it was well done. Forming a distinct feeling usually requires more directed teaching. However, the final act was what I meant. Helping me disrupt that rot-dog, a difficult thing to do, even for me."


    Shae looked away and frowned, "I''m not sure I follow, I thought you broke it with your Dao."


    "I broke it''s core, yes. At least, what passes for one in such a creature. Together we disrupted its physical form. That takes more than just brute intent, which is what I was using. Could you explain what you were doing? Could you repeat it?"


    She sighed at the shift in conversational tone. He''s back on his bullshit, probably going to test me again. She tried to wave it off, "It was just an extension of the earlier ideas, like the comet."


    He shook his head in denial. "It was more than that, you threw it at me first, remember, half explanations won''t cut it."


    Shae signed again then stayed silent, considering how best to answer.


    "I should say, the reason Apollo returned so swiftly is to bring the creature''s core to our researchers. They''ll be interested in what you did."


    The young woman groaned. "So other people will also be asking me to explain it? Ugh. If it''s all the same I''d rather only explain it once."


    "It''s not the same to me. I''d consider it a favor, and I would be willing to use that favor to make your first year easier, especially considering your dramatic claim this morning."


    "Ugh. Blackmailing me with my own words, how noble of you." She thought of how to explain it quickly. She looked then pointed up at the sky, at an empty spot of blue. "Space. Vast and filled with unfathomable nothingness." She pointed at the sun. "And large explosions of highly energetic matter. Most are stars like this one." She dropped her hand. "But not all. Some can release much worse things than light, not qi but potent energy that can travel the gap between stars and still destroy fragile life upon arrival. It''s rare, exceedingly rare. As I see stars and nebulae at night, I assume such things are still possible here. Maybe more possible?"


    "Maybe she says." He huffed and shook his head. "To create intent strong enough to disrupt a spirit you would need more than just a maybe."


    She shrugged.


    He glared at her for more. Then huffed again, "I rarely teach first years. Unless we are particularly short staffed you will not need to enforce your claim next year. Though, I may give a lecture or two. I''d recommend reconsidering your stance for those, and for future years."


    "That doesn''t sound like you doing me a favor?"


    "Hah. And your answer was very lacking, I think we''re even."


    She turned a glare at him.


    "In this exchange at least." He added with a smirk.


    She nodded. Took a deep breath and sighed. "I cannot say I regret my actions. But I would have enjoyed more talk like this and the first day. I''ll try to refrain from further judgements of your or other Elder''s teaching methods. I''m not so egotistical- err, self centered, as to think my past world''s mortal methods are always going to be correct."


    He nodded and gave her a very slight bow. "I''ll take that as an apology, I''m sure the others will appreciate avoiding what I did not."


    She gave the road half a frown but remained silent.


    "I think I have a similar stance to that. While I feel I''ve made very few mistakes in our interactions, it is clear the road could have had fewer bumps."


    She almost growled, "Very few mistakes, he says! Try looking again from my perspective." The words rushed out before she properly considered them. "That''s not-" she stopped herself from apologizing and breathed. "I understand your perspective is different. Your choices were not as simple as they appeared to me." She breathed again. "I''d rather not falsely take back things I''ve said, but if there''s something in particular bothering you, we should discuss it."


    He nodded slowly. "A very mature and diplomatic approach. I approve. Hmm. Perhaps your repeated assault on my intelligence?"


    She considered it, humming and hawing to stretch out her response.


    "Oh, come now." He sputtered.


    "Well, you did give your flying sword to a spy so she didn''t have to run, what? A square dozen li each way? Around twice the distance that Fairy Yun covered in an evening, while carrying me back from Flame Well."


    Long stopped walking. Shae stopped and turned a few steps later to see his expression.


    "Shit." He said with a dark frown pointed at the ground.


    Shae laughed brightly. Then patted his shoulder on the way past. "See you on the next lap, Master Long." She laughed again as she jogged back towards the caravan.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 46: Heavens Fated Archery Practice

    <hr>


    Chapter 46: Heaven''s Fated Archery Practice


    <hr>


    With a lighter heart Shae quickly reported back to Mistress Ping that no scouts were missing. With her mind clear of the earlier morning''s worries she focuses on her training by sprinting between Long''s position and the caravan. Only taking a break every third trip to check on the scouts.


    Frustratingly she didn''t feel that the short sprints pushed her limits as much as she hoped. She felt it, of course, but she wanted the monk''s qi practice to do more. After a lap of considering her options, she decided not to mess with the existing practice. I''m sure they''ll have something similar and better at the sect, and personal trainer equivalents to give me better advice.


    Eventually, Mistress Ping had her recall all the scouts and Master Long for lunch. On the trip back, he asked, "How many laps have you done?"


    "Err, uh, I forgot to keep track." She ducked her head slightly in embarrassment.


    "Oh? Do you need this ignorant old fool to tell you? I''m sure I can remember the count." He kept his voice low so scout Tunai didn''t hear him.


    Shae smirked, then shrugged, "Eh, I could guess, and it''s not that important. What would be more helpful, is if I''m slowing down or not."


    "Ahhh. A wise distinction. Given your qi, you might even be speeding up."


    "Ehh!" She almost missed a step. They were running, but at a normal pace that the other scout woman could keep up with. Shae heard a snicker behind her, likely directed at her stumble.


    "Well of course." He continued. "On a completely unrelated note. Did you make any progress on the gold qi?"


    She looked up in time to see the smirk flash across his face, or maybe he waited for me to look. She steadied her breathing, "Yes, no thanks to someone. I have a firm grasp of most of..." She coughed and looked backwards at the trailing scout. "Well, it''ll take more deliberate thought to feel out the rest of the pattern, but I feel comfortable with that bit now."


    He radiated smugness, even through his stony mask of control. "Congratulations. Would you have anyone to thank for that?"


    She took another deep breath of the forest air. "If anyone, Apollo. She talked to me after a certain unhelpful someone left. Though, we talked more about other things so I shouldn''t credit her too much."


    "But you did talk about that with someone..?" He almost sounded whiny, though his intention was probably more in line with teasing the young woman beside him.


    Shae released a sharp breath of air then inhaled deeply and quietly hissed her words. "No, Master Long, and if you keep pushing I''m going to yell and swear at you again." She took a slower breath, controlling her annoyance with him. "Early on, when I was on the mountain with Elder Ghon he had an enlightenment. Probably a small one for him. Just prior, we had been talking, and I had told him to do something innocuous: keep the campfire going. Because he would always let it go out without feeding it more wood."


    She took another breath, then a second at finding herself slightly winded. Any qi in her channels did not really help her breathing. "From my perspective, I was some distance away, I saw him feed the fire another log then almost immediately receive enlightenment." Another breath. "And yet, he completely refused to give me any credit for helping him." She let the implication present itself to him.


    Long waited, perhaps expecting more, then nodded. "It''s possible he was thinking of something entirely separate from your conversation or the fire."


    "Yes." Shae agreed.


    "I see the situation as different. Our conversation was directly related." He declared like it was an indisputable fact.


    She glared at him for a breath, "Related, yet provided me nothing. And don''t claim you had some hand in me opening my mind to think more about it, Master Long. I didn''t need some vague push, I haven''t been struggling with this for months or even weeks. I''ve had a very busy week, singular, the time I''ve been able to calmly meditate on my progress could be easily counted in hours. This was not something you did, this was inevitable." She quickly took a few deep breaths, recovering from the rant.


    Long remained silent.


    "And I didn''t even have an enlightenment. Why are you trying to latch onto such minimal progress?"


    "Didn''t you? I may be old but my senses detected a trickle of enlightenment qi from your campsite last night."


    Shae shrugged. "That''s vague. Doesn''t even mean it was the right timing; I was thinking about much more than just that. Ask Apollo, she was there too. I didn''t notice it, maybe it was hers."


    "Hmm. I suppose I''ll have to ask. She should be back by now." He grumbled.


    A cough sounded from behind them. They both turned to see scout Tunai right behind them. "Well, this is awkward." She said in a voice that wasn''t hers.


    "Oh!" Shae gasped, her face brightening into a smile.


    Long frowned. "When did you get back?"


    "About an hour ago." Apollo said.


    "See any monsters on the road?" Shae asked.


    The woman that looked like Tunai opened her mouth like she was going to quip back, but froze instead.


    "You didn''t check, did you?" Long asked.


    She coughed. "The... spiritual tool was harder to use than expected."


    Long waved a hand, "Shae already knows about my sword. You could return it now?"


    Both women forced a cough.


    A beat later, Apollo cleared her throat, "We''ll need to stop to do so. To return the collateral, specifically."


    "Hmm. Yes." Long agreed. "Another li and we''ll be at the next scout group and water stop. Wise Shae, if you would?" He gestured at the path ahead.


    She was confused briefly, then sped up to a fully powered sprint.


    The two seniors were unbothered by the change in speed and continued the discussion while Shae focused on running.


    "So, the enlightenment qi I sensed?" Long started, glancing at fake Tunai.


    "There was heavenly qi about, a very small amount of it." Apollo answered.


    "And who...?"


    "Her, of course, mine wouldn''t have felt like that."


    Shae focused forwards, but creased her forehead in confusion.


    "So it was unusual?" Long asked.


    "Not terribly unique, I''ve seen a similar reaction before, when a cultivator was enlightened within a shielding formation."


    "Ahhh!" Long spoke the syllable like he understood her.


    They paused a beat, enough for Shae to get annoyed. "What? Seniors?" She spat out between jumps.


    "What? No, I think my next question would be: when?" Long chuckled.


    Shae shot him a glare and saw Apollo matching it.


    "I think she wants it explained more, Master Long."


    "Oh I think she can think it over and understand it in her own time." Long chuckled to himself again.


    Shae couldn''t be bothered to resist her anger, she was focused on running. "Busy, running. Asshole Long." She cursed out at the top of a jump.


    She felt a mist of water pass behind her neck, and two bursts of qi with it.


    "Hey!" Long protested.


    "She''s right, Long. She''s running because you asked her to, just so that you can get your sword back sooner." Apollo scolded.


    Long coughed loudly, but remained silent.


    "Ugh. I''ll fill you in later, Shae." The other woman said. "As to when, it was at the end of the night after I pulled my qi out of the area. And after you slowed your cultivation considerably, Shae."


    Shae spared a few heartbeats of thought for what she was doing at that time, and remembered cleaning up her Dantian into its new planetary form. "Hah!" She laughed out, then gave a thumbs down to the side Long was on and blew a raspberry. "Pfthththth!"


    "Heh." Apollo chuckled. "I think you''re out of luck, Master Long."


    "Well, we don''t know for certain unless we know what she was comprehending at that moment." He sounded a little disappointed.


    She repeated the thumbs down, and gave her best impression of a game show''s incorrect buzzer noise while throwing intent into it to show just how wrong Long was. "Ehnhnhnhnhn!"


    A breath of silence passed then Long quietly said. "Well, you didn''t have to be so crushingly brutal about it."


    Shae smirked and Apollo laughed out loud for the next half li.


    <hr>


    When they arrived at the water stop Long and Apollo hung back at the road. Shae hesitated enough to watch the exchange.


    Apollo casually tossed Long''s sword at him from her spatial storage. Then held a hand out and gave Long some very specific instructions. He hesitated then nodded.


    With an outstretched hand and a bit of concentration, he summoned Apollo''s sword from his spatial storage directly into her hand. She turned it over, examining it, then nodded and stored it away.


    Shae''s confused look back at the pair got a few chuckles out of Apollo. "Just a slightly cursed sword." She said with a smirk.


    "You said it wasn''t cursed." Long looked concerned.


    "Now remember, I''m disguised as Tunai!" Apollo said with a wink and started past them towards the clearing around the well.


    Shae checked her waterskin and found it mostly full. "We''re waiting, scout Tunai." She called after the woman.


    Long''s mood swiftly improved as he let out a hearty chuckle. "Well done, hope she lets you get away with that."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "If she wants to be a scout, she can do a scout''s job." She shrugged. "Speaking of, couldn''t you or her range out much further on that? It''d save us a lot of trouble scouting." She pointed at his sword.


    "We could. Though it might not help, and might just bring more attention to us. Spirit beasts are not stupid. Unless desperate, the weaker ones stay away from the road. Knowing they can get picked off easily. The stronger ones know how to pick off a scout or two. Most of what I am doing is watching the scouts, not the path ahead."


    Shae frowned and made a low noise in her throat, "Bait? Not sure I like that."


    "Good, you shouldn''t like it. The scouts know how it works, and get a good bonus for this last leg to the sect. If we had more suited cultivators, we would use them, but the guards protecting the caravan are more important than scouting the path."


    She kept up a frown for a beat then inhaled sharply in understanding. "If the beasts are smart, they can also pick off caravan members."


    "Precisely. Losing a scout that signed up for the risk is not the same as losing another that expected to be protected. It''s a brutal calculation, but the reputation of caravan safety relies on it." He shook his head slowly. "Talk to Mistress Ping if you want more unfortunate examples of the same. It''s a harsh world out there, we do our best to make it seem liveable."


    Shae''s frown was more conflicted now. "I noticed fewer farms recently. How do they manage?"


    He shrugged. "Poorly, I''d imagine. That is one area where I will admit ignorance. From what I''ve heard most do not have cultivators. I''d guess they would attract more predators than what they scare off. Formations is my assumption, but that''s not my field of study." He looked up and pointed towards the clearing. Signaling that the other scouts were coming. "Past the next town you''ll find no farms at all, the qi wilds around the sect are not a safe place for mortals."


    She had a follow up question, but decided to save it for later when she saw the others. Two more scouts joined them on their return.


    <hr>


    Shae took a break after lunch to practice some archery. The caravan wasn''t trying to cover extra distance today, so they were taking a longer lunch to let the animals and people rest.


    While practicing she received a number of recommendations from passing cultivators, most were unsolicited and unhelpful. She got the most help from Guard Shu near the beginning, as she had asked the woman to help her set up a target range.


    Then a quarter hour later Tunai showed up and proceeded to give her a thorough lesson in the bow. She quickly realized it was Apollo again and thanked the woman thoroughly.


    After whipping Shae into proper form for practice. Apollo did the next most helpful thing, which Shae could only describe as zeroing her bow''s sights.


    "Good bows have fairly consistent arrow speed across them, something to do with air resistance." Apollo shrugged away a longer lecture. "The important part is that the path of the arrow is predictable, both for you and your enemy. For a beginner, how the arrow falls in flight is as important as wind direction." She demonstrated it with one shot and was going to do more when Shae interrupted her.


    "It''s fine. I understand the concept. The arrow falls at the same speed regardless of the speed fired." Same as bullet drop, she thought to herself. While she wasn''t a gun-nut, there were things you picked up through exposure, especially in North America. "I wanted to mark a spot on the bow for reference, but I can''t trust my own accuracy to set it up."


    "Hah hah hah! Wonderful!" Apollo laughed. "It usually takes so long to explain that to newbies." She flicked out a small knife and went to mark the bow before looking up at Shae, "May I?"


    Shae nodded, "Please do."


    Apollo smiled and went to work. Another quarter hour passed and Shae had a properly ranged bow. "If you get taller it will shift, mind you." Apollo warned. "And of course, this relies on you holding proper stance and form. Though you shouldn''t need it past small success."


    The younger cultivator examined several new notches along the bow''s top arm, right above the grip. Then wrapped colorful thread around two of them. The lowest was five sets of paces, and had a green thread. The highest was two square sets of paces, and now had a red thread.


    The first making was based on what they had marked out for her target practice. Shae had tried practicing at fifty meters, but a meter was longer than a pace, and her pace shorter than most. So she hadn''t been particularly accurate and overcompensated by adding more. Thus one of the first things Apollo did was move the young woman back half a dozen paces to where she said five sets, or sixty paces, was.


    Two square sets was then 288 paces, and very much outside Shae''s accurate range. Though, Apollo said the bow was still reliable at that distance, and complimented the make of the bow and the arrows. "Quite good for mortal craftsmanship." Were her words. Shae accepted them with a genuine smile.


    Only two more marks sat between the threads. One square set and one and a half. Shae nodded in understanding when Apollo explained why they were not marked at even thirds between the other two. "Even if the lower mark was six sets, they would not be evenly distributed because of how things fall. Do I need to explain more?"


    Shae shook her head. "No, I already understand acceleration. Err, the rate at which things speed up during a fall." She corrected her use of English with a brief explanation.


    "Heh, don''t know the word? I suppose most mortals wouldn''t need the specific concept. It''s called gravity." Apollo spoke the word clearly so Shae could hear it.


    "Gravity wasn''t what I said." She shook her head. "That''s the force itself, I just meant the rate of change. Maybe it''s something like speed-multiplier? Though, speaking of the word for gravity, I always expected that to be fall-force or something." She had combined two pairs of words in a similar way to how much of the language was structured.


    Apollo shrugged. "It''s a bit of an outlier, I think there''s more history to the word than many concepts get. Maybe another lost soul brought it over."


    Shae nodded. "Could be, that world has many many languages. It could easily be from one of them."


    "Ours has quite a few as well. But on the topic of language, you seem to have a much better grasp of this one than the usual peasant, and of reading and writing. I assume you can write more than just your past language?"


    She nodded. "I was a slow learner when I was a child. Learning a new language like that is hard when you already know one. Yet, once I got started, the new words seem to stick in my memory quite strongly."


    Apollo smirked. "The first Empress''s claim was that the language holds power to aid learning."


    "Oh!?" Shae perked up. "I''ve not heard much about the first Empress. Do you agree?"


    Apollo shrugged. "It''s hard to deny. And more difficult to prove. With the existence of intent, someone dropping foreign words into conversation can still be understood. For example, I mostly knew what you meant without your explanation. You can put a lot of intent into your words when you try." She smirked at the end.


    The young woman considered the idea. "Long said something similar this morning. Though, I''m not sure I could understand someone else''s intent that clearly."


    "Heh, well, it''s easier with divine senses, and practice."


    "Hmm." She frowned. "I do need to work on my senses. Is there a way to practice for obtaining divine senses?"


    "Heh. A question well worded. Not reaching too far above yourself. Mostly you should progress your regular qi senses. But for intent specifically? Hmm, you could make a practice with that campfire formation."


    "Oh? That''d be convenient."


    Apollo wobbled a hand. "You''d need to be able to mix them up. So you''d want good talisman paper and ink for flash-cards." She mashed the last two words together too much for Shae to follow.


    "Fla-ards?"


    "Flash cards." She repeated.


    The younger woman paused, "Oh! Flash-cards."


    "Heh, well, we usually don''t emphasize speed that much. Accuracy is more important, same with the bow. Though, if you hold a few arrows like this." She held the fletching between her knuckles, the arrows sticking out of her closed fist like claws. Then showed she could still nock and fire with that hand. "Then you can..." She fired off the handful of arrows in quick succession.


    "Oh! That''s smart." Shae gawked.


    "Heh, it requires a lot of practice to do well. You should still work on accuracy at distance. But this trick can scare off a weaker animal or spirit beast if they get too close."


    "Thanks so much, Senior! You''re so helpful!"


    "Heh, you''re welcome. Expect more pressure from the martial teachers at the sect, though. I''m being quite soft on you."


    "Should I ask why you are being so helpful?"


    "Only if you want me to stop." She grinned. "Hah, kidding. I expect that campfire formation to be quite helpful. Many people underestimate the distraction comfort provides."


    "Distraction?" Shae frowned in confusion.


    "As they say, a distracted enemy is a dead one."


    The young cultivator paled.


    "Hmm? Oh, don''t worry that much. I''ll mostly be using it for myself."


    "But... " She gulped. "Wouldn''t that mean you''re distracted? And would you really use it to...?"


    "Kill someone?" Apollo chuckled. "You''re so naive it''s cute. And maybe a little worrying. To explain: if someone sneaking up on me thinks I''m distracted then advantage me. If they don''t notice the formation: they''ll be more affected by it when they do strike, advantage me again. It might even save me more often than I can use it offensively." She smiled warmly at the young woman.


    "Ah... Oh," she mumbled, turning away slightly to look into the middle distance.


    The woman still disguised as scout Tunai set a hand on then squeezed Shae''s shoulder lightly. When she got her attention she distracted Shae with the explanation, "So for the flash cards..."


    The basic idea was to refine her intent into the formation such that it didn''t combust or warm like fire, but rather had a very specific intent in the qi that wouldn''t be noticeable unless you could feel the intent itself. "...Usually they are made by experienced seniors, but you can also use it to train your intent." She continued. "The hard part is getting materials good enough that they will last more than a few minutes. Regular paper and ink will... fall apart or burn under the high qi density that will build up."


    Shae frowned at the end of the explanation. "What do you mean fall apart? I''ve used that formation on regular wood and dirt and not noticed anything."


    Apollo shrugged. "I''m no formation Master who could explain it properly. As I understand: over the short term it''s not usually noticeable."


    "So if I only need it for an evening, paper would be fine?"


    "If you are comfortable with them spontaneously exploding, I suppose."


    "Uhhh, why would they?" The young woman paled.


    "As your formation works now, it keeps sucking in fire qi. When the formation symbol breaks, the intent will also break and all that fire qi will do what fire qi wants to do." She made a bursting motion with her hand and a whooshing flame noise with her mouth.


    "Oh." Shae froze in thought. "So how do they make normal formations, or talismans?" She kept staring up to the side, scrunching her face into concentration and confusion.


    Apollo waited then said. "I believe they do have some way of controlling the amount of qi. A different formation symbol perhaps?"


    That broke Shae out of her thoughts. "Oh. I suppose. Hmm. I think I could have the circle around the symbol block the qi too. But then they would need to be manually charged, right?"


    Apollo shrugged again. "It''s your formation, I don''t know exactly how it works."


    She frowned in response. "Yeah, neither do I, but it can''t be that complicated, right?" She sighed and took another shot with her bow. "Guess I''ll have something to test out tonight."


    "Mhm!" Apollo agreed. "And practice another square set of bow shots."


    "Uh, another?" She whined.


    "If this was the sect, it would be a cubed dozen." Apollo warned with a raised eyebrow.


    "Ah, um, okay." Shae conceded with hunched shoulders.


    <hr>


    Shae missed the timing on when the scouts left because she was wrapped up in archery practice. She was doing as Apollo suggested and taking a solid 144 practice shots. The tail end of the caravan passed her as she was on her last set.


    Apollo had left earlier, after making sure Shae was taking her time and using proper archery stance and form. Having her repeat sets when her form was too sloppy, even if the arrows hit the target. That was most of the reason why it had taken so long.


    The older cultivator also hinted that her disguise would change to something less recognizable this afternoon.


    After she fired the final shot, she relaxed and waited. Just in case Apollo wanted to step out of a shadow and have her repeat the set. She had taken extra time to ensure her form was perfect on that last set, just in case the woman was watching. Or Long. Shae realized with a shudder. He would probably be even stricter.


    She cleaned up her target by throwing the rotted chunk of log deeper into the woods. She felt her accuracy had improved, though it was a short distance. She wouldn''t make any claims about her skill, yet.


    On her way back to the front of the caravan, she swung by Mistress Ping for the list of scouts. She was quite sure they had been replaced for the afternoon. Ping confirmed that had been half the reason for calling them back over lunch.


    "I''m not sure about this Apollo. She hasn''t checked in with me yet. Will she make reports this afternoon?" The caravan Mistress asked.


    Shae shrugged. "Did Master Long? I can probably pass along the word, if you have specific requirements?"


    Ping gave half a frown and considered it. "Well, so long as she is doing the job. I suppose I don''t need to know that she hasn''t seen anything." She sighed. "Long did mention that one rot-dog, but not until you all returned from lunch."


    "Err, sorry. I should have mentioned that, I did see when he killed it." Shae hunched her shoulders.


    "Hmm? You did mention it, don''t you remember?"


    "Uhhh, not really? I guess I was rather distracted after it happened. Not because of it, Long and I had an argument."


    "Oh? And you stayed out to scout with him anyway?"


    "Well." The young woman rubbed the back of her head anxiously. "I wasn''t doing a lot of scouting, just running along the road for the exercise."


    Ping shrugged. "That''s most of the job, if you ask many. And you kept track of the scouts, once I snapped you out of your funk, at least. That''s rather helpful: it takes some of the work off my plate, and lets them stay out longer." The older woman patted Shae''s shoulder. "I''m fine if you want to keep that up, or just hang out with Apollo as a message runner. She''ll probably have news as fast as the scouts." She chuckled and shook her head with a solemn grin.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 47: Sweet Dreams

    <hr>


    Chapter 47: "Sweet Dreams."


    <hr>


    Shae decided to sprint to the next water stop. They had stopped at one for lunch, so the next would be a full ten or twelve li away. She wasn''t sure if Apollo would be out that far already, but assumed she would run across the woman if she wasn''t.


    The other scouts were working in pairs now. Since Shae wasn''t, she was told to stick to the road or with Apollo. Considering she had found the woman''s conversation much more enjoyable than Master Long''s, she was seriously considering doing just that.


    As the li passed by, she spotted some of the scouts and waved. They returned the greetings, and let her pass without flagging her down. Unsurprising they had nothing to report since they just started their shift.


    Using the Controlled Push practice kept her speed closer to a mortal''s sprinting. Though, she noted that, for scouts and couriers in this world, that was likely faster than an Olympic sprinter. This was because years of doing courier work through qi-soaked areas would steadily improve what a baseline mortal was capable of. Her double marathon run with Curly and Lari had proved that out.


    She wagered that she had completed the sprint in under half an hour. It might have been closer to a quarter hour if she hadn''t slowed to watch for the rest stop. She had been too engrossed in the sprint to count distance markers, but she guessed it was probably a dozen li this time. The rest stops supposedly got more spaced out closer to the sect, as they were harder to maintain.


    No one was at the stop yet, but it was the same one they had picked the scouts up at on the way back, suggesting Long had gotten several li further ahead of the caravan than she expected, probably because they stopped for lunch before he turned back. Shae mused.


    Huh, and I haven''t seen Apollo yet. She frowned when she walked back out to the road. If she''s further ahead, she''s probably not much further. She reasoned, then took off heading north again. Keeping her speed to a more casual jog.


    Again she was tempted to experiment with the Controlled Push practice, I really hope they have a resistance training technique at the sect, experimenting with this is probably dangerous. She shook off the temptation and tried to pay attention to the tree line around her instead.


    Less than a quarter hour later she was rewarded with noise from the east treeline, and a black blur streaking through it.


    Shae waved and shouted, "Apollo! Senior!"


    The blur disappeared, and Shae had a heartbeat or two to consider her obvious mistake.


    "Hello!" A voice came from behind her and she breathed out in relief at hearing the feminine tone. Though, it wasn''t the last one Apollo had used.


    Turning towards the woman, she found someone she wasn''t expecting. Piercing green eyes stared out from above a half-masked face. That was all Shae focused on before her foot missed a step and she tumbled forwards.


    She was saved from a potentially painful landing as a hand grabbed her robes, slowing her fall. Another stumbling step later she was pulled upright again and steadied. The woman dressed exactly like a certain masked bandit archer had easily picked up Shae and returned her to her feet. She took another moment to set her balance, then looked up. Her breath caught in her throat at the woman''s appearance.


    "I didn''t think you were surprised that easily," the green eyed woman said. A smile showing around her eyes.


    Shae blushed and tried to control herself. Forcing a cough into her sleeve. "I... I wasn''t expecting you to be here. You surprised me."


    "Oh? And who were you expecting?"


    "Um, ah, someone else. From the caravan I''m with."


    The woman tilted her head. Her long hair fluttered out in the slight breeze.


    Shae noticed it wasn''t in a braid anymore, though the signs of one were still there. She thought the hair looked shiny and healthy, and quite stylish with the wavy crimps caused by the braid. "Um, has the hairbrush been working well?" Shae asked as she tried to control the embarrassed heat rising up her neck.


    Her green eyes went wide in surprise. Then she switched back to a smile. If the lower half of her face hadn''t been covered by the cloth mask Shae might have recognized the devilish grin.


    "Miss Shae," she said and stepped forwards. "Do you..." She grabbed the younger woman''s hands and pulled her closer, forcing her out of hiding behind her sleeves. "Do you like my hair? ... Or my eyes?" She asked in a soft tone.


    Shae could feel how hot her own face was getting from the teenage hormones raging through her system. She tried to control herself, tried to grab her calming divine qi, but found herself unable to focus on her Dantian. The beautiful eyes in front of her had just asked a question and she hadn''t responded yet. She really needed to say something. "Y- yes. Your eyes, yes." She whispered and nodded.


    "How about now?" The eyes blinked and changed color. Turning a light brown, ringed with gold.


    "Euh?" Was all the young woman could manage.


    As the dots connected in Shae''s mind her flush of youthful attraction switched over to complete embarrassment. Quite sure that she was now more red-faced from that she decided she''d like another go at life. "Aagh, kill me now, please." She mumbled and melted into a puddle of humiliated teenager.


    Apollo held the young woman up by her arms. The rest of her having gone completely limp and drooping to the ground. "Hahaha, I really wasn''t expecting you to recognize this form." The woman cackled with laughter and let her gently fall.


    Shae groaned and squirmed on the ground until her hands were over her head, sleeves fully covering her face. "Uuuuugh. What are the chances?" She mumbled.


    "Right? Though, you did ask for someone not in the caravan!" Apollo continued to laugh.


    "Hmmff. How long...? Why didn''t you tell me sooner?" She grumbled into the dirt.


    "Hey! That was a pretty quick reveal. I guess I could have pushed it further, you are pretty cute when you''re blushing."


    Shae''s flush returned, and she squirmed more while trying to burrow six feet into the ground.


    Apollo must have understood because her laughter returned even louder. A few lungfulls later she calmed slightly, "I''m kidding Shae, we don''t trick people like that just for fun."


    "Sure seems like you''re having fun. Ugh. At least you didn''t do it in front of a bunch of people."


    "Heh, yeah, that would have been worse, I might not have broken character at all. Though, I wouldn''t have been so forward, either. Heh-heh." She was still chuckling.


    Shae groaned into the dirt again. "Would I have even found out it was you then? Why did you wait so long to show me?"


    "Hah? What? It''s just luck that it happened today."


    "Luck! How is it luck? You knew me and you picked that form today!" Her frustration was starting to break through her embarrassment. She peeked out from under a sleeve.


    "Huh?" Apollo said and looked down at the young woman with a creased forehead. A few beats passed in silence before Apollo''s eyes went wide. "Oh, I get it!" She grabbed Shae off the ground, forcing her to stand upright and face her.


    Shae felt a burst of steam pass over her, and in a cloud of road dust it easily cleaned her of all the dirt she had picked up while wallowing in her own embarrassment.


    Apollo grabbed her shoulders and kneeled slightly so they were at eye level. "Shae." She pointed at herself. "I am not this woman." Her eyes flickered back to green as she said this woman, then returned to being brown. "She passed the caravan a couple days ago. Probably because of the delay from the road blockage and the rot-dogs. I liked her mysterious style, all black and tight fitting." Her eyes went back to green. "And her eyes, of course."


    "Oh." Was the only word Shae''s mind could handle as it short circuited a few different ways. Not at all helped by Apollo''s eyes being green again, and her standing so close. She felt her blush creep onto her cheeks again, and turned away suddenly.


    "Oh ho! You are quite flustered, aren''t you?"


    "It''s- it''s her eyes." Shae mumbled.


    "Hmm, weak to a pair of pretty eyes are we?" Apollo stepped close behind Shae and whispered near her ear, "Careful who you tell that to."


    If Shae thought she was managing her emotions at all before, Apollo''s sultry tone broke that control. Heat flared up her neck and face, and she started to splutter, "Well- uh, I- I mean, um-"


    Apollo pulled away and burst out laughing. "Ha hah-ha, you young ones are so fun to tease! Ha ha ha!"


    "Uh- I''m not- ugk!" Shae choked off her own complaint in her throat.


    "Ha hah ha! Ah-ha that''s right! You''re not technically a young one, just in a young body." She laughed again and gently slapped Shae on the back.


    Of course, being much stronger, a gentle slap was still enough to send her stumbling, especially when she wasn''t ready for it.


    "I hope you weren''t like this in your last life!" The older woman teased.


    Shae rounded on her, kind of upset now, "No! Of course not. It''s all these teenage hormones."


    "Oh? You think that''s what it is? Hmm, and what are you doing about it?" Apollo asked and took a few playful steps forward.


    "Uh- Uhm." She stepped back and swallowed, suddenly reminded of the woman in front of her. "Just trying to control it, and ignore it until I''m older."


    "Ignore it! What a terrible way to live." She took another step forward, "Say, did you ever get to see this woman without her mask on?"


    Shae stammered again, "Uhm- n- no."


    Without ceremony, Apollo removed the cloth mask and headwrap. Letting more hair spill out and revealing a moderately attractive twenty something woman.


    She stared for a few breaths, then said, "Oh." With just a hint of disappointment in her voice.


    "Hah-ha!" Apollo laughed and brought up her sleeve to cover her open mouth. "Hah. Am I not as devastatingly beautiful as you imagined?"


    "Uhm, well, she''s pretty, but yeah. I''ve seen a few other Fairy cultivators and they easily have her beat." She squirmed slightly and flicked her eyes away, anxious at having to talk so openly about Apollo''s looks. Even knowing that this wasn''t what Apollo looked like didn''t remove the small bit of guilt at criticizing her appearance.


    "Heh, of course she''s no Fairy. She''s still mortal. Spectacular eyes, but a little plain and malnourished. Even then, cultivators have a huge advantage just from running their bodies off qi. Some Fairies even have special cultivation manuals to improve their appearance over the years."


    Shae worried at her hair, then tried to rub the heat off the back of her neck. "Ah, well, I hadn''t considered that."


    "Here, let me show you." Apollo turned away casually running a hand through her long hair. As her arm passed in front of her face, Shae felt a small ripple of qi. "I''m making a show of this, so don''t expect so much flair and drama every time." Both hands were running through her hair now and it''s color was changing. The black hair was fading to brown then red then lightening to a powdery pink.


    Shae gasped lightly as the final color was revealed. Apollo hesitated to turn around, seeming to wait for Shae to exhale, then turning swiftly and eliciting a much louder gasp from the young woman.


    Even somewhat prepared to see someone beautiful, she was still caught off-guard. This wasn''t a seductive and Earth-conventional beauty like Shae had been expecting, but a striking, aesthetically different beauty that was closer to an alien supermodel. Sharp features contrasted softer ones. Golden irises stared out of shimmering eyes surrounded by rose red eyelashes and eyebrows. The color was darker than her hair, yet clearly chosen to contrast her perfectly pale skin.


    An intricate beauty mark offset the too perfect symmetry of the features, redirecting any sense of the uncanny. As the woman stepped closer, Shae saw the mark was a long stemmed rose, the flower just a bud and the stem lacking petals, yet thorns were clearly visible.


    Shae swallowed nervously as she realized just how close Apollo was.


    "This," she said in a light and easy to listen to voice, "is my best approximation of Elder Dawn. Good friend of young Elder Bai, the sword cultivator we left behind at Jian Quan."


    The young woman took a careful breath, then her eyes went wide, "Oh, her! Well no wonder he likes her so much! Ha-ha-heh!" She giggled.


    "My, you seem to have recovered well." She pulled back to a more appropriate distance. "Maybe it was the mystery of the green eyes that was doing it for you? Elder Dawn might be disappointed if I couldn''t get more of a blush out if you. Hmm, well I am only showing part of the whole package. She definitely has a lot more to offer." Apollo stuck a finger into the cloth covering her chest and pulled it forwards. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Shae wasn''t sure if it was her imagination or a subtle application of Apollo''s disguise techniques, but she was convinced she saw the woman''s bust bulge and strain against her clothing. "Uh- ah- that''s fine! You don''t need to- Uhm- show me that," Shae spluttered. A lot more redness returned to her face.


    "Hah! There we go! I was worried I had messed her up somehow. She''d probably kill me for that." With less fanfare, she changed her hair and face again. Switching to a younger cultivator with a more conventional mortal appearance, notably with dark green hair. "This is closer to what you''ll have to deal with at the sect. Dozens of beauties near your physical age and keen to show off to one another. No one''s really trying to attract a partner. Yet there''s always competitiveness, and pride in one''s appearance is seen as a virtue." She stepped closer to Shae again and the young woman immediately took a step back.


    "Uhm, thanks for showing me these people, but is this supposed to be leading somewhere?" She swallowed nervously.


    "Of course! I''m going to give you a lesson in dealing with your little problem."


    "My problem?" The young woman asked and took another step away.


    "Yes, your problem is that you are not dealing with your impulses. I''ve heard it''s a common issue with lost souls, they think they know better than their own bodies. Even with a lifetime of experiences," she rolled her eyes, "they are always hesitant to deal with their baser urges."


    "Uh, and how do you plan on, uhm, helping?"


    "Well, if I was closer to your age I would eat you right up. But I''m your senior, and that''s severely frowned upon. I don''t want to be thought of as taking advantage of my precious Junior. Even if she has more than enough life experience to make that decision on her own."


    Shae relaxed slightly, but the woman was still walking towards her with a clear mission in mind. "Uh, so...?"


    "So, with your permission, I''d like to use a qi technique on you."


    "Eh? Ah, what does it do?"


    "It technically falls into the category of seduction techniques, but I only use it for its distraction and disabling properties." She smiled wickedly at the young woman in front of her.


    Shae was suddenly very nervous again. "Uh, Uhm, could you be more specific?"


    "Of course, but where''s the fun in that?" Her next step brought her right in front of Shae and she scooped her up. Her eyes flashed back to the beautiful green of the bandit archer, distracting Shae from any complaints. "It''s a dream technique. What you are about to experience is only for you, I will not know what happens within." Apollo brought a glowing hand up near the young woman''s face and asked a question she didn''t hear.


    Shae was vaguely aware of being carried over to the side of the road and being set down to look up at Apollo''s entrancing green eyes. As the woman raised a glowing hand again and asked "Ready?" Shae could only respond with a nod. She could have stopped it, she knew she could, but she also realized that she didn''t want to.


    <hr>


    Author''s note. Error 403: FORBIDDEN. Dream sequence unavailable.


    "I said no details!" -Apollo


    <hr>


    Sometime later, Shae awoke with the expectation of exhaustion and sore muscles. To her pleasant surprise she felt refreshed, if a bit sweaty. Instead of the cold unpleasantness the weather should have offered, the intense warmth of nearby fire greeted her, and it was probably only responsible for some of her sweat.


    "Ah, you''re awake finally. Good, I was getting worried I''d have to wake you, that''s always awkward if the technique is still going." Apollo called out from above. She was perched in a nearby tree, Shae''s bow at the ready.


    "Uhm. That was-"


    "Don''t tell me about it, please." She interrupted. "Your dreams are your own, I had no influence nor control and I don''t even want clues about what happened."


    "Uhm, no influence? Really?" Shae asked skeptically.


    "Well, the technique has to start somewhere. It should have started with a similar situation to when it was activated. From there it''s basically just you lucid dreaming."


    The young woman felt a blush on her cheeks. She forced a cough into her sleeve. "Why is it so warm? I don''t see a fire. Uh, Senior."


    "Ah, now Junior Shae remembers her manners. Heh heh. I tried to reproduce your little formation trick, but couldn''t quite match it. Once you were asleep, you needed something to keep the cold out." She pointed to a formation symbol scratched into the ground, a large circle of dead and dry grass around it.


    "Oh, well done then. It feels like a campfire."


    Apollo shrugged and jumped down. Shae felt a rush of steam qi move past her and around the fire. A hand gesture from the woman scattered the formation and most of the dead grass. Shae felt the rush of fire qi trying to burn and ignite everything around her, and the steam qi buffering it to prevent that. "The problem is what to do with the fire qi afterwards. It''s a little more dangerous than leaving ashes behind."


    "Ah, hmmm, yes I suppose that''s not easy for everyone." Shae shifted uncomfortably. "Do you know if there''s a river or stream nearby? I could use a bit of washing up. My clothes too."


    "I said I didn''t want any hints." Apollo teased. "But no, not until we reach the next town."


    The young woman squirmed again. "I don''t think I''m comfortable waiting that long." She picked at her clothing, peeling it away where it was most damp and uncomfortable. "Uhm, Senior?"


    Apollo took a deep breath, "I''m going to regret the next question, aren''t I?"


    Shae waited for Apollo to make a gesture, signaling her to continue, "Earlier, you had a cleaning technique, yes?" She smiled her most hopeful and friendly smile. It looked desperate and just a bit forced.


    The older woman sighed and managed her forehead. "That was just dusting, but yes I have another."


    The younger woman waited, trying to plead her desperation all the harder.


    "Obviously I can''t teach it to you fast enough. And really it would be easier if you disrobed."


    She began removing her outer robes.


    "How curiously eager of you. Wait on that, though. Our fellow scouts should be arriving soon. I''d rather they not stumble upon any avoidable awkwardness."


    Shae froze. "So then...?"


    "Two things, firstly, while brief this is going to feel very invasive and intimate. This counts as a warning for that, so no complaints. Second, you owe me another favor."


    Shae''s eyes went a little wide at the warning, then she firmed her resolve and nodded. "Agreed."


    Apollo huffed out a sigh again. "Stand up."


    As soon as she stood Shae felt the rush of Apollo''s steam qi again. This time it was warmer and very humid. Quickly her clothes were hot and wet as the steam soaked her clothing. It was generally more comfortable than she felt earlier, like being in a sauna but with more blowing air. Maybe like a hot dryer vent, with even more humidity somehow. She mused to herself.


    She relaxed a breath after the heat started, "This isn''t so bad." She said, then yelped loudly as the actual technique kicked in. It was brief and Shae was glad she couldn''t really follow all the sensations produced, invasive and overstimulating was probably a better description. Though, she did now know why Apollo had said intimate.


    About two heartbeats after it started, the sensation of having every square inch of skin scoured with a rough wet sponge stopped. She still felt too warm, but the chill autumn breeze began cooling her off.


    "Ho- Holy-shit-what-the-fuck-was-that?" Shae yelled out in English, trying not to look accusingly at Apollo while she did.


    "Miss Shae, I believe I did say no complaints." Apollo warned in a teasing tone.


    She frowned, "I had to say something, and you couldn''t understand it anyway. Next you''ll berate me for complaining in my own head."


    "Hmm. I would advise you to be careful about what you think. Most young cultivators are incapable of not showing their emotions on their face."


    Shae might have blushed at that if she wasn''t busy rubbing her eyes and trying to shake out the new memory, shuddering and flicking her hands out like she was trying to shed water. A few breaths later her skin and clothes were mostly dry. The only remnant was a head sized globe of gray water that floated in the air between the two women. It swirled with darker colors, a brown streak passed close to the surface and Shae grimaced. "Is this part really necessary, Senior?"


    "Not at all, but if I am forced to know about all the filth I just peeled off you, then you can at least take a cursory glance at it." She waited another breath for the young woman to complain further. When she did not, Apollo nodded and threw the orb into the forest.


    Shae thought the wet splashing noise it made was somehow worse than it should have been. She shuddered again.


    "Now. Back to the road, Miss Shae?" Apollo gestured and got them walking again. As they reached a comfortable pace she returned Shae''s bow and other belongings, removing her pack from spatial storage.


    "Oh, uh, when did you?" The young woman asked, pointing at the pack.


    "When I picked you up, you were rather distracted, so probably didn''t notice."


    "Uh, right." She looked away and down. An embarrassed blush rising up her neck again.


    "Now, to finish out your lesson, Wise Shae."


    "Huh? Lesson?"


    "Of course, what did you think this all was? Just me showing off that technique?"


    "You did say you used it often, to distract people?"


    "Well yes, it''s very effective if they don''t know it''s coming."


    "Plus they will have to clean themselves off after."


    "Hey! What are you implying? It doesn''t always do that. It just carries on what was happening when it''s activated. It''s often best used on bored guards, some don''t even notice it happened, even after I dismiss it."


    "Right, and I''m sure their dream is never, ever, influenced by yourself."


    "Well sometimes, of course. You never know what angle you''ll have to take to get the better of a mark or their guardsmen. Whatever it takes to keep them occupied for the longest time. Time is very valuable in my business." Apollo nodded sagely.


    "The business of giving people horny dreams? Do I owe you money now?" Shae continued to tease.


    "Hey, I''m no pervert!" Apollo gasped in mock offense. Clearly still enjoying the banter. "I''m especially not a professional pervert."


    "Says the woman who regularly changes their apparent gender."


    "Pffft, weak comeback. Gender has nothing to do with sexuality or perversions. I can''t even pretend to be offended by that." Apollo said flatly. "And now that you''ve spoiled the mood, back to the lesson portion."


    "Yes, hentai sensei." She quipped and bowed in a different style than usual, having to stop suddenly in the middle of the road to do so.


    Apollo squinted her eyes at the young woman, "Why do I feel like you just called me a pervert again, but in a respectful way."


    Shae smirked. "I said: yes, pervert teacher. Though it could translate to other things, I suppose. I only ever picked up a few words in that language."


    "And two of those few words were pervert and teacher?"


    Shae coughed into her sleeve. "Yes."


    Apollo shook her head and smirked, "Right. So, my pervert student, what have you learned?"


    "Uh, some qi techniques are surprisingly versatile?"


    "I meant about your personal horny-business."


    "Well... I''m a lot more... Wait, I thought you didn''t want details?"


    "I don''t. So don''t finish that thought. What I mean is: what should you do next time you have pent-up urges?"


    "Well I don''t think this world has hookup-apps yet, so come find you?"


    "What!? No! Just take care of it on your own. Resisting your body''s instinctual drives is just as bad as ignoring pain during training." Apollo reached over to swat the younger woman, but she was purposefully slow and Shae stepped away.


    "Okay, sure, fine. I didn''t think it was that big of a deal." She lowered her voice and kept mumbling. "Though, completely solo isn''t my preferred method."


    Apollo swung again and made sure to make enough contact to sting a little. "What about ''I don''t want more details'' was confusing?" She huffed. "Next you''re going to reveal that no one has given you the yin qi talk yet."


    The young woman tilted her head, that sounds familiar, is that what Yun almost mentioned? She looked back to see Apollo giving her a look. She coughed into her sleeve and looked away.


    "Oh, hells below will take me before I give you that talk. I''ve already gotten far too involved in your... personal affairs."


    The young woman frowned and kicked some dust off the ground. "Why''d you have to say it like that? Emphasizing you?"


    "Because I''ve heard you argue with Master Long. I know you will complain about how it''s not possible or something. I''ve heard stories about lost souls, they never understand virgin yin."


    "Virgin yin? Oh now you have to explain it, you can''t just leave me with that nonsense phrase." Shae pleaded loudly.


    "See! You''ve already called it nonsense. Shae, as mature and Wise as you might be, please remember this is a different world. One with qi. Things won''t always work like you expect. Especially when people and the creation of life is involved."


    She opened her mouth to complain again, but stopped to huff and pout instead.


    Apollo looked over and snorted a laugh. "Fine, I''ll give you one more piece of life saving advice. While I don''t use my technique as a brothel service, other cultivators are not so scrupulous. However, even if it''s someone you think is safe, don''t let anyone do that for you, especially if they want you to pay for it." She gave a breath''s pause so it could sink in.


    "I don''t think-"


    The older cultivator raised a hand, then an eyebrow.


    "No details?" Shae asked.


    Apollo nodded. "Instead, if you really need some intimate relief, save up some money and go to the actual brothels in town. They are much more trustworthy."


    Shae was suddenly confused. "That''s not the ''instead'' I was expecting."


    The older woman chuckled. "Many look down on them, but they are businesses and need to preserve their reputation, especially for the more expensive offerings. Many are run by cultivators and know what''s important to cultivators. Regardless of your preferences, which I don''t want to know, go to one that is staffed exclusively by women. There is at least one at the sect town below the first mountain." She paused again. "But do that after you check out the library and learn more about this world. And please. Set aside your previous knowledge; verify that you actually know what you think you know."


    Shae nodded along, concentrating on all the things she would need to look up.


    "And don''t yell at the books or librarians."


    Shae gasped, "I would never!"


    "And don''t burn the place down on a fit of rage!"


    Shae gasped again, or tried to, but made a weak squawking noise instead.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 48: Time With Senior Sister

    <hr>


    Chapter 48: "Time With Senior Sister."


    <hr>


    The afternoon progressed quickly with the two women chatting as they walked. A few times another runner caught up to confirm there had been no sightings of spirit beasts. Shae was surprised by the second time, as Apollo reported she had detected one, and it had fled instead of confronting them.


    "I think it was a bird, maybe a heron," she said.


    "You couldn''t tell, Senior?" Shae asked curiously. She found that if she didn''t ask follow up questions, the runners definitely wouldn''t. She guessed they were intimidated by Apollo, or just by cultivators.


    "No, it just brushed the edge of my perception, then fled when it sensed my senses."


    She opened her eyes wide. "Does that mean it''s strong? To be able to sense you?"


    Apollo wobbled a hand. "Its reaction is not a good indicator. It didn''t sense me, just my perception. That''s more like seeing someone''s shadow. Most animals have strong natural instincts for that, even mortal ones. Haven''t you ever felt like someone was watching you? Sometimes it could even be the heavens themselves." She leaned in, focusing on Shae and the scout.


    The scout paled slightly. Though, he was rather tanned which made it hard to notice.


    Shae felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle, but rolled her eyes.


    "But if it did sense more, and made a decision to flee. Then it was probably a stronger spirit beast, at least equal to core, I''d guess." She shrugged.


    "Aren''t you a stealth specialist, Senior?"


    "I''m not sure where you heard that." Said the woman dressed in all black, with a face covering.


    "I mean, can''t you do something to hide your senses? Uh, Senior?" She gave a slight bow at her title correction. Apollo wasn''t strict enough to demand it, but Shae was keeping up appearances for the scout.


    "I could, but that restricts the range. If I wanted to fight a spirit beast, that''d be a good way. But, it would also put the scouts at risk, so no-can-do."


    "Ah, of course. My apologies for questioning you, Senior." Shae dipped her head and rubbed the back of her neck.


    Apollo shook her head. "It''s good to be curious. So long as you ask politely." Her eyes showed she was smiling under her mask.


    Shae looked at the scout, and smiled. He seemed to have relaxed, somewhat.


    <hr>


    After another hour or two of chatting, Shae was getting anxious to get running again. "Hmgh, I should do a few more laps."


    Apollo tilted her head sideways. "What for? The others are doing a good job scouting the forests. Dusting up the road again doesn''t do a lot."


    "Ah, well, it''s this qi exercise I''m supposed to be doing. Pushing against my limits to see where they are."


    "Hmm. I''ve seen your version of running. I don''t think it will push you, do you?"


    "Ugh, I thought it was working, but you''re right that I''m not even getting close. Half my body is too strong to be challenged, the other half can''t keep up. Even with the qi exercise balancing it out a little bit."


    "Balancing it out? How so?" The woman''s eyebrows jumped a little as she asked.


    "The exercise seems to add resistance, even while empowering the muscles slightly." She focused on starting the practice, cycling it through her channels. "Like this."


    "Hmm. Move around a bit?"


    Shae did as requested, hopping in place then dashing across the road.


    "Alright." She waved the young woman back. "Could I see the practice''s instructions?"


    Shae thought for a breath, then nodded and unslung her pack. They had to stop walking down the road so she could find the Manifold Journey manual. "Hmm... It''s this one, just those few pages titled Controlled Push."


    "Huh." Apollo said and began reading. She looked up at Shae a few times while she read. Then again when she flipped the manual over, reading the cover.


    "You got this from the monks? I''m not sure I''ve heard of it before."


    Shae shrugged. "They said it is very rarely used. It''s mainly for new disciples at the start of their journey. However, most new disciples don''t have the skill or qi reserves to use it properly."


    "Yet, you do?"


    "Uh, I guess so? I''m not sure they would have given it to me otherwise."


    Apollo nodded. "It''s good that you''re uncertain, because I think you''re doing it wrong."


    "Huh? How so?" She leaned in excitedly.


    "We have a similar training technique at the sect. I don''t remember what it''s called. Everyone just calls it tar-training, or swimming in tar. This is like a more complex version of that."


    "Hah! So I was right, you do have a better resistance training technique." Shae chuckled.


    Apollo shrugged. "Better is subjective: it depends what else this is trying to do. If you just want resistance training," she pointed out a section of the text, "this is all you need to do, though be careful with your qi, you can tear muscles with this."


    "Um, how careful? My qi does like to move on its own."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Hmm, Okay. Just use neutral qi then. Why this includes all these other bits I''m entirely not sure. It''s really inefficient, most qi gatherers would still have to run near max speed to get a full workout. And for your..." She shook her head, "I don''t think it''s going to benefit you at all."


    "Awww, that''s disappointing." Shae scratched her head. "Although, it''s not really a permanent training technique. It''s just for one leg of a journey, and one where I''d need to keep moving and not be dead tired a few hours in."


    Apollo nodded, "In that light, I can understand it more. May I read more of this?"


    "Uhhh... I don''t remember them telling me not to share it. Hmm, start with the introduction. If you find anything interesting or concerning let me know. But I think you should get direct permission from the monks to share the whole thing with the sect."


    "I may be a-" she forced a cough, "Regardless of my position in the sect. This is yours to share with the sect''s library, I''ll not take that from you." She then flipped to the front of the manual and started reading.


    Shae smiled. It''s not like I haven''t already shared this with someone. I wonder if she''ll say the same things as Fairy Yun.


    <hr>


    Apollo had very little to say regarding the monks practice manual. Mainly giving Shae several scrutinizing looks while she read it over.


    "Well!?" Shae finally blurted out after the older cultivator was clearly finished reading and had gone back to start it again.


    "Heh, I was wondering how long you could hold out from asking. Heh heh." Apollo chuckled.


    The younger cultivator stepped over to shove Apollo and said, "Oh, come on-! Wah!" As soon as she had put her weight into the push, the other woman moved. This left her hand suddenly pushing at empty air and she stumbled forward. Apollo grabbed the back of her shirt before she went careening off the road trying to catch herself. Then right as she had her balance again, Apollo pushed her.


    Getting pushed by a significantly stronger cultivator was a rather unpleasant experience. Her feet only caught enough of the road to flip her over, and she tumbled into the longer grass and brush along the roadside.


    Shae was speechless for a dozen breaths as her mind caught up to what happened.


    Apollo calmly walked over to stand above the toppled young woman. She reached out and snapped her fingers to get Shae''s attention. "Don''t try to rough-house with your seniors, even playfully. We can''t really enjoy it without something like this happening."


    "Wha-?"


    An outstretched hand was offered and pulled the younger woman up when she accepted it.


    "Err, sorr-"


    "Don''t apologize. It was a lesson, thank me for the lesson."


    "Ah. Yes. Thank you for the lesson, Senior." Shae bowed. Then was frowning when she straightened back up.


    "Heh. Just realized you thanked me for pushing you over?"


    She nodded.


    "Is it any better to apologize to me for the same?"


    Shae opened her mouth, then snapped it shut and shook her head.


    Apollo nodded. "Good. You can thank me for this instead." A gust of steam qi passed over Shae and brushed away all the grass and leaves that had caught in her clothing.


    "Ah! Oh!" She gasped and reflexively swatted grass blades away from her face. "Umm. Thank you, Senior. But, could you explain it a bit more? Surely you''re capable of controlling your strength through playful physical contact?"


    The older woman turned to head back to the road. "Yes, technically speaking. Though, I might have simply matured out of it. More importantly... Have you ever played with a kitten or young child?"


    She nodded. "Of course."


    "It''s more like that. Sure, it''s fun for a bit. Yet always you have to hold so much back, you''re mostly doing it for their enjoyment not your own."


    "Ah. Right." She sighed as she understood. "So, it''s too patronizing?"


    "Correct. Worse still, we can both develop bad habits from it. You could misunderstand the power dynamic. Think you can get one over on me, or another senior, just because I let you get a few jabs in. For me, I could drop my guard too much. A serious problem in my line of work."


    Shae smirked. "And what line of work is that?"


    The disguised woman sighed. "And there''s my point proven exactly. You''ve so thoroughly destroyed my disguise I''ve lost the will to even keep up the pretense."


    "Aww, it''s okay, I don''t mind." She reached out to the woman, but hesitated and dropped it back to her side. "Did you have anything to say about the monk''s writing?"


    Apollo scanned her up and down, then pulled down her mask to show a melancholy smile. "I think I''ll have to leave that to you." She extended her own hand to the young woman. When Shae took it Apollo hooked their arms together and continued walking down the road. "Really, if you''re not having any problems with it, then there''s not much for me to say. I''m more interested in a talk about it once it''s done."


    "Hmm. That''d be nice. Are you easy to find at the sect?"


    "Ah... No. Not really, I''ll have to find you. You''ll have a decent break before classes start in the new year, so without a schedule for me to work around..." She shrugged lightly, their hooked arms easily transmitting the body language.


    "Oh. Well, I can''t imagine I''ll be hard to find. Unless I get buried in books at the library."


    Apollo sighed. "Wouldn''t be the first time."


    "Huh?"


    "Oh nothing. But yeah, I''ll... maybe we can share some tea or something. Might not be right away though, I don''t know what my next job will be."


    Shae thought for a breath. "Ooo! Should we pick a specific tea? So I know it''s you?"


    Apollo sighed again and gave the younger cultivator a certain kind of disappointed look.


    "Uh oh. I know that look." She took a deep breath. "You can''t actually meet me in the sect, can you?"


    Apollo bobbed her head to the side. "It''s complicated. The rules about that, I mean."


    She let her walking unbalance her and she bumped her shoulder into the other''s. "Hey. You can drop the disguise now, if you''d like. We can just happen to run into each other and get along well in the sect."


    "If only it were that simple, Junior Shae." She bumped the young woman back.


    Shae gasped and turned to look up. "You called me Junior!"


    "I did, didn''t I?" Apollo looked at the younger woman, then pulled down her mask again to smile properly at her. "While it would be inappropriate to take you as a disciple, I''d very much enjoy continuing this Junior-Senior relationship. I rarely get to bond with the younger students like this."


    The younger cultivator stopped walking and inhaled suddenly, looking up at the green eyed woman. She was surprised to note the eyes didn''t effect her the same way anymore. She still thought they were pretty, yet they didn''t elicit any immediate emotions. She reached out with her free hand, pausing part way. "Can I give you a hug?"


    Her smile broadened, and looked more genuine as it creased the edges of her eyes. "Only if I can give you one back. And-"


    The shorter woman stepped in for a firm hug as soon as she heard the permission to do so.


    Apollo briefly looked surprised, then matched the embrace. "And thank you for asking, I don''t usually like sudden physical contact, as was just demonstrated."


    "Mhmm." She hummed into the woman''s shoulder.


    "So, I take it that''s a yes?"


    Shae stilled, realizing she hadn''t fully accepted her offer. Then, lifting her face from the woman''s shoulder she said, "Yes, I''d like that a lot, Senior Sister."


    "Heh." Apollo patted her back. "I''ll be glad to have you, Junior Sister." Her voice was firm, her smile pleasant, but her eyes showed a hint of uncertainty, flicking away from meeting Shae''s.


    The young woman didn''t think twice about it as she leaned in and squeezed the hug tighter.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 49: An Arrow is Traveling North at Six li per Hour

    <hr>


    Chapter 49: "An Arrow is Traveling North at Six li per Hour."


    <hr>


    The campground they stopped in looked like it could have been the market square of a small town or village. Cold buildings, empty foundations, and collapsed stone walls encircling it spoke to the anchor of civilization that it once was.


    The several wagons loaded with supplies that had joined them at the last town quickly got to unpacking. The cultivator guards spread out in teams to sweep buildings for danger before allowing anyone to set up in them.


    "Bring your own amenities!" Scribe Bai explained as Shae stared.


    Bai had crossed paths with her just as Shae returned from scouting, and he had not-so-subtly hinted that he wanted to try her bow. Shae had smirked at the suggestion, quickly seeing the brushstrokes of his plans and motivation. They were now carrying makeshift targets around, trying to find a spot to set up a shooting range.


    "Cooking or sleeping quarters?" She asked.


    "Both. And baths sometimes. Though, not for the whole ''van."


    Shae shifted uncomfortably, remembering Apollo''s technique.


    "You probably need one, yes?" He quickly coughed to the side. "Not that you do. You don''t smell or anything, just-" he stammered.


    She raised a hand to stop him. "It''s fine. I have been running all day, as a scout. Well, all morning, didn''t do as much this afternoon."


    "Ah, yes. That''s what I meant... Although, you really don''t smell much at all? Did you find a creek to wash in or something?"


    She turned away and coughed into her own sleeve. "Or something. A woman must have her secrets."


    "Right! Of course." He nodded and looked around at the crowd. "Speaking of secretive women: have you seen Apollo?"


    "Never."


    "What? But you meet her- oh. Because of the disguises. Har-har." He shook his head.


    "She was scouting the outskirts of the camp, last I heard. Might see her for qigong again." She shrugged.


    She saw a smile play across Bai''s face as he gazed off into the trees and nodded.


    "I was shooting from five sets of paces at lunch. Wanna start there, or go for an even six?" She pointed up range from their makeshift targets.


    "Yeah. Sounds fine. You go ahead and start." He kept his eyes on the trees and waved her onward.


    She frowned at the back of his head. He was standing in front of the targets.


    "Go ahead, really. I''ll learn more from watching, probably." He hadn''t even turned away to look at her.


    She sighed and started counting off the seventy two paces. As she reached the end, she added another half dozen because of how far off she was last time. Looking back she saw that Scribe Bai was still standing downrange, still right in front of the targets. He was pivoting around to look out in other directions: continuously scanning the forest edge all around camp.


    Shae stretched and strung her bow. Then took a few test draws downrange. She didn''t nock an arrow, that wouldn''t be safe, but she did make a show of doing it. If Bai had been paying any attention, he would have noticed. She next removed an arrow from her quiver and slapped it against her bow, getting a nice knocking noise or if it, then just yelled downrange. "Bai! Move!"


    He turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over her head, then raised a hand in a thumbs-up gesture.


    She sighed, looked at her bow and shrugged. Without raising it to aim, she plucked the string enough to get a loud hum out of it, then flung her intent at the scribe. Inspired by the arrowhead, she sculpted her intent to feel like an arrow was striking him, directly in his left glute.


    "Yow!" Bai yelled and grabbed his butt. He glanced up range, and Shea gestured back at him, pointing between the bow and the targets behind the other cultivator. He figured it out after a few breaths, coughing a few times as he walked to the side and checked his rear for damage.


    Shae waited patiently for him to properly clear the range. Not just stepping to the side, but for him to walk towards her far enough to be fully out of the danger zone. She loosened her muscles up again and drew back the arrow she was still holding onto.


    It took a few breaths for her to recall all the specific details Apollo had instructed her on earlier that day. Finally, with a calm exhale, she released the arrow. It flew downrange and nearly missed her target, just clipping the side and defecting into the grass.


    "Huh. So that''s why you waited," Bai said.


    She flashed a frown, but then sighed and nodded. "That was without qi reinforcing my left side and core. Makes me a bit shaky."


    "Ugh, why wouldn''t you practice with qi, Wise Shae?"


    "Because, Senior Bai, reinforcement doesn''t train muscles as well as going without."


    He nodded. "Correct. Though, if you just want muscle training..." He rolled a hand over, leading her to finish.


    "Sure, weights and basic exercise are great, but I want to get better at this, and so I need the muscle memory too." She spoke as she drew back the next arrow.


    He nodded but remained silent, keeping his eyes downrange to watch the shot.


    She missed again, the other side of the same target this time.


    "I was pretty sure you were hitting the target at lunch." He looked down at the ground. "And this is about the same distance."


    "About? How far would you say?"


    "Hmm, six and three?"


    "I was going for an even six." She sighed and moved forwards three paces. "I''d blame the wind but it''s about as calm as lunch was."


    She took another shot, clipping the top of the target. The arrow caught in the wood this time, though it was outside the largest marked circle. Shae found the thwack noise rather satisfying, though.


    "Well, that one would at least make someone duck." Bai remarked flatly.


    "Are you going to quip after every shot?"


    "Only the bad ones." He said with a smile as the young woman drew back the next shot.


    She shook slightly as the humor hit her, and she had to relax to recenter herself. "Well I hope you brought a long list." She chuckled and drew the shot back again.


    Bai waited for her to miss the shot again. He nodded when she did. "What do you think I was writing at lunch-time?"


    Shae let out a few louder laughs. Then shook her head and took another shot. This time she jumped in before Bai could speak, "I thought it was maybe secret love letters to Apollo, based around awful math-themed poetry perhaps?"


    "Oh." He grabbed his chest dramatically. "Such a deadly wound, you''ve struck both my heart and my path." He wavered slightly on his feet.


    Shae chuckled, shook her head and missed another shot.


    "Ah, no, nevermind." Bai said and straightened up. "It seems you missed as badly as that shot."


    "You do realize this is practice, yes? I wouldn''t be doing it if I was already good at it. Do you copy out your times tables still? Just to make sure you can?"


    "Maybe I''m biased." He raised his palms. "Usually, when someone brings a weapon with them to the sect, they know how to use it."


    She shook her head and took another shot. It stuck in the dirt a pace short of the target. "Did I have this bow on the first day you met me?"


    "Uh, no, you did not."


    "Correct. I only got it the day before the caravan left. Never practiced with one before."


    "Never?"


    "Nope, never. Hunting was for the more mature young adults, and it was basically only boys that the village hunter would accept to train."


    "Hmm. A really exclusive club then? Seems like a useful skill for most villagers."


    "Yeah, it would have been." She paused to aim another shot. It stuck in the lower left side, right at the edge of the target circle. "Uhhh." She leaned sideways to see if it was inside or out.


    "Out." Bai said.


    "Bah!" She cried out and shook off the miss. "The hunting wasn''t great where we were anyway. Trapping was decent, so more of us did that. Also, I think the village head and local Lord were concerned about arming too many villagers."


    Bai hummed in concern.


    "Villagers were treated fine, not much to worry about while I was there." She took another shot. "But men instinctively fear any loss of power."


    "Men?" Bai questioned with a high pitched squeak of his voice. He coughed it away. "Aren''t village leaders usually women around here? Local Lords too?"


    Shae froze slightly, trying to cover it by drawing another arrow back. She used a trickle of qi and focus to steady the shot, and planted the arrow within half a hand of the center.


    "Ah! You got one!"


    "That was with qi."


    "Oh? Why the switch?"


    "Uh, my arm was getting tired. Well, all of me is tired, but I wasn''t really improving either. I''m still a bit too weak to use the bow properly." She took another shot, landing it just beside her last.


    "Nice! Though are you really using qi? I didn''t sense anything?"


    She shrugged. "Just a tiny bit."


    "Huh, it''s a great improvement from your usage at Jian Quan. Granted that was an entirely different use case."


    "Mhm. Watch closely." She lined up another shot while Bai focused on her. She felt his qi faintly, like a feather''s touch.


    His eyes went wide after she released the arrow. "Wow, I really didn''t sense anything."


    She smirked, unable to hide it.


    He looked at the targets and didn''t see a third arrow in the bullseye. "Ah. Well played, Miss Shae."


    "Ugh. Was that a pun?"


    "Wouldn''t have been if you''d hit the target." He shrugged. "Show me one for real this time?"


    She looked at her empty stack of arrows. "Nope, it''s your turn now." She pointed at the second dozen arrows placed off to the side.


    "Ah. Well." Bai stalled. He looked around quickly, but did move to scoop up the quiver and bring it to her. "I can wait a bit longer. You should make sure you get in your own practice, first."


    "Oh, come on, Senior Bai. Don''t you want to make sure you don''t embarrass yourself in front of Senior Apollo?"


    He looked slightly shocked, but quickly turned to the side and coughed. "I''m not sure what you mean, Miss Shae."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "You''re not exactly subtle, Senior Bai. You were completely disinterested until I mentioned Apollo was helping me."


    "Ah. Hmm, well I just hadn''t considered the long term applications of the bow. Surely if Senior Apollo is encouraging it: it must be useful." He nodded to himself.


    "Riiiight. So you''ve seen higher stage cultivators using bows?"


    "Uhhh, well, not so much." He scratched his cheek.


    "Just take a couple shots, please." She forced him to take the bow. "It''s sized for me, so don''t do a full draw, gauge it based on the arrow length."


    She watched him get into position, uncomfortably mimicking her previous stance. He plucked the string a couple times then began testing the strength of the draw.


    "Don''t release the string without an arrow. Without a load, the snapback can damage the bow." She jumped in before he made that error.


    "I see..." He nodded. "That does make sense."


    He stiffly took a shot at the targets. Shae almost stopped to correct his form, but noticed too slowly. She didn''t hear the telltale thwunk of the arrow hitting wood. "Did the string hit your wrist?"


    "Hmm? Uh, yeah, it did." He looked at his arm like he hadn''t noticed the pain he should have felt.


    "That''ll sting a bit sometimes. Roll your wrist in a bit, and don''t over-extend your elbow." She used her own arm to demonstrate.


    "Like... This?" He matched her. "Will this improve my aim?"


    She was nodding at his arm correction, but froze at the question. "Err, not necessarily. Try again, Senior?" She offered an arrow.


    He took it and calmly attempted another shot. It clipped the rightmost target that held a few of Shae''s arrows. "Hmgh," he hummed with a frown.


    "Well, you caught some of it. That''s very good for your second shot."


    "I was aiming for the left one." He picked up another arrow and inspected it.


    "Ah," she said and awkwardly looked down at the ground.


    "How was my form?"


    "Err. I didn''t see anything wrong that time, but I don''t really have the eye for it."


    He nodded and drew back the bow again, but didn''t release it. Instead he shuffled his feet a bit, adjusting his form. Then as Shae held her breath, he suddenly stopped and relaxed. "No, I think that was a good-enough first taste. No sense learning bad habits. Thank you, Miss Shae." He offered her the bow back.


    "Ah. Um, so... Just the two?" She looked down at the remaining pile of arrows. "I figured we would alternate sets."


    He walked to the side and turned with a raised hand matching his words, "No, no. It''s fine. No offense intended, but I''d rather learn properly the first time." He dropped the hand and tucked both into his sleeves. "And like I said, you should get all your sets in first. Then I won''t feel bad about monopolizing the range when Apollo arrives."


    "Aaahhh! So that''s your angle. Alright, alright." She shook her head with a grin.


    <hr>


    She missed two shots before speaking up again. "Hey, tell me about your math project."


    "My math project?" Bai said skeptically.


    "Uh, if you don''t mind, Senior." She dipped her head in a sign of respect.


    "Tsk." He shook his head. "What''s two sets and seven squared?"


    She let the question distract her and missed the next shot. By a noticeably wider margin than she would have anyway. "That''d be... thirty-one squared... Uhh, Earth or Imperial?" She stalled.


    "Imperial if you would, Wise Shae."


    She inhaled deeply, as she grabbed another arrow. Then again as she drew it back. She cycled a bit of qi and focused enough to land a strike near the center of the left target.


    "Ah! I felt it that time," Bai jumped slightly.


    She raised a hand and scrunched her face up in concentration and she mumbled and switched between mental and out loud math. Twenty dozen times twenty seven is... "Five, two, and zero plus... seven by two seven... Uhh... One, four-one?" She looked up.


    Bai held firm, turning a hand over to encourage her to keep going.


    "Six, six, and one? Though I''d rather do it on paper. And do it in base ten to confirm."


    "And what is it in base ten?" He asked.


    "Two and seven is thirty one, so... Nine hundred sixty one."


    Bai''s eyebrows shot up. "You''re much faster in base ten."


    She shrugged. "Learned it first. And that was much easier math anyway."


    "So, how do you confirm between the two?"


    "Ugh. I shouldn''t have said that."


    "Probably not." He agreed.


    She exhaled loudly and took another shot. Without qi, it glanced off the left target and stuck into the dirt. "From Imperial is easier. So, 6 by 144 plus 73... Ugh, I can tell from the ones digit that I made a mistake. This is why I use paper or a slate."


    "Who said you couldn''t?" He smirked.


    She gaped at him. "Has that been what you''ve been trying to do? Get me to write something down?"


    He chuckled. "Or see when you''d make a mistake. Mission accomplished on both fronts. Though you did catch the mistake, so half a point back to you."


    She stomped over to her bag and rooted through it for her scouting slate, it was wrapped up safely in the middle somewhere. Before she found it she stopped. "Seven by two-seven is one-six-one, so it should be six square, eight sets, and one. Final answer."


    "Heh, good catch. Correct in both bases, now." He paused just before the last word.


    She gave him a flat glare. Then shook it away. "Why''d you want me to write it down anyway?"


    He shrugged. "To see which notation you learned and preferred, Imperial or Earth. And to see when you would. Many new hotshots think there''s something special to not writing it down or skipping past showing their work. It''s a bad habit."


    "Hah, and what makes you think I''m a hotshot?" She returned to her unused arrows with the slate. Then quickly fired another shot, and missed.


    Bai offered open palms. "Anyone who learns two systems and does math for both in their head counts. Even if they claim they didn''t get along with math." He pitched his voice up mockingly.


    "Hey, I didn''t say I was bad at it. It just didn''t grab me as particularly fun. I didn''t want to wrap my life around it."


    "And you think I do?" Bai shook his head.


    She stopped partway through drawing back the next arrow. "Sorry. Didn''t mean it like that." She relaxed to give him her full attention, and bowed.


    He waved her off. "No, it''s fine. I would count it as a passion. My path isn''t wholly wrapped around it, however."


    "Mmm. So, it''s not soaked in your cultivation secrets and you could share with a curious third party?"


    He worked his jaw with a finger raised, clearly reconsidering his planned comeback. "Well, I suppose. Why are you so curious about it?"


    She shrugged and took another shot at the targets, catching the top of the left one. "I like listening to people who are passionately explaining something. Even if I can''t follow it completely, it''s really interesting to listen to."


    "Huh." He paused in thought. "Interesting. You''re going to really like the guest lectures then. I''d suggest saving up a lot of sect points, as much as you can. You''ll need them come summertime."


    She raised an eyebrow. "They do a lot of guest lectures over the summer?"


    He nodded. "Travel is easier, so they don''t run classes in favor of letting people go out for missions. Then supplement it with guest lectures. The guests like getting paid, so they are a bit pricey. Most people only go to a handful each summer."


    "Huh. I''ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Senior." She flipped around her last arrow checking the fletching. She started cycling qi to her muscles before looking at the target or getting into the correct stance. "Whenever you''re ready?" She looked at Bai.


    "Ready for what?"


    Shae snapped into a firing stance, quickly nocking the arrow and drawing back, burning her mental focus to keep the movement smooth and accurate. Qi reinforced the muscles in her left arm, both shoulders, back and core. She didn''t give herself time to aim or breath, just snapping off the shot as soon as the bow was near enough to be lined up with the target.


    She thought it was an impressive quickfire. The arrow disagreed with a thwunk as it stuck just outside the target circle. "Tsk." She clicked her tongue.


    "Not bad." Bai shrugged and nodded. "Would draw some blood, at least. Though, I''m more impressed by your precise qi usage. Most new recruits really overdo it with the reinforcement."


    She shrugged and started walking down range, Bai followed. "I had half a day of good practice recently."


    "Ah yes. With the th''ck''knarr?"


    "I think it''s ch''th''knarr, but knarr is fine, or Marta. That''s what her owner calls her."


    Bai chuckled. "I heard you put on a bit of a show? Sorry I missed it."


    "I would have rather not. I wasn''t exactly presentable, and it wasn''t my idea." She waved the topic away. "Anyway, yeah. I''m re-using some ideas from that. Mostly the focused control of which muscles get reinforced. While chopping the trees I challenge myself to use less qi reinforcement. Both for focus practice, and to reduce muscle strain. Worked well, so I''m repeating that here."


    "Focus? You said that a couple times? Do you mean to say you''re already training your mental focus?" He asked skeptically.


    She tilted her head sideways, but kept walking downrange, her gaze fixed on the targets. Right, Van suggested I play this a bit slow. "I think I''ve heard that term before. What''s your take on it?"


    "My take? You mean my explanation?" He paused to let her nod. "Mental focus is a challenging skill to improve. The specific methods depend more on your long term goals as a cultivator. From what I''ve seen it''s not directly explained. Your teachers will just give you some specific and possibly vague practice. Maybe one that seems completely unrelated, then months later they will explain how it''s been training your mental focus without you realizing it."


    Shae half-frowned and looked over at him. "You sound a little bitter."


    He inhaled deeply. "Not entirely on my own behalf. Every year at least one student gets needlessly punished because they didn''t know what they were working towards. When their master, or teacher, or just another student explains what their tedious practice is actually for: the student realizes they had been doing it wrong and cheating themselves out of progress."


    "Hmm. Can''t say I''m particularly surprised the texting staff has issues with communication."


    Bai coughed into his sleeves. "Don''t let them hear you say that. Most of the time it doubles as a lesson for one student or another."


    "A lesson to do what they''re told, even if they don''t understand it?" Shae guessed.


    He nodded. "The teachers in question will phrase it as being about trust, yet the end result is the same. They want students who follow directions to the letter. I bet you understand why that could be a problem." He watched her nod, then he shrugged. "Don''t misunderstand, their lessons can work spectacularly well. Yet, not for everyone."


    Shae sighed. "Yeah. They can''t all be Mister Miyagi, and few students would match up to the karate kid."


    "Eh, sorry? I don''t recognize that idiom. Fighting child?"


    She shook her head. "Sorry, not an idiom. It''s from an old martial arts story. Basically the same lesson you described is in the story. Though I always took it to be more specific to martial arts training. Not every lesson a teacher might give."


    He nodded sagely. "Hmm, yes. The ancient legends often hold much wisdom."


    Shae burst into giggles. "Ha-ha, okay, heh, maybe not that old. Heh heh."


    They arrived at the targets and both began to pick up the scattered arrows.


    <hr>


    "Back to the original question, are you working on your mental focus?" Bai asked when he couldn''t find an arrow to readily grab.


    "I was given some suggestions on how to train. Those seem to overlap with mental focus training, yes. Should I not?"


    "Ah, do as you like. I''m not your teacher." He raised both hands, nearly hitting himself in the face with the handful of arrows he held. After recovering, he continued, "I suppose that would explain the clarity of your intent earlier. Possibly the accuracy of your knarr strikes that I heard rumor of." He yanked an arrow from near the center of the target. "Though, your bow skills... "


    "Yes, yes. I''m a bad shot. Rub it in some more.


    "Well... I can''t say I have others to fairly compare you to."


    "Right." She pointed with an arrow. "Does anyone at the sect even use a bow?"


    He flashed a grimace. "I can''t say that I''ve seen or heard of any grand demonstrations, that''s for certain. Though, I don''t spend time near the martial yard to watch training either."


    "You don''t practice a martial art?" She stuffed the last handful into the quiver and began counting.


    "I didn''t say that. Qigong is technically a martial art, and I have my own set on top of that. I just don''t go to the training grounds. Don''t need to."


    "Huh. Don''t spar with anyone then?"


    He shook his head and pulled another arrow out of the long grass. "Not regularly, no need. Everyone gets a little experience at the quarterly assessment tourneys."


    "Tournament arc?" Shae chirped. "Err, what are those like, Senior?"


    Bai had raised an eyebrow, and kept it raised. "The specifics are better explained in the student handbook, available for perusal in the library or the admin building."


    She frowned with exaggerated disappointment.


    He sighed loudly. "Everyone treats it like a fighting tournament. It''s not as simple as just that."


    "But there is a decent amount of fighting?"


    "Yes, everyone is expected to have some ability to defend themselves and offensive ability to defeat sprite beasts. It would embarrass the sect to have a cultivator taken out by a lower stage opponent. That is the main purpose of the event."


    "To make sure our martial prowess doesn''t lag behind our stage?"


    He nodded. "Exactly. There''s no strict penalty for failure, but there are rewards for success."


    "So kind of an implied penalty." She tapped the quiver. "Still one missing."


    "Hmm, try a little further back and left. I didn''t find my first shot."


    "Ah, and I didn''t see where it flew." She nodded and quickly moved into the longer grass and brush behind the target.


    "If you don''t want to fight your fellow students, there are ways to bypass the tournament. Mostly through spirit beast hunting missions. Essentially others need to serve as a witness to you defeating an equivalent stage beast, and that lets you collect some of the tournament reward."


    "Hmm, I think I''d rather spar than hunt beasts," she said into the grass.


    "Really? Even with that bound sword?"


    "That thing doesn''t mean I''m a pacifist. Just that I can be when needed."


    "I''m pretty sure it means a lot more than just that."


    "Hmm, well if you figure it out, let me know- Ah ha!" She shouted and raised the missing arrow above her head.


    He smirked as they turned to walk back up range.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 50: The Economics of Dinner

    <hr>


    Chapter 50: "The Economics of Dinner."


    <hr>


    Shae''s patience didn''t last the whole walk back. "Sooo, what''s your project? Thesis? Or just doing proofs as training?" She mixed in English words for what she didn''t know, trying to add extra intent to them.


    Bai glanced over with a raised eyebrow. "What are the prime factors of one square, seven sets, and three?" He said two words that Shae hadn''t heard before, but she tried to feel out their meanings.


    "Uhh, root elements?" She repeated similar Empire standard words to what his felt like, the linguistic construction Bai had used was unfamiliar, but Shae guessed the mathematical meaning was primes because the only other basic operation that fit was square-root. "Hmm, hey no fair, I left my slate at the other end of the range. Dividing is going to be a pain." She huffed. "Okay, three is the easy one. If I got your meaning correct." She hummed a few times to show she was thinking.


    He nodded and kept silent. Which was about as much confirmation as she expected.


    "Dividing it out: three into one cubed is easy, but into seven square... four sevens is twenty eight- no-no- I''m mixing my bases and making it too complicated." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Uhhh, three into seven sets is two sets and four, plus the rest is six sets and- five." She huffed and took a deep inhale. "Factors of six-five... well I could probably get it fast in base ten, but I''m trying not to switch bases constantly." She took a breath. "And it''s taking some effort to resist." They were nearly back to the firing line.


    "You could use the slate now," Bai suggested and motioned to it.


    "Bah, almost done. Apologies that this is probably miserable to listen to. It''s not divisible by five because of the base. Though, I would believe it''s a root number if you told me it was." She looked at him.


    He remained silent.


    "O-kay. Seven is the hard one... Not eleven or thirteen. Wait, no, it is seven. Because it''s seven less than seven sets. Which would be seven by nine- Argh! Wrong again!" She ran a hand through her hair. "Seven by eleven. My base ten intuition is completely ruining my base twelve math." She raggedly huffed out her frustration.


    "It''s that all of them?" Bai asked with a smirk.


    "Yes, yes. The root elements are three, seven, and eleven. Final answer." She found the mark in the dirt and turned to face the targets.


    "You''re not going to check it with the slate?"


    "Nope, don''t care. I''m too pissed about missing the obvious answer." She quickly fired off two qi stabilized arrows. They were not as rushed as her last shots, and each hit one of the targets close to the center.


    "Heh heh. You could use some work on your multiplication tables. However, my only complaint is you said eleven. Which should be a set less one. You are otherwise correct."


    "Ugh. Really? You still say it that way? It drives me to madness that there''s no word for ten and eleven. Even calling twelve a set is annoying."


    "Heh heh, you''re sounding more and more like a lost soul who''s stuck on base ten."


    "Tsk." She clicked her tongue, then took two more quick shots at the targets, only reinforcing the second. Unsurprisingly it was the more accurate of the two. "Okay, please, Senior. This run-around is getting tedious. Could I at least have some hint as to your mathematics interest?"


    "Hmm, and what if I''m not done testing you?"


    "Testing me for what? It''s not like I''m asking to join the project, or trying to provide advice." She took another slow and normal shot, missing the rightmost target.


    "There''s a lot of terminology to work through. It might just sound like I''m babbling in another language." He shrugged.


    She nodded. "And you essentially would be anyway. Every science basically has a branch of linguistics paired to it. So, that''s what the questions were about? Working up through the fancy-talk?"


    "Heh, I wouldn''t call it fancy talk, but yes. Prime factors are the start of it though. I guess that might be enough..."


    Shae focused on firing arrows while Bai began to lecture on his chosen interest.


    <hr>


    It took a full batch of two dozen arrows for him to explain the couple other unique terms needed. Then two more batches to get into the real explanation.


    Shae remained mostly silent. Only jumping in to ask for clarification or confirm that she was following along. The specific problem was one that she had heard on Earth, while watching internet explainer videos. Which was part of why she asked Bai for this in the first place. She couldn''t recall the proofs involved, and only had a guess at remembering the solution. Even that could have just been her intuition, and she definitely couldn''t prove it or set Bai in the right direction.


    "... I''ll skip over my attempts at a proof, they''re a little too dense, but that''s about where I''m at with it." Bai finished by spreading his arms wide then bringing them back together in a clap, followed by awkwardly tucking his hands into the opposite sleeves.


    "Huh. That was quite interesting. Thank you, Senior." Shae nodded in his direction, then reconsidered and gave him a proper bow.


    He looked on expectantly, leaning forward slowly. "And?"


    "And?" She raised an eyebrow. A beat later she bit her lip and turned to look up and away in thought. Then quickly shook her head. "I''ve no Wise words for you, I''m afraid. I could tell you my intuition as to the answer, but I''ve no way to prove it, and you''ve no reason to trust my answer."


    Bai nodded. "Of course. Still, is it strange that I had some hope?"


    "Heh, considering what you saw in Minlin. Probably not that strange." She took another shot. "Your theory, are you only trying to prove it correct?"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Hmm, well, yes. What do you mean only?"


    She shrugged. "There''s two ways to get past this. Not counting giving up. You prove it, or you disprove it."


    "You''re saying my theory is wrong and I should try to disprove it?" He sounded a little irritated.


    "No, just the second part. Attempting to disprove it should give you a new perspective on the problem, you might stumble into a way to prove it, or you might succeed in disproving it, which still ends your search." She focused and released another shot. This time she had used qi reinforcement so it struck very near the bull''s-eye.


    "Huh." He scratched his chin, a bit of stubble making the action a noisy scratch.


    "Have you had to explain it to anyone else? Just explaining it to me might have improved your understanding of it. A great person once said that if you can''t explain something to someone, you don''t understand it fully. Well, that''s paraphrased, it was in another language and my memory isn''t great." She shrugged and took another shot.


    "I''ve been working on this theory for this entire outing from the sect. I thought I had looked at it from every possible angle. There were a few times I had considered how to disprove it, though I hadn''t actually attempted to do so." He took a deep breath. "I can''t say I have a new understanding of it, but I do feel more comfortable with the facts. Thank you for listening, Wise Shae."


    She smiled. "Any time, Senior."


    A third person entered the conversation, "What are we talking about? Ah, sorry, did I interrupt something?"


    "Not at all, Junior Chen. We were just wrapping up a mathematics discussion," Bai explained.


    "Ugh, math. Gross. Hey, Sister Shae, could I try a few arrows?" Chen pointed at the pile of arrows at her feet.


    "Uh, sure. I wouldn''t mind a break. Have they started serving dinner yet?"


    He accepted the bow from her with a smirk. "Nah, I wouldn''t be here if they were." He didn''t look particularly comfortable holding the bow.


    Bai and Shae both frowned at his stance and wrist angle. He yelped as the string snapped against his bare forearm. The arrow went quite wide, and Shae took note of where it landed.


    Bai stepped in to poke at his stance and correct his wrist angle, it seemed he picked up a lot more just from watching Shae than she had while actually doing it.


    She stretched and took a moment to meditate, and checked on the current Manifold Journey practice. While she had dropped it during the bow practice, it now seemed to be complete. She hadn''t checked it earlier in the day, nor noticed it complete while walking with Apollo, so she was uncertain when it had turned over to completion. Maybe, just because it''s the end of the day? She wondered.


    When she left meditation a fourth and fifth had joined them. Guard Shu and a certain masked individual that could only be Apollo. However, Shae quickly noted that she had changed her eyes to a pale blue.


    They brought with them five plates of food and a low table. Chen and Shu were currently enjoying their food, another three plates sat untouched.


    "Ah! The sleeping beauty awakes!" Shu called out.


    "Beauty?" Chen asked through a mouthful of food. "Didn''t know you swung that way, Shu."


    She swatted his arm. "It''s an idiom, idiot."


    Shae was glad she was still drowsy from meditation, as she was suddenly worried how she would have reacted to that compliment otherwise. She forced a cough to the side. "Thank you for bringing supper, Seniors."


    "Seniors?" Shu asked. "I''m not really that far ahead of you, and she definitely isn''t." She pointed at Apollo.


    Chen also raised an eyebrow but was too busy eating to say anything.


    "Uh, well, she is teaching Senior Bai. Would Teacher be more appropriate?" Shae asked while joining them at the low table.


    Shu nodded slowly. "I suppose. Though, she''s not teaching you so probably not."


    "I''m new to archery as well, I''m sure she could teach me a few things." Shae glanced at the woman, but she was watching Bai''s form and didn''t react.


    Shu shrugged, "Anyway, eat, eat. We have qigong soon, you should join in again."


    "Hmm, how soon? I wouldn''t mind more bow practice before dark. Especially if there''s a teacher available." She quickly filled her mouth after speaking.


    Bai briefly glanced over with a sour look. She smirked back at him.


    "When Long''s ready," Chen said through half a mouthful.


    "Hmm," she mumbled back, then swallowed. "This is pretty good. Have you been eating like this every day?"


    The other two had the good manners to look slightly guilty. Shu swallowed her own food. "Well, not every day. And it''s not as good as the sect kitchens."


    Shae''s eyebrows shot up. "I hadn''t thought about those! Is it a fixed menu, or can we order whatever we like?"


    Shu and Chen shared a glance. Then Shu explained, "Most people are on the grain liberation diet. So, there''s a fixed menu for that as it''s supposed to aid cultivation. While it''s called a diet, It''s still great food, and they vary the offerings regularly."


    Chen swallowed and jumped in, "Outside of that, it gets kind of expensive. Limited by quantity, too, but the chef''s do amazing work and it''s well worth the treat when you can afford it."


    "Oh!" Shae exclaimed. "So, they have immortal chefs? With amazing qi infused food, like in the stories?"


    The two shared a look again, cheeks stuffed with food. They both shook their heads. "Nah." Chen got out from behind a sleeve.


    Shae filled her own mouth and waited.


    When Shu finished her mouthful she pointed at Shae with her chopsticks. "You can put in a request for something specific. Though, that''s usually done by your master or a specific cultivation teacher. And it''s very expensive. Don''t expect to be able or willing to afford anything soon, or ever really." She thought to herself for a moment, "Economically speaking: immortal cooking is not really a full system that can work properly. It relies too much on the generosity of the chef. They have to essentially donate their time and experience and the sect might even need to take a loss on the materials, just to make it affordable for the lower stage cultivators that would benefit the most from the meal. It happens; it''s just super rare."


    Shae scrunched up her forehead for a couple breaths. "O-kay. How is it much different from an alchemist making pills?"


    Shu raised her eyebrows and nodded excitedly while pointing with her chopsticks again. She chewed and swallowed quickly. "Ya-yeah, that''s a great comparison. I think it really comes down to quantity. Alchemists have more teachers, more students, more demand for their product. And each recipe tends to make more pills than cooking, uhh, I think, not really sure there."


    "Ah, right. That does make sense." She nodded. "Bulk discounts and all. Forging must have similar economics to alchemy then?"


    Shu had her mouth full of food again. She half nodded and wobbled a hand in the air, then held her chopsticks up and mimed peeling them apart, like you would with mass manufactured bamboo chopsticks.


    Shae titled her head, "Split? Ah, a split between the two types... Because they have most of the same things as alchemy, but each piece takes longer to make, and might be custom orders."


    Shu nodded, and covered her mouth with her sleeve. "I''ve also heard there''s something about the materials themselves. Quality or consistency or something."


    "Mmm!" Chen mumbled through his food.


    "Chew and swallow, please," Shae said with patient glare.


    He nodded and focused on that. A slow breath later he said, "I''ve heard a lecture about this actually. It''s about the quality and consistency of the materials. Metals are very consistent, making them easier to work and more predictable, followed closely by wood. Plants and such for alchemy are next, mainly those grown specifically for alchemy. Just slight variations year to year. But monster meat and wild plants are extremely variable, which is what is used in immortal cooking."


    Shae''s eyes went wide again as she understood. "So the chef has to constantly adjust and compensate for wildly different ingredients? That would make it very difficult."


    "Bull''s-eye!" Chen said and pointed at her with chopsticks full of long green beans in sauce. The sauce splattered on the table between them. "Oops." He said flatly then put the beans in his mouth.


    They all returned to eating. More casual conversation bouncing between them as needed.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 51: Sure Bets

    <hr>


    Chapter 51: "Sure Bets."


    <hr>


    The three at the table finished eating quickly and watched Bai and Apollo finish their batch of arrows. Apollo looked up at the darkening sky and mentioned something to Bai, who looked disappointed at the comment. He came over to eat his meal after another brief exchange that the table didn''t hear.


    "Wise Shae, sorry for the imposition, could you collect the arrows so we can eat?" Bai asked.


    She nodded. "Sure, I wouldn''t mind another practice set while there''s still light out."


    Bai glanced at Apollo, then up at the sky. "There does seem to be time for a few more, thank you." He sat, then offered the open seat to Apollo.


    Shae realized she still didn''t know what name the woman was using as a cover identity. Only that her position was not as a cultivator. As appropriate, Apollo waited for Bai to begin the meal. Shae missed the rest of the over-formalized dance of respect as she left to collect the arrows.


    It took her a bit longer to find them all, the lessening light and long grass made it difficult. Though she was surprised to find Bai''s accuracy had improved quite a lot. When she returned, Apollo had already finished eating and was waiting with her bow.


    The disguised woman offered it to her with a slight bow. "Miss Cultivator, Senior Cultivator Bai has informed me of your accuracy when focusing." She emphasized the last word with a wink. "I''d very much like to see a demonstration."


    "Please call me Miss Shae, Wise Shae only if you really need to be formal. My accuracy isn''t that impressive unless I''m using qi reinforcement to stabilize the shot." She took a stance, nocked an arrow and began to draw back.


    "Miss Shae. If it''s stability you need," Apollo gently used her hands and feet to nudge Shae''s stance. She pushed her shoulders slightly and turned her foot out. "Stand tall and strong, don''t lock your joints. Breathe with confidence."


    That''s new, she hadn''t said that to Shae yesterday, how''s that different from breathing calmly? And why the change? She glanced at the woman, an eyebrow speaking her question.


    Apollo just nodded in response.


    Shae breathed, decided that she knew how to aim, and took the shot.


    Apollo watched the shot, tilted her head slightly when it only hit just inside the target circle.


    "That does seem to help, thank you. Now with qi." Shae pulled back another and swiftly planted the arrow within a finger width of the center. "Hah. Good." She nodded.


    Apollo nodded in sync. "Very nice."


    Chen shouted through cupped hands, "Thrice or it''s luck!"


    Guard Shu frowned and spoke up, "Isn''t the saying twice?"


    He shrugged. "Sure, but she''s already lucky, so it''s gotta be thrice." He held up three fingers, then everyone turned to stare at Shae expectantly.


    She rolled her eyes and picked up three arrows, settled the two extra between her right-hand knuckles in the rapid firing grip Apollo had demonstrated yesterday.


    A deep breath with closed eyes let her center her mind. She relaxed into the bow stance, being sure to keep the adjustments Apollo had just shown her.


    When she opened her eyes she didn''t rush to take the first shot. She kept her breath steady and followed its rhythm. Inhale and draw, exhale and take aim. Then right at the end of the breath, fire. She quickly nocked the next arrow before repeating the cycle.


    It matched up well with her qi cycling as well: inhale to draw qi from her Dantian, exhale to flood her muscles and reinforce those needed. Apply mental focus at the bottom of the breath, using it to steady her nerves and make final adjustments to her aim just before releasing the arrow.


    During the laborious day swinging Marta at felled trees Shae had quickly learned to use as little focus as possible. With that, she learned to use less qi. Minimal qi use wasn''t necessary, she seemed to have plenty, yet it helped refine her focus use. Archery was no different. Only in the blink of time the arrow was released from the bow was perfect focus and muscle control needed. She used what she thought of as a tiny drop off focus to fire the third shot. Planting it with the others, a finger''s breadth from the bull''s-eye.


    Shae inhaled and let out a long breath as she relaxed out of her focused state. Whether exhaustion from the day, or mental focus drain, she felt it catching up to her just a bit.


    "Wooo! Nice show!" Shu cheered and clapped.


    "Keep going! Shoot ''em all!" Chen chanted, again through cupped hands.


    Apollo just had an eyebrow raised and quickly switched to a smile. She nodded. "Well done." Then she glanced at Chen and back. "Could you? Do that again?"


    The young woman shrugged. "Sure."


    "It takes a toll, correct? How many times?"


    She nodded. "Hmm, not sure." She tried to gauge how mentally spent she was, comparing it to a few days ago when she was chopping logs. She glanced down at the remaining arrows. "It doesn''t feel like it takes a lot of effort, but it really sneaks up on me. I think I could go through most of these. More if I have breaks in-between." She nudged the remaining dozen and a half arrows with her foot.


    Apollo''s smile turned into a fierce grin and Shae finally noticed she wasn''t wearing her facemask anymore. "So that means you could maybe do more if you pushed yourself?"


    She glanced between her disguised Senior and the other watchers. Shu and Chen seemed rather excited and Bai had shifted from slightly annoyed to curious.


    "If I refreshed myself I''m sure I could, though I''d need more arrows, and I''d rather not pass out from mental exhaustion."


    "Don''t you worry about the arrows. In fact you really must use your quiver properly for this. Take a minute if you need it. I''m very interested in what you can do when you focus on it." Apollo immediately began fastening the quiver around her as she spoke.


    Shae shifted her stance, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden contact. It''s just Apollo, she shook it off and closed her eyes. A breath later she was cycling her personal qi and a few wisps of enlightenment qi through her head to refresh her mind. Faster than she expected, the wisps were absorbed as they healed her exhaustion. She added a few more until one survived the trip through her channels. She returned the divine qi, but hesitated before she returned her own.


    Chef Van did say to go slow with revealing my mental focus. She breathed and cycled her qi while she thought. Is it bad to show off? She breathed again. This is nice... and I should take more time right now. No sense in revealing such a rapid recovery... if anyone was even paying attention to how exhausted I was.


    She breathed again. I should assume they did notice. Apollo at least, Bai was probably too busy paying attention to her. One last deep breath and she opened her eyes slowly. Just in time to see Apollo jogging back up the archery range to deliver the missing half dozen arrows to her quiver.


    "Found one you missed." She held up the arrows then continued forwards to place them into the quiver.


    When the other woman was closer Shae quietly asked, "This isn''t a test, is it?" A bit of venom slipped into her words, yet she didn''t regret it when she heard herself.


    Apollo set a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Junior Sister," she whispered even quieter than Shae had, "I wouldn''t." She held her gaze for a breath longer, then slapped the arrows in the quiver and spoke louder as she stepped away. "Two sets should be plenty, yes? Dozen in one, then a dozen in the other?" She jabbed her thumb down range.


    Shae''s breath caught back up to the situation with a gasp. "-Ah. Uh." She looked at the quiver and tested drawing one out a few times. "You want me to count while focusing on firing and using qi?" She complained with what she hoped was obvious sarcasm.


    Bai spoke up. "Yes! Out loud, in proper Imperial base twelve, if you could."


    Her jaw hung open slightly. Then she remembered something important. "Yes, Senior Bai," she responded respectfully, even dipping her head.


    It was probably a bit too formal for their friendly gathering, but he still smiled and nodded back. He was the most senior at the table and needed to be respected as such, even if it was only for the benefit of maintaining Apollo''s disguise.


    Shu and Chen were sitting at the table looking pleased as well. A few gold coins stacked up between them.


    She scowled. "Betting now, are we? I thought you Honorable cultivators didn''t do that?"


    Shu smirked. "Well, we certainly wouldn''t out in public, and we definitely wouldn''t let ourselves be dragged into a stupid bet with an outsider."


    Chen chuckled into his sleeve at that.


    Shae scowled harder, squinting at the group. She wasn''t sure about Apollo, but she was quite sure all three of them had made bets with each other. "What''s the minimum spread? Not the bets, just the least gap."


    Shu raised an eyebrow, but it was Bai that responded with three raised fingers.


    "Alright, I''ll match all your bets that I beat the highest by at least six arrows. That is the subject of the bet, yes?" She waved an arrow at them.


    Chen laughed, "Pfff, you don''t have the sect coins for it new-blood."


    Apollo smirked and turned to the table. "I''ll buy out the loss if it happens."


    "Huh?" Shu and Chen gawked at her.


    Bai raised a hand into their eye-line. "She''s good for it, I''ll accept."


    They still seemed confused but Shu decided first. "Bet on!"


    Chen trailed behind, looking slightly hesitant. "Uhh, yeah, I guess."


    "Great!" Shae smiled wide. "Then before we lose the rest of the light-" she clipped her own words off by taking a deep breath and relaxing herself into the proper archery stance. Immediately she noticed that the added weight of the arrows actually felt better than without. Another breath and she started into her rhythm of qi cycling and breathing.


    Right after the first shot she noticed a problem, the counting. As she was firing at the end of the exhale, she couldn''t speak. "One." She said it at the top of the next breath, instead.


    Her second shot was shaky as speaking had interrupted her rhythm. It hit the target but was near the edge. She tried again at the third but had the same problem. She rushed an extra breath in after to say "Three," and swear in English, "fucking counting."


    A quick changeup for the fourth had her fire the shot at the top of the breath, then count "Four." as she exhaled. It wasn''t as good a shot as she had made earlier, but was closer to the center than the others.


    After the fifth shot didn''t change her accuracy Apollo quickly spoke up, "Good adaptation. You''re doing fine, keep going."


    The rest of the dozen went smoothly and her accuracy slowly improved. When she switched to the second target it landed within a finger''s breadth like she had demonstrated earlier. "Set and one." She spoke loudly.


    One of her audience members clicked their tongue at that, and received a swift "Shhh" from Apollo.


    She heard an exhale of defeat at "Set and six."


    Then something unexpected at "Set and Eight." Apollo quickly said, "Don''t stop, don''t hesitate." Shae wrinkled her brow in confusion until right when she released the next arrow: a black blur appeared downrange in front of the right-hand target just before the arrow struck the other target just a pace to the left.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Shae almost hesitated, but Bai called out "Set and..." and without turning away she called back "-and nine." then continued her rhythm.


    "What?" Chen said in the most incredulous tone Shae had ever heard.


    The black blur was gone before the eleventh arrow struck the target, taking the dozen arrows from the other target with her.


    "Two sets." She called out and the black blur, Apollo, appeared at her back, adding weight to her quiver just in time for her hand to find the fletching of the dozen retrieved arrows. Shae smiled wide again, a spark of pure joy finding its way through her intense focus.


    Blackness began to take her before she finished that set of arrows. One of her last successful conscious acts was to draw out a blob of divine qi from her Dantian, not much more than she had refreshed herself with earlier. The remaining personal qi in her channels, now freed from her direct control, began cycling through her channels and pushed the divine qi around to do the recovery work for her.


    A thought popped up, regret for losing count of her shots. Then another as she collapsed into the waiting arms of Apollo, she tried to reach her quiver to see how many were left, but found her arms unwilling to move. Lastly, she felt the fingers of her right hand were still clutched around the fletching and string of her bow.


    <hr>


    Aside: Scribe Bai


    <hr>


    Bai was quite confident his eyebrows couldn''t climb higher up his forehead. His facial muscles were beginning to itch when Shae finally collapsed from mental exhaustion.


    The woman disguised as a scout, who was most definitely Apollo, caught her. Everyone at the table released a long held breath. Quite literally for Bai.


    Junior Chen spoke first. "When we were betting, I thought it was just until she missed. I didn''t think she was going to work herself into qi exhaustion."


    "That''s not qi exhaustion. She was barely using any qi." Guard Shu shook her head. "Looked more like a battle trance, but I''ve never seen someone at her stage last that long."


    "It wasn''t a battle trance." Apollo said with the clear authority of someone who expected no arguments.


    Bai stretched out one of his eyebrows again. "Really? I do agree with you. Yet, how are you so sure?"


    She didn''t answer immediately as she was gently moving Shae into a comfortable recovery position. Using the bedroll from the younger woman''s pack, then covering her with an additional blanket from her own spatial storage.


    "Apologies for interrupting, Senior." Chen looked at Bai then pointed at Apollo with his whole hand. "And apologies to you, Senior, but who are you exactly?"


    Everyone else smirked and Shu snickered lightly, covering her mouth with a sleeve. "She''s Apollo, obviously," she said.


    Bai snorted. "Not that obvious, since you only figured it out when I vouched for her."


    "I was already suspicious," she defended.


    Apollo sat at the table. "Not that suspicious, and not suspicious enough for a guard. I helped you get the food and could have easily poisoned everyone here."


    Shu''s jaw dropped, she glanced at the unconscious Shae and paled. "Is that why you know it''s not a battle trance?"


    Apollo chuckled. "Heh, no. You would be quite aware by now if that was the case."


    Chen took a swig from his water skin with a skeptical look. "Are you even allowed to poison us? Uh- Senior?" He dipped his head slightly.


    "Poisoning and other spycraft isn''t generally concerned with what''s allowed." She gave him an evil grin.


    Shu snorted this time. "So dramatic. There are rules for this, Chen. You can relax."


    Bai raised a clay cup in salute. "Don''t relax too much, though. Harmless pranks are still good training, don''t want to have someone point out your blue tongue and not know where you got it." He finished with a drink from his cup.


    The table stared at him intently, even leaning in slightly.


    He looked between them. "I''m not that gullible, thank you."


    Chen and Shu chuckled again.


    "Back to answering Brother Bai''s question?" Apollo suggested after a couple breaths.


    Bai was now looking into his glass and running his tongue over his teeth. "Hmm? Oh yes, please do."


    "Battle trance is characterized by being completely aware of the situation around you and fully focused on it. Shae was narrowly focused on the target. Proven when I collected the set of arrows and she hesitated. She likely didn''t see me leave her side, which she would have if it was a battle trance, even at a novice level."


    Bai scratched his chin. "Interesting. I was looking at it from the direction of what should be possible. As Shu said, she endured far too long for a battle trance. Most struggle to last more than a few breaths even into meridian cleansing. If she was using any mental focus, it must have been a very minute amount of it while aiming each arrow."


    "Hmm -uh? How is this different from just concentrating on aiming?" Shu asked. "Surely any of us could just train to improve our aim and outlast her?"


    "Heh, I doubt Apollo would need to train to do that." Chen chuckled.


    The woman in question nodded. "The skill of the task itself isn''t necessarily impressive. It''s more the stage she''s at, and how little training she''s had. You saw her with the ch''th''knarr, yes? It''s similar to that."


    "I missed that, but heard it was quite the show from some observers. What was your read on it?" Bai looked to Apollo.


    She smirked, "Junior Chen was right there, perhaps he should say first."


    Bai nodded and all three looked to Chen.


    He raised his hands, "I''m not sure, I was just... Okay, I was right there." He sighed and scratched his head. "I guess, she did reliably hit a very narrow point with the ax. Seemingly at full strength, and with an oddly weighted ax."


    "You tried it with me afterwards." Shu pointed. "Not an easy task. We didn''t spend long but I think I only got one clean strike out of it."


    "Ugh, yeah, I didn''t even manage that. The ax head was wonky because it''s also a shovel. It doesn''t want to swing properly."


    Apollo pointed at Chen as well, causing Bai to notice she was mirroring Shu. "So, to strike accurately you would need to make last-chance adjustments. Using very precise muscle control, and while under qi reinforcement to manage the weight."


    "Ugh, that sounds hard." Chen recoiled slightly.


    Shu reached over and patted his shoulder. "That''s what training is for. You''ve not learned a movement technique yet, right?"


    "Have so!" He defended. "I''ve basically got small success with Rolling Rock Slide."


    Apollo nodded. "But you''re too easily interrupted."


    He slumped, "Yeah, how''d you know?"


    She shrugged. "I ran ahead of you to steam the road, remember?"


    His eyes snapped wide. "Oh! That was you? Did we say thanks? I don''t think I could have done enough about that without you."


    "Nor me." Shu raised a hand.


    "Nor me." Bai mimicked her.


    "Hey! You weren''t even there." She scowled.


    "Of course not. I would have just gotten in the way." He nodded smugly like he did them a favor.


    Chen snorted and shook his head. "Anyway. Thank you, Senior Apollo."


    "I sense a but." She smirked.


    "Uhh, however, Senior. Did you have to leave the road so hot?"


    She nodded. "Of course, it''s steam, steam is hot. You''ve never heard of cold steam, have you, Junior slowpoke?"


    "Hey, I''m not that slow. I just said I have a movement technique."


    Apollo smirked at his indignation. "And yet, our Heavenly Shae here was outrunning you without one."


    "Yeah, well she''s heavenly cheating as far as I''m concerned." He crossed his arms and looked at the table.


    Shu raised a finger. "She does have that tribulation cleansed flesh she showed off last night. Divine flesh has got to be cheating."


    Apollo slapped the table and leaned across at Shu, "Who said it was Divine flesh!?" A bit of qi pressure leaked out when she didn''t answer right away.


    "Ah- sorry, Senior. I''m not sure, it was just a rumor going around. I''m sorry." Shu leaned back with both hands raised, then lowered her eyes after answering.


    "Tsk." Apollo dropped her qi pressure so suddenly the two juniors gasped. "Please stop that rumor if you can. Divine flesh, true divine flesh is sacred and even rumors of it might get her kidnapped and dismembered for it."


    The table was silent for several breaths.


    Bai twitched his hand and relaxed forwards slightly. "Do you know what...?" He subtly gestured to the unconscious woman.


    Apollo shook her head. "No, we do not know for sure. If it were true divine flesh, it would not be holding the- -those black streaks, because of what they are."


    "It could be a step in the correct direction, though?" Bai suggested.


    "I hope not." She sighed. "If it is, I hope we do not find out before she is near nascent soul, at least."


    Chen inhaled sharply. "That long?"


    "I don''t think the heavens would wait that long to reveal it. Yet, she would need to be that strong to remain safe."


    The whole table looked shaken as they took a slow breath together. The two younger cultivators glanced nervously at the unconscious woman.


    Chen coughed into his sleeve. "Apologies, Seniors. But I''m still not sure I''m completely following the earlier discussion."


    "Mhmm. Back to your movement technique then." Apollo raised a finger. "Most techniques require precise qi control. Movement techniques doubly or triply so. First the qi control itself, then precise muscle reinforcement and movements. All between heartbeats and repeated for each step you take. Hmm. Which training methods did you use to learn it?"


    "Umm, slow-to-fast, on the reverse water-barrel course."


    She nodded. "Good. Since that lets you slowly increase your qi movement speed, you can force the pattern to be instinctual. I bet it''s still easier to do slower, though?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, yeah. Of course." He nodded.


    "If you had a vast well of mental focus, you could apply it during each step of your technique. Instead of scrambling to keep up between heartbeats, each step could feel like a full breath. Like you had all the time you needed to perform the qi movements."


    He stared, slack jawed and silent.


    Apollo smirked.


    Bai cut in, "The limitation to your technique would then be the speed of your qi. Not your own control."


    Shu leaned over the table. "And that''s possible? Can we do that? Could Shae do that now?"


    Apollo shook her head. "No. I said a vast well for a reason. No one uses it for movement techniques, save maybe the first and last step. If she tried that she would be unconscious before reaching those targets downrange."


    Chen''s excitement died instantly. "Oh."


    "If you''re doing killing intent training, that''s a good step towards pushing your mental focus." She pointed at both the younger cultivators.


    "She''s got such a crazy head start." The young man ran a hand over his hair while trying to restrain a grimace.


    "Heh heh. Don''t look so disappointed. You''ll get better at it in time. Can''t be that slow forever." Bai chuckled.


    "Sure but she''ll get even faster. Especially with a movement technique." He pointed a thumb towards Shae.


    Bai smirked, while Apollo hummed. "Hmmm. I wouldn''t be so sure of that," she said. "You saw her uneven cleansing the other day. She''ll probably have a very difficult time finding a movement technique that fits her odd running style. Maybe, if she''s lucky, she''ll just find something to change direction and speed quicker. Even then she''ll probably have to use her mental focus to manage it."


    Chen looked slightly surprised. "I never took uneven cleansing to be that big of a deal."


    Bai chuckled again. "Heh, heh. That''s because the sect does a great job of preventing anyone from doing it. None of the cultivation manuals recommend it, and it''s only mentioned in passing to call it a bad idea."


    Shu nodded along and picked up the last point, "I''ve heard rumors about short term benefits, but no one actually tries it. Will she have trouble with sparring?"


    Apollo and Bai exchanged a glance. Bai gestured for Apollo to answer. "She''ll have a strength advantage: should be able to use less qi for reinforcement to outlast her opponents. However, she''ll have a lot of trouble training, so her actual skill will lag behind. I already noticed it affecting her qigong yesterday. And speaking of: that should be starting soon."


    "Yes, Senior." Chen and Shu chorused and began clearing the plates from their supper.


    Apollo''s attention was drawn to the leftover coins from their bet, which the two deftly avoided disturbing. "If you''re still unsure how impressive Shae''s feat was just now," she began without looking up. "Consider that your Senior Bai knew she was capable of focused aim-"


    "And sharp intent," he muttered.


    "-and still he underestimated her performance by half."


    "Half!" Bai cried out. "I nearly called it dead on, she stopped counting at two sets and two."


    Shu paused as well. "Half? Oh, you''re including the first few, we weren''t counting that for the betting. Since she did take a break to meditate."


    Apollo rolled her eyes at Bai. "Two and two wasn''t her last. I heard the bets, there was no requirement that she count. You''ve lost. Or must I finish counting in her stead?"


    Bai crossed his arms. "Fine, fine. But you can''t count those first four, I''ll hear no arguments for claiming doubling rules."


    Apollo shook her head and collected the coins from the table. "I''ll stay with our Little Sleepy Shae if you''d return the table. She''ll likely miss the qigong practice."


    Bai half huffed, half sighed. "Very well. Thank you for your time and wisdom, Senior."


    The other two froze then quickly mimicked his parting gesture of respect.


    Apollo watched them go, took a deep breath, then got up to collect Shae''s arrows from the targets.


    She returned to find Shae soundly sleeping. She clicked her tongue at the cool autumn night and crawled under her larger blanket beside the young woman. "Bloody fool. Should have made you make that campfire formation before you knocked yourself out." This close, she easily felt Shae''s qi moving on its own. "Are you cultivating?" She poked her hard in the ribs, but the young woman didn''t stir. "Tsk."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 52: Think Happy Thoughts

    <hr>


    Chapter 52: "Think Happy Thoughts."


    <hr>


    Shae stirred from sleep. She was warm but an unexpected sensation drew her away from sleep.


    Her personal qi raced around her channels, making her want to jump up, yet mental exhaustion dragged her back down, demanding more sleep.


    Yet, there was something else too, an unexpected warmth beside her while unfamiliar cloth surrounded her. She cracked an eyelid to see the moon high in the sky. Brilliant star clusters and traces of galactic nebulae held back the black night sky. She gasped softly.


    "Oh, you''re awake. Good," spoke a woman''s voice from beside her.


    Immediately beside her.


    Shae looked towards the voice and found shining gray-blue eyes staring back at her from within arms-length. She had seen those eyes earlier today, but now they were much brighter. As though they perfectly reflected the moonlight. Shae gasped again, and the woman smirked.


    "App- err, Senior Sister." Shae mumbled. Then felt her neck and face flush as she realized that the unexpected warmth was the woman''s body heat. They were lying against each other, and under the same blanket. She forced herself to swallow her nerves. "A-uhm. Why are we- um- sleeping together?"


    "Technically, we''re not. I''m alert and watching the camp. You were unconscious from draining your mental focus, hardly sleeping at all. How''s the headache?"


    She took a deep breath and forced her mind into the realm of the rational. Okay, not a dream, and I''m still fully clothed. That''s... fine. Not sure why I thought that was important to notice. Her eyes went wide as she spoke, "Oh! The archery bet! Did I win? How many arrows did I get off?"


    "That''s your concern? Not how long the headache will last, or how long you slept?"


    She worked her jaw without words to put in it. "Uhhhm." She stopped and tried to concentrate on herself and winced immediately. "Ugh." There definitely was a headache there. "It''s mostly when I try to focus... or meditate." She looked up at the moon and then nearby landmarks. "Just a few hours?"


    The bright moonlight let her see Apollo''s raised eyebrow. "Close enough guess. You did win the bet, and I must say, that''s a rather swift recovery if you''re already up and not clutching your head in pain. Any specific reason for that?"


    She glanced down guiltily. "Ugh, so it was suggested I be a little careful about this. Well, a little more careful than I''ve already been. Err, so anyway, my qi seems to help me recover mental focus." She shrugged and forced a smile.


    "Hmm. That is rather noteworthy. Did they also say not to show off your mental focus too much?"


    She nodded.


    "And was this before or after your demonstration for Master Long?"


    "Uh. After. When I was back in Flame Well."


    "So someone else knows as well? And you then decided to show off to us?" She raised a clearly accusatory eyebrow, visible even in the low light.


    "Ah, uh, well it wasn''t- it''s like- ah- that doesn''t mean-"


    Apollo raised a hand to stop her stammering. Then booped her on the nose. "You, girl, are absurd. What are we going to do with you if this keeps happening?"


    "Uh, ah, heh-heh, yeah." Shae looked down. "Things do seem to be working out quite strangely."


    "Hrmm. That wasn''t rhetorical. I really mean: what do you think will happen if you demonstrate superior abilities? If you blow past all conventions and disregard the expected progress curve?" The older cultivator huffed out her exasperation and shook her head.


    "Umm. I dunno. Maybe they''ll shower me with praise and cultivation resources?" She tried a hopeful smile.


    Apollo stabbed her in the middle of the forehead with her finger tip. "No."


    "ow"


    "To put it sagely: it is dangerous to be too powerful while you are so powerless."


    Shae rubbed her forehead. "If I say that doesn''t make sense, will you explain it to me?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. Then I think I get it. Any advice on how much I should hold back?"


    "Hmm." Apollo tilted her head. "If you are in a fight, even a spar. Don''t hold back. It is disrespectful to your opponent and tends to go badly very quickly." She paused a beat to let it sink in. "That''s not to say you need to go all-out for every spar, either. Outside of combat, knowing too much, showing too much potential..." she sighed and looked into the distance ahead of them. "People may try to exploit your abilities, simply because they can."


    Shae let out a large breath through tight lips that almost turned into a raspberry near the end. "One of the monks said something recently. I think the point of their comment was: stick to your stage. I might be curious about higher stages, but I technically don''t need that information right now."


    "Heh. Only technically? But yes, that''s the right idea. Knowledge and especially competency are dangerous things when outside their expected stages. "How long have you been training your mental focus for?"


    The younger woman began to think, then pulled the warm blanket up around herself and tried to snuggle closer to Apollo.


    "Avoiding the question? That''s a good start, I could tell if you were lying." She threw an arm around the smaller cultivator and pulled her close, and out of the night''s autumn chill. "But if you don''t say, I might have to assume you only started a few days ago. Which means today''s archery demonstration shows incredible advancement speed. Truly ludicrous. Then I might need to torture your methods out of you." Her hand slipped down under Shae''s arm and she began tickling her ribs.


    The young cultivator immediately began squirming and giggling, trying to escape her torturous entrapment. "Ah- ha ha- Apollo!"


    The older cultivator didn''t stop, and even added in her intent, gusting cool air down the back of her neck.


    Shae squirmed more and the corner of her mind that was still a cultivator pushed at the intent. This had the unfortunate effect of suddenly switching her headache on in-full. "Ahh- aahh!" she called out then hissed from the pain. Her hand went to her head and her body froze from clenched muscles.


    Apollo stopped, but did nothing else. Just waited for her Junior Sister to recover.


    A few hissed breaths later she had recovered from the tickling but not the headache. Her first attempt at recuperation was to pull qi from her Dantian. A simple task, yet one that threatened to only strengthen her headache.


    Thinking about the problem instead of acting on impulse came next: It''s from focus exhaustion, so don''t strain your focus. Or intent, apparently. She appended the correction once she remembered why it started: from trying to fight Apollo''s intent.


    She looked up slightly, tried to look at Apollo and still rub her forehead and temples with both hands, thus blocking her view. "Hey, can you fight someone''s intent?"


    Apollo pulled away slightly, trying to get a better look at the young woman. "What an unexpected question. Can I," she paused, "or is it possible?"


    Shae hummed at the second option.


    "Of course. Though I don''t recommend it against your elders, it unusually only escalates the situation. I take it you tried to push mine away just now?"


    She hummed and nodded.


    "That suggests your recovery was only partial. Bandaging the damage, but doing little to truly heal it. A good sign that your method isn''t too powerful. Maybe showing that you need to use it more to recover properly."


    Shae groaned lightly and pushed herself against the older woman.


    Apollo let her instincts guide her hand to the younger woman''s head, patting it gently then stroking her hair. She lowered her voice, since they were much closer now, "Like using a cast or sling on a broken arm. It reduces pain from movement, but doesn''t heal the bone. It''s good that you will be at least functional these last two days of the trip."


    "Hmmghgh," she groaned, "two days?"


    "Yes, of course. Mental exhaustion takes time to heal, how have you been training it without knowing that?"


    She groaned again. "I think, I think I was doing something that was training it, but I didn''t know. And never to exhaustion like this." Taking a deep breath she continued moving her qi very slowly, gradually guiding it instead of making the swift and forceful movements she usually used. It seemed that was the only way to avoid antagonizing her injury.


    A wisp of divine qi, she couldn''t remember which kind, traveled with her personal qi. She couldn''t bear not using some to lessen the headache. As her qi reached her head Apollo''s hand slowed its act of toying with her hair, then froze as the divine qi passed. It dissolved into her injury, lessening her headache, and making it just bearable. She sighed in relief and began to relax.


    Apollo moved again, running her hand through Shae''s hair to push it away from her face and ears. "We''re going to have to have a talk about that later. Are you feeling better now?"


    "Mhmm. Just a bit. The headache is tolerable now."


    "I think you promised me a campfire formation yesterday."


    "Oh, sure." She moved to lean away then stopped and groaned. "Ugh, that uses my focus, intent at least."


    "Hmm. So you might pass out again after? You should get more sleep anyway, though pushing hard could be harmful." She began moving to get up as well. "I''ll light-"


    "Err wait!" Shae panicked and grabbed Apollo''s arm. "I''ll- I''ll try a small one, weaker but it should work."


    The woman''s gaze assessed her sternly, the dim light perhaps making her expression more concerned, just for a moment. "Alright. You can skip the fancy parts, like the flickering light, yes?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The young woman quickly nodded twice. "Mhmm." She turned and leaned out of the blankets and onto the grass.


    "Maybe a little further. And I''ll do the circle to save you the effort."


    "Yes, thank you, Senior Sister." Getting her feet under her, she looked back and finally noticed their bedding arrangement. Apollo had propped her torso up on a large triangular cushion, like a steep doorstop wedge. Whereas Shae had been mostly lying on the ground, with only her head on the cushion. "Hah, the benefits of spatial storage." She laughed at the woman''s comfortable lounging in what could have been the middle of nowhere.


    She turned away with a smile and began to clear a space for the formation. Pausing to think just before starting she smiled even wider then began carving a small fire symbol into the dirt. She moved slowly and didn''t force her thoughts, only putting effort into moving a lot of qi through her arm as she wrote.


    Apollo was there as she finished, reaching over to close the circle.


    "Mmhm! Wait," she said, then started on a second symbol next to the first. Shae had left room for three and Apollo hummed in understanding as she watched. Her headache surfaced again as she began the third; only getting a single stroke down before she grunted and nearly collapsed.


    "You''ve done enough, Junior Sister. Rest now." Apollo guided her back to her bedroll, propping her up on the large triangular cushion.


    "Gmmmgh. Thanks." She held her head and tried to get comfortable on the wedge cushion.


    Apollo circled the two symbols, using a layered series of spirals instead of just one circle. "I saw this in use one time, it should prevent it from overloading or failing catastrophically. Even if I draw it poorly. The fire qi should leak back out instead of being completely contained."


    Shae scrunched her forehead, trying to watch the woman''s actions from a low angle and through her headache. She saw a spiral around each symbol, their exits seemed to face one another. Then at least two layered spirals surrounding those. If she trusted the direction that Apollo drew them: the outside spiral flowed in the opposite direction to the two inside it.


    Once Apollo moved back to their shared bunk. She tried to visualize the pattern, and what effect it might have. She quickly stopped as her headache flared in response.


    The older cultivator hugged her head. "Rest, Shae. I''ll draw it out for you tomorrow. You can think about it then."


    "Hmgh. Is it working? I can''t feel it." She relaxed into the bedding and pulled up the blanket around her.


    "It will take longer to warm up, especially with your weaker symbols. I felt the start of something as I left though." She huffed in feigned anger. "I said ''no fancy effects'' you sneaky cheat."


    "Hmm, sorry, Senior Sister." Shae mumbled then yawned while rubbing her temple.


    "Use your qi trick again and get some sleep. I''ll wake you up early to exercise."


    Shae just groaned unhappily in response.


    "Well, you missed qigong. I''ll not let my Junior Sister slack off!"


    "Heh." The young woman hummed happily then squirmed back into the nook of Apollo''s arm, resting her head on her shoulder. It turned out surprisingly comfortable because of their mismatched heights. "Senior Sister?"


    "Yes?"


    "Why do you feel fuzzy?"


    "Heh heh heh." Apollo forced her laugh to be quiet and stilled her physical response, so she didn''t disturb Shae''s rest. "It''s part of the disguise technique, so you can''t just feel the shape of my body or face."


    "Oh..." She mumbled quietly, then fell asleep.


    <hr>


    Aside: Apollo''s Watch


    <hr>


    Apollo didn''t focus on the young woman''s rest, instead turning her attention and senses to the edge on the camp and beyond, as was her duty. Not that she expected the quiet camp and mostly empty forest to require all of her attention.


    Dozens of slow breaths later she began to notice the effects of Shae''s formation. The differences in what intent the young cultivator had put in slowly became more obvious to her senses.


    If the formation wasn''t designed for it, sensing intent within the qi in a formation wasn''t as easy as just sensing it. Qi types could be felt quickly, just by making contact with the qi. Intent was harder, and a qi''s Dao was the hardest to understand. Apollo was no novice, of course.


    She could tell within the first few breaths that Shae''s intent had been broader. It revealed that without her mental focus the young woman had been forced to slow down and generalize. Instead of basic fire, she had brought the heat down to dying embers, still very hot, but a controlled heat. Also, it would be easier to imagine and control than dampening the idea of flame directly.


    Then there was the comfort factor. It was different this time. A similar comforting warmth, but it was more nuanced and deeper. Generalizing the feeling had added more layers to it. Doubling up the symbol and moving slowly had clearly let the girl get more creative and complex.


    The intensity of the comfort was weaker overall, but Apollo couldn''t resist diving into the depths of emotion and thought trapped within. The surface felt almost the same; the comforting warmth of a campfire, but there was more underneath it. At the time, she wouldn''t have said last night''s formation felt lonely, yet compared to this: it must have. This was the comfort of good company, like a gathering with friends and family. Especially family, Apollo thought and nodded to herself.


    She looked into the next layer and felt an idealized little scene. A large family gathered around their home''s fireplace. Huddled together for warmth on a cold winter''s night. She soaked in the comfort of spending time with family: a large, loving family.


    "You little devil." She mumbled and gently pulled Shae closer. Resting her face in the young woman''s hair she wrapped her arms around her and mumbled again, "How could you? How dare you?" But there was no heat of anger in her voice. Rather her words warbled and her next complaint caught in her throat.


    Tears slowly soaked into Shae''s hair, yet she remained asleep. Exhaustion is a strong sleep aid.


    Apollo let the tears come. It had been so long since she cried, longer since she wanted to cry. She could have easily stopped digging through the emotion buried in the campfire. Could have pushed it away with a thought and destroyed the formation with a flick of her wrist.


    It was technically harder for her to keep sensing the intent. Her tears and old bubbling emotions threatened to distract her from her senses. Yet, she was an experienced cultivator and expert scout. Sensing was one of her specialties: throughout all this she hadn''t stopped watching the perimeter of the camp.


    The campfire formation only had a couple more layers, and she couldn''t imagine they would be more impactful than this one. They couldn''t possibly tear at her heart harder than they already had. "How did you know?" She mumbled into the girl''s damp hair. There was such depth to this layer. It told her that Shae must have spent the most time thinking of it. A parent comforting a child, a child in another parent''s arms, siblings huddling for warmth, more combinations, all of families having an intimate moment near a fire. The subject was rarely the same age twice, and evenly mixed across familial roles and gender.


    How could she craft this so easily, without intent? She inhaled suddenly. She didn''t. She couldn''t have. It''s a generalization, and I''m projecting. Apollo sighed, some of the tension leaving her. "You really didn''t know. You couldn''t have. And, I think, wouldn''t have done this intentionally if you had known," she mumbled at the sleeping girl.


    The sleeping girl mumbled something back, unintelligible. Then rolled into Apollo''s side and threw a hand across her chest; much like one grasps at that pillow in their sleep.


    "Ah!" Apollo gasped, quickly lifting the awkwardly placed hand and moving it to her waist. "None of that now."


    Shae snorted, then inhaled a loud snore.


    "No. No. No! You were doing so well." She hissed.


    A few breaths passed silently. Then another loud snore broke the calm night.


    You didn''t do this at all yesterday! Apollo screamed within her own mind. She considered waking her, or moving her to open her airway, which also risked waking her. The comforting warmth of the campfire asked her nicely not to. She took a slow breath, letting the conflicting emotions go to war with each other, and without forcing her to act. She was a cultivator, and above reacting to simple impulse.


    The third snort forced her hand, she shifted slightly to tilt the young woman''s head back, clearing her nose and throat.


    Seven long breaths later a fourth snort erupted.


    "One more of those and I''ll have to think of a punishment!" She whispered, barely audible.


    She thought she was safe after a full set of breaths, but relaxed too soon, the thirteenth was a long, low snore.


    She sighed. "Very well. We will be making up for missing qigong in the morning anyway. An extra lunge or leap for each. Including the past five."


    With that settled, she let herself dip through the final layers of emotion buried within the campfire qi. Pockets of simple ideas floated within, not all forming coherent layers. A common mistake from new cultivators that didn''t have a full control of their thoughts.


    The last layer made her gasp. It was built from a specific memory, or many very similar memories. Unlike the fireplace, which used the idea of many overlapping imagined memories. This was one of Shae''s actual memories, and everything about it screamed that it wasn''t from this world. The people, the clothing, the furniture, and architecture: they were all foreign and some aspects were completely alien.


    Yet, the setting and scene still made sense. An adult, a teacher or librarian, stood among short shelves of books, waiting. What arrived made Apollo''s heart leap. Dozens and dozens of children, swarming into the library and surrounding the adult, fawning and asking questions.


    "Oh." She mumbled. To herself this time. She looked down at the sleeping woman with a new appreciation. Any seed of doubt or regret at helping her was instantly annihilated.


    Then she shuddered. "The sect could ruin you," she spoke, louder than intended. She sat in stunned silence for a few breaths, unwilling to acknowledge her fears for the young woman''s future.


    A bit of qi use cleared the tears from her face and Shae''s hair. She then pushed her qi senses into the sleeping woman, directing a qi scan with precision instead of letting a technique do it automatically. She guided the qi past the enchantment on her bound sword, which wasn''t in the bed and so couldn''t be fully effective anyway. The scanning qi floated right up to her Dantian, then vanished, as if eaten away. She concentrated, burning her own mental focus reserves, and watched the qi be stolen away, drawn apart just above the surface of the Dantian''s broadest domain. Sometimes this area was described like the edge of a owned property, whereas the Dantian itself would be the house on the property.


    Her next step was to refine her own qi slightly. Adding intent and ownership that would make the qi difficult to steal away, and painful if Shae wasn''t unconscious. A common necessity for medical practice: it would be uncomfortable but not harmful. She pushed just enough to let her feel her way closer to the woman''s Dantian. Past the edge of its domain and down and down to find her real Dantian.


    At least, that''s what should have happened. It should have felt like sifting through a cloud to find a marble, or maybe an apple. Instead, there was no cloud. Her qi pressed against a solid barrier that felt far too much like the edge of a Dantian.


    "Impossible." Her voice shuddered through her concentration. Half a heartbeat of panic froze her, then she remembered the night before: the drawings of strange formation glyphs that could only be inside the young woman. She took a steadying breath. Combined with the attenuated enlightenment that same night, one which looked to be working through a shield, the pieces clicked together.


    A formation to protect your Dantian. Not just it, but its entire domain. Now why would you need that?


    She took another calming breath and retracted her qi from the sleeping woman. Then looked at her with pity and whispered, "Will the sect ruin you? Or will you flip the tables of fate? Turn the sect inside out on your way through it?" Her whispers were no louder than the wind, yet they resounded like thunder within her own mind.


    Fortune and fate has saved you, as well. She let the memory of Shae''s past life fill her. Without this, I might have... She shook her head. No. Let''s not consider what-if''s.


    "I will be watching your path with great interest, young one." She whispered and kissed the sleeping woman''s forehead. "And just maybe I''ll place a pebble on the scales once or thrice. Just to make sure you can reach your full potential."


    The young cultivator snorted in her sleep again.


    "And I''ll work you to the bone when I can: no getting out of it by being cute." Apollo gently flicked the tip of her nose.


    Shae flinched and moved clumsily, rubbing at her face, and forcing Apollo to reposition her hand again. All the while shaking her head and pinching her lips together.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 52.9 - Aside: A Long Morning

    <hr>


    Aside: "A Long Morning."


    <hr>


    Master Long was usually up early. Not necessarily the first awake, but he needed significantly less sleep than the rest of the caravan. This morning wasn''t different, save that they had camped in the ruins of an abandoned town. Even when Long had been young, this place hadn''t been populated. There was simply too high a risk of spirit beast attacks this close to the mountains.


    The cultivator he hadn''t expected to see this early was Miss Zhi Shae. And training with Apollo, by the sounds of it.


    After his usual morning routine he went out to patrol the boundary of the camp. It was more pleasant today as the scenery included the edge of the deserted town. Some might find the setting to be gloomy or dire, yet he found it provided an interesting contrast to normal village life.


    Unsurprisingly, he sensed several spirit beasts beyond the edge of the town. The sect''s reports of the area listed none that made the town their home, yet it was expected to happen soon. The Bounty Hall would post regular missions for clearing the area as it was a beneficial campsite for large caravans like theirs, and close enough to make it a short journey.


    He took no action against the wildlife as he sensed no predatory intent from them, and thus they would pose little danger to the scouts. Neither were any worth the effort of collecting their cores, not for him. They were all first or second stage equivalent, like the rot-dog that had found him at the well two days ago. Unlike that beast, they were normal spirit animals, and thought to be beneficial for the local ecosystem. They were also a good sign that more powerful predators were not in the area.


    The second notable fact he discovered on his walkabout were the titles the two other active cultivators were referring to one another with. He hadn''t been eavesdropping, they were simply within his divine senses while he patrolled the perimeter. In any case, there was no discussion topic for him to overhear while the Senior Sister trained her Junior Sister. What he heard were merely the various corrections of a teacher instructing a pupil.


    "Curious," he mumbled. They were accurate forms of address, yet were rarely used as they signified significantly more familiarity than the two should have at this point. However, Shae''s earlier reprimand over her relationship with Elder Ghon still rang fresh in his mind. Perhaps I''m judging too quickly.


    He stroked his chin, considering if he should approach the pair. There are certain topics to discuss, a measure of plans to make for the day to come. He delayed, it was about an hour before sunrise, two before the caravan would leave. The pair were currently discussing qigong stances and movements. Likely, he thought, in an effort to catch Miss Shae up on what she had missed by avoiding the regular lessons with the other recruits.


    His patrol route ended at his campsite. One might say room or domicile, yet he found it inaccurate to refer to what was no-longer a home as such. He had chosen the space as it was the nearest to the town''s well. It was an extremely poor imitation of the geyser he had previously called home, yet the water source still provided some latent comfort.


    Removing a physical comfort item from his spatial storage: Long sat on the cushion in lotus pose. He placed the ruined building to his back, and faced east to experience the first rays of the sunrise. By coincidence the town''s well was placed almost perfectly between his seat and the spot on the horizon that would welcome the sun.


    He got up and shifted to the side three paces. No sense denying such an auspicious arrangement.


    He did not cultivate. The qi density was far too thin. What few drops he could gather would likely disturb all the cultivators in the area, and possibly draw in the spirit beasts he sensed, and more from further out. Large qi disturbances rarely went un-investigated by spirit beasts or cultivators.


    He sighed, recalling and briefly regretting that the rot-dog swarm''s appearance coincided suspiciously well with his loss of control in Flame Well.


    He utilized a meditation practice to clear his mind, then swept his senses out across the town. He could tell that Apollo was doing the same. Watching the circular boundary even as she taught Shae. Hmmm? Long noted that she was teaching more than just the simple fixed-footed poses of the group qigong practice.


    Recalling what fractions of their conversation he had picked up on. Again, insisting to himself that he wasn''t eavesdropping, I am no spy. He pieced together Apollo''s logic in deciding to teach so much.


    It seemed that Miss Shae had already begun feeling out the weight shifts and steps that were hidden in the fixed-footed practice. Apollo had approved until she saw that Shae had the weight shifts reversed. Long felt wry amusement bubble up at that, Nice to see it whenever the girl isn''t perfect.


    Apollo had, of course, quickly set about correcting the young woman''s assumptions. Miss Shae, for her part, thoroughly objected, claiming that the correct weight shifts felt jarring and erratic.


    Master Long smiled at this assessment. He knew that they were rather jarring and erratic. Especially when compared to Shae''s smoothly flowing Tao Yan. This was because the movements were intended to be expressed as lunges and leaps. Rapid, forceful movements meant to move the cultivator swiftly and powerfully. Something that Guard Shu had not fully demonstrated two nights ago.


    Shae had likely missed the correct steps as she hadn''t been able to focus on Guard Shu''s performance. The guard had done an impressive job at smoothing the lunges into an even flow. Far better than he thought her capable of... Ah, I see. He had missed the obvious that night. Well, perhaps I was distracted by Disciple Zhango.


    He sighed in regret. Every day that passed the prospective disciple was growing to be more of a disappointment. Even when not compared to a certain lost soul. Last night''s cleansing attempt was Zhango''s most recent failure. The cleansing itself went as well as could be expected. The boy simply stopped too soon. Long guessed he was far too eager to be free of the filth on his flesh, rather than free of the filth within his flesh.


    His mind drew the immediate comparison to Miss Shae from a few days ago. Covered in impurities, laboring with mortals, and quite comfortable doing so. Long wasn''t even sure if many peasant cultivators could match that. He sighed again, it is downright unfair to compare Zhango to her.


    There was little need to dwell on it. The world was full of unfairness. He let his meditation wash away the intrusive thoughts.


    He noted that Apollo was already instructing Shae on how to perform the lunges and leaps of qigong. Without the correct qi flow, she wouldn''t gain the practical benefits, yet it was still good exercise. As he listened, Apollo did direct her to perform some qi movements. He was unsure what, as it was clearly something they had talked about previously.


    He continued to observe the pair through the first square-set of lunges and leaps. Slowly he gained an understanding of Apollo''s qi flow directions for the young woman. Strengthening for her left side, a light mud-resistance technique for her right side. Long approved, it was likely the only way to balance the strength of the two sides out.


    After that first square-set, Apollo seemed more intent on simply working the girl to exhaustion than correctly teaching qigong. Long was unsure why, but didn''t let the question bother him. He continued his morning meditation to wash away the thoughts, partly blocked his sense of their training, and simply took the time to enjoy the peaceful twilight before the sunrise.


    <hr>


    Just before the sun rose for the day Mistress Ping began her day. As she knew the road ahead was dangerous she approached Master Long to discuss plans for the day. He was meditating so she brought a chair and awaited his attention. It was best to never assume you could demand an audience with a powerful cultivator.


    Long cracked open an eye, the one opposite Mistress Ping''s seat. The sun was just beginning to lighten the sky, granting them several dozen breaths of time before they would be intruding upon the sunrise.


    "Mistress Ping, punctual as always."


    "Master Long, good morning to you. You seem to be the first to rise again."


    "Hmmm, not quite. Those other two have been at it since before I began my day." He gestured across the town to where Apollo was still directing Shae in lunges and leaps. "Hmm. I''m not sure Miss Shae will be of much use to you today, she''s been at that for at least an hour."


    "Heh." Ping shook her head. "That girl. You might be right, but if the other scouts are to be believed she was sprinting between you and the caravan all of yesterday morning. Should I even ask what caused that, Master Long?"


    He huffed. "I''d say it''s cultivator business, yet it was really more of a childish disagreement. That''s not to blame her, however, and I shouldn''t say it''s resolved, that part is too hard to tell with her. Your scouts are correct, yet her training this morning is more intense than sprinting down a road. Her Senior there seems to have a chip on her shoulder, or she just wants the best for the girl."


    "Could be both." Ping shrugged. "So, is that the infamous Apollo?"


    "It is for now." He flashed a smirk at her raised eyebrow. "Now, what can I do for you this morning, Mistress Ping?"


    "Same as usual, Master Long: make me ten years younger. Barring that, I''d like to discuss our plans for the day and chances of a spirit beast attack."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    He smirked again. "We will have to stick to the latter, unfortunately."


    <hr>


    After their short discussion of caravan business Long was able to enjoy the sunrise without being disturbed. He would have preferred Disciple Zhango join him, yet the boy''s noble pampering had spoiled his appreciation for the simpler things in life. It was nothing Long would be bothered correcting right now. Zhango wasn''t the first such noble disciple with that attitude, and it wouldn''t spoil his own enjoyment of the moment.


    The next hour was spent ensuring the caravan members were getting their day started, then getting ready to hit the road. Not that there was a lot of action he had to take. It was mostly wandering around the camp, being seen in the right places, and interrupting trouble-makers at the moment just before they took action such that they would think twice before repeating their mistakes. Some would say it was putting in minimal effort for the greatest effect. Long felt there was a certain art to it.


    As the caravan began moving he again noted one pair of cultivators that seemed less interested in following along. He sighed to himself and approached the pair. It''s possible I''ve been putting this off intentionally.


    Miss Shae was still doing leaps and lunges while Apollo observed and corrected the most egregious mistakes in form. Reinforcing Long''s earlier observations that she wasn''t interested in perfecting the young cultivator''s form as much as working her to her limits.


    "Apollo." Long greeted with a nod.


    "Master Long." She returned the nod.


    Shae didn''t react as she was a dozen paces away and probably too exhausted to be bothered. Long couldn''t really blame her, and choose not to take offense.


    "Did you overhear my discussion with Mistress Ping this morning?"


    "Most of it. Tighter grouping on the scouts, that kind of thing."


    "And are you two planning on joining us?"


    She placed a fist under her chin in thought. "Maybe in another hour? She''s keeping a fairly steady pace, but there''s sets on sets more to go."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Trying to hit a specific number? I thought you were just working her to fatigue."


    "I could say it''s both. She mentioned her qi has restorative properties. Were you aware of this?" She glanced at him, then back at Shae.


    "Hmm, sounds familiar, she must have mentioned it." He reached into his robes and withdrew a vial of cloudy liquid to hand to her. "She did make this for me, that first night in Flame Well."


    "Oh? A qi sample?" She shook it and watched the gold and red drops spin through the cloudy liquid. "Poor integration."


    "Yes, though she did claim to have stripped out the red during her incident. Didn''t like heaven''s wrath it seems."


    Apollo looked shocked briefly and examined the vial again. "Trying to mimic tribulation lightning?" She popped the cork and sniffed the vial. "It''s not a lightning base though?"


    "Pure qi. Not the worst choice, a bit more flexible and there are many cultivation manuals that could be adapted for it. She seemed to be having trouble understanding the gold, though."


    "Hmm...? Ah, that supposed advice you didn''t give her the other night?" She nodded then tilted her head suddenly. "If... If she did integrate gold qi, either of the divine golds, could she pull it back out for recovery?"


    "Hmgh. From that state," he pointed at the vial, "she''d need to understand it more than she implied. Yet, if she did, then it should fully integrate with her pure qi. Thus preventing extraction." He paused. "Though, with proper integration many of the properties would be retained."


    She nodded along, then checked on Shae when she noticed herself get distracted.


    He asked the obvious question. "You saw her do something?"


    She gave one stiff nod. "I believe she used raw divine qi outside of an enlightenment."


    He took a long, deep breath in through his nose. "That would be quite noteworthy."


    "She covered the use by claiming her qi has healing properties. She wasn''t lying, so I didn''t call her out on it."


    "And now you''re trying to push her to see if she''ll do it again. Using the cover of punishment for missing qigong and the more specific qigong mistake punishment from the other night." He nodded to show his approval.


    "Ah!" She struck with a fist into her other open palm. "I forgot about that! We''ll have to add that on top. It''ll push us back another half hour."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Then what punishment is this?"


    "Snoring while she slept last night."


    He blinked a few times. "And she accepted the punishment?"


    "Well I didn''t tell her. She''s doing muscle training for her legs. Trying to balance the strength of the tribulation flesh and mortal flesh."


    "Ahh, that does explain your instructions earlier. Mud resistance would be the way to do it."


    "Mhmm, so you were eavesdropping on us then?"


    He huffed and smoothed out his robes. "I was watching the entire camp after scouting the perimeter. Hardly my fault that I hear things."


    "Of course! My mistake!" She gave an exaggerated bow. "A Master would never stoop to simple spycraft."


    "Tsk." He kept his expression firm. "Two techniques at once, though? Is she able to manage that? Even with one being simple strengthening."


    "Her qi flows of its own will. Like lightning or wind. Strengthening is almost automatic, she was instinctively using it on her cleansed limbs even though she knew it granted no benefit. That movement is antithetical to the mud resistance, of course, so she''s using neutral qi for that."


    "Control over her own qi and neutral qi. That''s good progress for one so young. Can she keep the two apart easily?"


    She nodded. "Yes, but I''ll save you her full ramble about it. I can''t say control is a strength of hers, but controlling disparate qi types seems to come naturally." She shook the vial again then passed it back to Long. "I know this is pure qi, but it seems far too free of impurities. How did you get it like that?"


    He smirked. "Good catch, we elders are used to samples like this. Yet, it was quite surprising to see one extracted so purely right before my eyes. She did this one too." He passed over the nectar sample. "Stuck her finger in spiritual water and let it seep out of her."


    Apollo''s eyes went wide again, and she carefully took the second vial. She shook the orange liquid and watched for impurities or separation. "This is much more refined than her own qi? How?" She held his gaze for a breath then snapped her attention back to Shae.


    He felt a pulse of qi from her. A telltale sign she had used silent messaging. He watched Shae pause her leaps to make a correction, then continue. He simply nodded his approval. Even this close Apollo could have sent the message without him noticing, it was simply a gesture of courtesy that she hadn''t, and a courtesy to the rest of the departing camp to not shout at the young woman.


    "I was demonstrating my cooking to her. She began meditating to improve her senses, or so I thought. She picked out this qi from all the qi in the air, drew it towards her and absorbed it."


    She raised an eyebrow. "You were cooking with this qi?"


    "Well, not quite. You are correct to assume such a plant would be too valuable to use for casual culinary pursuits. After absorbing it she refined it to this state, then ejected it into the spiritual water so it could leave her system." He chuckled. "All to get an understanding of its Dao, supposedly. She wasn''t even fully aware that she had refined it so well." He shook his head, showing an expression of remorse. "She acts like a genius one breath, then a fool the next."


    It was Apollo''s turn to blink rapidly in stunned silence. "Did she? Understand the plant''s Dao, I mean."


    He shook his head. "The spiritual plant was too weak to have a Dao. The beginning of one, or its intent, I suppose so. She did get remarkably close to knowing how it''s used in that specific dish. Not something one could guess at."


    Apollo tilted her head again. "But the refining, that''s something one could do easily with gold qi, yes?"


    "Hmm. Yes." Long scratched his chin. "That would match up well with her explanation afterwards. I considered it likely, yet thought little of it because she had just experienced an enlightenment hours earlier."


    "Hours?"


    "Hmm, perhaps two, but how long one can hold divine qi varies from person to person. Frankly the more boggling thing was how her own qi was so weak afterwards. Fairy Yun reported that it was a rather large enlightenment for one at cleansing stage."


    Apollo''s attention snapped back to Shae, and held firm. She passed back the vial without looking away.


    "Apollo? You''re shaking." It wasn''t visible shaking, but his divine senses felt the nervous twitches as she handed the vial over. "Not sure I''ve ever seen you nervous."


    "Nervous? Heh heh heh." She laughed. "I''m excited."


    "About?"


    She shook her head quickly. "Can''t say. Need to confirm it first." Her gaze was still locked on Shae.


    They stood silently and watched the young cultivator perform leaps and lunges with less than pristine form for several dozen slow breaths.


    "She''s sweating impurities again." Long broke the silence.


    "Yes. I believe that is a known side effect of pure qi use. Thank you for confirming that hers is a pure base."


    "Ah, yes. It''s so effective at cleansing I had forgotten about that aspect."


    Apollo nodded.


    "You know. She''ll want to clean up before hitting the road again." He mused.


    "Sure. There is a well. Likely a stream close enough, and she has a change of clothes."


    "But you''ll be even further behind the caravan, then."


    "Is there an alternative I''m unaware of?" Apollo asked with a touch of impatience.


    Long smirked. "Yes, yes there is. I set up a cleansing bath for Disciple Zhango last night. The picky boy used barely half of it."


    "Tsk." Apollo shook her head. "Wasteful."


    "It would be if I was forced to dump the remainder."


    Apollo finally broke her gaze away from Shae for less than a heartbeat. "Used bathwater, though?"


    "It''s been sitting overnight in a cleansing formation. Probably cleaner than the well water by now. It seems a good choice, unless you happen to have your own cleansing formation?"


    She tilted her head and smirked. "Well if you have instructions, we could try making one."


    Long frowned. "And how long will that take?"


    She snorted. "A joke, obviously. Would it be a gift or an exchange?"


    "Neither. Miss Shae believes I own her several favors or apologies. She may count this as one, even if it costs me very little. You''ll have to safely empty the tub afterwards, though."


    She nodded. "I can do that."


    "Good. It''s in the building near the well. I''ll let the scouts thin at the rear since you two will be covering it."


    "Very well. Until lunch?"


    "Yes, until then." Long nodded and left.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 53: Post Workout Cool Down

    <hr>


    Chapter 53: "Post Workout Cool Down."


    <hr>


    Shae very much enjoyed the impurity cleansing bath generously provided by Master Long. It even washed away some of her fatigue and let her wash out her clothes. Apollo had been clear to indicate the remaining cleaning power of the bath would have been wasted if Shae didn''t use it, so she decided to thank her own luck more than Long.


    After the bath they made a short detour from the road which took them to a desolate and pitiful looking patch of forest.


    "Discarding impurities is generally done with some care," Apollo lectured. "In small quantities it is harmless enough, but the build-up from longer cleansing sessions and the special alchemical solutions used to efficiently wash away the impurities are not so benign."


    Shae listened quietly while nursing her left leg. It was quite sore and stiff from the morning''s torture, and Apollo had suggested she let it heal more naturally, rather than forcing her limited qi to do the work. Her right leg had succumbed to the repetitive brutality and the mud training near the end, yet it had already recovered. At least, just enough that she didn''t notice it compared to her left.


    Apollo paced across the clearing a few times, clearly searching for something. "Yes, this spot will work well." She announced. "Impurities are a kind of toxin, when released in heavy doses they can cause death, but they are not of death."


    Shae scrunched her face up.


    Apollo smirked at her. "The point is, if we dumped that bathtub somewhere in the forest, it would kill the trees and some wildlife. Possibly taint the groundwater."


    The young woman looked around. "Is that what happened here?"


    "No, I don''t think so. That''s what I was checking. I''m no wood qi specialist, but I think this area has poor access to groundwater. The qi flow is slightly off, so a spirit beast may have drained it of wood qi, but again, not a specialist." With her arms spread out, she focused on the ground near the center of the clearing. The bathtub full of impurity-saturated water dropped out of spatial storage with a heavy thud.


    The older cultivator quickly dodged the splashing water and brought out a pair of buckets, handing one to Shae. The young woman groaned but took the bucket.


    "If we were to simply dump this all in one place, it wouldn''t really solve the issue. Both the bath solution and the impurities need time to evaporate and dissipate. You know those words?"


    "I understand the context. Can''t quite catch all of the intent. Is it like... a glass of water will slowly dissipate on a hot day."


    "Decent guess, but wrong side of the tael, that''s evaporate."


    "Ah! Okay. So is dissipate... Hmm? That''s harder to be specific about. Is it decay or dissipate?" She used the English words, putting strong intent into them. Then groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose from the effort.


    "Excellent clarification. I''d say the second is closest, might even be the correct translation. Back to the lesson. We need to spread the liquid out across this clearing. The more that is exposed to air and the world''s natural qi, the faster it can dissipate."


    Shae nodded. "Alright, do you have a specific pattern in mind? Or just go for it?"


    "Heh, glad you asked. A spiral starting at the edge, about a pace inside and working inward. Spread each bucket out as much as you can."


    The young woman glanced to the edge and back. "Wouldn''t it be easier to have the tub at the edge, then?"


    "Yes, but I''ll be helping too: going to the opposite edge. And this is at least partly about the ritual of the act. Not just disposing of it."


    Shae rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her shoulders. "Alright, if you say so, then I''ll uphold your intentions, Senior Sister."


    Apollo smiled. "Thank you, Junior Sister."


    The work went faster than Shae expected, partly because Apollo was working much faster than her. The older cultivator was very deliberate and almost slow when filling and emptying her bucket, but would travel back and forth quickly.


    When they were scraping their buckets against the bottom Apollo stopped their work. "Now is when cultivator strength is very useful." She lifted the whole tub and walked out over to where Shae was last dumping her bucket. "The old stories say that we should provide a prayer or a message of thanks to the world and nature for accepting this burden. Yet, I find respectful silence to be just as effective."


    Shae nodded, and watched the woman sprinkle the water out of the tub like she was gently watering flowers. She didn''t let the comedic visual disturb the moment.


    Apollo rinsed the tub out with water from her spatial storage, specifically collected from the town''s well for this task. Then the pair waited in the clearing for a few dozen breaths.


    Shae chose to remain silent; beyond just the ritual, the peaceful natural surroundings had a certain feeling that called for it. She was also glad to use the time to massage her left thigh and calf since it would be harder once they got back on the road. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The older cultivator nodded once then led them back to the main road. She pushed them into a light jog once they found the road. "You''ve been surprisingly silent?"


    "Heh." Shae forced a laugh. "Is that good or bad? I was just thinking."


    "Neither, though I''m glad for it: I prefer silence for that task. Care to share your thoughts?"


    "Mhm. Just wondering how that process works at the sect." She jabbed a thumb back the way they came.


    "Ah, yes. Well, it''s not as formal or tedious as that. For the first year, if you were in qi gathering, you would help those in cleansing. There are also plenty of outer sect members that work as servants to do that kind of thing. In short, if you can''t progress quickly, you will find ways to help those who are progressing. That is the way of the sect."


    "But they still have to collect and spread the water out?"


    "Not really, no. They will collect it, and any clothing or towels used to clean with. However, the sect has large cleansing formations for that. They force the impurities to dissipate much faster than the natural rate."


    "Hmmm." The young woman hummed with a frown. "Is that, like, bad for the air or something?"


    "Hah hah!" Apollo laughed. "Perhaps, if it was all that same cleaning solution. That has a particularly alchemical smell when it evaporates. The impurities, for their part, hardly touch the air because they are not wholly physical, but I shouldn''t say too much. It''s not really my field of knowledge, so the specifics elude me."


    "Hmm, I guess that makes sense. They do come from qi channels and meridians which are metaphysical. Makes sense they would be too. Although, aren''t they also in our flesh and physical body?"


    "Correct."


    Shae shook her head. "I feel like I''m missing some important piece of knowledge." She sighed.


    "That is often the way of cultivation, it''s a good sign as it can lead to enlightenment."


    "Huh."


    The two ran on, attempting to catch the caravan''s lead at a comfortable, mortal pace.


    <hr>


    According to the scheduled route of the caravan this would be their second last day traveling to the sect. It would see them end the day in the only proper small town within two days'' travel to the sect''s main settlement: Tail''s Wake Town. Though, rumor said it was large enough to be a city, and far more so than Minlin or Flame Well.


    The town they would arrive at today was named Gatewash, and it was safely nestled in the only canyon pass leading into the north mountains. Apollo explained that the canyon provided excellent safety to the residents as it only required defending from the two canyon entrances rather than the whole perimeter like a full town wall.


    While Shae had never felt particularly at-risk during her travels, she now felt the itching fear of being in a dangerous place. No, there was that one time, she thought as she recalled the little side adventure after Xengo town. It wasn''t the instinctual feeling of being watched that Apollo had previously described, but the anxious knowledge that she was now in a dangerous area.


    This knowledge was eventually reinforced due to her Manifold Journey practice for the day. It gave the user a distinct choice. Sprint to the day''s destination or continue steadily forwards, while counting out a continuous cubed-set of steps.


    So, of course, she intended on taking the sprinting option. Even after her grueling workout with Apollo it seemed like the easier task.


    Talking with Mistress Ping left her slightly unsettled, the woman was being more cagey than usual. She indicated that she would need to get permission from Master Long or Apollo instead. "We never send out lone scouts for this leg. Today we even have you all keeping a tight perimeter around the caravan." This was her main argument against Shae leaving the group.


    While she had already discussed it with Apollo, the most she had received from the woman was nearly a threat. "If you have the will left to sprint to Gatewash, then I should have worked you harder this morning."


    Shae chose to let the issue drop with Apollo. Yet, after talking with Mistress Ping, she regretted not pushing the issue as she couldn''t rightly find the elusive cultivator again. While it wasn''t quite lunchtime yet, she chose to push ahead of the caravan and question Master Long.


    Some combination of anxiety over trying to ask something of the old man, and the anxiety of the dangerous road told her she might not get her wish.


    Instead of rushing to him she opted to take the time to more thoroughly consider the practice, and what qi movements were required. The qi movements were simple and subtle, but specific in the requirement of the rhythm used when making them. The idea was to cycle in a slow pattern that didn''t match her footsteps. Even for the sprinting option, the practice specified the rhythm shouldn''t match her footfalls.


    Sooo, I need to sprint while cycling qi off-rhythm, to not attract the worm, presumably. Snrk! She snorted. Heh. I should assume that if I mis-time a qi cycle it will mess with my balance. So, it''s probably multitasking practice. She thought for a few more breaths. If I was walking, it''d still be multitasking, just with another layer. No risk of face planting into the road, but I could lose count, and would likely have to start over.


    I thought it was just practice counting at first, this seems more interesting. How far is a cubic-set of steps anyway? She ran a hand through her hair. 144 times 12, 16.. no 1700-ish steps. Maybe three and one-half li? No, my paces are shorter, so about three.


    She stretched and started cycling the practice, mis-timing the rhythm as directed. It wasn''t completely off-step, just slower, so the odd footfall did align. The practice made it clear that was expected, but she shouldn''t alter her walking pace to match it. The two cycles needed to stay off-step of each other.


    Once she thought she had the hang of it she tried counting along. That proved harder than she expected, maybe because she wasn''t used to the Empire''s base twelve, or maybe because of the qi movements. She quickly grew annoyed. It wasn''t hard enough to be frustrated or angry at, she just found that restarting annoyed her.


    The third time she got past the first square-set, 144, and then lost count while speaking the number. That was enough for her to give up. She discarded the idea of counting and focused on the qi movement, then increased her place to a light jog.


    Immediately, she felt it was much easier. The qi cycling didn''t even affect her running. The morning workout was still impacting her, so she kept the pace slower, just a light mortal jog.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 54: One Strong Leg Technique

    <hr>


    Chapter 54: "One Strong Leg Technique."


    <hr>


    Less than a quarter hour later Shae caught up to Master Long at the forward-most scout position.


    "Miss Shae, you''re in much less of a hurry today?" Long said as she approached.


    "Master Long. You could say my morning workout was rather draining. Plus, I heard you weren''t as far out today."


    "Ah, yes, you''re Senior seemed rather intent on testing your limits. Did you give her as much trouble over testing you as I received?"


    "Well, Senior. She openly informed me of her intentions regarding the workout, and I agreed with her goals. I had very little reason to be upset. Surprising that the spycraft specialist has less need for hidden intentions than some do." She smirked at the road ahead of them.


    He grunted lightly. "That you know of."


    "Hah. True, true. I''m sure she could easily hide her motives from me. I might find out and be upset, eventually. Yet, so long as her motives don''t affect our interactions I don''t think I''ll mind so much." She gave him a playful glare.


    He huffed. "So, what brings you to this edge of our little safety net?"


    "Safety net? Is it that bad out here today?"


    "Hmm. I wouldn''t say that. There''s little different here than any other day. I certainly wouldn''t say bad, it''s a rather lovely day."


    She succeeds at him. "Master Long, I think you''re dodging the question."


    "More that I''m being pedantic, Miss Shae, and you dodged my question first. Now to answer yours first: this stretch of road is more dangerous than the last, just as the one before it. The final stretch to the sect is slightly more so. That area is only kept under control by proximity to the sect and the aid of the canyon."


    "Huh. I don''t feel surprised. Guess I expected that." She inhaled deeply. "Why I came out here was related to that question, and this next one. Master Long, if someone wanted to, say, sprint the rest of the way to Gatewash, what would you say to that?"


    "Heh. Depends who it is? For you? Hmm... If you had Apollo teach you a subtlety technique, once she began teaching you in the time since the caravan left Minlin, then I''d still hesitate to let you leave." He shrugged.


    "Uhh.. seriously?" She snapped her attention up the road, then to each treeline at their sides. "It''s that dangerous? Why aren''t we seeing more attacks? Have you just been scaring everything off?"


    "Some things flee quickly, no doubt. It''s less about danger than risk, and running ahead would be an unnecessary one. If we needed to send a message, I''d rather let one of the mortal scouts go, they''d be safer, but Mistress Ping wouldn''t allow it. Again, because it would be an unnecessary risk."


    "Hmh. So, you or Apollo would go. And why is a mortal safer?"


    "Maybe one of the guards that has a good movement technique or escape talisman. The mortal is safer because he is not a cultivator, spirit beasts prefer spiritual prey. The ones that are likely to attack someone on the road are predators, true to the name and stronger for it."


    Shae had a brief flashback to her trip down the mountain. Meeting a certain wolf that effortlessly stalked her just to play. She shuddered.


    Long glanced at her briefly. "It''s good that you know what I mean. I think I won''t have to lock you in one of the wagons."


    She took a deep breath and remembered something else from that time. "Oh! I do have a movement technique, and an escape talisman."


    "One strong leg is not a movement technique."


    "It was faster than Brother Chen''s."


    Long tilted his head. "The earth cultivator? Not surprising, and not impressive. Earth is by far the slowest for movement and the hardest to learn. Do you know what accomplishment stage he''s at?"


    "Umm, no?"


    "I''d be surprised if he''s past small success, and that''s without even knowing what technique he''s trying to learn."


    Shae hummed uncertainly.


    "And where did you get an escape talisman? Don''t tell me one of the other students got that sect coin off you for a sweet word and shiny scrap of paper."


    She started a grunt of offense, but had to turn it into a smile. "Heh. No, it''s a proper one I received as a gift from the monks in Minlin."


    "Hmm. As a reward for your wise words? I would assume that it is real, then. Yet, I''d still need to see it to verify."


    Her hand went into her robes, just over her heart then froze. Kwan said this was valuable didn''t he? Maybe I shouldn''t reveal it.


    "Well?" He scoffed, then glanced over eventually. "Bah, heaven''s sake. I''m not going to steal it, girl."


    She looked up at his flat expression, an offhand comment, for sure, and yet, "I''ll hold you to that, Master Long." She revealed the glowing green talisman, offering it to him, and he took it casually with an eyebrow raised.


    Long accepted the talisman with a nod. "Interesting central glyph. Not the usual style. Feels quite powerful, though. By the glyph encapsulation, it seems to be similar to a physical enhancement."


    "Uhh, the encap-slation?"


    "Encap-su-lation." He enunciated it clearly, then leaned over to point at parts of the talisman. "This outer linework. The details along it are very similar to something like Leaden Bones, or Steel Skin; both defensive talismans."


    "Sooo, encapsulation is like the shell? Are you a talisman crafter?"


    He gave a brief grimace. "Shell isn''t a terrible descriptor. The talisman term is encapsulation, and means a few specific things which I am not quite qualified to explain because I am no talisman master. Your Elder Ghon could have explained it, and I believe several of his students, along with their students, are still at the sect and teaching."


    "Huh. He never seemed too excited to explain formations or talismans. Though, he might have thought I wasn''t ready for it." She shrugged.


    "Hmm. Strange... Although." He glanced at her. "I''d understand if he didn''t want to dive into such a large topic with you, Wise Shae."


    "I have no idea what you could mean by that, Master Long." She raised an eyebrow.


    "Heh. I should also say: talismans are not a first year skill. Too many impatient youths trying to do all kinds of things and usually burning their face or fingers off with exploding talismans. Lucky for them the sect healers are quite skilled."


    "Ah, I understand. We had a similar problem where I''m from. Kids like fire and loud noises, put them together and those kids get themselves hurt rather quickly. Almost always boys."


    "Heh, can''t say I kept track enough to specify a group. Anyhow, they can teach you some about identification first. So you can confirm what you''re holding is what you think it is. That is where my knowledge comes from. To identify this further," he held the talisman close to his nose and sniffed once, "Hmm? A strange aspect I don''t recognize. Do you know who made this? If they had a unique qi type they likely used it in its creation."


    "Yes, he did. And yes it''s quite unique." Shae smiled. "It was made for me by Wise Kwan of-"


    Long nearly missed the next step, planting his foot far too hard with a loud clap, and sending a cloud of road dust out to the side. Luckily it was away from Shae. He coughed once, into the sleeve not holding the talisman, and a gust of air blew the dust further away from him.


    He didn''t take another step, eyes fixed on the talisman. "Is this... is it really? You''re sure he made it?"


    "Yes, I''m quite sure it was made by him and with his qi." She stopped as well.


    He took a deep breath, still staring at the talisman in his hand. He said the name in a whisper, "Wise Kwan. Could it be someone else? What monastery?"


    "The Golden Orchard Monkery." She noticed his left eyelid twitch at Monkery.


    He inhaled sharply "It''s absurd that they still call it that."


    She smirked. "I thought it brought a much needed air of levity. Unlike certain too serious sect names."


    "Hmm. Yes, I suppose. I''ve always thought the capital''s Heaven Defying Platinum Palace was a bit pompous." He smirked as he said it then snapped back to stoic. "Don''t repeat that to them or anyone else. I''ll not protect you, and I''ll deny it endlessly."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    She raised an eyebrow and tried to laugh off his stern expression. "Heh. They''re a bit sensitive about it?"


    "Yes." He simply said. Then remembered the talisman in his hand with a start. "I''ll buy this off of you-" he rushed out the words then stopped himself and coughed to the side again, holding a finger raised for her to wait.


    When he turned back he was intensely serious. "Miss Shae, I will gladly pay you a small fortune for such a recent example of Wise Kwan''s work." He bowed partway to show he was serious; any lower and it could have only been seen as mocking.


    She shook her head. "Before that, I was going to ask if you could afford it, but now I''m curious: how much is a small fortune."


    He glanced at the talisman in his hand. "Enough to buy your way into the sect and still have funds to last you to core formation, maybe further if you spend carefully."


    She let her surprise show, and inhaled sharply. Am I really considering this? The small financial struggles she had seen the peasant guards working through had certainly made an impact on her. The Earth proverb ''need money to make money'' rang through her head. She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. And what would Kwan think knowing I sold it off just to live comfortably for a few years?


    "No, Master Long. I thank you for the generous offer." She bowed lower to him, to show respect to his station and his offer.


    He clearly hesitated but began to offer it back to her. "Do you know what this is? I''ll give you another escape talisman."


    She glared at him and quickly reached for it. "No. I said I won''t sell it, Long." Then she threw her intent at him, focusing on-


    She staggered and tried to catch her balance, blinking at her empty outstretched hand. What? What was I doing?


    "That," Long started, speaking with more intensity in his voice than she was used to. "That is why you don''t use intent against your elders." He pulled a slip of paper from his robes and added it to the one he already held outstretched to her.


    She slowly took them, still unsure exactly why. She glanced at the new paper, ink glowed yellow-brown, then at the first one which held a familiar green glow. She recognized it and immediately took a step away from Long.


    "Heh. I said I wouldn''t take it, didn''t I? It wouldn''t be for me, anyway. Still, I''ll not see you waste it like it''s a simple charm." He pointed at the talismans. "Since you refused another escape type: this one is a shielding talisman. Earth qi based, so mind its weaknesses, but it should block most weaker core formation attacks. Though, only one or two."


    She shifted her weight from foot to foot, and closely looked the green escape talisman over. It was as she remembered it, and a faint sense of Wise Kwan''s qi still lingered.


    "I''ll ask again. Do you know what Wise Kwan gave you?" His firm tone returned for the repeated question.


    She took a breath, slowly piecing back together the last few sentences they had exchanged before Long''s sudden lesson in manners. "Yes. I am aware of his specific talent in making unique escape talismans."


    Long held her gaze without flinching. "Please be more specific, if you would. Additionally, did he give you any instructions? Do you have any plans for that talisman? Beyond dire emergencies?"


    "You know about the enlightenments I sparked in Minlin? And how I sat with the monks for their ritual?" She paused at each question so he could nod. "Wise Kwan also sat with us, and I gained a sense of his power then, though it wasn''t particularly obvious in the moment. Later, when he gave me this, he dropped a few more clues, and I sorted it out."


    "Just like that? Like some riddle?"


    "It''s not such a strange concept for me. In my past world, they tell many stories of legend and myth and imagination, far far more than the mortals here do. They weave words into fantastical realms and bring those worlds to life for us to experience through more than just song or poem or theater." She carefully placed the talismans back into her robes, over her heart.


    "Store them separately, please. The qi shouldn''t mingle, but I can''t be certain. More importantly, it would be a tragedy if you grabbed the wrong one in the moment of need."


    She paused her reverent placement to find another inner pocket for the shield talisman, the slightly less honored placement was over her left kidney. "I shouldn''t joke about it, but at the time I made the mistake of commenting that it was a rather simple concept. Honestly, I''m surprised he let me keep it."


    Long raised a concerned eyebrow. "Now I''m concerned I have the wrong read on it."


    She shook her head. "Like I said, the people from my past-" she sighed and closed her eyes as she thought, I guess I can''t pretend to be so distant. "My people. We are rather creative in the most absurd ways. Dream up enough worlds, enough fantastical logic to build a reality on, and eventually your dreams might be correct. We have branches of every science devoted to theoretical understanding, then creating ways to test those theories. Eventually, concepts like fire, electricity, gravity, even time, become quite simple in our minds." She shook her head again. "Though, that simplicity is from exposure and boredom. Not comprehension."


    Long''s normal idle movement had frozen still. Even through the stony mask he seemed to be struggling to swallow something unpleasant. "And, did he say anything else? What are your plans for it?"


    "He said that if I don''t use it, one day I might be able to study it. Which is what I plan to do."


    He nodded slowly and exhaled, releasing some of his frozen tension. "Good." Then his eyes briefly went wide before he squinted them closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "When did you expect to do that?"


    She smirked. "Well, the immediate danger seems to be this trip. Then I''ll have some time before classes start in the new year, correct? I can probably squeeze in time around the solstice."


    Long groaned and didn''t hold back the frustration from his qi or intent. "Of. Course. You. Would."


    Shae covered her mouth with her sleeve as she began giggling at his reaction.


    He waited a few breaths for her to settle and most of his obvious annoyance to pass. "While I understand that was a joke, I still feel the need to clarify that you are far too inexperienced to gain the maximum benefit from studying that talisman. Even accounting for your personal brand of absurdness, even combined with being a lost soul: I''d still recommend waiting until you reach core formation."


    That cut down her pleasant mood. "That long? You think I need a Dao to understand it fully?"


    He frowned briefly, then shrugged. "While I''m sure you could gain something from it if you spend the next few years studying and preparing, the real reason is that it is an escape talisman. A powerful one. It could save you, even at core formation, even from..." He trailed off, glancing at the sky.


    "Oh! From the core tribulation?"


    Long sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose again. "Yes, thank you for dispelling the mystery."


    "Will I really need that? I have done one already; a tribulation, I mean. It wasn''t that bad." She shrugged.


    He grunted. "It will be much worse. Worse even than a standard core tribulation. You might also get one sooner at the rate you try to do things. A tribulation''s danger is scaled to the individual, and what stage of cultivation they are at. That individuality is why interference is sacrilege, and the heavens react poorly to it. Additionally, each tribulation you experience also makes the next one stronger."


    The whole area dropped into silence, even the wind seemed to pause its constant tree rustling. Shae suddenly became aware of how loud her heartbeat was. "Oh," she whispered.


    He nodded slowly. "It''s good your concern is genuine. You will need to take it seriously when it arrives. However, try not to stress about it now. With any luck you won''t be there for a decade or so."


    She turned her head almost completely sideways. "With any luck? That sounds slow?"


    "Heh, I didn''t say it was your luck. Ha ha ha!" He let out a few loud bursts of laughter and turned to walking down the road again.


    Shae''s surprise left her a few steps behind.


    "Now, I''m sure there''s much more I could say, but let''s keep it brief. Firstly, when you can reject qi from your body reliably you may wish to study more types of qi. Like that nectar qi at the restaurant. I''ll not impose my own teaching methods on you, yet I can recommend study material. It will be good preparation for Wise Kwan''s talisman." He paused to see if she''d interject.


    When she remained silent, he continued. "Secondly, please, please, do not talk about or show that talisman to others. The one I would have passed it to, they would not hesitate to squash you like a bug for it, damn the consequences. Even your Senior Sister Apollo might steal it from you."


    "She wouldn''t!"


    "Have you given her the chance yet?"


    Shae glared at him.


    "I honestly hope she wouldn''t. If I hadn''t specifically declared that I wouldn''t, I would''ve had to very much consider relieving you of it. There are always other ways beyond blatant theft. You must remember, her type are... less strict about codes of conduct. They are trained to break laws, not follow them."


    She continued glaring. "She. Wouldn''t."


    Long took a breath to look at the young woman. "I am glad you have such faith in her. I hope every member of the sect inspires even a fraction of that one day." He sighed loudly. "Has she told you what will happen when you get to the sect? Made any promises to visit you?"


    Shae''s hard glare changed to a frown, then she caught herself softening and redoubled her glare.


    "Wise Shae, I don''t say this to hurt the bond between you two. She seems honestly interested in your Sisterly relationship, and I hope for it to flourish. There are very few in her position willing to take on juniors." He took a deep breath and gave her another serious look before speaking, "Those in her role, gray-work. Whatever you think that may include: spycraft, information gathering, or even assassination. Apollo''s group are part of the sect, and yet they are not allowed to operate within our sect''s boundaries. They must lead double lives, separating their gray-work from their real lives within the sect. Even to the point of progressing their cultivation status separately. An Elder or Master might be treated as less than core for gray-work, simply because they haven''t attained certain technical accomplishments to raise that status."


    Her initial anger grew shaky as what he was saying fit together. It was frustrating, yet it made sense. "That''s why we call her Senior, and not Elder?"


    "Correct." He nodded. "I hope you two can maintain your friendship. You''ll have to get quite creative with it while you are unable to contact one another."


    Shae sighed and looked at the road in front of her. "I think she hinted at this before. There''s no way for me to learn her real identity?"


    He raised a hand, palm up. "Oh you could learn it. She could even tell you, of course. Yet, there will be consequences. The matter is rather out of your hands, I''m afraid. Did you still wish to run to Gatewash?"


    "Huh? Oh, right. That''s where this all started." She huffed. "No. I suppose it''s not necessary. My headache is back anyway. Whatever you did woke it up again."


    "What I did was called intent disruption. One of the main reasons you don''t challenge others directly with intent. You already had a headache? What from?"


    "Ugh," she groaned and massaged her temples. "I passed out from focus exhaustion last night." The words slipped out before she had a chance to consider them.


    "You what!?"


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 55: Uncontrolled Rumor

    <hr>


    Chapter 55: "Uncontrolled Rumor."


    <hr>


    Long practically dragged Shae back to the caravan. He might have forcefully carried her if she hadn''t mentioned that it was nearly lunch and they could just stand still and wait for it to come to them.


    The caravan''s intended lunch campsite was actually a half-li behind them, so they couldn''t actually just wait around. Shae insisted the walk couldn''t hurt her any more than Apollo''s morning training had. She was also convinced that the result of that single sentence may have generated more visible frustration and emotional reactions in the man than he had experienced all year.


    Apollo was, wisely, nowhere to be found.


    "What''s the big deal anyway?" Shae asked when Long had calmed down enough to direct her to the medical wagon. That particular wagon was also Mistress Ping''s office, and served a few other purposes as needed. It was one of the few that had space for a full bed to be laid out and have someone sit beside it, and both while the wagon was still moving.


    Long huffed out some of his frustration and took a deep inhale. "Fully draining your mental focus so early in development is like pulling a muscle or damaging a joint. It might only hurt a little bit, but repeated injury can cause long term damage and permanent mental fatigue or pain." He lectured while standing just outside the wagon''s rear door, having been forced out by the medic.


    Nurse Sin Piket was a trained medic who hated being called Nurse even though it was a more prestigious title than medic. She saw to Shae, simply to check her vitals and reflexes. Even she acknowledged that she wasn''t useful for cultivation related injuries but it was her medical wagon, and so she would perform the task now that it was actually being used as such.


    Shae had suggested the vitals check, just to annoy Long. It had worked, and he admitted that her reflexes and balance could be dulled if her fatigue was severe. That reminded Shae of her half-day axing trees apart, she said as much or loud, and immediately regretted it.


    "What do you mean you almost passed out several times?" He practically shouted, or as close as a cultivator can come to a shout while also clenching their mouth closed in frustration. Which actually turns out to be quite close.


    "Hmm, you really shouldn''t push yourself so hard," Medic Sin lectured, "Especially through physical labor. It''s quite easy to cause muscle strain, even for you young ones."


    "Medic Sin, please this is a cultivator matter, not simple farm medicine." Long scoffed.


    "Long! Be nice. She''s not wrong, severe muscle damage was definitely a possibility since I was strengthening myself with qi. Early signs are always important to watch for." Shae yelled back at him, as loud as her headache would allow. "And didn''t you just use a medical analogy, comparing mental focus drain to a long term physical injury."


    He worked his jaw like it would suddenly summon a reasonable argument in his favor.


    "Apologize to her." Shae gestured at the medic while glaring at Long.


    When Long didn''t say anything, Medic Sin spoke up. "Not needed. Won''t be the first or last time someone says cultivator business near this wagon. Really the only thing that bothers me is the yelling." She glanced between the two cultivator''s with the closest thing to a glare that she could get away with.


    Shae folded first when Sin tapped her right knee with a little hammer and her whole leg jumped like it had been shocked. "Ah!" She scrunched her face in embarrassment, "Sorry, that leg''s weird, my right arm too. And sorry about the yelling."


    Sin nodded and went to test her right arm''s reflexes. Then reconsidered and tried to move away from its movement range. She found it too difficult in the tight space and gave it up as not worth the risk.


    Long still seemed to be seething, but took a slow breath and calmed his voice. "I should also apologize to you, Medic Sin. I didn''t intend to demean your profession or skills."


    She looked at him like he had told a boring joke, then shrugged. "Thank you, but not necessary. You''re the money, Master Long, do as you like."


    He nodded like he expected it and looked back at Shae. "What I would like is for you to rest here for the remainder of the wagon ride, then rest again in Gatewash, and again during tomorrow''s journey. You''ll need some strength for the entrance exam."


    "Entrance exam? Unless it''s more of that four coins nonsense I can''t imagine it''ll be a problem. It isn''t even a problem now, you''re just overreacting."


    "Who told you about the four coins? Everyone knows the tester can''t know about the test details."


    "Heh. A little birdie spilled the beans. Why were you even using that? I hardly could have gotten past two with the knarr."


    He huffed loudly. "Obviously there are different patterns for different weapon types. A staff wielder could hardly be expected to perform a perfect leaf or petal cut. Now really, who told you about it?"


    "Hah-hah! Chef van only told me the name. You just told me way more!"


    He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "Medic Sin. Please see that Miss Shae remains here to rest and does not cultivate or strain herself. She''s already had a very active morning." Then he started walking away.


    She stopped her laughter quickly. "Hey! I didn''t even get lunch yet!"


    "I''ll send someone." He waved backwards at her without looking back.


    Shae crossed her arms and harrumphed loudly.


    Medic Sin tapped her on the shoulder and presented a small flat stick. "Say ahhh, please."


    <hr>


    Shae was well aware she could just ignore Medic Sin and leave the wagon. Yet, she decided that kind of childish behavior was beneath her. Coincidentally, it also gave her the opportunity to peruse her stack of writings from the monks.


    Lunch was unexciting but better than her own trail rations. Those were looking dire after ten days on the road. Even with the handful of substantially better meals letting her stretch them out. During the journey she had found her appetite was a bit higher than usual, which she hadn''t accounted for when making preparations in Minlin. I shouldn''t be surprised though, I have been running a lot.


    She couldn''t name the person that brought her lunch, and they scampered off with hardly a word. Several people she did know stopped by during lunch, then again once the caravan got moving. It seemed word had traveled fast that she was in the medic''s care.


    She spent most of their interactions assuring them that Long had overreacted and she was fine. Those she didn''t know well clearly doubted her, and her annoyed defense forced them away quickly.


    Those few that knew her better smirked and chuckled at her antics. They trusted that her boisterous attitude was a clear sign she would recover and left her to her lunch. A few, like Guard Shu, came back around after she had finished eating and calmed down.


    "Feeling better, Sister Shae?" The guard asked as Shae looked up from her reading to see who was approaching.


    "Oh! Sister Shu!" She sat up straighter and smiled wide at the friendly greeting.


    "Hah! Look at that smile, you must be feeling better."


    "Pfft. I wasn''t feeling bad to begin with. Little headache, I suppose, and that is mostly gone now."


    "I meant more that your social mood improved. You were biting off heads whenever someone asked about your injury."


    "Ah! I was no-" she froze. "Wait. Was I really?"


    "Heh heh. Weren''t you wondering why no one stayed with you longer than a breath?" She chuckled and shook her head.


    Shae covered her face with her free sleeve, the other holding a thin set of bound pages.


    "Ha!" Shu barked and roughly patted her shoulder by reaching into the wagon, where Shae was sitting sideways on the end of the mattress. "Don''t feel too bad. My master always says the first sign of focus drain is a loss of patience. Heh, and she would know, she''s super irritable after focus training. Even when it''s not her training, hah hah hah!"


    The young woman dropped her sleeve and smiled. Then cycled a bit of calming divine qi through her head. Shu''s barking laughter wasn''t really helping her headache. She sighed in relief. "Thanks, Shu. Hey, could you tell me more about your master? Sitting back here is kinda boring."


    "Hmm. I could. Can''t stay long, just on break. Anything in particular you want to know?"


    "Oh, just anything you find interesting. Doesn''t even have to be about her- you did say she is a her?"


    Shu nodded. "One of the few Fairy martial Elders. I hope to add to that one day."


    Shae smirked. "That''s a great goal." She looked around quickly and hopped out the back of the wagon to walk with Shu. "Oh! That''s nice!" She stretched herself out as she walked. "Hnngh! I don''t think I''ll enjoy sparring that much, but I wouldn''t mind putting a little muscle on. Always wanted a six-pack."


    "A what?"


    "Y''know, Six-pack abs? Ugh, sorry, guess that doesn''t translate. Hmm?" She made a fist then knocked twice over her abdominals and clicked her tongue, "Tok-tok, these muscles."


    "Ah, abdominals? Translate from what? I thought you were local to the Empire?"


    "Ab-domin-als. Abdominals." Shae made sure she got the pronunciation correct. "Oh, yeah. I know another language or two, my family lives a good walk east of Minlin, so we got some trade crossing the border." She scratched the back of her neck nervously.


    "Huh. I didn''t think anyone bothered doing that. Border tariffs are pretty high."


    "Well, can''t say it was completely legal trade. They sure still complained about the taxes, though."


    "Tariffs. At the border they''re tariffs not taxes."


    "Right, tariffs. Everyone I met still called them taxes." Shae shrugged.


    "Well, if you ever have to do accounts paperwork it''s a big difference." Shu coughed to the side. "Sorry, that''s the merchant family coming out."


    "Heh, no problem. So, has your master shown you any good exercises for abdominals?"


    "Ha! Depends what you count as good. Definitely a few painful ones. The first time she had me doing a full core workout- core is all these muscles," she quickly pointed, "they''re really important for martial arts- I was such a mess afterwards..."


    <hr>


    They chatted for what felt like only a dozen breaths but was probably a third of an hour. Shae was excited to try some of the exercises Shu mentioned, especially if she was going to be stuck in the medical wagon the rest of the day. Yet after Shu left, Shae tried to remain out of the wagon. Walking along behind it and counting her steps while cycling the day''s Manifold Journey practice.


    A few false starts and some experimentation later: she had worked out a method to help count with less chance of making a mistake. She quickly found that her instincts for counting like she was on Earth was a great way to make a mistake. Too often she switched over to base ten without realizing it right away. Her talks with, and occasional pop quiz from, Scribe Bai had forced her to acknowledge that she needed to practice base twelve more, and she wanted to stick to the spirit of the practice, meaning base ten wasn''t even an option. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    That didn''t mean she couldn''t take a little shortcut to do it, of course. One designed to fix a problem with counting out in Imperial. The problem was that it took longer than a step to say or even think through most numbers above a square set. So, she began using her fingers to track the second and third digit; only counting the ones-digit in her head, and then the whole when the ones rolled over.


    This was done the same way they taught children to count to twelve in most villages. So long as you have all your fingers intact, you can count the small bones of your fingers to get to twelve. Using your thumb to indicate where you were at also meant you didn''t need to perfectly remember it constantly.


    She walked a li and a half before someone new interrupted her. She knew it was that far because she had counted into the fifth square set.


    "Are you counting your steps?" A male voice questioned, loudly.


    Loud enough for her to startle and lose the correct qi cycling rhythm. She sighed dramatically and dropped her hands, releasing her current count at five-square-set, six-sets, and three. "Not anymore, Disciple Zhango."


    He looked offended but held his tongue for a beat to control his expression. "Miss Shae, Disciple isn''t wholly appropriate. Cultivator would be the correct term. I''m not your disciple, nor is your cultivation significantly advanced enough for me to call you Senior."


    "Hmm, Senior Shae. It has a nice ring to it. Have you begun qi cleansing already then?" She smirked.


    "Well, no, not officially. Last night Master Long advised me to remain at peak qi gathering to stabilize my water aspect."


    "Then I am a stage ahead of you, no? I''ll not insist you call me Senior, but Wise Shae is my preferred cultivator title."


    His eye twitched and an unpleasant expression started on his face before he caught it. He forced a cough to the side. "Wise Shae, aren''t you supposed to be resting from your injury?" He pointed at the wagon''s vacant interior.


    She sighed, rolled her eyes, and waited for a breath to glare at him. Then pushed off harder with the next step of her right foot, launching her smoothly into the back of the wagon. "Better?" She turned and smirked.


    Zhango''s surprise lasted only slightly longer than his other expressions. His mouth clicked shut and he nodded then looked away.


    She had actually practiced the maneuver several times. Specifically, each time she became frustrated from losing count. "So, did Long just send you to ensure I wasn''t having fun or was there something else?"


    He flashed a frown then smoothed the front of his robes. "Master Long did suggest I drop by to ensure you were not overly taxing yourself. Though, he suggested a brief visit to not strain our professional relationship with you.-"


    Shae snorted.


    He raised an eyebrow, then continued when she waved him to, "and he hinted that I should try to get an explanation of mental focus from you."


    She snorted again. "Ha-ha! He did not!"


    Zhango coughed into his sleeve. "Well, I suppose it could be seen another way. Strictly speaking. He said I shouldn''t ask you about it. But then, implied his own viewpoint might be out of date as: it has been ages since I learned it, and your fresh perspective may be insightful."


    "Hah, did he really say insightful?" She chuckled, then looked around the wagon and found a small crate to sit on. The mattress might have been more comfortable, or hanging her legs off the back. Yet that would put them at eye level, and she was enjoying the dynamic of forcing him to look up at her.


    "Hrrmm, he may have simply mentioned your unique perspective."


    Shae chortled to herself. "Yeah, that sounds more likely." She looked up at the clear sky briefly then back to Zhango. "And you? What do you think of my unique perspective? Surely a filthy peasant can''t know anything better than a noble Master."


    He looked to the side and Shae almost thought she saw a blush in his cheeks. "Well, I admit we got off on the wrong foot. I might have let my opinion of you be clouded by your rather disheveled state."


    She baked out a laugh, "Hah! Might have!"


    "Would you like me to apologize for it? Master Long and others have repeatedly advocated for you, even dispelling other rumors among the recruits."


    "Ooo! Rumors! What are they saying about me?" She leaned forwards, propping her head up with her palms under her chin and her elbows on her knees.


    This time she was sure she saw a blush. He turned away again and coughed. "Surely, Wise Shae, it would be inappropriate to repeat such talk directly."


    "Probably, but I don''t care. Tell me anyway then I''ll tell you if they''re true or not, and maybe tell you something about mental focus."


    He frowned slightly. Looking down at the dirt under the wagon without tilting his head down at all. A breath later he sighed through his nose and nodded. "Very well, the most concerning rumor is about your cultivation stage. Several individuals have claimed they sensed you at low qi gathering in Minlin City and during the trip. The going theory is you acquired a spiritual tool to fake your current progress." He spoke calmly but didn''t meet her eyes past the first sentence.


    "Hmmm." She hummed loudly, stretching out the tension Zhango clearly felt. "False, yet supported by truth."


    "Huh?" His jaw dropped open and he looked at her with confusion, clearly completely forgetting his previous awkwardness.


    "When we first met, I was covered in impurities. Clearly a sign my cultivation stage is at cleansing. Even ignoring the physical signs on my body, that is undeniable. Yet, without a certain spiritual tool, qi scans read me as low qi gathering, that is the truth buried in the rumors."


    He frowned and tilted his head. "So you are faking your stage?"


    She shook a finger at him. "No. Not faking. The problem is the qi scans, they are wrong, they always read me as low qi gathering, regardless of my actual progress. The spiritual tool I have corrects the scans to read as cleansing. As I progress it will need to be modified because it always reads the same, or I''ll need to solve the problem properly."


    He scrunched up his forehead as he worked through her words.


    She waited until it seemed like he had understood. "It would be more accurate to say that I am tricking the scan to read as low qi gathering, when I''m not. But I can''t actually control that, so..." She shrugged and displayed an open palm to either side.


    "Huh." He nodded slowly in understanding. "Okay." He took another breath. "Uhm. A few people are saying you''re not actually a sect recruit. Because you didn''t do the spirit root test in Minlin City?"


    She nodded. "That''s correct, actually."


    "What? Then why are you with the caravan?"


    "It''s a caravan, anyone can join it. They just need to ask Mistress Ping."


    His jaw worked once with nothing to say, "Okay, right, that does make sense, but it seems like Master Long is treating you like a recruit."


    Shae shrugged. "I am a cultivator. I intend to apply for entrance to the sect, that''s not much different from the recruits."


    "No, we''re already in the sect, we have formal invitations to join."


    Shae gave him a toothy smile. "That''s not my understanding of it. There''s still one more entrance test. Recruitment or invitation just means the sect will do the work of getting you there to be formally tested, and it sounds like your chances of passing are high. Don''t ask me for specifics, though. I really don''t know what the test will be."


    His expression looked like a kicked puppy. "I- I really thought I was already in."


    "Nothing''s ever set in stone until the stones are forever set." Shae repeated an idiom she learned back in her village, then shrugged. "If it helps, your noble training has made you more prepared than most. Just don''t trip on the doorframe." She chuckled.


    He didn''t seem to find it as funny, and it showed because he wasn''t guarding his worried expression.


    Shae sighed silently, she had seen this kind of behavior before, usually in children half his age, but no one was immune from anxiety. "Something happened that has you worried?"


    That snapped him out of his worry. He swallowed and smoothed the front of his robes. "Nau-" his voice cracked. He blushed and cleared his throat, "A-hem. Just a small matter between me and my Master."


    She hid her smirk with her sleeve, then thought about what he had said earlier. Something happened last night... and Long had that half-used cleansing bath this morning. She inhaled deeply as she connected the dots. "Ah! I see. Then he''s punishing you by keeping you at peak qi gathering."


    Zhango couldn''t hide his surprise, but he sure tried. He forced a cough to the side again. "I''m not sure what you mean, Wise Shae."


    "Sure you do. This morning Master Long had half an impurity cleansing bath that Apollo and I had to dispose of. Which must have been yours. Ah-ha, so you have started cleansing. Except, Long didn''t like some part of what you did, and so he''s holding you back? Do you believe his reasoning?"


    He grimaced slightly then sighed. "Yes, that was from me. He was fairly clear that I used less of it than he expected. But his reasoning is... Uh, fine."


    "Heh. You don''t sound convinced."


    "Well. It''s just that aspecting my qi to water wasn''t recent. My family has had several experts assure us that it has settled properly and is now stable. So, it''s a little weird for him to say to wait more. Uh- I mean- I believe him and trust his opinion. He is an experienced water user."


    "Hmm..." Shae mimed stroking a beard she didn''t have, then sat forwards with her chin on her fist and squinted at Zhango. A few breaths later, when he was looking uncomfortable, she asked, "Why did you stop cleansing last night?"


    "Uhh. I uh- I can''t share details of my cultivation." He looked away quickly.


    "I don''t care how you did it. Why did you stop? Run out of qi? Was it painful? Did you throw up from the smell?"


    He shook his head reflexively before he caught himself. Then coughed to the side. "No, none of that. It was a little itchy, but that''s not why I stopped."


    Shae waited patiently while giving her best ''well? Keep going'' look.


    "It''s just... I thought... Okay, I guess I thought I was done, ya'' know? Can we talk about something else?" He waved across his face and looked away.


    She paused to see if he would continue, then shrugged. "Sure. I didn''t mean to hit a nerve, or imply you or Long made a mistake."


    "Master Long wouldn''t make a mistake..." He looked up at her with indignation, but his sentence trailed off, almost leaving it as a question.


    "Master Long is human. A powerful cultivator, for certain, yet anything that can make decisions can also make mistakes." She let the statement hang in the air for a breath. "I could give you some advice about talking to him, but if you start talking like me he''ll know right away. And it might be a particularly bad habit to develop before entering the sect." She chuckled dryly.


    He just looked confused. "He told me what to do. I just..."


    Shae waved a hand. "Don''t worry about it. I don''t need you to make excuses. Not for me, not for yourself, and not for him. I''d bet he gave you as little instruction as possible, and you were too intimidated or self-sure to ask questions." She stood and exaggerated a pose, holding her nose high while pretending to stroke a beard. Then she pitched down her voice in a clear imitation of an older man. "Now Disciple, listen carefully. Follow your cultivation manual exactly, and you''ll know when it''s done. The room beyond has everything you''ll need."


    He weakly snorted a laugh. "Har-har. It wasn''t that bad." Then he frowned. "But it really was my fault. I stopped too soon."


    She sighed and sat back down on the small crate. "But you won''t say why. No, don''t worry about it, I don''t really need to know. I can guess you''re embarrassed about it, but I can also guess that you probably shouldn''t be." She gave him a more assessing look as she tried to guess the problem.


    Zhango took the added attention smoothly. Switching back to his false front, an imitation of Long''s stone faced indifference. His only tell was nervously adjusting his clothes.


    This kid, friggin'' looks like he fell out of a fashion magazine, not like he''s been on the road a handful of days. She shook her head and looked at her own worn and dusty travel robes. His look cleaner than mine did after Apollo used that technique. Did he pack a dozen brand new robes? Maybe there''s even alchemy made hand sanitizer. She saw his hands were clean and white, not even dirt under the nails. Aaah! That''s probably it then.


    She took another breath to nod slowly to herself. "Well? Were there any other rumors about me?"


    "Oh. Uh, a couple, but they aren''t really bad. Did you really help a dozen monks and military personnel in Minlin City?"


    She shook her head. "Ugh. That story gets more out of control every time I hear about it. No, it was three people, at most. Two of the soldiers had cultivation damage that they were having a hard time overcoming. I was talking to their Staff Sergeant about it and said something that resonated with them. A third cultivator, a monk, was also listening and had a similar reaction. All three were able to gain enlightenment from the conversation."


    Zhango''s eyes went wide but Shae stopped him from interrupting with a raised hand.


    "Not just from my words, it was the whole situation and conversation that did it. They were all very thankful afterwards, but I didn''t hear if they overcame their cultivation troubles. Now, the reason the numbers in the rumors are whacky is probably because of the monk''s ritual. They have a tradition when one of them has an enlightenment, they gather around the person and help them contain the enlightenment qi."


    "Really? I thought no one was supposed to disturb someone having an enlightenment?" He half-frowned at the thought.


    Shae shrugged. "Generally that''s correct. And they didn''t interact with the monk directly, just surround them, more like setting up a formation around them. It''s their tradition and it seemed to work well. I gained an interesting insight from it as well."


    "You had an enlightenment too?"


    "No. Just learned something new. I''m still new at this, so there''s lots to learn. Speaking of, we should get to that mental focus talk."


    "Ah! Yes please, Wise Shae!" He bowed slightly.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 56: The Expert Advice of Elders

    <hr>


    Chapter 56: "The Expert Advice of Elders."


    <hr>


    Shae took a few breaths to consider how best to approach the topic of mental focus. "So, what''s something you don''t like doing? Studying or exercising, for example."


    "Ah, yeah, either of those." Zhango nodded. "Reading history books is really boring."


    "Okay. Not surprising. Let''s say you read your history books for four hours-"


    "Ugh, not likely. I''m usually half asleep after the first hour."


    "Heh. Just an hour then. Someone might say you were able to focus on reading for an hour."


    "Hmm. On reading history. I like reading other stuff."


    Shae nodded. "Sure, but what if we are only talking about reading, not about what you''re reading. Like reading the same word over and over again. It would probably be boring like the history books."


    He grimaced, then nodded.


    "So, all that focus, all that mental stamina. If you practiced reading you''d probably get more of it, and be able to read longer. You could also learn to read faster. Hmm, yeah, that''s a good angle." Shae perked up at her own rambling idea.


    "Uhhh, what angle? And are you just trying to trick me into reading more history books?"


    "No, not at all. You should read more, reading is great. If you want to learn history you have to find someone who is good at teaching it. Someone who can make it as exciting as a good story that you''d enjoy reading."


    "I''m not sure that''s possible." He scowled at the dirt under the wagon.


    "Heh. It takes perseverance too."


    "Umm, takes what? I don''t know that word."


    "Oh!" She looked up and thought for a beat. "It''s pretty much the same as stubbornness. Though, it''s a good kind of stubborn."


    "Hmm. Kay." He nodded. "So, how does this tie into mental focus and cultivation?"


    "Yes! It does, I''m getting there. Stubbornness, drive, willpower, there''s countless words and descriptors for a person pushing through a challenge. That is hugely important for cultivation. Like working through the burn when exercising. You do exercise, right? And when your muscles start to hurt and it''s hard to do the exercise, you keep going right?"


    He looked to the side quickly. "Yes. Of course. I exercise daily."


    "Pfft. Liar. You''re not just going to give up on cultivation as soon as it hurts a little, are you?"


    His gaze snapped back to her, his expression was a little hard and angry, it didn''t suit him well. "No! Of course not! Cultivation is different from exercise."


    "Oh? Is it? How so?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, it has qi. It''s got cool spells and special techniques." As he spoke, Shae could see the excitement in his eyes. "Exercise takes forever to do anything, but qi can make you strong in an instant!"


    "But it takes forever to collect qi and learn how to use it. Then you have to collect it again after you use it. How long have you spent cultivating? Just collecting qi without being able to use it to make you strong?"


    He opened his mouth to argue but nothing came out for a breath. "It doesn''t take that long." He said and looked away.


    "Heh. It does take time, though. Whereas, if you exercised, you would be strong all the time!"


    "Pfft. No! Not that strong."


    Shae smirked. "Hey, are there any guards around? Any other cultivators?"


    He briefly looked confused. "Um, why?"


    "For a demonstration, obviously. I''d go get one but I''m supposed to be resting my already-healed injury in the medical wagon."


    His confusion didn''t disappear, but he did look around. Looking around the edge of the wagons, he spotted and waved someone over. It was a guard Shae didn''t recognize.


    She smiled anyway because he was pretty muscular, which would help with her plan. "Hello, Guardsman. I''m Wise Shae. Do you have a moment to show Cultivator Zhango and I some of the fruits of your training?"


    "Well met, Wise Shae. Cultivator Zhango. I am Guard Hon." He nodded to each, and they returned a bow as they remembered their manners. "As long as it''s not a spar, and you stay in the wagon. I probably can." He smirked.


    "Ugh, did Long tattle to the whole dang caravan that I''m a cripple or something? He didn''t even verify how severe it was, just assumed."


    Hon paused to give her half a glare. "Master Long is an elder of the sect and very knowledgeable in these matters. Any mental focus exhaustion should be treated seriously, especially the first occurrence."


    "And what if it''s not the first time?" She groaned and managed her forehead.


    "Well, you quite clearly have a headache. That''s a common symptom. The sect prescribes a full dozen hours rest beyond the end of any headache symptoms."


    "This isn''t a headache. This is annoyance and frustration at the major pain in my ass by the name of- Ugh." She cut herself off and waved a hand. "No no, forget it. I didn''t ask you over here so I could complain."


    Hon smiled. "That''s good to hear."


    Zhango was nearly snickering, covering his mouth with his sleeve and trying to look nonchalant.


    She took a deep breath and asked, "Guard Hon, you look like you exercise a lot. If it''s not inappropriate to ask: have you done any body cultivation?"


    "You mean alchemy baths?"


    "I think so. The ones that strengthen you beyond normal limits? I''ve heard they''re quite painful?"


    He nodded. "Those would be alchemy baths. Though there are different names. I tried one to strengthen my tendons and cartilage, it was supposedly the least painful." He grimaced. "I don''t think I''ll do another. The cost is also rather prohibitive."


    "Ah! Cartilage is the flexible not-quite bone material in joints, and our nose and ears, right?" Shae clarified.


    "Correct, and tendons are the strong connective tissue between our muscles and bones." He flexed his hand and pointed out the raised tendons on the back.


    Zhango leaned over when Hon showed it to him as well. "Hmm, yeah, that sounds familiar." He nodded.


    "Alright, great." She pointed between the two. "Skipping the song and dance. The point I''m trying to make to Cultivator Zhango is that exercise is valuable even though we have qi. You are much stronger for having shed blood, sweat, and tears while training!" She pumped a fist in the air as she made her point, and then flexed her bicep, which didn''t help her point at all.


    "Eh, well, yeah, muscle training is important." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But the blood and tears part is a bit of an exaggeration. Real blood and pain mean injury and lost progress. You can''t just push blindly ahead without a training plan and experienced trainer."


    Shae immediately recognized that her point was being undercut. She slumped and covered her face as Hon replied. "Thank you, Guard Hon," she said when he finished. "But I wasn''t trying to convince him to work into an early grave. Just that there was work involved. That you have to have drive and stubbornness to get through it."


    Guard Hon rubbed at his neck again. "Oh, uh, yeah. Cultivation is lots of work. Always gotta put in the effort." He chuckled and patted Zhango on the back.


    The boy stumbled forwards with an, "oof."


    "Uh, was that all?" Hon asked as he stopped Zhango from falling over.


    She tilted her head in thought. "Uhh, almost. I guess the reason I called you over was because Zhango seemed excited about qi, but less excited about the rest of the training. So, I was hoping you could show him a feat of strength without using qi? How your training makes you strong all the time, instead of just when you use qi?"


    "Ah, well, technically." He said sheepishly, rubbing his neck again.


    Shae glared at him.


    "Heh, okay-okay, feat of strength first. Hmmm." He looked around briefly then stepped into the open space between a few wagons. He did a quick warm-up flex, grabbed his scabbard to steady it, then crouched and jumped straight up.


    Shae leaned out of the medical wagon to watch him soar into the air at least a dozen paces.


    Zhango gawked, "Woah."


    Hon nearly floated at the height of the jump. His robes fluttered and flapped as he began to fall. Returning to the earth about three heartbeats later, where the ground caught him as easily as it let him go.


    Shae smiled wide as he walked back over. Then she scowled at seeing Zhango; he was flat faced and acting as though nothing interesting had just happened.


    "Good hop, Guard Hon." He nodded.


    "Hah! Good one!" Hon laughed. "I suppose a noble kid like you sees that kind of thing all the time?"


    "Faker!" She pointed. "He was totally gawking earlier."


    Zhango stifled a cough and looked away. "I was surprised, is all. Didn''t expect a jump."


    Hon kept chuckling. "Hah hah! Well, I probably could go higher, but I can''t guarantee a safe or accurate landing. Especially with my full gear on."


    "Aha!" Shae clapped. "Right, the armor, you probably weigh like double because of that."


    "Eh, not exactly, spiritual materials are pretty light, maybe double Cultivator Zhango here, and at least triple you. Hah-ha!"


    Zhango coughed into his fist and smiled. "Still, that was pretty impressive. Probably makes your jump a full set multiple stronger than a mortal''s, yeah?"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Hon shrugged. "At least. Probably two sets."


    "Hah! Math to the rescue! It could be way more than that! Because gravity is acceleration based, it could be closer to a square-set multiple!" Shae pumped her fist in the air again.


    "Uhh, what?" The younger cultivator asked.


    "Yeah, I didn''t get most of that either." The guard admitted.


    She opened her mouth, then worked her jaw helplessly for a beat. "Ugh! Go ask Scribe Bai to explain it. He''ll do a better job and probably give you a real answer. I''m sure not about to work out that math."


    The two men looked at each other and shrugged.


    "Oh, what was that technicality from earlier?" Zhango asked Hon.


    "Hmmm. Ah, right! This isn''t all from training, you get a real good boost from qi cleansing, so don''t skimp on that. You can always push as hard as you want through cleansing. Even when you run out of qi, some people just draw more in and keep going. Hard to manage a real long cleansing session without getting a little cultivation to back it up."


    Zhango looked down at the dirt and kicked it once as he walked.


    Shae grunted loudly in frustration.


    Hon glanced between the two disappointed cultivators. "Ah, alright, I''ll be going now. Have a good afternoon you two." He waved awkwardly as he walked away.


    She sighed, and called to him, "Thank you, Guard Hon." Then sighed again and flopped onto the mattress, setting her back against the wagon''s side." She closed her eyes and thought.


    A few quiet breaths stretched out.


    "Hmph." Shae nodded to herself. "Right. So. Did that at least prove my point? Even if it wasn''t as clear as I hoped."


    Zhango looked up, then scratched the side of his head. "Uhh, your point that there was work to do? Sure? I guess so. How was this related to mental focus, again?"


    The young woman raised a finger and opened her mouth, but froze and remained silent. Her finger began to dance as her head also bobbed and she thought back through the logic of her explanation. "... Stubbornness is needed for cultivation, like with exercise." She mumbled.


    "Hmm, then I said they were different," he supplied.


    "Aha! Yes! So, now you know you can gain benefits to your cultivation skills outside of just collecting and using qi, right?" She turned and pointed at him.


    "Uh, yeah I guess so." He shrugged. "If I want to be physically strong, I should still exercise."


    "Yes. And mental focus training is like exercise. You''re going to have to work at it, maybe struggle a bit before you see the benefits. You can do a lot of exercise without making your muscles sore, without having to push yourself. However! Pushing your limits, feeling the soreness and the muscle strain, that is how you get your muscles to grow."


    "So, I can only make progress through pain? Like with the alchemy baths?" He frowned.


    "Not quite. It''s not the pain that does it. You could take a pill to not feel pain while exercising and still make progress. Most likely you would also severely injure yourself and need to spend time recovering. Time where you could lose muscle mass because you can''t work out."


    "Hmmm, like passing out and needing to rest for two days?" He raised an eyebrow at her.


    She huffed. "One day at most. I''ll be tip-top tomorrow morning. Yes, you need to listen to your body, feel the soreness and pain and headaches, don''t push too hard, just like Guard Hon cautioned."


    "And listen to the expert advice of your elders?"


    She huffed again. "Yes. And listen to them. I trust Master Long''s opinion, but I also trust Senior Apollo''s. She was with me when I passed out, watched over me while I remained unconscious. Then she worked my ass off this morning, even getting me to use qi. All without any overly dramatic warnings or scrambling in a panic to get the whole caravan involved. I trust her opinion more than his."


    Zhango frowned with concern. "Is she an Elder?"


    "They operate on a different system." She waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "She''s easily at the cultivation stage for it, and she''s an experienced cultivator that knows about mental focus. Even if she was somewhat concerned about it she could have mentioned it to Long when they talked this morning. Now. This conversation has strayed quite far. Back to the reading metaphor."


    "Uh, yeah. I was wondering where that was going."


    She frowned at him briefly. "Consider the focus it takes to read that history book for an hour, and how exhausted and bored you are at the end of it. Now imagine you could read faster, much faster. A whole set-multiple faster. You''d have that hour of reading done in a few sets of breaths, right?"


    He nodded. "Okay."


    "But if you used mental focus to do that, you would be just as exhausted as after the hour. You''re squeezing the time down, but it still takes effort, probably more effort, really. I''m just trying to get you to think about it as a resource to use, like physical stamina. You start with very little mental focus and similar to physical stamina you have to train it to get more."


    "And to train it I have to use it? Or can I... just... read more boring books? Is that how you trained yours?"


    "Yes, no, and-" Shae froze mid-answer. "Hmm, actually, I did spend a lot of time reading dictionaries."


    Zhango raised an eyebrow.


    "I don''t think that helped much. Aside from just expanding my mind. I''d bet you have to do other things to help it grow, like eating more meat when you exercise so your body has the right proteins to build muscle." She waved off the question he was about to ask about protein. "Anyway, yes, you have to use it, and nearly pass out from using it many times as it grows."


    "How many times have you passed out? You made it sound like this wasn''t the first time."


    She wobbled a hand in the air. "I''m a bad example: I heal quicker than most, and I didn''t know what I was training until recently. Now that I''m thinking about it, that''s one of the reasons being a rogue cultivator would be awful. I think the first time I was really training it was... Hmm. Yeah, that was probably it." She began mumbling her thoughts out loud, before turning her attention back to Zhango. "I was trying to do a really specific cultivation thing. So, I tried and tried until I got tired, slept for a while, then tried again when I got up. It was really hard at first, then slowly got easier."


    His eyebrows went up a little. "It must have been important for you to try over and over. Did it hurt? What was it?"


    "It was very important. It did hurt, not my mind, it just physically hurt. However, I''m not telling you what it was."


    "What? Aww come on, it''s not a good example if it''s just super vague. You''re not even being mysterious!"


    "Hah. I''ll leave the mystery to someone else, thanks. I''m not going to tell you because it would be a huge conversational distraction and I think we''re almost done." She shook her head. "Do you need any more clarification for what mental focus is?"


    He looked up at the sky and thought for a few breaths. "I think I get the general idea. Use it regularly to get more, it might be tough at first. But, um, how do I use it? And what is it actually for, other than reading fast?"


    "Ha ha ha!" Shae laughed. "Ha- sorry, heh- I thought Long explained that. Hah ha-ha! Should have guessed. A-hah!"


    Zhango''s face said he was ''clearly unimpressed'' with her laughter.


    She wheezed out a few more laughs. "Okay-okay. Haha. Okay, I''m done. For now." She took a deep breath. "Easiest thing to use it for is qi techniques. It can dramatically improve your control for a sec- for less than a heartbeat." She wobbled a hand. "And control of your muscles movements. Remember that demonstration I did with the knarr outside Flame Well?"


    "Uhm, yeah?"


    "When Cultivator Chen asked if I could hit the same spot over and over again. I said yes, because I had practiced using my mental focus to do that. I used it to control the qi reinforcement and my muscle movements in the space between heartbeats right when the ax is swinging down into the log." She made a slow chopping gesture with her hand. "That''s what it''s for. Doing something you can''t normally do, because you can''t do it fast enough."


    "Huh. So, why the reading example? Why not just explain the ax thing?"


    Shae raised a finger and briefly for an excuse that wasn''t because I didn''t think of that first. "Because... that''s the easy example. Also, I''m not supposed to let everyone know I can do that. So don''t spread it around. If I hear rumors about that then I''ll know it was you." She jabbed her finger towards him.


    "Couldn''t someone else guess? You did that in front of everyone. Brother Chen probably knows since he asked that question." He held his hands up defensively.


    She pursed her lips and huffed through her nose while glaring at him. "Maybe. Don''t go around explaining it to anyone, though. Promise that you won''t."


    He sighed. "Fine, I won''t tell anyone that you did the ax trick with mental focus."


    "Hey! Don''t call it a trick." She continued her glare. "If you want another easy example, take silent messaging." She sat back and pointed. "Has someone sent you one before?"


    He shrugged. "Yeah, of course."


    "Hmmgh. Right, noble."


    "Don''t say it like that." He complained half heartedly.


    She smirked. "According to my friend Fairy Yun, the number of syllables you can send with silent messaging is based on your mental focus."


    "Huh. Cool. So then, the more syllables the more focus that cultivator has? Err, what if they send one syllable repeatedly? Does that not use up their focus?"


    "Hmmm, Good question! Okay, she actually said the syllables mark your progress with the skill. Three syllables is small success, and she didn''t say what large was." She hummed again, holding the conversational thread. "It definitely uses focus, and she said the more you try to say at once, the more it uses. So, I''d guess two is more than double one, and four would be more than double two. One at a time might be really efficient." She nodded in appreciation while staring up at the roof of the wagon.


    He smiled smugly.


    "Right-right, last thing to think about. If you''re planning on being a martial combatant, you should know they have a different use for mental focus. Apparently, battle trance is in the same category, so the two are not compatible. Meaning you can''t do both. I can''t really say more though; it wasn''t fully explained to me."


    "Uh, wait, that''s the last thing? You''re not going to tell me how to practice it?"


    She shook her head. "Nope! I wasn''t given any specific practices, so you shouldn''t try to replicate what I did. You can wait until the sect or just go ask Master Long. I''m sure he''ll have something for you."


    Zhango frowned. "Really? Not even a hint?"


    "Pfft. I just gave you, like, twenty hints. More than I had."


    "Umm, what''s twenty?"


    Shae flinched into a grimace. "It''s about two sets. A specific word for a number."


    "Huh." He scratched the side of his head. "What''s it feel like? How will I know I''ve used it?"


    She nodded. "Good question. You might not notice it. I didn''t at first. Hmm, oh, if you are trying to use it, it''s good to stop cycling qi once in a while. Even if you don''t feel tired, it might be because your qi is supporting you. If you wait and overdo it, you might pass out when you stop cycling."


    "So, it just doesn''t feel like anything?"


    She shrugged. "Not really. You will eventually notice it, especially when it''s stronger. It''s like, when you suddenly give something your full attention." She quickly turned to him and pointed forward with all her fingers while staring intently. "You get a heartbeat or two of full focus, then it fades. Not sure if that''s the same as mental focus." She shrugged again and leaned back against the wagon''s side.


    He hummed loudly, visibly trying to think harder. "Hmm. Is it important for cultivation? Like just regular qi stuff during meditation?"


    She threw her hands out to her sides, palms up. "Probably? Maybe not right away though. Another question for Long, or whoever else you trust around the caravan."


    "I feel like I should have more questions to ask." He rubbed the back of his neck.


    "You can always come back if you think of one. I''m here all day."


    "Uhh, last one?"


    "Sure."


    "Why were you counting your steps earlier?"


    Shae huffed and slapped her palms on her knees. "Because I just was. I have some strange and mysterious cultivation practices from far away monks!" She kicked her legs out the back and threw her weight into the air to twist and land facing forward. It wasn''t as graceful as her jump into the wagon, but it felt fun. "It says that I need to count a cubic set of steps, and do it today. So, if you don''t mind."


    His eyebrows rose. "A cubic set? That sounds like a lot. And what for?"


    "What about strange and mysterious monks makes you think I know? And it''s not that far, should be done in three or four li. If no one interrupts me again."


    "Ah. I thought you were going to leave the mystery to other people?."


    "I am. This is the monk''s mystery, not mine. Good chat, Cultivator Zhango."


    "Hah, yes. Thank you for the explanation, Wise Shae." He dipped his head slightly and walked away.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 57: Technically Correct, Also Very Wrong

    <hr>


    Chapter 57: "Technically Correct, Also Very Wrong."


    <hr>


    Shae''s step counting was nearly interrupted by one more person. Luckily for her, she spotted Scribe Bai before he surprised her.


    "Wise Sh-" he started.


    "Seven, eight, nine..." She raised her arms and interrupted him with her counting, then made an X with her arms as she reached the end of that set. "Ten square, eleven sets, and-two, three, four..." She once again thanked everything that she didn''t have to numerically name every single step.


    Bai got the hint and waited.


    A few breaths later he raised a hand to get her attention. "Going to a full cube?"


    She nodded and gestured with her hands that were helping her keep track. "Eleven square."


    "Good, good. I''ll wait." He said then faced forwards and walked beside her.


    Two sets of steps later he hopped up into the wagon and sat on the same small crate that Shae had used when talking to Zhango. Shae tried to ignore him as he removed some paperwork from somewhere and began to review it.


    She was still thankful for him moving into the wagon as she had found his steps to be slightly distracting. Her tension and anxiety of being so nearly finished was using Bai as leverage to try to distract her.


    A little over a hundred meters of road later Shae triumphantly yelled, "One cubic set!" Reflexively she kept counting and two steps later her cycling rhythm lined up with her steps and she felt the phantom qi construct click and turn over: signaling the completion of this Manifold Journey practice. "Ahhh! Yes! Done finally." She sighed lightly and intentionally skipped during the next few steps while returning all her qi to her Dantian.


    "Hmm. Congratulations?" Bai said without looking up.


    She shook out her hands then hopped into the wagon and face planted onto the mattress. "Ugh. So glad that''s over."


    "Heh, I can tell. Something to do with that stack of papers there?" He pointed at her pile of notes from the monks.


    "Yeah. Another beginner practice from the monks that were in Minlin."


    "Ah, like that Silent Slumbering... Stretches, was it? Any progress on that?"


    "Uhh, yep, that''s right, but I, uh, haven''t spent much more time on that. Got distracted by this other one that''s a series of small daily practices."


    "Like counting out a cubic set of steps?"


    "Mhmm." She rolled over to look up at him. "And cycle qi at a different rhythm. Seems to be multitasking practice."


    "Ah, I can see how that would work." He nodded. "Is there a harder version? Now that you''ve finished?"


    "Luckily no. Not sure there''s enough road left to get away with doing it again."


    "Heh, you only need three or four li."


    "Assuming I don''t lose count and no one interrupts me because they think I should be resting."


    "Hah, good point."


    "Mhm. So. What''s the harder version?"


    "What makes you think I know? It''s your practice."


    She squinted and pointed up at him. "The way you asked. I heard it in your voice."


    "Heh. Well, good instincts." He smirked. "You''re correct. By the sounds of it, to make it harder you need to count something other than your steps. Perhaps your heartbeat?"


    "Gmmmgh," Shae groaned. "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a week. Maybe next year." She inhaled deeply. "What''s brought you to my humble wagon, Senior Bai?"


    "Well, o'' Wise Shae, I heard on the wind you had a math question?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "The wind? Are you eavesdropping now?"


    "Not at all, but a certain senior has recently encouraged us to keep our ears open."


    "Taking after Senior Apollo? That would be eavesdropping, you know."


    Bai raised a finger. "Well, her too. Though, I meant Master Long. It seems like he''s always aware of his surroundings."


    "Ah. I suppose I''ve seen him make that point once or twice. As long as he''s not distracted by his disciple. But really, were you just in the area, Senior?"


    "Heh. By some definitions. You did draw some attention to yourself, however."


    "Hmm? How so?"


    "By having Guard Hon jump a set and a half paces in the air."


    Shae scrunched her face up and covered her eyes with her sleeve. "Oh. That."


    "Heh heh. Yes, that."


    The young woman hid her embarrassment for another breath. "Oh! But that means you''ve already heard the math problem."


    "Heh heh, yes I have." He smirked.


    "And? Was I right?"


    "Hmmmm. Put simply, no. Though, perhaps you get a correct mark as a technicality. However, a full square set is an absurd overestimate. On that point you were very wrong."


    "Hgmmmgh." Shae grumbled, then tried to shrug like she didn''t care.


    "One set stronger is a close estimate. I wouldn''t try for more accuracy without some hard numbers. The technicality is in changing resistance from the air itself, slowing the jumper more the faster they move. However, it''s not strong enough to factor into this case."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Ah! Yes! I remember that. Hrm... but I''m wrong because the jump strength is linear, err, it''s a direct ratio to the height jumped?" She misspoke in English, then corrected herself. "Maybe I mixed the two up."


    "Yes, it''s a direct ratio. All of your group''s estimates were high because the mortal strength required to jump is more than you might expect, making an estimated multiple for Hon''s strength lower than most might intuit. You see- Hmm, well, I don''t think you need a full explanation of that right now. Still, I will say getting any hard numbers would require a lot of estimation and averaging data from numerous individuals. All that even before trying to get an accurate number for the acceleration of gravity, as you called it. That''s proven to be tricky."


    She frowned up at Bai. "Really?"


    He nodded. "The initial force is easy enough to measure, it''s essentially weight. The change while something is moving is much harder to track, and varies based on location."


    She stared blankly.


    He waited two whole breaths. "What?"


    "You''re serious?"


    "Yes, of course."


    She scrunched her eyes closed and emitted a frustrated groan while rubbing her forehead.


    "Ah! Are you okay? Is your headache back!?" He leaned closer and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.


    She rolled the shoulder and brushed his hand off. "No, I''m just very annoyed and frustrated by your-" she caught herself before she said world. "Well, at a guess, by the way cultivators pass down knowledge. That proof you''re working on, for example. I''d bet it''s already been solved by your teacher, they just want you to work through it yourself?"


    "Uhhhm. Yes. That is the standard approach. Without an intuitive understanding of the material, it''s rather hard to progress through new problems."


    She grunted in frustration again. "And the only way to get that understanding is having everyone reinvent the whole field of mathematics from scratch?" She accused dryly.


    He coughed lightly to the side. "Well, not the whole field."


    She huffed. "Sure sure. Does the teacher spend a lot of time demonstrating how to solve these problems, or do they just hand out the next problem in the series?"


    He frowned down at her. "You sound like some of the students that get frustrated and want shortcuts."


    She frowned back up at him. "I''ve promised to not make any sudden judgements or claims about the sect''s teaching methods. So, I won''t do that. For the sake of simplicity, which exaggeration is it closer to, Senior Bai?"


    He took a moment to consider. "I''ve rather enjoyed the growing complexity of this problem series."


    "Hah." She forced a frustrated laugh. "It''s good to hear that you like it. And now, I have a guess about this gravity measurement problem. Firstly, who did you hear it from? Some specialist that gave a talk last summer?"


    "Good guess. It was this summer, actually."


    "Were they a space or gravity cultivator?"


    "As in, what was their qi aspect or Dao? They didn''t say. Though I believe they implied they had some intuition or comprehension on the matter. Which..." He looked up to think silently, then nodded to himself. "Most nascent soul cultivators have a grasp of those concepts, yet the speaker was around high-core stage, so isn''t guaranteed to have that same grasp. Which does suggest they have a related cultivation aspect or Dao."


    "Hmmgh. Of course. A conversation I recently had suggested those cultivators would want to keep their specialty''s secrets as secrets. So, I''m not surprised they gave a misleading talk to your sect."


    Bai raised an eyebrow. "You think they lied? That''s a bold statement from a cleansing cultivator." He made a poking gesture with his hand and Shae felt his intent prod her in the side, just below the ribs. She swatted at his hand but missed.


    "I didn''t say lied. Someone would have noticed that. Just misled. Did they specify a ratio or give some examples of how much the measurement changes?"


    He slowly shook his head. "Nothing close to specific. It was a generalized talk, those don''t usually get into specifics. You seem to know something already? What ratio of change would you say it is?"


    Shae huffed again. "Very very small. Okay. So, unless you need very precise measurements it probably doesn''t matter. Like, how many decimals do you usually need?"


    "Umm, decimals? I think I''ve heard that term in lost soul''s math before."


    "Err, sorry, fractions of a whole?"


    "Ah, yes. That. Now I remember. Hmmm." He scratched his chin and his gaze drifted up. "I did appreciate the directness of that style of numerating."


    She glared at him patiently.


    "Ah. Yes, the question." He coughed to the side. "I suppose a handful of fractions is plenty."


    "A handful? How imprecise!" She chuckled. "I would have said two."


    He rolled his eyes. "Perhaps for mortal concerns. We have the ability to be much more precise."


    "Hmm. Sure. The ability, but do we really have the need for it?"


    He smirked. "My young Fairy," -she grunted at the word- "do we really need to do any of this? Cultivation is not about need."


    She looked at the roof of the wagon and breathed stiffly through her nose.


    After a few breaths Bai arranged his robes in preparation to stand, and turned towards the rear of the wagon.


    Shae swatted at his leg. "Where are you going?"


    "Uh-" He startled. "I thought you''d like time to think? Need is not a shallow subject to contemplate."


    "Pfft. You understate how deep I am." She pointed at him. "For everything near this world''s surface, even up a mountain or in a deep trench, falling or still: the same gravity measurement can be used, whether you prefer two fractions or a handful."


    He raised an eyebrow, yet remained silent.


    She let the statement hang in the air for a pair of breaths. "Now, what about you? How''s your work coming along?"


    He tilted his head, nodded, then relaxed back into his seat. "No major breakthroughs. Yet, your suggestion has given me much to ponder. I was able to think out nearly a full set of counter-proofs. None that I''ve felt the need to work through completely. Just brainstorming ideas. Thank you, though. It''s given me a lot more to work with."


    She nodded. "You''re welcome."


    "I am still curious as to what your... instincts have to say about it, especially after that discussion just now."


    She smirked and shook her head. "Maybe I''ll write it down and you can check it when you solve it yourself. I wouldn''t want to interfere with your teacher''s plans."


    "Hah. I don''t believe that for a heartbeat."


    <hr>


    The pair chatted a bit longer until the next person came along to check on Shae. Bai took that as an opportunity to leave, even though that person, Cultivator Chen, didn''t stay for long.


    With more time to herself she did a few stretches then did some of the core focused exercises she had discussed with Guard Shu. Then went back to reviewing her written exercises when she was too sore from that.


    Perhaps an hour later she remembered to check on something from a day ago. It hadn''t been long, but she could compare her notes of the water and metal formations on her Dantian. She quickly identified that the metal symbol looked unchanged. The water formation was very similar. It might have been a little smaller, but she couldn''t exactly tell from her notes.


    The thing she really noticed was the steam symbol. It was near water, so she had a good look at it when recording its details the other day. She could swear it was larger, just a bit. Yet, she hadn''t recorded it previously so didn''t have specific proof.


    So, of course, she dutifully recorded its details alongside the other two. Then she did another set of crunches and side plank leg lifts.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 58: Are You a Panicking Child?

    <hr>


    Chapter 58: "Are You a Panicking Child?"


    <hr>


    The caravan arrived in Gatewash with little fanfare. The whole caravan was tired and eager to be in a city again. An uneasy tension hung in the air as the wagons slowly trickled into the city. Shae might have noticed it because she was privy to a bit more of the drama and tension as the medic wagon was Mistress Ping''s office.


    When Ping arrived she only exchanged greetings with Shae plus a few words. The younger woman cleaned up her belongings and rolled the mattress up for storage. Then hopped out to walk herself into town.


    Mistress Ping looked relieved and thanked her for doing that without being asked. Shae nodded, but stayed near the rear of the wagon simply because she had nowhere else to be.


    A few officials and guards from the town arrived and their conversation grew tense. Shae didn''t have interest in eavesdropping, so she was focusing on her own thoughts instead.


    Eventually Mistress Ping leaned out and asked her to find and bring Master Long over. She gladly accepted the task. Moving towards the front of the caravan, she watched the steep cliff walls rising on either side and slowly drawing the road to a narrow point where the gate was.


    Long was easy to find; standing clearly with the other sect members at the front of the ''van. They were watching the wagons slowly trickle into the town through the tall, heavy gate.


    While he clearly wasn''t happy that Shae was running around, he didn''t berate her. "Did she say why?" He asked as they began to walk back.


    "No, and I wasn''t listening to their conversation. Everyone here seems tense, though. I think it''s something unusual." She pointed at a few of the gate guards that were clearly a bit jumpy.


    His jaw tensed and he nodded. "Good instincts, Wise Shae. I noticed that as well." He picked up the pace and they jogged back to Mistress Ping''s wagon in silence.


    Shae''s interest was piqued now, and she listened to her soundings while waiting near the wagon.


    The guard captain''s request of Long was to borrow some of the sect''s cultivators to relieve their wall guards. It seemed the town was experiencing a surge in spirit beast attacks and so their guards were stretched thin. Shae didn''t catch all the details, yet it seemed the nature of the attacks was also strange in some way.


    The guard captain requested they stay for an additional day. Then heavily implied the town''s managing nobles would also have a request for the sect. She thought the most yelling moment was when he said, "We made a formal request to the sect a few days ago, yet we haven''t received word back." The silent pause that followed couldn''t have been less ominous.


    Shae was asked to find Apollo next. She nodded and said she would try, but also admitted that she hadn''t seen a trace of the woman since the morning.


    That took her to the rear of the caravan, where most of the sect guards were stationed. As they were fully in the canyon already, there was little reason to guard the sides or front.


    She looked around, but didn''t see anyone suspicious. I suppose she wouldn''t be good at her job if it was that easy. She shrugged and called out, "Marco!"


    Several people glanced at her, then frowned or shrugged and looked away. With no better ideas she walked around occasionally shouting "Marco!"


    At the fifth call, something changed. The tension in the air snapped and all the guards drew their weapons. Most turned to face south, the way they had come. A few looked around frantically, along with the other bystanders. Senior guards tapped their neighbor''s shoulders and pointed back towards the caravan line, indicating to fall back.


    Shae took the hint and scrambled to string her bow. Right as she dropped her pack and began setting her quiver at her hip properly, the ground shifted.


    The initial tremor of an earthquake would be too much of an exaggeration for how the ground moved. Shae had only been in a single small quake back on Earth and this was just a single impact running through the earth. More like the heavy bass hit at a loud concert. The one you can feel in your chest.


    Several of the guards watching the caravan moved in the next heartbeat. The sound of both a large crash of rock and an oxen bellowed from further up the wagon train.


    More guards moved until someone shouted to hold the rear and some returned to settle back into formation.


    Mere heartbeats later, Shae spotted Guard Hon sprint out of the caravans and dash to the senior guard who had taken charge of the line. A few quick words were exchanged and the defensive line was split, half the group being sent back into the caravans.


    Another bassy thud rang through the air, louder and causing the ground to shift under their feet. Everyone staggered and most of the mortals in the caravan fell to the ground.


    The sect guard and oxen seemed unaffected. Shae''s own footing had felt like someone had pulled at her legs while her inner ear balance had suddenly said she was falling. Her wide archery stance seemed to save her some embarrassment as she only dropped to one knee and leaned on her bow for balance.


    Her mind caught up to what really happened. That was a qi and intent attack. The ground didn''t actually move. Knowing that didn''t really help her when the next one came, rumbling along with a dust cloud from the south.


    While the tremor and sound traveled to them quickly, the dust stayed in the distance. It looked over a li away, if she had to guess, and appeared like something had broken up some of the canyon wall as the dust clung to one side.


    ''Get Long,'' reverberated through her, the silent message arriving in Shae''s ears a heartbeat after she dropped to a knee from another tremor. Apollo''s voice was calm, cold, and unmistakable.


    Shae immediately turned and ran, taking her bow but leaving her travel pack behind. Just a few steps in and a whoosh of air moved past her, combined with body sized colored smudges, it told her others were on the same mission, and they would surely beat her there.


    Her panicked mind didn''t let her legs stop moving.


    More tremors knocked her around but her feet stayed mostly under her. The civilians were not so lucky, their fearful scramblings were interrupted every few breaths. A corner of Shae''s mind said that was helpful in a way. It should slow the inevitable crush of bodies at the town''s gate.


    She stumbled into the side of the wagon that was her destination and immediately dry heaved at the dirt. Knowing what was likely to happen felt almost as bad as seeing it happen.


    Mistress Ping grabbed her, said something, then forced her to drink from a waterskin. It wasn''t water, but rather strong wine.


    "Blah. Why?" Shae coughed and tried to spit out the foul flavor.


    "Liquid courage." Ping snapped off then took a drink herself. "What''s going on back there?"


    "Some kind of attack." She shook her head. "Didn''t see anything but the canyon wall collapsed about a li south, so it''s big. Where''s Long?"


    "The guards grabbed him and they went south. They didn''t say why."


    "Apollo asked for him."


    Ping swallowed nervously.


    Shae remembered her own gut wrenching prediction. "These people are panicking. They will trample each other once the tremors stop and they can all run for the gates."


    Ping nodded with wide eyes. "We need to get all the wagons inside the town."


    "Fuck the wagons." Shae shouted at her. "Just the people. Maybe cut the animals free if you can. But we need to keep the gates clear so they don''t cause a crush."


    The older woman''s jaw worked silently. Hey hands beginning to move like she was counting, or moving an abacus. She had seen it before from many merchants.


    "Ping. Ping Ahna." Shae grabbed at the woman''s hands, then her shoulder with her stronger hand, pulling to make her look down at herself. "Spirit beasts won''t eat the wagons. They will kill and eat the people. And the oxen. Scare the animals south as a distraction. Get everyone inside the town."


    She looked down at the young woman with shaky eyes. Another tremor passed by the pair, completely unnoticed.


    "Hey!" Shae put her other hand on Ping''s other shoulder. She wanted to grab the back of her neck, to really look in her eyes, but couldn''t reach. "Are you a panicking child, or a caravan Mistress?"


    The woman''s composure shifted instantly, she smirked, then flattened her expression and stood straight, her hands smoothing her robes out. "Right." She broke away to quickly shout foul language at the nearby caravan workers, getting them scrambling. Breaths later she turned back to Shae. "And you? Are you a panicking child, or a cultivator?"


    Shae coughed. "Heh. I can be both."


    "Hah!" She laughed and stalked off, shouting out more expletives. A wake of order trailing behind her and breaking through the chaos.


    The young cultivator took a deep breath and steadied herself. A small fire grew in her stomach. Ah, no, that''s the alcohol. She brushed herself off and took in her situation. Her bow had become unstrung in her panicked rush. The top loop sliding down the arm it was over.


    She took a deep breath and restrung it. A part of her was expecting Apollo to send another message, a small hope she would be told what to do next.


    Another tremor rippled down the wagon train. People missing their footing and falling on their hands and knees. She saw it coming and stood firm. The effect made her slightly nauseous as she resisted it, yet her footing did not waver.


    The dust looked closer now. She adjusted her grip on her bow, wondering if she should be near the front. Oh! Apollo sent me off to not be near the fighting, to be safe. She shifted nervously, the thought warming her heart even as it annoyed her that she was sent away. Or, she sent the message to everyone nearby. I wasn''t the only one to run off.


    Someone nearby shouted, looking for someone they knew. The oxen shifted and snorted, something made a noise like a whinny. Shae tilted her head at the noise; she hadn''t seen any horses.


    "Right." She said to herself, slightly too loudly, then shook herself. Setting off in the opposite direction as Ping she shouted some of the same thing''s the caravan mistress had. Throwing just a bit of intent behind her words when people didn''t pay attention.


    She tapped into the idea of warning she knew so well from her tribulation, fueled by the cat''s-eye marbles in her Dantian. She didn''t really need that strong of a connection for most people. Yet, the one or two that were nearly catatonic quickly snapped their attention to her as she overwhelmed their current fear with the more immediate threat of herself.


    For those that seemed to already have their wits in order she directed them to the town gates, and encouraged them to guide others. Making sure they understood to do so calmly.


    Whoever looked capable she directed to release some of the oxen and chase them south, away from the town. One of those suggested hobbling the animals so they couldn''t stampede, and she agreed wholeheartedly. They even demonstrated it easily as the wagon''s harness already featured it as an option. Unprovoked, they explained it was usually used to prevent spooked animals from dragging away wagons at a full sprint.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A small group of cultivator guards rushed past her, likely coming from the town gates. She quickly caught up to them after following south for a hundred paces. They had spread out along the edges of the canyon and were walking along in a strange stomping gait.


    A high-pitched and pulsing scream from the other canyon wall revealed what they were looking for. Small beasts that looked like pangolins covered in rocky plates emerged from the canyon walls to attack the cultivators. The first scream seemed to be a signal as small dust clouds erupted all along the canyon walls and ground. Followed by more pulsing screams.


    A much louder, and deeper scream came from the south. It echoed off the canyon walls, and Shae reflexively covered her ears against the noise. Shortly after, the pulses repeated, but as unbalancing tremors along the ground.


    She dropped to a knee again, this time just to feel the ground. The nearby high-pitched screams also traveled through the ground and she could feel them as they passed just behind the audible screams. She could also feel others that she didn''t hear.


    Before she could give warning another cultivator yelled, "Don''t lower your guard. There''s more underground. Keep moving. Never stand still."


    She quickly got up and moved several paces away. Then kept drifting towards the action.


    She watched the guards work in teams to distract the spirit beasts, until one could land a blow from underneath, into their soft bellies, she assumed. Like normal pangolins, they were covered in scales, but these had ridged scales running in rows down their backs. Larger plates grew across their shoulders, down their forearms, and at the back of their necks. Most of these were hexagonal, making them look like partial turtle shells.


    She kept moving, finding her path wandering further south. Why am I moving towards the larger danger? She asked herself when a nearby thud drew her attention.


    She found a topped oxen, the quiet beast having tripped in a hole created by one of the spirit beasts. This animal had died without even releasing a bellow of pain. Not necessarily, Shae rubbed at her ears, making sure they weren''t bleeding, it probably couldn''t be heard over everything else.


    She quickly looked around for civilians in danger but saw none and a sigh or relief escaped her. Her constant movement brought her around to see the armored pangolin that had downed the oxen.


    It''s small, was her first thought. Only the size of a medium dog, and it looked even smaller beside the downed oxen. Then its claws flashed. Wide and glistening with metallic sharpness, they quickly scooped a bloody chunk out of the oxen. The dexterous hand attached to the claws brought the meat to its mouth and revealed a much too-wide and far too-deep mouth filled with sharp teeth.


    "Crocodile mouth, it''s part crocodile! What the fuck?" She muttered to herself in disbelief. Its head turned out to be wider and longer than any pangolin she had ever seen. The small head and neck were just an optical illusion of the armor plates. The open jaw looked to extend all the way down its belly.


    Then she saw its eyes. Tiny beady things that shone with a spark of knowledge. It looked at her and she shuddered as its alien killing intent rolled over her. Just testing her to see if she was food or foe.


    She drew back her bow, ready to land a killing blow. The Beast reacted slowly, shifting its stance to guard the edges of its armor. Yet, it did not stop eating. She aimed at its eye, too small, then the edges of its armor, then its mouth, not a killing blow. What then? How would I fight this thing?


    She slowly lowered the bow then took a few steps back and put the oxen between them again. Its killing intent lapped at her, blindly reaching where it couldn''t see, and no longer dug into her nerves. It had never hurt like strong killing intent or pressure, it was simply uncomfortable due to its alien origin.


    She took a slow breath, looked around for a guard, then just shouted out. "One here, eating."


    Two agonizingly long breaths later a woman from the town guard was suddenly beside her. "Good callout." She said and rested a hand on Shae''s shoulder. "You probably shouldn''t engage them with that bow. It''ll just tickle them and waste arrows."


    She nodded in response and let herself relax again.


    "They''re not worth fighting while they''re eating, and the ox is already dead. Let it feast and call over its sisters. They will all be overfed and sluggish when the meal is gone." She smirked, showing Shae some teeth.


    Shae tried to return a friendly smile.


    The woman squeezed her shoulder. "You should head to the gates. But if you really need to help..." She grimaced as her qi swept over the young woman. "Keep moving, keep your distance, they can be fast when they want to. Use an arrow or two to save the mortals by distracting the beasts, then callout when one is chasing you. Don''t drag more than one around." She patted Shae on the shoulder and nodded. "Keep moving." She said and stomped the ground.


    A few paces away the ground collapsed slightly, revealing a tunneling pangolin as it was forced to emerge.


    The guard whistled and dashed to it, swinging her short sword. The dao''s wide blade landed solid hits, but the pangolin moved quickly to defend when pressed, only suffering small cuts as it emerged from the ground. Its pulsing scream was more unsettling when Shae saw it hadn''t even opened its mouth.


    Claws clashed against forged steel and two more cultivators appeared to surround the beasts.


    Shae remembered the guard''s advice and quickly put her good right leg to use. Moving away quickly, then around the battlefield strewn with abandoned wagons and oxen patiently awaiting their slaughter.


    Fewer large tremors had washed along the caravan since the small beasts had arrived. The break seemed to have given the mortals ample time to escape. Shae found her ability to distract wholly unnecessary.


    The two times she did fire her bow, the arrow bounced uselessly off the pangolin''s armor, and the beast didn''t even flinch. It had already been fighting another cultivator and clearly only considered them a threat.


    She moved quietly from wagon to wagon; checking for living mortals. Killing intent from spirit beast and cultivator alike washed over her from all directions. Yet, she felt so relieved to have not found any dead humans that she didn''t consider stopping.


    The sound of a much louder battle grew closer. It was about half of the familiar sounds of loud clashes and whooshing air she had heard from Master Long and Sword Saint Bai training at the Jian Quan.


    It was perhaps a hundred paces from the main event that she found what she had been dreading. An elderly man, trapped in his wagon by an old amputation, completely unable to leave. He smiled openly and awaited his fate, enjoying the sight of the cultivator battle. Even the knowledge that it could be his last few breaths was unable to diminish his enjoyment.


    Shae panicked as she tried to find a way to save the man. His ox was already being eaten by half a dozen spirit beasts, still tied to his wagon.


    He chuckled and pulled her to sit beside him. "If they already have a meal, then I have more time."


    "I could carry you?" She pleaded.


    "And not have free hands to defend yourself? No, I am twice your size and twice-twice your weight." He shook his head with a smile. "If fate decrees, this will be my grave, but I think your sect friends will deal with this threat before then." He tapped his nose and pointed at the noisy battle.


    "How can you be sure?" She swallowed nervously.


    "Heh, when you''re as old as me, you''ve had time to see a few things." He rapped a knuckle on his missing knee, making a hollow wooden noise seem to appear from the empty air.


    Shae gawked with her mouth open. Then saw his other hand was hidden out of view. Finally she sighed and forced a smirk. "I''ll have to trust in fate, then."


    "You say that like it''s not your way? Don''t you cultivators all believe in it?"


    She shook her head. "I''m still young, and yet to be convinced." She gave him a wry smirk then stood to leave.


    "Going so soon? I was enjoying the company of a cute Fairy!"


    "Hah! Now I''m definitely leaving, old man."


    "Watch your step out there!" He laughed.


    She didn''t laugh back; it was actually good advice. She leaned out the back to make sure there were no spirit beasts in waiting, then used as much of her strength as she could to long-jump out of the back and clear a half dozen paces away, the wooden boards creaked and cracked behind her.


    She ran a few paces then jumped up to a nearby wagon, to run across the top like she had seen the other cultivators doing. They effortlessly jumped from wagon to wagon like they were stepping stones in a calm river. She barely kept her footing on the crates she landed on and had to stop to keep from falling off.


    The added height gave her a clearer view of the larger battle taking place. Most of it was obscured by dust but the large lumbering figure of a gigantic turtle-backed pangolin couldn''t be missed. "Shit." She swore loudly.


    The crates shifted as another cultivator landed beside her. "Miss," he scanned her with his qi, a rough and scratchy feeling, like lightly brushing sandpaper across your fingertips. "It''s dangerous up here, you should retreat to the gates."


    She looked up at him and immediately hated the pity in his eyes. "I''m with the sect. There''s an old merchant in that wagon. Immobile but currently safe."


    He nodded. "We know, we''ve been waiting ''till they finish their meal, then we''ll clean them up. Like the others." He thumbed towards another bloody scene in front of a wagon.


    She flinched away from the sight. The oxen and half dozen spirit beast corpses were barely recognizable. "Good." She swallowed her bile with a nod.


    "Can you use that bow?" He asked, his expression unchanging.


    "Yes, but it''s a distraction at best, can''t do any damage."


    "Hmm, and you''re probably too far for any killing intent to bother them. If you have any." He frowned, then dipped his head and raised an open hand to show it wasn''t intended as an insult.


    "They react to intent? I should have guessed that, or tried it."


    He nodded. "Not a lot, but it''s enough for a distraction." He pointed at one chubby spirit beast walking its way between wagons. "Try that one."


    She set her footing and drew back an arrow while trying to summon some kind of intent to throw at it. She paused, then relaxed tension on the string. "Shouldn''t someone be ready for it? Kind of a waste of it does flinch."


    He raised an eyebrow.


    "Uh, if you wouldn''t mind, Senior." Shae bent at the waist, performing an awkward partial bow while still holding her arrow ready.


    "Hah, alright, can''t hurt. Whenever you''re ready." He casually hopped off the wagon and landed behind another one to circle around out of view.


    She reset her stance and drew the arrow back again. An idea slowly formed in her mind. She focused her aim just below the beast, intending to bounce the arrow into its vulnerable underside. Then threw her intent behind it, imagining a large spear of steel bursting out of the ground.


    Her timing needed work, the pangolin turning to face her before she even loosed the arrow. When she did release it the beast simply hardened its defenses in her direction.


    With a bit of her mental focus burning, she had time to strengthen her effort, simplifying the underground attack into just a sense of impending doom from below.


    As the arrow struck the earth the beast suddenly moved, rolling to the side, away from the arrow. It rolled up like an armadillo, using its wide tail to cover its belly, and placing its thicker back scales towards the ground.


    A heartbeat later, the male cultivator was beside it, sliding a Jian through the gap along its sides and into soft flesh. Unlike an armadillo, its scales and plates didn''t interlock to fully protect its sides.


    Shae was still stunned by the sudden movement from both parties when the cultivator made it back to her wagon.


    He gave her a friendly slap on the back. "Well done! Never seen one do that before, almost missed my chance."


    She shook herself and stood up straight, she assumed the qi flowing through her was supporting her from the inevitable focus backlash, and immediately began cycling divine qi to her head. "Hah, thanks. Not sure how many times I can do that, it takes a lot out of me."


    "Heh, that''s fine. Save it for the important moments, not picking off stragglers. You intend to stick around?"


    She nodded slowly, surprising herself at the automatic reaction.


    "Hah. Crazy kids these days. I''m Guardsman Chang, who do I get to say the crazy kid with the bow is?"


    "Well met Guardsman Chang. I''m Wise- hah, well, in the middle of a battle I don''t feel Wise. Call me Heavenly Shae."


    "Ha ha! You sure you can claim that title?"


    A pulse of something strange drew their attention south.


    She nodded, "Very sure. Guardsman."


    He shifted uncomfortably, his hand gripping the hilt of his sheathed blade. "What in the hells is that- that feeling?"


    It was a familiar feeling to Shae. A new version of it, but familiar nonetheless. "That, Guardsman Chang, is a Dao being pressed into the fabric of the world."


    "A- a domain?" He swallowed, then shook himself and firmed his expression. "But whose? Surely not the bloody pangodile''s?"


    "Pango-dile? Is that what they''re called? Hah." She closed her eyes, hummed and felt at the warp in space with her most rarely used sense. Even almost a hundred paces away, it was still fairly clear. "It''s earthy, firm like rock, focused on defense."


    She heard Chang force a slow exhale through shaky lips. Yet, his words were firm. "That''s not what I wanted to hear. Ugh. Look!"


    She opened her eyes to see where he was pointing. The dust had cleared around the gigantic pangodile, revealing nearby wagons that looked dusty and strangely textured. The strangeness soon became clear as it exhaled another cloud of dust towards its adversaries. The dust clung to everything, clumping like mud then growing like crystal deposits.


    "Ugh, wouldn''t want to get caught in that." Chang said.


    Shae nodded. "Master Long''s domain isn''t much better for bystanders. It is sharpness focused, so he should have a chance to break through this thing''s defense."


    Chang gave her a look. "I apologize, Heavenly Shae. I believe I misjudged you."


    She shook her head. "You judged what you saw, no mistake in that." She glanced around, "We had another strong fighter, maybe more elusive, possibly using steam?"


    "Hmm. There was another archer, I thought they were you for a breath. I think they ran out of arrows."


    "Tsk." Shae clicked her tongue and tapped her quiver. "Can''t help with that, these haven''t been very effective."


    "Speaking of," he mumbled and raised a hand for her to be quiet. A strange gesture on a noisy battlefield. "Things to do." He nodded and stepped to launch himself away, then reconsidered. "They''re trying to lure it to the canyon wall, but the smaller ones are getting in the way. You might get a few useful shots in over there. Though, by your cultivation stage, you should really just fall back to the gates." He pointed to the nearer west wall. Then gave her a friendly one handed salute, first over his heart. "Stay safe."


    "Stay safe." She mirrored the gesture, but he was already gone when she finished.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 59: More Like Two and Two Halves

    <hr>


    Chapter 59: "More Like Two and Two Halves."


    <hr>


    Shae carefully navigated from wagon to wagon, treating each as a small island of safety, though there were no spirit beasts to threaten her nearby. Halfway to the canyon wall, she stopped for a breather and stopped cycling qi.


    The relatively mild backlash from her earlier focus use made her balance tilt and she dropped to both knees to stop herself from falling off the stack of crates. She breathed heavily and let her balance return naturally. Guess I need to feel that backlash, can''t just divinely heal through it. After another breath she drew on more of her enlightenment qi and ran it through her head. Not that I won''t try. Her headache wasn''t back yet, so she wasn''t that worried about it.


    As she moved she spotted a pair of cultivators assaulting a pair of pangodiles. She repeated her arrow distraction with significantly less mental focus and intent use. It distracted one of the beasts long enough for the cultivators to injure the other and separate the two.


    A few breaths of spectating later, she tried again. The beast completely ignored her, letting the arrow bounce under it. She frowned at the outcome, as the arrow didn''t penetrate and was crushed by its tail movements. She couldn''t even tell if any blood was drawn. This behavior seemed most common from the beasts. They freely accepted attacks against their scales and hardly attacked at all.


    One particular exchange highlighted their strategy. An oxen was hobbled by its harness but had managed to avoid the usual pit trap. It stomped and stomped at a pangodile, trying its best to crack its shell. Yet, the spirit beast did nothing, simply waiting until the oxen had tired itself out. Then it made a slow and lazy attack to drop the mortal animal.


    Her progress towards the canyon wall was slower than that of the fight. She was interrupted again when Master Long''s sharpness and pressure Dao was activated. An irritating hum and ringing was interspersed with shattering cracks that took over the battlefield sounds.


    She couldn''t get a clear view of Long, only the gigantic pangodile moving and turning. The occasional swipe of a claw or dust breath easily destroyed nearby wagons.


    She stayed out of Long''s domain, but did spot a smaller spirit beast caught in its effects. The beast quickly began bleeding from the edges of its armor as it tried to escape.


    She took a quick shot at it, aiming with her qi stabilisation. She saw the arrow warp as it entered Long''s sharpness domain, and to her surprise the arrow caught between the beast''s scales. It writhed in pain briefly before escaping out of sight, leaving a blood trail behind it.


    She moved again, putting herself another wagon further from the fight. Even if she could resist their Dao, she didn''t want to make it necessary.


    "Shae!" A hand grabbed her shoulder. "Why are you here!?"


    "Ah! Oh? Senior Sister?"


    "Yes. This is a terrible place for you." The cultivator was wearing something close to the town guard''s outfit, but its color matched the earth and rock of their surroundings. "Actually, I need to borrow your bow." She said and grabbed a handful of arrows from her quiver. She didn''t also grab the younger cultivator''s bow, only investigating the arrows.


    "O-kay? Don''t you have one?"


    "Sure, but I''m out of arrows, and yours won''t work with my bow. Tsk." She shook her head. "These are good quality for mortals, but..." she dropped all but one and grabbed more from her quiver. "They won''t hold up to my qi techniques."


    "Uh, right, I guess they wouldn''t." Shae looked at Apollo''s clothes more closely and saw that the color wasn''t natural. It was patchy and looked more like encrusted mud. She reached out and bent a piece, the mud-like coating cracked and crumbled away. "This isn''t an illusion?"


    "Hmm?" She looked away from the arrows, dropping more of them. "I borrowed this set, it''s decent armor for this kind of fight." She grabbed at Shae''s clothes and clicked her tongue. "Tsk, and what about you? How will you survive with just these?"


    "Uhh, I have a defensive talisman?" She scrambled to find it in her robes and revealed the earth talisman that Long gave her.


    "Hmm..." She frowned at her and took the remaining arrows out of her quiver, still only holding one she liked.


    "And I can resist their domains, though not for long."


    Apollo raised an eyebrow to that. "Stay out of the fighting, please. That talisman will work, but only so far. It may do nothing for the crystal dust."


    Shae nodded, and looked at the remaining arrows the woman held. "Only three?"


    "Closer to two and a half." She smirked and took the bow from the younger cultivator. "I''ll make them count." She had jumped away before Shae could respond, easily hopping from wagon to wagon, and quickly reached the shadowy canyon wall where Shae lost sight of her.


    The young woman ran her fingers through her hair, then she looked down at the pile of arrows Apollo left behind and sighed. "Ugh, dammit."


    Before she finished picking them up, the main battle drew her attention again. The gigantic pangodile screamed as it took a hit from something. Shae looked over to see it stagger, then place its two large arms wide for stability. Now that she was closer, and had seen it move more, she compared its movements to a lazy gorilla. Though, it still seemed to have the same strategy as its smaller cousins.


    A flash of steel harassed its left side, then moved to focus more heavily on its right. A shadow of white from above caught Shae''s eye. A distant female figure floated in mid air, surrounded by a white cloud. She fired an arrow down at the spirit beast, striking it in the left arm, just below its shoulder armor.


    The pangolin flinched as the arrow bounced off its toughened scales, seemingly unharmed, yet a cloud of steam clung to the impact site. The beast snapped at Long as the master swordsman moved back to take advantage of the flinch, he made a single counter attack at the beast''s snout then retreated.


    Apollo, still in mid-air, released a burst of steam and seemed to jump off it sideways and fall towards the canyon wall.


    A large streak of brown cut through the steam and dust, streaking past where Apollo had been hanging a beat earlier. The large boulder landed with a cacophonous echo, right where Apollo''s arrow struck. It crushed the pangodile''s arm and the beast slumped over.


    Shae lost track of her senior for a breath, just until Apollo appeared in the air above the damaged limb, aiming right at the spirit beast''s head. She gasped as she watched the warping effect of Long''s domain visually twist and stretch the bow, arrow, and even the cultivator holding them.


    The arrow loosed and a high pitched *pwang* signaled the arrow bouncing off the beast''s closed eye. Apollo bounced off her steam again, leaping across to its front where she fired a third shot, timed perfectly to drive into the beast''s opening its eye. It screamed immediately and thrashed in pain.


    Shae''s eyes widened at Apollo. The woman landed in front of the screaming beast with another arrow knocked in her bow. She stood strong as the beast caught sight of her, opened its enormous mouth, and inhaled.


    Apollo waited, unmoving, and resolute as dust flowed past her into the beast''s mouth. More and more it unhinged its maw, revealing the same disturbingly large crocodile mouth, now lined with more teeth. The arrowhead glimmered with energy then a beat later it was released, streaking deep into the open mouth.


    The beast flinched, but the dust still came, gushing out like an avalanche. Shae thought it was more erratic this time, but still, she watched as the billowing wave easily caught Apollo as she fled. Shae could only gasp as she completely lost sight of the woman. The beast swiped is huge claws through the cloud and she heard the distinct *crack* of impact.


    She stopped herself moving forward automatically before she walked off the wagon. Steel flashed under the pangodile''s blind eye but that barely registered in Shae''s mind.


    She forced herself to breathe. Slowly forcing calm breaths and calmer qi through her system. Quietly, she spoke, "She''ll be fine. It''s not a medusa or something."


    Once she had mostly gathered her wits again she started moving towards the fight. Apollo hadn''t reappeared, and the gigantic pangodile had barely moved. It seemed to be pinned by its crushed arm, and had drawn itself into an armored ball. Shae could tell its earthy domain was drawn tight around itself, increasing its defense and holding back Long''s pressure and sharpness domain. The noise and flash of steel showed that the swordsman had taken a few probing strikes, but now stood a dozen paces away. Qi swirled around him as his Dao slowly concentrated from his domain into his Jian.


    Shae jumped up onto a wagon just outside Long''s domain. The crystals and mud caked to the side broke off as its weight shifted, clattering to the ground like glassy gravel. She heard a cough and looked around. Everything was a uniform earthy brown, only dotted by the small finger-sized crystals being a foggy yellow.


    She finally spotted the tip of her bow poking up from a wagon and lunged towards it without thinking. "A-" she began to shout, then hissed the name through her teeth instead. "Apollo!"


    She heard the woman cough and groan again before she got to her. Leaping up into the wagon, she froze as she landed. Half of the older cultivator''s clothing was coated in a thick layer of mud and crystals. Shae watched as some were still growing, and others were tinted red. More dark red soaked into the mud and cloth where it covered her arm and leg.


    Apollo coughed roughly and met the young woman''s eyes. "Shae. I saved your bow," she rasped out and wiggled the piece of wood with her seemingly uninjured side.


    "Apollo!" She gasped and bent down.


    "Ugh! Don''t touch."


    Shae stopped, then carefully moved to her other side. Accepting the bow and wiping one spot of mud off on the wagon''s side. "What is it?" She looked around, making sure the battle hadn''t moved.


    "Ahh, Earth, but corrosive, corrupting." She said slowly, either in pain or trying to concentrate.


    The younger woman didn''t understand the words, yet got a decent read on the intent in them. She let the older woman get another breath down before asking, "Can I help disrupt its intent?"


    "Hah!" Apollo smiled, then grimaced, but the smile refused to be completely removed. "Only you''d ask that." She shook her head slowly. "No. I got it."


    Shae frowned. "Doesn''t look like it."


    "Heh." She rasped out another breath, bloody spittle bubbling between her lips. She tried to move her free arm beside Shae. It was gripping the edge of the wagon now, instead of the borrowed bow. Shae watched as the muscles twitched and flexed, the wood groaning and cracking under the movement. "Hhhhhgh!" She exhaled what should have been a scream, but came out only as a loud, wet exhale.


    Shae placed her hand over the other woman''s. She felt as tense as a steel cable.


    "Uh, medic pouch. At my hip." Apollo dipped her head towards Shae. Indicating that side of her own body.


    The young woman kneeled closer and reached out, but saw no pouch or bulge under the woman''s clothing. "I don''t see it."


    "Hidden." She grunted, then inhaled deeply and repeated her loud exhale.


    Shae patted roughly at her side and felt her flinch away. "Sorry."


    "There."


    "Hmgh?" Shae scrunched her forehead up, and moved her hands slower. The edges of the cultivator''s fuzzy shape-hiding technique tingling at her fingertips. "If it''s a medic kit, why is it hidden?" She muttered as she concentrated and moved her hands slower, firmly pressing into the other woman''s body to really feel what was trying to be hidden.


    "Ugh! A''uck!" Apollo coughed away from the young woman. "Don''t stop." She wheezed again. "Spatial item. Small glass bottle."


    Shae''s hands stopped anyway at the painful cough. Then again when she said ''spatial item''. She took a breath and forced herself to continue, but now searched with her intent as well. Seeking to open the item, to look inside it. "Is it safe to open?"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    There was a short pause, "Yes." She grunted.


    Shae looked up to see the woman''s eyes squeezed shut, her face in extreme concentration. She redoubled her efforts and was quickly rewarded. A small spark of a reaction. Like a small reflected light flickering in her line of sight. She moved her hands slightly and tried to imagine finding the bottle, or some flap on a pouch.


    A tense breath passed.


    Finally, her fingers found a flap and tried to pull the pouch away, but it held firm to the cultivator''s side. She pushed under and around the flap instead, digging into the pouch and soon found several glass vials. None felt like spatial items, there was no sense of connection.


    She frowned and dug deeper. The tip of a finger on her right grazed glass. A spark of a familiar sensation made her flinch and draw back. She nearly lost track of the pouch again as a deep fear gripped her and made her fully withdraw her right hand.


    "Eh?" Apollo grunted.


    Shae''s breathing was quick and her heartrate had spiked. "Sorry. I-" she forced a quick exhale and shook her head, no excuses right now. "Found the pouch, what am I looking for inside the spatial item?"


    "Hgmmmgh."


    Shae went back to searching and quickly found the bottle again. She forced herself to not react to the familiar sensation and carefully removed it from the pouch. She tried using it, but Apollo''s techniques seemed to be interfering.


    "Green. Bottle." The woman grunted.


    Shae looked inside to find a tight grid of small bottles. Viewed from the side it looked like a small spice rack, with each bottle holding only one or two small shapes. Most held round or oblong pills, but a few were liquids or finely cut herbs. She found one whole row that was green bottles, nearly two dozen of them. The number of them forced her to reassess the size of the imaginary spice rack, it wasn''t half as small as she first thought.


    Apollo inhaled stiffly, "Blood red p-uogh." she coughed, grunted, then went silent. Clearly focused on concentrating again.


    Shae squeezed the woman''s hand which was gradually digging its way into the side of the wagon. "Red pill, got it." Her mind''s eye swept along the row of green bottles. She could see some were supposed to have writing on them, but she couldn''t quite read them, like trying to read something in a dream.


    After the first few, she identified that the green glass was coloring the pills. Wait, does that mean there''s light in here? Coming from... somewhere? She paused in thought then remembered what she was supposed to be doing.


    A firm force of will and her impression of the spatial items interior warped to reveal the bottles contents. Like a cross section, almost half of each bottle''s glass disappeared revealing the contents.


    She quickly found two prime candidates. A very dark red pill that felt heavy, and an intensely saturated-red pill that was probably too bright to be called blood red. She was fairly sure the weights of each pill was related to qi content, as the sense of it varied too much for it to be actual weight.


    She put her mind to removing the darker pill first. Opening her palm and visualizing moving it resulted in no reaction. She pushed again, focusing on the idea, it shifted slightly. The feeling reminded her of her first efforts trying to move qi on Pilgrim''s Rest mountain. Like pushing at a large boulder, it was hard to tell if she had actually moved anything, or just pushed herself away.


    She tried retrieving the other pill instead. It resisted in a similar way, yet she could feel it moving. Like dragging a weight on a chain through mud.


    There was a tactile pop and a tingle in her hand as the bottle landed in it. "Got it!" She leaned over to Apollo and started to work the cork out of the pill''s bottle. "There were two? This is the lighter colored one."


    Apollo''s concentration didn''t falter, but she did frown and grunt.


    Shae pried at the cork, her fingers fumbling trying to get a grip on it. "Urgh!"


    "Smell." Apollo said while taking slow deliberate breaths.


    The young woman almost missed it. "Uh? Smell? Just a sec." She frowned intensely at the bottle, then gave up and retrieved her knife from her robes. Jamming the tip into the cork and an angle she pried it loose. "Ah!" She quickly inhaled a whiff out of the bottle. Catching a wave of minty, menthol-like qi right in the face. She lost track of her thoughts briefly, then turned and sneezed.


    Apollo grunted again. "Let me."


    "Ah, right, sorry!"


    Shae extended the small bottle to the older cultivator, and she took a deep inhale, her eyes going from crushed concentration to stretched wide, but still not open. She exhaled forcefully, then inhaled again, and her expression relaxed. "Wrong." She said, but her voice was clearer.


    "Ah, shit. The other was really hard to remove."


    "Ugh, right." She grimaced, then tilted her head. "In mouth," she said and opened wide.


    Shae also frowned as she tipped the bottle into Apollo''s mouth.


    The injured cultivator didn''t swallow the pill, instead pinching it between her teeth. She then inhaled very deeply past the pill, then exhaled slowly out her nose. Shae could feel the menthol-like qi was still strong on the exhale, and imagined the pill like a strong cough drop. She could feel her own heart rate rise with the tension of the moment. Apollo only took a few breaths, then spat it across the wagon.


    "Haaa! Better." She took another careful breath. "That''s got some zip. I''ll still need the other. Thanks, Shae."


    The young woman exhaled most of her held tension. Then retrieved the ejected pill and returned it to the bottle, jamming the cork back in as well. Her fingers tingled where she touched the pill and she wiped them on her robes. "What was that anyway?"


    Apollo remained silent, locked in intense concentration for a few more breaths. "Later," she finally said.


    "Right," the young woman huffed and ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced over to the fight to see Master Long still in a standoff with the gigantic, injured pangodile. Ranged qi attacks flew in from outside Long''s domain, splashing color across the impenetrable scales. The occasional rock fell from above to shatter across its back. It flinched at their impacts, but nothing more.


    "What the fuck is Long doing?" She huffed again and sat down, then shoved her perception back into the spatial item.


    She found her target pill quickly and tried to replicate the feeling of the other bottle popping out of the spatial item. She felt no give, no movement. She pushed like she had before, focusing on removing the bottle and placing it in her hand. It actually felt heavier than before, even the bottle had more weight. Was the bottle heavy before? Even if I get it out, it''ll be a pain getting it open, she thought as she saw the bottle top looked different, an extra layer of something over the cork.


    Fuckin'' hell, I don''t need the bottle. She mentally cursed at it, then paused. Right, I don''t need the bottle. Quickly, she tried mentally separating the two, just trying to grab the pill out of the bottle, yet had no success. If it''s just arbitrary space, can''t I go in the bottle?


    After another weak attempt she took a deep breath and focused on bending her mind; imagining her viewpoint from inside the green pill bottle. She envisioned looking out at the spice rack around her. Yet, she knew she wouldn''t be able to see the whole spice rack. Unless...


    Inspired by one of two particularly perspective warping movies, 360 degree cameras, and the much simpler reflection of a room off a chrome sphere, she pushed and bent the space around her. Slowly forcing the whole spice rack into the inside-out green pill bottle. She grunted with effort and cursed under her breath at it.


    The spatial item quivered in her hand and made a hollow thoom sound. The resistance to her mental warping vanished right when she heard the sound. Her perspective inside the item was now almost exactly as she had imagined it. She froze in surprise for two whole breaths, caught up in examining the inverted pill bottle. "Ah!" She shouted as she remembered what she was doing.


    Removing the pill was harder than the first pill, but she felt it give when she pushed now. A few more firm pushes and it came free, dropping into her hand with more weight than she expected and a noticeable impact of qi pressure. She opened her eyes to see a limp and motionless Apollo slumped against the side of the wagon.


    White static rang through her ears as she stared helplessly. Then the older woman inhaled, shifting her torso and head slightly.


    "Oh, thank God!" Shae shuddered and scrambled up to her senior, putting a hand around the back of her neck and holding the pill under her nose. "Apollo. Senior, I have the blood-red pill."


    She waited, feeling the woman''s weak breathing on her outstretched fingers.


    The cacophony of a rock shattering over the spirit beast''s back barely drew her attention, just enough to see Long standing in the same place, holding the same pose.


    "Fucking hell Long, kill it already." She cursed under her breath. "Apollo, eat the damned pill!" She leaned forwards and put their foreheads together.


    ''Ha-ah. Why- did- you-'' a silent message trickled through, one word at a time. Longer pauses interspersed unevenly. ''ever get rid... of wrath? Anger suits you.''


    Shae smiled and forced a chuckle. "Take the pill, idiot."


    ''Soon. Answer why.''


    "Why not wrath?" She exhaled a deep sigh. "I don''t mind being angry, using anger. But heaven''s wrath wanted to use me, I wasn''t in control."


    ''Aaahh! Good! ... But our path... is control.'' the woman shifted, her mouth searching for the pill. Shae guided it into her lips, yet once she had it, the woman didn''t swallow yet. ''The heavens want... challenge... Never upset by progress.''


    Shae tensed, only able to think ''don''t die,'' but unwilling to spoil the moment with the obvious request.


    ''Be safe. I''ll be fine.'' Apollo swallowed the pill and Shae felt the rush of qi, hot and bloody. Reflexively she moved away, recoiling from both the feeling of the qi and the amount. The full qi pressure was as strong as she had ever felt during her time on Pilgrim''s Rest Mountain.


    She sat back on a crate, thinking about the cultivator''s words. "It sure seemed upset when it threw lightning at me," she muttered and smiled to herself.


    Looking at the scene before her, she saw Apollo had ripped a board off the wagon''s side where she had been clutching it. A pile of splinters was the only evidence the board had been there, her hand wasn''t even injured.


    She tucked her free leg under herself and placed the matching hand on her knee, mimicking a lotus pose with her uninjured half. Her other half was still veiled by her crystal spattered clothing. A mud and blood soaked cloak was the only barrier against Shae seeing the full extent of her injuries.


    Her hands worried at the two pill bottles she still held, the clicking of glass reminding her that she still held them. The spatial item felt empty, her perspective inside it was still stuck in the empty green bottle.


    She took a deep inhale from the minty menthol pill, still able to smell it through the cork. Her heart rate spiked and she felt her thoughts clear, worry and anxiety drifting away. She shuddered, but I want to be worried for Apollo.


    She stepped into the qi pressure that surrounded Apollo and set the two items into the nook her bent leg made. Then she stepped back and breathed, trying to release all her held tension. A crashing rock drew her attention back to the battle.


    Anger, she thought and looked over to Long, still charging up his stupid attack. Just looking at him makes me angry. She picked up her bow and busied herself by checking it over, brushing off the dust and testing the string.


    The heavens use wrath and anger against cultivators because we challenge it, yet Apollo says it''s not upset. She vaulted over the edge of the wagon, landed with a shake of her head, and walked towards Master Long''s domain while still thinking. It was even threatening death during the inquiry. She shook her head again, heavenly wrath is so wrong.


    She stayed between the wagons and circled wide around the fight. She wasn''t keen on walking right in front of the pangodile, and instead tried to emerge beside Long. She stopped at the edge of his Domain. She hadn''t seen other cultivators recently, even their qi attacks had seemingly stopped, but the rocks fell from the canyon wall in greater numbers.


    She took a deep breath in preparation. A thought froze her movement. Wrath is wrong, anger is wrong. She closed her eyes and focused on her Dantian, visualizing the warning-lightning cat''s-eye marbles orbiting through it. At least one had a red tinge to it now, infected by her anger, or so she had once thought.


    Progress, test, and punishment. Three aspects of a tribulation. Punishment isn''t necessarily wrath: there is no anger needed, no emotion from executing a punishment. The threat during her inquiry, the headsman''s ax, came to mind. The ax isn''t wrath, it is only the threat of punishment. An executioner holds no anger, they only hold the ax.


    Shae looked to her own past, as the adult among children in the library, she often had to punish misbehavior. Not with violence or wrath. She was never truly angry at the children for playing or shouting, they were just children, it''s in their nature. How could the heavens be angry at cultivators for cultivating, it''s in their nature.


    She embraced the warning marbles: the threat of heaven''s punishment. The proof of its laws? She moved them to a tight orbit around her Dantian, she would need them now. She felt her cultivation swell, the cloud of pure and half-divine qi at its center squeezed itself tight; growing denser and embracing the red lightning that sparked off the cat''s eye marbles.


    The familiar sense of opportunity tickled at her mind. Another, more recent memory whispered ''keep moving'' and she looked around nervously before circling around the pressure and sharpness domain again.


    Not right now, enlightenment. "Can I get a rain check on that?" She looked up and asked aloud. And enlightenment, is there punishment in that? The thought almost made her stop again.


    She only considered it briefly. Failure to accept the reward is its own punishment. Disrupting others brings about mortal punishments. In most cases I don''t think the heaven''s even need to act. She nodded to herself and stepped into Long''s domain.


    She froze after the first step, her clothing scratching at her skin like sandpaper and knives .


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 60: Standing Under Pressure

    <hr>


    Chapter 60: "Standing Under Pressure."


    <hr>


    Shae took slow and cautious breaths, feeling for her mental lever to push away the Dao''s effects. She found it already working to keep the domain out of her body. It felt easier than the last time she felt Long''s Dao. She pushed it harder to stretch it to just above her skin, letting her safely move deeper into the domain. She still moved slowly and carefully, being wary of how she held her bow and arrows, and constantly fearing the string would get cut.


    She wasn''t sure if Long or the pangodile had seen her approach, but she knew they were aware of her when she felt the tension of their conflicting killing intents and qi pressure shift to her.


    The gigantic spirit beast flicked its eye to her, then back to Long.


    She shuddered at the feeling of its intent, and nocked an arrow in response. Applying tension to the string, she stepped further into the domain.


    "Shae!?" Long''s voice was surprised, but he controlled it quickly. "What are you doing here?"


    "Trying to figure out why you haven''t killed this thing yet, Long."


    "I can''t protect you and fight at my full strength. You need to leave, now."


    "Were you planning on fighting at your full strength? It sure doesn''t look like it. And don''t worry about me, worry about killing that thing. How long do you need to prepare for a lunge?"


    "These things take time, child. You cannot simply fire an unstoppable attack from a bow to pierce an unbreakable shield!"


    "Wah-wah-wah! All I hear from you is excuses. That sac of meat isn''t unbreakable, it''s literally already broken. Apollo did more with just three mortal arrows than you have all fight."


    The gigantic pangodile huffed quickly a few times and bared some teeth at her.


    "And you!" Shae quickly fired off a shot at its exposed gums. "Roll over and die, you overgrown dirt turtle."


    It twitched before the arrow hit it, guarding itself so the arrow bounced off harmlessly.


    "You can see your arrows are not needed here. Please leave so I can continue layering mantras."


    "Oh, excuse me! Am I stopping you? Here let me help you get back on track." She nocked another arrow and started sarcastically chanting, "Sharpness good, pressure good! Oohhhmmm! The deeper the water the stronger the pressure! Oohhhmmm!"


    Long scowled at her.


    She was slightly surprised when she felt his domain react to her sarcastic intent, layering more pressure warping across the whole bow and arrow. She mentally nudged it off the bow and towards the arrow tip. "Pressure squished to a point is even better than ever! Oohhhmmm!"


    While her words were very sarcastic, she was careful to hold her intent on the arrow tip as she set her stance and drew the bow back. She swung her aim across the pangodile and it hunched down; tightening its domain enough to make the air waver around it.


    Except... there! She saw that it wasn''t guarding its injury and she could also feel that its domain was failing there. Right where the large gray rock pierced through its arm and hobbled it enough that it could hardly move. Maybe a piece of slate or flint? She wondered about the grey rock as she released the arrow.


    The stretched and warped arrow streaked across the short distance with a whisper of sound. There was no dramatic bang or spurt of blood at the impact, just a barely noticeable *tink* of steel on stone.


    "What? How did you do that? No, doesn''t matter, just stop that, leave before it attacks." Long''s voice was clearly more annoyed than anything.


    "Why don''t you just kill it before it attacks, you old geezer? What the fuck are you waiting for?"


    "I am a master swordsman and an advanced elder of the -"


    "Cut to the chase!"


    "I am trying to do something here, stop interfering!"


    She glared at him, and pulled another arrow from her quiver. She hummed a few short notes, then started singing a cappella to a rhythm she barely remembered.


    <blockquote>


    *dun dun dun da-da dun dun*


    *dun dun dun da-da dun dun*


    Pressure!


    Pushing down on me...


    </blockquote>


    She sang in English. Skipping lines and mumbling over words she barely remembered, doing it just because it fit the theme.


    <blockquote>


    *dun dun dun da-da dun dun*


    *dun dun dun da-da dun dun*


    Under pressure!


    Pushing down on you!


    *mm- ba- da- bep*


    </blockquote>


    As she sang and watched the beast, it hunched lower in preparation, practically covering its remaining eye with its claws. Then she found another target, another weakening of the creature''s domain, and she fired the held shot.


    The arrow landed with another anticlimactic *tink* and yet the beast still groaned as the new wound bled. She thought that it couldn''t be that painful, considering its size it was comparable to a bee sting at most, or more of a small wood sliver or needle prick. The arrow didn''t even stick in, it seemed like the sharpness from the domain was doing most of the work.


    "Why do you feel the need to mock me? Do you realize you are endangering multiple lives right now?" Long said with anger in his voice. More of his killing intent spilled over to her.


    She stepped towards him. "I''m not trying to mock you. I''m trying to show you how easy this is. You are making it hard, you are holding back."


    "Stop trying to tell me how to use my Dao, my domain."


    "Then use it." She pointed to the spirit beast, which was growling at them now. "Its domain is failing. Its Dao is falling apart because we''ve proven that it''s not effective. Just fucking kill it, Master Long."


    He kept his scowl focused on her. "Please, Miss Shae, clear the area before you get seriously injured."


    "Fucking coward." She cursed him in English and shook her head. Then threw her hands in the air and turned to walk away.


    "Make that statement again if you are ever at the same stage as me." He said quietly and began muttering a chant under his breath.


    She took a few more steps then looked back, watching him complete the mantra and layer his Jian with more of his Dao. So slow. She kept moving and stepped out of his domain. Hoping he would finally act if she was clear of it.


    She relaxed and shook out her limbs, glad to be free of the dangerous Dao. She looked up at the sky, trying to see if her earlier enlightenment chance was still there.


    She couldn''t tell, so began cycling her qi like she would when cultivating and meditating. It wasn''t nearly as effective, if it worked at all while she was awake, but she felt better while cycling her qi anyway.


    She watched Long complete his mantra, layering a thin film over his Jian. It only appeared as a slight visual warping that settled over the blade like a piece of cloth pulled tight against the piercing tip, then disappeared again as it stopped moving. He took a breath and started the next mantra.


    She huffed and shook her head.


    Checking on the spirit beast, she saw it remained just as it was. However, Shae thought, it looks more relaxed now. It had settled into a defensive stance that seemed to adequately guard against the falling debris the town''s cultivators still rained on it.


    She glanced up to see small specks moving around and hurling the rocks from the canyon''s top edge.


    She blinked when she returned her eyes to the pangodile. Something was just slightly different. Something in its domain, maybe?


    She tried to extend her senses, like she had just before but felt nothing new. Ah, I''m not in Long''s domain anymore. She sighed. I should figure out what it''s doing, Long''s too focused to notice... Or he''s waiting for it to do something.


    She hesitated at the domain''s edge. I need a plan. She shifted uncomfortably and checked over her possessions. Counting a baker''s dozen arrows, a pocket knife, two talismans, and her peace-bound sword.


    If only I had an attack talisman that I could attach to an arrow.


    She looked at her kit again. Then shrugged, worth a try.


    A few scratches with her knife on the arrow tips produced very poor talismans. She could tell they were not working, the symbol too small or too inaccurate to gather any fire qi.


    She tried again with the concept of sharpness. Trying to add to what the domain would do. Of course she had no formation symbol to go with it, and she was unsurprised when it didn''t seem effective.


    A *clink* drew her attention while carving another idea, the arrow head clicking against her ring. Oh! My lightning hairpins!


    She immediately hesitated. I''d rather not lose these. If one gets stuck inside the beast I might not get it back, especially if it escapes.


    The living pin proved the idea possible, readily wrapping around the arrowhead with just a thought. The rustic wire bent like rubber and tightened close to match the arrow''s tip with its own needle-sharp point.


    One will have to be enough. She nodded to herself. It was an easier decision after she recognized that the other two pins would be much harder to attach, and more likely to fall off on contact. She ran qi through her right hand to charge the spiritual tool with lightning, then clutched it in her left hand with her bow. I''ll have to make it count, which means waiting for the right shot, and getting better at using Long''s domain.


    She breathed slowly to calm herself. And being better at finding cracks in the beast''s guard.


    She stepped back into the scratchy, uncomfortable domain. Taking a few steps towards Long again. He was layering another piece of paper-shaped pressure over his blade.


    She flexed her will, pushing the Dao away from herself and sighing in relief. She then reached out towards the pangodile''s domain and searched for a better sense of what it was.


    Readying another arrow, she felt the film of pressure and sharpness across her clothing. Hmm... If Long can do it... She awkwardly gripped the new arrow with her left hand, squeezing it and the bow to free her right hand. Then pinched and plucked at the film on her clothes, peeling away some of the pressure domain. It dissolved away before she got it to the arrowhead.


    A couple more attempts and she made it last long enough to settle over the arrowhead. Then a few more before she felt she didn''t need to mime the action with her hand anymore. A dozen layers and she shifted her focus to the spirit beast''s defenses.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The beast''s Dao was nearly fully manifested, much like Elder Ghon''s had been back on the mountain. The difference was that the spirit beast used it to coat itself. Adding even more layers of armored scales and plates over its own. Shae could also see evidence of what it was doing earlier. Crystals grew from its armor, covering its injuries and the small holes Shae had made. Yet, she could also tell it was weakened and tired.


    She glanced at Master Long. His endurance was now in question as well. She could see sweat on his brow, not a lot, but she thought any was a dangerous sign.


    He completed another mantra and looked up at her, not holding back any of his killing intent. She felt the domain tighten around her, responding to its owner. "Miss Shae. I''ll not ask again."


    "I think you will. You don''t really like to act, do you? I gave you the perfect chance to strike and you waited instead." She peeled a bit more of his domain away from where it was most uncomfortable for her, not even bothering to layer it onto the arrow. "Now the fragile beast has filled the gaps in its armor," she turned to it and yelled, "with delicate glass! And you both are working yourselves to exhaustion."


    "Progress in cultivation requires great effort. Willingness to push yourself and risking great failure to challenge the heavens themselves." He tilted his head back, looking down his nose at her. "Not that I would expect a lost child to understand that."


    Her rage sparked inside her, prompting her qi to match it with angry red lightning. She could almost see it arcing through her own veins, and the living metal pin responded with its own small arcs of red lightning. She inhaled stiffly, channeling the anger. Controlling it so it couldn''t control her. "You forget my title, Master Long. I have challenged the heavens. I didn''t simply dodge or block the lightning of my tribulation. I caught it. I took it into myself."


    She glared at the pangodile. Its attention was on her, its lone eye peering through its claws. She smiled when she saw its domain mirrored it: eyes appeared on the metaphysical layer of scales, the layer she could feel with her strange Dao sense. It was peering at her with its divine sense. She took aim at the largest eye and loosed the normal arrow she had nocked.


    The beast flinched at the impact and she felt a crack in its domain form. It groaned in pain, vibrating the ground with its wails while shifting position and tightening its domain armor around itself.


    She glanced back at Long and drew another arrow. "If you won''t act, then I will." She quickly peeled more of his domain away from her clothes and layered it onto the arrowhead, trying to add sharpness to the sides as well, maybe a broadhead will do more damage?


    "Miss Shae-"


    "Title please." She interrupted, still focused on the arrow.


    "Wise-"


    "No, the longer one." She glared over at him.


    He scowled and inhaled carefully. "Heavenly Shae. Please stop tearing apart my domain, it is very distracting."


    She gestured outwards with the arrow. "Stop leaving it all over the place and maybe I wouldn''t be able to."


    He practically shouted through clenched teeth, "It''s a domain. Focused on pressure, which is everywhere. How could it not be everywhere!"


    "It''s not the same everywhere, just like how you''re layering it on your sword? Oh, sorry!" She gasped and switched to dramatic sarcasm, "Maybe I''m saying too much! Wouldn''t want to explain your own Dao to you and deprive you of a precious enlightenment."


    She paused as his jaw worked to summon more words.


    The ground rumbled and Shae thought the pangodile might have been laughing.


    That was enough for her to spot another weak point and she took a quick shot. It flinched as the arrow bounced off with a *tink* and she frowned. Hmm, either I missed or broadhead doesn''t work.


    "Clearly you don''t have as much comprehension over it as you think. Fret not over the pressure of the watery depths and how that applies to weapons," he gestured at his sword with his free hand, "it is quite the deep subject, heh heh heh."


    She sighed. "And yet, here I am, trying new things, experimenting in an effort to understand. While you are still layering mantras and what? Surface tension? All that effort when you really only needed a dozen stray thoughts to execute a sitting duck." She gestured to the giant spirit beast, then casually drew an arrow and forced a few layers of sharpness onto it.


    "This is the way my style works. How dare you question it!"


    "Oh? Really?" She couldn''t resist the sarcasm, "You regularly get a quarter-hour to slowly assemble a single powerful attack? If this is how duels at the sect work I''ll be top of the class by next spring."


    "While you''re very intelligent, I hardly think you''ll be able to handle yourself in a proper duel. What will you do with your mortal bow when a swordsman lunges across the arena at you?"


    Shae sighed and muttered, "this is going nowhere," dropped her head, and put the back of her right hand against her forehead. With her hands full it was the closest she could get to massaging her temples in frustration. Long''s words had also brought to mind the assailant in Flame Well. The man that leapt from the crowd to take her arm while she was struggling against the shadow qi. The man that was now dead because of her retaliation. She shuddered as the memory made her queasy.


    The ground shook lightly as another boulder splashed off the pangodile''s back.


    "I hope..." she began, but trailed off when she caught sight of Master Long''s imperious expression. She wouldn''t call it smug, exactly, yet it exuded a sense of smug self-satisfaction that can only be learned by the truly delusional.


    She thought the line to herself instead. I hope I never have to fight someone''s child. I hope someone steps in to stop me. "I hope I have control of the power I''ve stolen." She heard herself say the last out loud, and felt a tear run down her cheek.


    "Tsk," the old cultivator clicked his tongue in disgust. "You''ll not be keeping my power. It will destroy you if you try."


    "Uuugh!" She exhaled loudly, completely unable to expel any of her exasperation. "Long, could you at least try to read the situation correctly. That''s like the fifth time you''ve missed the point entirely."


    "No it isn''t. You''re lying, I can tell you''re lying." He somehow managed to say this without breaking out of his self-satisfaction.


    "For fuck''s sake, I''m exaggerating!" She shook her head and forced herself to laugh. "But hey! You want to show me the power of a scary swordsman? Go ahead," she gestured at the spirit beast, "attack! Go for it! I''ll even give you a hint: its defenses are wide open at the base of its spine." She yelled the last sentence and gestured wildly with her bow.


    Long looked at the spirit beast, and it began shifting its defenses, though not with the speed or precision it used when Shae hit it with arrows.


    A third party had heard her callout. Making their presence known with a rather large boulder that crashed down on the beast''s rear, and caused it to cry out in pain.


    "Oh, dang, looks like you missed your chance." Shae mocked, "Guess you''ll just have to wait for another-oh! There''s one!" She called and stepped into her archery stance and snapped off a shot, causing the beast to flinch and groan again.


    "I''m so glad your stolen power is so effective. Imagine if its owner used it properly." Long seethed.


    "Aaah-uaagh!" She shouted and threw her arms up. "Am I fucking stopping you!? Stop complaining and do it! Why are you so desperate for a dramatic moment? Do I need to-" she froze for a beat, "Yes! Yes, that is clearly what I need to do: force your hand." She checked her arrows, "I have ten arrows left. If you don''t kill that thing before I shoot them all at it, you do not get to claim any kill rights after this. Two cultivators with bows weakened it and the town''s guard killed it with falling rocks."


    "Pah, you can''t just demand that. Even if it was a wager, what would you be able to offer up?"


    "If a stray child has to do your job for you then you get nothing. But if you really need more motivation, how about: I''ll never yell or swear at you again."


    He raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to the spirit beast. His feet shifted slightly, and for a heartbeat Shae thought he was actually going to act.


    Then he huffed, shook his head and started another mantra, slightly quicker this time. His change in focus also dropped all the added pressure from when he first looked up at her.


    The younger cultivator shook her head in disappointment and drew the next arrow from her quiver. The reduced pressure let her relax a little, so she stretched the tension out of her neck, and shook her limbs a little while planning out her next experiment for the domain''s sharpness.


    Instead of moving the layers of pressure from her clothing to the arrow, this time she mentally peeled the layers off, just far enough for them to detach, and then passed the arrowhead through them. It seemed to work just as well as the other way. With about a dozen layers complete, she set her stance and fired the arrow at the beast''s mouth, just below its damaged eye. It had left an opening there as it tried to guard from more falling rocks.


    With the next arrow she quickly tried a few variations, like peeling one continuous sheet of pressure and moving the arrow through it slowly. That didn''t work at all, which she found odd.


    Skipping the peeling step did work. She simply imagined several small ripples of pressure in mid air, then ran the arrow through them. She fired that arrow and the following two off in quick succession, repeating the ripple trick, and nearly matching her focused firing pace from the previous night.


    Hah! Has it only been a single day? She shook her head as the third rapid-fire arrow harmlessly bounced off armored plates. "Tsk" This awkward grip is messing with my aim.


    She was forced to slow down more as the gigantic pangodile shored up its defenses. Tightening the gaps and revealing fewer weak points. Overall, she thought it was spreading itself thin, but knew her arrows wouldn''t pierce it without hitting a weak point in its domain.


    She reset her grip and took a few steps to the side, away from Long. Moving mostly to catch a glimpse of her arrows; to see if they were staying stuck in its flesh. The beast shifted slightly to follow her, presenting more of its injured side to Long. She glanced over to see if he would take the clear opportunity.


    He did not.


    The falling rocks did what her glancing arrow could not, striking hard and eliciting a loud cry of pain from the beast.


    "Tsk." She clicked her tongue again. I should really be working with them, instead of enacting this stupid contest. Of course, Long will probably get pissy if I start yelling targeting directions. And the beast clearly understood some of what we were saying, so it might still defend itself.


    She took another shot when the opening came, practically not thinking about adding the ripples and even adding some in front of the bow before she fired it. She held up the next arrow as the beast groaned in pain. And these need to do more damage.


    "Meridians?" She asked out loud as the thought came to her. Are a beast''s meridians the same as a humans? Does it matter?


    She tried to sharpen her Dao senses, expecting to see a clear map of the beasts qi channels pop out at her. Nothing happened.


    She rolled her shoulders and shook off the failure. Her memory of Elder Ghon''s advanced meridian book scrolled through her mind as she tried to give names to the weak points slowly growing across the spirit beast''s domain and flesh. They might not be thin enough for her arrows, but the rocks could easily do more damage.


    She glanced at her arrow-based acupuncture spiritual-tool, that will also do a lot more damage at a meridian point. Probably.


    There were even points that her arrows couldn''t reach, like along its back. "Stomach, two-one." She called out and aimed her bow at the beast''s snout, not even bothering to layer Long''s domain on it.


    She counted her breaths, and saw the streak of gray above her. Her intent reached out, trying to create Dao pressure ripples for the rock to pass through, but she was too slow. The rock still did its job magnificently, slamming into the backside of the pangodile''s right kidney. As it reacted with a cry of pain, she sharpened her held arrow and took her shot, aiming for its remaining eye.


    The arrow caught on its claws, a simple twitch of its fingers enough to block the shot.


    She called out another meridian and sub-point, the meridian name designating a line along the body and the number indicating exactly where to place the strike. She timed her arrow shot for just before, hitting a separate weak point and causing the beast to flinch. The flinch seemed to open up its defenses for a heartbeat, and the rock landed close enough to her callout that Shae felt a distinct crack form in the beast''s Dao. Another one! There were already a few thin ones, probably from Apollo''s work, or even before this. Yet, they all seemed shallow to her.


    She felt the two remaining arrows in her quiver, and looked at the last, tied with her hairpin and still gripped awkwardly against the bow. So, last or second last? She wondered to herself. If it''s last, Long might act before it''s fired, but it might be the one he''s waiting for.


    She heard the spirit beast shift again, stomping the ground to create that familiar tremor from the beginning of the battle. She flinched at the noise more than the unbalancing. At this distance it felt deafening. "Ow." she tried to say, but only heard ringing.


    She didn''t hear the beast huffing in dust, but saw the same arched-back posture and torso-convulsing movements that Apollo had fallen to. Its change in stance opened several weak points in its domain. Fuck, now is fine too. She grabbed the lightning infused arrow and flooded qi into her body from her Dantian. "LUNG-FIVE," she shouted without being able to hear herself and nocked the arrow.


    Her muscles twitched as she drew back and she nearly lost the arrow to a misfire. Mental focus asserted control over the rush of energetic qi in her channels and she began layering ripples of sharpness and pressure domain in front of her and above the called-out meridian point.


    The lung meridian line ran across the body as the lungs brought energy across the body. The fifth sub-point was one of the larger ones and was located on the beast''s right elbow. As its left arm was severely damaged by Apollo''s attack, it only had its right to support its upper body weight. Crippling it should drop the beast to the ground and remove most of its offensive and defensive ability. All that without counting the effects of her lightning qi invading its channels, which Shae couldn''t even guess at anyway.


    She didn''t consider any of these tactical advantages as the beast''s own domain revealed the critical weak point to her. She released her arrow as soon as she had a stable shot, unwilling to wait for the rock from above, or the exhale of breath to spread crystalizing dust all over her.


    She held her stance for a single heartbeat longer, then turned and sprinted to the side, aiming to put wagons between herself and the breath attack. The rushed movements caused sharpened clothing to dig into tender flesh and she nearly dropped from the sudden pain, only her strong right leg and arm able to catch her fall so she could continue. She cried out in pain but didn''t hear herself scream.


    She did hear and feel the impact of the falling rock, so quickly strengthened her left leg and used both to lunge clear of Long''s domain, her muscles remembering some of her morning training. Mid air, she threw aside her bow to not land on it, then painfully rolled behind the nearest wagon.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 61: At Least it Cant Get Worse

    <hr>


    Chapter 61: "At Least it Can''t Get Worse."


    <hr>


    Swiftly leaving Long''s domain while actively using a power that only works inside a domain turned out to be a mistake. The backlash hit Shae like running full sprint into a pole. She felt it reverberate through her mind, Dantian, and somewhere else in her that she didn''t have a name for yet.


    The tumbling roll along the ground only added nausea to the backlash and she began dry heaving as soon as she stopped moving.


    A few shaky breaths later, her vision darkened at the edges. She watched the wagons around her for signs of the spirit beast''s dust clouds, yet saw none. The ground still shook with its movement and pained vocalizations.


    She passed out when its next unbalancing scream made her head spin.


    <hr>


    A sharp minty scent woke her. A hand on her shoulder shook her lightly.


    "Shae, wake up, please." The voice was strained.


    "Uuhh, Senior Si- sister?" The young woman groaned.


    Apollo exhaled with relief and leaned over to hug Shae''s prone form. "Thank the heavens. You had me worried."


    "Ug-gghh, wha- happene-?" She weakly spoke, then tried to wipe at her mouth. Her limbs fumbled.


    "Careful, now. You''re still full of qi, get a hold of it first."


    She nodded and closed her eyes to focus internally. Sure enough, her personal demigod qi still raced through her channels. Without neutral qi to slow it down, it flowed far faster than she was accustomed to and made her muscles twitch sporadically. She quickly began funneling it into her Dantian, then stopped when she felt her fatigue catching up, and pulled neutral qi back out for balance.


    "Ugh, I need to res-, is it o''ber?"


    "Shhh, don''t worry, figure yourself out first."


    "Fuksh. Dat''sh a no, inn'' it?" She weakly sighed and turned her attention back inside. She drew out more neutral qi to balance the overactive half-divine-lightning qi, and pulled on more stored enlightenment qi to restore her physical self. Is there... Is there more than I had before?


    She tried to pull herself up, but found herself weak. She mumbled, "Up?" And Apollo gently lifted her and supported her back. "Wa''er?"


    "Ah, of course." The older cultivator summoned a waterskin from her spatial storage and held it for Shae to drink from.


    She spat the first mouthful when she tasted the blood and bile. Then rinsed with the second and spat it out as well, finally drinking deeply from the third. "Bleh. Better." She breathed heavily.


    "I thought you had a defensive talisman? Did you use it?"


    "Mghmm." Shae shook her head. "Wouldn''t have helped... my fault... backlash."


    "Backlash? From what?"


    "Ugh. Did you see my last arrow?"


    The woman shook her head. "I was trying to sense the battle, but Long''s domain makes it difficult. It looked like you were inside it?"


    "How about you?" The young woman asked, trying to push back Apollo''s cloak to see her previous wounds.


    Apollo gently resisted her. "I''ll be fine, it''s just blood. You''ve lost quite a bit, too." She drew Shae''s attention to her own bloody clothing. Dark blood soaked into several places, including the inside of her left forearm, where the bowstring would have been hitting. The cloth was torn and ragged there.


    "Ugghh." She grunted. "Pills?"


    Apollo shook her head. "I''ve nothing weak enough for you. Just smelling this one will have drawbacks." She raised the minty-menthol smelling pill bottle. "I had a weak healing talisman, specifically for new recruits that get in over their head." She poked Shae in the nose. "It doesn''t do a lot, but it stopped the bleeding and fixed your hearing."


    She groaned again as she rubbed at her ear; shuddering at feeling and seeing the blood that had dripped out. "Hmmgh, I haven''t heard any more rocks?" She realized the battlefield was relatively silent.


    Apollo frowned, then sighed and looked down. "Fine." She carefully scooped up Shae and moved her onto the back of a wagon, to see the battlefield. "Don''t try to do anything," the woman warned.


    The relative positions of the combatants had changed slightly, yet it still appeared to be a standoff. "Why?" Was all the young woman could say.


    The pangodile had turned and backed up against the canyon wall. It seemed to have used its crystal breath and many of the fallen rocks to assemble a large crystalline shell around itself. Shae spotted a considerable amount of blood coloring the bottom of the crystal a deep red, but was unable to see the full damage her arrow or the last falling rock had done to the beast''s arm. The fact that it had moved around suggested they weren''t as effective as she hoped.


    Long had also moved, and was still moving. He stepped through sword stances slowly, like he was casually practicing. A glow surrounded his Jian, and small fluctuations like heat haze appeared before it as it passed through the air.


    Shae couldn''t see the layers of pressure forming like she had earlier, but she could easily guess that the haze was similar to the ripples she had made. "Ugh, copycat," she grunted. "He''s not even taking this seriously, it''s like he''s using it as training!"


    Apollo sighed, then grimaced slightly when Shae glared at her. "Shae. How often do you think something like this happens?"


    She scrunched her forehead together, her mind slowly working through the question. "More up here, right? Where there''s more qi."


    Apollo nodded.


    She recalled the swarm of smaller pangodiles. None were anywhere close to the larger beast''s size. "I''m guessing that the big ones are rare? Maybe once or twice a year?"


    The older cultivator raised an eyebrow, "How long do you think it takes to get to core stage?"


    Shae opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Faster for us, but we have each other to share knowledge with. Even then, they''ve made it sound like a decade would be fast. She hummed in thought, "Hmm. But there''s a lot of wilderness out there? Lots of wild animals?" The question answered itself right as she asked it. Large predators need large hunting grounds.


    "That spirit beast is likely hundreds of years old. I''d wager it has been secluded until recently, essentially hibernating."


    "But, the town''s defenses? It must happen relatively often. Once a decade?" Shae cringed, knowing she was still going to be wrong.


    "Across the whole Empire? Sure, a couple times a decade. A single cultivator could go their whole very long lives and only see a handful. They might not even have a chance to participate, though."


    "So he is training, using it as practice?"


    Apollo sighed again. "Yes. It''s not ideal, there are risks, of course. Yet, placing yourself in a dangerous position where you need to overcome a roadblock in your cultivation or style is... Alright, it''s stupid. Yet it is generally accepted to be a reliable way to progress."


    Shae couldn''t hide her disgust, she shook her head slowly, staring at the scene before her. "This isn''t that. There''s no challenge to this, no risk of failure."


    Apollo nodded, "We have already won the fight. Either of us could have ended it much earlier. That Sword Saint Bai that was with the group earlier might have been an even match. He''ll be rather upset that he missed this." She took another slow breath and used one arm to side-hug the young woman. "The challenge is if Long can overcome its defenses. For a piercing style like his, strong defenses are always a challenge. He was rather eager when we discovered it was a defensive type. He must be giddy now that it is like this."


    Shae wanted to lean into the offered comfort. To just relax and rest. However, the situation was still very wrong to her. "But, but, there is no challenge. Its armor is flawed, its Dao is crumbling. When he finally attacks he won''t even feel the resistance."


    Apollo frowned at her. "Don''t underestimate the... strength of... crystals..." She focused on the young cultivator. "How are you so certain about this? You can''t know anything about its Dao."


    The young woman shook her head. "Crystals can be strong, sure. Quartz glass is much stronger than regular glass, it depends how it''s made. How few impurities there are in the crystal, or how they compliment the structure, like with metals. Does that look like a well made crystal?" She pointed at the pangodile''s haphazardly assembled cluster of crystal and rock.


    Apollo followed her pointing, holding her gaze on it and pinching her lips closed.


    Shae sighed and mumbled, "At least it''s not a ranged attack, it won''t keep going."


    The older cultivator''s eyebrows popped up slightly and she looked down at her. "What?"


    "Uhh, well if he was throwing the attack it would just keep going, right? With it on his sword, it shouldn''t do that."


    Apollo shook her head, "That''s not a reliable assumption. Sword cultivators can project their attacks."


    "Uhhhgh? So, how far through the cliff will his attack go?"


    She remained silent for several breaths.


    "Uhm, Senior?"


    "Mhm, I''m messaging the cultivators on the canyon edge to evacuate."


    "And those down here, in case there''s a collapse?" Shae asked.


    The other woman frowned, and tilted her head at the canyon wall.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "At least he''s facing south... Though he is moving now."


    Apollo groaned and muttered, "Demon''s ashes and blood of the hells."


    "Oo! Haven''t heard that one before." Shae cheerfully said, then looked bashful when Apollo frowned at her.


    "And of course Long isn''t responding to my messages." She huffed.


    "Hmm, we could kill it before he does?"


    She shook her head, "I can''t, well no, of course I could, but I shouldn''t. Not worth the political headache for a possible problem."


    "Mmmmmgh. Right. We don''t know people are at risk, and he might have heard you and just can''t respond."


    Apollo nodded. "It would be seen as rather petty and maybe as an attack on his cultivation, since he''s now using it as practice." She huffed and rubbed the center of her forehead with a knuckle.


    "Hah-hah. I''ll gladly be petty. Less of a risk for me." Shae chuckled.


    "Your bet? I couldn''t track your progress, did you have an actual plan for killing it?"


    She shrugged and pointed up at the edge of the canyon. "We were doing okay repeating your trick. Though I can''t see its weak points for call-outs now." She removed one of her wire earrings; she had been wearing the other two living spiritual tools as earrings since Jani suggested it. Her qi was still running through her body so it quickly showed it had a charge with a few small sparks of yellow lightning. "This on an arrow was the plan, but I had to use it early when the beast was going to use its breath. Where''s my bow?"


    Apollo flourished a hand and Shae''s bow appeared in it. "I got your pack after you ran off, as well. Though, I''m going to have to punish you later for coming back to the fight."


    She opened her eyes wide. "Ah! So you were trying to get me out of the area?"


    "Of course! What kind of senior would I be if I didn''t look out for my adorable Junior Sister!?"


    Shae felt her face turn red and she covered it with a sleeve.


    "Hah!" The woman laughed and leaned in for a tighter hug. She only squeezed half a breath out of the younger cultivator before pulling back, flourishing the two remaining arrows from Shae''s quiver. "Just two left. Do you think you can defeat it?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow.


    "Well I have two of these pins, too." She raised the bent lightning hairpin. Then frowned in thought for a few breaths.


    The older cultivator waited patiently, likely taking the time to send off a few more silent messages.


    Shae sighed. "I don''t think I can. If I knew more about talismans, maybe I could add one. Or do something with metal and lightning qi to bypass its armor..." She shook her head. "I don''t like the other options I''m coming up with, and I probably shouldn''t push myself too hard. I''m surprised I''m still conscious."


    "Oh, you won''t be soon enough. Sniffing this pill is good to keep you alert, but has quite the aftereffects." She presented the same light-red pill from earlier and took a large inhale from the green bottle. "You''re right, though, don''t push harder than you need to. So, what exactly did you two agree to anyway?"


    "Err, he didn''t really agree to anything. But he didn''t reject it, either." She looked down at the arrows. "I said he doesn''t get kill-rights if I shoot all my arrows before he attacks. I was trying to force his hand, to give him a reason to act."


    "And did you shoot all your arrows?"


    Shae tilted her eyes and gestured to the two remaining arrows. She tried to give her best "well it''s obvious" look.


    Apollo just leaned her head closer and raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh." The young woman spoke through a gasp. "I don''t actually need to kill it, do I? Just finish the bet." She didn''t need the confirmation from Apollo and grabbed the bow. She awkwardly nocked an arrow and tried to pull it back.


    "While sitting like this? Really?" Apollo frowned.


    "Uh, well, I don''t need to actually kill it, or even hit it."


    She frowned harder. "I''ll be very disappointed if you can''t hit it."


    Shae sighed, then began moving to get out of the wagon, her injuries obviously showing her down. "Ehhr, Senior, could you help me get upright?"


    The pair awkwardly maneuvered out of the wagon, then moved a bit closer to get a clear shot. Shae ended up half leaning against a flipped wagon for support.


    While lining up the shot, the arrow tip wavering significantly, Apollo asked, "It''s a hair under eight sets of paces. What are you aiming for?"


    Shae immediately relaxed and slouched. "Ugh, nothing really. It''s huge."


    "If you aim for nothing, you''ll always miss."


    The young woman worked her jaw open and closed once. "I''m angry that that makes sense."


    "Do you want me to pick a spot?"


    She shrugged, and was about to accept, but hesitated instead. "What happened after my last shot? I thought it was going to breathe crystal dust everywhere."


    "Everywhere? That''s far more ability than it showed before." Apollo smirked.


    Shae massaged her temple. "Ow."


    "Why did you call out lung-five? I assume you shot it there as well?"


    "When it stood and began its attack, the same one I saw it use on you. It dropped most of its defenses. That was an easy target."


    "Easy for you, harder for them." She pointed up. "Why not its head or back? Surely that could have been lethal."


    Shae shook her head. "More armor there, my arrow wouldn''t have done anything, even with the help of Long''s domain. Its lung meridian was more active, and that''s a critical point, on a human, at least."


    "And it might fall over, since its other arm was damaged, so that would drop its combat ability much further." The older cultivator suggested.


    "Eh, I wasn''t thinking that much. It just stood out to me as a weak point."


    "Just? You''re talking around something. What are you avoiding telling me?"


    Shae cringed and lowered her eyes briefly. "It''s not particularly believable. Even if you know I''m telling the truth." She pulled herself along the wagon, up to Long''s domain. "Easier to show you."


    "Careful Shae, if you touch... that..."


    She had already put her hand into it, carrying the arrow along and then passing it through created ripples to layer sharpness. She winced slightly at the mental effort and removed her hand while trying to concentrate on keeping the sharpness on the arrow. It wavered and began to dissolve off.


    With the obvious time constraint, she nocked it again and took aim. Choosing a gap between crystal and rock near the beast''s remaining eye. Knowing the Dao effort and mental focus would quickly take its toll, she rushed and loosed the arrow before her limbs had time to shake.


    "Hmgh." Apollo grunted right after the release.


    Shae exhaled, relieved that the mental strain hadn''t knocked her out again. "I take it that I missed?" She had forgotten to watch the flight.


    "Were you aiming for the center of a rock shard?"


    "Ugh. No. The seam just above its good eye."


    "Hmm. Not terrible then, considering your awful form."


    She scanned the beast for damage, but saw nothing. "A chip at least?"


    Apollo shrugged. "Maybe a small crack, I can''t tell at this distance. Their domains interfere too much." She inhaled stiffly. "So, earlier. You really were inside." She half pointed at the domain.


    Shae nodded. "Not the first time, either. So don''t assume I was being reckless."


    The older woman shook her head. "I don''t have to assume anything; I know you are reckless." She smirked, but Shae thought it looked forced. Glancing at the pangodile again, she tilted her head and asked, "If you can do that with Long''s... what about...?" She pointed at the spirit beast.


    The young woman nodded. "The flaws in its defenses... they are flaws in its domain and Dao. It''s falling apart. I''m surprised it hasn''t shattered already."


    Apollo just barely flinched when Shae said Dao. She nodded slowly after a breath of consideration. "Spirit beasts rarely break from direct challenge. It''s one thing that can make them stronger than us, and they stay on their path longer because of it, we think. It''s hard to really say. There''s always new things to learn." She stared intently at Shae for a breath. "How does it look now?"


    She shrugged and swept her gaze over the pangodile again. "Can''t tell. It looks how it looks. I thought a seam might be weak but my arrows have no punch to them. Maybe if we got closer."


    Apollo shook her head. "No heroics, please. I''m already going to have to work to get us out of here when Long finally attacks."


    "Should I get to it, then?" She raised the last arrow.


    "Not yet, we don''t have confirmation that all the civilians are clear."


    She groaned and rubbed her temple. "Mmgghm. There was an old crippled guy stuck in his wagon."


    "Heh, a bigger guy? Yes, he''s probably slowing them down." She approached the edge of the domain.


    Even though Long was moving around, his domain didn''t push far into the cluttered caravans. It appeared to get caught on the large objects, like a balloon or bubble trying to expand without popping.


    Apollo ran her hand along the edge. "What were you doing with this?"


    "Adding more layers to increase sharpness. I think. Huh, and saying that out loud: it doesn''t really make tons of sense."


    "Hmm. I was surprised he got what should be qi water focused to work with sharpness."


    Shae shrugged. "I''m not surprised it cuts and breaks stuff, but yeah, very sharp is weird. Fast moving water hits pretty hard, like from a tall waterfall. Back where I''m from, they have tools that use high pressure water to cut steel."


    "That sounds... elaborate. But we have some very specialized spiritual tools, so." She shrugged. "Hmm, if this is pressure focused, as well, couldn''t it be used to hit hard instead of cutting or piercing?"


    The young woman tilted her head. "Huh. Yeah. I guess so." She looked at her one remaining arrow. "Too bad I only get one try at it." She nocked the arrow and hobbled her archery stance half-into Long''s domain, far enough that it kept the arrow completely inside.


    "Hmm, what are you aiming for?"


    "Ugh, this again."


    "Call it out this time, make sure he hears."


    "Hah! Okay. That''s a good reason." She glared at the gigantic pangodile, trying to find where the crystal looked most erratic. Where it was full of impurities. "Blood." She gasped. "All the blood is definitely making the crystal weaker. None of it formed well."


    "Heh. I was wondering if you''d catch that." Apollo chuckled.


    "You knew?"


    "Guessed. Didn''t tell you because, let''s face it, those arrows are not going to do anything to it."


    Shae huffed. "Oh yeah?" She inhaled and tensed her arms for the shot, "Watch th-" she froze suddenly, then let the shot dip. "Uhm, Senior Sister. How would I call out a strike to its eye?"


    "Ah, like you were before? Hmmm." Apollo tilted her head at the crystal covered beast. "Try Stomach-one, it''s close enough."


    "Thank you." Shae smirked and then pulled a little too much divine qi from her Dantian. "Now watch this." She inhaled, drew back the bow, and yelled out her target, "Stomach-one!" The air in front of her warped and darkened with the intent of her thoughts. Taking on a blue-green tint that felt like depthless lake water. She spread it out into waves, bringing some back towards her. It clung to the arrow and dripped down her bow.


    She exhaled slowly and deeply, focusing her aim at the beast''s injured eye. It was surrounded by red crystal and she singled out the darkest spot. Bull''s-eye. She released the shot.


    The next heartbeat flowed like tar. Her arrow bucked as it was pushed by the string, absorbing the sudden energy and flexing dramatically even before it contacted the dark spots awaiting it. The first slowed it further, bending more before its stored energy sprung it back to straightness. Shae willed the waves of pressure to embrace the arrow, to carry forwards with it like a tidal wave or tsunami.


    It passed through each of them like they were soap bubbles. Stretching just slightly before they snapped and popped. Only at the final wave did Shae see the change: the arrow head was now navy blue and glistening with a dark liquid depth that rippled and streaked down the shaft.


    Shae gasped as the arrow suddenly jumped forward, her mental focus deactivating without her input. Halfway to its target, the arrow had gained altitude, and was now level with the ground, awaiting its final arc towards the spirit beast.


    The dark arrow seemed to hang helplessly in the air as the world darkened and it faded into that dark. The darkness only avoided the crystal covered spirit beast, almost casting a spotlight onto it. Ripples crossed the darkness, possibly started off to the side, possibly they had always been there. The air shimmered with the ripples and then as suddenly as it began, the dark world she was observing shattered.


    She felt the reverberations from the impact of the two Dao, one crumbling helplessly under the other. Strong hands grabbed her and the world blurred. Then the aftershocks hit the pair, low and erratic thumps that poorly matched the shattering she had felt. As she fainted in Apollo''s arms the canyon continued to shake.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 62: Bed Rest & Recovery

    <hr>


    Chapter 62: "Bed Rest & Recovery."


    <hr>


    Shae awoke briefly to a serious Apollo who was trying to tell her to store her qi. The exact words barely registered.


    A mild sense of deja vu was interrupted by a brief glimpse around the room, lots of white paint, whiter curtains, and a studious older man with long stubble who was holding some kind of instrument to her abdomen. His white robes and the local equivalent of the medic''s cross clearly marked him as a doctor.


    Awakening to Apollo''s intense stare had been enough to get her to act, though she had been drowsy enough that it took a whole breath to begin the action. As her energetic qi vanished inside her, she noticed no pain, suggesting an anesthetic. Gotta watch for side effects. Was the only thought she managed before returning to darkness.


    <hr>


    Aside: "I''m a Doctor, Not a Diviner."


    <hr>


    "How long will she be out?" Apollo asked.


    "Hard to say, it varies quite a bit for new cultivators." The Doctor scratched the stubble on his chin and looked at her cleansed arm. "With this intense cleansing, she''s probably adjusted to heavy qi use, and just now she was able to move a lot of qi quickly. Faster than most, I''d guess. A particularly weak cultivator might take a week, maybe a second of feeling sore and tired. At the other end, I''d wager no less than a day."


    "That''s quite the margin." She frowned.


    "Has she had similar traumatic events? From this scarring, perhaps?" He pointed at the shadow qi scars. "Do you know the details?"


    The older woman sighed. "I believe it was a shadow qi trap. She was only unconscious briefly, perhaps a few hours, then released from hospital care."


    The Doctor widened his eyes briefly then peered at the scarring. "I''m surprised she has the arm. Must have been a weak one. Hmm... Dormant qi, or just residue?"


    Apollo grunted, then spoke through clenched teeth. "If it''s dormant I''ll have to go find her last doctor to... exchange corrective pointers."


    "M-hm." He frowned and glanced between her and the young woman''s arm. "Though, if the doctor in question didn''t have the means of dealing with it properly..."


    Apollo turned and coughed into her sleeve. "Right. A reasonable possibility."


    "Still, the same day is fast. Probably accelerated healing, at least in this cleansed flesh. Could be why the scarring is so clear. Anything else, recent injuries?"


    She looked up at the ceiling and ran her tongue over her teeth. "Well. I should say that just last night she collapsed from mental focus exhaustion."


    The doctor raised an eyebrow. "And she was using that much qi and fighting near domains so soon? ... Sorry, you said two nights ago, yes? If it was last night a repeat will almost certainly cause lasting damage."


    Apollo forced another small cough into her sleeve. "Sure, two nights ago. She was heard claiming she was feeling fine, and without any headache this afternoon, while resting in the medical wagon."


    "Ah." He relaxed and placed an open hand over his chest. "That''s good to hear. Oh! And your caravan had a medical wagon? I''d be interested to meet the staffed doctor. Rare to see someone practicing on the road."


    "Well, it''s not a full time medic wagon. I believe it''s staffed by a trained nurse."


    "Ah." He let part of a grimace show on his face. "I should have guessed." Then scratched his chin again, and slowly turned his own mood around. "Though, I should still speak with them. Rare to get colleagues out here. They might be able to confirm her symptoms were minor or absent."


    "Hmm. Is it appropriate to ask after another''s patient?"


    "Well, she is my patient now. Unless you think there''s something worth hiding?"


    "Ah. Rather, they might hesitate to tell the full story. I''ve not heard it myself, only rumors."


    "Then you can hear it first hand! Do you know where this mystery nurse is?"


    "I believe she was named Medic Sin Piket. A familiar name to you?"


    "Uh, no. I thought you said she is a trained nurse?"


    "I did, but I understand she prefers the Medic title." Apollo shrugged then nodded. "Not to worry, Doctor Cho. I can find her."


    <hr>


    Convincing Medic Sin to speak with Doctor Cho was easy. Convincing her to accurately retell the entire exchange between Shae and Long was practically impossible. Apollo needed to repeatedly reassure her that she wouldn''t be held accountable for the young woman''s words, and then promise that Shae wasn''t going to be punished for them either.


    With the additional information, Doctor Cho estimated her recovery would last at best one to three days. Though, he suggested two to four was more likely. Significant accelerated healing was rare.


    <hr><hr>


    Shae awoke on the afternoon of the second day. The residing nurse was alerted when she knocked over a tray cover for the food she had been brought for lunch.


    "Miss! You''re awake!"


    "So hungry!" Shae whined and looked disappointed at the thin rice soup. "I need a hamburger."


    Shae did not get her hamburger. After a short haggling session with the nurse she was upgraded to minced meat and a light cheese spread over rice crackers. But only after she finished her soup.


    "Mmm. These need pickles. Anything pickled, really." Shae said after stuffing the second one in her mouth.


    "Right!" The nurse leaned forwards. "I''ve been suggesting that for years but the Doc won''t budge. Says the salt and vinegar would be too hard on patients'' stomachs."


    "Eh, maybe? Not sure about that. The probiotics would be good for their gut health, thou-gh." She mumbled absentmindedly while spraying cracker crumbs. "Oops, sorry."


    "The what? I didn''t catch that? And don''t mind the crumbs, you''re not the worst eater in the building."


    "Uhh-" She held up a finger and took her time chewing and swallowing. "The, uh, stuff in the pickles that does the pickling? It''s kinda like yeast, and is good for your stomach and guts. It, uhm, makes you more regular. In the bathroom." She was trying her best to add the necessary suggestive gestures to her words.


    The woman didn''t seem to be completely following. "Hmmm... and where did you hear this? Must be some old village rumor?" She seemed more amused than annoyed.


    Do they seriously not know about gut bacteria!? She froze and stuffed another cracker in her mouth. "Un-huh, musht be." She remembered to cover her mouth this time. Do they actually have gut bacteria here? They must, right?


    The nurse smirked. "Save a couple, I keep a jar of pickled gochu under my desk." She hurried off.


    Shae didn''t recognize the name at first, but when she returned with a jar that contained that signature red tint she did. Ah, kimchi. "Is that... Just spicy peppers?"


    "Not at all, there''s a few other veggies in here."


    She frowned and raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I can see why the Doc hasn''t let you serve these, what with all those chili''s."


    "What? Everyone loves my family''s gochu! Here try... this one. Should be milder." She used chopsticks to fish out a strip of some unknown vegetable.


    Shae shrugged, folded it onto an already loaded cracker then jammed the whole thing in her mouth. She was humming with pleasure before her second bite.


    She chewed slowly, partly out of enjoyment, partly because the two-bites-worth of food didn''t fit in her mouth easily. She was careful not to speak, and instead gave the nurse a thumbs up.


    "Ahh, that was great!" She finally said.


    "See!" The nurse said, having already plucked out two chili peppers while waiting. "Want a pepper?"


    "Uhm. Yes, but I shouldn''t. Based on how spicy the not pepper was, it might be too much. If I''m still here at dinner I''ll definitely take you up on it." She smiled. "However, I can also agree with the Doc. If you''re trying to serve that to patients it would be too much."


    The nurse folded her arms. "Come now, this is my personal batch. I wouldn''t just give it away to anyone; we''d get something a little milder."


    "Heh. Well then. Thank you for sharing it with me." Shae inclined her head in respect.


    <hr>


    The nurse indicated the doctor would be available in an hour, which Shae took to probably mean two. When Shae asked if her belongings had been left the nurse had an interesting response. Saying that Shae''s guard would be around shortly, and that he had her possessions.


    Based on the woman''s tone, and the fact he wasn''t here currently, she assumed the guard was for her protection, not something else.


    After a quick wash up in the private room made for such things, Shae found herself tired enough to take a nap.


    <hr>


    Shuffling feet brought her back from rest. Then a hissing whisper that she didn''t recognize. "--needs her sleep, get me when she''s up again."


    "Hmgh!" Shae grumbled as she awoke. "Doctor?" She asked the retreating silhouette.


    "Ah! Miss Shae? How are you feeling?" He casually returned to her bedside.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She rubbed her eyes and took a breath to consider the question. "Better than I expected. I thought I''d have a pounding headache."


    "Hmm? Did you when you passed out? What is your last memory?"


    "The fighting, and getting carried away from it. From the huge explosion from... Hmm." She tapped her temple and scrunched her mouth sideways. Couldn''t have been my arrow, so it must have been... "Master Long''s huge attack? Ugh, did he collapse the canyon?"


    Both the doctor and nurse were surprised, then shared a glance. "So you can recall that much? And you saw or suspected the scale of the damage?"


    Shae nodded slowly, her brain catching up and telling her that she might have said too much. "Err, yes. The Senior I was with was the one who alerted the town guard to evacuate. I assume she brought me in? -Oh!- I think I remember walking up here once. You and her needed me to store away my qi. I suppose that was the most recent memory, then."


    He smiled, "Good, good! Missing that memory, or being in a fugue state for it would have been a bad sign. Though, now I''m not sure your injuries were as severe as your Senior made them out to be."


    She shrugged. "I heal fast."


    "So I''ve heard. Would you say that''s because of your qi or your cleansing?" He bumped the nurse beside him and she moved to the foot of the bed, removed a clipboard, flipped a page, and then readied a pen to take notes.


    The casual action and the distinct similarity to something from Earth stunned Shae momentarily.


    "Miss Shae? The question is purely for medical purposes, and we have a strict confidentiality policy."


    "Ah, sorry, I was just surprised. Is that stylus a spiritual tool? I''ve always wanted one that didn''t need ink pots."


    The nurse smirked, and the doctor smiled and bobbed his head. "In a way it is. Mortals especially might consider it such. I believe it is closer to a charcoal pencil, just with more interesting materials. I''m sure you can try it out later."


    "Oh! Are we at the sect now?"


    He shook his head. "You''re still in Gatewash. You''ve been unconscious for almost two days. Which is a quick recovery and partly why I was asking about your healing."


    "Ah, yes, sorry, didn''t mean to avoid the question. I believe it''s both, though I haven''t attempted to test it scientifically or anything. Doesn''t normal qi speed up healing?"


    "To a small degree, though it usually needs to be directed to be effective. How are your channels? You had quite a lot of qi in you when you arrived."


    "Oh, I suppose I haven''t checked." She ducked her head and hunched her shoulders. "I''ll try quickly right now," she said and pulled her legs up into a lotus pose.


    Either the doctor didn''t mind, or he was too surprised to stop her. She pulled qi from her Dantian and the darkness of meditation overtook her like she had jumped into it. It was fast enough that her standard handful of qi had just finished emerging when her mental landscape became clear. Nothing hurt immediately, but she still narrowed the flow of qi to not aggravate potentially injured areas.


    The speedy divine-lightning qi quickly found the furthest reaches of her channels. She was once again surprised by how fast she could move it, and was nearly distracted by an attempt to push her limits. Nothing was immediately sore, so she increased the flow by drawing in some of the neutral qi to balance her own qi. The mix slowed, but where it bunched up it pushed on her channel walls with a light pressure.


    Guiding the bubble of pressure around, she found soreness mostly in her left arm and shoulder. She nodded and stored half the qi then slowly lifted herself out of meditation.


    Both nurse and doctor were waiting, the doctor peering over the nurse''s shoulder at the clipboard.


    Shae got the impression she had interrupted their conversation. "Uh. Nothing terribly sore. Just some around where I was reinforcing muscles," she gestured across her arm, "to be expected, really."


    The nurse looked surprised. "You''re certain? That was very fast."


    She shrugged. "I''ve had to check before. Maybe I missed something small? And I didn''t check my meridians, they''re not supposed to be open, though."


    "Hmm. Any change to your qi? Or your Dantian?" The Doctor asked.


    "Uhh, I didn''t check for that. Hmm, my qi might be a little denser? I''ll have to investigate more, probably later. I assume you''re busy and don''t want to wait right now?"


    The Doctor nodded, but it was reluctant. "We were expecting to see some change. You see, when you arrived it seemed like you had absorbed an enlightenment, but were holding it in your body, and distinctly separate from your own qi."


    Shae opened her jaw and managed, "uhhhhh."


    The Doctor raised a hand. "Technically that is your business and not related to your recovery. Academically, I''m interested just for more data points. Most individuals don''t share how their enlightenments affect their progress." He exaggerated a shrug. "We generally get an idea from our own experiences, but there are theories that since everyone has a different path, their progress changes as well."


    She finally clicked her jaw shut. "Oh." With a nod she continued, "That makes good sense. I met someone during the trip here who was convinced she had never had an enlightenment. From talking to her, we deduced that she had simply never noticed her enlightenments. Her progress was too swift to not have had them."


    "Interesting! Such a unique case would be rather rare." He rubbed his chin, the stubble less noticeable than the day before.


    Shae blinked at the clear memory of his face in concentration while he used some kind of spiritual tool on her. "Ah, if you don''t mind. What was that tool you were using on me yesterday, doctor...?" She blinked twice as she drew a blank.


    "Ah! Didn''t I introduce myself? I am Doctor Cho. And this is my assistant Nurse Joi."


    Shae''s eyes went wide at the nurse''s name.


    She smiled, "That''s a look of recognition if I''ve ever seen one. Spill."


    "Err, ah. I have heard of a Nurse Joy before. However, it was quite far away. Ah, um, and I''m Wise Zhi Shae. Though I really do prefer Miss Shae. It''s nice to meet you both."


    "Likewise." Nurse Joi bowed slightly.


    "I didn''t realize, Wise One." Doctor Cho matched the slight bow. "You really didn''t strike me as the monastery type. No offense intended."


    "None taken. I''m not a practicing monk. Rather, I received the title while passing through Minlin City. The monks visiting for recruits were pleasant company and we exchanged advice, gifts, and that title."


    "You almost make it sound like you bought the title?" Doctor Cho smirked.


    "Hah, not at all." She dropped her head and looked down. "It seems I''m still bashful about the event, an urge to be humble I suppose. I''m not even sure if it''s standard practice for that title. One of their group gained an enlightenment from overhearing a discussion- Ah, there''s that humbleness again. They overhead my Wise words."


    Nurse Joi seemed properly shocked by the news.


    Cho smiled ruefully and nodded. "I''ve heard that is one way, though I understood it to require multiple enlightenments."


    Shae resisted the urge to grimace at herself.


    "Oh! Wait! You''re Shae? As in Heavenly Shae? I thought those were just rumors." Joi was nearly bug-eyed, and she had brought up the clipboard to cover her mouth.


    "They certainly are rumors. How true they are I can''t say as I haven''t heard the ones that you have." The young woman forced herself to smirk.


    Doctor Cho raised a palm. "Perhaps we save gossip for after this checkup. Unless you think it''s relevant, Nurse Joi?"


    "Ah, uhm. Not particularly, Doctor." She dipped her head and hid her mouth behind the clipboard.


    He nodded and held a slight smile. "Now. Given your proximity to Master Long''s domain, there''s a chance his qi infected your body. Do you recall receiving any wounds during the battle, or during his final assault?"


    "Ah, Hmm, yes I did. But what do you mean by infected? Surely I would have noticed?"


    "Probably, yet sword qi can be quite notorious for staying in the body and continuing to damage organs, even in very small quantities. You were channeling quite a lot of qi when you arrived, so it''s likely that helped, but it''s good to keep an eye out for lingering wounds."


    "Oh, Long doesn''t have sword qi, it''s-" she cut herself off because of their reactions. They had both become surprised, though Cho hid it better and recovered quickly. "I... I probably shouldn''t say? I guess that would be inappropriate?"


    "Somewhat. Qi aspects are not exactly a secret." Cho said, then cleared his throat and nudged nurse Joi to snap her out of her surprise. "We are startled because of the wounds you arrived with, and damage to your clothing. While largely superficial, they appeared very similar to what we expect from sword qi."


    "Ah. I can see the logic." She nodded. "It wasn''t sword qi, rather... Uh, I mean..." She took a breath to think. "I could allude to it, or maybe use a metaphor, but it is definitely something that is inappropriate to discuss. Especially as it''s not my own abilities that created it."


    The Doctor frowned slightly. "If you''re certain you understand it, just keep an eye out for lingering effects. You don''t want to create a blockage at such a young age."


    "Of course." She dipped her head. "Do you need to check my injuries?"


    He shook his head. "We did that this morning. The little qi you left in your system helped them heal much faster. I''m sure you can take care of the surface damage remaining."


    "Ah! That''s good!"


    "Great, really," the nurse joined in, "I''ve never seen anything like that in someone so young."


    "Yes, thus the questions earlier. I''d wager stuffing yourself with that unique qi kick-started your natural healing, then the leftovers kept it going. I wouldn''t advise that as a regular healing technique unless you like being unconscious for a day or two."


    "Ah-ha, of course, I''ll be more careful and try to figure something else out." Shae rubbed the back of her neck.


    "Or you can simply find a proper technique at the sect. I assume you are going there."


    "Yes, fair point. Oh, Nurse Joi, you mentioned I had a guard?"


    She nodded. "Yes, he had some errands to run while you were unconscious, I think he''ll be back in a few hours. He said you''ve met before."


    "Oh? Hmm I suppose I met many guards on the trip. Speaking of- err, are we done with the checkup, Doctor Cho?"


    "Close enough. I''ll have more when you''re released. As for the sect, they left this morning-"


    "Wha~! Err, sorry for interrupting, I just expected to go with them." She ducked her head and bowed to match the apology.


    "As I was about to say," he smirked, "the caravan was left behind because many of their oxen were lost in the attack. Gatewash is safe enough, so the guard and elders escorted the recruits for their entrance exam."


    Shae''s jaw worked to voice her complaints, but her mind worked to argue around them before they came out. "And I''m not officially a recruit, plus I was injured."


    "They didn''t mention that first part to me, but yes. They didn''t want to delay further, they had already lost a day due to the cleanup, and something else, I''d wager."


    "Hmm." Shae immediately wondered about what the something else was. The sect guards helped with the fight, so some needed a rest, town guards too... "Oh!" She snapped her fingers on her right hand, it was particularly loud and made her flinch. "Uh. Well, the gate guards were asking for help. Some might have been injured or exhausted from the fight. So the sect guards probably took a shift or three to let them rest."


    The other two bobbed their heads in consideration and were soon nodding. "Very plausible," Cho said. "Though, there were only a few injuries among the cultivators. Most were able to fight well or get to safety faster than the mortals."


    Shae blushed with embarrassment and tried to cover her face; her sleeves were a bit too short to allow for that. Then her eyes snapped wide open as she gasped, "Gah! Were any mortals seriously hurt?"


    "A few. Though, I don''t know the full extent, we''re not the only medical service in Gatewash. As I understand it, there were severe injuries during the initial surprise. Mostly the oxen were targeted as easy and large meals, so the guards were able to prioritize human lives. While I didn''t lose anyone here, that doesn''t mean much. The good news is that Mistress Ping acted quickly to keep the caravan sane and safe. Resulting in minimal needless panic."


    "Oh-thank-heavens." She sighed and slumped back into the bed. A small smile crept onto her face when she remembered Mistress Ping marching off to help the evacuation.


    "And that''s a good place to leave it so you can rest." Nurse Joi smiled. "I''ll get you some water, then you can have another nap, you probably need it."


    Cho nodded along and accepted the clipboard for review.


    "Nap?" Shae bolted upright. "No thanks, I''m totally wired from that conversation." She swung her legs off the bed. "I''m going to go out for a run."


    "No. You''re still healing!" Joi stepped forward to block her.


    "Barely. You heard the Doc, just superficial damage."


    They both turned to look at Doctor Cho. Who decided to completely ignore them. It seemed he was very interested in Nurse Joi''s notes.


    Nurse Joi sternly glared at her. "A run is going to rip open your wounds. Walk around the clinic floor if you need to do something."


    Shae decided not to torment the two medical professionals. "Alright I will. Thank you, Nurse Joi. Thank you, Doctor Cho."


    Nurse Joi kept her glare up and raised an eyebrow. "Don''t think I can''t catch and punish you if you try to sneak out." She switched instantly to a friendly smile. "And thank you for your corporation, Heavenly Shae."


    "Ugh! Please, Miss is preferred for now, Wise if you need to be formal."


    Cho chuckled at her. "Heh heh heh, so humble. You should try to embrace your accomplishments, Wise Shae. If you need anything, try the bell, or just give us a shout if it''s an emergency."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 63: Canyon City

    <hr>


    Chapter 63: "Canyon City."


    <hr>


    Shae did end up walking around the small clinic. It was surprisingly like an Earth hospital in most ways. Flat white surfaces and curved corners allowed for easy cleaning. Curtained off beds for privacy while not blocking airflow like solid walls would. Many of the beds had their screens closed, so there wasn''t much to see.


    The lack of IV-drips and monitoring equipment made the place more welcoming and quieter. Without the constant beeps the silence felt more organic, like a library.


    The big difference was the windows. She didn''t even take note of the artificial lighting until she reached a stretch of beds facing windows to the outside. All of these beds were occupied by long-term patients. She could tell because they all had a glut of personal items with them.


    Most were occupied with some minor task, like reading, or the local equivalent of knitting. None called out to her, and she was somewhat grateful. The sight out the windows held most of her attention.


    Right away, she could tell they were not anywhere near the ground floor. Across about a hundred paces of open space was a wall of buildings and windows. It took her brain a few heartbeats to catch on. Her breath and body held still as she took in the sight.


    While she knew the town was built in a canyon, she somehow hadn''t expected the city to be built up the canyon walls. Walkways and windows filled the opposite wall. Their architecture varied significantly between individual constructions. In a small way it was a similar feeling to looking out at another skyscraper from within one.


    In another way it was far more alien. People just didn''t build like this on Earth, they didn''t have to. Even the fictional representation of similar locations lacked the concrete reality on display here. Such structures needed to be used and commuted by mortal humans, and she could see the people. Some commuting, some just living their lives like nothing was out of place, sweeping their storefronts and pushing the dust out into the canyon below.


    Sure, she could see how this would work well as a cultivator only area. They could skip building the staircases between levels and safety concerns like railings. However, this place was home to mortals as well. You would be hard pressed to fill and maintain a city without them. Even thinking of that, there were very few railings that stood out to her.


    Shae pushed herself to keep walking. Telling herself that she didn''t want to obstruct the patient''s view, even if they had seen it every day for years.


    Eventually she was past the windows, and into a hallway that turned away from the open canyon; benches lined one wall. She took a seat and found herself panting for breath. Was I holding my breath that whole time? She wasn''t sure. She leaned forwards with her face in her hands for a few breaths, then leaned back against the wall.


    The foreign sight was the first clear example of what people in this world could do that Earth couldn''t, or perhaps wouldn''t. They were restricted to building the town here, so they did. Even if that meant building into and up the canyon walls so that each house or business could have windows for natural light.


    Again, she tried to compare it to Earth. Electricity could provide perfect lighting in any location. Here they could use qi formations, but those were expensive. Candles and lanterns still needed ventilation, meaning there was a natural depth limit to building underground, or sideways into rock. Forced air ventilation was the same problem as light, they''d need electricity or expensive qi formations.


    She glanced down the hallway. Now appreciating that it led deeper into the canyon''s rock face.


    Multi-story mega malls? She wondered to herself, still stuck on comparing the architecture to something Earth-like. Malls are a smaller scale, but are closer than skyscrapers. They usually have skylights and open spaces that cut through all the floors to let natural light into their liminal spaces.


    She compared it to looking across the open canyon, to see the walkways and storefronts on the other side... it is still lacking so much. She shook her head. Malls are artificial construction. All straight lines and perfect use of space.


    This place was erratic, built over generations and without the need to perfectly maximize the space used at first construction. The buildings next to each other left gaps of exposed stone, and weren''t always on the same horizontal plane. Their balcony-like walkways were rarely a uniform size or style. Each built to accommodate only the building they were made for, not tying together a wholly uniform construction.


    Sure, there were exceptions; she would later see longer stretches of more uniform buildings. Other places that signaled groups had come together to build at the same time. The gap between the two canyon walls had let her see so much, and she could hardly process it.


    She gasped to herself. It''s more like looking down on a city from a plane, seeing the scattered and erratic construction that only follows a loose pattern. But stretched up onto a vertical rock face.


    Shae glanced back into the other room, seeing the windows through the doorway. She didn''t freeze up this time, the new comparisons helping her process the visual information. Glad I wasn''t outside when I first saw that, might have gotten vertigo and vomited or something. She shuddered and walked away from the wondrous sight.


    <hr>


    The clinic wasn''t enormous, yet it was large enough that she could wander without seeing the same area over and over. Many of the hallways and room sections looped back onto one another, Shae guessed it was for ventilation. Several of the open doorways and larger thresholds had formation work across them and she felt a light tingle over her skin when she passed them. Cleaning and sanitizing, she guessed.


    Some rooms were dark, a light slowly increasing from the ceiling as she entered. There wasn''t any dust that she could find, but the rooms were clearly unused, the beds all empty. The soft light followed her as she wandered the dark rooms, staying just bright enough to see by.


    She continued to explore and ran into a pair of nurses that weren''t Joi, she greeted them politely, and they only had time to share a few words. Shae took the opportunity to make sure she wasn''t lost, then carried on. The rooms and hallways were numbered, so she never really felt lost, yet she was still comforted after checking. The place meandered in loops that were just slightly disorienting. At one point she found another set of windows that had a different view from the first, and she was rather certain it was facing the wrong direction. Though the light and shadows indicated otherwise.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Eventually, she was startled to find a small reading room. A bit more color and different furniture gave the room a distinctly different feel. One wall held a set of bookshelves, packed floor to ceiling books. She inhaled suddenly, then spotted a title and intuited most were medical texts. The opposite wall was also bookshelves, but these stopped two paces off the ground making a shallow countertop. A large terrarium tank sat in the middle, those bookshelves jutted out from the wall further to accommodate it.


    It was brightly lit, filling that side of the room with green tinted light, but Shae only saw plants inside as her vision passed over it. One other plant and a few nick-knacks were featured along the narrow counter. At least one appeared to be an award, and another a medical degree. That told Shae this was likely Doctor Cho''s private study, yet the lack of a door in the threshold said it was a public space. The third wall featured another doorway, this one did have a door. Each open wall on either side of both doorways held lone pieces of abstract art, most notable for their very saturated colors.


    Shae gave the room another confused scan, then walked out to check for signs. Only a room number marked the room''s existence. "Room 2-4-4 C," Shae unintentionally spoke it out-loud. Glancing around, she expected someone to complain about her presence. "Doctor Cho? Nurse Joi? Any Nurse?" She said, trying to keep her voice neutral, yet finding herself speaking softly. The uncertainty and nervousness was plain to her own ears.


    She waited a few breaths then entered the room again, well, no one said not to. The room was just as unsettling as the first time, yet she breathed calmly and forced herself to relax. "Ask forgiveness, not permission," she mumbled to herself.


    She began to peruse the taller bookshelf and was unsurprised to find only medical textbooks and references. A few of the narrower books seemed to be research papers, some few bore Doctor Cho''s name.


    About halfway across a distinct grinding feeling filled the room and she stopped instantly. It halted half a breath later, yet she couldn''t deny what she had felt and where it had originated from.


    She turned slowly to look at the terrarium and boggled at what she saw.


    A large chameleon sat in the center of the glass tank, resting atop a perfectly placed section of branch. The particularly unique thing about it was its glowing stained glass-like skin. She absent mindedly stepped closer to better observe the fabulous creature. Its skin wasn''t actually glass, but did shine and cast light. The colors could be seen to light up the plants closest to it. The pattern was an abstract and disorganized collection of triangles and oddly shaped polygons. Like someone had mixed up a variety of stained glass, then rebuilt it in whatever way the pieces fit together without care for their color.


    The ridge along its spine looked more dinosaur than lizard, fanning up into a sail like a dimetrodon. The tip of each spine glowed a brighter white, illuminating the tank and whole room even further.


    Shae watched its eye track her as she slowly crossed most of the room towards it. She halted a couple paces away, as she remembered to not spook the animal. "Well, aren''t you a colorful fellow?" She asked in a gentle tone. Then quickly glanced around the tank for a plaque that might guide her, without finding anything.


    The chameleon stayed mostly still, only its breathing and slight eye twitches revealed that it was alive at all.


    She remained still as well, and focused on trying to extend a sense she didn''t know how to use properly. A few breaths later and she felt a click. Not the kind of mental click one gets when understanding something, rather the slight click of two pieces of glass or ceramic touching.


    She raised an eyebrow. The click, and the previous grinding had definitely come from the terrarium and thus the chameleon. It was the distinct feeling that she had felt in Minlin City when near the two broken soldiers. It was the feeling of someone trying to hold together or use a broken Dao.


    "You''re a spirit beast, aren''t you?" And one with a Dao, she thought to herself, then opened her eyes in surprise, "and one who must be my senior!" She bowed quickly. "Apologies, Senior. This one is called Wise Shae."


    She rose slowly from the bow, expecting a response that didn''t come. She wondered if the beast talked at all, but felt unsure if she should ask, it might not understand her either.


    It shifted its grip on the branch slightly, extending one of its fingers towards the corner of its tank. A glow at the tip of its finger cast a yellow light through the tank and onto the counter. Producing a circle of yellow light split neatly in half by the corner where the counter met the wall.


    "Huh?" Shae said with her jaw hanging loose from confusion. Then she recovered and shook herself, "Uhm, my apologies, Senior. I''m not sure what you mean." She opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated. According to Elder Ghon''s brief etiquette lessons, it was impolite for lower rank cultivators to try to control a conversation with their elders.


    This was, of course, not something Shae generally considered when speaking with Apollo or Long. Both because she had quickly developed a more casual report with them, and because she hadn''t given the etiquette lessons much weight; they just didn''t seem useful outside the sect. Now she was speaking to an unknown spirit beast, and was close enough to the sect that she had begun thinking of the lessons again. Although, would a spirit beast care?


    The chameleon blinked slowly.


    "Uhm." She began, her mouth suddenly dry. Why am I so nervous? It''s in a terrarium, it''s probably not wildly dangerous. Maybe because I''m only wearing a plain medical robe?


    It lifted a finger again, shining a light across the bookshelves and onto the glass award that was one of the few objects on the counter. Brown-gray light scattered off the glass to project onto the walls and counter around it. A heartbeat later, the color was gone.


    Shae tilted her head at the color, is it light? it looks more like it''s projecting a flat color. Moving to the glass sculpture, she read the plaque at its base.


    <blockquote>


    Heaven''s Tears


    Awarded to Doctor Cho Lenwei


    for honorable medical service


    </blockquote>


    It was indeed as she had suspected, yet the plaque itself left much to be desired. She frowned at it then glanced back at the chameleon. "Not a very helpful plaque, is it?"


    The spirit beast didn''t respond.


    "My apologies for imposing myself on you, I assume you can understand me but I''m not sure if you want to tell me something." She bowed quickly. "Uhm, could you repeat the first light if you understand me and want to say- err, communicate something."


    The chameleon did nothing for two breaths then twitched a finger. An empty circle appeared on the wall, the edge a bright burning orange and the center nearly black.


    "Ah!" Shae gasped. "An eclipse?" She stared at the wall for a breath after it disappeared. "Ah, yes, thank you for the response, Senior." She set her right fist under her chin, then put that elbow in her other hand. "Hmm, if I''m following correctly, you can understand me, but don''t have anything specific to communicate."


    She shifted her weight from foot to foot in the silence. "Aha! And if that was an eclipse, the first was a sunrise? So you were saying good morning!" Her pedantic side got the better of her and she kept talking, "Though, it is the afternoon, ah but that''s much harder to show with a simple shape. And you might not know the time of day. Of course, good-day would also work." Her thinking brain reminded her what she was saying and to whom. "Ah! Sorry Senior, I didn''t mean to imply." She bowed again. "Of course you meant good-day. A good day to you too, Senior."


    She stared with a hint of worry at the terrarium. Then shifted her eyes down slightly. Remembering Elder Ghon''s lessons that direct eye contact was sometimes considered a challenge.


    The chameleon sat still, the only movement was its slow breathing and occasional blink.


    She calmed herself with measured breaths and prepared her next question. "Senior, a sign please, if I''m not supposed to be here, if I''ve offended you in some way, or if you''d simply like me to leave."


    She counted out three slow breaths, then relaxed. "Then, if it''s permitted, I''ll return to browsing the shelves?" She timidly pointed across the room.


    Another three slow breaths passed and she relaxed fully. "Thank you, Senior." She bowed again and crossed the room to where she had left off.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 64: Perpetual Reflections

    <hr>


    Chapter 64: "Perpetual Reflections."


    <hr>


    The medical texts were of no particular interest to Shae, but the titles themselves were each a little puzzle. For most, she couldn''t even start to understand them properly. The technical language was as difficult to make any sense of as any of Earth''s scientific naming schemes.


    Perhaps one in twenty was fully in natural language, and as many could be puzzled out completely. The later group she looked for, then paused to work through each unusual combination of characters to try to determine their meaning. She tried with all of them, but the completely obfuscated titles were a lost cause without some context to work from.


    It was this slow working out that let her spend quite some time reading over the titles. When she reached the end she turned around and was frozen still as she spotted Doctor Cho standing across the room, a curious smirk on his lips.


    "Find anything interesting, Wise Shae? You certainly seemed interested in a few titles."


    "Ah, Doctor Cho." She bowed stiffly. "I hope this isn''t an intrusion." He remained impassive, and she remembered his question. "Ah, yes, the titles. Most are illegible to me, but a few I can make sense of if I puzzle them out."


    "Anything in particular catch your eye?"


    "Uhm, the introduction to calcified meridians. Mainly because it is an introduction, and thin enough that it''s probably not that technical."


    "Ahh, yes." He walked across the room and took only a heartbeat of searching to find the thin book. He flipped it open to reveal a tightly packed script with few line breaks. "It starts out simple enough, but the size is deceiving. No diagrams or charts, just a continuous diatribe that grows far too technical very quickly, even for me." He continued flipping the pages, demonstrating that the thin book was more like a compact encyclopedia. "You''d need a fairly good understanding of meridians just to get past the introduction."


    "Ugh." Shae grimaced.


    "Hah, Ugh, indeed." He returned the book to the shelf. "I''m surprised to find you here, most don''t make it past the threshold."


    "Uhm, why is that, Doctor?"


    He tilted his head to the side. "You don''t feel it?"


    The same glass-grinding click came from the terrarium, and Shae glanced over in time to see the chameleon''s coloration had changed.


    "Heh, very unusual," Cho said.


    Shae glanced back at Cho, but he was watching the chameleon. "Uhm, Seniors, if I may, is Senior''s coloration a form of language?"


    Cho raised an eyebrow. "In a way, yes. And I''m glad to see you recognized our Brother of Perpetual Reflections." He gestured with an open palm to the chameleon. "He seems to find you a curious case, especially since you don''t seem to notice his spiritual pressure."


    Shae''s eyes went wide, both from the beast''s name and the reveal that she was under his qi pressure. Now that she knew to look for it, she could clearly feel it. "My apologies Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections, I didn''t mean to disregard you so." She bowed low and found her mouth still talking when she rose, "I noticed something when I entered but mistook it for the change in aesthetics from the stark white clinic area."


    "Hmm, the sect Elder that brought you did mention you underwent tempering, I thought she just meant the standard fare the recruits get at the Jian Quan."


    "Yes, I''ve had much more than that, Doctor. I stayed on Pilgrim''s Rest Mountain for several months and completed directed tempering, as performed by Elder Ghon of the sect."


    "Aaahhh, now that does explain a few things." Cho nodded. "I wouldn''t have been so surprised by your quick recovery if I''d known that. Are you satisfied?" He asked the chameleon.


    A brief flash of teal lit up the tank and part of the wall, yet Shae didn''t catch enough to see a shape or pattern.


    "Hmm, he''s mollified, at least for now." Cho nodded with a smirk. "Were you interested in a particular topic of medicine? Medians perhaps?" He gestured at the lower bookshelves. "This side probably has much more approachable information."


    "Ah, so it is a public library space?"


    "Hah! Not in the slightest. It''s my personal library and the waiting room before my office." He pointed at the closed door. "Which is usually just used by colleagues and other high stage cultivators because mortals can''t step into this level of spiritual pressure."


    "Oh! Ah, sorry for intruding-"


    He raised a hand to stop her. "The door is open, it is public in that sense. This is a good lesson for when you are at the sect, actually. Most spaces are not guarded or protected directly, but using spiritual pressure. If your stage is high enough to withstand the pressure and density then you are probably allowed to be there."


    He smirked when she showed recognition that she was an exception to this security measure. He continued, "Full tempering throws that out the window, but that doesn''t mean you are trespassing. Between the Jian Quan and the initial instruction in pressure slipping, most cultivators can handle one stage above their own. At least for a short while. They can use this to fetch a book from deeper in the library, for example. This is generally overlooked as it''s quite hard to police. For your case, remember to pay attention to the pressure and density around yourself, a very good practice anyway, and don''t push propriety too hard."


    Shae grimaced slightly at propriety. "I''ll try to be more aware, thank you for the lesson." She dipped her head.


    He nodded then gestured to the book shelves.


    "Ah, yes, hmm. I do have some interest in meridians because of my cleansing technique. Err, it''s not a proper technique yet, the monks in Minlin helped me develop it. My qi has lightning in it, and-"


    He raised a hand and a curious eyebrow, "Should you be sharing this with strangers?"


    She paused for a beat, then nodded. "It''s not something private or handed down from the monks. I don''t mind sharing it, especially if you have additional insights."


    "I can''t say I''ll have any insights, yet you have my curiosity." He waved her to continue.


    She gave him a brief overview of how she used her qi to cleanse and the changes she developed with Wise Yungfan. "... All that is sped up when using my hairpins..." She checked her ears to find she was still wearing two as earrings. Removing one she straightened it out with a quick pulse of qi. "These are spiritual tools that work as acupuncture pins capable of easily channeling lightning qi. So... Ah! Shit-fuck!" She swore in English then felt the spiritual pressure in the room change slightly, a hint of annoyance arising as the chameleon focused its attention on her.


    "Hmm?" Cho hummed.


    "Very sorry, Seniors." She bowed. "I just remembered I left a third one of these at the battle, probably inside the giant pangodile. I very much hope someone recovered it." She rubbed her face and sighed heavily.


    Doctor Cho looked over at Brother of Perpetual Reflections for a breath and then shrugged at it before turning back. "It wouldn''t be the first time someone lost a spiritual tool during a battle. Do you need at least three, and can you get more?"


    Shae cringed and shook her head. "It''s just slower with only two. As for getting more... I don''t think that''s reasonable right now. I''ll be able to try eventually, or with some help, but they were created in a very particular way." She sighed. "Something to worry about later."


    "Remember to ask Guard Hon about it, he may be able to look into it for you. At least until the elders get back, they took the corpse."


    "Ah! So it is Guard Hon! I do recall meeting him. Are spirit beast corpses usually recovered in that way?" She glanced at the terrarium. "Err, apologies for the topic, Senior Brother."


    "Not a problem, but you do need to say his whole name."


    "Hmm? Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections." She had to control her tone to not end the name as a question, and dipped her head to hopefully cover her expression.


    "Good. He really insists if you do not, yet is fine with just Senior, anyway." Cho rolled his eyes while looking away from the terrarium. "So, your cleansing technique. Are you aware of what type of meridian points you are using and why?"


    "Mmm, yes, I don''t recall the full list, but I was told they are all sub-points. As to why... I can only guess."


    "Please do."


    "Uhm, alright. The monks were unsure if I should use the technique for meridian cleansing. I assume that would use the primary meridian points." Shae clearly displayed her uncertainty about her assumptions with her body language. "So, avoiding them now prevents accidental cleansing?"


    "Heh. A reasonable assumption. Though, it isn''t strictly why you should avoid them."


    "Uhmm." She rubbed the side of her neck as she awkwardly tried to answer the question. "It''s wasteful?"


    Cho nodded. "How so?"


    "Ugh. I guess, if the qi purges some of the meridian''s impurities, they could return before the meridian is fully cleansed. Thus wasting the qi''s effort."


    "Good. An acceptable answer for one at your stage. Better than most, I''d think. The full answer is more complex, as they usually are, and I''m sure if you research the topic you will discover more of it. Unfortunately, I don''t have the free time to really go over it with you personally." He shrugged and tapped his robes over the doctor''s emblem over his heart. "The work calls. You seem to have some knowledge of meridians already, which is good. Would you like to stay here and read some of the more approachable texts?"


    "Ah, yes!" She stepped forwards then caught herself and dropped into a bow. "Yes, please, Senior."


    "Heh. These should be available at the sect, so remember their titles. ..." Doctor Cho picked out three medical texts starting with one that sounded like an introduction to anatomy. The third was the first to mention meridians and also sounded like an introductory text.


    "Ah, Doctor Cho. How do these compare to Advanced Meridian Meta-Triangulation?" The name of Elder Ghon''s book felt awkward in her mouth.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    He raised an eyebrow, then the second followed briefly. "You''ve read that?"


    "Err, tried to read would be more accurate. It was one of very few texts available while I was enduring my qi tempering with Elder Ghon."


    "You did mention that earlier, didn''t you. Hmm. Curious." He stepped across the room, took a breath to find the book and pluck it off the shelf. Shae recognized its cover as the same book, except that this one seemed newer, the inks were more saturated and colorful.


    He skimmed a few pages and nodded, but didn''t look up. "The introduction seems to be quite readable. Putting it into your own words, briefly, what is it about?"


    She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out while she recalled the book. She found herself a little bit annoyed that he was testing her, but at least it''s obvious, unlike Long''s tests. She took a second deep breath, "As far as I can recall-"


    "Briefly," he warned.


    She nodded. "It presents an alternate method for mapping the meridian connections. Specifically how they spill impurities into one another. It suggests the alternate method could be used to bypass any damaged meridians causing cultivation blockages. The exact method was completely opaque to me, but the diagrams were nice. There''s a second introduction in the latter half of the book detailing how to use the method to find the most efficient cleansing route."


    "Humhh!" He grunted in approval and flipped to the section in question. A dozen pages later he asked, "Do you recall the primary source of difficulty in finding a new route?"


    "I don''t recall it being stated out-right. Though I did start skimming once the jargon became too technical. Uhmm..." She shifted nervously.


    "Go on."


    "Based on what looked like complex mathematical calculations, I would assume the difficulty is related to that. There must be a lot of- uh- I guess I could describe it as math that feeds back into itself. Although. Now that I know the sect has Analysts and math experts, surely the problem could be solved."


    "Heh, probably. The issue with many similar problems is that those that solve them are rarely rewarded."


    "Eh? Why not?"


    He lifted the book. "This primarily affects the meridian cleansing stage, most that have learned enough math to help will have no need for it. And money isn''t generally a strong motivating factor for cultivators, especially when it comes from lower stage cultivators." He shrugged and returned the book to the shelf. "Just part of how the world works." He crossed the room again.


    "Huh. That''s kind of unfortunate."


    Cho pulled a few more books out from the shorter shelf. "Some see it that way. Most are too focused on their own path to care. Luckily we do have the Empire and its noble houses. Some will fund that kind of research, usually for their own long-term gain, but the Empire does have programs that aim to assist everyone. That particular meridian research and mathematics are unlikely to see further research, however. The overall benefits are rather minor, a few percentage points here or there." He paused at the last book, weighing it as he made a decision. He nodded. "This last one you shouldn''t start reading today. Remember its title, however, and find it when you''ve understood and mastered the others. Understand?"


    "Ah, yes, Doctor Cho. Thank you for the assistance."


    He waved a dismissive hand. "Thank me when you make real progress. I''d like to see that cleansing in action, but I''m afraid I''ll likely have very little to say about it. Still, I''ll see if I can clear some of my schedule. For now, I have to get back to my rounds. The nurses will come find you when it''s time for dinner, you probably only have an hour or two."


    Shae frowned, "Could it be delayed, Doctor? I did have a late lunch."


    "Hmm. Perhaps, but you''re young, and you were unconscious for a while, your stomach might catch up faster than you think. Heh heh." He turned as he chuckled and left the room with a wave.


    She watched him leave, then bowed slightly to the chameleon and went right for the last book. The cover was an inscrutable and wispy gesture drawing. The title read ''The Pale Lily and the Fallen Immortal: a Tale of Divine Flesh.''


    She blinked at it half a dozen times before her mind understood the implication. The realisation allowed the cover drawing to coalesce into more recognizable shapes. The curved lines hinted at two bodies intertwined in a sensual embrace. She gawked and shifted the cover, light played off the silver and gold inks, changing the scene like a holographic set of images. The bodies moved and shifted slightly in a dance, if you were being generous, or particularly timid.


    She flipped it open with the intent to verify that it was a trashy romance novel, but the qi in the room flared as she did so. She instantly felt the chameleon''s gaze upon her, his disappointment palpable. She snapped the book shut without even a glance at the pages beyond seeing that there was text inside. Her eyes landed on the terrarium and she felt herself flush with embarrassment.


    "Senior, I- I was..." She swallowed and cleared her throat to the side. "Thank you for the correction. I only meant to verify that the text was what the title implied." She cleared her throat again and tried with all her willpower to flush the hot blood out of her cheeks. "It seemed like a rather surprising suggestion from Doctor Cho." She awkwardly returned the book to its position on the shelf, while occasionally glancing back at the chameleon.


    Brother of Perpetual Reflections still hadn''t returned his qi pressure to normal.


    She shifted awkwardly and glanced at the book again. Her mind rushed over her past few sentences to find her mistake. "Err, of course Doctor Cho wouldn''t have suggested this book for lurid reasons. Uh, a-hem, I''m sure that once I''ve read and understood all his existing suggestions, the reason for this one will become clear." Still no change. "And it will be a completely reasonable and medically sound reason." She nodded to herself, then switched to a slight bow. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."


    The tension in the room began to ease. Shae relaxed and quickly moved towards the small pile of books.


    The chameleon wasn''t done with her, however. As she reached the pile his qi pressure returned. It was missing the clear disappointment it held before, though she couldn''t quite understand the beast''s intent this time. She grunted at the pressure, "Ugh, Senior?"


    The same glass grinding *clink* sounded as he shone a colored light upon the book stack, then on Doctor Cho''s medical degree.


    She was caught off-guard by the similarity in the visual design. It looked like it could have been mounted on a doctor''s wall on Earth. Maybe there''s only so many ways to make a fancy piece of paper?


    The next thing she noticed was that the spirit beast had pointed his finger forward, to the right of his terrarium, even though the books and degree were stacked behind him, to the left of his glass tank. The mirrored inside of the tank made the explanation clear. It wouldn''t be difficult to bounce the light, yet she felt surprised that she hadn''t given the reflective glass much consideration until now.


    The rear wall of the tank was mirrored, making the tank look deeper, and the sides extended that illusion. Yet, somehow he shines light through the sides, and can hit specific locations like it can see them, she thought as she stepped to the side to view more angles of the tank. Finally, she dipped her head low to see that the rear wall reflected the front of the tank, which was also mirrored, creating a hall of mirrors effect. "Ahh!" She gasped. "An infinity mirror!" She spoke the English term automatically, not knowing the local equivalent.


    The chameleon pulsed his qi pressure making her stagger slightly and snapping her out of the distraction.


    "Ugh! Ah- my apologies, Senior." She looked away, back towards the stack of books. Hmm, the books and the degree... Err, what had Cho said?


    She tilted her head in thought as she recalled his words. "Ah! Of course! I''ll endeavour to Master the material here before moving forwards to that book or others." She bowed to him again. "Thank you for the correction, Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections." She smirked at the name.


    The spirit beast let out a hint of pleasure as he retracted his qi pressure. Then a stronger pulse of grinding glass sounded as his coloration shifted and he vanished from sight.


    Shae couldn''t help but step forward, sticking her face rudely close to the glass. She shifted her perspective by moving her head side to side, looking for the edges of the chameleon''s technique.


    Unable to spot anything, she began checking the reflections. Then froze suddenly when she spotted something different. A dozen or more reflections behind the tank, a vibrant green chameleon sat on a stick. She could even tell that the forest around it was slightly different from that of the terrarium.


    Shae shifted her footing ever so slightly, aiming for a more comfortable stance but not wanting to lose track of the specific reflection. "Amazing work, Senior," she spoke as quietly as she could then held her breath, afraid that either might disturb the beast''s concentration.


    As she watched, the chameleon began to move. It looked back at Shae, then walked slowly along its branch and out of sight. A branch that shouldn''t have extended that far if it was a reflection of the terrarium.


    Her held breath burned and she slowly exhaled. It fogged the glass slightly and she flinched away. Taking two large steps back she bowed to the terrarium. "Thank you, Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections. That demonstration was breathtaking."


    The terrarium did not respond.


    Two breaths later, Shae felt awkward, dipped her head again, and grabbed the first book from the recommended pile. Then she sat in one of the large padded chairs, the one facing away from the terrarium.


    It was a simple anatomy textbook. Something she felt she had a good grasp of already, but it is good to verify one''s knowledge, instead of assuming.


    <hr>


    The anatomy text had a few interesting revelations for her. She skimmed it quickly, and found curious discrepancies between her Earth knowledge and this world''s facts, if this textbook can be trusted. She shook off her doubt, acknowledging that she had no reason to be so cynical, yet.


    It seemed that evolution had taken slightly different turns over the millennia. The body described in the text had fewer vestigial organs, and the redundant organs were smaller. For example, the appendix was nowhere to be found. Presumably having become unnecessary when humans stopped eating so much raw red meat. Organs such as the kidneys were mismatched, one being half the size of the other.


    She recognized that this would mean the torso had more vacant space in it for other things. Yet the text made no mention of what this could be. Of course, it wouldn''t. They wouldn''t think that this is different.


    She made a mental note to check the sect''s library for an Earth to cultivation-world adaptation primer. Then she sighed as she realized that would require someone who wanted to help other lost souls that would come after them. Doctor Cho''s earlier comments indicated that was rather unlikely. Cultivation is such a selfish selfish practice.


    Looking back at the anatomy textbook, she wondered if this extra space was where the Dantian was, or if this simply let the population at large appear thinner. She shrugged and moved on.


    Another half hour of skimming and she returned the book to the shelves and tried to memorize the title. It was infinitely less memorable than the romance novel.


    The second book expanded on the first, filling in the details of basic cultivation like qi channels and the Dantian. It regularly mentioned that all qi organs, channels, Dantian, and meridians were metaphysical. Because of this, their exact location would vary and could shift over time.


    That book also spoke of cleansing flesh with qi. Not the specific methods to do so, as that varied with each cultivation manual, yet it discussed the signs and benefits of doing so. More specifically detailing how a doctor should treat cleansed flesh differently from regular.


    In general, cleansed flesh was much more resilient to damage, and more capable of recovery. Thus it could be left in a patient even when it appeared to be rotting and decayed. The normal practice of removing mortal flesh that was likely to gangrene simply wasn''t a risk with cleansed flesh. It did mention that the patient should be alerted of the damage; some would be able to use their qi to hasten recovery.


    She was just starting the third book when a nurse arrived to pull her away for a meal. She sighed, quickly tried to memorize the remaining titles and return them to the shelves.


    "Don''t worry about that, Dear." The nurse began, "I think you''ll be able to return this evening."


    She slowed and hummed to herself. "I need to memorize these titles anyway. This will help with that." She placed another in its proper place, the gap where a book should be making the work easier. "I believe I know the way back; if you have other duties."


    "Hmm, I do, but could I get a promise you will go now, and not get distracted reading as soon as I leave?" She stood in the doorway, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of entering the room.


    Shae took a breath to consider her hunger. She wasn''t quite hungry: just at the corner of ''i could eat'' and ''a little bit peckish''. She hummed then spoke, "If I''m here much longer my hunger will arrive to make sure I leave. If not, our Senior here will probably ensure the same." She gestured to the terrarium.


    The nurse''s face went pale. Well, it was already pale, but her expression showed shock and dread, "Ah, ah, no- no reason to involve Senior. I''m sure he has much better things to do. Ah- hmm. I''ll just wait for you to be done, out here."


    Shae paused and tilted her head as the woman stepped away from the doorway. Then she looked at the terrarium and raised an eyebrow. No response came, of course, so she shrugged and continued returning the books.


    Once complete, she followed her memory of the titles, and not their locations, to find them again. Upon finding each she nudged them off the shelf by just a finger width, making them easy to find again. She paused at the romance novel and did not pull it out, then left the room with one last bow to the terrarium.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 65: Clean Up Nice

    <hr>


    Chapter 65: "Clean Up Nice."


    <hr>


    Shae''s meal was by her bed when she arrived with the nurse. She sat on the edge and pulled the table towards herself. The nurse stopped her and insisted she sit in the bed properly, with her back to the wall so that the tray table could swing over the bed. She rolled her eyes when the nurse turned her back, but she still complied.


    The nurse flourished the tray cover, which released a small cloud of steam that wafted up from the plate.


    Shae looked at it and didn''t react. She glanced up to see the nurse''s expectant gaze. "Uhh, looks like food! Thanks!" She forced a friendly smile.


    "Let me know if you need anything!" She smiled back, and pointed to the bedside bell, then turned to leave.


    "Uhm," Shae spoke up, making the woman spin in place to face her again. "Something to drink? Maybe tea, but just water is fine."


    "Of course," she nodded and walked away.


    Shae poked at her food. Stunned by the fact it was almost entirely shades of white and grey. Even the vegetables looked like they had the color boiled out of them. She turned the plate a few times and found a stem sticking out from under one of the lightly fried dumplings. The stem led to a spike of bright red.


    She smiled as she remembered nurse Joi''s spicy pickled peppers.


    A few bites of impossibly inoffensive food later she heard footsteps approaching. The spike of red drew her eye again and she quickly hid it under the dumplings.


    It was the same nurse with a mug of something.


    Shae smiled because it looked like it would be tea, except it wasn''t steaming.


    "Here you are, dear," the nurse said as she set it down.


    "Thank you!" Shae smiled wide.


    The nurse smiled back then walked away.


    Shae looked down at the mug. Water. She frowned but shrugged. I guess I did say that water was fine.


    Two bites of food later, she went for the mug. She stopped right before it was at her lips. Why is the mug warm?


    She paused. Then carefully sipped the water. It was also warm. Not hot. Not enough for tea, but just warm, and it was water. Plain warm water.


    "What the actual fuck?" She cursed in English as quietly as she could.


    <hr>


    The spicy pickled pepper was the only redeeming feature of the meal. Shae wondered if she had been put on the wrong list for what she could eat. Certainly if someone had stomach or throat surgery, they would need lighter meals. She simply couldn''t understand why they would intentionally serve that to normal patients. Stopping herself from complaining further, she wondered if her night of interesting meals at the Gilded Aurochs had spoiled her. Maybe they are trying to get people to leave, she chuckled.


    She hesitated when she finished eating. Do I ring the bell just to get them to clear the plate? Seems unnecessary. She pushed the table away and relaxed instead. Leaning against the wall she considered what to do next.


    During the caravan journey she had a few regular things she could do after they stopped for dinner. Reviewing her practice documents, archery, even qigong now that Apollo had burned some semblance of it into her bones. None of it she could really do here. Maybe some qigong and exercise.


    She got out of bed to work through a few sets of the poses. The restricted space made it difficult; she greatly preferred the active version where she was able to move around. Flexing her qi, she used the tar practice on her cleansed limbs to force them to actually work.


    Halfway through the first set, rushed footsteps clicked down the hall and she turned to spot a nurse approaching at a brisk walk. Not either of the two she had already met.


    "Miss, what do you think you''re doing?" The sharp nosed woman said.


    "Uh, hello. I''m exercising."


    "You''re making a mess of the local qi is what you''re doing. It''s disturbing the other patients."


    Shae glanced around and didn''t see other patients near her, much less one that was currently disturbed. "Really? I''m not trying to cultivate or move qi outside myself."


    She pointed at the formations along the doorframe. Some new ones seemed to be glowing. "See this? This says you were."


    "Were what, Miss Nurse?"


    "Disturbing the other patients with your cultivating!" She seethed out the words just quietly enough to not be yelling.


    Shae opened her mouth to correct her, then shook her head. "That was unintentional, I''ll stop. Is there somewhere else that I can do qi practices?"


    "No, no, no. Back to bed with you. You''re still healing, you shouldn''t even be out of bed."


    "Ugh, really? Doctor Cho didn''t seem to mind that I was walking around earlier."


    "Tsk." She shook her head and then huffed as she pulled the clipboard from the pocket at the foot of Shae''s bed. "Mhmm! As I expected, nothing here about required exercise."


    "Who said it was required?"


    "If Doctor Cho intended for you to be out of bed, then," she tapped the clipboard.


    The young woman couldn''t keep her look of annoyance and incredulity off her face.


    The nurse jabbed a finger towards the bed.


    Shae rolled her eyes and sighed, then reluctantly moved to get into her bed. "Anything in there about when I''m due to be released? From my mattress prison or this whole building in general?"


    She frowned but did skim the clipboard, flipping a page and failing to restrain her shock. "Uhm, ah, no, nothing here." She said meekly and quickly returned the clipboard to the bed. "I''ll see if your guard has returned," she rushed the words out, then rushed out of the room.


    Shae waited until she couldn''t hear her footsteps anymore, "Huh. Something must have really spooked her." She paused a beat, then lunged across the bed to grab the clipboard.


    The writing was gibberish. "Bloody hell, it seems that even here a doctor''s handwriting is reliably terrible." She squinted at the clipboard a bit more, trying to decipher some of the writing, and eventually guessed it was probably in some sort of code or shorthand. "And didn''t Joi do some of this?"


    When she noticed the threshold formations had returned to normal, she went back to exercising, choosing to not cycle any qi this time. It wasn''t nearly as engaging as when she had to use the tar practice, and so she only kept it up until the uncleansed muscles became sore. Then she switched through several body-weight exercises to target different muscles.


    Her workout routine was short, lasting less than an hour. Yet, she burned some fidgety energy and felt good about the mild soreness in her muscles.


    She flopped back into the bed to catch her breath. Tired of exercising, yet not tired enough to want to rest. She stared at the ceiling until she felt recovered. "Well, not every cultivation related place can be super interesting," she mumbled while staring at the bland ceiling.


    With boredom creeping back in she decided to return to Doctor Cho''s library.


    <hr>


    She made it down two hallways when she turned a corner and walked directly into a brick wall, which was also a man. "Oof." She stumbled as she bounced off him.


    "Careful, Miss... Shae! Ah- good to see you up and about!" It was a familiar voice and his hand grabbed her shoulder to steady her.


    She caught her balance and looked up at a particularly handsome face. Her brain locked up, the annoyed gears grinding directly into the embarrassed-blush gears. "Uhhh." No part of her brain decided to fill her in on who this was.


    "Or did you prefer, Wise Shae? Hmm?" He flashed a set of pearly whites that were only slightly ruined by a spec of black stuck beside one of his canines. He raised an eyebrow as understanding passed over his face, "Come, now. We might have only met once, but it was recently."


    She blinked, the spec of food in his teeth doing a remarkable job knocking her out of the daze. She glanced over his person, quickly spotting the recognizable colors of the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect''s guard robes. "Guard Hon?" She almost blurted out the words in a squeak. Luckily her teenage emotions were trumped by failing to inhale before speaking, so what emerged was a breathless gasp and she had to cough into her sleeve.


    A quick inhale and her past life rescued her with a classic line. "You clean up well. Surprisingly well, I almost didn''t recognize you!"


    "Hah! Thank you!" He faked embarrassment by rubbing the back of his neck. His smile came back and said that he was well aware of how good he looked. "I''m sure you would too, err will, once you''re not stuck in hospital robes." That stumble and flash of embarrassment seemed a lot more genuine.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Shae resisted the urge to self deprecate, "Nice enough, I suppose. Though, I''m rather excited for what the next five to ten years hold, especially with cultivation involved."


    A hint of a blush crept up his face this time, but he covered it well by turning to the side and clearing his throat. "Eh~ogh, well, I suppose you are still young, and will surely blossom into a beautiful Fairy."


    She frowned. "You have a spec of food in your teeth."


    "Eh?" He stuck his tongue up along his gums then turned away, fidgeted for a bit, brought a finger to his mouth for its possible assistance, fidgeted more and then turned back. "Did I get it- uh?" He blinked at the empty hallway.


    Shae had already stepped around him to continue to the library.


    "Uh, Miss Shae!?" He quick-stepped to catch up. "Did I get it? And where are we going?"


    She didn''t look at his smile this time. "I''m going to Doctor Cho''s personal library to read."


    "People sometimes say I miss things, did I miss something? Did the spec of food bother you that much?"


    "It did not, but now that I''m thinking about it, I''m a little annoyed you didn''t bring anything back for me, the food here is dismal."


    Someone around the next corner gasped in shock. They rounded it to see a nurse staring right at them. It was the same one that interrupted her exercise.


    Shae decided she could ignore the woman. "It looked like they boiled the color out of everything." The tingling feeling of passing through a cleansing formation fired a few extra neurons. "Oh! Do you think it could be these formations? Sterilizing the plate as it moves through them?"


    They were past the woman now, and Hon hummed in thought. "Could be. Though, if that was the case, the insides should still taste normal. Did they?"


    "Hmmm, hard to tell. What is grey supposed to taste like?"


    The pair shared smirks as they turned the next corner, out of sight of the stunned nurse.


    "So," Shae asked quietly, "when can I leave here? Maybe go to a normal inn instead?"


    She caught Hon flinching out of the corner of her eye. "About that. The inns are currently full of caravan members. Many lost their wagons, which means their homes. And supposedly there was a shortage to begin with, because of the previous spirit beast attacks."


    "Hmgh. Burrowing beasties could cause catastrophic chaos." She smirked to herself.


    He frowned slightly.


    "I might need you to sneak me in some food then. How long am I... stuck here?" She decided not to say imprisoned.


    "You could, technically, leave. But you''d be stuck on the streets and I was told to make sure we are easily findable."


    "We?" She raised an eyebrow in his direction but didn''t make eye contact.


    "Well, I am still a member of the sect. And I assume you still wish to enroll?"


    Shae sighed heavily. "It seems to be the... best option if I wish to progress quickly. Yet, the past weeks have made me doubt the decision regularly. Even the spirit beast attack left a sour taste."


    "You doubt the prestige of the sect? After we defended the caravan and town? After we fought and shed blood to slay those vicious beasts?" He almost stopped walking. The emotion in his words was more than just blanket righteousness and made her turn to look at him.


    "That wasn''t a fight it was a-" the words caught in her throat when she saw him. He was honestly upset. Not angry, but visibly concerned and confused by her viewpoint. -sloppy execution, she finished the thought in her own head. Then she swallowed her own vitriol and reconsidered her stance. "I seem to be biased. What did you see during the battle?"


    His stance relaxed slightly, and his head tilted. "Uh, thank you for asking that. I... honestly expected an argument."


    She tilted her own head. "Long warned you I would be... unruly?"


    "Master Long gave me some advice, as did the other Elder."


    Shae nodded. "Did they also give you my stuff? I''d like some of it to help blur the time."


    He shook his head. "I''ve no spatial storage, what I have is what I have."


    She raised an eyebrow. "You must travel light then?"


    He shrugged. "As a cultivator, very little is needed. Self reliance is important. Though, the wagons were also used as storage during the trip, and I do have a room at an inn."


    "Ah! So, the battle?"


    "Hm! Yes. What I saw was a large caravan of people protected from certain death by the guards the sect hired and supplied, and those from the town."


    She inhaled sharply through her nose. "Of course," she whispered. "I... I shouldn''t have been so glib about their, and your sect''s contributions, I apologise." She bowed deep enough to show sincerity. "And what of the larger spirit beast?"


    "Thank you." He nodded and continued, "A spirit beast at that stage of advancement would have required a core formation or higher cultivator to defeat it. Perhaps there was one in the city, but what damage would it have done before then? Both our sect Elders worked together to corral, pin, and finally defeat the beast. The reported attack on it by outside cultivators, even those that proved effective, showed us all just how dangerous it was." He paused for a breath, looking forwards again as they walked the halls. "I regularly watch higher stage cultivators fight, it is always a humbling experience, yet that was something far more." He sighed with an air of melancholy.


    Shae remained silent as she considered his words. They passed through the hallway with the view of the canyon, and she couldn''t appreciate it quite as much this time. That gave her some opportunity to view it more objectively, yet she simply filed those new thoughts away for another time. They both held the silence until they were out of earshot of the patients again.


    "I take it you saw something different?" Guard Hon asked, a bit of tension in his voice.


    She sighed, trying to think of the nicest way she could word this. "Have you ever seen a cat play with their catch?"


    He wrinkled his forehead briefly. "I''m not familiar with that turn of phrase."


    She frowned at him. "Noble or merchant?"


    "Me? Neither." He shook his head, then stood proudly. "Lady''s son. My grandmother holds court over three prosperous villages."


    She scrunched her face up in confusion. "Doesn''t that make her a noble? Maybe a duchess or something?"


    "Not at all. Noble titles go beyond simple land management. We could own thrice as much, and still not be noble. You see-"


    She held up her hand. "Euugh, I don''t need a lecture right now. Hunting dogs maybe? No, they probably don''t do that, they''d be trained too well for it." She hummed to herself and put her fist under her chin, then her other hand under her elbow.


    She didn''t hear him snicker softly.


    She threw her arms out and waved away her ideas in frustration. "Ugh, can''t think of something good so you get something mildly insulting, sorry if it bothers you. A battle or specifically a fight, implies there was some challenge, some risk of failure. Master Long was never at risk, never going to lose. Everything else was... play. At its worst it was a sloppy execution. That is the glib thing I was going to say earlier."


    She had felt his qi rise, his killing intent form as she spoke, yet didn''t bother reacting. He asked, and she had to explain it somehow. He had also stopped walking, so she did as well, turning to face him. The nearby formations on a doorway were lit up with indications of qi use. She just pointed at them. "Someone''s going to come running to tell you to stop. Because you''re ''disturbing the patients,''" she mimed air quotes.


    "There''s going to be one extra patient soon."


    "Terrible come-back, I''m already a patient. Should have said, ''It''s a good thing we''re already in a hospital, because you''re about to need it.'' or something similar." She turned and kept walking, they were close to the library now.


    "How-" he started, then dashed to keep up, lowering his qi pressure, trying to remove it without lowering his intent. "How would an insect like you know that?"


    "Even insects know a bad joke when they hear it." She paused a single beat. "Oh, you meant the other thing, the nurse came to scold me earlier for doing qi practices."


    There was a longer pause. "No the- How would you know Master Long wasn''t at risk?"


    "Because I was there. I saw our other Senior pin the beast in place, she borrowed my bow to do it. A completely normal bow and just three arrows. Plus whatever they threw off the cliff."


    "Hah! Lies. I heard the report. She took four shots." He pointed and displayed smug satisfaction.


    She grimaced, that expression completely ruins his face. She quickly shook the thought away. "Yes, I saw that as well. But, she only borrowed three arrows from me. I think she recovered the second arrow, the one that bounced off its eyelid and fired that one down its throat. Hmmm, could be why it still got the crystal breath off too, the arrow might have been too damaged to handle her technique."


    She got to enjoy his shocked expression and silent jaw flapping.


    Spotting the library door she decided to stop walking and finish the conversation. "Help me with a metaphor you''ll understand. What''s your profession?"


    "Uhh, smith." He shook off his shock, but was clearly still slightly off-balance.


    "Oh! That''s a good one for this. Have you ever tried to stop a fight, go make yourself a stronger weapon, then return to the same fight with it."


    "Well, I''m not allowed to smith weapons yet." He looked down to the side. "Err, but no, I wouldn''t think anyone could do that. And no one would consider it the same fight."


    "That is what Master Long did. He herded the beast, got our Senior and the others to pin it in place. Then spent forever forging a recklessly strong attack with his domain."


    Hon frowned and shook his head. "No, he wouldn''t do that." She could hear him making the excuses as he talked. "And even if he did, it needed to be strong because it was a defensive type. Anything lesser wouldn''t have worked."


    "He certainly wanted to believe that. Maybe, maybe, when the fight started the beast seemed more dangerous than it was. Maybe its scales and defensive domain seemed impenetrable." She shook her head. "But at the end, especially at the end. It was weak. For all its bravado and big display of crystal armor, that armor was far weaker than its earlier defenses." She paused to let it sink in. "How much of the canyon wall did he destroy? How deep of a hole did he dig?"


    Hon frowned harder, once again trying to keep his killing intent on her without also flaring his qi. "I''ll not have you disparage an Elder of the sect behind their backs. He did what was necessary, no less."


    She sighed and raised her palms to him. "I''m not trying to make you think less of him. Less of that part of the fight, yes. And I''m simply explaining what I saw because you asked. It''s undeniable that the battle as a whole would have been much harder, and much more cultivator blood would have been spilled without either of our Seniors. Talk to him yourself about what he did."


    He backed off slightly, retracting his intent if not his posture. "If I talk to him, he may seek to recover some honor from this, from you. This did start with your apparent lack of respect for our sect''s honor and prestige."


    She rolled her eyes. "I do not hold the actions of individuals against their organizations. Especially when it comes to cultivators. You should know that my opinion of Long is already biased. Things have happened between us, enough that he may seek to punish me anyway. Your bravado to protect your sect is noted, but you need to hear what happened directly from Master Long. So that it is not empty bravado." She paused then rolled her eyes as she spoke, "If he actually tells you anything." She turned and walked towards the library. "This is Doctor Cho''s personal library, but it is not a private space. So, let''s not bicker here, alright?"


    He was still deciding what to do when she passed into the other room. "Hey!" He called after her.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 66: Dangerous Implications

    <hr>


    Chapter 66: "Dangerous Implications."


    <hr>


    Shae bowed to greet Senior chameleon, plucked a book off the shelf, and sat down before Hon caught up. He hesitated at the doorway, likely sensing the change in qi pressure.


    "Come on in and sit. Unless you''d prefer to wait out there?" She asked.


    He took a cautious step into the room. Discomfort clear on his face. He forcibly adjusted his robes with a slow blink, then seemed to have an easier time with the pressure. He moved slowly across the room, taking it in, but it looked more forced than casual.


    She had grabbed the third book, the one on meridians, and was reading the introduction thoroughly. She planned on skimming much of the later information, but some sections were worth reading properly.


    Hon huffed out then took a slightly strained breath. "How are you handling this pressure?"


    "Tempering." She muttered into her book, then waved him to sit.


    He shrugged and took the other chair. "Ahhh, that does help a bit."


    Shae, because he had complained about it, noticed a slight shift as he took the seat. Then glanced between the terrarium and Hon. She was almost directly between them. She shifted her sitting position in an attempt to casually extend a limb between the two seniors. Sure enough she felt the qi pressure increase.


    "And, uh." Hon learned over and lowered his voice, "Who''s qi is this? It doesn''t feel like Doctor Cho''s."


    She resisted the urge to sign, and instead exhaled stiffly as she half-closed her book, leaving a finger to mark the page. "Apologies, Senior, for not introducing my associate." She stood and bowed to the terrarium. She gestured to the seated man, "This is Guard Hon of the Honorable Dragon''s Entreaty sect. Guard Hon, the qi you are feeling belongs to one Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections. Though he may not reveal himself, he is monitoring this room." She gestured to the terrarium.


    She noticed the qi pressure waver when she stepped through it. Yet even after the introduction, it hadn''t lowered to the same level as the rest of the room.


    Guard Hon looked slightly stunned, then quickly stood and bowed in the rough direction of the terrarium. "This one greets Senior Brother."


    "Tsk. Say the whole thing," Shae leaned closer and whispered to him.


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t shorten his name, say the whole thing."


    "Ah." He jerked up in realization, then smoothed his robes and bowed again, deeper this time, and adding a martial salute. "This one apologizes for not greeting you properly upon entering the room, Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections."


    Shae nodded but noticed the qi pressure still hadn''t dropped. "Hmm. Ah." She turned to face the terrarium again. "Senior, Guard Hon is acting as my personal guard while I am in Gatewash. I hold no ill will against him, even after our previous discussion. However, I''m sure he would be comfortable waiting outside the room if you insist." She dipped her head and stepped through the qi pressure to sit. Again, she felt it waver as she did so, likely trying to avoid pressuring her.


    Guard Hon held his bow and remained silent. Two breaths later he straightened and turned to leave, then stopped. The relief of the pressure being removed was clear as he let out an uncontrolled sigh. He turned back to the terrarium to give another martial salute. "Thank you, Senior." Then he returned to the chair and sat with a clear sign of pleased relaxation. "Mhmm... good chair." He muttered.


    <hr>


    The next few hours passed with only two interruptions. First, Hon finally got bored enough to browse the shorter shelves for something to read. He emitted a surprised "Huh?" when he found something, and quickly returned to his seat with it.


    The second interruption was Doctor Cho, emerging from his office.


    "Ahh, Miss Shae, nice to see you still at it, or did you return after dinner." He said.


    She dipped her head. "Doctor Cho, good to see you. I did break for a meal and brought Guard Hon with me on the way back. I hope you don''t mind."


    "It is a public space." He shrugged and gestured to the open door.


    "Glad to see you again, Doctor Cho." Hon straightened up and gave a martial salute. "I assume Miss Shae''s recovery has been going well?"


    Cho nodded. "About as well as it could be, I think." He spotted the book Hon was reading. "Ah-ha, good choice. The sequel is also excellent, drags out a bit longer, but there''s more action, if that''s what you''re looking for."


    Hon looked down at the book, cleared his throat quickly and nodded. "Thank you for the recommendation, Doctor."


    "Anytime. And Miss Shae, I''m afraid I''ll be too busy this night to observe your cleansing, as we discussed. However, there was some concern over your shadow qi scarring. With your permission, I''d like to biopsy the tissue to determine if it''s dormant or simple scarring."


    "Hmm, I don''t see why not. Are there specific risks with either case?"


    "There are always risks with qi, moreso with shadow qi. Though, I''d think you''ve already overcome most of them during the initial altercation. Scarring is what we would expect and should be harmless, able to be cleansed away. Dormant means what it sounds like, it''s sleeping waiting to be used, or worse, waiting for something else." Cho finished with a serious tone.


    Tense silence filled the room, with only the varied breathing of the three human cultivators to disrupt it.


    Shae felt a grinding click from the terrarium and glanced over in time to see a turquoise flash on the wall.


    Doctor Cho spotted it as well and nodded to the spirit beast that was still visually missing from the glass tank. "Good idea, Brother of Perpetual Reflections." He turned back to the pair, spotting Hon looking rather confused and Shae already looking at the wall. "Senior here suggests we perform the biopsy here. Not what I''d normally agree with, but his light qi could prevent an incident."


    "Light?" Shae blurted out. "I thought it was pure color. Ah, that''s not a criticism, Senior. Of course it''s light, I was simply impressed by the... uh, saturation."


    There was another tense pause as the room waited for a response. When none came, Shae inclined her head towards the terrarium. "I would be glad to have Senior here."


    "Excellent!" Cho nodded and walked back to his office. "One moment while I prepare. If you two would move the chairs and grab a bed, yes?" He didn''t wait for a response from them.


    The two looked at each other, waited a beat, then shrugged. They quickly moved the chairs against the large shelves and moved a bed next to the terrarium. Leaving room on either side for someone to stand.


    Just after they finished, Doctor Cho returned with a few ornate wooden boxes in hand, and shortly after Nurse Joi arrived with a cart of what looked like a mix of surgical tools and mad scientist props.


    They quickly set up, and Shae was relaxed in the bed with her arm bare, her right side facing the terrarium. She decided to ask Doctor Cho for a favor. "If it''s not a difficult procedure. Would you mind explaining it to me? Just to sate my curiosity."


    "If it''s not too difficult? What a dangerous phrase." Cho pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. "If it was difficult, and I wasn''t so humble, I might try and get distracted. Are you sure?"


    Shae swallowed her nerves and then nodded.


    "Heh heh. Luckily, it is simple." He smirked and brought out his stethoscope-like spiritual tool.


    "Ah! You had that before! When I woke up right after the fight." She tried to sit up to see it but Nurse Joi pushed her shoulder down.


    "Stay still please."


    "And don''t channel qi," Cho continued. "This tool senses qi in the body. I''ll use it to make sure the shadow qi doesn''t react, but if you channel then it won''t be sensitive enough to see the shadow qi over your own qi."


    Doctor Cho continued to talk through the procedure. Taking the time to get a baseline scan of the shadow scarring, then locating a thin off-shoot with lots of plain skin around it. Long enough that it couldn''t quickly ''propagate back to the large mass'' then he slowly attempted to detach and remove the strand.


    All this was done painlessly and without anesthetic, until he finally needed to make an incision. He readied a scalpel and said, "This may sting a bit, try not to flinch."


    Shae immediately flinched by turning her head away and tensing up half her body in anticipation.


    "Hmm," Doctor Cho hummed. "We would use anesthetic, or a paralytic, but both would introduce qi into your system and cause interference."


    "Uhh? Really?" Shae cracked open an eye and began to relax when she saw he had moved the scalpel away. "Couldn''t you use mundane medicine, stuff without qi in it?"


    "Without qi? Everything has qi in it." He raised an eyebrow.


    "I mean, like, mortal stuff? Does it have to be cultivator grade anesthetic?"


    "What did I just say?"


    "Uhh, everything has-wait, like even the little bit of background qi would be a problem?"


    He nodded. "This spiritual tool can be very sensitive to qi, and I need to see the exact moment the shadow qi reacts."


    "Huh." She just said, and looked up at the ceiling.


    "I''ll try an alcohol swab, it''ll feel cold but it should help with the pain. Say, did you ask Guard Hon about your spiritual tool?" He said while massaging the skin of her arm lightly.


    "Oh! I forgot. Hey Hon!" She turned to look across the room. Nurse Joi leaned on her right shoulder, stopping her arm from shifting. "What happened to the giant spirit beast? I left one of my acupuncture needles in it, attached to an arrow." She felt the cold alcohol swab slide down her arm.


    Hon''s eyes went a little wide, he snapped his gaze from her arm to her. "Uhh, um, that''s a hell of a statement. How''d it get in there?"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Shot it from my bow."


    "Is that how our Martial Senior wounded it? You did say she borrowed your bow."


    "No, this one was me. I shot it a few times after it was pinned, and called out targets for the rock dropping." She felt more coldness on her arm but was thoroughly distracted by the conversation. "Ugh, hope the falling rock didn''t break it... Well, it definitely broke the arrow, but my hairpin should be okay."


    "Wait, hairpin? I thought it was a needle?" Nurse Joi asked, leaning over her to get into her line of sight.


    "Uh, yea, I was calling them hairpins at first, then someone said they were acupuncture needles, guess I need to decide on a name for them." She looked up at the ceiling again and felt Doctor Cho''s fingers pinching her skin together as he... did something... "What are you doing there?" She looked back to see him slowly working a piece of tape over a long cut in her arm. "Ugh, when did that happen?"


    "Heh, while you were distracted. Though I must say I was also rather distracted. Hard to not react to a story like that. They told me you were at the front lines, but I didn''t think they meant you were contributing to the fight."


    "If I couldn''t tell you weren''t lying I wouldn''t have believed it myself." Nurse Joi chimed in.


    "Uh, yeah, sorry to pile on, but that was a little hard to believe." Hon shrugged.


    Shae rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Did you see what happened to the body? Or hear if anything was found during the clean-up?"


    "I believe one of the sect Elders picked up the body with their spatial storage."


    Nurse Joi gasped.


    "The whole beast?" Cho spoke up, also sounding surprised. "I had heard it was quite large."


    "Yeah, it was pretty big. Like, uhh, a few wagons stacked together?" She looked over at Hon, who just shrugged. "I guess it was bigger at the end, when it was covered in crystal."


    "You''re sure it''s stuck in the beast? I can ask around, see if any weird arrows were found." Hon suggested.


    "Hmm, pretty sure. It had a lot of sharpness on it from Long''s domain. I guess it could have punched right through, maybe stuck in the ground."


    "Uhhh, sure," he said. Then scrunched his face up and shook his head. "Where?"


    "Oh, uhm, where the first rocks were dropped on it, and it was pinned. Then it''s right forearm, so six to a dozen paces further out from the canyon wall."


    "Okay, I''ll go take a look and ask around." He said and got up.


    "Wait, right now? Isn''t it kinda late, and dark out?" She asked.


    "Sure, sooner the better though. Someone else might find it. You probably need a nap after that?"


    "Rest would be advised," Cho said. "Though, based on this," he shook a small glass vial of black fluid. "I wouldn''t mind extracting more."


    "Oh? Why''s that? Is it dangerous?"


    He shook his head. "Quite the opposite. It''s very much not dangerous, which is important."


    "Doesn''t that mean it''s just shadow scarring? I thought you said dormant qi was dangerous."


    "It can be dangerous. Shadow qi is one of the more dangerous kinds. This is dormant shadow qi, but seems to have been completely pacified. It isn''t reacting with anything, aside from slowly dissipating in the light. As is normal. Do you recall how this happened?"


    Hon cleared his throat before Shae could respond. "A-hem, before you get into that, I''m going to head out. One last thing for you, Miss Shae. Our Elder, you can probably guess which one, had a message for you. She thinks your ''little bet'' may require some adjudication." He rolled half a shrug into a martial salute and bowed to the room, "good luck with the cutting, try to leave her some arm behind."


    "Eh? Adjudication?" Shae stared at Hon''s back with confusion clear on her face. Then she scrunched up her face when more by trying to make sense of it, I can''t see an argument for how I won the bet: the last arrow never landed. That and he didn''t even really agree to it in the first place.


    Doctor Cho cleared his throat.


    "Err, right, sorry. You were asking about the shadow scarring. Hmm," she hummed. "I was panicking a bit while it happened; I guess that I was mainly trying to get it to just stop."


    He nodded, "It''s surprising that you succeeded, but that does track with how it is now acting." He tilted his head to either side. "I suppose... If it was an old enchantment, the qi could have been neutral or lost its attunement to its owner, making it easier to subvert." He lifted her arm up, taking a closer look at the branching patterns.


    "Subvert? Don''t know that word, is that like take over? Is it my shadow qi now?" Her eyes went wide.


    "The amount of branching suggests it wasn''t a focused attack. Probably didn''t have enough power to track your qi channels perfectly, or you pushed it out of them, I suppose." He looked up at her and slowly shook his head. "I''d say toying with shadow qi is like playing with fire, but that idiom holds no weight to us cultivators."


    "Hah." Nurse Joi chuckled. "Ribbon dancing on a mountain in a thunderstorm?"


    Shae coughed to the side.


    "A better warning. Though some would do that for lightning cultivation. It''s probably yours so long as it remains dormant, that''s a reasonable assumption. If you try to tell it to act again, it may defer to its previous curse instructions instead of your own will." He lifted the dark vial off the side table. "Like this it should be harmless, dissolving it in spiritual water should break it down enough to be safely examined. What anyone would actually use it for," he shrugged. "I only want a second sample for scientific curiosity. So that if I do think of something, I don''t have to chase you down again."


    She shrugged, "I don''t mind, that first one wasn''t that bad. Can you take it out of the center of my palm? I don''t really like the look of that big black spot."


    He glanced at it and frowned. "Honestly, if there''s active shadow qi anywhere here, it''s probably right there. The large mass could be acting like a shell." He tilted his head back and forth, considering.


    Shae felt a grinding *click-click* from the terrarium and spotted a brief flash of the chameleon as he projected light onto the bedside where they all could see it. It was a simple pictogram of a bright flame with darkness around it being pushed away in a starburst pattern.


    "Excellent suggestion, Brother of Perpetual Reflections." Cho said while staring directly into Shae''s eyes. A beat later he looked away, "Nurse Joi. Could you fetch my set of qi lenses from my office? Should be in the Northeast corner, third or fourth drawer, no rush."


    She nodded, "Of course, Doctor. Do ask the patient before you begin another procedure, though." She smirked at his expression and walked away.


    He cleared his throat roughly into his sleeve. "So, Wise Shae," he began slowly as Joi left the room. When the door closed he pulled out a pocket watch and clicked it, the sound in the room changed, deadened and free of echoes. His expression instantly changed, he was focused and serious. "Shae, quickly now, this is important, can you feel any odd sensations, or hear any noises when the Senior Brother uses his abilities?"


    She hesitated only a little. "Uh, yes. I can hear it, maybe feel it grinding, like glass against itself."


    "Alright," he put both his palms together and put them up to his lips, concentrating on his next words. "I''m not sure how much I can explain, but that is a very unique sense for one at your stage. It''s like-"


    She held up a hand to stop him. "I know what it is. It''s his Dao grinding against itself because he broke it in the past."


    Brother of Perpetual Reflections appeared in his terrarium, a mottled grey-green with spots of brown covering his skin. Shae thought it might be his real skin color. Even his dorsal ridge wasn''t illuminated. His focus was solely on Shae, qi pressure slowly increasing.


    "Apologies, Senior." She fumbled out a bow from her reclined position in the bed. "It''s not the first broken Dao I''ve sensed, and yours is doing much better than the two military recruits I felt in Minlin City. Theirs wouldn''t even stop grinding. I- uh-" she trailed off, not sure how else to mollify the spirit beast.


    Doctor Cho recovered at this point. "Well, that''s good that you know. However, it''s generally considered very rude to talk about another cultivator''s Dao. Even in passing."


    "Err, but you-"


    He stopped her with a raised hand. "You could have just said you know, and mentioned Minlin. Doesn''t matter, it''s in the past." He glanced at the chameleon with a particular look. The Spirit beast backed off its qi pressure. Then Cho glanced at his office door. "I trust her, but only so far, you shouldn''t trust anyone with knowledge of that sense, it has certain implications. Especially alongside this type of cleansing."


    "Uhm, how dangerous is it?"


    "Mostly in how you got it. If you don''t know that''s possibly worse. Gaining a reliable way for low stage cultivators to sense Dao had been a goal of every noble house for millennia. And I hope that is the full extent of your ability."


    Shae shifted uncomfortably.


    Cho frowned, covered his eyes and raised a palm to her. "No, no-no. Don''t tell me anything, don''t even give me a hint. Doctor-patient confidentiality only goes so far. Just try not to make it as obvious as you have been. You looked over at Senior here before he even flashed his lights."


    "Uh, alright. I''ll try to be more subtle."


    He didn''t lower his hand from his eyes. "Don''t even try to be subtle, just ignore it if you can. Once you''re core stage no one will care anymore, even late formation is fine. Hmm, I think that''s enough for now." He clicked his pocket watch again and the sound in the room returned to normal.


    Shae looked up at the ceiling, working through questions she should have asked, and wondering if she should never ask them.


    Nurse Joi walked into Shae''s line of sight and smiled at the terrarium. "Ah! Cham-Cham is here! How''ve you been, old boy?"


    Shae gawked as the woman reached into a pocket then dropped something into the terrarium from that hand. The chameleon snapped its tongue out, grabbing the snack out of mid-air. She could have sworn that it smiled, then its scales rippled with color, bright orange and green neons cascading down it from nose to tail.


    "Ah-ha! Lovely colors, Cham-Cham!"


    Shae snapped her mouth shut and glanced at Doctor Cho for explanation.


    He was smiling wide as well, and nodded to Shae. "Joi grew up around our Senior here. They get along quite well."


    "I can see that." She mumbled and watched the woman dote on the lizard; mumbling baby talk and wiggling her fingers at it from the roof-flap into its tank.


    Finally, after a few more breaths of that, Joi looked back at them, "So? What did you think of the procedure, Miss Shae?"


    "Uhhhgh."


    "He didn''t actually explain it to you, did he?" She glanced at the doctor who turned to the side to clear his throat. "Well, I suppose I missed an interesting conversation then. I might have to ask Cham-Cham for the highlights later."


    Cham-Cham rippled with bright light.


    "Please, don''t." Cho dipped his head. "It was intended to be confidential. I apologize for the subterfuge, but we do need the lenses."


    Joi set down an articulated metal construction. "For the procedure you haven''t explained yet?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and offered a wooden box with her other hand.


    "Yes, exactly." He nodded and accepted the box, opening it immediately and revealing a selection of glass lenses. He spoke as he picked through them, "Cha- A-hem, Brother of Perpetual Reflections has suggested we use focused light to negate the shadow qi in your palm. In theory, it would neutralize it before it can become a problem."


    "In theory?"


    "There are risks, of course. Mainly that there might be more fully active shadow qi encapsulated than what we are capable of handling. Though, given its size, I find that unlikely."


    Shae flexed her hand and looked at the blob of black at the center of her palm. She took a few breaths to examine her memories of the struggle versus the curse. "Spiritual water also neutralizes it?"


    Cho nodded sideways. "It should, though for it to be most effective, the concentrations required tend to melt flesh and damage qi channels."


    "Uhhh, oh! That shouldn''t be a problem," she said with a smile. "I dunked my finger in it a few days ago and it was fine for a good while."


    The two medical professionals stared silently at her for half a breath.


    "Because of the cleansing." She pointed at her right arm.


    "Ah! Yes, of course." Cho nodded.


    "Mm! Mhm." Nurse Joi mumbled at the same time.


    "Alright, so you''re comfortable with the procedure?"


    Shae nodded. "Yes, Doctor. Please continue."


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 67: Not Just About Power

    <hr>


    Chapter 67: "Not Just About Power."


    <hr>


    The procedure went surprisingly smoothly. This time they used targeted acupuncture to immobilize her arm and dull the pain. Cho explained that they hadn''t done so before because of how long it takes to set up. While he did that, Nurse Joi set up a pair of the lenses over her palm, and then she prepared an 80% solution of spiritual water in a glass syringe. A brief round of testing verified the lenses were arranged correctly before they were ready to begin.


    Shae used a book to distract herself from the procedure. Then part way through she had to use it to fan away the smell. The light provided by Cham-Cham focused through the lenses essentially made a high powered laser that burned through the center of the black blob, and her skin. She felt the heat more than the pain; it was manageable, just rather uncomfortable.


    They stopped considerably sooner than she expected. Leaving her with only a small red dot in the center of her palm.


    "That should heal into your normal pale skin soon enough. Faster if you feed it qi, but you should only do that if it is very uncomfortable," Doctor Cho explained.


    Shae frowned at it. "Hmmm. I was expecting you to remove more of it."


    Cho shrugged. "Your Senior here does not have the deepest of qi reserves, and spent much clearing all the way through it. He says it was a lot denser than it appears. The good news is this should defang any chance of hidden qi, and he even says there was no qi actively resisting his. Thus you should be able to cleanse it away if you do want to change its appearance."


    Nurse Joi leaned in with a smile. "Once it heals to a nice white dot, you''ll have a mark of Yin right on your palm. That''s kind of neat, isn''t it?"


    She considered it with a shrug. "Does that mean I need a Yang mark on my other palm?"


    "Heh heh." Cho chuckled. "Only if you want to negate the intimidation factor of having either. No one cultivates both. It would be like cultivating fire and water."


    "People do that, it''s called steam." She smirked briefly.


    "Err, bad example. They are complete opposites, rather than elemental opposites."


    "Ice and fire might be a better example?" Joi suggested. "Or the more obvious light and shadow."


    Shae tilted her head. "Hmmm, but light creates shadow, technically. And ideologically, shadow cannot exist without light, only darkness, they seem a fitting pair."


    She felt a harsher and more uncomfortable grinding noise come from the terrarium. Cham-Cham was glaring at her with the one eye facing that side of the tank. Then she noticed its reflection, and the other eye was also glaring.


    She coughed into her sleeve. "Err, that''s just philosophy though. Not any practical sense of the qi."


    The grinding slowed but the beast was clearly still annoyed.


    "Hmm." Cho said as he considered them both. "We should wrap this up quickly. Stay still a moment." He grabbed a scalpel and made several very fast cuts then peeled strings of shadow directly out of Shae''s arm with a pair of steel chopsticks.


    "Eah!" She only managed a mumble of surprise. Her arm was still paralyzed and Nurse Joi moved quickly to hold her from twisting her torso away.


    "There! Done. Knowing it wouldn''t react made it a much simpler operation!" He smiled, then glanced to the side and down at seeing the young woman''s expression. "A-hem. Apologies about the abruptness."


    Joi began removing the acupuncture pins while Cho bandaged Shae''s arm and stored the harvested qi strands.


    "Now, while we return you to your bed for rest. Let''s discuss some form of payment."


    "Eh? But- I-." She stammered and hefted the book still in her hand. "And I have almost nothing to pay you with."


    "Ah, no no. My apologies. I need to pay you, Wise Shae." Doctor Cho dipped his head slightly. "If someone was looking for it specifically, dormant shadow qi could fetch quite a high price."


    She gaped at him, her jaw working silently until she managed, "Oh."


    "And you can bring the book as well." He gestured out of the room and that pushed them into quickly clearing out of the room. Cho wheeled the cart of tools into his office but waved them off from moving the furniture. The three left the room without another word.


    Nurse Joi was the first to speak up as they walked the halls. Just after turning the first corner she said, "Thank you for letting Cham-Cham rest," she said and bowed slightly.


    Shae nodded but had to stop herself from saying anything, remembering Cho''s words about keeping her Dao sense a secret.


    "It was rather obvious he was irritated by the statement," the doctor explained.


    "Err, sorry about saying that. I didn''t think it would bother Senior Brother." Shae ducked her head in an attempted walking-bow. She almost stumbled because of it.


    Joi waved a dismissive hand. "He wasn''t that annoyed. Didn''t even use any pressure"


    "Mhmm," Cho hummed agreement. "He is quite aware of the workings of shadow, he just doesn''t like to be reminded."


    "Was that- err," Shae stumbled over her words, "Doctor Cho, didn''t you mention an injury earlier, was it related to shadow qi in some way?"


    Nurse Joi raised an interrogatory eyebrow.


    Cho glanced over at Shae with a more considered expression. "No. Rather unrelated, as far as I know. It might be good for the old grump to hear it from one so young, though. If it''s that obvious to you, he might have to admit the idea has more weight to it. Likely won''t- err, won''t change anything for him. Yet, additional perspectives are usually healthy for cultivators."


    Shae just hummed in response, then there were several strides of silence among the group as they all took time to reflect on the words.


    Doctor Cho finally grunted and spoke up. "So, are you in need of anything medically related that I could supply? Something more material, please. With this distraction I''m afraid my time is really pulled thin now. I may not see you at all tomorrow. My apologies if that is the day you depart, it was very nice to meet you, Wise Shae."


    "Ah, uhm, I''m not sure. Oh, it was nice to meet you too, Doctor. Uhm, so what falls into that category? Any cultivation resources?"


    "Hmm, the cheapest ones probably, unless I find a wealthy buyer. Though, I have little interest in actively searching for one. Hmmm, perhaps it could go to auction." He mumbled the last sentence out.


    Joi leaned over. "And your connections at the sect might let you get those resources directly, don''t be afraid to just ask for coin." She winked.


    Cho nodded towards her, but held his tongue.


    "Hmm, given you don''t know if you''ll sell it. Perhaps a flat exchange now, and a percentage later if you do sell it?"


    Cho''s eyebrows shot up as he nodded in appreciation. "Spoken like a merchant, I didn''t think you had that in your background."


    "Well, I''m just full of surprises." She chuckled. "Though, not enough to know a reasonable amount for either. Hmm, it doesn''t seem to have cost me much to part with, so let''s say one part in three goes to me for the percentage. For the flat rate... maybe you could recommend something, or an amount?"


    "That does leave a reasonable incentive for me to sell it, I can accept that. As for the flat fee, hmm, a few coins would probably do less than something more immediately relevant to you. I''ll see what I have in storage." He scratched his chin which now had short stubble on it again. "Your cleansing seems quite good already. Was there something else you were interested in? Maybe something about your body you wished to improve? Heh, even something outrageous from a legendary tale."


    "Heh, ah, hmm... I guess I wanted to build more muscle? And someone said it would be harder with my uneven cleansing. So any suggestions there would help. I already have a partial tar technique for added resistance, and I''ll probably be able to upgrade it to the one the sect has easily." She scratched her own much smoother chin. "Even a dietary supplement for building muscle, like creatine-ough," she forced herself to cough to interrupt the English word. "Uh, I- uhm, yeah, you probably would have a better idea of that than me."


    There was an awkward silence where Doctor Cho kept glancing down to Shae, then back at the hallway ahead of them. Nurse Joi remained studiously silent.


    "Oh, and a friend mentioned my bones might be weak? That the cleansing wouldn''t strengthen them the same way as my flesh. So something for that, and even checking my bones now. The cleansing was rather extreme, it might have done something to the rest of my arm and leg."


    "Hmm, that should be simple to check." Cho snapped out his qi inspection tool and reached a hand for Shae to offer her arm into. He talked as he checked it over. "There is a practical test for bone strength, though it''s rather painful so I don''t recommend it unless you really need to know." He slowly moved the stethoscope-like tool along her arm, then quickly to her back, over her shoulder blade. "Hmmm."


    His qi also lapped at the areas and Shae had to resist a shudder, not from the qi but the spiritual tool. His qi felt like a warm summer sun and a fresh cup of tea, both comforting and relaxing. Yet the tool seemed to draw the feeling back out of her, leaving the area cold. It was a different feeling from earlier, though he didn''t use his qi earlier, she noted to herself.


    He switched back to her arm briefly, then tried her other arm with another loud hum. "Ahh, inconclusive, I''m afraid." He squeezed her shoulder once then stepped away. "This tool isn''t nearly as accurate for that kind of test. Impurities don''t read as anything more than increased density. I can clearly tell the areas where your flesh is cleansed are lacking impurities through the comparison. However, for the bone..." He trailed off.


    "Improving the strength would also increase the density," Shae mused. "So if it did that and cleansed impurities the density could be very similar?"


    "Well done, Wise Shae." Nurse Joi beamed.


    "Yes, exactly. And as I said, this tool is not particularly accurate for that. It would have to be a change of, say two parts per set to really be noticeable, and it''s anyone''s guess what your impurity density would be, bones can vary significantly."


    Joi scoffed, "Significantly. Hah. A few parts per square set is what I remember."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Cho rolled his eyes. "A few parts either way could mean one full part per set, which is not insignificant. Remove that, add as much density or more, and this might still not be able to detect a change." He waggled the spiritual tool towards Joi, clearly arguing with her more than explaining it to Shae.


    The nurse looked away and made it clear from her body language that she was rolling her eyes.


    Shae covered her mouth with her sleeve, trying not to giggle audibly.


    Cho noticed her and tilted his head slightly. "You can probably assume a small improvement, but don''t rely on it. When you get to bone cleansing, your own qi senses should be enough to tell you about the impurities in your bones. Then you''ll have to perform research at the sect to search for any precedent about your cleansing method. I was only told it was a unique incident," he raised a hand to stop her from explaining. "I won''t know off-hand, even if you explain it well. Unique incidents tend to happen more regularly than people expect, the sect should have something on it." He hummed and scratched his chin again, his nails making a loud sandpaper noise on his stubble. "You should even make it an official research project: you may be able to receive a partial class credit for it."


    Nurse Joi leaned back with a wide smile, "Ahh, research projects were some of my favorites."


    "That''s because you kept using them to skip class." Cho shook his head. She just giggled in response.


    "Oh! Does that mean you both went to the sect?" Shae hopped and skipped a step in excitement.


    Joi shook her head, but it was Cho that answered. "We were both trained by the military medical office. Served our time and got out when we could."


    "Ah," Shae slumped with disappointment, then jolted back upright again. "Did either of you know one Staff Sergeant Xiang?"


    "Hmm, Xiang?" He asked with that sandpaper scratch noise as background.


    "I think I knew a Corporal Xiang." Joi was looking up at the ceiling.


    Cho turned a frown on her. "Wait, was it that corporal?"


    She looked at him with a devilish smile. "Sure was."


    "Uh, well he could have got a promotion, yeah?" Shae awkwardly asked. "It''s just that I met a Staff Sergeant Xiang in Minlin City, nice enough guy. He was there with a small squad, collecting recruits."


    "Hmph. Isn''t that usually considered a punishment detail?" Cho asked with a chuckle.


    "Well, just for the officers." Joi nodded, still holding most of her earlier smirk. "It certainly could be him, then." She looked up again and sighed. "I should send him a letter."


    Cho frowned. "Won''t they be up this way for the same reason?"


    She shrugged. "I don''t know. I also went directly through medical."


    "Ah, right-right." He replied quietly. Then after a breath he leaned forwards a bit, like he was looking around the next corner. "Well, we are almost to your bed, Wise Shae. I''ll let Nurse Joi get you settled, and check on what I have in storage for bone strength. I assume you''re not looking for a forging bath?"


    Nurse Joi shuddered violently. "Ugh, please say no."


    "Uhmm, that''s the really painful body cultivation bath? I did hear about that, and it seems worth avoiding if there are other options."


    "It''s also rather expensive, I just wanted to be sure." Cho nodded. "I''ll definitely be able to find something for muscle development. Hmm, an oral supplement would affect all your muscles, so not really solve the issue. Yes, I''ll see what I have and include some instructions depending."


    "Thank you, Doctor Cho." She stopped at the corner to bow to him properly.


    "And thank you for the exchange, Wise Shae." He dipped his head slightly. "Do remember to leave the book behind." He smirked and walked down the hall to the right.


    Nurse Joi led Shae to the left. "Let''s get you settled quickly, I do have a few tasks I am also behind on now."


    "Ah, sorry for delaying you." Shae began the awkward walking-bow but didn''t complete it.


    "No-no, don''t be. That''s just how this place is. And besides, I got to see Cham-Cham! That''s worth the lost time." She smiled.


    "Hehe. Oh! And thank you for the chilli at dinner. It was easily the best part."


    "Hah! Told you everyone loves my goshu!"


    <hr>


    A few hallways later Shae decided she should ask Nurse Joi one last question while she had her available. "Nurse Joi, can I get your opinion on something?"


    "No harm in asking for it, yet I''ll make no promises." She smirked.


    "Heh. Well, I''ve been having a difficult time interacting with most of the sect elders that I''ve met. So, I just wanted another outside opinion on the sects in general."


    "Hmm, that''s rather broad." She paused for a breath, then continued when Shae didn''t jump in. "They are certainly an interesting artifact of their social niche."


    "Hu-eh?" She gawked with clear confusion, then snapped her mouth shut.


    "Hah hah. What a cute reaction! I suppose you were expecting something less technical, but allow me to explain." Joi paused to let Shae nod. "People need an organization to cultivate amongst. The military and monasteries do that, but that strict structure only works for some. The truly free spirits can be wandering cultivators, but that life isn''t for everyone either."


    "So there''s a gap in the market?"


    She raised an eyebrow. "I didn''t take you to be a merchant, though it would make sense."


    The young woman shook her head. "Peasant family, but I left home early."


    "Ambitious! And that''s what sects seek to serve. The massive ambition of those that would challenge the heavens. Limited to very few per region, because they would fight each other for resources, but independent enough to stay out of politics. Which also lets them serve the nobles without conflict. Serving merchants and peasants also prevents rival sects with any meaningful numbers." Joi shrugged open palms to either side. "Can you think of a better alternative?"


    Shae frowned in thought. "I can think of alternatives, but I''m also lacking significant information to claim they are better. I don''t even have a good grasp of how the sects function. How could I suggest an alternative?" She mirrored the woman''s shrug.


    Joi looked down at her with a crinkled forehead. "That''s a rather mature statement from someone of your apparent age."


    Shae smiled back, still deciding if she should share her past.


    "And, from what I heard, you stuck your nose directly into a battle between higher stage combatants. A behavior regularly demonstrated by lost souls."


    The young woman''s smile grew rueful and she turned to face ahead of their foot travel. She began with a sigh, "I am as I appear, but yes, some may consider me older than that. To alleviate potential worry, I have been tested with soul calming root three times, that I am aware of. And the sect elders I was traveling with are well aware of my status."


    Joi chewed her lip for a beat, just until she caught herself doing it. "So are you-"


    "Ah!" Shae raised a hand to cut her off. "Please don''t ask directly. That Staff Sergeant Xiang performed an inquiry on me so I will be forced to respond at my detriment, which won''t actually answer your question, and I may faint from the strain."


    The nurse''s eyebrows were trying to climb off her head now. "You''re serious? A heavenly inquiry? How did it feel? Uh, if you don''t mind me asking."


    "It felt like being interrogated with a blade at my neck. I do mind answering questions about my past though. Sometimes something is far enough away that the events don''t really feel like they matter anymore. Even the village I grew up in seems disconnected from the current me."


    "Ahwww." Joi hummed with a sad tone. "That''s not a very pleasant perspective. Feels a bit depressing and full of ennui."


    "En-nui? That''s a new one for me.


    "The philosophical idea that everything is meaningless."


    "Ah! I do know another word for that. Ennui." She said the English word and focused her knowledge into the intent of the word.


    Joi gasped. "Wow. Yes, that''s it. Spectacular use of intent, Wise Shae."


    "For my cultivation stage, of course." She grumbled.


    "No, not even that. I''ve felt weaker intent translations from late core stage cultivators. Sure, not everyone focuses on it, but for translations they really should put the effort in."


    "Hah, well, thanks. It''s nice to know the effort of practice isn''t wasted."


    "If you can keep that up, you could probably converse with foreigners, or even spirit beasts!"


    "Ahh, about that. I probably can''t keep it up for long. Plus my intent sense is much weaker, so I don''t think I''d understand them back." She rubbed the back of her neck.


    Joi inhaled sharply. "Well, that would put a damper in the conversation. You''ll have to practice that as well. Ambulare retro." She spoke the last words with her gaze locked onto Shae''s, her intent peppering across the gap like a gust of bad breath."


    "Wha-... Oh, uhhhmm?"


    Joi waited for a breath, then repeated the unknown phrase.


    Shae focused for another breath, then turned around to walk backwards down the hall.


    Joi clapped twice, "Well done. Do you want to do some others? Or wait, did I answer your question about the sect?"


    "Hmm. Kind of, yeah. Thinking of them as a public service available to... About a third of everyone, since entry is mainly about spirit root grade. That helps a bit." She huffed. "Like I said, between the elders I''ve met, most were not particularly personable or helpful. I was just hoping my experience was an outlier. That the Elders and sect management will be different. Especially the teachers."


    "Hmm, well firstly, it''s not a third. A high grade spirit root occurs in less than a fifth of all people, and we think about half of them don''t have the initiative to even get tested. That''s just statistics, though."


    Shae frowned. "But nobles would always get tested."


    "And merchants. Which is partly why peasants don''t massively outnumber them in the sects. Some people claim it''s breeding, good blood or whatever garbage, but that''s never been proven." Joi took a deep inhale. "As for the Elders. It''s hard to say. Some people would say that lost souls rarely have the usual experience. For whatever that''s worth."


    Shae snorted out a laugh.


    "Outside the sect, with the elders especially, they are more likely to be cold and stone faced individuals that don''t take lightly to disrespect. Depending on your background, disrespect might come naturally. Even just the desire for a more casual interaction can cause conflict." She looked over at the young woman and tilted her head. "You''ve been rather respectful to us when appropriate. Though, much more casual at every other moment than what I''d expect from a sect cultivator. Does bowing and using honorifics bother you?"


    "Hmm, not particularly, Nurse Joi." She dipped her head towards the woman. "But I do prefer casual conversation."


    "Heh. Most people do. Yet cultivators are not most people. It''s that ambition again. If you''re going to be that ambitious, then you want to see the fruits of your labor. What better way than for people to constantly recognize your progress?"


    "Huh. You make it sound like it''s not about power?"


    "Does it have to be? Power comes with progress. A military rank, or medical title isn''t explicitly about stage or power, either."


    "Right. I suppose my titles are like that too, recognition of an event, not a reflection of power. Sooo, it''s a verbal acknowledgement... of progress... Because their power could be sensed anyway."


    Joi nodded along. "You know, I''m just putting this together as we talk. I hadn''t considered it too deeply before."


    "I''ve heard this old foreign saying, ''on earth as it is in heaven.'' Somehow, I think that applies here too."


    Joi nodded and slowed her walking. "Because the heavens also recognize cultivator progress."


    Shae slowed as well, and they both stopped.


    Their eyes met and they didn''t need words or intent to communicate what they were both now feeling. Joi pointed to one of the beds, then at the floor in the hall, then she quickly grabbed a mattress off another bed and sat on it in the middle of the hallway. Her legs folded into the lotus pose and her hands landed on her knees. Her eyes were closed before Shae had even moved.


    Shae grabbed the mattress that Joi had pointed to, then hesitated while deciding where to put it. She smirked and placed it directly in front of Nurse Joi, then sat in the same pose with their knees and hands almost touching. She removed her earrings, returning them to their proper shape and used them for their practical purpose. "Sorry, if this doesn''t work." She mumbles to the cultivator across from her before falling into her own meditation.


    <hr>

 Manifold Journey 68.5 - Aside: Meaning & Intent

    <hr>


    Aside: "Meaning & Intent."


    <hr>


    The formations in the clinic serve many purposes. One of their primary tasks is to act as an alert system when a patient or nurse is in need of assistance.


    If someone were to call out for a nurse or Doctor Cho himself, they would hear it, and be able to identify its location. Doctor Cho himself is most attuned to this system, while many of the lower stage nurses are unable to use it properly.


    The formation network does this by measuring the weight of meaning in the words spoken. Doing so is an obscure concept to most, and many knowledgeable cultivators would deride it for being less than intent. Yet, for this purpose it is much more important.


    Mortals cannot easily impart intent into their words, but meaning is automatic, effortless. They know their words to have meaning, so they do. Adding more meaning takes work, but urgency and panic does a lot of that for them.


    Specific formations symbols in the network detect words with relevant meaning, help, doctor, nurse, for example, and then it transmits them to Doctor Cho and nearby attuned users. It also registers any words with particularly high meaning, and can be actively monitored by the doctor himself.


    This, obviously, means Doctor Cho can utilize it as a spy network of sorts. Though, he would never frame his observations as such. This is why, after leaving Nurse Joi and Shae to attend to his own duties, he continues to monitor their conversation.


    He doesn''t catch all of it. Many words slip under the threshold to be carried by the network, and certain tasks require his full focus. Yet, some words punch through by the sheer weight of their meaning. Lost soul and inquiry are two such examples.


    The volume of Shae''s intent-filled "Ennui" could have forced someone to their knees, he only winced. Certainly he would have fallen and lost his hearing were he mortal as the formation was designed to amplify the sound of meaningful words. He considers that it was likely an oversight to not set an upper limit to that amplification, but he didn''t make the thing himself.


    Contrary to Nurse Joi''s explanation, Shae did not use much intent for the word, but rather meaning. Ironically, neither intent nor meaning are fully transmitted to Doctor Cho over the formation network, only the amplified sound. He has the meaning, anyways, from the context of their earlier words.


    If the formation could convey intent or its lesser cousin meaning, or if it could moderate the volume of the sound to something reasonable, then it would be much more complex and thus much more expensive to build and run. A cost that would be multiplied for every room and hallway. Cho knows this, but he still sometimes regrets not spending the additional funds.


    He is distracted while Shae complains about the sect; misses most of it, and is somewhat confused by the way the conversation jumps to a new topic when he is not paying attention. She complains about the sect again, and Joi asks about her preference for using titles. The pair seems to find something there. He notices from the tone in the words that something is happening, but not what. There is too much lost context for the overheard conversation to be easily tracked.


    The more expensive variant would again come in handy here. Yet, that formation is often used as security. As a full on surveillance system. The lesser version is more generally accepted for public use and regularly sees use in clinics, libraries, and large shops. Knowing when someone is lost or can''t find something they need can greatly improve a customer''s visit.


    Shae''s last whispered words are very concerning as two words stand out loudly, "Sorry,...this...n''t work."


    Doctor Cho stops between his rounds of checking on patients and frowns to himself. Then the qi alarms go off, detecting a massive surge in divine qi. One of the few it was made to specifically detect. The associated location is exactly where Joi and Shae had been.


    Doctor Cho gasps in understanding, "An enlightenment!" He mutters and hears the echo of enlightenment through the qi formation, pointing at his own location. This is a known defect in the formation, though it only affects some areas of the clinic.


    As he moves to the next patient he makes plans to bring chalk and formation flags to the pair, for whichever one is experiencing the event. Shielding the enlightenment properly should prevent the turbulent qi flow from affecting nearby patients and should make the event more efficient. Really, the over-spilled divine qi could be used to heal patients, but it tends to swirl and upset the natural flow more than effectively heal others. He frowns absentmindedly while checking the patient, his thoughts distracting him with the idea that there really should be a better way to harness the overflowing qi from the event.


    Then the alarms became louder.


    He freezes mid inspection, the patient''s leg raised up in one of his hands. More qi detected, much more. Still divine qi. Which should only be possible if it was a much larger enlightenment than is reasonable, or if they both had enlightenments.


    He reviews what he remembers of their last words. It is certainly possible, they seemed to be on the same line of reasoning.


    He abruptly releases the patient and steps away. Then turns back and offers a brief apology. Two more steps then a careful movement technique takes him to the doorway into the next hallway. He taps into the formation network to ensure his path to the pair is unobstructed and is gone from the doorway as quickly as he appeared in it.


    He is a full dozen paces past the turn to his office before he realizes he needs equipment from it. Some weak piece of flesh in him protests the rapid change in direction and he ignores it; it will heal itself before their enlightenments are over.


    A weaker piece of wood and cloth protests his passing: the bed still in his private library partly disintegrates as he passes through the space it once occupied. His door is not so easily brushed away and while opening it Cham-Cham makes his complaints about the interruption known.


    He collects two sets of rarely used formation flags, a qi stone to power them, door barricades, and a stick of chalk.


    He apologizes to Cham-Cham on his way out, quickly explaining that Wise Shae and Nurse Joi seem to be having a shared enlightenment.


    The chameleon''s joy is immediate and the doctor can feel as his Dao grinds and clicks against itself so that it can display that joy as light and color. At least one of those clicks feels correct, Cho smiles and is already two hallways away.


    For all his rushing to get there he is stunned by what he finds.


    The young cultivator seems to be trying to perform some strange ritual. If his senses weren''t as good as they are he would be tempted to separate the pair, just as a precaution.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shae''s left arm drips a thin line of blood from where an acupuncture needle pierces it just above the elbow. Her other arm is pierced with another, but doesn''t bleed. His hand twitches at the sight of blood, but he crushes the urge to go fix it immediately.


    That alone would not have stopped him. It is the small ball of qi that floats between the women that bothers him. It is clearly the girl''s. A misty white with a hint of blue that suggests pure qi, but laced with gold flashes, the occasional spark of lightning arcing off to strike the incoming enlightenment qi and drawing it in. He almost mistakes it for storm qi, but that would be dark grey. He has felt her qi before, so he knows this is hers. Though, this is a fine mist compared to the torrent he felt when she was first brought in.


    The needles make sense now. She used them to release her qi, and probably to help re-absorb it later. Without cleared meridians she would need a way to do that; blood and physical harm is usually the last choice, but she likely knows no other.


    A more rash cultivator who found this scene might have assumed she was leeching off Nurse Joi''s enlightenment. Not unheard of, though it was generally considered demonic and worthy of execution. His senses tell him that they are indeed both having enlightenments. As for the ball of qi, the rumors of Wise Shae and her title tell him exactly what she is trying to do.


    It is an interesting idea: trying to replicate a six person ritual with just two who are both having an enlightenment over the same thing. Foolish to do it without consulting anyone, especially the other party.


    He can only hope that Nurse Joi doesn''t follow along. He has no idea what will happen if they try it; only guesses.


    From what Cho has heard the monk''s normal ritual shields the enlightened party in the center of the five others. It uses their swirling qi as a buffer to contain the enlightenment qi. The way Shae is trying to do it is completely reversed, and it could easily waste far more qi by pushing the enlightenment qi away. They would need a shielding formation around them to contain it.


    He looks at the formation flags in his hands and curses as silently as he can. At least I''ll only need one set of the bloody things now.


    The barricades neatly fit across the doorways and double as privacy wards. The formation''s flags find their way to the floor on top of a perfect chalk circle just large enough to go around the pair of mattresses. He only has to use a single extra flag to close the larger formation.


    And now I wait.


    Patience is not his strong suit, that would be patients. He walks closely around the formation to inspect the young woman''s acupuncture attempt. He scowls at the appearance of the needles, they look rusted and dirty. Hmm? No, I think they are supposed to look like that. They are spiritual tools, the ones she showed me earlier. Definitely didn''t sterilize them, though.


    He sees that the acupuncture attempt itself isn''t terrible. He wonders why she didn''t use her hands or wrists, then sees the shadow qi, and her tattoo on her bleeding left arm. Ah, good choice to avoid those, then.


    The specific points she has used are not the best choice: wider ones would handle more qi flow. Yet, he approves of them because if she had missed the placement slightly, or if she damages the points with massive qi flow she won''t do any lasting damage to herself. The blood suggests she did miss the point somewhat, but he observes that it''s unlikely to cause lasting damage, especially with her qi.


    From this close he sees that she''s very tense. Her shoulders and neck muscles strain with effort or nervousness. She''s also barely absorbed much of her enlightenment. He inhales sharply then nods slowly, Right, she''s hoping Joi will join in, and probably straining to keep her qi moving. Even her internal qi is roiling and spinning quickly now.


    He watches the young cultivator''s enlightenment begin to spin and twist around her, following her internal qi. In contrast, Joi''s is clearly separate, resisting the current, probably with intentional effort.


    Cho wonders if he can slip away to check on a few more patients. There is little for him to do here.


    He stays and waits anyway.


    Less than a half hour later Nurse Joi''s enlightenment winds down, the golden light beginning to fade and flicker.


    Cho watches the younger cultivator''s shoulders slump as she realises it''s too late and the nurse won''t be joining in with her absurd idea. He relaxes as well, releasing more tension than he thought he was holding.


    He finds himself a little surprised to see Shae''s personal qi cloud has had a considerable density increase. Then he nods, Yes, that is to be expected, what with all the enlightenment qi around. It would have a similar effect to cycling it within her alongside the divine qi.


    Nurse Joi shifts her body, signaling she is about to exit meditation. She does so a little early, ignoring the last few wisps to get up and walks out of the formation with a shudder.


    Cho raises a palm towards her, placating her softly, "Now, Joi-" with his other hand he pulls out his pocket watch and activates the privacy ward so their discussion doesn''t affect Shae. "-please don''t jump to any conclusions."


    "Hm?" She skews an eyebrow up and follows his quick glance back to Shae. "Oh, because she''s trying to replicate the monk''s ritual?"


    He blinks twice.


    "You thought I didn''t know? That I would have no clue what she was trying?" Joi rolls her eyes at him.


    "Well, it''s a fairly obscure ritual that I only remembered because of the recent rumors."


    "The rumor that I told you? The one where Shae earns her Wise title? Hah. You''re such a man sometimes."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    She rolls her eyes again. "It means you assume you are the first and only one to realise anything."


    He coughs to the side. "Well, I just didn''t want you to think the worst of the girl. Look at her! It practically looks demonic!"


    They both looked over to the brightly glowing golden light and the young woman in a white hospital robe in the center of it.


    "Oh my!" Joi mocks. "She''s practically raining blood and hellfire across the room."


    He coughs again. "It was worse earlier. When I walked in."


    Joi shakes her head, then slowly shifts to tilting her head sideways, still looking in Shae''s direction. "Does her enlightenment look bigger than earlier?"


    Cho can''t resist matching the exact angle of her head tilt, it doesn''t help with the comparison. "I think you''re correct. Huh. Is this because of her...?" He waggles a finger at the ball of super dense qi above her lap.


    "How should I know? I''ve never seen a monk''s ritual before." She pauses. "I really don''t think so, though. Maybe she had a bigger one saved up?"


    "Pah, that''s never been proven to be possible."


    "That doesn''t mean it''s impossible."


    He frowns at her.


    "What? Do you have a better idea?" She shrugs.


    "Bloody lost souls, doing whatever they damn well please." He clears his throat into his sleeve. "Did you need to meditate more? It looked like you rushed it."


    She hesitates before shaking her head again. "Not urgently, and I think I''d rather watch this. Feel free to go back to your rounds, if you like."


    He hums and shifts his weight from foot to foot. He is behind on work now. "Why do I feel like something important is going to happen as soon as I walk away?"


    She glances at him with a smirk. "Well, hurry up and go, then. Don''t make me wait longer for the bloody lost soul to do something unheard of."


    Cho sighs, pulls out his pocket watch and clicks it off. He dips his head and she bows a little lower in return, then he takes his leave.


    He pauses just around the corner and waits a few breaths. Obviously, nothing changes.


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