ã€ŠTransmigrator Turned Beast Tamer Princessã€‹


 Chapter One - Falling Into A New World

    Chapter One - Falling into a New World

    Nie Ruyi

    Nie Ruyi scrounged in the bottom of her purse, the sidewalk painful beneath the chunky high-heels she¡¯d worn to work today. Her steps jarred the bag, causing the bus pass she was searching for to slip away. A curse slipped from her lips, as she pushed away the little zipper-bag in which she kept her minor first aid kit. Grumbling, she continued the search as her legs carried her on the well-trod path to the bus stop.

    After work, she¡¯d headed out instantly, her spirits high thanks to the news that one of her favorite novels was deploying the first episode of it¡¯s animated adaptation today. She¡¯d intended on setting up a little watch party for herself at home, a nice bag of popcorn and some soda to accompany her squee-ing bliss. She was looking forward to seeing Teng Xueling¡¯s introduction to the Imperial Harem and all the drama contained within.

    The world seemed to drop out from under her. She looked up from her bag, alert with panic, thinking she¡¯d missed a step, or perhaps she¡¯d twisted her ankle and was falling. The truth was far stranger. Beneath her feet was a well of light so bright it blinded her to look at. She barely made out the lines and symbols that made it up, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to say she read it and actually retained any of it. Then, the falling sensation changed into an odd sort-of floating instead.

    Her hair, short and curled around her cheeks and ears, lifted in weightlessness, and she felt as if her bag weighed nothing on her shoulder. She didn¡¯t have time to scream, or even the air to do so, a breathlessness stealing over her. Ruyi¡¯s entire world collapsed into bright light, and then, as suddenly as it was there, it was gone.

    The floor was hard and wooden when she collapsed on it, her bag dropping from her shoulder, her legs askew. A hiss of pain escaped her lips, her hands immediately going to rub her aching backside, which had caught her heavy fall. Her eyes watered with the light even as it faded, and as it did and they became accustomed to the new surroundings, Nie Ruyi wondered if perhaps she¡¯d died.

    After all, how else could one explain closing one¡¯s eyes on the sidewalk next to a busy street, only to open them in a candle-lit room with rice-woven mats for flooring and red-painted walls? How else could one explain having been (mostly) alone on a sidewalk, only to open one¡¯s eyes to the staring, concerned faces of people wearing ancient clothing all around you?

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Nie Ruyi managed as her intelligent first foray into this situation, ¡°Where am I?¡±

    This broke the staring faces from their surprise and some of them turned to converse with each other. Two stayed focused on Nie Ruyi, however, never leaving her face. One was a woman who looked in her early thirties, a soft curve to her cheeks speaking of an excess of food for most of her life. It made her no less beautiful, for her lips were well-shaped and her eyes kind and sparkling. Her hair was worn in a style Nie Ruyi had only seen in xianxia anime and historical dramas, a complicated bun high in the back and the rest a free-falling black curtain. This woman wore robes that seemed to shimmer and shine, some of the cloth so fine it floated on the breezes like spiderwebs in the early morning.

    She was the one who spoke first. ¡°Welcome. I am Lao Minghui, leader of the Severing Firefly Sect. We are currently in the Skies Hunting Caverns. This will, of course, mean nothing to you, as you are not from this world and do not know its places.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Nie Ruyi managed. ¡°I see. Then¡­. Uh. Why am I here? Can¡­ Can you send me back home?¡±

    Here a sadness grew over Lao Minghui¡¯s face, and it created a squeezing ache in Nie Ruyi¡¯s chest. ¡°No, we cannot send you home. I am sorry. We brought you here out of selfish necessity, and for that, this one is sorry. However, our need is dire, and we would not have used the array, had it not been a life-or-death situation.¡±

    ¡°That-¡± Nie Ruyi didn¡¯t know if that made it better or worse. ¡°You¡­You can¡¯t send me home. At all.¡±

    ¡°We can discuss the details later. For now, may I ask your name?¡± As Lao Minghui spoke, the whispers and curious mumbles quieted around them, a silence waiting for Ruyi¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Nie Ruyi. I¡¯m Nie Ruyi, and¡­ I guess I¡¯m stuck here.¡±

    Lao Minghui led Nie Ruyi from the room she¡¯d been summoned in, helping her up and out of the blood-red circle. She¡¯d seemed worried about Nie Ruyi¡¯s state of dress, as she led the young woman down a hall and through several doors. Nie Ruyi had yet to see any windows, or any sign of the outdoors, but Lao Minghui had not let up with the conversation enough to let her search.

    ¡°You must forgive our followers, you see.¡± She¡¯d started, after Nie Ruyi had cast a worried glance over her shoulder at the hangers-on that trodded after them. ¡°Several of them are my assistants. One is my brother, Lao Xiaojun, who is acting as my bodyguard in this situation. And the others are curious students, warning to know what we¡¯ve done and how it will help the situation.¡±

    ¡°What situation? You haven¡¯t exactly told me why you¡¯ve brought me here.¡± Nie Ruyi complained, chilled to the bone. It had been summer moments ago for her, and now, it felt as if someone had left the thermostat off in the middle of winter. She could only assume the others were dressed warmly because it was cold too. Lao Minghui even had a fur collar at her throat, and lining her wrists and shoulders. Nie Ruyi felt entirely underdressed in her silky short-sleeve blouse and above-the-knee ruffly skirt-and-tights combo. She hadn¡¯t even brought a cardigan, because of how warm it was.

    ¡°I would prefer to discuss it in a more¡­ controlled setting. The information is a bit sensitive, you see.¡± Lao Minghui concluded with a wave of her hand. ¡°Are you alright? Ah, A-Jun, could you allow Maiden Nie to borrow your cloak?¡±

    The man, square jaw tense and eyes narrowed in what could only be annoyance, removed the fur-liend thing and fair-tossed it over Nie Ruyi¡¯s shoulders. While she had to admit it was much warmer than what she was wearing, it was also awkward. The cloak was incredibly long, and she worried about tripping over it. But, it was warm with reflected heat from his body and she wasn¡¯t going to give up that warmth now that her tremors were slowing.

    ¡°Thank you, A-Jun.¡± Lao Minghui patted the young man on his entirely-too-thick shoulder, and he didn¡¯t seem mollified in the slightest. He was still staring daggers at Nie Ruyi¡¯s profile. The modern girl huffed out a breath that clouded in the cold air, and followed Lao Minghui once again through the cavernous corridors of this building.

    Finally (thankfully for Nie Ruyi¡¯s poor bruised feet) they reached whatever room Lao Minghui had been leading them towards. One of the assistants slid forward between the bodies to push the door open. Lao Minghui entered first, ushering Nie Ruyi to follow her. This put Lao Xiaojun at her back, and Nie Ruyi wasn¡¯t sure she felt comfortable with the hulking man behind her. When she saw Lao Minghui settled behind what appeared to be a low desk, Nie Ruyi moved forward with quick strides and sank to the ground in front of it, wrapping the cloak around her as tightly as one might a blanket.

    With a flicker of her fingers, Lao Minghui gave some kind of order that resolved itself into one of the assistants ushering all the other watchers out of the door, and closing it behind them. During this shuffle taking place, Nie Ruyi found herself looking around the room she¡¯d found herself in. Delicately carved yet strong shelves held knick-knacks and scrolls (honest to god scrolls!). Little jade-colored tea-cups and teapots, vases filled with flowers that looked fresh, and a few odd things Nie Ruyi didn¡¯t recognise lined every surface. On the walls were unrolled scrolls, paintings made with ink and brush. One or two even had calligraphy on them. The script (thank heavens) was readable, and seemed to be quotes from poetry. She¡¯d never read those poems before, but Nie Ruyi had rarely read poetry anyway.

    The pillow she¡¯d sunk down on was fluffy and comfortable, even though it was on a floor, and the window to the side of the room let in a soft light filtered through tannish paper. Was glass not invented yet? Was it too expensive to make windows out of? She wondered what sort of world she¡¯d landed herself in.

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    A cleared throat called her attention back, and the assistant set a cup of steaming tea in front of her. Nie Ruyi gratefully went to pick it up, only for her fingers to sting at the heat of the porcelain. She still kept her fingers cupped around it, not quite touching, leeching the heat into her cold extremities. She turned her eyes up to where Lao Minghui was looking at her thoughtfully.

    ¡°During your stay here, you will be provided with anything you need. I already have some of my assistants working on getting your lodging and clothing situated. I am sorry that we caught you in such a state of¡­ vulnerability.¡± It was like she was trying to talk delicately around something.

    ¡°...I was only walking home from work?¡± Nie Ruyi posited, confusion settling in like an old friend. ¡°Thank you, I guess. I¡¯m not like¡­. A prisoner, or anything, am I?¡±

    ¡°Heavens no!¡± Lao Minghui gasped, as if she were horrified by the idea. ¡°Not at all. You are our guest, and hopefully, our savior. No, you will be treated with the utmost respect we can afford.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Nie Ruyi felt as if the floor kept rolling out from under her feet. She didn¡¯t understand any of this. ¡°What am I saving you from, exactly?¡±

    ¡°A dragon.¡± The gruff voice came from the corner behind Nie Ruyi, where Lao Xiaojun had taken up post. He stood, back straight and arms behind him, a sentry against attack. Nie Ruyi wasn¡¯t sure if he expected her to be doing the attacking or not.

    ¡°A¡­ what?¡± Nie Ruyi couldn¡¯t help the flatness of her response. A dragon? What sort of fantasy, DnD bullshit was this?!

    ¡°A dragon. Or¡­ so we surmise. Honestly, it is a creature we have never encountered before. And anyone we have sent up against it has died. I myself narrowly escaped death only by the skin of my teeth. That was six months ago, and it still wreaks havoc across our lands. The beast is unknown to us, for it is unlike anything we have seen. It is too intelligent to be a basilisk, but has too many limbs to be a dragon of any type we know. It is too big, too magical to be a drake, and it has bested our best cultivators.¡±

    ¡°...Then what the hell do you expect me to do about it?!¡± Nie Ruyi exclaimed, her voice turned squeaky with fear. ¡°I¡¯m just a call-center jockey! I-I can¡¯t even throw a punch, let alone kill a dragon?!¡±

    Lao Minghui¡¯s mouth shut with a click, and it looked as if her whole world had come crashing down. There was a terrible fear in her eyes that sent a thrill of cold up Nie Ruyi¡¯s back. They were so desperate for help that they called on someone from a whole other world. What exactly were they facing?

    ¡°The ritual was meant to call someone capable of solving our problem.¡± The glacier in the corner finally decided to speak, moving forward to stand next to Lao Minghui. Lao Xiaojun stared down at Nie Ruyi with a look she could only classify as disgust. ¡°You are the answer to the problem, whether you know it or not.¡±

    Lao Minghui¡¯s eyes widened, and she shot a look over her shoulder at her brother, only to turn back to Nie Ruyi and smile that gentle smile once more. ¡°I agree. Perhaps once you re rested and know more of the situation, you will see what we see.¡±

    Nie Ruyi sincerely doubted it. ¡°Look¡­Dragons¡­ They didn¡¯t even exist in my world. The closest thing to fighting one I¡¯ve ever done was read the Monster Manual for DnD. My DM didn¡¯t even bring dragons into our sessions, because he said it was too cliche.¡± To which she had called him a hack, but still. ¡°My job in my world was to sit at a desk and talk to people. I fixed their problems, and then they went on their way. I¡¯ve never gotten in a fight in my life.¡±

    A moment of uncertainty passed over her. Could she really say that with certainty? Shaking off that thought like a bad nightmare, she pushed forward. ¡°I¡¯ll offer what help I can, but I really, really think you should look into other options too.¡±

    Lao Minghui was already shaking her head before Nie Ruyi even finished her sentence. ¡°We¡¯ve tried. The four closest sects are all too small to handle such a beast, and the largest sect we could send to for help we¡¯ve alienated. They would not respond. The dragon grows stronger still, and it refuses to communicate. We don¡¯t even know if the land it has claimed can be reclaimed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nie Ruyi asked, confused.

    ¡°The air around it¡¯s territory is poisonous.¡± Lao Xiaojun answered, sharp and cutting. ¡°Too long in it and it cripples a mortal. Cultivators can stand to be in it longer, but not without effects.¡±

    Nie Ruyi put away the term Cultivators for later perusal (without acting on the silent squeeing the world brought about in her brain), and focused on the other part of it. ¡°Poisonous¡­Wait, describe the dragon to me?¡±

    ¡°...Those that have seen it describe it as having six limbs. Two of which are huge wings like a bat¡¯s. It has dark scales, and a few have described them as green-ish. It has a fin from the center of it¡¯s forehead all the way down it¡¯s back, and it is the size of a manor house, roughly. We have been able to track it¡¯s lair to a forest to the south, however, once in the forest, no one can seem to locate the creature itself.¡± Lao Xiaojun¡¯s face held a more vitriolic version of the previous expression Nie Ruyi had clocked as annoyance.

    Something niggled at the back of her mind, and she frowned at the desk, trying to think of it. ¡°Poison¡­A forest¡­AH!¡± Nie Ruyi gasped, when she realized like a bolt of lightning what they were dealing with. ¡°A green dragon! Probably ancient, if it¡¯s that big. Wait¡­That¡¯s not a chinese dragon though, and based on your clothes this is ancient china. ¡­Have any travelers come through here?¡±

    The sudden shift in topic seemed to throw the other two in the room, but Nie Ruyi was already up and running, figuratively.

    ¡°Really, there are only two possible reasons for it to be here. Either it grew up in that forest and you¡¯re only just noticing it now because it¡¯s expanding it¡¯s territory, or someone brought it here. I suppose it could have migrated, but for a dragon that size, that old, it¡¯d be hard to make it leave it¡¯s territory, and then we¡¯d have to consider what sent it this way in the first place.

    ¡°So the question is, has it just shown up, or are you just now noticing it?¡± She turned curious eyes to the other two, only for their stares to slough off her confidence. ¡°What? ¡­Am I talking too fast?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all, it¡¯s¡­We simply did not expect you to know what it was. Or to seem so certain before you have even seen it.¡± Lao Minghui explained, spreading her manicured hands as if to say she was beyond her depth.

    ¡°Oh. Well, uh¡­It¡¯s¡­ pretty easy? You said dragon, and then mentioned six limbs. So it¡¯s not an eastern dragon, the kind with pearls and beards. It¡¯s got to be a western dragon at that point. And it couldn¡¯t have been a wyvern or a wyrm, because wyverns have two legs and two wings, while wyrms have four legs but no wings. So¡­ Dragon. You told me what color it was, and the habitat, so I just¡­ guessed.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lao Xiaojun stared down at her and for a moment, Nie Ruyi wondered if her guess was incorrect. ¡°We checked records in the area before calling you. There was a sudden uptick in missing people, but the forest¡¯s poison blight hasn¡¯t simply spread. It only began existing a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°Then yeah. It was either summoned here, or it moved from a previous lair somewhere else.¡± Nie Ruyi leaned back, feeling more comfortable with that answer. She shifts her numb legs out from under her, the tingles of circulation beginning, as she rubbed a hand up and down them beneath the borrowed cloak.

    ¡°Astounding.¡± Lao Minghui gave another of those kind smiles, although this one seemed different to Nie Ruyi. ¡°Thank you, Maiden Nie. You have already proven quite helpful. Now, as I mentioned previously, you will be cared for while you are here. Your lodging will be taken care of, and you will be allotted clothing and hygiene items as we would one of our orphan disciples.

    ¡°While you are here, we hope for your assistance with ending the dragon. Should you succeed in this matter, we will be happy to grant a boon to you, equal to the destruction the beast has caused. Severing Firefly sect will take you in as an inner disciple, and you will have a home here the entirety of your life.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­so you¡¯re offering me a position as a disciple of the sect?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Its the least we can do after pulling you from your home so carelessly.¡± Lao Minghui moved a few things aside on her desk, and then pulled out what looked like a small pouch and dumped its contents onto the surface. ¡°This is the base living expenses we afford to orphaned disciples. I¡¯ve included three months worth here, as part of our recompense. Do you have any experience with the coinage here?¡±

    Looking over the coins, Nie Ruyi felt a wave of frustrated confusion, and shook her head. This caused her to be treated to a small economics lesson. What she took away from it was that there were several types of coins to be used in various situations. After running through a few mock transactions with Lao Minghui, she was passed the coins in their little pouch.

    ¡°As someone who has not grown up in our world, we understand you will need some assistance, and so we have assigned an assistant to you. He¡¯s an inner disciple, very trustworthy. If he gives you any trouble, you need simply speak to A-Jun or myself.¡± The sect leader waved a hand to designate the two of them.

    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it. Song Fengling is a dedicated cultivator, and he¡¯s also done rounds in the medical ward as well. He should be able to help you however you might need. If you wished to hire one of the outer disciples as a maid as well, you have the funds to do so there. Ask Song Fengling and he will be able to help you with interviews.

    ¡°That being said, as you have mentioned being near-helpless in combat, I will ask one of the Upper Disciples to take you in hand for some self-defense training. Until she deems you properly trained, you must have a guard, and for that, I¡¯ll be entrusting my brother, A-Jun with your safety.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Twin echoes rang out, and Nie Ruyi flinched back when Lao Xiaojun turned his glare towards her instead of his sister.

    ¡°I cannot entrust our savior to just anyone, A-Jun, and honestly, Maiden Nie needs a face she recognises during this time. Surely you can feel for her, someone adrift and alone in a world she knows nothing of?¡± Lao Minghui turned her face to look at her brother, the full brunt of that sad, sweet frown on him.

    He glowered at her in silence, and Nie Ruyi was about to speak up, to say something, when he gave out a gusty sigh and shook his head, ¡°Fine. I will protect Maiden Nie.¡±

    ¡°Ah Ah! It¡¯s Nie-Shimei now. She¡¯s your martial sister now, of a younger generation. You must welcome her!¡± Lao Minghui said, smiling gently. Her eyes sparkled, lending her a mischievous look as if teasing her baby brother was something she just lived for.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Lao Xiaojun huffed, rolling his eyes in true little sibling fashion. ¡°Nie-Shimei.¡± Lao Minghui nodded affectionately and then turned back to Nie Ruyi.

    ¡°Is there anything else you might need?¡±

    ¡°You said clothes were being arranged, but¡­ I might not know how to wear them? I¡¯ve never worn anything like what you all are wearing.¡± Her cosplay days were long behind her and she hadn¡¯t put on anything more complicated than a dressy outfit since she was a teenager.

    ¡°Ah, that¡­ could be an issue.¡± Lao Minghui blinked, before tapping her cheek with a finger. ¡°I will have maids sent over the next few days to teach you how to dress properly. And after your bath tonight, one of the maids will teach you how to wear underthings properly. We¡¯ll deal with all of that as it comes, however.¡±

 Chapter Two - A Breakdown of Barriers

    Chapter Two - A Breakdown of Barriers

    Nie Ruyi

    ¡°Shizun,¡± Obviously trying to be unobtrusive, the voice was accompanied by a quiet knock. When Lao Minghui called out for them to come in, the door slid open, and several people filed in. Two young women, both with huge stacks of paperwork in their arms, another young woman with a sword strapped to her belt, and a young boy with a serious expression, followed a young man into the room. This young man was dressed in the same colors as Lao Minghui and seemed to be some sort of assistant.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought Tang-Shigu and Song-Shidi as you asked. Also, some business cannot be delayed any longer, I¡¯m afraid.¡± The young man stepped forward, gesturing the two women behind him to place the paperwork on the low desk. Lao Minghui gave a sigh like the world was ending and nodded.

    ¡°Thank you, Xiang Yun. As always, your help is invaluable.¡± Lao Minghui turned to the two who were still standing in the doorway. ¡°Song Fengling, step forward, please.¡±

    The young boy stepped forward, the grey-and-white of his close-fitted robes impeccable. His forelocks near his ears, the only part of his hair not pulled back into a severe topknot, swayed forward as he dropped into a respectful bow, arms raised before his face and hands cupped together. ¡°Lao-Zhangmen, this disciple greets you.¡±

    ¡°Rise. I have an assignment for you, Song Fengling. This is Nie Ruyi. She¡¯s to be an inner disciple of the sect, so you may refer to her as Nie-Shijie. Due to her circumstances, she will be requiring a lot of help getting used to how we do things here. I want you to be her assistant, her support.¡±

    The boy¡¯s grey eyes looked up at Nie Ruyi and she found herself giving a tentative smile. He seemed curious, almost, but reserved about it. ¡°As you wish, Lao-Zhangmen.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Tang-Shimei, if you could spare some time, Nie-Shimei needs a crash course in self-defense. She¡¯s been quite sheltered where she came from and knows next to nothing of how to protect herself. A-Jun will be acting as her bodyguard until you deem her fit to protect herself. But until then, I leave her training in your care.¡±

    ¡°This one will do her best, Lao-Shijie.¡± The one called Tang turned after giving a salute very similar to Song Fengling¡¯s. She gave Nie Ruyi a bright, gentle smile. ¡°This one is Tang Hongmei. Nie-Shimei is in good hands with me.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Lao Minghui let out another sigh, her eyes skimming disgustedly over the stacks of paperwork.

    ¡°If Tang-Shigu would allow, this disciple will show you all to Nie-Shijie¡¯s quarters.¡± One of the young ladies (who Nie Ruyi now realized were probably maids, or maybe disciples too) gestured with a genteel bow. Tang Hongmei nodded and turned to follow the maiden out into the hallway. When both Song Fengling and Lao Xiaojun seemed to be staring at her, she realized she was holding them up.

    She pushed herself up and this seemed to be the sign for everyone to head for the door. However, the cold and being curled up so long cramped her legs, and just as Lao Xiaojun was passing by her side, her legs threatened to give out. She yelped, throwing out her cloak-covered hands to grab onto the first thing she could steady herself with.

    This tornado ut to be Lao Xiaojun. The surprise was written all over his face, but he didn¡¯t throw her off. Instead, he gripped her forearms (and a lot of cloth, the cloak was still covering her entirely), and held her steady. ¡°Are you ill?¡± He asked, that annoyed expression back on his face.

    Nie Ruyi felt heat flare in her cheeks and shook her head, ¡°No! Just¡­ sat too long. My legs¡­¡± She pushed herself to stand upright as the pain faded. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    He seemed puzzled by this, but Nie Ruyi didn¡¯t stay to consider it, too embarrassed. She slipped into the hallway, where Song Fengling and Tang Hongmei were now waiting. As they began the walk, Tang Hongmei drifted to her side and spoke up.

    ¡°The Sect Leader didn¡¯t have time to inform me too much of your situation. I¡¯d appreciate a bit of information so that I could plan properly on how to train you?¡±

    A polite way of asking who the hell she was, Nie Ruyi supposed. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m-Well, she called me a savior? They summoned me-I guess- from another world. In my world, carrying that,¡± She pushed her hand out of the cloak to point at Tang Hongmei¡¯s sword, ¡°would get you arrested and thrown in jail. Those who start fights or hurt others are punished, so I never had to learn how to defend myself really. ¡­I was very lucky.¡±

    ¡°Another world you say?¡± Tang Hongmei whistled in awe a little. ¡°How strange. Although with the danger currently, I can see why the Sect Leader might risk it. So, who were you there?¡±

    ¡°I was¡­ Well, I guess you could say I was a people person?¡± She frowned, knowing that wasn¡¯t the best way of describing it. ¡°I worked for a company that hired people out to other companies. The company that I was hired out to had me talk to upset people, fix their problems, and then send them along so that the company could focus on doing whatever it did.¡±

    ¡°Even stranger.¡± Tang Hongmei chuckled, ¡°But then again, a different world would need different jobs, I suppose. Did you have any family?¡±

    The past tense of the question hit Nie Ruyi like a train. She swallowed, her hands fisting in the cloth of the cloak to keep them from shaking. ¡°Ah- Y-Yeah. My mother and father. I was an only child.¡± She could feel the loss welling up in her throat, and she swallowed it down, ¡°I was going to visit them this weekend.¡±

    Tang Hongmei gave her a sympathetic pag on the shoulder. ¡°What else did you do? Besides fixing people¡¯s problems?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± The topic change was something she was grateful for she supposed, so she answered, ¡°I read books. I played games with my friends. That¡¯s how I knew what kind of creature you¡¯re up against. It¡¯s detailed in a book called the Monster Manual back home. I¡¯ve never fought one, but¡­ I know it¡¯s stats, mostly.¡±

    ¡°¡®Stats¡¯?¡± Tang Hongmei quoted, clearly confused by the english word.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s¡­ strengths and weaknesses, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive!¡± The swordswoman¡¯s enthusiasm didn¡¯t seem forced and brought heat to Nie Ruyi¡¯s cheeks again. ¡°You might like looking over some of the Bestiaries in the library. Ah, we¡¯ll stop by there tomorrow when you¡¯re more rested. For now, can you tell me a little about what you think you might need help with?¡±

    ¡°Besides defending myself?¡± Nie Ruyi grumped, ¡°Well¡­ My world has different clothes than yours. I don¡¯t know how I would even begin putting on the type of clothes you¡¯re wearing right now. That, and all I have with me are my clothes and what I¡¯ve got in my purse. I¡¯ve only just learned how your money works, which¡­ is pretty different from my own, and I¡¯m honestly unsure what any of the rules of propriety are here. If they¡¯re anything like the novels I read back home that were set in worlds similar to this, I imagine I¡¯m going to make a lot of faux pas.¡±

    Another strange look, this time because of the french word. Nie Ruyi clarified, ¡°Ah, it means mistakes, basically. The kind that ends up in someone mad at me. Or with me offending someone powerful.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. So, etiquette is something you¡¯ll need training on as well. Hm¡­ Let me see your wrist?¡± Tang Hongmei held out her hand for Nie Ruyi¡¯s wrist, which Nie Ruyi supplied, even as they all turned a corner down a different hallway. She would be so lost come morning.

    The woman pressed two calloused fingertips to the center of her wrist. Nie Ruyi felt something odd, a little like the feeling of standing up too fast. A rush through her body, and a blackness crawling at the edge of her eyesight. Then, as soon as it was there, it was gone.

    ¡°Why, you¡¯re mortal!¡± Tang Hongmei breathed, looking confused and a little disconcerted. ¡°Oh dear. We¡¯re going to have to start you with the very basics of Cultivation. Your spirit veins aren¡¯t even open yet. Song-Shizhi?¡±

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    At her call, the young boy (who, now that Nie Ruyi was looking, couldn¡¯t have been older than thirteen) turned back, waiting for them and joining their conversation. ¡°Yes, Tang-Shigu?¡±

    ¡°Do you feel comfortable guiding Nie-Shimei through the basics of meditation and spiritual energy movement? We¡¯ll need to be gentle opening her spiritual veins, considering how old she is.¡±

    Nie Ruyi gasped, al little surprised at the comment about her age. She wasn¡¯t old! Thirty was not old. She would fight anyone who said so.

    ¡°Ah, no, I don¡¯t mean that you¡¯re old, but rather that starting Cultivation as late as you are will have an effect on yoru core and abilities.¡± Tang Hongmei explained. Nie Ruyi realized she probably could have deduced that, based on all of the novels she¡¯d read.

    ¡°...So I won¡¯t be as amazing as Son Goku. So long as I can get to the point where I¡¯m forever beautiful, I¡¯m happy.¡± Nie Ruyi huffed, waving away concern over her future fighting strengths.

    ¡°So they had the Journey to the West play where you are from too?¡± Tang Honmgmei laughed, and Nie Ruyi grinned back. ¡°Well, if beauty is what you¡¯re interested in, I can show you some tips, alright?¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Nie Ruyi returned gratefully, just as the maid stopped in front of a door, sliding it open.

    ¡°This is Maiden Nie¡¯s roomset. The Hallmaster for this area is Hu Mengying. A bath and heating talismans have been supplied, as well as fresh clothing. We¡¯ve also pulled out hygiene items appropriate for Maiden Nie¡¯s age and gender, which we have left in the bathing area. Song-Shizhi¡¯s things have been moved to the adjoining room. If you need anything, Hu-Shijie will be happy to help you.¡± With that, the maid bowed respectfully, her hands raised in that cupped salute, before she walked away.

    Nie Ruyi looked through the open door and found herself a little overwhelmed. Luckily, Tang Hongmei pulled her forward and through the door, taking a look around. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s one of the Senior Disciple roomsets. Lovely! So this is your sitting room, for entertaining guests,¡± She gestured to a room with a desk, a table, and a few old fashioned looking chairs.

    After being introduced to the near apartment sized rooms she was apparently to live in, Nie Ruyi was left alone. After being introduced to the near apartment-sized rooms she was apparently to live in, Nie Ruyi was left alone. Of course, the young boy, Song Fengling, was living just on the other side of one of the doors in her room, so she wasn''t completely alone. But the silence, more encompassing than anything she''d experienced in her life to date, filled the room where people had once been.

    The bath was small, a wooden, iron-bound tub filled with cold water. She''d been told to press one of the long, thin red papers against the side to heat it up, and test it every so often. While doing so, she realized that the paper must work by heating the water on the inside of the tub more the longer it was pressed against it. Magic, indeed.

    Getting the water to the temperature she wanted took a few minutes, and setting her purse down next to the tub, she slid inside once it was bearable enough. Leaving the talisman on the side, she leaned over the side, picking up the jars that had been left. They''d been labeled, thank goodness. Hair oil, soap for hair, bath bean, which she assumed was for the body. How simple.

    She made sure to shake each one up, because who knew how long they''d been sitting there. They smelled strange. Floral, and green. She applied the hair soap first, running her fingers through her curled hair, the shampoo clearing out all the hairspray and other products she''d used. Dipping her head under required an acrobatic twist of her back that nearly dumped her overboard, but she managed. After she came back up and cleared the water from her face, she realized they''d left her a small bowl, which she repurposed now to rinse the rest of the shampoo out of her hair.

    Applying the hair oil, she worked it through her deep-brown hair. Wet like this, one could almost pretend she had the sleek black hair of the perfect Chinese maiden. She knew that her face fit that description, although her eyes were an odd mossy green. Her mother and father both had been from China, leaving her a pureblooded Chinese girl, born in America, which led to a lot of jackie chan questions as a kid. A finger brushed along the edge of her eyelids, as she remembered her mother''s soft voice, bathing her as a child. "Phoenix eyes, beauty beyond compare. Only the most beautiful women have these eyes."

    She huffed out a scoff even now, as she searched for a cloth. She found one, a rough, but serviceable washcloth, that she poured some of the body-wash-substitute onto, and began cleaning herself up. Then, clean and fresh, she took the wooden comb left on the tray near the bath, and combed through her slick, wet hair. When it was combed, she twisted it into a braid, and picked up the ribbon left on the tray as well, tying it around the end as tight as she could. She hoped it would hold, even as her mind swept toward how amazingly thoughtful the people preparing her room had been.

    Getting out of the bath, she dried off with another long bit of cloth that looked like it was supposed to be a towel. Oddly, there were two of them, but she only used the one. She might need the other for tomorrow, after all. She took off the heating talisman, towel around her neck, and set it next to the pile of unused talismans. Then, walking from behind the screen, she picked up her purse from by the door, where she''d left it.

    Nie Ruyi walked to the bed, tossing her purse onto it, which caused some of the contents to spill over the side and onto the quilt. She eyed the robes, and pulled them on, belting them tightly around her waist with the silken belt left behind. She was pretty sure she hadn''t tied it right because it kept slipping down her shoulders, but it was good enough. Sitting down, she poured her purse onto the quilt, sorting through what was left of her world.

    Her hands immediately began the rote movements of cleaning her purse, removing trash, gum rappers, receipts, and the like from the inside. She looked around for a place to put them. Seeing no signs of a waste basket or anything similar, she found a large, empty vase, and stuffed them in there. Returning to her bed, she brought the vase with her, just in case. Setting it next to her ankles, she returned to cleaning up her purse.

    Setting aside her wallet and the tiny flip-knife her dad insisted she carry, she pulled the books from it''s confines. Her planner and a small paperback about homesteading. She''d always thought it fascinating, providing one''s own living. Now, she would be living that fascination, she supposed, setting the two aside. She set aside her little pillminder, too; separated out in sections with small amounts of her tylenol, midol, generic allergy medicine, and motion sickness medicine.

    Another bag came out, and she examined it''s contents. A nail file, glass, that she''d been given for Christmas, and her basic makeup kit. Liquid eyeliner, a small pot of deep purple eyeshadow, lipgloss, a stick of chapstick, a small spritzer of her favorite perfume, she''d even managed to stuff a small mirror-brush combo in there. The kind that pops open. A travel sized bottle of lotion came out next, and she set it to the side. She''d need to use it.

    Another little bag, this one full of feminine products and another little bottle of midol, and she set this one aside too. A third bag, this one a mix of things. A small first aid kit she''d curated under her mother''s careful eye, and a sewing kit that her mother had given her as a birthday gift. They''d spent three hours, teaching her to sew a small patch, and a button onto fabric. Her hand convulsed, tightening around the needles and string wrapped in plastic. She took a sharp breath, and abandoned that bag too.

    Hairbands, a screen-cleaner wipe, a stray lighter that she''d never given back to the guy she''d borrowed it from, a handful of loose change she''d never get to use again, and last but not least, her cell phone. Its charger was a coiled viper waiting to strike in her bag, and she pulled the phone from its nest and clicked the home button.

    The screen flared to life like a firework, and with a shaking thumb, she put in her passcode. The screen lit up to a meaningless picture, some fanart for some novel she''d enjoyed months ago that she hadn''t had a chance to change. Without thinking, she pulled up the dialer. Her fingers paused over her mother''s contact, as she saw the signal. No little bars leading up in a little hill. Flat nothingness. She moved her thumb, swiping away from the contacts. She pulled up the pictures, sliding left on one that was just a selfie of herself from that morning. The next was a picture of a computer error she''d been having at work, with stickers of question marks all over it. She''d uploaded that to social media, and gotten a few likes.

    The third picture made her pause. Her eyes stung, as she brushed a fingertip over the familiar face, her best friend Jeremy smiling up at her with his charming crooked teeth. She''d seen him just this morning, and now... she''d never see him again. In the picture, the two of them were holding up peace signs at the camera, grinning brightly in front of a movie theater.

    Her heart ached, as she remembered that night. They''d had so much fun at the midnight showing of their newest obsession. She couldn''t even remember the movie. She just remembered Jeremy gleefully tearing it apart with her at 2 am in a breakfast themed restaurant.

    She swiped away from his face, hoping not to cry, only to land on a picture her mother had sent her a few weeks ago. A picture of her mom and dad smiling together next to each other on the couch. The sob she''d been holding back escaped, and she closed her eyes right to fight against the burn of tears.

    "Ahma... Baba...." She sobbed, opening her eyes against the flooding tears, trying to catch sight of their faces again. Only for their smiles to be replaced with a battery, crossed out and empty.

    "No-" She cried, pressing the power button again and again, and then, when the screen went black, she cried, "No, no no!"

    She searched her bag desperately, but she must have left her battery-pack on the counter at home, charging, because it wasn''t in her purse. She groaned, dropping her face into the quilt, and choking out another sob. Frustration built up and she slammed a fist down on the too-hard bed, causing the wood to creak.

    Nie Ruyi was never going to see them again. She was lost in a world not her own... and she was alone. Her heart broke as her mind cycled through all the things she was never going to see or do again. Her family, her friend, her life, it was gone, gone gone.

    She curled up, the cold air driving her to wiggle the blanket out from under her mess and pull it up over her head. There, under the blanket, she broke down, crying her heart out over the loss of everything she held dear. Part of her wondered what she looked like, surrounded by a mess and crying like a child for home. The other part of her was too busy mourning.

 Chapter Three - Flying Swords

    Chapter Three - Flying Swords

    Nie Ruyi

    She must have fallen asleep that way, because she woke up over-heated and suffocated in the dark, pulling the blanket off her head. It must still have been dark, because there was no light shining in through the windows any longer and no light from the candles that had been lit. She''d forgotten to put them out. Had someone come and done so? Had it been that boy, Song Fengling? She sighed, her eyes stinging and tired from crying, so she curled up again.

    The second time she woke, it was to someone shaking her shoulder. She gasped, jerking away, and the shaking stopped. Her eyes bolted open to stare down the person waking her, and it was Song Fengling''s serious little face looking at her.

    "You''re being summoned by Sect Leader. I''m to teach you how to get dressed, and then Lao-Shixiong is going to guide you there." He intoned, before stepping away from the bed and turning his back.

    Nie Ruyi sat up, pushing the quilt off of herself. In the night, her robe had twisted all around her, her body unused to sleeping with that much flowy cloth on it. She pulled it into some semblance of order, and then stood up. She only just realized that she apparently had left a huge mess around her bed, when Song Fengling turned back around.

    "Come on, it''s time to get you dressed." Song Fengling declared, before guiding Nie Ruyi through the addition of three layers to her clothing. An underrobe of beautiful jade-green, a gauzy, pale and see-through robe just over that, and then another beautiful hanfu robe tied tight over that with a wide, decorative belt. Her sleeves fluttered as she moved them, a bit in awe of his skill.

    Then, he forced her sleepy self over in front of a large bronzed mirror leaning against the wall on what was probably meant to be a vanity. She knelt in front of it, and he took the ribbon from her hair, combing the long, still-damp tresses. His hands did complicated things she didn''t even recognise, and soon her hair was put up in a style she''d never seen on herself before. Two buns on either side of her head, with the middle portion flowing down her back in a brown river. He put in fresh flowers that made Nie Ruyi wonder where he''d gotten them, and then leaned back. Nodding, he stood up.

    "Alright. You''re presentable. Let''s go."

    "Thank you?" Nie Ruyi managed. "But... You didn''t show me how to put them on."

    The young boy scoffed, crossing his arms, "You mean you weren''t paying attention?"

    "...I was, but I just woke up. I''m a bit... slow in the mornings, you know?" She tried, but the boy scoffed again, and turned away from her. The two of them exited the bedroom, a chaos of belongings exploded all over her bed-area.

    The hallway this time was teeming with others, all dressed in the same hanfu, although some had different cuts and colors involved. Before Nie Ruyi could parse what colors meant what, she was forced to stop unless she wanted to bowl Song Fengling over. He knocked gently on a sliding door in front of him, and she peered over his shoulder.

    "Enter."

    The two of them did so, Song Fengling hanging back to allow Nie Ruyi inside first. When Song Fengling fell into a bow, once again bringing his hands up in front of his face, Nie Ruyi tried to copy it, assuming it was good manners.

    "This one greets Lao-Zhangmen." Song Fengling declared, and then side-eyed Nie Ruyi, until she did the same.

    "Thank you, Song-Shidi. Nie-Shimei, this sect leader is pleased to see you again. Did you rest well?" Lao Minghui''s lovely gentle smile graced her, and Nie Ruyi felt almost as if some of her stress was cleared from her shoulders.

    "Ah, yes. Thank you, Lao-Zhangmen." Nie Ruyi answered, smiling back herself. She felt half-naked, without her makeup on, but... what could she do, she''d been rushed.

    "We''re simply waiting for my brother and the one in charge of this mission. They should be along shortly, since I sent A-Jun after him."

    "Mission?" Nie Ruyi asked, finding her throat quite tight. Song Fengling took that moment to set tea first in front of the Sect Leader, and then in front of herself. She hadn''t even noticed him making it.

    "Yes. You''ll be accompanying A-Jun out to the encampment and meet with the Senior Disciple in charge of the dragon-hunt. From there, you are to give him as much information as you can about the beast. Then, A-Jun will bring you back in time for dinner. Safe and sound, hm?"

    A thrill of worry went through her, but Nie Ruyi nodded along with the sentiment, as if that would make the fear go away. "That sounds like a plan."

    "Certainly-" A knock interrupted the Sect Leader, and she called out to those outside to come in. Lao Xiaojun stepped inside, along with another young man, this one with red paint around the corners of his eyes, and his hair drawn up in an elaborate, beautiful style. He seemed intimidated by Lao Xiaojun''s presence.

    "This Guo Ding greets Lao-Zhangmen." He made the same deep bow, even though Lao Xiaojun did not. In fact, the hulking man moved to stand behind and to Nie Ruyi''s right. She couldn''t help casting a glance over his shoulder, and watch his eyes pass over her and then to his sister, as if looking at a mudpuddle.

    "Thank you for coming, Guo-Shidi. If you could do me the favor of escorting Nie-Shimei, A-Jun and Song-Shidi to the outpost outside the Dragon''s forest, this Sect Leader would be most grateful." Lao Minghui ordered, smiling as sweetly as a mother asking her children to wash their hands.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    "This Guo Ding will do as you request." Another bow, which made Nie Ruyi wonder if maybe that was how formal contracts were sealed here too.

    With that, and an imperious wave from Lao Minghui, who apparently had paperwork to get back to, Guo Ding guided their little group out of the office and through the halls. An oppressive sort of silence overran the corridor, and Nie Ruyi was about to break it, when her stomach did it for her.

    "...Ah, Nie-Shimei is hungry?" Guo Ding asked, reaching into his sleeve. He pulled out what looked like a crumpled ball of paper, but when he unwrapped it, it was a bun. Warm, and fresh, it smelled absolutely delicious. The young man in his strange grey-and-teal robes held it out to her. The kind gesture almost made her tear up.

    "Thank you so much, Guo-Gege." The address felt weird on her tongue. She''d only ever really called her older cousins that. But the weirdness was soon soothed by her first bite of the bun. It tasted amazing. She ate up half of it in three big bites, and groaned at how tasty it was.

    "Eat with decorum." Lao Xiaojun snapped, looking at her with a pinched expression. "You''re not a child."

    The sudden rebuke made Nie Ruyi''s cheeks heat, but she felt that perhaps it was unwarranted. She snapped back, "There''s nothing wrong with enjoying a meal when one hasn''t eaten since the previous morning!"

    Lao Xiaojun made a soft snorting noise, as if disbelieving her. She finished off her bun and then sucked the crumbs from her fingers, even as Song Fengling took out a few crunchy stick-looking things and began eating them as well. Pretzels? She guessed they were pretzels anyway.

    "It''s a bit of a flight to the encampment. Song-Shidi, do you have your own spiritual sword?" Guo Ding asked, in lieu of changing the subject.

    "Aye." Song Fengling rattled the sword at his side, to indicate it. "I can ride for an hour at a time, before I need a break."

    "I believe our Nie-Shimei will need a break around then as well." Guo Ding nodded, as if this had been expected. "Alright. We''ll leave from the Willow courtyard. Come on."

    Guo Ding''s sure, careful steps took them out into a cobblestoned courtyard, with gently manicured bushes and trees, sparsey-leafed in the autumn weather. A shiver took Nie Ruyi as the three gentlemen she was following unsheathed their swords. But instead of fighting, or worse, skewering her with them, they dropped them.

    No clattering ring of metal on stone sounded, and the blades floated lazily just at ankle height, horizontal to the ground, and glittering in the weak autumn sunlight. Guo Ding pushed back the skirt-layers of his hanfu so that he could step onto the sword, and Lao Xiaojun stepped on without any fuss. Song Fengling took a few seconds, wobbling a bit as he stepped onto a wavering sword. Nie Ruyi stood, staring at the three of them floating a foot off the ground.

    "Well, come here." Lao Xiaojun reached out a hand, as if to pull Nie Ruyi onto the sword. She immediately shook her head and took a few fearful steps back.

    "No! I''ll fall off! That''s... How are you even doing that?!" She asked, her voice a tiny bit shrill. Magic? Reading about Cultivation and flying swords was a whole seperate thing from being shoved onto a two-inch wide metal blade that would be flying through the sky!

    "..." Both Guo Ding and Song Fengling looked disturbed at her reaction, as if this must be common knowledge in this world and she was the one being strange. Nie Ruyi didn''t like it.

    Lao Xiaojun didn''t either, apparently, because he stepped down from the sword (which stayed floating) and took the two long strides he needed to stand in front of her. "The Spiritual Swords are fed with our Qi. They will not fall from the air, unless our Qi is depleted. That is the point of the rest stops along the way. I''ll hold onto you, so that you will not fall. Trust this elder martial brother."

    Nie Ruyi continued to look at the weapons distrustfully. She''d never heard ofthe sword-flying thing being dangerous, in those novels. Rather, it was often similarly described to parkour or maybe skateboarding, but she''d never done either of those, and the thought of the kind of injuries people who did them regularly got...

    The three men watched her shake her head again, and Guo Ding sighed. "We could take a carriage, or horses, but it will take a day and a half to reach them, instead of a few hours by sword."

    "Yes! Let''s do that!" Nie Ruyi cried, reaching out without really thinking and grabbing Lao Xiaojun''s arm through his sleeve and squeezing it. She beamed up at him, "Please. I... I''ve only ever flown in an airplane. I''m scared."

    Puzzlement warred with frustration on Lao Xiaojun''s handsome face. Eventually it set in stone, and instead of backing away, he snapped a hand around the wrist of the hand on his arm. Using it, he drew her resisting form into his arms, and picked her up with a steel-bar arm around her waist.

    "H-Hey! Put me down!"

    She cried, loud and shrill. She struggled, pushing against his hold the same way someone might push against a mountainside. A frisson of fear and embarrassment had her clawing at his neck and face before he adjusted his hold and pinned her arms to her sides. Then, he stood on the sword, as if it were a floor wide and solid. The lack of anything solid under her own feet wasn''t something she could really comment on or worry about, since technically, she was close to a head shorter than he was and her feet dangled from the way he was holding her.

    Nie Ruyi had a front row seat to the world drifting out from under them, and she screamed, clinging to the only solid thing there. If Lao Xiaojun was bothered by it, he didn''t show it. As time passed, the cold bracing wind drew her from her terror. The steel-core arms around her reassured her (just a little) that she wasn''t going to just randomly fall. And she was pretty sure if Lao Xiaojun tried to drop her, she could just koala onto his chest and stick around until he landed.

    With the fear at bay, she found her eyes drawn to the sky around them, filled with pastel blues and purples so gorgeous she wished she could paint just to be able to express them to someone else. The whisps of cloud around them lent just enough pale white and gold to the tableau, that the world beneath seemed an oddly shaped green and brown blur that ran through with streaks of grey and blue. A precious stone jewel, laid out beneath their feet.

    Ahead of them, Guo Ding and Song Fengling flew, their long hair flying behind them in elegant archs of black, despite the different hairstyles. Fear near completely gone, she let her knees slowly fall, allowing the tips of her toes to touch the metal of the sword. It still felt flimsy, but just having something semi-solid beneath them felt better, somehow. She turned, trying to turn around in the circle of Lao Xiaojun''s arms, and he let her, relieving the pressure just a little bit.

    With her back pressed to his solid chest, and his arms linked around her waist, she almost felt like that ridiculous scene from The Titanic. She had to fight the silly urge to lift her arms and laugh. A smile managed to break through though. Then, she did laugh, just for the hell of it, all fear gone. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, and felt strangely light, as if the whole of her worries were left beneath them, unable to reach her.

 Chapter Four - Breakdown of Negotiations

    Chapter Four - Breakdown of Negotiations

    Nie Ruyi

    They were landing for their first break all too soon, and by the end of it, she stepped onto Lao Xiaojun''s sword by herself, balancing on it''s steady slim surface until he stepped up behind her and once again locked his arms around her. She had the sense of mind then to be a little bit embarrassed, but despite the color rising in her cheeks, she didn''t feel like she needed to comment. Apparently neither did Lao Xiaojun.

    The camp was a little collection of dismal tents and wandering figures as they descended over it a few hours later. The people milling around watched their descent and even a few crowded around like puppies waiting for a treat to be put on their nose. Once they were close enough, Nie Ruyi jumped down from the blade of Lao Xiaojun''s sword and grinned up at him.

    "Thanks again, Lao-Gege!" She declared, in much better spirits now than when she''d left. Despite the fatigue of standing still for so long, she was energized by what she''d seen and felt while flying. How amazing, that these humans got to fly free as birds.

    "It''s Shixiong." Lao Xiaojun growled, dour in his own exhaustion. She''d noticed that all three of the men''s temperaments were slowly growing pricklier the longer they were flying. She theorized that it took more to fly than she thought.

    "Right! Lao-Shixiong." She corrected herself. She turned, just in time for a woman to stride through the standing circle of disciples around them. Her face was scarred heavily on the right side, her heavy bladed sword strapped to her side. She came until she stood a respectable distance away from the group, then bowed that stiff bow this world''s people used.

    "Lao-Shidi, this Lin Baiwei greets you. Guo-shidi, thank you for guiding them." Her voice was soft and low, the kind of voice that made Nie Ruyi shiver.

    "This disciple did nothing." Guo Ding performed the bow as well, and then seemed to dismiss himself, as he disappeared into the crowd surrounding them. At this, Lin Baiwei raised a hand and gestured for the three of them to follow. Nie Ruyi went first, with Lao Xiaojun next to her and Song Fengling bringing up the rear.

    They entered a squat, small tent, only to enter a huge war room, it looked like. Nie Ruyi did a double-take, but was, unfortunately, kept from exiting the tent by a hand on her arm. Song Fengling narrowed his eyes at her censoriously. She restrained herself and took a seat next to the low table, which had cushions around it, and maps spread across it. Files bound by string were littered across the top of the table and the floor around it.

    The others joined her in taking a seat, except Song Fengling, who as youngest, made and served the tea, and then settled in a corner to await any further orders. Nie Ruyi picked up the teacup, unaware it was ceramic and therefore too hot. She nearly spilled it, trying to put it back down, and then blowing on her poor burnt fingers.

    This time it was Lao Xiaojun looking at her with narrowed eyes. She gave him a sheepish smile, interrupted only by Lin Baiwei clearing her throat delicately. "As of now, the situation has not changed. We have not found the beast''s lair, nor have we run into it. It has, however, eaten at least three disciples that we know of. We''ve been having Disciples running in teams of four since then. The junior disciples are forbidden from going anywhere alone."

    "A sound decision." Lao Xiaojun agreed. "We''ve brought new intel on the beast, which should hopefully reduce lost lives."

    Nie Ruyi suddenly felt silly, as if she were a small child, playing at an adult''s conversation. People had actually died to this beast. What if she remembered wrong? What if she was wrong about what it was?

    "Then out with it." Lin Baiwei demanded, her brow furrowing.

    Lao Xiaojun gestured to Nie Ruyi, who choked a little as she realized she was the one being commanded. She swallowed back the worry and spoke as carefully as she could.

    "You''re... You''re probably fighting an Ancient green dragon. anywhere from 300 to 800 years old. Its breath can become a poison, which can seed into the fog around the forest, which is why people have been getting sick. More than that," She tried to remember what else she''d read. "The reason you''re not finding it is that it can see you. All the animals and birds in the forest are its eyes and ears."

    "What?" Lin Baiwei interrupted in hissed tones. "What do you mean? Surely it can''t-"

    "Sorry, but... if this is what it is, there''s a hell of a lot more it can do." Nie Ruyi cut the other woman off, narrowing her eyes. She didn''t like being interrupted. "It can control the roots and vines in the forest too. It''s terribly smart, smart as a human, or more. And it knows you''re hunting it. It''s big and strong, but it isn''t fast. Probably no faster than your average peasant. If you can get close to it, you can outmaneuver it. Also, it''s not resistant against magic, or fire, or lightning, or anything else. Just poison. If you can use elemental attacks against it, you should do more damage than regular steel can.

    "It''s smart, though. It can speak and do spells, and they''re incredibly persuasive. Especially in its own domain. No offense to your disciples, but they were probably talked into walking right into the dragon''s maw." She was exaggerating, perhaps, but she wasn''t going to risk that they''d go into this thinking it was going to be an easy win. "Also, it''s probably bigger than a house."

    "...We had gathered it was large from the depth and breadth of its footsteps." Lin Baiwei commented, frowning at the maps in front of her in what Nie Ruyi thought was probably frustration.

    "How have they been killed in your world?" Lao Xiaojun demanded.

    "I told you, they don''t exist in my world." Nie Ruyi frowned, glowering at the hulking man. "We played a game where we fought them as pretend people. It was like... Like... a thought exercise. War games!" She stumbled across that as an explanation, and continued quickly, "But when we go up against them, we usually either tried to reason with them, or we fought as hard as we could, taking advantage of the fact that we were small and creative, while it was large and proud."

    "So your only advice is to either speak to something that you have admitted can beguile a cultivator into its maw, or fight it like a pack of wolves might an elephant." Lin Baiwei said, her voice as hard as stone. Ruyi flinched, thinking that was pretty much an apt description of their situation, honestly.

    "In the games I played, one could, with luck, remain unbeguiled. There were items and skills that allowed one to be resistant or immune to mind-control and beguilement. Is there anything like that here?" Ruyi asked, hoping that there was, that something would translate that they could use.

    "...There are teas and talismans that promote clarity of mind." Lin Baiwei answered, thoughtfully.

    "I have a sachet!" A voice burst from the corner before Song Fengling slapped a hand over his own offending mouth. Ruyi couldn''t help but smile at the boy''s fidgety excitement. Now that he had the attention of the adults in the room, he was gestured to continue and did so at a much more natural level. "W-We made them in class a few days ago. They''re perfumed sachets, meant to help with clarity of mind and retention of information!"

    Good for students, then, Ruyi thought, which can now be useful for us.

    "There you go! If we can get ahold of sachets like that, double up on tea and talismans, we might actually have enough of a buff to talk the creature over to our side. Although... they have been known to be incredibly evil. So we may need more than just our words to convince them. Do you have any gold, or land that can act as a bribe? Someplace else you want it to settle?"

    "If it is as evil as you say, we need to slay it." Lao Xiaojun threw his words out like a storm, disrupting the excitement of the room. "It''s irresponsible to leave alive a creature that might harm those around it."

    "It''s intelligent though. And they tend to work within the law. So, if you can form a treaty with it, and give it something it wants, I''m pretty sure you could leave it in peace! We just need to find out what it wants." Ruyi argued. "And... honestly, I don''t know enough about this world to offer a strategy on killing it. In the war games, the only thing that could hurt a dragon of that size were magic weapons. The more magically spelled the better."

    "We''ll operate with two plans. The first is to attempt diplomacy. Lao-Zongzhu has permitted me to act as a liaison from our sect if at all possible. I can write up the necessary treaty if it comes to that. During the negotiations, we will also seek weaknesses and information so that if we have to strike, we can strike well." Lin Baiwei cut between their argument with sharp precision. Nie Ruyi relaxed back, unaware that she had leaned forward tensely.

    "As Lin-Shijie wishes." Lao Xiaojun acquiesced. "Who will join the diplomatic team?"

    "Myself, Nie-Shimei and yourself, Lao-Shidi. We can''t risk any of the senior disciples, it might disrupt the chain of command. I''ll be leaving my deputy in charge while we''re gone-"

    "Wait! I can''t go!" Nie Ruyi cried, horrified. "I''m mortal! Civilian! I-I can''t fight, or do magic or anything! I''ll die!"

    "I''ll protect you." Lao Xiaojun dismissed, turning his attention to Lin Baiwei. Nie Ruyi gaped, disgust warring with fear. How was she supposed to believe that?! He''d done nothing but glare and scoff at her the entire time she''d been here!

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    "This disciple will go as well!" Song Fengling declared from the corner, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The bravado looked adorable, like a puppy growling. "It is my duty to instruct and care for Nie-Shijie. I''ll be useful!"

    "You''re a junior disciple, you''ll slow us down." Lao Xiaojun stared at the boy, eyes narrowed and brow drawn down. "I''ll have my hands full protecting her."

    "He''ll be better in a fight than I would." Nie Ruyi sniped, nose crinkling. She wished she could storm out, but if she did, where would she go? "You''re dragging me out to my death, why shouldn''t I have more than one protector?"

    Now Lao Xiaojun turned that stare on her, and his lip twitched in a sneer. "You think I''m incapable of protecting one civilian?"

    "If you''re capable, then why should it matter if he comes with us?" Nie Ruyi retaliated. "He can defend himself, right? That''s what you''ve trained him to be, a child soldier. So, let him fight."

    "...Fine." Lao Xiaojun''s face smoothed into disdain, and she felt almost like she had as a teenager, when a teacher handed her a red-marked test. "Song-shidi will come with us. The second this turns to combat," and here he turned to Song Fengling, who listened with rapt awe. "You are to get her away from the combat zone as quickly as you possibly can. Do not play the hero."

    "Yes, Lao-Shixiong!" Song Fengling declared.

    Lao Xiaojun gave a sharp nod, and turned back to Lin Baiwei, who had apparently ignored this little spat for her maps. "When do we set out?"

    "In a few moments. I need to call my deputy to speak with him and we need to arrange for the appropriate precautions." Lin Baiwei stood, then, heading for the tent opening.

    The few minutes Lin Baiwei requested passed, and soon Nie Ruyi found herself on the blade of a sword again. This time with Lin Baiwei to their left and Song Fengling to their right. Weaving between the trees didn''t give her the same feeling of freefalling that open flight did, and now the fear wasn''t pushed away. Even Lao Xiaojun''s steel-cable arms couldn''t ease her worry.

    They''d given her a veil to cover her mouth and nose, which she had tucked into the collar of her robes despite the stares it garnered her. It wasn''t quite airtight, but it would make it harder for the poison in the air to get into her lungs. She was also loaded down with enough talismans lining the inside of her clothes that it felt like another layer entirely. Along with the three mental-safekeeping sachets that had been found for her, tucked into her sleeves, she was heavily doused in some strange incense that was supposed to keep the mind focused as well. It smelled awful, but she wasn''t going to complain if it kept her safe.

    The forest was so thick that the light that managed to make it down was green-tinted. It reminded her a little of a scene in one of her favorite movies, where a young prince met a forest-god. Dark, and mysterious, with light appearing where it wasn''t expected. The only difference was, in this forest, a thick, muggy fog swept between the trees like a living thing. Birds chirped sluggishly in the higher boughs, but there weren''t any little characteristic twig-snaps or rustling that signaled movement in the thicket undergrowth.

    "This is eerie..." Song Fengling declared, voice hushed as if to match the forest.

    "What do you see?" Lao Xiaojun asked, in an oddly patient tone that struck Nie Ruyi as the sort of tone her teachers took sometimes.

    Song Fengling took a moment to gaze around them, even as they passed slowly between trees. "... There are no tracks. No signs of animals at all. The bark of the trees isn''t scored, so no deer have passed through here all summer. The undergrowth is so thick an animal bigger than a raccoon would take ages to pass through it. ... Are there no deer here? No pigs? Nothing... It''s like..."

    "Like the dragon has eaten them all." Lin Baiwei finished, her voice an unsettling endnote to the conversation. In her hand, she held a small round ball made of something that looked like glass to Nie Ruyi. She''d say it was a crystal ball, but it probably had some complicated name fit for the setting. She just didn''t know it. "This way."

    She banked a turn left, and Lao Xiaojun and Song Fengling followed. They''d been riding for minutes, following Lin Baiwei''s direction, as she followed the magical artifact in her hand. She''d said it would lead them to the creature''s current whereabouts. Honestly, Nie Ruyi was of the opinion that the dragon would probably find them first.

    As if summoned by her thought, a vine whipped out of the underbrush like a catapult, followed by several more, turning their cautious flight into a dodging dance. Song Fengling cried out as one of the vines snagged at his sleeve, before letting go.

    Nie Ruyi blinked. It... let him go? "Wait! It''s... The dragon is playing with us!" She gasped.

    LaoXiaojun had shifted her to one of his arms, her immediate response to cling to him as he drew his sword and slashed away the incoming vines. He turned his gaze on her now, for a second, before flicking it away to continue batting away the danger. "What do you mean?"

    "It had Song-didi!" In her haste to explain, she couldn''t remember what honorific she was supposed to be using, "The vine had his sleeve, and then it let him go! It''s herding us!"

    In fact, the three swords had been driven further along a strange unknowable path. The vines continued snapping out, sending Lin Baiwei and Lao Xiaojun back further. Nie Ruyi could easily see that they were being led somewhere, and Lin Baiwei looked absolutely furious about it.

    Eventually, the sound of claws clicking against the hard treebark earned their attention far more than the snap of the vines, and almost as if it was supposed to, the vines died down as the beast came into view. It descended from the canopy like a gecko, long neck lifting it''s head to look at them, an even and alien gaze.

    Suddenly, Nie Ruyi felt like cold water had been poured over her, terror making her heart pulse and her vision narrow on those gold-and-green orbs, their slitted pupils shifting between each of them. The creature''s fin was flared, translucent green skin flared between each spine as it''s head swayed back and forth. Nie Ruyi remembered looking at a size-chart, years ago. One that displayed the different size-categories in the game, and how they related to human-sized creatures. She hadn''t realized then, what it meant for a human to be roughly the same size as an Ancient Dragon''s jaw. She came to the uncomfortable decision that she was, in fact, bite-sized to this creature.

    "Why, pray tell, are more of you little things flying into my forest? Gifts, perhaps?" The creature''s voice was sinuous and soft, and the way it''s maw moved didn''t seem like it should result in human speech despite the fact that it did. "What lovely and kind owners this land used to have."

    The fear still shook Nie Ruyi''s bones, but luckily, it seemed that Lin Baiwei was able to speak despite being faced with a creature that could use her sword to pick its teeth after it ate her.

    "We have come to seek terms of peace. We have been informed you are an intelligent and proud creature, and so we would wish to broker peace between yourself and our peoples." She managed, with the steady voice of someone trained in diplomacy.

    "Oh? Is that what you wish. You know, every one of you dressed as you are, has raised a sword against me. Why should I not simply eat you, as I did them?" The dragon questioned, eyes narrowing.

    Lin Baiwei''s face took on a deep red, as if she were struggling to hold something back, and Nie Ruyi couldn''t let this fail. She didn''t want to die. Words exploded from her mouth before she could stop them, before she could worry about if she''d make it worse.

    "Because it''s a pain!" She cried, and the dragon''s eyes turned and sharpened on her. "B-Because it''s annoying, having so many cultivators traipsing through your woods, taking up so much of your time every day! I mean, if I were a great and powerful wyrm such as yourself, I know I''d want to be doing other things with my time, than picking off small fry."

    The creature tilted its head to the left, a sinuous and forked tongue sliding out and licking along the seam of its lips. "Hmmm... You aren''t wrong, little... cultivator? Is that what you called yourselves?"

    "Yes." Lao Xiaojun stated, and the dragon''s eyes focused on him for a moment. His shoulders squared and he stood tall in the face of it, but those eyes turned back to Ruyi a moment later.

    "I''m Nie Ruyi. I-I just got here, myself. I lived in a world very different from this one, where creatures like you were respected and dreamed of. We had nothing like you on our world." She explained, and the creature''s head darted forward, so that the breath blew back her and Lao Xiaojun''s robes like a heavy gale.

    "You came from another world?" The creature demanded. "You were brought here?"

    "Y-Yes! I... I was. And I think you were too!" Nie Ruyi answered, and when the creature nodded, just a sinuous dip of its head, she continued, "The people who brought me here don''t know how to send me back. So, I can''t promise that. But, I know what it''s like to be dragged away from where you belong. From your home, everything you love and care about."

    Those gold-and-green eyes narrowed, and Ruyi felt like it knew she was trying to make it connect them empathically. She hurried on, "I don''t know how to get you home, but we can help make your life here easier! We can try to help you settle in, and maybe-"

    "What are you offering, little cultivator?" The dragon''s voice was a quiet hiss, almost polite in it''s interruption. Ruyi bit back the instinctual frustration at being interrupted, figuring that lashing out at this point would mean death. "What could you possibly give me that I cannot take?"

    "Peace of mind." Lin Baiwei stepped in figuratively, which was good since she was the one with the actual negotiating power here. "We can make it so that the mortals don''t enter your domain, or if they do, they know they take their lives into their own hands. In return, all we would ask is that you do not kill humans while outside your forest. We offer cooperation so that we may learn your circumstances and investigate who brought you here. Perhaps if we learn their method, we might find a way to get you back home."

    A thrill ran through Nie Ruyi as she realized that it might help her get home too.

    "And if I don''t?" The dragon asked, it''s head sliding back, as if to look down it''s nose at them. "I am powerful in my own right. Do you threaten me, thinking that you can kill me, should I disagree?"

    "Yes." Lao Xiaojun spoke once more. "We have faced worse than you and won." Nie Ruyi looked him in the face, and if he was bluffing, he was good at it. She wondered what exactly they''d fought, and what they''d had to do to win.

    "Is that so." The dragon reared back, the way a cobra might, just before it strikes. For several tense minutes, it swayed back and forth, looking at them, before its eyes settled once again on Ruyi. She took a sharp breath at the weight of them. "I will need more than just to be left alone. I want tribute. Gold, gems, silver, magical items, whatever you have, six times a year."

    Lin Baiwei''s shoulders dropped from their squared position, and she nodded. "I will convene with my Sect Leader and we will work up a contract. We''ll bring a preliminary contract in the next two days. If you have any changes to be made, we can negotiate then."

    The dragon nodded, and Nie Ruyi thanked the heavens that the creature had patience. "Then, so long as no more trespassers step foot in my forest, I will restrain my appetite until the negotiations are done. Two days is not so long in the life of a dragon such as I."

    The three cultivators gave their bows, Lao Xiaojun''s one-armed bow startling Nie Ruyi into giving one of her own. Then, as they''d come, they turned around and flew back to the camp.

 Chapter Five - Doki Doki

    Chapter Five - Doki Doki

    The air of the camp had changed the next day. Instead of a bustling war camp, it was bustling now with a hopeful sort of buzz. Disciples were smiling and talking loudly, instead of sitting hushed at their posts, knuckles white on their sword-hilts. It was strange to see the two different types of camps, honestly. Especially since Nie Ruyi had never expected to see a war camp in the first place.

    The food line that morning had been loud and joyous, rather than the subdued worry of the night before, and Nie Ruyi had eaten the food to the low-lying din of a living body of people. Now, as she walked into Lin Baiwei''s meeting tent, she realized that it was because new people had arrived.

    Indeed, one of those new people, in particular, was standing at the table, profile turned towards her. Nie Ruyi didn''t believe in love at first sight, not really. But she was certain her heart almost stopped when those warm russet eyes turned to her. An impish grin spread on oddly plush lips and Nie Ruyi could feel the blood rushing to her face. She had to tell herself to calm down, all the man had done was smile at her. Why was her heart beating out of its chest?!

    "Oh! So this is our new Nie-shimei! No one told me she was a lovely fairy!" His voice held a tinge of laughter to it, making Nie Ruyi feel almost as if she were being made fun of. The heat in her cheeks was set to boiling, as he continued, "Nie-Shimei, I''m Cai Bingtian, but you can call me-"

    "Cai-shixiong." She interrupted, snapping out the honorific before he could say something else embarrassing. "Nice to meet you." Turning every ounce of her will to iron, she turned away from this asian adonis, and towards Lin Baiwei instead. "Lin-Shijie, Song Fengling asked Lao-Shixiong for some training, so he told me to come here until they''re done. Do you mind if I sit in here for a while?"

    "Not at all, Nie-Shimei." Lin Baiwei turned to her guest and continued their conversation, "That being said, we will need you to accompany us to negotiations today with the Dragon. That being said, you are not to speak beyond your technical capacity. You are not to attempt diplomacy, nor are you to make any jokes."

    "Oh come on, Lin-Shijie! I can be helpful in the negotiations! I''m practically best friends with the dragons I know." Cai Bingtian complained, leaning against the table to get closer as if that would prove his point. The careless curls of his half-updo spilled over his shoulder in a dazzling spill of light that distracted Nie Ruyi for a whole 5 minutes.

    She shook her head and dropped her eyes back to the book she''d brought. It was full of tips and tricks on how to live an off-the-grid life. Farming, animal husbandry and preservation techniques. Super useful, considering her situation, and she''d made it through a good quarter of the book since the day before.

    "No. You''ve caused enough political mishaps that the Sect Leader has made it clear to me that you are not to speak. I will put a silencing charm on you, if I have to." Lin Baiwei pointed a finger at him, her sharp manicured nail right under his nose.

    "Finnnneeee," he whined, before moving back a little so she wasn''t poking him. "So who all is going on this mission?"

    "You, myself, and a couple of Juniors. If I can convince him to come along, Lao Xiaojun." At the name of her bodyguard, Nie Ruyi looked up.

    Speak of the devil, and Lao Xiaojun walked in just as they were discussing him. Song Fengling followed quietly, limping just a little, bruised but smiling so bright the boy could be used as a lantern. He trudged over to stand next to Nie Ruyi, who offered him a soft smile. The two of them turned back to the three surrounding the table just in time to catch Lao Xiaojun''s sniff of derision as his eyes dragged over the messy Cai Bingtian.

    "Cai-Qianbei," Lao Xiaojun drew himself down in the frostiest bow Nie Ruyi had seen outside of a harem drama. Nie Ruyi''s eyebrows rose as she watched Cai Bingtian''s bright grin falter for a moment, before it cemented itself wider.

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    "Ah, Lao-Shidi, you know I''ve been part of your sect for years now. You really could call me Shixiong, if you wanted to?" Cai Bingtian tried, his voice almost pleading.

    Lao Xiaojun tilted his head so that he was looking down his nose at the shorter man. "I don''t." Nie Ruyi blinked, and then tilted her own head. Were... Were his cheeks pink? No. It must be the light, right? Lao Xiaojun turned to Lin Baiwei again, and decidedly ignored Cai Bingtian''s pouting cheeks. "Who are you sending into the forest?"

    "I was hoping you might be willing to come along, Lao-Shidi. If things go south, we''ll need your expertise." Lin Baiwei explained, rolling up a map and setting it aside. "Your charge can stay in camp. We''ll assign a few shidi to guard her, but I don''t anticipate the need for her protection."

    Lao Xiaojun''s brow creased and his lip curled. Before he could say whatever acerbic thing he was about to say, Nie Ruyi called out, throwing out both hands as if to physically stop him. "Really! It''s fine! I''ll just stay in here with Song-Shidi, and we can spend the afternoon talking!"

    Song Fengling looked startled by her declaration, but Lao Xiaojun seemed to be considering it. Eventually, the broad man nodded, and then turned back to Lin Baiwei.

    "That will be acceptable." At his response, Lin Baiwei nodded, and gestured for the two men to precede her out of the tent. When they did so, Nie Ruyi turned to her little guardian and smiled. Marking her place in the book, she put it inside her sleeve so she could get to it later. Carrying her purse with these sleeves was a pain, so she had just started doing what she''d seen people on dramas do.

    "So, Song-Shidi. You and I haven''t gotten a chance to be introduced. I''m Nie Ruyi, I''m 34, unmarried and I used to live in America. It''s nice to finally meet you."

    He seemed aghast at her introduction, and his eyes darted left and right, as if someone would save him. The sparring must have knocked him around some because there were little strands of hair falling from his tight, neat bun. "W-Well... This shidi is Song Fengling, grandson of the minister of Finance for Silk Citadel. I am 12 years old, betrothed and I used to live in Silk Citadel. It''s... nice to meet you too?"

    Nie Ruyi grinned encouragingly, "That''s wonderful. So... is Silk Citadel in the same country as the Sect compound?" She figured a good place to start getting to know this world would be to learn about its countries.

    "Mn. Although Sects are set apart from the countries they inhabit. They''re very similar to city-states, in that they pay taxes but have autonomy." Song Fengling explained, "I''ve... never heard of America, though. Is it over the great river?"

    "Great... no, Song-Shidi. It''s in another world entirely. It''s a country in that world. The city I lived in was called Springfield." She watched him try to parse the strange language that was English. Then, she translated it for him. "It means ''Field of Spring'' and it was a fairly large city. About fifty thousand people, all living, working, and breathing together." She felt that inexplicable sadness roll into her heart like a heavy fog, and she sighed out the pain.

    "...That''s a lot of people." Song Fengling looked absolutely floored at this news. "Was it a capital city?"

    "Oh no, not at all." Nie Ruyi waved away that possibility, "Just a city. Our world was much different from yours. We had carriages that didn''t require horses, only a noxious liquid to go, and devices that let us speak to anyone around the world in an instant, with almost no delay between replies."

    "You''re lying." Song Fengling declared, scowling. Nie Ruyi couldn''t help but laugh.

    "I''m really not! Honest. It''s just that, instead of magic, and qi and demons and monsters, our world only had people and animals. And we conquered the animals long ago. So, we made machines instead. You know plows? We made machines that could plow by themselves, at a hundred times the speed one person might. All because we couldn''t stand it taking so long." Nie Ruyi waved at the forest, "We have huge machines that could eat that forest in two weeks and spit out enough logs to build houses that could house over a hundred families."

    "No way!" Song Fengling declared, looking unwilling to believe it, but he was leaning closer as if to a good story. "If you made huge machines like that, they''d be monsters themselves!"

    "Well, not really, since they''re controlled by humans. But I see why you might think that, given your world''s rules. ...so, about Cai Bingtian. Lao Xiaojun doesn''t seem to like him. Is there a reason?" Nie Ruyi asked, hoping the boy wasn''t too shy to talk about such things.

    "Probably because Cai-Shixiong keeps teasing him. They bicker like that all the time. I''ve never seen them get along unless the Sect Leader is in the room with them." Song Fengling seemed much more comfortable, now that he was on a topic he knew was real. "I heard they met when Lao-Shixiong was 15, and Cai-Shixiong had just skipped out on his old sect. He liked us better, I guess."

    Nie Ruyi nodded, feeling like she''d just unlocked a cut scene about some character''s tragic backstory. "I see. So, what are their specialties?"

    "Well, Lao-Shixiong is a Pill Master and a very strong pugilist. Strong enough that swords can''t even cut his skin! And Cai-Shixiong is a Seal Master. He uses a sword too, but his tricks are what you have to watch out for. One time, he strung me up from a tree during a spar and I didn''t even realize until I was upside down." He had the same sparkly look in his eyes that little kids did about their older brothers. He hero-worshiped those men, she could see it, and it made her smile fondly.

    "You must train ha-" Her words were interrupted with the sound of screaming.

 Chapter Six - A Massacre

    Chapter 6 - A Massacre

    The scream startled both of them so bad that Song Fengling actually unsheathed his sword enough for the silver of the blade to shine in the lamplight. Nie Ruyi''s head had snapped in the direction it had come from. It was bloodcurdling, chilling and close.

    "Did you hear that?" Nie Ruyi whispered, despite knowing Song Fengling did. He nodded anyway as if to reassure himself too. He''d gone pale, and Nie Ruyi was pretty sure she had too, her hands shaking. Several voices raised in chaos, some battle cries, other orders yelled over the din, and suddenly Nie Ruyi knew they were under attack.

    Had the dragon decided their deal wasn''t worth it? No, not enough roaring, not enough wind. Nie Ruyi turned to Song Fengling, who was staring at the tent-opening in a dazed sort of terror. She put herself between him and the door, forcing him to look at her.

    "Song-Shidi, we need to find a place to hide. We need information about what''s happening and how it''s being dealt with. I can''t fight, so you have to protect me, Song-Shidi. Do you think you can do that?" She felt terrible, telling a 12-year-old boy he had to fight to defend her. She wished it weren''t necessary. But whatever was out there was hurting people, and she was near helpless in this world.

    The objective reached him, and she watched him marshal himself with a firm nod. "Yes, Nie-Shijie." He grabbed her hand, and she could feel his fingers shaking as he led her to the back of the tent. Carefully undoing some ties she hadn''t even noticed, he opened a little hole big enough for them to crawl through. Then, he peeked through it, before coming back in. "It''s chaos out there. Stay close."

    With that warning, he crawled out of the tent and she followed. Madness erupted around them. The sky seemed oppressively gray now, and the wind was still where moments ago it had been slightly pushy. Like the eye of a storm, it was still, with only screaming and shrieking to mark the moments.

    Nie Ruyi shivered as the wind picked up a sliver of a cackle, some mad thing laughing in this din. Song Fengling pulled her along, past cultivators running this way and that. She had no idea what was going on, or who was supposed to be in charge. Song Fengling led her to the outskirts of the camp, and then hesitated.

    Behind them, thick smoke was rising from the camp. Someone had set the tents afire. Nie Ruyi glanced nervously back at the camp, the sounds of steel clashing and that wicked laughter following them like a foul smell. There. Between the tents, she caught sight of someone, dark hair wild and pulled high, a sword as thick as Nie Ruyi''s waist swinging wild with abandon. The slab of metal cleaved a young cultivator in half, moving through the sword as easily as its wielder.

    Nie Ruyi''s heart juddered in her chest as the person''s face turned towards her. She wasn''t close enough to see any of their features, but she was sure, absolutely dreadfully sure, that they were smiling. "We.... We have to go." She choked, tugging on Song Fengling''s hand. "We gotta go, NOW."

    "Where?!" Song Fengling''s voice was high pitched with terror, and Nie Ruyi knew with certainty that he''d seen the saber-wielder too.

    "Forest. The forest!" Nie Ruyi said, turning in that same instant and pulling the young boy after her into the underbrush. That person would murder them, certainly. But the Dragon could be reasoned with. And if the Dragon realized they were trespassing, as it surely would, it might alert those negotiating with it that something was wrong.

    She didn''t let them slow down, not for a moment, pulling Song Fengling through stinging thickets and sucking mud. "W-Wait, Nie-shijie!"

    "We''ve got no time to wait." She replied, "Save your breath, we need to run as much as we can." She was already wheezing, and she was more out of shape than he was, but somehow, she was certain that she couldn''t stop. That saber-wielder had more stamina than either of them, she was sure. She could only pray that the cultivator was having as much trouble with the terrain as them.

    A thought occurred to her to call out to the dragon. After all, it''s little spies must surely have spotted them by now, but she wasn''t about to risk compromising their location in case the Cultivator chasing them didn''t know where they were. When Song Fengling opened his mouth to argue, she hissed at him until he quieted.

    They stumbled as fast as they could through the woods for what felt like hours but must have been only twentyish minutes before she started to recognise signs. That rock, she''d seen it before, and those two trees twined around one another. She turned, adjusting their path, heading for the copse of trees where the Dragon had crawled down like a gecko.

    Breaking through the thick brambles, she near-screamed when she saw what awaited them. Red, drenched everywhere, dripping from the canopy like rain. It drew her eyes up, into the boughs of the trees, where the broken corpse of the dragon hung like a kite from the thick branches. Deep, awful gashes littered its body, white showing through the deep red of muscle.

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    "No!" Nie Ruyi''s desperate sob crawled up her throat, too loud and aching to keep quiet. The Dragon had been their last hope for safety. Had Lao Xiaojun and the others killed it? Had they murdered the creature when it met them for peaceful parlay? Or had that murderous monster with the saber behind them done it?

    "Nie-Shijie, we have to go!" Song Fengling mimicked her from earlier, and she choked on a laugh that was a sob at the same time. Where? Where could they go? They couldn''t outrun someone who could fly on a sword.

    Her hand squeezed the boy''s sweaty palm in hers, and she turned, desperate to find some escape for at least the child. Maybe if she carved the dragon''s stomach out and stuffed him inside, the cultivator would think he ran off in a different direction and be satisfied with murdering her alone.

    "Hahhh...." A soft rattle of pained breath escaped the corpse above them, scaring Nie Ruyi out of her fucking mind. Her head snapped to look at the great creature, meeting one of it''s massive eyes. Even to someone as unused to reptiles as she, it looked dazed and out of sorts. She imagined she would look the same, were she dying. "What strange things humans do. To send an assassin, and then come to me as I lay dying, stinking of fear and maternal concern."

    Nie Ruyi didn''t understand what it meant, but she was certainly afraid. "We''re being chased, I think. Some cultivator with a massive saber. They were massacring the camp when we escaped into your woods, seeking sanctuary. Please. I ask only for a place to hide him, at least. He''s just a child!"

    The dragon let out a weak snort of breath that stirred Nie Ruyi''s braided hair. "And why should I care for a human child, when my own shall be orphaned in minutes."

    "...What if it didn''t have to be!" Nie Ruyi cried, desperate, "Please. I could care for it! I know a lot about your species from the books in my world. I could raise it well, and when it''s old enough, set it up in a territory with its own horde. Please. I would treat it as if it were my own child." She would try anything if it meant saving Song Fengling, who didn''t deserve to be in this situation. The Dragon''s eye slid shut.

    "Nie-Shijie... They''re getting closer." Song Fengling squared his shoulders, trying to be brave as he stared in the direction of the monster in human flesh coming after them.

    "Please! We don''t have time!" Nie Ruyi cried, her voice aching with tears and fear. "Please. I beg you, please! Just somewhere safe!"

    "Enough... So noisy." The Dragon groaned. It pushed itself up from the branches, slipping a bit, as the trees groaned under its weight. A wheezing gasp escaped it as one of the trees impaled in its side dug deeper into the wound. "Follow the blue flowers. You will know them. If you miss one, look for a sparrow. It will lead you to the next. Hurry, for if I die, neither will lead you anywhere good. I will hold her off."

    Relief fell over Nie Ruyi like a snowfall. "Thank you! Thank you, I will never forget this!" She tugged, pulling Song Fengling towards where the bluest flower she''d ever seen had just bloomed.

    The flowers were surprisingly easy to spot, and in her terror she was alert enough to find them quickly. They lead them through the trees and under dense thickets. Several minutes into their mad pursuit of blue flowers, they heard the dragon roar loud enough to shatter the silence for miles. Nie Ruyi tugged Song Fengling harder, the boy clinging close as he followed.

    Eventually, the two of them were led to a cliff face, a river flowing sluggishly beneath it. "Her lair is here." Nie Ruyi stated. "they always build their lairs in cliffside or hills. It''s got to be here. Can you fly down and guide me as I climb?" She turned to Song Fengling, who was looking over the side with terrified eyes.

    "I... yeah, Yes, Nie-Shijie, I can." He tossed his sword over the side, and instead of it falling into the burbling water below, it floated in the air and returned to him. She would never get used to that.

    He guided her down the twisting vines carefully and went back above her to move the ones shifted by her weight back into place, to hide their trail. It would look a little like they had jumped in to escape their predator. Nie Ruyi was so thankful for this little measure of foresight that she had to bite back the sting in her eyes again, even as her hands ached from holding onto thorny vines.

    "I''m so sorry, Nie-shijie, I wish I was strong enough to carry you..." Song Fengling sounded so wrecked by the fact that he wasn''t, that Nie Ruyi had to laugh a little.

    Breathless, she comforted him, "Don''t worry so much. You''re still very young. When you''re older and stronger, I''ll have you carry me from place to place. You''ll see. I''ll never have to set a foot on the ground again since my little Song-Shidi will take good care of me, won''t he?" Half-teasing, half offering him a future to glance to instead of the terror of their last few hours, she made sure her voice was light.

    It was only when she could no longer find rocks under her feet that she looked down. Beneath her was a long fall, but closer, there was a huge cave entrance. She shuddered, realizing she didn''t know how she was going to get in. "O-Okay, Song-Shidi, I know you aren''t strong enough to carry me. But do you think you might be strong enough to help me fall?"

    "Huh?" The boy cried, confusion turning his eyes wide. She sighed, her arms shaking so bad she could feel her fingers slipping.

    "Okay, so, come closer, close enough that you can grab me. In fact, grab the cloth of my dress at the shoulders, okay?" She waited anxiously, until she felt his little paws grab on. "Okay, now, when I let go, we''re going to fall very quickly. I need you to push with that sword of yours, so that we fall INTO the cave, and not away from it. Do you understand?"

    "I-I think so?" Song Fengling sniffled, and she could hear his fearful panting.

    "Hey. Listen, no matter what, we''re going to get through this. Just need some quick thinking to do so, okay? Just remember, push about the count of three after I let go, okay? Too soon, and we hit the ceiling. Too late, and we fall. Count One-mississippi, okay? I''m going to let go on the count of five."

    "One-mississippi." She felt the little hands holding her shoulders turn into claws, and winced at how tight they gripped her.

    "Two-mississippi." She slipped, her fingers sliding along the vines a little, and Song Fengling heaved against her sudden weight dispersal. "I''m okay! It''s okay! I just slipped. Three-mississippi."

    "Hurry." Song Fengling whispered, and she wasn''t sure what he''d heard, but she didn''t want to find out.

    "Four-mississippi, five!" She rushed, before letting go of the vines entirely and kicking (just a little) away from the wall, so she wouldn''t scrape down it. The wind rushed by her as she fell, and she wondered if Song Fengling had remembered to count, had remembered to say Mississippi after each word, because if he didn''t--

 Chapter Seven - Hidden Cave

    Chapter Seven - Hiden Cave

    A powerful shove against her shoulders changed her direction, sending her into a tailspin so bad she didn''t know which way was up or down. But it didn''t matter, because by the time she realized she didn''t know, she hit something hard and fast. The pain was a brief flash and then everything was black.

    Her mind came back to her in fits and starts. Snatches of sound like a skipped record, Song Fengling''s voice fading in and out bobbed against her consciousness. It was the pain that brought her out of it, sharp and believable. She opened her eyes, and light lanced through her like ice. "Oh... what happened?" She managed to groan, although to her ears it sounded a bit off, like she was slurring the words.

    "Nie-Shijie!" Song Fengling cried, and there were tear tracks on the sorrowful face that shoved itself into her view. "Are you okay? You hit your head, it''s bleeding pretty bad-"

    "Okay, slow down, please. My head can''t take it." She gasped, shifting. Nothing felt like it was grinding in her neck, so she lifted her head. Big mistake, the world swam, shifting like noodles in a bowl, separately and all together at once. "W-We need to stop the bleeding. Do you know any first aid?"

    "What? I... What did you s-say?" The boy asked, and Nie Ruyi wasn''t sure if his fear was because he couldn''t translate the words because she was speaking English, or if he didn''t understand them because she was slurring so badly that it wasn''t recognizable as Mandarin, either. Either one, they had a problem.

    "Healing. Do you know any field-medicine?" She asked instead, and when he looked relieved she realized it was because she was speaking English, not because she was unintelligible. He nodded, and she smiled and then winced as it pulled whatever injury she had. "Great, okay, first things first. Check my neck, see if you can feel any bones out of place. Don''t push on them, be gentle."

    His hands slid around her throat, and began pushing gently at her skin. A few minutes of awkwardness, and he reported that he felt nothing.

    "Good. Okay, now, I can feel my toes and move them so we don''t have to worry too much about spinal damage. Is there anything embedded in me in the front? My side hurts a lot. Am I impaled on something?"

    "N-No, There''s no blood there either." He answered, voice steadying with something to keep his mind on.

    "Great! That''s good, okay. H-Help me sit up." She lifted an arm, overjoyed when that particular movement didn''t hurt. Of course, when Song Fengling pulled a little too hard on it, she hissed. Eventually, she was sitting up, leaning against Song Fengling''s side. "Okay... Okay, we''re good. I''m dizzy, and nauseous, which means concussion. But I''m conscious, I can feel my toes, and I remember roughly what date it is. My name is Nie Ruyi, and I''m 34 years old. We-"

    "What are you doing, Nie-Shijie?" Song Fengling interrupted her monologue, looking at her with worry. She smiled, and patted his cheek.

    "I''m testing my memory. Long term and short term. Name and age are stored in long term memory. I was about to describe our situation and how we got here, to test short term memory. It''s... to make sure my mind is unhurt."

    "Oh." He seemed so confused. His eyes left her face, and darted around the cave, which Nie Ruyi now recognised as her vision cleared. So they''d made it into the cave, and she had probably hit her head on impact. That made the most sense.

    "C''mon. Help me up. We need to get deeper into the cave. If that person comes looking, we''re easily spotted here. And we have to find the Dragon''s egg. I promised..." She grunted in pain as Song Fengling lifted her from her seated position. A twelve year old boy was this strong? Nie Ruyi had underestimated how different Cultivators were from normal people.

    "Yes, Nie-Shijie." He said, letting her lean on him as he walked them deeper into the caves.

    "Sorry. I''m probably heavy." The drip-drip-drip of water from the stalactites punctuated their heavy, shuffling footsteps. Then she blinked, "Wait... How can I see? It''s-Oh. That''s nifty."

    Floating over Song Fengling''s shoulder was a little white light, like a firefly. "A talisman. Even Mortals can use this one. I''ll teach you, if we get time." It sounded like a promise, on Song Fengling''s tongue. She couldn''t help but smile. The cave''s path branched off, and they lingered for a moment, before she remembered something she''d heard a long time ago.

    "Most people in a maze, take the left hand path. So we should take the right." She pointed, and Song Fengling stopped idling and took them in that direction. "If we get lost... at least we''ll know which way we came."

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    After the cave opened up into a large room, they continued right, until they realized it was a dead end. Turning around, they went left, and it took them down a long raw-rock corridor. Each time they went right, it ended in a dead-end quickly, little rooms filled with littered coins and detritus. But the coins grew and grew, becoming a thick carpeting, the further left they went.

    When they started having to climb little hills made of coins, she knew they were in the right place. "Alright. Look for an egg, about the size of a human chest, most likely looks like a green gem." She ordered, before disengaging from Song Fengling and beginning the search herself.

    The jangle of coins was the only music accompanying their search until, behind a pillar of beautiful white-gray stone, she found it. Just as she''d described, a beautiful green egg, the size of her chest. She lifted it into her arms, and it was as heavy as a toddler. She settled it against her belly, stroking the shell softly.

    "Don''t worry, little one. Your mother asked me to take care of you, and so I will." She crooned, hoping the little dragon could hear her inside. "Song-Shidi! I found it!"

    The boy scrambled over the dunes of coins and found her pretty quickly. His eyes went wide as dinner plates when he saw the egg, and he crept closer, holding out a hand as if to touch. Nie Ruyi couldn''t help but smile. "Go ahead. You can touch it."

    His fingers brushed over the stone-like shell, and he gasped at how warm it was. She chuckled, nodding, "There''s a very warm little dragon in here. It''s our job to keep it safe now. Now, is there a way to get a message to your sect, to let them know we''re safe, without letting whoever that was know we''re here?"

    Song Fengling looked down, concentrating for a moment. Nie Ruyi took a deep breath, pressing her aching head against the heat of the egg. "No... I don''t think there is. We''ll have to get back to the camp... Find a survivor who can fly a message to the Sect."

    "...or you can." Nie Ruyi looked at him, her eyes lowered. She was getting sleepy.

    Song Fengling shook his head, "No. Someone''s got to keep you awake. You need healing, you can''t be by yourself."

    Nie Ruyi gave a rueful smile. "Ah... Smart boy. But neither of us will live long in here, without food or water. And we need help. I can''t climb out of here again, I''m too dizzy. But you can fly. Fast. Follow the cliff, keep low and get out of the forest all together. Hopefully, our follower was distracted or killed by the dragon enough that you can get free." But Song Fengling seemed mutinous, glaring at her.

    "Don''t be stupid! A cultivator capable of slaughtering that many Senior Disciples, they''re not going to be killed by a half-dead dragon. We''ll hold out here. We can both survive a day or two without food, and we can gather water from the wall-drippings."

    Nie Ruyi held up her hands, her arms still clasped around her egg. "Alright, alright. You win. We''ll hunker down here for a while."

    They didn''t even have time to grow properly, stomach-rumblingly hungry before commotion started above. The ringing crash of swords against swords echoed into the cave, like disembodied specters announcing their presence. When the first bits of them happened, the two had migrated closer, and Song Fengling had suffered Nie Ruyi putting an arm around his young shoulders and pulling him so that she was in front of him.

    Nie Ruyi wasn''t sure if the clashing was getting closer, but it was certainly accompanied by more yelling, as time went on. Eventually, their caution was thrown to the winds, as they crept closer to the opening of the cave. Nie Ruyi had taken off one of the ridiculous robes she''d been wearing and now used it as a sling, tied by the sleeves around her chest, so that the egg sat against her back snugly. She kept one hand behind her back, holding it in place just to be safe.

    The two of them found the cliff''s edge of the cave, and the swirling river below. Sure enough, the sounds amplified, coming from above, and the combat sounded bad. Nie Ruyi hemmed and hawed, unsure if they should risk revealing themselves, only for a moment later to take that decision away from her.

    Over the edge of the cliff tumbled a cultivator in white and red, not the blue and tangerine they''d seen on their would-be-assailant. An ally? Or an enemy? The man stopped mid-air, his sword sliding into place beneath his feet like a sentient thing, halting his falling and turning it into stylish flying. Then, as if by accident, he noticed them. A huge grin broke on his face, and she recognised him. Cai Bingtian, the man who''d been in Lin Baiwei''s tent this morning.

    "Nie-Shimei! Song-Shidi! You''re safe! This Cai Bingtian was worried." His voice called over the still-clashing metal and the dull roar of the river. "I''ll come to you! Song-Shidi should head up and join combat. Amazing experience, fighting a Nascent Soul level cultivator! You probably won''t get it again!"

    He swept closer, even as Song Fengling lit up like a torch. Hopping onto his own blade, he turned to Nie Ruyi and grinning, said, "Don''t worry, Nie-Shijie. He''ll take very good care of you. I''m going to help the others."

    Before Nie Ruyi could protest, he was gone, up and over the cliff. She turned her ire onto the only one available and its true owner, instead. "Are you stupid?! You''re telling a child to go fight someone who killed his elders?! You think that''s a good experience for a child?!"

    He set down next to her, where Song Fengling had been standing moments ago, and raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course I do. He''ll learn more in combat than most would, being a physical cultivator. And if he gets injured, his very nature will make him stronger. It''s good for him to go against opponents he has no chance of winning against, so long as he doesn''t die. Lao Xiaojun is up there, too, so he has backup."

    "He''s a CHILD!" Nie Ruyi shrieked, echoing around the cave and taking Cai Bingtian by surprise. "Children are supposed to be PROTECTED, not-Not-" Words failed her, her anger lapsing into tears she could ill-afford at the moment.

    "Hey, Nie-Shimei, deep breaths." His voice was oddly soft, as he reached out, settling his large, warm hands on her shaking shoulders. "It''s going to be okay. You''re safe now. He''s safe. Trust Lao Xiaojun. Lao-Shidi has never lost a battle, and he''s going to win this one too."

    Somehow, the warmth of his hands soothed the tears away, but not her irritation or fear. She shook her head. "Take me up there too!" She demanded, one step away from stamping her foot.

    "Of course. Let''s get going, then." Cai Bingtian''s sword swung around and he stepped up again. Holding out his hand, he waited patiently as she took it. His sword swayed under her, and she yelped. He laughed, when it pushed her into his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. "There," his voice echoed in her ear, the warmth of his breath making her shiver. "Settled?"

    "Just... hurry up." She muttered into the cloth of his robes.

    He must have, because the sound of swords clashing got louder and soon, she could hear the footsteps and harsh breaths of the combatants. As Cai Bingtian set her down outside the combat radius (which she could see clearly delineated, because all the brush and trees inside it were felled and chopped to pieces), to join the fray himself, their combatant looked up. A woman with wild eyes, a wilder grin, and her shaggy black hair thrown up in a half-ponytail. Around her neck glinted a beautiful necklace.

 Chapter Eight - Complaints

    Chapter Eight - Complaints

    "Ah, and you''re back! I thought I''d driven you off for good!" The madwoman crowed, laughter in every syllable even as she knocked one of- Was that Lao Xiaojun? Nie Ruyi had to take a moment to stare in awe-struck horror at the calm man she''d met yesterday.

    His jaw opened in a soundless roar that released steam, teeth sharp and pointed, his eyes glowing a pure indigo. Energy crackled around him like lightning, as he rained down blows so fast that Nie Ruyi couldn''t see his fists. He didn''t seem to be using his sword, sheathed at his waist. Instead, somehow, he''d bulked up like the hulk, steroid-level muscles showing beneath his torn up robes and was now hitting so hard that Nie Ruyi could feel the vibrations of the air every time a blow landed against the guarded woman.

    Song Fengling seemed to be trying to help, darting in under the woman''s guard and scoring hits against her flanks every so often. But it was clear the blows weren''t even cutting her clothes, much less her skin. He was breathing heavier too, Nie Ruyi could see it.

    It wasn''t long before the woman let out a roar of her own and pushed back against the strongman beating at her defenses. Once he was free from her a few inches, she jumped back. A complicated series of flips later, she was on her own sword, waving. "Well, it was still a mission success! You all have a good day! I look forward to fighting you again soon, Lao Xiaojun."

    The man in question roared a command, "Get back here!" while rushing forward to strike again. However, the female cultivator just laughed, dodging out of the way. Lao Xiaojun rushed to pull his sword from its sheath as she dove off the cliffside and into the air away from them. The pugilist was about to give chase, only to be stopped by a hand on the shoulder. Cai Bingtian shook his head, and Lao Xiaojun gave a snarl, shrugging off the hand and heading into the woods.

    Cai Bingtian shuffled towards Nie Ruyi and Song Fengling, who settled next to Nie Ruyi the way a baby duck does its mother when tired. "Don''t worry about him. He''s just got to work off the pill, or he''ll be touchy and quick-to-strike the entire ride home. Nie-Shimei, Song-Shidi, did you two see any other survivors? Anyone hiding down there with you?"

    Nie Ruyi was shaking her head along with Song Fengling. Cai Bingtian nodded, "Alright, that makes sense. Cmon, then. We''ll head back to camp, patch up whoever we can, and bury those we can''t. Song-Shidi, can you hop back to the Sect and inform the Sect Leader? It''s urgent, so make sure you let everyone know. Try to talk Xiang Yun. He''ll be able to get you in to see her quickly. Tell him what happened here and let him know I sent you."

    "Yes, Cai-Shixiong!" Without another thought, Song Fengling took off and was soon a speck in the wind. Cai Bingtian turned to Nie Ruyi then, and grinned that horrendous grin that turned her heart into knots.

    "Ready?"

    Cai Bingtian set Nie Ruyi up in a corner of a clean-ish tent, once he realized that she would be nearly useless in the cleanup. She''d told him that she could only do basic first aid, and that she wouldn''t be able to lift a fully grown person, or even a large teenager. He had assured her she would be safe before running off to help, but she still hunkered down on the ground, waiting.

    She couldn''t close her eyes, the images she''d seen playing on the backs of her eyelids the moment she did. Bodies, torn to pieces, sliced in half. Entrails, still pink, slung across the ground, and body parts feet away from any possible body they could have belonged to. Children. Just... teenagers, scattered across the ground like so many leaves. Piled atop each other.

    Nie Ruyi took the book from her sleeve with shaky fingers and opened it up. Her eyes skittered around the page fruitlessly, picking up a word here, a word there. Time must have passed, because the tent-flap flew open and Nie Ruyi thankfully tossed the book in her sleeve, uncaring if she''d saved her place. Standing in the doorway was Lao Xiaojun, looking around angrily. She scrambled to her feet, just as his eyes landed on her and he stormed forward. Snatching her upper arm in a bruising grip, he turned her this way and that.

    "O-oi! That hurts!" She cried, trying to yank her arm out of his grip. He was lifting her near off her feet, and she was already achy from the fall and from climbing.

    "You need to be seen by a healer." Lao Xiaojun growled out, and Nie Ruyi huffed out a disbelieving laugh.

    "You think?! Stop yanking at me, you''re making it worse! My head already aches like crazy, I''m bruised everywhere, and you''re yanking me around like a kid with their toy doll!" As soon as she''d finished her tirade, he dropped her, causing her to stumble. She caught herself on the upturned chair nearby and turned a fierce glare on him to hide the sting of her tears. "I''m done. I want to go home. I''m tired of being here, I''m tired of it. Take me home!"

    She shrieked at him, pointing to the tent flap. He stared at her, face completely blank but for a slight furrowing of his brow. She squared her shoulders, and felt her lip tremble with the force it was taking to hold back her tears. She realized with a sense of betrayal that she wasn''t, really. Tears slid cold tracks down her cheeks, and she hastened to rub them off, staring at him defiantly through the haze of them.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "...This Shixiong apologizes. I did not mean to harm Nie-Shimei further or to be unkind. My worry overrode my sense of reason." His voice was soft and low, and he held up a hand towards her, which she smacked away with vitriol she''d never given voice before.

    "Fuck your apology! This whole day has been one long conga line of horribleness, and I. Want. To. Go. Home." She stabbed his chest with her finger on each word for emphasis.

    The words took him by surprise if his eyebrows shooting sky-high were any sign. She felt a bit of vindictive pride at that. He gave a curt nod, and shifted so that he could indicate the tent flap to her. She took this as a sign and exited the tent. The air still reeked of meat spoiling in the sun, the stench of corpses. Disciples ran about, carrying bodies and supplies here and there, striking down tents and packing things that no longer had owners.

    She forced herself to walk through the chaos, and Lao Xiaojun took the initiative to slip in front of her and guide her where they were going. They came into the central clearing, which had housed the food just two days ago. A cry of her name went up, and Nie Ruyi turned to see Song Fengling waving at her as he rushed towards her.

    "Nie-Shijie! Are you alright? Come over here, He-Shijie will take care of you!" He chirped away like a little squirrel as he dragged her towards a small cot-filled area that looked like an impromptu field hospital. There, disciples in white were tending to the wounded. Song Fengling sat her down on one of the cots, and a young woman with bright amber eyes stepped forward.

    "This one is He Qina, a Senior Disciple in charge of healing and medicine. It is a pleasure to meet you, Nie-Shimei. Song-Shidi has told me much about you." The woman then pulled a stool (a literal wooden stool!) out of her sleeve and sat down. Then, she took Nie Ruyi''s wrist in hand, and that strange sensation happened again.

    "I''m Nie Ruyi. Nice to meet you too. What are you doing? It''s making my head go... dizzy. Like when I stand up too quickly." She asked, even as the sensation died down again.

    "I''m sending my spiritual energy into your body, to see if there has been damage done. I''ve trained my spiritual energy to look for imbalances in qi and in blood and energy flow, as well as damaged tissue and other things. I don''t usually use it on Mortals, as it can be damaging, which might be why you''re feeling that dizzy feeling. Your body is not used to the flow of spiritual energy through it. In fact, yours is nearly stagnant." She looked disturbed by this. "And yet, your meridians are soaking in my qi so naturally. If I didn''t know better... I''d say your spiritual veins had been open for years."

    "Well, since I don''t know what those are, I can''t take any credit for that." Nie Ruyi sighed, her head aching with the knowledge and also with the splitting headache that had been plaguing her since she took that fall in the cave.

    "Mn... Well, to explain, spiritual veins are the roads through which spiritual energy travels within your body. It can take multiple reincarnations for a spirit to open the spiritual veins within themselves. Yours appear to have opened just this life, so they are still new to you."

    Song Fengling seemed surprised by this, "Wow. Mine only opened two lives ago!" With that explanation, he turned to Nie Ruyi, "That''s how I was able to enter the sect so young. My spiritual Veins were strong from a very young age. I have Crystal spiritual veins." He stuck his nose in the air, clearly proud, and Nie Ruyi couldn''t help the soft exhale of amusement.

    "Does that mean your veins are made of pretty gems for me to carve up?" She teased him, reaching out with her unoccupied hand to chuck his chin, which he deftly avoided with pursed lips.

    "No! It means that I can use both Earth and Metal Qi in my cultivation. It''s incredibly useful!" He replied, sticking out his tongue.

    "It''s also incredibly tiresome, as it means he has issues gathering Qi if there are any sources of wood or fire Qi nearby. He has to be careful to find deep caves to cultivate within, or he cultivates slowly." A new voice joined their conversation, and Nie Ruyi looked up to spot Lao Minghui having joined them. She gives Nie Ruyi a small smile and a tilt of her head, although her brows were set in an apologetic slope. "Nie-Shimei, I am sorry. This Sect Leader did not expect there to be such danger to you here."

    "...I can''t say it''s fine, because it''s not." Nie Ruyi admitted, "I got hurt. And I nearly died. I''ve got a concussion that''s pretty bad, and what''s worse, poor Song-Shidi got sent into battle against the person who slaughtered those poor souls in this camp. I''m very, very upset and very angry, and I''d like to go home, please."

    "Ah... do you mean-" Song Fengling''s eyes widened, "Not home-home! You mean the sect right?! You''re not going anywhere but our home, right?"

    Nie Ruyi was taken aback by how quickly the child snapped on that. "...Well... they can''t send me home-home. Otherwise, yeah, I''d be going home-home. Song-Shidi, I don''t belong here. I nearly died today."

    "She isn''t wrong, Sect Leader. If it weren''t for her Spiritual veins, and how pure the qi was in that cave, she would have died of a cracked skull." He Qina spoke up, her fingers still on Nie Ruyi''s wrists. "She has impressive Willow Spiritual Veins. However... Oddly enough, entwined with the Willow veins are Earth veins. I''ve never seen the like. It''s... impossible, almost."

    "Willow-?" Nie Ruyi breathed, confusion settling in as her head turned this way and that towards the speakers. Lao Minghui took pity on her, and explained.

    "Your Spiritual veins are of the combined Water and Wood essences. However, you appear to also have Earth Essence mixed in as well. Three essences will be difficult to train, for you must keep your spiritual veins in balance, or they will cause a Deviation. Although, what He-Shimei is saying is right, this doesn''t make sense. I felt your meridians mere days ago, and you were as mortal as they come... We should perhaps look into this, if it poses no danger of unbalancing her?" The question was turned to He Qina.

    "So far, her veins are in perfect balance. If I didn''t know better, Lao-Zongzhu, I''d say she was a practicing cultivator already." He Qina said, "She''s in no threat of a qi deviation at this time. Exhaustion, infection, and possible death in her sleep, certainly, but not deviation. She''ll need to be woken every three hours for the next night, so that she does not fall into a coma and refuse to wake."

    "That''s going to be fun." Nie Ruyi complained, shaking her head, "Lao-Zongzhu, you said I was part of the sect now, right? Does that mean I can file complaints? And get trained on how to not die?"

    "Well, certainly." Lao Minghui blinked, and then seemed to startle away from Nie Ruyi''s feral grin.

    "I have So. Many. Complaints."

 Chapter Nine - New Perspectives

    Chapter Nine - New Perspectives

    Cai Bingtian

    Cai Bingtian spun his body as a fulcrum, the soft rope winding around the bare barrel of his chest, the meteor hammer responding readily to his movements. A flinch up and then a kick out of his booted foot, and the copper hammer portion of the weapon flew out to hit an invisible opponent with lethal force.

    He reeled the weapon back in, wrapping the rope around his wrist and elbow to turn its direction and then around his throat to get it facing the proper way to smack an invisible assailant in the face just behind his head. Practicing that over the years had given him more than one headache, that was for sure. If he had misjudged the length of the rope even for a moment, the heavy copper bell of the hammer would have hit him in the face.

    The clapping might have startled a lesser practitioner, but Cai Bingtian had been practicing the meteor hammer for nearly a decade now, and his spatial awareness was on a level rarely seen. He''d known Nie Ruyi was entering the training yard before she even rounded the corner enough to see her. The beautiful mortal woman was clapping gently, the sound barely clearing the early morning air.

    "Nie-shimei!" He called, reeling the meteor hammer in, and wrapping the rope up in a loose coil around his forearm. "What brings you here this early in the morning?" He asked. It was a well-known secret that she generally didn''t rise until midmorning unless awoken by her assistant, Song Fengling. Today, the woman''s fine, soft brown hair was pulled up in an intricate log of buns, half of it a glistening curtain down her back. Flowers adorned the bun, with small silver chains dangling along her temples to join a huasheng set at the peak of her forehead, just where her forelocks parted.

    For all that her hair was fancier than normal, her clothing, however, reminded him of his own days as a junior disciple. The robes sleeves were held tight to her arm, thanks to some laced bracers made of tooled leather, and the pants she wore were tucked into fine boots. She must have been given new clothing by the Sect Leader, so that she would be able to train effectively. When she turned those forest green eyes on him, he couldn''t stop the helpless grin that spread on his face. She really was too beautiful for this world, wasn''t she?

    "I was going to start the day with a walk, maybe try some of that movement meditation that Song-shidi mentioned to me. Then I saw you practicing, and I couldn''t help but stop by." Nie Ruyi said, her eyes darting down to the soft rope weapon still around his hand. "Is that hard to learn?"

    "Oh yes. Incredibly so." Cai Bingtian admitted, hefting up the heavy hammer, and holding it out to her. She took it appraisingly, her fingers drawing over the soft curved lines of the copper orb that made up the hammer. "The Meteor Hammer is one of the most difficult weapons to learn, and it takes years to master. It requires the kind of focus and spacial awareness that most youngsters just don''t have."

    "So it would be a bad place to begin." Nie Ruyi concluded, and Cai Bingtian was once again startled by how quickly his grin came to life. She was so smart, picking up on things that should be foreign to her so quickly.

    "Yes, it would. Are you looking for a place to begin, Nie-shimei?" He asked, "Generally, new disciples start with a practice sword, or knives. They''re understood to be the easiest beginning. Or, we could start you out with hand-to-hand. Although, Lao-Shidi is much better at that than I am." Cai Bingtian laughed at his own inside joke, leaving Nie Ruyi staring at him with confused amusement.

    "What would you recommend?" She asked, and he had to admit, he respected her a little, for deferring to someone with more experience.

    "Me personally? I think that a sword would be the best place to start." He crossed the training grounds to the racks of weapons kept there and clean for anyone''s use. He picked up one of the lighter, shorter practice swords, wood with a metal core, and handed it to her. "Start slowly, with the sword-forms. Practice them over and over until you''re able to do them with your mind shut off, and your body moving on its own. If you can do that, you might be able to defend yourself on instinct alone."

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    "...sword forms?" She asked, tilting her head to look at him.

    "Ah. You''ve... never held a sword before." He frowned, wondering how he could have forgotten that. "I could get you a book on the sword forms later today. And I''d really recommend joining one of the beginning classes. It''s usually taken by outer sect members and initiates, but I think it''d work well for you right now. You''d have a teacher and fellow students you can practice with."

    "That does sound like a good idea." She turned those jade eyes up to him again, and he almost looked away. Holding that gaze, he smiled at her instead. What was it about this woman who made his heart quiver? He''d only ever felt it with one other person, and they had become his greatest rival in recent times. Was his heart saying she too, would challenge him in ways no one else could? Cai Bingtian had only ever suffered if he ignored his intuition, so perhaps...

    "Or, you could just ask Song-Shidi to teach you too. He''s got quite the little crush forming." Cai Bingtian couldn''t help but tease, just to see a little bit of pink rise to her cheeks.

    "Yes well, he''s twelve. A child, and what''s worse, one who knows more than I do in this subject. I don''t want to give him too big a head, you know?" she sniffed, turning up her nose as if a haughty young misstress from some prominent clan.

    "Ah, you want to save some face for yourself. I understand." He nodded wisely, before tilting his head. "You know... I''ve been meaning to ask. Why do you coddle the boy so?"

    Her gaze turned sharp, "What do you mean?"

    "Well, you filed a formal complaint against me for sending him against the Tourmaline Grove cultivator. Song-shidi hasn''t had the chance to fight against anyone truly powerful other than Lao-shidi and myself. It was invaluable experience for him, and safe enough too. So, what makes you want to protect him from something so important?" He laid it out as clearly as he could, hiding his incredulity under a humouring smile.

    "...He''s a child." She said, emphasizing as if he hadn''t heard her the first time she''d said it. "He shouldn''t be fighting anyone. Much less a grown woman capable of slaughtering other fully grown men and women."

    "Oh. I see." His mind turned over this information. "At what age do people begin combat training in your world? Or are you all peasants, who learn only when drafted for a war?"

    "...People in our world only learn combat training if they want to." She frowned, clearly upset with this conversation. Was violence truly so rare in her world? How enviable. "The wars there are voluntary, in most free countries. And certainly no one gets drafted until they''re of age. Eighteen, usually, or older. It''s considered a crime of the highest magnitude to train and use a child in a war." She lifted her head, and there was that diamond-strong will that earth spirit vein users were so known for.

    "What a lovely world you must live in." He answered, and he meant it. "Here, children are taught to defend themselves from when they can walk. If they don''t, they don''t live to adulthood, usually. Monsters will get them, or slavers, or killers. Most don''t get formal training though, so noble families train their children to defend those lower than them. Or, children join cultivation sects and learn to battle the monsters so that others don''t have to."

    "...How horrible... Children should have the chance to grow up. Fighting is so... damaging." Her face was clouding up, pink under her eyes and her brow drawn tight. She looked close to tears. "Children who grow up in wars or fighting for their lives turn out... wrong. Hard, and indifferent to the suffering of others. They have nightmares and stress-responses their whole lives that could just be avoided if they didn''t have to fight."

    He wondered how she knew all of that if her world was so perfect.

    "Better that than dead," was his response.

    She snorted as if she couldn''t accept that. The beautiful creature was still mulling it over when the late-morning bell rang out its call to classes. "I hate to leave you so abruptly, but I have a class to teach. I''ll be here training every morning around this time until I have to leave again. Do you want to join me then?" He asked, smiling. It might be fun to have a new shimei to spar with.

    She nodded, a small smile showing up on her face. "Sure. That sounds lovely." Her eyes lit up as she seemed to remember something, "Oh! Would you be willing to show me around the town tomorrow? Lao-Zongzhu gave me an allowance, and there are some things I want, but I have no idea where to go. I was going to ask Lao-Shixiong, but he''s in closed cultivation, whatever that means."

    It meant that Lao Xiaojun had gone overboard with the pills again, and was now sweating off the after-effects somewhere within the closed compound deep on the mountain. Instead of saying that, Cai Bingtian nodded, "That sounds lovely, Shimei."

    She nodded, that all settled, and then set the heavy wooden sword back on its rack. Then, with her brown hair swirling, she headed for the sect buildings again. He wondered if she would get lost. It''d be funny to see her frustrated over it all, later.

 Chapter Ten - Cultural Exchange

    Chapter Ten - Cultural Exchange

    Cai Bingtian

    The next morning, Cai Bingtian woke bright and early, just in time to meet Nie Ruyi and her little shadow at the training grounds. Unfortunately, they weren''t there to spar. Instead, he got to see Nie Ruyi dressed up all pretty like she had been the first time he''d seen her. A beautiful maiden dressed in lilacs and light blues, her green eyes ashimmer with them. Song Fengling stood beside her, and he wondered if the boy had chosen her robes specifically to match the robins'' egg blue of his own. Admittedly, that was pretty sneaky.

    "Good morning, Nie-Shimei, Song-Shidi." Cai Bingtian was kind of glad Song Fengling was there. Meant no one could make a fuss over him besmirching Nie Ruyi''s maidenly virtue. She had a chaperone, after all. "You two ready?"

    "Certainly, Cai-shixiong. Thank you for guiding us today." Nie Ruyi answered, that soft tone to her voice bringing out his smile.

    "Any time. Now, what are we looking for exactly?"

    Nie Ruyi pulls out a little book, bound with a twist of intriguing metal wire, on which is written the smallest characters he''d ever seen. She must have used a brush with only three hairs in it to get them that thin! "I need more clothes since two sets is a bit ridiculous. I don''t know how to do laundry in this world, so it can''t be helped. I also need books. I''m about to finish the only one I brought with me. I''d also like to see their market place, to see if there''s anything I need that I''m forgetting about."

    "A solid plan. Alright." Cai Bingtian got the lead out, beginning the hike down the mountain and towards the little town at the bottom. The path was still being built, mostly worked on by errant disciples who needed the discipline of putting rock into earth. Song Fengling hopped along beside the young woman, keeping pace with her, even as Cai Bingtian stayed a few steps behind the two of them. This gave him a wonderful view of their faces as they turned to each other to chat.

    "-and I''ll need to learn how toothcare is done here, too. Eventually, I''ll run out of toothpaste, and I doubt you all have mint here?" It was a question that made no sense. What was toothpaste?

    "We have mint. It''s a medicinal herb," Song Fengling answered, as if it wasn''t strange at all that she ask such a question. "I can show it to you, when we get back to the compound. Why would you need mint though?"

    "When crushed, mint can freshen the breath. That, combined with a mild abrasive, like baking soda or salt, can clean teeth really well." She responded.

    "Baking Soda?" Song Fengling asked, raising an eyebrow. "I''ve never heard of that. We usually use frayed twigs from aromatic trees."

    "Oh, it might not exist yet. It''s a type of powder that when used helps baked goods bake more evenly, I think." She shook her head, "I don''t know how it''s made though."

    "That''s weird." Song Fengling laughed, shaking his head, "What else?"

    "How am I supposed to know what I''ll need help with?" Nie Ruyi huffed, closing her eyes and turning back to face the path. "I most likely won''t know until I run into something. It''d be nice if I could find a book on etiquette while I''m here. I doubt anything I know is polite enough for a society this repressed."

    "What do you mean, repressed?" Cai Bingtian asked, unable to hold his curiousity back now. When she glanced back at him, he found himself grinning ruefully. "The KuRong empire is one of the most peaceful and liberal countries in the world. I find it strange that you think us repressed."

    "...For example," She said, raising an eyebrow. The set of her lips told him she''d taken this as a challenge, "In my country, those of opposite sex could marry. Marriages were not settled by parents, and dowries no longer existed. There were carriages that could drive themselves, and trains that moved so fast they crossed an entire country in under an hour. Marriages could be ended in a day, with no repercussions for either party, and education was a right for all, and free to those who couldn''t afford to pay."

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    Song Fengling''s face reflected the awed disbelief he shared. Cai Bingtian couldn''t help the startled laugh as he shook his head. "What a wonderland you lived in. And I suppose you''ll tell me next there''s no war, and food is so abundant that no one goes hungry."

    Her face darkened and she looked away, "I didn''t say that. Wars still happen. People are still taken advantage of. Hunger still takes people, and exposure. My world isn''t perfect, Cai-shixiong. It''s just... different. I said repressed because if this world is as I think it is... My world had a time period similar. I hope that this world proves to be different, since that time period was a horrible one to live in for everyone but the richest men. However, so far... I have seen little to say it is."

    "And what was this time period like, for those who lived in it?" Cai Bingtian asked, helpless against the curiosity tugging at his chest.

    She pursed her soft, painted lips, and tilted her head just a bit to the left. It was an adorable expression, "Well... for the poor, it was a time of starvation, death and disease. People died because of corrupt officials, keeping back the needed food out of greed. In the upper reaches of society, nepotism and corruption run rampant. Talented people are killed or exiled because they threaten someone in power.

    "Women and children, especially were treated foully in that time. Women had no true self-reliance. A woman''s property was the property of her husband or father or brothers or sons, and unless she was a widow, she was under someone else''s control her entire life. She could be sold off to a brothel at any time, with no say so on her own part. Men were allowed harems but if women were so much as implied as having an affair, they could be killed horrifically. Often they weren''t educated at all beyond being able to write their own names."

    Cai Bingtian was surprised by the amount of words she had for this subject, and she wasn''t done.

    "Women were pitted against each other in harems, to keep the attention of a man who didn''t deserve any of them. Children were pitted against each other by the mothers, in hopes that they would bring the attention of the man to them, and it''s a joke! No one wins in that situation. The man doesn''t even win, because how can he be sure any of the women truly love him and the children they bore him if they''re constantly forced to spend their attention fending off attacks by others who are jealous for his attentions too?! And what''s worse, it completely erases the fact that these people could have a healthy, safe polyamorous relationship, if they''d just communicate with each other, and be willing to make compromises!

    "It leaves those who don''t fit into the heteronormative narrative even worse off! Gay men often ended up having to hide their relationships, pretending just to be Sworn Brothers, or close friends, instead of being able to safely and happily marry those that they love. And gay women were wiped out of existence, never to be acknowledged. Those that fit in neither role, as man or woman, were either reviled, destroyed, ignored, or forced to fit into the mould."

    She was breathing heavily at this point, clearly upset, and even Song Fengling looked overwhelmed by what she was saying. Cai Bingtian lifted a hand, settling it gently on her shoulder. "Are... you alright?" He managed to keep his own voice gentled and calm, despite that her words had struck some chords in him that made him want to pry more, want to ask about these other people, and about these situations she was describing.

    "I''m fine." She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stared impassively at him. "My point is, the time period that resembles this world, the one I know of, is full of death, corruption, and pain for all involved. We had moved past quite a bit of what I described and into a society with its own faults and issues, certainly, but one that at least learned from its mistakes."

    "I see." Cai Bingtian''s head was abuzz, unable to parse through most of what she said. "It must be frightening for you, to be here."

    "..." She gaped at him, green eyes wide and mouth ajar. "I...no? Maybe? It''s... not frightening, really... just..." He hadn''t moved his hand from her shoulder, and she seemed to shrink, to curl into the comforting touch. "Everything is so uncertain now. I''m told I''ll never go home, and that I have to get used to living here... but how am I supposed to do that? If this world is anything like the one I described... How do I just... live here?"

    A heavy sort of silence fell over the three of them, their steps and breath the only sounds. He slowly removed his hand, and she turned away, facing down the path and towards the now-visible town-limits. It was Song Fengling who broke the silence, jumping ahead of them and turning to stand in Nie Ruyi''s path. She stopped, startled, and Cai Bingtian stopped next to her.

    The boy''s face had a rueful determination on it, and he picked up her hand, holding it to his chest with both of his. Cai Bingtian''s eyebrows shot up, surprised by this sudden boldness. "Don''t worry, Nie-Shijie! I''ll help you feel at home here, and we''ll make a good life for you here!"

    Cai Bingtian bit back a laugh by turning it into a startled cough, turning away from the two of them and cough-laughing into his hand. This boy! A proposal, so quickly! Ah, to be young again.

    Nie Ruyi smiled, and ruffled his hair, which must have been frustrating for the young cultivator. "Thank you, Song-shidi. You''re incredibly sweet. I''m sure with a friend like you by my side, I''ll be able to live here happily."

    Oof. Cai Bingtian could see her gentle reframing of his declaration work on the young boy. His face fell, and then mustered itself back into hopeful determination and a nod. "Mn."

    His agreement made Cai Bingtian chuckle again, and the three of them walked into the sparsely crowded streets of Guojian town.

 Chapter Eleven - New Friends

    Chapter 8 - New Friends

    Cai Bingtian

    The heaviness of their conversation fled at the sight of street-stalls and buildings. Nie Ruyi gasped as if she''d never been in a marketplace before, and bolted forward in a sort of jogging-run. Song Fengling followed after, trying to keep vigil against the bandits and evil inherent to such places. Cai Bingtian followed sedately through the lazy crowds.

    Once Nie Ruyi was caught in a thrall at a glass-blowers workshop, set up near a blacksmith''s forge, Cai Bingtian caught up. "So, we need a clothier, a bookseller, and what else?"

    Nie Ruyi looked away from the molten glass being forged into beads, and at him. Being caught under the regard of those eyes made his stomach flip. "...I''m not sure honestly. All I own right now are the few things I was able to bring with me. I don''t know what I might need."

    "Well, let''s see... you''ll need talisman paper, a writing set... Probably a tea set too." Cai Bingtian started listing off the things he''d had to procure during his time as a disciple. "Linens, if you want something other than the bare basics the Sect will provide-"

    "AH!" The sound burst from her, startling both Nie Ruyi and Cai Bingtian. "Pillow! I need a pillow and thicker blankets. The quilts here aren''t near thick enough with no heating in that room, and it got so cold last night!"

    Cai Bingtian blinked, frowning, "Ah, was the kang not lit?"

    "Kang?" Nie Ruyi blinked. "I... have no idea what that is."

    "I''ll show you when we get back, Nie-Shijie." Song Fengling''s concern dripped from his face as he stared at her. Cai Bingtian didn''t blame him, since that was quite pitiful. Any child born in the cold north, or in the mountains, knew to light the fires below their bed, to warm it. No wonder she''d been so cold.

    "So, linens, a tea set, a writing set, probably a sewing set as well... Ah, you should definitely get a Xiangqi set if you can." Seeing the confusion on her face, he elaborated, "It''s a game. I''ll show you."

    He guided her through the softly moving crowds, and their path led them to a mixed-goods seller. The man had a blanket laid on the ground with various things displayed, and while Cai Bingtian didn''t see anything worth stopping for, Nie Ruyi obviously did. She squatted down next to the blanket, her robes dragging on the ground like a child.

    She pawed through the man''s wares, picking up hairpins, bowls, and poorly repaired teacups one at a time and looking them over. She would pick it up, turn it over in her small hands and then set it down, gently. When she found a fan, she picked it up, and spread the tines, showing off the amateur painting of a river climbing through mountains. She seemed awed by this, and Cai Bingtian couldn''t stand it.

    "Hey, there are better-made fans to be found, don''t buy this stuff. It''s two good swings from falling apart." He chided, knowing she was going to get ripped off.

    She looked up at him and frowned. Contrarily, she took out a coin, barely looking at it, and handed it to the man, "I''ll take this fan. Thank you."

    Then, she stood, brushing the dirt off her hems, and started walking again, the fan clutched in her hand over her breast, as if protecting her heart. Cai Bingtian sighed, shaking his head, following after without commenting on the man''s awed eyes. She''d overpaid, he was sure of it. And probably by a lot, based on his face.

    "That was a lot more than the fan was worth, Nie-Shijie..." Song Fengling said, gently. "You have to be careful. People will rip you off."

    "...That man''s clothes... They were ripped and dirty. He was clearly poor. These are probably items he found along the road, and he''s selling them to get money to pay for food for his family. Any overpayment on my part, puts food in the mouths of his children." She explained with a patience that made Cai Bingtian frown.

    "...Or he purposely dirtied and ripped that set of clothes to garner sympathy from kind souls such as yourself." He challenged.

    "I''d rather bet my money on him needing help, than on him being a scoundrel." Nie Ruyi turned her nose up, before pausing. "Ah. That says ''books'' doesn''t it?" She pointed to a sign hanging over a shop.

    "Well, yeah, but it also says lending shop." Song Fengling nodded, following along as Nie Ruyi went inside. Cai Bingtian followed into the crowded shop interior, shelves pushing them into a single line all along the room. Nie Ruyi was a smudge against the dark interior, even as she pulled things from the shelves to examine them.

    Cai Bingtian found boredom overtaking him, even as he too pulled books and crockery from the shelf. A few dictionaries, some Buddhist texts inexpertly transcribed, one or two cultivation manuals. He scrubbed a finger through a few pages, just to see if it was dangerously false. He didn''t immediately notice anything, although he knew the book was heavily watered down. No sect would allow their techniques to escape to the masses so easily, not when outer disciples brought money with them, and inner disciples earned prestige that could be used to build the sect''s political influence.

    "Can you direct me to your fiction section? Adventure novels, specifically." He heard Nie Ruyi ask over the dusty quietude of the shop. When he looked up, the proprietress (an aging woman, with a single jade hairpin as her only adornment, her robes as aged as she was, and in poor repair) was pointing to a small alcove of books. Nie Ruyi thanked her and headed that way, Song Fengling following like a duckling.

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    However, standing in the narrow walkway was a young woman, her hair done up in an intricate, gravity-defying set of loops. Cai Bingtian couldn''t make out her face, but he could see how Nie Ruyi''s shoulders tensed. The woman cleared her throat, which should have, by rules of etiquette at the very least, gotten the maiden''s attention.

    "Meimei, I think the young lady is trying to view those shelves." Another voice called, over the quiet din of the bookstore. It appeared to belong to a young man who was revealed when the young woman turned to look over her shoulder at Nie Ruyi. A feeling like a dollop of honey into a glass of hot milk fell into his stomach, and Cai Bingtian pasted on a grin.

    "Liang-Xiong! Sect Heir Liang! What a pleasure to see you both!" He stepped up behind Nie Ruyi, crowding her and Song Fengling closer to his old friends.

    Like a flower to the sun, Liang Lanlan turned, her eyes widening and her smile drawing across her face, when she caught sight of him. She''d always worn such a bright smile for him, honestly. It made something in his chest squeeze. Her brother, Liang Zilin, was smiling at him too, the lazy grin he''d always worn back during their days as disciples together.

    "Shixiong!" Liang Lanlan cried, pushing roughly past Nie Ruyi in order to stand in front of him. This, of course, sent Nie Ruyi wobbling into a bookshelf, which sent several fat tomes falling to the ground with loud thumps. The bookseller cried out, annoyed at this, and Cai Bingtian looked over his shoulder to wave a sorry.

    "Cai-Shidi shows up in the strangest places!" Liang Zilin chuckled, holding out a hand for Nie Ruyi. Cai Bingtian watched out of the corner of his eye as she took his hand, a frown deeply set on her face. "Apologies, beautiful Jiejie, my sister is careless when Cai Bingtian is involved."

    "Apologies accepted." Nie Ruyi mumbled, although Song Fengling at her side looked mutinous. "This one is Nie Ruyi. My companion is Song Fengling. You clearly know Cai Bingtian."

    "Ah, we do. This one is Liang Zilin of Furtive Jade Sect. The young one there is my little sister, Liang Lanlan, Sect Heir. A pleasure to meet you, Nie-Jiejie, Song-Didi."

    "Song Fengling of Severing Firefly Sect." Song Fengling growled out, and for a moment, Cai Bingtian wasn''t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Why did these two sects have to hate each other so much? Ah, right, it was technically his fault, wasn''t it...

    "Song-Shidi." Nie Ruyi chided, finally able to turn to the bookshelf and look for herself.

    "Cai-Shixiong!" Liang Lanlan called again, and Cai Bingtian had to focus on her darling little face. As round and beautiful as it was before he left, her cultivation glowing beneath her forever-youthful skin. She smiled, her lips rouged a sweet pink.

    "Hello, Lanlan-Shijie. How have you been?" He offered her, smiling the sweetest smile he knew. "Well, I hope?"

    "Mn! But I''ve missed you." She reached out, tugging at his sleeve like a lost child. She was trying to be cute, to incite his protective instincts, he was sure. Sadly, she was very cute, and so it worked.

    "Ah, I should have written more often. This Shixiong of yours is sorry." He tilted his head, lifting a hand to pick up a lock of her hair from her shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss on it, causing a blush to flare in her cheeks. She really was adorable.

    "Instead of writing, just come home." She tugged at his sleeve again. "I''m Sect Heir. I can make them forgive you for running off. They''d never judge my husband."

    It was an offer she''d made a million times. Even back when they were children, before she had the title, before he''d run away, she''d say things like this. He gave her the same indulgent smile he''d given her then, letting the lock of hair slide out of his fingers.

    "I couldn''t take away the Sect''s perfect orchid." His assertion brought her giggling, and he almost missed Nie Ruyi''s eyes on him, her brows drawn down. She was giving him a hard stare, the kind that spoke of disapproval. "I''m escorting my new shimei through supplying herself. She came to us from a long ways off, and had little with her when she did. A surprise trip, you know how it is. So we''re trying to find her things she might need."

    Instantly, he saw the storm on Liang Lanlan''s face as she turned to meet this ''new shimei''. As if knowing she was being sized up, Nie Ruyi squared her shoulders and gazed back unconcernedly.

    "Ah, how sad. What tragedy, when one loses the things familiar to oneself." Liang Zilin said, his face turning towards Nie Ruyi, his eyes assessing as well.

    "Yes, well. When one is called to help, one goes speedily." Nie Ruyi stated, crossing her arms over her bust. However, the movement wasn''t boastful, the way it might be on someone else. Her shoulders were hunched, and Cai Bingtian felt an intense need to rescue her. He turned, his back pressing against the bookshelf. "Sect Heir Liang, Liang-Shidi, perhaps we should take our reunion outside. Nie-Shimei is looking for books for her collection, and will need a few moments of quiet."

    That turned the Liang siblings¡¯ attention back to him, and he was both loathing of it and thankful for it. Eventually, he corralled them outside into the dusty streets of the little town. Liang Lanlan pressed herself against his side in a touch that wouldn''t be appropriate even with her brother there. He laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck and wishing he could disappear into the almost-non-existent crowd.

    "Is Cai-shixiong doing well there? Do those mountain hicks treat you well?" Liang Lanlan demanded, her brows drawn in sadness. "I will be incredibly cross with them, if they mistreat you."

    "No, no. This Bingtian is treated very well there. Severing Firefly Sect has been quite beneficial. I''ve learned a lot, and honestly feel very welcome there." He answered, not lying. Although, even if he''d been trampled on and tortured, he''d still have said the same thing to her.

    "...And you really don''t want to come home? If you''d just marry me, I could protect you. You''d never have to worry about anything-"

    "Lian-Shimei." He stopped her, leaning just a little down to look at her closer, to let her think he was telling her a secret. "I like worrying about things, remember? It''s how I think. I need space to make, to create, to live. You know that."

    Her face crumpled, and he hated seeing that expression. It reminded him of the time one of her lessons was evading her understanding, and he remembered how she''d sunk her teeth into the problem and worried at it for days until she''d finally come back to the class with a solution.

    Liang Zilin saved him, setting a hand on his sister''s shoulder and drawing her into his side. "Well, we''ll at least be able to spend a little time with our favorite shidi. Lanlan is meeting with Sect Leader Lao to discuss some recent activity in the woods near our borders."

    Ah, the Dragon Incident then. Cai Bingtian supposed he''d probably be included in some of those meetings, then. He gave a vacant smile, knowing that Liang Zilin was probably hoping for some tidbits from him.

    "Are you supposed to meet her soon?" He asked, instead.

    "Ah, we''re not supposed to arrive before tomorrow morning, but we got here early." Liang Lanlan said, her foul mood not quite cleared.

    "Then you should spend the afternoon with us! I''m sure you''ll have fun." He offered, before his mind could catch up with his mouth. He really did miss them, though, so he would forgive himself.

    "Yes!" Liang Lanlan jumped on the opportunity, and of course Liang Zilin went along with her.

 Chapter Twelve - Little Missy

    Chapter Twelve - Little Missy

    Cai Bingtian

    Nie Ruyi interrupted their conversation a few moments later, stepping out of the shop with her arms full of three volumes. Her little shadow trailed after her, close enough that they could touch if she stopped too fast. Cai Bingtian had to snort a little at how eager the kid was.

    "Did you find anything good?" Cai Bingtian asked, his grin splitting his cheeks.

    "I did." Nie Ruyi stated, her tone quiet and queenly. "Have you located a clothier?"

    He raised an eyebrow. He was supposed to be doing that? He hadn''t realized. Although, he supposed he did tell her he would guide her. So, instead of saying he''d forgotten, he stood up straight and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "This way. Oh, and we''ll be guiding Sect Heir Liang and her brother to the Sect Compound too, so they''re going to join us for the day."

    Nie Ruyi raised her own eyebrow this time, before her eyes swept over the two in front of her. Song Fengling made a scoffing sort of sound, and crossed his arms over his chest.

    "Why are they coming?" He demanded, and Cai Bingtian almost sighed. Had he been less aware of the tension, he might have.

    "I just said. They have a meeting with Lao-Zongzhu, so we''re going to guide them." He explained again, slowly, as if the boy was slow himself.

    He got the implication, even if no one else was rude enough to comment. His face darkened in a glower, and Cai Bingtian internally sighed. He''d have to smooth that over later.

    The four of them fell into step behind him when he started their journey to the clothier. The streets narrowed as he guided them to the auntie who took in his own uniforms whenever he got a new set. Pushing open the door to her shop, he led them into the shelves and shelves of fabric, and weaved through the standing mannequins displaying the cuts and styles she worked in.

    "Auntie Teng!" He called, and sure enough, the old woman was seated at the table, sewing industriously on something. When she got up, he grinned, "This lovely young shimei of mine, Nie Ruyi, needs a new wardrobe. The Sect will be footing the bill, as usual, but put it under my name, instead of hers." He winked at Nie Ruyi, who looked bewildered. He could practically feel Liang Lanlan glaring at them from behind him.

    "Lao Minghui gave me some money," Nie Ruyi protested, "I can pay for it myself."

    "Ah, but why should you, when the Sect can pay for it instead! they make more money than we disciples do for certain." He lectured, before turning back to Auntie Teng, who most certainly was giggling at him. "And only the most fashionable cuts, of course. She''s new to the area, and must make a proper debut, you know."

    "Ooooh, is she?" Auntie Teng answered, her voice gravelly and old. "A-Ping, A-Jun! Come take the girl''s measurements!"

    Out of seemingly nowhere, two young girls appeared. Cai Bingtian knew that Xiao Ping and Nue Jun were 15 and 12 respectively, both old enough to know the craft well. The two tugged Nie Ruyi, spluttering and stumbling, into a back room.

    "I''ll get something too!" Liang Lanlan declared, following the two little seamstresses and their confused bundle back. Leaving the three men alone with Auntie Teng and the fabric-strewn mannequins.

    "What lovely ladies today." Auntie Teng commented, "Tea, gentlemen?"

    "I''ll serve, Ayi!" Song Fengling declared, and the old woman nodded, showing him to the tea set, and the cistern full of fresh water. Cai Bingtian helped Auntie Teng back to her seat, before taking his own as Liang Zilin did. When Song Fengling served the tea, Auntie Feng took a small sip and made an appreciative sound.

    "How have things been with the Sect, hm?" Autie Teng began, and Cai Bingtian smiled gently.

    "Well, Auntie. Lao-Zongzhu is, as always, a wise and kind Sect Leader, and we haven''t gotten into any trouble recently. Nie Ruyi has joined rather suddenly, and we''re still looking forward to the outer disciple selection exams in a few months. Are either of your girls planning to attend?"

    "Ah, A-Ping does not wish to, but A-Jun might." Auntie Teng gestured, "An adventurous girl, that one. She would not settle well in the life of a seamstress. It would rub at her, leave blisters instead of calluses."

    "I''ll be happy to recommend her, if she shows up to the test." Cai Bingtian smiled, "Any granddaughter of Auntie Teng has to be talented." He sipped at the tea again, and had to admit that Song Fengling was rather talented at making tea. Either he''d had a lot of practice as a disciple, or he''d been well-bred and well-raised.

    However, the tea was soon startled out of his hand as shrieks went up from the room where A-ping, A-jun and Nie Ruyi were. He ignored the growing wet spot on the table and stormed towards the noises, calling out, "Nie-Shimei? Ping-Mei, Jun-Mei?"

    "Here! It''s back here! Help!" came a young voice, probably Jun.

    That was all the confirmation he needed that something was wrong, and with Song Fengling on his heels, they burst into the room. Chaos, in a word, was happening in that room. Cai Bingtian scanned his eyes through the din to try and figure out the source of the chaos.

    Nie Ruyi was bent over, her entire back exposed and bare, as robes fell around her elbows. He couldn''t see her face or what she was doing, but it was clear she was talking to something. Liang Lanlan was screaming at her, her sword in hand, as she tugged her own robe back up her shoulder. The two maids were cowering in the corner, and Cai Bingtian had an idea now of what was going on.

    "It''s okay." Nie Ruyi''s steady, calm voice was a low undertone to the din, and he focused on her. "No need to be scared. You just wandered in, and got lost, hm? C''mon. I''ll help you get out of here, okay? Just... lemme-"

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    And suddenly a flurry of movement was followed by an outraged shriek. Nie Ruyi''s arms jerked and moved as she yanked up whatever it was she''d been standing in front of. She turned, and Cai Bingtian registered the squirming bundle of cloth in her arms as the only thing hiding her chest. Her jade eyes widened at the sight of him, and then panic set onto her features.

    "GET OUT!" She shrieked, and then the bundle in her arms started squirming even harder, and Cai Bingtian could see something begin to glow from inside it. Which was never a good sign. A fold in the fabric shifted when Nie Ruyi tried to heft it up higher, and a tentacle punched through, waving wildly. Thorns littered its length, and tendrils of what appeared to be leaves and vines made up its length. With terror, he realized that this was worse than he''d thought it to be. This was no rat or small fox that had gotten indoors.

    "Nie-Shimei," he put on his best calm, coaxing voice, unintentionally mimicking her own tone from earlier, "I need you to put that down, and step away from it. That''s an Ochre Misery Fern, and it is incredibly poisonous. You''ve got it agitated, and if it stings you, you''re going to regret it."

    "I''ve got it agitated?! You two are the ones who pulled swords on it!" Nie Ruyi hissed, moving gently out of the way of the swinging tentacle. "All of you, get out of the way so I can take it outside. It''s just scared!"

    "Just scared?! It''s a monster!" Liang Lanlan cried, completely ignoring the hushed tones of both Cai Bingtian and Nie Ruyi''s voices. "Kill it!"

    Cai Bingtian watched her little push with her sword, as if to mimic stabbing the creature, and then turned to Nie Ruyi. The disgust on Nie Ruyi''s face was plain as day. "No, I am not going to kill it. You know, dogs were monsters too, before humans took care of them and made them friends. Now, get out of my way, please."

    Without really thinking about it, Cai Bingtian found himself gently pushing Song Fengling (and apparently Liang Zilin? When did he get there?) back into a corner of the hallway so the half-naked woman could pass by with her poisonous bundle.

    Things went well, as Nie Ruyi took the creature past Auntie Teng, and through the mannequins of the shop. Then, Cai Bingtian realized where she was going. Scrambling forward, he snatched the back of her shoulder, and tugged her back. "Wait! You can''t go outside like that?!"

    Nie Ruyi jerked back, startled by Cai Bingtian''s sudden touch, and Cai Bingtian had a moment where time slowed down before all hell broke loose. He watched Nie Ruyi''s arm toss back, to throw off his hand, her face scrunching in panic. He watched as she let go of one portion of the fabric to do so, causing more tentacles to burst through.

    These tentacles swung wildly around the shop, and Nie Ruyi swayed out of the way of them and before Cai Bingtian could do more than cry out in warning, slid her fingers along the vines. "shhhh, sh sh. It''s okay. It''s okay." She kept her voice soft and gentle, the way one would talk to a child, and the vines slowed.

    The gathered eyes watched as she slid her hand into the bundle of blankets, her arm moving as the only indication of what she was doing. "That''s it. That''s it, calm down now... You''re alright. Ah, nope, no nipping, now. You''re safe. I won''t let these cultivators harm you, alright? Shhhh."

    The creature''s cries, once piercing clicks, were slowing and quieter now, tiny whistles that didn''t seem to make any sense. But the smile on Nie Ruyi''s face told him she didn''t need them to make sense. "That''s right, I''m going to take you outside. Now, settle in, okay?"

    At her word, the creature''s tendrils slid back into the fabric, and she closed it up. Then, she turned a glare at all of them. "Do you see that? It''s perfectly reasonable! Poor thing is just scared, so just back off a little okay?"

    Cai Bingtian found himself taking a bewildered step backwards. Giving him a nod, Nie Ruyi turned back around and strode to the door. As she stepped through, he felt Liang Lanlan and Liang Zilin come up on either of his sides.

    "Does she do this often?" Liang Zilin asked, his voice tilting into amusement.

    "I don''t know. I''ve only known her for two days." Cai Bingtian huffed, only to grunt as Song Fengling pushed past him to get to (His ward? Teacher? Friend?) her side.

    "She''s insane." Liang Lanlan chided, "That thing could turn her into literal sludge. Why is she taking this chance?!"

    "I don''t know." Cai Bingtian reiterated, before following Song Fengling''s example.

    They spread out around the porch of the little store, even as Nie Ruyi bent down, opening the fabric. "There you go, little one." She chirped, giving the sentient vines a sweet smile. "Now, don''t wander into stores again. I know the fabric looks like pretty flowers, but they really aren''t, alright?"

    Cai Bingtian''s heart did a terrified little jump when she smoothed her hand over the top of the vines, as if petting down unruly hair. But what truly startled him was that the vines reached up, wrapping around her wrist and tugging her hand gently back to the vines when she tried to lift it. She laughed a sweet laugh, and pet the vines again. "Having trouble letting go, hm?"

    "Nie-Shijie? What are you doing?" Song Fengling asked, his voice quiet, reverent almost.

    "Oh? Making a friend, I suppose." She smiled, "It''s very friendly once it''s not scared."

    Cai Bingtian could see Liang Zilin mouth ''friendly'' at him, incredulously. He shrugged, having no idea what the other-worlder was doing. When Nie Ruyi tried to one-handedly fix her robes, Song Fengling stepped in to pull the shoulders up, carefully looking up at the sky instead of her. The vines crawled into her lap, settling against her stomach and glowed gently.

    "Aww. Do you want to come home with me, little guy?" Nie Ruyi asked, "You remind me of a cat, a little... Ah, I''d love to take you home. I miss having pets... But what even do you eat?"

    "People." Liang Zilin burst, and when Nie Ruyi looked at him, startled, he shrugged, "Well, anything really. It tends to kill things to leave at its roots, so that it can decay into rich soil. So, animals, people, demons if it can get big enough."

    "Ohhhh, so you just need good soil!" Nie Ruyi turned back to it, and Cai Bingtian was startled to see there was no hesitation, "I know some tricks for that. That should work just fine. So, what to name you..."

    "You''re seriously taking a monster back to your sect compound?!" Liang Lanlan stared, one brow raised and mouth agape.

    Nie Ruyi looked up at her, nose crinkling. "Of course not. I''m bringing home a houseplant. That''s all." She turned back to the vines with a sniff. "Hmmm... a name... a name... What''d you say the name of this species is?"

    "Ochre Misery Fern." Song Fengling supplied, and Cai Bingtian was a little impressed with the boy''s memory. To have heard it once, in a stressful situation, and memorize it? That took talent.

    "I see. ...Missy then. You''ll be Missy."

    "Misi?" Liang Lanlan clarified, "What a strange name..."

    Nie Ruyi looked up and smiled, "Where I come from, it means "Young lady". but it could also be short for Misery."

    Liang Zilin''s brows rose, and Cai Bingtian had the odd thought that he might be impressed. "You intend to raise the monster?"

    "Houseplant," Nie Ruyi insisted, "and yes." Her hands hadn''t stopped stroking the vines since it had crawled into her lap. The glow off the creature was growing, and she chuckled, "You seem happy, Missy. Cmon, let''s go back inside. I have to buy some clothes, but you can stay in my arms the whole time, alright?"

    It made a clicking sound, and then Nie Ruyi stood up. The small, contented smile on her face squeezed at Cai Bingtian''s heart as she passed by him.

 Chapter Thirteen - Briefing

    Chapter 9 - Briefing

    Cai Bingtian

    "Well, look who''s finally out of secluded cultivation!" Cai Bingtian crowed when opening the door revealed his favorite shidi. The younger man glowered down at him, before stepping back to reveal the rest of the room as well. That was what Cai Bingtian got, he supposed, for being so late to a meeting with the Sect Leader. Lao Xiaojun was incredibly protective of his sister''s time.

    "Ah, Cai-Shidi. Thank you for coming." Lao Minghui said from behind her desk, tea steaming at her elbow. "Please, come in and settle yourself. Xiang Yun, if you could."

    The harried secretary nodded and poured an eighth cup of tea on the long table. Cai Bingtian sat himself down in front of the cup, and looked over everyone present. Liang Lanlan and her brother seemed keyed up over something, and Lao Xiaojun was similarly affected by whatever they''d been discussing before he''d come. Lin Baiwei sat, back straight, bandages still covering her face over the now-missing eye. Her arm was still in a sling, which reminded him of how hard she''d fought to defend the camp while he and the others had gone on the diplomatic portion of their failed mission. Song Fengling sat next to her, sweating nervously, his hands in his lap and his back ramrod straight. Poor child, he looked so uncomfortable in this room full of Senior Disciples and Sect Heads.

    "So, what did I miss?" Cai Bingtian asked in a cheeky tone, prompting them to fill him in.

    "We were just discussing the events of the recent mission. Sect Heir Liang was curious as to what happened to the Dragon. I''ve called you all here to help give our report." Lao Minghui explained, raising a delicate hand to draw her tea cup to her mouth.

    "Oh." The Dragon''s fate was a bit... sad, honestly. Once the adrenaline rush had left, he''d found himself lamenting that he hadn''t been able to see the creature alive. How magnificent it had been in death, torn to shreds in what had obviously been a desperate fight for survival. He hoped to go out in the same epic way, when it was his time to go.

    "I was just about to have Lin-Shimei explain the beginning of the mission." Lao Minghui continued, once she''d put her tea down. "Lin-Shimei?"

    Lin Baiwei stood, leaning one hand on the table, to hold her weight. "In response to the Dragon''s incursions into our lands, we had set up a camp at the borders of the Forest. Fifty disciples accompanied me, and the camp had been in place for a total of seven months. During that time, we rotated in and out new disciples on the weekly. During that time, we lost no less than 66 disciples to the creature, and another 131 civilians. That doesn''t include the sheer amount of cattle and sheep that local farmers lost, or the decimation of the large game population within the forest."

    "Gods above..." Liang Lanlan breathed, eyes wide. Cai Bingtian was pretty sure she''d been keeping track of the death toll on her side of the border, but she clearly couldn''t have known how deadly the beast had been to theirs.

    "Upon totaling the losses, our sect summoned an expert in the beast''s species. Nie Ruyi was an immense help in providing not only information about the beast but also in providing an option for diplomacy." Lao Minghui explained, before holding up a sheaf of papers. "Her report of the incident is a matter of public record at this time, and can be copied for either of you, should you so wish."

    Cai Bingtian wondered how edited it was. Clearly Lao Minghui was avoiding telling the Furtive Jade Sect that they''d summoned a girl from another world.

    "Why would you continue policing the creature after such losses?" Liang Lanlan asked, "Why not simply put up a barrier and avoid the damned forest? Surely it would starve it out?"

    Cai Bingtian, having been privy to the chaos infecting the sect during this time, wondered how the Sect Leader would avoid losing face in her answer.

    "We could not be certain the creature would starve. Dragons have been known to go into deep periods of sleep and wake centuries later, ravenous. We could not chance that the sects would forget its existence and cause a calamity down the road." Lao Minghui smoothed over, picking up her tea again. What a great answer. It made the Severing Firefly sect seem filial and forward-thinking. Cai Bingtian was impressed.

    Lin Baiwei took over, "After the expert arrived, she, Lao-Shidi, Song-Shidi and myself went on a scouting mission, to confirm the expert''s identification of the beast and to attempt diplomacy with the beast."

    Here, she paused and gestured to Lao Xiaojun, who stood with a grunt as she sat. "Nie Ruyi''s information proved useful. The creature confronted us, and with the mental and spiritual protections that Nie-Shimei suggested, we withstood its mental attacks. Attempting negotiations was difficult, but upon connecting on an emotional level with the beast, it gave us a 24 hour period within which to draft our first round of negotiations. We returned to camp, and in the morning, I, Lin Baiwei, and Cai Bingtian went to deliver the negotiations to the beast."

    With a nod, he passed it back to Lin Baiwei, who stood. "At this point, we have determined that an unknown Tourmaline Grove disciple was on route as well. We are unsure what her objective was, but she made contact with our camp approximately a shichen from when our diplomatic party left camp. According to the only survivor to have seen her arrival, she emerged from within the forest, in a similar direction to the one we left in. Our working theory at this point is that she encountered the dragon and severely injured it. This explains the condition Nie-Shimei and Song-Shidi found it in, later.

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    "Upon contact with our camp, the Tourmaline Grove Disciple began indiscriminately attacking our disciples. Of the fifty disciples we had at the camp, only twelve survived. Of those twelve, nine are permanently crippled, and two are in a coma. She intended to wipe all of them out, to get rid of any witnesses. During the massacre, she spotted Nie-Shimei and Song-Shidi escaping into the woods and abandoned her attempts at genocide and followed them. Song-Shidi can explain more about this."

    Song Fengling jumped, clearly having not expected to be allowed to speak in this room filled with giants. Cai Bingtian had a moment of sympathy for the kid as he jolted into standing.

    "N-Nie-Shijie and I ran, on her insistence, and headed into the woods. She thought that if we could get the dragon to protect us, we could survive. But... when we ran into the dragon, she was... The dragon was near-dead. She''d been hung in the branches... and blood dripped everywhere..." The boy''s face grew clouded, and Cai Bingtian wondered if he was seeing the red everywhere, or if he was hearing the plip-plip-plip of the droplets. "Nie-Shijie noticed it was still alive, and begged it to give us a place to hide. Wh-when... When it said that it didn''t care about us, that it was lamenting the future death of its child, its egg, Nie-Shijie swore to care for the dragon''s egg as if it were her own child."

    It was clear this had affected the child greatly because he sighed a little, shaking his head. "The dragon agreed, and using its control over the flora, led us to a cliff. Nie-Shijie said that the Dragon''s lair would be in the cliffside." Here he paused, pain showing on his face clearly. The young boy closed his eyes, and his shoulders drew up by his ears.

    "I''m not strong enough to carry another person on my sword. So Nie-Shimei had to climb down the vines on the cliff. And when we got to the opening of the cliff, she wasn''t able to climb around to get in safely. So, she had me push her when she dropped, so that she''d land inside the cave. ...but I pushed too hard. She... She hit her head, and wouldn''t wake up for a while."

    "Has she been treated?" Liang Zilin asked, raising an eyebrow. Cai Bingtian¡¯s senses trained on the young man. It wasn¡¯t often he showed interest, outside of common courtesy, in others. Yet, he¡¯d spoken up several times since meeting Nie Ruyi about her.

    "Of course. Nie-Shimei has been looked over. As a mortal, she will have a slow road to recovery, but she is on her way." Lao Minghui explained, before gesturing to Song Fengling to sit down. The boy did so, and the Sect Leader took over from there. "Song-Shidi and Nie-Shimei hid in the caves for a while, while the Tourmaline Grove disciple tracked them. Luckily, before she realized the cliff was carved into, A-Jun and his party found her. They drove her off, and rescued Song Fengling and Nie Ruyi."

    "So she got away?" Liang Lanlan frowned, and Cai Bingtian remembered that expression from when they were little and she''d find something missing from her lunch. It usually precluded her going and fetching the thing while yelling at the one who forgot it.

    "Yes, unfortunately." Lao Minghui smiled gently, giving a gesture that could mean ''such is life'' or ''we''re working on it''. "So, that concludes the report. At this time, the Dragon is slain, its body is being laid to rest by our sect. The forest should begin recovering soon, and the local towns have been compensated on our side of the border."

    A subtle way of saying that they weren''t paying for any damages on the Furtive Jade side. Cai Bingtian had to admit he really did admire Lao Minghui''s ability to handle business. He tuned out the rest of the meeting, which was mostly the banter and sly negotiations that made up any meeting for Sect Higher Ups. He was so glad he''d gotten out of that game before the Furtive Jade Sect Leader could have forced that onto his shoulders. He''d never wanted to be Leader of anything, much less a whole sect, and this, right here, was why.

    Luckily for him, the meeting ended soon enough, with Lao Minghui dismissing everyone in order to finish the documentations cementing the reparations they¡¯d be collecting on the commoner¡¯s behalves from the Furtive Jade Sect. He pushed himself upright and let his long legs bounce him over to Lao Xiaojun¡¯s side.

    Now that he wasn¡¯t detoxing, the little lordling of the Severing Firefly sect was only mildly touchy today. Which meant that Cai Bingtian could sidle up to his side and with a bright grin, needle him with, ¡°Ah, Lao-Shidi, you look so much better now that you¡¯re out of seclusion! You should let this old man join you some time, we can spar!¡±

    The younger cultivator sniffed, not even deigning to answer. Honestly, something about the way Lao Xiaojun looked at him, like he was lower than the slime he¡¯d wipe off his boot, made a strange little thrill slide up his spine.

    ¡°Ah, come on, Lao-Shidi! Don¡¯t be like that. This Shixiong of yours wants to trade pointers!¡±

    ¡°You are a seal-master. I am a pill-forger. We would not be able to provide any pointers that the other might find useful.¡± Lao Xiaojun snapped, sharp and cutting. His eyes, a mulled grey like dark storm clouds at twilight, flicked to Cao Bingtian for a moment before turning away even as Lao Xiaojun¡¯s hands repositioned themselves. One hand tucked up behind his back, the other adjusting on his sword grip.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. I¡¯ve learned quite a number of different weapons. Surely a spar won¡¯t hurt any? And I know that you could always use more combat experience. You may be a pill-forger, but your cultivation is best built with physical practice, right?¡± Cai Bingtian wheedled.

    The difference between a physical cultivator and a spiritual cultivator was very distinct. Physical cultivators, like Lao Xiaojun and the boy Song Fengling gained experience and rose in cultivation level by fighting. Something about the combat gave way to breakthroughs on how to move the energy of the universe, the Yang Qi all around them, through the body. It was this that ended up helping them grow in level of cultivation.

    For spiritual cultivators, that breakthrough was stifled by fighting and conflict. Spiritual cultivators were more focused on how the energy moved when it was in use for other things, such as seal-work, cooking, furnace-work, and meditation. It was during the slow, methodical work a Spiritual cultivator was Called to, that the Spiritual cultivator was able to understand and implement the best ways to cycle and control their Yang Qi.

    There were, of course exceptions. Lao Xiaojun was a physical cultivator, who often used his furnace-work and pill-making to refine his control of his Qi. It was quite fascinating, in Cao Bingtian¡¯s opinion. And then there were cultivators like Cao Bingtian, who hovered dangerously between the physical and the spiritual. To be too much of one was to upset the other, and it didn¡¯t sit well with him not being able to improve in any way he so chose. He¡¯d of course suffered for it, as some of the mended cracks in his core foundation and spiritual veins could attest. But it was what worked for him.

    ¡°...¡± The silence spoke volumes on how little Lao Xiaojun wanted to admit Cai Bingtian was right. Cai Bingtian tried not to feel like he was bullying a recalcitrant child.

    ¡°If you spar with me, I¡¯ll use a saber? And try and copy that Grove Tourmaline Cultivator, that way you can replay the fight?¡± Cai Bingtian could see the narrowing of Lao Xiaojun¡¯s eyes which made him think just a little more and he¡¯d have an agreement. ¡°And I won¡¯t use seals either! Just martial attacks.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡± Lao Xiaojun clucked his tongue and turned, striding out of the room and towards the training grounds. Cai Bingtian did not crow in triumph, but it was a very close thing.

 Chapter Fourteen - Pick Me Pick Up

    Chapter Fourteen - Pick Me Pick Up

    Nie Ruyi

    With a tired groan, Nie Ruyi dropped out of the forced, rigid posture she''d been sitting in, and laid back on the ground. She was getting the clothes she''d bought from Auntie Teng dirty, of course, but who cared! This was driving her nuts.

    Song Fengling was driving her nuts, and this whole cultivation thing was a pain in her rear end.

    Between the three to five hours of sword practice (HOURS!),and the meditation, during which she has to sit there and try not to think, which meant she spent the time thinking about thinking instead and wondering if she was thinking. Song Fengling swore it became easier as you practice, but Nie Ruyi was pretty sure the boy had been brainwashed.

    "You can take a small break, but then we''re going right back to the sutras." Song Fengling warned, from his place on the ground beside her. He was sitting in perfect lotus position, hands resting in his lap, thumbs to ring finger. His eyes were closed and his breathing gentle. It was insane to be jealous of a twelve year old¡¯s posture, but she was.

    "Sutras, sutras, sutras." Nie Ruyi mocked, turning over and standing up. She brushed the dust from the floor off of her russet-red hanfu''s carefully stitched hems and headed for the table, where a set of teacups and a steaming teapot sat. The maid she''d hired, with Song Fengling''s help, had just refreshed it a few hours ago.

    "The Sutras are meant to clear your mind, to guide you through the rote process of falling into a meditative state, and then continuing the proper thought processes while there." Song Fengling explained, for the however-many-eth time. He didn''t open his eyes or so much as move a muscle. She knew, from his explanation at the beginning of their training, that he''d been doing this since he was eleven years old which was actually a little late for most beginners. "It will help immensely with being able to circulate your qi later when you''re trying to get into qi condensation stage."

    "I''m tired, I''m sore, and I''m having trouble concentrating. Can''t we do something else? Reading? Hell, writing! I''ll practice my calligraphy if I have to." She begged.

    When she''d come here, she''d figured out pretty quickly that while she could read the writing these people used, she couldn''t write in the characters these people used. So, along with her endless hours of training and meditation, she''d also been assigned to copy old texts, to learn how to write properly. It was both humiliating and interesting because the texts were cultivation manuals and bestiaries. She''d learned quite a bit about this world, including some of the ways monsters fit into it. Which is to say, they didn''t.

    "You''ve barely done ten minutes of your meditation practice." It seemed she''d at least gotten Song Fengling annoyed enough to break him out of his own meditation. He narrowed a glare at her as she grinned over at him with no remorse.

    "And that''s ten minutes more than I was able to do yesterday!" She replied cheerfully. Just as she was about to continue her pleas, there was a careful rap at the door, and the maid poked her head in. Originally, Song Fengling had helped her find someone for the position, and had suggested a Mui Jai servant. But upon explaining that she''d be buying this small child to work for her for the rest of their lives, Nie Ruyi had put her foot down and instead asked Song Fengling to help her find and hire a young person on a monthly basis, rather than a lifetime. She''d also wasted an afternoon looking into what a fair wage for such work would be in this world, and then doubled it.

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    "Nie-Xiaojie, you have a visitor. Sect Heir Liang Lanlan has requested to see you." A-Rong, whose real name was Sun Xirong, gave a soft, crooked smile. Her eyes darted behind her though, as if she was afraid the other woman would just burst through without waiting.

    "Oh! Thank you, A-Rong, just let her in, please." Nie Ruyi answered, "Ah, I think tea is required when people visit me, yes?" She turned to look at Song Fengling who, with a long-suffering eye roll, nodded. A-Rong confirmed by nodding softly. She''d been such a help, ever since she''d been hired. "Then tea, please, A-Rong. And if you could get some sort of snacks, that would be fantastic."

    The fifteen-year-old nodded and then stepped aside so that Liang Lanlan could pass her. The sect heir stepped into the room, and when Song Fengling stood to salute her, Nie Ruyi moved to do the same. Then, Liang Lanlan gently sat at the table. Nie Ruyi settled across the table from her, as A-Rong came in and poured them fresh tea.

    "I see you''re settling in quite well." Liang Lanlan said, and Nie Ruyi wondered if it was just a nicety. How could one even tell? By the Xiangqi set sitting on the wooden couch, bought when the five of them were going through town? By Missy, who was sitting lazily in the sun and glowing gently?

    "Thank you," Nie Ruyi said, in lieu of asking. "The Severing Firefly sect has done everything they can to make me comfortable."

    "I can see that. It makes me curious, you see. Few would treat a traveling scholar to such... closeness. Certainly, one wouldn''t be housed in the disciple quarters." Liang Lanlan picked up the tea, taking a soft sip, and then held the cup just in front of her chest. Nie Ruyi recognized the body language from any number of the harem dramas she''d watched. Was she trying to project an air of grace?

    "Well... You see, I can''t go back home, so they feel a bit... responsible." Nie Ruyi answered, letting her sad smile linger on her lips as she rubbed her index finger along the lip of her teacup. "They''ve offered me a position as a disciple, to replace the home I''ve lost to help them."

    This seemed to be the wrong answer because Liang Lanlan set the teacup down so hard it actually sloshed a little tea onto the table. A-Rong scrambled forward, pressing a handkerchief to the liquid to sop it up, before bowing and sliding back into her corner.

    "How strange, then, that they would leave you so... limited. Well, either way, as you aided them, you have also aided Furtive Jade Sect, and so it is my duty to reward you." Liang Lanlan flicked her hand out, which caused her sleeve to ripple like the waves, while also being an elegant way of saying ''putting that aside''.

    Nie Ruyi was in awe. She hadn''t expected a reward beyond being allowed to live a decent life here. "You don''t have to-"

    "Do you intend to refuse my sect''s goodwill? What face do you leave us, if that''s the case?" Liang Lanlan snapped, staring down her nose at Nie Ruyi. Part of Nie Ruyi was surprised at the vehement response, but then again the Chinese ''face'' was in play. How someone was perceived by those around them was of great importance, and as such, their face, their reputation, was invaluable.

    Nie Ruyi had seen many a duel fought over someone losing face and seen many a horrible thing done in the name of keeping face, if only in novels and on tv shows. She swallowed, "Not at all. I simply don¡¯t know what to do with such generosity."

    "You accept it, of course." Liang Lanlan huffed. "I''ll escort you to a special training ground nearby that the Furtive Jade sect knows of. It will be beneficial for your foundation building to work in especially qi-rich areas."

    "Forgive the intrusion, Sect Heir Liang." Song Fengling interjected. This drew Liang Lanlan''s sharp eyes to him, "She is not ready to intake the sort of qi you''re discussing. She has not yet begun Qi Circulation techniques at this time."

    "Hm... I see." By the twitch of her upper lip, Nie Ruyi figured Liang Lanlan was annoyed by the lack of progress Nie Ruyi had made, which she felt a little wronged by. She''d only been here a few days! Surely, they could cut her a break?

    "Also, she is still recovering from a severe head wound. The doctor has said she isn''t allowed to leave sect grounds for another five days." Song Fengling continued.

    "Enough." Liang Lanlan cut him off, waving an imperious hand, "Then I will fetch a Spiritual Treasure from the sect that will allow the Qi to easily integrate with her pre-foundation spirit. There is no need to worry. I will also be present to ensure no qi deviations occur. I will return in a week."

    As if that ended the conversation, Liang Lanlan stood, teacup still half full, and swept out the door. Her sleeves fluttered behind her like flower petals on the wind, and Nie Ruyi had to wonder if that was a spell that cultivators learned. She hadn''t managed to get hers to do that yet, and she''d been trying.

    "How strange." Song Fengling murmured, brow furrowed. But when she asked, he simply shook his head in refusal. Looking to A-Rong, the two of them shared a confused glance. Perhaps this was something only cultivators could understand.

 Chapter Fifteen - Cold Swim

    Chapter Fifteen - Cold Swim

    Nie Ruyi

    As promised, a week later Liang Lanlan arrived. Dressed in close-fitting sleeves and pants beneath the flowing skirt of her robes, she also carried a bow on her back and a haughty expression on her heart-shaped face. Nie Ruyi, who had dressed in the only type of clothing she had, felt deeply over-dressed. Her own Hanfu was long and flowy, like something a Chinese noblewoman might wear. She looked at herself and let out a sigh.

    "If you give me but a moment, I can change into something more suitable." She''d have to wear the training uniform she''d been given, which was still sort of flowy when compared to the gym clothes she used to use when working out. She missed her bike shorts and tank tops.

    "It doesn''t matter what you wear." Liang Lanlan dismissed, "What matters more is, what is he doing here?"

    Her manicured finger pointed to Lao Xiaojun, who was standing next to the door Nie Ruyi had just exited. He raised an eyebrow at her, and Nie Ruyi could see how unimpressed he was with the little mistress.

    "Ah, Lao-Shixiong acts as my bodyguard until I''m able to defend myself. Lao-Zhangmen has ordered it for my safety." Nie Ruyi turned her head to smile at Lao Xiaojun, the brush of her curled hair tickling along her shoulders. A-Rong had made strange intricate loops with her hair, and placed flowers in a sort of -half crown over the back mound of it. It had looked positively ethereal when she''d seen it in the brass mirror this morning.

    He ignored her, "Sect Heir Liang." Another stiff bow, before he lifted his head, "Where are we going?"

    "...Seifeng Forest. There''s a hidden grotto within that the Furtive Jade Sect has laid claim to." Liang Lanlan lifted her head as if to make herself taller than Lao Xiaojun. This was emphatically not the case, as he literally looked down his nose at her.

    "Those are contested lands." He murmured, his own voice frosty. Nie Ruyi carefully didn''t look at either of them, feeling her shoulders tense. She felt really aggrieved here, standing between two titans fighting, without even Song Fengling to cast glances at. (The boy had been putting off some duties outside the sect compound while taking care of her, so she''d told him to go since she''d be with Lao Xiaojun anyway.)

    "We are not here to argue geographical lines." Liang Lanlan stated, and wow, Nie Ruyi was almost impressed at that political maneuvering. "We are here to reward Nie Ruyi for her assistance in the Dragon Mess."

    "Then get on with it." Lao Xiaojun declared. His sword was, once again, tossed carelessly towards the ground, where it hovered over it. He held out a hand to Nie Ruyi, who upon realizing he meant her to stick her hand there, did so. He used it to pull her up into his arms, which sent a little Pavlovian thrill through her, as she remembered what it was like to fly last time.

    Giddiness took over as their swords rose into the air. Nie Ruyi clung to where Lao Xiaojun''s hands crossed over her middle, gripping his wrists tight, as she leaned forward into the wind. He held her strong and safe, and she laughed. The ground slipped beneath them the same way silk would slide off a bed, fast and faster.

    Finally, they lowered through a canopy of trees, and into a clearing. Nie Ruyi considered pouting when Lao Xiaojun moved to set her on the ground but decided against it. She wasn''t sure she could stand the idea of them thinking she was childish. She turned to Liang Lanlan as she dismounted her own sword, sheathing it in a careful flourish around her wrist.

    "It''s just a quarter-shichen''s hike from here." Liang Lanlan declared and began walking. Nie Ruyi felt phantom pain sent to her by future-Ruyi who was suffering because her outfit had included silk-slippers. These were not shoes meant for hiking, ah!

    She was ever so grateful that Lao Xiaojun stayed close. During the hike, she tripped no less than four times. Each time, he caught her by the shoulder and pulled her up.

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    "Ah, thanks." She''d say, and he''d grunt in reply. This continued until they finally arrived where Liang Lanlan was leading them. Nie Ruyi sucked in a gasp as the trees parted to reveal a deep, clear lake. It reminded her of a picture she''d seen on the internet, of a lake so clear that everything at the bottom looked super close, despite it being miles below.

    "It''s beautiful..." She breathed, and then took a deep breath in, her eyes sliding shut. The flowers here tinged the air in a sweet scent, and Nie Ruyi felt suddenly as if she were at peace. "Thank you for bringing me here, Liang-Guniang."

    "We''re not there yet." Liang Lanlan declared, raising an eyebrow. "Here''s where Lao-qianbei stays. We have to swim after this, and there is no way I''m allowing Lao-qianbei to see me all wet and disheveled. Don''t you think it''s better he stays here, Nie-Wanbei?"

    Lao Xiaojun''s thunderous expression made Nie Ruyi feel a little like she''d just been put in the crossfire as a human shield. "Ahhhh, I don''t... I mean... I''m not too worried about it? It''s not as if I need to protect my virtue or anything?"

    That got a startled look from both of the feuding cultivators. "What does Nie-Wanbei mean?" Liang Lanlan asked, confusion clear on her pretty face.

    "Well, I just mean, I only intend to marry if I find someone who doesn''t care that I''ve had partners before. I can''t help that I have, because where I come from it''s fine for young men and women to experiment and find pleasure. But, I know that isn''t the case here. So, I''m not too worried about protecting my virtue, since I don''t really have any, to begin with." Nie Ruyi shrugged. She wasn''t going to play the game of "has she been soiled" or not. Since, after all, if she was going to marry, it had to be someone she loved, and someone she loved wouldn''t care about that.

    Liang Lanlan looked scandalized, her face pink and a hand coming up to cover her lips. Nie Ruyi snuck a glance at Lao Xiaojun''s face as well, and while she could see his brow drawn in, she couldn''t be sure if it was frustration because they were still lollygagging, or if it was because of what she said.

    "Really, I don''t mind. But I can''t swim in something this flowy. I''ll drown." Nie Ruyi explained further. "So, I do need to strip down quite a bit, to swim. Is that going to be an issue?"

    "S-See!" Liang Lanlan latched onto that as if it proved her point. "We''ll be indecent! Lao-Qianbei, if you''ll stay here, we''ll be back soon."

    Nie Ruyi stumbled as Liang Lanlan grabbed her hand and dragged her behind some bushes. The older woman sighed a little, as Liang Lanlan stripped off her bow and arrows, setting them behind the bush as well. Getting to work dismantling the dress she''d been put in, Nie Ruyi stripped down to the strange bib-like bra of this time, and the odd shorts that counted as underwear in this world.

    "You''ll have to help me put my hanfu back on when we get done." She warned Liang Lanlan. "I don''t know how to do so by myself."

    "You don-" Liang Lanlan blinked, an incredulous note to her voice. "What have you been wearing all your life?"

    "Clothes in my wo-homeland are very different than they are here." She almost slipped, correcting herself before she said the wrong thing. "I''m still learning. Are you ready?"

    Liang Lanlan was much more dressed, and Nie Ruyi had to wonder if she was going to drown, or if she was just that strong a swimmer. The water, once they stepped into it, was cold, colder than the air, and Nie Ruyi just knew she was going to get a cold from this. "A-Are we sure th-this is n-necessary?" She asked, just to be certain.

    "Yes." Liang Lanlan snapped back, snatching Nie Ruyi''s hand and yanking her into the freezing cold. Nie Ruyi shrieked from how cold it was, but let Liang Lanlan lead her deeper into the clear, rippling water. Sure enough, after a certain point, the floor of the lake fell out from under her and seemed to only stop miles below. Liang Lanlan tread water there and gentled her breathing. Nie Ruyi¡¯s eyes sought out the still column that was Lao Xiaojun on the shore, nerves rising.

    "You''ll need to take a deep breath. I''ll tow you down and get you to the grotto. But you need to hold your breath the entire time. There are a lot of twists and turns."

    "Wha-" Water snapped her face, getting in her mouth. She spit it out and tried again, "How deep down?"

    "Quite a ways." Liang Lanlan was looking at the swim, and Nie Ruyi guessed she might be lining up the route she was going to take. "Take a breath."

    Nie Ruyi didn''t ask why, the girl was abrupt as it was, and she had no doubt she''d pull her under with no breath held. So she took as deep a breath as she could and held it.

    Sure enough, without a second warning, she was pulled under the surface of the water. Soon, the two of them were diving. Nie Ruyi had no practice keeping her eyes open underwater, and it stung badly when she tried, but eventually, she got them open.

    The deeper down they went, the darker everything got. However, she could see where they were headed because of the glow emanating from the cave mouth that Liang Lanlan had them angled towards. She kicked alongside her co-swimmer and eventually, the two entered the cave.

    Liang Lanlan fumbled with a pouch on her belt, opening it and pulling forth a ball the size of her palm. Nie Ruyi did a double take since the opening of the pouch wasn''t big enough to yield such a thing. Then she remembered Cultivators had those ridiculous qiankun pouches, the ones that were bigger on the inside.

    Liang Lanlan''s little ball lit up the entire cave as they passed through, and sure enough, there were twists and turns all throughout the path. Luckily she had Liang Lanlan''s guidance. The dark and the cold were stealing away her calm, as the water pressed in on her. Liang Lanlan¡¯s hand tugged incessantly and her lungs burned and for a moment, it felt like she wasn¡¯t going to make it.

 Chapter Sixteen - Deadly Hide and Seek

    Chapter Sixteen - Cold Grotto

    Nie Ruyi

    They broke the surface just as she began scratching at Liang Lanlan''s hand to try and get some air. She gulped it down fast, panting and searching the area for any sign of where they were. All that greeted her were shadowed rocks. The light of Liang Lanlan''s ball sparkled off of the minerals embedded in the walls and dripping stalagmites around them. The water they just exited near-glowed a beautiful aquamarine color, deeper than a Caribbean ocean but just as entrancing.

    "Is this-" She had to stop, gulp down breath and start again, "Is this it?"

    "Mn, yes, but what I want to show you is a little deeper in the caves. Come." Liang Lanlan put away the orb, which did nothing to dim the cave (and how did that work, Nie Ruyi wondered), and pulled herself from the water. Water sluiced off her robes, and when she stood, she was dry. Jealousy ran rampant through Nie Ruyi as she pulled herself from the water, gasping and huffing the whole time. She had scraped her arm in her graceless exit from the water, hissing in pain. Unlike Little Miss Cultivator, she was still dripping wet once she was on land.

    The air was frigid and Nie Ruyi wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold, but goosebumps were running along her skin. She shuddered and hunched over. She couldn''t walk any further, not in this cold.

    "H-Hey, d-does me f-f-freezing to d-death have any af-f-fect on how th-this works?" She managed to ask, sarcasm thick in her voice. "B-Because I was-s-s hoping th-that you h-ha-have a c-coat in th-that qiank-k-kun p-pouch."

    A click came from Liang Lanlan''s general direction, meaning she clicked her tongue in annoyance, and Nie Ruyi had a brief flash of homicidal rage. Then, the sect heir pulled a thick robe from the same pouch she''d pulled the glowing ball. She held it out for Nie Ruyi to take.

    Nie Ruyi''s fingers felt stiff as she reached out to take the robe, and the shaking of her limbs made it difficult to wrap the warm, thick cloth around herself. She shoved her aching limbs through the sleeves and cuddled it close to her skin. It wasn''t perfect, and her feet were still freezing in their silk slippers, but it was better than dying of cold.

    "Keep up. If you get lost, it''s your own fault." Liang Lanlan warned, and it echoed through the spires in the cave, which were quite tall. She could barely see the stone of the ceiling sparkling like stars above as she followed Liang Lanlan through the forest of stalagmites. They passed several pathways and caves, took some paths and ignored others, and Nie Ruyi was quite lost by the time they came to what they were (apparently) looking for.

    "Sit upon the stone." Liang Lanlan gestured to a long, flat stone that honestly looked like a sacrificial altar to Nie Ruyi.

    "...There aren''t any blood sacrifices involved here, are there?" She asked, nervously approaching the stone slab. A giant, glowing crystal hung suspended in the ceiling above the slab and turned her skin a beautiful blueish tinge when she went under it. Sitting beneath the crystal, she found herself scrambling to put the robe she''d been given between her and the frigid stone.

    "No." Liang Lanlan scoffed. "This is the best place to cultivate in these caves. We''re going to spend the next few days down here-"

    "Days?!" Nie Ruyi yelped, completely confused, "I thought this was just an afternoon outing!"

    "Your Sect Leader okayed this. You''ll be fine." As if as an afterthought, Liang Lanlan reached into her qiankun pouch again, pulling out a small pouch and setting it on the rock next to Nie Ruyi. "This is full of food and water if you get hungry. Don''t drink the cave water. I''m going to go hunting while you''re cultivating."

    She turned and walked out of the cave as fast as her legs would take her, leaving Nie Ruyi with the pouch in hand, and the sound of dripping, ebbing water filling the silence. Did... did she just get put in time out in a cave? She shivered, pulling the robe tighter around her as she glowered at the floor.

    "Wait, why can''t I drink the cave water?!" She mumbled to herself, glower darting distrustfully towards the waters they''d just come through. This was getting her nowhere, so she forced herself calm. She let her eyes close, but the shivers distracted her. She couldn''t sink into herself, the way Song Fengling had told her to. She tried to clear her mind, to call to mind instead the little phrases he had given her to memorize. When that didn''t work, she laid down on her side and sighed.

    "This is stupid." She muttered, her voice just barely louder than the water. "I can''t meditate... So what is the point of this!?" She smacked the hard stone, reveling in the sharp sting it left on her palm.

    Another sharp slapping sound filled the air, however, and sent her sitting up so fast her head reeled. She wasn''t the source of this one, and that alone was terrifying.

    "Liang-Qianbei?" She called, hoping she had the right honorific. Hoping the other woman would answer, she slid off the slab and stood on the cold floor. When no answer came, and another slapping sound rang through the frigid air, she straightened up, muttered, "Nope." and began fast-walking out of the room as quickly as she could.

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    But upon exiting the little cave, she was confronted with three different paths, none of which looked familiar. Fear bubbled in the back of her throat like stomach acid and she clawed at the fabric of her robe, holding it tighter to her, the pouch hanging by three fingers. She looked first down the right tunnel, then the left. Then, down the middle.

    There was no difference. She saw no footsteps, no light brighter in one than the other, no moss growing in the hollows of one that might show her the way back.

    "L-Liang-Qianbei!" She cried, louder now, and it echoed. "This isn''t funny! Please come back!"

    A low growl emanated from behind her, and Nie Ruyi choked on a yelp. She turned, slowly, to look over her shoulder. Standing in the cave she''d just been in, the empty cave she''d just been in, were two creatures each the size of a large wolfhound.

    That was the only doglike thing about them, however. Their four legs were tipped with claws as long as her forearm, and the bodies were amorphous cylinders filled with spines like a porcupine. What must be the head was more just a rough shovel-shape surrounding a maw of rippling teeth, with too-many eyes above that. She didn''t have time to count those eyes, as one of them pounced towards her, claws extended.

    She was saved only by her natural instinct to drop back away from the swipe. Her shriek reverberated through the caves, and the creatures rippled like water, before solidifying with a snarl. She scrambled, clawing her way over the sharp rocks of the cave to get her feet under her and to run. She didn''t care if she got more lost, she needed to get away from these monsters right now.

    Her careening escape managed to get her into a hiding place as the monsters passed by. Not very smart, she supposed, as she covered her panicked breathing with a sleeve to muffle it. She swallowed hard, waiting until she heard nothing of the claws or the splat-sound, before she shifted, and tried to find a more secure hiding spot.

    Part of her wanted to take the slippers off, to make her steps even more silent, but honestly, the stone was freezing, and she wasn''t about to get frostbite from carelessness. She finally found a small room off the side, deep enough to be hard to see in, but not deep enough for there to be anything but her in it. She sat down, pulling open the qiankun pouch she''d been given and dumping everything out.

    Water in little vials, as Liang Lanlan''d said, along with wrapped rice-biscuits and jerky. Not enough for a full day, if she ate to be full. She sighed, taking a sip of water, and a bite of the jerky. She''d have to ration. Who knew when (if, a panicked part of her brain taunted her with) Liang Lanlan would come back. Or when Lao Xiaojun would realize she was in trouble.

    Would he realize? Would he come for her? Would he think she ran away, or would Liang Lanlan lie to him and tell him she''d joined her sect, or... She shook her head. Now was not the time to let those paranoid thoughts run through her head, now was not the time to panic and let anxiety coax her into freezing up.

    There were a few other things in her pouch, a blanket, a book, and a small marble carved with strange symbols. When she picked up the marble, a light glowed into existence, coming from the pearl itself. She set it down and it stopped glowing. "...Ah, must be magic."

    It was helpful, certainly, though. She held it in her lips, and let its light shine on the book. It seemed to be a treatise on absorbing local spiritual energy. Well, that was about as helpful as a warthog''s backside, but it was better than nothing, and reading settled the panic sliding through her.

    And so began a terrifying cycle. After a while of reading, the sound of claws on stone, or the unidentifiable splat of something hitting stone heralded the creature''s return, and her desperate bid to hide or run from them, entirely. Once she had hidden enough, she dug out the food, took a bite, took a sip, read until it happened again, or her eyes began to hurt. She didn''t dare sleep, although she dozed numerous times only to wake to the creature''s claws on her skin.

    Once (and only once), she attempted to fight back in her need to flee, to push the monsters away. One of their weights pinned her against the wall, scraping her along, and she shrieked as pain split her open. One of the quills on the back of the beast lodged through her upper arm fully. After a frantic escape and a quiet moment panting against the pain in a hidden corner of a cave, she realized, with a muffled and heartcracking sob, that she might die here.

    Pushing away the panic, she knew better than to pull out the quill. Its thickness was two of her fingers beside each other and she was sure it was the only thing keeping her from bleeding to death from where it was lodged in her upper bicep. She endured the agony of moving the horrifically severed muscles to rip her borrowed robe. Two strips of cloth. One wrapped tight as she could get it above the wound. Another wrapped tight around just below it. Cutting off the circulation, so she wouldn''t bleed to death. She used the strips to stabilize the quill as well.

    The quill was as long as her leg, and she sobbed viciously into a wad of ripped up cloth as she sawed at it with the knife, cutting the excess down so it wouldn''t catch on anything. When the quill only showed two or three inches on either side of her arm, she fought against dizziness and sleep. She knew it was shock, coming to take her away despite her best efforts. She drank, emptying an entire vial, and then ate a full length of jerky, because she had lost too much blood. She lamented her dominant arm, lamented the feeling she was losing in the fingers of that hand.

    She did not know how long she ran for her life, but eventually, she began trying the things she read in the book, to feel the heaviness in the air around her, to compare it to the heaviness inside her, and to imagine drawing it into herself. It was easier than meditation, to pretend that this heavy energy was swirling through her veins and pushing all the sludge from her veins and pathways.

    In between bouts of terror-filled running, panicked hiding, and silent snacking, she found that she was starting to be able to feel it. The places where the heaviness was thinner and thicker. She was starting to be able to tell when the monsters were coming because the heaviness around them was different from her own. Closer in kind to the heaviness of the caves, they were, and that told her they belonged here.

    They belonged here, in the same way that she didn''t.

 Chapter Seventeen - Silver Needle Nettle

    Chapter Seventeen - Silver Needle Nettle

    Nie Ruyi

    Nie Ruyi honestly doesn''t know how it happened, exactly. She''d taken a moment to think after one of the chases came too close. She was slower than before, one of those wicked claws having sliced a line through her calf, and she''d had to limp away. She was pretty sure the creatures were tracking her blood scent now, and she''d decided to try and use the new sense she had gained to track them in return.

    She''d opened herself to the heaviness in the air, the feeling the book called spiritual power. She felt around, but this time, when she found the special heaviness that signified it was the monster, she pushed just a little harder, trying to cement where they were. And then, like the click of a door closing (or maybe opening?), she felt it.

    The creature connected to her. She could feel it, there was a line between them, now. It... wanted something. Unsure what else to do, she shoved some of the qi she''d gathered at it. And sure enough, she could feel a thrumming, almost like a purr, at the other end of the connection.

    She tried it again, this time with the second creature, and sure enough, the click happened when she pushed just a little too hard. And feeding it the energy had the same result. She should have been paying attention because they''d gotten closer, drawn to her by the blood, or perhaps the connection. Her heart sputtered in fear, but it turned out to not be the fatal mistake her instincts shrieked at her it was.

    In fact... The strange creatures came to her and laid down at her feet. Her terror at seeing them faded slowly, as they stared up at her with those innumerable eyes. She could feel that link, that line between them and the thrumming contentment in it. There was a small undercurrent of hunger, and she took a leap of faith.

    Pulling out two pieces of jerky, she tossed them at the creatures. They gnawing them to bits quickly in those sharp jaws, and then, as one, they crawled closer, nuzzling their spiney bodies up against her sides. They were... warm. And oddly, not prickly as she thought they''d be, considering one of their quills was still lodged in her arm. In fact, as she tested her finger against one of the spines, she realized that they were... oddly like gelatine.

    She pushed a feeling of insecurity at them, through that tentative thread connecting them, and their response was immediate. Pushing themselves away from her, they turned away from her, growling lowly and staring into the dark. She had the hysterical thought that they were guarding her. She laughed, exhaustion overcoming her, and incapable of deeper thought, she sent thanks to them, and closed her eyes.

    She wouldn''t have been able to go on anyway. So if they ate her, well. That was that.

    But later she woke, and they were not eating her alive. One, in fact, was laying next to her, warming her with its gel-like body, as the other paced the edge of their little hollow. She gave a stretch and took out a bite of jerky for herself and one each for her new pets. She held them out, and as if they had been raised from birth by her, they ate from her hand. She was awed by how gently they took the jerky.

    "Nie Ruyi!" An unfamiliar voice called into the silence of the caves, echoing and loud. She flinched, but then recognized her own name in the echoes, and stood, shakily. One of the beasts pushed against her side to help her get upright, and she leaned against it as she walked.

    "Here! I''m here!" She called, limping towards the voice. They kept calling for her, and she realized it was Lao Xiaojun just before he reached her. To her new sense, he felt like a boulder, thick and dense. As soon as he was in sight, she laughed, which turned into a choked sob as she fell into his hold. The tears came harder at the fresh jolt of pain through her pierced arm.

    One of her beasts let out a yelp of alarm, and she straightened like a shot, watching him try to skewer one of them with his sword. "No!" She cried, too loud and echoing in the cave. "They''re mine! They''re my friends! Stop!"

    "Friends?" His voice was laced with confusion. But, he didn''t attack them again. "Fine. I need to get you out of here. Come with me."

    He didn''t give her a choice, locking one steel-chord arm behind her back and the other under her legs, lifting her into a princess carry that would have had her blushing before she came into this cave. But now, she just wanted to be warm again. He had been careful to put the uninjured arm against his chest, which meant she could cradle her injury properly, blackened fingers curled against her breast.

    His steps were sure and fast and she was pretty sure he was bouncing off of the stalagmites to hurry them along. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds instead. Her eyes were so heavy, and she was so tired. She could hear the click-slllsss of her slime-puppies, so she knew they were following without having to dive into that heaviness, to feel for the connections they had.

    When she felt the freezing gale of open sky above her, she slit open her eyes, trying to adjust them to the sheer brightness of the world outside. Confusion wrang through her cranium like a bell. Hadn¡¯t there been water to go through? Had there been another way out? Even shaded by the trees as they were, it was still far brighter than it had been in the caves. "Where-" She croaked.

    Stolen story; please report.

    "...Liang Lanlan is missing. I was unable to locate any sign of her within the caves." Lao Xiaojun answered the unfinished question, even as he threw his sword down, stepping up onto it. His voice rumbled through her skull like drums. "I''ll be returning you to the sect, and then returning to search for her again."

    She must have lost consciousness again after that because the next thing she remembered was opening her eyes to the bleary sight of mountains and trees beneath them. She closed her eyes, and then when she opened them, it was too loud to sleep well. Voices crowded all around her, and someone jostled her in Lao Xiaojun''s arms, shaking a pained cry from her.

    "Over here. Set her down here." A strong voice called, and it seemed a little familiar, but her mind skittered away from a name.

    "A-Jun, did you see any signs of-" A very familiar voice, Lao Minghui, was asking her brother something, but someone else''s voice was closer and she lost the sound of hers.

    "Nie-shijie... Nie-shijie, can you hear me?" Tearful and croaking like her own, she still recognized the voice of Song Fengling and wondered what they were thinking, letting a kid in an emergency room.

    "What?!" The raised, growling timbre of Lao Xiaojun''s voice cut through the noise going on around her, and she opened her eyes (so heavy), to look for him. "She was here? How long!?"

    "She arrived back the same day you three left. Did you really not see her leave?" Lao Minghui questioned, confusion making Nie Ruyi whine with fear.

    "Shhh, shh, it''s alright." That first voice cooed to her, before turning harsh and angry, "If you all are going to upset my patient you can LEAVE."

    She saw flurries of colorful flowers flowing around her, and then they were gone, leaving just the little face of Song Fengling looking at her with watery dark eyes. She forced herself to smile for him, "It''s oka-" she tried to manage, only for the words to turn into a shriek.

    Someone in a white set of robes, someone she felt like she''d seen before, ripped the quill from her arm. Part of her realized she had missed entirely the part where the would-be-medic had removed the tourniquets she''d tied. Pain swarmed through her arm and up her shoulder and into her neck and chest. She couldn''t help it, little punched out sobs and squeals of pain were leaking from her.

    A hand, warm and large, slipped into her good hand, and she squeezed it tight, against the pain. She turned her head to face that side, leaving Song Fengling looking at the back of her head. She was surprised to see Lao Xiaojun on his knees next to her, her hand in his. His face was scrunched like he was suffering the same pain she was, and she knew he wasn''t because she wasn''t strong enough to squeeze that hard.

    The unfamiliar voice was back. "Keep her awake. I can''t have her soul slip away while I repair the damage left behind. Song-Shidi, make yourself useful. There is a jar labeled "Silver Needle Nettle" in the cabinet there. Get it, and brew a tea with what is inside. It must be a deep, deep brown, so add a full fistful of leaves, do not skimp."

    Something was pushed into the wound and her shoulder was twisted, ripping another scream from her throat. More of that something was pushed in, even as Nie Ruyi tried to pull her hand from Lao Xiaojun''s grasp to push the doctor away. She was mumbling nonsense pleas, panting desperately.

    "The tea." Song Fengling''s voice called her attention, and Nie Ruyi''s head rolled to look at him again. "It''s done."

    "Good, now, get her to drink as much as she can. Lao-Shixiong, if you could lift her up to sitting so she doesn''t choke." The medic''s voice was so calm, it actually felt like something she could hold on to. She was being taken care of, now. It knocked something loose in her chest, and she sobbed softly.

    Between Lao Xiaojun and Song Fengling, she drank the disgusting, bitter concoction down, only choking once or twice. As she did, her head swirled, but the pain... it seemed to almost instantly ease, and she sobbed in thankfulness. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated, tiny helpless noises leaving along with the praise.

    "What were you thinking, leaving a tourniquet on this long?!" The medic griped, and Nie Ruyi managed to scrape together the presence of mind to reply.

    "Wasn''t sure... how long it had to stay. Didn''t want to die of blood loss."

    "...We are going to have a very serious talk when you are capable of cognition again." The medic mumbled. "Song-Shidi, go get me the bandages from that shelf, and the jar labeled ''Blood Fern Leaves''."

    "What are you doing?" Nie Ruyi asked, leaning heavily against Lao Xiaojun, who still hasn''t set her down. His chest was firm against her back, and she felt the warmth off of him like it was a furnace. It was comforting, and helped her keep her woozy eyes open.

    "The Blood Fern leaves will melt into your own flesh inside the wound, helping to repair the missing and damaged flesh. We''ll bandage it after rubbing some of this ''Sun and Dew Moonflower ointment'' on your limb. That should heal the dead flesh and hopefully bring it back to life."

    "Oh." Nie Ruyi answered, overwhelmed by the information. "Could... you write all this down for me, so I can read it later?" She asked, hoping that she''ll understand it later.

    "...Maybe." The medic mumbled, and then came the unfortunate and strange sensation of something being shoved beneath her skin. Nie Ruyi watched as the medic (He Qina, a little memory supplied for her) packed the open hole in her arm with little herbs that looked like plump rosemary leaves. It felt strange, ticklish and not unlike the sensation one gets stuffing a pillow into a pillowcase if one were in fact the pillowcase and not the stuffer.

    Then, He Qina took a scoop of some strange golden-colored ointment and started smearing it all over Nie Ruyi''s arm. Everywhere the ointment touched an uncomfortable almost-stinging took up, and she yelped, "H-hey-hey! Is it supposed to-"

    "Sting? Yes. It''s literally bringing your dead flesh back to life. That''s going to sting a little. Endure. The tea will help." The medic rubbed it up and down her arm, and feeling anything in her fingertips was an awful sort of relief, even if it hurt now. Once that was done, bandages were wound from her shoulder down over the leaf-packed wound, and all the way down her arm.

    Another cloth was used to bind that to her belly and shoulder, so she couldn''t move the arm at all. "How... am I going to bathe?" Nie Ruyi had no idea why that came to mind, but she did know it would make it difficult.

    "You won''t. Not until I say you can. Now, Nie-shimei, if you could drink this." He Qina offered her a smaller vial, this time. This one had a viscous green fluid inside. Nie Ruyi swallowed it, and the moment it hit the back of her tongue, it seared down into her belly like alcohol. And then, she knew nothing.

 Chapter Eighteen - Closer Bonds

    Chapter Eighteen - Closer Bonds

    Nie Ruyi

    Nie Ruyi blinked into wakefulness sometime later, strange fever dreams haunting her even in her waking moments. Snippets of fleeing, terrified, through tunnels filled with sand interspersed with scenes of people talking, their mouths hidden by their hands but their whispers too loud.

    Above her was the fabric canopy of the huge bed she''d been given when she first got to this strange world. The mattress beneath her was cozy and warm, which told her someone had lit the kang beneath it. She tried to twist, to roll over onto her side. A soft twinge of pain went through her, shoving a whimper out of her throat and into the frigid morning air. The shuffle of fabric drew her eyes to someone standing next to her bed, reaching out to help her.

    The heat coming off their hands made her look up, and Lao Xiaojun peered back at her, even as he helped her sit up, bundling the quilts around her hips, to ward off the cold. He took a robe from the back of the chair, and slipped it around her shoulders, and she was grateful for the ward from the cold. He sat back down with little fanfare, letting Nie Ruyi look around the room. Song Fengling was there as well, sitting at a table, with paper spread out in front of him, ink brush in hand.

    "How... How long have I been asleep?" She asked, her throat aching and her voice gravelly. As if realizing she might need a drink, Lao Xiaojun stood and went to the table. Picking up the teapot in front of Song Fengling, he poured a cup and brought it back to her. She sipped the luke-warm tea gratefully, before setting the cup gently in her lap, holding it still.

    "You''ve been asleep for close to six hours. It is now early evening. The Evening Meal has already taken place, but Song-Shidi has saved you some food." He gestured to the table, but she couldn''t see the food. Probably hidden behind his bulk. "How do you feel?"

    "...Like I got run over by a truck." Before he could ask what a truck was, she sighed, "Thank you, for finding me in there. I... I can''t believe I fell for that..."

    "Then, she did trick you?" He asked, brow furrowed and voice gravelly, "How?"

    "...She said that I was supposed to sit down and meditate and it''d help my cultivation. That she was going to go hunting while I did so. And then she just... walked away." She snorted, realizing how stupid she''d been. "I never should have followed her down there. Clearly, she was trying to haze me."

    "...haze?"

    "Trick. She clearly wanted to show me who was boss." Nie Ruyi rubbed at the bandages on her upper arm. Oddly, the entire area felt numb. She tried to move her fingers on that hand, only to find that it wasn''t possible. "...Am I never going to be able to use this arm again?" She asked, fear bubbling up.

    "You will. It is only numbed for now. He-shimei said that moving it right now would cause irreparable nerve damage. So she has temporarily frozen the limb." Lao Xiaojun explained.

    "Oh. Thank goodness." She sighed, leaning her head back against the wooden wall of the bed. "I must have scared you. I''m sorry."

    The thick brows on Lao Xiaojun''s face twitched lower, and his mouth set into a stubborn frown. "You have nothing to apologize for. It was my duty to guard you from harm, and I failed in that duty. I should be the one apologizing."

    "You couldn''t have known she''d do something like that. Whereas, I should have been on the lookout for this kind of childish gambit." Nie Ruyi sighed, running a hand through her loose hair. "How are my puppies?"

    "The... creatures you brought wi-" A crash interrupted Lao Xiaojun''s report, drawing the attention of all three of the people in the room. Well, four now, as Cai Bingtian fell through the window frame and to the floor, scrolls scattering from his arms onto the floor.

    "Ouch..." He mumbled, rubbing his shoulder as he sat up.

    "Ah!" Song Fengling cried, jumping up from his seat and over towards the older disciple. "Are you insane?! Why would you sneak through the window into a lady''s room!"

    "Aya, aya, calm down..." Cai Bingtian groaned, and Nie Ruyi couldn''t help snorting out a laugh as he picked himself up and began picking up the scrolls. "I just thought Nie-Shimei could use some reading material! I was on this side of the building anyway, and didn''t want to go all the way around to go through the door. So, here we are!"

    He stood, then, shoulders squared and scrolls thrust out in Nie Ruyi''s direction. "I brought Nie-Shimei some of the best novels I''ve read so far. And a few basic cultivation scrolls too." His footsteps echoed as they brought him to stand at the still-sitting Lao Xiaojun''s shoulder. He gently laid the scrolls and manuscripts down on the blanket next to where Nie Ruyi was sitting.

    "Thank you, Cai-Shixiong." She supplied, picking one of the manuscripts up.

    Flowers of a Broken King, huh. It sounded like the title of a torrid harem romance. Well, she''d give it a shot. "I don''t suppose you''d know why your old friend would dump me in a frozen cave filled with monsters, would you?"

    Cai Bingtian looked as if she''d just punched him in the gut. "I-"

    "Please don''t worry. I''m not blaming you. I just hoped to get an idea of her motive." Nie Ruyi corrected. She didn''t want Cai Bingtian to become an enemy, after all.

    "...I... It''s probably my fault." He admitted, his face downturned and eyes lowered, "She''s always been jealous of other girls who I show attention to. This isn''t the first time she''s played a trick on my friends. But it... it is the first time that trick hurt someone. I''m so sorry."

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "You-!" Lao Xiaojun surprised all of them by growling out the word and snatching at the shoulder of Cai Bingtian''s robes. He jerked the man upright, and Nie Ruyi had the momentary thought that she should get up and stop them. "You knew she might do this?!"

    "I wasn''t sure! I tried to mitigate it. I was very careful!" Cai Bingtian''s face didn''t look afraid... It looked sad, and a little confused. "I don''t think she realized how... well, weak, Nie-Shimei was."

    "I told her." Song Fengling growled, over the din of the two bigger men. "I told her that Nie-Shijie wasn''t able to cultivate yet. I told her that it would be a waste of time. She said she''d bring an item to make it useful. Did she even give you an item, Nie-Shijie?"

    Nie Ruyi startled, having the attention on her suddenly. "...She gave me a robe? And... and a qiankun pouch with food and water. But... that was it."

    "See! She knew what she was doing!" Song Fengling cried, and Nie Ruyi felt a stab of sympathy in her heart. Poor thing must have been terrified for her.

    She reached out a hand to the teen, who rushed forward to take it. She used it to draw him onto the bed, and let him lean against her side. "It''s okay. I survived, that''s... that''s all that matters. Plus, I have new pets." She smiled down at him, "Isn''t that cool?"

    "Those Sedimentary Sludge Hounds you brought back have been hiding in the top of your canopy since you went to sleep." Lao Xiaojun explained, pointing up to where there were, in fact, slimy blobs clinging to the top of the covered bed.

    "Oh! How sweet." She smiled up at them, and felt along the edges of the bond they shared. All she felt was contentment. Good. "Has someone been feeding them?"

    "I did." Song Fengling said, "I bring them bits of meat every hour."

    "Such a kind boy." She couldn''t help tugging him tighter against her in a hug. "They''re very happy about that, I can tell."

    "How?" Cai Bingtian chirped, leaning forward with eyes bright and full of odd excitement. Nie Ruyi raised an eyebrow in his direction, but his enthusiasm wasn''t to be curbed, it seemed.

    "Well... through the bond, I suppose." She answered, which led to more questions.

    "What bond?" Song Fengling asked, a faint disgust lingering on his features. Admittedly, if she couldn''t feel their feelings, she was sure she''d find the slime puppies to be a bit... disturbing as well. Eldritch monstrosity were the words that came to mind, honestly. Too many eyes.

    "While I was in the cave, I found that if I focused, as you taught me," here, she paused to poke Song Fengling on the nose. The teen scrunched it up cutely and she chuckled, "I could feel where they were. It made it much easier to dodge them and hide. Once, while I was doing that, I went a little too far, and a connection formed. It''s quite interesting, actually."

    "...You mean, you connected to their cores?" Cai Bingtian asked, eyes round. There was a matching frown on Lao Xioajun''s face as well. When she realized all three of the men in her room were staring at her like she was a second from shattering like glass, she frowned too.

    "Is that a problem?" She asked, hoping it wasn''t but not holding her breath.

    "But that''s..." Song Fengling started.

    "Impossible." Lao Xiaojun finished, grabbing her wrist from where it sat in her lap. This pushed her a little harder into Song Fengling''s shoulder, but the boy was built like a brickhouse, so he withstood it well.

    "In theory, though, it can be done." Cai Bingtian murmured, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. "I read a treatise by Wei Long that mentioned something similar."

    "Wei Long is a hack." Lao Xiaojun muttered under his breath, which set her to a gigglesnort, and Song Fengling to grinning.

    "Yes well, even hacks can be useful sometimes." Cai Bingtian retorted, before continuing. "He suggested that the Golden Cores of cultivators were in fact, a sort of Beast Core, specialized to humankind. If that were the case, then... well, like Cultivation Partners, or mated pairs of beasts, we''d be able to form connections between our cores, and those of a Beast."

    "...Wait. Am I married to them now?" That was a disturbing thought, and Nie Ruyi wasn''t sure she was happy with having it.

    "What?!" All three men reeled back, disgusted by what she''d said, and Nie Ruyi flinched, confused.

    "No." Song Fengling declared, leaning forward to comfort her immediately. "Not at all. Nie-Shijie is just as single as she was before."

    Thanks, kid, Nie Ruyi couldn''t help but think sarcastically.

    "There are... threads." Lao Xiaojun said, drawing their attention back to where his fingertips touched her pulse. "Two stable connections. I assume they connect to the creatures in the canopy."

    "Yes." Nie Ruyi agreed, "I''ll have to come up with names for them... But... is it a bad thing?"

    "They... seem to be strengthening your qi, actually." Lao Xiaojun''s frown was growing deeper. Behind him, she could see Cai Bingtian pulling a brush and papers from nowhere (probably a qiankun pouch, hidden somewhere) and begin writing. Probably taking notes on the situation, if she''d judged his character right.

    "So... I''m getting stronger because they''re helping me?" She clarified, trying to parse what was happening. As if to answer the question, a great wet plop resounded as Nie Ruyi got a lap full of slime. The heavy wet thud of it forced a little wheeze out of her lungs, but it quickly reformed itself into a too-large dog laying on her lap.

    "What was that for, you big goober?" Nie Ruyi huffed, but she wasted no time in petting the (softer now, almost jello-ish) spines flat against its head and back. "Did you want pets for helping me, hm? Ah, hey, that''d be a good name for you. Goober." She smiled, feeling something click into place.

    At the same time Lao Xiaojun, who was still monitoring her qi, jolted. "What did you just do? Something... changed with the thread."

    "Oh? I named Goober. I think it... Well, it feels a little more solid, our connection now."

    "So... naming them solidifies the bond." Cai Bingtian commented absently, still rotating. "How about her core? Any formation?"

    "Yes, actually. Her meridians are roughly mid-level qi condensation stage."

    "That''s impossible!" Song Fengling interrupted Lao Bingtian, which earned him a glare. "She wasn''t even able to open her meridians before she left!"

    "Well, it''s happened." Lao Xiaojun groused. "And without the muck that usually accompanies opening Meridians, too."

    Nie Ruyi had a momentary flashback to waking up covered in icky black tar that smelt absolutely foul. She''d washed that off very quickly in the freezing lake water. But she wasn''t about to mention that to these boys.

    Cai Bingtian squeezed his way in beside Lao Xiaojun, shouldering the younger man out of the way a little bit. He took Nie Ruyi''s wrist from Lao Xiaojun too, which had the Sect Leader''s brother scowling at him.

    "Name the other one. I want to see what sort of spike your qi gets with each naming." Cai Bingtian was clearly of a scientific mind, measuring and guessing.

    She called down the second puppy, then, which landed heavily like its sibling. She petted it until it resumed a solid-ish shape. "Hmmm... what shall I name you? ...Izzy, I think. It goes well with Goober." She chuckled when this got a round of twin chatterings. She felt the second thread solidify, and watched Cai Bingtian''s eyes get wider.

    "Huh. That''s... quite a reaction." He murmured.

    "It''s nice to see I''m not the only one in awe." She said, "This might be worth talking to the Sect Leader about. Although... not right now. I feel like death warmed over."

    At the odd look she got, she groaned, leaning back under the weight of her slime puppies. Even Song Fengling got pushed away a little bit to make room for her. "Let me rest. I''m not going anywhere."

    Cai Bingtian chuckled, leaning back and letting go over her wrist. ¡°Alright, you heard the Lady. Let¡¯s let her rest.¡±

    ¡°A-Rong!¡± Song Fengling called, his weight leaving the bedframe, and Nie Ruyi sighed, letting her eyes slide closed. Footsteps sounded as the maid entered the room and others existed, but Nie Ruyi had already faded into the sleep her body desperately needed to knit itself back together.

 Chapter Nineteen - War Looming

    Chapter Nineteen - War Looming

    Lao Xiaojun

    Lao Xiaojun¡¯s mind was not on his work, which was, perhaps, why his work was not going well. He glowered down at the destroyed remains of a Crimson-Eyed Jewel Locust that he had managed to mangle in the process of attempting to refine it into something useful. His mind had wandered instead to a certain sickly frame in a certain bed, and he¡¯d accidentally crushed one of the crimson eyes the species was named for, which of course, rendered the damned thing useless, since the interior jelly of those eyes is rendered inert once it touches air.

    He sighed, setting the bowl containing the locust body aside, and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Clearly he wasn¡¯t going to make any progress on this Second-Tier Earth-Grade Longevity Pill today. His sister would of course be upset over this, as it had been for one of the Core Elders who was beginning to see the effects of their many long years, and were, of course, making it her problem.

    His sister was too kind-hearted.

    He took a moment to manually cycle his qi through his meridians, a practice that he¡¯d used to calm himself even as a child, when the world was too large and too noisy to be anything but painful. Then, he turned and waved a hand over the edge of the cauldron he¡¯d started heating, a spark of qi cutting off the heat of the flames, and ending that particular bout of work.

    Stepping outside of his workshop¡¯s courtyard and into the bustling pathways of the sect drew him through the pine-splattered rock garden that gave this section of the sect it¡¯s name. The Pine Hall was the domain of most of the Alchemists, Artificers and Pill Masters of the sect, where the sect¡¯s medicines, pills, and artifacts were made and stored temporarily.

    His sure steps took him down the stone pathways, and then up the wooden steps onto the wooden pathways of the inner-buildings of the main manor, where his sister held court as Sect Leader. Perhaps if he alleviated the REASON behind his inability to focus, then he would be able to complete his work. And since that reason pertained to a meeting his sister was meant to be having today, he might as well impose himself into the meeting.

    There were, after all, some perks to being Sect Heir.

    He found one of his sister¡¯s secretaries, Xiang Yun, gathering up scores of paperwork and scrolls from his sister¡¯s desk, when he went to her office to locate her. The young man looked up, and his deeply exhausted eyes widened. ¡°Lao-Shixiong, what brings you here today?¡±

    Lao Xiaojun watched as the young man jostled the scrolls in his arms so that one of them did not fall out of his elbow. ¡°Has my sister had the meeting with the Furtive Jade Sect Leader yet?¡±

    Understanding flitted across the young man¡¯s face, and Xiang Yun nodded, ¡°Shizun is attending that meeting as we speak. Allow this one to lead you.¡± With a respectful dip of his head, Xiang Yun took off towards the meeting room, leaving Lao Xiaojun to follow along at his own pace.

    When they reached the meeting, Lao Xiaojun could hear it occurring before he saw it, which was odd, since most of these rooms were built with silencing charms carved into them so as to avoid this very situation. He frowned, realizing that the reason for this was that the door to the meeting room was being kept open by a Furtive Jade Disciple.

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    Xiang Yun made muttered excuses to squeeze past the other sect¡¯s disciple, even as the foreign disciple did a double take upon seeing Lao Xiaojun behind him. Staring down impassively had it¡¯s benefits, because the teenager in Furtive Jade¡¯s dusty grey-blue robes scurried out of his way upon seeing the imposing figure Lao Xiaojun made.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that just isn¡¯t good enough.¡± Lao Minghui said, her voice deceptively soft. Her fingers where interlaced in front of her on the low table. He wasted no time in settling himself behind and to the left of her, kneeling elegantly. ¡°This is a matter of utmost seriousness, Liang-Zongzhu. Even if I wished to treat this as only the foolishness of a young woman, I could not, for Liang-Guniang is not just a young woman any more than I am just a young woman.¡±

    ¡°That seems hardly the same, in this instance.¡± The old man who was apparently Lao Xiaojun¡¯s sister¡¯s opponent today waved a hand, as if to say ¡®this is this and that is that.¡¯ ¡°Liang Lanlan is much younger than yourself, Lao-Guniang.¡±

    Immediately Lao Xiaojun felt his jaw clench. How long had his sister had to subject herself to this disrespect? ¡°Lao-Zhangmen.¡± He corrected, his voice barking into the center of the conversation, and snapping every eye in the room on himself.

    ¡°...Yes, well. Lao-Zhangmen then.¡± The old man waved his hand again in that same manner. ¡°Liang Lanlan did not act in the capacity of a Sect Heir, but rather in the capacity of a young woman who made a mistake. Surely that warrants some leniency.¡±

    ¡°Liang Lanlan is, regardless of her age, a Sect Heir. And in this instance, she knowingly took an injured and mortal disciple of this sect into a dangerous and highly inaccessible location. She then knowingly left this disciple of the Severing Firefly Sect, whom she had promised safety to, to the mercies of the cave and it¡¯s infestation of Sedimentary Sludge Hounds. Our disciple nearly died, Liang-Zongzhu.¡± His sister paused here, to let that sink in.

    ¡°Then, your Liang Lanlan had the audacity to come back to our sect, impose on our hospitality for hours before anyone even realized what was wrong. Since, she has not once reached out to her victim to offer amends or apology, and now she is not even present at this meeting, to speak on her own behalf. And what¡¯s more, even Liang-Zhangmen does not attend? What kind of face does this leave our Severing Firefly sect, hm?¡±

    His sister had always had a gilded tongue, usually soft and gentle spoken. But now, there was a hint of steel he appreciated in her voice. She was right of course. It was absolutely unacceptable that they would treat the Severing Firefly sect this way.

    ¡°An act of War.¡± He said, keeping his voice lower than his sisters, but loud enough that everyone in the room could hear it.

    ¡°Come now-!¡± Liang-Zhongzhu began, the leader of the Liang clan smoothing his own beard in agitation, only to be interrupted.

    ¡°No, honorable elder, my brother is correct. Given the state of relations between our sects, this could easily be seen as an act of war on the part of the Sect Heir of Furtive Jade Sect. Give me three good reasons why we should not assume it to be so?¡± She asked, her chin lifted just an inch, which caused her to look down upon this man several centuries older than her.

    The man¡¯s face darkened, his lips pursed before a delicately painted folding fan snapped out and covered the expression. It could not cover the ire in his set brow, however. ¡°Is that so?¡± He hissed, ¡°Are we then to take no notice of your sect''s own face-slapping? Have we not already consigned enough forgiveness upon the Severing Firefly Sect that we will not be afforded any of our own? Our Furtive Jade Sect has-¡±

    ¡°But you cannot speak for the Furtive Jade Sect, Liang-Zhongzhu.¡± Lao Minghui reminded him with an imperious tilt of her chin. ¡°You are the clan leader for the Liang Clan. You are not Sect Leader for the Furtive Jade Sect. Hence, this entire discussion is quite pointless. Why don¡¯t you call your sect leader here once again, and this time tell him war is on the horizon, should he not arrive.¡±

    A bold move. One that Lao Xiaojun stood behind entirely, as he cracked his knuckles to emphasize her point.

 Chapter Twenty - Practiced Forms

    Chapter Twenty - Practiced Forms

    Lao Xiaojun

    ¡°This is an unprecedented level of rancor.¡± Liang-Zhongzhu huffed, his fan working harder to keep himself cool. Lao Xiaojun doubted that the sweat was because he was hot, however. ¡°But fine. I will accede to Lao-Zhangmen¡¯s temper tantrum and call our esteemed Sect Leader. It will take a few days for him to arrive.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes sparkled in his rattish face, and Lao Xiaojun felt his jaw clench in a frown instinctively. Lao Minghui, however, smiled serenely. ¡°Certainly. In the meantime, yourself and your entourage will have our best hospitality.¡±

    ¡°No need, no need,¡± The old man waved his fan, ¡°I and the other clan members will be staying at a local resort. However, this old man would not mind if a few of our disciples were allowed to stay within your sect walls to partake in some of the training you offer? Call it an¡­ exchange of good will.¡±

    That was what he was aiming for. Surely those disciples would be snooping for sect secrets and worse. Lao Xiaojun didn¡¯t click his tongue, but only barely.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine.¡± Lao Minghui acquiesced, far too easily in Lao Xiaojun¡¯s opinion. Satisfied, the Liang Elder rose from his seat, along with his lackeys, and swept out of the meeting room like a torrent of foul smelling water exiting a blocked swamp. Once he was gone, Lao Minghui sighed, and rubbed at her temples. ¡°Dearest Didi¡­ Please do not glower at my back so. It feels as if I¡¯m being scalded.¡±

    Lao Xiaojun moved his gaze away, feeling guilty even if he knew it wasn¡¯t actually possible for his gaze to hurt her. They weren¡¯t completely alone, servants bustling to clean up the tea and snacks that had been part of the hospitality offered these offensive guests. But they were alone enough for him to murmur back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jiejie. I just do not like that there will be those¡­ interlopers wandering our sect.¡±

    Furtive Jade had been trying to get their hands on Severing Firefly¡¯s secrets for decades. Ever since that wretched Cai Bingtian defected over to Severing Firefly¡¯s hands, irreparably breaking the good relations between the two sects. He still didn¡¯t know why Lao Minghui had allowed him to join the sect, but his sister was far older than him, and far wiser. Even now, in the face of his dissatisfaction, she simply raised a hand and patted his cheek, like one would a child.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. We¡¯ll simply need to be impeccable hosts who never let their guests have a single moment of solitude.¡± She smiled, ¡°Youuuuu,¡± Here the gentle patting turned into pinching and Lao Xiaojun didn¡¯t hiss through his teeth but it was a close thing, ¡°need to be working on that Longevity Pill, or have you forgotten? Elder Feng is not going to be happy if it¡¯s late, and her wrinkles grow worse.¡±

    ¡°Elder Feng will last a few more years without worry.¡± He muttered back, sullen as only a little sibling being chided could be. He slapped his sister¡¯s hand away, and the annoyance just chuckled at his scowl. ¡°Has there been any news regarding the butchering of the dragon?¡±

    For the last several weeks, the green dragon¡¯s corpse had been in the hands of their Elders, who were simultaneously writing up a bestiary entry for it, as well as carving out any useful parts that might be usable in pill-making, armor-crafting, or weapons-making. The meat itself was being sent over to the Culinary Elders, who cultivate qi-infused meals, to see if it was edible and might impart something useful to the people of the Sect.

    He had no doubt that Furtive Jade was angling to get more information out of that, with this negotiation, if not parts of the body themselves.

    ¡°Sadly no. I expect full reports before the end of tomorrow, but for now, I must let my sect siblings do their work without interference.¡± She rubbed at her temples again, and Lao Xiaojun had the inexplicable urge to poke her right between her eyebrows, where the red-painted huadian sat. So he did.

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    ¡°Urgh!¡± She grunted, an unintelligible noise of frustration, as she threw a hand up to slap his hand away, leaving him with a grin reminiscent of a well-entertained cat. ¡°Didi, if you have messed up my makeup, I will cut your supplies in half next month, so help me!¡±

    He rolled his eyes. She¡¯d made that threat before. ¡°What else?¡± He asked, prying.

    ¡°What do you mean, What Else?! I¡¯ll-I-¡± She stumbled over her words for a moment, before sharpening, ¡°I¡¯ll cut your firewood too!¡±

    ¡°No, what else is worrying you?¡± He asked, leaning down to look at her, in the way he knew annoyed her ever since he shot up as a teenager to be taller than she was.

    Her brow furrowed again, and she bit her lip, obviously considering which of her burdens she could share, and which she couldn¡¯t. ¡°...It¡¯s Tourmaline Grove. They¡¯re denying any knowledge of a disciple this far away from their grounds, and denying that one of theirs would slaughter so many.¡±

    ¡°...But we have witnesses.¡± He huffed, confused as to how they could think they¡¯d get away with it.

    ¡°Yes, but the old goat isn¡¯t going to acknowledge that, as our disciples are the only witnesses. If even ONE Furtive Jade disciple had also seen her, then that would be another story, as both sects could move for reparations, but¡­ As it is, it¡¯s our word against theirs, and the Inter-Sect Conferences don¡¯t begin for another few years.¡± She was back to rubbing her temples, and he wanted to hit something. Politics always made things worse.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call one early?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Because we have precious little backing right now, Didi, and you know it.¡± Lao Minghui sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Our Major allies are in no position to support us against one of the oldest and largest sects in the Ailun Empire. And if we went to war with them properly, it might draw the Chifeng Emperor into it. As much as we like to pretend the Jianghu is separate from mortals and their ruling bodies, it is not so cut and clear as that.¡±

    Lao Xiaojun wanted to argue. After all, a single cultivator was worth hundreds of normal soldiers in battle. But he could not deny that the armies and personal guards of the local emperors and rulers were filled with disciples coaxed over by mortal riches and the chance at luxury and riches for their mortal family as well. His sister has received multiple marriage proposals from the rulers, crown princes and secondary princes of the Ailun, Chifeng, and KuFeng empires respectively. Of course, she¡¯s turned down each one, not interested in marrying some mortal man even if her lifespan would outweigh his by centuries, if not forever if she could break through Nascent Soul stage into Immortal Ascension stage.

    She turned a rueful smile onto her little brother, and he nodded, ¡°Then we need new allies.¡±

    ¡°Or new knowledge. Clearly something is happening to draw beasts like this Dragon here. It did not get the chance to tell us anything about whether it was brought here or whether it wandered here.¡± She smoothed some of her long hair down her shoulder, kickstarting their walk back to her offices through the lush green gardens of their sects courtyards.

    Her steps took them the long way, and for a moment he wondered why, until he saw that they were passing by the outer-disciple¡¯s training classes. A whole group of them in little lines like ducklings, performing the same martial arts stances, sliding through various Kuen too (hand kata), over and over. He remembered what it was like to perform those movements until his body shook with strain and his muscles felt they were on fire. He remembered sneaking out in the middle of the night to practice them more, so that the teachers would praise him the next day.

    Not that he, as the former Sect Leader¡¯s son, was ever an outer disciple. He¡¯d been personally trained by his sister since the day he was born. But she believed that for unity in battle, some of the class-training was necessary. And so he¡¯d attended some of these classes too.

    Now, she looked over them with an appraising eye, and a smile touched her cheeks when she saw what she was looking for. A body that was clumsy and unused to these movements, mixed in with the students. Nie Ruyi, trying her very best to keep up, was dressed in tight training clothes, going through the motions of punching, blocking and kicking out. He could already see some of the issues with her stance, as she seemed to lack the kind of flexibility in the ankle and calf that most of the younger disciples had already trained into.

    ¡°She seems to be fitting in well.¡± His sister commented as she watched Nie Ruyi be corrected by one of the outer elders running the class. Then, she turned, and continued her path to the offices. Lao Xiaojun followed, the mental image of Nie Ruyi¡¯s sheepish smile following them.

 Chapter Twenty One - Negotiations

    Chapter Twenty One - Negotiations

    Lao Xiaojun

    As with any politically charged situation, this took forever to resolve. As Sect Heir, Lao Xiaojun was forced to take over the internal running of the sect while his sister handled her duties of negotiating and entertaining their ¡®guests¡¯. It was all peacocking and a parade of holier-than-thou political jockeying. He¡¯d always hated that sort of thing, so he was better off making sure the disciples'' salaries are paid on time, and that internal complaints are handled properly.

    The day-to-day logistics of running sects like this was a nightmare, and he understood why his sister had so many secretaries, each with specific duties. It made it easier if he could tell what it was he was going to be discussing just by looking at the person¡¯s face.

    The arrival of Liang Lanlan and Liang Zilin sent shockwaves through the sect, as disciples crowded around to see the landing of Furtive Jade¡¯s Sect Leader. Liang Shuren, the Maogong Sword, was indeed a personage to be revered. The man was broad and his dark hair streaked through with silver only because he allowed it. A Nascent Soul cultivator, like Lao Xiaojun¡¯s sister, the man aged only because he willed it, and he seemed content with the face of a particularly handsome fourty year old.

    He stepped off his sword with the kind of grace and elegance that Lao Xiaojun still tried to emulate to this day. He and Lao Minghui exchanged respectful bows, as Lao Minghui welcomed the man to their sect.

    ¡°Come now, formalities are so tiring, are they not? This old master would like to sit down, if Sect Leader Lao would be so kind?¡± He asked, and Lao Xiaojun was not so overcome with hero worship that he did not see the tilt of the man¡¯s chin, as if he were humoring cute grandchildren.

    It was always admirable when his sister kept her temper in the face of such derision. He¡¯d have punched the man for it and probably caused an inter-sect war. As part of his sister¡¯s entourage, he followed the two sect leaders, who chit chatted as they walked.

    Once everyone was settled in their chairs at the meeting table, Lao Minghui stepped into the political arena with her normal aplomb. ¡°It is for sad tidings that we come together like this, Liang-Zhangmen. This Sect Leader is sorry to say that we cannot continue idly as if this were a normal visit. Surely Liang-Zhongzhu has filled you in?¡± She gestured to the old clan-leader next to the Furtive Jade sect leader. Lao Xiaojun was fuzzy on family trees in other sects, but he thought perhaps the clan leader was Liang Shuren¡¯s great-great-grandson? It looked the other way around, of course, but cultivator faces rarely matched their ages.

    ¡°He has. Surely I misheard however, to call for war in the face of a childish prank?¡± Liang Shuren asked, doubling down on his clan-leader¡¯s incredulity.

    Lao Xiaojun didn¡¯t see his sister¡¯s spine straighten, but he knew her well enough to know it did. ¡°If that is your opinion on the matter, perhaps we should disband this meeting now. We will, of course, allow you a week to remove every Furtive Jade member from our territories. After which, Severing Firefly will act as though any intruding member is equivalent to a Demonic Cultivator to be exterminated.¡±

    Liang Shuren¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, but the air around him did. If Lao Xiaojun didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d say the man was exerting some spiritual pressure, but soon the feeling was pushed back. Ah, his sister must have pressed her own aura to protect them.

    ¡°Now, this is truly an overreaction. What is it that Lao-Zhangmen hopes to achieve with this threat of war?¡± Laing Shuren asked, picking up his steaming teacup and taking a sip. Behind him one of his attendants shuffled a little.

    ¡°Liang-Zhangmen must understand that this act was carried out upon one of the most vulnerable members of our sect. It was akin to a murder attempt, no matter what the intention was. If this Sect Leader were to allow this sort of attack on our most vulnerable, what family would trust their tender and young children to our care in the future? What recruits would our Severing Firefly sect be able to attain? You know as well as I how little face this leaves the Severing Firefly sect with.¡±

    The other sect leader nodded his head, acknowledging that the optics on this were not particularly great.

    ¡°So, this can be easily resolved with three things. First, the Furtive Jade sect will pay our sect reparations equal to ten thousand spirit stones. Second, Sect Heir Liang will provide restitution and an apology to our disciple, Nie Ruyi, in person. And Third, the Furtive Jade Sect will agree to a solidifying of sect territory lines to include the Green Dragon¡¯s forest on the side of the Severing Firefly sect and give up any and all rights to spoils from the Dragon Extermination that occurred at the edge of their property.¡± Lao Minghui offered with a gentle smile, picking up her own tea with lotus-pink-nailed fingers. He watched her inkwell-black eyes sharpen upon the other sect-leader¡¯s tightening fingers.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    He set the teacup down, his placid smile still in place. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t imagine paying reparations to the sect and to the disciple. Liang Lanlan will pay five thousand spirit stones from her own personal funds. That is a lifetime¡¯s riches for that mortal disciple of yours, and should be plenty of reparations. And to have a Sect Heir apologize to a mortal would be preposterous, so we can throw that right out. As for the dragon body, we cannot return empty handed in that matter, as the dragon caused quite a bit of damage on it¡¯s way to your forest, Sect Leader Lao.¡±

    Ah, and so the negotiations began. Lao Xiaojun hated it, but this is where his sister excelled. No doubt she¡¯d started with an unreasonable request so that she¡¯d have something to negotiate down to. Lao Xiaojun tried to pay attention to the lobbying back and forth negotiations, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it, and as with so many things that slipped by him simply because he couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention, he missed when things began to close up.

    ¡°Alright then. Seven thousand spirit stones to the sect, one thousand to Nie Ruyi as well as a personal apology. The Severing Firefly sect will provide one sixth of it¡¯s Green Dragon related materials to the Furtive Jade sect for studying, and a copy of the bestiary entry made once it is complete. The Green Dragon¡¯s Forest will be split between the two sects, with the Dragon¡¯s Lair firmly on the side of the Severing Firefly sect.¡± Lao Minghui gestured to her secretaries to pass a written document towards Liang-Zhangmen, who pulled a stamp from his sleeve, and, after empowering it with some qi, stamped the contract. The contract shimmered for a moment, and then was passed to Lao Minghui who did the same.

    ¡°Better to take care of the small parts now, before they can fester.¡± Liang-Zhangmen acknowledged, flicking a hand towards where Liang Lanlan sat with a thunderous face. It seemed she did not like the fact that she would have to give up what amounted to an entire year''s worth of savings for an inner-sect disciple in most rich sects to a mortal. Or perhaps she was humiliated that she would have to offer a personal apology.

    ¡­Lao Xiaojun wanted to see that. He stood, and gestured. ¡°I will guide her.¡± And guard against some other cruelty she might inflict. The Sect Heiress stood and flicked her sleeves in annoyance. Her brother cast a glance to his sect leader, and whatever he saw there had him scrambling up to follow his sister. The walk to Nie Ruyi¡¯s chambers was heavy and awkward with silence, Lao Xiaojun unwilling to break his silence.

    ¡°It really was just a stupid prank!¡± Liang Lanlan whinged, her voice grating. ¡°It isn¡¯t as if she died, after all, why all this fuss? Hmph. What little face this sect leaves the Sect Heir of Furtive Jade Sect. Am I meant to die with eyes wide open like this?!¡±

    ¡°Meimei, the walls have ears.¡± Liang Zilin reminded her, frowning.

    ¡°And let them listen! This is outrageous!¡± Liang Lanlan huffed, haughty and full of fermented beans for all the hot air she keeps spewing.

    Lao Xiaojun restrained himself from turning and throwing a punch, but only barely. He stopped at the door to Nie Ruyi¡¯s roomset, and called out, ¡°Sun Xirong, your mistress has visitors.¡±

    At the sound of his voice, the little maid came out and paused, ¡°Nie-Xiaojie has been attending lessons each morning, and so she has not returned yet. Sect Heir Lao and his guests may wait in the sitting room. This servant will fetch refreshments.¡± She bowed low and respectful, before gesturing for them to follow her. The young maid carefully arranged them so that Lao Xiaojun was seated between the others and her mistress¡¯ bedroom, and then set off to boil tea and plate snacks.

    ¡°What a tiresome little maid, speaking like that to us.¡± Liang Lanlan mumbled, finger toying with the vase of flowers on the table, keeping it off balance and only her finger keeping it from falling over and spilling water all over the table.

    ¡°Is she not a Mui Jai?¡± Liang Zilin¡¯s curiosity bubbled over and he stared after the young maid. ¡°She didn¡¯t use¡­¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t call herself a slave because she is not a slave.¡± Lao Xiaojun answered, although he honestly had no reason to. ¡°Nie Ruyi made it very clear she does not believe in slavery, and so pays a fair wage and hired the girl as a servant.¡± It had been interesting to find out, as Lao Xiaojun¡¯s clan has always had Mui Jai slaves, young children who are bought by the family, taught how to be servants, and then married out to better lives than they would receive if they hadn¡¯t worked. It was an accepted way of life.

    The only real difference between a servant and a slave, honestly, was the wage. Slaves did not have to be paid, as they were given room and board by their masters. Servants were paid, and might receive room and board on top of that, but they were free to resign or seek work elsewhere. That and the legal punishment for killing or maiming a slave was non-existent, whereas for a servant, one might have to pay reparations to the family if it was unjustified.

 Chapter Twenty Two - Mistaken Forgiveness

    Chapter Twenty Two - Mistaken Forgiveness

    Nie Ruyi

    Coming home from rigorous exercise to find out people were settled in her sitting room was a bit off-putting. Nie Ruyi had hoped to at least bathe before anybody saw her post-workout¡­ She took a deep breath, ¡°Thank you, A¡¯Rong, for the heads up. Is there a way into my bedroom other thant he window, so that I can get changed before I see them?¡±

    Sun Xirong nodded, taking her mistress through the servants¡¯ corridors, and into her mistress¡¯ room. ¡°I¡¯ve already delivered snacks to them, Nie-Xiaojie, so you have some time to prepare. Sect Heir Liang is in a foul mood, and Sect Heir Lao is with her. Liang-Gongzi is there as well.¡±

    The little maid indicated a bowl of water, and then began working on the ties for Nie Ruyi¡¯s work-out clothes. Thankfully, the work out clothes were a little closer to something like a gi that might be worn in a modern day martial arts class. She had to wear a vest-like robe over the top of it, because of course, but at least she didn¡¯t have to try and do martial arts practice in a long-skirted hanfu with dangly bits in her hair. The beginners classes she was part of were meant to be bare bones, and the children wouldn¡¯t have been impressed with it anyway.

    ¡°Can you put my hair up, A¡¯Rong, all the way? That way it won¡¯t look sweaty and gross.¡± Plus, she was thirty four years old, and from what she¡¯d seen in this world anyone who looked as old as she did wore their hair all the way up. She thought it had something to do with being married? But honestly she just wanted the sweaty heat of it off the back of her neck. As A¡¯Rong brushed through and twisted her hair into a thick bun, Nie Ruyi swiped along her arms and armpits with a damp rag, and then applied some of the scented oils that A¡¯Rong had purchased using Nie Ruyi¡¯s money on her wrists, armpits and neck. She didn¡¯t know what the scent was, some kind of flower, but it was pretty enough and it would hopefully disguise some of the sweat-scent from her. What kind of world didn¡¯t have showers?!

    ¡°Sunflower yellow or hibiscus pink, Nie-Xiaojie?¡± A¡¯Rong asked, having finished with the bun and now moving on to adding accessories. Nie Ruyi considered, partial herself to pinks and purples, but weighing which was more childish, yellow or pink.

    ¡°Pink, A¡¯Rong.¡± She answered, and didn¡¯t watch as Sun Xirong littered her hair with pins in the shape of flowers. Silk-flower making was apparently a hobby that high-class maids had in this world, and so Sun Xirong was learning it, and she¡¯d since been dressing Nie Ruyi up in them as often as possible. Her hair did indeed look like a riot of Hibiscus now. With that, Sun Xirong went to the dresser holding Nie Ruyi¡¯s clothes and pulled out a pale-pink ruqun, which she began wrapping around her mistress¡¯ waist. Tying it above Nie Ruyi¡¯s breasts, she decorated it with dark-magenta ties and then draped a beautiful dusty-pink over-robe over Nie Ruyi¡¯s bare shoulders. It was just the right amount of warm-but-not-hot and Nie Ruyi smiled thankfully.

    ¡°Remember, you are Nie-Xiaojie, but she is a sect-heir.¡± Sun Xirong said, worry lending to her biting her own lips as she applied Nie Ruyi¡¯s makeup. ¡°You must be deferential and humble. She has nobility to back her up. Take your cues from Sect Heir Lao, okay?¡±

    Nie Ruyi nodded minutely, thankful that Sun Xirong had gotten over being humble and avoidant around her. She¡¯d hated it, honestly, and Sun Xirong knew so much more about this world than she did. She was an invaluable resource, even if all she knew was how to survive as a mortal servant. The black charcoal drawn across her eyelash line tickled, cold and wet. She took a calming breath to try and clear her thoughts.

    Then, once she was ready, a small red huadian drawn on her forehead, she stepped through the bedroom door and into the sitting room.

    ¡°Nie Ruyi.¡± Lao Xiaojun stated, nodding his head. Nie Ruyi took a moment to bob a curtsey-ish bow, her hands pressed against her diaphragm as if to hold her lungs in. Then, she took her seat next to him, and across the table from Liang Lanlan and Liang Zilin. The two disciples of another sect watched her with two very different looks. Liang Zilin¡¯s eyes roamed her features and then turned back to the snacks on the table. Liang Lanlan¡¯s, however, burned up and down her body and with a huff, she lifted her hands. Cupping them into the traditional salute, her sleeves held back by the table and only just-barely not dipping into the cookies and jellies served, she bowed.

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    There must¡¯ve been something insulting about the bow, because Lao Xiaojun¡¯s face clouded, and Nie Ruyi wasn¡¯t sure what degree it was disrespectful by, so she didn¡¯t call her out on it. The girl looked like a teenager, so it was only natural she¡¯d be upset at being made to bow to a stranger.

    ¡°This Liang Lanlan apologizes to Nie Ruyi for her little prank.¡± The girl spent less than five seconds in the bow, and her apology was rushed. ¡°This Sect Heir hopes that Nie Ruyi will suffer no permanent ill-effects, and per our sects¡¯ agreement, has brought this as compensation.¡±

    Liang Zilin took out a parcel of what sounded like metal coins and set it on the tray helpfully offered by Sun Xirong. Nie Ruyi¡¯s eyes followed it, wondering how much it was. But she knew from holidays with her own family that it was incredibly rude to open and count money in front of the person giving it. So she smiled warmly, ¡°Of course, you are forgiven. It¡¯s hard for teenagers to control themselves, and so pranks are to be expected.¡±

    Liang Lanlan¡¯s face turned crimson, her head drawing back as if she¡¯d been struck. ¡°I am no teenager!¡± She cried, ¡°Lanlan-I-This sect Heir is past her hairpin ceremony by more than ten years! How wretched you are, to call this Liang Lanlan a child!¡±

    Now it was Nie Ruyi¡¯s turn to feel slapped. So, this gi-woman in front of her had chosen to do something so thoughtless and dangerous as a full grown adult?! Nie Ruyi felt a sudden twist in her thoughts. She¡¯d been so intent on forgiving a child for a mistake that she hadn¡¯t considered how she would feel if it was an adult who had done this thing to her. That had injured and left her to die.

    ¡°You¡¯re a grown woman, and yet you chose to play such a cruel prank? Chose to lead a mortal to an almost-certain death and leave them there? How irresponsible can you be?!¡± Nie Ruyi declared, frowning. ¡°I had thought you a child, and so was willing to forgive what was most likely an ill-thought out attempt at getting attention. But this was no childish misbehavior, this was an adult acting on murderous impulse!¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Liang Lanlan huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°This Sect Heir comes here to give reparations and even deigns to apologize, and now you¡¯re lecturing like this, as if you have any importance!¡±

    Lao Xiaojun stiffened at Nie Ruyi¡¯s side and it was obvious by the way Liang Lanlan¡¯s eyes darted to him and her smirk turned smug that she expected him to chime in with her. Nie Ruyi cut in before he could open his mouth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your world¡¯s propriety!¡± Nie Ruyi snapped, despite that she actually quite did. She wanted to fit in, but this was a bit much. Asking her to be deferential to someone who had tried to murder her was a bit much. ¡°Liang Lanlan, you are either incapable of foresight and therefore a child, or you are capable of it and therefore attempted to murder me. I accept your apology and reparations on behalf of my sect, but I personally do not believe you mean them in the slightest, and to be honest, I do not care to be in the same room as you. I sincerely hope our paths never cross again, and you can get out of my rooms right this instant.¡±

    ¡°Nothing more than a dog dressed up as a man, you think you can talk to me like that!¡± Liang Lanlan stood, her chair snapping back onto the floor with a loud crack. Lao Xiaojun jumped to his feet too, eyes blazing.

    ¡°Think before you act, Liang Lanlan.¡± He warned, his hand curling into fists that sent his leather bindings creaking. Nie Ruyi felt a shiver of something go up and down her back at the sight and sound.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s quite enough!¡± Liang Zilin cried, standing too, and taking his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s best for Lanlan-Meimei and I to head out now.¡± He murmured into her ear, obviously trying to coax her away.

    ¡°Good riddance!¡± Nie Ruyi spat, crossing her arms in an entirely too American gesture.

    The noise Liang Lanlan made was one hundred percent pissed-off-teenager growls, as she was herded out of the sitting room by her brother. Nie Ruyi was shaking by the end of it, and glared at the door frame.

    And then, like a traitor, Lao Xiaojun turned that gaze on her, brow drawn down in frustration.

 Chapter Twenty-Three - Annalects

    Chapter Twenty-Three - Annalects

    Nie Ruyi

    ¡°Do you seek death?¡± Lao Xiaojun demanded, and Nie Ruyi felt almost instantly defensive. First she had to deal with that little brat faking an apology and now she had to deal with this big brat throwing a fit? What was with people today!

    ¡°No, but if it comes out to meet me, I¡¯m not going to stay silent about it.¡± Nie Ruyi snapped right back. She huffed, picking up a tea cake Sun Xirong had sat out and snapped it up in two bites. She was starving after her exercise that morning, and everything was aching. ¡°I will not be silent just so that someone can keep face.¡±

    ¡°If she complains to her sect leader, it will ruin what little tenuous peace Sect Leader Lao has managed to negotiate for us.¡± Lao Xiaojun said, still standing like an awkward jackal ready to pounce at the first sign of a twitch. Nie Ruyi didn¡¯t like being loomed over on the best of days, and this certainly isn¡¯t one of them.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all it takes to ruin it, then it wasn¡¯t solid in the first place.¡± Nie Ruyi argued, raising an eyebrow about it. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand that that woman did not intend to apologize to me or mend her behavior. She¡¯s proven untrustworthy and worse. We should expect the same of her entire sect, honestly, if that was the mood with which her brother allowed her to speak and her sect-leader sent her here without any proper oversight.¡±

    ¡°No one would expect a mortal NOT to accept an apology.¡± Lao Xiaojun growled, running a hand over his face as if she were the exhausting one here.

    ¡°Maybe they should!¡± Nie Ruyi sat up, her ire really up now, ¡°Why do cultivators get to treat mortals like shit! Everything we eat, everything we wear, everything that exists is because some mortal thought they might need it and then made it and then sold the extra they don¡¯t need! If you all hate mortals so much why don¡¯t you just end them all, hm?!¡±

    She realized, as Lao Xiaojun flinched back, that she was perhaps going too far, like bringing up Hitler in an online argument¡­ But she didn¡¯t believe she was in the wrong here!

    ¡°Just¡­ Let¡¯s put this aside.¡± She muttered, picking up her teacup. She sipped at the lukewarm drink and sighed. ¡°Do you still need something, or are you just here to make sure I behaved?¡±

    Lao Xiaojun¡¯s expression suffered even more, and he settled one of his fists behind his back. She recognised it as the cultivator equivalent of a guy collecting himself. She watched as he turned his head to the door and said, ¡°No. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    She made an accepting noise, and he did so, striding out the door. She felt something tacky and prickly settle in her chest, the way it did when she argued with her father and then had to leave for the night to go back to her own apartment. Guilt, perhaps? For being angry with him?

    She sighed, setting down the teacup. A small presence made itself known as thick leafy tendrils wrapped around her ankle, and began to climb up her body. ¡°Is my Missy worried about me?¡± She murmured, encouraging the Ochre Misery Fern to climb higher and onto her lap. It settled in, the cool and nebulously heavy core of it firm on her legs. She sighed, and gently set about cleaning dust off of the soft leaves using the ridiculously long and luxurious sleeves of her hanfu.

    Another sigh escaped her, as Sun Xirong entered the room, refreshing her mistress¡¯ tea, and then settling into the chair across her, having been told by Nie Ruyi that she hated hovering. She seemed to be debating, her lips twisting up this way and that. Nie Ruyi put her out of her misery.

    ¡°Well, you have something to say. Just spit it out.¡±

    ¡°...that could have gone better, Nie-Xiaojie.¡±

    Nie Ruyi groaned, and covered her eyes. ¡°Not you too!¡±

    ¡°I only worry, Mistress. If Nie-Xiaojie makes enemies, she may get hurt.¡± The young girl¡¯s voice was absolutely full of upset. It was clear to the walls even that she truly did care.

    ¡°A¡¯Rong, if I were to let this world change me too much¡­ what even would I be?¡± Nie Ruyi asked, glaring at the table as salt prickled the edge of her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose to hold the tears at bay. ¡°I am not some lady who was raised in this world, who lets others face determine her actions. I am not going to let some brat intimidate me just because her daddy has money or power. I cannot¡­.¡±

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    She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, her fingers tightening in the waxy leaves of her pet. Missy made a rustling sound that could possibly be a rebuke or sympathy. As if sensing that their mistress was upset, the two hideous hounds trotted their way from her bedroom where they had taken up residence, and sequestered themselves on either side of her as if begging for pets.

    Taking a moment to run her fingers through their sludge, and marvelling when her fingers came back completely dry, she thought her way through it. Sun Xirong stared at her, pity on her soft cheeks. ¡°I only mean that¡­ Well, that perhaps caution should be taken. If Mistress is so scared of this world changing her¡­ then perhaps she should hide the parts of her that she does not wish changed, and only let those who are precious to her see them.¡±

    Nie Ruyi snorted, knowing this to be just the same as letting the world change her. But she waved away the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s enough, A¡¯Rong. Thank you for your advice. Can you bring me the books from my bedside table?¡±

    She wasn¡¯t going to be able to move for a while anyway, so she might as well get some studying done. Once the maid had delivered the books into her hands, she set down two on the table, opening the one labelled, Basic Physical Comprehension for Beginning Cultivators. She pulled it open to the page she¡¯d been on, continuing where she¡¯d left off, the diagrams of physical movements distracting her eye for a few moments.

    From what she¡¯d been able to gather from this particular volume so far, a lot of cultivation was just that, cultivating a better body and mind. The volume encouraged daily movement in the form of training, as well as daily meditation. It made certain to describe specific bodily movements to be done during the training, how one should hold their fist when thrusting it out, where one¡¯s feet should stand.

    It also described exactly how one should focus when meditating. The volume said that one should clear one¡¯s mind of all thought, instead focusing on the in and out of breath. Frustratingly, it didn¡¯t mention what to do when one couldn¡¯t clear one¡¯s mind entirely. It only said to continue to clear one¡¯s mind, as if that was something simple. Her mind filled with worries every few seconds, along with thoughts of what it was she was supposed to do, what she needed to research, how she needed to make her life here work.

    Sometimes, when she was practicing, a sharp feeling of dread and despair rose up in her that made her want to burst into tears. It felt like drowning, everything curling up and over her head until she was choking with it. She refocused on the book, reading the next sentences as they tried to explain that one must imagine the breath rising in through their nose and out through their mouth, as it circulates throughout their body.

    She wrenched the thinly-bound book closed, feeling a familiar hatred rising up in her chest, as she tossed the book back onto the table. Picking up another, she opened it, folding the pages she¡¯d completed around the spine. This one, The Women¡¯s Analects, was famous in her own world, although here they weren¡¯t written by Song Ruozhao, but by some other woman, and Nie Ruyi would never know if they were the same books or different. She bit her lip against that bit of sorrow and focused instead.

    <blockquote>

    To be a woman, you must first learn?how to establish?yourself as a person. The way to do this is simply by working hard to establish?one¡¯s purity and chastity. By purity, one keeps one¡¯s self undefiled; by chastity, one preserves one¡¯s honor.

    When?walking, don¡¯t turn?your head; when?talking, don¡¯t open?your mouth?wide; when?sitting, don¡¯t move your knees; when?standing, don¡¯t rustle your skirts; when?happy, don¡¯t exult with? loud laughter; when? angry, don¡¯t raise your voice. The inner and outer quarters are each distinct; the sexes should be segregated. Don¡¯t peer over the outer wall?or go beyond the outer courtyard. If you have to go outside, cover your face; if you peep outside, conceal?yourself as much?as possible. Do not be on?familiar terms with men?outside the family; have nothing to do with?women?of bad character. Establish?your proper self so as to become a human?being.

    </blockquote>

    The more she read, the more her heart felt like it was being crushed in the jaws of a crocodile. A part of her had hoped that perhaps it would excite her, to learn the sorts of things her favorite harem-drama novel heroines had learned. But¡­ in reality, it felt almost like she was being told that everything in her didn¡¯t belong here.

    <blockquote>

    The husband is to be firm, the wife soft; conjugal? affections follow from this. While at home, the two of you should treat each?other with?the formality and reserve of a guest. Listen? carefully to and obey whatever your husband tells you. If he does something wrong, gently correct him. Don¡¯t be like those women?who not only do not correct their husbands but actually lead them into indecent ways. ¡­ Don¡¯t imitate those shrewish?wives who love to clash? head on?with?their husbands all?the time.

    </blockquote>

    She clicked her tongue, sniffing away the sting of more tears. She turned the page, trying not to think too hard about those words as A¡¯Rong bustled around the rooms, cleaning up after the guests. The words reminded her of her mother, who never raised a voice to her father, but somehow managed to redirect him whenever his anger rose to the surface. She thought to herself about how any relationship she¡¯d had had always ended with a lack of communication.

    How could she find a future here, in this world, where men were expecting women like this? Women who could not even go outside. Sure, she knew cultivators were different, as the women often went around as they wanted, but still. Anxiety rose up and she forced herself to put that book down too, before she drove herself insane.

    She picked up the third book.

 Chapter Twenty-Four - Goal Making

    Chapter Twenty-Four - Goal Making

    Nie Ruyi

    The third book was titled, ¡®Bestiary of Xiancheng Lake and surrounding areas¡¯, which meant little to Nie Ruyi, as she had no idea where that was. However, upon reading through the introduction, it became pretty clear that it was written by an alumni of the Severing Firefly Sect, and that this lake was in fact within their territory. Which meant, she was able to assume the lake was nearby. The insistent bump against her arm from one of her two companions (she assumed it was Izzy) prompted her to drop one hand to play with that creature¡¯s slime.

    Turning the pages of course, turned out to be difficult this way, but it was easy enough to keep up with the book¡¯s down-to-earth narration regarding some facts of life. During her perusal, Sun Xirong went through several rounds of getting up and sitting down, doing various chores and sitting back down to work on her most recent hair-flower. It quite intrigued Nie Ruyi to find out that the book did in fact have entries for normal mortal creatures. She found several entries on different types of Ants, including cutter and farming ants. None of them were as in depth as one might pull up on a wikipedia page, and definitely none of them had the kind of diagrams one might expect from an Encyclopedia, either. But despite that, she was able to use these entries for things she would normally recognise to help her quantify the entries for things she¡¯d never heard of before.

    One of the things she did first and foremost was look up her new friends. Her fingers turned until she found the entry for Ochre Misery Fern.

    <blockquote>

    Ochre Misery Fern

    Other names: Vine Beast, Sap Fiend, Corpse Farmer

    Category: Plant Monster

    Difficulty: Dependant upon size

    Beast Core Size: Small to medium, depending on size of the creature. The older the Fern, the larger the core.

    General Attributes:

    Ochre Misery Ferns are said to have the following characteristics: Leafy vines wrapped around a central core much the way yarn is wrapped, thorns only when it wishes to have thorns, no discernable eyes nor ears, and podlike feet upon which it toddles about when it wishes to. They are said to choose sunny fields or riversides to plant roots in, nearby to roads and well-worn paths. They are said to use their vines to break in half and bury the body parts of their victims, whether animal or human. There is no way of knowing if the creatures are capable of spontaneously growing their vines longer or if there are simply many layers of vine unseen, but they use these vines to wrap and trap their prey.

    Uses:

    Alchemical - The Ferns are useful for much, as their leaves can be crushed and ground into a stinging powder one might use in a trap, the sap can be boiled down to make a base for alchemical potions, provided it is amended with ingredients heavy in the Fire qi needed to remove the poisonous nature of such sap.

    Pill-Making - Ferns make for a good base powder, when their vines are properly prepared.

    Location - As the Ferns rarely move from their chosen homes, they make good landmarks although they grow bigger with each season. Also, any area from which the Ferns are removed will have immensely fertile soil, good for gardening.

    Medicinal - Not much can be said of the medicinal properties of the Ferns.

    Culinary - One does not hunt these creatures for their culinary use.

    </blockquote>

    She was quite intrigued by this, actually, since it implied that the fern was in fact starving itself by sitting in her window or in her lap. She ran her hands over the fern leaves, noting that her Missy had strangely curled leaves that curled upwards, while others of the leaves, larger ones, drifted downward in an almost daimondy-shape. Honestly, underneath the shuddering leaves, Missy looked like a Tangela without eyes, but beside the reference to pocket monsters, there was little else to compare them. She wasn¡¯t the deep blue of that creature, instead a riot of greens and rusty-reds, with interesting shapes and swirls to the leaves.

    Missy made a rustling sound at Nie Ruyi¡¯s regard, and Nie Ruyi paused for a moment, closing her eyes. She reached out, the way she had to Izzy and Goober, with that sense through the heaviness, and found Missy¡¯s presence close and reaching back towards her. Just like before that heavy click took place and then there she was. Missy¡¯s contentment and joy could be felt through that connection, and it took almost nothing for Nie Ruyi to swap between the golden cords that connected her to Izzy and Goober and back again. ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    She pulled herself out of that headspace and turned the pages in the thread-bound bestiary, looking for the sludge hounds.

    <blockquote>

    Sedimentary Sludge Hound

    Other names: Ooze Dogs, Porcupine Slimes

    Category: Slime Monster

    Difficulty: A well trained outer disciple could take one down.

    Beast Core Size: Small, no bigger than one¡¯s thumbnail.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    General Attributes:

    Sedimentary Sludge Hounds are named as such only because of their four limbs, two of which curve the way a dog¡¯s might. The rest of them is an ever-changing mix of slime, eyeballs and spikes not un-reminiscent of the porcupine¡¯s spines. These spines are hollow, but sturdy. The Sludge Hound will begin to melt away upon death, leaving these spines and the core and nothing else, so it is assumed that the spines are the only truly solid portion of these creatures. The creatures, like their lesser slime cousins, have been witnessed to eat anything, simply by absorbing it after it ceases moving. To hunt food, they use the spines on their bodies as claws and teeth, and then impale the creature they are hunting. After it dies, they will lay upon the body and when they get up, there will be nothing left of the body. Nothing is known of where these things come from, or if they die of natural causes. They seem to be found in wet environments, which implies water has something to do with their needs.

    Uses:

    Alchemical - The spines when ground up make for a powder rich in earth qi.

    Pill-Making - The spines when ground up make for a powder rich in earth qi.

    Location - The Sludge Hounds tend to form near water, so if one is spotted, water cannot be far behind.

    Medicinal - Not much can be said of the medicinal properties of the Ferns.

    Culinary - One does not hunt these creatures for their culinary use.

    </blockquote>

    She considered then, that perhaps whoever wrote these didn¡¯t have much experience actually studying something. She frowned, shaking her head, it wasn¡¯t fair to think such things about people who had probably spent their entire lives doing this research. And to be fair, she wasn¡¯t much better, she¡¯d definitely never studied biology to the extent that she was an expert.

    Still¡­

    ¡°A¡¯Rong!¡± She called, and sure enough the girl came out quickly, hands folded neatly in front of her. She must have just come back in from a chore. ¡°Could you fetch me my purse?¡± She asked, intending to make use of her planner.

    Receiving the satchel, she set it down on the ground, which allowed Izzy to snuffle at it with her not-a-nose. Drawing out her spiral-bound planner, she opened it to the most recent week. She¡¯d been using it to keep track of how long it had been since she¡¯d been brought to this world. Now, she marked down in the most recent date her reading progress in each of the books, and also her plans.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Basic Physical Comprehension for Beginning Cultivators - pg 18. </li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The Women¡¯s Analects - Pg. 27</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Bestiary of Xiancheng Lake and surrounding areas - Pg. 12</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">To do:</li>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Continue attending baby cultivator classes</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Practice Combat 2 hours daily</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Write observation diary for Pets</li>

    </ul>

    </ul>

    She paused, considering. She didn¡¯t really need to look for work or anything, as Lao Minghui had promised she¡¯d have a monthly stipend, right? She¡¯d done the math, too, and the monthly stipend was enough to pay for Sun Xirong¡¯s services, as well as the food they would need each month. Sun Xirong assured her that she would be able to live comfortably with that stipend. Not to mention if necessary, Nie Ruyi could always go to the communal kitchens for a meal if she needed to, and she could request new uniforms once every half-year.

    So¡­ without need to find work, and without any requirements on her time other than training¡­ What was she to do with herself? She was reminded of the three day weekends she would sometimes get from work back home. After the first day of chores and the second day of scrambling to catch up with her shows, she was often left with the third day of nothing to do. And it was blissful, when one considered that the next day she¡¯d be back to answering phone calls.

    But now.. she had that third day before her as a long, long stretch of life. What goals could she make while she was here?

    She tapped her pen against the paper, and bit her lip. Outside, the wind rustled and she could see the shadows of the leaves against the windows. She made another list.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Things I want:</li>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400"> </li>

    </ul>

    </ul>

    She paused again, tapping the pen against the paper, and frowned. Then she continued:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Things I want:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">New books to read</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cultivation good enough I won¡¯t die</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">A family (eventually)

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Defined as A Husband and children</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

    She paused and crossed out the definition. And then she continued.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Things I want:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">New books to read</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cultivation good enough I won¡¯t die</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">A family (eventually)

    <ul>

    <li>Defined as A Husband and children</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">To go home</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

    She scribbled that last part out, and slammed the pen down onto the paper, before taking a deep breath. This was getting her nowhere. She gently pushed Missy off her lap, and the fern made the trek across the room to the next warm sunbeam to lay in. Izzy and Goober got up, jittering like jello that had been disturbed, and followed as she headed for the door that lead outside.

    ¡°Nie-Xiaojie?¡± Sun Xirong questioned, looking up from her flowers.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk, A¡¯Rong. You can come if you want, or you can stay here. It¡¯s up to you.¡± When the girl looked guiltily between her mistress and the hobby she¡¯d been working on, Nie Ruyi huffs out an amused smile. ¡°Just stay here. It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t be long.¡±

    The maid nodded, uncertain, but did as told.

 Chapter Twenty-Five - Feng Shui

    Chapter Twenty-Five - Feng Shui

    Nie Ruyi

    The fresh air was good, scented by the faint smell of sweat that accompanies any gym, overpowered by the scent of pine and incense. Nie Ruyi had never had the opportunity to smell such a thing before and it was pretty novel, which just reminded her how much things had changed. Everything was different here, and she was still quite unsure what her place was in this new world.

    The padding tippy-tap of claws on the stone walkways reminded her she wasn¡¯t alone. Izzy and Goober had come with her, in turns pressing against her side and loping off to go look at and drip on something or other. She was surprised to note that she could tell the difference between the two. For example, the one against her hip right now was Izzy, who felt in her chest like the soft petals of a flower wrapped around a heavy bowling ball. Goober was the one ahead, head lowered to¡­ was he sniffing? She wasn¡¯t quite sure since the Sedimentary Hounds don¡¯t particularly have noses so much as jaws full of uncomfortably shifting teeth. Anyway, he was nosing at some of the greenery, some evergreen bush that seemed exquisitely trimmed in such a way as to pretend to be wild.

    Nie Ruyi¡¯s hand fell to Izzy¡¯s side, and once again, she was surprised to find how soft and malleable the porcupine-like quills were when patted. She carefully made herself not think about how sharp and painful those spikes could be. The time she¡¯d spent in the medical pavilion under the care of He Qina was an unfortunate and fresh memory. He Qina was of course, a consummate professional of the medical field, and honestly worked miracles as far as Nie Ruyi was concerned. But the pain was¡­ well. It was more than she was used to for any medical procedure.

    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little like He Qina had been doing it on purpose. The woman seemed to despise it when people came in injured. Nie Ruyi didn¡¯t know her well, but she felt that maybe it was the same sort of ire that a mother might have if her children kept coming in with scrapes and bruises. After a while, it becomes clear the children are just getting hurt out of carelessness, and then you start getting upset about it. Nie Ruyi¡¯s hand passed over one of Izzy¡¯s globulous eyeballs, and she shuddered, reminding herself to try and avoid injuring herself as much as possible.

    She pushed herself forward, silk slippers along the cool stone, as she considered where to go and what to do next. The sound of a burbling water feature trickled through the courtyards as she walked the labyrinthine pathways. The pathways wove up and down and in between hills and mountains that reminded her of pictures she¡¯d seen in her world, pictures of mountainous temples and sand gardens filled with austere and beautiful foliage. She could see children every so often, clipping trees and pushing stones around in esoteric ways.

    Nie Ruyi hadn¡¯t been any kind of expert in Cultivation epics. She honestly had stuck mostly to CDramas focusing on the Imperial Harem and politics. But she¡¯d gotten into the occasional cultivation epic, after all, since they tended to have intrinsic ties to the local politics. She dredged up as much knowledge as she had, considering what she was seeing.

    In the cultivation epics she¡¯d heard of, there were things like outer disciples and inner disciples. From what she understood, outer disciples were the ones who did all the chores, and acted basically as servants, in order to have a chance at learning the martial arts and knowledge of the Sect. Inner disciples were like doctoral students, who dedicated themselves entirely to their studies, and were expected to produce results that would enrich the Sect.

    She considered then what Sects actually were. One book she¡¯d read had translated it as Cult, and that worried her a little. But honestly, from what she saw here, it seemed more like an organization, like some kind of school mixed with a business and perhaps a little like a commune. Everyone seemed to have a place and a job, and she felt a little¡­ out of sorts.

    Was it because she¡¯d gone from being a cog in the capitalist hellscape to now basically being a rich young mistress with time on her hands?

    She returned to her original thought, considering, as she went, how the sect must run. Those doing menial labor like the children she¡¯d just passed, all seemed to be wearing oranges or browns. As she considered it, so did her maid, Sun Xirong. Hm¡­ Perhaps it was a uniform of sorts?

    As she passed one group of young children, who seemed to her between the ages of 8 and 13, she watched them use a lever to shift a rather large boulder into another position in the landscape, lead by an older gentleman. She paused, and watched for a moment, before approaching the older man. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He side-eyed her, but kept his focus on the straining children. That didn¡¯t stop him, however, from lifting his arms and clasping his hands. Bowing at the waist, he greeted, ¡°Disciple Do greets Shijie.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? What is it you are doing?¡± She asked, curiosity rising. ¡°And how did you know to call me Shijie?¡±

    The man¡¯s confusion turned on her, before being wiped away clearly. ¡°Disciple Do is guiding these Outer Disciples to correct the feng shui of this area. Without proper feng shui, Qi cannot flow properly throughout the sect. It is an ongoing project. To answer Shijie, as Shijie is not wearing an outer disciple robe, this one assumed Shijie was his senior in the Sect.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She frowned, sifting through her memories of how things like this worked. ¡°Then you are an outer disciple, Disciple Do?¡±

    The man¡¯s face clouded but for a moment, and then cleared again. ¡°Shijie is correct. This one is a Senior Outer Disciple, having been with the sect for three decades now.¡±

    That startled her. She hadn¡¯t thought this man was older than perhaps twenty. ¡°Three decades? How old is Senior Disciple Do?¡±

    ¡°This disciple is turning forty three in the summer, Shijie.¡± He explained, lifting his chin. His age was obviously a source of pride.

    ¡°You look so young for your age¡­¡± She murmured, anxiously pressing a hand to her cheek.

    ¡°Of course Shijie knows anyone who reaches Foundation Establishment stage begin to see slowing in aging. This outer disciple reached the stage in his twenties.¡± Was there a tinge of annoyance in his voice? She bit her lip as she considered both this new information and the chance she might be able to get more information out of him.

    ¡°Ah, this Shijie has only recently began cultivating. Please do not upset yourself over her silly questions.¡± Nie Ruyi pushed herself to show the same sort of linguistic humility that he was, and gave him a gracious bow of her head, just like she¡¯d seen the concubines do on the CDramas she used to watch.

    It seemed to have an effect, if the straightening of his back was any indication. ¡°Shijie is quite old to begin only now¡­¡± He probed, now looking at her the way a child might a bug under a glass.

    ¡°Shijie came from a place where cultivation wasn¡¯t allowed.¡± She lied, before smiling, ¡°Can you explain to me a little of what you know? Perhaps this Shijie could learn from Disciple Do for a few moments?¡±

    ¡°May this one ask Shijie¡¯s name?¡± Disciple Do prompted.

    ¡°Nie Ruyi.¡± She answered easily. His eyes widened, and he nodded, so it was easy to deduce that he¡¯d heard of her. A small gasp and a few whispered words behind them indicated so had the children.

    ¡°Nie-Shijie,¡± Disciple Do said, ¡°This one is honored to meet someone recruited directly by Lao-Zhangmen. Have you been confirmed as her Personal Disciple?¡±

    She blinked, ¡°I¡­ do not believe so? She said that this one would have the same rank as a Senior Inner Disciple. But this one has not been declared the Personal Disciple of anyone.¡±

    Suddenly she felt almost the same as she had when she rode the bus and some rough-looking men were watching her. She swallowed, and held her ground, refusing to back away just because she felt threatened.

    ¡°This Do sees.¡± He gave her a smile, and nodded, ¡°This one would be happy to speak with you. Get back to work!¡± He snapped at the little ones who had paused and were instead milling around the big stone. They jolted and went back to pushing at the boulder, moving it little inches at a time.

    Her eyes following the children, she continued speaking, ¡°You mentioned that aging slows once one reaches Foundation Cultivation stage. When does one truly stop aging at all?¡±

    ¡°Why, Nascent Soul Stage. That is when one truly becomes immortal. Before that, the Core isn¡¯t fully formed, and therefore cannot sustain a person¡¯s lifeforce indefinitely. Core Formation is the stage that stymies most cultivators, leaving them functionally immortal but still susceptible to dying of old age.¡± He answered, ¡°If Shijie is curious about the progression of stages, she might try reading Basic Physical Comprehension for Beginning Cultivators. It will go into greater depth on this.¡±

    Nie Ruyi felt a little strangled at the thought that she could have learned all of this just by reading that book that still sat on her table. She gave what she hoped was a charming smile, and nodded, ¡°This Shijie will keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Shijie will also do well to find a Shifu to take her under their wing. Personal instruction can be very valuable.¡± There it was again, that feeling like she was being catcalled without actually being propositioned.

    ¡°And who has the honor of being Disciple Do¡¯s Shifu?¡± She asked, because it seemed like the sort of thing that would come up eventually.

    ¡°This Disciple doesn¡¯t have the honor of a personal Shifu. But if he could chose, he would chose Elder Feng. She¡¯s the Closed-Bud Elder, and she has complete mastery over physical cultivation. The Elder has the ability to perfect her own physique to such an extent that she can crack mountains with a single finger flick. You may have met her Personal Disciple, Lin Baiwei-Shijie.¡±

    A familiar name! Nie Ruyi nodded, ¡°This Shijie has. Lin-Shijie is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Disciple Do nodded, proud and puffed up as if she was his own disciple. ¡°But Elder Shang wouldn¡¯t be a bad Shifu to have either. He is the Bull-Shearing Elder, who once shaved the hide off of an Abyssal Black Bull before killing it in a single blow. He¡¯s a master of unconventional weaponry, and this Disciple had the honor of witnessing him once use a set of chopsticks to route a small army of bandits!¡±

    Nie Ruyi blinked, nodding. She mentally pictured something like Jackie Chan in one of his movies, and thought that perhaps that was something that was normal here? She didn¡¯t want to ruin Disciple Do¡¯s enthusiasm however, and so she let him continue.

    ¡°Or perhaps-¡± Oh dear, perhaps Nie Ruyi had opened Pandora''s box here.

 Chapter Twenty-Six - Grumpy Librarians

    Chapter Twenty-Six - Grumpy Librarians

    Nie Ruyi

    It was a few moments before Nie Ruyi was able to escape Disciple Do¡¯s explanation of the various elders in the sect, and her head was reeling. She waved him off, and the children too, as they left to go attend some other Feng Shui based gardening. She herself turned to head towards the Sect Library. The stone paths were labyrinthine, and she often had to pause and ask a passing servant or disciple for directions. It felt almost like one of those missions in video games where you have to introduce yourself to everyone, and she was starting to get tired.

    Eventually, she found the library, an imposing building with stairs leading up to it, that honestly looked like a pagoda, halfway through being built. There were still construction workers at the top levels, hammering and cutting wood. Once inside, she was greeted with a librarian¡¯s desk and rows of straight bookshelves. As she stepped through, she wondered if she imagined the shift in the air she felt. Instead of considering it too hard, she went to the librarian¡¯s desk. She stood in line behind what appeared to be three outer disciples, two teenagers, and a young man, all of whom seemed a bit separate.

    ¡°But Shu-Shixiong said that it would be here!¡± One of the little ones crowed, frowning up at the librarian, who looked as all librarians must, overworked, underpaid and entirely done with this. A cranky librarian made for difficult borrowing, Nie Ruyi knew. The man had graying hair at his temples, and sharp, downturned brows, like swords darting towards his nose. His face had lines that showed for certain he was aged.

    ¡°Your Shu-Shixiong isn¡¯t wrong. Veils of the Mystical is here, however, Shizhi do not have the clearance to read it, much less check it out. Shizhi should come back after they¡¯ve become Inner disciples at the very least.¡± With a waving motion, the librarian dismissed the three kids who honestly looked no older than ten each. Nie Ruyi couldn¡¯t help but watch with amusement as the three trundled away, clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

    The next patron, the young man, stepped forward, and in a quiet voice requested something Nie Ruyi couldn¡¯t quite make out behind the rambunctious sounds of the two teenagers. They seemed to be arguing over some sort of theory that involved¡­ string, of some sort? But it didn¡¯t sound like science, honestly, it sounded like they were debating the merits of two different types of string.

    The librarian nodded sharply to whatever the young man said, and then held out a hand. The young man showed a token that shimmered in the dim lantern light of the library, and the Librarian nodded, turning and writing something down with a brush and ink. He handed it to the young man, who went off into the stacks.

    The teenagers took their turn, asking for reference books regarding (of all things) Seals and the uses of string in them. They went on their way with another note written with the Libarian¡¯s steady brushwork. Then, it was Nie Ruyi¡¯s turn and she stepped up, only for the librarian¡¯s scowl to worsen. She stumbled over her words, unsure what she¡¯d done to make the man upset.

    ¡°I-I was hoping you could help me learn how to check out books?¡± She questioned.

    ¡°And this Shimei¡¯s name is?¡± He asked, as he reached over and opened a thick tome she honestly couldn¡¯t believe was bound with sewn binding. It thumped open onto the table, dust sliding off it¡¯s cover and into the air.

    ¡°Nie Ruyi. I¡¯m¡­ relatively new to the sect.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Ah, yes. This librarian sees here that Nie-Shimei has the clearance of an Inner Disciple¡­hm.¡± He perused the characters in such a focus that Nie Ruyi lifted her chin to try and read the words, even as upside down as they were. But he slapped a hand down on the book and glowered at her.

    ¡°Ahem, uh¡­ Yep, thats me.¡± She laughed nervously, wringing her hands as the quiet shuffle of paper that always filled libraries and bookstores drifted between them in this awkward moment.

    ¡°Since it is Shimei¡¯s first time here, this Libarian will explain the rules. One, Shimei may only take one book with her when she leaves. Two, Shimei may only remove three books at a time from the library shelves. Three, Shimei must touch the shelf with her token when she removes a book from said shelf. If she does so and the book does not leave the shelf, then she is not authorized to view it.¡±

    She blinked, ¡°...What if, somehow, I remove the book anyway?¡±

    He sniffed, lifting his chin to look down his nose at her. ¡°Nie-Shimei won¡¯t be able to. But if she somehow does, she¡¯ll be considered in direct disregard for the Sect¡¯s rules and be punished. Depending on the severity, she may be killed, dispelled from the sect, or imprisoned.¡±

    Her eyes widened, and she nodded, ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°If Nie-Shimei are looking for something she cannot find, come and ask this librarian or whomever else is at this desk for assistance. There are seven librarians, so do not be alarmed if someone else is behind this desk.¡± He lifts up a small pendant that wasn¡¯t there before, and pushes it across the desk towards her. ¡°This is Nie-Shimei¡¯s pendant. She should wear it on herr belt when she wishes to enter the library pavilion.¡±

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    She nodded, looping it through the belt that held up her <ruqun, ¡°Would you happen to have a schedule for the classes that the outer disciples are allowed to attend? And then another for the inner disciples?¡±

    He wrinkled his nose. ¡°Why would this librarian have something like that?¡±

    She deflated, her hands bunching the silk of her skirt. ¡°Ah, I see. Where would I be able to get something like that?¡± She asked, feeling very much like a high school freshman trying to figure out how to get a hold of her class list.

    ¡°No such thing exists. The teachers post their individual schedules in the Halls, and expect their students to attend or not as they see fit. Shimei will need to go there to find them.¡± He muttered, frowning.

    ¡°I see, and is there a specific section regarding self-defense martial arts?¡±

    ¡°...Defensive techniques or close-quarters-combat techniques?¡± He asked, and Nie Ruyi considered.

    ¡°Both, I suppose.¡±

    He heaved a sigh, and that brush began swishing across a piece of rough paper, before it was thrust into her hand. ¡°There. Now there¡¯s a line forming, so Shimei should be on her way.¡±

    Sure enough, six more disciples had joined the line behind her, and she bobbed her head in a little bow before heading off to look for the books he¡¯d suggested. It was difficult finding them, as there seemed little to no organization, or at least not one she recognised. The books weren¡¯t shelved in order of name by either title or author, that she could tell.

    The logic frustrated her, and she took another deep breath to calm herself down. She decided on a tried and true method. Read every title until she found what she was looking for. At least that¡¯d give her an idea of what books were available?

    After almost fifty of the most obscure, poorly-descriptive titles one could imagine, she realized this wasn¡¯t going to be an option either. Incensed and frustrated, she turned to the nearest person, a young man who barely looked a day over twenty and asked him, ¡°Excuse me, could you help me find these books?¡±

    The young man blinked up at her, his inkwell black eyes taking her in. His hair was pulled back from his face sharply, and fell in a high ponytail behind him, forehead locked off by a cloth headband with woven patterns in it. His robes were shades of hay-yellow and deep orange. ¡°What?¡±

    She smiled, ¡°I was hoping you could help me find these books. I¡¯m having trouble understanding the organisation of the shelves, and so I¡¯m having trouble locating them. You look like you¡¯re here often,¡± She gestured to the stack of two books in his hand and the third he has cracked open. ¡°So I thought you might know.¡±

    The young man, perplexed, closed the book he was looking at and set it in his stack, and then reached otu to take her list, peering over it curiously. Then, he nodded, and took off towards another section of shelf entirely. ¡°Shijie is in the wrong section. These are low-tier Body grade techniques, and Shijie is in the Middle tier Mind grade techniques. Not only that, but this section is for attack-techniques specifically, and these two here are in the defense technique section.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s divided by what type of technique, not by what the title or author is?¡±

    The young man shook his head, as if confused why someone might order something that way. ¡°No. It goes ¡®grade, tier, technique-type¡¯.¡± He pointed to signs above the shelves. The one she was looking at had ¡°M*L*A¡± on it. She nodded, even though that seemed counterproductive to her.

    ¡°What about books that aren¡¯t martial arts techniques?¡± She asked, ¡°Like histories, or bestiaries?¡±

    He tilted his head, ¡°Why would those be found in the sect library? Shijie can find those in the Halls.¡±

    She nodded, readjusting her thought process. Perhaps the Sect Library was for the collection of the sect¡¯s martial techniques, whereas the Halls were for other knowledge, specific to what the hall specialized in?

    ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s the first one.¡± He said, tapping the book where it sat on the shelf. ¡°Broken Jade Planter School. This is a pretty good one for lady¡¯s self-defense, but be aware it¡¯s pretty easy to counter if one knows about it in advance.¡±

    She nodded, reaching out and tapping the shelf beneath the book, where a red dot was, with her pendant. The book popped out like it was on a spring, and she pulled it off, settling it in the crook of her arm.

    ¡°Thank you for that advice. Do you know of a better option?¡± She asked, tilting her head.

    ¡°...This one¡¯s elder sister practices Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth school of defense arts. Hmmm¡­¡± He turned to the bookshelf, and scanned through them, before pointing to one on the shelf. It had a soft eggshell blue binding, and sure enough, the title was the same. She scanned through it for a few moments, seeing the diagrams. Then, she opened up the Broken Jade Planter and looked through it, and compared the two. The Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth seemed to have more pictures, which would at least be useful for her. She nodded, and put the Broken Jade Planter one back. She could always come get it later.

    She held out her hand for the list, and the young man deposited it back in her waiting palm.

    ¡°Thank you. I think I¡¯ll check this out and go from there. You¡¯ve been a big help.¡±

    ¡°Of course. If Shijie needs anything else, just let this one know.¡± He dipped his head in a bow, before heading off into the stacks.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven - Grumpy Elders

    Chapter Twenty-Seven - Grumpy Elders

    Nie Ruyi

    Nie Ruyi¡¯s next stop was to see if she could figure out where exactly these ¡®halls¡¯ were. As she wandered around, she began to realize that the sect was about as big as college campus, or maybe bigger? She wasn¡¯t quite sure. But there were several buildings spread all over the acreage, and while the buildings had signs indicating what they were named, they did not indicate what they DID.

    For example, the Pine Hall that she just passed, when she peaked into various rooms in there it seemed to be some kind of alchemical lab? Many of the rooms had bubbling pots and people putting leaves and ingredients in them, so she could only guess what that was.

    The next hall she found was Osmathus Hall, and that one had many rooms filled with lecturing teachers who stood at the front of the class, with half-empty seats, and people frantically taking notes. She managed to find a few libraries in this hall, but each one had different types of texts. One library seemed devoted entirely to the ages and dates of people who had been in the sect and what they accomplished. Another seemed entirely dedicated to the local towns, specifically about the monster sightings in each town.

    She found most of this out by asking, rather than looking herself, or she¡¯d never find any sort of insight. One of the young ladies she spoke with, a lovely An-Shimei, told her that if she was looking for a hall specifically dedicated to martial arts, she¡¯d need to find either the Willow Hall or the Oak Hall. ¡°But I recommend the Willow Hall for Shijie.¡±

    Giving the girl a sweet smile and a thanks for pointing her in the right direction, she trudged along gravel-and-stone paths towards Willow Hall. She couldn¡¯t help but notice as she followed the path that the number of flowers and ¡®pretty¡¯ plants increased, as well as the number of ruqun skirts over regular pants. Ah, was she headed to the ladies section of the sect? Was the sect divided so?

    Inside Willow Hall, she found a number of classrooms all arranged around a central courtyard. In the courtyard, there was in fact a class going on. Specifically a class full of young women led by an older woman. Each woman was moving in slow, dedicated force, and Nie Ruyi blinked, pausing. Something tickled her memory, and she found a stone bench to sit down on as she watched the class take place.

    The girls shifted their weight this way and that, almost like blades of grass blown in the wind, lifting hands this way and that as if to block oncoming blows. Then, one of the forms they took reminded her of something, and she opened up the book she¡¯d gotten from the library, Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth style,  and sure enough, after flipping through a bit, she found the form. They were practicing the very art she was looking to learn!

    For a moment, she got excited, thinking perhaps she could jump in and join the class, the way she had the self-defense classes for the very young disciples. The teacher then had told her to just stand at the back of the class and try to do what they were doing. If she messed up, that teacher had corrected her, and she hadn¡¯t been the only one corrected. Here, she saw too that the person she¡¯d assumed to be the teacher leading the class was perhaps not, since there was another older woman wandering the rows of girls and correcting this stance here and that arm-length there.

    She considered then, seeing if she could feasibly join in the clothes she was wearing, and realized that she was not the only one wearing a ruqun and outer robes that were quite flowy and would get in the way of movement. It seemed encouraged, almost, as all of the girls were wearing such clothes and many had jangly hairpins in their hair and jewelry and makeup on. With that settled, she set her books on the stone bench and headed for the back of the class.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    She slipped herself into the back row, careful not to crowd anyone, and then proceeded to try and follow the movements. Drawing her left hand along the length of her right and down her chest, only to thrust it out, slowly, in front of her, she struggled to turn her left ankle the way the others did. She nearly toppled over, but the elder came over and adjusted her hips which set her weight back where it was supposed to be, and she realized she¡¯d been holding her weight in the balls of her feet and needed to plant them better.

    She followed along, clumsily, for a long while more, her movements straining and hard, but eventually the elder women called a break, and the class broke up into little cliques. She realized she didn¡¯t know anyone here, and decided the easiest thing to do would be to go to one of the teachers. So, she stepped forward and waited until the teacher ceased speaking with two of the young women (both in peach-pink ruqun that looked as if they hadn¡¯t been sweating at all).

    ¡°Forgive me for joining your class so late,¡± She started, only to startle and realize that as soon as she¡¯d begun talking, the woman (who looked fourty or fifty)¡¯s face turned hard and annoyed, ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry, have I been rude? I¡¯m very new to this country¡­¡± She hoped that would help.

    ¡°One should be polite when speaking to an elder. Let¡¯s begin with an introduction. This one is Elder Chun. And who might this Xiaojie be?¡± She said Xiaojie like someone might say ¡°Snooty bitch¡±, which made Nie Ruyi kind of want to wither.

    ¡°Ah.. Nie Ruyi, Elder. Please accept my apologies. I¡¯m unsure what I¡¯ve done-¡±

    ¡°Nie-Xiaojie is speaking rudely. Nie Xiaojie keeps saying ¡°I¡±, ¡°You¡± as if she is some high concubine or rich man¡¯s wife. Nie Xiaojie is-?¡± Elder Chun prompted, hands planted on her hips.

    Nie Ruyi felt her body heat with shame as she realized she¡¯d forgotten one of the most important things about cdramas and ancient china. NO ONE talked the way she did unless they were arrogant. She swallowed and offered up a bow of contrition. ¡°Forgive this foolish girl, Elder Chun. This Nie Ruyi is newly arrived in this country and unused to manners and etiquette here. Please, whatever advise the wise Elder can offer would be appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Better.¡± Elder Chun sniffed, as her coworker came up to her side. The two shared a look, and then Elder Chun turned back to Nie Ruyi. ¡°Nie Ruyi has still not told this Elder who she is or what she is doing in this Elder¡¯s Class.¡±

    Nie Ruyi straightened up and forced herself to ignore the embarrassment and speak, ¡°This Disciple has recently been looking for a Martial Art to study for self-defense, and was suggested Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth style. Upon arriving at Willow Hall, which this one was told was a good place to look for martial arts training, she saw that there was a class in progress and that the movements matched the book she¡¯d been given. So, this Nie Ruyi joined your class in hopes to pick up a few pointers.¡±

    ¡°Nie Ruyi moves like a child, unpracticed.¡± Elder Chun¡¯s coworker stated, tilted her head to look down a crooked nose at her.

    Elder Chun nodded, ¡°Has Nie-Shimei studied any other martial arts?¡±

    Nie Ruyi shook her head, and then paused, ¡°Ah¡­ This one has been joining the beginners classes for brand new disciples for the last week or so? Before this, she has had no martial arts training whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°That explains it.¡± Elder Chun sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll need quite a bit of practice before you are able to move as required for this particular branch of martial arts. You see, the Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style is best practiced by those with water and earth roots, so it is best not to take it up lightly.¡±

    ¡°...Roots?¡± Nie Ruyi blinked, and then remembered He Qina saying something about that. ¡°This one has Willow Veins, intertwined with Earth veins. Is that what the elder means?¡±

    Both of the elder woman stared at her for a moment like she¡¯d lost her mind.

 Chapter Twenty- Eight - Best Laid Plans

    Chapter Twenty- Eight - Best Laid Plans

    Nie Ruyi

    ¡°You¡¯ve got three sets of veins?!¡± The second elder demanded, looking vaguely disgusted. Nie Ruyi was starting to feel like she should at least know this woman¡¯s name if she was going to be so very against Nie Ruyi¡¯s everything.

    ¡°Yes, this Disciple was told by Physician He Qina that this was the case.¡± She explained. ¡°Is that¡­ odd?¡±

    Elder Chun sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°It is indeed. Elder Xiao is only commenting as it will be difficult for Shimei to cultivate. However, with veins like that, Nie-Shimei will excel with the practice of Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the Roots you were discussing and the Veins this one was told about?¡± Nie Ruyi asked, if only to hedge off her own annoyance at how clearly these two were treating her lesser.

    ¡°Spiritual Roots are where spiritual veins come from.¡± The now identified Elder Xiao explained, looking Nie Ruyi up and down as if she were some weird thing a cat dragged in. She lifted a hand and pressed a finger to her own heart. ¡°Roots begin at the heart chakra, and the Spiritual Veins spread out from there throughout the rest of the body. To have three sorts of spiritual veins means to have three spiritual roots. One spiritual root can take a lifetime to hone enough to awaken as a Nascent Soul. Three spiritual roots to balance? Such a person would have better luck cultivating a field for all that they¡¯d be able to make it to immortality.¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s why the attitude. Nie Ruyi sighed, wishing she had less experience with teachers being disappointed in her. She took a deep breath in, and put on her customer service smile. ¡°This one has discussed with Physician He at length what might be done to accommodate this one¡¯s condition. Will it impede this one from being able to learn how to defend herself with Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Elder Chun said, firm. ¡°Practice it, and you will excel.¡±

    ¡°Then this one would like to join Elder Chun and Elder Xiao¡¯s classes going forward. Is there anywhere this one might copy down the schedule for these classes?¡± Nie Ruyi asked, straightening her back. Elder Xiao¡¯s feet shuffled and she waved a hand. Elder Chun nodded in her direction and Elder Xiao headed off somewhere.

    Elder chun then turned towards Nie Ruyi, making sure she was watching, and then turned and began to walk off. Nie Ruyi jolted, realizing she was meant to follow, and so ran back to the bench to snatch up her books, and then turned to run after the Elder.

    Walking through the dark-wood pathways of the courtyard, she noticed that the very air here smelled different from her own rooms. As if the scent of flowers perfumed it. ¡°Does the Willow Hall use different incense? This one very much enjoys the scent.¡±

    ¡°Lotus incense is burned in the Willow Hall, to encourage the flow of Yin Qi. There are many Yin Cultivators who study in Willow Hall, and therefore we must carefully cultivate the Feng Shui to accommodate them.¡±

    ¡°Yin Qi?¡± Nie Ruyi asked, and as the elder¡¯s shoulders rose, she realized this was probably another thing she was expected to have already known. So many expectations placed on her based on her age, place in the sect, and her gender, and she¡¯s failing all of them. ¡°Ah, This one would also appreciate if Elder Chun had any suggestions for books on etiquette and general knowledge. This one is trying to bring herself up to speed as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Did you have no mother to teach you, Nie-Shimei?¡± The woman snapped, only to pause and take a breath. ¡°Nevermind. You should go to Magnolia Hall for such things. They have lessons for the orphaned disciples there, and that should help you.¡±

    ¡°Thanking Elder Chun.¡± Soon, the two of them entered what looked to be an office, ascetically decorated. Elder Chun turns to the wall next to the door, where there are scrolls hung up.

    ¡°These are the schedules of when teachers are available. As you can see it is based by week, so do not assume that the class will be available the same days of week each week. For this next week, we will have classes on the sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth days. These classes will almost always be at Shen Shi. If you miss them, that¡¯s that. The schedule will be posted here every first day. Any changes to the schedule will either be announced the class before, or via message.¡±

    ¡°Thanking Elder Chun for this wisdom.¡± Nie Ruyi said, as she took in the six rows of ten columns, in which three of the ten-day-weeks have been marked up, leaving three more. She realized suddenly that she was definitely not going to be able to use her current planner to keep track of this. She took a deep breath and decided she needed a trip to a book-printer, if those existed, and also to figure out who and how to keep track of a calendar here.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Do not thank this one yet. If Nie-Shimei wishes to catch up to the classes she¡¯s joining, she will need to do some training outside of class. This Elder recommends six laps around the Willow Hall courtyard, and a series of warmups performed each morning and evening before bed.¡± Elder Chun pulled a thin booklet from the shelves, and handed it to her. ¡°This will detail the warmups. Do not slack off, or this one will know.¡±

    Nie Ruyi nodded, and bowed, ¡°Elder Chun is kind to provide this for this disciple. Is there anything else this Disciple can do to prepare?¡±

    ¡°...Eat well, and do not skimp on the meat. Shimei¡¯s body will need the protein to build new muscles. And be prepared for pain. Hot baths and cool compresses will help.¡±

    Yeah, Nie Ruyi had already figured that much just from what she¡¯d absorbed from gym-bro culture that she¡¯d seen on the internet back home. Still, she nodded as if this was sage advice and waited.

    ¡°Does Nie-Shimei intend to darken my door for much longer?¡± Elder Chun asked, sharp. Nie Ruyi jumped, and then bowed respectfully.

    ¡°No, Elder Chun. Please have a pleasant evening, this Disciple will take her leave!¡±

    And with that she did, scurrying off towards her own rooms. She¡¯d need to figure out where Magnolia Hall was tomorrow, but for now, she had a lot to mentally digest. And oddly, she felt more energized. She had a new goal, and actions she could take towards it.

    When she arrived back at her own rooms, she greeted Sun Xirong and set down the books she¡¯d gathered in the meantime on the table. She pulled out her planner again, and only then realized that she was missing something.

    ¡°Izzy? Goober?¡± She called, thinking maybe the two sludge hounds had come back home. She realized she hadn¡¯t seen them since she went inside the library.

    But instead of the two beasts coming out of her bedroom, or perhaps somewhere else, the two of them seemed to sublimate up from the bottom of her shoes! Alarmed, she yelped and stepped out of the way, only for the two of them to nearly trip her while crowding around her. Izzy¡¯s spines brushed gelatinously along her arm and she found herself flinching back.

    The two hounds froze, as if sensing her sudden flash of panic. She shook herself out of it, remembering that these animals couldn¡¯t possibly know why she was scared of them, so she quickly began petting them to let them know they weren¡¯t in trouble. ¡°There you two are! You scared me, you know?¡±

    She sighed, ¡°So you two can hide on my shoes like gum, huh? How does that work? What about conservation of mass, huh, you monsters?¡± She teased in a baby-voice, scruffing the both of them along their chins and around their many eyes. What lovely creatures.

    ¡°Alright, well, you two go rest while I write some things down, hm?¡± She pushed the two big hounds towards her room, knowing they were going to crawl up into the canopy of her bed and live there as piles of melty flesh.

    Once they trotted off, she turned to her list and began working on it again, quickly.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Basic Physical Comprehension for Beginning Cultivators - pg 18. </li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The Women¡¯s Analects - Pg. 27</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Bestiary of Xiancheng Lake and surrounding areas - Pg. 12</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style manual - unstarted</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Warmups manual - unstarted</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">To do:</li>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Continue attending baby cultivator classes</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Practice Combat 2 hours daily (GFCE style classes can replace this)</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Write observation diary for Pets</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Get Planner made for the calendar (ten day cycle + hour-segments rather than hours)</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Get pen/pencil made</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Visit Magnolia Hall</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Attend Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style classes</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Find out more about how to grow roots and veins</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Six laps a day around Willow Hall</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Warmups twice a day</li>

    </ul>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Things I want:</li>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">New books to read</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cultivation good enough I won¡¯t die</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">A family (eventually) </li>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Defined as: a husband and kids. </li>

    </ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">To go home</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">To learn Glowing Fragrance Chill Earth Style</li>

    </ul>

    </ul>

    Feeling more settled, she smiled at her list. ¡°There¡¯s so much to do now.¡±

 Notice -

    This is not an actual chapter.

    This notice is just to let you know that, as the author''s computer has ''screwed the pooch'' so to speak, until another is found and put together, the author cannot effectively write new chapters. As such, we will be taking a one week hiatus. Another computer is in the process of being procured, so no worries. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

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