《Chasing the Horizon》 Chapter 1
Witha long drag of her pipe, Fushaka would look out of the window she was perched on the ledge of. It was a strange existence, this brothel. It kidnapped orphans and street rats, forced them into servitude via addiction to drugs hard to come by, and then...fine clothes, good food, nice rooms and bouncers who did not take kindly to customers overstepping their bounds. She could even set limits and just decide not to work today if she didn¡¯t want to. It made her wonder what the need for the drugs even was, it wasn¡¯t like anyone had anywhere to go if they did try to escape. This introspection was interrupted by the door slamming open, and having her friend and regular customer Talia barge into the room, face like thunder. ¡°You are not a whore!¡± she exclaimed, pointing dramatically. ¡°¡­Kind of am¡± Fu replied, putting the pipe aside and getting off the window ledge. ¡°I¡­I meant you aren¡¯t just like those street corner night walkers! You¡¯ve got grace and class and charisma¡± Talia continued, pacing the room. ¡°And a wicked tongue¡± Fu teased, giving a grin and sliding off the overdress putting it on the nearby stand. Poor little Talia flushed bright red at that, and stared at her feet. Taking the initiative, Fu would walk over and slide her hands across the tense shoulders, massaging them gently. It helped, being taller than her friend. Brushing the iconic purple hair of the Tsu Clan out of the way, she got to work easing Talia''s firm muscles. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a breath and tell me what has you so riled up~¡± Fushaka cooed, whispering gently into Talia¡¯s ear. The woman shuddered from the memory of what Fu could do when allowed free reign, and then collected herself and did as she was told. ¡°I was out talking to the Jom-¡± Talia started, before getting a snort from Fu. ¡°There¡¯s your problem¡± she commented derisively. ¡°They aren¡¯t that bad when you get to know them. Their country just has interesting, community-driven laws to them rather than judicial oversight¡± Talia explained. She was always ready to defend her friends, verbally or physically. ¡°Anyway, some of the Jiang Students came over and started mocking you, saying that I was a Whore Lover. So I stoved their heads in. But you aren¡¯t a Whore!¡± Listening gently, Fu couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft giggle at Talia¡¯s problems. ¡°They were mocking you, Talia. I was not even present in that conversation, except for an accurate description of my job¡± Fu explained, finishing with her tight shoulder muscles and stepping away. Talia immediately ruined all her hard work by swinging around and taking Fu¡¯s hand, ¡°You are a companion, an escort, a brilliant conversationalist and a friend. Whores just fuck¡± Talia exclaimed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Whatever Fushaka was going to say was lost when another woman appeared in the doorway. Fushaka was vaguely aware of Talia¡¯s mother, and intimately familiar with her terrifying reputation, but had never seen her. This woman, tall, slender and beautiful beyond compare, was certainly not the mental image she conjured when she heard Ci Lan¡¯s title of ¡®Raging Sky Demon¡¯. Maybe that was how she liked it, make people underestimate her. Certainly a trick Talia had pulled once or twice. ¡°There are guests waiting for you at the Sect, Talia¡± the woman spoke, taking a few steps into the room, and eyeing Fushaka. ¡°Would these guests have swollen eyes and bloody noses, mother?¡± Talia asked, her tone tart sweet and clearly dismissive of these guests. ¡°Relatives of, yes. If you run your mouth around my daughter, prepare to back them up. But at the same time, diplomacy is a must for civilization. We are not the Valley Sects, after all. We have a reputation to maintain¡± Talia would listen, grumble a little, and then turn, and take Fushaka¡¯s hand, swinging around to her mother with it. ¡°Fine, but they apologize to Fushaka. I can handle myself, but bullying her is just cruelty¡± Talia exclaimed, holding Fu¡¯s hand tightly. Though it merely raised an eyebrow from Ci. ¡°I like your spirit and determination to protect your friends, but having the Discipline Elder of the Jiang Sect apologize to a Gregari is¡­a little much¡± Ci commented. Talia seemed poised to jump on anyone speaking negatively about Fu, but couldn¡¯t say anything, given that Ci had used her proper occupational title, rather than the derogatory one. ¡°Then I¡¯ll marry her¡± Talia exclaimed, crossing her arms and staring at Ci. She was very much an Ancient, as even such a radical proclamation merely raised the second of her two eyebrows. ¡°Your mother continues to be an influence, I see¡± Ci commented, before letting out a sigh. ¡°She learns Twelve Stars, ok?¡± Whatever that was, it was pretty not something that was just learned, because Talia took a step back and looked to Fushaka. ¡°Mother! That isn¡¯t just something you learn!¡± she exclaimed, holding Fushaka as if she was going to disintegrate. ¡°You want my daughter-in-law to learn something lesser?¡± Ci would ask, in that ¡®that is so not going to happen¡¯ kind of voice. It cowed Talia easily enough, and left Fushaka just standing there looking dumbstruck. In one swift move, she¡¯d been dragged into a Martial Sect - The Tsu Clan¡¯s Asura Formation Sect, no less - and apparently married off to her friend. Slash regular customer. How was she even going to keep up with these people who were born and raised to fight? Terrifying though this whole situation was, she had to speak up. ¡°How am I going to fit into a sect like the Asura Formation? I¡¯m a twenty one year old orphan. I don¡¯t even remotely have any skills like that and I am far too old by the usual standards¡± Fushaka put in, trying to reclaim some control of the situation. It didn¡¯t work, as Talia and Ci both looked at her, and then Talia jabbed her finger at Fu suddenly. Startled, Fu shifted backwards, getting just out of range of the finger by the time the arm fully extended. Clearly, they saw something she didn¡¯t, as Ci nodded gently in affirmation of what just happened. ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down so much, and just trust me on this, ok? You are better than you think¡± Talia commented, dropping her arm and then heading out of the room with Ci. The unspoken command to follow them was followed, and Fushaka exited the room. Six men were gathered outside, each ready to give Fu the few seconds she needed to scurry away. None of them had any illusions of lasting more than a few seconds though, and the relief when nothing bad happened was palatable. ¡°I hope you maintain diligence, Fushaka. We demand nothing less of our family¡± Ci exclaimed, leading the procession out of the brothel.
Chapter 2 Beautiful black and white hair, split evenly down the middle to highlight and stand out in a crowd. Even more so than the elegant, sultry silk gown that she had bought. Everything about Fushaka was designed to catch the eye and tantalize the mind. And yet, now? She wished she was an inch tall and black as midnight, for it would be only there that she¡¯d be able to avoid the gaze of everyone who was staring. Being lead out of the brothel and across the town square towards the gates by someone so famous was far from what she was expecting in the morning, but Talia always did manage to destroy expectations. Like the expectation of there being anything outside the town gates, except the farms, shacks and wide open road. ¡°You walked here?¡± Fushaka asked, looking around for any kind of cart of carriage. ¡°I did, Mum flew¡± Talia replied. It was easy to forget that the upper echelons of the Sects were wild and powerful creatures of Legend, given how rarely these powers were seen or used. ¡°..Then I need new shoes. These are not designed for hiking¡± she would lift her feet, showing off the sloped platform clogs she was wearing. Great for a height boost, but terrible for anything more than going to the shops. Ci would stop, and look at the shoes, pursing her lips for a few seconds. ¡°They actually look fun to wear. Let¡¯s swap¡± she would state. It was quite the¡­shocking comment from a woman who Fu had only heard about in legends until now, but she did so diligently, swapping her platform clogs for Ci¡¯s flat shoes. They were good quality, hugged her feet and comforted her without being too thin to protect her from the ground. ¡°Good for your toes, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ci asked, after they took off walking again. The woman was, quite predictably, walking as if she had been wearing them for decades. Even had the subtle swagger of ball-point walking. ¡°Y¡­yea. R-eanna wears them all the time. She claims that she can do some rather¡­.improbable things with her toes because of the workout. I¡¯ve never seen it, but her feet are always well washed and she does get a lot of traffic through her room¡± Fushaka replied, stuttering a little as she felt super awkward about this entire thing, but finding her feet in what she was comfortable with. ¡°Tell me more~¡± Talia asked, nudging Fu playfully. ¡°How am I going to tell you more? I just said I¡¯ve never seen it. Apparently, people go in, she does things with her toes, people leave happily. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin describing what you could do with your toes¡± Fushaka replied, a bit exasperated at the topic but glad to be somewhere she was more comfortable with, conversationally. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Well, you just need to imagine her toes as a tongue and extrapolate from there¡± Talia teased, her voice hot and sultry, though it didn¡¯t get the desired reaction, as Fu just gave her a light wack on the head. ¡°You are supposed to be enlightened! Pursuit of apotheosis, ascension from the mortal woes. Why are you so lewd?¡± Fushaka asked, swatting Talia¡¯s head. ¡°Mmm, that is the public image, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ci asked, looking to the pair with a gentle smile. ¡°And it is the aspiration. But, often times it doesn¡¯t go like that, be it because we are ultimately human, or simply can¡¯t let go of the ties we have made in life. We try, and some make headway towards the apex every day. There have been enough successes to know it is possible, but there is also danger in overreaching and having your ideals collapse in on themselves. Those who give up this journey are the ones who populate the Valley Sects. It is the pursuit, the attempt of the idea, that separates the two¡± Ci was pretty passionate about this whole thing, and it was nice to see, to know that despite her attempts to ascend beyond mortal concerns, she was still a person. ¡°And I am an outlier anyway¡± Talia put in. ¡°Since my other mother is a Valley Sect Matriarch, so I get a life split between the attempt and the acceptance. For now, I am still trying to behave as I should, but every day is a day I may go live with my other mother. But that¡¯s life, is it not? Every day is a choice between the attempt to strive for a new position, and the acceptance of the position you are in. Neither is strictly wrong, because striving for the sky can see you miss the dangers of the Earth. But dreams are always nice to have, always nice to try¡± Fushaka was silent for a few moments, and then gave Talia another smack. ¡°Where is this profound introspection when you came to visit? You always talk like some Ganguro with more dye than brain-cells!¡± Fushaka exclaimed, her voice heating up again. ¡°Ohh, like you are one to talk about hair dye?¡± Talia retorted, catching Fushaka¡¯s hand and giving the woman a twirl to lock her arms against her body and pull her tight to Talia. ¡°That¡¯s part of my job!¡± Fu cried, tugging to get free, though it was useless. Despite how she acted, Talia was a Cultivator of a grand Sect, after all¡­ ¡°Well, now your job is me~¡± Talia whispered, kissing Fushaka¡¯s lips and neck for a bit before letting her go and skipping to go catch up with Ci. ¡°Now come on! It¡¯s quite the journey to the Sect if you don¡¯t have Qinggong!¡± Talia was not joking there, and it took them most of the day to walk out of the countryside and to the Five Peak Mountain where the Sect was located. While not unfit by any imagination, Fushaka had never gone on a cross-country hike and then up some mountain to the lower rung of the Sect. So by the time they did arrive, she was wiped out, and barely knew what was going on around her. She met with some old men, and words were said, she was introduced, and everyone was all very polite. Fu, mostly, just wanted to get something to eat then crash in the nearest bed. Fortunate for her, that desire was obvious, and she was lead to a dining hall where a simple meal was given, and devoured with much gusto. Finally, completely dead to the world from post-food lethalga, Fu barely made it to the bedroom she was assigned before crashing in her clothes. Surely, this whole thing was just a crazy dream and she would wake up from it in the morning to carry on her daily duties¡­ Chapter 3 Well, not a dream. She had been in drug-addled hazes before, since it seemed there were people who preferred to do it with a partner rather than doing it alone, but this time it wasn''t one one of them. Getting out of bed and taking off her clothes from the night before, she put on a short robe and headed off to go find some kind of bathing area. The sweat of yesterday was clinging, and she liked to be clean. What she found instead, was Talia, stood outside the dorms with a coy smile on her face, as usual. It was like the woman didn¡¯t know how to smile any way other than coyly. ¡°Nice outfit¡± she commented, giving a soft chuckle. ¡°Bath¡± Fu replied, still groggy from the exertion the day before. So, Talia took her to the communal bath and helped her get properly washed and cleaned. It was revitalizing, and woke Fu up enough to hold a proper conversation. ¡°On the topic of outfits¡± Fushaka mentioned, drying herself off and getting back into the light robe. ¡°Do I put my old kimono back on, or is there a uniform like yours I should be wearing?¡± ¡°There is a uniform back in your room, yes. Nothing special but good for working in. Also this¡± Talia would hand Fushaka a small, twelve page book, which was quickly flipped through. ¡®Determination and Progression against all odds. Even if my head is struck from my neck, I shall carry onwards¡¯ was the first line, and then some more commentary about the art, before a few pictures and advice on how to best enact them. It was a very simple martial art, and would be great to start her off with. ¡°That¡¯s Twelve Stars of Xingtian. Your martial art style. Mother says you have to learn that before we can get properly married. And knowing her, she means up to the 9th level rather than just 1st or 2nd like most people¡± Talia explained, seemingly a little disgruntled at that, but not much she could do. ¡°Really? There¡­isn¡¯t much to it. It¡¯s like three dozen moves and some commentary about external energy. This would take a person about a month to master¡± Fu replied, leading them back to her room while pondering what she was missing. ¡°Yea, so most people think. Which makes it one of the most common techniques in the Sect. People train it, get it into the second, occasionally third level. And then just plateau, and feel they are facing an unbreachable wall. Eventually they give up and just go for another style that gives more dividends. But Mother isn¡¯t the kind to be seditious, if she didn¡¯t want us marrying she would have told us we aren¡¯t getting married. So there has to be some kind of hidden truth in this style, that she wants you to find¡± The idea that there was something that would only be found after extreme perseverance was certainly fitting in the opening words. But if one stubbornly fought on this for years and hampered their future prospects¡­she could see why it got discarded. ¡°Did you ever try?¡± Fu asked, hoping to get a few pointers starting out. ¡°Unfortunately not. The Thundering Sky series demands pretty much my entire focus, externally. It is preparing my body for Sky-Shaking Asura. So I never got into the hype¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Arriving back at the dorms, people were about, admiring Talia - stood to reason really, given she was the daughter of the Sect Leader - and generally just preparing for the day. Fushaka, for her part, merely got into her room and put on the uniform. It was a simple tunic, not low quality but not anything good. Embroidered with the symbol of the Sect so everyone knew who she was with. ¡°So, there are three major buildings here in the Outer Sect. The Recuperation Hall, which is here. Your dorms, baths, dining hall and medicine is here. The Service Hall, where you can pick up missions for contribution points that are then spent here or at the Martial Hall. Martial Hall is where the teachers and training gear is, as well as all the martial arts you can study. That is also where you buy your Qinggong, Neigong, and Waigong. Qinggong is cool to have but make sure you don¡¯t overfocus on either Neigong or Waigong. The body needs a balance of Soft and Hard¡± That, was a lot to take in. Which was to be expected really, there was a lot she was missing, joining now. ¡°Right. Do jobs, train hard, buy shit. I shall do my best¡± Fu exclaimed, nodding softly. ¡°Excellent. I gotta get back up the mountain, but I¡¯ll come see how you are progressing in a week or so¡± Talia would give Fu a kiss well worth a week¡¯s wait, and then turn and take off in a flash, soaring high into the air with a single bound, like she was almost flying. ¡°Show-off¡± Fushaka whispered, looking to her book. The other Gongs would have to wait, she wanted a good grasp of this Xiantian stuff before Talia came back in a week. Though she was domestic by nature, and so had to go check out the Service Hall to see the jobs. Here there were plenty of things to do, all marked with difficulty, though some where true Jobs and others were merely chores. Fushaka took the hanging plates for cleaning and gardening, and handed them into the office, getting directed where she needed to go. It was a few hours work for a few points, and while she didn¡¯t know the exchange rate, it seemed pretty fair given everything. Settling into this routine, she spent a week pretty much on her own. Despite the hairstyle, nobody came to talk to her, which was fine because she was focused on this Xiantian style, and other people when she was taking a break and having lunch or dinner. She liked watching other people, because she really got into how they moved. Everyone had their own way, their own little tricks and shifts. She had not been around Martial Artists before in her life, but had had remarks on how quickly she picked up ways of walking, dancing, and bedroom arts. So long as she could watch someone do it, she did well with it¡¯s mimicry. Fortunately for her, this style was common and popular in the Outer Sect, so she got a lot of work done watching people, then training herself, then watching people. She didn¡¯t mind the quiet, since there were times to think, and times to act, a lovely balance between quiet introspection and pursuit of martial excellence. Of course, the quiet days were not to last, as Fushaka was far too much of a diligent woman to just let injustice go by. Out doing her daily gardening duties, she noticed a small group of people crowded around. Stepping up to the place, she¡¯d note a group of people bullying their juniors into handing over the elixirs they had worked hard to buy. This sort of thing happened even when people were meant to be better than those below, huh? ¡°Oi! Is that any way to treat the people you are meant to be supporting?¡± Fushaka demanded, marching over. ¡°None of yer business, lass. Feck off¡± one of the belligerents replied, turning to look at them and then giving a leery grin. ¡°Though, on second thoughts, you are quite good looking. You should come to my room, I¡¯ll make sure to support you like I am meant to¡± he would comment. A few of his friends made a laugh, and one of the overdressed women he had supporting him even gave her a wink. They were wearing identical collars, with small coins on the front with varying different colours. Even the poor juniors cowering on the ground were wearing the collars. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her around the place. So diligent, and looks so cute as well. I¡¯d love having her around the place. I can teach her so much~¡± the woman exclaimed, earning more laughter. The implication of being taught by that woman was¡­not great, and Fushaka was wildly on edge due to this whole thing. ¡°Then it is settled. You are now part of our group¡± the man would reach out to stroke Fushaka¡¯s cheek, clearly used to getting away with anything he wanted. So Fu dissuaded him of that notion by grabbing his hand and twisting it, shifting her weight to add more force into the move. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Also fuck you, I am not joining any group that harrasses people like this¡± she replied. It did not go down well at all, but that was fine, she wasn¡¯t in the market for making friends with people like this. Chapter 4
After realizing that Fushaka wasn¡¯t just going to let go, the man threw a kick at her head to try and get her to let go. With the added benefit of knocking her out so they could take her to the headquarters and educate her on proper etiquette towards your superiors within the group. This plan fell apart at the start, however, as Fu shifted her head to avoid the kick, and then booted his leg out from under him, twisting his wrist even further to send him tumbling to the ground with a hard smack. The poor guy caught his head wrong on the floor and was knocked senseless, so she let go of his hand and looked to the others. ¡°So-¡± Fushaka started, before having to shift suddenly as another of the group swung a punch. It grazed her forehead and left her off balance for a kick to the ribs that came from a third man. She gritted her teeth - as much as they tried to prevent it, there were a few people who got rough in the bedroom - and regained her stance, throwing a pair of punches against the first man, who took them on a tight guard and then shoved her backwards. His friend shifted in well to take advantage of her being off balance and caught her clean in the face with a meaty cross. Sent sprawling from the blow, the world began to spin as she was dragged to her feet, one man on either arm and a third holding her in a tight headlock that partially choked her. The woman who had been watching this whole fight walked up slowly to Fushaka, gave a gentle smile, and then thrust a palm into Fu¡¯s gut, expertly dodging the vomit that was forced out from the hit. The strike was way beyond what could be done with sheer muscle, and Fushaka¡¯s body had locked up with a frigid chill. ¡°We get your kind here, sometimes¡± the woman would say, lifting Fushaka¡¯s face up to meet the woman¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t even look cold, just a haughty overproud expression that was dealing with what amounted to a rat found in her bedroom. ¡°So full of vim and vigor, you think you can take on the world. You think that you are anything more than just Trash to serve your betters however you are ordered¡± A harsh slap rolled Fushaka¡¯s head and made her see stars, before her face was dragged back to looking at the woman. ¡°Most just accept their place and obey us, but a few are stubborn little creatures that just don¡¯t acknowledge the futility of their own struggle. But I can¡¯t complain, you make ample distraction during the boring days between work¡± the woman would raise her hand for another slap, but pause when she heard a man speak behind her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just life though?¡± Looking to him, there was a middle aged looking man in extremely scruffy, patchwork clothes, drinking from a gourd, with a five foot bamboo staff across his lap. He was lounging on a branch in the most relaxed manner possible, like it was some ultra-luxurious bed, the likes of which only a few favoured elite ever see. ¡°Refusal to acknowledge the futility of your own struggle is what makes life worth living. If a person ever decided to give up, there would be no more point in living their life¡± Profound commentary from the man aside, Fu¡¯s assailant didn¡¯t seem very impressed. ¡°Do you mind? I am in the middle of something right now¡± she exclaimed, gesturing to Fushaka. ¡°As it turns out, so am I¡± he would reply. ¡°See, you have the right idea but the wrong execution. The greatest strength of a warrior is who you can get to stand next to you. But, those forced into it will crumble the ground beneath you as soon as they can¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He would then hop down from the tree, and - taking a long swig of his gourd - tie it to the belt that had ten pouches attached to it. He then took his staff in hand, and slid into a casual, easy stance. ¡°Another¡¯s lack is no reason to discard your own; so anyone who wants to leave, may go¡± he would comment, nodding and waiting. A few of the younger guys shifted to leave, but a frosty stare from the woman pinned them to the ground, and prevented them from running. ¡°We aren¡¯t going anywhere, old man. So quit your posturing before somebody gets hur-¡± She never finished her sentence, as the man moved like quicksilver. Suddenly, his one staff become four, striking Fushaka¡¯s assailants simultaneously and knocking them out in a heartbeat. The four hit the ground at the same moment, and then the man put his staff away and withdrew his gourd again. ¡°Good day, Miss¡± he exclaimed, turning to head off. ¡°Wait!¡± Fu exclaimed, breathless as she was recovering from the strike from earlier, but still determined to force through it. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked, desperately. The man would look back for a moment, ponder the request, and then eventually nod to himself. ¡°Hong Ouyang¡± he said, waiting for a second as if expecting recognition, and then turning again to depart when he did not get it. Staring at his back for a few seconds, she¡¯d fall onto her ass, and stay there. Partially because she was bruised and hurting, but also because he was amazing. She had watched him more closely than she had watched anyone, and still barely managed to see him move before it was all over. His footwork was flawless, and he handled that staff as if it was a living thing. If she could comprehend just a little of his skill, she¡¯d be able to become phenomenal. The thought of how bad this situation could have gone if he hadn¡¯t turned up, went completely out of her head as she staggered away to get her rewards for the daily gardening and then find herself a quiet moment so she could replay that moment over and over in her head, so it was engrained into her bones. ¡°Tell me you ran into a tree or something dumb¡± came a sudden voice from the darkness. Opening her eyes, there was Talia. Not very happy. ¡°Ohh, right. Yea¡± Fushaka would comment, having totally forgotten what happened a short while ago, in her fervour for getting into the man¡¯s movements. ¡°Some people don¡¯t like paying, I guess. Or, like, they are really fucking lazy and just want to bully people into doing work for them? I honestly didn¡¯t get a lot of coherence out of them, to be honest¡± Fu would admit, stroking the black eye she got from the punch and subsequent slap. ¡°Sounds like the Three Mind Society. They got a new leader recently, who¡¯s kind of a dick¡± she¡¯d reply, exhaling and shaking her head. ¡°Wait here¡± Talia ordered, taking off and coming back a few minutes later with another, thicker manual. ¡°One Yin Manual. It¡¯s a breathing technique that¡¯ll help you recover faster in the future. The world of the Warrior is not a gentle one, and the Strong often take from the Weak. But there are rules, regulations and understandings. See, if you get a reputation for taking whatever you want with your power, then there is no cultural protection from having your stuff taken by other people. Similarly, only an evil bastard would steal from a noble soul, and many would take umbrage at the attempt, so he wouldn¡¯t need to be strong to reclaim his stuff. Also, if someone ever does try to force themselves onto you because they are stronger than you, tell the nearest Elder. That is straight up illegal for people. It is a line we have drawn, and a line we will hold against all opposition¡± Talia would have a surprisingly stern and serious tone. It was both nice and spooky to see. ¡°This culture needs a book of it¡¯s own¡± Fu commented, leaning back and opening the manual that had been brought. ¡°You¡­haven¡¯t been going to the lessons?¡± Talia asked, with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡­there are lessons on this? I¡¯ve just been focused on the Xingtian thing¡± Fu replied, scratching the back of her head. ¡°You really are hopeless, aren¡¯t you? Like a cat with a ball of string. Come on¡± Talia exclaimed, taking Fushaka¡¯s hand and leading her off to where she needed to go.
Chapter 5 ¡°Thank you, for the wedding present¡± Ci would speak, gentle and demure as she did her daily paperwork. ¡°It was both thoughtful and multi-layered¡± ¡°Yer welcome, Ci. Cute little thing ya got there. Though, why her?¡± Hong would ask, descending from the rafters to stand behind Ci. ¡°My daughter enjoys the woman¡¯s presence greatly. And if I give her nothing while her other Mother gives her everything, I will quickly lose her to the valley sects. Not only would that hurt me as a person, it would be a harsh blow for the Asura Formation Sect. So I felt I needed some flexibility on this situation¡± The dichotomy of Ci¡¯s cultured and respectful tone, and Hong¡¯s rough, plebeian tone were a strange contrast, but neither mentioned it; there were more important matters to attend. ¡°Now that¡¯s bullshit¡± Hong commented, tying his gourd back to the ten-pouch-belt. Ci would finish her work and put the ink-brush down, looking up to Hong. Her eyes glimmered with soft emotion, but she said nothing as of yet. Just waiting to see if he pushed further. ¡°You give that as the public reason, but I want the actual reason you went down to a brothel and picked up a..fuckin¡¯ what do you call it?¡± ¡°Gregari. And you make great demands, for having giving nothing to inspire the truth from me¡± Ci would comment, sprinkling some sand over the pieces of paper to dry the ink, and then stacking them neatly. With secretarial work done, she would stand, hands behind her back. ¡°A¡¯ight then, ya got a spot fer it?¡± Hong asked, getting lead away wordlessly by Ci. Through a locked gate, and down into the earth, Hong was lead to a wide, open cave. The walls were plated with thick chunks of solid rock to reinforce them, and there was a high ceiling and a wide floor to allow for a great deal of maneuverability. ¡°As expected. This place is great¡± Hong commented, untying his belt and dropping it at the entrance, before drawing his staff and giving it a flourish. Ci¡¯s stance shifted slightly, something few would notice, let alone know about. But for Hong, it was as much an invitation as her outright saying it. A good ten minutes later, Hong was inspecting the ceiling. It was a lovely ceiling, well made, as he expected from the Asura Foundation sect. ¡°Uggh¡± he groaned, sitting up and looking at the remains of his staff. ¡°You never skip a day, do you?¡± he asked, exhaling. He¡¯d gone pretty hard, the full version of No Dogs, and Snake-Staff Transformation. But she didn¡¯t even look flustered. ¡°Asura Foundation sits on the Five Great Peaks, it has an obligation and reputation beyond other Sects. So no, I do not skip a day. How many do you do exactly?¡± Ci would ask, walking up to him and helping him to his feet.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°There is a lot of League work unrelated to the martial world, so maybe twice a week? Even still, it¡¯s kind of bad for a Sect Leader to lose like this, huh?¡± he asked, brushing off his clothes. ¡°The League has been a Valley Sect for several generations now. It was cruel to invite you here, but I wanted to see how you could manage. Honestly? You held pretty well, you can handle a lot of what you¡¯ll find in the world. You¡¯d have to go looking for something that¡¯d cause you trouble¡± Hong listened to Ci¡¯s words of encouragement, and then shook his head. ¡°Nope. I refuse. A Sect Leader should be able to hold his ground against other Sect Leaders. If nothing else, Hu deserves better¡± he exclaimed, throwing the bit of bamboo away. ¡°I shall be better¡± he finished, with a fervoured nod. There was a flicker in his eyes when he realized what he had said, so Ci would not pressure him, and instead turn with a gesture. ¡°Come, have some tea. You did not earn what you wished, but you did well enough to get a bit, if nothing else¡± Ci would tell him, leading him back up to the ground floor and then into the tea room, where she made him a cup of tea and had a servant bring in some steamed meat buns. ¡°For your inquiries, let me just say¡­watch her move. Watch her train, and then you may know what it is I am hoping for¡± Taking a sip from the cup, she would give Hong a smile. ¡°Feel free to take a new staff from the training hall on your way out¡± * * * The Asura Formation really did beat all others in quality. Their tea was spectacular, their meat succulent, and their staves pristine. Even the varnish used was better than most. It was truly the privilege of the rich to have this kind of power. And then, as he was admiring the staff, Hong would sense a new person entering the training hall. Black and white hair, Outer Disciple uniform, and a careful confidence about her. Fushaka really stood out in a crowd, so Hong would hang around, disappearing into the rafters with his Deceive The Savage Dog lightfoot technique, and do as he was bid. Fushaka took out a manual for a few moments, looked it over, and then got to work. Twelve Stars was immediately obvious to anyone of skill, and he wondered how far she would get with it. Though there was shock, to watch her. In but a few hours, she had picked up on his wedding gift and was showcasing a crude, rudimentary understanding of it. Her body couldn¡¯t keep up with what she was telling it to do, and she quickly grew exhausted from the use, but seeing her pull that so quickly was quite the show. Shuffling stiffly over to the stands, she sat and began another obvious technique, One Yin Principle. Made sense that she had basic techniques, given how early she was in her development. But instead of closing her eyes and relaxing, she was watching the others. An intimate stare that never truly locked onto others, but instead encompassed them all, consuming what they showed like a voracious beast. Twenty minutes later, after she had recovered, she got back to her training. Only now there were slight changes to her form, as if she had taken what she had seen from the others and thrown it into the mix. There was only one thing he could think of that could pull off something like that. ¡°....Thousand Images Eyesight?¡± Hong whispered to himself, raising an eyebrow. It really was true that one found diamonds in the most unlikely of places. No wonder Ci jumped at the chance to bring a low-born sex worker into her sect. She¡¯d have had to fight people off with Sky-Piercer if they found out that Fushaka was born with those eyes. ¡°The tides change again. We really are being left in the past¡± Hong muttered, shaking his head and getting off the rafters. The Beggar Walks Unseen took him to the gate of the Sect, and then he rushed down the mountain to renew his devotion. The World was about to get magnificent, and he would not miss a moment of it. Chapter 6
Freedom and personal liberty is the most important thing, and for some that is all there is. They will beat evil into the ground because it threatens their freedom, and that is all they would do. ¡°Do as you will¡± was the statement that basically summed up general culture. It was quite broad and in depth for such a simple idea, with the crux of it being that good people don¡¯t need rules. They will do what is good because it is good. And all Cultivators should aspire to goodness, to favour nobility above the gutter, and not abuse their power or position. There was absolutely acknowledgement that such a thing was impossible in every situation, so some leeway was given to people, more so when you were young and still finding your feet. It was, in surprising similarity to the Skivoan culture, very communal. Not explicitly tethered by legality, but tethered by your neighbours. It did lead to a question that one¡¯s perception of abuse is not another¡¯s perception of abuse, but that was just the flaws of the system. Every system had them. To add further complexity to this, every Sect had their own rules, their own stipulations on how members of it should act. Ranging from absolutely nothing, to more rules than normal society, the Asura Formation Sect had but a single rule. Oppose Injustice. To Fushaka, the people in the Three Mind Society bullying their weaker clansmen was definitely injustice, but she needed to be able to fight them properly before she could oppose them properly. So, after the lesson on society and sect rules, Fu was back out at training. This time, not physical. Twelve Stars was merely two dozen moves, some step techniques, some strikes, and two stances. A person could memorise the entire book in a week. This, would have been while people struggled to get anywhere with it, because there was nothing to get with, it was just a skeleton. Like, someone had wanted to build a proper style but got interrupted half way through and never got back to it. Still, the point was clearly perseverance, so she would persevere, and fight the doubt wherever it might dare to raise it¡¯s head. One Yin Principle was certainly helping with that, as she was recovering from fatigue and strain easily with the breathing techniques and relaxation styles. Though the flow of energy she was meant to be feeling was not going very far. It was like there was a solid stone in her gut, heavy and unmoving despite her attempts to get it to do just that. She felt that eventually she¡¯d have to stop relying on this technique to recover because it was pushing her too hard. But for now, she could worry about other stuff. ¡°So¡± a woman spoke from beside Fushaka. ¡°Hello¡± Fu quickly replied, a little awkward to have missed someone new approaching her. And maybe a little wary about how last time went.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You are certainly pretty¡± the woman replied. The uniform that marked her as a Core Disciple was made out of high quality silk, which seemed to glimmer gently and shift with the woman¡¯s movements to accommodate her perfectly. She certainly looked like a Core Disciple as well, with perfectly maintained black hair kept orderly in a double-bun, and a toned but still lithe musculature. The uniform showing just enough of her flawless skin. ¡°Excuse me for the feelings of awkwardness, but the last person who said that to me ended up beating the crap out of me¡± Fushaka replied, staring at the woman with a suspicious gaze. ¡°Ha, yes. I am sure Eriana would say something like that. But don¡¯t worry about that. I just came down to see you because Talia won¡¯t shut up about her beautiful bride to be, so I just had to see what all the noise is about. Ahh, and sorry, for the belated introduction; I am Raimaa Futago¡± Raimaa would give a short bow to Fushaka, who returned it in kind. ¡°Fushaka Shinmizu. I, am glad that Talia thinks so highly of me. It is hard to live up to the expectations of someone so grand as her¡± Fu replied, standing up and straightening out her uniform. ¡°Hehehe. Yea, she¡¯s a bit like that, huh? Some days I think I am sparring with a gutter child, and other times it¡¯s like I am facing Ci Lan in her youth. She¡¯s iconic, I think, in the way to truly excel in this world. Too much of any one side will cause an imbalance in your Cultivation, so why would it be any different for the social side?¡± Raimaa asked rhetorically. Though, Fushaka had latched onto another part of what Raimaa had said, and looked back with starry eyes. ¡°Could, you spar with me?¡± she asked. It got quite the haughty laugh from the woman. ¡°My my. You are an enthusiastic one, aren¡¯t you? No Qingong, no Neigong, very little Waigong, and still you want to spar with a Core Disciple. There should be limits to one¡¯s arrogance, no?¡± The rebuke made Fushaka flush red, and she dipped her head away, suddenly aware of what she had just asked of a woman like this. ¡°But, we should also be inspired to progress¡± Raimaa replied, looking over to see a gathering crowd that would swarm her as soon as they got the courage to come over. ¡°If you make it into the Inner Disciple ranks, then I shall come and give you what you ask¡± Raimaa promised, before giving a wink and disappearing in a cloud of cherry blossoms. Fushaka followed suit the more manual way before anyone started to question what she was doing with a Core Disciple. Her first stop was the Martial Hall, where she browsed the Qinggong. Movement techniques like that looked awesome, and she wanted one. The cheap stuff that an Outer Disciple was allowed didn¡¯t look very fascinating, just styles of how to make your body feel lighter and how to shift more easily. None of the awesome leaping and flying shit, but that as to be expected, really. So she bought Rangou Five Steps. Would help her get around, if nothing else. She spent the rest of the day in the Martial Hall learning the basics of the technique, getting some guidance from the teachers and generally putting her whole heart into engraving it into her mind so it would be easy to practise in the future. Word had spread, both of her connection to Talia and Raimaa¡¯s meeting, and people were milling around her, trying to decide if they should be friends to reap the benefits or if they should bully her and try to extort something out of her connection. Fushaka was hoping they would just leave her alone, but that didn¡¯t seem likely in this place, so she resolved to drop the chores she was doing and focus exclusively on the training to make sure she was capable of dealing with anyone who came her way with untowards intent. After all, it would not look good for Talia¡¯s fiancee to get her ass kicked. Again¡­
Chapter 7 Cloth Wraps were common for the Outer Sect Disciples, but for Fu, they messed with her tactile sensitivity. She couldn¡¯t feel the blow against the dummy as well when it was wrapped in bandages. Of course, the drawback to that was that it fucking hurt as she got into the training. Knuckles red raw, scrapped and angry from the rough rope that was reinforcing the hardwood dummy. Still, perseverance would apply dividends, so she toughed it out and just got her fists treated at the end of the day in the infirmary. The reason she needed all her sensitivity, was she felt she was getting somewhere with Xingtian. The first and arguably second level was easily grasped. Simple style, simple moves. But there was something about Rangou¡¯s movements that felt like they fit with Xingtian, like the two were meant to go together. Though, also missing, like they were intended to fit together, but didn¡¯t quite fit. And so she was barreling through each strike while using Rangou¡¯s footwork to shift from strike to strike and dummy to dummy, trying to see what fit and what was missing. Of course, this was all very unstable and gut-based, so she wasn¡¯t getting very far. She was doing a weird thing with her brain; like the dreams of Salmon¡¯s carefree lips inspiring the Master¡¯s brush, she was building upon things that she dreamed of the night before. Which did not have a lot of room for thought and introspection, given that she wasn¡¯t understanding it well in the first place. ¡°Guy¡¯s staff was really cool¡± Fu would mutter to herself in a none-sequitorial manner, taking a drink of water and staring at the training dummy and the others around the training dummy. Maybe she should take a break from trying to dig through pigcrap for the diamond, and work on the more base-level stuff that one needed to do when you were thinking of a farming metaphor. Would certainly give her knuckles a rest from the constant abuse she was putting them through. Get into Inner Sect, grab some support from there and all the cool shit, and then carry on work with Xingtian with this new base¡­ With that resolved, she would head over to the Martial Hall and buy herself a Staff manual; Dipping Honeybird. It was the one she was encouraged to pick up by the clerk because it was a basic style, but solid foundations and grew with the user, who could add some embellishments to what was initially given as they got better. Glad she had a diligent few weeks of work to build up a good stash of points, she would buy that and a basic quarterstaff to begin work. Of course, Fu wanted to pull off the awesome ¡°four staff strike¡± that Hong had saved her with, and so she slid into his stance, and then struck out. She had run that moment a hundred times in her head, and she could create a phantom of it around her that ran through the forms. Unfortunately, her body was not as good as the phantom, and while it managed all four strikes, Fu fumbled trying to strike twice in the same swing and nearly dropped the staff, having to jiggle with it to stop it clattering to the floor.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Dumb¡± she muttered, scratching the back of her head and looking around. Nobody really noticed, which was good, so she would open Dipping Honeybird. It was nice, with well laid out moves and explanations, easy to follow but with room to do as you willed around it when you felt confident enough to do so. Just as the man had said. So, sliding into the starting stance, she¡¯d run through the first three sets of moves, getting into their flow before sliding in the additions she had from her training and observation. It was doing pretty well, on a tactile and kinetic level, though there was clearly room for improvement. As she was running through these moves, she was pulled out of her focus with a heady and loud thump of a person hitting the ground. Looking over, she would see a man had just tossed another over his hip with enough force to produce the noise. He looked a little abashed at the force at which he had done it, but otherwise proud the fight had gone in his direction. One big thing that stood out was the bright orange fox ears and tail that swished behind him. With a big smile, Fu would hurry over to the man. ¡°You¡¯re a Blazetail!¡± she exclaimed. The man would give a coy laugh and help up her partner. ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed¡± came the sarcastic reply. Fu would purse her lips and think for a moment. Makes sense he knew what he was, and that it was weird someone would just announce that. ¡°S¡­sorry. I just, have never seen one before¡± she replied, brushing a hand through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am used to people being surprised. We don¡¯t come out of the South very often. Also, it¡¯s Salamander, not Blazetail¡± he replied, straightening his uniform and returning to his spot. ¡°Wh¡­.at¡¯s the difference?¡± Fu asked, shuffling with him as he stood in the center of the map. ¡°Salamander is racial, Blazetail is specific. Sort of like Warrior and Swordsmen. A swordsman is a warrior, but a warrior is not necessarily a swordsman¡± he would explain, and then nod to her staff. ¡°So, you wanna get some practice with that thing?¡± he asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that hurt you?¡± She asked him, to which she got a laugh. ¡°Probably, but who shys from knowledge because pain?¡± he replied, entering into his stance and letting Fu pull into her own. ¡°I could use with some work on the defensive forms. It¡¯s hard to practice defense without a partner¡± Fushaka would tell him, entering into a defensive stance as the book described. The man was fast, and strong, and Fushaka felt on the back foot every move he made, but he was also able to keep her from feeling too far behind, and give her a very solid workout that went a long way to helping her grasp the basics of her style. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at this, huh?¡± He asked, after the spar was over and they were both on the stands. ¡°I felt like you were adapting to my attacks as I was making them, which is an impressive feat for anyone¡± Fu, not used to such praise and not sure what she was doing, just flushed and hid her face. ¡°I was just¡­doing what I normally do. I don¡¯t need or want any specific praise for that¡± she¡¯d reply, fiddling with the staff. ¡°Fair. Humility in the face of natural assets. A great personality to have, as any Kitsune will tell ya¡± he replied, taking a drink. ¡°So¡­¡± she¡¯d start, biting her lip. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between Salamanders and Kitsunes?¡± she asked, cautiously in case it was a touchy subject. It wasn¡¯t, as she just got a casual shrug for her asking, but caution was always good. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between you and me? I dunno, really. I am a Kitsune, but also, a Salamander. Like we are variants, or something like that. It all goes over my head, honestly¡± he¡¯d explain, or at least try to. And then, rising from his seat, he went over to go fight a woman who was flagging him down. Man certainly had stamina for days, if nothing else¡­. Chapter 8 Today, was a surprising day for Fushaka, and most of the disciples. A few days after her spar with the Salamander, while she was puzzling over her Stars, the Outer Sect Disciples were invited to the Inner Sect Arena to witness a day where the Inner and Core Disciples were sparring among each other to show off their capabilities to their generation. It was quite sudden, and Fushaka couldn¡¯t help but think there was some wife-shaped hands all over this. Still, it was going to be a great day hopefully, so Fushaka got herself washed up and cleaned her uniform before falling in with the rest and ascending up the mountain to the Inner Sect at the guidance of the Outer Sect Elder. It felt like a whole new world, being up here. Everything looked better, like there was some real focus on keeping this place well kept. Made some sense, really, since the Outer Sect was barely the porch of the Asura Foundation Sect. There was here, the Inner Sect, and then the Core Sect, and then the Elder¡¯s Palace at the summit. So the guys who kept the walls nice and washed not going down to the Outer Sect was not really all that much of a shock to her. What was a shock to her, however, was the capabilities of her elder Brothers and Sisters. Gathering around the arena, Fushaka was shown what she could really get up to, if she put her mind to it. Staff, Spear, Sword, Blade, Fists; all were on display here, as well as good control of the Ki. Fushaka drank it all in, her eyes flitting a hundred directions and bloating out her brain with a lot of things she had no frame of reference for, a lot of things she¡¯d not be able to properly use for years to come. But all was stored, for that one day. She even got to see her rival - the head of the Three Mind Society - fight, and showcase that Fushaka was not worthy of even being called a rival to a woman that skilled right now. Eventually, there was a lot of hubbub from the referee, and two people took to the stage with murmurs of delight from the crowd. On one side, there was Raimaa Futago, who was introduced as an exchange student from the Mount Hua Sect. A sect famous for it¡¯s swordsmanship, who held the accolade of being one of the only three sects to ever best a Balor in battle. There was much excitement to see her in even a spar. On the other side, The Young Sky, Talia Ci Tsu, stepped onto the stage. Thundering Sky Style was the Martial of the Asura Foundation, and seeing it in action was always a treat. These two together, was seriously just flexing the strength and power of the Sect, but that was what the Strong could do. How better to motivate other people than to showcase what they would be able to do if they put their heart and soul into it. Was it cheating to use prodigies and daughters of the Sect Leader in this showcase? Probably, but the world was cruel, and trying to avoid such a truth was how warriors ended up dead. And so, the spar began. Here, and now, the true capabilities of the four Gong were on display. There was a feel like they were holding back, so the gathered students could keep track, but they were still using their Qingong to be inhumanly fast and kicking off the air in a temporary flight, flashes of semi-visible light dancing as they did. Neigong was also displayed as their bodies moved, struck, and twisted in a way that a body simply could not if it wasn¡¯t enhanced by mystical energies. After a few minutes of physical sparring showcasing their Waigong, they would break off for a moment and then envelop themselves in the same semi-visible light that the Qingong movements had released.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Electricity coated Talia, while Raimaa danced amidst illusionary cherry blossoms, the arena filling with the smell of petals and ozone. Two energy blasts struck at each other, exploding on impact and blasting the gathered students with the shockwave, to their vocal shock and surprise. Once that had died down, the spar was ended, and the day had come to an end. Talia would turn to Fushaka and blow a kiss - because she needed more attention, apparently¡­ - and stride off back to the Core Sect. The Outer Sect Elder guided them back down the mountain, and then had his hands full at the ravenous explosion of activity. People filled the sparring halls to burst, stripped the mission board almost dry, and jostled for position that threatened to turn ugly before being interrupted by the Prefects. For her part, Fushaka found herself a nice empty corner of the Outer Sect, and sat down. She was roiling with the thousands of things she had seen today, and didn¡¯t want to try and do anything with it until she knew what it was. Plus, she had no real desire to get involved with the stampede of the current situation. Instead, she recalled her lessons. Qi, was Breath, Breath, was life. One must master the breath of their Self before they could manipulate it to their own ends. As such, breathing exercises were of great importance to a budding Martial Artist, as much as any actual art or ability. Gathering breath in the Dantian was the first step towards becoming a true Cultivator. Though feeling the flow of energy was hard for her, because of the Stone. Every bit of energy she might have managed to direct to the Dantian simply bounced off it, like it has ossified or something. One Yin Manual was not enough, she needed a more powerful energy technique. That said, there were warnings abound of jumping in with both feet. Qi Deviation, Meridian Shredding, becoming a Kuei. That last one sounded the worst from what she read. The other two simply damaged your body in varying ways, that you might even be able to recover from with enough time and effort. But a Kuei, was a twisted thing. The very brain chemistry was altered by the incorrect flow of your energy, and you became a beast that focused on their obsession to the point of insanity. Worse, you were a normal person in every other instance, so you didn¡¯t even get the ¡®benefit¡¯ of mindlessness¡­ After circulating her energy until nightfall, Fushaka stood, and headed over to the Martial Hall. It was a cacophonous aftermath of The Horde, and the Prefects were busy cleaning up up and fixing everything. But one was flagged down eventually for her to talk to. ¡°You had the right idea, staying out of the way like that¡± he commented with a gruff laugh. ¡°Thanks. On that topic, I have a problem. I¡¯ve been working One Yin Principle and trying energy circulation, but there is a strange feeling. Like, my Dantian is a rock and everything-¡± She was cut off mid-sentence by the man grabbing her hand, and feeling her pulse. She yelped and pulled back, but he did not let go. Just as she was ready to punch him, he would stop and nod. ¡°You are the Gregari that was brought in by Talia, yes?¡± he would ask, looking at her. ¡°.......Yes?¡± she¡¯d rely, cautious and suspicious. ¡°Mmm, your Brothel Master seems to have been gathering cultivation resources for the Heavenly Demon Sect, and so you and the other girls were most probably smoking Tribute Grass. There is nothing much for it other than to keep circulating, and eventually you¡¯ll revitalize your Dantian. I¡¯ll let the Elders know, and we¡¯ll send you some extra resources to speed it up. For now, just get some rest and carry on as normal¡± The Prefect would nod, and then return to his work. The idea that the Brothel had been stealing her energy like that sucked, but they were going to fix it. So she didn¡¯t really have much room to complain, and simply did as she was told. Chapter 9 The Maelstrom carried on into the morning, and so Fushaka went off to her nice little corner. A whole day of circulation should wear away The Rock, and she had these cool little pills that were meant to help. But, it was not to be, and she got accosted by a group of six men as she was heading off. Not exactly the same guys she had gotten beaten up by last time, but same look and same collars. So clearly the same group. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get into any conflict today, so can we just¡­make a deal?¡± she asked them. ¡°A deal where you join us?¡± the guy replied, to guffles of his friends. ¡°No. A deal where I show you what I¡¯ve learned as a Gregari, and you leave me alone for today¡± Fu offered, giving with her best customer-hooking smile. It definitely did the work she wanted it to, as the guys confident visage cracked and they started sweating. Virgins, she could smell it in their nervous jitter. They looked just like the guy who had snuck out with a handful of coins and a dream. The girl who had come here, trembling and not even sure what she as doing here. Occasionally, she even got guys who wanted to be better at it for their girlfriends, which was romantic in a way. Putting on her most sultry smile, she crooked her finger, and the boss stepped forward as if jolted by a puppeteer. Six guys weren¡¯t exactly easy for her, but they were very new to this, so they ended pretty quickly before her jaw started to ache. Once the sixth was done, they staggered away and she took a seat in her corner. Popping the pills, she began her energy circulation. They certainly did their job, as the energy lept into action, her gut roiling from the new influx of energy, setting her body to jitters. It sandblasted the Stone, and while it stood stubborn by the end of the day, she could feel that it was diminished. So it was that she had a nice schedule while she waited for things to die down a bit. Guys accosted her in the morning, she dealt with them, and then spent her days wearing down the Stone. By the fourth day, it was down to the nub, and she could even feel some energy threading through tiny holes into her Dantian. It felt amazing! No wonder people wanted to do this their entire life! However, it was not all sunshine and roses, as she was noticing that less guys were turning up, and the ones who did were looking more gaunt and worn as the days went on. ¡°Is she abusing you because you aren¡¯t hurting me?¡± Fu would ask the boss, after only one man who looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in a week turned up with him. ¡°Na. She¡¯s fine with whatever. We do here. I think it is more. That she wants you. Bothered, than actually. Beaten¡± he would keep running out of breath in the middle of his words, which was bad given that Breath was very important for a Cultivator. ¡°Then, are you pushing yourself too far after seeing what Raimaa and Talia could do?¡± she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Also na. I¡¯ve actually¡­.been neglecting all that. I¡¯ve been tired. I think I ate something. Wrong¡± Fushaka would nod, and then gesture away. ¡°Go get some sleep¡± she said, before heading off herself, to the Martial Hall. The librarian in charge looked a bit drowsy, but that was much more understandable given what he had been through this week. Fortunately, everyone who would come here had come here, and it was nice and quiet once again. ¡°Hey. I need¡± she¡¯d start, and then pause, not sure what she was even looking for. ¡°Books on¡­food¡¯s effect on Cultivation¡± she finished. He had said that he might have eaten something wrong. The man nodded, and stood up, heading off to lead her where she needed to be. There was, however, another option. One that she wasn¡¯t quite sure she wanted to just blurt out like that, but it might help. ¡°Also books on sex¡¯s effect on Cultivation¡± she¡¯d state with conviction. ¡°Ha! No, you don¡¯t want to be doing that with Talia. Ci¡¯s wrath aside, it won¡¯t do you any good¡± the Librarian put in, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s not Talia. I bribed some guys to leave me alone¡± Fu would reply. That got a real reaction, as he swung around and looked at her with some real emotion in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m a Gregari, it¡¯s no different to cooking food for people tilling your garden¡± Fu would reply, staring back. The man would stare some more, clearly warring with his chivalrous nature. But eventually he nodded. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t fault it if you are using the skills life taught you. Just come to any Elder if it gets out of hand, ok?¡± He would ask, a rhetorical question from the tone, and then pulling two books from the stacks to hand to her. Points were spent - cheap, since she wasn¡¯t taking them out of the pavilion - and she spent most of the day reading. Nothing in the food book would imply what she was seeing. A lot of foods can cause problems, but nothing like these ones. The sex book, was very matter of fact. It was kind of amusing as how the author just wrote as if it was a recipe book for chili. Sex seemed to have a real effect on one¡¯s Cultivation, as the two shared energies and nourished each other. They even gave it such an official name, ¡®Dual Cultivation¡¯. Eventually, she got a sort of relevant bit. ¡®Female on Female Dual Cultivation has no effect on either participant. Water can not nourish Water, though in her guise as the Nurturer, a woman has an unlimited amount of energy to expend. Male on Male Dual Cultivation, is detrimental to the participant. Earth can not nourish Earth, and in his guise as the Provider, a man has a limited amount of energy to give. One may give rise to her partner orally, but never finish him off orally. This drains the limited energy the Man can produce and gives him no nourishment in return, this can prove to be hazardous to their health if done repeatedly¡¯ Fu would stare at the book, and let out a groan. This was why she was doing so well, wasn¡¯t it? Why the Stone had ablated so quickly. With the cultivation resources and a big influx of energy that she was stealing from the guys, no wonder her pace had accelerated so quickly. She needed to fix this, right away. She couldn¡¯t think. There was only one thing in her head right now that made any sense as to a solution. Shutting the books, she ran from the library, ignoring the cries of a fine from the Librarian, and headed up the mountain. . Rangou Five Steps gave a fleetness to her steps even if it didn¡¯t do anything mystical. And even now, her brain was dissecting what she had seen at the exhibition, and splicing bits of it into Rangou to shore up her lack. Making it¡­..Rangou Six Steps. Fu gave a gentle smile despite the situation at the joke, and kept running, up and up and up. Chapter 10
Maybe she was a bit arrogant, sprinting off up a huge ass mountain. On days when the clouds hung low, the peak was cast in fog and shadow. So it was a big one. Her breathing was getting harder as she ran, having done well for the first few minutes but getting heavier and heavier as she went on. Her legs didn¡¯t move as well, her lungs felt like they were getting less and less, and her whole body was powering down for the night. Drenching with sweat even in the cool mountain air, trying to cool her internals. But she did it, and managed to stagger into the Core Disciples area. And by Avaraina, did they let everyone know it. Smooth, marble-faced buildings everywhere. A sweet smell in the air drafting from the cooking hall, and everyone walking around in these awesome looking silk uniforms that flexed and flowed with their movements almost unnaturally. Fushaka, in her decent enough cotton uniform stood out a mile, even before the hair. People were noticing the Outer Sect Disciple stood at the threshold, gasping for air and desperately trying to circulate her energy to catch her breath and recover. And then, a minute or so into trying not to puke or pass out, the smell of cherry blossoms filled the air. ¡°I don¡¯t think this counts¡± Raimaa would woo, her tone teasing and her words gentle. ¡°Talia¡± Fushaka would gasp, gesturing helplessly in a random direction. Raimaa would watch her for a moment, and then disappear in a cloud, petals falling to the ground and dissolving into nothing. ¡°You should not be here. Lady Tsu¡¯s wrath is something to be avoided¡± one of the Prefects would state, as Fu was just about catching her breath. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it¡± she replied, looking up at the sky with her eyes closed and taking deep breaths. ¡°Your arrogance covers the sky! I should teach you to respect your betters and understand your place, Outer Sect¡± As Fushaka was wondering how badly getting her ass kicked by a Core would set her mission back, there was thunder from a cloudless sky, and a lightning bolt hit the ground, consolidating into Talia. ¡°And just how are you going to do that?¡± she asked, a cold tone and and a cutting glare. The Prefect would switch tracks, and glare back. ¡°You might be the Sect Leader¡¯s daughter, but you are still-¡± ¡°Still what?¡± Talia interrupted, lightning sparking through her eyes as the Thundering Sky circulated and filled the air with a smell of ozone. Pride warred with pragmatism in the Prefect¡¯s heart, and pragmatism won, so he left to report this whole thing officially. ¡°You know you are in a lot of trouble, right?¡± Talia would state after the Prefect had left, turning her gaze to Fushaka. ¡°You have no idea how much. I hurt some guys. Like, inside. Damaged their energy¡± Fushaka would exclaim, her words a rapid flurry.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°How the hell did you manage that? You don¡¯t have any Chigong¡± Talia exclaimed, looking at her. ¡°Ok, before you start, it¡¯s was my profession just like a baker¡± Fushaka prefaced, before explaining the situation to her fiancee. To her credit, Talia simply nodded and picked Fushaka up in a bridal carry, leaping off the mountain and soaring down it like a majestic eagle. While she couldn¡¯t truly fly like the Elders, she was able to jump very far. Fu bit her lip to keep from yelling, and expected a heavy landing, but it was instead as gentle as a leaf on the face of a lake. Putting her down, she would stride off with purpose, heading into the Recuperation Hall, and then into a specific wing of the dorms. One of the women - the leader of sorts that had accosted her earlier - staggered back and pointed at Talia. ¡°I-i-if you are here for revenge, you n-ne-¡± the woman stuttered, backing up quickly. Talia, however, didn¡¯t even look at her, and gave off a semi-visible light that made Fushaka¡¯s hackles raise. And then straight to a set of doors, and threw them open. The guys she had made a deal with were all lying on beds, completely dead to the world. No twitch nor shuffle, as if too tired to even do that. ¡°Three Mind is getting too into itself if you are leaving your own to suffer like this¡± Talia would say, not to anyone particular, striding into the room. ¡°Fu, come here. Let¡¯s put that Stone of yours to good use¡± Talia would state, in a tone Fu had never heard before. She felt herself obeying before even considering. Talia took Fu¡¯s hand, and then guided her to put her hand on the man¡¯s chest. At which point, lightning surged into Fushaka¡¯s body. It raged into her Dantian, bounced off the Stone, and fed into the man¡¯s body. A small amount of the lightning threaded through the pores in the rock, and Fu again came to realize the gulf between them. This one spark was more than all the days of her circulation combined. It was good, then, that it quickly dissipated into raw energy and settled into her Dantian. If that colossus tried to filter through her body, she would absolutely enter Deviation. The man that had gotten a much larger chunk sat out with a yell, literally vibrating with the energy. Talia, in a whipcrack tone, commanded him and he dispersed the energy amount the other five, before passing out and being caught by Talia. She put him back into bed, and turned to the woman. ¡°They will wake tomorrow and be healthy again. Next time someone starts to show signs of Breath Deficiency, tell an Elder immediately. A few more days and their Dantian would have atrophied into nothingness. You would have been responsible for the loss of six members of the Asura Foundation Sect. Can you handle that kind of responsibility?¡± Talia would ask, though with the violent tone, it was clearly rhetorical. Fu would reach out and take Talia¡¯s hand, stubbornly holding on as she got shocked by the contact. ¡°It¡¯s ok. We fixed it, no need to worry about what ifs¡± Fu would say, her best soothing voice that she used when a client had a really bad day and needed someone to talk to. Talia would turn, and give a soft smile. ¡°And you, my reckless little love. I¡¯ll make sure that you don¡¯t get in trouble this time, but next time, there are proper channels to go through. Use them¡± she would state, nodding. ¡°But I also noticed that you were making good progress getting your Dantian moving again, so that little jolt should have gotten it back into full working order. I look forward to seeing you in my dorm soon¡± Talia would then turn, and head out. ¡°Little? That was a whole-ass storm!¡± Fushaka exclaimed, running after her. ¡°Hehe. No, if I had properly flexed, then Deviation would not have been a concern because I would have disintegrated your meridians as it passed through. Now be good; and if you can¡¯t be good, be careful¡± Talia would give her a kiss on the cheek, and then launch off back up the mountain, partially turning into a Lightning Bolt as she soared.
Chapter 11
Mother was not happy today. Stood to reason really, but sucked all the same. She could feel in in the weight of the woman¡¯s blows; it hadn¡¯t changed on her face, still serene as ever, but that was surface. One couldn¡¯t hide the depths when you crossed fists with another. Her Dantain was rampaging around as her Chigong was pushed to it¡¯s absolute limit to keep up with her mother today. Ci was never a woman who took it easy on the field of combat, but today Talia was strained and having to focus more than she had ever had to focus on keeping her breath circling. The hidden troubles of talent, it seemed. Blissfully, she managed to get to the end, and was allowed to collapse and gasp heartily. ¡°I heard you intimidated one of the Prefects earlier¡± Ci would state, after Talia could breath properly again. Not a hair out of place, not a bead of sweat marring her subtle makeup. Truly, she was an icon of the Mountain Sects. The very memory of her was enough for motivation for a thousand score of cultivators. ¡°Yea¡± was the simply reply, getting her flow back into proper order and then sitting up. ¡°Fushaka is a good girl, she¡¯s never had anything against her and is opposing Three Mind. Hundred percent getting into the Inner Sect. Who knows where she is going from there, but her advantage might even bring her up here to the Core. So when I saw she had ran all the way up to the Core with no Qingong, I knew something serious was going on. So I hadn¡¯t the time to talk to a Prefect who was honestly getting a little full of himself, trying to beat up an Outer Sect because she was here¡­¡± Ooh, Mother did not like that. Her lips pursed ever so slightly, a sign that was practically blazing with rage were she a normal person. ¡°That was left out of the report¡± she¡¯d comment, and pause for a few moments, before letting out a gentle sigh. ¡°I am not forgiving you, but I will acknowledge why you did what you did and the neccecity of it in the sitution you were in. We are overdue an evaulation for the Prefects anyway, so now is a good a time as any to do that¡± She would give a gentle nod to Talia, slightly shifting in her pose to indicate that it was now mother and daughter time rather than Sect Leader. ¡°So, how is Fushaka?¡± Ci would ask, heading over to pour some tea. ¡°Doing good. Apparently her place was using Tribute Grass, but they managed to fix that. It helped, even, because the stone was a good place to bounce off my energy to get all the guys out of Breath Deficiency. And on the topic, we need to add sex to the curriculum¡± Talia would finish, looking to Ci. That stare. If she wasn¡¯t super confident that she was suggesting it for a noble reason, she would have withered under her mother¡¯s stare. How she managed to exhibit such emotion with such subtle expressions was amazing. She hopes that she¡¯d pick up that talent one day. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Ddddddddon¡¯t look at me like that¡­.¡± Talia muttered, even the defence of her sinercity fading some under that look. ¡°It¡¯s totally legit¡­¡± Ci would go to her desk, and take a seat. Steepling her fingers, she would look forward and be silent. Waiting. As close to permission as anyone was going to get in this situation. ¡°Fushaka caused some Breath Deficiency by having a unique solution to people trying to harrass her by using her life¡¯s work learning to make sure that they were happy with the end result¡± Talia exclaimed, all in a rush. Ci would look for a moment as if translating, and then nodded. ¡°She had sex with them. In a way that caused them to suffer Deficiency. Which means oral. Simple, easy, and effective for a crowd¡± Ci¡¯s dispassionate dissection of the situation would have made Talia blush if she was a lesser woman, but she just scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°Yea, she¡¯s good with her tongue. But apparently that¡¯s bad - Oral, not her being bad with her tongue, I like that - and I¡¯ve never heard of that. Which means a lot of people have never heard about it. Fu probably went looking specifically for it only after she stuck her foot in it. It must be a rare enough thing that we haven¡¯t had any notable problems with it yet, but we should add it in anyway just to make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen anymore¡± Talia regained her confidence somewhat as she went on, and managed to finish with a definitive edge to her tone. It was good for Ci to see such diligence. Talai would need to be able to keep her spine even in situations where all she wanted to do was shrink away. Not everyone agreed, not everyone in this world was your friend. Sometimes you had to bare fangs to get where you wanted to be in life. ¡°Hmm. Your wife really is shaking things up, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ci would ask, a slight smile on her face as she got to paperwork. ¡°Yea, she is pretty go-wait, wife? I-I thought you said we weren¡¯t getting married till she did the nearly impossible task of mastering Twelve Stars¡± Talia exclaimed, scowling at her mother for confusing her like that. Ci would look up, and cock her head softly. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t know? You just offered to marry her because she was being insulted?¡± Ci would ask. ¡°It was the only solution I had left. I wasn¡¯t standing for her getting insults that weren¡¯t even correct insults. So yea, I did what I had to do¡± Talia would cross her arms, scowling at the whole situation. ¡°I love your mother¡± Ci would state suddenly. There was a flicker of movement, and the woman was in front of Talia, holding her face in her hands. Talia could see in her eyes this was not a Sect thing. This was a mother thing. The dividing line was stuck to harshly, but Talia understood why. ¡°Seeing her in you like this, makes my heart soar. You will be the best of both of us when you are grown, my little Talia¡± Ci would put a kiss on Talia¡¯s forehead, and then a warm smile. ¡°You need to go visit her soon. And take Fushaka with you. Introducing your wife to be is important. And it¡¯s been a while since you saw her¡± Talia would be caught in a daze at the whole thing, but manage to regain her mental balance at the end. ¡°And you? When was the last time you saw her?¡± Talia asked, her heart thumping wildly. And it almost stopped when she saw the hurt in her mother¡¯s eyes. Ci rarely talked about her other mother, and now Talia saw why. ¡°...A while¡± she would state, curt and short, as she departed back to the table. Talia watched, and felt her body breaking down, seeing the woman in emotional turmoil. Immortals shouldn¡¯t be like that, they were ascended beyond the mortal concerns. Hence the name. She had to do something about this scar on her mother¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m, going to go now¡± Talia choked out, before turning and leaving. She had to get something done about all this. It was unjust, leaving a person in pain like this.