ã€ŠThe Path of Endless Flavorã€‹


 Foundation

    Information Requested: Non-Combat oriented paths of Cradle

    Beginning Report...

    Cradle is a world largely dominated by cultivation paths centered around destruction and combat.  This is primarily due to the overabundance of vital aura within the iteration, leading to a commensurate overabundance of powerful spiritual beasts and human practitioners, all willing to compete and fight over the limited resources required for higher advancements.  As individual Sacred Artists reach the peak of non-Ascended cultivation (see: Monarchs), civilizations coalesce around them, with notable exceptions (see: Northstrider).

    As these small bubbles of relative peace and calm develop and grow, their needs grow more complex.  Agriculture, architecture, and medicine are all increasingly required to sustain growing populations. This is at first manageable through the strength provided by combat oriented paths, but grows more difficult as larger infrastructures create larger populations. A feedback loop is created. More people are born who require more resources, both mundane and those based around advancing cultivation, which necessitates larger infrastructure and resource generation, the abundance of which generates more people. Conflict escalates between cultivators all following similar Paths and bloodshed ensues as cultivators attempt to strive for dominance without destroying the infrastructure they have grown dependent upon.

    After several decades to centuries of this cycle, the second overarching phase of a cultivation based culture begins.  Sacred Artists who have a talent for cultivation but lack a similar predisposition toward violence begin to develop their own unique paths, using less desired cultivation resources, and whose primary focus is non-combative in nature.

    Suggested Topic: Current non-standard paths with the potential to eventually affect Abidan level Fate calculations. Continue?

    Denied, report complete.

    ¡°Shin Yau Yujin!  You had better be properly focused on your cycling out there!¡±

    Yujin flinched as his mother¡¯s voice resounded through their courtyard.

    ¡°I am!¡±

    Yujin was lying. He was not focused on his cycling.  There was a nest of Sparrowlings that had just hatched, and watching their mother bring back food to the persistently chirping chicks was far more entertaining that cycling Foundation techniques he¡¯d mastered three years ago. A lot of things were more entertaining, a fact that Yujin had become increasingly aware of the past several years.

    ¡°Because you know I can sense your breathing from here!¡±  Yujin could feel his mother¡¯s voice in his madra channels when she was lecturing. Yujin almost suspected it was some kind of spiritual technique she¡¯d learned on her path. ¡°And while it¡¯s been quite some time since I practiced that same cycling technique, but I know that¡¯s not it!¡±

    ¡°I was just trying to get back into it when you interrupted me!¡±

    This was also a lie, but one he knew his mother couldn¡¯t know was false. Probably. Of course, to sell it, that meant he actually had to refocus on his cycling.

    Yujin closed his eyes, settled back into his breathing rhythm, and directed his attention inward toward his faint madra channels.  The flow of madra was steady, quickening and slowing with his breathing, and his channels showed no signs of instability or strengthening.  Nonetheless, he resumed his cycling patterns, alternating between the half dozen Foundation stage Sacred Artists his age were instructed to practice.

    One of the pillars of the Shin clan was their focus on properly developing their youth in the earliest stages of advancement.  Their first Patriarch had taken the name of ¡®Foundation¡¯ stage quite literally.  He believed that spending more time reinforcing the earliest advancement stages greatly eased advancing through the Gold and Lord stages.  He had spent years developing different patterns that were supposed to create the strongest possible foundation for future advancement.

    He had also restricted the speed at which clan members were allowed to advanced.  No Foundation stage child was allowed to progress to Copper before age eleven, based on the belief that older minds possessed more self control and would be better able to train themselves up to Lowgold.

    By all accounts, the Patriarch had been proven correct.  The Shin clan produced more Truegolds than any other clan of their size, despite a rarity of advancement resources.  They even rivaled even some of the larger mid-ranked clans of the Blackflame Empire in terms of the contributions of their clan members.

    The only real downside being that it was just so. Damn. Boring.

    Yujin felt himself lose the cycling pattern again as his mind wandered.  It was just too exhausting to cycle through the exact same patterns without even being able to feel a change.  His core had already reached the peak of Foundation stage, and any further strengthening of his channels and madra control was beyond his ability to sense.  The clan elders regularly checked on their progress and claimed to be able to sense a difference, scolding those they deemed not keeping up with their cycling.  Yujin¡¯s name was a regular on the list of those found insufficient.

    Yujin wanted to do better, but the will to push through with his training simply wasn¡¯t there.  He often found himself wondering why he couldn¡¯t just force himself to be motivated. Yujin sighed, realizing he simply didn¡¯t have any cycling left in him today, and went in to find his mother.

    He found her in the kitchen, clearly trying to rush preparing dinner.  The look she gave him when he walked in shouted exasperation more effectively than the actual shouting she¡¯d been doing a few minutes earlier.

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Yujin held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡­ I just¡­ can¡¯t. Not today. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± Yuji¡¯s expression softened as she gave him a soft sympathetic smile as she nodded over toward the table. She knew how much he¡¯d been struggling the past few months. ¡°But you have to make it up tomorrow.  It¡¯s important.¡±

    Yujin nodded and took a seat and his mother returned to cooking. He always loved watching her prepare meals.  She moved with such purpose and certainty, knowing each step like a dance.  He remembered having that just a few short years ago when he¡¯d started cycling practice with all the others.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Yujin looked down into his hands, ashamed.  ¡°Everyone else seems to be able to handle their cycling, but I just¡­ can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Nothing is wrong with you. Every Sacred Artists struggles in different ways. You¡¯ve just found one of your struggles a bit earlier than the others.  Practice and training will pay off.¡± His mother responded with well worn patience before smiling over her shoulder. ¡°Now stop complaining. Things aren¡¯t so bad. You haven¡¯t even noticed what we¡¯re having for dinner tonight.¡±

    She tapped the kitchen counter and Yujin looked up.  A freshly plucked fowl emanating the soothing sensation of water madra, colorful root vegetables, dough for soft buns, and tofu sprinkled with seasonings all sat neatly organized as the scent of salted soup wafted through the air.  All his father¡¯s favorites.

    Yujin felt his spirits lift, cycling practice forgotten.  ¡°Dad¡¯s home?¡±

    ¡°Meetha dropped by to chat while you were ¡®cycling¡¯ earlier.¡±  Yuji responded while channeling blade madra through the kitchen knife, skinning the fowl with a few swift movements. ¡°She saw his patrol report to the elders an hour ago, so he should be home by dusk for dinner.  I had just enough time to rush out to collect everything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±  Yujin grin was wide enough to hurt.  ¡°He¡¯s been gone for ages!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate, it¡¯s impolite. It¡¯s been just shy of month.  It hasn¡¯t been too long at all.¡±  Yuji smile conflicted with her tempered tone. ¡°But it will be very nice to have him home.  And having his favorite dishes waiting on the table will be a wonderful surprise for your father.  Just so long as I can get them done before-¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The plaintive wail crashed through the entire house.

    ¡°-Before Kasi wakes up from her nap.¡±  Yuji set down her knife with a profound sigh.  ¡°I swear that girl is developing some sort of sound madra path.¡±

    ¡°I can do it.¡±  Yujin blurted out.

    ¡°What?¡±  Yuji frowned back at Yujin.  ¡°What can you do?¡±

    ¡°I can cook the meal.¡±  Yujin said, speaking more rapidly.  ¡°I¡¯ve seen you do it a hundred times, I know all the steps, and that way you can soothe Kasi and dinner still gets put out on time.  Kasi hates it when I hold her so she won¡¯t stop crying if I go take care of her. You already skinned the bird, the soup is simmering, I can dice all the vegetables, and stuff the dumplings and take care of everything, I swear-¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok.¡± Yuji chuckled as she held up her arms and started walking out of the room.  ¡°You¡¯ve convinced me.  Just start with the vegetables and everything you¡¯re sure of and I¡¯ll bring Kasi back when she¡¯s calm.¡±

    Yujin was already ignoring his mother¡¯s words as he rushed over to the counter.  She¡¯d never actually let me do more than ¡®help¡¯ before, and never when his father was about to come home.  He needed to get this right.

    First up were the vegetables, just like she¡¯d said.  Yujin grabbed the knife and began dicing.  It was more difficult than he¡¯d expected from watching.  The roots kept trying to turn under his blade and they resisted the cut so much more than he expected. Yuji always made it look easy.  But, Yujin reminded himself, Mom can use blade madra.  Yujin tried his best to keep the cuts even but by the end, every piece was a different size and Yujin just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be noticed.

    Yujin checked the soup quickly, then moved on to the soft buns.  Those went better, and soon there were a dozen on the tray.  He¡¯d been allowed to help knead dough for years when his mother was hurried.  He slid in the tray then held out a hand to check the heat coming off the sacred treasures beneath their oven.  When he reached Copper, he¡¯d be able to see how much flame vital aura they still emitted but for now feeling the heat would have to do.

    His mother returned carrying Kasi just as he was approaching the meat, knife in hand. The waterswept ducks raised in their sect¡¯s communal pond were considered just a hair below a actual sacred beast and were a rare treat in Yujin¡¯s household.  Yujin had never been allowed to prepare them before but from the indulgent smile on his mother¡¯s face, that was about to change.

    ¡°Just cut along the obvious tendon lines and it will come out fine.¡±  Yuji took the seat Yujin had vacated earlier, bouncing Kasi in her arms.  ¡°And make sure to take it off the fire when it¡¯s golden, not brown.¡±

    Yujin felt his smile threaten to tear the edges of his cheeks as he turned back to the counter.  With his mother guiding him, he managed not to ruin the duck, only overcooked the buns by a few minutes longer than needed, and kept the soup perfectly simmering the entire time.  It was hectic and intense and following some strange rhythm he couldn¡¯t quite hear, bouncing from one dish to the next, always just a few seconds away from  ruining a dish, but his mother didn¡¯t move from her seat.  She just smiled and provided the occasional reminder of what needed looking after next..

    It was incredible, and made all the better by the sound of their front door sliding open just as Yujin slid the buns and the duck off the heat at the same time.

    Simply perfect.

    ******************

    ¡°Dearest¡­¡± Haisin hesitated, scanning over the meal arrayed before him, not sure what to say.  It was all his usual favorites, which his wonderful wife always somehow managed to have ready on his first night back, but something was off.  None of the dishes, well, looked quite right.

    He looked up at his wife, failing to hide his confusion.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s all your favorites, just the way you like.¡±  Yuji smiled more loudly than usual, and Haisin realized he needed to just be quiet while it was explained.  ¡°What you probably don¡¯t know is that Kasi needed soothing just before I got started, so your wonderful son took a brief break from his cycling to prepare everything for me.

    Ah. Haisin mentally nodded and turned to his son. Yujin, almost quivering with repressed energy, nodded frantically from the edge of his seat. His expression contained all the hopeful fear and excitement the real world filed away from adults and Haisin gave a rueful smile. One poor meal was a small price to pay to protect that innocence for a while longer.

    ¡°Well, thank you Yujin.¡± Haisin said, picking up his bowl of soup.  ¡°That was very kind of you.  I love coming home to these meals.¡±

    Haisin inhaled deeply, savoring the smell.  This particular soup had a subtlety to it that only revealed itself on tasting.  Yuji liked to joke how he¡¯d only married her for her ability to make the soup just right, and Haisin always smiled and carefully never said just how much that had actually helped him fall in love with her. He took a deep sip and froze.

    It was good. Actually good. A relaxed smile slid into place, just like it always did at his first taste of home cooking after a long patrol.  It was just right, which was so surprising that he completely forgot to pretend and simply enjoyed it instead.

    ¡°Wow.¡± He glanced between his son, who was practically glowing with pride, and his wife, who seemed pleasantly surprised by his reaction. ¡°That¡¯s delicious.  It¡¯s exactly how I like it.¡±

    The rest of the meal proceeded as it always did. Haisin told stories of the untamed regions of the Blackflame Empire he had been patrolling.  Yuji discussed the clan gossip he¡¯d missed and sugarcoated Yujin¡¯s lagging cultivation.  The only real difference was Yujin¡¯s frequent questioning if the food was good.

    And it was, until he bit into his second soft bun.

    Haisin froze as the bite ended with a crunch.

    ¡°What?¡± Yujin¡¯s face fell instantly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?  Did I mess up the buns.  I thought they came out right.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine.¡±  Haisin reassured him, while inspecting the bun¡¯s stuffing.  ¡°It just seems like some of the vegetables were diced a bit¡­ larger, than your mother does, and they didn¡¯t quite cook.  But it¡¯s fine.  We¡¯ll just call them Yujin style soft buns.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s crestfallen expression belied the nod he gave his father in return.  Haisin sighed, remembering a time when it was far easier to fool his son with kind words.  He¡¯s just growing up so fast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t be an issue much longer.¡±  Haisin reached over to ruffle Yujin¡¯s hair.  ¡°Just a few short years until your eleventh year.  Once you start bringing sword aura into your core, vegetables are going to be the least of what you can cut.  Assuming, of course, you¡¯ve been keeping up with your cycling training and won¡¯t be held back from advancing?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.  I¡¯ve been, uh, I¡¯ve been cycling every day.  Lots of practice.¡± Yujin stammered, refocusing the entirety of his attention on his meal.

    Thank the Heavens he¡¯s still too young to lie properly. Haisin put on his ¡®stern father¡¯ expression.  Best to try and reinforce this now.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard right now.  Training every day without being able to see any change or advancement is a real challenge, but the work you do now will pave the way for your advancement and discipline later.¡± Haisin matched his tone to his expression, drilling the point home. ¡°I have faith you can stick with it.  I know one day you¡¯re going to make our entire clan proud, not just me.¡±

    Yujin nodded forcefully, eyes still stuck to his meal. Haisin removed his hand and changed the subject to a pack of particularly nasty dreadbeasts his patrol had encountered just a week before his return.  Yujin¡¯s gloom slowly dissipated and soon he was back to peppering Haisin with questions about   He¡¯d made his point the best he could, and now all he could do was wait to see if Yujin took it to heart.

    **********

    Yuji woke up later than she should have with a smile on her face.  She always slept more deeply when Haisin was home, and Yuji had noticed even Kasi was less fussy when her father was home.  Yuji rolled over to watch her husband beside her, still fast asleep, back where he belonged. The long patrols he went on so frequently were the Shin clan¡¯s primary responsibility within the Blackflame Empire, and the reputation those patrols earned for reliable, consistent service gave the clan a level of imperial protection other factions of the same size envied deeply.  While she didn¡¯t resent him or the clan for his absences, she did still wish they weren¡¯t quite so long.

    Sighing, Yuji eased herself out from the sheets, careful not to wake Haisin.  Letting him sleep in was one of the last steps in their familiar homecoming ritual.  The last was spoiling him with breakfast in bed and Yuji quietly stepped down the hall to prepare just that.

    First checking in on Kasina, to find her sleeping soundly, Yuji moved on to Yujin¡¯s room.  She normally would have let him sleep in like his father, but after Haisin¡¯s little dinner speech, she intended to hold Yujin to his promise of extra cycling time this morning.

    ¡°Jin-jin,¡± Yuji murmured as she slid his door open. ¡°Time to wake up and¡­¡±

    Yuji trailed off in shock.  Yujin was already seated in the middle of his room, so deep into a cycling trance he hadn¡¯t even heard her come in.  She swept a light spiritual scan over him just to be sure, but he was, in fact, properly cycling.

    The scan finally alerted Yujin to his mother¡¯s presence and his eyes popped open.

    ¡°Morning!¡±  Yujin said brightly.

    ¡°Good morning sweetie.¡±  Yuji replied, gathering her wits. ¡°How long have you been cycling this morning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±  Yujin glanced over at the water clock beside his bed.  ¡°I was up pretty early, so I think about two hours.¡±

    If her son hadn¡¯t been such a terrible liar, Yuji never would have believed it, but the truth of it was as plain as writing across his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯m impressed.¡±  Yuji beamed back at her son.  This deserved a reward.  ¡°What would you like for breakfast?  I was just about to go prepare your father¡¯s favorite omelets, but I can make something different for you if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, I like those.¡±  Yujin uncrossed his legs to stand.  ¡°Actually, I could use a break.  Do you mind if I come help you make breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Of course, especially after the wonderful job you did with dinner last night.¡±  Yuji beckoned Yujin as she began walking toward the kitchen. ¡°There¡¯s a trick to getting the eggs just right. I¡¯ll show you how.¡±

    Yujin scrambled down the hall after her, smiling as if he¡¯d burst if he didn¡¯t let some of the joy out.  Yuji couldn¡¯t help but feel her spirits lift to match her son¡¯s.  Her husband was safely home, her son had found some of the motivation he¡¯d lost, and her little Kasi wasn¡¯t crying up a storm.  It was amazing how just a few small changes could form a perfect morning out of nothingness.  This was going to be a wonderful day.

 Copper

    Information Requested: First phase of non-combat path evolution

    Beginning Report¡­

    Prime examples of this are the widespread Redflower Clan, whose various life, water and earth based paths provide highly efficient agriculture on every continent, and the Crystal River School, which is the sole architectural contractor of the Nine Cloud Court.  While combat is not the primary focus of their paths, even these organizations still teach basic martial training and combat based techniques to their disciples.

    After basic needs such as food and shelter are comprehensively met, there usually emerges a collective need for greater luxuries in these nascent civilizations.  This need first manifests with creative usages of existing paths, usually centering around Sacred Artists whose martial skills prove deficient.  These less skilled disciples seek to provide value to the clan by utilizing their paths in ways others find beneath them.  Illusion artists create artwork or supplement theatrical performances.  Wind based paths find great success in adapting their mobility to acrobatics or couriering messages.  In rare cases, the cultivators can find sufficient demand for their non-martial services to actually break away and form their own school, and occasionally find even greater acclaim and fortune than their originating clan.  Such as in the case of the Beastwalker clan¡¯s rejects forming The Dansim Brother¡¯s Fantastic Spirit Beast Menagerie, which is still successfully touring four continents two centuries after the destruction of the originating clan in a territorial dispute.

    Suggested Topic: Second phase of non-combat path evolution

    Denied, report complete.

    Yujin willed the silver blade madra to gather along the edge of his blade, staring down his opponent.  For all his training and practice and countless defeats, Yujin still struggled to push the madra into the technique he desired.  He¡¯d lost a dozen times today alone but Yujin refused to let that lessen his determination.  He would succeed.

    Sweat dripped down his forehead, blurring his vision, but Yujin refused to blink, forcing the madra into the pattern he desired.  He maintained his breathing, using the copper cycling pattern of the Flowing Blades path, and let the blade madra build to a crescendo.

    Focus.  Yujin scolded himself.  You¡¯ve practiced this a thousand times.  Picture the pattern you want and just let the madra flow into it.

    Just as it reached a density trembling at the very edge of his current control, he swung his blade down decisively and released a shower of slivery blades onto his opponent.

    The stubborn carrot resisted, shivering, as his madra passed over and through it, before slouching in defeat.  It¡¯s neatly trimmed core reluctantly unfolded, descending into an elegant, symmetrical lotus flower without collapsing into a pile of overcut petals.  The perfect, and final, garnish for the breakfast he¡¯d been preparing.

    Yujin gasped, losing his cycling technique entirely, and threw his hands up into the air. The carrot sat on the cutting board, all the more beautiful for being surrounded by the butchered remains of his failed earlier attempts.

    ¡°Yes!  Finally!¡±  Yujin knew how much his mother hated shouting in the house but some things deserved to be celebrated.  ¡°No ingredient can best me!¡±

    ¡°Yesh!¡±  Kasina shouted from her seat at the table, throwing up her stubby arms in mimicry of her brother. ¡°Fi¡¯ally!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Kasi!¡±  Yujin placed the lotus garnish into the center of the platter, heaved it up into his arms before gently settling it onto the center of the table in front of his applauding sister.  ¡°Finally.  Breakfast is finally done.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this I hear about breakfast?¡± Yuji asked, entering the kitchen ahead of Haisin as Yujin laid down the rest of the utensils and plates.  ¡°Is today¡¯s feast finally prepared to our young chef¡¯s standards?¡±

    ¡°Indeed it is, mother!  After two weeks of effort, your son has triumphed and everything is as it should be!¡±  Yujin couldn¡¯t help the flowery language, as his giddy joy bubbled to the surface.  ¡°The omelets are folded, the bacon is crisp, the rice is fluffy as a cloud, the vegetables steamed to the edge of consistency, and it all resides under the finally. Perfectly. Cut. Carrot. Lotus.¡±

    Yujin took a bow.  ¡°Enjoy.¡±

    Everyone took their seats and dug in, and Yujin appreciated the moment.  Yuji was placing food on Kasi¡¯s plate before seeing to her own, piling vegetables atop the rice.  Haisin taking his first bite and closing his eyes in appreciation.  Yujin took a moment to breath it all in.  The smiles, the smell of well cooked food, the sense of family and home and satisfaction that permeated the room.  All the effort and time, paid off in full.

    ¡°You know,¡±  Haisin began in a careful tone. ¡°This is all delicious.  But it¡¯s just as delicious as always.  The carrot flower doesn¡¯t actually change the meal. None of us are even going to eat it. You didn¡¯t have to spend all that time learning to cut it just so.¡±

    ¡°I disagree.¡±  Yujin didn¡¯t even feel the implied criticism.  He¡¯d finally cut the carrot.  Nothing was going to bring him down. ¡°It ties the entire meal together.  Before, it was just a bunch of food on a plate, cuz we were hungry. Now, it¡¯s a meal to remember.  And I like to think it lets my family know they¡¯re worth the extra effort.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Yujin.  You¡¯re exactly right.¡± Yuji replied, her words followed by a soft thump under the table that just possibly could have been her foot connecting with Haisin¡¯s shin. ¡°I can feel the difference already and I haven¡¯t even taken a bite yet.  And not to ruin the mood but are you aware that it¡¯s almost ninth bell?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Yujin felt all the joy of the morning evaporate as he checked the water madra clock in the corner.  ¡°Crap!  I have cycling class!  I¡¯m late.¡±

    ¡°Cra¡¯!¡±  Kasi cried out, throwing her arms in the air again. ¡°I¡¯s lay!¡±

    ¡°Kasi! Language.¡± Yuji scolded before glaring at Yujin.  ¡°Watch your tongue.  You know she¡¯s nothing but mimicry madra these days.¡±

    Yujin couldn¡¯t respond as he¡¯d just shoveled the majority of his rice into his mouth.  He could not be late again.  He mumbled what could have conceivably been an apology before grabbing a handful of bacon and sprinting out of the room.

    Yujin snagged his practice and cycling blades from beside the front entrance and tore out onto the path. He glanced down at his robes and didn¡¯t spot any particularly bad food stains. Instructors had disciplined him over that before and normally he wouldn¡¯t have minded, but things were changing.  Elder Lai had been hinting the last few weeks that if his exacting standards were met, he might finally let his students begin incorporation their chosen madra.

    ****

    Yuji shook her head and turned back to ministering to Kasi while Haisin stared out after their son, frowning but not quite sure why. His son¡¯s advancement training was going well and his dedication to training properly had done nothing but strengthen the last few years.  Kasi and Yuji were happy and healthy.  His latest patrols had gone exceptionally well and the accompanying rewards were speeding his way to Truegold.

    Things were going well.  Very well, even. Yet here he was, frowning after his son.

    ¡°Dearest heart.¡± Haisin said.

    ¡°Mmm?¡±  Yuji answered, not turning away from Kasi.

    ¡°Do we need to have a talk with Yujin?¡±

    ¡°About what?¡± Yuji¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry he¡¯s, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Haisin shrugged uncomfortably, trying to find the right words. ¡°Getting a bit too obsessed with cooking? He woke up two hours earlier than the rest of us to practice cutting carrots and he¡¯s still running late for class.¡±

    ¡°All the best sacred artists have hobbies dear.  It keeps them balanced.¡±  Yuji¡¯s laughter soothed her husband.  ¡°Besides, it¡¯s doing absolute wonders for his madra control.  You do realize the knife never actually physically touched that carrot, don¡¯t you?  And he did it in a single technique, not a dozen cuts.  I¡¯m not even sure I could do that.¡±

    Haisin turned back to the diced vegetable that had so captivated his son these past few weeks. It was actually an impressive display of finely tuned madra, when he look at it objectively.  Yujin had even managed to curve the cuts so the lotus petals curved just like the real thing.  And the carrot was still technically one connected piece.  Doing it in separate cuts was one thing, but as a single flowing technique?  Golds would struggle to achieve such a thing.

    Could I do that? Haisin asked himself, and realized he wasn¡¯t sure of the answer.

    Haisin found himself chuckling and shook away his doubts. Yuji was right.  There was nothing wrong with having a hobby, and all young geniuses needed ways to express themselves.  He should just sit back and enjoy the delicious food.  Everything was going to be fine.

    ***************

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    ¡°Swords down.¡± Elder Lai said as he walked the rows between motionless students.  ¡°Begin stretching cycle four.¡±

    Yujin knelt in unison with the rest of the class, setting aside his practice sword, and began working his way through the prearranged series of painful arm stretches.  The Willowbranch Iron body was the Shin clan¡¯s core Iron body, and when perfected provided incredible flexibility and endurance.  It generally required years of painful limbering and strengthening exercises, as opposed to a few excruciating weeks or months that similar Iron bodies needed.  The benefits it provided were designed to mesh with the clan¡¯s primary sword style, which emphasized fluidity and curving movements over straightforward power.

    ¡°Students! What is the core of our path?¡±  Elder Lai¡¯s voice echoed through the room.

    ¡°Flexibility in all things!¡± Dozens of voices thundered back.

    ¡°Correct.¡± Elder Lai nodded approvingly before continuing.  ¡°But flexibility can, and does, mean many things to our school and our clan.  There is the literal, such as when facing with an impeccable defense, you do not break through, but instead flow around.  It means that to fully achieve mastery of our Flowing Dance sword style, extreme physical flexibility is required.

    ¡°But it is also much more than that.  Straighten your back, disciple, you¡¯re more likely to fall asleep than stretch a muscle in that pose.¡± Lai rapped a kneeling student on the back of the head. ¡°It is about accepting and bending to reality, even if you do not wish to.  Recognizing that we are not the largest or most powerful of clans, and thus must bend to the whims of the more powerful.  Understanding that different clans see the world in different ways.  And even, sometimes, accepting that the path of our children will not be the same as our own.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s went still at those final words, as did the rest of the class.

    ¡°Yes, yes, as promised, the day has finally come.¡±  Elder Lai¡¯s voice was indulgent.  ¡°Today I will begin accepting requests for alteration or addition to the Flowing Blade path¡¯s madra requirements.  After class or at any other time, you will be allowed to approach me and explain the reasoning behind why you wish to supplement your blade madra. If, and only if, I find your reasoning acceptable and fitting with your current progress and style, you will be allotted a sacred treasure of that madra and allowed to begin integrating it into your core.

    ¡°Do not take this lightly.¡±  Lai¡¯s tone hardened. ¡°I expect your decisions to be carefully considered. Beyond personal cultivation, this will be the first duty tasked to you by our sect.  Our founding Patriarch foresaw the wisdom in allowing our paths to bend with the needs of the individual, and entrusted that choice to each generation.

    ¡°Now.¡±  Lai clapped his hands together. ¡°Another piece of wisdom our wise ancestor left to us is the value of hard work in clearing the mind.  Let us all meditate once more upon the paths we will follow while moving through the Sweeping Blade kata. I say, three hundred repetitions.  What say you?¡±

    The shouts of assent outnumbered the groans, but only just.

    ***************************

    ¡°Already, disciple?¡±  Lai raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s only been an hour since I made the announcement.  I hope you aren¡¯t here to waste my time.¡±

    ¡°No Elder.¡±  Yujin genuflected over pressed fists.  This was it.  He tried not to stare at the open book in front of the Elder.  With just one stroke of a brush, everything could change, for better or worse.

    ¡°Very well then.  What is your request?¡±

    ¡°Fire madra.¡±  Yujin forced himself to speak slowly.  He could not seem overeager.  ¡°I wish to incorporate fire madra into my path to supplement my swordplay.¡±

    All the reasons he¡¯d rehearsed rushed through his mind. It was flexible, just like the sect¡¯s path of the Flowing Blade demanded. It would enhance the area his sword strikes could affect. It would open up a whole new field of ruler techniques. It could distract and intimidate his opponents.  It was a popular addition amongst many of the sect¡¯s Golds, so he would have a wealth of experience to draw upon if he had questions.

    None of these reasons were why he wanted the ability to wield flame madra, but they were all still technically true.

    The seconds seemed to stretch into days as Elder Lai looked him in the eye. Sweat poured down Yujin¡¯s face but he refused to look away. He would be strong in this.  It was what his path required, what he required, and he would not be turned away in this. ¡®No¡¯ was not an acceptable answer.

    ¡°Very well.¡±  Elder Lai nodded. ¡°The sect approves this alteration to your path.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yujin asked, knowing how foolish he sounded.  He felt as if he should have stumbled, but have been standing still, it didn¡¯t occur.

    ¡°I said, your decision has been accepted by the sect.¡± Elder Lai smiled. ¡°I can see in your eyes and your spirit the determination you possess. And I do believe your core resonated ever so slightly when you said it. This was not a decision you came to lightly. The warnings we give are merely to dissuade the fickle and foolish. I can tell this is the path that calls to you, and when you feel such passion for a chosen path, strong and firm advancement inevitably follows.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡±  Yujin bent forward, bowing over his fists until he worried he might strike the floor.  He couldn¡¯t be certain how exaggerate that worry might be, as his eyes were clenched shut tightly.

    ¡°But be warned, this is not the final decision.  You will still be expected to show improvement.¡±  Lai¡¯s voice remained warm but the firm words chilled Yujin to the bone.  ¡°If you demonstrate an inability to control or properly incorporate this madra into your path, you will be forbidden from advancing to Iron until your core is once again purified to possess only sword madra. I do not expect this to happen, but I will not refuse to see it should it occur. This choice you make is both a duty and a privilege.  To fail in your duty to the sect, is to also lose it¡¯s associated privileges.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Elder Lai dropped his eyes and began writing in the entry beneath Yujin¡¯s name, formalizing the approval. ¡°Sacred treasures of an appropriate aspect and strength will be withdrawn from our stores and delivered to your home within the week. If you already possess such a treasure, you may begin incorporating flame vital aura into your core before they arrive. You will be expected to present yourself for an inspection once a month to ensure that you are properly balancing the blade and flame madra in your core.

    ¡°You should also head home immediately,¡± Lai glanced back up from the book. ¡°A message was sent to all students¡¯ parents about path alterations today. I have a feeling yours know you won¡¯t wait and are quite curious about if you succeeded. You are dismissed, student.¡±

    Yujin gave one last deep bow before sprinting out the door.

    ************************************

    ¡°Well?¡± His mother demanded the moment Yujin entered the house.  She was the only one in the entrance hall, but Yujin could feel his father listening from further into the house.

    ¡°Fire madra!¡± Yujin shouted, throwing up his arms in triumph. ¡°My path has been approved!¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s,¡± Yuji covered her mouth as her eyes welled up. ¡°That¡¯s just wonderful!  I knew they¡¯d accept your change.  They¡¯d have been fools not to.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mom.¡±  Yujin said, trying not to roll his eyes.

    ¡°Now.¡± Yuji sniffled and wiped her eyes clear. ¡°There¡¯s still some time left.  I can run to market and get what you need for your favorite dinner.  I¡¯d offer to cook but, well, I know only you can make it the way you like anymore.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Yujin put on his most charming, loving-son smile. ¡°I was hoping I could try something different tonight, to celebrate.¡±

    ***********************************

    Yujin took a deep breath and focused on the ingredients he¡¯d prepared around the kitchen.

    The vegetables and chicken were laid across the table before him.  His cycling sword was unsheathed and leaned against the far wall, far enough out of the way that he wouldn¡¯t risk knocking it over. The sacred treasures inside the stove were fully unsealed, releasing heat and red-orange vital aura into the air. His mother and father were watching silently, curious, and keeping Kasi quiet.

    Everything was ready.

    He picked up the freshly sharpened kitchen knife and let himself fall into his traditional cultivation trance. Then, carefully, he began to lift himself back out of it.  A hair at a time, Yujin became less and less aware of his core and madra channels, and more conscious of his surroundings.  After several minutes, by his best guess, he¡¯d evenly split his attention between his cultivation trance and the kitchen.

    Let¡¯s give this a try.

    Yujin picked up the first carrot to begin dicing, and began the breathing pattern for his cycling technique.  He carefully chopped his way through the ingredients, all the while pulling a thread of flame and blade madra from their respective sources into his core. It was far slower than both his usual cooking speed and his usual cultivation, but he managed to maintain a tenuous hold on both.

    As he progressed through the meal¡¯s preparation, all the reasons he had for choosing to incorporate flame madra into his path bubbled up in his mind.  Ingredients that would never burn from excess heat.  A even distribution of warmth across his pans.  A knife that could be any sharpness or temperature he needed.  Fish and meat that he could cook, inside and out, to his exact desires.  The sizzle and roar and toast of every stove, flame and oven in his kitchen under his complete control.

    And it wasn¡¯t just control over fire If he could just master this technique, every time he cooked a meal, he would simultaneously be advancing his cultivation.  The hours in the day he could cycle would more than double, and the boredom he had to fight through for hours each day would disappear.

    The dream of complete mastery over what he had come to see as his domain seemed just within reach. The possibility sustained him through the intense focus cultivating while cooking demanded. But no Path is without obstacles.

    The problems began when it was finally time to fry all his prepared ingredients together.  Any rapid or sudden movements stole away control of his cycling¡¯s breathing pattern.  As a result, there was significantly less stir than a proper stir fry required, and a burnt haze of smoke gradually filled the kitchen.  Nothing was ruined beyond edibility, but the black char on everything was far, far below his normal standards.

    He could also feel the worried gazes of his parents on his back.  Yujin wasn¡¯t sure if it was for the burned meal, his strange cycling, or fear for his sanity.  Yujin had only heard of Sacred Artists cycling while moving in myths of Sages and Monarchs. And not while cooking, either.

    But for all the evenings failings, Yujin set the bowls before his parents with a sense of triumph.

    He¡¯d done it.

    A (technically) edible meal, prepared without assistance, while cycling a cultivation pattern.  Yujin could feel the change in his core, a fair orange sheen just barely tinting the silver sword madra already present. It had been slow, and ineffective, but he¡¯d taken in both blade and flame vital aura present in the kitchen.  That meant it could be done.

    And if it could be done, it could be done better.

    As he dug into his meal, which tasted delicious despite being objectively not, Haisin cleared his throat.

    ¡°I owe you an apology.¡± Haisin said.

    ¡°What?¡± Yujin glanced over at his mother in confusion, but she was too busy soothing Kasi, who most definitively not tasting the glorious victory that Yujin was. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about your¡­ interest in cooking.  I was afraid that too much of your energy and focus was going into making food, and that your cultivation would suffer as a result. I am very relieved to have just been proven wrong.¡±  Haisin¡¯s smiled. ¡°What you just did, cultivating while not just moving but cooking, was incredible. I don¡¯t say that I understand it.  Heavens, I don¡¯t even understand your decision to leave a pure blade path.¡±

    Haisin trailed off, frowning, and Yujin realized what his father was trying to say.

    ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±  Yujin answered, ¡°I won¡¯t let cooking distract me. It¡¯s just fun to do. It helps me focus. Helps me learn. I won¡¯t let my cultivation suffer. I¡¯ll make you proud.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Haisin smiled again, then rested a hand on Yujin shoulder. ¡°Good. I¡¯m very proud of you, Yujin. You¡¯re going to go very far.¡±

    Yujin nodded, and they both returned to their food.  Haisin, with immense relish, and Yujin with a great deal less.  It was strange but for some reason, the food lacked that triumphant taste.  In fact, Yujin felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach, which didn¡¯t make sense, as the food wasn¡¯t that bad. In fact, it felt similar to when Yujin used to feel guilty about not cycling as diligently as he should have.

    To Yujin, it almost felt as if he¡¯d just lied.

 Iron

    Yujin loved the Traveler¡¯s marketplace.

    He had from the first moment he saw it as a child. There was a wonder to the colorful stalls and strangers and infinite variety that had destroyed his young mind. Filled with visiting merchants and traders¡¯ from across the Blackflame Empire, or at least it seemed that way to a child who had never ventured more than a day¡¯s travel from his home. It was a wonder that had never truly faded during the rare visits he was allowed growing up.

    As an inner disciple of the Flowing Blade sect, he¡¯s ability to leave the sect grounds was strictly limited. The sect was almost a village unto itself, acres of forest and gardens, homes and training halls, all interconnected with flowing stone paths. A child could spend most of their life in the sect¡¯s land without growing bored or restless, which Yujin in fact had. The sole exception to that was the marketplace.

    Gossip of what was or might be found was rampant amongst the sect¡¯s younger members. Older disciples often bragged about what they found for sale to their juniors, regardless of if they were able to but it or not. The newest fabrics from Blackflame City lay just two stalls down from sacred instruments forged in the Skysworn armories of Stormrock. Sweets and confections were constantly being reinvented and offered in limited quantities as the city¡¯s three major baking guilds waged a bloodless but cruel war for the attention of the city¡¯s youth, fueled by the many fruits, flours and sugars brought in weekly by fresh merchants.

    But for Yujin, there was only one part of the market that captured his heart.

    Food from across the entire continent having miraculously found it¡¯s way into the myriad stalls. Carefully regimented rows of fruit marched between the pastel dunes of spices. Freshly hunted spirit beast carcasses dangled from hooks above the choicest cuts as their sellers hawked the many benefits their particular meats would bring to sacred artists¡¯ cultivation. The auras of the it all swirled into a rainbow of possibility and aura Yujin could swear was visible even before he¡¯d achieved his Copper sight.

    His fellow disciples drooled over rare Skysworn blades and exotic spirit beast bindings, but Yujin never had eyes for anything the culinary possibilities laid out before him. Today¡¯s trip, the first of many, was no exception.

    It was a reward afforded him by both his mother and Elder Lai for having reaching the peak of Copper just a few days prior. Only three other students in his class had managed to reach that level of cultivation before him, all considered prodigies. It was still almost six months before his thirteenth nameday, when advancement to Iron would be permitted. Of the other three, only one was younger than him. It was considered a mark of distinction and genius to be prepared for Iron prior to the minimum age set by the First Patriarch. Sufficiently impressive that until his advancement to Iron, Yujin was excused from the majority of his cultivation requirements and also permitted to accompany a qualified guardian outside the sect compound.

    His mother was such a qualified guardian. One who made twice weekly trips to the marketplace.

    Yujin had thought the moment he was allowed to incorporate fire madra into his path was the happiest he would ever feel.

    Yujin had been wrong.

    Every week was going to feel like that now.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re going to be coming here quite a bit.¡± Shin Yau Yuji said, smiling over her shoulder. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be standing there staring every time.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­¡± Yujin paused. ¡°Just taking in the moment. A few years ago, I wasn¡¯t even ready for Copper, and here I am, rewarded for being early to Iron. It feels good.¡±

    ¡°Good. It should. You¡¯ve made your father and I very proud. You should hear him, the way he brags to the other members of his patrol group. And anyone else that will listen.¡± Yuji shook her head. ¡°But enough of that. Today is your day. How would you like it if I taught you how to find properly fresh ingredients?¡±

    Yujin grinned. Just when he thought the day couldn¡¯t get better.

    What followed felt like a glimpse of the enlightenment would-be Sages were said to pursue. At each stall Yuji visited, she shared a portion of its secrets. Some fruit had to be squeezed, others smelled, a few even listened to. Five minutes were spent finding petal plums at each stage of ripeness, so Yujin could feel them all. Meat was smelled, squeezed,and weighed, then re-weighed properly as Yujin¡¯s mother pointed out the ill-concealed weights attached to certain scales.

    While carrying the majority of their purchases back, (¡±It¡¯s excellent training, Yujin.¡±) Yujin realized he felt, possibly for the first time in his life, intimidated. Even when he¡¯d struggled with his childhood cultivation, there had always been instructions on what to do next. Someone to point out what was wrong and how to fix it.

    But this¡­

    This felt like a glimpse into an ocean. There was simply so much to know and learn and see and smell and things he almost certainly didn¡¯t even know to do yet. And that ocean of correct knowledge was dwarfed by all the ways he could misjudge or be fooled, by either the food itself or unscrupulous sellers.

    It was a thought that stayed with him.

    His mother could only take him twice a week. Ingredients weren¡¯t always consistently available. They couldn¡¯t only spend time inspecting new ones either, they had to buy what they needed. And all of that would be ending in less than a year once he advanced to Iron and a whole new training regimen began.

    There just wasn¡¯t enough time.

    The thought stayed with him the walk home.

    It stayed with him through the afternoon¡¯s training and Iron body preparation stretches.

    It stayed with him as he prepared dinner in silence, as Kasi looked on.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± She asked, breaking his contemplation as well as his kitchen cycling technique, which was well on its way to becoming instinctive.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Yujin continued dicing, as time was a bit of a factor at this point.

    ¡°You put the onions in already.¡± Kasi tilted her head toward the sizzling wok. ¡°Mom always puts them all in together. Why did you put the onions in first?¡±

    ¡°Onions cook differently, especially when they¡¯re all mixed up with other things.¡± Yujin gestured between the wok and the cutting board. ¡°If I cook the onions first, without all these, they¡¯ll taste much better at the end without having to overcook everything else.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± Kasi tilted her head the other way, a habit that had begun developing at the same time as her incessant questioning. ¡°Then why did you put them in before you finished dicing all the rest? Now you have to hurry and the onions might burn if you¡¯re slow.¡±

    ¡°Just because an adult does it, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the right way. It¡¯s more efficient my way.¡± Yujin paused dicing to glance over the onions and give the wok a shake. ¡°If I do the onions first while still dicing, I can keep the counter free of clutter, have more time for presentation, and have everything come out just right at the same time. Sometimes you have to combine two steps in order¡­ in order to¡­¡±

    Yujin¡¯s words and dicing trailed off, his eyes darting between the cutting board and the stove, mind racing. It was a possibility he¡¯d never considered before, never heard of anyone else in the sect trying, but as he¡¯d just told Kasi, adults didn¡¯t always do the right thing. Even Elder Lai had instructed them to pursue ¡®flexibility in all things¡¯.

    It couldn¡¯t possibly be that easy, could it? There must be a reason I can¡¯t have both¡­

    ¡°In order to what?¡± Kasi asked, head tilting forward.

    ¡°In order to get things right.¡± Yujin answered as he reflexively resumed dicing.

    Yujin remained silent through dinner, as he planned out what to say to Elder Lai tomorrow. He didn¡¯t even noticed the burnt onions the rest of his family politely ate around.

    ******************

    ¡°Elder Lai, I would like to request you advice on an alteration to my path.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m surprised.¡± Elder Lai smiled at his genuflecting disciple, ¡°Our sect library has a number of texts on techniques for developing Iron bodies to better handle fire madra and the heat that comes with it. Let me give you a list to start with.¡±

    ¡°Many thanks, Elder.¡± Yujin bowed a hair deeper. ¡°I¡¯m certain those will be incredibly useful. However, I was hoping to pursue something more¡­ unconventional, beyond just handling fire madra¡­¡±

    ********************

    It was finally time to advance.

    The preparation for fire madra had been the worst.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Months of intensive heat training. Submerging himself into scalding waters. Striking warm stones, searing sand, and, eventually, fresh coals with his bare hands. Most recently, two weeks of actual burns, placing his hand into flame while simultaneously drawing in its madra.

    The preparation of his hands had been less physically painful, but far more emotionally taxing.

    A re-doubling of painful stretching exercises in his hands and arms. The last month, his arms and hands had reached the point of near uselessness from the damage to his tendons. He been forced to postpone both his sword training and, far worse in his opinion, all his cooking.

    At last, he was here, kneeling across from Elder Lai, ready to take the last step.

    The most terrifying one. And not just for how painful it was going to be.

    Even the careful fracturing of every bone in his hands, which Elder Lai just completed, paled in comparison with what he was about to inflict upon himself.

    ¡°So, disciple Yujin,¡± Elder Lai asked, setting the half-silver hammer on the table between them. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I am resolute, Elder.¡± Yujin¡¯s voice was tight with pain as he gave the required response. He gently cycling his madra through the fractured bones, checking that the breaks were evenly distributed through the bones of his hands.

    Ascended above, my hands!

    Yujin couldn¡¯t help the agonized thought, even though he knew the situation to be temporary. And necessary. Well, necessary for his goal.

    ¡°With this, we have reached the end of the preparations created by our First Patriarch, to forge a Steel River Iron body.¡± Elder Lai¡¯s voice had taken on new formality, as he addressed not just Yujin, but those others gathered in the room for his advancement ceremony. ¡°However, disciple Yujin has chosen to step from our Path of the Flowing Blade, onto one of his own making. Before we begin, the disciple will once again reiterate the intention of his path, before family and clan.¡±

    ¡°Disciple Yujin!¡± Elder Lai barked. ¡°You seek to leave the Path?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Yujin gritted his teeth. Wish we could have done this before the bone breaking part.

    ¡°You have brought fire madra into your core. What will this bring to your path?¡±

    ¡°I seek to control my battlefield beyond simply the reach of my blade. There are many things elemental madra can do that a sharp edge cannot.¡±

    Both technically true. Yujin couldn¡¯t help thinking honestly, even when he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak truth aloud. Not my fault they¡¯re mistaken what my true battlefield and opponents are.

    ¡°Good.¡± Elder Lai responded, and Yujin saw nods ripple through some of the watching crowd. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for a poor answer to bring the ceremony itself to a halt. ¡°You have also sought a change almost never asked before. I would have you explain yourself to your sect.¡±

    ¡°I believe that the five senses are being underutilized in our bladework. Beyond just our spiritual sense, a heightened sense of sight, hearing, touch, even smell and taste, can bring value. I will attempt to enhance these senses, far beyond what the current Steel River body offers.¡±

    Also still true. I said bladework, not swordwork.

    ¡°This change has been approved by the Sect¡¯s instructors and Elders. To the best of our knowledge, the disciple¡¯s proposed additions to the Iron advancement will work.¡± Elder Lai said, still speaking with the weight of ceremony. ¡°However, no living Elder or disciple has attempted this. As such, there will be no assistance, no guided madra, no aid if your advancement were to go wrong. Knowing this, do you still wish to carve your own Path?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    More than anything.

    ¡°Very well then,¡± Elder Lai gestured his hand across the table between them. Two decorative boxes, a number of sealed bottles, and a large tied-off pouch lay beside the hammer. ¡°Your required Sacred Treasures and ingredient lay before you. You may proceed when ready.¡±

    Yujin gulped, before opening the leftmost box. He knew the pouch was what he should be using first, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He needed to leave it as long as possible.

    A soft, white glow spilled out from the box, and he drew out two stones that were the source of the light. Repositories of light madra, leaking a small fraction of what they contained within.

    Hands shaking, Yujin lifted them to his eyes, carefully positioning them over his eyes. Yujin let out a long, slow breath, before sending a pulse of his own madra through his hands, triggering the release of all the madra contained within.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how long he screamed, but he knew he did.

    After Yujin collected his thoughts, he tried to look around the room. There was not much to see. The room had transformed into a collection of blurred shapes and shadows, with the occasional brilliant light flaring up without rhyme or reason. That had been so much worse than rubbing his eyes to see stars. Yujin thought he be seeing movement around where he thought his family had been seated, but couldn¡¯t tell.

    Hushed murmurs were the only evidence left that he wasn¡¯t alone, which reminded him, through the pain, that he wasn¡¯t done yet. Fortunately he could still see just enough to make out the rough shapes on the table. Fumbling hands opened the second box and pulled out another two stones.

    These had easily been the most difficult and expensive Sacred Treasures to acquire of this entire ordeal. Despite all his efforts the past few months, Yujin had been unable to find any actual ¡®Sound¡¯ madra, or even confirm if it truly existed. However, there had been a number of resources on Paths that required particularly sensitive hearing. This had led him to the solution in his hands, a careful mixture of wind and illusion madra.

    Once activated, an illusion technique would be released. Anyone within a few inches of the stones would be convinced they were hearing a deafening cacophony. However, as an illusion, his physical body would technically remain unharmed, which was why the wind madra would be vibrating in such a way as to physically inflict the damage his ears were convinced they were experiencing.

    The madra containers vibrated faintly in his hands, as Yujin placed one over each of his ears and sent another pulse of madra.

    It wasn¡¯t clear if he screamed or simply collapsed, but when his head stopped spinning, he sprawled across the ground. He was fairly certain he was weeping, from the wetness on his face

    Why isn¡¯t anyone helping me? Yujin¡¯s thoughts were muddled. Oh, right, the Iron advancement. No one can help me.

    Yujin levered himself back up. There were no more murmurs to be heard, only a loud ringing filled the grey room he could no longer quitesee. He moved his jaw several times, tried to speak, but nothing disrupted the constant, high pitched noise.

    I should advance now. This just hurts too much. Yujin frowned at the thought. There was something wrong with that idea. He rubbed the side of his head, trying to order his thoughts, but his hand came away wet. Bringing it to his nose, Yujin smelled the faint coppery scent familiar to sparring days. His ears must have started bleeding.

    Wait, why is the smell faint? Yujin¡¯s mind latched onto the thought through the fog. Smells weren¡¯t supposed to be faint anymore. That was the whole reason he was going through with this. The ceremony isn¡¯t finished yet. I need a perfect Iron body, or my path ends here.

    His thoughts were starting to drift. He needed to hurry.

    He reached forward, fumbling acros the table until finally locating the bottles. He grabbed the leftmost and, refusing to think about it, downed the contents.

    Sour.

    Unbelievable sourness washed over him. Forcing his puckered mouth open, he spit out the foul brew and downed the next.

    Salty.

    A mixture of soy sauces and saltwater, Yujin held it in as long as he could before spewing it out. He tried to lean to the side but unable to see, he wasn¡¯t certain he hadn¡¯t just spit up all over Elder Lai.

    One more.

    Hands shaking, Yujin forced the last bottle between his lips and tilted his head back.

    SpicyFirePainSearPainFirePain.

    A mix of oils infused with every spice and chili Yujin had been able to locate in the market coated every nerve inside his mouth. He clapped his hands out his mouth, trying to contain the involuntary reaction. Oil leaked between his fingers, but enough had been trapped inside. It had to have been, because Yujin was never doing this again.

    Yujin sat and trembled, forcing himself to wait as every burning nerve ever so slowly faded into comforting numb oblivion. Finger by finger, he released the death grip he held on his mouth, panting.

    Don¡¯t think. No time. So painful. One more. Just one more.

    At last, Yujin collected and untied the pouch. He couldn¡¯t see what was inside anymore, but he knew. The most potent spices months of scouring the market could bring. All he had to do was breathe them in, and then break through to Iron.

    The advancement should not only repair all the damage, but take it further, enhancing them to a level commensurate to the damage done them. The massive amount of damage he¡¯d inflicted to his senses, he should be able to see, hear, smell and taste to the utmost level possible of a human.

    Should repair and enhance.

    Should.

    Yujin¡¯s heart trembled at the fear.

    If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡­

    Yujin couldn¡¯t even image what he¡¯d do if this failed. If all this pain had been for nothing? Or worse, if it didn¡¯t even repair to back to his original level? Yujin¡¯s imagination failed him.

    Then he remembered.

    No sacred artist can follow their own path without pain and risk.

    His path had already been set. He¡¯d decided on what he wanted to do, what he would be, long before this moment. All he had to do was take the next step.

    Placing his face and mouth inside the pouch, he once again tilted his head back, and breathed deeply.

    ***********************

    And then it was finally the day.

    If Yujin hadn¡¯t been preparing himself since stepping outside his house, if he hadn¡¯t begun smelling it from a full league away, he would have thought there had been some sort of madra detonation.

    It was like stepping into the marketplace for the first time all over again, but a thousand times better.

    He strolled through the alleys, new Iron body allowing him to slip through the crowds with ease, soaking it all in. It was as if a new world had been revealed

    The colors. The sounds.

    The smells.

    It defied words to describe it all.

    He stopped at his normal fruit vendor, nodding to the vendor and receiving a respectful nod in return, instead of the normal condescending smile. He snagged a small orange glistening with a hint of life madra, holding it to his nose and breathing in deeply.

    The citrus scent exploded to prominence, to the point that he could taste it. The tart, juicy flavor of it so familiar, yet magnified into something almost alien. He found he instinctively knew everything he could want to about the fruit. The slight differences in the flavor and substance of each slice. That it had been picked slightly less than two days before. The fact that it had been handled less than gently, but not so roughly as to do significant damage. That it would pair perfectly with the cake he¡¯d been planning for his sister¡¯s upcoming birthday.

    He held it back to view it through his new eyes. There was a discoloration on the side that could have been mistaken for a bruise but actually wasn¡¯t. The ridges denoting where it was best to peel, formerly a mystery were now laid out like a map. And the color felt deeper and richer the longer he stared.

    Yujin was surprised the entire street hadn¡¯t been blinded by the smile he now wore.

    This was everything he¡¯d hoped for those months ago, standing in the kitchen, dumbstruck by the idea of shaping the Flowing Steel Iron body into what he¡¯d wanted, instead of settling for what it already did provide. Something designed to enhance not only combat, but other aspects of life as well. A body that could tell the readiness of a dish from the barest glance, sizzle or scent.

    A True Chef¡¯s Iron body.

    Of course, he could never say that name out loud, but there was hardly a need to. This was his path, no one else¡¯s. His parents were proud and the Elders had approved everything he¡¯d done. It didn¡¯t matter that they didn¡¯t understand his exact motivation. That was a worry for another day anyway.

    Today was just for him. He had a day off from training, scales in his pocket, and all the time in the world to pick out each ingredient he¡¯d be cooking with for the next three days. Life was just about as perfect as could be.

    Everyone else had been right. Advancement really did make everything better.

 Jade, Part 1

    ¡°Match point! Victor¡­ Shin Yau Yujin!¡±

    The astonished cheers fought with with Yujin¡¯s pounding heart and heavy panting in his ears. His arms shook as he strained to hold his sword still, gently resting against the hollow of his opponent¡¯s throat. It had been a bold move, going for the throat. But his Iron body¡¯s instincts had told him his opponent was about to overreach and he¡¯d trusted them.

    Yujin pulled back and saluted with the wooden practice blade. His opponent, Gaurus, returned the salute reluctantly, only a hair faster than would have been construed as poor sportsmanship. Yujin didn¡¯t blame him for that, this had been a big match, the final of the spring tournament, and one that Gaurus had been favored to win.

    Much like his opponent had been favored in the semi-final Yujin had also won decisively. And the match before that. And the one before that. As one of the youngest Irons participating, Yujin had actually not been favored in any of his fights. And not one that was in doubt, with not a single one of his matches ending with less than a two point advantage in his favor.

    A true underdog tournament victory, which any crowd loved if the ongoing cheers were to be believed. Yujin actually thought his Iron body¡¯s enhanced ears were picking up some particularly shrill, ecstatic cheering from the bookies tables. A quick glance caught what Yujin suspected to be the sparkle of tears of joy from several bet takers. Yujin recalled how a few of his competitors had been bragging about bets placed on them to win.

    Not that his victory had been easy. It would take hours of cycling to get rid of all the bruises the day had brought. However, his victory had been decisive, at four points to two in a best of seven, and the crowd knew it. Especially his parents and Kasi, who was currently screaming as loud as her young lungs could manage.

    Of course, Yujin¡¯s mind was already elsewhere, thinking about tonight. As one of the prizes of the tournament, the Elders who had been formally observing the competition would be attending a dinner with Yujin¡¯s family that evening. It was ostensibly a chance to discuss the prospects of the champion in the sect and assess his future potential. If the assessment went favorably, it was all but certain that the winner would have his path to Jade smoothed and accelerated. Not just with additional training and formal permissions from the elders, but access to the advancement resources set aside in the sect¡¯s treasuries.

    But that was only the official reason. It was also a chance for lower ranking sect members to form connections and seek favor with highly ranked leaders. More than one marriage or alliance between the older, established families had been agreed up at these dinners.

    This was not something Yujin, or his family had ever really concerned themselves with. The victors were usually of the wealthier families in the sect as well, as they could afford the pills and elixirs to advance their children without the official support of the sect. That same wealth meant the visiting Elders tended to expect lavish, possibly even verging on feast-like, meals.

    Yujin¡¯s father had just shaken his head at the expensive ingredients his mother had purchased in ¡°preparation¡± for her son¡¯s victory. Yuji had smiled teasingly the whole time, as she had airily claimed it as a reasonable precaution to take. Neither her nor his father had outright said it was a nice excuse for a pleasant meal, and almost certainly to be a consolation dinner for Yujin placing poorly. He had been Iron for less than a year now, and the tournament allowed all Irons, regardless of age or level of skill.

    But now, as the tournament participants were arranged on stage in order of performance and rewards were being distributed, Yujin¡¯s mind was racing through what he¡¯d be preparing and changing for dinner. This was going to be a very important meal for his family, and they all knew that he was at least as good as his mother in the kitchen now. She¡¯d be needing his assistance to throw together a meal worthy of their unexpected guests in just a few short hours. What was a rare treat for their family could hardly be expected to suffice for the sect Elders.

    *******************************************************

    ¡°You have a¡­ lovely home, Huntsman Haisin.¡± Elder Chousan said.

    Haisan, unable to help himself, glanced around the room and felt like a stranger in his own house. It was just their family dining room, decorated with a flowers and a few paintings that his wife enjoyed. They ate there every day he wasn¡¯t out on dreadbeast patrol. Although it was, in fact, tidier than he¡¯d ever seen. The usual clutter that built up in any well lived in home had been hastily snatched up and hurled into different rooms their guests would not be invited to tour that evening. Guests that he had never once thought he would be important enough to host in such humble surroundings. Haisin felt like a stranger in his own home for it.

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Chousan.¡± Haisin inclined his head towards the most senior of the five Elders sitting across the table from him, choosing to let the pause pass without comment. ¡°I am honored that you¡¯ve all chosen to dine with us this evening.¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous. None of us would have chosen to dine here tonight.¡± Elder Taraka muttered to the elder beside him, clearly uncaring of who overheard. ¡°Do you know how many Blazeback boars the Baetong family prepared for us? Five! Each stuffed a different way!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing.¡± Elder Bidan muttered back, ¡°The Choyang patriarch¡¯s third granddaughter just come of age, and they are openly discussing marriage proposals. Have you seen that perfect flower of a girl? She puts entire fields of Teardrop Orchids to shame. She could be pouring us tea right now.¡±

    Elder Chousan forced a pained smile that gave Haisin the faint impression the elder wished he could agree with the other elders but refused to be so impolite. Haisin flushed but continued to struggle through the polite small talk and slowly turned the discussion towards the highlights of the day¡¯s tournament.

    On more familiar ground, Haisin and the Elders discussed the various Iron children who¡¯d had a decent showing. It had been a decent tournament overall, with fairly evenly matched fights. Yujin had been the clear standout with a decisive final victory, especially considering how the wealth of his opponent¡¯s family was a factor in advancement resources and additional private training.

    ¡°Huntsman Haisin, you have an unusually keen eye for the assessment of battle.¡± Elder Bidan groused after Haisin¡¯s analysis of one of the semi-final matches. ¡°I would have thought you more specialized in the techniques of various beasts, but I suppose that¡¯s practical experience for you. I find myself wondering if your son is the same, especially if what I have heard of his personal Iron body is true. And yet, I am unable to do so.¡±

    Haisin glanced at the empty seat beside him and swallowed. Yujin had rushed straight from the tournament to the market with his mother, and upon arriving home, both had run directly to the kitchen with a month¡¯s worth of fresh foodstuffs from the market. He had not seen either since. That had been almost an hour before the Elders had arrived.

    ¡°I believe what Elder Bidan means,¡± Elder Chousan said, throwing an irritated glance at Bidan, ¡°Is that it is rather traditional for the winner of the tournament we¡¯ve come to assess to actually be present for that assessment.¡±

    ¡°Again, I do apologize for his absence, but I¡¯m afraid that our son¡¯s victory caught us as off-guard as it most likely did the rest of you.¡± Haisin gave a slight bow. ¡°We did not prepare a sufficient meal in advance, and my wife required my son¡¯s assistance to do this meal justice.¡±

    ¡°Your son does his filial duty,¡± Elder Taraka nodded, ¡°This is appropriate. But surely there are others you could have called to assist? Especially on such an evening as this.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is true. However,¡± Haisin found himself reluctant to elaborate, but he could hardly ignore such a pointed inquiry from a sect Elder. ¡°The fact remains, my son might be on his way to being the best cook this side of the sect. And we only wished to offer the best for our honored guests.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Elder Bidan stroked his thin beard, smirking. ¡°So your son assists his mother in the kitchen often. How dutiful. It does lead one to wonder just how much better he might have performed in the tournament if he weren¡¯t distracted with such mundane affairs. We might have had the makings of a true dragon in our midst.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, his hobbies in no way interfere with his training in the sacred arts.¡± Haisin said, for the first time feeling a flare of anger. Surely the act of cultivating while preparing food was the act of a genius, not a slacker. His son did not deserve such accusations. ¡°He merely has a natural talent for cooking, and who am I to refuse the hobbies of someone talented enough to win our sect¡¯s annual Iron tournament.¡±

    Elder Bidan¡¯s eyes narrowed but before he could respond, the door to the kitchen burst open.

    ¡°Honored Elders!¡± Yujin cried out as he entered, carrying their largest pot still covered. ¡°A hundred apologies for the delay! I assure you, your most magnanimous patience is greatly appreciated and will be rewarded most handsomely.¡±

    He set the wide pot down in the center of the table. It was an assuming piece of pottery, with brown undecorated ceramic. Functional before any hint of decorative, only wisps of steam escaped the tightly fitted lid.

    ¡°At last.¡± Haisin just barely caught Elder Taraka muttering to Bidan. ¡°If we eat quickly, we can still make it to the Baetong¡¯s before the boar is gone. I was assured they would delay for our arrival as long as was possible.¡±

    ¡°Behold!¡± Yujin¡¯s grin lit up the room as he removed the lid with a flourish. ¡°The first course of your feast!¡±

    A wave of steam burst out of the pot, followed by the scent of the most succulent, flavorful duck stew Haisin had ever smelled. Every Elders¡¯ jaw dropped and Haisin felt pride swell in his chest as the Elders practically scrambled for their bowls. His home didn¡¯t seem to be so beneath them now, did it? His son had surprised him for the second time that day.

    And yet. A tiny Remnant of doubt manifested in Haisin¡¯s heart as his watched his son serve the Elders. His son smiled at the looks on their faces as if he¡¯d won the tournament all over again. No, even wider. As if this were more important to him than winning the tournament.

    Haisin shook the thought away, refuses to listen to that ugly Remnant¡¯s whispers. Today was a good day, and judging by the moans coming from even Elders Taraka and Bidan, it was going to be a good night as well.

    *****************************************

    Wujin Baetong could not stop pacing.

    It was far beneath his dignity to show concern or distress, let alone so openly. However, he had good reason to do so. The sun was long set, at least an hour past, and still no Elders had arrived. They had sworn to finish up the ¡®inspection¡¯ of the tournament¡¯s winner within an hour or two, before hurrying over.

    ¡°Father, please,¡± His eldest daughter pleade for what felt like the twentieth time, ¡°The food is growing cold, the children are hungry, and feel bad enough about losing the tournament as it is. Can we please just sit down to eat?¡±

    ¡°No! Our honored guests have not yet arrived. I will not ruin this day further by insulting our belated Elders.¡± Wujin slashed his hand before her. ¡°And maybe a little hunger will be good for them, hmm? I¡¯ve certainly paid enough for the elixirs and advancement pills they¡¯ve been guzzling down. A fortune for the Four Blooded Purifying Pill alone, and what do I get for it? Elimination in the semi-finals!¡±

    At he end of the table, Dishi turned a furious crimson at the insult. One of the top favorites to win the entire tournament and he couldn¡¯t even make the finals. Wujin snorted with disdain, before resuming his furious pacing.

    Seated at the tables behind him, filling half the central courtyard, the entire extended Baetong family stared over at the buffet longingly. Five stuffed Blazeback Boars occupied the places of honor, each carefully prepared to perfection, and surrounded by mounds of fruits, nuts and breads, each selected to pare well with the seasoning of each Boar. A literal fortune of a feast, now costing him more scales by the minute as fire and water aspected Sacred Artists had been hurriedly summoned to keep them both heated and moist.

    This entire evening could be salvaged though. He¡¯d been preparing his business proposal and the feast behind him to win the favor of the Elders for over a month! All he needed was permission from the majority of the Elders to sell some of their more restricted cultivation resources and the fortune he could generate for the sect and himself would dwarf the expenses of tonight.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Wujin glanced over at the main entrance to his family¡¯s compound, who¡¯s doors continued to remain stubbornly closed without any guests to open for. There was no explanation for it. There shouldn¡¯t have been anything to keep them. He¡¯d bribed every business rival possible to avoid inviting the Elders to anything tonight. Powerful members of his family had volunteered to respond to any potential emergencies in the Elders¡¯ places. The family of the victor of the tournament was dirt poor, and could offer nothing anywhere close to as tantalizing as the feast he¡¯d laid out. It simply didn¡¯t make sense.

    Where in the grace of the Heavens Above were they?

    *********************

    It was going to be a fantastic night.

    Yujin was beside himself to not be giggling with joy the entire time. Kasi had gone to bed without a fuss. His mother and he had managed to find all the ingredients required in a hurry. His father¡¯s stoic mask was starting to crack with pride around the eyes.

    And every last person at the table couldn¡¯t stop staring at his food!

    And these weren¡¯t just friends of the family visiting for the evening. These were Elders. Powerful, connected, wealthy Elders, who feasted more often than not. Yujin had barely ever served a Highgold before, and that had really just been a contribution to a larger potluck. And these were Truegolds! And if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he¡¯d just watched two of the Elders get into a brief altercation over who got the first bowl, hands slapping almost faster than he eye could follow.

    All the nervous fears that had grown with every minute in the kitchen dissipated alongside the steam from his soup. Yujin saw their faces as the scent and steam spread across the table. He¡¯d done good. In fact, he might have just exceeded more expectations in the last ten seconds than he had over the course of the entire tournament.

    It felt a thousand times better than standing there victorious, surrounded by cheers. After all, anyone could hit someone else with a sword, but bringing someone joy at the dinner table? That was a real challenge, true art, and a fierce battle of timing and perfection, all rolled into one.

    As he watched his betters, men who had cultivated to the peak of Gold, fight each other for seconds, Yujin felt something different. It was like balm for a burn on his soul, one he¡¯d never known was there. It resonated inside him, almost like what he¡¯d imagined when being told epic tales of cultivators being blessed with enlightenment. Yujin felt complete, in a way he never had before, and for just a moment, afraid that he might never get to experience that fleeting sensation again.

    Then his mother came out with the pork and chive stuffed buns, fresh from the oven, and Yujin got to experience that same elation and satisfaction all over again.

    And the night was just getting started.

    *********************************

    Meiling Choyang, the granddaughter of Deija Choyang, had always held a special place in his heart. A polite and sweet child from the moment she could speak, she had developed her cultivation at a more than acceptable pace amongst her peers, even following the path Deija himself had designed in his youth. Then she had blossomed into the kind of beauty which made even the most fleet footed of Sacred Artists trip over their own feet. And just like that, the Choyang family¡¯s value and connections within the sect had soared without limit.

    Deija didn¡¯t even have time to read all the dinner and social invitations he received. Gifts of advancement resources and opulent trinkets rained from the Heavens. His voice and opinion heeded in every banquet, every dinner. No business or merchant dared to cheat him, with other highly placed families fighting to punish the offenders in exchange for his favor.

    Meiling was the perfect granddaughter. Even the sniffles and tears she was delicately suppressing were as perfect as could really be expected. They were still giving Deija a throbbing headache.

    ¡°Husband, please!¡± His wife gripped his arm. ¡°It¡¯s been hours. This is beyond humiliating. End this evening and let us retire. No one is coming!¡±

    Deija shook his arm free, glaring at the door that refused to open. The Elders should have arrived hours ago. Tonight was the night he was to have begun formally accepting marriage proposals for Meiling¡¯s hand. A delicate dance of hints and implications over months had been spent arranging this evening, with all five of the Elders eventually agreeing to attend. And the size of the bribe he¡¯d turned down from Patriarch Wujin stung all the more now that the evening was turning to ash.

    ¡°One more hour.¡± He muttered. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon.¡±

    They must be on their way. No matter how decadent a feast Wuyin had laid out, he was famously terrible as a host. After their bellies were full and business had been conducted, Deija was confident the Elders would make their excuses and leave to attend his gathering. After all, what could possibly be more appealing than an evening of being waited on by the most beautiful young woman in the sect?

    *********************************************

    ¡°Who is this beauty before me?¡± Elder Bidan cried, slurring ever so slightly, his cheeks an inebriated pink. ¡°Surely it must be a messenger from the Heavens themselves! Who else would send such a radiant beauty just to fill this humble Sacred Artist¡¯s cup with what must be a truly fine and ancient vintage?¡±

    ¡°Elder Bidan,¡± Yuji responded, affecting a scandalized tone as she poured from yet another freshly opened bottle of wind aspected rice wine. ¡°I am but a proud mother, and this is wine of barely middling quality. Surely Elders should know better than to make such wild exaggerations?¡±

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s quite right, on both counts.¡± Elder Taraka said, equally crimson cheeked also raising his cup for a refill. ¡°I collect rarer beverages as a hobby, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never stumbled across this particular wine before. I¡¯d wager it¡¯s worthy of being served at the table of Emperor Huan himself. You really must tell me where you found it.¡±

    ¡°From the Li¡¯s store in the market, just like all the rest of the sect does for special occasions.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Elder Taraka shook his head fervently. ¡°Li¡¯s wine all has that bitter afterbite, it¡¯s practically this signature. Nothing so smooth as this!¡±

    ¡°Well that is true, but it is still Li¡¯s wine. If you¡¯d like the secret of why this wine tastes so much better than you remember,¡± Yuji tilted her head towards Yujin. ¡°Well, he¡¯s sitting right over there.¡±

    Yujin flushed a more brilliant red than any of the now tipsy and curious Elders staring directly at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s the pork and rice.¡± Yujin explained, looking down at glazed pork slices resting atop small ovals of steamed rice. ¡°We got the rice from the farms west of the sect, where the vital aura is an almost perfect balance of wind and earth. A small bit of that aura stays with the rice that grows out there. The wind aura resonates with the wind madra in the wine, making its flavor stronger, and the earth aura grounds it so it doesn¡¯t go flying off like wind madra wants to.

    ¡°The glaze on the pork has a lingering sweetness, which cuts the bitterness of the wine. And the pork itself, well, that¡¯s just delicious flavor.¡± Yujin looked back up, finding himself the object of four Elders attention and, for the first time in his life, proud instead of intimidated of those stares. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too complicated. Just a little careful balancing of flavor. I¡¯m sure any decent chef can do the same.¡±

    A beat of silence before half of the table burst out laughing, none louder than Elder Bidan.

    ¡°Ah, not only a genius in Sacred Arts, but also in the art of fine cooking.¡± Elder Bidan raised his freshly filled cup. ¡°A toast! To the newest rising star of the Flowing Blade Sect, Shin Yau Yujin!¡±

    Yujin blushed at the praise and fell silent. They had long since finished questioning him about his plans for his personal path, as well as his performance in the tournament. Conversation had moved beyond anything to do with him, and now his only contributions were describing how the food was prepared, and helping bring out the next course. So Yujin turned his attention away from the more boisterous end of the table, to the quieter discussion his father was having.

    ¡°But surely that is a good thing?¡± Elder Chousan said, sipping his wine. ¡°More plentiful game means easier hunting for clansmen like yourself. Better hunting means more revenue and resources for the sect. Shouldn¡¯t we just enjoy the lucky season we¡¯ve been granted?¡±

    Yujin¡¯s father was already shaking his head. ¡°The problem isn¡¯t the increase, it¡¯s how much. I¡¯ve seen over twice as many animals and spirit beasts as the same time last year, without any matching increase in predators. You don¡¯t see that from just luck. It means herds that don¡¯t normally live here are migrating to the area.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Elder Chousan frowned. ¡°You think the herds are fleeing from something just outside our territory.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Something that will most likely be following those same herd into our territory soon.¡± Haisin¡¯s face and tone were serious, as they always were when discussing his duties to the sect. ¡°I have been suggesting wider ranging patrols, beyond the normal boundaries our sect is responsible for. I fear we¡¯re so focused on the feast before us, we don¡¯t see the army marching for our walls. Something similar has happened twice before, and both times the succeeding years were filled with blood and violence.¡±

    ¡°I have no recollection of similar occurences, and I feel like that is something I would remember.¡±

    ¡°Both were well before either of us were born.¡± Haisin explained. ¡°I went through the sect¡¯s archives, comparing years where we had record high hunting seasons, to any recorded battles in the next few years. Both times there was a massive increase in the amount of animals and spirit beasts hunted by the sect, the following two to three years saw particularly nasty herds of dreadbeasts migrating into our territory, and attacking multiple settlements and cities when the animals migrated further beyond us. Herds we were tasked with eliminating by the Emperor himself, and censured afterwards for failing to properly protect and preserve the territories he had assigned to us.¡±

    ¡°I must admit, you make a compelling argument.¡± Elder Chousan leaned back, disturbed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why this has not been brought to my attention by Huntmaster Haoyi. He presented this seasons reports to the Elders just last week and had nothing but good things to say. Certainly nothing of potential dreadbeast herds.¡±

    ¡°I would not presume to speak ill of the Huntmaster¡¯s character or intentions,¡± Haisin hesitated, took a gulp of his wine, and pressed on. ¡°But when I brought my concerns and research to him, I was informed that I would do better to spend less time borrowing trouble and more time bringing in the spirit beasts that are ¡®practically throwing themselves in front of our hunting parties¡¯. Then I had my quota doubled for wasting his time.¡±

    Silence fell as Elder Chousan contemplated this, and Yujin smiled as both men unconsciously reached for another glazed pork rice ball. That was how you knew you¡¯d done really well, that even in the midst of somber discussion, the food was never truly far from their minds. Elder Chousan finished chewing and appeared to reach a decision.

    ¡°If you are correct, then both the Elders of this sect and our Huntmaster have been negligent in their duties. This is something that will have to be rectified. I will speak with the Huntmaster and make sure patrols are sent well beyond our normal routes to investigate this.¡± Elder Chousan nodded. ¡°You were right to tell me your theory, no matter what these patrols find. And my thanks for bringing this to my attention so tactfully.¡±

    ¡°It is merely my duty as a member of this sect.¡± Yujin saw a tension leave his father¡¯s shoulders at the Elder¡¯s words.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to need experienced Sacred Artists leading these longer patrols. Men who have the intelligence to understand what they find.¡± Elder Chousan¡¯s eyes gleamed over his wine cup. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be interested in such a position?¡±

    ¡°Pardon,Elder?¡± Yujin hadn¡¯t seen his father so shocked since his first time cultivating in the kitchen. ¡°I am far too junior a Huntsman to be assigned such a senior role.¡±

    ¡°Seniority comes from more than just age or total experience, Haisin.¡± The Elder¡¯s words were a rebuke, but the gleam in his eye remained. ¡°Far too little weight is given to initiative, in this Elder¡¯s opinion. Tell me more of these past two incidents you found in the archives. I¡¯m surprised I¡¯ve never heard of them myself.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s mind drifted as the conversation turned to the minutiae of the sect¡¯s history, and he found the last few minutes of dinner to running through his mind over and over. As different as the two conversations were, there was something about them that was the same. Something that almost felt like it resonated with something deep in his Core.

    One conversation silly, the other quite serious, but both had ended with a benefit for him and his family. His father gaining the respect and attention of a sect Elder, as well as a probably promotion. Yujin personally receiving a toast and recognition of his value to the sect from several other Elders. Elders who had been on the verge of openly hostile at the beginning of the night.

    It hadn¡¯t been the plan to truly woo the Elders, get his father¡¯s status elevated, or even find praise for himself. He had just wanted to cook a delicious meal, and give everyone a wondering evening. And so many good things were coming as a direct result of that. Had that been because of him, or was it just a coincidence?

    Yujin silently sighed and pushed his attention back to the meal. There was no way to know, and no point in contemplating the unknowable. Each person¡¯s choices and experiences were their own, all Yujin could do was cook for them. It wasn¡¯t as if he could sense their thoughts, motivations, or feelings, now could he?

    ***************************************************

    The next day the rumor mill of the Flowing Blade Sect moved with more speed and intent than any participant in the previous day¡¯s tournament.

    After all, the greatest feast in the sect¡¯s history had been thrown last night. So delicious was the food, the Baetong patriarch had forbidden everyone but the most honored of guests from enjoying it. The Baetong name¡¯s would be remembered a hundred years for the perfection and opulence of it.

    No, that wasn¡¯t right. It was the Chouyangs who had hosted the incredible feast. Apparently the now eligible daughter of Deija was so stunning as to multiply the flavor of any dish eaten in her presence.

    Impossible. Everyone knew that a horrible accident had scarred the once lovely girl. In fact, she¡¯d spent the entire evening covering her face and sobbing because of it, and not one Elder in the sect had bothered to show up to give a marriage proposal.

    ***********************

    ¡°¡­which makes perfect sense. After all, why else would Weiling¡¯s sister have seen Elder Tarak buying every single bottle of merchant Li¡¯s bitter wines he could get his hands on. There¡¯s not a drop left in the entire shop. Poor fool must have made a marriage offer without realizing what had happened. There¡¯s a man who¡¯s trying to drink away his problems.¡±

    ¡°Problems? Hardly!¡± A haughty sniff. ¡°He was probably getting them to celebrate. Don¡¯t tell anyone I overheard this, but apparently the winner of the tournament yesterday, that Yujin boy, is an absolute genius! Elders were raving about his mastery of fire and knife and flavor.¡±

    ¡°Knife? Flavor? Are you sure you heard that correctly?¡±

    A hesitant pause.

    ¡°Oh, you know how poetic all those old warriors get about swordplay. Show them a fancy technique and you¡¯ll get five scrolls describing it¡¯s most perfect arcs.¡±

    The new hero of the sect had arrived just in time as well. Apparently a ravening horde of dreadbeasts was descending on the province any day now. That¡¯s why half a dozen people had overheard the fight between Elder Chousan and Huntsmaster Haoyi¡­¡±

    ***********************************

    The shouting match between the Elder and Huntsmaster had been epic, so the rumor went. Apparently more than one window had been cracked by the end of it.

    No, it had been a full blown battle and Haoyi was on the run from Sect enforcers.

    No, he was dead and two families were staring down.

    No, wait, he wasn¡¯t dead, Hyoshi¡¯s wife had seen him walking down the road just a few hours ago, but he certainly didn¡¯t look happy.

    What was the fight about? Well, apparently Hyoshi was planning to lead an expedition past the sect¡¯s borders to slay a massive dreadbeast and the Elders forbade it.

    **********************************

    And buried beneath the avalanche of it all¡­

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to believe this, but did you know that nearly every sect Elder has apparently been asking around about how to get an invite to a Highgold Huntsman¡¯s house for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Ok, you need to learn how to distinguish between fact and ridiculous rumor.¡±

 Jade, Part 2

    Greetings to Huntsman Shin Yau Haisin and Honorable Sectmember Shin Yau Kasina,

    It is with immense pleasure that I inform you of your firstborn son¡¯s preliminary approval for early advancement to Jade by unanimous vote. His performance at the Youngest Iron rank tournament was beyond all expectation for one of his age and experience, and objectively qualifying to all those who witnessed it. The fact that he has achieved this on a self designed path only makes his achievement all the more impressive.

    Included in the attached scrolls are instructions on where to obtained the cultivation resources set aside for his advancement, his preliminary schedule for consumption of said resources, and the Elders he will be both consulting with on development of his path, and reporting to for inspection of his progress.

    We wish your son the best of luck as he advances, and eagerly await word of his future accomplishments.

    Regards,

    Elder Bae Tin Chousan

    P.S. On a more personal note, my wife has expressed both irritation and incredulity at my repeated stories of the delightful dinner you provided on the evening of the tournament. I would consider it a rather large favor if your entire family would accept my invitation to dine at my home this coming week, with young Yujin serving as chef. I would be happy to provide your son with any ingredients, wines, or seasonings he should request, if only so that I may prove my stories are not, in fact, ¡®ridiculous exaggerations¡¯. I look forward to discussing the upcoming extended Hunters expedition with you over another delightful meal.

    ***************************************************

    Six-color Foxflame Spider

    Primary Madra Aspect: Flame

    Secondary Madra Aspect: Mixed

    Known to reside in deep caverns, this Spirit Beast has a flaming tail that can generate different flavor of Flame madra. While the number varies, none has ever been encountered with more than six colors, hence its namesake. Each flame color imparts a different property to the flamng webs it weaves to trap its prey. This including poisonous flames, sticky flames, mental flames, icy-

    Yujin sighed and re-rolled the scroll he had been reading from. It was his third time going through that particular section of Wren Gu¡¯s Spirit Bestiary. He had been hoping that this reading would lend him additional insight, but had received no such luck.

    He carefully refiled the scroll before collecting his sword and training equipment and leaving the sect library. He frowned as he walked, thinking over everything he¡¯d re-read.

    His progression towards Jade had been progressing at a steady, if accelerated, pace since his family had hosted the Elders for dinner after his tournament victory. The resources allocated to him for his victory and well hosted dinner had leapfrogged his progress through Iron well past anyone else his age.

    Unfortunately for Yujin, being the author of his own path meant that no one else could tell him what the next step was. And as his advancement through Iron was proceeding so quickly, the sect Elders overseeing his progress expected him to have a plan for his advancement to Gold before he ever reached Jade. An advancement Yujin had assumed would take several years, as was the standard for all non-tournament winners. A group Yujin had very much expected himself to belong to.

    But was it really his fault his fellow Iron peers had such poor swordsmanship?

    Focus. Yujin shook his head. It was pointless to complain about the past now.

    He needed to figure out his Path after Jade. Not all the details, but he had to have a direction. With his blade and flame aspected core, that at least gave him a general sense of where to begin his search. The only issue was, no matter how many scrolls he poured over, he couldn¡¯t find something that felt right. Though to be fair, he had technically based his entire Path around his desire to prepare food, and he¡¯d never even heard a someone joke about a Spirit Beast that cooked.

    Of course, if we were considering Remnants of beings that cooked¡­

    Yujin shuddered, unable to even complete the thought. The idea of taking in a past Sacred Artist¡¯s Remnant filled him with a deep sense of unease, no matter how common a practice it actually was. His instincts had guided him every step of his Path so far, and Yujin wasn¡¯t about to start ignoring them now. Which meant any human Remnant was out.

    Which left him with¡­ no realistic options.

    Yujin began to consider his more unrealistic choices, such as wondering what sort of argument might convince the sect Elders to purchase vast quantities of Gold-ranked Spirit Beast meat for his consumption, when a shoulder collided with his chest hard enough to knock him to the ground.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Yujin looked up in the malicious gaze of Dishi Baetong. ¡°I¡¯d expect the winner of the Irons tournament to have a better sense of awareness. Running into fellow Sacred Artists in the middle of the street? Disgraceful.¡±

    Yujin looked up incredulously at Dishi, thoughts still filled with Spirit Beasts and A shoulder he had been certain was several feet to his right and nowhere near hitting him. It seemed like something of an overreaction to an accidental collision. Especially as Yujin was the one who had ended up on the ground.

    And that Dishi didn¡¯t actually seem that upset. In fact, he actually looked like he was enjoying himself.

    And that Dishi wasn¡¯t alone. Several of his friends were close enough behind him that they could have steadied him, or warned him or Yujin of the accident. Although they were spreading out around Yujin now.

    And that, thinking back, Dishi and his attached shoulder had been several feet to Yujin¡¯s right and nowhere near hitting him seconds before their collision.

    And that Dishi Baetong was from a prestigious family, and should have be taught to be more polite with people he¡¯d never interacted with before. Although Yujin had met him once, in the quarter finals of the tournament he¡¯d won.

    And that Dishi had lost.

    Like a key turning, the situation finally clicked into place.

    Yujin found all thoughts of his path and even tonight¡¯s dinner gone, replaced only with increasing trepidation and a sour pit in his stomach.

    This was a suppression. He was being suppressed! Yujin had heard stories about this, when less connected members of the sect did too well for themselves, and their jealous sectmates took it upon themselves to take them down a few pegs. Keep them from getting ideas above their station or advancing too quickly.

    But that wasn¡¯t something that happened to him!

    Yujin was a middle of the class trainee who had trouble focusing during his cultivation exercises! That never stood out from the pack! Who¡¯s father was a mid-level Huntsman without any powerful connections! Who had just won a sect wide tournament with his self designed path¡­

    And had charmed a large number of powerful Elders at a dinner they had clearly wanted to leave early before the food was served¡­

    And who had just been approved for one of the most rapidly accelerated advancements in the Flowing Blade Sect¡¯s history.

    Yujin lay there, gaping up at the young scion of one of the wealthiest, most socially powerful families in the entire sect. Someone who had decided that he, Yujin, was a legitimate threat to his status within the sect as a whole. And Yujin realized that while he might still think of himself as that young middling cultivator, the rest of the sect no longer agreed with that assessment.

    ¡°Nothing to say for yourself? Not even a stammered apology?¡± Dishi shook his head and tutted. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about the rest of you, but I believe the behavior of members of the Flowing Blade Sect should be held to a higher standard than that. I do believe our young junior needs a few pointers in the respect due his fellow Sacred Artists. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡±

    **********************************************

    ¡°Senior, a moment of your time!¡± Dishi called out across the sparring court.

    Yujin paled as Dishi¡¯s cronies crowded him even more closely, preventing even a chance of running. An option he¡¯d dismissed earlier for reasons he now realized were quite flawed.

    As they¡¯d walked through the streets, Yujin¡¯s initial panic had settled. It wasn¡¯t as if they were going to kill him, or even fight him all at once. The sect looked the other way for minor cases of suppression or bullying, reasoning it would only motivate the weak to strive harder to advance, and those who gave up from it didn¡¯t have what it takes to advance anyway. They did not ignore assaulting someone in a five-on-one fight. And Yujin had literally just proven he could fight as well or better than any other Iron in the sect, which settled his nerves as he was steered toward the sparring grounds.

    All of this should have kept Yujin calm through any one-on-one exchange of ¡°pointers¡±, but did not. After all, sect member currently crossing the court at Dishi¡¯s call wasn¡¯t an Iron. He was a Jade.

    ¡°Ah, Junior Baetong. What a pleasant surprise to see you here this afternoon.¡± The Jade¡¯s tone was calm and without malice. ¡°I was just finishing my swordwork training regimen. What brings you here today?¡±

    ¡°I am forced here on a matter of sect honor, Senior.¡± Dishi¡¯s voice was neither calm nor without malice. ¡°A fellow Iron disciple of the sect has demonstrated a most pointed lack of respect, in direct contravention of our Honored Ancestor¡¯s decrees on proper decorum. My friends and I were compelled to insist on a chance to correct this behavior.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Jade¡¯s eyes flicked over to Yujin, ¡°Well, as your Senior, I could hardly let you be the ones to instruct a deficient disciple while I¡¯m present and have no pressing business. Allow me to assist in correcting this misbehavior.¡±

    Which was how Yujin found himself raising his blade against a Senior disciple an entire stage beyond his own. Naturally, no one would believe this to be a fair exchange of pointers, which was why his Senior was wielding a wooden practice sword, and Yujin his actual weapon. Just enough to even the scales, supposedly, and give this entire spar an air of legitimacy.

    Yujin exhaled, braced himself for what was to come, and watched for his opponent¡¯s first move.

    And found himself landing on the far side of the arena, hard, without seeing anything more than a blur.

    And then landing on the other far side of the arena. Hard.

    And landing again.

    And again.

    Hard.

    Until, tasting blood and arms shaking, Yujin found he did not have the will to rise back up for another exchange of pointers.

    ¡°I believe the lesson has been learned.¡± The Jade who¡¯s name Yujin had either never managed to catch or been knocked out of his thoroughly rattled skull, leaned over Yujin¡¯s crouched and bruised form. ¡°Respect is something that should be kept in one¡¯s mind at all times. Especially in relation to one¡¯s betters, and wasting their time and efforts. Perhaps you¡¯ll remember this lesson the next time you host a little dinner party for people far beyond your station.¡±

    Yujin idly noticed his opponent carefully avoiding the fresh blood splatters on the arena floor as the words slowly sunk in.

    Dinner party? Yujin struggled to process it. This is because I cooked a dinner people didn¡¯t want to leave? Not because I won a tournament, or was doing well in my advancement. I was beaten¡­ because I cooked better than a rich family? Because they were embarrassed.

    And Yujin found that he did have the will to stand up again.

    He also found a great deal of anger to accompany that will.

    ¡°SENIOR!¡± Yujin barely recognized his own voice. He didn¡¯t even remember the last time he¡¯d shouted. ¡°This disciple does not feel that he has sufficiently learned his lesson yet. He requests another exchange of pointers, that he may do better!¡±

    And Yujin, for the first time in the fight, sank deeply into his Iron body¡¯s enhancements, and truly looked at his opponent. And listened, and smelled.

    Time seemed to almost slow as the Jade turned, his training robes rustling, an almost imperceptible twitch of the lips for a suppressed smirk. A tightening of the eyes in anticipation. A faint sting to his scent, which Yujin had learned to associate with excitement.

    Yujin saw.

    The tensing in the Jade¡¯s left leg and right arm, a straight thrust to his chest.

    Yujin was moving a hair before the Jade, lifting his sword and leaning, running a hair of sword madra along its edge. He couldn¡¯t move far enough to avoid a bruising scrape along his chest, but for the first time in the fight, Yujin drew blood in return.

    The cheers along the sides of the court ended, but Yujin only had ears for his opponent. There was no time to turn but he heard the bunching of the Jade¡¯s robes, fabric in the armpit, high swing to his head. Yujin ducked and counter spun, once again landing a light strike across the Jade¡¯s midriff.

    Yujin heard his father¡¯s voice when he was taken hunting.

    ¡°Remember that Spirit Beasts will be faster and stronger. Learn to anticipate their movements. Lead the arrow, lay the sword along their path. Do it right, and they¡¯ll do half the work for you.¡±

    Another dodge as the Jade practically ran himself along the edge of Yujin¡¯s sword, all he needed was the right angle and the knowledge of what was about to happen.

    The Jade sped up, beginning a movement technique but it didn¡¯t matter. Yujin smelled his confusion and anger, saw the way his eyes tracked their future path. The key was not cutting too deeply.

    The kitchen knife filleted the duck breast and wing almost too easily, sword madra eliminating almost all resistance. He carefully separated joint from hip, meat from bone. Cutting too deeply would ruin the beauty of the meal¡¯s eventual presentation, not to mention cross contaminate flavors.

    Yujin knew he couldn¡¯t cut too deep. This was a ¡®practice match¡¯ after all, but he was still fighting a Jade. He was inferior in strength, endurance, and durability. Yet watching, truly watching, was all he needed to prepare his opponent for defeat as easily as any other cut of meat. He drew his sword along tendons and stabbed joints, slice by slice removing his ability to continue fighting. Threw arcs of flame across the Jade¡¯s eye line to distract and confuse, or just sear him with enough heat to make him flinch and miss.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Years of practice in the kitchen had made it child¡¯s play to wield flame and sword madra in conjunction or separately, while simultaneously retaining control of a bladed instrument. This Jade didn¡¯t even seem to have the sect¡¯s formal swordwork mastered yet. Yujin leaned out of another increasingly desperate swing and drew a flame coated sword along his opponent¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You walk a path that has never been walked, yet you already know it.¡± Elder Lai paced as he lectured during one of their private sessions. ¡°It will be the culmination of your experiences and training. A path that you simultaneously discover, but already know deep inside. Your Path. When it is right, it will be as if the Heavens themselves guide you. When trod incorrectly¡­¡±

    Yujin gasped as his sword halted, snapping out of a state of mind he had no words to describe. The point of his blade was inches from the Jade¡¯s eye. The disarmed, blood soaked Jade, who stared up in horror and shock from the ground.

    Yujin had won.

    ¡°This Junior thanks you for your pointers, Senior.¡± Yujin heard his voice but felt as if someone else were using it. ¡°I will meditate on your lessons well.¡±

    He clasped both hands around the hilt of his sword, bowed to the panting Jade, and strode over to his bag at the side of the court. Neither Dishi nor any of his friends stopped him from collecting them, or from quickly leaving.

    Yujin strode with purpose and speed, but refused to run. Why should he? He¡¯d won. So why did he feel numb and cold, despite being drenched in sweat?

    He only made it a few blocks before having to duck into an alley. He leaned against the stone wall, legs shaking, replaying the events of the fight in his mind. What had happened? He¡¯d just destroyed a Jade in a straight up fight. That didn¡¯t happen. Granted, his opponent¡¯s form had honestly been fairly subpar, but his stage of advancement should have nullified any advantage in technique Yujin possessed.

    Did I just discover my path? Yujin wondered. Is this what a proper Iron body can do? Is all the training paying off? Should I be meditating on that effortless sensation right now, trying to learn to use it at will?

    The fight replayed through Yujin¡¯s mind again. The way he almost toyed with someone so much stronger than him. Relished in his righteous anger as a bully received his just rewards. And Yujin had seen it all. The fear in his eyes, every gasp of pain, the smokey, bitter smell of seared flesh and panic as Yujin¡¯s sword-

    Yujin barely managed to drop his bag and make it to the other side of the alley before vomiting. It poured out of him, bile and blood and just a bit of fried rice he¡¯d had for lunch. He¡¯d seen it all, every detail of what he¡¯d done to his opponent. His Iron Body wouldn¡¯t have let him miss a moment.

    Is this my path? Yujin wondered for the second time. Is this what the rest of my life looks like?

    *********************************************

    Haisin picked up on the mood of the house the moment he walked in.

    There was a silence that he knew wasn¡¯t right. Sizzling and delicious scents drifted out of the kitchen, but it only served to underline the lack of laughter and voices. No Kasina wheedling at her son for what happened that day. No Yujin describing exactly what he would be doing differently with tonight¡¯s dinner. Even Kasina¡¯s singsong child babble wasn¡¯t there, as she sensed the mood of her mother and brother.

    Of course, Haisin had been expecting something like this the moment he¡¯d confirmed the rumors tearing through the Huntsman¡¯s Hall. It had almost been a fight to be the first to ask Haisin if it was true. As if his relation to Yujin negated the fact that he¡¯d been outside the walls of the sect since dawn.

    Kasina glanced over at him, and years of marriage filled in the need for words. Haisin set aside his sword and made his way into the kitchen.

    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡±

    Haisin had asked Yujin that question hundreds of times over the years since he had begun cooking but never with so little enthusiasm. Haisin found that even the elegant dance of knives and fire, madra and aura that made up his son¡¯s cultivation exercises brought him less joy than usual. For while the technique and execution of both cycling and cooking were flawless, their movements lacked any passion. The day¡¯s events were clearly weighing on his son heavily.

    ¡°Stir fried rice with onions and wind aura spirit beast flesh. A herd of those Braying Geese migrated by south of here yesterday, so the meat¡¯s fresh. Sides are egg drop soup, pickled radish, diced fireshoots, and fried tofu strips. Only sweet dipping sauces this evening, as the chili oil turned this morning.¡±

    Yujin rattled off the meal in seconds, as if reciting the memorized words of the First Patriarch when quizzed by an Elder.

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Haisin leaned against the doorframe. ¡°That sounds wonderful.¡±

    Yujin didn¡¯t respond, his blade madra continuing its smooth curves on the board next to him, through carrots and squashes that became more floral with every cut. His son would carve entire bouquets of vegetables to decorate the meals to practice his fine madra control. His madra ruled flames remained perfectly even, demonstrating just how successfully that practice had been. Normally they would flicker, at the least, especially when talking. Haisin tried to remember the last time his son hadn¡¯t responded with a smile and chatter to a compliment about his cooking. Nothing came to mind.

    Haisin sighed. He really wasn¡¯t cut out for this. His Yuji was the talker of the family. He¡¯d made that very clear when he¡¯d begun courting her with a nearly monosyllabic first date. The foolish woman had loved him anyway, which was why he needed to step up now. She¡¯d talked for the both of them for most of the marriage but this was one conversation she couldn¡¯t have.

    Yuji had never worked her way up through the Flowing Blade Sect¡¯s hierarchy. She hadn¡¯t lived it like him. Hadn¡¯t had to deal with the underbelly true Sacred Artists waded through daily. Haisin had, did, and would continue to do so for his family.

    So he started with the cleaner truths. Simpler ones.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Haisin said.

    Yujin straightened and looked over his shoulder, the silver madra in the air continuing their dance, wearing a puzzled, bemused smile. ¡°Why? It¡¯s just dinner.¡±

    ¡°True. But there¡¯s a reason not a day goes by that someone doesn¡¯t mention business we should be discussing over dinner at my house.¡± Haisin smiled back, sadly. ¡°Also, it isn¡¯t every day that an unblooded Iron treats a Jade of the Flowing Blade Sect like a punching bag that insulted his mother.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s expression froze, along with all three of his blade madra ¡°Striker¡± techniques.

    ¡°You heard about that?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d be hard pressed to name someone who hasn¡¯t at this point. You know how well rumors travel here.¡± Haisin said. ¡°You know what they say about us around the city. ¡®The only thing swifter than a Flowing Blade swordsman is word of a Flowing Blade scandal¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was, ¡®The only thing faster than a Flowing Blade sword is their tongue¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Haisin shifted uncomfortably. ¡°That means something else. Don¡¯t say it that way. Anyway, I¡¯m certain most of the sect knows by now. I was mobbed by gossips asking if it was true. That my son picked a fight with an upper rank Jade, then beat him so badly he had to kowtow and beg for mercy.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Yujin looked down. ¡°Well, it is. True, I mean. Sort of. I mean, the story isn¡¯t right, but I did beat him. Although, he beat me pretty good too. Which I suppose isn¡¯t really that surprising and I did get back up but only after a whileandthenitgotkindof-¡±

    Haisin crossed the kitchen and silenced his son with a hand to his shoulder.

    ¡°I know.¡± Haisin squeezed. ¡°I know you beat him, because I¡¯ve seen you fight. I also know you didn¡¯t get off easy, considering you¡¯re favoring your left leg, your breathing is shallow like you¡¯ve bruised a rib, and that you fought someone a full level above you. No one wins a fight like that easily. And I know you stood your ground, did your best, and showed them all just how special you are. I know that because I¡¯m your father, and I¡¯m so proud of the man you are becoming.¡±

    Yujin stayed silent as Haisin pressed on, knowing his was beginning to ramble and repeat.

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t make him kowtow because that¡¯s not the kind of man I¡¯ve raised. I know you didn¡¯t pick that fight, because you¡¯ve never picked a fight in your entire life. I know you were ambushed by a group of spoiled children who pretend to be Sacred Artists. And I know those same children bullied you into having to fight a dishonorable son of a dreadbeast who pretends to be a your senior disciple.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s eyes widened at hearing his father curse, however mildly. Haisin hesitated then, wanting to lie and protect his son for just a bit longer. But he knew Sacred Artists rise through tribulation, both physical and spiritual.

    ¡°I know all this happened to you because it happened to me, when I was your age, and it will happen again to you, and me, and to Kasi, if she follows our path.¡± Haisin sighed and let his hand drop. ¡°It¡¯s the nature of our world. To cultivate oneself in the Sacred Arts is to struggle. To fight for limited resources against everyone, even your allies and family, rise to the peak, and challenge even the Heavens themselves.

    ¡°There will be many unworthy and dishonorable Sacred Artists on your path. They will fight with every advantage they have, including numbers, wealth and brute force, to try and keep you from success. Because they cannot see that pushing others down does not elevate themselves. And because they know, deep down, that if they were to fight a true Sacred Artist fairly, they would lose. That is something you¡¯ve proven again to them today.

    ¡°It¡¯s something you¡¯re going to have to keep proving, even once you reach Jade, or Gold. We aren¡¯t wealthy or powerful as a family, so things like this will keep happening. And the sect Elders will let this keep happening, because it helps train and toughen the future leaders of this very Sect. So I¡¯m sorry, this will happen again, even if I don¡¯t know when or how, but I promise your family will be here when it¡¯s over.¡±

    Haisin stared at his son, refusing to look away as Yujin¡¯s eyes slowly filled with water. He refused to call them tears so long as his son refused to cry. Haisin didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d said the right thing. All he had was what his father had told him, tempered with just a bit of what he wished his father had said in this moment.

    ¡°Father, I-¡± Yujin choked, ¡°Dad, I hurt him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Haisin frowned.

    ¡°Dad, I hurt that Jade. He¡¯d beaten me, and then he leaned over and said¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter but he mocked me. And I just got so angry.¡± Yujin¡¯s words began to speed up again, as they always did when he was upset. ¡°So I got up, and I just let my anger tell me what to do. And I saw everything I needed. I saw how to move. I saw how to win. And then¡­¡±

    Yujin took a deep breath.

    ¡°And then I saw what I¡¯d done to him. I hurt him, Dad. I cut him and I beat him and I made him regret it. I saw his pain and smelled his fear and I liked it.¡± Yujin whispered. ¡°I made him bleed and I liked it. I don¡¯t like that I liked it. I don¡¯t like hurting people. I don¡¯t know what, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    In a burst of motion, Yujin seized his father and buried his face into his robes.

    Haisin laid his hand on his son¡¯s head and let him cry.

    ***************************************

    Later that evening, after all the tears, and a subdued but still delicious dinner, Haisin sat alone at the table, contemplating on his son¡¯s words. Not the reassurances that came later, or the forced humor followed by real laughter as the fight had slipped further and further away. Haisin thought about the first thing his son had said.

    Dad, I hurt him.

    I don¡¯t like hurting people.

    Simple words, and a simple truth. A man shouldn¡¯t enjoy inflicting pain. It was a reassuring thing to hear from one¡¯s son. To know they understand the duty of the strong not to abuse their power like so many others.

    So why did those words instead make him feel uneasy?

    Something about the way Yujin had said it. Like it had a deeper meaning. Like he was trying to tell Haisin something but didn¡¯t have the words.

    Like father, like son.

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of my husband.¡± Yuji slipped her arms around him from behind, leaning into him. ¡°You were a good father today. You found the words you needed, just like you always do.¡±

    ¡°Not always.¡± Haisin smiled. ¡°But when it counts, I can try.¡±

    ¡°You did more than try.¡± She gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. Then a less chaste one. ¡°I¡¯m off to put Kasina down with a story. Don¡¯t stay up too late basking in your verbal triumph.¡±

    Haisin frowned as she let him go. Should he ask?

    ¡°Ji-ji?¡± Haisin said.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yuji looked back.

    ¡°Was there something¡­ off?¡± Haisin tried to find the words. ¡°About Yujin. What he said? About¡­¡±

    ¡°Haisin, he¡¯s still a child. One who just had a traumatic day.¡± Yuji¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°He probably won¡¯t even remember what he said. He just needed to let out everything he was holding inside. You did well, and so did he. Don¡¯t over think it.¡±

    But Haisin still couldn¡¯t let it go. So he sat there, thinking on his son¡¯s words.

    I don¡¯t like hurting people.

    He had said that. But that wasn¡¯t what it sounded like. It had sounded like¡­

    I don¡¯t want to hurt people.

    **********************************************

    The next day Yujin found himself once again back at the library, pouring over scrolls written by people he¡¯d never met, describing fantastic beasts he¡¯d never seen.

    Blueflame Maned Lionness

    Primary Madra Aspect: Flame

    Secondary Madra Aspect: Spiritual/Intangible

    An offshoot branch of the Redflame Lions, this subspecies only ever produces female children from any coupling. The distinctive blue flames of their mane make them easily distinguishable from their cousins. The blue fires are the core component of all their techniques, much like the Redflame Lions. However, the blue flames have been reported as significantly more painful when struck, burning both flesh and madra channels of the spirit.

    The blue flames also move in a significantly more fluid manner than their red counterparts. They have been documented as having been used as whips, chains and-

    Yujin sighed and let the scroll roll closed. He¡¯d re-read the Blueflame Maned Lionness passage five times already and yet everything he read continued to slip through his mind unconsidered. He simply couldn¡¯t focus today.

    Every time Yujin tried to focus on the description of another Spirit Beast, or Natural Treasure, or even the sympathetic words of a librarian, he remembered the fight. The way the disbelief slowly turned into fear in the Jade¡¯s eyes. The taste of fear and adrenaline in the air. The smell of blood and sweat and steel.

    The way living flesh parted under a blade. Just like a haunch of pork or boar, yet still somehow so much more visceral. And it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d never cut a living thing before.

    Yujin had been hunting. His father had insisted on it, even though his aptitude was middling before he¡¯d gained his Iron body. He¡¯d tracked, shot, and ended the pain of several beasts, both spirit and otherwise. Hells below, he¡¯d even cut opponents in spars before, while intentionally avoiding blows that were too serious or fatal. Yet yesterday had still been different.

    Yesterday, Yujin had meant it when he fought, and that had made all the difference in the world.

    This isn¡¯t fair. He covered his face in frustration, trying to scrub out the images and failing. He hadn¡¯t asked for the fight, or even wanted it. Yes, it had been nice seeing Dishi flinch away from him on the street, or heard the whispers with hearing far sharper than people thought. But all that at the cost of inflicting pain. It was too high a price. Or at least, a price Yujin couldn¡¯t figure out how to pay.

    His instructors had always told them the importance of practice. How repeating a motion would make it smoother, stronger, and, eventually, effortless. Yujin knew that if he asked how to deal with the guilt and distress, they would tell him the same thing. To practice, until it wasn¡¯t so hard anymore.

    Except Yujin knew, deep down into his madra channels and slowly developing core, that he wouldn¡¯t get used to it.

    Not like I have a choice though. Yujin chucked to himself softly. It isn¡¯t as if I could have won that fight any other way. How would you win a fight without hurting someone?

    Yujin sat in the silence of the library, as a curious emotion grew inside his chest. It was the strangest sensation, unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before, except once. The feeling of an entirely new idea taking root in his mind. A fire being kindled in a cold unlit stove.

    The next step in a path being revealed as in front of him the entire time.

    No, actually, that¡¯s a real question. How would I win a fight without actually hurting my opponent.

    Yujin pondered that as he returned the scroll to it¡¯s place in the Bestiary section of the library. He wasn¡¯t getting anything out of the scroll anyway, and he doubted he¡¯d be able to even learn about new fire aspected Spirit Beasts in his current state of mind. Better to just put it back and¡­

    Yujin paused as the scroll slid back into its cubby, and then turned to the right, heading deeper into the Bestiary archives. To a completely different section.

    It didn¡¯t take long to find what he was looking for. The library was kept meticulously organized, yet another tenet taught by the sect¡¯s revered founders. Yujin returned to his table, arms filled with a dozen scrolls.

    Picking the first at random, Yujin began to read.

    Amethyst Dustwing Butterfly

    This Spirit Beast is notoriously reclusive, only ever being spotted within well shaded forests, or caves extending at least half a li in length. Their amethysts coloring blends well into shadows, and the dust their wings emit is an amplifier to both their Shadow and Dream madra. Their techniques primarily focus on illusions and inflicted confusion, enabling escaping or incapacitation of distracted enemies.

    Yujin¡¯s smile grew as he continued reading.

    *******************************************

    It was less than a year later that Shin Yau Yujin underwent his third formal advancement ceremony and smoothly transition from Iron to Jade in the presence of his family, friends, and a number of overseeing Elders.

    A strangely high number of Elders, in fact. Although, that was hardly surprising, as Yujin, one of the youngest in sect history to be approved for Jade advancement, was considered a rising star, alongside his father, a Huntsman currently being groomed for promotion within the sect¡¯s hunting division. In an unrelated side note, all attendees of the ceremony were extended an invitation to attend a private celebratory dinner at the Shin Yau household, prepared by none other than the rising star himself.

    No one declined the invitation.

    It was a fantastic meal, rumored to have been even better than the legendary ¡®Tournament Feast¡¯. Wine and laughter flowed almost as fast as the endless waves of food pouring from the overworked kitchen. A number of Elders even stepped in to observe the young genius¡¯ self designed cycling method, training even while cooking.

    It was a good night.

    Rumors abounded across the sect the following day. Three drunken Elders professing an inappropriate level of admiration for the matriarch of the Shin Yau household. Assassins from rival sects and jealous Flowing Blade Sect families stymied by the overabundance of Elders attending. Attempts to crash the party by patriarchs of both the Baetong and Chouyang families ending in humiliating failure.

    Those and countless others, some true, some not, dancing back and forth across the sect like a million dueling truths.

    However, for all the innumerable rumors spawned from every interaction, one fact failed to appear even once on any tongue. It was simply too strange, unbelieveable, and utterly mundane.

    After all, with so many other scandalous, exciting, or flavorful occurences that evening, who would care to gossip about, or even notice, that while the young genius performed his now infamous ¡®Chef¡¯s Cycling Technique¡¯ with two types of madra, a third would occasionally slip into the mix. So surreptitiously that it was almost certainly a temporary slip in other wise perfect control. Most peculiar, considering the greatly enhanced senses and control of vital aura that advancement to Jade brought.

    So little that even, if the now swirling core were closely inspected, it could be missed.

    Dimmer than the silver blade madra, harvested from the aura of his impeccably sharpened knives.

    Covered over by the searing orange flickers flame madra, cycled from from the kitchen fires¡¯ vital aura.

    Just the slightest whisp of purple. Dream madra, ever so cautiously collected and cycled from the aura of his guests. The overabundant vital aura of enjoyment, satisfaction, and other emotions that filled their souls and clouded the room with every bite of his food.

 The Path to Gold, Part 1

    ¡°Match point! Victor¡­ Tauyang Weishi!¡±

    Yujin sighed, the declaration of his defeat still softly echoing through his mind hours after the sparring session had ended. A single defeat wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. No one won every fight. The chain of defeats that preceded this most recent one, however, was a bit more serious. And just a bit more serious after this one.

    Had it really only been a two years since he¡¯d bested a Jade while still Iron after winning a sect wide tournament? Since he¡¯d been the rising star of the sect? That had been lavished with resources and training to advance him further?

    Now?

    Now, he was another middling Jade that the Elders paid too much attention to because an invitation to his house for dinner was more coveted than a Four Seasons Advancement Pill. Well, middling if he was lucky. His latest loss today might be enough to knock him into the lower rankings, depending on how the other ranked sparring matches turned out.

    Yujin knew he needed to start changing his trajectory. He just needed to do better, figure out what had changed, what was wrong.

    Except you already know what¡¯s wrong. Yujin couldn¡¯t stop the words. The unhelpful, intrusive, offensively accurate words. You figured it out months ago and haven¡¯t done anything because the only way to fix the problem would be worse than hoping it goes away.

    Yujin sighed, then slapped his cheeks. This wasn¡¯t the place for such thoughts. This was a happy place. So he plastered a smile on and tried to look around with the appreciation such a place deserved.

    The Flowing Travelers¡¯ Marketplace stretched out around him, offering tantalizing sights and smells only his Iron body could fully appreciate. There had been changes over the past few years, but to Yujin, it forever remained the limitless collection of possibilities and spices he¡¯d first discovered as a child.

    And it was larger than when he¡¯d been young. Significantly so. The last few years had seen upheaval in the region with the arrival of a massive tide of dreadbeasts, and the Flowing Blade Sect had been one of the few prepared for its arrival, thanks to his father¡¯s warnings. The stability of the Flowing Blade¡¯s territory, especially when compared to the violence and destruction in other sect¡¯s territories, had drawn commerce and caravans that would otherwise have passed them by. Leading, eventually, to a Travelers¡¯ Marketplace almost doubled in size compared to his childhood.

    There was something about that fact that bothered Yujin every time it occurred to him, but he refused to think on it too deeply. This was a place for happier thought. There was nothing for him to do but appreciate the expanded selection of ingredients to cook with.

    The greetings of the many vendors who¡¯d long since learned his face teased a true smile out of Yujin. These were his second family. A second home, away from his kitchen.

    ¡°Young Master, come see! We¡¯ve just had the latest fish shipment in.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Yujin. No luck on your order for Earth aspected Spirit Beasts, but my supplier says he¡¯ll have some next month!¡±

    ¡°Apples, pears, sweetnuts! All so fresh from the Blueflame Orchards they¡¯re still smoldering! If you don¡¯t know what to do with them, just ask that young man there. I¡¯ve seen him make candied fruits out of these so delicious you¡¯d betray the Blackflame Emperor himself. Come get your pick Yujin, they¡¯re going fast!¡±

    Yujin just shook his head at every entreaty though. There was only one place he need to be today. It was the Golden Trumendous Spice Caravan¡¯s last night in town, and the owner Ru Men was a friend and excellent supplier. He needed to stock up on the rarer flavors Ru Men always managed to find, and possibly remind him that wasn¡¯t how tremendous was spelled. It would be months before he¡¯d be able to tease him about that again.

    ¡°Ah, young Yujin! I knew I¡¯d be seeing you again.¡± Ru Men cried out as Yujin entered the large crimson tent covering the spice displays. ¡°You never do let me go without one last purchase. It¡¯s a mark of pride for me you know. I get to brag about that to all the other traders. The market keeps a tally of who you visit the most, you know?¡±

    ¡°I am aware. You repeatedly tell me, and several of your competitors have attempted to bribe me into visiting less.¡± Yujin tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose your knowledge of my visits is why any sales you have end two days before you¡¯re set to leave?¡±

    ¡°Do they? I hadn¡¯t really noticed. After all, the heavens themselves will descend before a merchant discusses his pricing with honesty. Even to himself.¡± Ru men gestured broadly around his wares. ¡°However, if you choose to listen to unpleasant rumors about my motives, I cannot prevent that. I suppose I will just to rely on having the widest and rarest selection of spices of anyone in the Flowing Market to bring you back for your visits.¡±

    Yujin chuckled, acknowledging Ru Men¡¯s victory in the verbal spar. It carried far less of a sting than his earlier loss. Together, the two wandered the tent, haggling good naturedly over anything that caught Yujin¡¯s eye. The sect elders had long since quietly set aside a stipend for Yujin¡¯s use at the market, ostensibly for his martial achievements, but Yujin still tried to stretch it as far as possible.

    ¡°I still just can¡¯t believe it.¡± Yujin shook his head as they finalized his purchases, which would be delivered later in the evening. ¡°How do so consistently have a selection that shames every other merchant here. I¡¯ve seen the wealth the Baetong¡¯s can throw around but their stalls never carry a fraction of the variety you manage to. How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°Those old cowards? Pfeh!¡± Ru Men spit out the entrance. ¡°They sit behind the safety of the sect¡¯s borders and throw out gold and treasures like bait on a hook, hoping what they wish to sell will come to them. I go out and find it. I¡¯ve traveled the breadth of this incredible empire and bargained with merchants who do the same with our neighbors. All the treasures you could imagine and more, just sitting out there, beyond our horizon.

    ¡°The world is so much more vast than you can imagine, but it is only there to be seized by the bold and reckless. Those who can never be bothered to leave their homes to find it will never see the variety and opportunity of it all. They will forever be limited by the borders they place upon their lives. Leaving the humble bold such as myself to collect a few tidbits along my travels to sell to the timid at a healthy profit.¡±

    Ru Men¡¯s friendly grin took the implied bite out of his criticisms, but Yujin hardly noticed. He was too struck by the words, harder than by any sparring partner. He¡¯d come here entranced by the glimpses of a wider world the Flowing Market offered, but never even considered going out to see the wonders himself. Why hadn¡¯t he?

    ¡°You should come with us.¡±

    Ru Men¡¯s simple statement shook Yujin out of his daze.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said, you should come with us.¡± Ru Men quickly raised his hands. ¡°Not this year, I mean. I¡¯m not in the habit of stealing promising fledglings from powerful sects. But someday, when you¡¯re gold, you¡¯ll eventually need to take a journey to expand your path. You should join our caravan as a guard. Or chef. Doesn¡¯t matter to me. But I see it in your eyes, Yujin. The boldness. You belong out there.¡±

    The moment stretched, as Yujin saw an entire world of new foods, flavors and possibilities open up in front of him. A vision without sect walls and Elder expectations. And with it, came a tide of relief. Escape from all his problems and blocks. It was an elation that he swore could have lifted him off his feet.

    And then the vision faded, the moment ended, and the reality of his life and training became the edges of his world once again, bring his drifting feet back to the ground.

    ¡°Yeah. Someday.¡± Yujin said, burying everything he¡¯d felt deep back down, before making his farewells. He¡¯d see the man when he returned again next year, so it was a friendly parting.

    He resumed his walk of the Flowing Traveler¡¯s Market, greeting familiar faces and keeping an ever watchful eye for inspiration for his next dish. It failed to stir the same joy it did, even compared to his poor mood from the morning though. The wonder of it felt muted.

    Yujin realized that his once favorite place in the world now felt hollow to him, because it was. Now that Ru Men had given voice to the idea, Yujin couldn¡¯t stop seeing it at every stall he passed. These weren¡¯t the outside world brought to him, just the tiniest of slivers. A small glimpse into something so much larger than him, like those first shallow burst of enlightenment when he first began walking his Path. The joy of it was still there, but something so much larger towered over its shoulder, diminishing the former by its mere presence.

    He ended up leaving the market far sooner than usual.

    ********************************

    Meandering back through the sect grounds, Yujin tried to bring his thoughts back to order. Unfortunately, when the Heavens decide that it isn¡¯t your day, you don¡¯t really get time alone to properly collect your thoughts.

    ¡°Disciple Shin Yau. A word.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Elder Lai.¡± Yujin turned and bowed at the abrupt greeting. ¡°How can this one be of service?¡±

    ¡°By following.¡±

    Elder Lai turned on his heel and Yujin followed after. No words were spoken as they entered one of the public gardens scattered throughout the sect. It¡¯s carefully cultivated creeks and flowerbeds did little to ease Yujin¡¯s mind as they found an unoccupied gazebo and sat across from one another.

    ¡°How can I assist you, Elder?¡± Yujin bowed his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s the other way around, this time, Disciple.¡± Elder Lai said.

    Yujin gave a mental sigh at the words, but wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. His failure to progress was hardly a secret these days, and more than a few Elders and older disciples had come by to offer their own form of advice. Different forms of cultivation, guided meditations on the meaning of the blade or sword, block breaking pill recipes, friendly sparring matches, not-so-friendly sparring matches. Yujin had experienced just about every non-life threatening form of cultivation assistance one could within the Flowing Blade Sect.

    None of it had helped, and Yujin was honestly getting a bit sick of it. Still, one didn¡¯t go around offending Elders or their senior disciples without consequences.

    ¡°This disciple is most grateful for your assistance. What guidance would Elder wish to offer this deficient disciple?¡± Yujin bowed his head again. He¡¯d found a bit of self deprecation and flattery helped these sessions pass more quickly.

    ¡°Just one.¡± Elder Lai¡¯s impassive demeanor didn¡¯t change at the flattery. ¡°You need to stop listening to the advice of others.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°You may have progressed beyond my Foundational classes, but I always keep track of my students. I know of your difficulties at the current bottleneck. I also know how many of my fellow sect members have involved themselves in trying to guide you past it. In this Elder¡¯s opinion however, you need to stop listening to them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Yujin said. ¡°The people offering me advice are all further along the path of cultivation than I am. They are more experienced and have experienced similar difficulties. Why shouldn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Similar, yes, but not the same.¡± Lai interrupted, ¡°Do not forget what you asked of me those short few years ago in my office. You stood before me with courage and determination, declaring your decision to step off the road laid out by this Sect¡¯s founding patriarch. You chose to walk your own path, along with all the difficulties that come with it. Any advice your seniors have to offer has not applied to you for quite some time now.¡±

    Yujin was speechless. Yes, he¡¯d altered his path, but he¡¯d still been forced through endless reports and assessments along the way. Every change requiring review and approval. Only now was he being told

    ¡°This is not to say their efforts are without merit, or can not assist other disciples.¡± Lai continued, ¡°They do possess a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer, especially in avoiding the most obvious mistakes made by children. However, in my experience as a teacher, when a sacred artist has received the level of assistance you have without any noticeable breakthroughs, the problem is with the teachers, not the student.

    ¡°You are embarking on a path no one has tread before. Your own. And no one else can tell you the proper way to tread it. You possess a great deal of talent, so a total lack of progress is most likely due to trying to step in a direction that is contradictory to your path. My fellow sect members largely follow the same path, and tend to forget that different paths can require vastly different methods.¡±

    ¡°Elder, if I don¡¯t listen to my seniors, then who?¡± Yujin asked.

    ¡°You should listen to your soul.¡± Elder Lai reached across the table to gently poke Yujin above the core in his chest. ¡°Take what you can from the advice of those around you, but discard what isn¡¯t useful. No one can walk this path but you. Do not let others tell you what is right or wrong.¡±

    Yujin had nothing to say to that.

    Elder Lai stood, thanked Yujin for his time, and left.

    Yujin remained seated for a few moments, thoughts in turmoil. Then decided to take the Elder¡¯s advice and ask himself a question.

    What do I think the next step of my path is?

    Yujin was on his feet and moving towards the sect¡¯s library within seconds. After all, he¡¯d known the answer for months now.

    ***************************************************

    It didn¡¯t take long to find the passage he was looking for. He¡¯d come back to it half a dozen times over the past year, ever since stumbling across it in his exhaustive search of the sect¡¯s entire collection of scrolls, books, and dream tablets on Sacred Beasts. It wasn¡¯t as impressive as the rumors told about repositories closer to the heart of the Blackflame Empire, but it had still taken him months to fully peruse.

    He¡¯d found dozens of remnants and sacred beasts with abilities that were compatible with his path. But when he¡¯d followed Elder Lai¡¯s advice and asked himself which was his choice, without regard for the concerns of his sect or its members, only one remained.

    There were no dream tablets containing the memories of Sacred Artists who had encountered it, but several scrolls mentioned the creature in passing and a single book contained a more detailed passage.

    The Lost Half-Thought Wisp

    Primary Madra Aspect: Dream

    Secondary Madra Aspect: Spiritual/Intangible

    These Sacred Beasts are so named due to the children¡¯s story that they are born from the minds of children and forgetful adults when a thought is left uncompleted. One of the most peculiar breeds of Sacred Beast contained within these pages, it has earned mention simply from the various ways it departs from its seeming disregard for several rules of nature that most other Sacred Beasts appear bound by.

    The Wisps are possibly the most difficult to detect, track, or capture of any Sacred Beasts cataloged by our efforts, while remaining one of the least threatening and easiest to kill. They possess several abilities that make detection and restraint of any potential specimens difficult in the extreme, but possessive essentially no defensive or offensive combat related abilities or techniques.

    Physical characteristics:

    The wisps have no set or ¡®true¡¯ form that this author has been able to determine. It most often appears as a sphere, simple geometric shape, or mist like wisp, almost always a hue of purple or dark blue. There have been secondhand reports of more complex shapes such as pentagons, hexagrams, and one definitive mention of a dodecahedron. However, the very nature of this Sacred Beast, if it can even be called that, makes verification of any information not personally witnessed near impossible.

    Our research indicates they are composed almost entirely of dream madra, but we were unable to identify the non-madra matter from several specimens, as it decays rapidly following any Wisp¡¯s demise or destabilization. Observing them from concealment revealed them capable of shifting between shapes on several occasions. They also demonstrated a level of intelligence far below that of a truly self aware creature.

    The most unusual physical characteristic of the Wisps is their ability to phase in and out of tangibility. Any real interaction with non-madra materials appears to be entirely at their choosing. It is unclear if this is an Enforcer technique or simply an inherent quality of their bodies, but we were unable to discover a material that the wisps were unable to simply pass through as if it were not there. Only through containers fully encapsulated within a stable madra field could the Wisps be restrained from their seemingly perpetual wandering. Even then, the madra used for the field needed to be of a type disruptive to dream madra, and contain no holes, cracks or flaws with its encirclement, or the Wisps would invariably escape.

    They may also possess the ability to become invisible at a moment¡¯s notice, disappearing from sight entirely, but remain detectable by the trained madra senses of Sacred Artists at the level of Jade or above. They a it is theorized that they simply render themselves intangible to the light that we would use to see them. However, it is also possible they are using an advanced variation of their primary madra Ruler technique, one that surpasses the ability of our research team to see through.

    Madra Techniques:

    Wisps have been observed as exclusively using Ruler techniques, disregarding the possibility that their phasing through different materials could be an Enforcer technique. They primarily use a dream madra fueled technique render themselves unnoticeable. Anyone within the area of effect of this technique instinctively disregards any Wisp they see or detect as non-threatenting, unimportant, and uninteresting. They simply cannot bring themselves to care about the Wisps enough to even acknowledge their presence.

    The exact range this Ruler technique reaches has been speculated upon, and is believed to be only several feet in diameter. It¡¯s subtlety should not be underestimated, as it mimics the background vital aura to an astonishing level of detail to disguise itself. The technique should be considered effectively undetectable, from within or without, unless countermeasure to detect a dream madra based technique with that specific effect are deployed.

    (Author¡¯s Note: There were several heated arguments amongst the authors of this book over whether to even add the Wisps to this compendium of Sacred Beasts. It was later determined that the side of the table arguing against their addition were actually under the effect of an unobserved Wisp on their side of the room. This discovery assured the addition of the Lost Half-Thought Wisps entry, but there were additional, similar issues during the editing process.)

    As a Wisp progresses to more advanced stages, they are rendered undetectable to anyone in a lower realm of advancement. Jades could not detect Wisps within the Gold realm, even with the assistance of fellow Sacred Artists at that realm. It remains unclear if the Wisps cannot progress beyond the Gold realm, as our group was unable to obtain the assistance of an Underlord in verifying our findings.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The technique appears to be variable in strength, with a weaker version of it running perpetually as a defensive strategy against creatures which feed on dream madra. A more powerful version is deployed when a Wisp feels threatened, or it is feeding.

    Preferred Environments and Diet:

    The Wisps appear to have a diet consisting of the dream aura naturally emitted from any sufficiently intelligent Sacred Artist or Beast. Using their Ruler technique allows them to gets within inches and harvest the dream aspected vital aura every thinking being emits unconsciously from their bodies with each thought or dream. It is unclear if the Wisps can actually reach into another being¡¯s mind and take aura, madra, thoughts, or memories from their source without first being released into the environment. Such an event was never witnessed despite extensive observation, but that level of technique may only manifest in Realms beyond Gold. Such direct contact could also potentially break the effectiveness of their protective Ruler technique.

    Wisps have been observed in effectively every inhabited environment in which vital aura is relatively calm and below a certain level of strength. The unique composition of the Wisps bodies renders them vulnerable to sufficiently turbulent vital aura. They were observed to appear with higher frequency around human settlements as opposed to similarly large groups of Sacred Beasts. It is hypothesized that the dream madra of humans is somehow more desirable to the Wisps.

    Potential uses to Sacred Artists:

    As of the time of this writing, there exist no known valuable uses for the Last Half-Thought Wisp.

    We have found no record of any Sacred Artist or sect cultivating with dream madra who uses these creatures in any way. Their decaying bodies leave behind no base matter a Soulsmith could use, nor any madra binding for their Ruler technique, or any other technique, upon death. Even the level of madra contained within individual Wisps is so small as to be largely useless as fuel for cultivation or any other construct.

    It is possible that a Sacred Artist on a dream madra related path could create equivalent techniques to the Wisps. However, the techniques used by the Wisps could very well be dependent upon their unique body composition, and would be rendered ineffective at concealing anything with a more tangible form. Additionally, intense focus is required to resist the effects of their Ruler technique, meaning that even a moment of inattention could lead a Sacred Artist into forgetting critical details they had observed, or even why they care about such an endeavor. (Author¡¯s Note: This very thing occurred repeatedly during our observations, even after recruiting Sacred Artists specializing in dream madra techniques to perform the observations for us.)

    The only true potential value discovered was found in the madra generated by a Wisp shortly after it feed. The madra created by the Wisp after it cycled the dream aura of a Sacred Artist was found to be ¡®flavored¡¯, for lack of a better term, with that person¡¯s unique path, madra and emotions. An angry person¡¯s aura created a more turbulent, disruptive form of madra than that of a calm one. Likewise with Sacred artists using opposing cultivations, such as Flame and Ice Paths, generated dream madra that ¡®felt¡¯ warmer or colder.

    It is unclear if this could phenomenon could be refined into something more useful, either in extracting information about an individual, or in generating specific types of dream madra applicable to hybrid paths of cultivation.

    The text continued on in some minutiae about the exact data collected and patterns of behavior, but Yujin had read those passages enough to know they weren¡¯t valuable to him. Everything he needed was contained in the first few pages. Yujin¡¯s brow furrowed as he re-read the entry over and over, even having memorized it months ago, just to be certain.

    It contained everything he needed. The path forward, and all the reasoning he¡¯d need to justify his choice. The difficulty in finding and capturing Wisps would even buy him a bit more precious time from people disappointed in his bottlenecked progress. It really was perfect in every way.

    Yujin smiled, and realized that for the first time in months, it wasn¡¯t forced. He¡¯d found his next step forward, no matter what may come of it or what anyone else thought.

    Yujin had found the perfect Remnant for his ascension to Gold.

    After signing out a copy of the Sacred Beast compendium, Yujin sprinted back to the market. Not to visit Ru Men, but for a few more basic supplies. As was the new family tradition, large announcements were given over a dinner of family favorites. He just hoped the butchers had kept a few cuts of water aspected bird meat. Even with all his advancements in cooking over the years, Yujin had never found or made anything that surpassed his father¡¯s preference for meals containing the less-than-easy to source meat.

    ******************************

    Haisin had a new routine he followed at the end of the day when he arrived home.

    Well, ¡®new¡¯ was a bit of a stretch. He¡¯d been doing it for years now, but compared to his decades long previous routine, it still felt strange sometimes. Previously, he¡¯d be arriving home exhausted and filthy from a beast hunting excursion. He¡¯d set aside his weaponry, cleaned his boots of any blood or mud, wash his face and hands in the bowl of water his wife would always leave out. A dozen small rituals of cleaning and sorting that felt like the proper conclusion to a full day¡¯s work and preparation for the next.

    Now? Now he couldn¡¯t do most of those if he wanted to.

    Now, he would simply hang up his outer training robes or formal coat, depending on if he¡¯d been training the new hunting recruits or working behind his desk that day. They rarely needed cleaning. He stretched out the knot in his back instead of ignoring the countless shifting aches and pains that would fade with the evening¡¯s cycling session. And then he inhaled deeply, through his nose, to find out what wonderful dish was waiting for him at dinner that night.

    And then he¡¯d smile, because the food was always good these days. The exact smile would depend on what the meal was telling him. And today was a very large smile. The scent of everyone¡¯s favorite foods filled his home. That only meant one thing, good news. And since it wasn¡¯t his news to share, that meant a wonderful meal would be followed by a pleasant surprise.

    Just as long as it¡¯s not Kasi letting me know about a cute boy¡¯s interest in her again, tonight will be a good night.

    ********************************************

    The devastated remains of a well enjoyed meal were spread across the table as the conversation of their days had petered out. Kasi had recounted her Copper cycling and training classes for the day, either not noticing the way her father twitched every time a boy¡¯s name was mentioned more than once or masterfully concealing her knowledge of it. His mother had talked about the latest gossip floating through the medical wing of the Foundation stage training school. Haisin had complained about the various meetings he¡¯d been ¡®forced¡¯ to attend instead of being out hunting various threats to the Sect, and Yujin wasn¡¯t sure if his father was aware of exactly how often he mentioned the various highly ranked sect members who attended those meetings with him.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Yuji looked around the table with a gleam in her eye. ¡°We all know what we just ate. Who has the surprise announcement?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Yujin answered.

    All eyes at the table turned to him.

    ¡°I picked the Spirit Beast who¡¯s Remnant I¡¯m going to be using to ascend to Gold.¡±

    A soft cheer went up from Kasina and Yuji, while his father just let out a relieved sigh. Yujin couldn¡¯t tell if that was relief he¡¯d finally chosen, or that the surprise wasn¡¯t related to Kasi and boys. Nothing like it had ever been discussed at family dinners, but Yujin had heard the rumors of marriage offers made based on Sect politics before. And he¡¯d also watched his father become increasingly stressed after meetings with certain Sect Elders with certain reputations for political marriage.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± Yuji exclaimed, reaching over to take Haisin¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell us all about it. I¡¯m certain it must be something special after all this time.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s called the Lost Half-Thought Wisp¡­¡±

    Yujin relished recounting every detail of his search and how Elder Lai gave him the advice he needed to make a choice. The moment of clarity. His thoughts on the best way to catch one.

    His mother and sister were a perfect audience. Oohing and asking the right questions. His father just sat in silence with a soft smile. Yujin really thought it was going well, until his father spoke.

    ¡°Ok, ok. Enough fun. What Remnant did you actually choose?¡±

    The room went silent.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yujin asked.

    ¡°It was a very amusing joke. A dream based remnant. Intangibility. You kept a very straight face. What¡¯s your real choice?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t this be my real choice?¡±

    Yujin and his father were both still half smiling at each other, each seeming confused at the joke the other was making. Kasina looked genuinely confused, with eyes slowly narrowing as she looked between her father and brother. No one noticed the look of growing fear and worry on Yuji¡¯s face, the only one in the room who seemed to have grasped where the conversation was inevitably heading.

    ¡°For starters, you follow a Path based on cultivating flame and blade aura.¡±

    ¡°Paths change all the time as Sacred Artists grow and learn. You define your Path, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°To a degree, but the sword skills you¡¯ve spent a decade learning are based around a flowing blade that can deflect and control the movements of your opponents. Any sort of intangibility you could give it is completely incompatible with everything you¡¯ve learned so far.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll develop a new sword style to fit my Path. We¡¯re the Flowing Blade Sect, our sword style flows and changes to fit the situation. You were the one who taught me that.¡±

    The smiles were gone and now everyone in the room realized something was wrong. The words were faster and more terse, but neither Yujin nor Haisin tried to slow down.

    ¡°Dream madra doesn¡¯t work well with physical techniques.¡±

    ¡°Work well doesn¡¯t mean doesn¡¯t work. It just means I¡¯ll have to work harder on integrating it.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone at the sect who cultivates dream aura. No one to teach you the way.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone here that can teach me now. Every piece of advice I¡¯ve gotten for over a year now has been useless. I¡¯ll just have to find an outside source and adapt what I need.¡±

    The voices and the frustration they contained were rising now, changing into something else as the words came faster with each sentence.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already fallen behind others in your generation. You can¡¯t just invent an entirely new cultivation system from nothing.¡±

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve already done it once. I¡¯ll just do it again.¡±

    ¡°Dream techniques are only truly effective when fighting other Sacred Artists, not Dreadbeasts or Sacred Beasts.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just take a role in the Sect other than being Beast Hunter.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s final rebuttal brought a sudden end to their now rapid exchange. The shock at his answer was written plainly across his normally impassive father¡¯s face. Haisin¡¯s mouth opened and closed, searching for the right words.

    ¡°Yujin. You¡¯re my firstborn son. Every Shin Yau firstborn son has been a Hunter, like his father, for over eight generations, since we first joined the Flowing Blade Sect. And we still hunted them even before that. That¡¯s your path, the one our family has laid out for you for centuries. That¡¯s your duty, to the sect and your family.¡±

    ¡°I chose my own Path eight years ago! You were there! You supported my choice then, what¡¯s different now?¡±

    ¡°That was altering the aura you incorporated into your core! Not¡­ whatever madness this is. Yujin, we are the protectors of this entire region, and everyone in it. We train to fight so that when danger comes for the people under us, or for the empire as a whole, we¡¯re there to stand in front of it. You¡¯ve been studying how to assume that duty for most of your life! And this is a step directly away from that purpose!¡±

    ¡°Well, who¡¯s to say I can¡¯t find a different way of upholding that duty? Who says the only way to protect our people is by burning and cutting anything in our way? There are plenty of threats out there that can¡¯t just be cut or burned, or even hurt by any physical means. What I can do is invaluable in the right circumstances! Only having one way to fight isn¡¯t good. We need variety, we need to be able to adapt, to change and flow with the struggles of the world around us. That¡¯s what our ancestors knew when they established the Flowing Blade Sect, when they gave disciples the chance to alter their Paths. That¡¯s what I¡¯m choosing to do, right now.¡±

    Yujin felt a flush of triumph as the argument paused again, both he and his father catching their breath. He¡¯d come up with the reasoning for his change in the library earlier that day, knowing he would need to justify this additional change to his Path to the Elders overseeing his training. It was a perfectly valid argument, adhering to the tenets of the sect¡¯s Founding Patriarch, if taken a direction and distance others never had before. Yujin knew it would convince the Elders to allow this change, especially given his lack of progress. They¡¯d want to give one of the sect¡¯s young geniuses a chance to recover and breakthrough his bottleneck.

    And it probably would have worked, but Yujin had made one mistake.

    He wasn¡¯t trying to convince the Elders, who followed his career with great interest and enthusiasm. He was trying to convince his father, who was something else entirely.

    ¡°No, Yujin.¡± Haisin slowly shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what you¡¯re doing. This is about the cooking, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Yujin flinched. He didn¡¯t have an answer for that.

    ¡°I¡¯m your father. Did you really think I haven¡¯t watched every step you¡¯ve taken on your Path? Do you think I¡¯d forget the talk we had, after you cut a Jade to shreds and wept? That I wouldn¡¯t notice you¡¯ve been cycling dream aura from our meals together for at least two years now? A change that has not been mentioned, even once, in any of the documents regarding your training and progress.¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡± Yujin swallowed. This wasn¡¯t how the conversation was supposed to go. ¡°How did you get to read those? Only Elders tasked with training are supposed to read those.¡±

    ¡°Rising through the sect hierarchy comes with it¡¯s own benefits.¡± Haisin said. ¡°I kept silent about that because what a Sacred Artist does outside of training is his business. But this? Yujin, you can¡¯t let your little hobby interfere with things that are real, things that matter.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s uncertainty and hesitation washed away in a flood of anger at his father¡¯s words.

    ¡°Oh, things that matter? Like, what, sitting behind a desk all day and holding important meetings while you send others out to fulfill the sacred duty our family has passed down to us for eight generations.¡± Yujin was standing and shouting now. ¡°What would our ancestors think of your path right now? A path, by the way, you are only walking down because of my ¡®little hobby¡¯! Do you honestly think Elder Chousan would have listened to your concerns about the beast tide, let alone stayed in our house for more than five minutes, without my ¡®little hobby¡¯? If my cooking matters so little, what does it say that the entire sect values it more highly than anything you¡¯ve done for them your entire life!¡±

    Haisin flushed at Yujin¡¯s words. Yuji reached over, trying to catch her husband¡¯s hand but it was too late. Haisin was already standing and shouting back, matching his son¡¯s anger. Words that couldn¡¯t be taken back had been spoken, even if either one wanted to.

    The evening and shouting only devolved further from, and the lovely candied meats Yujin had prepared as a surprise dessert went unmentioned and uneaten.

    *************************************************

    Yujin looked up to find himself back at the Flowing Travelers¡¯ Marketplace.

    He hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to where he was walking after storming out of the house. The argument with his father had reached such a fever pitch that even Yuji had raised her voice and ordered her son to talk a walk and calm down. Yujin had gladly obeyed, exchanging a few more choice words over his shoulder as he left, grabbing only his sword out of sheer habit as he left.

    Yujin didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been walking since then, but he could see the first hints of dawn lightening the night sky. The argument had kept repeating in his head, over and over. The dismissive attitude of his father towards his Path and cooking. The cruel words he¡¯d shouted back. True words, but cruel nonetheless for how he shaped them.

    But why did he say those things? Is there something I¡¯m missing?

    The stray question snuck it¡¯s way in. Yujin angrily cut it off. He was in no mood for introspection or reconciliation. Elder Lai had told him he could only listen to himself in regards to his Path, and he had. Everything had become clear the moment he did that. And now, his father, one of the only people who had always supported him, told him to his face that support was conditional? A lie?

    Then he really did only have himself. What were his instincts telling him to do now?

    Yujin thought for just a moment, and realized yet again, there was only one path his soul told him to follow, and it was the reason he¡¯d wandered to the marketplace to begin with. If he couldn¡¯t follow his path here, he¡¯d just have to go somewhere else. He started jogging, and reached Ru Men¡¯s caravan just as they were finalizing their preparations to leave.

    ¡°Young Yujin! This is a surprise.¡± Ru Men exclaimed. ¡°Here to try for a last minute deal? I must admit, it¡¯s a sound tactic. I suppose I could unpack one or two items, if you know what you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡°I want to take you up on your offer.¡± Yujin said in a rush. ¡°The one you made earlier. To travel with you.¡±

    ¡°Well, of course! That¡¯s wonderful. We¡¯ll be back in a season or two and we¡¯ll have a slot waiting just for you. You didn¡¯t need to come out to tell me so early in the morning. Although I do appreciate the enthusiasm.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean I want to take you up on it now. I want to go today.¡±

    ¡°I see. There shouldn¡¯t be any real problem with that¡­¡± Ru Men hesitated. ¡°And, the Elders have approved your journey?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Yujin kept his voice as steady as he could. ¡°They gave me permission to follow my own Path, and right now, that means leaving here with you.¡±

    Ru Men frowned and looked down. Yujin knew his friend wasn¡¯t someone he could convincingly lie to under far better circumstances than. But he was angry, and Elder Lai had told him that only he knew the way forward from here. Yujin watched his conflicted friend, and realized he needed to weigh the scale a bit more.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like you said,the world is the place for the bold and reckless. So either I¡¯m bold enough to set out on my own, or I¡¯m reckless enough to do this without my sect¡¯s permission. Or both.¡± Yujin shrugged. ¡°Either way, I know I belong out there, and if you aren¡¯t there to guide me, who knows what trouble I might find on my own.¡±

    Ru Men snorted, shook his head, then glanced to back down the market¡¯s central road toward the Flowing Blade Sect.

    ¡°And all this time, I thought you were terrible at making a deal.¡±

    ¡°I guess I was just saving it all for when it mattered.¡± Yujin paused. ¡°Or if you ever found more of that Fourfold Seasoning powder.¡±

    ¡°Tell you what. We¡¯ll go find some more of it together.¡± Ru Men looked back over his shoulder. ¡°Taisang! I¡¯ve got a last minute guard for the caravan. Come find him a place.¡±

    The caravan¡¯s head guard trotted over as Ru Men turned back to Yujin.

    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, if the sect comes asking pointed questions of me, I¡¯m throwing you directly underneath the Dreadgod and saying you lied incredibly well.¡±

    **************************************************

    Haisin¡¯s stare bored a hole in the floor as he bowed to the Elders, body parallel to the floor.

    ¡°This one apologizes again for his failure to control his son.¡±

    ¡°Senior Haisin, please, raise your head.¡± Elder Chousan said. ¡°Your apology is not necessary. This is hardly the first time a promising disciple has cracked under the strain of expectations.¡±

    The Elders of the Disciple Oversight Council nodded along to the sentiment, muttering their thoughts and opinions in the manner of all elderly in front of the less aged, and thus less wise.

    ¡°Really was only a matter of time. The boy¡¯s been pushed far too hard to advance rapidly.¡±

    ¡°I personally assisted him in several meditations on the history of the sword. If that couldn¡¯t help, it¡¯s no wonder he despaired of continuing his training.¡±

    ¡°No discipline amongst the youth these days. In my day, when you hit a bottleneck, you just kept bashing your core into it until the damn thing broke!¡±

    Elder Chousan coughed significantly and the rumblings quieted.

    ¡°Now, back to business. I¡¯ve received word back from the city watch commanders. Shin  Yau Yujin was spotted four nights ago heading towards the Flowing Travelers¡¯ Marketplace shortly before dawn. Guards manning the city wall reported seeing a young guard on a traveling caravan matching Yujin¡¯s description heading out shortly afterwards. The caravan belonged to a one Ru Men, who in accordance with  city protocols had already filed a list of several potential destinations he was planning to visit next.¡±

    Chousan set down the pages of notes a submitted to him before the meeting.

    ¡°The business before this council is what to do next? While disciple Yujin has been given leeway in his pursuit of a unique Path, leaving the sect¡¯s territory is a step to far. Something he most certainly knows. Nevertheless, his motivations remain uncertain. He could be seeking inspiration for his Path, or possibly just fleeing the sect entirely. Does any council member wish to submit a suggestion?¡±

    The rumble of a dozen voices speaking over one another filled the room again, and Elder Chousan gave a long suffering sigh. For all the importance and responsibility that came with being a sitting member of the Disciple Oversight Council, it wasn¡¯t often the entire council was called to session simultaneously. Hence, the rather irritating lack of formality or order to the proceedings.

    ¡°Dragged back in chains and fifty lashes in front of all members of the younger generation! It¡¯s the only way to properly reassert discipline! It did wonders back in my day, I¡¯ll say that much.¡±

    ¡°We have several patrol groups out in that direction. They can intercept the caravan within a week¡¯s time. Have him finish out their long term tour. Time slogging through the mud and beast blood our sect has to manage will be discipline enough.¡±

    ¡°Secluded cultivation for at least four months, in one of the punishment cells. End all these distractions of daily life and repetitive training. The uninterrupted mind is a Sacred Artist¡¯s greatest weapon.¡±

    ¡°Four months!? But he was going to be catering my anniversary dinner in two! Surely, there¡¯s no need for seclusion. There has to be a more reasonable punishment.¡±

    ¡°Or we could just let him go.¡±

    The room fell silent, and Elder Chousan slowly turned toward the latest speaker.

    ¡°Elder Lai? Could you perhaps repeat yourself, I believe you may have misspoken.¡±

    ¡°I said we should let the boy go.¡± Lai said again, unruffled at the veiled insult. ¡°I personally spoke to him the day before his disappearance, and I don¡¯t believe this is a flight. I believe he is attempting to find his Path, searching for something he cannot find here, inside our walls. This has always been a risk we take when allowing disciples to deviate from our Sect¡¯s established cultivations. I would guess something made him think he would not be able to secure our permission to travel, and so he took matters into his own hands.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let him run off, free as a phoenix.¡± Elder Taraka shouted back. ¡°There are rules regarding disciple travel at such young ages, and he¡¯s broken just about every one we have for Jades. They aren¡¯t allowed travel outside city limits. Ever.¡±

    ¡°It is not without precedent.¡± Elder Lai replied. ¡° Rare, but I can personally think of three separate instances this has occurred.¡±

    The two sides of the argument solidified. Those who wanted to drag Yujin back, oftentimes without regard for his physical well being, and those who wanted to offer leniency and various degrees of free travel to a budding genius seeking inspiration and hardship out in the more dangerous world.

    Elder Chousan, as he so often had to, ended up guiding the compromise between the two sides. The errant disciple would be allowed to journey out into the world, within limits. Word would be sent to each city Ru Men¡¯s caravan was known to frequent, informing the relevant city authorities of a runaway disciple of their sect. The student was to be observed, detained after two month¡¯s time, and returned via the earliest possible secure method back to the Flowing Blade Sect. The disciple¡¯s punishment for these actions was to be left temporarily undecided, until any progress made during his travels could be assessed in person.

    ¡°Shin Yau Haisin. You have been largely silent during these deliberations but your voice does have weight here. Is there anything you would wished changed about the council¡¯s chosen course of action?¡±

    ¡°No, Elder.¡± Elder Chousan¡¯s words were met with a beaten reply. ¡°I have faith in the decision of the council. I only wish for my son to be returned safely.¡±

    A wave of approving nods swept the room, aside from Elder Chousan, who merely glanced over at Elder Lai. The men were hardly allies, political or otherwise, but both respected the insight of the other. And a glance between them was all that was needed to confirm what the other saw.

    Something was wrong with Haisin, and it almost certainly had to do with his son. However, it wasn¡¯t their place to interfere. At least, not yet. If something Haisin had said or done had precipitated his child¡¯s sudden departure¡­ well, that was a complication for another time. Right now, they knew Yujin approximate location and destination. When Yujin returned, the council would determine exactly what had occurred to cause this mess, and deal with it in a quieter, more discrete manner.

    That wasn¡¯t a problem for this forum though. Family matters could get tricky and messy. Especially in a sect that gossiped as much as this one. There would be plenty of time to sort everything out later, Chousan reassured himself as he formally dismissed the gathering.

    Two weeks later, the concealed wreckage of the Golden Trumendous Spice Caravan was uncovered by a Blackflame patrol.