《Heavenly Rebirth - The Martial Hero's Journey》


 Prologue: Wulin and Jianghu

    "Fuck-motheringshit," Deng Ming said, allowing himself this one channel of catharsis, a rare occasion considering he almostnever cursed.


    The imperial examination was in six mere days, yet that wasn¡¯t what worried Deng Ming the most. The scrolls all sat unfurled in front of him, spread around the table inside the dimly lit National Academy library.


    The sum total of China¡¯s history sat within these walls. Thousands of years, countless events, but the two most recent centuries all pointed to one worrying truth.


    Everything was about to change, and not necessarily for the better.


    He cradled his head with his hands, unsure about how to go on, unsure of how he could do anything at this point.


    A reassuring hand clamped down on his shoulder, his mentor, a venerated scholar by the name of Shen ZhiLong. ¡°Something the matter, disciple?¡±


    Deng Ming¡¯s hands shook. ¡°A hidden world¡­ of Martial Artists¡­? Did you know of this, mentor?¡± A stupid question; there was nothing that his mentor did not know. It was why the Emperor imparted upon him such a lofty name; Divine Wise Dragon.


    His mentor simply chuckled. ¡°Come now; do you know me to be the ignorant sort?¡±


    ¡°This is not funny,¡± he complained. ¡°There are humans¡­ capable of destroying one-hundred man armies, men that can casually kill ten other men, barehanded in the span of ten heartbeats!¡±


    His mentor nodded. ¡°The world sure is dangerous.¡±


    He rummaged through the scrolls until he found one on the table which was relevant. ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Deng Ming ranted. ¡°Buddha¡¯s Mala Beads, the crown of the Jade Emperor, and the Ruyi Jingu Bang¡­ objects of power from legend!¡± He turned to the wizened old man, frantically. ¡°Whosoever possesses them all could shape the world in their image! To rebirth the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my child,¡± the old man said, his voice low and gravelly. ¡°And what will you do about it?¡±


    Deng Ming stared owlishly at his venerated mentor. Born to a merchant family, Deng Ming always had a dream to become a scholar, so when the Wise Dragon had noticed him, it seemed like all of his dreams were going to come true. After all, few candidates could be said to have access to the National Academy library, and even among those, few could be said to be as studious as Deng Ming.


    But now, none of that even mattered, because the manuscripts spoke of a man cast out of the Wulin, the world of honorable Martial Warriors, whose rhetoric was that of reshaping society as he saw fit, and with no one capable of defeating him, the reality looked grim. ¡°Is there nothing anyone can do?¡±


    The Mentor ignored his question. ¡°What will you do about it?¡±


    Was there anything he could do about it at all?


    His mentor just sighed. ¡°You are a smart man, disciple. If you think on it, you will figure something out. I am counting on you.¡±


    Deng Ming shook his head ruefully. ¡°If there was something I could do, you would have done it already.¡±


    His mentor chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you have already outstripped me in intelligence a long time ago. All that remains is knowledge, and that will come with time. My mind is much too brittle and slow, aged over decades of pouring over manuscripts and listening to lectures. Yours is still young, and capable of handling the rigors of mystery,¡± he held his disciple on both shoulders, now. ¡°You will make me proud, this I know. I count on you to make things right. Now, tell me; what will you do?¡±


    Deng Ming swallowed, and turned to the ocean of scrolls on his table. A plan came to mind, a plan to locate the objects of power before he could. The mysteries, enigmas and puzzles that encrypted their locations could be cracked, albeit with time, but as a young man, he did have nothing but time.


    He could do this. Standing up, he turned to give his mentor a hug. ¡°I apologize, but I¡¯m afraid I will have to miss the Imperial Examination that you prepared me so hard for.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± he chuckled. ¡°A bunch of smarmy fops, I hope you don¡¯t turn out to be that way. Go your own way, my disciple, and use your knowledge to make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he said.


    With that, he turned back to the scrolls on the table. He needed to find one, justoneDivine Relic, and though no one, not even his Mentor, knew where it was, the secrets all lay in the halls of this great library.


    So he spent days without food and without rest, pouring through everything that there was to pour through, connecting the dots from the disparate manuscripts and teased out hints from the most obscure of accounts, until finally, finally he had a conclusive destination. It took him a while, and when he tried to report the location to Mentor, he was told to simply keep quiet.


    "This is your mission," his Mentor said.


    Deng Ming nodded, accepting the burden. With a final farewell, he prepared himself.


    He headed to his room, gathered his savings, went to the market to buy some rations, and he was on his way, out of the Forbidden City, and headed towards the last heard position of the Ruyi Jingu Bang; the mountains of Kunlun.


    000


    It was the witching hour, the dead of night. The pursuit was hot as the young Li Bo Lao jumped from tree-top to tree-top, chasing after his black-clad quarry. To all appearances, he was just a lowly outer sect disciple, dressed in standard brown clothes, unadorned by the colorful apparel that he had grown so accustomed to. The subterfuge was necessary, considering where he was about to go.


    If the enemy cornered him, they would be more willing to kill him, and with him, disappear the secrets of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, rather than torture him for months on end on account of his important demeanor. All men had a breaking point, and Li Bo Lao knew his intimately, so he had spent a good amount of time making sure that it could not be exploited. Hope for the best, but plan for calamity. He was in Jianghu territory after all.


    The darkly clad figure jumped out the tree line and landed on a thatched roof, lightening so they would disturb it as little as possible; a talented exfiltration specialist with their gifted mobility. They lacked arrogance as well. Any other spy would turn around to kill the lone ¡®outer sect disciple¡¯ and flee sedately instead of the frantic pace that they were keeping up, but their instincts was serving them well, because he knew that if they fought, he would undoubtedly win.


    Drawing his sword, he made to thrust it forward, Amplifying the maneuver, borrowing the sword¡¯s extreme velocity in order to cut the distance. Eventually, the sword¡¯s momentum died completely, and he made to repeat the maneuver, the thief mere meters away.


    Suddenly, they disappeared.


    No¡­ that was not what happened. The movement was swift in the dark night only because of the way they were dressed; completely black. Catching on to what happened, Li Bo Lao turned around to see the thief jumping down to the street¡¯s level.


    As he gave chase, he replayed the event in his head. The thief had dashed towards him, managing to slip past him faster than his own eyes could see, almost completely unnoticed were it not for his instincts. The streets below were packed, however, only making way for one woman wearing verdant colors; a noble, come to lord over the poor with her very presence. They were not rare. Still he looked, but found no trace of the bastard thief.


    Yet, he did not give up, not until he scoured the entire village from the rooftops, moving faster than he had ever moved before. So important was the item that the enemy thief had made away with.


    When all hope was lost, and despair began to settle, he fled into the forest to curse.


    He would have to explain, now, to his father why a sect heirloom was stolen under his watch.


    000


    When the sect member had finally left, Han Yu Jie slipped into the same alleyway that she had discarded her disguise, and wore it quickly. It was all too easy to slip into the mannerism of a noble at will since she was born one, and no one from the Wulin would suspect a mere, pampered brat to possess the skills of a consummate Martial Warrior. That simply wasn¡¯t how Martial Warriors looked like.


    Playing to others¡¯ preconceptions was the best path to victory, as it was not only easy, but would leave the opponent feeling like complete idiots. Of course, she would be running the risk of making her opponents wise up, but it was a small price to pay to imagine the faces they were making, knowing they had been hoodwinked.


    The Dragon-Fang Spear was hers, wrapped in a thick black cloak.


    Still, she did not slacken in her escape, jumping from tree to tree, fleet footed and stealthy, enough that even the woodland animals would remain unbothered by her travel. Eventually, the treeline ended and she was faced with a river, a wooden bridge connecting both banks.


    That wasn¡¯t what caught her eyes, however; it was the man standing there, a conical hat on his head, wearing a robe billowing with the wind.


    ¡°What is your business in the Wushu Woods?¡± The man asked. Han Yu Jie simply bowed her head and spoke.


    ¡°To challenge a worthy adversary.¡±


    The man simply laughed. ¡°You come wearing all black, disguised like an assassin, and demand challenge? Where is your pride, Martial Warrior?¡±


    And where is your pragmatism, she almost responded. It was only common sense to disguise one¡¯s identity if one wished to separate oneself from matters pertaining to the Wulin, Jianghu and the normal world. To cast aside everything just for Martial Arts¡­ it was almost too childish.


    ¡°Will you allow me to see a challenger?¡± She asked, impatiently.


    ¡°You are looking at him,¡± he simply responded. ¡°Come at me, o¡¯ warrior too shy to say their name. I shall show you why the prideless are doomed to failure and obscurity.¡±


    She unwrapped the venerated spear with flourish and leveled it towards the man on the bridge. ¡°It will be over in one exchange.¡±


    The man guffawed. ¡°Your most honest proclamation.¡±


    She lightened her steps, amplified her spring, and appeared before the man in a mere instant. The man had, however, moved far away from the path of the spear¡¯s thrust, his palm colliding violently with her face.


    She flipped several times before landing on her back, insensate, utterly dazed.


    The man kicked the Dragon-Fang Spear into his hand and tipped his hat. ¡°Thank you for the gift, prideless warrior.¡±


    With that, he disappeared.


    Han Yu Jie had lost, and with it, her prize.


    When she came to, lying on the bank of the river, the sun had finally reared its head. She struck the ground with her fist ineffectually, cursing her lack of skill. Finally, she turned to the Wushu Woods and vowed that the next time she returned, she would be stronger.


    She would have to see her mentor again.


    000


    The day had been long, like summer days were wont to be, even in its bleeding edge, on the brink of autumn. The Horde had been unrelenting, riding on the backs of their steadfast war-horses, slaughtering soldiers of the Imperial Army like cutting wood.


    All the while, Bai Guo had done his best to save as many comrades as he could as they retreated. The Horde were unrelenting, every warrior worth ten of their own on account of the sheer amount of their cavalry. It was an unfair battle, made possible by dog-generals, and now Yinchuan would be lost, further empowering the Ordosi armies of the north.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He managed only to save one, and he had not lasted until a field medic could treat him, dying of exsanguination. All that remained of the war-party he had set out with from his village was himself.


    He did not weep at their loss, however. He wept at the injustice of their death; they had been sacrificed. Nay, a sacrifice would insinuate that a trade had been made. Their deaths had been a complete loss, no glory to have been had, and it was all because of the toadies that the Emperor had promoted, nobles who had curried favour all of their lives, playing with the lives of soldiers as though they did not matter at all.


    ¡°Calm yourself,¡± the old veteran named Bang Tok said gently. He was an old man, but a warrior still. Bai Guo¡¯s first reaction to him had been disgust, that a warrior would let himself grow that old. It only meant cowardice, taking the path of least bloodshed and danger.


    The first battle they shared together disillusioned him on that end. The man fought like possessed, taking the heads off horses and horse warriors alike, caring nothing if the odds were stacked against him. He had the luck of a devil, that man, to still live so long while fighting so recklessly.


    He had soon become Bai Guo¡¯s ideal, and eventually, his mentor. Taking his advice, he calmed himself. Anger would only serve the enemy. In-fighting was the surest path to total annihilation. He could not allow that.


    ¡°Good,¡± his mentor spoke. ¡°Center yourself. Find your point of balance,¡± he listened to the man¡¯s advice and did so. In his mind¡¯s eye, he pictured a mass grave, filled with the Empire¡¯s finest warriors, and him in the center, sitting on top of them all. Slowly, the grave was filled, encompassing even him in a crush of cold bodies. When the pyre lit the mass grave, he was home.


    His spirit moved freely, going through a variety of different forms with his Guan Dao which he had inherited from his father. Worry filled his heart, remembering that he had not yet taken a wife to pass his blood to a child, and grant him his pole arm, but another family member would do. He still had plenty of nephews and nieces, all of which were going to follow the path of a warrior.


    In his mind, he severed heads and stabbed through the hearts of hundreds before even his mind began to grow exhausted, configuring a new movement that would aid him in battle. It was always a welcome surprise when he was granted Insights.


    Before he could leave, however, something locked his mind in place, leaving him stuck in his mindscape. The reassuring voice of his mentor was heard from every direction. ¡°I think you are ready, now, to grasp a higher calling. If you truly want to defeat the Horde, you will have to set out and find a weapon that can do such a thing. On your way, you will meet adversity, but through it all, find your center, and slaughter unhesitatingly. Do you hear me, boy?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Guo shouted. This was it. His mentor would finally take him to greater heights.


    ¡°I have already taught you everything but one thing. While you can slip in and out of the State of Wu at will, you have yet to reach Enlightenment. To truly do so¡­ let go of your anger.¡±


    The thought disgusted him vehemently as a spike of anger threatened to tear him out of his mindscape, but he held fast. Anger only served the enemy. He was a soldier. He had to fight, and fighting didn¡¯t necessitate anger or hatred.


    Not the way he knew it.


    To him, fighting was a way of life, like breathing. Anger would impede him.


    Slowly, he eased the anger out of his body.


    ¡°Now, reach your center. Feel the Heavenly energy enter you, and direct it into that center. Do so, and you will reach heights before unheard of.¡±


    He obeyed. The feeling came to him, the Heavenly energy threatening to completely overwhelm him, but he held still, letting go of anger. This was just another battle to win, and slowly, he fought, not giving an inch, wading through the stream imperiously.


    Finally, the trickle into his core slowly increased, liquid power flowing through his veins. He knew that power was nothing without control, so he did not let it intoxicate him, the way his uncle was intoxicated by command, managing to get his whole platoon killed. Ignorance was a meaninglerss death, and as a warrior, a meaningless death was worse than lifelong torture.


    When he came too, eyes sharper, and body lighter, it was the dead of night. His Mentor stood before him, nodding approvingly, his Guan Dao in his hands. He handed him the Guan Dao, and Bai Guo accepted it reverently before standing up. He gave a martial salute to the man, clapping his fist with his hand flatly and bowing his head.


    ¡°What you look for lies in the mountains of Kunlun. Make your way there, and you shall have the power to suppress a thousand armies, much less just the Horde,¡± he took a moment to breathe in before smiling proudly. ¡°Do be careful not to die. The journey will be a long one, and it will not be an easy one. I advise that you open your eyes and ears along the way, and absorb every bit of knowledge the world has to offer. There is much knowledge to be had.¡±


    He nodded, vowing to stave of ignorance where he would find it.


    ¡°Also,¡± his Mentor¡¯s smile grew impish. ¡°Lighten up a little, will ya, kid? You¡¯re, what eighteen? Don¡¯t be in a hurry to die just yet.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± he said forcefully. ¡°As a soldier, death is but a part of life!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ be sure to not die before all your enemies are dead,¡± he said. ¡°You promise me to do that?¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Off you go, son. The frontlines aren¡¯t for children.¡±


    He let the idle snipe be and was on his way. Deserters were a dime a dozen nowadays, and if the dog-generals could not secure the loyalty of their troops, they deserved to be deserted.


    The night was dark, and he travelled swiftly and stealthily. He would be on the main road in a few hours. There, he would dump his armour so no one would suspect him of having deserted, and from there, he would¡­ ask around?


    Where the fuck were the mountains of Kunlun anyways?


    000


    Lin Leng woke up with the sun as always. Exiting the shack he had built on a tiny island in the middle of a lake, he undressed and jumped into the lake where he washed away. The luxury of soap was unheard of this far into untamed nature, but the more he cultivated, the less he cared for personal hygiene.


    After all, with the heavenly energies nourishing him, making him more than human, a lot of the things that once plagued him were now inconsequential, like the freezing cold water of an autumn morning.


    Swimming up explosively, he amplified his batting and lightened himself, shooting out of the water. On his landing, he lightened and ejected a layer of hardening into the water, standing on top of it precariously.


    His focus didn¡¯t waver as he analyzed the usage of his Chi, doing his best to make the process more efficient. It had been a difficult going, learning a completely new technique all on his own, but with slowly waning power of his cloak, he no longer had the luxury of sneaking into the Core Sect lectures of the venerated Harmonious Crane sect.


    Not that it mattered, much. The sect elders would natter for hours on end, pointless conjecture made into mandatory knowledge. The trick was to listen long enough to discern the core of each argument, and apply the principles to himself, with the modifications that made it more useful to him. After all, no two bodies were the same, and with Martial Arts in mind, it was made especially apparent when a mentor with two disciples was forced to approach both of them differently.


    Lin Leng¡¯s Chi finally wavered. It was no surprise that his stores were low. He had just recently picked the discipline up at the age of fifteen, and while four years was a small time for a Martial Warrior, most of which could live to up to two-hundred years.


    Then again, it didn¡¯t matter much. One man can move mountains with the right amount of discipline and time, and the Martial Path had been something that Lin Leng had always waited for ¨C something that transcended mundanity.


    Before he could dip into the cold lake water again, he leapt off from his constructed perch and landed immaculately on the coast of his tiny island.


    Out of the shack, another figure exited; a portly young man with a shock of wild hair. ¡°Leng, are you seriously training?¡±


    Leng just shrugged. ¡°What else is there to do, here?


    ¡°Just,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Keep it down, alright? Your splashing gets so annoying, and it¡¯s the dead of morning!¡±


    ¡°You should get some training in, too, Chow.¡± Lin Leng advised casually. ¡°You would do well from it.¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Chow muttered before slamming the door behind him.


    With that, Lin Leng began his training in earnest. The Harmonious Crane sect trained their disciples in three different variations of the same style, which allowed for much customization for people with differing body-types. The Crane Lunges practiced concise strikes, punches, kicks and grapples that aimed to attack, and attack alone. He moved on to the Balancing Crane, which focused on short-range evasion and defence, as well as maintaining a constant state of balance. At first, it was difficult, having to rely on toe-strength and calf-strength to not completely fall in the utterly unbalanced poses that the form required, but there was a trick to it, and through observation, he had found the trick.


    Stabilization. He lowered his center of gravity using his Chi, and suddenly, he could lean forward to forty degrees without tipping over. It was a useful skill; not very Chi-intensive, and with it, one could do many things if one had the creativity. Lin Leng was a creative fellow.


    The last of the three forms was the Crane Takes Flight. Movement techniques, long-range evasive maneuvers, quick attacks, and decisive strikes. It required strength, speed and stamina, exactly what is required of a crane when they, well, take flight.


    When he was done, he was on the ground sweating. Casually, he reached for Enlightenment, and recovered from the worst of the fatigue, centering himself in a windy storm of heavenly Energy which slowly settled into his core and distributed to his muscles, nourishing them. When he was done, it was already noon, and he was feeling famished.


    Chow was there, swimming over the lake with a deer on his back. It looked thoroughly tenderized, bruised and battered, bleeding from its mouth. It was unsightly. ¡°Why do you feel the need to do that?¡± He asked.


    Chow shrugged. ¡°Tastes better when you tenderize them while still alive. Aren¡¯t you hungry anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you get bone shards in the meat, you know.¡±


    ¡°Quit whining and get a fire going. Also, dress up, first. That can¡¯t be healthy, walking around naked all day.¡±


    With a sigh, Lin Leng retired into the shack, dressed up and brought out some firewood, some sawdust and a tinderbox. In short order, he managed to tease fire out of the wood, and at an opportune time, even, since Chow had just finished dressing the carcass.


    While they grilled the meat salvaged from the animal, Chow spoke first. ¡°Cloak¡¯s out of juice.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Lin Leng cursed silently. ¡°Then I suppose our days leeching off the sect are over.¡±


    ¡°Brother,¡± Chow said. ¡°I am¡­ so fucking tired of this lake.¡±


    He honestly didn¡¯t see the reason to. ¡°What more do you want? No one¡¯s here to bother us, we get all the privacy we need, and did I say that no one is here to bother us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing!¡± Chow leaned towards him. ¡°We need to see new people! It¡¯s always the same thing every day, here!¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t,¡± Leng responded easily. ¡°I learn new things in the Martial Path every day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but,¡± He leaned over, smiling. ¡°Have you ever thought of testing your skill against someone?¡±


    That question had come completely out of nowhere. ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    Chow¡¯s face went red, his body stilling in apoplectic anger. ¡°Why are you like this?!¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve learned how to fight for the last four years, but you¡¯re telling me that it has never crossed your mind to actually fight someone?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he shrugged. ¡°The reason why I fight is so no one can beat me, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m looking for a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡± Chow¡¯s face lit up with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯ll never get far in the Martial Path if you don¡¯t actually test yourself.¡±


    Lin Leng thought it over for a moment. What he was saying¡­ it did make sense, to a certain extent, anyway. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ll just walk up to some Martial Warrior and ask them for a fight? Does it work that way?¡±


    ¡°Pft,¡± he threw his hands up in bewilderment. ¡°Yeah? Not everyone¡¯s chicken-shit like you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Leng relented. ¡°We head out, test our skills.¡± But where would they go?


    ¡°I know just the place,¡± Chow proclaimed proudly, smiling brightly. ¡°The mountains of Kunlun. It¡¯s where the strongest gather!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Leng responded. ¡°We head there¡­ tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Troublesome,¡± Lin Leng responded. ¡°We already burnt half the day away, and travelling by night is way too troublesome.¡±


    ¡°First thing at dawn,¡± Chow demanded. ¡°No later. Promise?¡±


    ¡°Promise,¡± Leng responded. ¡°Only if you spar with me.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he grudgingly accepted. ¡°Don¡¯t cry when I beat your ass again.¡±


    Lin Leng stood up and prepared to trade blows with his blood brother. If only he trained more, he would be much, much stronger than him.


    000


    The Shaolin Monastery was quiet but for the low hums of the monks that lived in the mountain-side location. In a single circular room, two monks sat, one much younger than the other.


    The older Monk lifted a monk¡¯s spade up with both hands. It was a pole arm with two bladed sides, one with twin tips made to look like a crescent, and another made to look like a spade, only sharpened to a razor-sharp edge. Lotus patterns decked the handle, as well as the spade blade, looking beautiful just as it looked dangerous. ¡°Na-Mo-Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo. Rise, brother Pashupati.¡±


    He rose. Adorned in red and yellow robes, his head was just as bald as every other monk in the monastery. ¡°Approach, brother Pashupati.¡±


    He did, approaching the old man with the monk¡¯s spade in his hand. ¡°Accept the monk¡¯s spade.¡± With some hesitation, he did so. The monk¡¯s spade was a responsibility that no true brother of the Shaolin Monastery ever saw themselves ready to burden, but according to his mentor, that was just how you knew you were ready.


    ¡°Practice the forms.¡± Taking the monk¡¯s spade in his hands, he began twisting and turning along with the spade, lightening when he had to lighten, stabilizing when he had to be stable, a furious dance of death, destruction and carnage.


    The monks of the Shaolin Monastery did not like to fight, but when they had to, suffering had to be shortened to a minimum. Death had to be swift, and once done, the spade would be used to dig a grave such that the body would not be desecrated by scavengers.


    When Pashupati had stopped, his breath rising and falling visibly, his mentor nodded. ¡°Satisfactory. Now. Your pledges.¡±


    He held his hands in a martial salute and began. ¡°I pledge to never reveal my Dharma name to the uninitiated. I pledge to never initiate a battle. I pledge to never use violence as a first resort, I pledge to never forget my sutras, and I pledge to carry out my mission for the next ten years.¡±


    His mentor smiled. ¡°Now. Never forget that you are a representative of us. Anything which you do on the outside world should all be to guide as many people towards the Dharma as possible.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Pashupati responded.


    ¡°I await your return eagerly,¡± he smiled. Gesturing towards the open door to the side of the room, the monk continued. ¡°Don¡¯t keep the world waiting.¡±


    Pashupati grinned excitedly, turning to the door and running towards it. On the last step, he leapt out through it. The door led to a cliff overlooking a whole ocean of clouds. With his monk¡¯s spade, he cut through the air, and downwards diving like a bird of prey.


    He turned back one last time at the mountain-side Monastery that he had known for his entire life, remembering the friends he had made along the way. This would be it, for now. Until his ten-year-mission was over, he would stay in the outside world, as he had pledged to do beforehand.


    Focusing once more on the rapidly approaching clouds, he would finally live through a childhood dream of his, to taste the clouds. The monks had told him that it was just gaseous water, but he had to see it to believe it.


    Once he entered it, it felt like he was in a steam room, his breathing hitching slightly at the water-rich atmosphere. Once he exited, he found the experience somewhat unpleasant. That answered that, he thought.


    Finally, with the rainforest beneath him, he lightened to the highest possible extent which he could lighten, killing his downward momentum with Chi-pads which he materialized underneath his feet.


    When he finally landed on a clearing in the damp forest like a feather, the skies above overcast, a far cry from the eternal blue which he had been used to, he set out in a random direction. Whatever the world had in store for him, he would be ready to burden it, whether good or bad. The monks had a saying; a missionary that saw no sin were na?ve and difficult to listen to.


    It would be an unpleasant experience, seeing true helpless suffering for the first time (the monks suffered, but they knew the dharma), but if it let him push someone closer to the dharma, it would be worth it.

 Chapter 1 - Enter Kang Yilan

    I woke up like I always did, on a thin bedroll that could only barely soften the hard stone floor of my prison cell. The Old Woman was deep in her sleep as well, shivering slightly from the morning chill. A meal in her would do her good. I grabbed the spare food tokens¨Cwooden tags with a symbol or other stamped on it¨C from underneath my bedroll and banged the door to my cell until a guard came.


    He opened the hatch, revealing his upper face. I gave the man four tokens and he nodded. He closed the hatch and left.


    I waited patiently, easing myself into idle imagination to keep myself busy. It was nothing fantastic. The phantasms showed me standing over the still-warm corpse of Yo Lan, that hateful bitch.


    The guard came in short order. Instead of delivering the food from the hatch halfway down the door, he simply opened it and gave the four bowls of ¡®food¡¯ to me, nodding at me in thanks. ¡°Still taking care of her?¡±


    ¡°Who else is going to?¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t really recognize this one; probably new here. After all, why else would he converse with an inmate so amicably?


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said, before turning around to leave, locking the door after him. I turned to the Old Woman, still huddled in several blankets. It took much work to have them smuggled to her, but it was worth it. She had been shaking like a leaf the moment winter set in, utterly incapable of dealing with the slight drop in the temperature. How she had survived for all these years beggared belief, but I didn¡¯t quite concern myself with that.


    I placed the bowl in front of her. The soft tap on the ground awakened her. With my help, she got up into a sitting position. I nodded towards the bowl, and she gave me that geriatric smile that old people liked to give. Thankfully, she still had all her teeth; otherwise she really would have been dead by now.


    I sat down in front of my own three bowls and got to work. There was rice and animal entrails, the leftover stuff that butcheries would only give to vagrants, that only barely had good nutritional value.


    I had found that in good enough amounts, it could already pass for a filling meal. Working to feed the Old Woman wasn¡¯t nearly as straining as people believed, but it paid to be strong enough that doing so wasn¡¯t too much of a hassle. I wasn¡¯t exactly a self-sacrificing type, a ¡®Martial Hero¡¯ that people always talked about, fictitious beings of great physical power and moral compass.


    If there was one thing that I shared with a ¡®Martial Hero¡¯, it was that I was strong, and in prison, that meant everything.


    Right before the cells opened and the guards came to file me out, I hid all the dozens of extra food tokens underneath the Old Woman¡¯s bedroll, on the edges that she wouldn¡¯t sleep on.


    The guards took me to the cave mouth on the mountain that the prison was built against, gave me the tools of the trade ¨C a rusty pickaxe ¨C and sent me in to prove my worth.


    Inside, I met Yo Lan, cocksure as ever. ¡°Hey, Yi-Yi!¡± She said sweetly, striding towards me, pickaxe over one shoulder. ¡°I think you should join our group. Someone as hardworking as you deserves that much at least.¡± It was a pathetic attempt to strong-arm me into earning them free food tokens.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I said, ignoring the scandalized look on her face. ¡°You lazy shit.¡±


    ¡°Do you shit from that mouth?¡± she asked testily. ¡°You do always say the most distasteful of things.¡±


    I tried to walk past her, but her pickaxe blocked my path. I spoke lowly. ¡°Do you want to keep that hand?¡±


    ¡°I know you think you¡¯re strong,¡± she began, ¡°But numbers may overwhelm. Keep that in mind, Yi-Yi.¡±


    Not one to be cowed, I said ¡°My name is Kang Yilan. Get it right.¡±


    Tense seconds passed, in which I was prepared to heft my pickaxe and defend myself, but nothing came to pass. Instead, Yo Lan pulled the tool out of my way and let me pass. ¡°You will suffer for refusing to give me face so brazenly, Yi-Yi. You know exactly who I am, so don¡¯t be surprised about what will happen.¡±


    I ignored her words and kept going.


    I worked for two hours before I decided that I had enough to earn a surplus of four tokens, putting in four times the work of an average inmate in half the time.


    I returned with more bowls for the Old Woman, and we both ate our fill silently, simply enjoying our company. If there was anyone I didn¡¯t hate in this hellhole, it was her.


    Still, I could not set aside the unease for the days that were to come. Yo Lan¡¯s words had wisdom in them. In a single bout, I would win, but if they played dirty, I would not.


    Anything could happen in prison, though.


    000


    I was strong, so it meant that I gave as good as I got.


    To my misfortune, however, that didn¡¯t matter when there were over ten people ganging up on you. The first three bitches that tried something were quickly met with punches to their throats, falling down like puppets with their strings cut. I poked another one¡¯s eye out with my knuckle, but they were too many. One grabbed my right arm, but before I could reach her with my left arm, someone grabbed that one, too. I could have still overpowered them if there was only one person for each arm, but two more came and tackled me down, pinning every single limb of mine. Five people were on top of me, all there to just prevent my movement.


    The remaining one stood above me imperiously. ¡°Poor poor Yi-Yi,¡± she sneered. ¡°You refused to give face,¡± she said plaintively. ¡°What was I to do, let you disrespect me?¡±


    Fucking Yo Lan.


    My eyes darted about wildly. We were in the prison courtyard, but I couldn¡¯t see any guards from this angle. Did Yo Lan pay them off? It would be like her to offer her ¡®services¡¯ to the head warden, to be another deterrent for a prison uprising.


    ¡°So, what?¡± I growled. ¡°Now you kill me?¡±


    ¡°Kill you?¡± Yo Lan laughed. ¡°Now, why would I waste a perfectly good body-guard like you? You¡¯re strong, and you interest me. You¡¯re like a wild beast; powerful and impressive, but ultimately dangerous to myself.¡± She came closer. I tried to shake the people off me, but their grips redoubled. ¡°What do you do with such a beast?¡± She strode over to the wall where a guard had left a rod, a thick, iron-made instrument meant only for harsh punishment. ¡°You tame them.¡±


    I tried to spit on her face, but managed to only hit her foot. ¡°You better just kill me, because I will never fucking work for you.¡±


    She was still smiling. ¡°You¡¯ll change your tune soon enough.¡± She hefted the rod over her head and struck me in the leg. It broke, and with the pain, new strength arrived. I threw the people holding my right arm away, but before I could continue, the abuse began in earnest. More women arrived, with rods of their own. All I could do was curl up and protect my head, screaming myself hoarse as more bones broke, no doubt on my way to becoming a cripple.


    Perhaps Yo Lan had only meant for my punishment to be superficial, but with my insult directed at her, she had completely changed her mind. Good. I¡¯d rather die than serve anyone.


    And I would make good on that conviction in a few more minutes of beatings.


    Despite myself, I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.


    No one could break my spirit. No one.


    000


    The next sequence of events, I could not recall with much certainty. I remembered guards arriving, scattering Yo Lan¡¯s gangsters. I remembered getting dragged somewhere. And now, I was inside my cell, most of my body still broken and bruised.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    My cellmate sat huddled in a blanket, back to the wall. She was ancient. No one would say how long she had been imprisoned, and it never really crossed my mind to ask. All I knew was that she would die in this prison one way or another. The head warden never kept count on any of the prisoners¡¯ terms, and because we were all women, the government didn¡¯t really think it worthwhile to conscript anyone to military service, so once we entered, we never really left.


    When I looked at the Old Woman ¨C as that was what we had all taken to calling her ¨C I despaired. I knew that in a couple of decades, I would be just like her, too weak to defend myself, too weak to put in any work at the mines for food tokens. Ever since I arrived, and her former cellmate died, I had taken to working for enough food tokens to feed both of us, and she had been exceedingly grateful all the while.


    She never had much to say besides the usual show of gratitude when I gave her a bowl of rice and beans, and I never had much to say to her, either. It was all very cold, which suited me just fine.


    I chuckled, despite myself. It hurt like all hell, like the Buddha had descended to press his all-encompassing palm on me, squishing me against the ground slowly. ¡°We¡­¡± I resisted coughing. ¡°Both¡­ die¡­ now,¡± I said. As I spoke, I noticed that my teeth were all intact, at the very least. Small mercies, considering how all my bones would soon heal wrong in a few months, and I would never be able to fight the way I once could. That was, of course, if anyone bothered to earn enough food tokens to not have me starve to death before then, since we would burn through our savings within two weeks. Healing without food was impossible, so I did not have much trust in my chances of survival. That wretched Yo Lan should have just killed me. ¡°So¡­rry¡­¡± I owed her that much, at least.


    We were both going to slowly starve to death, soon.


    Fuck. Yo Lan.


    I closed my eyes for just a moment, but in that moment, the Old Woman stood up, standing straight, unaided, like she was fifty years younger than she actually was. Now I knew I was at death¡¯s door, seeing phantasms like these.


    ¡°You will not die, Kang Yilan,¡± she said, her voice old and matronly, like it usually was. ¡°But this will hurt.¡±


    Was this real?


    The moment she came to me and stepped on my right leg, pain lanced straight through every portion of my body, liquid agony sending me into harsh moans at every heart-beat. I screamed gutturally, cursed even. This wasn¡¯t a phantasm. The pain was too real.


    She stepped on another leg, and I could only see a blinding white, screaming louder than I thought I could scream. ¡°Fuck you, you old motherfucking bitch!¡± I screamed, tears coursing down my face without end. ¡°After all I¡¯ve done?! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!¡± I repeated profanities over and over again. She continued to cause me agony after agony, clamping down on my legs, at the exact points where my body was fractured, like she knew exactly how to send me into the deepest depths of pain.


    When she was done with my legs, she continued upwards, to my spine. The moment she even touched my spine, the pain had actually magnified, almost maddeningly so, so harshly that I was internally begging for respite.


    Immediately, I reproached myself. I couldn¡¯t let this pain break my spirit. I wanted to die unbroken, if not in body, then in spirit. It was the only pride I could hold onto.


    Finally, she stopped. ¡°I believe you¡¯re distracting me,¡± she chided. ¡°While I do appreciate your drive, I¡¯m afraid you will just have to let go, for a short time of course.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­ you,¡± I ground out, clenching my jaw impossibly hard, not caring if my teeth would break.


    She simply sighed. With a mighty strike to the back of my head, my pain disappeared and I saw only black.


    000


    When I woke up, the lack of all-encompassing pain caught me completely off-guard. I was staring at the familiar ceiling of my cell, the same ceiling that I had woken up to every morning for over a year. Slowly, my mind tried to process my most recent memories. The beat-down followed by the Old Woman¡¯s ¡®gentle¡¯ ministrations.


    I was completely healed. She healed me.


    I turned to her, seated on her blanket, legs crossed and a serene expression on her face, one which put her age back at least twenty years.


    ¡°You set my bones,¡± I said, before I could even think about the words. ¡°And you healed my wounds!¡± I looked around at my body. No scars whatsoever. I tried to stand up gingerly, only to surprise myself with the strength I could put in the maneuver. I felt almost weightless, disbelief still clouding my mind.


    She shook her head. ¡°Set your bones, I did. But your wounds, your body healed on its own.¡±


    It was a testament to the weirdness of my life that I didn¡¯t quite disbelieve that. I was always much stronger than anyone else around me, and whenever I was wounded, it never really scarred beyond a slight discoloration. Still, the expertise required to set bones was high. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor.¡±


    ¡°In a fashion,¡± she responded, still maddeningly cryptic.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I finally asked.


    She was smiling, refusing to say anything. Really, if she hadn¡¯t just prolonged my life, I would have already beaten the shit out of her, geriatric or no. ¡°Who I am does not matter,¡± she said. ¡°It is who you are that does,¡± she stood up smoothly from her cross-legged position without using her hands. ¡°You¡¯re a special child, more special than you think.¡±


    I considered her carefully. She was not just some old woman. She had been holding out on everyone. Old women didn¡¯t move like that, and yet she still affected an ancient aura. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think you can save the world.¡±


    I sat down, overwhelmed by what I was hearing, and the circumstance I had found myself in.


    000


    A special child, she called me. Well¡­ she wasn¡¯t wrong. I knew I was much stronger than the average person. It had been that way for as long as I could remember.


    I was strong from birth. Strong enough to kill my mother as she birthed me, at least. My¡­ father never really recovered from that, and from then on, my life had gone to shit, in my crib, no less. My father was a carpenter, a master at his craft, but for all of my life, I never saw a trace of that mastery. All he ever did was make sub-par furniture, and spent all of his coin whoring, gambling and drinking. When he was feeling particularly enthusiastic, he would¡­ teach me how to fight.


    Any other time, he would just slink down on his bed, depressed and unwilling to move an inch for entire days.


    While I still hadn¡¯t gotten over all the rage in my soul, I was self-aware enough to see how it damaged every relationship I had tried to get into. I had never had a friend in my life. I scared all the kids in my village, and the grown-ups told me I was bad luck.


    When my father had finally gone too far, flirting idly with the village chief¡¯s wife, a delegation of men had come to beat him to an inch of his life.


    They went an inch too far.


    I was sixteen at the time, watching from underneath the table as five men reduced my father¡¯s bones to fragments, and his organs to meatpaste as they went off on him.


    I just watched.


    It was fair, after all. The bastard had never been there for me, so I would not be there for him in his final moments. When his head slumped over and his eyes looked at mine, I saw not regret, but relief. He wanted to die.


    When they were done with him, one of the bastards dropped their rod. I picked it up, and slammed it into the back of the largest man¡¯s head, killing him instantly, for daring to make my father¡¯s last moments joyful.


    Two more died before the guard came to arrest me. The hearing was short, and the magistrate had thrown me into the prison without a second thought, seeing me like every other villager had seen me as; a devil child.


    The Old Woman looked at me so expectantly, almost as if she was expecting me to summon fire or punch a hole through the wall.


    Yes, I was special. After all, how many demons did you see wearing human skin? ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong girl,¡± I said to her. ¡°If the world needs saving, try finding a princess or a warrior. I¡¯m not a hero.¡±


    ¡°I can make you one,¡± she said simply. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be a saint to be a hero, youngling.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I keep myself from shouting. ¡°I want no part in this bullshit. Fuck that.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you speak to someone who healed you?¡± She asked sweetly. I clenched both fists, almost so hard that I dug my fingernails into my palms.


    ¡°You owed me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you fed for a whole fucking year. I haven¡¯t missed a single day, and now I find out that you¡¯ve lied to me all this time?¡±


    ¡°Lie?¡± She giggled. ¡°I spoke no lies. I simply appeared in a certain way, and you drew your own conclusion.¡±


    Was she trying to have me kill her? I strode towards her, baring my teeth. ¡°If you can talk shit, you can take a beating, Old Woman.¡± I aimed a punch at her shoulder. Smoothly, she stepped aside and delivered a harsh slap to my face. The force of it threw me off my feet, crashing into the wall of the cell.


    I was on the ground before I knew it, staring up incredulously at her. The pieces clicked, and I had my conclusion. ¡°You¡­ fucking¡­ Martial Warrior!¡±


    They were supposed to be myth. Supermen and superwomen that could destroy brick with their fists, scale houses in mere seconds and could travel by jumping from tree branch to tree branch without losing speed! It was absurd, but what I was seeing was just as absurd.


    ¡°You are not nearly as dumb as your brutish demeanor would suppose, youngling,¡± she cooed. ¡°I am beyond proud.¡±


    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± I asked. After all, if she wanted something from me, someone as strong as her didn¡¯t have to secure my loyalty verbally. She just had to physically force me, and I would do it because I had no choice.


    ¡°Soon, a man will attempt something which will cause the deaths of millions,¡± she said. ¡°Several thousand thousand people could die, and I believe that the answer to this problem lies with the new generation. You.¡±


    What fucking bullshit. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me,¡± I said. ¡°Because if you did? You¡¯d have someone else be the lead in your little opera bullshit.¡± Honestly, for all I knew, she could also be insane.


    She raised her right hand, showing me five fingers. ¡°I will kill five people for you. For every one person, you will give me a year to ready you for what is to come.¡±


    I held back my boiling fury at the presumptuous nature of her attempt at a ¡®quid pro quo¡¯. ¡°You think I¡¯m just some sort of mindless killer, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Her smile was mocking. ¡°Is that not how you view yourself?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting on my nerves,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh well,¡± the Old Woman said, before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time.¡±


    Talking like my agreement was only a matter of time. What a bitch. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fed you for over a year.¡±


    For a moment, she remained silent, before speaking. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a good person, Kang Yilan,¡± so this was how she sounded like when she was sincere. Good to know.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Crucible of training

    With my body hale and healthy, I was ready to storm the world. I left the cell summarily and headed to the mine to put in some work. I picked up a pick-axe from the pile and entered the cave-mouth, walking past two guards, trying not to throttle either of them. They stood by while I was brutalized, after all.


    Aside from earning food tokens, I was also looking for a specific person.


    Yo Lan had to die.


    There really was no other way to put it. She tried to have me killed. To keep her living for any longer would be a disservice to myself, and I had to reclaim the face I lost when she set her goons on me. If I let this slight go, my death would be imminent.


    I didn¡¯t meet her in the cave network. I traveled to the end and found a recently discovered iron vein. Fist sized chunks of impure brassy metal was embedded in the hard granite. It would take hours for three women to mine out ten kilograms.


    It took me minutes, so fast, in fact, that it surprised me.


    Soon enough, I fell into a trance, hacking the hard rock, retrieving the valuable ore, still yet to be purified and made into usable iron.


    When two hours were up, my cart was filled. I took it out of the cave and to the depository, where it was weighed. I ignored the prison guard¡¯s disbelief as I demanded my tokens. Without much hassle, they parted with them, and I was on my way.


    I was supposed to be on my way, but before I could get too far, a wall of women blocked me, headed by Yo Lan, staring at me with utter hatred. ¡°¡­You!¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± I replied sardonically.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be dead!¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± I said, my knuckles itching to cave her skull in. ¡°Yo Lan, I want to fight you, one on one.¡± I turned to the rest of her delegation of bitches. ¡°Won¡¯t that be the best way to see which one would be the best leader?¡±


    Yo Lan turned her back to me, facing the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. She¡¯s just an immature little bitch. She wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about leadership! She makes enemies wherever she goes! She¡¯ll get all of you killed!¡±


    Once again, the crowd was on her side. I couldn¡¯t exactly blame her. The prisoner gangs continued to exist because of their understanding with the head warden. He made money from our labor, and if the gangs could ensure steady labour and no riots, he owed them the leeway to brutalize whoever they wanted.


    Yo Lan turned back to me, sneering. ¡°You¡¯re a danger to us prisoners, Yilan. You don¡¯t know when to give face, when to defer, even for your own good. You¡¯re too bullheaded and stubborn. I can¡¯t allow you to continue existing in here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about me,¡± I said. ¡°I never give face.¡±


    I turned surreptitiously to the guards, whose gazes were averted from the scene. Fuck.


    They were thirty in number, all armed with batons, pick-axes and shovels.


    And with the way I survived our last encounter, I was almost certain that Yo Lan would not be satisfied until my head was completely separated from my body. This was going to be my death.


    And for some reason¡­ it didn¡¯t appeal to me anymore. I always wanted to die unbroken in spirit, but dying so ignobly, having squandered my natural gifts so? Could I possibly be destined for more? It felt childish, fanciful, aspiring to become a Martial Warrior, when I had barely believed they existed a day ago.


    The Old Woman¡¯s offer to train me was¡­ it tempted me, but at the same time it disgusted me to give her my agency, to trust my future into her hands when she had lied to me for over a year.


    I had two choices right now. Die knowing that I had never submitted my spirit to anyone, or live with the fact that I was now someone¡¯s disciple.


    ¡­Was the last one really so bad, though?


    ¡°Alright, fine!¡± I yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Just¡­¡± I stared at Yo Lan, licking my dried lips. ¡°Save Yo Lan for me.¡±


    Immediately, five women dropped completely dead, holes materialized in the middle of their foreheads. The Old Woman was next to me, her palm filled with pebbles. She dropped the rest of the pebbles and gave me a grandmotherly smile and a nod.


    Yo Lan and her thugs still had no idea what to do. Not until I dashed towards her, preparing to punch her as hard as I could.


    The moment of fear that I saw on her face was worth it all. When my fist finally reached her cheek, I heard a harsh snap as she flew back, her neck shattered. She was dead long before she hit the ground.


    The rest of the women scattered. The few that didn¡¯t tried to attack me with their weapons. The first one came at me with a shovel. I grabbed it from her hand, hard enough to break her wrist. I used my newfound weapon to slam her head. She fell down near-instantly, possibly unconscious. The second woman stopped in her tracks, dropped her pickaxe, and fucked off. Smart woman.


    The guards began to file in, batons still strapped to their sides. No, they were wielding their spears, pointing them at me.


    I wouldn¡¯t die, though. I couldn¡¯t. Before they could close in and skewer me, I picked a random direction, used my shovel to knock the spear out of my way and planted a punch to their chin. Before they could fall, I grabbed the spear and turned it towards the nearest guard, thrusting it awkwardly towards their neck. It struck true. Instead of pulling it out, I grabbed the dying man¡¯s spear and turned it to someone else.


    Before I could, three spears headed towards me. I barely managed to dodge them, turning debilitating attacks into grazes and scrapes that drew thin lines across my otherwise pristine skin.


    I grabbed hold of the spear with a white-knuckled grip and prepared to strike horizontally across a man¡¯s throat.


    In one, fateful moment, everything became clear. The color that I saw was sharp, eye-searingly bright, and I could hear almost too sharply. Every single muscle in my body worked at full efficiency in that one maneuver.


    The spear cut straight through one man¡¯s neck, beheading him, and slit another¡¯s throat, spraying me with blood.


    Suddenly, I fell to my knee, almost completely exhausted. I waited patiently for a spear to strike me, but before it could, a robed woman stood before me, picked me up, and brought me somewhere else.


    Then, she jumped.


    We had to be on top of the watch-tower, a perfected view of the prison, and the mountain it was located against. Outside its walls were miles and miles of verdant, pale orange grass and mountains.


    The view invigorated me once more. ¡°We¡¯re escaping!¡±


    ¡°More than just that,¡± she smiled, turning to the overcast skies. All the while, her face continued to lose excess wrinkles, becoming younger and younger. ¡°We head North-East, to the Mountains of Kunlun. Welcome to the Wulin, young one. Do try to keep your sanity.¡±


    Then, she jumped into the sky and leapt at the clouds. I would never forget this experience, even after a hundred lifetimes.


    000


    We dropped down dozens of miles from the prison. The Old Woman had descended from the clouds as light as a feather in a grassy field just as dusk was upon us.


    She stood tall, with a bearing that betrayed a youth that had no place on her once-frail exterior. Now, she looked to be in her forties at the latest, truly something only a Martial Warrior could do.


    I was just happy to be down on the ground. While the experience was exhilarating, it was still terrifying.


    ¡°Are you ready to learn, young one?¡± She asked.


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me to kowtow?¡± It was a well-known thing, after all, to kowtow to your mentor before they took you in. I was still extremely leery on that, since I hated the idea of bowing to anyone.


    She just shrugged. ¡°Would you want to?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied honestly.


    She just nodded, a little disappointed. ¡°Then we just continue,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I need something from you, your strength, so I will overlook your refusal to vow your future mentorship to me for as long as you agree to learn from me,¡± she said. ¡°Do you agree to those terms?¡±


    Not finding them disagreeable, I nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Stand up,¡± She said. ¡°We train right here. The air is virgin, the nature untouched. It may not be completely ideal, but it is a beginning.¡±


    I got up shakily, still drained from that tiny moment of bodily omniscience. ¡°Something happened,¡± I said to her. ¡°While I fought, I suddenly,¡± I gesticulated weakly. ¡°Everything became so clear.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She nodded. ¡°The State of Wu ¨C The martial mentality. You think like a true warrior, a prerequisite to all Martial Warriors. You tapped into it. Very good. You will need it for battle.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°So, you teach me how to fight, now?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You already know how to fight. You fight wildly inefficiently, but you can fight. Our prime issue with you is your inefficiency. Your foundation is great, your body abnormally strong for a mere non-Martial Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Inefficiently?¡± I asked. It had worked well for me so far.


    ¡°Punch me,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t have to ask me twice. I walked towards her, cocked my arm back, and threw my fist forward. She avoided it, predictably, utterly unimpressed at that.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± she sneered. ¡°You telegraph your movements, you don¡¯t even punch straight, and you rely all too much on your brute strength. You are like a child, flailing about without a single idea on how to move properly.¡±


    That was¡­ uncalled for. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, pushing down my aggression. ¡°So you will teach me how?¡±


    ¡°Economy of motion,¡± she said. ¡°That is all. I will not teach you how to move. Only you can do that, and because we are on a time limit, we will be utilizing less orthodox methods.¡±


    ¡°Like wha-?¡± Before I could even finish my question, she appeared behind me in the blink of an eye and struck the nape of my neck with a single finger.


    It felt like my entire body was burning up from the inside. Even moving a single muscle inspired agony, and the more I moved, the more agony followed. I was too focused not moving to even think about screaming. Instead, I whispered, because I did not want to agitate my throat. ¡°What¡­ are you¡­ doing?¡±


    ¡°Economy of motion,¡± she repeated. ¡°Using as little motion as possible to perform an action. It is a basic tenet of martial arts. I have put you in a state where every movement causes pain, so to feel less pain, you should move less. You will punch the air one hundred times. If the strikes are too weak, I will have you walk ten steps. I will give you one attempt to trace out a path of your punch, but the next one hundred punches have to be genuine. Can you do that, Kang Yilan?¡±


    I was locked completely still, still leery on moving. This was not what I expected. Saying that was an understatement. This was so far away from what I expected, I wondered if escaping prison was even the smart course of action.


    I stood up straight, ignoring the agony that screamed into my ears, and raised my fists. I cocked back my right fist, and heard the Old Woman clicking her tongue. Fuck. No cocking, then.


    I slowly eased my arm forward, keeping this ¡®economy of motion¡¯ in mind as I did so. Finally, I pulled back, and punched in earnest


    I knew that only more pain would follow if I screamed, so I did not.


    Before I continued, the Old Woman spoke. ¡°With every punch, you will have something to learn. If you can impress me after one hundred punches, we will move on with different types of punches, different kicks, footwork, and when that is all over, we spar.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the anguish that forced the tear out from my right eye, but the sheer agony.


    I punched again. It did not get any easier.


    000


    I had an inkling that this whole Martial Arts business would be easy. I don¡¯t know what gave me that illusion. Perhaps it was the Old Woman telling me that my body was strong, and that I had natural talent? Either way, it was indeed crushing to be proven completely wrong.


    I passed out after a hundred punches. With every iteration, I learned a new thing about my body, and how I could utilize my long arms to strike as effectively as possible. I still felt like I had something to learn with the last punch, but my mind could not handle any more agony, even as I shaved off as much as possible.


    My standing theory was that if I got the technique completely right, with pure economy of motion in mind, then the pain would only reduce to a short-lived sting, which was acceptable.


    When I woke up, I was in the same grassy field. The Old Woman was burning a bon-fire, two sticks with rabbit meat burning above the open flame. I sat unnaturally still until I realized that the movement-pain technique the Old Woman had applied had worn off.


    Without even looking at me, she spoke. ¡°You need to eat, faux-disciple. Stand up. We will train at daybreak.¡±


    I slowly stood up and approached the bonfire. I had never been more wary of any one person than the woman sitting in front of it. It wasn¡¯t like I was particularly smaller than her. I was at least three inches taller, and had to weigh perhaps thirty pounds more than she did, yet she could defeat me so soundly, without a single speck of effort. Truly, this was what it meant to be a Martial Warrior.


    I sat down and accepted the food she gave me, digging in with gusto. It tasted better than prison gruel, still very fresh and well-grilled.


    The rabbit was large, about twenty pounds of pure meat. When I first began to eat, I initially misjudged the depths of my hunger, thinking that we would unfortunately have to throw away the majority of the remains and leave them to the buzzards.


    That didn¡¯t happen. I bit into it ravenously, swallowing whole mouthfuls on every heart-beat. It took minutes before I ate at least fifteen pounds. Meat still remained, but far less than what I had anticipated. I drank my fill of water from the skin she provided me, too. It was almost too refreshing.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I muttered. I turned to the Old Woman, the flickering bonfire painting her face in a dark-orange wash. She was smiling.


    ¡°You eat like a warrior. Good. Go to sleep, now. A new day awaits you yet.¡±


    The soft grass was inviting. Before I knew it, exhaustion took over, and I was on the ground, snoring.


    000


    I woke up with the predawn light slowly bearing over me. The memories of recent events rushed to me, and it took several heartbeats before I finished processing it completely. Right. This was my life now; the sorta-disciple of some insane Martial Warrior.


    The Old Woman stood above me. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Good. It is time for you to train. Worry not about breakfast, lunch or dinner. Your¡­ mentor will take care of that. Can I trust that my training methods have not scared you away?¡±


    I frowned, getting up slowly, still used to feeling pain at every movement that I was beginning to subconsciously limit my motion to the bare minimum. ¡°As long as I can become strong enough to break your nose.¡±


    ¡°Ai,¡± she chided, sounding disappointed. ¡°What a blood-thirsty disciple, to bite the hand that feeds you so. Have you not learned under my tutelage?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny that, but still. ¡°Your ¡®unorthodox¡¯ techniques are going to give me white hair, you know.¡± I mean, seriously. If this wasn¡¯t how normal people did it, then why not just do it the normal way?


    ¡°It is effective. You have a good bodily foundation, but your ability to execute attacks leave much to be desired,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Long days are yet ahead of us, faux-disciple. We have barely even begun to scratch the surface of what Martial Arts entails. Do not slack.¡±


    Slowly, I got up. The hit to the nape of my neck was fast, but expected. The initial agony wore off much faster.


    ¡°Now, kicks,¡± she said.


    I wanted to shake my head, but instead opted to whisper. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you,¡± she smiled devilishly.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, louder. ¡°I. Want. To. Punch.¡± I was still far from mastering the punch, and I needed to practice with both arms, and that wasn¡¯t even getting started with all the different ranges that necessitated different punching techniques.


    So many things went into punching, it was honestly a wonder how anyone could call themselves a fighter without decades of practice. I certainly used to put great stock in my inability to lose a fight in a one-on-one, but being introduced to this new world of Martial Arts was really beginning to expand my horizons.


    ¡°Very well,¡± She smiled, proudly even. ¡°Continue to punch until you grow tired, for there is wisdom in your assessment. A wise man once said: ¡®I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand different kicks once, but the man that has practiced one kick ten thousand times.¡¯¡±


    Too occupied to comment on the admittedly smart saying, I got to work on the punches. Through pain came strength.


    I could feel myself slowly cinching the whole ¡®economy of motion¡¯ thing, but as I practiced, I allowed my mind to wander. The State of Wu. It was a beautiful state of mind, one which I wanted to revisit at all costs.


    Of course, I had to trust that the Old Woman knew what she was doing. If teaching me how to tap into the State of Wu was not the first item on her agenda, it was obviously because I was lacking in other areas. Still, the eagerness I felt prompted me to work extra hard. If just anyone from the Martial Arts world could step on clouds and leap hundreds of meters into the sky, then I truly did not know the distance between heaven and earth.


    After all, if the Old Woman really was a big-shot, why would she while away decades in a prison that she could escape from at any time? Even in the Martial Arts world, people could not be so stupid or bored. She was like an Aardvark playing with mole crickets and ants, drawing pleasure from seeing tiny things scurry while pretending to be one of them. She had masqueraded as the weakest person in the area, and everyone had fallen for it.


    When I hit three hundred punches, the pain finally overwhelmed me, and I fell on the ground flat. Pain had become such an old companion of mine, now. If I experienced another round of the Old Woman setting my bones again, I wouldn¡¯t scream nearly as much.


    I woke up with the sun still in the sky. Venison was being grilled over a bonfire. I didn¡¯t ask where she found it, knowing the answer would be just as absurd as it was true. Instead, I ate, drinking liberally from the water she provided me. As it stood, I was eating way more than her, yet it was only enough to sate me. I chalked it down to my developing body requiring more nutrients to solidify my form. After all, I could be considered a Martial Warrior, now, or at least one in training. The stories always spoke of how they could eat whole boars in a single night, using the animal¡¯s body as a fuel for their sorcery and abnormal feats.


    The fact that my ¡®mentor¡¯ wasn¡¯t eating nearly as much as I did detracted from the theory, but not completely. After all, I wasn¡¯t conscious most of the time, and she was probably using that time to stuff her fat face in, the gluttonous, geriatric whore.


    Deep breaths. It was difficult to not loathe her down to the very core of my being. The dire straits she put me through could not be easily forgotten. She had repeatedly plunged me into the very depths of human agony, and while the results were evident, her methods were still all too deplorable. It took everything that I had to listen as she expounded on certain things to help me along, and not to curse her to high heavens.


    000


    Maybe a week passed this way. The Old Woman would never falter in providing me food, but in exchange, every day was spent in utter agony. I had graduated from punches, and even kicks. Now she told me to simply walk.


    I learned quickly how to avoid the pain. She would occasionally attack me, throwing rocks at me, expecting me to dodge. I didn¡¯t. When she realized that the pain of dodging exceeded the pain of being hit by rocks, she upped the ante and hit me harder.


    To say the least, I was in much pain that day, almost completely ready to just swear off the entirety of the Martial Arts world. My desire to remain unbroken in spirit kept me going, even when I really thought that all hope was lost.


    When that dreaded week finally passed, I showcased my new set of moves. My punches were sharp, balanced, swift, flying straight with zero deviations, utilizing every muscle group to their level best. I practiced several punches while I was at it, and then moved on to kicks. Air whistled as my limbs moved, my prison clothes causing some resistance against the wind.


    I was at least an order of magnitude more skilled than my past self, but I attributed the rapid growth from the fact that it was not difficult to move up from the bottom.


    ¡°Passable,¡± the Old Woman conceded. ¡°There is much ferocity in your movements, but I am afraid it leaves you exceedingly brittle in real combat. Alone, your execution is good, but it still leaves much to be desired.¡±


    Once again, I wondered why I even began to follow her. ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± I responded sarcastically.


    Suddenly, she turned to no particular direction and began to walk. ¡°Now, we travel to a village. We need food, clothes and a proper bed. I don¡¯t want to live in squalor any more than strictly necessary.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve been incarcerated for literal decades.¡±


    ¡°My point still stands,¡± she responded. With that, we fell into silence as we walked. No matter how much we did, I could not feel myself getting tired, and if it was fatigue that I was feeling in my legs, the pain was nothing compared to what I had already experienced.


    I honestly didn¡¯t think the Old Woman would ever tell me what her deal was. I still had so many questions, but as it stood, none of it really mattered. I was beholden to her for the next five years, and her busting me out was an extra service which I didn¡¯t think I could ever repay, not with how strong she currently was.


    After all, what could a chicken offer a phoenix?


    ¡­I could barely even recognize these thoughts as my own, me bowing my head to someone stronger. It rankled me deeply, but seeing was believing, and I didn¡¯t know anyone else who could step on clouds.

 Chapter 3 - Education

    The Old Woman refused to carry me towards our destination. Occasionally, to punctuate each period of travel, she would poke me in the nape of my neck, sending me into the deepest recesses of agony, and demand that we spar.


    I knew she was holding back, the telltale sign of apathy painting her face, but she did not spare me the pain of a beating or overwhelming humiliation.


    With each new bout, I did not get any closer to even touching the hem of her shirt. She danced out of the way with minimal movement, like a dancer that dabbled in battle. The times that she made to attack me, I did my best to dodge away, ignoring the pain of any misstep or inefficient use of movement.


    They say that pain was the best teacher, but there was no one else that embodied that saying like my ¡®mentor¡¯. It would have been so much easier if she was meaner, or less pleasant, but outside of training, she was as warm and coddling as a grandmother, providing me with an overwhelming amount of good, filling food for me to eat, better-tasting than anything the prison could ever have offered us.


    I remained obedient even as the training repulsed me. If I was to survive in the ¡®Wulin¡¯ as she referred to it, I needed all the power I could get, and whatever it was that prompted a monster like her to hide out in a prison, I needed to be prepared for that, too.


    She wanted me to become a ¡®hero¡¯. It was laughable.


    One night, in front of the bonfire, I asked her a question. ¡°If you¡¯re so strong, why need me to save the world? I mean, if there¡¯s anything that you need me to do, couldn¡¯t you do it, much better?¡±


    She was still smiling. ¡°I want you to become stronger than me, young one. It may not take a week, a month or even a single year, but I do wish for you to outstrip me, eventually, and when that happens, you will be ready.¡±


    I almost did not believe in her. ¡°You¡­ want me to be stronger than you? Have you seen what you can do? You killed five people in an instant, with nothing but pebbles. Then you brought me to the top of the watch tower in a single, heroic leap, and then you sprinted over nothing but cloud.¡±


    She was still smiling as knowingly as ever. ¡°And like I said, your faux-mentor will take you to such heights in good time.¡±


    I looked at her dubiously, my disbelief painted clearly on my face. Still, that knowing smile didn¡¯t waver. It was one of the things I had gotten used to with her; knowing that in this relationship, I was the more ignorant person. It rankled me, too, having to swallow my pride ever so often, but such was my life.


    ¡°Now,¡± she said. ¡°Can you read?¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Why would I need that? Are you going to give me books, now?¡±


    Finally, her smile fell. ¡°Oh my¡­ well, that won¡¯t do at all,¡± taking a stick from the ground, she traced patterns on the floor. ¡°Like the sages say: the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. We will begin now,¡± she pointed at the symbol. ¡°Can you tell me what this is?¡±


    It was a simple ideogram: four strokes in total, resembling three pillars, with the middle pillar taller than the other two on each side, planted on a horizontal line which could be referencing the flat plane of the Earth.


    ¡°Mountain,¡± I said, recognizing the symbol from various road signs around my village.


    ¡°Good,¡± she smiled. ¡°Now; do concentrate, because I will not be lax with you, even as we are not learning Martial Arts.¡±


    Great. Another reason to be in constant pain. ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Will you say no?¡± She challenged. She was no longer just smiling.


    I considered it, but at the end of the day, I couldn¡¯t pass up on her offer. Reading was a valuable skill that I had never picked up, with no one to teach me. While I could make do on spoken word alone, there was something exhilarating about being tangibly smarter than someone else, to be able to read.


    Finally, I just nodded. ¡°This better not be a waste of time.¡±


    000


    We arrived in the village in short order. The first thing we did was visit the market district, buying ourselves new clothes. It was lucky that none of the villagers recognized our clothes for what they were, and for some reason, the Old Woman wasn¡¯t exactly poor.


    My new clothes were infinitely more comfortable; a sleeveless black shirt with red accents, and black pants tied with a red belt, fit for a martial artist. As for shoes, she got me a functional pair of black, closed shoes.


    The Old Woman switched to voluminous robes that were cheap but reliable, much more comfortable looking than our former prison uniforms. She always was more comfortable in form obscuring clothing.


    I entered the cell with a bundle of new blankets. The Old Woman had been sneezing too much, lately. It always did feel like she was one cold night away from keeling over, dead. I would never admit it, but the idea did horrify me.


    It took me no small amount of effort to blackmail and beat my way through the other prison gangsters, but blood washed off easily from my knuckles, and the guards couldn¡¯t be assed to look my way.


    The sheer joy radiating from the woman¡¯s face had been worth the subsequent ambush, and the scrapes I suffered as a result of putting six gangsters in the dust. I had come close to suffering a head-injury, even. I was lucky to be alive.


    The Old Woman led us to an inn. I was almost asleep on my feet, barely able to keep awake as I followed her in and waited for her to check out a room that we would be sharing. When I finally got to the bed, I fell ontop of it, sent instantly to the land of dreams the moment I made contact with the infinitely soft material.


    I had never slept so well in all of my life.


    000


    I woke up to the Old Woman going through some Martial Arts movements slowly, gliding in and out of an unseen trance, following a set choreography which I had no knowledge of. While much more ostentatious than punches and kicks, I could detect function from even the most extraneous movements. They were movements adapted from experience in the heat of battle.


    Quietly, I watched her go, committing the movements to memory, all the way until it ended. She turned to me and gave me a smile. ¡°You¡¯re awake. I have decided to suspend your training until you are literate to a degree which I deem acceptable.¡±


    I grumbled under my breath. Out of everything she was teaching me, reading was the most boring of them all. There was no instant benefit to it, only rote memorization of thousands of squiggly lines which had to come together in a certain configuration in order to be just considered legible, not to mention the idea of calligraphy, which was decorating the symbols until they became borderline illegible.


    She taught me on a chalkboard, bringing in food occasionally while demanding that I learn a set of symbols, then a given excerpt, which I then had to read out for her. Afterwards, she would dictate words, which I was to write down and present for her.


    It was a tough going at first. A single poke to the shoulder caused intolerable pain which I just had to tolerate, and she was not shy with dealing punishment where she deemed punishment was due.


    Several days passed in this vein. Several.


    Oh, how I longed for Martial Arts training alone.


    000


    The Old Woman did not have a shortage for coin, it seemed. With every day that passed, she would pay the proprietor more money to keep our rooms rented, while she had me spend every waking hour of the day reading and writing, isolating me in this tiny room.


    Finally, I had enough. In two weeks, I had done nothing but basics, and then a completely new set of irrelevant skills. I hadn¡¯t come any closer to unearthing the State of Wu. If I could only go back to that sensation, I would probably be utterly unbeatable, but that bitch of a woman was refusing to teach me.


    Rather, she was busy teaching me things which I didn¡¯t even want to learn.


    In the dead of night, I escaped from the window into the streets of the nameless village and ambled about, expecting inspiration to strike.


    Inspiration came in the form of a group of drunk workers coming out of a tavern, laughing uproariously. I walked into their group, deliberately bumping into the larger man. Before I could get very far, he held me by my arm. ¡°Are you even listening to me? I said; watch where you¡¯re going.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    I pulled my arm from his grip with ease and chortled. ¡°I would if you were at all noticeable.¡±


    The others just laughed at the expense of the man I had just insulted. He turned to me, an easy smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re too beautiful to stay mad at, darling. How about it, wanna have a drink with me?¡±


    I scoffed, disgusted by the idea. ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    Now, the man did look offended. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just-¡° He made to grab my arm. With my other arm, I directed a downward strike at it, breaking it with barely an ounce of effort.


    This was it! This was true proof that she was now a Martial Warrior!


    Now, to master the State of Wu. If it was awakened through battle the last time, then logically, if I were to use my new skills in battle, would it not come to me easier?


    They moved like they were suspended inside thick fluid, moving glacially compared to my own crisp self. It was simplicity itself to disable the doddering men, but the clarity of the Wu State did not follow.


    No, it felt more like I was completing a trivial task. A punch to their chests, a kick to their legs, broken bones everywhere. It felt like minutes to me, but that couldn¡¯t be true.


    When the last man fell, I was still no closer to unearthing the State of Wu. I left the scene quickly, slipping in through an alleyway and then into a more busy street, slipping into a crowd. Though they had seen my face, no one would believe their words, that a woman had beaten seven men to submission.


    I was safe.


    In the crowd, I bumped into a woman. ¡°Watch i-¡° I swallowed my words, seeing the middle-aged face of my ¡®mentor¡¯. She didn¡¯t look angry; I had never really seen her look angry before, but the neutral expression on her face could definitely be construed as such.


    ¡°I thought I told you, faux-disciple, that your Martial Arts training would be suspended until your literacy reaches an acceptable degree.¡±


    I groaned, and pointed to a shop sign. ¡°Old Yue¡¯s Apothecary,¡± then to another. ¡°Little Tiger¡¯s Noodle Bar,¡± and then another. ¡°Yun-Yun¡¯s Flower Store. See?¡± I sighed. ¡°I can read, now, and it¡¯s boring. I want to learn the State of Wu!¡±


    Her expression did not change. ¡°You suffer immeasurable pain, enough to have most men twice your age twist and turn with nightmares, completely unbothered in the long term, but to simply sit down and learn your symbols proves too much for your daft mind?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me daft,¡± I stopped myself from shoving her forwards. ¡°It¡¯s not my fucking fault that nobody ever bothered to teach me my symbols!¡±


    ¡°Then why not sit down and learn some more?¡± She asked. ¡°What is it that you truly want for your life? Fighting and killing all those who oppose you? Tell me, Kang Yilan; once you save the world, what will you do with your life? Will you be the sword that, once the war is over, is sheathed, never to be drawn again, or will you be the hammer, that when the war is over, you will be used to rebuild in the world¡¯s ashes?¡±


    I growled. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that! You knew who I was when you picked me. I¡¯m a demon in human clothing. Point me to an enemy, and I will fight, so teach me the State of Wu so I can get to the next level.¡±


    ¡°Where does this impatience come from?¡± She asked. ¡°Did I not tell you that I would be teaching you for five years?¡±


    I was too riled up to even think. ¡°You told me you would be teaching me Martial Arts, so why are you not teaching me Martial Arts.¡±


    ¡°What is a sword without a handle?¡± She asked, her tone brokering no nonsense.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t time for your-¡°


    ¡°What. Is a sword without a handle?¡±


    ¡°Pretty useless, I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you want to be useless?¡± She asked.


    I looked down on the ground. ¡°¡­No,¡± I finally responded.


    ¡°Good. Then return to your room,¡± she said, and I despaired. ¡°Tomorrow, I have something¡­ special prepared for you,¡± I winced at that. She smiled at my reaction. ¡°Oh, no, nothing bad. I¡¯m sure you will enjoy it. However, as a punishment for your little foray,¡± her neutral expression returned. ¡°You will memorize one-hundred symbols before you go to bed.¡±


    I groaned.


    000


    It took me a while, but all-encompassing agony as well as sleep-deprivation was a good motivator. I completed my task, ate the supper she provided, and went to bed.


    I woke up with a start. The Old Woman had thrown clothes on my face; cotton robes, all pink and blue, with flowery patterns on them. ¡°Uh¡­ tired,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°None of that, now,¡± she smiled. ¡°Do you know what today is?¡±


    ¡°Monday,¡± I guessed, still out of it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she conceded. I was right. A pleasant surprise. ¡°But that is not the reason for festivities; it is this year¡¯s Harvest Festival, and I shall treat my darling faux-disciple to something nice, to pay her back for her diligence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gee,¡± I said, unexcitedly. ¡°So, what, you¡¯ll give me a bowl of sweet and sour pork?¡±


    ¡°Among other things,¡± she said as I sat up to view the robes with mild disgust. ¡°Dress up! The festivities await!¡±


    I groaned, dressed down and got changed.


    The Old Woman pulled me by my hand through the crowds of laughing villagers, all having a great time. I did my best to look away from their faces, feeling nothing but bitterness well up as they reminded me of my own village. How they would refuse to give me food, how the butcher would only give me the nastiest pieces of meat, and how I had to resort to stealing from the fields in the harvest just to prevent myself from starving.


    The Old Woman looked back at me with mild concern. ¡°Bad memories?¡± She asked.


    ¡°None of your damned business,¡± I muttered, following dutifully. She sighed and turned ahead, squeezing my hand just a little harder.


    Finally, we arrived before a store called the ¡®Flowery Beautician¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s a great place,¡± she said. ¡°A little rustic, but the herbs in the surrounding woods provide great ingredients for clays and hair product!¡± She looked me up and down. ¡°You could use a little prettying up.¡±


    I wrenched my hand from her grip. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, feigning innocence, eyes wide.


    ¡°¡¯Prettying up¡¯? It sounds like you¡¯re trying to marry me off or something.¡±


    She smiled flatly. ¡°Just try it out. At worst, you won¡¯t have to try it again, but you never really know how good you might turn out,¡± she came closer to me, lifting a lock of dark hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Kang Yilan.¡±


    I looked down to my feet, trying to obscure the furious heat on my cheeks. ¡°Beautiful? Me? T-t-that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    She groaned, pulling me gently over. ¡°Just try it out, alright?¡±


    We entered the establishment. The Old Woman handed the proprietor a bag, presumably filled with coins, and the attendants had us escorted to a more opulent quarter. It felt like I was intruding, truth be told. I had never been on the inside of a beautician¡¯s spa, and I never really thought that I would have a reason to. After all, I didn¡¯t have to be told one more time that I was undesirable.


    After all, wasn¡¯t ¡®beauty¡¯ just another word for ¡®desirable¡¯? Why would anyone even desire me?


    Thus, it began.


    Our treatment began with twenty or so minutes at a communal bath, with me and my ¡®mentor¡¯ alone. The heat of the water, as well as the fragrant aromas threatened to almost send me to an eternal sleep.


    When the temperature dipped just a little, our attendants took us and laid us on a table, stomach first before slowly kneading away at our backs.


    It was¡­ surprisingly relaxing.


    Later, they began to dab cloths on our faces, containing a pale powder which they caked on our skin. Then, they began to comb my hair.


    There was a lot of combing to do. My hair reached the small of my back. I never really had anyone to cut it, and¡­


    Well, I didn¡¯t want it cut, either. The attendants respected that, instead combing it, and then braiding it to make it more manageable, shortening the length to around half.


    Finally, when it was all over, and we dressed up once more, they gave us large copper mirrors to look at ourselves.


    I was frozen, stock still as I looked at the face of a woman (a woman!) that was not me. Sharp chin, jade-white skin, reddened lips and lustrous black hair, nothing like the messy, dry jumble that it once was.


    They did this by¡­ coloring my skin and straightening my hair?


    ¡°You like it?¡± The Old Woman asked, hugging me with one arm. She was quite the looker herself, but¡­


    I was better looking.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have a lot of words for this, actually. ¡°I mean¡­¡± Finally, once my confusion cleared, it gave way to annoyance. ¡°So what?¡±


    She looked at me flatly. ¡°One day, you will come to appreciate a good thing when you see it. Come, now. Your sweet and sour pork is waiting.¡±


    Once the Old Woman turned to leave, I let myself smile just barely.


    000


    The day was fun. The Old Woman didn¡¯t skimp on feeding me at all, taking me through several different stalls of delicacies, not to mention the promised sweet and sour pork.


    It tasted¡­ much better than I expected.


    ¡°Get away from my stall, you wretched urchin,¡± the stall chef growled at me. ¡°You ain¡¯t got money, you ain¡¯t getting food.¡±


    The performances were entertaining as well. Contortionists came to show off their flexibility, while men and women came dressed like fantastic creatures, and did battle in front of all of us, leaping and hopping about.


    Their aping of combat did not get past me now. There was no economy of motion; only showiness and flashy moves that would never work in a real battle. When the free for all ended, the last person to stand upright was dressed in voluminous robes adorned with dragons, a white painted face and a golden crown on his long hair.


    ¡°Oh, look,¡± my ¡®mentor¡¯ said excitcedly. ¡°Imperial propaganda! The Emperor only wishes he could become a Martial Warrior, but he¡¯s got the next best thing, a host of peak experts at his beck and call, as well as the endorsement of the Wulin¡¯s greatest persons.¡±


    I nodded. That made sense. After all, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for an Emperor without Martial Warriors to still exist if any random Martial Warrior could do quick work of the man¡¯s guards.


    Still, couldn¡¯t he just learn from his ¡®peak experts¡¯? ¡°Why can¡¯t he learn Martial Arts?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an embargo on teaching the Imperial Clan, or any Noble house at that,¡± she elaborated. ¡°The Wulin abides by it, and the Jianghu views it as an acceptable compromise.¡±


    The onlookers gave way for a string of men wearing a large dragon puppet, pulling it along as it zigzagged around in dizzying patterns, above and beneath itself in a stunning display of acrobatics. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Wulin and the Jianghu. They¡¯re all just Martial Warriors, but what¡¯s really the difference?¡±


    ¡°The Wulin uphold honor, but the Jianghu values strength above all. Naturally, the Jianghu tends to attract the more unsavory types, but that does not absolve the Wulin of their sins. Like the Tai Chi symbol, there is black in white, and white in black. Evil exists everywhere, and so does goodness¡±


    Finally, a group of people came out with crates of fireworks, which they lit with some flint. The fireworks were great from the view I was getting. The night sky lit up with various lights as the townspeople celebrated their harvest. It had been a good year, apparently.


    I turned to the Old Woman, looking up at the fireworks in undisguised glee. ¡°Where do¡­ you stand in the Wulin?¡±


    She smiled as though she were entertaining me. ¡°Where do you think?¡±


    Another half-answer. I didn¡¯t bother pursue the thread, and decided to let it go. She couldn¡¯t possibly be that high up.


    When the fireworks abated, we returned to our room, and I fell on my bed, contemplating the happenings of the day.


    Unambiguously, it was a pleasant day.


    ¡°So,¡± the Old Woman said as she put on a more comfortable set of robes. I had done the same, now tired of wearing all the different layers. ¡°I trust that you will take to your studies without much difficulty?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I miss being tortured every day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask for.¡± With that, she blew out the candle, and we went to sleep.

 Chapter 4 - The Journey Begins

    Three more days passed as she tutored me. Along the way, as I stopped making egregious mistakes, she stopped hurting me, thereby improving the efficiency of my learning. As it turned out, fearing corporal punishment when trying to use my mind was not the best way to have me use it.


    The moment she wised up, we became much more productive, until finally, she decided to have us check out of the inn. With backpacks filled with clothes and other essentials, we made to leave.


    ¡°So,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re heading west to this Kunlun place. How far is it?¡±


    ¡°Three thousand miles.¡±


    I almost staggered at the proclamation. ¡°Excuse me? So, what, we¡¯ll get there in like a year?¡±


    ¡°If we walk like snails,¡± she said. ¡°No. We will be there in two months. During our journey, we continue to train. Now that you are literate, you won¡¯t be completely helpless if something happens, and I am forced to leave you be for a short time.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Would you leave me?¡±


    ¡°Not forever,¡± she said. ¡°You still owe me five years, after all. No, just in case some duty or other calls, we might not always be together. As such,¡± she pulled out a slip of a shiny green material adorned with flowers and threw it to me gently. ¡°Keep my jade slip. It is infused with my essence, and will inform you if I still live. It will also point towards me at all times.¡±


    I inspected the jade slip. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Spin it on top of your finger,¡± she said. I did, putting the center of gravity on the tip of my index finger, and spun it. Somehow, it continued to spin, faster and faster even as I didn¡¯t provide it more speed.


    Then, it began to glow with an ethereal green before lifting off my finger slowly. Abruptly it stopped, the narrower end pointed directly at the Old Woman, mid center.


    I plucked the jade slip from the air gingerly, still amazed at the display. The Old Woman came over to me and shut my jaw gently. ¡°Close your mouth, dearie. You wouldn¡¯t want to swallow a fly, would you?¡±


    With that, she continued walking. We were on a beaten path, the road signs pointing us to a place called Jixing City.


    When night broke, we walked off the beaten path and set up our bedrolls before sparring. As always, she gave me the old one-poke on the nape, and had me further perfect my movement style.


    When I was too tired to continue, she caught something for me, and I ate what I could before going to sleep on the insect-ridden grass.


    Travelling was bothersome, but nine out of ten times, it beat prison.


    000


    On our fourth day of travel, we stopped by a creek banked with rocks.


    She dropped her bag and motioned for me to do the same. ¡°Today, we shall try something a little different.¡±


    ¡°Please be the State of Wu,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°How about something better?¡± She asked. Appearing before me instantaneously and tapped me harshly on both my temples. I staggered, trying to clear away the increasing amount of stars in my vision, but none of them went away, not until my entire vision had been obstructed by white, gradually dimming until pitch black.


    ¡°W-what- what¡¯s happening?! Why can¡¯t I see?¡± I stumbled back and forth before tripping over a rock, falling on the shallow creek. ¡°Why can¡¯t I see?!¡±


    ¡°Use your ears, faux-disciple,¡± she said. ¡°Today, we learn to react using our most important sense; our hearing. Stand up, faux-disciple. Your eyesight has not disappeared completely. Your eyes remain healthy. I merely paralyzed your optical nerve.¡± What did that even mean? I got up shakily, blinking wildly as I waved my hands around.


    ¡°Okay, so-¡± Before I could finish, what had to be a rock flew into my shoulder, bouncing off, but not without leaving a bruise. ¡°Okay, so what? I avoid the rocks?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Though I¡¯ll make sure to have them bother you a little more.¡± I heard the swipe of her robes all too late as the pebble struck me in my forearm, causing it to radiate with agony. ¡°Shit,¡± I bit out. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, looking around, trying to lock onto her with my hearing. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    It was a difficult going, trying to hear her as she prepared to throw a pebble, and then trying to dodge it. As it turned out, I was not nearly fast enough to dodge the pebbles the moment I heard them zipping in the air. The trick was to hear the shifting of her robes as she prepared to throw, and half a moment sooner, dodge the trajectory.


    Initially, I had pegged the exercise as a waste of time, but there would definitely be situations where a battle would occur in the dark, like at night.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At the very least, I didn¡¯t have to constantly agonize over every single movement. I had finally impressed the Old Woman sufficiently with the control I had over my motion. Now, all that was left was to weave my punches and kicks into a coherent tapestry which I could use in a battle that actually mattered, not just me picking on drunk old men for sport.


    When practice was over, my vision gradually cleared up. Today¡¯s menu was fish. While we ate, the sun slowly setting, I began with some questions. ¡°How many¡­ people have you killed?¡±


    ¡°Lost count,¡± she responded casually. ¡°Not really a thing that I think about all too much. I try not to kill lightly, but in this world, there are too many people that do not deserve to live.¡±


    True, that.


    I was one of them.


    The slap to the back of my head came completely out of the blue. ¡°Wh-hey!¡± I rubbed the sore spot, looking at her indignantly. ¡°What did I do, now?¡±


    ¡°You just thought lowly of yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Now, I thought that taking you to the beautician would boost your sense of self-worth, but clearly there is something we need discussed.¡±


    I finished eating the fish and threw the stick on the river before turning to her. ¡°What is there to talk about? I¡¯m not a good person, and I don¡¯t think that will ever change.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± She asked.


    Now, she was beginning to annoy me. ¡°Why do you think I was in prison?¡±


    ¡°Ostensibly, for a crime,¡± she said. ¡°And what, pray tell, was that crime of yours.¡±


    ¡°I killed three men,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s not just that!¡± I added hastily, remembering her own body-count. ¡°I stood by while my father was being killed, and¡­¡± I could barely find my words, slogging through my confession like I was jogging through mud. ¡°I let him die, but when I saw that it was what he wanted in the end, I killed three of his killers. I¡­ hated that man. With every fiber of my being, I hated that man.¡±


    My eyes started itching, like someone was poking hot needles in them. Did her little blindness trick not stop working? Things were getting gradually blurrier and blurrier until¡­


    A tear trickled down both cheeks, and suddenly, the world had cleared. I was crying. Great. I suppose I wasn¡¯t completely inhuman after all.


    She only smiled, as if I was telling her something I was proud of. ¡°A real parent does not inspire such hatred in their child. If you had a good reason to hate him, then chances are that he was the one who wronged you.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± I asked, tripping over my words. I simply couldn¡¯t believe it. She was being supportive? ¡°That¡¯s not a good thing! And I¡¯m supposed to be a filial child, but¡­¡± my breath hitched as I spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she commanded. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. The burden of attaining a child¡¯s love and devotion lies with the parent. If the parent has not provided sufficiently, a child can never be filial. You were wronged, Kang Yilan. Kang Yilan you were wronged.¡±


    ¡°Wronged?¡±


    She just nodded, reassuring me infinitely. I was¡­ wronged. I was wronged by my father, by my village, by everyone in my life.


    The only one who had done right by me was¡­ her.


    Overcome with an intense sense of gratitude and a need to do something, I could do nothing but spring over, taking my ¡®mentor¡¯ in a hug, warming a deep coldness in my heart.


    Eventually, she hugged back, wrapping her arms around me gently. I was lost in the feeling of the embrace, soaking in her warmth, for the first time feeling accepted somewhere.


    This was it. If there was somewhere I could belong, someone I could be affiliated to, it was my mentor.


    I gradually released myself from the embrace, stood in front of her, and proceeded to kowtow three times. On my knees, I looked up at the pole-axed Old Woman. ¡°Please accept me as a true disciple¡­ mentor.¡±


    My heart pounded in my chest at the thought of being rejected. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if that happened. I staked all the trust I had left in my heart in this one gambit, and if it did not pay off¡­


    She smiled disarmingly. ¡°Very well, disciple. I am thankful that you have finally accepted me,¡± she smiled slyly. ¡°Because now I do have a responsibility to guide you in life. Now, sit still while I comb your hair.¡±


    She went to the creek to wash her hands, and I followed. Once done, she pulled out a comb from her backpack and approached me. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re¡­ actually going to comb my hair?¡±


    ¡°You obviously won¡¯t, and I am not going to let you waste your good looks like that. You should be more proud of yourself.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to get married anytime soon.¡±


    As she combed my hair, she spoke. ¡°Oh?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t see the need to, and besides, who would even tolerate-¡°


    She smacked my head. Hard. ¡°What the f-¡± another slap. ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t curse. I cannot tolerate that anymore. Also, no self-recrimination. You have done nothing to deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± I said testily. ¡°Then, I don¡¯t want a husband because the idea is f-,¡± I bit my lip. ¡°It¡¯s stupid. I¡¯d much rather live life, and sample all it has to offer before I lock myself down.¡±


    ¡°It gets lonely,¡± she said. ¡°Take it from me. A companion in life is nothing to truly shy away from. As you are, I would give you ten more years to explore all that life has to offer before I implore you to marry someone. The Wulin have no shortage of married couples that ride to adventure. Unless the idea of a lifelong companion doesn¡¯t fundamentally appeal to you?¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t attracted to males. Or females, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°How would that work?¡± I asked.


    ¡°People make it work,¡± she said idly. ¡°They make friends, instead, and are content that way. Is that your path?¡±


    I shrugged, my cheeks burning. ¡°No, I mean¡­ I see the appeal of guys and¡­¡± I trailed off, no longer interested in this conversation.


    ¡°Then, I recommend you find someone that sees you,¡± she said. ¡°Make sure to run them by me, first, to give them my stamp of approval.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she accepted easily. ¡°Then I need you to know this, deep in your heart; you are desirable, and even if someone doesn¡¯t desire you, it doesn¡¯t matter at all, because you still have value.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Say it,¡± she said, her tone steely.


    ¡°I am¡­ desirable, and¡­ even if someone doesn¡¯t desire me, I¡¯m still valuable.¡± It felt¡­ oddly freeing to say that.


    ¡°Good,¡± she pulled the comb free. While the carmine and the white clay had washed off, my hair would always be that lustrous.


    Silently, I vowed to take better care of it.


    I¡­ deserved as much, anyway.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I turned towards my mentor, my expression inquisitive. ¡°You never really told me what your name was, and I¡¯m getting tired of referring to you as Old Woman in my head.¡±


    She smiled, less grandmotherly, now. Only motherly. ¡°My name is¡­¡±

 Interlude: Synchronicity

    Shen Zhimei was at a loss of words. Watching Kang Yilan learn was a wonder to behold, in all facets of her life, in fact. She knew exactly what she was getting into when she had offered to mentor the wayward ex-convict, but this exceeded her every expectation.


    Tying her karmic thread to someone that she knew could defeat Tian Mo was an expensive gamble, one which had cost her a lot, but in the end, the gamble had paid off, more than she could possibly have imagined.


    The girl had learned an entire logographical system in two mere weeks, and was well on her way to mastering her own unique style of Martial Arts. It wouldn¡¯t do to inflate her ego by informing her of her talent, and yet she knew that the girl needed that extra boost in confidence.


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t risk having her sit on her laurels. There were things that they had yet to accomplish, matters of importance that would decide the fate of the entire world.


    Yet¡­ she could not help but feel content in guiding the young tiger. She wasn¡¯t a paragon of morality, herself, but the girl was fine the way she was. You didn¡¯t go an entire year spoon-feeding an old woman gruel without having some form of goodness in your heart, and neither did you go for so long carrying the guilt of unfilial behavior towards what couldn¡¯t be described as a father, but a wastrel.


    She was angry, however. There was barely an end to the boundless anger buried deep in her heart, and for the life of her, Shen Zhimei was afraid of what would happen if she gave the poor girl the tools to unearthing it. It was why she was still focusing on the basics when her student was so completely overqualified, capable of probably slipping in and out of the State of Wu at will if taught right, but it was the fear of creating another Tian Mo which prevented her from doing her level best to boost her tutelage forward.


    She had to start letting go of her anger, and if that required a mentor to care for her like her parents never would, then she would gladly take that burden.


    After all¡­ the idea of having a daughter did intrigue her.


    000


    What was the point of being attached to a world which refused to accept you? Han Yu Jie meditated on that for a month while she trained her basics with her mentor. Kong Yimu did not coddle his disciples, as a man from the Jianghu was wont to be heavy-handed.


    When she returned to the man, she told him of what happened; she had successfully stolen the Dragon-Fang Spear, but upon her first duel, had been handily defeated.


    Her mentor had said the same thing to her; she lacked conviction. She held onto two different words with an iron grip, but as they gradually diverged, she threatened to tear herself apart. She was at a crossroads.


    Pick the normal world, or the Martial Arts world. If she did not choose, she would forever be locked out of both worlds, a pariah without the ability to properly fit in anywhere she went.


    When it all came down to it, the choice was easy; she chose to join the people that wouldn¡¯t care about the choices she made in her life that would bring her happiness. They wouldn¡¯t ostracize her for being¡­ different.


    With that in mind, the choice was one which was easily made. She embraced the Jianghu with both arms and dove head first into training, now much less encumbered by the knowledge that she belonged to one world first and foremost.


    On the bridge before the Wushu Woods, she sat down to meditate, stepping into the State of Enlightenment, letting the energies of Heaven and Earth wash over her, seeping into her body before circulating in her meridians, finding their way into her core where it settled. Finally, she branded it, transforming it into Chi, began to accumulate more to make up for the Chi spent traveling all the way there.


    When she opened her eyes, the man on the bridge with the conical hat stood, a weapon wrapped in black cloth on his hand. She stood up and approached him slowly. ¡°My name is Han Yu Jie, mentored by ¡®Wu Lord¡¯ Kong Yimu, the Scourge of Beijing. I request a challenge, such that I may win what I once lost.¡±


    The man¡¯s grin reflected the moonlight as he tossed the hat into the air, revealing a head of cascading dark hair, and sharp, deceptive eyes. ¡°Fang LiHao, the Bridge Keeper. It¡¯s a pleasure to know that my words inspired you to acquire more power.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed holding onto my spear,¡± she responded. ¡°Because you will not do so for any longer.¡±


    ¡°A month of training does not bridge the gap between our power,¡± he responded amusedly. ¡°Come back in a few more years. Granted that I am not dead, your spear will go nowhere, unless the Heavenly Dragon Sect Master comes to reclaim what is his.¡±


    She scoffed at the idea. For a Sect Master to descend to retrieve stolen goods¡­ there would be too much face to lose in such a case, and the Wulin pansies could not live without face, even when the solution was an obvious one.


    ¡°It will be over in one exchange,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°You speak truth,¡± he chortled. ¡°Come.¡±


    She did. She bent her knees, leaned forward, and on the cusp of falling, lightened and amplified her steps explosively, keeping her eyes on the Bridge Keeper. He was smart. While he spoke like he underestimated her, he was not so stupid as to act on his estimation, taking her for a warrior.


    But she was already one step ahead. While he had already brought the spear to bear, she had used her first punch as a feint, instead directing a kick which struck the man right above his center, at his sternum.


    His ribs shattered as one, and he fell on his knees to throw up some blood. ¡°Wave¡­ attacks?¡± He spat. ¡°My, you are¡­ definitely the¡­ Scourge of Beijing¡¯s disciple.¡±


    ¡°You have something that¡¯s mine,¡± she said, striding over to the spear on the ground. She kicked it up and grabbed it. The spear arts were her forte. Knowing that she had defeated the man who had defeated her effortlessly with a spear, barehanded, was proof that she had become stronger. With a spear in hand, she would not even have needed to feint to defeat the man before her.


    ¡°Beware,¡± the Bridge Keeper continued. ¡°Past these woods are people several times stronger than myself, all of which could defeat me the way you just did. If you wish to continue, know that I have warned you of the impending danger.¡±


    Han Yu Jie simply scoffed. ¡°Please. Your forest is just in the way of where I am going.¡±


    ¡°And where are you headed?¡±


    She looked down at the bleeding man, a glint of bloodthirst in her grin. ¡°The Kunlun mountains. If I am to reach the peak, then I shall have to beat the ones at the Peak of the World.¡±


    Baffled, he had no more words left. She had no words for him, either, deciding to stride forward into the dense forest, twirling the spear as she walked.


    She would taste no more defeat as it was a thing of the past. Right past the Wushu Woods, she would restock on her rations in Jixing City.


    000


    He had walked for weeks without encountering a single living soul. Whether that was a testament to his luck, or the size of the land, it mattered little, for in his solitude, Bai Guo had lived off the land, albeit with difficulty. Field-dressing a carcass came easily, but starting a fire was another matter. He had been eating raw meat and fruit for weeks before finally figuring it out, and by then, he had already gotten used to the metallic tang of uncooked meat.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He had met no one, so he had no one to ask where Kunlun was. He had left the main road thinking he could cut the path short, but he was met with only wilderness. Eventually, he ended up in the Gobi desert. The arid wastelands were inhospitable, but Bai Guo centered himself and traversed it anyway, until finally he found another road which he vowed to stick with.


    Finally, after the fourth week of travel, he came upon a lonely caravan. They had a misunderstanding at first, thinking him a bandit, but when he reassured them of his innocence, they had allowed him to come with them to their destination: Jixing City.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A girl ducked out of a carriage window and gave Bai Guo a wide smile. ¡°Wanna come in and play a game?¡±


    Bai Guo looked away, face stern. ¡°Soldiers don¡¯t play games.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier?¡±


    He grimaced at the reveal. Now she would know him as a deserter. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie to get attention, you know,¡± the girl said. ¡°I think you seem interesting without being a soldier.¡±


    He turned to look at her curiously, and his heart almost skipped a beat. She was a pretty girl, a little chubby around the cheeks, but still she glowed with the unmistakable shine of youth. ¡°I¡¯m Bai Guo,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mei Yun,¡± she responded. ¡°You seem tired. Want to sit in my carriage?¡± He decided to take her up on the offer. With a short hop, he grabbed onto the wooden ledge of the horse-pulled carriage and threw himself in with flourish.


    ¡°Wow!¡± She clapped her hands together while he put his Guan Dao down. ¡°You¡¯re really agile! Did you train hard to become a soldier?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied easily. ¡°Soldiering has been in my family for generations. My father, and my father before him fought as soldiers.¡±


    She folded her arms and pouted. ¡°You know you could die, right?¡±


    ¡°I am well aware.¡±


    She said nothing to that. Instead, she looked for a new topic to talk about, and found one easily. ¡°My parents are merchants,¡± she said. She pointed forward at the group of people walking some livestock. ¡°They got off the carriage because they wanted to give Old Horsey a break.¡±


    ¡°Should I be here, then?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Old Horsey is made of tougher stuff. Besides,¡± she smiled. ¡°Now you get to keep me company.¡±


    Not knowing what to say to that, he decided to just nod. ¡°What types of wares do you sell?¡±


    Underneath the bench of the carriage were several chests. She pulled one out to reveal a host of ornately carved wood sculptures; animals, people, and objects. ¡°We deal in art,¡± she smiled. ¡°My dad is a great wood carver, and my mom loves to paint, so they mixed their skills together.¡± She picked one up, a tiger with a ferocious snarl on its face. ¡°This paint job was mine, but dad still carved it. What do you think of it?¡±


    He took it in his own hands to examine, and found it pleasing to the eye. The texture was also very unique, almost as if the carver managed to etch its fur. He returned it to Mei Yun with a grateful nod. ¡°It looks beautiful.¡± Rummaging through his pockets, he found a carving knife. ¡°Do you have any blocks of wood? I would like to try.¡±


    She began rummaging through the chest. ¡°I think I saw a spare block of wood lying around somewhere- aha! Here,¡± she picked one out and held it to the young soldier, who took it.


    For a moment, he looked for inspiration to strike. He couldn¡¯t do a tiger, because that was derivative, and seemed really hard.


    Unwittingly, his eyes fell on Mei Yun¡¯s excited expression, and inspiration struck like a hammer to an anvil.


    He would carve her face. With a rare smile, he spoke. ¡°I know what to carve. Please sit still.¡±


    In the first minute, she held up a glowing smile as he traced her round face on the wooden block. After the first ten minutes, her smile became strained. After half an hour, she could barely hold up her expression. After an hour, she was bored.


    ¡°Are you done, yet?¡± She complained. ¡°Father always finishes in ten minutes or less!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he said, turning the figurine towards her proudly, awaiting praise for his hard work.


    She took it in her hands. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s good,¡± she said, her voice shaky. ¡°But you could use more practice,¡± she decided.


    The face that the carving tried to depict was malformed, with uneven eyes, a large, bulbous nose and barely any lips. The less said about the ¡®hair¡¯ the better, but Mei Yun did not raise the issue, finding the attempt deeply endearing.


    Bai Guo nodded readily. Of course. Practice in all things made perfect, he believed. She held the carving close to her chest. ¡°I think I will keep this. It¡¯s charming.¡±


    His heart clenched at the smile. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he decided to say.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She hid her face in her hands, but he swore that he had caught her blush. ¡°Stop it,¡± she complained.


    He chuckled at the sight. This was a balm to his long-hardened soul. He was still a warrior at heart, but in that moment, he realized what a warrior needed.


    They needed something to fight for. He would fight for Mei Yun, die for her if need be.


    He eventually met her parents, a pleasant bunch, and was given a bedroll to sleep on, a welcome change after having to sleep on rocks, sand and grass for the past month. In the meanwhile, he got to know more about the soulful Mei Yun, finding more things to love about her as each day passed.


    In the dead of night, he woke up to the unmistakable sound of an arrow flying. He got out of his bedroll in an instant and jumped in front of the trajectory of the arrow headed straight towards Mei Yun, catching it with expert ease. Such was the extent of his new powers, now that his Mentor had unlocked his latent abilities.


    ¡°Bandit attack!¡± He howled. Immediately, the caravan woke up and took cover behind the carriages. Bai Guo made for his Guan Dao and hefted it before running towards the band of lurking bandits, hiding out behind the rocks.


    They would die.


    The moment they spotted him, a dark wraith with a pole arm travelling at them faster than even a horse could, they turned tail and fled, but they could not escape the reach of his weapon. The few that stood and fought were rended to pieces in heartbeats, and those that fired arrows from afar found their attempts to be fruitless as the war-hardened eighteen-year-old danced around them, caught them and parried them with the haft of his weapon.


    Come one, kill one. Come ten, kill ten. He was unstoppable.


    When it was all over, he quickly dug a furrow into the sand with his spear and dumped the bodies inside. He wouldn¡¯t spare the effort to burn the bodies, leaving them to the buzzards so they would not even have an intact corpse.


    He returned to see the camp in total chaos. The initial hail of arrows had taken their toll. He joined in, ripping tourniquets and dressing wounds the way his mentor had taught him. The herbalists were hard at work mixing styptic powders, for both the people and the livestock.


    When the worst of it had ended, the caravan had counted their injured. With a hundred and thirty caravanners travelling with them, thirty had been injured, and two had died. Mei Yun and her family was safe.


    The leader of the caravan approached him warily. He was a middle-aged man with a bald head and a fat stomach. ¡°You killed the bandits?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bai guo responded honestly.


    ¡°I thank you,¡± the caravan leader said. ¡°You saved many lives today. I implore you to stay with our caravan until we reach Jixing City. It would seem that we are safest when in your protection.¡±


    Bai Guo gave the man a curt nod. ¡°I will,¡± he simply said.


    The rest of the night, he did not go to sleep, wary of any and all movements in the dark. He had been granted a bow and a quiver of arrows for his sentry duty along with some other uninjured men of the caravan, but that entire night, the only movements were of desert critters and tumbling weeds.


    That morning, the air was heavy with grief. They had lost one more person. They had succumbed to exsanguination. The other injured had all been stabilized, and were on their way to a speedy recovery.


    Mei Yun was crestfallen. The family of the dead would have spent seven days in mourning in the spot where they had died, but the caravan leader had told them all that they would have to move eventually, less risking the ire of more bandits in the area. Mei Yun had known one of the dead, the cousin of a friend of hers.


    Bai Guo had exchanged words with the caravan leader, and had assured him that no one would touch the caravan in the seven days which they would spend.


    It gave¡­ ample time for Bai Guo and Mei Yun to get to know each other.


    In midday, the caravan had prepared a huge meal on account of the three cows that had died, forcing them to eat them. The affair was a sombre one, but Bai Guo offered Mei Yun the support necessary to ascend her grief. He knew death like the back of his hand, and she saw that somehow.


    During the seven days of his vigil, two more bandit groups came to finish what the first one started, and they both met a short and swift end at the edge of his pole arm.


    Nothing else came of it but that, and gradually, the tension in the air eased, letting the families of the dead continue their mourning in peace.


    And while they did so, love continued to sprout.


    Behind a rock a ways from the caravan, Mei Yun and Bai Guo made love. Though they were naked, the rigor of the activity had heated them up considerably, both of them glistening with sweat as he charged in repeatedly.


    When he looked into her eyes, shining with pleasure and comfort, he decided to confirm his feelings for her. ¡°I love you.¡±


    He arrived before she did, to her mild disappointment. Despite his lacklustre performance, she still hugged him. ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m,¡± Bai Guo began uncertainly. ¡°I¡¯m going somewhere soon, but I¡¯ll be back for you!¡± He said quickly. ¡°Will you wait for me?¡± He asked, heart aching.


    She pulled back, looked him straight in his eyes with a serious expression and nodded. ¡°I promise I will wait for you. After all,¡± she smiled sweetly. ¡°I may have your child.¡±


    He froze.


    He was going to be a father¡­?


    ¡­How did you make children anyway?

 Chapter 5 - The Monk

    We were travelling by the river-bank still, headed towards Jixing City on a ¡®scenic route¡¯, whatever that meant. It was a couple of days into Mentor¡¯s blindness test. I was beginning to get the hang of it, though I still found it difficult to avoid the rocks once they were thrown, especially when she moved carefully.


    Either way, I had grown comfortable with our rather sedate pace. No longer in a rush to learn the State of Wu, I decided to trust in Mentor, in a fashion. I didn¡¯t beg her to learn something different, but I also wasn¡¯t completely enthused with her methods. Sparring had become even more brutal, now, and it was all I could do to not give up every time.


    My spirit would remain unbroken. That was my one vow to the heavens. Nothing would break it.


    ¡­Especially not some stupid rocks.


    When we approached a waterfall, we sat down to eat. I marvelled at nature¡¯s gift, having never seen a waterfall myself, except in miniature. After we caught some fish to eat, we sat down and watched as the carp swam against the stream before meeting a dead-end. Expecting them to turn around and leave, they only went back a little before building up enough velocity to shoot out of the stream, travelling almost thirty feet  before plopping down on the mouth of the waterfall one by one.


    ¡°Dragon carp!¡± Mentor smiled. ¡°How fortuitious!¡±


    ¡°Are we eating them?¡± I asked. If we ran, we could probably catch up with them.


    ¡°Heavens, no. Carp tastes like mud,¡± she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°They are symbols of perseverance. It is said that if you see a dragon carp leaping over a waterfall in your travels, you will be gifted indomitable will and spirit!¡±


    I huffed at that. ¡°My spirit isn¡¯t going to come from some stupid f-fish,¡± I censored myself. ¡°That¡¯s just stupid.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said. ¡°But as your mentor, I have become intimately familiar with your limits. I will inform you if this experience has somehow managed to increase them.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I boasted. ¡°I¡¯m limitless.¡±


    ¡°Eat your food, disciple.¡±


    Letting the matter go, I continued to eat. If there was one thing Mentor didn¡¯t approve of, it was boasting. In a way, I felt the same. Boasting, to me, always felt like you were trying to convince another person of your actions, before convincing yourself of them, like your sense of self lied with others¡¯ approval.


    I had never really been approved of, so the idea of boasting never did cross my mind, as it would be at odds with my own pride.


    I heard a humming from a distance, and turned to the treeline obscuring the hums. Silently, I thanked Mentor for training my hearing, having gone completely alert. Bandits and highwaymen were not rare, and while we were lucky to not have run into any, I never let go of my vigilance. Of course, unless they were from the Wulin or Jianghu, nothing would come of it.


    The humming became louder and louder, coming closer and closer towards us until they exited the treeline, but instead of a group of unwashed, horny bandits, a young man came out, wearing a red baggy suit below yellow robes, a large pole arm strapped to his back, and a bald head. He looked like the picture of innocence as he hummed, his eyes young, and features soft. If he dressed the part, he could very-much pass off as a woman.


    Mentor tapped me gently on my shoulder. ¡°Calm down, disciple, it¡¯s just a missionary.¡±


    The monk stopped humming and gave us a smile and a nod. ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°¡­Hello,¡± I greeted back, dubiously. ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡±


    He chuckled at that. ¡°Oh, wow, you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve seen since I left the mountain!¡± He came closer. ¡°Do you mind if I sit down with you both?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mentor responded.


    ¡°Ah, thanks,¡± he gave us a beaming smile, having sat opposite us. ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Kang Yilan,¡± I responded, a little apprehensively. ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°¡¯Monk¡¯ will do,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot give my dharma name to outsiders.¡±


    Oh, wow. What an asshole.


    He continued with a smile, completely unaware of my thoughts. ¡°So¡­ did you know that you are both constantly suffering? I have a way to fix that.¡±


    I turned to Mentor dubiously. ¡°What the hell is wrong with this guy?¡±


    000


    Apparently, the guy was hungry. I offered to catch him some fish, since while I thought he was weird, I didn¡¯t quite dislike him.


    He declined, stating that he was a vegetarian, meaning that he didn¡¯t eat meat.


    Whatever religion the guy was peddling was instantly blacklisted the moment he said that. Meat wasn¡¯t just something I could swear off.


    But he was a pleasant character when he wasn¡¯t going on and on about the suffering of humanity, and how he would save us both from our suffering by espousing the dharma.


    ¡°Where are you even from?¡± I asked. ¡°You were in a mountain?¡±


    He nodded eagerly. ¡°The Shaolin Mountains! They¡¯re hidden, and I can¡¯t tell you where it is, but I lived there all of my life! Oh, boy, the air here is great!¡± He grinned even harder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe anyone would suffer in such an environment!¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I feel like I can run for hundreds of miles with no pause!¡±


    His eyes were unnaturally wide, his pupils dilated and the dopey grin was all too familiar. I turned to Mentor solemnly. ¡°This guy is intoxicated.¡±


    Mentor scowled at me. ¡°Have some compassion, disciple. This is the first time he is in an environment rich with air. As you travel further towards the sky, the air becomes less and less breathable. While the Shaolin Monks adapt to it, the sudden influx on the surface makes them¡­ loopy.¡±


    What a tough deal. Then again, who the hell would decide to live in a mountain? I turned to the Monk, who was still smiling dopily. ¡°Okay, so you won¡¯t eat our fish. What will you eat?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll pick some berries or fruits. I¡¯ve done that since I left the mountain. I haven¡¯t run into a town, yet.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to Jixing City for a quick stop,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would like to join you,¡± he said. ¡°If that is not too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°You know how to use that shovel-thing?¡± I asked, looking at the pole arm on his lap. It was no-doubt a weapon. If he could pull his own weight by defending himself on the way, I¡¯d worry less. Yes, he was annoying, but he wasn¡¯t exactly a bad person. Or at least, that¡¯s what Mentor reassured me (¡®You¡¯ll never find a kinder bunch than the Shaolin Monks. We should take care of him.¡¯).


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± He nodded eagerly. ¡°All brothers of the Shaolin Monastery are well-versed in the art of combat,¡± then, his expression suddenly turned dour. ¡°Though if a fight is to break out, I would rather not fight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, scowling. ¡°You some kind of coward?¡±


    ¡°Disciple,¡± Mentor chided.


    ¡°Far from,¡± he replied with a smile. He could switch his mood like turning a hand. ¡°If a fight must be fought, I will fight, but if diplomacy is a solution, then I will not get too hasty.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± I said. ¡°But if you get in trouble thinking you can sweet talk a pack of wolves from ripping your throat out, then that¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± he replied, his smile uneasy. ¡°Though the imagery does indeed frighten, the best way to approach a predator is to simply run away. They cannot help their predatory nature, so it is best to simply remove oneself from their vicinity.¡±


    I stood up alongside Mentor, and once we finished packing our bags, we were on our way. The monk continued to hum lowly, going an octave lower than I would have expected with his regular voice. The chants were soothing, a balm to my ears. Instead of disturbing the auditory fixture of the forest, it blended with it, complemented it even.


    If anything, he would probably be a good singer.


    000


    We had headed up a mountain in order to get past an obstructive mountain chain, a part of the ¡®scenic route¡¯, Mentor maintained. I didn¡¯t quite mind, since the sights were indeed worth the weariness. When we set up camp on the rockier zone of the mountain, the setting sun in full view, I unrolled my bedroll and waited for sleep to come.


    The monk was still chanting.


    I sat up and sent him a glare, which he did not notice. He was in a rather extreme cross-legged position, both feet resting on the opposite thigh, while his hands came together to form an oval.


    ¡°Hey, Monk,¡± I said. He opened a single eye to peer at me, then opened them both before smiling that too-too sweet smile. ¡°What the hell are you even doing?¡±


    ¡°Meditating on the dharma,¡± he responded.


    ¡°You keep saying that,¡± I said to him. ¡°What the hell does ¡®dharma¡¯ even mean?¡±


    He thought for a moment before formulating an answer. ¡°Well, in our belief system, we maintain that all human beings live in a constant state of suffering.¡± Well, he was right about that one bit.


    ¡°So you get used to it?¡± I asked.


    His smile grew strained. ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± he said. ¡°After all, suffering is not desirable, is it?¡±


    ¡°But it happens, anyway,¡± I said. ¡°Best to not let it get to you.¡±


    ¡°To hold on to suffering and to ignore it only brings more suffering,¡± he responded. ¡°That is no way to approach the subject.¡±


    It¡¯s worked for me, so far¡­


    ¡­has it?


    ¡°To explain the dharma in its fullest extent will take a long time,¡± he said. ¡°But I believe that time will be spent well, because to give you an abridged version is irresponsible. All sentient creatures have their own comprehension and ability to parse information differently. To treat two beings equally is the height of folly, and the same applies for what I am about to tell you.¡± I nodded him along, a little impatiently. ¡°Do you agree to listen to my teachings?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Provided you stop when I get bored.¡±


    He smiled, and then launched into his explanation.


    Essentially, it is the right way of conduct that any being should maintain in order to break through the cycle of rebirth. The bit about suffering talked about how one can never really transcend into ¡®Buddhahood¡¯ if you were suffering. Or¡­ was it that you should accept suffering? The guy had a knack for speaking in a roundabout way without much coherence, like he was telling a story with five different conflicting views.


    ¡°Okay, stop,¡± I said, stopping him right in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re new at this, right?¡±


    He nodded, still smiling. ¡°I was only recently released from the Shaolin Mountains on my mission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± I said. ¡°You might want to get your story straight before asking people to completely change their system of belief for you. Firstly, what was the bit about suffering, again? And how do I stop suffering?¡±


    ¡°Accept the Four Noble Truths,¡± he smiled. ¡°Pain, the origin of pain, the cessation of pain, and the Noble Eightfold Path.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. ¡°So life is pain, rebirth is pain, but¡­ when does pain cease?¡±


    ¡°Eliminate craving, desire and attachment.¡±


    The silence was enough to elicit a series of chuckles from Mentor, who was hard at work preparing food. She had brought a platter of berries as well, for the Monk. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I said slowly. ¡°So you want me to stop¡­ wanting. And you want me to destroy my relationships?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± he smiled. ¡°That is much too simplistic a take. I cannot expound too much on it because it is for every sapient being to meditate on the Four Noble Truths on their own.¡±


    ¡°And the last one?¡± I asked. ¡°Eight noble paths or¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Noble Eightfold Path,¡± he corrected, still smiling so infuriatingly. ¡°Have the right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right Samadhi.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the last word, which I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°The right view, the right-¡°


    ¡°No, I meant the last bit!¡±


    ¡°Right Samadhi.¡± He smiled. ¡°Oh, that one¡¯s the easiest, right after right speech, right view and right intention. It is a form of meditation that is exceedingly helpful!¡±


    ¡°Meditation?¡± I asked. Suddenly, his face looked elsewhere behind me and he closed his mouth.


    ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    He turned my head back to my Mentor, who pretended to have done nothing. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I stood up. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with meditation?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not ready,¡± she replied simply.


    I scowled. ¡°Well, why?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Keep listening to the Monk,¡± she advised. ¡°He has a lot of things to say that are good for you. You are not required to become an initiate or anything, but the Eightfold Path contains truths that will help you in life, as well as in your Martial Path,¡± she then turned to the Monk. ¡°Boy, leave the Eighth path out for now.¡±


    ¡°But-¡° I was cut short by her look, which brokered no protest. I shut my mouth and turned to the Monk, now much more interested in his shpiel. If he had things to say that could help me in my path, then it would be all too prudent to listen. I sat down and asked my questions. ¡°What does right view mean?¡±


    He smiled and explained, going through every single path, leaving the eighth one unexplained. The right view involved being cognizant of certain facts, such as our actions have consequences, and ¡®death is not the end¡¯ whatever the hell that meant, and that our actions and beliefs could bite us in the ass after death.


    I was already stuck disbelieving the first path. Actions don¡¯t have any consequences to yourself if you were powerful enough to ignore them. Death was the end. Anything else had to be fairy tales, and this idea of ¡®karma¡¯ that he was espousing, being held accountable to actions after death¡­ it didn¡¯t inspire much confidence in my own soul.


    The second path was right out as well. Giving up everything for a life of piety¡­ because, apparently, having possessions led to treasuring possessions which then led to worrying about said possession or mourning its loss, which all equated to suffering. To them, it was just much easier to give it all up and avoid suffering, that way.


    Even I could see that all that would happen would be them treasuring the clothes on their backs, or that giant crescent spade thing.


    The right speech was less disagreeable, as I could see where he was coming from, but still largely impractical.  Deceit had its place everywhere, and eliminating deceit would make a lot of things more difficult than they had to be. Rude language was¡­ wait, was Mentor a Shaolin Nun all this time?


    No, wait, she ate meat. Moving on.


    The fourth path was the most problematic path. Right conduct or action. No killing or injuring. No stealing was acceptable, but the following two were not; no sexual acts or material desires.


    Just when I thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, the right livelihood meant literally begging for food, since apparently working and earning a wage and then paying someone to cook you a meal led to ¡®suffering¡¯. The idea was to live in a way in which your life was only sustained, and that included having to beg.


    That one offended me, actually. ¡°Stop,¡± I said. ¡°You think ¡®begging¡¯ is the right way to live?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It makes people more pious when they give to charity. The Shaolin monks and nuns who do not live on the mountain sustain themselves by delivering sermons and then receiving food, and maybe even shelter, as remuneration,¡± his eyes almost glistened in veneration. ¡°It truly is the way to live.¡±


    Just then, Mentor came to deposit food in front of us. I had a plate of cut venison and some fruits, while the Monk had fruits and root-plants. The Monk smiled in thanks.


    ¡°And what if people don¡¯t give you food?¡± I asked, gnashing my teeth.


    ¡°Then you move on,¡± he smiled. ¡°Worst case scenario, you may have to live off the land by foraging, but there are few cases where a whole town is so completely miserly, they won¡¯t give you any food.¡±


    ¡®Few cases¡¯¡­ yeah.


    I guess I just got unlucky. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but shake in barely-contained fury at the reminder of where I came from, how cold that village was to me.


    He clasped his hands and nodded my way. ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo, I sense much suffering from you. Would you care to relieve your burdens to this monk?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Move on.¡± It helped to take my mind off of it, dig it deeper and pray that the anger goes away.


    ¡°I think you should,¡± he said solemnly.


    ¡°Drop. It.¡±


    He paused for a moment before bowing his head respectfully. ¡°I will abide by your decision.¡± The next path was the right effort, which meant preventing ¡®unwholesome¡¯ states to arise, to shunt away negativity while promoting ¡®positivity¡¯. ¡°Unwholesome states never disappear unless you discuss them,¡± he continued. ¡°To truly promote a wholesome state and to prevent an unwholesome, you need to discuss it. You need to become vulnerable, and trust that whoever listens can pull you out of your unwholesome state with love and support.¡±


    ¡°Get on with it,¡± I bit out.


    ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± he chanted, interlocking his fingers, except for his index fingers, which he pointed upwards. ¡°The Seventh path, and the last of which I shall explain is the right mindfulness. In all things, one must retain the teachings of the dharma. One must apply it to every facet of life, and one must be aware of one¡¯s own existence, which can further allow one to meditate on the principles of impermanence,¡± he said. Then he sighed, clearly tired. ¡°Your Mentor speaks truth. While you may not have to initiate yourself to the dharma, our teachings can help you along your Martial Path. Even if you only follow one,¡± he raised an index finger. ¡°Path, you may still live a relatively happy life.¡±


    I nodded. Only one, huh? ¡°Well, that was a whole load of nothing.¡±


    The bothered expression of his face slowly melted away as he chanted sutras and did that hand-thing. ¡°That isn¡¯t very nice.¡±


    ¡°Right speech and all that,¡± I mocked. ¡°Well, you gave me something to think about at the very least,¡± I said.


    ¡°Again,¡± he repeated. ¡°I really do think you should talk about the suffering you clutch onto. It does you no good.¡±


    I ignored him, busy trying to quell the murderous rage. Gulping, he resorted to just chanting beneath his breath between each mouthful of food.


    When we finished eating, we fell asleep one and all.

 Chapter 6 - Enlightenment

    Contrary to my expectations, our travel companion did not falter for even a single moment in our morning trek over the mountain, crossing past the range. While some fatigue was slowly setting in on our slightly ludicrous speed.


    Finally, when we reached the peak, we took a training break.


    ¡°We spar,¡± Mentor announced excitedly.


    ¡°Ah, come on,¡± I muttered as I divested myself of my backpack and assumed a rather open-ended stance.


    Mentor remained still, smiling at me knowingly. ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I will not be your opponent today.¡±


    I looked to the Monk, who sat down in meditation. ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°Monk,¡± Mentor roused him. He opened both eyes and smiled jovially at her. ¡°Would you mind sparring with my disciple?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± He smiled, getting up to face me, leaving his monk¡¯s spade behind as he took a low, and wide stance. ¡°Ready when you are, opponent!¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I leaned forwards before shooting off towards him with a simple jab meant to probe his full capabilities.


    He was fast, managing to side-step me by a large margin before directing a palm-strike to my face.


    Before it could connect, he froze, retracted his hand and bowed. ¡°Good spar?¡±


    It took a moment to process what had just happened, but when I did, my respect for the young Monk had grown. ¡°You¡¯re fast,¡± I said.


    He nodded with a smile. ¡°I was trained by my Mentor since the age of six for this mission. How long have you trained?¡±


    ¡°¡­Two months,¡± I admitted, rather shamefully.


    ¡°Two months?!¡± He yelled with a start. He looked away, then eased his expression before accepting my response. ¡°Very well, then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°I know I¡¯m new at this, so you don¡¯t have to rub it in or anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no!¡± He said with a frown. ¡°I meant no such thing! I was merely¡­ surprised, but¡­ let¡¯s move on.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, a little suspiciously. ¡°Another spar?¡±


    He agreed.


    We tried again. I inched closer to him before getting him in my range. I was just a little taller than him, and my arms were noticeably longer. I probed a little. He wasn¡¯t as fast in this short range, but he still maintained a wide margin between my strikes and him.


    I moved in for a kick. He dodged, and took advantage of my openness, grabbing a hold of my leg before delivering a punch towards my face. It stopped a scant few millimetres before my skin.


    Right. He followed the Right Action, and would not harm me unless absolutely necessary. After all, he was taught Martial Arts and was given a weapon. If he was never to hurt someone, then they would both be completely redundant.


    He was graceful with each victory, and I was already used to getting my ass handed to me by my Mentor, so it was only some skin off my back.


    But I did adapt to his tactics. He was gentle, fast and punishing. He would pussyfoot around, and when the time came to strike, he struck. To fight him was to leave no openings, to emulate a turtle and shell up whenever a threat approached. It made for a more intellectual brawl, and the lack of a painful ¡®motivator¡¯ was a welcome change, but I did not falter in treating this spar with utmost importance.


    This was the first person I had ever met from the Wulin aside from Mentor, and at the same time, he was an expert in his craft. Refusing to learn from him was a kind of pride that Mentor had long-since beaten out of me.


    Finally, when I managed to corner him behind a cliff, I meant to pull him into a grapple, only for him to jump over me, into my blindspot, directing a straight punch to my face. Long since used to them, I didn¡¯t move, just waiting for the draft of wind to billow my hair.


    A rather strange part of me wondered how much it would hurt to have him not hold back, but from his personality, there was less than a zero-percent chance to have him harm me just because I asked him nicely.


    Still, the way he just jumped over me, it was like he was weightless or something. It was reminiscent of Mentor¡¯s cloud-stepping. I had to learn it, but with Mentor¡¯s reluctance to advance me from the basics, I had no choice but to learn what she was teaching me.


    Once the training break was over, we continued the trek in silence.


    No. It wasn¡¯t as if Mentor didn¡¯t want to teach me. She just said that I wasn¡¯t ready, because¡­ because of my anger, because of my ¡®unwholesome state¡¯. They didn¡¯t understand. None of them did. My anger was what made me such a good fighter. Anger was what I needed to put my enemies in the ground, and if that somehow offended my Mentor¡¯s prissy sensibilities, then so be it.


    And the Monk¡­ the less said about him, the better. Cloistered away all of his life, he knew nothing of suffering, yet he thought to come down to try and tell people, real people, how to live their lives. It was na?ve, and downright offensive of him to be so presumptuous. How dare he?


    I pushed down my anger at them both. It wouldn¡¯t do to blow my top, now. It would only prove them right. I could control my anger, harness it into something useful. I wasn¡¯t just some maniac.


    A demon?


    ¡­No. I wasn¡¯t a demon. It was the simple truth. There were demons out there, people who were abjectly evil, but I wasn¡¯t a demon. I was wronged. Still, the experience had not left me unscathed. I was not a demon, but I had been touched by them, plagued by them, until what remained was almost indistinguishable from a demon.


    Mentor helped me see it her way, that I was wronged, and yet, did that really matter when I harboured all this darkness like a blanket, afraid to let go?


    I couldn¡¯t even think about going without it. Having held onto it from my childhood, it felt like it was fused into my bones, that without it, I would fall apart, collapsing under my own weight. Was it an illusion, or truth?


    And what about my fear? Fear helped me survive, but would that impede me, too? I would ask my Mentor, but I still didn¡¯t trust her to know what was completely good for me. Only I knew the most about that, and even now, I was still iffy about some things.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    For now, I would have to decide on a single course of action; tame my anger. I could not let go of it, but I had to construct a vessel for it, to tap into it whenever necessary, to never let it control me.


    That would be my long-term goal for now.


    000


    Finally, we had completely crossed the mountain chain, taking us back to the forest where we stopped for the night. After a quick and gentle spar with the Monk, and a not-so-quick and utterly-non-gentle spar with my Mentor, we ate and retired to our beds.


    I was on my bed, but I remained completely awake, sorting through my anger. I shut my eyes to think.


    I asked myself one question: why was I angry?


    The myriad memories popped up one after another, all evidence for why my anger got the hold of me. Instead of letting it all pop up at once, I decided to picture it all inscribed in a scroll, each event written in one, and then deposited in square bookshelves.


    It took a while, and much concentration, and I felt grateful for Mentor¡¯s lessons in reading, but when I was finally done transcribing the last of my memories, I placed them in a shelf, and locked the door to my little ¡®library of anger¡¯.


    Then, I felt it.


    Peace.


    The anger still existed, but no longer was it a constant pressure, a constant buzzing in my ears which forced me to always be mindful of it, like a pack of mosquitoes that would never stop flying around my head, constantly forcing me to swat them away.


    My anger was easily accessed, of course, in times of need, but now, it wasn¡¯t always there. This was the perfect solution!


    But that was not just it. When I expanded my mindfulness away from the library of anger, I felt myriad motes of energies crash into me, circulating ineffectually before disappearing.


    On a fit of pique, I tried to hold onto them, to examine them and to see what they were.


    When held onto, they circulated fully around my body, allowing me a limited view into my body, before settling into the center of my gravity, where it tried and failed to pierce a wall.


    Annoyed, I sent a host of different motes all the way to the obstruction, circulating them, rejuvenating myself and sending them crashing again and again and again.


    Not a single mark had been made on the shell.


    Letting out some of my anger, I controlled the energy and balled it tightly before sending it careening towards my core.


    A spider-web crack formed on it, and immediately, a lurch of pain radiated across my stomach, but I held on. I was getting there. I wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered by the pain. Instead of banging repeatedly on it, I decided to wait for a long time, gathering more and more energy, taxing my concentration more and more as I worked my very best to hold onto it all.


    Once I had reached the maximum capacity of energy which I could hold, I sent it all to the same exact point, having condensed it into a single beam. The shell had broken, and the energy entered inside my core. The pain lasted much longer this time, but slowly, the shell evaporated completely, leaving a bright core of energy in my mid-center.


    I opened my eyes and coughed out blood. Mentor and the Monk looked at me, both with varying degrees of apprehension. ¡°Disciple,¡± Mentor said rather gently. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­At peace,¡± I responded. The ¡®Library of Anger¡¯ had been locked for now. Both Mentor and Monk deflated with relief, as if they had expected something disastrous to happen.


    Huh¡­ I really should have consulted Mentor before trying anything. Well, I¡¯ll make a mental note of doing so.


    Mentor gave me a proud smile. ¡°Go to bed, now. You have a long day tomorrow.¡± I nodded. ¡°Also,¡± she said, now looking completely neutral. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to reach a milestone, do be sure to have your Mentor present in case things go awry. This is your future you¡¯re gambling. Do not be so headstrong ever again.¡±


    I nodded, gulping. If sleep came easily after every training session, right now, all I had to do was close my eyes, and I was asleep.


    000


    If I honestly thought that we would be moving past basics any time soon, call me a fool, because even thought I awakened my ¡®core¡¯ and achieved ¡®Enlightenment¡¯, that still didn¡¯t qualify me for learning kickass magic like cloud-stepping or that super-jump thing that the Monk likes to do.


    Instead, I just became stronger, and I could recover faster.


    Was I ungrateful, though?


    Hell. No.


    Whatever tricks Mentor pulled with me now, poking me sharply in specific areas, by circulating what she said was my ¡®Chi¡¯, I could remove the intruding needles of energy with some difficulty, though she wouldn¡¯t be able to reliably train me with pain unless I submitted myself to her completely.


    Maybe this was why she didn¡¯t want me to take the next step! She didn¡¯t want me to be able to render her training methods obsolete! Wow, she was conniving.


    Still, I moved faster, could take more hits, and I was much stronger than before. It cut the distance between the Monk and I, but he was still capable of that sorcery which let him completely ignore natural laws and jump wherever he pleased.


    I didn¡¯t begrudge him his fleet-footedness, because I was twenty percent sure that I was actually more physically capable than him. Of course, he had a weapon, which would render an actual battle between him and me unfair, unless I received a weapon of my own. A pole arm would be the wiser choice, but really¡­


    ¡­there were few things more satisfying than feeling the crunch of cartilage beneath your knuckles. Even gloves would diminish the experience a little. I would just have to be fast and strong enough to defeat armed opponents.


    The Monk continued to chant his sutras along the way, extolling the virtues of the Noble Eightfold Path whenever I asked him to explain certain points. The Monks living in the Monastery could actually not follow the right livelihood effectively because of the work they put in to acquire their food, but they managed to find a roundabout way to combat this, by essentially training animals to forage for them. The training would naturally interfere with the animal¡¯s dharma, which was frowned upon, so only a few monks would take the fall for such an ¡®egregious sin¡¯.


    I found that to be noble. The monks that sacrificed Nirvana for the sake of easing the path for their brothers and sisters, that was true selflessness, and that was more valuable than any monk who followed all the eight tenets with complete faithfulness.


    Finally, he had explained to me what Samadhi meant. It was their form of meditation which brought them to the State of Enlightenment, which all Martial Warriors had to enter if they were to expand their cores and their Martial Prowess. It was an amalgam of the Four Noble Truths, as well as the seven preceding Paths, a heightened form of meditative consciousness that would bring them to their ultimate goal, which was true transcendence from the trap that was life.


    Functionally, it differed from normal Enlightenment because of the mental component. Most Martial Warriors only cared to meditate so they could absorb heavenly energy and convert it into Chi, but few people know that the physical aspect is only the tip of the iceberg, drastically affected by one¡¯s mentality and state of mind.


    At the same time, Martial Warriors that relied on hatred or anger would always have unstable, fluctuating prowess that was unreliable. Not me. My anger would never fade. The Monk¡¯s advantage is that he would never have good or bad days, his strength a constant which was not affected by random variables that he could not account for.


    I still didn¡¯t know whether I should just respect the Monk or disdain him. Without the constant anger telling me how much of a presumptuous asshat he was, I could see what he was doing and take it at face value. He was just trying to help people. Despite myself, I never actually shied away from discussing with him on the finer points of his faith.


    He and I were just fundamentally differing beings, but it helped to learn how we differed, and how I could adapt his practices into my own Martial Path.


    As he nattered on about the finer aspects of mindfulness, I caught Mentor¡¯s sly smile looking at me from the front of our group. It had been her idea to set him upon me, from the very beginning, in fact. It had allowed me to formulate the solution with my anger, and it had granted me practice in patience, as well.


    It seemed that I always felt grateful for my Mentor¡¯s actions after I reaped its rewards. I would honestly be more on-board with her schemes, but would it kill her to be more transparent?!


    Or¡­ could she just not trust me with this information, risking a backfire if she told me what she was intending? After all, you probably wouldn¡¯t be trying to explain the process of milking a cow to the animal itself in hopes that it would go along with the farmer¡¯s plan.


    Ugh, that fucking Monk¡¯s weird way of talking had infiltrated my mind, now.


    I saw the Monk as a rival of sorts. He still dominated nine out of ten battles every day, but I was getting closer and closer to making that eight out of ten battles instead. His failures could be attributed to bad luck and a surprise manoeuvre from myself, but it would do wonders for my bruised ego if I could just outmatch him deliberately just once.


    Unfortunately, all good things came to an end. We had arrived at the main road, and made our way towards Jixing City at a sedate pace, arriving in front of the large gates within four hours.


    The guards had checked our freight, and after paying the toll fee (Mentor paid for the freeloading Monk), they let us in.


    It was there that I bid farewell to our temporary travel companion, hoping that our paths may yet cross once more.

 Chapter 7 - Convergence

    I was with my Mentor, so of course we would have visited another beautician. This time, it wasn¡¯t just from the outer districts. No. After getting us both clothes from the highest end outer-district store, she took us into the inner district closer to the Prefect¡¯s palace, then to the Core District, shelling out actual gold slips on the way.


    The Fairy Goddess was a spa experience I would be hard-pressed to forget. The aromas were several times more fragrant and deep, more interesting than the surface-level overpowering musk from that village¡¯s bath-house. The water had been on the bleeding edge of scalding, enough to completely relax every single weary muscle in my body, relaxing me enough that I dipped into the State of Enlightenment, absently circulating my Chi in the exquisite water.


    When that was done, the attendants had carefully filed us to be massaged, our tenderized muscles barely proving any resistance to their oils and soft, but forceful hands.


    Instead of ending the massage and sending us to be prettied up, however, they did something ingenious. While the massage went on, they sat us upright and had the attendants apply the clays and carmine, bathing most of my body in the powder, transforming my complexion from a sun-kissed tan to a fragile white. If I had to be honest, I didn¡¯t like my skin this way, but the look on Mentor¡¯s face would be worth it.


    Besides¡­ I was pretty.


    It felt good to say that, while knowing it to be true.


    After shelling out some more money, the spa had decided to outfit us as well, dressing us in pure silk, white, blue and purple in colour, sparkling with the light.


    While Mentor posed in front of the mirror, looking younger than ever, I still managed to come off as uncultured. Affecting more pride into my posture, I stood straight, coming off as a haughty noble who looked down on those who didn¡¯t spend gold on a single meal.


    I broke into a slight grin, looking at my Mentor having the time of her life, before clasping my hands together, index-finger against index finger. ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo, such sin, such suffering,¡± I droned tonelessly. Mentor turned to me with an amused frown and slapped my shoulder.


    ¡°Cheer up, girl,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you look stunning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s just not me.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Right now, it is. Just have fun while it lasts,¡± then she began to drone tonelessly. ¡°Beauty is impermanent.¡±


    I giggled at that. I turned to the mirror again and twirled a little. I did look good.


    000


    On our little run in the Inner District of the city, Mentor had taken me to a bookstore where she bought a couple of tomes for me; the five classics, I Ching, Classic of Poetry, Book of Rites, Book of Documents and Spring and Autumn Annals.


    She bought four more books as well, mostly philosophical in nature: the Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning, all of which she told me to read and study.


    I almost would have thrown the books in her face, until she brought us to our quarters.


    A year in prison would make any room look more attractive than the dreary emptiness of a cell, but this¡­ this was where I imagined royalty slept in my head.


    The room on the hotel was wide, easily ten times the size of my cell. A desk and a chair, carved immaculately from wood, covered by silk upholstery, sat imperiously on a raised platform. The sections of the room were separated by bead curtains, a raised bed right opposite a sliding door to the balcony which was half the size of the room.


    And this was my space.


    Mentor giggled a little. ¡°I will pamper you for a bit, disciple. Remember that I have given you work. Do make sure to not skimp,¡± her face switched to neutral in a near instant. ¡°Or else.¡±


    ¡°Carrot and stick?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The best method there is,¡± She said sunnily before turning around, spinning on her heels. ¡°Remember, if you wish to invite boys, make sure I don¡¯t find out.¡±


    I ignored the dumb comment and set my sights on the pile of books on the table. Time to bring my new reading skills up to snuff.


    000


    Well, that confirmed it. I could read. Was I immune to getting bored from it? No. The books were long-winded and roundabout, almost as if the scholars couldn¡¯t find out a way to put up a higher barrier between the educated and the uneducated, so they made sure that even the educated would be given pause by the incessant word-salad.


    With much patience, and fear brought on from my Mentor¡¯s non-subtle threats, I managed to finish each book, learning enough about them to give the cliff notes should anyone ask. Once done, I fell into Enlightenment and played with my Chi.


    I was interrupted by a hotel attendant knocking on my door, carting in a full-course breakfast. The sun was out. I had literally worked away the night. I had barely even given thought to how much time had passed.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was particularly fascinated by the books, but¡­ it felt good being able to read. It was like a whole dimension had opened up to me, bringing me across a higher plane. This might have been what the Monk had referred to; transcendence.


    The transcendence he spoke about was all-encompassing. I was merely playing catch-up with my betters, him included. Still, I wouldn¡¯t feel bitter about my strides.


    I did not skimp on savouring the breakfast. Who knew when Mentor would ever feel this magnanimous anyway?


    Still, I did my best to not completely mess up my clothing or make-up, eating daintily , but leaving not a single trace of food on my plate.


    A noble would probably have left mounds of food behind, secure in the knowledge that food would never, not in a thousand years, be a problem for them. On any other day, I would have seen it as an injustice, but knowing that nobles could never become Martial Warriors¡­ that was a just dessert.


    With nothing else to do but to enjoy the view from the balcony, I dove headfirst into Enlightenment once again. Mentor didn¡¯t want to teach me the basic principles of techniques, so I guess I would have to stumble upon it myself, and besides, simple techniques weren¡¯t actually ¡®milestones¡¯, were they?


    Besides, I cinched the last milestone on my own. What could possibly go wrong this time?


    000


    The caravan had finally arrived in Jixing City. Bai Guo had, alongside Mei Yun, explained their wishes to her parents to be bethrothed to each other when the time came, when he would return from the mountains of Kunlun, and after he would have vanquished the Horde.


    He didn¡¯t inform them of the last part, knowing that discretion was the better part of valor. The Mei family had assured him that they would stay in Jixing City for the foreseeable future, a minimum of ten years, which he felt was acceptable.


    He would destroy the Horde long before ten measly years had passed.


    All that remained for him, now, was to ask for directions on where the mountains of Kunlun were. Once he found, he would be on his way.


    By accident, he bumped into a lovely lady dressed in a form-fitting attire, with voluminous sleeves and a spear attached to her back. ¡°Watch it,¡± she growled.


    He bowed his head at her. ¡°My apologies,¡± and he was on his way. She was beautiful, yes, but her attitude left much to be desired. Nowhere was the supple warmth that a woman was supposed to hold, and where did she get off carrying a weapon around town? That was a man¡¯s burden.


    Now, his heart was aching. Although he had barely been separated from Mei Yun for an hour, he still did miss her, and her curvy body, comforting smile, and full lips. It was almost enough to make him throw his mission away.


    Almost.


    He trudged on, soldiering on like a soldier would, asking around in the streets for directions to the mountains of Kunlun.


    ¡°Go buy a map or something,¡± a particularly rude old man huffed.


    ¡°Where?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Beats me, just get lost. Children these days, asking stupid questions,¡± he mumbled under his breath. He began asking around for a map, or a store which sold maps. The caravan had paid him for his dutiful protection, so it was not as if he was completely helpless.


    Eventually, he did find a cartographer¡¯s store, a shop cluttered with papers, maps and geometrical instruments. Behind the counter, the cartographer worked away on a map, perhaps copying an older map and transcribing it onto new paper. ¡°I want a map to Kunlun.¡±


    The cartographer stood up, turned to him and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you know where you are, kid?¡±


    Well, he had travelled from the frontlines up north, but he had no real idea where Jixing City was located in comparison to it. ¡°No¡­?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where the Kunlun mountains are located?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°They are North-West of China,¡± he explained. ¡°You are in one of the southernmost points in China, roughly three-thousand kilometres away. You¡¯re not looking for a map of Kunlun, you want a map of China.¡±


    Bai Guo had lost his patience. ¡°Look, do you have the map or not?¡±


    He dug underneath the coutner and retrieved a large scroll of paper, as long as an arm. ¡°This one will be two gold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous!¡± Bai Guo complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your average cartographer, kid,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve spent years compiling maps, and adventuring across all of China so that I could draw the most accurate map in the Empire. You won¡¯t ever get a better deal than one with me. Two gold is really the least I can accept for this hard work.¡±


    Bai Guo shook his head. ¡°No, you could just copy the map to new papers all you want!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not paying for the paper, genius,¡± the cartographer sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not about to let the culmination of my hard work go for a lower price. One and a half gold, and if you¡¯re asking for anything lower, I¡¯ll toss you out my store.¡±


    Bai Guo sighed, slapping down a single gold coin, along with five silver taels. The cartographer took the money solemnly, and handed the young soldier his map. He unfurled the map, taking in the overly-transcribed image of the entirety of the Empire, from the front lines separating civilization from the savage Horde furthest up north, to the South China Sea down south, with the Gobi Desert in the middle.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡­Had he continued his path across the Gobi desert instead of turning around with the caravan, he would have actually reached Kunlun! Instead, he had ambled about in a completely roundabout fashion, going further and further away from the mountain chain.


    As it stood, now, the journey would be a month away on foot. Truly, the Heavens had a good sense of humor. Grumbling, he accepted a roll of black cloth from the cartographer, wrapping it around the map so as to protect it from the elements, and strapped it gently around his back, right above where his Guan Dao was located. With that, he walked out of the establishment with a renewed sense of direction.


    The best thing to do would be to buy a horse with the one piece of gold which he had left, but he also needed the money for travel rations, and eating wild animals without the knowledge of which bits to eat had not served him well on the trail.


    Eventually, he decided that it would be better to tire his feet out than to naively send both himself and his horse out to certain death crossing the Gobi desert. After all, no horse could possibly traverse the Himalayas, which would have been the fastest, but most perilous path from point A to B.


    On foot, he could brave the Himalayas, but without a Sherpa to pay off, he could get lost or even worse.


    He needed more money. Money for rations and money for a guide.


    Another pretty woman passed him by, and something inside him growled to be released.


    Money for a courtesan wouldn¡¯t hurt, either, would it?


    000


    Lin Leng yawned as he perambulated through the densely-packed streets of Jixing City, the first pit stop towards what Chow had referred to as their ¡®grand adventure¡¯. He could not wait to get to a private room, or to finally be on the road, again, sleeping under an open night sky, hearing not a single soul for miles around except for his snoring brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda?¡± He asked. Chow puffed himself up, excited at being the one in charge, like he always was. Though they were both individuals with Martial Prowess, they had dressed no differently from the average person, having done their best to escape the Harmonious Crane territory completely unnoticed and unmolested. If they had found out the secrets that they had stolen, they would both have been killed without a second thought.


    ¡°We either tag along a caravan, or make our own way,¡± he said. ¡°Since I¡¯m tired of waiting, we¡¯re gonna go see if we can find map-¡± He stopped talking, having spotted something in the distance. ¡°Jackpot.¡±


    Leng followed the larger teen through the dense crowd, until they reached a young soldier with a Guan Dao on his back, blood-stains on their leather tunic, a large map furled before him. ¡°Hello, friend,¡± Chow said, stepping closer to him. ¡°Are you a traveller?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted, turning to the two brothers. His features were sharp, hawkish, his face bent in a perennial scowl, eyes always a little too wide. He looked like a pure killer. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°We wish to plot a course to the Kunlun mountains,¡± Chow explained.


    The traveller narrowed his eyes at them both. ¡°I am headed there as well.¡±


    Chow exploded into laughter before wrapping his left arm around the man. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! What say we travel together? We split costs so the journey is easier on all of us.¡±


    The soldier was not convinced, however. ¡°What is your business in Kunlun?¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious,¡± Chow downplayed. ¡°We¡¯re just two brothers looking for adventure. We hear there are many strong men and women to challenge over there.¡±


    The soldier just nodded, without reciprocating. Leng found it rude, but he also couldn¡¯t bring himself to actually giving a damn about why the oaf wanted to go there. ¡°So you¡¯ll let us tag along?¡± Chow asked.


    The soldier nodded again. ¡°I have one gold. Horses cost three silver pieces. I can pay for the horses if you pay for the rations. Is that acceptable?¡±


    Leng shrugged. ¡°You get us two horses, we¡¯ll get one and then the rations. Sounds fair?¡±


    The soldier shook his head. ¡°I would rather you spend more money on rations.¡±


    Leng shrugged. ¡°What you do with your money is your choice.¡± The idiot was really trying to cross China on one gold piece, wasn¡¯t he? At the very least, they had enough money to buy enough food to overencumber the horses several times over. With their money, travel rations could last half a year, and the journey only looked to be about a month in duration, a good deal if anything.


    Chow spoke again. ¡°We should rendez-vous somewhere after our little shopping spree. When are you heading out?¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible,¡± he replied tersely. ¡°Although dawn has already passed a couple of hours ago, I would like to make the trek as soon as possible before noon.¡±


    Chow nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be on it. Meet us¡­¡± he pointed at a random tavern. ¡°There. The Jade Flagon,¡± he added, just in case the soldier didn¡¯t know how to read. The lack of realization proved otherwise, that the man may have been educated to literacy.


    After all, he was reading a map.


    The two brothers proceeded to the shopping district in search for appropriate travel rations; hard tack and water-skins. On their way, they ran into a teen dressed in scholarly robes and a tall flat hat, his academic appearance completely at odds with his surroundings. ¡°Pardon me,¡± he said as the crowd forced him to brush past Leng. Thinking nothing of it, he made to peruse the produce.


    000


    Deng Ming knew that a travel party was what he needed. He had done his utmost in his travels to Jixing City to rush through the Martial Path, mastering Enlightenment and the State of Wu with ease. In his training, he had found that he always was Enlightened in some form, having learned a rudimentary technique created to improve memory storage by his mentor. The State of Wu helped magnify his anemic fighting prowess, but was more than enough for the few brigands that he had crossed paths with on the way.


    He could still smell blood in the air as his sword had claimed a life. It made him shudder when he was alone.


    ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± a young voice chanted as he held out a metallic bowl, eight pieces of steel welded together by copper, a genuine Shaolin Monastery begging bowl. He pushed through the crowd to get a better look at the young, androgynous monk, his head bald and his hand outstretched, but not pitifully in his display. It looked like begging was just a hobby for him, as he continued to smile and extol the virtues of the dharma to all who would listen, but none would. On his back was a two-meter long Monk¡¯s spade, a deadly weapon, a genuine craft, in fact. There was no mistaking it. This was a Shaolin monk.


    Too lazy to even give him food, the vast majority dropped coins inside his bowl, causing his jovial smile to falter somewhat. Deng Ming stepped forward. ¡°Venerable Monk! Would you care to discuss the Noble Eightfold Path with me?¡±


    The Shaolin monk beamed and launched into a lecture. The boy was much too na?ve, a recent missionary yet to learn the ways of the world, but he could be useful for him. After all, he was a genuine Wulin Martial Warrior. That meant he could kill an average man with barely a thought. Of course, while his religion would not allow that, he was still more than capable of defending himself if the need arose.


    Deng Ming engaged the monk lightly, taking a walk with him as the Shaolin monk went on and on about his faith. Deng Ming was a man of science, so he took the words with a grain of salt, but it was refreshing to see someone else actually passionate about a subject. All of his colleagues vying to become scholars were all a dispassionate bunch who cared more about rote memorization than the romanticism of pursuing knowledge with a passion. The young monk had that passion, so Deng Ming almost began to feel bad about using him in this way, but there was more at stake than the innocence of a young monk.


    ¡°Young Monk,¡± he finally interrupted. ¡°What say you follow me to the mountains of Kunlun?¡±


    ¡°Uh, why?¡± The Monk asked, slightly bewildered.


    ¡°I am but a humble scholar, and although my mission is noble and necessary, I fear that I do not have the strength of arm required to brave the journey on my lonesome. I am well aware of the vows you have taken of non-violence, but even with a short display of your prowess, you can send any and all bandit or brigand running. I ask you not to break your vows for me, but to uphold them by defending me against the dangers of travel.¡±


    The Monk seemed reluctant. ¡°A Monk I am, a hero I am not. Please don¡¯t rely on me to use violence as a means to protect. That simply is not my path. What difference is there between a promise of violence, and violence itself? If I chase off brigands by frightening them, am I not harming their hearts? Scholar, please understand.¡±


    He didn¡¯t understand. Deng Ming wrestled with simply telling the simple Monk the truth, and after a few moments of hesitation, he acquiesced. ¡°Could I talk with you somewhere more private?¡±


    The Monk led Deng Ming into an abandoned alleyway and with gestures from his hands, everything became quiet. ¡°Speak freely. You will not be heard.¡±


    A spell. Amazing. ¡°There is an enemy that intends to destroy the Wulin and Jianghu as we know it, and if we don¡¯t head to the Kunlun mountains in time, we will be unable to stop his plans. Millions dead as one man takes supreme control and reshapes the world to his own image. Would it be right for you to stand aside in such a conflict?¡±


    The Monk was completely flabbergasted. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re lying?¡±


    Deng Ming pulled out a dagger, held out his arm and cut a swathe along the tracks of his forearm, releasing a spurt of blood. ¡°I swear to the heavens that what I am telling you is truth.¡±


    The blood began to slowly evaporate into a red mist which then shot upwards before dispersing, the wound on his arm no longer there, as if there never was one to begin with.


    The Monk was utterly poleaxed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that is quite disconcerting,¡± he half-whispered. Then, he looked at Deng Ming, eyes utterly resolved. ¡°It would be my duty to spread the dharma, but that cannot happen if millions die. I will help you, venerable Scholar. Rest assured at that.¡±


    Deng Ming stopped himself just barely from falling to his knees and thanking the Martial Warrior before him. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Diplomacy will always be my first resort. I am not your mercenary, nor am I your bodyguard. If a threat emerges that we cannot talk down, we run away.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ acceptable,¡± Deng Ming said. After all, there were few things he could count on to break a Shaolin monk¡¯s vows like impending doom. He would come around when he was finally met with the stakes.


    000


    ¡°How did I do, Mentor?¡± A young man asked, bowing his head before an obscenely tall man. The cave they were in flickered in the torchlight, illuminating the larger man¡¯s hidden retainers and honour guard. The young man was not particularly tall, and neither was he particularly handsome, only really recognizable by his mane of hair set into dozens of different braids, ending in a bead for each braid.


    ¡°Sloppy,¡± he responded. ¡°You lose focus all-too-fast, rely on guile more than power, and your Chi skills leave much to be desired.¡±


    His disciple merely shrugged.


    The large man¡¯s face began to redden, almost to the same shade as his unkempt mane of red hair. ¡°Your impudence and complacence will forever doom you to the pits of mediocrity. Do you care nothing for your potential, Monkey?¡±


    The young man, Monkey, simply chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m already doing my best. You can¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    ¡°Then where is the self-recrimination? Where is the guilt you feel that you could not push yourself any further?¡±


    Monkey still shrugged. ¡°I know I¡¯m pushing myself as hard as I can. It does me no good to be upset that the heavens aren¡¯t giving me free meatpies. I have much to learn, but it¡¯s all in good time.¡±


    The large man, the Dragon of the East, huffed and puffed, trying and failing to contain his rage at his impudent disciple. Eventually, he calmed down enough to consider how far he had come. It did a disciple no good to follow strictly after the mentor¡¯s philosophy as no two humans were the same, but this divergence had been far too drastic. From a young age, the Dragon had taught him rage, apoplectic red rage that burnt all that it came into contact with.


    And now he was as cool as the water of an autumn creek, having completely forgotten the virtues of anger. It was perhaps for that same exact reason that Monkey had never awakened his mentor¡¯s element, the Flames of Destruction.


    Dragon stood up, and noted with some satisfaction as Monkey took a half-inch step back. He did not stand up to punish him, however. ¡°Continue your training, whelp. Push yourself until it is no longer practical. If you are too weak to hold onto your rage, then at the very least, try not to disappoint me.¡±


    Monkey nodded, his body-language now relaxed.


    Dragon turned to one of the hallways of the expansive cave-network. This was what their faction had been reduced to: hiding within mountains, biding their time. They would bide their time no longer.


    He finally reached the war-room. A map of China was spread over a table, two scholarly men on the long side of it, and one man dressed in simple robes on the shorter side. His arrival had triggered the robed man to turn around.


    He was handsome, deceptively so, but still, his eyes carried that glint of violence and arrogance, a true leader of the people. ¡°Ah, Dragon,¡± he said. ¡°Welcome.¡±


    He gave the man a martial salute, bowing his head as well. ¡°I await your orders, Tian Mo.¡±


    Tian Mo nodded, still with that glint in his eyes. ¡°Jixing City,¡± he said, beckoning Dragon over. He pointed at the southern end of the map. ¡°The largest city near the southern coast. To take over this city, you will have the ability to not only dominate the entire fishing market, but also cut off valuable iron-mining supplies to the capital, crippling their weapon production. You will invade, depose the Magistrate, and instate yourself.¡±


    Truth be told, he did not like the assignment. ¡°The city is¡­ so small.¡±


    Tian Mo, sensing his apprehension, circled off a large section of the south with his fingers. ¡°It is only a prelude, my loyal friend. Once you have taken over the city, you will be capable of running completely roughshod over the entirety of the south. Once you are done, you will reign supreme, completely uncontested, only answering to me,¡± Tian Mo¡¯s smile turned friendly. ¡°And you know how much I hate micromanaging. In truth, you will almost never be interrupted by myself. Does that not sound good to you?¡±


    Dragon nodded. It did sound good to him. Without much consideration, he nodded again. ¡°I will carry out the raid. Our men have been on standby for far too long. We ride out now.¡±


    Tian Mo patted him on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s why I like you; always so efficient. Keep that up. The Heavens smile upon the intrepid.¡±


    When Dragon turned to leave, he was stopped by Tian Mo¡¯s voice. ¡°Do you not have questions about the front lines north of Jixing? It is unlikely that either Martial Arts worlds will allow this with impunity.¡±


    Dragon turned around and gave a nod. ¡°I trust in your ability to provide help should I be overwhelmed. Otherwise, I trust in my own Martial Prowess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed,¡± Tian Mo said simply. ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint, loyal friend.¡±


    ¡°I will not,¡± Dragon vowed.


    He left the war-room and headed straight to his commanders, giving them their orders. He then went to interrupt his disciple¡¯s training. ¡°We ride out, disciple. Don¡¯t make a poor showing of it.¡±


    Monkey nodded. ¡°Finally.¡±


    Dragon chuckled lowly at his disciple¡¯s eagerness. He couldn¡¯t have agreed more with that proclamation.

 Chapter 8 - Collapse

    The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch watched as a group of no less than four hundred sect members shadow-fought in front of him with variable synchronicity. The three hundred outer disciple were the most egregious in their lack of harmony, all either young or just too untalented to rise through the ranks, coasting by with the name of the Heavenly Dragon sect alone, the most powerful sect in China.


    The seventy five inner disciples were much better, elites that were either talented, or had worked hard to rise from the bottom ranks. Those were the ones slated to become experts, elders of the sect and the sect¡¯s muscle.


    The Core disciples, twenty-four in number, were a cut above the rest, all with the power to one day inherit the position of Patriarch should they so choose. History said that most didn¡¯t, wishing instead to bring glory to the sect by becoming travelling heroes, but there was always one or two within the batch who had the mental fortitude to shoulder the immense burden of leadership. He always counted on those youths to pick up the slack once the older generation had left them completely be.


    ¡°Sect Patriarch,¡± he heard the voice of his hardworking, but infuriating son behind him: the twenty-fifth core dsiciple Li Bo Lao.


    ¡°Speak,¡± the Patriarch said without turning to look back at him. He still hadn¡¯t forgiven the boy for letting the Dragon-Fang Spear fall into the hands of a petty thief, but the wine had been spilled and like always, he was forced to eventually accept him into his heart.


    ¡°The matrix for tracking down the Spear has been sabotaged,¡± he said. ¡°We lost track of it and the likelihood of finding it now is almost nil.¡±


    He sighed heavily. The Dragon-Fang Spear was a work of art, a perfectly balanced spear rumoured to have been made of dragon bone. The Patrarich knew, of course, that it was nothing so ludicrous. The secrets of the forging process for the crucible steel had been lost in a great fire three hundred years ago, making it irreplaceable, a blade which could sharpen itself with blood, and would never diminish for as long as the person using it had Chi in their Core. There hadn¡¯t been an elite spearman in the sect for several decades, however, so he had never seen a point to lending it to a sect member to use, and he wasn¡¯t a particularly good spearman.


    Still, the loss rankled him. ¡°Any good news for a change?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something,¡± an unfamiliar voice said behind them both. The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch turned around just in time to push his idiot son away from the man who directed his palm forward, towards him.


    Suddenly, he was caught in an unseen force which he could do nothing to defend against. ¡°You¡­¡± He growled, trying to resist the irresistible force. He hadn¡¯t experienced this level of impossibility in almost two-hundred years, but he refused to let himself fall into despair. ¡°Who¡­ are¡­ you?!¡±


    The man walked out of the shadows, clear for his son to see, who was on his buttocks, staring wide-eyed at the scene. He was wearing brown, ragged robes, and his hair, too was jagged, making it all too out of place for the man to have been wearing such a garish crown fit for an Emperor, a rectangular plate on top with strings of jade beads acting as a curtain on each short end of the rectangle.


    ¡°Tian Mo,¡± he said, still with a smile. ¡°The man who will finally bring peace to this world.¡±


    ¡°H-¡°


    ¡°How?¡± Tian Mo completed for him. ¡°Simple, Heavenly Dragon. I am your Heavenly Grandfather.¡±


    His heart almost constricted at his words. ¡°You don¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tian Mo said, taking great pleasure in interrupting him whenever he had the chance. It was childish, even for him, but when was he ever known to not be childish? Who named themselves ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ and still thought themselves to be fighting for what was right? ¡°Bow down to your Highest Emperor,¡± and the Heavenly Dragon could do naught but obey under the oppressive aura of the man¡¯s Divine Relic. ¡°Who am I?¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡± Heavenly Dragon bit out, the word having come out unbidden. He tried to stop himself, but found that each word was only an inevitability. ¡°Emperor¡­¡± He wanted to stop himself. He wanted to end it as soon as possible before it became too unbearable for him. ¡°Of¡­!¡±


    Tian Mo¡¯s grin was practically devilish as the Heavenly Dragon Patriarch did his best to keep his mouth shut, to not provide the bastard with the pleasure of seeing him crack under the influence of an object. ¡°Jade¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tian Mo said. His son had watched him as he had all but completely ruined every last shred of his dignity. Having been defeated so soundly that he had called his opponent the Jade Emperor. A joke of epic proportions. If the bastard had faced him in real combat, without using his cursed relics, then his life would have been forfeit just stepping into his territory, but instead, he was met with this sorry excuse of a battle.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Too disappointing.


    He said nothing, simply waiting for the man to strike him down, hoping that he would do so quickly. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong, little Dragon?¡± Tian Mo sneered. ¡°Are you maybe waiting for someone to relieve you of your life, mortified over what you had just said?¡± His grin only widened. ¡°Alright, then. You can do that yourself. The Jade Emperor says¡­¡±


    The Heavenly Dragon tried to ignore his words, but couldn¡¯t, utterly transfixed on each and every syllable.


    ¡°Break your own neck.¡±


    The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch¡¯s arms were no longer his to command as he held his head and-


    000


    ¡°Something occurred, disciple, and I am afraid I have to be elsewhere,¡± Mentor spoke a little hurriedly, a small frown on her face, and her eyes darting once. To anyone else, she might have seemed slightly concerned, but she never let that type of disorder show. She might as well have panted frantically about what just happened.


    We were in my room. On my lap, she dropped a sack. I peered inside, only to find a bottomless pit. ¡°It¡¯s a bag of holding,¡± She explained. ¡°It has enough money to let you live lavishly wherever you may go, and many changes of clothes. You will want for nothing with this.¡±


    ¡°Mentor¡­?¡±


    ¡°You remember the jade slip?¡± She asked. I did. I had never let go of it since she had told me about it. I had even tied some string around the indented portion, using it as a necklace, which I then proceeded to show her. ¡°Good,¡± she smiled. ¡°You may be able to find me, then. As the object contains my essence, I will be able to find it as well. Proceed your journey to Kunlun without me. I have taught you enough that brigands and bandits prove no match for you, but do not rest your vigilance simply because of that.¡±


    I nodded, a lump forming in my throat.


    ¡°I will join you well before you reach Kunlun,¡± she reassured.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°An¡­ important man in the Wulin has just been killed,¡± she revealed. ¡°And the amount of people that could kill him could only be counted on one hand. I meet with others to investigate the recent happenings, though I am afraid it is simply too dangerous for you.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Will you be safe?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, if a big-shot died, then what could you possibly do?¡±


    She curled her lips up in a smile. ¡°You think I¡¯m weak¡­¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ look, you hid out in a prison for decades pretending to be weak. I mean, who does that?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a fair argument. Although my pride as a Mentor weeps at the thought that my disciple thinks me weak, I am afraid I just don¡¯t have the time to convince her otherwise. Trust that I will return to you, Kang Yilan, or my name is not Shen Zhimei.¡±


    I nodded. With that, she sighed in relief. ¡°I have said all that there is left to say, so¡­ farew-¡° Before she could leave, I wrapped her in a hug faster than I could think, refusing to let myself feel sad for her temporary departure. She hugged me back.


    When she finally pulled back, her smile was glistening, tears welling up in her eyes. The sting in mine told me that it was the same for me as well. ¡°Farewell for now, disciple.¡±


    She opened my balcony door and bent her knees before disappearing into the sky with a single leap, buffeting winds and blowing me back a single step. Hah, as if she could be weak.


    Nevertheless, I felt some pride at the thought that my mentor was a big-shot. I turned to the bag of holding in my hands and tried to peer closer in, still seeing nothing. With mild trepidation, I slowly dipped my hand in and then-


    -I saw a lot of things.


    How the hell was it fair for one woman to be this wealthy? Hundreds and thousands of gold slips lay in neat conical piles, as though the Heavens had poured it all in from the sky like sand. The piles of silken robes of noble colours were there as well, along with tomes and tomes of classic literature, none of which involved cultivation at all.


    There were weapons there, too; swords, sabers, pole arms, bows and quivers and quivers filled with arrows.


    Forcing myself to pull my hand back, I tightened the mouth of the bag and put it down. Quickly, I disrobed and wore something more practical, a similar set of the red and black Martial Arts set that Mentor bought for me from that village.


    With a final order of food from the hotel, which I devoured greedily, I set out to buy some horses, maybe a map, and make for Kunlun when I heard it.


    000


    Screams. Still in the Core District, I abandoned normalcy and ran at my fullest speed before jumping at the district wall, clawing my way up in mere moments. The view from the top of the wall was good enough that I could look over the entirety of the city, and the army that sat on the outer walls, slowly breaching the gates.


    Then, I heard a voice, loud and booming, as if it had no end in sight. ¡°Citizens of Jixing City! Bow before your new lord, the Dragon of the East! Surrender quietly, or face my infinitely hot rage!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just an invasion force from a bunch of bandits. No normal human being could shout that loudly! This was someone from one of the Martial Arts world.


    But that made almost no sense at all! The Wulin and Jianghu had a non-aggression pact with the government! To attack one city would be to invite the ire of both factions, working together to completely destroy the transgressor!


    ¡­Maybe they were strong enough to just completely ignore the idea that they were in danger? It was a sobering thought, and scary as well, but¡­


    ¡­I couldn¡¯t run away, now. I jumped off the wall easily, barely even thinking as I made to land on the ground, rolling in order to lessen the impact. It hurt much, much less than I had expected. Either Mentor had just beaten the concept of pain out of my skull, or I hadn¡¯t messed up on the landing.


    No good time to ruminate on that. I had skulls to crack.


    The streets were no good, packed up with hundreds of panicking idiots. I made for a nearby building and climbed upwards, still amazed by how efficient I was. Finding handholds and lifting myself up by my fingers was much easier than I had expected.


    Here was to hoping that the impending battle would be the same.


    Slowly, I opened the doors to my library of anger, and dipped into my Unwholesome State.

 Chapter 9 - Battle of Jixing

    Deng Ming helped the only way he knew how; by using his brain. The crush of civilians were just running through the streets, now, and it was his job to, with a bird¡¯s eye view, herd them towards the inner district without letting them run towards dead ends. The Monk was doing the same, leading those astray towards the right path, his teachings making him the ultimate hero.


    The guards were being absolutely decimated. After all, none of the guards were Martial Warriors the same way the invading force were. For every ten guards, one combatant died, and the enemy had no shortage of combatants.


    Then, he saw her. She stood on a rooftop, a bag on her backpack, running with a preternatural speed towards the horde of invading Jianghu combatants. ¡°Wait!¡± Deng Ming yelled as she passed by. She did not halt, diving straight into the fray, without even lightening herself. Instead of breaking bones, however, she began to break others bones. She fought with an impossible ferocity, her movements compact and straight-to-the-point, but still punishing, shredding grown men to pieces.


    She fought men with weapons, but she did not need one, as her body was already a weapon. Deng Ming did his best to tear his eyes away from the spectacle, as it wasted time where more people could be rescued. He focused back to the crowds. The Monk had picked up his slack, but he couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. The Scholar decided to relieve him.


    000


    Han Yu Jie had torn her way through the Wushu Woods, battling against the strongest Jianghu of the area. She knew that they weren¡¯t the best that the whole faction had to offer, but it still elated her that she had come so far. The mental realization of letting go of the normal world had somehow made her progress through the Martial Path in a single month what regular people would have taken years to.


    Mentor called it an Internal Demon, a major roadblock towards cultivation. To have one is highly disadvantageous, and most people would go their whole life not realizing that their lack of progress was not due to lack of talent, but due to an internal barrier in their mind preventing them from truly soaring, like a bird never flying because they are afraid of falling.


    By letting go, she had exorcised her Internal Demon, and her progress had skyrocketed.  The final guardian of the Wushu Woods had, after much battle, fallen before her, and now, she had been ready to take the world by storm, stopping at Jixing City.


    Then, chaos broke loose.


    She had not hesitated for even a single second to unwrap her spear and slash through the combatants with ease, cutting off heads, amputating limbs and spearing hearts like she was cutting grass, all the while banishing her emotions as she focused on the fight alone.


    Three men arrived, of a modicum of skill, and she decided on an overhead strike, turning it into a feint in the last moment, spearing one through the heart. With a tug, she sliced through the man¡¯s chest, and cut another man¡¯s throat. The last man jumped back, saving his life, but the loss of balance had him tumbling on the ground.


    Han Yu Jie ended his life before he could even stop rolling. Taking her eyes off the battle for just a moment, she noticed a huge Guan Dao swinging about, the spine of its blade adorned with nine rings. The chiming of each swing heralded new death. The bearer of the weapon did not display consummate skill, but fought like it was a war, speed and strength in spades, just doing his job.


    There was something familiar about him, though, but there was no time to think too deeply about it, else risk coming out of her battle trance.


    Having cleared the streets around her, she saw another young warrior, a beauty which almost made her heart throb. A warrior had managed to sneak up on her flank, and with three warriors at her front, her chances looked bleak.


    Han Yu Jie arrived in a timely fashion, spearing the man through his neck. She dodged the spray of blood almost like second nature as the beauty finished up on ripping her assailants to shreds. She turned to face Han Yu Jie and gave a grateful nod before going back into the thick of it.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Han Yu Jie shouted. She did, turning around for only a moment, her intense, lustrous onyx eyes boring into her own. ¡°I¡¯ll cover your flank so you can cut loose.¡±


    She nodded once more and turned back into the fray. Han Yu Jie made good on her promise, spearing any and all opportunistic bastard who dared hurt the valiant warrior.


    000


    I had no idea what her deal was. I hope I didn¡¯t frighten her, what with my blood-covered everywhere. After all, she seemed like a good person. She did save my life. It was a good idea, wearing red and black. The blood-stains weren¡¯t nearly as visible, except for on my still-painted pale skin.


    I may really have looked the part of a demon, now. After all, I had completely let loose the library of anger. The fucking things that it did to my Chi was¡­ no less than amazing. It wasn¡¯t exactly the State of Wu, since hyper-clarity didn¡¯t come, but it was like the world was suddenly reduced to a single tiny keyhole giving me the view of an enemy, and the overwhelming wish to strike that enemy down as soon as possible.


    I faltered, of course, dodging debilitating strikes by mere margins, but I adapted, made my style less ¡®brittle¡¯ as Mentor would have called it, making it more flexible, and forcing myself to learn from my mistakes and increase the efficiency of my attacks.


    I still had much to learn about Martial Arts, which I was still slowly realizing, and that meant the fucking basics. I couldn¡¯t ask  Mentor to teach me Chi skills before even mastering the basics. That was like trying to read the classics while only knowing one thousand symbols.


    Again, I came to appreciate Mentor¡¯s teachings more, trusting her with my future more and more. So far, she hadn¡¯t led me astray once.


    I heard the death throes of a combatant behind me, a spear poking through his heart as his saber stood raised above my head. I gave a nod to the helpful spearwoman and proceeded to cut completely loose like she had advised. It really was easier to fight without having to worry about combatants sneaking up behind you.


    I vowed to thank her properly after it was all over. Maybe ten gold. Hell, a hundred would be more like it. She had saved my life twice already, and it wasn¡¯t like I was short on money to throw around.


    Then again¡­ it was Mentor¡¯s money.


    Yeah¡­ I should probably not spend that money beyond the bare necessities.


    Again, the white-clad woman saved my life. I would honestly have heard most of these tryhards, but the buzzing in my ear made it difficult to plot my direction past the people directly in front of me.


    My anger was working against me.


    Dammit, this wasn¡¯t working. I¡¯ve lost count on all the idiots I¡¯ve killed, but they keep coming, on and on and on, and I was beginning to get tired.


    I turned to the girl covering me and gave her a grateful nod. ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone worth killing,¡± after all, this was an invasion force. Common sense dictated that there would be a commander somewhere, a commander whom I could challenge.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone, too,¡± she turned to look at the guy a couple streets over waving his giant ringed saber pole arm. ¡°Besides, that guy¡¯s got us covered on the street-level.¡±


    I scaled a house quickly and proceeded towards the outer wall of the city where most of the strike-force still stood. I scaled the wall easily and appeared on top. Behind the crenellations of the wall, two youths stood, analyzing the situation calmly, but their lack of armour led me to believe that they weren¡¯t combatants.


    They turned to me the moment I appeared. The thinner one looked at me flatly. ¡°You¡¯ve seen your share of battle,¡± he commented, no doubt noticing my blood-covered self.


    ¡°Where is the commander?¡± I asked, looking over the army.


    ¡°Big fat guy with red hair,¡± ironically, it was the fat one that said that. ¡°What, you wanna take him on?¡±


    The skies darkened, as if the Heavens sensed the anguish of the people beneath it. ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s breaking the rules, and it¡¯s the only way to get all the idiots to scatter. The eighteenth of the thirty-six stratagems: Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief.¡±


    They both nodded. Fat guy spoke first. ¡°Well, we were thinking about doing that, you know, but he¡¯s got two lieutenants. If you take out fatso, we¡¯ll be on his lieutenants.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The thinner one wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°You think the army will just stand still and let us take out their command? Who¡¯ll hold them off?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± the spearwoman said, twirling the pole weapon rapidly. ¡°You focus on cutting off the head of this invasion force. I will aid.¡± She turned to me. ¡°You will take out the leader, right?¡±


    I nodded. She smiled a little, prettily, distracting. Stop it. This is war. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you all to not fuck up.¡± With that, I jumped over the battlements and ran for dear life.


    The bastard fatass red-head sat on his throne on a platform carried by four other warriors.


    I would end him.


    000


    She was way too intense, Lin Leng thought as he jumped after her, lightening himself to avoid damaging himself. She had literally just jumped off the battlements without any hesitation, utilized minimal lightening before crashing into the earth, continuing her pursuit completely unimpeded, like she hadn¡¯t just risked shattering every bone on her lower body.


    He made his way to one of the commander¡¯s lieutenants, dodging and weaving past ineffectual attack after attack before finally appearing before the first lieutenant, a youth with long, brown, hair styled in many thin braids, a black tang suit, conniving eyes and a staff strapped to his back.


    He pulled out the staff and assumed a stance just as Lin Leng removed a pair of daggers strapped to his back. This would have to be quick, as his Chi stores were still for shit.


    ¡°Hey, buddy,¡± the staffman grinned. ¡°Mind telling me your name?¡±


    ¡°Lin Leng,¡± he simply said.


    ¡°My name is-¡° Before he could finish, he was forced to parry the two daggers that were aimed for his head with the middle of his staff. Despite the fact that he had Sharpened the edges with his Chi, and that the staff was made of wood, it still did not manage to even cut a shallow furrow across it. Hardening. And he was good at it.


    Lin Leng dislodged from the guy and subtly reached for Enlightenment to refill his stores. It wasn¡¯t as efficient as sitting down to meditate, but every single erg counted in a battle like this.


    ¡°Whohooohahahaha!¡± His opponent cackled. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a rude one, aintcha?! You don¡¯t wanna hear the name of the guy that¡¯s gonna lay your ass out?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if I did,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like knowing the name of my killer gets me somewhere in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°You know, I think I like you,¡± he grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t actually have to fight us. If you join us now, we¡¯ll probably forget all about the guys you killed. Sounds fair?¡±


    Leng sighed. ¡°Man, I¡¯m only here for a fight.¡± The prospect of testing his skills had, at first, seemed too much of a hassle, but now that the opportunity was right before him, he felt it a waste not to capitalize.


    ¡°Well said, asshole.¡±


    They collided again in a clang of steel on wood.


    000


    Wei Chow planted his feet on the ground ten yards in front of the second lieutenant, a middle-aged man with a black set of armour, hair in a traditional pony-tail, and immaculately styled facial hair. The scowl on his face seemed like a permanent fixture, just the way he was.


    ¡°I am Wei Chow,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    The lieutenant, saber in hand, appeared before him in a swift spring, intent on lopping Chow¡¯s head off. He blocked with his forearm, focused his intention, and the saber bounced back in a wave of force.


    The lieutenant flipped backwards in case Chow had pressed the advantage, but he hadn¡¯t, merely presenting a show of force. ¡°Absolute Deflection?¡±


    Chow scoffed. ¡°If you want to fight, bust out your moves and we¡¯ll fight, but don¡¯t play around with me. I¡¯m not a gentle playmate.¡± He stomped the ground once, and the earth around him erupted.


    ¡°Earth,¡± the lieutenant muttered. ¡°Blessed by Earth. Any reason why you defend this backwater city, then, o¡¯ Earth-blessed Warrior?¡±


    ¡°Do I need a reason to stop savage murderers from invading a city and killing its inhabitants?¡± He asked with contempt.


    ¡°It is the way of war,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°There is no avoiding it. You are, however, on the wrong side of history. If you wish to be immortalized, then simply join us.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and fight, you mongrel,¡± Wei Chow spat.


    The lieutenant bristled. ¡°My name is-¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Wei Chow said, walking towards the man slowly, but surely. ¡°We will never agree. Fight me.¡±


    The man shook his head contemptuously. ¡°For the world to lose a young talent¡­ it is, indeed, unfortunate, but talents are as plentiful as blades of grass in a field. You are not special. Prepare to die.¡±


    The lieutenant ran towards him, saber in hand, before faltering minutely, but he still managed to reach Wei Chow. The saber he swung was now Sharpened and Hardened, capable of blowing through any old Deflection. Wei Chow stepped aside, deflecting it laterally instead of absolutely. He then directed a powerful, but telegraphed punch at the lieutenant, who avoided it easily by stepping back.


    Then his chest almost caved in at an unseen force. He coughed blood, barely stopping himself from falling on his knee. ¡°How did-¡°


    ¡°The Earth holds many mysteries that even the most accomplished scholar knows fuck-all about,¡± he explained, a devilish smirk on his face. ¡°For example, what do you think drags you down to the ground? That unseen force that you have to lighten yourself to avoid? Moreover, where do you think it comes from?¡±


    The lieutenant tried to keep upright, but was slowly beginning to buckle at his increasingly heavy body, going light-headed at the strain required to keep himself standing.


    ¡°It comes from the Earth,¡± Wei Chow revealed. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you take a knee? You look tired, old lieutenant.¡± He reached the lieutenant, who had already dropped his saber, the weapon digging an inch-deep trench into the ground with its outline. He patted the lieutenant¡¯s head gently, forcing it down. Unable to handle the strain, he fell on his knees.  ¡°What was it you said, again? Prepare to die?¡±


    He patted both the man¡¯s cheeks and leaned forward, looking straight into the eyes of the helpless man, though he could see no fear. A true warrior til the end. Wei Chow pressed his head together until he heard something break, and then let go.


    The man fell on his back in a near-instant, the force causing his head to splatter against the earth.


    Wei Chow turned towards the army that was still being held off by the spearwoman, only by the barest of margins. She could use some help.


    000


    ¡°You¡¯ve got grit, girl, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± the tall man said. He was at least eight feet of pure muscle and fat, a brawler that I couldn¡¯t see actually defeating with raw strength alone. ¡°If you give up, now, I might just spare your life. If you don¡¯t¡­¡± Suddenly, it started getting hot. ¡°I won¡¯t just kill you. I will literally let every single one of my men have a turn with you, and once that¡¯s over, I¡¯ll break your spirit utterly, smash it into pieces until you become my slave, and when I get tired of you, I¡¯ll just toss you into a pit of dogs and let them rip you apart.¡±


    The more he spoke, the more things he threatened me with, the more I knew that I was going to have fun killing this walking piece of shit.


    I launched towards him, intent on ending it in one exchange.


    I barely saw his hands moving. He just swatted me out of the air like killing a fly. I was sent rolling dozens of meters, before throwing myself into a standing position. My arm wasn¡¯t fractured, but I was definitely sporting some nasty bruises.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± He asked. ¡°You¡¯ve run roughshod for long enough, little girl. It¡¯s time somebody teaches you a lesson.¡±


    There was a light trickle now as the big man strode towards me. ¡°Know that it was the Dragon of the East that subjugated you.¡±


    Yeah, right.


    Then it came. Too fast to dodge, too powerful to stop a fist the size of my head came crashing into my stomach, breaking bones, and rupturing organs.


    I rolled on the ground again, but did not get up, struggling to throw up all the blood in my mouth. The rain was beginning to intensify.


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± the man said. ¡°I won¡¯t humiliate you like that. After all, you are a capable warrior, the way you survived my Dragon Crush strike. I will just kill you right here, but not before I impress upon you why it is unwise to anger the dragon.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I spat out, my vision swimming. He came closer and closer to me until he was right above me. I tried to get up, but found that I couldn¡¯t. My whole body was screaming at me to just lay down, to accept my death.


    I couldn¡¯t accept that. I coul-


    He stepped on my shin, crushing it underneath his prodigious weight. I grunted in pain. Shit.


    ¡°Oh? No screaming?¡± ¡®Dragon¡¯ was grinning. ¡°You really are a special one. Actually, I¡¯ve changed my mind again. Be my disciple.¡±


    ¡°Fuck no,¡± I said, chuckling lightly. ¡°I already¡­ have one¡­ and she could¡­ make you look¡­ like a mole cricket.¡±


    He stepped on my other leg, pulverizing bone and lacerating muscle. I bit my lip at the pain. I really was going to die, here. ¡°You gonna¡­ make me beg¡­ for death?¡± I asked. I tried to laugh, but it came out ugly and harsh. ¡°We could do this all¡­ day.¡±


    He went for my arms this time, the hateful bastard. I tried not to look at the mess of meat and bone, the forearm bones poking through my skin like a knife that penetrated its sheathe.  Then, the other arm. All the while, I bit back my grunts and let the agony radiate through me, run its course, and divert the anger into the library.


    ¡°You bitch,¡± he swore, spittle flying out of his mouth, clearly not entertained by his ineffectual torturing method.


    While he fumed, I looked around, just to see if anyone could save me. I couldn¡¯t see the other three past the crush of combatants battling them, but they clearly did not have time for me.


    I wasn¡¯t bitter.


    The rain began to fall even harder, now, almost drowning me as I made to spit the water out or drink it.


    The Dragon, finally done with his tantrum, held his fist high, preparing to crush me underneath it.


    This wasn¡¯t the end. It absolutely could not be. My Mentor counted on me, after all. And so, I was not afraid.


    The moment his fist came down, I charged up my broken arms and pushed myself off the ground as hard as I could, breaking more bones in the process. His fist missed me, but his lowered head was completely open. With the bone from my forearm, I shoved it into his eye. It squelched wetly into the eye, and he screamed.


    I drove my head towards his other eye, biting through both lid and eye before he could throw me off, the clouds thundering as he stumbled around like a complete idiot, blind to the world. I wasn¡¯t any more injured by the fall.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± He screamed as the very air ignited, steaming the area around him. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I flopped on my stomach and tried to crawl away, inch by inch, using my head when my arms grew sufficiently useful.


    All I had to do was survive, and everything else would follow.


    The rain had slowly turned the tiny hill I had crawled on into mud, causing me to slide, flipping me over at the rampaging Dragon, materializing fire out of thin air.


    All I could think, at that moment, was how nice it would be to have a power that could warm you when you were cold, like I was now.


    I was really cold. Wow, I was cold.


    Probably from the rain.


    Cold¡­


    And before my very eyes, the skies parted, turning into a vortex of white fire as a searing white-blue bolt of lightning the width of a large cedar tree struck the Dragon of the East.


    The Dragon of the East fell, headless and body utterly scorched.


    Then, a handsome prince came and scooped me up from the too-too cold mud. ¡°Rest, Young Hero. I will have your wounds treated.¡± Wow, he was handsome. I could just lose myself in those electric purple eyes.


    ¡°Thank¡­¡± was all I could say before everything went black and I forgot what I was going to say.

 Chapter 10 - Preparation

    ¡°Mentor!¡± Monkey had shouted as he saw the remains of his Mentor, falling in the mud gracelessly. The offender, a tall young man, took the girl in his hands and travelled towards the city. Distracted and willing to pursue, Lin Leng took advantage and dug a furrow across his chest, two inches deep, not enough to kill him, but enough to keep him out of the fight as he worked to stem the bleeding.


    With that, Lin Leng sheathed his knives and turned to his blood-brother and the spearwoman, who had all stopped fighting on account of what looked like a Heavenly Tribulation descending upon a pitiful transgressor.


    It could not have picked a better target.


    The combatants ran away, one and all. The ones that had not seen the death of their commander took the sign as an omen for retreat. The fight was over, and the day had been won.


    The spearwoman gave chase to the man that had rescued the fiery woman, and for a lack of better options, he did too, his blood-brother in tow.


    000


    Deng Ming and the Monk had done their best to herd as many people into the inner district as possible, but complications arose when one of the combatants were actively trying to harm the fleeing civilians.


    The Monk had been there, and he had tried his best to dissuade the attacker, but the world was not so kind.


    The Monk had to, with a heavy heart, kill the attacker, and crestfallen, he had dug a grave in some dirt-yard before depositing the lifeless corpse of the attacker, chanting sutras as he wished him well on his next lifetime.


    The whole situation had rendered him completely useless in the ensuing people-herding, but the amount of people left to herd had lessened enough to decrease the strain on the scholar¡¯s part.


    When the lightning bolt had struck the earth, its boom could possibly have been heard for hundreds of kilometres. It had stopped everyone in their tracks as the combatants all fled the city, at least the ones that the Guan Dao wielding soldier hadn¡¯t gotten to.


    ¡­Somebody should probably have told him that the battle was over.


    The excitement did not end there, however. Before him, a man had appeared, carrying the same fiery woman that had laid waste to the combatants. ¡°Scholar, are you well-versed in the healing arts?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ dabble,¡± he responded, completely lost. The woman was completely ruined, her arms and legs twisted into softness. They would have to be amputated.


    He held the woman out. ¡°Then I leave her to you.¡±


    He accepted her without much fuss, noting her prodigious weight. ¡°Wait!¡± Before the man could leave, Deng Ming called out to him. ¡°Do you know anything about the bolt of lightning?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Convey my thanks to the young woman. Had she not clawed out the Dragon of the East¡¯s eyes, he would not have been too distracted to notice the technique which I was building up to.¡±


    Gobsmacked, he just stood there as the man ran away, much faster than he had seen anyone run before.


    Thunder Mountain. It had to be. It couldn¡¯t be the Patriarch, himself. Most definitely his disciple. His focus fell back on the bleeding form of the girl. More people appeared, a spearwoman, and two men, one round and the other svelte.


    They blabbered questions as he kicked in a door to an abandoned apothecary and laid the girl out on a table, placing her little sack next to her.


    The Monk had appeared as well, along with the Guan Dao wielding brute, watching the girl breathing shallowly.


    ¡°I¡­ know her,¡± the Monk said quietly as the scholar mixed together poultices, unguents and styptics. Deng Ming turned to the Monk tiredly.


    ¡°Can you bandage her,¡± he asked.


    He nodded and got to work, leaving his Monk¡¯s spade leaning against a wall as he found rolls of bandage. The scholar began with applying the medicine on her body before the Monk wrapped them properly. With a deep breath, he turned to reach Enlightenment as he held onto the girl¡¯s head, forcing his senses into her body.


    Something was happening. She was¡­ she was mending herself. Her bones slowly congealed, crashing into each other, fusing and picking off bits lodged into her muscles.


    Truly monstrous.


    But she couldn¡¯t do this process completely alone. She grabbed her one forearm and shoved the bone back into the arm, cutting through skin as he did so, but the bleeding would be stemmed by the bandages.


    ¡°Scholar,¡± the Monk looked wide-eyed. ¡°You¡¯re harming her!¡±


    He could not do with the idiot¡¯s naivete now. ¡°Sometimes you have to hurt someone to save their lives. It¡¯s called surgery, now stay back!¡±


    He proceeded with her other limbs as the group of people sat and watched, all grim-faced and expectant of bad news. He faced the group of people somehow connected to her and gave a nod. ¡°She will¡­ be okay,¡± he said, the tension slowly reducing. ¡°She is currently undergoing self-healing, unconsciously perhaps, but given enough time, she will recover. She does need food, however.¡±


    ¡°Thank the Heavens,¡± the spearwoman sighed, falling onto a chair. ¡°What a waste that would be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± the portly man bellowed. ¡°She kicked ass out there¡­ granted, she only did after she got beaten to an inch of her life, but who cares?¡±


    Deng Ming massaged his temples, staving away his headache. ¡°The attack that occurred today has a reason,¡± he began. All eyes suddenly fell on him. ¡°I know what the reason is. It is a man called Tian Mo, an ancient warrior who wishes to destroy the Wulin and Jianghu, to destroy Martial Arts and become the supreme ruler of the lands. This was only the beginning, and could not be a major setback for someone of his resources.¡±


    ¡°Hold the fuck up,¡± the fat man said, brows furrowed. ¡°Like, what? No, seriously, what? You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s a guy that¡¯s gonna ¡®destroy Martial Arts¡¯,¡± he air-quoted. ¡°And you expect us to just believe that?¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± the spearwoman said. ¡°I have never heard of this Tian Mo, and my Mentor has told me all about the most dangerous Warriors in the land. Tian Mo is not one of them.¡±


    Deng Ming gnashed his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s because Tian Mo is older than your fucking mentor!¡± He shouted. The spearwoman glared at him. ¡°He¡¯s old enough to be your Mentor¡¯s grandfather! He¡¯s one-hundred and fifty years old, from a time long past, from the era of the Third Great Martial War! Ever heard of that?¡± Deng Ming challenged.


    ¡°Watch it, you shit,¡± the spearwoman boomed, pointing her spear directly at him, but he was not cowed.


    The soldier finally spoke. ¡°Ladies should not be this vulgar.¡±


    She directed a hateful glare at him. ¡°Fuck you, asshole.¡±


    The soldier looked at her owlishly, blinking as if he didn¡¯t understand what just happened.


    The Monk stepped forward, tired and haggard. ¡°Please don¡¯t fight,¡± he said. ¡°I can vouch for Scholar Deng Ming¡¯s words. He swore an oath to the Heavens to prove his veracity.¡±


    The spearwoman was not convinced. ¡°And how do I know you¡¯re not lying?¡±


    ¡°Lying goes against the Eightfold Noble Paths, specifically that of Right Speech! To lie would be to forsake the vows I made to live my life in accordance with the dharma, thereby also forsaking the path of Right Mindfulness and-¡°


    ¡°Shut up,¡± the spearwoman said. ¡°Fine, I get it, you¡¯re some kind of Monk. Still,¡± she turned to Deng Ming. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±


    Deng Ming sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t. You can back out if you want, but now that you know the dangers, you will also be backing out from saving the world. I can¡¯t force you to work with me, but I would sincerely like for you to do so.¡±


    She glared daggers at him for several tense seconds before nodding. ¡°Fine. Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°The mountains of Kunlun.¡±


    Everyone in the room looked around at each other, surprise evident on their faces, but no one said a thing. He didn¡¯t understand the confusion. Was there something he wasn¡¯t informed about? Was there something going on there?


    ¡°Hah,¡± a voice behind him coughed out a laughter. He turned around to the injured warrior. ¡°I was going the same way.¡±


    He looked around at the room. Except for the Monk, who was still very gloomy, everyone was smiling. The portly man even held his stomach and began to laugh heartily.


    Deng Ming couldn¡¯t resist smiling, himself. That was, indeed, a fortuitous turn of events.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m hungry,¡± She said. ¡°Get me some food.¡±


    000You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Really.


    ¡­Really!


    What were the odds that I would meet so many capable warriors all going the same way as myself! Also, I was almost certain that I would die back then, but somehow I didn¡¯t. More than that, the scholar guy had actually taken me to be healed, and I got to meet the Monk again!


    I was lucky to have found these people. As it turned out, Deng Ming was on the same exact mission as myself, only he actually knew the name of the person we were supposed to vanquish: Tian Mo, and the reason why Kunlun was our objective. It was the home of a legendary relic thousands of years old. With its power, along with the power of two other relics, one could be omnipotent.


    Obviously, if the omnipotent person in question was a complete asshat, the whole idea didn¡¯t really enthuse many people, hence Deng Ming¡¯s frantic wish to be in Kunlun by yesterday.


    We had decided to relocate to the hotel room that Mentor had rented out, after I had paid for the herbal remedies to the apothecary so the Monk could stop bitching about having ¡®taken what was not his¡¯, it being the bandages he used to dress my wounds. What an idiot.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± I said, looking down on myself from my position, lying flat on my back. ¡°I¡¯m in no condition to go anywhere.¡± I had taken a slight look inside my body during my state of unconsciousness. Long story short, it made my little stint in prison seem like a scrape on my knee. ¡°Also, I¡¯m still hungry.¡±


    Deng Ming nodded. ¡°You need food to heal. The order has already been made for you, but¡­ we are on a time-crunch. If you can¡¯t heal before we leave, then I¡¯m not sure you can come.¡±


    The Spear-Girl who had introduced herself as Han Yu Jie glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without her.¡±


    That was¡­ kind of her.


    ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± the Monk chanted. ¡°To leave one behind so callously, I¡¯m afraid I agree with Han Yu Jie.¡± I expected no less from a guy with his moral fibre.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Deng Ming finally acquiesced. ¡°We will wait for you to recover before leaving. Before then, we should discuss on the journey ahead.¡±


    ¡°I have a map,¡± the soldier said, unwrapping a roll of paper strapped to his back and showing it to us.


    Deng Ming took it in his hand and read for a moment. ¡°We can¡¯t travel through the Himalayas, unfortunately. It will take much longer than if we simply go north, then head eastwards in the Gobi Desert, crossing into the Taklamakan before heading south to the Mountains.¡±


    ¡°How long will that take?¡± Lin Leng asked. ¡°That¡¯s really roundabout.¡±


    ¡°A month at the lowest,¡± the scholar admitted. ¡°But it gives us ample time to prepare more for what is to come.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, raising my voice. ¡°About that¡­ if my mentor was worried about Tian Mo, there¡¯s no way any of us could stand against him.¡±


    They all looked at me questioningly. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Wait,¡± my voice was dripping with mirth. ¡°Is this a ¡®don¡¯t know the distance between heaven and earth¡¯ situation?¡± I looked around in the room. ¡°Does any one of you know the distance between Heaven and Earth?¡±


    Han Yu Jie bristled a little. ¡°My mentor was the Scourge of Beijing!¡±


    ¡°Uhuh,¡± I said dryly. ¡°So, like, what could they do? How high up can they jump?¡±


    ¡°He once leapt over a citadel wall in a single bound,¡± she said.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± the fat guy, Wei Chow, murmured. ¡°That¡¯s kinda strong.¡±


    ¡°My master once cut down a whole battalion of men on his lonesome,¡± the soldier said.


    We all ignored him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Well, my master leapt into the fucking sky and started walking on clouds. Like, easily thousands of feet.¡±


    ¡°Cloud-stepping?¡± The Monk asked. ¡°That is¡­ an extremely complicated skill. Only the most powerful Martial Warriors in this world are capable of doing such a thing.¡±


    Han Yu Jie chuckled. ¡°And I¡¯m just supposed to believe that?¡±


    ¡°Believe what you want,¡± I said. ¡°None of us are ready. My mentor could make that ¡®Dragon of the East¡¯ guy look like a child, and he still kicked my ass, and she was still worried about what Tian Mo could do,¡± I thought a little more on it. ¡°In fact, it doesn¡¯t even make sense! Why would she send me out to fight Tian Mo? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why she¡¯s sending me to Kunlun.¡±


    Deng Ming nodded. ¡°Kunlun is a place of interest because it contains a relic. I¡­ or we¡­ may be the only ones to know that, because I discovered that myself.¡±


    ¡°Good news,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°That means Tian Mo can¡¯t-¡°


    Lin Leng pulled out something from his jacket and threw it into the rafters. Down fell a man dressed in all black, with a mask. He ambled over gently and pulled up his mask. His mouth was frothing.


    ¡°Did you poison him?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s-¡°


    ¡°I tried to strike an acupoint,¡± he defended flatly. ¡°He obviously had a poison pill in his mouth which he bit down on when he was found out. Asshole.¡± He turned to Deng Ming. ¡°Make sure you know who¡¯s listening.¡±


    ¡°How long was he up there?¡± Han Yu Jie asked.


    ¡°Since we entered,¡± Lin Leng responded casually. ¡°Thought I could wait for the right time to bag him without killing him, but he was more skilled than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Are we alone, now?¡± I asked. Holy shit, his senses were on point.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded, then gestured towards his companion. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have more time to train, there¡­¡± he said slowly. ¡°We were going there to find some challenge. Everyone knows that the Kunlun Mountains are open to every Martial Warrior that can successfully enter its doors, and it¡¯s not as possessive or dogmatic as other Wulin factions, or as bloodthirsty as Jianghu factions. Plus, the best of the best head over there.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± I said. ¡°Might be why Mentor and I were making our way there.¡±


    Han Yu Jie shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m down with that.¡±


    ¡°That is acceptable,¡± the soldier guy, Bai Guo, droned.


    The Monk simply nodded. ¡°If¡­ if we cannot talk Tian Mo out of his plans, then the next best thing is to prepare for combat. After all, violence is a constant of this world, and if you wish to be alive long enough to truly Transcend, then it is only necessary to learn how to defend oneself.¡±


    I made a note to talk to him in private. He seemed much more downtrodden than I would have imagined. Yes, there was an invasion force, and yes, people had died, but was he truly that na?ve to think that he could avoid seeing death for so long?


    Interrupting us, several knocks rang from the doorway, and in came trays and trays of food for everyone present.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered. ¡°I need¡­ someone to feed me,¡± I turned to the Monk, knowing that he would say yes, but-


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Han Yu Jie said. I raised an eyebrow her way.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I half-smiled, heat bubbling up in my stomach.


    000


    I ate often, and I ate a lot. Han Yu Jie was helpful in that regard, but when I needed to¡­ attend to normal human functions, it was the Monk whom I called upon, knowing that it would be much, much less awkward for either involved. The Monk was an ardent adherent of the whole ¡®no sex¡¯ thing, and was probably one step away from castrating himself, anyway, and I just didn¡¯t want Han Yu Jie to see me the way I was.


    When I was consciously trying to heal, the effort proved tedious, requiring lots of mental strength. Unlike the time where my Mentor said that my body had healed itself in prison, this was a completely different ballpark, and it showed every time I saw into my body.


    In the end, it had taken three whole days before every bone was fused, but when it happened¡­


    ¡­a veritable storm of Heavenly energy surged into my core, threatening to almost overwhelm me before settling gently, slowly running through my entire body, disappearing into my tendons, bones and muscles, leaving only some for my core.


    My recovery had been predicted by Deng Ming, so everyone was already beginning to pack their bags. It was dawn, even, the perfect time to leave.


    I stood up and began to jab the air, keeping my form fresh as I circled through some quick moves. I was much faster than I remembered, stronger too.


    If this was how I would come out from every near-death experience, wasn¡¯t that just encouraging recklessness? Ah, who cared, anyway? Results were what mattered.


    Then again, my ¡®results¡¯ were at the bleeding edge of death, so perhaps I should just take a little moment to relax.


    I went to get changed, removing my bandages and putting on something more practical, another set of black and red. With my bag of holding strapped to my back, I was holding everything that I needed for this journey. Mentor¡¯s jade slip was still tied to a necklace which I wore at all times, and I didn¡¯t even want to begin with the bag of holding.


    With everything ready, we grabbed a horse each from the stable, funded by yours truly, and were on our way.


    000


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He threw another pot on the wall, shattering it against the cave with ease.


    ¡°Young master,¡± someone approached him.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± Monkey shouted. ¡°I just¡­ leave me be!¡±


    They left his chambers quickly, leaving him to his misery. His Mentor had died, moreover, he had died to the Thunder Mountain¡¯s disciple. That bastard would never have been able to get the drop on his Mentor had that other cripple bitch not blinded him.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He screamed, unconsciously pouring Chi into his vocal chords, screaming himself hoarse. The Dragon of the East wasn¡¯t just his Mentor. He had been his only father, the one person who had taken care of him when no one else would, the one man who gave a single shit about him in an uncaring world that would rather have him dead in a ditch.


    Worse yet, he had betrayed his Mentor by allowing the rage to control him. He had gotten distracted by his fight, and was dealt a near-lethal blow that, had it travelled even a centimetre deeper, would have punctured his heart.


    He raised his fist high in the air and punched the hard rock floor, again and again, shattering it with each punch, until even his fist could not handle it, breaking it, too. Again, he had allowed his anger to control him, becoming needlessly injured.


    ¡°I really am hopeless,¡± he said weakly. ¡°I¡¯m disappointing, and¡­¡± He began breathing faster, deeper. ¡°I fucked up, okay?! Fuck!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t only to blame, a treacherous part of him whispered. His Mentor had also let his rage control him. He had played with his pray like a cat, thinking that the mouse could do nothing when, in fact, it managed to take both of his eyes.


    If ¡®rage¡¯ was such a useful tool, then why did it completely fail him when he was using it right?


    No, it was time to conclude the cold, hard truth: it was only inevitable before one succumbed to anger. It was like trying to train a tiger into attacking your enemies, and being surprised when, in its hunger, decides to have a crack at its owner. Anger was just a poison.


    It wasn¡¯t anger that was necessary, not even hatred. It was¡­ passion.


    Not even just passion. It was raw, undiluted passion, a cold fire, a spectrum of every single emotion at once.


    But that was only secondary. Intent mattered firstly, an intent which the Dragon of the East had never quite grasped, no matter how much of an adherent he was to the Flames of Destruction. It was, unfortunately, one of his biggest weaknesses, his bullheadedness. Never could he consider himself as wrong, and neither could he ever apologize to anyone, not even Tian Mo.


    He knew the intent, now: Destruction, to completely destroy something until it became mere ashes.


    And Monkey was filled with that intention. If he could burn the Thunder Mountain bastard into ashes, his Mentor would be avenged.


    For now, that was his goal.


    Monkey sat down to reach Enlightenment, the Heavenly energies swirling about him, each one scorching hot, having to be carefully led through his meridians and into his Core. Emotions guided them, but the intent beat it into shape, forced it to conform.


    When playing with fire, it was important to never get burned, but anger would always get you burned, which was why balance was vital.


    The energy entered his core, circulated, faster, faster and faster.


    Before, he could never get past the point where the Chi was said to ignite. His Mentor had tried to be tight-lipped about the process, but upon further investigation, it seemed that the point of the exercise was to move his Chi in a circular motion so quickly that it caught fire, like spinning a twig on top of sawdust to ignite it.


    That was not the objective.


    As the Chi spun wildly, he began to compress it, meeting cumbersome resistance on the way, but he did not stop.


    The ball became smaller and smaller, until small sparks began to exit from it. With a final push, he poured every ounce of effort into condensing the Chi into a single potent core.


    With a final push, the Chi went from pure energy, to heat, an absolute heat that could reduce anything to ashes.


    This wasn¡¯t just Flames of Destruction. His Mentor had explained the different flames that someone could awaken, but this¡­ this was more than just a flame. This was a sun, plain and simple, an everburning ball of burning fire that could reduce everything to ashes, even himself if he was not careful.


    This was Divine Fire.


    And it was going to consume him if he didn¡¯t find balance.


    As he fought for dear life not to burn to death, he lamented once more the loss of his Mentor. Though his wisdom had bounds, he always knew what to say to pull him through every tribulation.


    Now¡­ he would have to go at this alone.


    Sending a prayer to the Heavens, he trudged on in his mission for power.

 Chapter 11 - The Journey Begins

    ¡°The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch is dead.¡± Thunder Mountain proclaimed casually.


    The group had assembled atop the very peak of Mount Chomolungma, the very peak of the world. Few to none knew that there was one man who had built an abode, supported by large pillars of granite that could brave the incessant storms and snowfall that came year-round.


    Now, however, there was nothing but blue sky above the gathered expert, sitting on top of a balcony with a long table.


    At the end of the table, the host of this meeting, the elder Thunder Mountain sat, puffing away at his pipe, his vividly purple robes billowing slightly with the wind as he sat, leg crossed.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± the Harmonious Crane Sect Master said, ¡°Someone killed him. Who?¡±


    With a flip of his hand, he summoned a jade slip, which he threw onto the middle of the table. It did not hit the table, simply floating above for all the gathered people to observe.


    The jade slip¡¯s appearance was what identified it to every single expert gathered. It was red, with the symbols for Heaven and Demon emblazoned almost too proudly on it, as if whoever etched it feared not heavenly judgment; a true demon.


    Shen Zhimei hammered her fist on the table. ¡°Is this proof enough that this ¡®wayward child¡¯ may actually be a danger? He left his jade slip behind, practically begging us to find him, to challenge him!¡±


    ¡°Na-Mo-Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± the Dharma Protector of the Shaolin Monastery chanted in consternation. ¡°Daoist Zhimei has a point. This has gone on for too long. Refusing to suppress Tian Mo any longer will just be the height of folly, and now,¡± he gestured his Bo staff at the jade slip, gnarled wood made from a Divine Tree. ¡°Now he has the confidence to invite the elite of the Wulin and Jianghu for a battle? Preposterous.¡±


    ¡°It is the thirty-second stratagem,¡± the Ninth Wu Lord said, dressed in tiger fur, with thick brown hair billowing down to the small of his back. He looked the part of a young man, positively bristling with muscle and grit. ¡°The Empty Fort Strategy. He feigns weakness, inviting people into his doorstep, only to have an ambush waiting,¡± he scoffed. ¡°That, or he really is weak and this is a last ditch effort to keep us from busting down his door.¡±


    ¡°Tian Mo doesn¡¯t play,¡± Zhimei contributed. ¡°If he is inviting us to him, he has got something prepared. It absolutely is not like him to gamble like this.¡±


    The Matriarch of the Emei sect spoke up. ¡°Then why kill the Heavenly Dragon Patriarch? Surely, he must know that whatever he has planned, he cannot truly defeat nine consummate warriors?¡± She looked the part of a grandmother, the type of appearance that Zhimei had affected in her time in prison, but all resemblance ended there, for the woman looked truly ancient, like a stiff breeze could send her spiraling into death¡¯s door, and where Zhimei had tried for a lovely grandmother, the Matriarch was a harsh woman that brokered no nonsense at all.


    The Master of Kunlun scoffed. ¡°You really think the Heavenly Dragon would just fall to some upstart barely even a hundred and fifty years old?¡± He was an old, portly man dressed in fine robes, adorned with jewelries screaming opulence. ¡°Since nobody wants to say it, I will; he has a Divine Relic.¡±


    Shen ZhiLong pinched his beard and pulled as he spoke. ¡°All but one of the Divine Relics are completely unaccounted for, and I did not ask my disciple where it lay, but as long as it is either destroyed or sealed from Tian Mo, he will never become strong enough to go ahead with his insane plan.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The Wudang Sect Master roared. ¡°Your disciple knows where it is, and you don¡¯t? How could you accept that?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Zhimei continued. ¡°There will always be a non-zero chance that Tian Mo has sympathizers here. He is talented and powerful, and if his plan ever comes through, then any one of you would like to be on his side, yes?¡±


    Tension spiked as each person on the table looked at the other, knowing quite certainly that a traitor stood in their midst.


    Zhimei had her own theories. Of the nine people present, it could not be Thunder Mountain as the man had lost three disciples to Tian Mo, already. Shen ZhiLong was already a foregone conclusion. The old man had spent a large portion of his life trying to destroy everything that Tian Mo had built. The Dharma Protector was right out as well for obvious reasons, and the Emei Matriarch would rather snip off her own ears that listen to the younger generation, which also happened to be all but one other person on this table. All that remained were the Wu Lord, the Harmonious Crane Sect Master, the Master of Kunlun and the Wudang Sect Master (who, come to think of it, also seemed awfully upset that the ¡®Wise Dragon¡¯ did not know where the relic was).


    Chief of those suspects was the Wu Lord, a bandit in all but name, killing Martial Warriors like cutting grass all for the sake of creating a stronger Martial World.


    And by the looks of things, the others in the table shared in her misgivings, casting subtle glances at the Wu Lord.


    He simply sighed. ¡°Tian Mo¡¯s plan is to destroy the Martial Arts World. Why would I wish for that to happen? I value strength above all.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°And in case your strength is threatened, would it not be wise to ally with the one threatening it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s probably one of the stratagems, is it not?¡±


    The Wu Lord did not rise to the bait. ¡°I don¡¯t begrudge your secrecy, ¡®Wise Dragon¡¯. It is true that someone here is not what they seem. Wasting time suspecting everyone will do us no good, and I suspect that Tian Mo would benefit from this in-fighting.¡±


    Begrudgingly, Zhimei let it go. She saw the sense he was speaking, and knew that pushing the matter would only make her seem immature, which was exactly the opposite of how she planned to appear, being the youngest person on the table.


    Thunder Mountain took a drag from his pipe and blew a thick, billowing plume into the sky. ¡°A course of action would be a good place to start.¡±


    ¡°Hiding,¡± the Wu Lord said, quite shamelessly in fact. ¡°You proud fops will never admit to the necessity of hiding, but when our enemy possesses a Divine Relic, the solution is not to stand and die like fools, but to hide and put our heads together in order to come up with a solution. The tortoise may not be fearsome, but slow as they are, it should have been impossible for them to not go extinct but for the fact that they know when to retreat. Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best.¡±


    The Dharma Protector stood up and nodded. ¡°Na-Mo-Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo¡­ this has been it for me. I have no quarrel with Tian Mo, and I do not fight. I thank you all for your sacrifice, but I will leave the rest to you all.¡±


    Shen Zhimei struck the table in a fit of anger. ¡°If you wish to truly embody the Noble Eightfold Path, how about some self-sacrifice? Would you simply not save your precious Monastery, but at the cost of Nirvana? Are you really that self-absorbed?¡±


    Thankfully, no one had interrupted even as the Dharma Protector reddened before clasping his hands in the mudra of Enlightenment, chanting lowly beneath his breath.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Giving him just enough time to collect himself so he would not blow off his top, Zhimei continued. ¡°Telling us to hurt someone, and hurting that person makes no functional difference. All you do is place a paper-thin separation between yourself and the act. You have fallen off from the path, and forsaking us now will only confirm that you are poisoned by the desire of attaining Nirvana.¡±


    The Dharma Protector hummed even louder before finally stopping.


    Then all hell broke loose as his face twisted from stern serenity to demonic, unstoppable rage which would have forced Zhimei on her knees was she standing. The other gathered experts were much less affected by the utterly unholy aura emanating from the ¡®pious¡¯ man.


    Slowly, it eased until it was merely just a trickle, and when that was finally over, he returned to his seat and sat down without a word.


    Mission¡­ accomplished?


    Nevertheless, the victory felt hollow. The Dharma Protector was no doubt a monster, a person who was just millimeters from Transcendence, but was also dancing on the razor¡¯s edge of demon and angel. It was a vulnerable time for him, and in all his years, almost five-hundred now, he still had come no closer to reaching Buddhahood.


    And now, that very same half-step Transcendent had made her look like she was being whipped by her grandfather. Utterly disgraceful, but she was willing to swallow the slight on account that they had bigger things to worry about. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like any of the other experts present wouldn¡¯t just shit their pants if the aura was directed at them. Even the collateral effect had them shivering, and all she did was bow her head and breathe a little hard.


    The more she thought about it, the more anger she felt at being slighted so egregiously.


    Besides, the Dharma Protector was possibly the second strongest person present, after Thunder Mountain now that the Heavenly Dragon was dead. They would need him in the coming battle.


    The silence remained for the duration of an incense stick burning as every single present expert were deep in contemplation, considering the proposed plan.


    Finally, sensing that the storm of thinking had come to a near close, Thunder Mountain cleared his phlegm-filled throat borne from several lifetimes of smoking, and said his piece. ¡°Anyone opposing the motion?¡±


    No one did.


    ¡°Great,¡± Thunder Mountain said. ¡°We will all remain in the vicinity, watching each other¡¯s every move, until we have come up with a viable plan,¡± he waved the red Jade Slip over and crushed it. ¡°Since it has not reacted yet, it is safe to assume that Tian Mo never thought to seek us out just yet. With him unknowing of where we are, granted none of you told him, this place is the safest for us all. If he is coming, don¡¯t worry. The spell array on this abode will take us across China in the bat of a fly¡¯s wing at the smallest sign of trouble.¡±


    An acceptable recourse, albeit a regrettable one. Zhimei hoped that her disciple would remain safe as she braved the Empire on her own.


    Had they only a few more years together, maybe five, then she would have prepared her sufficiently, but time was a fickle mistress. It was up to the older generation, now.


    000


    ¡°So¡­ Kang Yilan?¡±


    I perked up, looking to the right where my name was spoken. Han Yu Jie veered towards me on her horse, half-smiling. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Tell me¡­ more about your mentor,¡± she said. ¡°Were you actually serious about that whole ¡®cloud-stepping¡¯ thing?¡±


    I chuckled a bit. ¡°Very. Scared the shit out of me the first time she dragged me up there. Why?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s just¡­ I always did look up to my Mentor, but yours seems so much more powerful.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. My Mentor is old as hell. She¡¯s probably had a lot of time to strengthen herself.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± she responded. ¡°My Mentor, Kong Yimu, is thirty, I think. People call him the ¡®Scourge of Beijing¡¯ and the ¡®Wu Lord¡¯, but I¡¯ve never seen him actually ¡®cloud-step¡¯.¡±


    ¡°See? Young,¡± I reassured. ¡°Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll even get stronger than him where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Han Yu Jie giggled prettily. ¡°That¡¯d be something, but,¡± she nodded resolutely. ¡°I will become stronger than him. He is a man whom I respect above all in this world. He¡¯s¡­ different, like me.¡± Immediately, she gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth.


    I blinked owlishly. ¡°Oh, uh¡­ what is that supposed to mean?¡± I chuckled a little nervously. I could relate to being different, being an outcast. The gradual reddening of Han Yu Jie¡¯s face upset me a little.


    I decided to reciprocate. ¡°You know¡­ my village treated me like crap growing up. I guess there was something about me that¡­ made them hate me,¡± I said. ¡°My mom died when she gave birth to me, and my dad turned into a complete asshole. It was like the village just¡­ didn¡¯t want me around.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ difficult.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°You could say that again. You know, being different is¡­ fine. You¡¯re,¡± I recalled my Mentor¡¯s words vividly. ¡°¡­My mentor told me this one time. ¡®You¡¯re desirable, and even if someone doesn¡¯t desire you, it doesn¡¯t matter, because you still have value.¡¯¡±


    Han Yu Jie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ thank you for that. My Mentor just told me to ¡®kill whoever does not accept you for who you are¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Or that,¡± I said. As one, we broke into laughter.


    ¡°You know, Yilan, I¡­¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, nevermind.¡±


    I let the matter drop as we continued to ride. The sun was beginning to approach the halfway point between noon and dusk. I looked behind us, where the rest of our little travelling party were riding, chatting between each other, except for the soldier, who was just weirdly not talking to anyone, not even the Monk, and the Monk talked to everyone.


    I turned to my own horse and sighed. They had been walking for a while now, it seemed. ¡°You think the horse is tired?¡± I asked Han Yu Jie, because while I had read about them (wow, I had read about something), I still had no experience with them.


    Han Yu Jie jumped from the horse. ¡°There¡¯s a creek over there,¡± she pointed towards the creek running  alongside the path. ¡°We¡¯ll rest up.¡±


    I jumped off from the horse as well and relayed the plan to the others behind us. They all followed suit.


    While the horses drank their fill and rested, I approached the still somewhat sullen Monk, sitting on the bank of the river, knees tucked behind his arms. I sat besides him. ¡°Hi.¡±


    He turned to me and smiled tragically. ¡°Hello, Kang Yilan.¡±


    ¡°Still upset about the invasion?¡±


    ¡°Kang Yilan, I killed a man,¡± he suddenly said. He wiped a tear from his face. ¡°A human being, with all those aspirations, all those experiences. He was a human being that had lived a life, a life where he had no doubt loved someone. No one lives without loving. And I killed him.¡±


    I nodded understandingly. Personally, I didn¡¯t see what the problem was. If I hadn¡¯t killed fifty men three days ago, I would be surprised, since it did feel like fifty men. Besides, they were going to sack a city. ¡°You are taught to follow the path of¡­ uh, right action,¡± I barely recalled. ¡°What is the better action: watching as someone innocent dies, or killing the offender?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It is a binary choice that does not translate to reality reliably and-¡°


    ¡°It does,¡± I said. ¡°Because¡­ sometimes you¡¯re backed into a corner, and you can¡¯t do anything else but one thing, but you have to do it. I trust you, Monk. Whatever reason you had to kill someone, it was obviously a good one. Not everyone is receptive to dialogue, and while that may be regrettable, that is just reality¡­¡± I thought more on it. ¡°If the Buddha reached Transcendence living in this exact same world, then what does that say about your chances of transcending?¡±


    His expression was pained. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ oh, Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo, it¡¯s not about Transcendece. It¡¯s just all of this¡­ guilt that simply will not leave my heart. I tried to do good by the combatant whom I killed. I buried him, chanted the correct sutras, and prayed that he find himself well in his next life, but¡­ it scares me to think that I might have banished him to an animal life, or even worse; hell,¡± he dried some more tears. ¡°But¡­ it happened, so I should simply meditate on the issue and try my best to reach the wholesome state. The Monastery had informed me that I will be tested to my breaking point while in the surface world. This should not be a surprise.¡±


    I patted him on the shoulder. He was a good guy. ¡°If you¡­ need to leave your ¡®unwholesome state¡¯, I¡¯ll be here for you to talk with.¡±


    He nodded and smiled, this time more genuinely. ¡°You are always welcome to discuss your misgivings, and relieve yourself of your ¡®unwholesome state¡¯, too, Kang Yilan. Thank you for your attention. It was very-much appreciated.¡±


    ¡°I caught fish!¡± Wei Chow came with a line filled with large bass, three or so. I turned to the Monk apologetically, and he just shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­ forage.¡± He stood up and left into the forest.


    Deng Ming, who had sat himself on a nearby rock, reading from a manuscript, sighed. ¡°You know the Monk can¡¯t eat meat, right?¡±


    Wei Chow had an utterly disgusted look on his face. ¡°Why even live?¡± He turned to his companion, the ever-so-listless Lin Leng. ¡°Hey, bro, get a fire going!¡±


    ¡°You do it.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, can someone do it?¡±


    Bai Guo stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I learned it on the front lines.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re actually from the front lines?¡±


    He shut his mouth and looked away.


    Oh, okay. ¡°You also deserted,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m on a quest,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Uhuh,¡± I said. ¡°You just get the fire going. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    With that, I fell into the State of Enlightenment. Right before I began to cultivate, I only thought of one thing.


    When the hell was I going to learn the State of Wu?

 Chapter 12 - Sightseeing

    ¡°I think one of us should be a leader,¡± Deng Ming stated, completely out of the blue. After Bai Guo had gotten a fire started, and we began to grill the fish to a state of edibility while forsaking taste, the Monk had returned with some groundnuts, fruit and roots, the poor, poor guy.


    And now, Deng Ming was sending us teetering into in-fighting.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Lin Leng said with a simple shrug.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± Bai Guo just said. ¡°A captain would make responding to an abnormal situation that much more efficient. It is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°So¡­ who is it gonna be?¡±


    Everyone kept quiet. Eventually, Wei Chow, having finished his fish, shrugged. ¡°You, of course. You took charge in Jixing, delegated roles.¡±


    ¡°Telling people who to fight isn¡¯t being a leader,¡± I argued. ¡°Besides, we barely even know each other.¡±


    ¡°I know Bai Guo is of a lesser intellectual level,¡± Lin Leng said flatly.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Bai Guo asked.


    ¡°You are selectively gifted,¡± he explained. ¡°I could give less of a damn commanding people. Wei Chow would probably trade us for a bowl of pork broth,¡± Wei Chow punched Lin Leng on the arm playfully. ¡°The Monk is¡­ is too good for us all. The rest are Deng Ming, you and Han Yu Jie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll opt out,¡± Han Yu Jie said. ¡°I am more of an advisor, anyway.¡±


    I turned to Deng Ming, searching for greed on his face. I barely saw any. ¡°So¡­ how about you?¡± I asked Deng Ming. ¡°You want to be a leader?¡±


    In a short moment of tension, Deng Ming considered it, before deciding to look down and shake his head. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I fear that there is something which I¡¯m lacking which prevents me from being a good leader. Perhaps I¡¯m unable to deal with lack of obedience,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I inspire devotion like you do.¡±


    Dammit. Okay, now I was being saddled with responsibility. ¡°If that¡¯s what you all want?¡±


    There was no dissent. ¡°Then fine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be your leader.¡±


    Han Yu Jie made a show of applauding. I threw her a tired grin and she smiled back. She was¡­ pleasant, for a lack of better words.


    000


    When Monkey opened his eyes, everything in his chambers had been reduced to piles of ash lying about, the remains of the possessions he had stored inside it. It was nothing important, merely books to keep him entertained, a bed which he could easily requisition once more, and some middling artworks that he had robbed from the Capital Museum. The world probably wept for their loss.


    Then again, he had stolen them because they were expensive, not because he had any attachment to the artistic style. None of that really mattered, now, since it had all become ash before his Divine Fire.


    He had done it. The Divine Fire had finally become his. It would only have become his after he processed his grief, so in his State of Enlightenment, while fending off certain death from the heat of his little flame core, he arranged the memories of his beloved Mentor and reviewed them one by one before immortalizing his legacy, burning the emotions related to the memories in the Divine Fire.


    He still venerated his mentor, but now, that veneration would not inhibit him by turning into grief. A milestone achieved, he was in the mood to celebrate¡­


    ¡­right when one of Tian Mo¡¯s retainers entered his room, completely uninvited. ¡°Lord Tian Mo wishes to speak with you.¡±


    Monkey obeyed quietly. When it came to anyone but his Mentor, treating anything lightly was utterly frowned upon, and that included Tian Mo. Troublesome, but it wasn¡¯t as though he was incapable of ever leaving the mountain if he so desired.


    He followed the retainer, going through the winding hallways of the mountain cave network before appearing before the war-room where Tian Mo often frequented.


    He turned around to see Monkey in. ¡°Ah, it is good to see you.¡±


    Monkey nodded. It was always strange seeing Tian Mo. He barely looked older than himself, who had just turned twenty, yet he was capable of making his mentor behave obediently, something no one else could possibly do. He gave the man a martial salute, as he was due. ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Tian Mo patted Monkey on his shoulder and smiled comfortingly. ¡°It is a shame what happened to your mentor. He was a great warrior, an excellent addition to the cause. He will be missed.¡±


    Monkey nodded, having already processed his grief. ¡°I saw him as a father.¡± Tian Mo nodded once.


    ¡°Hm. Now¡­ is there something you would like for me to know?¡±


    Monkey nodded. ¡°I have awakened to my element. It was not the Flames of Destruction, but the-¡°


    ¡°Divine Fire,¡± Tian Mo said, his voice almost sounding solemn, and not the fake emotion he always liked to affect. ¡°Your usefulness has suddenly sky-rocketed.¡± The callous tone of his proclamation immediately set Monkey on edge. ¡°Very well. Whatever realization you stumbled upon, it was obviously an effective one. The Divine Fire is a remnant of the will of the very Heavens. Though you do not command the same might, you definitely do have the Heavens guiding your cultivation. Saddling you with a mentor at this juncture would be less than helpful to your progress.¡±


    When he hadn¡¯t spoken for five heartbeats, Monkey asked his question. ¡°What do you suggest that I do?¡±


    ¡°See the world,¡± Tian Mo shrugged. ¡°See all the sights. Take revenge. Your opponent is a strong one; Thunder Mountain¡¯s very own disciple. He is even more talented than you, having awakened the element of Divine Lightning. As you are now, he would easily kill you, but with more training, you could easily turn him into ash and dump his remains in a latrine.¡±


    The mental image did bring a smile to his face.


    ¡°And,¡± Monkey said. ¡°I will get stronger as I roam.¡±


    ¡°That is the way of the Jianghu,¡± Tian Mo said. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s unhealthy for youth to stay cooped up indoors all day. Go show the world what you¡¯re made of.¡±


    Monkey summoned a tiny ball of fire from the tip of his index finger, and had it fly in figure eights around each finger before circling back. Yes, that would be fun. After he was done with the Thunder Mountain bastard, he would make the woman that blinded his mentor scream.


    He could hardly even contain himself.


    000


    ¡°Check what I can do!¡± Wei Chow said from behind as his horse whinnied. Suddenly, it shot past my own, which was walking sedately. He was standing on top of his horse, somehow keeping balance despite the unstable footing he had found himself in.


    Next to me, Han Yu Jie slowly stood up on her own horse, and barely even corrected her stance as balance came naturally to her. With a slight tap of her feet, the horse shot forward, and she barely even lurched with the change in velocity.


    How the fuck were they doing that?


    Next to me, Deng Ming rode up, shaking his head in exasperation. ¡°They¡¯re just wasting their Chi. What if something comes up?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait, Chi?¡±


    He looked at me, perplexed. ¡°Wait, your Mentor didn¡¯t teach you the different Chi skills?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°She was still trying to cram the basics down my head, mostly because I guess I¡¯m a little¡­ slow? Either way, I don¡¯t have much of a problem listening, since her methods have born fruit.¡±


    Deng Ming nodded. ¡°At risk of undoing your Mentor¡¯s hard work, I will refrain from explaining.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Tell me. What the hell is it they¡¯re doing?¡±


    He took a few moments to probably weigh the pros and cons before nodding. ¡°Stabilization,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a Chi skill that helps you lower your center of gravity. If most of your weight is concentrated on your feet, and if you also lighten at the same time, you won¡¯t be thrown off from the horse, and the horse won¡¯t be damaged by the pressure exerted by two feet alone.¡±


    Lightening and Stabilization. The former had to be what the Monk and Mentor used to jump so high. If Lightening worked by, well, reducing one¡¯s weight, and weight was basically downward force, then¡­


    I tried to think about making my Chi push me upwards. It was very wasteful as the Chi lifted me up only slightly before exiting my pores, blowing a hole through my reserves, but it was useful.


    If only I had known how to Lighten¡­ who knows how fast I would have been? Maybe I¡¯d take out twice as many combatants? No, that didn¡¯t sound very plausible. After all, even lighter on my feet, I would probably have used valuable Chi meant for hardening my own body. I had tanked a lot of hits with my own body, and compromising on personal defense would no doubt have seen a close-quarters-combatant like myself dead long before I could have fought (or been beaten the shit out of) by the Dragon of the East.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said to him. ¡°What are the other Chi skills that you know of?¡±


    ¡°There are nine basics,¡± he said. ¡°Sharpening, Hardening, Lightening, Guiding, Stabilization, Deflection, Amplification, Climbing and Resonance. I would advice for you to wait for your Mentor¡¯s go-ahead before trying to learn any of them. There are a series of more advanced techniques afterwards, but those are the basic nine.¡±


    ¡°How many have you learnt?¡± I asked.


    He sighed. ¡°My Mentor¡­ didn¡¯t teach me anything, actually. It was probably one of his tests, but¡­ everything I know comes from books and manuscripts. They contain flowery language, but the idea is to not be so subjective that only a select few can comprehend. It makes for tedious reading, but so far, I¡¯ve been doing well. I know Sharpening and Lightening. I believe Lin Leng and the Monk knows them all, but Chi techniques do not make up for raw power.¡±


    Of course. Mentor would never lead me astray. If she didn¡¯t deem the Chi techniques too important for me to learn, I would just keep doing what I was already good at. The Martial Path I was traveling down had already given me proven results. It would be best not to try and covet something else.


    Then, I heard the unmistakable whistle of arrows flying. Before it could strike the mid-center of my horse, I caught the arrow and snapped it with a clench of my fist, I turned to the direction of the fired arrow. ¡°From the treeline!¡± I yelled, jumping off the horse, slapping it harshly on its thigh to get it running away.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Bai Guo¡¯s Guan Dao was already in his hand, pulled behind him as he ran towards the treeline. ¡°This is for Old Ma!¡±


    True to his words, the horse that was unmistakably named ¡®Ma¡¯ was on the road, bleeding from the arrow wound stuck to its head. The bandits began to jump from the trees, getting past Bai Guo¡¯s barreling form. Han Yu Jie and Wei Chow returned with their own horses, before jumping off to join the fray while more arrows were fired from the inside of the forest.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± I shouted. ¡°Chase the horses away!¡±


    Before they could do so, with the Monk pushing them away gently, refusing to slap them for fear of ¡®injuring¡¯ them, three more horses had dropped dead, reducing our number to three.


    Then¡­ they came back.


    The horses that escaped¡­ they came back. They came back to attack the offending bandits. ¡°Leave!¡± I scream at them, too frozen on my feet to even know what to do. A bandit, having gotten past Bai Guo and Han Yu Jie, was promptly punched in the face by myself, hard enough that his head exploded.


    That did absolutely nothing to stop my frustration. Finally roused into action, I tried to stop the bandits from attacking the horses, but in the end, the last of them died, including mine.


    I took deep breaths.


    I was still angry.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I screamed loud enough to completely stop the battle. The bandits fled away as fast as they could while my party just looked at me, disappointment evident on their faces, except for the Monk, who was absolutely crestfallen at the death of the horses.


    It took long seconds before my breathing calmed down. When it finally did, I spoke quietly. ¡°Make sure the rations don¡¯t get bloody. We dig a grave and move on.¡±


    Seriously¡­


    ¡­was there actually an animal out there dumber than the horse?


    I highly doubted it. Even a fly would know when to fly away.


    000


    When the last body was buried and the last sutra was chanted, we moved on far enough away to set up camp without having to smell death or rot. It was my idea to burn the bodies, but no. Apparently, that would attract way too many predators according to Bai Guo, which made no sense considering any one of us could easily defeat a mundane predator, but I let it go because it was no skin off my back.


    When we ate our supper, I made an announcement. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sugar-coat it. Losing our horses was my fault. For some reason, I thought that animals would be smart enough to run away from danger, not towards it.¡±


    Bai Guo looked reasonably okay for someone who had just mourned the death of an animal, but then again, we had only really owned them since this morning.


    I pulled out my bag of holding, and winced slightly at what I was about to do. ¡°So, we don¡¯t have horses and now carrying a bunch of stuff will be a bitch to do, but¡­ I have a solution,¡± I reached over to my tiny bag and opened it. ¡°I¡¯ll store everything in this.¡±


    Wei Chow tilted his head. ¡°Is that, like, supposed to be a joke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bag of holding,¡± I replied patiently. ¡°It¡¯s got a ton of stuff inside. Just,¡± I got up to the pile of rations and widened the mouth of the bag, swallowing the rations whole inside the bag.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Wei Chow muttered softly. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s convenient.¡±


    ¡°As for not getting tired,¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s up to you all, I guess. It will be a longer journey without the horses, but I¡¯m pretty sure you can all pull through reliably.¡±


    Han Yu Jie sighed. ¡°Fuck-ups happen, Yilan. I¡¯m not blaming you for what happened. Our horses were¡­ dumb.¡±


    ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± the Monk said , his voice tinged with grief. ¡°They are but animals. You cannot blame them for wanting to defend their riders.¡±


    Chow heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why we didn¡¯t at least eat one of the horses. I mean,¡± he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what it was, but what he said was just the last straw. ¡°I want to spar,¡± I announced. The Monk happily raised his hand. ¡°Not you,¡± I said.


    Lin Leng shrugged and raised his hand.


    000


    ¡°Ready? Begin!¡±


    My forward-dash dug a furrow in the ground as I appeared before Lin Leng instantaneously, my elbow prepared for a short-distance strike to his shoulder, which would in a worst-case scenario break it or dislocate it.


    He dodged with the barest of margins, throwing his upper body back as he stayed rooted on his feet, no doubt stabilizing.


    But it left him with an opening. I stepped in, attempting to sweep his feet off the ground, but suddenly, he flipped onto his hands and lifted his legs, throwing himself further away from me in an acrobatic feat which I would be hard-pressed to repeat. I still pressed my advantage, my fist striking towards his face just as he recovered from the sudden relocation.


    I struck him dead-center, and he flew backwards, rolling into the dirty before recovering, a trickle of blood dripping down his nose and an exasperated look on his face. I relaxed and gave him a martial salute. I really needed that one.


    Bai Guo stepped forward from the group of spectators. ¡°I would like to spar with you.¡±


    My smile was practically vulpine. ¡°I accept your challenge.


    000


    Bai Guo had bitten off more than he could chew, it seemed. I never really understood what the deal was until we finally fought.


    He was an absolute idiot. A complete tool. It was like his mother dropped him on the head at birth, and stomped on it for good measure. When he made the switch to a combat situation, his utility became more evident going through the motions of combat and learning as he fought.


    It was when he said ¡°You¡¯re much too beautiful to fight like that¡±, I had lost my temper.


    The Monk and Ming were busy doing their best to get him to a travelling condition before dawn broke, and I was left to simmer down.


    The two boys and Han Yu Jie, I know why they were going to Kunlun, and the Monk was only going because Deng Ming convinced him to, and Mentor told me to go there, but¡­ what was he coming for?


    Did I want to know? He was probably looking for a challenge, too.


    The rest of the group had fallen asleep. I had the first shift on look-out.


    It was peaceful, hearing nothing but the chirping of nocturnal critters as I let my senses loose in the night forest.


    ¡°You mind if I join you?¡± Han Yu Jie asked, sitting next to me.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know,¡± she began. ¡°Bai Guo is an idiot. Don¡¯t let him get to you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just,¡± I sighed. ¡°My first time as a leader, and I get all of our horses slaughtered.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, even if it was, things like that happens. You learn to go with it, and make sure to learn from your mistakes. Besides,¡± she shrugged. ¡°You have to admit that was a ludicrous situation. Nothing could have prepared you for dumb animals and suicidal bandits.¡±


    I hummed. Well, to an extent, that was true. ¡°I still think that a good leader is characterized by how they react to an unfamiliar situation.¡±


    ¡°You chased them away by screaming,¡± she pointed out. ¡°You solved the problem single-handedly with one word at that. I still think that¡¯s what a leader would do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very kind.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment and remembered another kindness that I had not repaid. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m fairly sure I was dreaming, but did this handsome guy carry my half-dead body to be healed?¡±


    Han Yu Jie nodded. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I smiled. ¡°Right. That was weird. I¡¯ll make sure to ask around so I can find him.¡±


    She leaned closer to me, almost sounding upset. ¡°Then what will you do?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the insistence of her question. ¡°I will¡­ thank him?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she leaned back again. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°What did you think I would do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said. ¡°Ah,¡± she leaned closer to me. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ kind of cold, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I reached for my bag of holding. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got some blankets in-¡° She took my hand. I turned to look at her, nervous at the proximity of her face.


    ¡°Uh¡­ we could just¡­ stay closer together,¡± she said. ¡°You know, conserve heat?" I nodded once, and she began to press her body against mine, hugging me with one arm.


    She was¡­ really warm.


    I could get used to this.


    I wrapped her around my arm as well. I still kept watch, but allowed a part of myself to indulge in the warmth of Han Yu Jie.


    When my shift ended, we roused Deng Ming, and I hit the bedroll.


    000


    I was probably going to go to hell for saying this, but our horses dying didn¡¯t actually prove to be such a bad thing. Instead of horses, we had decided to brave the treetops of the nearby forest.


    Lightening myself, I found, was a balancing act. I only had so much Chi, so I needed to wisely split between Lightening and Hardening my body so that my jumps had more potency.


    Deng Ming was with the map, making sure that we wouldn¡¯t get lost, but with everything that this stupid fucking journey had thrown at me, I doubted nothing would happen to make us regret our little detour. One day travelling without Mentor and I had fucked up spectacularly.


    I didn¡¯t know when I would ever let such an embarrassing experience go.


    Then, the tree-line ended, giving way to an infinite sea of yellow flowers upon a meadow, dotted only by dozens or so hills interspersed randomly. We were all in front of a downwards slope of only yellow flowers, beautifully untouched.


    ¡°Whohoo!¡± Wei Chow shouted as he jumped off the hill and rolled down like a ball.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ beautiful,¡± Han Yu Jie said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°We take a break here.¡± Deng Ming turned to me dubiously, and I returned his questioning look blankly. ¡°Relax. We¡¯re the only one who knows where that magic thing is, and it¡¯s not like we can get strong enough to beat the guy in a day.¡± I jumped over to the flowers and fell on my back softly, lightening myself before the impact. ¡°Stop and smell the flowers.¡±


    Yu Jie fell next to me, sighing in relaxation. Something about her proximity filled me with equal parts nervousness and relaxation, so I decided to simply go with the flow and stop worrying.


    The Monk found himself a rock to sit on top of, having assumed that uncomfortable looking double-lotus pose. Quietly, he chanted sutras in a foreign language, his voice much lower than I had ever heard it, possibly a Chi technique.


    Deng Ming sat his back against the rock the Monk was sitting on, reading a scroll dispassionately, looking into the sky occasionally, most likely internalizing the facts or considering something else. He had told me that they were Chi technique manuals, so he was most likely trying to figure it all out, his own way of training.


    Speaking of training, Bai Guo stripped down to his pants alone, revealing his mildly scarred body for all to see as he slowly assumed different martial stances. It was nothing overly strenuous, just a practice of the mind, but I could see the point of what he was doing. He tried to shorten the motion of each attack, no doubt having learned something from our former spar.


    I would be the first to admit that his strength was impressive, with possible years of experience backing him up, but he had probably never met an enemy he couldn¡¯t beat until our spar. It would do him well to learn the distance between heaven and earth.


    I heard a soothing melody stemming from Lin Leng¡¯s flute. Somehow, he was standing on top of the flowers, not sinking even an inch beneath them. Was that the extent of his lightening? No, there had to be a trick to it.


    Wei Chow lay nearby, smiling dumbly as he watched his companion play. Eventually, in a turn on the melody, he opened his mouth and¡­ sang.


    It was in a smooth baritone, much better than I had expected, for it to come out from someone as rough and tumble as him. ¡°What a jaaaasmine brimming with beauty! What a jaaaaasmine brimming with beauty!¡±


    In the next verse, Yu Jie joined in, her own voice harmonizing with his uncannily, high and low dancing together, evoking a certain emotion inside me that I couldn¡¯t quite place. Was it longing, or something else?


    ¡°Aromas round dance twig glee, it¡¯s sweet n¡¯ white, all praise highly.¡± Deng Ming rolled up his scroll, cleared his throat, and joined in on the next line, a tenor to fill in the blank. ¡°Please allow me¡­ to pick thee, as a gift ne¡¯er twee. Jasmine thee, yeah, jasmine thee.¡±


    They began to hum a melody in a bridge, turning a mild autumn noon warm and comforting. Eventually, they circled back to the same verse, singing while the Monk provided a bass-y backdrop of humming for them to riff off of.


    Closing my eyes, I let the melody wash over me, lulling me into a peaceful rest.


    Yes, the world was in danger, but why hurry? I could never reach the Martial Peak in a month, and how could time be wasted when it was spent in enjoyment?


    000


    The principle to Lin Leng¡¯s flower-standing maneuver had been to eject a platform of Chi under his feet which he could use to stand on, while lightening himself at the same time so the platform didn¡¯t break. He could use it to walk on air.


    It was also the principle behind cloud-stepping, according to both the Monk and Deng Ming, who were both somewhat learned in the subject, but as always, the Martial Path was not the same for any two people, so trying to teach a fish how to fly, or a bird to breathe under water was a fool¡¯s mission at best, and mental illness at worst.


    At least, that¡¯s what they were trying to convince me as I tried and failed severely. The main principle behind condensing a platform of Chi, to externalize one¡¯s Chi was, for me, impossible.


    Even a single millimeter outside of my skin, my Chi would suddenly stop being mine to control, and I would be forced to replenish more Chi from heavenly energy, while all the rest of my peers were experiencing moderate success.


    Then there was Wei Chow.


    The guy had an Elemental Blessing.


    We were still in the yellow rapeseed meadow of Luoping when he had revealed his gift to us, as if it was not an important detail at all.


    Where Lin Leng could externalize pure Chi and solidify it, Wei Chow¡¯s Chi was Earth. Or, that¡¯s how he explained it. The bottom-line was that he was all about externalizing Chi because there was only a few ways he could utilize Earth Chi within his own body.


    Deng Ming told me not to worry since there was practically no chance that I had the same Elemental Blessing as him. They were few and far between, and two people with the same type of Blessing in the same sect was nearly unheard of, much less a traveling party of seven.


    Still, I only let the failure of my skill bother me a little as we traveled further up North. The yellow and green meadows soon gave way to more triangle-shaped hills, but to Martial Warriors, they were easily scaled.


    You know, except for the bits that required extraordinary jumping power. Where I was left panting in exertion after having jumped over the end of a rock shelf, Lin Leng only had to jump from his Chi platforms and was considerably less spent than me. While watching me pant for breath, he held his hands at the back of his head, resting it against them in a relaxed fashion.


    If I didn¡¯t know any better, I could have sworn that he was gloating.


    We continued the journey through the hills in no particular rush, until sundown was finally upon us. With travel rations to feed us, we rotated on who would keep watch.

 Chapter 13 - Yellow Mountain

    ¡°Where the hell are we?¡± Wei Chow whined like he was wont to do, being the person with the least amount of stamina. The incessant heals had eventually led us to a foggy environment, much more forested than the previous hillscape we had found ourselves in.


    Lin Leng had gone to hunt, providing us with breakfast, while the Monk subsisted on our rations. We liked to avoid rations as much as possible, living off the land whenever possible, and the venison that Lin Leng had caught for us would last us for a while, as he had cured it and salt-treated it so we could nibble on the way.


    With Deng Ming navigating us, we could finally spot a set of stairs from within the fog. We stopped before it, barely able to see thirty or so meters in the fog.


    ¡°Huangshan,¡± Deng Ming responded. ¡°This time of the year, the fog is especially dense. As long as we follow the stairs, we will find our way, alright?¡±


    I turned to the party and assessed everyone¡¯s faces. Although they seemed to understand, the gravity of the situation didn¡¯t really seem to register with them. ¡°If we¡¯re somehow separated in the fog, it¡¯s gonna be a bitch and a half to find your way without Deng Ming, so keep your eyes peeled for the person in front, alright?¡±


    They nodded variedly. With that, we went to scale the staircase with Deng Ming in front. The rock was moist, probably from all the water inside the fog, so I made sure to be mindful of my footing while still keeping an eye on Deng Ming¡¯s back.


    We had walked for over twenty minutes, now. The staircase was uncomfortably dangerous, with no railing to keep us inside, so when I slid minutely on a wet patch of moss, I looked down to center myself, using stabilization and lightening to keep balance.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, looking up and turning around to the people behind me.


    There was no one. Just a thick wall of fog behind me. I turned to face forward, expecting Deng Ming, but seeing nothing. I ran up the staircase, jumping five steps at a time, but Deng Ming was nowhere to be found.


    This wasn¡¯t adding up. There wasn¡¯t a single deviation from our main staircase. There was only the one path, so unless the people behind me had decided to stick behind, or Deng Ming had decided to just run up as fast as possible, or jump over me to run down, there was no explanation for this.


    My stomach dropped at the thought that they had fallen off, but that made less than no sense, either. I would definitely have heard their screams, and the fog only obscured eye-sight, not sound. I ran up even faster, now, trying to find an end to the incessant steps.


    Enemy combatants. That had to be it. High-leveled ones, too. After all, they managed to sneak up on us all, and somehow take everyone out one by one.


    That meant I was the last one.


    I pushed grief out from my mind and entered my ¡®Unwholesome State¡¯, dredging up anger as I prepared for a battle. I stood still and waited. ¡°Show yourselves,¡± I said, hardening my vocal chords as I spoke.


    I waited.


    And I still waited.


    Where they trying to play games, scare me into submission? Ah, that had to be it. They were scared to fight me when I was prepared, so now they were willing to wait for me to give into despair.


    That wouldn¡¯t work.


    Because my name is Kang Yilan, and my spirit would never break.


    Without much else to sate my appetite for action, I continued to walk up the stairs, fiery fury burning deeply inside me, fantasizing about what I would do to the people that had killed my travelling companions.


    I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely even noticed it when the stairs had ended, and what stood in front of me was a door.


    A door with a demonic face etched on it, dark brown, a snarl with large, sharp teeth. I didn¡¯t bother to open the door as much as I destroyed it with my fists. What awaited me was not more stairs, but a flat plateau of rock.


    And on that plateau, icy trees grew from tiny pockets of dirt, an elderly gardener tending to them fastidiously.


    ¡°Where are my companions?¡± I asked him harshly, startling him from his task and turning to me, slightly panicked before slowly calming down.


    ¡°Ah, a guest,¡± he said. He ambled over to a tree where he picked out a low-hanging peach fruit. ¡°Hungry for peaches?¡± He tossed it at me, but I just swatted it away powerfully. It flew off from the plateau in a rather straight trajectory. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a first.¡±


    ¡°Where are my companions?¡± I repeated, still standing where I was standing. I couldn¡¯t afford to walk into a trap, and where I stood was best.


    ¡­unless he gambled on me thinking that way.


    That kind of circular thinking wouldn¡¯t do me good. Quickly, I dispelled the thought-process and focused on what was now.


    ¡°Elaborate?¡± He asked, slightly lost. ¡°I¡¯m but a humble Divine Gardener.¡±


    ¡°I was walking up here with a group of people,¡± I said. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± he smiled. ¡°You are not actually a pilgrim, are you? Oh, what a waste. You say that you wish to see your companions again? It shall be done.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°Just like that? Why am I even here? And why did you take them?¡±


    He shook his head, rubbing his hands together. ¡°Truly too ignorant for your own good. Your companions never went anywhere. You did. You are here, and they are there,¡± he tilted his head towards a random direction.


    ¡°Then what is this place?¡±


    ¡°A mere garden,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why would you put a garden all the way up here?¡± I asked. ¡°What¡¯s the logic in that? Isn¡¯t the air too thin for the trees here?¡±


    ¡°This is Divine Wood,¡± he said simply. ¡°Much hardier than your earthly stock. Don¡¯t disrespect it so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry?¡± I said. ¡°Look, can you, uh, send me back already?¡±


    ¡°On one condition,¡± he said, raising his index finger. ¡°You are here unintentionally, yet you managed to walk past the Gate of Sin. Only the most devout of Daoists can do such a thing.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean the door with the demon face? I¡­ punched through it?¡±


    He looked flabbergasted. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I thought you had my friends!¡± I replied indignantly. ¡°Look, I was angry, and I thought I was going to fight someone, but turns out it¡¯s just a weirdo planting trees on a mountain plateau.¡±


    Affronted by the rude appellation, he almost seemed to get angry before turning to laugh. ¡°Oh, wow, never have I seen such a simplistic, brainless approach to the tenets of Daoism!¡± He laughed a little more. ¡°Ohohoh,¡± he wiped a tear from his eye. ¡°Oh, just give me a moment, ohahahahaha!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Can I go back to my companions, now?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he smiled. ¡°Follow me, child,¡± he walked into the fog and I followed so I wouldn¡¯t lose him. I saw a dark and tall shape in front of us which gradually became sharper and sharper until I could make out what had to be the largest tree I had ever seen. He gestured towards me, and suddenly, an invisible force held me up, levitating me. I kicked about ineffectually, stuck in position.


    Great. He was a peak expert. And I was mouthing off to him.


    He rose, too, towards the top of the tree, on and on we travelled, for what felt like hours, faster as we rose, until the tree turned into a blur as we rose each level.


    Finally, we reached the top, with a single peach on top. It was golden, ripe, and as large as my fist, looking extremely delectable.


    He plucked it all casually and summoned a simple net which he deposited the peach into before handing it to me. ¡°This is your reward for your take on the great Dao. A peach. It will help you on your journey to cultivation.¡±


    I took the net with the peach in my hand and nodded his way. ¡°Uh, thank you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why he was giving it to me. What the hell was the ¡®Dao¡¯, anyway?


    He giggled friendlily before turning to look at my¡­ chest.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± he frowned. I tried to maneuver away from his view indignantly, but finding myself stuck, I turned to cover my arms over them.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    His stare did not waver, even as he stared at my arms. He looked at me, concern evident on his face. ¡°I cannot in good conscience take away a gift, but I do suggest you not eat the peach until you have figured out your¡­¡± he gestured at me. ¡°Bodily situation.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he responded. ¡°You are an abomination.¡±


    I would so have throttled him if he wasn¡¯t capable of casually smacking the shit out of me. ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re entitled to your opinions, even if they¡¯re stupid. Can I leave, now?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Young woman, though it pains me to say, but it would be better for you if you return the peach. It is for your own good.¡±


    I nodded slowly, tossing him the bag with the peach while he looked at me, sadness evident in his eyes. What the ever-loving hell was his deal?


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave,¡± he said, and I instantly grew wary. ¡°Not without something to replace the peach, but I do not possess anything nearly as precious as the peach in this plane of existence. There can be no remuneration for your loss.¡±


    ¡°Letting me go will be remuneration,¡± I said to the crazy cultivator.


    ¡°Ai,¡± he muttered. ¡°Such ignorance. You know not what you have lost. Will you allow me to give you something less precious in return?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said impatiently. ¡°I need to leave. My companions could be worried for me.¡±


    He seemed to cheer up only slightly from that. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ reassuring, to an extent.¡± He turned back to the tree and ripped out a branch from it, a piece at least three meters long, four inches wide. He turned to me and held it in both hands almost reverently. ¡°This piece of Divine Wood can be fashioned into anything which you desire, be it a weapon or a tool. What would you desire it to be?¡±


    This was coming straight from out of the blue. Really, I had no idea what I wanted with it. ¡°What¡¯s so special about Divine Wood, anyways? Is it, like, unbreakable or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded eagerly. ¡°Many wish to fashion them into weapons like staffs and bows, with abilities that far outstrip that of regular weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a staff-woman or a bow-woman.¡± I cracked into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re giving me useless gifts, you know.¡±


    ¡°Useless?!¡± He seemed to be almost on the verge of crying.


    ¡°Relax,¡± I rolled my eyes. If a weapon was right out, then I might as well think of a tool he could make it into. Then again, I wasn¡¯t much of a non-combat person, either. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t really have an idea on what I could do with this.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ regrettable, then, that you have come here completely empty-handed when all that come here are granted eternal fortune. Is there anything that you lack that I could give you? Your adherence to the Dao, whether you know of it or not, is quite impressive. Your frugality knows no bounds, but I cannot let you leave this plane without giving you something.¡±


    What was it that I had wanted for a while, now?


    Well, a boost to the Martial Path would be exceedingly cheap of me to ask for. Besides, it wasn¡¯t a path if you could just jump straight to the end. If Mentor had taught me anything, it was to trust in the method, to believe in the journey.


    I would beat Tian Mo in good time, and I would become strong in good time. Asking for a short-cut would be wasting a wish.


    Was there anything I truly coveted, that was both somewhat material, and that he could grant me?


    I tried to backtrack to the one thing that I was upset that I could not do. External Chi manipulation would come with time if I practiced, so I couldn¡¯t ask for lessons on that. Besides, it would be like I was betraying Mentor¡¯s tutelage.


    The last thing I had really wanted was¡­


    ¡­an Elemental Blessing.


    Wei Chow had his. He could make things heavier, and in a drawn-out battle, he would be unbeatable, walking about light as a feather while his enemies became as heavy as giant lead statues.


    Was that¡­ was that even possible?


    ¡°Speak up, young woman,¡± the gardener said with an excited smile. ¡°I can see that you are mustering courage to ask your question! No judgment here! Whatever it is, I will grant it!¡±


    I washed away my uncertainty and nodded. ¡°An Elemental Blessing,¡± I said. ¡°Can you¡­ can you give me that?¡±


    He stared at me wide-eyed, then at the branch he held in his hands, before cackling wildly. ¡°Hahahahahahah! Why did I not think of that?!¡± He danced a little ditty as he finally found the one thing he could give me so I could leave this quite-frankly depressing space.


    How did the trees even grow in this area, so utterly devoid of sunlight?


    He brandished the piece of wood and turned it into a pike before directing it at my stomach. ¡°Hold still, girl!¡±


    Wait¡­ wait, what?!


    I thrashed around as he brought the pike closer to my stomach, cursing myself for trusting this eccentric expert, thinking he would really entertain my nonsense.


    Suddenly, the force holding me aloft redoubled, completely inhibiting me from movement.


    There was no use fighting someone so vastly more powerful than me. I wouldn¡¯t let my spirit break in despair, either. I fucked up in this life, but in my next, I would become the strongest.


    The spear slipped into my stomach, into my core, where it slowly melted and conjoined with my Chi. ¡°Seek Enlightenment,¡± he said to me. ¡°The next bit will require your own effort, now, so quit ogling the process.¡±


    I closed my eyes and sought Enlightenment, immediately finding myself inside my body, watching and observing for any abnormalities as the pike of Divine Wood was slowly shoved into my core.


    Finally, once it was over, it was time to investigate what was happening.


    My Chi was growing wooden, gnarly, multiplying at a faster rate than I could control. If I let the process be, I would explode with wood and death would come slowly.


    Immediately, I launched into pruning the Divine Tree forming inside my core, clipping away branches, shortening it, trying my best to ensure my survival, but it wasn¡¯t working. If I cut one branch, two more would sprout from each one, and the more I cut, the more powerful it would become.


    And it was growing much faster, now. I could do nothing but cut, but as cutting meant speeding up the process, I was forced to respond to the branches much faster, and faster still until my reaction speed and processing speed would finally be outmatched by the cancerous growth of the tumor-like tree.


    And I was getting tired¡­


    ¡­No, not tired. Chi-deprived.


    Immediately, I stopped looking at the branches, and started looking at the roots, digging into my core, siphoning off my Chi and making itself stronger that way. The cretin of a tree had been making itself stronger on my Chi?


    Fuck. This.


    I imagined a big, Earthen pot which I shoved the tree into, only throwing some Chi inside. The tree, not to be starved, started punching holes into the pot.


    Okay, then a metal pot.


    The tree-roots were still digging through the pot, as if it could not be stopped. What a monstrous tree it was. How the hell did anyone even survive Awakening if it was this perilous all the time? Did Wei Chow have a hard time at it like this? I should probably ask the guy.


    No. Stop with the distractions.


    I asked for this, so I better sit upright and take responsibility for my idiotic ideations, and NOT. DIE.


    Okay, okay. So the issue with the tree was the Chi would feed it. The tree could only exist inside my Core.


    Why was that?


    The Core was a whole realm onto itself. The way I had imagined it ever since I had unlocked it was pretty straightforward: a ball filled with life-energy. That was what Chi meant, anyways, a more obscure term referencing the energy of life.


    But that wouldn¡¯t help me in this situation. After all, how could a tree exist inside a ball of energy?


    A tree had to grow on soil.


    Finally, the abstract had been shattered. There was a tree, now, on soil. Albeit inside a dome, which I wagered was the boundary to my core.


    What else did a tree need?


    Sun. A sun that sat on a blue sky. With clouds that would occasionally herald rain.


    Okay, so now the dome is a sky, there is a sun, and there are some clouds. All made of Chi, mind you.


    Now, where would the Chi be stored?


    I wracked my brain for a solution, before finding one, an obvious one at that.


    A lake of Chi. I materialized a vast lake with Chi right next to the lake, and then, I realized the sheer genius of the maneuver.


    The sun would heat the water up, making it cloud, and the cloud would rain on the tree, and the tree would be fed.


    But¡­


    ¡­there had to be a way prune the tree periodically.


    How did trees become lighter in this situation? Did all trees just¡­


    ¡­just grow til infinity? That made no sense. Otherwise we would have a bunch of ancient trees around, too big to cut down.


    Humans cut down trees to build houses, but there were places out there where no human went, and those trees were never too big. Why was that?


    I couldn¡¯t spend so much time ruminating on the answer, even, because while I had slowed down the stupid fucking tree¡¯s rampant growth, I had still not even come close to solving the problem.


    I had maybe, what, a full minute before I had to go lumber-jack again¡­


    ¡­wait.


    I cut the tree from above its root.


    Fuckthathurt.


    On the soil where the tree had fell, it gradually seeped into the earth as fungus and insects fed on it, before grass began to grow on it. Then, the grass began to spread elsewhere, using the cut tree as food for its growth.


    These were principles that I had never even actually read about, things that seemed so obvious, though I always took for granted.


    Slowly, saplings began to dot the grasslands, and their growth was fast up until there was too little Chi to go around, terminating their growth to a dead trickle at about three meters. Nine ¡®trees¡¯ stood like that, including the stump of the main tree, which was slowly beginning to sprout a sapling.


    The whole arrangement felt much more stable, but still, I felt there was something vital missing.


    Right¡­


    The tree was of my Chi, meaning I had to mark it as mine before I could control it.


    I had to become one with the tree.


    And with the most straight-forward solution I could think of, I imagined a body for me to walk around inside my core, a rather beautiful environment I had constructed, and walked towards the stump of the big tree, almost three-meters wide, and a meter tall.


    I fell into it, and slowly sank into the wood, becoming one with it just as much as it became one with me.


    And when it did, I learned something new.


    Growth.


    I woke up, still floating in front of the Divine Gardener. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he smiled. ¡°Now I may let you leave,¡± he turned me around to a door with a sign on it that I vaguely recognized, that of a circle, with two sides, one black and one white, the border between them both wavy. On each color side, there was a small circle of the opposite color. ¡°Once you have figured out your little situation, then you may return to this plane to reap your reward. I have opened the gate to take you to your worried compatriots directly, so there will be no searching for them. A tiny favor that still will not pay back what you are due.¡±


    I still had no idea why he was going on and on about some peach, but I decided to humor the insane cultivator that had also just given me a boon. Despite the opulence of his gift, I sincerely hoped that we would not meet again.


    I walked on the air, towards the door and opened it.


    From the other side, I heard voices through the thick fog. ¡°-would make no sense to leave her here!¡± Yu Jie said sharply. ¡°She could actually die!¡±


    I walked faster though the voice, spurred on by her concern for me. Finally, I saw them, all standing by a fence which no doubt kept them separated from a thousand-foot-drop.


    ¡°Finally!¡± I yelled, walking towards them. They all turned to me, a range of emotions running through their faces. The Monk was elated, Deng Ming with a constrained expression of contentedness, Bai Guo smiling stonily, Wei Chow with unrestrained excitement. Hell, even Lin Leng seemed relieved, tension leaving his frame.


    And Yu Jie¡­


    Tears welled up in her eyes before she shot towards me. I prepared to defend myself, only to feel her arms wrapping around my mid-section, her silent sobs probably staining my clothes.


    She had been so worried. Guilt causing tears to well up in my own eyes, I reciprocated the hug. I honestly couldn¡¯t name the weird attachment I had found myself sharing with her, having just met not even a full week, but¡­ it felt right.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± She muttered sadly.


    ¡°Lost,¡± I said, looking up at the sky. ¡°Very lost.¡±

 Chapter 14 - Ghosts of the past

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, rope in my hand, requisitioned from my little bag of convenience. ¡°Nobody lets go of the rope,¡± I said. ¡°Follow the person in front of you, don¡¯t take any detours, don¡¯t try to skip ahead.¡±


    Lin Leng raised a hand. ¡°I think I¡¯m speaking for everyone when I ask this but where were you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­¡± I looked at the ground. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Did you, like, slip off from the stairs or something?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Yu Jie said. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, already. She literally could not have. I kept my eyes on her, uh, her back constantly, and suddenly, she faded into the fog, and when I chased after her, I just saw Deng Ming.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s probably how it would look like for you guys. I was walking up the stairs, almost slipped, which took my eyes off of Deng Ming¡¯s back, but when I recovered, he was nowhere to be seen,¡± I turned to Yu Jie. ¡°Neither were you.¡±


    ¡°Whoaaah,¡± Wei Chow muttered. ¡°This mountain chain is creepy.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Uh, this might sound weird, but if you see a door with a demon face on it, just turn around and leave.¡±


    Deng Ming perked up. ¡°Oh, so you were charmed to a different location?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Hell if I know. All I know is that there¡¯s a guy up here who¡¯s got this garden of trees, some of which are short, but one of which is¡­¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Holy shit, that thing was tall.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°And¡­ he¡¯ll insist on giving you fruit, and then he¡¯ll start ogling you!¡± I yelled indignantly. ¡°Then he¡¯ll call you an abomination and demand his damn fruit back! But he won¡¯t let you leave until he gives you something of equal value, but there¡¯s nothing more valuable than the peach, but-¡°


    Deng Ming¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, hold on. Hold on. Did you¡­ no, I didn¡¯t hear that right. What fruit was it?¡±


    ¡°A peach?¡±


    He dragged his hand down his face, then turned to me, staring at me blankly. ¡°A peach?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a peach.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ and did you eat one?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°He said¡­ it would be bad for me.¡±


    ¡°Kang Yilan, who was this man?¡± He asked frantically.


    ¡°He called himself the Divine Gardener,¡± I said. ¡°Some sort of expert, I think. He made me fly, and held me still in the air.¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°Okay,¡± then he turned around and held up his map. ¡°Let¡¯s resume our journey.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°What was so special about him?¡±


    He turned to me, eyes wide. ¡°Trust me when I say this, Kang Yilan, but you don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    I turned to the others in our group. Yu Jie was just as clueless as me, along with Wei Chow, though I couldn¡¯t tell if Lin Leng even cared.


    I made eye-contact with the Monk, but the little shit just looked away, muttering sutras under his breath.


    I took a deep breath and decided that yes, I did not want to know.


    ¡°Demon door,¡± Lin Leng said. ¡°Don¡¯t open it. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°Could somebody tell me what the peach was?¡±


    The Monk walked over to him and whispered it into his ear, cupping his mouth as he did so. Wei Chow¡¯s eyes went wide, his face paling as he nodded. ¡°Oh,¡± he turned to me. ¡°You do not want to know.¡±


    I shrugged. Whatever. Even if it was some kind of great treasure, I couldn¡¯t possibly treasure something I had never even worked for.


    Besides. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was such a raw deal,¡± I smiled, holding the palm of my hand out, facing the upwards. ¡°Check it out.¡±


    I willed Wood Chi to sprout from the palm of my hand.


    And waited.


    And waited.


    Wei Chow peered over to my hand. Then he smacked it gently. Then he looked up at me, unimpressed. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we just get off this mountain.¡±


    I turned away from them to hide my blush, agreeing with all my heart.


    I was so done with this mountain.


    000


    We slept one night in the mountain, burning through the cured meat quickly, then dipping into travel rations. Still, we could not shake off a particular mood which had kept us less animated than when we were still in the rapeseed meadows, enjoying the view of the ocean of yellow flowers.


    We took turns keeping watch until dawn finally broke, and we continued our journey. The sun was still not visible from the heavy fog, forcing Deng Ming to play it by ear navigating the mountains.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Finally, finally the fog began to clear as we walked up another one of the incessant stairs, until the fog broke completely, giving us a clear view of sweet, blue sky, and the sun recently risen from the horizon.


    Then, the pall that had been cast on us had finally dispersed, and we smiled once more, happier once Deng Ming had confirmed that we were heading the right place.


    We kept above the fog layer, taking rope-bridges to different mountain peaks, marveling at the visual acuity which we had taken for granted once before.


    When noon had broken, we let the heat of the sun bathe us as we took a break to eat and drink our fill on a plateau of a mountain peak. Lin Leng played the flute, Wei Chow treated us to some of his inexplicably high levels of singing.


    Then, Bai Guo opened his mouth, and everyone was blown away¡­


    ¡°WhAt a jAsMIne brimmmmming wiTH bEAUTy!¡±


    ¡­by how inexplicably bad he was.


    ¡°Aw, shut it,¡± Yu Jie said, throwing a rock lazily at the singing oaf. It hit his head with unerring accuracy.


    Bai Guo, interrupted mid sentence, nursed the place he was hit and looked down, slightly forlornly.


    ¡°Aw!¡± Wei Chow moaned in displeasure. ¡°You got him all upset, now!¡±


    For a guy so usually stoic, it was weirdly discomforting to see him so hurt. ¡°Yeah,¡± I turned to Yu Jie, smiling ruefully. ¡°I think you should apologize.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she turned to Bai Guo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright?¡±


    Bai Guo straightened and nodded stoicially. ¡°I was not injured.¡±


    ¡°Your feelings were,¡± Lin Leng deadpanned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to ¡®em,¡± Wei Chow said. He then patted the ground next to him. ¡°Come over here, will ya? Let uncle teach you to sing.¡±


    Bai Guo grimaced. ¡°We¡¯re almost as old as each other.¡±


    ¡°Bah, who cares,¡± he shrugged. ¡°You want to sing well enough to woo all the ladies in the world? Come sit next to me and I will teach you how.¡±


    ¡°¡­All the ladies?¡±


    ¡°All of them,¡± Wei Chow assured. I scoffed as Bai Guo eagerly went to sit next to him. For the next hour, our relaxation period was interspersed between moments of beautiful singing, and Bai Guo sounding like he was torturing a cat.


    By the end of it, he could hold a tune only for short durations before messing up inevitably. It made for a frustrating experience listening to him, but it was infinitely better than where he had once been.


    It also helped that Lin Leng played an accompaniment that basically scrubbed away Bai Guo¡¯s most egregious singing gaffes.


    We were once again on the trail, taking the last staircase downwards, or at least that¡¯s what Deng Ming assured us. The stairs disappeared into the hellishly grey fog, but I could see from where we still stood that, a couple of miles forward, the fog was dispersing.


    Assuring myself that it would only be a couple more hours, I put one foot in front of the other, holding onto the rope that I had taken out, along the rest of the travel party.


    Wei Chow was still hard at work teaching Bai Guo how to hold a tune. I was grateful for his attempt to lighten up the dreary mood, fending off the pall that was once more being cast upon us. Yu Jie was closer to my back, and I was closer to Deng Ming, doing my best not to get lost in the fog again.


    When we finally came out from the fog of the Huangshan mountain chain, to a rain-forest, the beautiful sun shining down on us, skies blue as far as the eye could see.


    And when Bai Guo sang¡­


    ¡°What a Jaaasmine brimming with beauty!¡±


    ¡­he was actually passably okay, if you, like, covered your ears a little and paid attention to other things.


    He would get there in time. Like the Martial Path, no great thing could be accomplished in one day.


    000


    We made a camp at a clearing, with the backdrop of Bai Guo slowly learning how to sing, though the process was tedious for everyone listening. Meanwhile, it gave me time to introspect.


    I didn¡¯t get it. Why couldn¡¯t I make trees grow from my body?


    ¡­Err, it sounded strange when I put it that way, but if the Flame-blessed Dragon of the East could generate fire at will, and Wei Chow could break through stone like it was sand, why was I still utterly unable to do anything that had anything to do with wood?


    I learned ¡®growth¡¯ from when I fused with the Divine Wood inside my Core realm, and yet, it stubbornly refused to materialize outside of my body, as if I was still unable to externally express my Chi. Trees still remained trees when I touched them, unlike Wei Chow¡¯s mastery over real Earth, and I couldn¡¯t grow trees from my own body, so the method that Dragon used was not applicable to me.


    Deng Ming had no answers for my difficulties, and neither did Wei Chow, Lin Leng or the Monk. Even Yu Jie was making headway creating platforms of Chi underneath her feet, but she was also suffering from the general shortage of Chi in her core, making the technique highly impractical for now.


    I was going through the same exact issue as day one: every time my Chi exited my body, it stopped being under my control, and became unattributed heavenly energy again. Yu Jie told me that there was a constant battle to try and maintain ownership of the piece of Chi outside of your body, that if you faltered, the energy would go back to being unattributed.


    For me, it wasn¡¯t a battle.


    It was like a grown up stealing sweets from a fucking baby. I had no actual say in whether I could keep the candy. It was just taken. I couldn¡¯t resist.


    And it drove me up the wall with anger, at the thought that my spirit was somehow unable to compensate for the way the heavens reclaimed my Chi, running roughshod over the little resistance I held up.


    ¡°I cannot in good conscience take away a gift, but I do suggest you not eat the peach until you have figured out your¡­¡± he gestured at me. ¡°Bodily situation.¡±


    Was that what he meant with bodily situation?


    Was there just something wrong with me?


    No. If there was, then Mentor would have told me, wouldn¡¯t she? After all, if I did have some sort of crippling disability, then wasn¡¯t that extremely important information to know about before one went to go ¡®save the world¡¯?


    Shaking my head, I turned towards Deng Ming, still pouring over the map. ¡°Are we on course?¡±


    Deng Ming guffawed. ¡°Are we on course? Of course we are.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I scooted over to sit next to him so I had a better view of the map. ¡°So where¡¯s the next-¡°


    I stopped immediately, seeing his finger resting an inch or so from Huangshan. Another mountain was nearby, too. Taishan.


    I clawed my fingers, trying to dispel the horrible memories of the place.


    ¡°The next stop?¡± Deng Ming asked. He ran his fingers through Taishan and a little further up ahead. ¡°There¡¯s a city where we¡¯re going. We could restock there, and-¡°


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re not crossing Tai Shan.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s a faster route, and if we don¡¯t take it, we¡¯ll have to cross a swamp which literal noxious fumes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make do,¡± I decided. ¡°We¡¯re not crossing Taishan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense,¡± he said, looking me in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this is the safer route.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you,¡± I said, my teeth gritted. ¡°We are not crossing Taishan.¡±


    He looked me in the eyes for long seconds before sighing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kang Yilan, but I really do want you to give me a reason for why you¡¯re not willing to take this route.¡±


    The decision was obvious. If he really was so adamant on crossing Taishan, needing a reason to dissuade him, I would just continue to leave him in the dark.


    I would take my childhood with me to the grave if need be. I could never be reduced to such a state again.


    Never.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re crossing Taishan, but we¡¯re not stopping if there¡¯s a village. You hear me?¡±


    Deng Ming looked concerned, but eventually, he acquiesced. ¡°That is acceptable.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said.


    I didn¡¯t take the first shift this time, opting to sleep my woes away. With the stressful inability of mine to eject my Chi outside of my body, as well as old ghosts coming back to haunt me, I didn¡¯t have a very good sleep.

 Chapter 15 - Origins

    ¡°-She¡¯s dying! Somebo-y s-ve h-r!¡±


    ¡°-ritual!¡±


    ¡°-but the child will-¡°


    ¡°h-ve no choice-¡°


    000


    I woke up in a cold sweat as Bai Guo roused me awake. ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± he said.


    I nodded numbly as he went to his bedroll to sleep.


    All the while, I still could not figure out what I had just seen. Was that truly a dream?


    It felt too real, like a memory, only it was as if someone erased every fourth word or letter, giving you a holey account that made little to no sense.


    But one thing was as clear as day.


    Something had happened to my mother before she died. And whatever it was¡­ it could be connected to what was wrong with me.


    000


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it just doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I said to Deng Ming as we walked, my voice slightly hushed. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have some kind of flimsy will, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that my Chi becomes Heavenly energy instantaneously. There¡¯s something wrong with my body.¡±


    Deng Ming sighed. ¡°Are you hearing yourself? Just because you¡¯re not getting one technique right doesn¡¯t mean that there is a bodily deformity preventing you from reaching spectacular heights!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said harshly. ¡°I can¡¯t even materialize Divine Wood outside my body.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was just some hallucination,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, it happened,¡± I said. ¡°And the peach was real, too.¡± I added quickly. ¡°There¡¯s Divine Wood inside my Core. Thing is, I should be able to materialize it outside of my body, but for some reason, I can¡¯t at the moment.¡±


    Deng Ming stopped me by placing one hand on my shoulder. We let the others pass us, citing that we had something to talk about in private. I ignored the concerned look from Yu Jie. She had been giving me loads of them after we came down from Huangshan.


    ¡°Can I share something with you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been behaving strangely since we came down from that mountain,¡± he said. ¡°Now, I know something unexplainable happened, and I won¡¯t doubt you. I¡¯ve seen stranger things, now. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯ve not been you,¡± he said. ¡°I see you meditating, anxious, angry, and it¡¯s been affecting the way you¡¯ve interacted with people.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± I said. ¡°If it¡¯s about Taishan-¡°


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what that was about,¡± he said, then raised his hands defensively. ¡°And I¡¯m okay with that. It¡¯s your own issue, and you can choose who to share your issues with. It¡¯s just¡­ that doesn¡¯t work if you¡¯re the leader. If you do things just because you want them done, when it makes no sense to your travel companions, you¡¯re inviting calamity.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, not liking the whole lecturing tone. ¡°Fine. We¡¯re crossing Taishan anyways, so you don¡¯t have to complain about that. Now, my body.¡±


    ¡°Your body is fine.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I said, leaning towards him. ¡°Listen very carefully, Deng Ming. I know you think I¡¯m stupid. You think everyone is stupid, and yes, compared to you, that might actually be correct, and honestly, I don¡¯t care. As long as you don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m stupid.¡± I held his shoulder, clenching it only a little, enough to discomfort him. ¡°Check me out. You¡¯re the most qualified medic in this party, and if there is anything actually amiss with me, you¡¯re the only one I know that can find that out.¡± I let go of his shoulder. ¡°Yes, I know I was being selfish. Yes, I know you don¡¯t deserve to experience the consequences of my selfish actions. Whatever. It¡¯s done. And if I¡¯m being volatile or aggressive, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not being taken seriously when I¡¯m telling you that there¡¯s something not right with me.¡±


    I stared him in the eyes, and eventually, he looked away. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do an examination. Also,¡± he turned to me, bashfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was treating you like a lesser being. I¡­ struggle with arrogance.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°At least you¡¯re self-aware,¡± I said. I began to walk. ¡°Let¡¯s catch up with the others.¡±


    He followed behind a little uncertainly.


    Fuck, I shouldn¡¯t have threatened him.


    But¡­ it was all just getting to me, now. The Divine Gardener had said that my body was abnormal, and as much as I hated to admit it, it terrified me to believe that this would really be the extent of my journey in the Martial Path, to be utterly stymied by my inability to even use the blessing I had Awakened.


    I couldn¡¯t let that happen. Not when my Mentor relied on me so much.


    I held the Jade Slip in my hand, thinking of her. Wherever she was, I hoped she was doing okay. She must have had a good reason to be away from me for so long. I just had to trust in my mentor.


    000


    We had gone a ways away from the camp we had set up for this situation. I couldn¡¯t hide what I was intending to do from Yu Jie, who had come with both out of curiosity, and possibly concern. She was a good¡­ friend.


    Friend.


    The word filled my heart with both warmness and longing, yet I couldn¡¯t understand it. Ugh, not important.


    With me were the Monk and Deng Ming. I laid flat on the ground, waiting.


    ¡°Assume Enlightenment,¡± Deng Ming said. ¡°The Monk and I will examine the state of your body, as well as the quality of your Chi.¡±


    I nodded. With my eyes closed, I grasped tranquillity and fell into the old rhythm of Enlightenment.


    000


    ¡°Pay attention to her body,¡± Deng Ming said to the Monk as they crouched over Kang Yilan¡¯s prone form. ¡°Everything from her biology to her Chi.¡±


    He nodded. Slowly, they both eased into letting their senses go, before letting it flow into Kang Yilan.


    She was more opaque than the last time he had done this, when she had just come out of her fight with the Dragon of the East, like her entire body was suffused with Chi, but her Core shone magnificently, almost overpoweringly.


    But it was unnatural. It was like a room filled with light, without a single shadow to be seen, like an amateur painter who could not identify a source of light in their work, so they opt to completely white-wash the piece, effectively ruining it.


    Yes, indeed, there was something wrong with her body. He could feel the Heavenly energy enter her body, and somehow split. One part would be discarded, while another would be kept to her core.


    The phenomenon was completely alien to him, but there was something in the deepest recesses in his mind that¡­ that could put a name to the process, the components that were kept by her Core, and the components that were discarded.


    His sensitivity frayed, he shut down his sight into the girl¡¯s body, ignoring the more sordid implications that it carried, and sighed. The Monk was still hard at work, face bent in stone-hard concentration as he, too, tried to piece together the puzzle from the available pieces.


    And as Yu Jie looked at her expectantly, no doubt wanting to demand what was wrong with her ¡®friend¡¯, all Deng Ming could think was what type of experiences she went through to mess her body up so severely.


    Steeling himself, he straightened out his mind, retuned his sensitivity, and cast his senses into the girl once more. He would have his answers, or he was not the most proficient scholar of his generation.


    000


    When I woke up, the three that had been present in my ¡®medical¡¯ examination all looked at me in varying degrees of worry, Yu Jie the most.


    I swallowed. ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    The Monk gestured towards Deng Ming, not willing to be the bearer of bad news. How contradictory it was, then, that his creed would encourage honesty, and at the same time discourage hurting someone¡¯s feelings even though the two may overlap.


    The scholar gathered his thoughts before speaking. ¡°We have¡­ confirmed that there is something wrong with your body.¡± He crouched over to the dirt and drew a circle, the same exact symbol I saw on the exit of the Divine Gardener¡¯s garden. ¡°Chi exists in duality. Much with the Daoist symbol, Chi has two parts; Yin and Yang.¡± I nodded, following his train of logic. ¡°Yin can be described as ¡®soft¡¯, while Yang is generally ¡®hard¡¯. Yin is female, yang is male,¡± I scoffed a little, but let him continue. ¡°Yin is thought, yang is body. The ephemeral, soft external, and the concrete, hard internal.¡±


    Realization hit me like a physical blow. ¡°I have no Yin Chi!¡±


    Deng Ming nodded gravely. ¡°Your body simply does not allow for the existence of Yin Chi in your body. Chi comes in a duality, and most people will never even know that there are two parts to it, but you will always have just the one. Meaning, to you, external Chi materialization is impossible.¡±


    The word hit me like when Mentor grew extra frustrated with me. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    It felt like the entirety of my future was collapsing before me, disintegrating. What the hell was I supposed to do if I couldn¡¯t even develop as a Martial Warrior? External Chi was basics. Now¡­ now I was forced to crawl where others could run.


    Dammit!


    I got up slowly and turned away from the three, waiting to centre myself and not betray the inner turmoil that I felt.


    Yes, this was a setback, but screw it all, I wouldn¡¯t just break down because of it. Let them have their cloud-stepping and weapon-hardening and whatever. A simple one-two hasn¡¯t failed me, yet.


    I wouldn¡¯t let it fail me.


    I took a deep breath and turned around, meeting the concerned looks on the faces of the three. ¡°You all look pitiful,¡± I said frankly. ¡°Do I look like a cripple to any of you?¡±


    Yu Jie¡¯s slightly affronted expression turned to a barely perceptible smile that glowed minutely with pride. Deng Ming just nodded, but the Monk didn¡¯t look convinced at all. Yeah, trust him to see right through my ruse. Yes, I was upset, but showing it helped no one.


    ¡°Deng Ming,¡± I said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m being a little too hopeful if I ask if there¡¯s a cure?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He sighed forlornly. ¡°The Complete Yang Body, as I have taken to calling it, is congenital. It means you have carried it since birth. To change that is to completely revamp your body from the ground-up, which is simply impossible, and¡­ I believe the deformity runs deeper than just your body.¡± He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s in your soul, Kang Yilan, and there is no amount of medicine in this world that can change your soul.¡±


    Well, in some twisted fashion, that was¡­ reassuring. It just told me that I wouldn¡¯t have to pine over looking for a cure. Less drama, less worry. These were the cards the Heavens dealt me, and I would just have to deal with that.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯ve answered the ¡®what¡¯, so that leaves only the ¡®how¡¯.¡±


    He pressed his lips together. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kno-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said, raising my index finger. ¡°Do not tell me what¡¯s good for me, Deng Ming, if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    ¡°I found a trace of sorcery on you,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Powerful Daoist magic, something only an expert could cast. From my conjecture, it was cast at birth, at the one single moment of your life where your soul could be easily modified. I don¡¯t know the exact details, I don¡¯t even know why someone would charm you at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°-losing both ¨C b-by and m-ther.¡±


    ¡°-no choice-¡°


    ¡°-Do it-¡°


    I staggered back at the intrusive thought, or¡­ memory? There was simply no way to actually tell the difference. It was much too disjointed, incoherent, wrong, and yet¡­ yet it carried a certain set of emotions that an idle thought wouldn¡¯t, like I was feeling an intense grief I had never even felt before.


    Why would¡­ why would I be charmed by some kind of magician, anyway?


    Why would¡­ my family know a magician?


    ¡°-you okay?¡± Yu Jie asked. I nodded absently, not looking at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°I think I¡¯m remembering something, something from¡­¡±


    Someone crying. Was it me? A face¡­ I couldn¡¯t recognize it. I couldn¡¯t even make it out.


    ¡°A while back,¡± I completed flatly.


    This wasn¡¯t working. The memories were worth complete dog shit. If I¡­ if I wanted to learn of my origins, get answers to these questions, then¡­


    It was so difficult having to consider even doing this. I could live a full life pushing through in my Martial Path, forgoing External Chi in favour of the simple things like Amplification, Lightening and Stabilization, become a consummate warrior who doesn¡¯t have to rely on stupid cloud stepping.


    But¡­ there would always be a part of me wondering, agonizing over the question of why I was like this.


    I couldn¡¯t live with that glaring hole in my knowledge.


    And oh-so-fortunately, we were just half a day¡¯s travel from where I was born, the shittiest place in the world, in fact.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Yu Jie asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes I am,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re stopping by a village,¡± I said. ¡°I have someone I want to talk to, there.¡±


    ¡°And what are you guys conspiring about?¡± From the tree line, Wei Chow exited, along with Bai Guo and Lin Leng. ¡°Is it, like, something important or¡­?¡±


    I sighed and turned to them all. It didn¡¯t help to hide it from them, anyways. We were all on the same journey, so I explained my little problem.


    000


    Every step felt like I was traversing through mud, the resistance choking my forward momentum and making it all that much more tedious.


    But I carried on, showing no outwards sign of weakness. Yu Jie cast ever-so-¡®discreet¡¯ looks my way, looks she probably thought I wouldn¡¯t notice, but I did. On any other day, I would appreciate her concern, but I didn¡¯t need concern right now. I needed strength.


    We arrived in the outskirts of the backwater village, just the way I remembered it, so close to the forest that it almost morphed into it, trees growing incessantly around the area. Kids were out and about, milling with no real sense of purpose, while men were gathered in corners, bottles in their hands, drinking themselves into a stupor as their farm work was over.


    The village was lazy, bringing out the worst of everyone. There was just barely enough food to feed everyone, and everyone was okay with that, coasting by on a ¡®barely enough¡¯. They were belligerent, prone to violent outbursts and brawls, the only thing left in them from their dreary existence their incessant machismo.


    If they couldn¡¯t have tofu pudding every day, they sure as hell would break the jaw of whoever looked at them wrong, because it took much less planning and hard work to hurt someone than to feed one¡¯s children.


    Never, ever, for even a single, errant second of my time in prison, and my time with Mentor, did I miss this steaming shithole. Mentor had brought me down to the deepest levels of agony, preparing me for the journey ahead, and yet I wouldn¡¯t trade even the worst of her treatment to another day in this heaven-forsaken place.


    Why?


    Because there was no direction in this village. Time stopped moving, and space was only an illusion. A day was a year, and a meter was a million miles, so even if you thought about going away, you could never truly muster the will to.


    This place wasn¡¯t even like Huangshan. The sky was blue, vivid even, but the fields were desolate, ruined from over-farming, and the simple knowledge required to correct their mistakes was beyond their idiotic kens.


    As we entered the village, I recognized many faces, though I was certain they didn¡¯t recognize me. My childhood was spent trying to ingratiate myself with the people, but when I no longer could do that, I stayed in my house, where my only oppressor was that bastard of a father.


    I only went out when the hunger proved too insistent, debasing myself by begging for scraps to whoever would listen, and occasionally, some would.


    Say what you want about prison, when I was sent there, I was finally living for myself, mining ores for food, and I could mine like nobody else¡¯s business. I no longer had to beg. I just had to work. And all it took was killing three men.


    Although they didn¡¯t recognize me, a group of drunkards from a corner came before us anyway, furious expressions etched on their faces. One of them stepped forward and slurred, his breath smelling of alcohol. ¡°We ain¡¯t in the business of hostin¡¯ travellers, so if y¡¯all wanna stay in the area, fuck off outside the village why don¡¯tcha?¡±


    Yu Jie moved towards him, but I held her back by her shoulder. I turned to look at the bastard. ¡°Where is the chief?¡±


    ¡°You deaf, girlie?¡± He asked, leaning towards me. ¡°What the fuck did I just tell you?¡± He leaned back and chuckled a little. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± He said magnanimously. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll let you into the village if you do a lil quid pro quo, you know what I¡¯m-¡°


    I grabbed him by his throat and lifted him up easily. He tried to claw at his hands, but his finger nails could find no purchase on my skin, sliding off as if it was granite. The others behind him had seen it, and they all stepped back, as they should.


    I let the asshole go and grabbed him by his collar. ¡°Where. Is. Your. Chief?¡±


    ¡°Yilan,¡± Lin Leng said. I turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for a second.¡±


    I nodded, and turned back to the asshole. ¡°I-I-I¡¯ll take you there!¡± He said. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me, Forest Spirit!¡±


    He really was an absolute fucking idiot.


    I turned back to the group. ¡°I¡¯m gonna see him on my own.¡±


    Wei Chow shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll go help out Leng.¡±


    Bai Guo nodded. ¡°He could possibly use assistance.¡±


    The Monk just sighed. ¡°These people are clearly in need of the Noble Eightfold Path.¡±


    Deng Ming said nothing, just nodding.


    ¡°No,¡± Yu Jie said.


    I turned to her abruptly. ¡°What-¡°


    ¡°No,¡± she repeated. ¡°Whatever this is, it¡¯s eating you up. I¡¯ll support you, but you can¡¯t push me away, alright?¡±


    ¡°Listen,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, you listen,¡± she repeated, walking towards me. ¡°I want to help you, alright?¡±


    I just¡­ didn¡¯t want her to see me so weak. That wasn¡¯t who I was, not anymore. I left that behind when I went to prison.


    ¡°Whatever happens,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t think any less of you, alright?¡±


    I froze. She wouldn¡¯t¡­ think any less of me? Even I would think less of myself if I ever broke down over something as stupid as things from the past. How could she just ignore all that, anyway? ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said.


    ¡°We all have our demons,¡± she pressed on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to face yours alone, alright?¡± She reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I could just lose myself in her hold.


    With a deep breath, I spoke on the exhale. ¡°Fine.¡±


    000


    I threw our navigator away, sending him scurrying away from us, and proceeded to kick down the door of the house in front of us. The inside was dimly lit, a man over a table nursing a gourd probably filled with alcohol.


    He was middle-aged, just a hair¡¯s breadth away from being considered elderly, and yet, he couldn¡¯t help his immature impulse of sending himself into a stupor. Deep down, he had to have known how absolutely fucking pointless his existence was, just like the existence of the village he headed was also pointless.


    I strode over to him and grabbed his gourd. He looked up at me, eyes red. ¡°Sober up,¡± I said to him.


    He scoffed. ¡°The bottle is not as potent as it used to be. Bad harvest, probably.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± I said, sitting across from him. ¡°Do you remember who I am?¡±


    He was about to shake my head, before leaning towards me a little closer, realization dawning in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the devil child, aintcha?¡±


    I resisted my murderous impulse to throttle him only by the thinnest of margins, Yu Jie¡¯s hand on my shoulder. ¡°Yes. The devil child,¡± I said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to bargain with you. I¡¯ll let you live only if you tell me the full truth. What happened the day I was born?¡±


    He reddened in anger. ¡°You think you can just threaten me you little sh-¡° I grabbed him by his thinning hair and pushed his face into the table, enough to have his nose bleeding, and to rip some hair directly from his scalp into my hand. It didn¡¯t even bleed, like his hair was never long for this world to begin with.


    ¡°Now,¡± I said. ¡°You will talk. I will listen. Failure to comply won¡¯t just result in death,¡± I said. ¡°I will do unto you what this village has done unto me for sixteen years, in the span of one long, agonizing hour. You hear me?¡±


    ¡°D-d-devil!¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    He held his mouth almost immediately, doing his best to compose himself. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said that I would torture him to death. He didn¡¯t deserve anything less for all the trouble he had put me through.


    Then¡­ then he opened his mouth, and a story came flowing forth, a story that explained so, so much.


    000


    Time and experiences had worn away the memories, applied grime to an otherwise pristine painting, but as far as I could trust the bastard chief, he was mostly telling the truth. After all, you wouldn¡¯t lie when death was on the line, would you?


    He did not spare any of the sordid details, in fact going into length describing them all. Yu Jie was my strength, my anchor, my lifeline. I knew, intuitively, that the past could not change, but it still didn¡¯t stop me from wanting to exact justice¡­ no, revenge on the man.


    Like all stories, there were central characters. The Chief, named Shu Hie, sixteen years ago, had been in love with the much younger Na Yan.


    My mother.


    Na Yan¡¯s mother, my grandmother who I just learned about, was something of a guardian angel in this village. She was a ¡®Daoist magician¡¯, apparently, a Martial Warrior that focused all of their skills on sorcery.


    Every year for the last fifty years, the harvest had been bountiful. Her charms had provided for the people, and there was not a single hungry face in so long.


    My grandmother¡­ I felt a pang of sorrow at the thought, and a small measure of pride. That was my grandmother.


    Na Yan was, unfortunately, not in love with Shu Hie. She was in love with Kang Du Min, my father. That did, indeed, anger Shu Hie, the conceited bastard.


    So he, in his infinite wisdom, decided to take Na Yan for himself, and¡­


    Well, he had his way with her.


    Enraged, my grandmother cursed the village for a year of a horrible harvest. The village had soon turned their ire on her, ostracising both her and her daughter.


    And when the year of penance was over, everything went back to the way it was, my mother scarred for life, and my father resentful of the Chief. Though my grandmother had tried her best to explain to the villagers why it was that they were going hungry, Shu Hie¡¯s influence was far too pervasive, and the men of the village would never side with a woman over a man, willing to die for the sake of their shallow chauvinism.


    But his animalistic desire was not sated. As Kang Du Min and Na Yan did their very best to recover, trying to put the Chief out of their minds, he only grew more agitated by the lack of face he was given.


    She became pregnant, a joyous occasion, but one mired in muddy waters. Everyone knew that the Chief wanted Na Yan, so they were too leery on celebrating.


    The Chief met with Na Yan once again, on the cusp of giving birth, to try and win her over. When he couldn¡¯t convince her, he tried to seize her, but my father had been present, along with my grandmother. They fended him off and sent him licking his wound.


    Enraged, he had sent his men to kill them. My grandmother had come too late to save my mother from the beating, but when she had come, the assailants died almost instantly.


    My mother was on the cusp of childbirth, now, but the reality was clear as day. She would not survive. She had been weakened far too much by the beating, so the death of both mother and daughter was an inevitability.


    If she could not secure the life of both, she would work hard to secure the life of one, so she performed a ritual.


    It shook the trees and darkened the skies. Day turned to night as she brought the full weight of her power to bear, sapping the little life-force her daughter had left, transferring it to her granddaughter, who had needed it. The ritual had to be imperfect because of what had happened to me, or there was a side-effect to her spell that rendered me a cripple.


    Still, I was alive, when by all accounts, I should not have been.


    The Chief knew that once my grandmother was done delivering me, she would turn her ire to him, and to the village, so for the ¡®good of the people¡¯, she stabbed her in the back the moment she was at the lowest point of her power.


    Kang Du Min had pleaded to save my life, and the Chief, in his hubris and hatefulness, decided to allow it, taking his resentment out on both of us for so long, twisting my father from one who loved me to one who saw me as a burden. Hearing this story, I finally understood him.


    I was more trouble than I was worth, and in his weak-spirited nature, that was enough to sever his love to me.


    I, a product of ¡®dark magic¡¯, was another obvious target of harassment, and remembering the better days that the villagers had had before my grandmother ¡®went awry¡¯, they never really stopped hating me.


    When they should have hated him.


    I shed no tears when I stood up, Yu Jie to my side. ¡°I would kill you right now,¡± I said. ¡°But that would be a mercy. I want you to continue living this empty life, knowing that it was you who fucked it up for everyone. I want you to always remember that while you are here dwelling about like an ant looking for scraps, I, a Martial Warrior, will be soaring towards new heights every day, but¡­¡± I leaned towards him. ¡°I still think that¡¯s too easy for you, so I¡¯ll let you go with only some slight mutilation.¡± I pulled him up by his neck and slammed him back first to his table. ¡°Pull off his pants, Yu Jie. You know what to do.¡±


    His pants were off, ripped straight off of him, revealing his meagre manlyhood to all who would watch. Yu Jie brought to bear her spear. It was a quick cut, and his screams were music to my ears. Uncaring, I grabbed the cut off piece of himself and almost broke his jaw trying to pry it open, shoving it inside his mouth.


    I left him there, walking away, Yu Jie following after swiping the spear through the air, throwing away the tainted blood.


    There was nothing left for me in this hellhole, now.


    Nothing.


    And when we left the chief¡¯s house, all hell had broken loose.

 Chapter 16 - Vengeance

    It had been in the tiny movements in the corner of his eyes where Lin Leng had spotted some irregularities. Shadows that moved too fast. Eyes that felt like they were boring a hole on the back of his neck. Lin Leng had excused himself to investigate. It didn¡¯t hurt to be vigilant, and his senses hadn¡¯t failed him yet.


    The more he explored the wider world, the more he was thankful that Chow had convinced him to leave the lake house. There was always a challenge in every corner, always a way for Lin Leng to prove to himself that his hard work had been for something.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Asked Bai Guo.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± he responded laconically. It wouldn¡¯t do to rile people up over a mere suspicion, anyway.


    This village was one of the primary reasons why he didn¡¯t want to leave the lake in the first place. It looked like complete shit, and it hit way too close to home. On some level, he still wanted to delude himself into thinking that he wasn¡¯t the same as the hapless children running about, muddied and dirty because their parents hadn¡¯t eaten enough to care about them, or at least once upon a time.


    He had never been a village person, himself, but the city slums were arguably even worse. In the country side, there was no shortage of tranquillity what with the proximity it had to untouched nature.


    Seriously, with all these natural resources, with people still starving, it was safe to say that they, on some level, deserved it.


    Once more, his respect for the fighter Kang Yilan increased. It took a level of exceptional willpower to be able to leave this shithole, one not found in the average person. Their situations were so similar, yet he could only best her in a select few areas, none of which were immediately helpful in a no-holds-barred brawl between the two, on even terrain.


    It was a feeling of passion which bloomed in his heart when he thought of her strength, wanting to outmatch and one day defeat her. He believed, now, that if Chow had not convinced him, he would continue to languish in mediocrity. The competition was healthy, and given enough time, he would come out on top.


    ¡°You know,¡± he heard the voice from atop a thatched rooftop, the same guy that had fought him in the invasion of Jixing. ¡°I don¡¯t really get what your deal is.¡±


    Bai Guo levelled his Guan Dao at the guy, and Wei Chow rolled up his sleeves. Lin Leng just stood, reservedly. He hadn¡¯t brought his quarter-staff, so he wouldn¡¯t pull off his daggers for this fight. ¡°What¡¯s there to explain about me?¡± Lin Leng responded flatly. ¡°I¡¯m just a guy who wants to be the strongest.¡±


    ¡°You never caught my name, did you?¡± He asked. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t really care about that, though. A lot of people would construe that as being rude.¡±


    ¡°Well, I felt you¡¯ve earned the honour of memorizing your name,¡± Lin Leng responded, needling him intentionally. ¡°So speak.¡±


    ¡°Monkey,¡± he responded simply. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate what your friend did to my Mentor. Come to think of it, where is she?¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± Lin Leng said. ¡°You¡¯re fighting me, now.¡±


    Monkey just chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t want that.¡± He looked around at Lin Leng¡¯s companions. ¡°In fact, none of you would want that. Even if you came at me all at the same time, you would still die.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been seven days since we met,¡± Lin Leng observed. ¡°Am I to assume that you spent a year of training in seven days?¡±


    ¡°Assume what you will, Lin Leng,¡± he replied. ¡°You aided and abetted the murder of my Mentor. That automatically makes you an enemy which I will dispose of, no matter the difficulty.¡±


    They lapsed into silence. Monkey¡¯s proclamation left nothing to the imagination. They were going to fight. As such, Lin Leng leapt towards him first.


    Monkey directed his palm towards Lin Leng¡¯s flying form.


    Then, he saw it. A spark, turning into a gout.


    Lin Leng created a powerful Chi pad underneath his foot and shot away from the gout of flame, singed by the super-heated air, but still whole. He rolled at the thatched roof, Lightened, Stabilized and recovered himself.


    That answered why he was unarmed. He didn¡¯t need weapons. He was a weapon. Lin Leng pulled out both daggers from his back, taking a low stance, assuming the initial Crane Lunges form. This would be interesting.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Monkey asked. ¡°Thank you for not dying so quickly. It fills me with so much joy that you¡¯re willing to drag this on. I mean, I¡¯m totally game for this.¡± He took a step forwards. ¡°Keep trying not to die. It¡¯ll be fun for us both.¡±


    Monkey¡¯s blasts of fire were fast, but Lin Leng was faster, bobbing and weaving out of the way, avoiding the super-heated air as he tried to close the distance. His power made pursuing an opening a chore, his heat a deterrent that gave no quarters.


    Well, until Wei Chow and Bai Guo came in, fists and pole arm at the ready.


    That¡¯s when Monkey exploded.


    Lin Leng tucked and rolled as he lightened, but he could not avoid damage completely, scraping his arm at the roll, getting up to wave the smoke from his face.


    When the air cleared, the house they had stood on was naught but smithereens, the surrounding houses on fire as well.


    Immediately, it had all just gone from interesting to troublesome.


    000


    He stood on the top of the roof, dressed in a rather form-fitting black tang-suit, his hair a wild, unkempt mane styled in long braids which swished around when he turned his head.


    I didn¡¯t know who the hell he was, but I had already decided that I was going to kill him. I moved in as fast as I could, far before he even noticed, and appeared before him, my ¡®Unwholesome State¡¯ unleashed.


    To think that an outlet to my anger could be found so quickly. My, the heavens really were smiling on me. If I played my cards right, we could burn down the entire village, even.


    He reacted all too slowly to my punch, hitting him right on his face. I prayed that he wouldn¡¯t die as he hurtled away from the rooftop, flying above other houses before crashing into a rather frail house, destroying the wall in the process.


    Feeling slightly irresponsible for the wanton destruction, I cleared my throat and raised my voice. ¡°Leave this village, everyone! I cannot guarantee your safety otherwise!¡±


    The village streets began to crowd slightly as people exited their homes and made for the nearby forest.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Good. Now all I had to worry ab-


    It came faster than I could have reacted. One moment, nothing. The other, a beam of condensed fire shot towards me. I had only moved away slightly, turning the deadly shot into one which merely debilitated me.


    My arm was gone. My shoulder and down, my arm had completely disappeared.


    Before I could properly react to that, even, the asshole had struck me right in my stomach, sending me hurtling away. In the ensuing flight, I did what I could to Lighten and gather composure, but that was until another beam struck me. I bent away in the nick of time, and instead of my heart, it hit my leg, cleaving it right off from the middle of the thigh, cauterizing the stump far before I could begin to bleed.


    Before I landed, I saw that the others had engaged him, keeping him too busy to lay in the final hit.


    I fell on the ground flat on my back, digging a trench as my momentum was slowly arrested by the earth.


    I closed my eyes to reach for Enlightenment, if only to assess my wounds.


    Then I felt it. My garden of Divine Wood was growing, chomping at the bit to finally be of use for once.


    But how? I couldn¡¯t grow the damn trees externally, so what the hell was it planning on making me do, regrow trees from my stump?


    No.


    Oh, no. That was never the intention.


    How could I have been so stupid?


    This was Divine Wood, a Divine Blessing, and so far, I had treated it stupidly. I was always so focused on the utility of indestructible wood that I never really considered the things that went into it all.


    Growth.


    It was the first thing I had learned, even.


    Growth. Regrowth.


    I focused my Divine Wood Chi and sent it to my wounds. The change was nearly instantaneous, excess Chi bleeding into my wounds and regrowing my limbs, like a plant whose branches had been cut off. My Chi was limited, but it was more than enough to regrow what I had lost, more than enough to put me back into the battle.


    When I opened my eyes, the village was up in flames, the belligerent asshole who had just wounded me so handily laughing atop the one house that hadn¡¯t been burned.


    I stood up to meet him head on. ¡°Okay, asshole. You¡¯ve had your fun.¡±


    He turned to look down at me. ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am, do you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re related to the Dragon guy,¡± I observed easily. ¡°What with all the fire and shit. Would it be right to assume that you were his disciple?¡±


    ¡°My, you are a bright one,¡± he grinned toothily. ¡°My name is Monkey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kang Yilan,¡± I said. ¡±As much as I like what you¡¯ve done with the place, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to kill you, now.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± he said.


    We collided. My fist was incinerated, turned to ash, while his had broken. I pushed the burnt out stump towards him and regrew the hand, good as new, in seconds. ¡°You bitch,¡± he muttered flatly.


    The rest of my companions appeared around us, watching, except for the Monk, possibly taking care of the injured. ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± I announced. ¡°It seems that the Worm of the East still has allies.¡±


    He chuckled darkly. ¡°You really think that¡¯s going to make me blow my top off? I can¡¯t want to kill you any more than right now.¡±


    I blocked a physical strike with my forearm and struck him back, only for him to dodge, using the momentum to spin tightly and send an elbow strike towards my head. I stabilized and leaned back, making the elbow strike go wide before stepping back to build momentum for a strike directed at his solar plexus.


    It struck, though I could feel a force stopping my hit from having a desirable impact.


    Still, he skidded backwards and coughed some blood. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Monkey?¡± I cooed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you regenerate your wounds and fight on?¡±


    I took the initiative before he did, sprinting towards him, dodging barely as a gout of flames, not nearly as condensed, shot at me. I sacrificed my left arm for a shot with my right hand, breaking the forearm of the hand I had previously broken. The compound fracture had shoved a piece of his bone right out through his forearm. He screamed in agony, exploding once more. I jumped back, well away from the area of effect.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°Did you see what your bastard of a Mentor did to me, and you have the guts to scream just when one arm is broken?¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡± He stepped back and seemed to pour every ounce of effort into a ball of fire which exploded into a serpentine dragon, headed straight for me.


    I was a mite too slow, losing my right leg beneath my knee. With a grunt of exertion, I shoved wood Chi out the amputated leg, and restored function to my charred arm, pressing the advantage by returning to close-quarters-combat.


    He would burn off an arm, and I would break an arm. He would burn off a leg, and I would break a leg. When all that remained was to attack me with his mouth, he blew a wave of Fire on my face, blinding and deafening me momentarily, but I pressed my advantage, holding him by his throat to punch him repeatedly, barely noticing the pain.


    There was barely any pain to notice, pain having lost its meaning during my training.


    I threw Monkey away and healed my face, regrowing lost hair at will. My Chi stores were getting dangerously low, now. Even a hand lost, and I would be completely defenceless.


    The moment my eyesight returned to me, Monkey ripped out a necklace from his neck with his mouth and bit down on the jade pendant.


    Space rippled about him before he suddenly disappeared. ¡®Daoist magic¡¯, maybe. He had escaped like a wretched cur, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. What a motherfucker.


    Suddenly, the world seemed to flip as the ground approached me quickly. Yu Jie held me on her arms, and I felt completely safe.


    000


    It took a while before I recovered enough Chi to function. When I did, I went to the place in the forest where the villagers had congregated. The chief had been carried, an obvious stain of red on the crotch of his pants, and sweat flowing down him in rivulets. I stuck my hand into my bag of holding and pulled out a sack of coins.


    I dropped the sack of coins on his crotch. ¡°This is for travel. Get the villagers to a city, and give them a life. If I hear that you¡¯ve slacked, I will cut off your balls, too.¡±


    He nodded frantically. I turned around to the rest of my travelling companions and left the village underneath Taishan once and for all.


    We set up camp hours later, the mood in the air utterly dead.


    ¡°You did the right thing,¡± the Monk said. ¡°By providing for the villagers.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I muttered. The Monk had soon gone back to meditating. I had gone to sleep early, having not eaten a single thing.


    000


    Yu Jie woke me up in the middle of the night, a concerned expression on her face. ¡°Whu¡­?¡± I muttered, still bleary from rest.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    I sat a little more upright at that, wondering what she would want to talk about. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± she cautioned. ¡°Pretend like what you heard yesterday never disturbed you.¡±


    I crawled out of my bedroll and hugged my knees, looking up at the stars. ¡°What would you have me do? Cry?¡±


    ¡°Is that so bad?¡± She asked. She pressed up against my side, sharing her warmth with me. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ uh¡­ uhm.¡±


    I turned to her curiously. ¡°There something you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t feel so good that you have to keep pretending with me.¡±


    I sighed. It was all just¡­ kind of hard to open up. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a year in prison,¡± I said. She tensed a little. ¡°I killed three men. It was¡­ complicated. You know,¡± I said, turning to her. ¡°Prison life doesn¡¯t offer much opportunity for relaxation or sharing of feelings. You put on a mask that you don¡¯t take off, and if someone slights you, you pay it back tenfold, because not doing so only invites more harassment.¡±


    ¡°O¡­okay,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°The Martial Arts world is the same, now that I think of it,¡± I said. ¡°But in other ways, nothing like prison. Because¡­ because of freedom.¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m entirely free. There¡¯s a lot of things controlling me, things I can¡¯t help but let control me, but,¡± I smiled at her. ¡°When you hugged me in Huangshan, I¡­ I think it was the first time I ever really felt free. Could you¡­?¡± I bit my lips, finding it almost impossible to voice my request. ¡°Could you hug me again?¡±


    She wasted no time throwing her arms around me. I hugged her back, wishing I could stretch this moment on forever.


    She pulled back a little so she could face me. Then, she brought her face closer to mine. My heart beat a mile a minute as she came closer and closer, wondering if she would¡­ she would do it, and whether I should feel disgusted or elated. I couldn¡¯t maintain the former as it collapsed under the weight of the attraction I was feeling.


    My body betrayed me as I leaned forward as well, giving her tacit approval to do what she was going to do, but not going the full way in case I had somehow completely read the situation wrongly. She came just a little closer, and I came closer, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn¡¯t pull back.


    She didn¡¯t.


    Our lips met.


    I felt my entire body heating up at that very moment, Yu Jie becoming more aggressive, bringing our lips closer. I had no idea how to do this, so I let her lead, going along with it as she did crazy things to me.


    I pulled back gently, panting, wonder what we were doing. ¡°It isn¡¯t wrong,¡± she whispered.


    I believed her. I knew it, even, deep inside. If anyone had a problem with this, they were welcome to try and separate us, but they wouldn¡¯t get far. ¡°I know,¡± I whispered back.


    I kissed her again, and I knew I had another place in the world, as the disciple to Shen Zhimei, and as the one who stood besides Han Yu Jie.


    Or, you know, her¡­ girlfriend.

 Chapter 17 - On the Trail

    ¡°I¡¯m actually an aristocrat,¡± Yu Jie said. We were still sitting next to each other, enjoying each other¡¯s warmth while she gave me the time to puzzle out my newfound preferences.


    I was attracted to women.


    That¡­ explained a lot, actually.


    Of course, having already been overwhelmed by that revelation, I couldn¡¯t help but take her confession completely blankly.


    That¡¯s when I realized the implications. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ prohibited?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she responded. ¡°My mentor took a great risk by teaching me. When I was ten, I was kidnapped by a group of bandits in the Gobi Desert. Jianghu bandits from the Wushu Woods,¡± She frowned. ¡°They didn¡¯t touch me because they knew what would happen if they did, but they demanded ransom money. I¡­ was scared that my family wouldn¡¯t buy me back, so I managed to sneak into the chief bandit¡¯s room where he stored valuable scrolls. I tried finding a weapon, but the scrolls, they were so much more valuable. Chi techniques, the basics, but more than enough to ignite hope that I could break out on my own. For over a month, I read from the scroll and tried to replicate the feats written, but it was hard without a mentor, and the diction was too strange for me to parse correctly.¡± She sighed for a moment. ¡°I had almost completely given up hope of ever leaving the bandit den, counting down each day before the bandit leader decided it would be easier to just throw me into the desert so I could starve to death.¡± I hugged her with one arm, offering what little emotional support I could. ¡°One man came to rescue me,¡± she continued. ¡°He¡­ he was paid by my parents. He killed the bandits like cutting grass, seeming almost bored with the whole ordeal. When he came to me, I thought he was going to kill me, too, so I applied the little that I had learned to defend myself, knowing that I would die, but not without a fight.¡±


    She broke into a wry smile. ¡°He laughed. He said I had guts. He decided to try and teach me a thing or two, then gave me his jade slip, telling me not to show it to anyone. I didn¡¯t. Whenever I had free time, I would leave the clan compound, and my Mentor would always be there to teach me.¡± Her smile gradually fell. ¡°When I became sixteen, my clan wanted me to marry some asshole who didn¡¯t care about me. I told them¡­¡± she took a deep breath and exhaled as I squeezed her a little tighter. ¡°I told them of my preferences. They told me to ignore it, that marriage didn¡¯t happen because of love, anyway. I would continue with the engagement regardless of my wishes, so¡­ I ran away.¡± She smiled. ¡°I came back, of course, only to see that nothing had changed. After that, I finally left for good, and I haven¡¯t seen them since. I experienced a leap in my power when I finally did leave them. It just tells me that I did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, you did,¡± I muttered. ¡°If they can¡¯t accept you for who you are, fuck ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she repeated. ¡°Fuck ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Do you think we should wake someone else up for a shift?¡±


    She turned to me and leaned forward for a kiss which I reciprocated. ¡°Does that answer your question?¡±


    ¡°On second thought,¡± I said, softly butting my head to hers. ¡°They could use the rest.¡±


    She laughed beautifully, a titter that warmed my heart. Once again, we kissed, and it was everything I could ask for.


    000


    Monkey had escaped by the skin of his teeth. With discipline and skill, he had reset his bones, and upon entering the state of Enlightenment, had sat down to heal himself for three days and three nights before he was barely capable of moving on his own.


    The defeat was humiliating, utterly unexpected, even. How was he supposed to know that she could simply regenerate wounds from out of nothing?


    Like all plans, man proposes and heaven disposes. With the Divine Fire, victory was imminent. All he had to do was train harder, become stronger.


    After catching himself something to eat, he meditated on what had happened. What did he do wrong? He was overconfident, yes, but a lot of it wasn¡¯t even that. All of Kang Yilan¡¯s friends had kept him suitably busy before he could lay in the final licks to that hateful bitch, and when she had recovered, she had done so with a storm, sacrificing entire limbs just to break his, fighting with gruesome ferocity, not fearing for her own life for even a moment.


    The image of seeing a face stripped down to a mere skull beating him down was an image that would stay with him.


    There had to be another step to mastering the Divine Fire. His Chi stores were still too immature, so the few condensed blasts that he had thrown at Kang Yilan were gambles, one and all, that surprisingly did not pay off.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to gamble anymore. He needed skill and power, pure and simple.


    After all, he didn¡¯t want to return to Tian Mo empty-handed¡­


    ¡­He didn¡¯t want to return to Tian Mo at all, come to think of it. The only thing keeping him there was his Mentor¡¯s undying devotion to the monster of a man, but his mentor was dead. He had already mourned his mentor during his Blessing ritual, having burnt his emotions in the pyre of the Divine Fire, immortalizing his memory as the man that had raised him from a child to adulthood.


    A son should not mourn their father incessantly, and the Dragon¡¯s convictions were his and his alone, and Monkey had no obligation to share them.


    After all¡­


    ¡­he really couldn¡¯t give less of a shit about Tian Mo.


    He owed the man nothing, yet he pranced about, behaving as if Monkey should worship the ground he walked on. He knew all about what Tian Mo wanted to achieve. ¡°A world without violence and bloodshed, where the few hold power, so they can police the many.¡± Granted, the only reason to side with him was so that he wouldn¡¯t lose his Martial Prowess, there was nothing that stated that he had to agree with him.


    And maybe that was another place where he stalled in his Martial Path? Dragon always told him that a Martial Warrior should be true to themselves, that there was an unmistakable difference between a conqueror and the conquered, that a conquered could never truly become strong on their lonesome.


    He felt as if he was getting closer to an answer, but the obvious ones were not satisfactory at all. He couldn¡¯t cut ties with Tian Mo to strike out on his own. That would literally be suicide, especially after the man had said, with his mouth, that Monkey was now valuable.


    He decided to not dwell on the unfairness too much. It was par for the course in the Martial Arts world to always be under someone¡¯s thumb.


    He would have to get stronger, strong enough to strike out against Tian Mo to reclaim his freedom, and after that, he would simply roam the lands, looking for challenges where he could find them. Freedom was a gift unto itself, so he didn¡¯t dwell much about what he would do with it, at least not in the short-term. As for now, he had a goal.


    All he needed was directions.


    And direction came. The Dragon of the East had assumed his name in what was a legendary move that had been repeated ad nauseum all over China. A man had jumped into a live volcano in the east of China, where he swam like he was taking a dip in a lake, before finally leaping out, standing on a layer of slowly cooling lava.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    It had been the ultimate sign of Fire mastery, bending the Flames of Destruction to his will in such a manner that it couldn¡¯t even think of striking against him.


    Still, like most things Monkey was now realizing, Dragon had missed something. In his bid to come off as powerful and overbearing, he had treated it like a test of endurance.


    How long could he be inside the lava before he burnt to death?


    The answer, for a true master, should have been ¡®mu¡¯.


    The premise of the question was inherently fallacious. Why should it be that he had to endure the flames? That did nothing but confirm that you did not really have control of Fire, that you were simply borrowing a higher power.


    Monkey could not do that to himself, pretend at being powerful when he was not. It would end in just another shameful defeat. This was where he was built differently from his mentor, a born conqueror where mentor had only played at having power, yet bowing his head to Tian Mo as if the idea of ever becoming as strong as him terrified him.


    If Monkey had true mastery when he battled Kang Yilan, he would have struck her faster than she could dodge even a single inch, burning her heart into ashes in a fraction of a second before she could even think of mounting a counter-attack.


    To do so, he needed to be one with the Divine Fire.


    He stood up and looked eastwards, towards the merciless volcanoes that contained the apotheosis of fire on a single mission; to become one with them, to supersede his mentor and kill Tian Mo.


    Nothing less would sate his appetite. Nothing less would sate the sacrificial pyre of Divine Fire that existed in his core.


    000


    Lin Leng ignored Kang Yilan and Han Yu Jie¡¯s adorable display, chatting animatedly as they laughed together, seated so closely. By the looks of things, they had finally found each other.


    About damn time; they had been staring at each other like love-birds for the last ten days, and it was getting grating seeing them so utterly lost in their feelings. The catharsis would definitely leave them less high-strung, and consequently more combat capable.


    Speaking of combat capability, Lin Leng had been in meditation almost every waking hour of his day, contemplating his handy defeat. Monkey had almost burned him alive, having gone from a middling weapon-master to a force of nature in such a short amount of time. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that his mentor¡¯s death had affected him in such an adverse way.


    Meanwhile, Wei Chow had done his thing, not training yet somehow still managing to gain strength. He had been teaching Bai Guo how to sing, otherwise relaxing and catching animals on the side, filling his stomach with obscene cuts of meat.


    Yet, he was an Earth Blessed titan in the battlefield, capable of matching and defeating Lin Leng five out of ten times. A slacker like him, beating a hard worker like Lin Leng. Absurd.


    His mind worked quickly however, dismissing the idea that ¡®hard work¡¯ was the end-all-be-all to the Martial Path. After all, if that was really the case, then Lin Leng should be unrivalled in this party of warriors. The only one whose training approached his intensity was Bai Guo and Kang Yilan, with the others doing their own thing, somehow getting stronger for it.


    On a good day, it felt like cutting flies with a heavy spear to eat, hard work for minimal gain. The energy gained from eating the flies would not even equal the exertion spent cutting them down.


    ¡­he always had a problem with that saying. For one, it was weird. Nobody in their right mind would eat insects unless they were actually crazy, and it wasn¡¯t like there truly was nothing to be gained from such an exercise.


    In his cross-legged position, a fly flew past. He unsheathed his dagger, and sliced its wings off, sheathing it in one smooth motion. The fly crash-landed and crawled on the grass, unable to fly. Minimizing the poor creature¡¯s suffering, he crushed it with the tip of his finger.


    If he couldn¡¯t be the strongest or fastest, he had always fallen back on being the most skilful, but there was no amount of skill that could bridge the gap between a skilful dagger-master and one who could spew flames from their body, burning anyone who came close.


    On that level of combat, there was no substitute for sheer power.


    What irony. He had come out from the lake looking for challenge, thinking he would be winning by the barest of margins at best, only to be utterly outclassed by the wider world.


    He knew that there was no fast way to expand one¡¯s pool of Chi other than to meditate and introspect.


    .


    .


    It didn¡¯t help that he didn¡¯t have much to introspect about. He wasn¡¯t making the strides that he wanted to make, and he had no idea whose fault it was: his own, for not working hard enough, or his own for working too hard, or others for being more, ugh, talented than him?


    Still, the truth was there, left only for him to grasp. There was something that impeded his progress, and he knew it stemmed from an inefficient mentality.


    He just couldn¡¯t really put his finger on it.


    ¡°Something the matter, bro?¡± Wei Chow rolled over next to him. ¡°You seem vexed.¡±


    ¡°How are you so strong when you don¡¯t even train?¡± Lin Leng asked him.


    Chow knitted his eyebrows and puffed his cheeks. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re blessed with an element, for heaven¡¯s sake,¡± Lin Leng continued. ¡°Why is it that you barely even train as much as I do, yet you get so much stronger, so much faster?¡±


    Chow looked down on the grass and shrugged. ¡°I guess it¡¯s one of those things you figure out yourself,¡± he responded meekly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t actually train. It¡¯s more like¡­ I let it all just come to me. I don¡¯t¡­ really mind if I¡¯m not all-powerful, as long as I¡¯m having fun. Here for a good time, not for a long time, and all that.¡±


    ¡°So you just don¡¯t care,¡± Lin Leng said. Of course, that made sense. What made even more sense, a bitter pill to swallow, was that Lin Leng could probably never emulate that level of nonchalance. IT was a path forever closed to him.


    Or¡­ or maybe this was Wei Chow¡¯s path. Every Martial Path was different, and asking for advice could send one to a dead end. Maybe Lin Leng¡¯s stagnation wasn¡¯t because he was taking the path so seriously, but another stupid roadblock which seemed tailor-made to him and him alone.


    Then again¡­ who in this clearing didn¡¯t have a mentor but him and Wei Chow, and he was almost equally matched with the latter. If he had a mentor, perhaps they could have given him the right pointers to avoid this pitfall?


    It didn¡¯t do to dwell on what he could have, since the only way one could have anything in this world was to grab it for oneself. The Heavens were not fair to anyone, so expecting some reparation or other went directly against his beliefs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t care,¡± Wei Chow continued. ¡°I just don¡¯t¡­ feel too hung up on the number-game,¡± he continued. ¡°People think it¡¯s all about who has the most Chi, the most techniques and the strongest weapons. Personally, I¡¯m just¡­ cool with fighting in general.¡±


    It was disorganized and messy, what Chow was talking about. Lin Leng liked things orderly, numbered. He numbered his power-level approximately, his skill-level, and Chi-level. His training was just increasing those numbers as much as possible.


    A small part of him doubted that he was supposed to do that, but it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him otherwise. It didn¡¯t just feel right as much as it was right, at least for him.


    ¡°Tell ya what,¡± Chow said. ¡°You pull out that flute and play us a ditty. I¡¯ve been eager to show y¡¯all what our boy Bai Guo can do, now.¡±


    Seeing no sense in trying to force improvement, he pulled out his flute from his sack and blew through a couple of notes before beginning in earnest.


    The flute had been an idle fancy, learned through months of playing with it once he had found it, figuring out the different ways to produce music from it through experience.


    He had come a long way from back then, showing as he played serenely, a warm melody juxtaposing the now-more noticeable chill of autumn.


    Then, Bai Guo opened his mouth, and the impossible happened.


    He sang¡­ non-horribly.


    It was nowhere near Wei Chow¡¯s proficiency, but he was still above average, with potential to become even better.


    For a moment, Lin Leng had wanted to stop playing altogether before sequestering himself in the woods to train, bitter that someone could be learning so fast where Lin Leng would take months.


    Those thoughts only lasted moments, however, as he gradually fell into his melody, appreciating Bai Guo¡¯s honest attempt at bettering himself in something he was initially horrible with.


    Slowly, as he played, he wondered if there was something he could learn from this, something he could gleam from Bai Guo¡¯s singing.


    The thought pumped him with confidence and energy, both of which he inserted into his music, listening with satisfaction as Bai Guo became louder, less restrained, but still deep in his effort to carry a tune, a far-cry from Wei Chow¡¯s effortless way.


    Chow quickly joined as well, scrubbing over Bai Guo¡¯s mistakes, leading him on and riffing off of him as if his true specialty was music and not battle. Soon enough, the Monk started humming. Yilan and Yu Jie stopped talking, entranced by his music, the music he was playing!


    The slowly began to hum along to his tune, Deng Ming joining in as well. Upping the ante, he increased the rhythm, getting everyone to stand up and move about feverishly, trying their best to shake off the sheer energy undulating through them.


    They began to dance.


    And it was a beautiful dance, bodies undulating every which way in a vague pattern, nonetheless mesmerizing to the eye. The Monk kept enough self-restraint to just hum along but the rest moved like animals.


    When he was finally done playing, the group fell on the ground of the clearing, exhausted.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Yilan panted. ¡°Was¡­ that?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Wei Chow replied, also panting.


    He looked at his flute, nonplussed.


    In the depths of self-loathing, he had discovered a skill. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry, so he did neither.

 Chapter 18 - Love

    After¡­ whatever the hell that was, Lin Leng had simply told us that he had somehow managed to transfer emotion into his music.


    Having seen stranger things, I chose to accept that at face value, and congratulated him for his new edge in combat. If he could inspire lethargy or sadness in an enemy fighter, it would reduce their power by a lot.


    Chow caught a deer, a bruised and battered animal that looked like it had succumbed from a simple beating. The Monk was, predictably, appalled, but after I tasted the steak he had made with the food, it did taste good, and made for a much easier eating, with the way each bite practically melted on your tongue.


    When we finally finished our meal, Deng Ming gathered us together, face buried in his map. ¡°Next stop is a city.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Chow said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to crawl under some warm sheets. It¡¯s been fun, for the most part, sleeping under the night sky, but we¡¯re literally weeks from winter.¡±


    That became clearer with each day that passed. I feared that we wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep on the ground all willy-nilly in the coming weeks, which would force us to buy better camping implements, which would force us to spend more time between each resting stop.


    Then again, if the alternative was freezing to death, succumbing to the elements, then I would gladly shell out some of Mentor¡¯s money to keep my travelling party in a non-dead state.


    ¡°What¡¯s the city name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Chengdu,¡± Deng Ming said. ¡°It¡¯s one of the more famous cities. Definitely has all the necessary amenities to keep us outfitted for the rest of our journey, provided they can all fit into Yilan¡¯s Bag of Holding.¡±


    I nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Which way is it?¡± Chow asked, his expression desparate.


    Deng Ming took a moment to orient himself on the map, mumbling under his breath, then looking up at the sky towards the sun, before finally pointing right behind him.


    Wei Chow took off like a rocket.


    ¡°How far is it?¡± Yu Jie asked.


    ¡°Ninety miles,¡± Deng Ming said with a rueful smile. ¡°Let him run ahead a little. He¡¯ll tire himself out soon enough and we¡¯ll meet him panting on the road. Of course, that means one of you will have to carry him.¡±


    We all turned to the Monk, who pointed at himself, slightly lost. We all nodded in confirmation, and he deflated as he resigned himself to having to carry Wei Chow.


    As we walked, Yu Jie bumped into me in a very non-subtle way. ¡°What are your plans when you get to the city?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Well, my mentor always used to take me to a beautician. If Chengdu really is all that, we could get us a rather nice place to spoil ourselves in. My treat, of course.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°You sure do know how to treat a lady. If the other aristocrats were half the gentlewoman you are, I may not even have run away.¡±


    ¡°Only the best for you,¡± I grinned, nuzzling her nose to mine, before realizing that we were in public, then pulling back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Guo asked, behind us. We both turned to him, almost scared out of our skin. ¡°Don¡¯t stop on my account.¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡± I asked. It was a weak way to maintain plausible deniability, I knew that. Still, I had hoped that our involvement with each other would be revealed in a more formal setting.


    ¡°Being affectionate,¡± Bai Guo explained.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Why was I digging myself deeper?


    ¡°Well, you love Yu Jie,¡± Bai Guo said. ¡°And she loves you. It has been quite obvious, now. We were hoping that you would drop your pretenses sooner, but you cannot force love.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Yu Jie practically demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that everyone does,¡± he continued. ¡°In fact, I am certain that everyone knew far before you both confirmed your feelings for each other. You were not exactly subtle.¡±


    Okay¡­ ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re fine with it?¡±


    ¡°The heart wants what it wants,¡± Bai Guo replied. ¡°In the front lines, I had walked into many a men performing love-making, their frustration mounting at the lack of available women.¡± Wait, what? ¡°I do not begrudge them their outlets, and I will not begrudge you yours.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Well, okay,¡± I said, turning to Yu Jie, an innocent look on her face. I pulled her towards me and attacked her. She lost her inhibitions soon enough, kissing right back.


    Bai Guo wasn¡¯t just talking out of his ass, it seemed. When we were being openly affectionate in front of the others, they just flashed knowing smiles, happy that we had done something about what they had seen coming long before. Deng Ming spared us a glance of approval before turning back to his manuscripts. Lin Leng barely even minded us, but the Monk gave us both happy smiles, chanting some sutras he told me would make our love even more potent in the coming years or something.


    For a guy who had sworn off sexual relations, he was awfully tolerant of them. Then again, if you wanted to recruit more Shaolin monks, there would be an obvious need for children.


    True to Deng Ming¡¯s predictions, we found Wei Chow on the ground, sleeping. From what it looked like, he had not only fallen down due to exhaustion, but he also fell asleep right after. The Monk took him on his back and carried him the rest of the way to the first piece of advanced civilization we had seen since Jixing City.


    000


    I had treated us all to the most expensive hotel the city had to offer, within the inner district. We had gotten a lot of odd looks due to our rather messy attires, and for good reason. Our clothes were torn in some places, having survived a tedious journey, and a battle against a crazed Fire-Blessed Martial Warrior.


    When we got our rooms, I pulled out some robes from the bag of holding, if only to fend off the weird looks, and gave everyone a stipend of fifty gold to use.


    Meanwhile, I took my girlfriend out to the beautician¡¯s, with my entire bag of holding along with me, and an unlimited budget to treat her with everything that money could possibly buy, and unsurprisingly, there was not a lot that it couldn¡¯t.


    The artworks on the wall of the establishment we had entered were decked with serene artworks, not too overly garish as to suggest a lack of style. The whole area had a mellow mood to it. I felt my muscles relax just entering the place.


    I had practically thrown money at the deskwoman, demanding the best treatment they could offer us. Stress had caused me to fall off my habit of combing my hair, and the prospect of pulling knots out of my hair was a rather scary one, so I had slacked until I could have access to hair product.


    Yu Jie always kept her hair so perfectly straight on our journey, and her clothes immaculate despite the messy environment we had kept finding ourselves in.


    I wanted to be more beautiful for her, now.


    ¡­Or¡­ did she like me just the way I was?


    I didn¡¯t get an answer to the question I posed myself as Yu Jie dragged me into the changing room where we disrobed, and were given towels to use.


    We entered the steaming hot bath first, and I felt like melting ice, on the brink of just completely becoming one with the water.


    I barely had the mind to appreciate Yu Jie¡¯s form as she slowly lowered herself into the water, beautiful as ever.


    This was just the type of treatment I needed after going through so, so much.


    By habit, I dipped into the state of Enlightenment, entering my core. The garden had grown well. The nine Divine Trees were growing strong, having become taller with the repeated use they had gone through. I fed them more of my Chi. It didn¡¯t make the trees grow cancerously, now, but it did make them slightly larger, in a more stable fashion, the Wood Chi ready to be drawn upon at a moment¡¯s notice.


    I decided to dump my entire Chi stores into each tree, siphoning the Chi into them slowly. When I was done, all the trees had grown by a meter, good gains. I spent just a little more time replenishing my Core, taking it to a tenth of its capacity before Yu Jie roused me for the next step.


    The massage was nice, managing to loosen my body in ways which I didn¡¯t know they could loosen. I promised to commit the spots the masseuse was rubbing to memory, so I could maybe repeat the process with Yu Jie, or maybe somehow do it to myself. This actually felt like it could have some training benefits.


    When it was over, they took us to get our skin powdered, lips reddened, hair fed and combed.


    When they had taken us to a room with two mirrors for each of us, I wasn¡¯t stuck on how I looked. I was stuck on how Yu Jie looked, how subtly different she was from before, enough to have my heart throbbing.


    The attendants had left us in the room, just the two of us.


    She let her robes fall down to her feet, appearing completely naked right in front of me.


    I dropped my own robes, albeit reluctantly, and stepped towards her, hungry for something which I could not reliably name.


    She walked towards me as well, and before we knew it, we were in each other¡¯s arms, kissing hungrily. Her hands started wandering downwards and I let it, pulling her hand down and urging her on.


    That day, Yu Jie and I made love.


    000


    We had to redo some of the beauty treatments, having gotten exceedingly messy in our love-making tryst. Still, it was worth the coin for what I had just experienced.


    I really couldn¡¯t put words to what that was. All I knew was that I wanted to do it again, and¡­ I wanted to know exactly where she had learned to play with a woman¡¯s body that way. Was I not her first time?


    But¡­ did that even matter? If she was with me now, who cared about what she had been up to before that? It wasn¡¯t like she knew she was going to be with me that time, and besides, purity was overrated, a concept created by men to put a value on certain women.


    At least that¡¯s what Mentor said. It made sense, at least.


    Since the cat was well out of the bag, Yu Jie and I shared rooms. After checking in with Deng Ming to see how he had progressed with requisitioning us camping gear, informing me that he would compile a list for the funds required, I had retired for the night with Yu Jie, where we ¡®fought¡¯ another round.


    Then another.


    And then another.


    Did we even get any sleep that night, too?


    We hadn¡¯t gotten sleep the night before, so¡­


    Was sleep even that important, what with the bombshell that laid her head on my chest, snoring lightly as I rubbed her hair gently.


    Silently, I resolved one thing. I would get stronger. If it meant protecting Yu Jie, I would get strong enough to defy the heavens, and that wasn¡¯t just empty boasting.


    I would never let any harm befall her.


    And she would never let any harm befall me. We were each other¡¯s, belonging to each other. I loved her.

 Chapter 19 - Music

    Lin Leng didn¡¯t quite disdain the upper-class, contrary to his expectations. The inner district was rife with men and women dragged by rickshaws, well-fed and opulent in their dresses. He didn¡¯t quite stick out, himself, with his own black, onyx robes that Yilan had pulled out from her magical bag of convenience.


    Still¡­


    ¡°Watch it, boy.¡±


    ¡­the few aristocrats he met who had the stamina to get off their fat asses to walk didn¡¯t take kindly to  an unaffiliated person on the same level as them, without even granting them face by stopping by them to bow or something equally deferential.


    Still, it was surprisingly easy to accept this system, if not the position that they had placed him in. Like the Martial Arts world, power reigned supreme, but the only difference between the two was the resource: money or Martial Prowess.


    He heard the faint rhythmic undulation of music in the air as he turned a corner. Following the supple thread of sound-waves, he walked the street with renewed purpose. Ever since Chow had decided to go eat himself into a stupor in the city¡¯s ¡®finest restaurant¡¯, and Bai Guo was up to something probably equally inane, it had left him with a completely empty platter.


    There was a street performance playing in front of what had to be a theatre of some sort.  Advertisers, maybe? They were playing well, but it did feel like they were missing something. After all, there was no crowd listening to their music, no lingerers enjoying their art.


    An erhu, pipa, a pair of drums and a zither. Zest and life, but the emotion was missing somehow. Unconsciously, he pulled out his own flute and listened intently before joining in on the next verse.


    What the hell was he even doing? He hated attention, so why bring it to himself? Still, it felt as if his body was controlled by a higher power as he walked towards the band. They turned to him with varying reactions, from confusion to happy welcomes.


    In the span of five minutes, a couple of people had gathered, clearly enthused by the melody they were playing. In that time-frame, Lin Leng had subtly managed to wrest away control of the music, playing a harmonic ditty which he had come up with on the spot, slowly transitioning the rest.


    He was no longer the accompaniment. They were.


    In five more minutes, he had began to unwittingly induce his skill in the music. He clamped down on it for a bit, just letting a tiny trickle of emotion into his flute-blowing just to add an extra oomph to his playing. The crowd grew almost magnificently. Two became four, and four became eight, and before he knew it, he had played for half an hour, still not exhausted as the entire city street had been filled. A bucket which had been deposited nearby to collect earnings on the side of their commission had filled up entirely with silver taels and gold pieces.


    When the piece finally ended, mostly because Lin Leng had grown bored of playing, he ended it on a high note, energizing the crowds, a hair¡¯s breadth away from literally throwing their coins at the band in a fit of mania.


    A man dressed in a garish attire of black and white, with a strange hat and a dumb smile on his face approached the band. ¡°Excellent! Splendid! Amazing! You have all impressed!¡±


    The zitherist, a tall, balding man, strode forth and patted Lin Leng on his back. ¡°And it was because of this man!¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, you all played a piece for the ages! What say you I book you a spot on tonight¡¯s showing?¡±


    The drummer, a handsome woman wider than Lin Leng, butted in sceptically. ¡°Isn¡¯t there already a show on tonight¡¯s spot?¡±


    ¡°Cancelled!¡± The theatre-proprietor announced loftily. He pulled a tiny lockbox from his robes and handed it with one hand to Lin Leng. ¡°This is your deposit. You will earn ten times that once you return for the show. Does that sound good?¡±


    The Zitherist grabbed the box from Lin Leng and opened it. The erhuist behind him peered over his shoulder as the shine of gold reflected on both their faces. They turned to the proprietor with hungry expressions on their faces. ¡°We will be there!¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Splendid! Amazing!¡± He clasped both hands and gave a nod to them all. ¡°I will see you in dusk, then. The halls will be packed, I tell thee, for word spreads quickly in the Chengdu aristocracy! You will be made men, all of you.¡±


    Then, the band all turned to Lin Leng, expectation high. It was troublesome. If he didn¡¯t come, then there would be no show, which would probably have the proprietor send some thugs to earn back the money he had given them. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    They cheered jubilantly. The erhuist, a young man his age, grabbed him by his forearm with a smile on his face. ¡°You know what this money means, right?¡±


    ¡°What,¡± Lin Leng asked flatly.


    The erhuist looked at him in utter surprise before breaking into an uproarious laughter, spurring on his friends. Then, he turned back to Lin Leng, excitement dripping from his expression. ¡°A trip to the Golden Palanquin, dumbass!¡±


    Was that¡­ some kind of brothel?


    Hmm¡­


    ¡­perhaps he would take them up on that offer.


    With their tools packed away, they raced through the streets excitedly like men who had just chanced upon treasure. They looked like yokels, the lot of them, bumbling about without rhyme or reason, running like they had stolen something.


    When they finally did arrive before the Golden Palanquin, the linoleum caligraphied opulently nearly to the point of illegibility, and entered though the large golden double-doors, a wall of sweet and spicy perfume invaded their nostrils.


    And this was just the reception hall. Paying their fees, they deposited their objects with the establishment and entered the section that they called was the Palace of Dreams.


    The chambers with courtesans seducing the clients were separated by silken curtains, revealing nothing but silhouettes of deliciously sculpted women.


    They had paid for the Jade Suite, which was still only a tenth of the money they had collected from their show. It was clear to him that they were living life for a good time, not for a long time. He could maybe understand the sentiment, but he couldn¡¯t respect it.


    Parting the curtains to the jade suite were nine women, gourgeous, of varying complexions, some tanner than he would even believe was possible, with wavy hair which he had never even seen before.


    And the things that they were wearing¡­ Lin Leng had made good on his investment, he decided.


    They all sat on the silken sofas, taking it all in as the courtesans danced above them. Even the drummer seemed to enjoy the show, her tastes swinging that way. Absently, it made him wonder what those girls were up to.


    Then, he saw the pipa player, a fat, and squat man, pull out a pipe and a cloth bag. He stuffed the herbs into the pipe and struck a flint against it, before inhaling it deeply. On the exhale, Lin Leng could smell it, surmising that it was decidedly not tobacco.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You gotta lighten up, kid,¡± the middle-aged zitherist clapped him on his shoulder. ¡°Youse got a perfectly good woman right above ya, beggin¡¯ for your attention. Just,¡± the zitherist lightly pulled Lin Leng¡¯s chin up so his line of sight was directly in the woman¡¯s bountiful breasts. ¡°Live.¡±


    The whole performance was supposed to relax him, but all it did was make his heart race, like a prelude to a battle, but there was no one to kill or maim in the vicinity.


    ¡°Here,¡± the zitherist, who had taken a drag of the pipe, passed it to Lin Leng. ¡°Take it on to your lungs, hold it and release. It¡¯ll relax ya.¡±


    ¡°Narcotics?¡± Lin Leng muttered, ready to decline.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s light,¡± he explained. ¡°This ain¡¯t liable to get you addicted or nothing. Just calms your nerves and gets you real level. It dun magic happiness outta nowhere like dream smoke do. This here, this leaf, it gets you relaxing for once.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re playing a concert,¡± Lin Leng tentatively protested even as he reached for the pipe. ¡°Is this really a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah. We play better when high.¡±


    Perhaps it was the second-hand fumes, or the fact that the beauty before him had been begging for his undivided attention for the last five minutes.


    Wei Chow¡¯s words came back once again, that nonchalant attitude that had seen him coasting by in the Martial Path. He still couldn¡¯t believe that relaxation was the primary method, but he knew that there would be insights to be had once he finally eased his tension.


    He took the pipe and dragged it deeply, resisting the urge to cough with pure force of will. When he blew out, the coughing came unbidden, the other band members laughing at him even as the courtesan smiled at his inexperience.


    He waited long seconds before looking at the pipe, feeling nothing but the heady rush of gases other than air having entered his lungs. Was there, perhaps, something he missed? Was his Martial body resistant to intoxicants?


    He took another drag, and then another.


    The band members were holding their mouths with their hands, their eyes dripping with mirth as they waited for something unseen to happen.


    Then, he felt it. He had entered an entirely different realm, and had left all of his muscles behind, animating himself with his soul alone.


    Everything became effortless, the tension from his muscles not registering to his senses. Neither did the tension of, well, anything, really. Without his body resisting even a little, he grabbed the courtesan gently and led her closer to him. She attacked him, first, sensing his reluctance, and soon they were kissing hungrily, his hands on her supple behind as he travelled to another realm once again.


    He noticed, quite absently, that the others had already removed their clothes. He removed his, too, and as the courtesan led him into her, he threw his head back and let out a deep, rumbling moan as she continued to work him harder, faster, and faster still.


    Not willing to be the only one at work, he carried her up and laid her down on the sofa, charging in, bringing himself to new heights with every thrust.


    Was he¡­ supposed to be introspecting on something? He honestly couldn¡¯t remember what he was thinking before this. He knew, vaguely, that it had been spurred on by his willingness to advance, but now¡­


    ¡­all that seemed sorta meaningless.


    So he just lived. Martial Prowess could come on its own. There was no need to chase it to infinity. If he was a little behind the curve, then so be it. The greatest Martial Warriors spend decades getting to where he was, now, and he had seen that first-hand with how the older Harmonious Crane sect-members tended to be middling at best, while the younger generation almost never matched him, save for a couple of Core Disciples and¡­


    ¡­finding it arduous just to think about it all, he settled back into his funk, enjoying his woman, then another woman, then another one, smoking more leaf in the meanwhile.


    When he was tired, his flesh sore but his mind still wanting, he laid down and just relaxed for once. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he wasn¡¯t exhausted from training, the last time he had really cut it loose, acquiescing to long-buried hedonistic tendencies.


    Still, even in his state, he decided that brothels, while enjoyable, would not be something he would frequent. The responsibility imposed on him to make sure that she enjoyed herself, coupled with a general lack of inhibition which left a corner of his mind feeling awkward and strange, made the activity less relaxing, and a little more imposing than he would have wanted.


    But the leaf was good. He would make sure to buy some for his travels, and a sturdy, reliable pipe to go with it, made of jade perhaps, inlaid with gold.


    The band had slowly awoken from their funk, jumping into a large steam bath that the establishment had prepared for their Jade Suite clients, allowing him to wash off the sweat he had accrued giving in to his most base desires.


    When that was all over, they left the establishment.


    It was after dusk.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± The zitherist yelled, and they were soon running like mad towards the theatre. Once they arrived, they were ushered into the back of the stage to be prepared in appropriate clothing. It was somewhat of a rush-job since they didn¡¯t have the full hour that they thought they would have. Still, the greasepaint had been mostly level, and the musicians had gradually gone from an unwashed mass of free-spirited vagabonds to imperial musicians fit for the company of the aristocracy, which happened to be what the humongous theatre had been filled with.


    Aristocrats. Thousands. All paying a premium fee to see them perform.


    They were on the stage, frozen before the quiet and eyes of men with enough money to make their little reward seem like a pittance. Lin Leng had no real need for the money, but he felt slightly bad for his temporary bandmates. They were so enamored with what little they had, on their way to waste it all on courtesans, no doubt, while the men before them saw them only as tiny upstarts that could never threaten them.


    Well, such was life, Lin Leng concluded. If the musicians gambled away their money, they would return to the lifestyle that had already served them well enough.


    They all nodded to him to begin playing so they would once more have the courage to.


    And so, Lin Leng played. He played for five heartbeats before his accompaniment had the sense to join in. The song was the same that they had played in front of the theatre earlier that day. With the leaf smoke still in his system, his mouth felt incredibly dry, though it worked to his favour as the notes he played were crisper, edgier.


    Then, he initiated his skill, slowing down his tempo, and playing to a happier emotion. If the goal was to have them throw money at them, then the best way to do that was to give them what the aristocracy couldn¡¯t always buy with money.


    Happiness.


    His band mates caught his cues, and soon, they were playing sedately, before transitioning over to another, happier folk-song. It was rustic, but it worked. Though it probably wouldn¡¯t appeal to a more distinguished audience of musicians due to the simplicity of the progressions and the lack of complexity, these aristocrats weren¡¯t musical experts, just listeners.


    And they would listen.


    When the show ended, the audience was literally in tears, clapping their hands like commoners. Lin Leng would never even have dreamed that he would ever do this, nor ever really want to do this, but like Wei Chow¡¯s nonchalant approach to the Martial Path, life had simply taken him to those heights, completely unasked on his part.


    Slowly, he came upon one question: what differentiated his approach to music and the Martial Path?


    In the former, he was not afraid of setbacks, deeming the pursuit a flight of fancy in the first place. Instead, he just took in everything, synthesized it, threw away the superfluous and the useless, and stayed with the essentials.


    In the latter, he worked obsessively, frantically going from exercise to exercise, unable to find peace of mind as he ruminated on the ways to make himself stronger, to make sure that there would never be a repeat of what happened to him all those years¡­


    It had given him tunnel vision, ultimately. The stumbled through the path faster than most because of the pure effort he put into doing so, but ultimately, his direction was inefficient. Wei Chow was right. He had worried all too much.


    The musicians had hurried on to backstage when the act was over, exhausted as the poorly-applied face-paint peeled off as rivulets of sweat streamed down their faces. The theatre proprietor came up to them with a large chest filled with gold, carted along by a rickshaw. ¡°A little extra for the magical performance.¡± He could say that again.


    Lin Leng, feeling slightly guilty about what he was about to do, turned to his new bandmates and gave them a solemn nod. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ be on my way, now.¡±


    ¡°Knew it,¡± the drummer said good-naturedly.


    ¡°Yeah, it was too good to be true,¡± the zitherist agreed.


    The pipa player nodded with a smile and the erhuist grinned at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, friend. We¡¯ll keep you in our thoughts.¡±


    That was¡­ easier than expected. Before he could feel comfortable leaving, however, there were some things he wanted to tell them. ¡°Invest in a house. With this amount of money, you could probably buy plenty. Also, don¡¯t spend it all on one place. I won¡¯t come back to bail you out if you¡¯ve thrown all your money away,¡± and finally. ¡°I¡¯m going to want to know where you bought your ¡®leaf¡¯.¡±


    The erhuist, tears welling up inside his eyes, tackled him in a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, flute-bro!¡±


    Lin Leng smiled a little at the blatant show of affection. He patted the guy on his back before they exited the theatre, dodging eager aristocrats willing to hire them.


    They had taken him to a leaf-dealer, and he had bought a large sackful of it, spending money like they were grains. After teaching him the different bits to remove from the ¡®leaf¡¯, which ironically enough, included thin, leafy bits, he had been on his way to peruse the market for that jade pipe.

 Chapter 20 - Soldiering

    Bai Guo had refused to wear aristocratic robes. It just was not how he wanted to conduct himself, looking like the pansies that sent his brethren to die dog-deaths for no reason other than their incompetence. He still held a grudge for what they did to Little Tiger and Po Li. Their deaths should have been glorious, but instead, they died with arrows in their backs, forced into a fighting retreat.


    And so, he walked about lightly armoured, with his Guan Dao diagonally strapped to his back, its familiar weight to him.


    Seeing a weapons shop across the street, he decided that, with nothing better to do, he would enter and see if any weapon caught his eye. Though he used a pole arm, he was still proficiently trained in sword fighting. Seeing what they had to offer wouldn¡¯t hurt, especially not with his prodigious budget.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± The store manager said as he entered. The room was rather large, filled with weapons of all kinds, not a single inch of wall visible. The store manager was a large, scarred man, possibly a retired warrior. He gave the man a martial salute. Setting aside his disdain for old warriors, the man had fought, and deserved respect.


    ¡°Show me your best weapon,¡± Bai Guo said. The man chuckled.


    ¡°Right this way, ser,¡± he left his counter and led Bai Guo to the end of the wall where a metallic spear was attached to it. ¡°This here is the ¡®Break Bone Cut Flesh Spear¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°Pure steel, too weighty for most men, but there is evidence that this exact spear was used by war hero ¡® Xiang Yu¡¯.¡±


    That seemed rather¡­ odd. A too-heavy weapon never really made for a good tool of war. Besides, no one but a Martial Warrior could lift a solid steel spear. Bai Guo turned to the manager, looking at him dubiously. ¡°I meant something more practical.¡±


    The manager laughed. ¡°Ah, can¡¯t blame ya for not wanting that behemoth. I¡¯ll get ya something you could use-, wait,¡± he turned to look at Bai Guo¡¯s Guan Dao. ¡°Can I take a look at your pole arm?¡±


    Bai Guo took the pole pole arm out and showed it to the manager, who assessed it quietly. He was looking at it inscrutably for almost a minute, not expressing a single emotion on his war-hardened face. Finally, he returned the pole arm and gave him an amicable smile. ¡°I will trade you a medium-grade weapon for this.¡±


    ¡°Not interested,¡± Bai Guo nodded respectfully. The manager frowned.


    ¡°Oh, come now,¡± he chided. ¡°It looks far too heavy for someone of your stature.¡± Bai Guo wasn¡¯t particularly short, standing at six feet flat, but underneath his clothes, he didn¡¯t look particularly imposing, his muscles small, but wound tightly around him, still. Besides, looks could deceive when it came to a Martial Warrior, and although he had been trained for two years, discounting the recent unlocking of his core, he still wasn¡¯t particularly brutish. The manager simply continued. ¡°I know it looks impressive to the women when you lug this around, but if you can¡¯t use it, you should just let it go.¡±


    Bai Guo ignored the man and walked back to the metal spear with the name too long for him to remember. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± The manager asked. ¡°I won¡¯t trade your Guan Dao for a treasure, now.¡±


    He picked the spear off from the rack, noting its heft with curiosity. Too heavy to fight with for long periods of time, it would do better as a training tool.


    The manager looked at him completely slack-jawed. He returned the spear to the rack and gave another martial salute. ¡°My Guan Dao is not for sale. It was passed down from my father, and his father before him, a treasure which I cannot simply sell for coin.¡±


    ¡°Young boy¡­¡± he pointed a shaky finger at the spear. ¡°How did¡­ how did you lift it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a warrior,¡± he replied frankly.


    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± The manager beamed. ¡°And-and-and you¡¯re so tiny!¡± He laughed to himself. ¡°Kid, how about I give you that spear?¡±


    It would be useful as a training tool, and when it was not in use, he could just give it to Kang Yilan to store.


    Still¡­ nothing was ever free. That was common sense. Not like how ¡®children are made¡¯. It wasn¡¯t his fault that no one ever told him that, and Mei Yun shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh about it!


    He dispelled the unpleasant memories of her ire and turned to stare the manager in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you my Guan Dao for it.¡±


    ¡°You can keep that, too,¡± he smiled. ¡°Let me take you somewhere. You just have to fight someone, and if you win, you get to keep the spear.¡±


    ¡°Who will I fight?¡± Bai Guo asked. ¡°And why should I fight them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a competition,¡± he said. ¡°Underground fighting,¡± then he leaned in, conspiratorially. ¡°You¡¯re Jianghu, aintcha?¡±


    Bai Guo blinked. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m not even sure, myself.¡±


    ¡°Hah, then that¡¯s Jianghu,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re not from one of them big ol¡¯ sects, then surely you can¡¯t be Wulin. They all uptight, you know. Lone wanderers like you, they¡¯re Jianghu for sure.¡±


    Bai Guo nodded, accepting that as fact. ¡°So you¡¯re aware of the Martial Arts world.¡±


    ¡°Aware?¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got stakes in it,¡± he pointed at the heavy spear. ¡°That¡¯s not really a treasure. I was just trying to con you. What it is is training equipment. Underneath the steel casing is pure lead, too heavy for any non-Martial Warrior to carry, and even to the average one, they¡¯d be hard-pressed to even lift it above their heads, but you wielded it like it was a weapon and not a weight! It¡¯s perfect for you!¡± Bai Guo raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°I sell to the Jianghu, too, and they always come with the weirdest item. Yours is no exception, either. Still, it¡¯s always nice to have enough money to buy from whichever Martial Warrior walks through that door, so I make more money by betting.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Bai Guo understood. ¡°And you want to bet on me in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The young soldier sighed. ¡°The odds will be stacked in my favour because I look too powerful.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± The manager barely held himself from laughing. ¡°Kid, compared to some of those maniacs down in the pits, you look like you¡¯ve been baking cakes your whole life. Trust me. Three fights, and you¡¯ll get your spear, alright?¡±


    For a lack of better things to do, he accepted, seeing the spear as his, already. The store manager closed his shop and they both went into a back-door, leading them to a dead-end stone-wall. He pushed down one stone brick, opening the whole wall as if it was a door, down to a dimly lit staircase. The store manager walked down first, and Bai Guo followed.


    ¡°Kid, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    The manager turned with the tunnel. ¡°Bai Guo,¡± he responded. ¡°I¡¯m headed for Kunlun so I can be strong enough to destroy the Horde.¡±


    The manager guffawed. ¡°You¡¯ll find that strength if you go there, kid. Either that, or you¡¯ll die. Those sons of bitches don¡¯t play around, but I reckon you can come out on top with that strength you¡¯ve got in your arms. Tell ya what, where we¡¯re going, it¡¯s where the pussies who don¡¯t dare go to Kunlun end up. You¡¯ll do fine, here.¡±


    Eventually, they came upon a final door, and when it opened, it revealed a huge underground cavity, an arena surrounded by stone benches that could possibly fit thousands of people.


    ¡°Welcome to Chengdu Underground, kid,¡± he patted Bai Guo on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s get you registered. I¡¯ve got some pull down here, so they¡¯ll let you fight quickly so you don¡¯t end up wasting your time.¡±


    They took the stairs between two sections of seatings until they reached the top where the planning room was, guarded by a brutish man. ¡°Token,¡± he said.


    The manager pulled out a token, the symbol of ¡®smith¡¯ emblazoned on it with black ink on a painted white background.


    The brutish guard nodded his head in a martial salute. ¡°Blacksmith Fang Kang.¡±


    He stepped aside and opened the door. Inside was a room filled with Martial Warriors, most of them large and burly men, walked about with purpose, throwing their weight around like they were better than the common man.


    Small wonder they had sequestered themselves so far beneath the Earth, ironically thinking themselves above others. The blacksmith took him over to see a fat man with a scroll in his hand. The moment the fat man spotted him, his expression turned from focused to joyful, hugging the blacksmith. ¡°Fang Kang! Alright, who¡¯s the bastard?¡±


    The blacksmith pointed at Bai Guo. ¡°Ah, okay,¡± he grinned. ¡°I know there¡¯s a trick to this guy. What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Bai Guo,¡± Bai Guo introduced himself.


    ¡°Alright, quick rundown of the rules, Bai Guo: you fight hand-to-hand in hand-to-hand rounds, and you fight with weapons in the weapon rounds. Killing is frowned upon, and so is maiming unless you¡¯re in a death duel. Quick question, are you okay with death duels?¡±


    Bai Guo simply shrugged.


    ¡°Attaboy,¡± he turned to the blacksmith. ¡°What will he be doing?¡±


    ¡°Three duels would be enough,¡± Kang said.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want him in the tournament? It¡¯s just a two-day event, you know. Three fights today, two fights tomorrow, granted he wins all his battles.¡±


    Kang laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know all that much about him. He¡¯s a dark horse, sure, but I can¡¯t rely on him to actually beat everybody.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Bai Guo said, steel in his voice, before turning to the fat tournament organizer. ¡°I will be in your two-day tournament.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he smiled. ¡°The prize is-¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said. ¡°What are the rules for my first round. Weapon or no weapon?¡±


    The fat man beamed at him before turning to the unsure Kang. ¡°I like this kid. No weapons until semi-finals. No killing until finals.¡±


    Bai Guo nodded. ¡°When do I start?¡±


    The bells rung. The fat man smiled. ¡°Now.¡± He beckoned an attendant over. ¡°Give this man your pole arm. I swear on my honour that it will be in good hands.¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t, I will kill you,¡± Bai Guo said frankly, handing the attendant his weapon.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you came right now,¡± he said. ¡°We only had one last spot for someone new coming in. We were going to give your would-be opponent a walk-over. Now, go down the stairs, enter the arena grounds, and fight. If you¡¯re hiding weapons, we will ban you, and possibly kill you depending on my mood.¡±


    Bai Guo nodded. He strode down the stairs and entered the arena, beholding the jubilations of thousands of people who had all come to see two Martial Warriors battle. Perhaps he would have been one of them if he had lived in Chengdu. To him, the idea of Martial Warriors always seemed like a children¡¯s story until he had unwittingly been groomed to become one.


    His opponent was a man a head taller than him, bristling with thick muscle. His pony-tail was long, swishing about as he looked left and right, snarling at the audience like a beast ready to be unleashed on an unsuspecting lamb. The audience loved it.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± it was the voice of the fat man. He had to be a Martial Warrior as well, then. ¡°Welcome to this quarter-year¡¯s Two-Day Tournament! Where the most impressive of rookies are given a chance to participate in the Grand Tournament if their showing is impressive enough!¡± The audience¡¯s cheers were almost deafening. ¡°Now, you will have ten minutes to place your bets. Don¡¯t lose your betting tickets. If you do, you will not be able to claim your winnings. On one corner, we have a new favourite, Chen Hui, the hulking titan of Sichuan!¡±


    Chen Hui roared at the crowd, cheering him on like they would a rabid dog. He had seen his fair share of pit-fighting in this army days, the only way to alleviate boredom being fighting.


    ¡°And on the other corner, we have a complete unknown! A dark horse, or a paper tiger?! You decide! Bai Guo!¡±


    There was considerably less cheering for him, and even some jeers, but he ignored it. This was good. After all, if few voted for him, then Fang Kang would make a lot of money, which would further justify him giving him the training spear.


    ¡°No weapons! No killing! Fight!¡±


    They ran towards each other. Chen Hui aimed to grapple him, but Bai guo was dancing well away from the larger man¡¯s reach. Unconsciously, his body almost made to cut him with his pole arm, forgetting that he had left it behind.


    Switching mindsets, he charged towards Chen Hui, dodging a devastating punch with the barest of margins, and delivered a sharp hit that struck the lumbering giant right on his chin, deadening his eyes. The man fell on his back, unmoving. A referee came to check his pulse as the arena was utterly quiet.


    The referee raised his hand and pointed towards Bai Guo. ¡°Winner!¡±


    That was deceptively easy.


    If they would all be as easy as this fight, then he had nothing to worry about, did he?

 Chapter 21 - Gallant Knight-Errant

    Wei Chow wandered the streets contentedly. He had blown one entire gold on a meal to end all meals, the fattiest food which melted on his tongue. To others, he may have looked the glutton, with over a dozen plates on his table, with no one to share it with, but he hadn¡¯t ever been the type to care about what people thought of him.


    Life was just an endless journey, and to not experience everything it held within its grasp, to not travel the end of the earth, it was truly a waste.


    ¡°The mountains are tired and they sleep. The trees are tired and they sleep.¡± He hummed a song from when he and Lin Leng were children, a lullaby that he used to sing to Lin Leng after a particularly harsh episode, letting him fall asleep on his lap, forgetting his woes. ¡°Whoa,¡± Wei Chow muttered as he nearly stumbled on a loose piece of cobblestone. ¡°This lullaby is making me tired.¡±


    From around the corner, he heard tittering girls, running. When they turned the corner and met, they walked towards him. They looked quite aristocratic, though Chow would have fit in more had he done something about the rest of his hair aside from his ponytail, leaving it uncut. ¡°Mister. Did you hear a person singing on the streets?¡±


    Wei Chow looked around, but saw no one. It was high noon, and though the autumn chill held, the sun still reigned supreme, so most would rather be indoors. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have,¡± he responded. ¡°The only person I heard sing was me.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± One of the girls giggled. ¡°No, but this man sang like a most handsome spirit!¡±


    The other girl nodded frantically. ¡°Oh, how I would just let him take me in his arms and sing me to sleep!¡±


    Wei Chow smiled. What a lucky bastard that guy was. ¡°I sure hope you two find him, yeah?¡±


    The girls walked past him without much more ado, and he resumed his little ditty. To have girls swooning over his singing skills would be a welcome change.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    He turned around to see both girls, nonplussed. ¡°Yes? Can I help any of you?¡±


    ¡°Sing again,¡± one of them demanded.


    Wei Chow obliged them. ¡°The animals exhausted, they rest their heads.¡±


    ¡°You tricked us!¡± One of the girls said, almost bitterly. ¡°We thought there was a handsome guy walking around singing, but as it turns out, it was just you!¡±


    ¡°Apologize,¡± one of the girls demanded, almost crestfallen.


    ¡°For what?¡± Wei Chow asked.


    ¡°You could have just said you were the one singing!¡±


    He blinked several times. ¡°I¡­ I did.¡±


    One of the girls looked at the other. ¡°He¡¯s right, he did.¡±


    Angrily, she turned around, nose in the air and left, leaving Wei Chow to smile at the strangeness of the encounter. So the girls were swooning over his voice. The bit about them not liking how he looked like was immaterial, however. Then again, if he would want a woman for himself, it would be one that didn¡¯t believe beauty was skin-deep.


    Chengdu had much to offer him in terms of a view. The lake nearby was beautiful, reflecting sophisticated architecture across the water-body.


    Still, he sang. ¡°The birds are fatigued, so they rest in their nests.¡±


    ¡°Bro, check this out,¡± across the street, a group of well-dressed young men were looking at him. Two armed guards accompanied them, as well. ¡°Hey, fat man. Come over here for a second!¡±


    Wei Chow looked around in the streets. There were no fat people there.


    They must have been talking about him. He turned to them and obliged them, walking over. He knew he should have been agitated by their jeering, but the mood was much too mellow for such a thing.


    ¡°Are you from a family or something?¡± The ring-leader asked. He was rather good looking, but the nasty smirk he carried ruined it completely.


    ¡°No,¡± he decided to be honest. ¡°Just passing by the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a commoner?¡± He asked. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wei Chow responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m Li Zhou!¡± He said. ¡°The son of Li He, the head of the Li clan!¡±


    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± Wei Chow said, feigning some enthusiasm. Despite his arrogance, the guy seemed so proud when he announced his lineage, he couldn¡¯t bear to show him the true extent of his apathy.


    ¡°So? Won¡¯t you bow?¡± He asked, slightly impatiently.


    Wei Chow frowned. ¡°You¡­ you asked me to come all the way here just to have me bow?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded. ¡°As a commoner, you should defer to me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Wei Chow subtly turned his eyes to his other noble friends, all expecting Wei Chow to defer to the man, lest he lose their respect.


    Too bad, then, that he wouldn¡¯t debase himself for someone else¡¯s benefit.


    But confrontation was not everything.


    Wei Chow smiled devilishly. ¡°A lofty young master such as yourself should not be satisfied with a mere gesture like bowing. Come. Take me to the finest tavern that you know of, and I will provide you all with a drink.¡±


    The young master furrowed his eyebrows at him. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ necessary.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it is,¡± Wei Chow said, moving in for the kill. ¡°I, a lowly commoner, was graced with the presence of you young masters! It is only fair to celebrate, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Let him spend for us, Little Zhou,¡± one of his friends, a lanky man with an easy smirk, said. ¡°Since he seems so eager to beggar himself for us. We don¡¯t drink in cheap places.¡±


    ¡°And my pockets are not light,¡± Wei Chow rebutted.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Another one of them asked. ¡°Li Zhou. How about you let the bumpkin take us to the Imperial Brewery?¡±


    Li Zhou, having regained confidence and the approval of his friends, puffed his chests. ¡°Then, come with me, commoner, and you shall treat us, as is your place in life.¡±


    It was only a little disheartening that he continued to attempt to debase him in an attempt to win face, when all it did was prove the heights of his immaturity. After all, even an aristocrat wouldn¡¯t be so petty as to stop random commoners on the street. He looked young, but not young to the point of immaturity. It spoke of a coddled life rife with overprotective guardians and an inability to make good friends.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Maybe he could fix that?


    ¡°The mountains are tired and they sleep,¡± he sang absently as they made their way to do some day-drinking. ¡°The trees are tired and they sleep.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± one of them muttered. ¡°He¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Shh, he¡¯s just a commoner. No need to inflate his ego.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Wei Chow said, turning around towards the group who had thought that he hadn¡¯t heard. ¡°I should stop singing, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± He gave a pleading look to Li Zhou, who looked at his friends who were cringing in embarrassment.


    ¡°Go on, commoner,¡± Li Zhou said.


    He turned to walk backwards before bowing his head. ¡°This one¡¯s name is Wei Chow.¡±


    Li Zhou just nodded in acceptance and he turned to face forwards. For a group of aristocrats, they seemed awfully lacking in self-confidence. One would think that parents with their stature would at the very least encourage a stronger self-esteem, but it seemed like they were truly just skittish fowls at heart.


    Well, they had to be real aristocrats. After all, their guards were carrying real weapons, and their clothes sure did look expensive. Still, they gave him the impression that they had somehow tricked the real aristocrats, stolen their clothes and their guards.


    But the casual conviction of their prejudiced words was something one was hard-pressed to act convincingly. It had to be real.


    They arrived in the Imperial Brewery in a short amount of time, a place that served both food and drink, but focused particularly on the myriad most popular alcoholic brews that the lands had to offer, most of them imported, but some locally made.


    Li Zhou pulled him aside as his friends entered the establishment. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re playing at, commoner. You should have bowed when asked. You can¡¯t pay for what¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry,¡± Wei Chow smiled reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure all those brats you call friends are won over, or my name isn¡¯t Wei Chow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what your name is. If you¡¯re not able to pay, then know this; I will¡­¡± he faltered a little. ¡°I will have my guards¡­ beat you up.¡±


    Wei Chow smiled. ¡°How merciful, but don¡¯t worry. I will treat you accordingly, alright?¡±


    They entered and went to the table that the others had already sat in. When a waiter came, Wei Chow took the menu and checked the drinks.


    ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s expensive!¡± Wei Chow exclaimed, causing the nobles around him to growl in frustration.


    ¡°But you can pay, yes?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Wei Chow said. The most expensive liquor there was sat at a lofty one gold, the price matching all of what he had eaten prior. ¡°I¡¯ll have a crate of the double-distilled Heaven¡¯s Tears,¡± he said.


    ¡°A-a crate,¡± the waiter repeated. ¡°A crate contains twenty, so that is twenty gold.¡±


    He oulled out a bag from within his robes and pulled out gold-coin after gold-coin until there were twenty stacked on top of each other on the table. The waiter took the order and the bequeathed money, smiling as the aristocrats all gave him pole-axed expressions, not having expected this turn of events.


    ¡°Y-y-y-you¡¯re not a commoner, are you?¡± Li Zhou asked.


    ¡°Common as a blade of grass,¡± Wei Chow promised. ¡°I¡¯m just a commoner with money.¡±


    ¡°You think that counts for anything?¡± One of them said, rather harshly. ¡°You¡¯re probably just some fat merchant¡¯s son, aren¡¯t you? They never keep their money for too long, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°I¡¯m here for a good time, not for a long time,¡± he grinned. The waiter came back with a crate, placing it next to Wei Chow¡¯s feet. He pulled out a bottle and sat it on the table as the waiter distributed the cups. Wei Chow stood up and poured every one a finger, before pouring himself one for the last time. He lifted his cup and waiter for the others to do the same thing. When they did, he downed the spirit, and watched as the others did the same.


    They all looked wide-eyed, no-doubt feeling their throats burning. Even Wei Chow could say that the spirit was on the verge of besting him, the body of the liquor strong. His stomach felt aflame. ¡°Wow,¡± he muttered. ¡°That hit the spot, didn¡¯t it?¡± When they had all recovered, they began to look at each other, their lips curling upwards at the situation itself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle Chow knows you¡¯re all thirsty. How about another round?¡±


    Li Zhou shook his head. ¡°That would be irresponsible.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Wei Chow said, shoving him lightly. The touch didn¡¯t completely repulse him, so he saw that as a win. ¡°It¡¯s what real men do.¡±


    Li Zhou, with fire in his eyes, held out his cup. ¡°Just one more.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± The lankier aristocrat asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Dai Lao?¡± Li Zhou smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t hold your liquor?¡±


    Those surrounding Dai Lao laughed a little as Wei Chow poured Li Zhou another cup, before giving each of the aristocrats a turn except for Dai Lao, who steadfastly refused. ¡°C¡¯mon, Dai Lao,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°It¡¯ll put hair on your chest.¡±


    Li Zhou chuckled at the idiom, but said nothing, otherwise.


    Dai Lao acquiesced. ¡°Fine, but only a finger.¡±


    With the drink poured in, they drank once more. Wei Chow¡¯s eyes widened comically, shaking his head as the spirit attacked him once more. ¡°Whoa! That felt like a kick to the balls!¡±


    Li Zhou laughed, now. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too vulgar!¡± He continued to laugh, spurring on the other two, except for Dai Lao, who seemed completely out of it. He made a mental note not to give him any more lest he puke and embarrass himself. The aristocracy was big on public embarrassments.


    ¡°This commoner sure ain¡¯t so bad!¡± One of the nobles slurred. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Wei Chow,¡± he said. ¡°But you can call me Uncle!¡±


    Li Zhou laughed uproariously, along with the noble that asked. Dai Lao, having finally gotten back his bearings, chuckled at the scene before him. Li Zhou hiccupped a little as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve got¡­ the audacity to rival¡­ a king.¡±


    ¡°The au-day-shus knight more like it!¡± Dai Lao slurred. ¡°You look so strong, you know.¡±


    ¡°The audacious knight!¡± The other noble sang. ¡°Come on, sing for us, Wei Chow! You have such a great voice!¡±


    Wei Chow cleared his throat. ¡°The Audaaacious knight!¡± He sang. ¡°The most glooorious fights! He roams the land, he braves the sands, and when he sees the beautiful damsels, he sweeps them off their feet!¡±


    The nobles joined along, circling back to the beginning of the chorus ad nauseum. Eventually, with one more drink in them, they began to dance about, uncaring of what it looked like for the few ¡®distinguished¡¯ patrons that were currently occupying the Imperial Brewery.


    When they got tired, they settled down, but Wei Chow held the bottle back, unwilling to black them out completely. He would have a responsibility to take them back home, and like his blood brother would say, that would be troublesome.


    When the festivities died down, Li Zhou patted Wei Chow¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I guess I was¡­ uh¡­ a little harsh¡­ with you¡­¡±


    Wei Chow nodded. ¡°Just be confident in yourself, young master. Showing off to your friends is not the way to win their respect. You must command it.¡±


    ¡°You sound like¡­ my father.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t falter, kid,¡± Wei Chow patted his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a ¡®Li¡¯, aren¡¯t you? You must have a lot to be proud of.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°Just remember that, okay?¡±


    The doors kicked open as a well-dressed gentleman entered with two women on each arm. ¡°Waiters!¡± He shouted. ¡°Prepare a table for three, and bring the best wine in the house!¡±


    ¡°Please let go of us,¡± one of the girls whispered. Wei Chow picked up on it clear as day, however, and when he took a better look at them, he recognized them as the girls from earlier that day.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± The guy muttered back. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Please let go of us, little Magistrate.¡±


    That made things much hairier. Wei Chow stood up and walked in the way of the scowling young man. ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°I think you should let the beauties go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the fat singer from earlier!¡± One of them observed.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?!¡± The little Magistrate asked. ¡°And by the way, these women are with me here willingly. Isn¡¯t that right, girls?¡±


    The nodded uncertainly. Everyone with eyes would see that the little Magistrate was erring. ¡°Stop it,¡± Wei Chow said, moving closer. ¡°In this brewery, there are many distinguished patrons, all of which could spread word of your misdeeds far and wide. Would that not be damaging to your father, that everyone knows that his son is a philandering fiend?¡±


    The little Magistrate growled at him. ¡°I could murder you where you stand, and no one would call it murder. They would call it ¡®killing vermin¡¯. If you think you¡¯re on my level, to speak to me as if I am an equal, you are sorely mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Reality listens not to status, young Magistrate,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°It is not I whose reputation is on the line. I am trying to help you.¡±


    The little Magistrate seemed to be considering his course of action, growling as his eyes darted back and forth. Finally, he lifted his arms from the two women and stormed out the brewery.


    Thus, the two girls remained, looking at Wei Chow with consternation. Finally, one of the girls huffed. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize if that¡¯s what you¡¯re expecting.¡± With that, she stormed out. The girl that remained looked at him apologetically before bowing solemnly. ¡°Thank you so much, and I apologize for the way we treated you earlier this noon.¡± With that, she left the brewery as well.


    When he returned to his table, his newfound noble-friends stared at him in awe.


    Finally, Dao Lai spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn gallant knight, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Wei Chow chuckled. ¡°I am what I am.¡±


    When the pleasantries were over, the nobles were escorted out with their guards, and Wei Chow headed for the hotel room so he could safely store his crate of China¡¯s finest, drinking the opened bottle all on his own.

 Chapter 22 - The Noble Path

    The Monk, Pashupati, did as the Eightfold Path commanded. On the side of the road, he expounded on the dharma as he held his bowl forth, expecting food to come, but only receiving coins and sometimes trash.


    It was amazing how disappointed you could be at something. Deep down, he was always so skeptical about the capacity that humanity held for cruelty. He had heard stories, of course, and read accounts of the surface world, but in all his life, he never imagined he would be met with the most extremes of cruelty so quickly on.


    Adventuring with Kang Yilan had opened his eyes to the depravity of this world, but he had not broken in the face of it, like his mentor had so feared. And now, he was on a mission, the fate of the Martial Arts world hinging on its success.


    Had it been him a month ago, he would insist that they speak softly to Tian Mo, to convince him of the error of his ways.


    The him of today was¡­ largely the same, but tempered with life experiences. He had killed his first human being only recently, and was forced to move so quickly, barely giving him time to let grief run its course, but such was life; suffering with no end.


    He tried to think happier thoughts, and found that they came easily. Kang Yilan and Han Yu Jie had realized their feelings for each other, now looking much happier for it. A temporary reprieve from suffering would do them both good, so they could meditate on it once it all came to pass, so they could ride on a sustainable decrease in suffering rather than a curve which crested and troughed in equal measures.


    But it would still not grant them true reprieve. Only Transcendence would do that; Nirvana. A most succulent fruit, always a millimeter away from the grasp of the most pious men of the Shaolin Monastery.


    He had seen the statues built to commemorate the great Siddharta Gautama, and a handful of other Transcendents. It had been over one hundred years since the last monk or nun transcended, and it truly put it into perspective the amount of wisdom one required to actually transcend.


    The Great Buddha was said to be thirty-five when he ascended. The thought of it didn¡¯t excite him so much as fill him with tranquility. The arrogance borne from age was one that worked against oh so many initiates, many of which could only wallow in ignorance.


    Pashupati would never say this to anyone, not even his Mentor, but truly, deep inside his heart¡­


    ¡­he believed they treasured Nirvana too much.


    He felt a pang of shame for saying it, but there really was no other way to look at it, even from a logical perspective. ¡®Treasuring a Jade Ring Becomes a Crime¡¯. Too much desire for one thing would inevitably remove them from the dharma, and that applied to even the dharma itself. What a harsh and cruel task it was, then, to purge the Three Poisons, follow the Four Noble Truths, and walk the Noble Eightfold Path. Even the name was obliquely sinful: with the word ¡®noble¡¯ used. The aristocracy called themselves noble, believing themselves to truly be above the average person.


    And on some level, the initiates did, too. There were a few still true to the Path, who only wished to expound on the dharma to save more, but there were others who were deceiving themselves, carrying out selfless deeds with selfish intentions. The Monastery was not pure. They dug into the earth in order to sow seeds and make food for the more astute initiates, leaving the less holy on the wayside.


    Those farmers would say that it was an act of sacrifice, but he could never avoid seeing the anguish in their hearts at being unable to attempt at following the Noble Path, instead having to sin so others may not. In his opinion, those were the truly selfless of the Monastery.


    Still, as he had been taught, he was grateful for their sacrifice, and as they had been taught, they were grateful for the opportunity to be self-sacrificing. At the very least, the promise of another chance at being born as a human waited for them all, but the bitter truth was that most humans were not initiates.


    The missionaries sought to reclaim the lost souls by sending monks out indiscriminately. The likelihood of meeting a reincarnated monk was low, but the knowledge that they were trying, in the face of such daunting odds, was hopefully enough to satisfy the self-sacrificing farmers.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A kindly stranger put a loaf of bread in Pashupati¡¯s bowl, and the monk thanked him kindly before consuming the meal slowly, guiltlessly.


    If he were to speak for himself, he would be the harshest, however. Whereas they treasured Nirvana too much, he didn¡¯t. He only wanted to live by the tenets of an initiate so he could be the best that he could be to all of life, to be one with ¡®life¡¯ in general and all that it entailed. It included negativity and ignorant suffering, but it also included enlightened thinking and lateral problem-solving skills.


    There was so much to life, and wishing to abandon it without learning the most important things¡­ it would eventually be the Monastery¡¯s downfall, but Pashupati would do his best to spread his own wisdom if it ever turned out that he was somehow right.


    Then again, no two minds were ever the same, and what would transcend one person could not necessarily do so for another. Maybe they were erroneous in their ardent wish to follow the footsteps of the Great Buddha?


    It remained to be seen what was right and what was wrong only by transcending, oneself, so the question itself was meaningless to ask.


    A young child bumped into him. ¡°Oh, sorry, mister!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Pashupati smiled.


    ¡°We were just playing tag,¡± the boy explained himself. Pashupati nodded.


    ¡°Ah, can I join you?¡± He asked. He had finished eating his bread, now, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to exert himself a little. Laziness made for a poor body, which made for a poor mind.


    ¡°Sure!¡± He said. He pointed at the other children present, before suddenly tagging Pashupati. Amused and greatly surprised by the child¡¯s guile, he made to chase them, tagging one with ease before running the other way with a congregation of children in tow.


    He allowed himself to be tagged some times, and carried on a great and heart-pumping pursuit to make the experience more fun for the children, each time tagging them by only the barest of margins.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The children all stopped as a middle-aged man strode over to the monk, his bowl in their hand. ¡°What are you doing playing with my son? How old are you, anyway?¡±


    The Monk bowed his head. ¡°My apologies. I did not know that you would have a problem with that.¡±


    The man laughed sarcastically. ¡°Not a problem? How am I to know you¡¯re not some kind of sick bastard who would prey on my children? What¡¯s your name, anyway?¡±


    Pashupati shook his head regretfully. ¡°My vows prevent me from revealing my true name to an outsider.¡±


    The man growled and stepped in to deliver a slap to the monk¡¯s cheek, one which he readily accepted so he would not escalate. ¡°You think you¡¯re smart, dontcha? You think you¡¯re better than us because you¡¯re a man of God or something?¡±


    The monk shook his head. ¡°No, no, I do not. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll leave you to,¡± he tried to walk away, but the man held his hand.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± He lifted the begging bowl up, before throwing it down on the ground with all his might, denting one side. Pashupati picked it up and evened out the dent with ease which the man probably did not expect. ¡°If I ever see you around my kids again, I¡¯ll beat you so damn hard you¡¯ll be begging for death and not food-scraps.¡±


    He turned his eyes surreptitiously to one of the kids, their expressions dour. It wasn¡¯t fair to them to see something this cruel at such a young age. Time and time again, this world continued to disappoint. For fear of escalating the man¡¯s ire, he spoke haltingly. He knew that what he was about to say ran counter to the Path, but he cared more about the wellbeing of the children than a path to perfecting him and him alone.


    Everyone deserved perfection.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t behave this way in front of your children,¡± he said. ¡°It makes you¡­ seem like a bully.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± He tried to grab him, but he took a smooth step back, causing the man to overextend, stumbling forth. A gentle push above his ribs had the man regaining his balance.


    ¡°And neither should you be violent to strangers in front of your children,¡± he continued. ¡°You do them a disservice by hurting me just to prove to them a point. If you were truly scared that I would harm your children, then you could have sent me away, but instead, you chose to attack me.¡±


    The man tried to attack him again, only for the monk to smoothly duck underneath him and send him staggering forward. Before he could fall, he grabbed the stumbling man  by the back of his shirt collar, correcting him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, and neither do I want to humiliate you, but when you ruin fun for your child and display such cruel tactics, you force my hand.¡±


    The man turned around and tried to tackle him. At just the right moment, Pashupati stepped away and kicked his feet up, sending him in a flip that had him land on his feet, like nothing had happened. The children laughed uproariously at the sight, as even a crowd began to gather around the spectacle.


    The man had learned from his flip that he was not facing an ordinary foe. Pashupati gave the man a deep bow. ¡°I am sorry if I have damaged your reputation, but to raise your hand against a stranger innocent of a crime you have accused them of will only invite calamity towards you in the future. Please take my solemn advice and please do not treat your children with the same level of cruelty that you have treated me with.¡±


    With that, he took his bowl and went back to his corner where he had deposited his monk¡¯s spade. He picked it up and left the area, steps lighter than he would have expected.


    With a heavy heart, he decided there and then, that he liked doing the right thing more than he liked being a perfect being. His mentor would probably be disappointed with him, but Pashupati was not.

 Chapter 23 - The Tournament

    We decided to have breakfast as a group, in the master bedroom belonging to Yu Jie and I.


    We sat on the floor in a circle, Yu Jie sitting on my lap as she held me around my neck lovingly. ¡°You should eat,¡± I muttered with a smile. ¡°As much as I love this, I also love your health.¡±


    ¡°Anyone want some brew?¡± Wei Chow said, holding up a bottle with a lavish label.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early,¡± Leng dismissed off-handedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some,¡± I said. I made to stand up, but Yu Jie got up first, walking to grab a bottle. Bai Guo raised a glass and was promptly poured a finger. Nobody else accepted aside from herself and me, both pouring our drinks into each other¡¯s mouths as we laughed at our antics.


    It was serene, our relationship.


    After finishing his food, Bai Guo raised a hand for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I am participating in a tournament for Jianghu practitioners.¡±


    We all took a moment to assimilate that fact. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lin Leng asked.


    We all turned to him, curiosity mounting. ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    That explained nothing. ¡°Where did you find this tournament?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A blacksmith was willing to trade a spear for my participation in the tournament,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve won every battle, now, with two remaining. Once I win those, I¡¯m the champion of the quarterly Tournament.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Have you¡­ learned anything new?¡±


    He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Most Jianghu warriors are so¡­ large. Yet, I beat them so easily.¡± He turned to look at me, eyes intense. ¡°I want to be big like them, as well.¡±


    Yu Jie looked at him flatly. ¡°I think she meant what new things have you learned to progress your Martial Path.¡±


    More petulantly, he repeated. ¡°I want to be big!¡±


    ¡°Group,¡± Deng Ming said as he finished his breakfast with the mannerism of an aristocrat. ¡°I have plotted a course for us.¡± He turned to me. ¡°Winter is yet upon us, so I suggest we move tomorrow morning.¡±


    I nodded, hugging around my Yu Jie a little tighter. ¡°Good idea,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only gonna get colder up in Kunlun, so the faster we move, the better,¡± I turned to the rest of the group. ¡°I hope you still have some money left from yesterday.¡±


    Bai Guo looked away. ¡°I bet all my money on my victory.¡±


    I exhaled incredulously. ¡°Well, then you better hope you win.¡±


    ¡°Still got some left,¡± Wei Chow said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spent it,¡± Lin Leng said.


    ¡°I gave it all to an orphanage,¡± the Monk beamed.


    What a lovable idiot.


    As for Yu Jie and I¡­ we actually spent a surprisingly low amount of money for the budget I had given everyone else.


    I turned to Bai Guo. ¡°Yu Jie and I are free today. Where and when does your Tournament take place?¡±


    ¡°At high noon,¡± he said. ¡°The semi-finals will begin. I will use my Guan Dao to non-lethally cut down my enemy, and then in the finals, I will kill my opponent.¡±


    ¡°Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo,¡± the Monk said, disturbed to the core. ¡°Is that not an extreme course of action, Bai Guo?¡±


    ¡°Warriors live and die by the edge of their blades,¡± Bai Guo argued.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ is it really necessary to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re getting at.¡±


    I tuned out their prattle in favor of turning to Yu Jie. ¡°You think we¡¯ll ever argue like that?¡±


    ¡°Like old ladies?¡± She asked. ¡°Hardly. Men like to argue, seeing battle after battle where there is none. Let them have their verbal spars, and we will have our love.¡±


    ¡°You say that, yet your words weaken my knees like a physical blow,¡± I said. ¡°How do you reconcile that?¡±


    ¡°All is fair in love and war,¡± she grinned, and I giggled, bringing her closer to me for a kiss.


    We still had all of noon to prepare before going out to see Bai Guo fight. Before then, we could do whatever the hell we want.


    000


    The city was a beautiful sight to see, with the river running across it, boats floating about almost aimlessly, following unseen eddies and currents while some took charge by rowing.


    Chengdu was a beautiful sight to see, and definitely one which I would return to in good time, once the whole business with Tian Mo was solved.


    It was all so strange that I no longer felt that ever-present need to force my way through the Martial Path, almost as if there was something ephemeral which I had grasped, something I could not really name.


    But of course, someone came to ruin the moment.


    ¡°Ah, beautiful ladies,¡± a man came up to us and said. He was average looking at best, but seemed to try and make up for that by dressing up as garishly as possible. ¡°Rejoice, for the little Magistrate has deemed you both beautiful enough to catch my fancy.¡±


    Yu Jie turned to me, mirth in her eyes. I shook my head barely imperceptibly, and something in her grin told me she would have as much fun as I was going to have. ¡°Uh, who are you again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Travelers, then?¡± He said, oh so magnanimously looking past the barb. ¡°I am the Magistrate of Chengdu¡¯s son, Wang Song. You are forgiven for your ignorance.¡±


    Was this honestly how expected to pick up women? ¡°Has that¡­ ever worked for you?¡± I asked. ¡°You come here and insult us, and we¡¯re, what, supposed to fall on your feet?¡±


    ¡°I bet he tried that out in front of a mirror a bunch of times,¡± Yu Jie needled. ¡°And then probably did the same to some courtesans he had already paid off.¡±


    ¡°You use courtesans?¡± I said. ¡°Well, it figures. You don¡¯t have much else going for you but money.¡±


    ¡°You dare?!¡± He almost screamed. ¡°I will have your tongues for that!¡±


    I grinned and pulled myself towards Yu Jie before performing a wet tongue-kiss right in front of him, probably unsightly for anyone watching, but interesting for the both of us. Then I turned back to him, his face completely ashen. ¡°That¡¯s not all we can do with our tongues, so no, you can¡¯t have them.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll be magnanimous,¡± I said. ¡°You can have a finger which I can shove up your bum and then wiggle around. Who knows? Maybe it¡¯ll awaken something in you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you scared?¡± She cooed, leaning towards the horrified man. ¡°Don¡¯t be. We don¡¯t bite.¡±


    I shoved her playfully. ¡°Liar.¡±


    She turned to me. ¡°Hah, got me.¡±


    That was the last straw, it seemed. The aristocrat turned tail, still utterly horrified, and fled away, running like he had just learned how to. Then again, nobles wouldn¡¯t have much of a reason to run, would they, always being carted with their fat asses all across town.


    I was surprised this one hadn¡¯t even brought out a twelve-man honor guard, but who would dare hurt him in his own city?


    I turned to Yu Jie and smiled. ¡°That went well.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but,¡± she giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t hold this against me, but¡­¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Say it,¡± I said. ¡°We will never judge each other, remember?¡±


    ¡°I kinda liked it,¡± she said. ¡°Making out in front of him.¡±


    I blushed almost furiously, looking down. ¡°Oh my god, Yu Jie.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?!¡± She laughed and threw an arm around my shoulder as I hid my face. Still, she could make me blush like a child half as young as I was. ¡°Still,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s so much more in this city to see, so don¡¯t you mind what some perverted young master has to say about our love.¡±


    I knew it was important to her, being able to reveal ourselves so blatantly. Most traditionalists, which happened to be a vast majority of people, would look at us with disgust, but it was the freedom of it that mattered, not the ¡®doing it in front of other people¡¯, but maybe Yu Jie really liked doing it in front of people?


    I slowly recovered enough to walk with her, my cheeks still hot from her casual proclamation, and the fact that¡­


    ¡°¡­I kinda liked it, too.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    And we did, unheeding of what anyone had to say about it.


    000


    ¡°It¡¯s right here,¡± Bai Guo said, leading us the rest of us, bar the Monk and Deng Ming, into a smithy with a dizzying array of weapons. The big man inside, I assumed was the shopkeeper.


    ¡°Brought your friends?¡± The man smiled. ¡°Good. Follow me.¡±


    We did, following him through the narrow tunnels, all the way until we were inside Chengdu Underground, where we took our seats. Apparently, we didn¡¯t have to buy tickets because we entered in a secret doorway, which could only be done if you had contacts on the inside.


    We took one of the better seats soon before the gates opened, in one of the best seats in the house without any pillars or people blocking the view inside.


    Lin Leng pulled a long jade pipe from his sack and put it in his mouth before scraping some sparks into it with a pair of rocks, taking a drag from it, all while I watched dubiously. ¡°You smoke, now?¡±


    He just shrugged. When he exhaled, I decided that that was not tobacco.


    ¡°Ugh, leaf,¡± Yu Jie muttered. ¡°You know it makes you all sluggish and slow, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to learn from leaf. It¡¯s my Martial Path.¡±


    ¡°Drugs are your Martial Path?¡± She asked dubiously.


    ¡°That tends to be the case,¡± Wei Chow said. ¡°Sects tend to shell out a lot so the kids can have all the most powerful pills out there. It¡¯s not exactly a secret, even.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± he smiled mildly. ¡°I play better when I¡¯m high.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Wei Chow said irritably. It was almost like Lin Leng was the only human in the world who could ever actually irritate him. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to make you drink with me for years. What the hell made you take up smoking leaf, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Met some guys,¡± he responded lazily. ¡°Went to a brothel. It was fun.¡±


    Him? A brothel? I almost couldn¡¯t believe it.


    But that¡¯s when I saw it. The shine. He looked much more alive than usual, and he had been that way since morning. I hadn¡¯t noticed it because I wasn¡¯t looking, but now that I did, the effects were obvious. ¡°If it works for you,¡± I said. Then a fat man came on stage. ¡°Oh, the competition is beginning!¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. Martial Warriors and mortals alike! Welcome to the final Two-Day Tournament of this quarter year! This time, we finally decide upon the sixteen semi-finalists that will be given a spot on the Grand Tournament, as well as the four champions that will be given a reward for their skills if they win this event!¡±


    The man prattled on, raising the ante as he talked about the two finalists.


    ¡°Bai Guo, the furious combatant with a knack for decisive hits and smooth movement! And to think he is not even a fist-fighter by trade! He fights with a tool of war, the Guan Dao!¡± The crowd cheered. ¡°His pole arm will grant him superior reach, and we all know how powerful he is when he wants to be, so can there be any victory for his opponent and fellow semi-finalist, Yangchen? Fleet-footed and dangerous, she can slice a man¡¯s throat and teach them one-thousand symbols before they keel over, dead! The odds are stacked in her favor, but can she truly get close enough with a two and a half meter long pole arm constantly keeping her at arm¡¯s length? Find out!¡±


    Bai Guo raised his Guan Dao with one hand, looking down as he accepted the jubilation stoically, no doubt squealing like a little child deep inside. His opponent, Yangchen, was a narrow woman taut with muscle, a sharp chin and sharp eyes, as if the heavens purposefully made her more streamlined so she could practice movement techniques.


    ¡°Rules! No killing! That¡¯s it! Ready! Begin!¡±


    They shot towards each other. The moment she tried to press the advantage, a sharp dagger in one hand, Bai Guo swiped his Guan Dao fast, forcing her to jump over him, appearing right behind him, but he was ready, looking back with more than enough time before fending off a backwards strike. Had she made a chi platform to jump from, she would have been upon him, revealing a fatal weakness that he could take advantage of; she was decidedly good for nothing but speed.


    Bai Guo was a dumbass, but never let it be said that he was also a dumbass while fighting. Long before she could even tire herself out, he closed his eyes and gripped the Guan Dao hard, somehow managing to swipe through the place that the girl had dashed downwards, earning her a partial disembowelment. She shoved her organs into the furrow that Bai Guo had dug, but refused to move a muscle, focusing all of her attention in saving her own life.


    I couldn¡¯t relate.


    Well, I could. Once upon a time. Now I couldn¡¯t.


    Yu Jie smiled at me and said ¡°You can¡¯t relate to that anymore.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Are you reading my mind or something?¡±


    The referee called the match and carted Yangchen off to the medics so she wouldn¡¯t die. Since the wound did not kill her immediately, she would be fine, the match counted as one where Bai Guo had been within the rules. He won cleanly, raising the bloodied ringed Guan Dao into the sky, receiving outstanding adulation.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Lin Leng shouted flatly. ¡°Hopefully when he starts to sing of his accolades like some warrior-poet, you¡¯d have taught him a thing or two, Chow.¡±


    ¡°You dare doubt Great Teacher Chow?¡± Chow scoffed. ¡°I will have him singing better than me before we even get to Kunlun.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Yu Jie laughed doubtfully. ¡°You¡¯re better off attaining immortality on the spot.¡±


    ¡°And why should that be beyond me, too?¡±


    ¡°Come off it,¡± Yu Jie scoffed.


    ¡°This Great Teacher is magnanimous,¡± Chow said. ¡°But you really should not doubt his prowess. Did he not teach himself the Blessing of the Forceful Earth?¡±


    ¡°Pipe it down,¡± Lin Leng said with a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯re liable to knock me out of my high.¡±


    ¡°Was that not an impressive battle?¡± He asked everyone. ¡°Here is to hoping that the next two can impress.¡± He introduced the other two combatants. Though one of them was not nearly as interesting as Yangchen or Bai Guo, the other one was, with the uncanny ability to release blasts of pure energy from his fists.


    He only required one punch to defeat his lackluster opponent, and like that, he was pitted against Bai Guo.


    ¡°A fitting end to a battle containing an opponent as lofty as Mao Hai, disciple to the Chief of the Butcher¡¯s Den, a group of cut-throat mercenaries based around the area! Will he, however, fare better against the ruthless Guan Dao wielder, Bai Guo, the ¡®Solitary Soldier¡¯?¡± Wait, what? He had a nickname?


    Well¡­ that happens when you put your name out there. On that account, I had been¡­ slacking. I hadn¡¯t even claimed credit for assisting killing the Dragon of the East.


    If I had tried, I would be known by so many names by now.


    ¡°Mao Hai had decided not to use his weapon in his battle against Long Jie, but now, the Steel Gauntlets have come out!¡± Mao Hai, the unwashed bastard, made a real show of putting on his steel gloves, leering threateningly at the audience before turning to Bai Guo, like a predator hungry for a meal.


    ¡°In this round, killing is allowed!¡± He shouted. ¡°But if you are willing to leave your downed opponent alive, that is fine, too! Mercy is not for the weak!¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Yu Jie said. ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping that he actually does leave the poor guy alive so we don¡¯t have to tangle with the ¡®Butcher¡¯s Den¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ready! Begin!¡±


    At least, Bai Guo had learned one thing in his battles.


    Always start with your finishing move.


    He had stabbed right through his opponent¡¯s stomach after besting him in only three exchanges, all of which would be too brief for the average person to see, but I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the artistry of it all. He may have gotten lucky, or his skill had just risen that much more. Either way, it felt good to see a teammate of mine progress in the martial path.


    He wrenched his Guan Dao out as the man fell on his back. The referee had come in, along with a group of medics, rushing him away to save his life, probably on their way to succeeding as well, all the while as Bai Guo took in the mixed reactions of utter hatred and undiluted love. His existence must have been quite the headache to the bookkeepers, all doing their best to scam as many people by telling them to vote against Bai Guo, only for Bai Guo to actually win.


    The fat man entered the ring swiftly, an expert so it seemed. ¡°Bai Guo, a complete unknown, did not just enter and win this tournament, but he did so with relative ease in all of his bouts, clearly a rising dragon too big for this lake! As you all know, he will now be given an official recommendation to join the Grand Tournament which will be held in the Mountains of Kunlun!¡±


    What?


    Okay¡­


    ¡°And now, for your reward!¡± He pulled out a lockbox from thin air and revealed a tiny ball to everyone watching. ¡°This is a Metal-Crushing Pill! It is very useful to people who cultivate their bodies, and will provide the consumer with more mass and power! With this pill, our rising dragon Bai Guo, previously an entirely unknown entity, may soar through the skies and become a legendary warrior!¡±


    The crowd cheered for him as he accepted the lockbox and was told a few words by the man privately, probably telling him how to eat the pill or whatever.


    The man gave Bai Guo a token, as well, and with that, he was off, and we followed him.


    I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards me. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about this tournament taking you to Kunlun.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he responded, unfrightened. ¡°I only joined because I wanted to fight. I didn¡¯t even know what prize I would get.¡±


    I let him go. ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Okay, okay. Whatever. When is this tournament beginning?¡±


    ¡°In a month,¡± he said.


    Deng Ming wasn¡¯t with us, but he had told me a little something about when we would arrive. ¡°We¡¯re due for Kunlun in three weeks at most. We¡¯ll make it with a week to spare. While we¡¯re there, we will join that tournament too, recommendation or no.¡± I turned to the Yu Jie, Lin Leng and Wei Chow. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Once Deng Ming has all our things, we will be set for travel.


    I turned to the Fat Man who was walking up the stairs to a room as the rest of the audience filed out after the prompt victory of Bai Guo. I ran towards him before he could properly escape. ¡°Hey!¡± I said. He turned around, contempt easing into a lax smile as he saw me. ¡°Is this the only way to enter the Kunlun Tournament?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Oh, no, there are more ways than that,¡± he smiled. ¡°Each year, four different cities hold Quarter-Year tournaments to send their candidates into a grand double-bracket tournament. Those who are not recommended need only participate in the mass qualifier, a free-for-all battle royale. Are you thinking of entering?¡±


    The rest had slowly shuffled behind me. ¡°Yes,¡± I said, then nodded at him. ¡°Thank you for the information.¡±


    ¡°Anything for a lovely girl like you.¡±


    Not sure of what to do about that awkward praise, I turned to leave. We would have to prepare, soon.

 Chapter 24 - Self-Determination

    I wasn¡¯t too worried, and neither was Yu Jie. Honestly, if the opponents in the mass qualifiers were as weak as the people Bai Guo had fought, we had this in the bag easily.


    With that, we painted the town red, buying as much as we could before leaving. Deng Ming was in charge of clothing, getting us as much as possible for our admittedly cold journey.


    We moved out in dawn, when the first snow-flake had fallen from the overcast skies.


    The great plains were soon half-submerged in that snow, but we were protected by the mild chill, our furs newly bought, and our shoes new at that.


    With all that we had, we were ready to take the world with a storm. Tian Mo would not defeat us once began our training.


    000


    Monkey had walked tirelessly through the central plains until he arrived at the giant behemoth mountains spouting molten rock and metal, ever more resolved with what he was about to do. The journey had been tough on him, having to swallow the pride of abject failure, but thoughts on the levels of strengths that were to come had mollified him. This was the part where he would finally become stronger than his Mentor.


    It was always the same with those old men. ¡®Strength could not come in a day¡¯. It was a limiting ideology, one spoken by people who stumbled blindly through the Martial Path, spurred on by others who did much the same. The Jianghu always had the advantage when it came to strong warriors, as they were the non-conformists, and while the Wulin were weaker on average, their strongest were insanely strong.


    Everyone¡¯s Martial Path was different, walked in solitude. It was safe for Monkey to admit that Dragon hadn¡¯t just failed him. He had sabotaged him. Not of his own willingness, no, but because he did not have an intimate enough grasp on the Martial Path to know when to let things lie, and when to instruct. Rage was his fuel, but it was one that had failed both him and his disciple.


    With the magma bubbling fort through the giant hole in the volcano peak, he only had to jump in. The goal was not to survive. It was to become one with the magma without dying.


    Before he could talk himself out of it, he jumped straight into the magma, immediately taking control of the heat around him, insulating himself from it. He knew that it was just another method of running away, but it was all that he had.


    Even now, staying inside the insanely hot magma, he had overtaken his mentor, but he could feel his Chi stores depleting rapidly. He could maybe stay in there for another ten minutes before his control faded and he would be cooked in an instant, a death too fast to even scream, his corpse consumed by the magma and slowly grinded into ash before becoming one with the magma.


    That was not the oneness he desired. That was consumption on the magma¡¯s part. Consumption on his part would be equally erroneous, in and of itself. What he needed to do was reach an accord with the fire. The fire was not conscious, but it had intent, it had a soul. He had to connect with that soul, grant it something that it would want, and then finalize the bargain.


    With the pressure of time working against him, he did not spend much time to ponder. Fire was not just there to burn things, nor was it there to just kill. Maybe he had been too narrow-minded in his application of his blessing. It was the only thing that made sense.


    Fire provided. Fire was what humanity needed to prosper. Fire made weapons. Fire warmed houses. Fire cooked food. Fire provided light for the world during the day, and fire could burn down decaying forests, providing new life once again for young trees. It gave and it took. It was life, and it was death, an endless cycle of Samsara.


    When the Chi in his Core ran dry, he did not die. The magma listened to his command, parting before pushing him up slowly. He stepped onto the ledge of the volcano an entirely new man. Sitting down to meditate, he replenished his Chi almost instantly, the essence of the potent fire around him filling him up in a raging torrent which he swallowed up with ease.


    He had thought that at this point, he would chase down Kang Yilan and exact vengeance, but¡­ what for?


    Then he began to think. What was it that he valued above all? Was there an aspect to life which appealed to him more than anything else?


    The incessant bloodshed and battle was always something which he ignored, never repulsed but never really into it. He wasn¡¯t like his mentor, ruthless and willing to kill anyone in his way just for the fun of it. Senseless violence simply put wasn¡¯t fun.


    Tian Mo wished to create an ideal society, but at the end of the day, Monkey had never agreed to be under him. Monkey had submitted to Dragon, and when he died, he should no longer have been beholden to Tian Mo. Yet, he still was.


    This wasn¡¯t how he had expected his own life to go down. Really, he¡­ he hadn¡¯t actually expected his life to go anywhere. Jianghu warriors died left and right, that was just a fact of life. He had been here for a good time, completely discounting any sort of longevity that he may yet earn from his cultivation, but now¡­This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡­there was no reason for him to die.


    Neither was there a reason for him to live. What did he, Monkey, really want?


    Picking a direction, he simply began to wander, an emptiness in his soul that he simply could not fill. His hatred for Kang Yilan and the Thunder Mountain disciple had burnt until it fizzled and became nothing. The simple truth was that, had it not been for them, he would have continued to languish in mediocrity.


    But was his mentor¡¯s life really worth advances in his Martial Path? He had raised Monkey for eighteen years, taking him in when no one else did, a simple infant on the brink of freezing to death, not even bundled as he laid outdoors, crawling on grass, naked as the day he had been born.


    He was fed, clothed, healed, educated and trained. He was grateful for all of those things, but in the end, he recognized that Dragon had sent him down an erroneous path. What he did now, with his life, was all up to him, with no one that could possibly sway him to do anything which he did not want.


    But he¡­ didn¡¯t know what he wanted.


    He began to examine what he then lacked.


    People.


    He laughed at himself at the sheer ridiculousness of the notion. He had no friends. He never had any friends, and never saw a reason to, but now that he had lost everything, that was what he wanted?


    What else did he lack?


    Home.


    He laughed again. A home was overrated. One could sleep absolutely anywhere they wanted if they could handle it. If you were sufficiently powerful enough, you could call anywhere a place of comfort and safety. Still, there was something profoundly lacking with that. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but not take it seriously at all.


    What else did he lack?


    Direction.


    He laughed hollowly. There was already one direction for him. Forwards. Away from Tian Mo. Live another day.


    Yet, it felt like such a waste of time. Why was it that he had to be so blatantly met with the truth that he had never really made an independent decision in his life?


    His eyes stung. Were they? He touched his eyes. They were wet with tears. Suddenly, they ran down his cheeks in earnest, and he let out wet, pathetic sobs, falling to his knees as he began to cry in earnest. Why was he crying? Because he was nothing. He really, truly was nothing. A user of the Divine Fire, yet he was nothing but a tool to Tian Mo.


    Was there a reason to live? No.


    Was there a reason to die?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    It was better to be dead and free than live completely without agency.


    Preparing to burn a hole into his skull, ending his life, his hand was grasped by a hand. He looked up at the person, whose head was blocking the sun, the glare painting a halo around his head.


    The face was unmistakable, excruciatingly so. ¡°You took everything,¡± Monkey said, his voice hoarse. ¡°And now you take away the one opportunity to make it all right?¡±


    ¡°I owe you help,¡± the disciple of the Thunder Mountain said. ¡°I killed your mentor, but instead of doubling down in your ways, you evolved, and became better than you once were. You can¡¯t forgive me for what I did, and I accept that, but-¡°


    Monkey laughed harshly. ¡°In what world can what you did be seen as something to apologize for?¡± He dried his eyes with the back of his hand. ¡°While I¡¯m not the best at differentiating good and bad, I know that what happened to my mentor was¡­ just. Even the moral universe has forsaken me.¡±


    The disciple said nothing, choosing simply to sit a foot away from where he was kneeling, just being there for him. Monkey said nothing in the meanwhile, just thinking. The man was here, the person that had plunged him into this spiral of self-hatred and apathy. To take vengeance would literally be as easy as turning a hand, and yet he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t see an actual reason to. Now that he truly had a taste of justice, he didn¡¯t know what he could do anymore. The strongest of the Jianghu ran roughsod over those concepts, yet something deep inside him told him that they were simply ephemeral, scum in a stream that would eventually clear up.


    They thought themselves above the laws of society, but the truth was that they would stand long after they would die, and they had stood long before they were even alive.


    What was his place in the world? Where was it? Why was he even here? Should Dragon just have killed the young baby and proceeded to pillage whichever township met his eye? His goal was to pass on a legacy, like all great men wanted, but there he was, in the dirt, with no legacy to have passed on but the progression of a wayward disciple who had eschewed everything the man had taught him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you,¡± Monkey said. ¡°And I don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember it,¡± Thunder Mountain smiled wistfully at him. ¡°You saw it, and it affected you, but you don¡¯t remember it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Remember what?¡±


    ¡°Divinity,¡± he said, still smiling. ¡°You glimpsed it, saw its secrets, let it affect you, but your mind was not ready to bear its secrets.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pure,¡± he said. ¡°Pure evil, pure good, pure nothing. What you saw was the ultimate rounding up or down to the closest of where you once stood. And judging by what happened, you saw pure nothingness, a void, a tabula rasa, a blank canvas which someone asked you to fill out, yet you don¡¯t even have the ink to begin.¡± He sighed wistfully. ¡°Whatever it is that you saw, it¡¯s your choice what happens to it.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ and what if I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll choose?¡± Monkey asked. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what I want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Thunder Mountain insisted. ¡°You do, and it¡¯s not even deep down. What is it that you seek above all else?¡±


    ¡°Freedom,¡± Monkey said. ¡°But what I will do with that freedom, I don¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°That comes later,¡± Thunder Mountain interrupted. ¡°You can¡¯t make plans hinging on an uncertain future. You need to win your freedom right now, and the only way to do that is to-¡°


    ¡°Kill Tian Mo,¡± Monkey completed. ¡°Kill. Tian Mo.¡±


    Thunder Mountain nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Tian Mo can¡¯t be allowed to live,¡± Monkey continued. ¡°He says that he will rule justly, but a man like him¡­ he does not know what justice is. He hasn¡¯t seen it. And he never will, because he is blind.¡± And Monkey finally stood up, turning to the upstanding Thunder Mountain disciple, a strikingly handsome man. He raised his hand to his hair and burnt it all off without harming himself, rendering himself completely bald. ¡°My life is over. Monkey died in that volcano, an immature young man with no sense of direction, he would be missed by no one.¡± His expression was ever neutral as he continued. ¡°My name is Xiaolong.¡±

 Chapter 25 - Answers

    Training my Blessing when sparring with others was mostly fun. I had made it clear to people that they could spar with me using weapons. It wasn¡¯t fair otherwise. Getting cut up by Lin Leng and Yu Jie, almost crushed under my own weight by Wei Chow and nearly bisected by Bai Guo had given me more than enough practice in battle regeneration.


    It was quick and ugly, regenerating using Chi. It took a tremendous amount, and regularly damaged, I would last probably ten minutes. In a single duel, that was ideal. After all, like the old saying went, you should see the other guy.


    No matter how much they hurt me, as long as I could hurt them back, I could piece myself back together and remain with an advantage. Weakened, it didn¡¯t matter how much Chi your opponent had.


    But the climate made it difficult to spar for too long. Having to disrobe to single layers, ignoring the bitter chill, was something better done in warmer environs, but still, Kunlun would not be a warm place.


    So we did our best whenever we could. The snow had eventually gone from a tiny drizzle to a full-on snow-fall, white covering the sky as it padded the ground beneath us near endlessly. Lightening proved to be king when traversing these plains. The stress had caused Yu Jie to become motivated enough to learn how to make Chi pads.


    Meanwhile, the Monk strode over the snow like he had no weight whatsoever, smiling eagerly at us, no doubt providing himself as an example for what the others should be able to do. On our first night, I pulled out a hill of materials that Deng Ming had made me pack, and we were busy constructing ¡®yurts¡¯.


    The big tents proved more than warm enough to keep us asleep, three different tents. I slept with Yu Jie alone, and the scholar and the Monk slept in one. The rest slept in the third one.


    In dawn, we packed up and proceeded on ahead, traversing the endless plains, following the sun and the stars with Deng Ming hard at work plotting us a course. We held one sparring session a day, where everyone was supposed to fight everyone else at least once.


    I never lost.


    Still, my style was problematic. For one, if I ever met someone who was stronger than me, with vastly more Chi than I had, then even whittling them down slowly would be an exercise in futility. They would beat the Chi out of me, and I would be barely able to make a dent in them. For that, technique was king. I never forgot Mentor¡¯s lessons, still wondering where she was. Movement was still a thing I was mindful about, still sometimes feeling the phantom agony of movement whenever I made an inefficient motion.


    I had a good reason to thank her. After all, I was strong now. Very strong. It probably had to do with my Complete Yang Body. Mentor said I was natural at healing myself, having done so after I had broken my bones in prison. She said that she had only set my bones, and that I had done the rest, but I never really believed it until the Dragon of the East had gone to town on me.


    I had woken up stronger. Fighting Monkey, I had come back stronger. As long as I still had life left in me, I would come back stronger. It was just the way of things. Break a bone, and it would heal stronger. Put me down, and I would stand up.


    We hit the main road eventually, finally exiting constant wilderness. It was there that we saw a carriage in the distance, travelling the exact way we were supposed to. I had us wait by the road, waiting for the carriage to cross. Some indistinct shapes were surrounding the carriage¡­ no, just a mirage.


    ¡­no, that didn¡¯t make any sense. Mirages happened in a desert, or in a hot environment, and it usually was an image of water.


    I locked into those wavering forms, slowly waiting until I saw it. People. Martial Warriors. They were hanging by the side of the horse-driven carriage, and one at the top, pretending like they couldn¡¯t be seen at all.


    ¡°Kang Yilan?¡± The Monk said with some apprehension.


    ¡°Yeah, I see them,¡± I responded. The carriage eventually stopped beside us. The one who opened the door was a young looking boy. There was no one else around him, and the only other person that had made themselves visible was the carriage driver.


    ¡°Why, hello there, travelers! My name is Ren Lin!¡± He smiled. ¡°Need a ride?¡±


    He was dressed like an aristocrat, but he behaved nothing like them, without that trademark level of annoying confidence and arrogance, the type that could get you killed. Instead, he reminded me more of the Monk, but at least this kid had an excuse to be childish as he probably was one, albeit a taller one.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯d allow us.¡±


    The stage-coach was rather large, long and capable of holding upwards to eight or so people at once, just enough for all of us, though Wei Chow had to lighten a little, or he could use his Blessing and lighten that way.


    He welcomed us in easily into the warm environment. Hot coals burned in the middle, a chimney leading the thin smoke out.


    He nodded at me, smiling. ¡°You are quite far away from the nearest city, and without any travel supplies, I wonder where you might have come from? Pray tell is there a village nearby?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, nodding. It was thoughtful of him to provide the lie for me, so all I had to say was yes. ¡°We¡¯re heading to¡­¡± I pointed to Deng Ming, who picked up the slack.


    ¡°Ouyang terminal,¡± he continued. ¡°From there, we take the highway until Gobi.¡±


    ¡°The Gobi desert?¡± The young aristocrat¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°My, you people sure are the adventurous kind, aren¡¯t you? Pray tell, do you have any stories to regale me with?¡±


    Wei Chow laughed heroically, smacking his chest. ¡°You be looking for me, young man, for I have the most stories of them all!¡± He began talking about how he had met some nobles, and invited them to a drink after they tried to bully him. Then he talked about how, earlier that day, he had been singing beautifully, mistaken for a handsome man by two women, who upon seeing him, fled the scene. In the brewery with the nobles, he had seen a rather ¡®evil¡¯ noble who had the same two women in each arm, holding them in place.


    He had, with but a few words, rescued them from their plights, effectively indebting them to him, but he let the debt go without much problem, seeing himself as a chivalrous knight.


    The fucking asshole even launched into a song, which the young aristocrat somehow knew. Lin Leng had long-since fallen asleep while the Monk, too, was regaled by the tale. Yu Jie leaned into my shoulder, and I leaned my head on hers, making myself comfortable after the long walk.


    ¡°What has set you on the road, young aristocrat?¡±


    His smile dimmed a little. ¡°Jixing was beset by a band of fearsome warriors. My parents had sent me a missive to return to Beijing at once.¡±


    Wei Chow nodded gravely. ¡°Aye, we heard of that unfortunate turn of events. How is the city holding up?¡±


    ¡°All efforts are in place to rebuild the infrastructure,¡± he said. ¡°But there are refugees leaving, scared of the city now that it had suffered an attack which had left it completely defenseless. Even though it¡¯s not sensible, they are following their first instincts by leaving, and are much like my parents in that way.¡±


    It was cowardly, he was right, but it wasn¡¯t easy to change the way the masses thought about certain things. They could all be so stupid in their shared space of reassurances, an echo-chamber with positive feedback, repeating one idea again a little louder each time someone hears it until it becomes deafening.


    I was the devil child for all of my life, and no one had stopped to think that maybe it was their fault that what happened had happened. If the men of my village had been just smart enough to understand that women weren¡¯t their slaves, that they couldn¡¯t just expect my grandmother to bail them out again and again, then I would still have a mother, and maybe just a moderately crappy father whom I could at the very least tolerate and maybe even love, and not the monster in human skin that I got.


    People were stupid, and that wouldn¡¯t change anytime soon.


    While they talked, I nuzzled Yu Jie subtly. I didn¡¯t want to get too explicit with her, seeing as how we were in front of a stranger, but the urge was there, with her everpresent beauty and radiant personality.


    I dreaded the day where she would get tired of me. I knew it would one day come, but I couldn¡¯t quite care since for now, as long as I got to spend a moment more near her, it was worth it.


    She nuzzled back, and I knew that I was still accepted by her, for now at least. It was hard to admit to the truth.


    Slowly, I fell asleep, dreaming of a giant tree much like the one I had seen in the Divine Garden. A whole different realm, with power that could make my own seem like a horrible trade-off¡­ if I ever went back there to somehow learn from him if there was actually a way to change my soul, I would probably not ask. I was the way I was, and changing myself just to fit in was stupid.


    Besides, the Complete Yang Body had its advantages. I would rely on them for now, useful as they were, until a time came where that wouldn¡¯t help me.


    000


    Shen Zhimei waited patiently, losing herself in the Dharma Protector¡¯s mindless droning. She knew it wasn¡¯t really mindless, but the way he went on and on made it suddenly morph from profound to beautiful gibberish. If Shen Zhimei had been that man, then she would have given up a long time ago. On and on he went, and he had been going on and on for much longer than she had even been alive.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    For over two weeks in the mountain-top manor they had been staying in, he still hadn¡¯t given up on the veritable pipe-dream that was Transcendence.


    Eventually, she had gotten enough. ¡°Dharma Protector,¡± she approached him. He looked up at her from his cross-legged position, waiting patiently for her to speak. ¡°Can you even see the finish line?¡±


    He seemed pensive. ¡°In truth, I see many.¡± Well, then.


    ¡°Okay, so pick one,¡± she said.


    ¡°They¡¯re not right,¡± he said. ¡°All but one path will lead to instant death, and then rebirth. All my wisdom will have been lost if I rebirth now, and there is no guarantee that I may keep my memories.¡± That wasn¡¯t true. Powerful beings always kept their memories upon a reincarnation, and the Dharma Protector was nothing if not a powerful being.


    Then again, if he thought the paths would lead to death, then that wasn¡¯t really worth it. They needed him yet. He could die later, when Tian Mo had finally been vanquished.


    ¡°A hundred and eight paths,¡± he said. ¡°Seventy-two of which are viable, thirty-six of which are tempting, eight of which are undoubtedly the best candidates for the true path to Transcendence. A one in eight chance.¡± That¡­ wasn¡¯t very bad, actually.


    ¡°Okay, so now you will meditate for another hundred years to narrow it down?¡± Zhimei proposed.


    ¡°In the first one hundred years of my meditation, I had already discovered this,¡± he explained. ¡°That was four hundred years ago. Nothing new has come of it, the uncertainty still there, never leaving.¡±


    That was harsh. Shen Zhimei had never really cared to pursue Immortality, but it had worked out for her for long enough, seeing the exquisite secrets that the Wulin and the Jianghu held, adventuring for decades upon decades, a life of freedom. Death was just something that the weak shivered in front of, desperately trying to run away from it. Although the Dharma Protector wasn¡¯t running away from death, there was no difference to what he was doing.


    He was trying to transcend death and life, to Transcend and achieve Nirvana.


    Spurred on by what, exactly? That was for him to say, not that he would ever divulge that. The simple truth was that desire was the one poison he would never purge. Not for as long as he held Nirvana in such a high pedestal.


    To be so cruel as to be punished for one¡¯s desire to be righteous, the dharma was a cruel mistress, not that Zhimei would ever say it to him. Out of all the Shaolin monks, the Dharma Protector had killed the most, his hands bloody as can be. He didn¡¯t feel guilty, however. Pious men never felt guilty over something that they deemed was a necessary evil, and the Dharma Protector was still but a man.


    The funniest part of this? Even if Zhimei were to tell him of this, he would either fall into despair and give up completely, becoming uglier for it, or he would simply rebuff her and refuse to ruminate upon her words.


    A most vexing situation, but at least she could take solace in the fact that she would never put herself through such mental anguish . It wasn¡¯t worth it.


    ¡°Whatever you mean to say,¡± the Wu Lord began from the other side of the lookout. ¡°He has heard it, and indeed, he refuses to listen.¡±


    ¡°Listening to the uninitiated is like drinking water from a puddle on the road,¡± the Dharma Protector said, his scathing words delivered with such serenity. That practically said everything about how indoctrinated he had become.


    ¡°You can¡¯t argue with him,¡± the Wu Lord continued, chuckling to himself. ¡°You can¡¯t use his own faith against him, and you most certainly cannot give him suggestions. It¡¯s his life, and he shall live it the way he wants to,¡± the Wu Lord looked up and flashed an arrogant smile at the monk. ¡°How many monks under you achieved Transcendence again?¡±


    Zhimei turned to the Monk, slightly curiously. Immortal Transcendence was not impossible. She had even seen her own mentor go through with it, but it was exceedingly rare. One in a million Martial Warriors could be said to have the potential, and even then, one in a hundred of those would ever actually go on to Transcend. All in all, one in one-hundred million.


    ¡°Four,¡± the monk spoke, his tone serene, but the aura surrounding him murderous. He slowly calmed himself down. ¡°Two brothers and sisters have ascended underneath my purview, all highly pious and obviously more qualified than I am.¡± The bitterness was loud and clear.


    In a way, Zhimei pitied him. The man tried to live a certain way for a certain goal, but at the end of the day, in the very fiber of his being, decided long before he was even born, he simply did not have what it took. Fundamentally, he was just more selfish, and less involved with trying to save others, lecturing from a book that someone wrote so many years ago, and failing to apply those teachings to himself. As cantankerous and annoying the man was, there was probably no one that loathed him as much as he, himself, did. Truly pitiful.


    And there was no helping him, either. She walked away from the man to go speak to the Wu Lord. ¡°You obviously don¡¯t seem to like him,¡± she said after she erected a sound-barrier around them. The Monk could easily penetrate it if he wanted to, but she would notice.


    ¡°Self-assuredness is a trait I dislike,¡± he responded simply. ¡°Pride comes right after.¡± That was vaguely interesting.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve heard your stories,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°The Wu faction was once in discord following the Third Great Martial War. Their leaders were slaughtered, the entire council, as well as the Wu Lord of that age, by a single woman.¡± Zhimei smiled. ¡°The woman then went to the Rebirth Falls, not to die and reincarnate with her memories, but to recreate herself. A woman entered the falls, and a man exited, declaring himself proudly as the Wu Lord, and has reigned supreme ever since, a man.¡±


    The Wu Lord¡¯s expression was neutral. ¡°If I just wanted to claim the title, I would have done so as a woman without any problem. I had a man¡¯s soul, and now I have a man¡¯s body, so no one can ever question me,¡± his expression darkened. ¡°I killed every single person who ever knew me as a woman aside from those in this lookout, so that no one could ever bring it up again. You better have had a good reason to do so.¡±


    ¡°Shedding one identity for another, severing oneself,¡± Zhimei explained softly. ¡°You were on to something, in a way. When you carry a bag for travel, you cut out the unnecessary, and take the rest with you.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± He asked, still unsatisfied.


    ¡°Spiritual Severing,¡± Zhimei explained. ¡°Does that mean anything to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t,¡± she replied. ¡°Not anymore. The last person who ever did it and succeeded was my mentor when she Transcended. Do you know what she did right after, with the limited amount of time she still had in this lower realm?¡± She asked. The Wu Lord said nothing. ¡°She killed every single Martial Warrior who had even heard of Spiritual Severing, and with her boundless power, she erased it from history. I was the only one left, along with my Martial Brother. That was the boundless level of trust she had in us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± the Wu Lord said. ¡°Why did she kill them?¡±


    ¡°Because Spiritual Severing is volatile,¡± she responded. ¡°Everything exists in duality, and to remove something from one¡¯s spirit, even the smallest thing, can completely destroy a person.¡± She double-checked to make sure the sound-barrier was still working. ¡°The Dharma Protector could sever the Three Poisons from his spirit on the spot, and he would be eligible for Nirvana. It is quick and dirty, however. You can¡¯t predict what you will do after what you severed has been removed,¡± Zhimei turned neutral. ¡°Even if you were to Sever your femininity¡­¡± He growled at that. ¡°There is no predicting what could happen.¡±


    He just scoffed. ¡°Femininity is just a collection of traits. It needs no gender to describe it.¡± Then, he turned a little more pensive. ¡°By severing¡­ ¡®femininity¡¯, you would lose softness, vulnerability, and parental instinct, all traits commonly attributed to women, but not exclusive to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°In the past, experts Severed their Spirits recklessly. They severed ¡®weakness¡¯, and suddenly, they were callous enough to kill a child in front of their mothers all for the pursuit of strength. They severed ¡®pain¡¯, and suddenly, they became raging monsters with no sense of self-preservation. They severed ¡®love¡¯, and became passionless, cold devils. If the monk severed ¡®Desire¡¯, he would sit utterly still, possibly even turning into stone, simply because without desire, there is not a single point to life.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°And you know what it means to be human. If one were to Sever just the right thing that is holding them back, Transcendence could come easily.¡± She sighed. ¡°We are no closer to finding out where the other Divine Relics are, and at this rate, if Tian Mo finds another one, no one but a bona-fide Transcendent could ever suppress him.¡±


    ¡°And who would you want to Transcend?¡± The Wu Lord asked, much more curious and invested, now. ¡°The Dharma Protector?¡±


    It was a sound strategy. He was already half a step away, only requiring one more insight before he could make the leap. Still, he didn¡¯t feel like the right candidate.


    Zhimei sighed. ¡°You.¡±


    He considered that for a moment, but shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Truly a man after her own heart. To not be tempted by Immortality was one of the most interesting traits a powerful Martial Warrior of his renown could possess. Truly, among them are only him, her and Thunder Mountain.


    ¡°I know what it is that one has to sever,¡± she said with a sly smile. ¡°My mentor told me, but not my Martial Brother.¡±


    ¡°And your Martial Brother now runs roughshod all over China,¡± the Wu Lord scoffed. ¡°While you refuse to simply Transcend and leave this mortal coil. Now, why exactly is that?¡±


    ¡°Because unwillingness is one of the key traits,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°Well, not unwillingness per se. It is contentedness that is important. You are fine where you are. What separates an Immortal from a mortal is that an Immortal is static. They cannot move from one place to another, still as statues. How do you propose they travel?¡± She asked.


    The Wu Lord nodded, realization dawning. ¡°By moving the destination towards themselves. Truly empyrean to have such power, but I see, now, where they all go wrong. They move towards a finish line with an infinite distance between them. The trick is to have the power to command the finish line closer.¡± His eyes lightened until he was smiling. ¡°Truly a joke of epic proportions, then. Desparation regresses you. Willingness cripples you. To truly reach Transcendence, one must sit still and will it, becoming an Immortal completely unassisted.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°And when you have crossed that final threshold, you have very little time before you are forced to ascend to another realm.¡±


    He nodded with a smile. ¡°And these fools will never reach what it is that they desire. Conned by the very Heavens, life is an endless series of tribulations. It would crush them.¡±


    ¡°So you see where it is I come from,¡± Zhimei said. ¡°It has to be you.¡±


    ¡°Why not you?¡± The Wu Lord asked. ¡°After all, you are just as unwilling to ascend as I am.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t budge on this. She could see that as clearly as day. He didn¡¯t fight so he could be the best. He fought for sport, because it was fun, though a small part of him also wanted to be the strongest. To suddenly become the strongest in this tiny realm, with an uncertain future ahead, without having first conquered every real fight there was to be had in this world must have felt like he was betraying his ideals.


    ¡°I have a disciple,¡± she said, opting for honesty. ¡°So unless I¡¯m forced to, cutting myself off from this realm is something I would prefer to not do. You don¡¯t want to leave either, and Thunder Mountain has his own disciple.¡±


    The Wu Lord didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use the Dharma Protector? Tell him what it is he needs to sever.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t sever it,¡± Zhimei said gravely. ¡°It is everything he has worked to attain, everything everyone in this lookout has worked to attain. They won¡¯t believe us, nor will they agree.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s up to us,¡± he said. ¡°Or¡­ you could maybe keep that wildly extreme idea on the backburner for now until true desperation hits? ZhiLong is still hard at work ascertaining the whereabouts of the other Divine Relics. If he finds even the Ruyi Jingu Bang or even the Mala Beads of Buddha that the Dharma Protector could use, no one will have to leave this realm.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ hope,¡± she said flatly. ¡°We bank on hope.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to Transcend, and you do so as well. There is no other option.¡±


    ¡°Your hesitation could cost you something,¡± Zhimei warned.


    ¡°And your desperation could cost you everything,¡± the Wu Lord rebutted. ¡°We¡¯re at an impasse now.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve presented a solution. Can I count on you to Transcend when push comes to shove?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he responded, the cantankerous bastard. ¡°You know what to do, Shen Zhimei, so don¡¯t involve me overmuch just to have your cake and eat it, too.¡±


    It was an expected response, truth be told. She only hoped that she wouldn¡¯t have to do this. She could only count on Kang Yilan to realize her full potential.