《Evenfall》 Prologue A miraged sun rested just above the horizon creating a perfect backdrop for the mountain before it, informing the two silhouettes that evenfall was fast approaching. The fluorescent night flowers began to bloom around the two meditating figures, creating a surreal beauty upon the peak. Gradually the flora on the mountain, as if heeding the call of the moonflowers, opened their petals wishing the departing sun a goodbye until ''morrow. The mountain soon began to permeate with a myriad of colours, a beacon warning the entities of the valley the coming of the dark. Avian-fauna took to the sky, flying towards their abodes; while land-animals scampered to their dens. One of the figures slowly stood up, her hair and robe gently flowing in the breeze, a slight smile spread across her beautiful visage. "Brother, the family is deeply sorry for the grievances they caused you; especially mother and father," she said as she turned to look at the bald meditating man. "They hope you come back at some point, we hope to not burn the last bridges we have with you." The woman moved towards the man and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I know you''ve been listening to all my words over the past week, even though you haven''t responded," "I only found you by chance during my travels, and I''m glad you allowed me to find you," she said as she turned around and began to traverse down the mountain. Her proud gait becoming more lonesome within the sunset. "One day... I''ll come visit. It may be many decades from now, or even later than that," the bald man''s husky voice spread around the peek. The woman''s back stiffened with his words, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of relief. "It is not the time for me touch the sword again, well, at least not yet," the man stood up and looked towards his sister.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "When I feel it is right, I''ll retrievemysword," he finished saying. "En." The women nodded in acceptance, with a wave of her hand the sword on her back floated in front of her, with a light step, she stood upon the ethereal blade and flew off into the distance. Her sword lighting up the valley in the process, akin to a messenger dove returning joyous news. The man stood silently upon the mountain, the night flowers his only company. Suddenly above the mountain, currents of air began to rotate ever slowly. Gradually the clouds around the mountain joined the ever-forming whirlpool of elements over the summit. This unusual phenomenon captured the attention of the man, he slowly stood up, confusion in his eyes. The whirlpool eventually formed a rampaging tempest of energy. Within the centre of the phenomenon, space began to tear apart revealing a black void with tinges of purple. The man''s stance never changed during this event, even though one''s instinctive reaction would be to leave the scene or at least put up a defensive position; for he felt no threat from the phenomenon above him. From out the void, a quaint wooden basket floated out. Mellifluous zither melodies of the Dao followed the basket, almost attempting to soothe something inside the basket. Incorporeal apparitions danced around the basket joyfully, pulling funny faces towards the small hands flailing in the air. The basket slowly moved towards the bewildered man and landed in his outstretched hands, hands which he didn''t even realise he put forth. The basket¡¯s wood emanated an archaic air, while the glyphs and thatch working were sublime, with swords identical to the apparitions engraved into the glyphs. But the man''s attention was not on the artisan''s work, but rather the infant within the basket. Calm grey eyes stared back at the man. The man even felt faint laws of the Sword Dao emanating from the unusual eyes of the pure, untainted infant. He looked towards the jade mutton-like hands and feet of the infant and soon realised that it was a she. A serenity that he hadn''t felt for years began to enclose his soul, he felt an unexplainable intimacy towards the infant. The ambience around her was the same type that he had emitted towards all those within the monastery, a forlorn atmosphere of abandonment. The man soon realised that the lonesome aura, that she was emanating was actually from the exquisite glyphs upon the basket. He gently graced the most prominent glyph, it immediately reacted to his touch and projected a message towards the sky a few metres before him. The man''s eyes glazed over reading the message. He gently looked into the eyes of the baby, "It seems you are in the same situation as me, little one; although, your parents had no choice in the matter." The longer he gazed at her, the higher the sense of protection for the baby formed within him. For the first time in years, something that would invoke a stunned reaction from all those in the monastery occurred, the man smiled. A smile of wholesome happiness - a path had finally opened up before him. Chapter 1: Mengxia A group of twenty children, all dressed in orange garments, were currently performing a set of martial art movements in unison. The actions of the bald-children were direct and explosive, their muscles tightening as they lashed out with both legs and arms. There were even a few children who were performing elegant aerial techniques akin to soaring cranes, moving gracefully around the courtyard. These children were practising a form of external martial arts that focuses on muscular power and speed and using these two aspects would attempt to perform them in application - real fighting. Through the practice of external martial arts, one hopes to achieve the desired ''hard'' physical level; once one reaches this requirement, they will move onto qigong movements. Children who have achieved the required physical level will then move onto Qigong movements that aim to allow one access to higher realms of awareness, and once one''s perception reaches an efficient level, they will be able to sense the elemental essence within the air around them. An old monk, wrapped in an auburn robe, sat in front of the practising group of children; his eyes closed, but a faint glimmer of light around his forehead showed that his ''third-eye'' was activated and he was inspecting them using his Shen (spirit). "Good. Many of you are close to reaching the ''hard'' physical level, and will soon start practising qigong to awaken your qi, while others have already reached this level," as the elder spoke, his ''third-eye'' shone more brightly as he turned his attention to the girls of the group, "Females have an innate advantage over males as a result of how J¨©ng is composed; this allows them to reach the ''hard'' physical level faster, but at the same time their natural strength capabilities are lesser than males. The Heavens are fair; there must be a balance," the elder lectured the children. "Alright, as per usual, spar and then go eat." The children finally started to show signs of excitement. Sparring was a great way in which to utilise the application of their external martial arts; using sparring, one can become more efficient in their usage of various styles as well as offensive and defensive techniques. The feeling of improving was exhilarating, these children all had aspirations to become like their elders; stately, healthy and one with their chosen heavenly Dao. A tall boy, soon to be handsome, around the age of ten walked towards the female group. An entourage of boys followed behind him, all excited to spar against their stronger opponents - girls. But, they all knew that the tall boy, their leader, would only fight against one person from that group. The tall boy reached the group and cupped his hands in greeting, "Sister Mingxia, may we please spar." A girl, slightly taller than the boy, walked out from behind the group of females. Her skin was white-like jade, and the lithe form under the robes held explosive power, her grey eyes made her beautiful visage all the more prominent. Her physical features were the sign of good J¨©ng, which usually correlates with a healthy bodily constitution. J¨©ng is stored in the kidneys and is the densest physical matter within the body; it is said to be the material basis for the physical body and is yin in nature, which means it nourishes, fuels and cools the body. The yin nature of J¨©ng is the reason for the inherent advantage of females, allowing them to reach ''hard'' physical level faster. A woman''s endurance trumps a man''s, at least when young, as a result of the yin, which allows them to practice for a longer duration. J¨©ng is also the carrier of one''s heritage and hereditary qualities; such as looks, bodily constitution and talent; J¨©ng also holds some more profound properties. Although one can be innately talented without it being passed down through familial generations, it is all but confirmed that one will be exceptional if there is talent in the bloodline. Mingxia nodded in response to the boy; everyone within the monastery knew she was a girl of few words - a cold beauty if you will.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. She moved to a fighting mat; defensive stance at the ready as she looked at the boy. Such is the tradition of the monastery for everyone to watch the first spar, only from then can everyone else participate in their own. "They are just beginning puberty, of course, girls start earlier than boys; hence why Mengxia is even taller than Yun Yi. But, she is still somewhat tall for her age - what brilliant Jing she has." The elder inwardly commented as he watched the two on the mat. Yi Yun dashed forward sending a kicking towards Mengxia''s shoulder; she bent backwards allowing the kick to fly over her arched chest entirely. She flipped over backwards using her hands, spiralling into the air -displaying her excellent aerial form -, she gracefully landed on the mat. The two slowly began to circle each other, waiting for their sparring-partner to have a lapse in concentration, ready to propel forward for their next confrontation. Mengxia took the initiative and sent a kick at Yi Yun''s chest forcing him to place his arms across his chest in defence; Mengxia''s onslaught never slowed as she danced forwards on her right leg as her left sent quick, powerful, kicks towards the defending boy. When Yi Yin was pushed towards the perimeter of the mat, Mengxia''s barrage finally slowed in intensity allowing Yi Yun to push out with his arms, Mengxia jumped across the mat using the momentum caused by his push. Yi Yun slowly wheezed catching his breath, although a single kick from Mengxia was not as powerful as one of his, her excellent agility and acrobatics allow her to send multiple kicks within a short duration. Many of the young boys spectating felt a hint of schadenfreude when watching Yi Yun get assaulted by Mengxia; they had all been through such a scenario before, although they hadn''t managed to defend as well as Yi Yun. The elder even opened his eyes, which were sparkling in appreciation, while watching Mengxia perform her kicks as well as her willowy acrobatic movements. "She''s utilised the physical advantages of the female frame to such an extent at her age, impressive; what is even more noteworthy is the work she put into it, although she has excellent talent one cannot rely solely on their J¨©ng to succeed," The Elder thought aloud. "If she didn''t spend so much time practising with the sword she would have already started practising internal arts," a man with deep eyes next to him said in exasperation. The Elder turned to look at the man, "Something tells me that even though you outwardly display dissatisfaction you are actually quite pleased with her, Ji¨¤n Kong." Ji¨¤n Kong didn''t reply, but a small smile did appear on his face. "Comprehension of the Dao as well as one''s chosen martial arts must always come before one''s cultivation; for one can still catch up their cultivation, but comprehension and enlightenment are akin to the waves of a river - coming and going as they please," The Elder said wistfully. "We, as monks, abstain from most pleasures to purify the Wu Wei or emptiness; we seek only further advancement along the path of the Dao. Mengxia''s devotion to the sword will surely lead her to a rich path full of adventure and fulfilment," the Elder said as he took out a jar of wine. "Oh, and wine too." Mengxia''s advantage lay in her mobility and flexibility, therein lied the problem for Yi Yun. His strikes were more powerful than hers, but at the same time the lithe nature of Mengxia proved hard to hit; thus showing his endeavours fruitless. Mengxia steadily attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks between her evasive manoeuvres when dodging the increasingly weary boy''s advances. Yi Yun''s tiresome attacks eventually lead to a lapse in concentration. He wasn''t aware of the changing footwork of Mengxia, she would inch forward after every one of his strikes slowly moving into range of him. Once she was close enough, she sprung up into the air and sent a spinning kick to his flank. Woefully unprepared for the attack Yi Yun tumbled out of the perimeter of the mat. A little cheer arose from the spectating girls, while the boy''s faces turned green. If even their leader couldn''t defeat her, who could? Yi Yun slowly got up and cupped his hands in thanks to Mengxia, which she reciprocated with only a slight change in expression. The children, at a young age, had been taught to be humble in their actions and fastidious in their studies; this being one of the fundamental teachings within the monastery, creating a pure and harmonious heart, allowing for more significant enlightenment. The monastery saw the notion of needless pleasure and disparagement of others as a way to corrupt one''s harmonious heart, resulting in a regression in their studies and comprehension of the Dao. The rest of the young children moved towards their own mats to spar, hoping to reach the ''hard'' physical level, so that they could attempt to form their own Xi¨¤ D¨¡nti¨¢n and enter the Golden Stove Realm. Mengxia and Yi Yun moved towards the Elder and Ji¨¤n Kong. The monastery advocates that one should never be afraid of losing but rather of never improving; all the inhabitants of the monastery allow this mantra to guide their heart. While they walked, Yi Yun animatedly discussed the recent fight with Mengxia, while she in turn gently nodded to his words only quietly speaking when needed; her mellifluous whispers soothing to the soul. Chapter 2: Sword-Ken A figure stood on top of a waterfall; the silhouette''s feet placed firmly on the rocks scattered within the river, while, before her, a bamboo sword was held tightly between her two hands. The orange sun shimmered behind her as it began its descent, evenfall ever approaching, the suns rays enveloped the orange robes of the figure, the girl''s frame superimposed with setting sun. She slowly began to move around the scattered rocks, the mist of the falling water enclosing her figure; she gracefully sailed in the air between stones, displaying her aerial mastery. Quick slices of her sword opened up pathways within the mist around her, continuous jabs, thrusts and spins of the sword followed her graceful movements. An almost imperceptible white light intermittently appeared on her wooden sword as she danced; anyone familiar with Sword-Ken would know that this pure light was something that a sword-user would emanate when reaching the first level of Sword-Ken; swordlight. Swordlight occurs when one reaches an adequate understanding of the esoteric laws of the Sword Dao; one can identify the heights of one''s knowledge of the Sword Dao by their Sword-Ken level; each Sword-ken level holds their advantages and qualities. The young girl had only touched the fringes of Sword-Ken, let alone the first level; hence she could only intermittently display delicate amounts of swordlight. But, even this was enough to place her at the pinnacle of sword geniuses; such a display of the Sword Dao would allow her name to spread throughout the continent. The girl carried on her basic sword motions until the sun began to set in the east, and the first signs of night began to appear. A bald man, in a long robe, had been watching Mengxia''s actions with her training-sword since her first movement; the same as he had done since she was old enough to pick up a sword. This man was Jian Kong, Mengxia''s master. "She''s reached the fringes of Sword-Ken; it''s time." Jian Kong thought aloud, as he pulled out a silver trinket in the shape of a circle. The trinket itself was arcane, a beautiful sword was depicted on the face of the object, while behind the sword, dream-like scenes of immortal valleys, celestial bodies and other natural wonders floated past. "There were only two things within the basket; Mengxia and this trinket. Whoever sent Mengxia to the Ascetic Mountains, informed me in the message that they wanted her to have this trinket once she touched upon Sword-Ken." Jian Kong solemnly said as he looked at the otherworldly object in his hands. Mengxia began to slow down her movements, till she came to a standstill, her chest heaving from the continuous actions. Even her exceptional J¨©ng wouldn''t be able to refresh her muscles at the rate in which she was practising. Steam slowly rose from her as the rays of moonlight shone upon her beautiful features, her eyes akin to the moon in the sky. "Your bald-head radiates light just like the moon in the sky, little Mengxia," A husky chortle came from the banks of the river. Mengixa turned to the voice, exasperation on her face. "Master, how many times have you said that now? Also, your head also looks like a moon!" Mengixa''s replied, her voice as sweet as a lark. She walked towards Jian Kong, a beautiful smile on her face.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Look how lucky I am, I get to see this side of the ''Cold Sword Princess''," Jian Kong playfully teased, using the moniker that Mengxian had picked up around the monastery. "You know I don''t like crowds, and I also don''t know how to act towards other people," Mengxia scrunched her face in annoyance. "All I need is my sword, the Dao is my companion," Mengxia profoundly said. Jian Kong just rolled his eyes to the haughty little beauty before him. "Some congratulations are in order, a ten-year-old who has touched upon Sword-Ken; average sword-practitioners generally only touch Sword-Ken at the peak of Niwan Opening Realm; while sword-geniuses touch it at the Crimson Palace Realm. While you little bugger, are not even in the Golden Stove Realm yet." Jian Kong patted Mengxia''s head, much to her delight. "Even I, a supposed rare sword-genius, only touched Sword-Ken at fifteen years of age." Jian Kong inwardly laughed. Mengxia and her Master walked to a pair of flat rocks and sat down facing each other. Jian Kong stared into the eyes of Mengxia, while she, in turn, became stiff. She knew her Master would only ever do this if he had something important to tell her. "Before I give you a something, I will first expound on cultivation," Jian Kong said a lecturing tone. Mengxia''s eyes went wide with excitement; she''d often pester her master on information involving the cultivation realms above the Golden Stove realm. Every time she tried to ask him, he would always reply a proverb, "One who looks too far ahead will trip to whats right in front of them." "The reason the monastery advocates the practice of external -martial arts is so that one can understand what the feeling of a body without Qi is like; this way one can utilise their bodies strength more efficiently. But, in the same boat, one can''t practice Qi till their frame is reinforced to a certain level. One generally reaches this level around the age of eleven to thirteen, the use of external martial arts speeds this process up - but not by much," Jian Kong paused as he drew a flask from his belt. He carried on once he was sure Mengxia was paying attention. "Some children with talent can begin practising Qi around the age of eight to ten. The average age in which people start training in internal-martial arts is around the age of ten within the monastery; internal-martial arts is what allows one to grow the Qi within their bodies," he said as he poured a glass of wine for himself. "Qi is within every creature in the world; it is their life''s vitality. The more Qi they have, the more healthy, and powerful their body is; at the same time one''s life''s vitality becomes stronger one''s longevity increases." "Although the increase in life-span is not that large, the further along the Dao one moves the longer they will be able to live for," "You would have been one of the children who could practice at around eight years of age, maybe even earlier. But certain circumstances prevented me from teaching you any internal-martial arts," Jian Kong informed the confused girl. "We''ll get to those circumstances in a bit," he waved his hand preemptively answer the question he knew was on the tip of her tongue. "After once reached the required level in the external-martial arts they will practice Qigong to awake their senses so that they can feel essence in the air around them. You are in the unique situation when you won''t have to do that, as you''ve been at the ''hard'' physical level for a few years already; so, you can most likely already sense the essence around you." Mengxia''s Master indicated to her to attempt to sense the essence around her. She sat down in the lotus position and closed her eyes; allowing herself to sense the air around herself. It didn''t take long for her to detect the ''essence'' around her, she slowly opened her eyes and saw iota sized lights around her. "Those little lights you see around yourself is what we call ''essence''. Essence consists of all the elements within the world; fire, water, earth, and wind just to name a few. One will absorb essence into their Xi¨¤ D¨¡nti¨¢n (lower Dantian), and refine it into Qi; once one manages to do this, they will officially enter the Golden Stove Realm," Jian Kong continued his lecture. Jian Kong bent over and pointed towards Mengxia''s navel, and said "This is where your Xi¨¤ D¨¡nti¨¢n is, or will be in your regard. Your Lower Dantian is where you will process essence into Qi which will coalesce in your ''elixir field'', within your Lower Dantian. The ''elixir field'' is where all your Qi reserves are held, this is also known as the golden stove hence the name of the realm." "That''s all you need to know for now, once you reach the latter stages of the Golden Stove Realm I will tell you more." Jian Kong said as he chugged the last of the alcohol. "Master, will you teach me an internal-martial art now?" Mengxia lent forward in anticipation. "No." Jian Kong broke into raucous laughter looking at the now deflated Mengxia. "I won''t, but I have a feeling something else will." He said as hepassed the arcane silver trinket to her.