《The Union of Breaths (Dropped)》


 Chapter 1 - Waking Up

    Chapter 1 - Waking Up


    Yi Cheng woke up early, completely unaware that there would be a bounty on his head before nightfall.


    Beside Yi Cheng only Liling Gong, a beautiful maiden of fifteen summers, was already awake in the courtyard of the city lord¡¯s mansion where the Golden Melody troupe was allowed to stay during their visit to Green Tree City. The troupe had been invited by the Mu family to provide the entertainment during a wedding which would bind the junior mistress of their clan together with the junior master of the Futou family. Both families held esteemed positions in Green Tree City and placed great importance on the upcoming wedding.


    It was very unusual that Yi Cheng was already out of bed during the hour of the tiger (03-05am). The rest of the troupe would probably not wake up before the hour of the snake (09-11am). The life of actors, musicians and entertainers was mostly lived at night.


    ¡°Where are you going this time Yi?¡± asked Liling Gong as she tended to the animals and the three magical creatures that the troupe possessed. The One-Horned Lion and Three-tailed Horse weren¡¯t very rare, but the Scarlet Fox was the prized possession of the entire troupe. It was capable of using fire element. It was gifted to the troupe by the city lord of Thundercloud City in the past.


    Yi Cheng grinned as he said, ¡°Do you really need to ask?¡±


    Liling Gong smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to get lost again. If you show up late, you know what is coming to you!¡±


    Even though Green Tree City was only a minor city in the Thundercloud Prefecture it was still a city that housed more than three hundred thousand inhabitants. Being unable to return in time for the performance that the troupe was giving later that day during the wedding party would not be strange.


    In most cities Yi Cheng would speed towards the marketplace or trade quarters since that is where he would generally be able to come across manuals, magic items or creatures capable of increasing one¡¯s strength. Yi Cheng was considered to be one of the most promising and beautiful actors in the entire prefecture, but what he truly desired was to become a mighty elementalist and follow the path of his dao once he found it. He realized the foolishness of his desire, but he still hoped one day he would be able to purchase something that allowed him to step foot on this path. For now his entire fortune of three gold pieces, fourteen silver and thirty-three coppers, if he had brought it with him, was only enough to buy the most trivial of training manuals. Such manuals were simply insufficient for his grand dreams.


    Green Tree City had something more interesting than even the allure of training manuals. The name of the city originated from the extremely large willow that stood in the center of the public park. This willow was different from other ones because its leaves were green year round and the tree had been there long before any humans settled in the area. Even if the entire region would be covered in a thick layer of snow the tree would be in full bloom. Ying Cheng had heard a lot about this tree and was eager to look upon it with his own eyes.


    Before he could reach the park he was stopped several times by the city guards, running through the streets at this time was very suspicious to them, but they let him continue on his way after he stated who he was and why he was speeding towards the park. They even helped him in the right direction. Anyone else would probably have been questioned properly, but none of the guards doubted his identity. How could there be other adolescents in Green Tree City with such refinement, such beauty and such eloquence, it could only be Yi Cheng!


    When he arrived at the park the hour of the tiger (03-05am) had almost passed and the hour of the rabbit (05-07) was almost starting. During the day the park was quite busy, but at this time it was practically deserted. Only a few daring couples were still hiding in the nooks and crannies of the park, but those would hurry home before the sun would rise.


    Guided by the light of the moon which shone down upon him, Yi Cheng walked over the field of grass towards the large tree in the centre of the park that seemed to emanate its own light as the moonlight reflected upon its leaves.


    As he came closer to the tree he realized that it stood in the middle of a large yet shallow pond. Few people would chose to cross the pond to reach the tree, but that is exactly what Yi Cheng decided to do. After removing his shoes and lifting his robes beyond his knees he waded through the water, slowly encroaching upon the trunk of the tree which was at least seven meters in diameter.


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    Yi Cheng who was generally very restless, unable to sit still unless custom or occasion required it of him, felt more and more at ease as he drew closer to the tree. As if his connection to the world was getting stronger and stronger with every step. He hadn¡¯t planned on climbing the tree, but when his palm came in contact with the bark he felt a sudden urge to go up that he wasn¡¯t able to resist.


    When he reached half the length of the tree he came across a thick branch which reached further out than most, allowing him to view as far as the edges of the park. The urge to climb had waned and he sat down on the thick branch, leaning against the trunk comfortably.


    He let his gaze scour the park for several minutes before turning his eyes upward towards the moon, remembering a famous poem which he was fond of before reciting it, ¡°I long to fly on the wind. Yet dread those crystal towers, those courts of jade. Freezing to death among those icy heights. Instead I rise to dance with my pale shadow.¡±


    After watching his surroundings for a few minutes he pulled out his bamboo dizi (flute) and started playing. Yi Cheng was considered as one of the promising actors of the entire prefect, but his musical skills were incomparably more profound.


    Before he could join the Golden Melody Troupe he had to promise his mother to not let anyone hear him play an instrument. She was certain that his talent would invite nothing but trouble!


    As he played his dizi all other sounds in the area seemed to stop, it was as if the world itself had held its breath to enjoy the songs played by Yi Cheng. Even though the world held its breath, something inside the heart of the willow awoke.


    When the sun started to rise beyond the horizon Yi Cheng stopped playing. Instantly after he stopped playing a radiant green light flew out of the tree and stopped two feet before him. The light was so blinding that Yi Cheng could barely see, the strength of the light was burning his eyes, but it seemed to come out of something very small, at most a few inches in size.


    ¡°I never thought I would wake,¡± said the light with a voice that sounded very feminine to Yi Cheng. ¡°I am lucky to have come across someone capable of waking me this quick!¡± said the light more enthusiastically.


    Yi Cheng responded, ¡°Noble emerald spirit, I humbly ask you to reduce your brilliance, you are as bright as the sun!¡±


    The light replied casually, ¡°Really? My light should only be able to blind ordinary mortals.¡±


    Even though the green spirit had said this, it reduced the output of its aura, revealing something unexpected to Yi Cheng. In front of him there was a naked maiden so beautiful that it was vexing. Her green hair was decorated with countless flowers and reached beyond her waist, her skin was flawless like brilliant jade, her eyes were like two radiant emeralds, her lips were soft and full of secrets, her figure was sculpted by the heavens itself and she was only five cun (inches) tall.


    When the tiny maiden noticed that the sun had almost replaced the moon in the sky she panicked. ¡°Not enough time, not enough time,¡± declared the little creature with a stressed tone present in her voice. ¡°YOU HAVE TO RETURN TONIGHT!¡± shouted the little creature in a demanding tone before pleading in a far more demure manner, ¡°Promise me that you will return tonight.¡±


    Yi Cheng was dumbfounded but managed to reply sincerely, ¡°I promise! I PROMISE!¡±


    By the time he repeated himself the green light had flown back into the tree at a rapid pace just as the moon vanished from the sky entirely.


    After the green light had returned to the tree Yi Cheng needed some time to recover from shock. When he was finally able to piece his mind together he decided it was time to return to the troupe.


    When he returned the majority of the company was still asleep, but Liling Gong was no longer the only one awake. He pondered if he should tell anyone about his strange encounter, but decided against it. Anyone willing to believe him should question his own sanity even though he was certain of what he had seen.

 Chapter 2 - The Wedding Party

    Chapter 2 - The Wedding Party


    The Golden Melody Troupe provided the music, fireworks and ritualistic dancers which would protect the wedding procession against evil influences which could potentially ruin the marriage. In front of the entire procession were Yi Cheng and Lilong Gong, dressed as a male dragon and female phoenix, symbolising the union between woman and man. Right behind them was the majestic scarlet fox which would spit out fire at set moments to make the dance of the dragon and phoenix look more authentic by enshrouding the pair in fire. Following right behind the magical creature were four female and four male members of the Golden Melody Troupe playing their instruments. In the middle of this group of musicians walked the one-horned lion, roaring loudly whenever the other players ended one of their melodies. Closely behind the musicians followed the bridal sedan. It was carried by eight close friends of the bride and groom. At the back of the procession were two more musicians. They carried heavy gongs, their reverberating sounds ensuring that evil influences could not sneak up from behind.


    When the sedan arrived at the wedding place during noon countless firecrackers were set off as the bride was led along a red carpet towards the main hall of the primary mansion of the Futou family. Upon arrival the junior master of the Futou clan kowtowed three times to worship the heavens, parents and spouse. After this ritual had taken place the new couple was heading straight to the bridal chamber where they could look forward to good-natured but bawdy encouragement from their friends and family for the rest of the day. Only when the sun would set would the doors of the bridal chamber finally close so that the groom could deflower his bride.


    From the moment the wedding couple entered the bridal chamber the wedding banquet started. In ancient times this was a very formal banquet and both genders enjoyed separate feasts, but in the last few millennia this practice had been long abandoned. Wedding feasts were now joyous occasions with lots of food, music, alcohol, scarcely clad dancers and other delights that were expected at such a drunken revelry.


    The Golden Melody Troupe performed several acts of infamous comedies that would most certainly not be performed in respectable venues due to their raunchiness. Noble families such as the Futou and Mu clan would normally not approve of such plays, but newfound common belief dictated that a lascivious wedding party would greatly improve the fertility of the bride, resulting in many children.


    After the applause of the final act Yi Cheng wanted to quickly leave the party before he would be forced to remain longer. Even if others wouldn¡¯t believe him, he still had to return to the park and meet with the little green spirit again. His plans of a quick retreat were thwarted when one of the bridesmaids pulled him to a corner of the hall.


    ¡°I need your help with something Yi Cheng,¡± said the young girl while she pushed her chest against his arm, flattening her breasts. Yi Cheng wasn¡¯t surprised in the slightest. The differences between actors and courtesans were known to few. Many actors would become concubines or manservants after or during their acting careers. His own mother had become a concubine of the city lord of Thundercloud City a few years ago.


    Normally he would have leaped at the opportunity to entertain a young woman from a noble family since he rarely left empty-handed, but tonight he had a more urgent appointment. ¡°Milady, I am afraid I can¡¯t assist you since there are other matters I must attend to,¡± said Yi Cheng while trying to escape from her grip. The girl could not be persuaded, and managed to drag him out of the main hall with little effort. How could he possibly cause a scene in front of so many esteemed guests of two noble families?


    Yi Cheng resigned to the fact that he would have to comply with this young lady¡¯s wishes for the moment, following her through several halls before arriving at a door which he guessed would be one of the guests'' bedrooms.


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    Upon entering the bedroom he quickly discovered that the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as he expected it would be. The bridesmaid had dragged him into the bridal chamber.


    The half-naked groom had passed out, an empty wine cup still in his hand. The only thing the bride was still wearing were her thin silk undergarments, leaving very little to the imagination. ¡°Dear Futou Ai. If you had taken any longer I would surely have lost my maidenhood to your brother,¡± said the bride without shame.


    "I guess we are lucky that I managed to arrive on time then,¡± said the bridesmaid, holding Yi Cheng tightly while flashing a radiant smile.


    ¡°Mu Nuan, let¡¯s arouse our fathers'' anger,¡± said Futou Ai as she pushed Yi Cheng towards the bed. Yi Cheng¡¯s jaw dropped when he realized what the girls were planning to have him do. Their actions were blasphemous against their fathers, their clan, the heavens might even disapprove, yet the idea excited him greatly.


    After thoroughly enjoying the groom¡¯s bride and his younger sister Yi Cheng was about ready to leave the crime scene as he noticed a manual between the wedding gifts.


    He picked it up from the desk it was placed on. The cover had three words on it, ¡°Quintessential Spear Arts¡±.


    ¡°You have a good eye, that tome was the gift of my uncle, it has several high class spear arts recorded in it. If this wedding wasn¡¯t so important to the family they would have never been willing to give away such an heirloom,¡± said the bride from the bed. ¡°Feel free to take it. This oaf of a husband has no martial talent at all if I can believe my dear Futou Ai.¡±


    The groom¡¯s sister had already left the bridal chamber, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be wise to remain absent from the party too long.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do then,¡± said Yi Cheng while flashing a wide smile to the blushing bride. Just as the actor was planning to leave the bridal chamber through the side the main doors opened. In the door opening stood the current master of the Mu Clan.


    Yi Cheng had no idea how he would manage to get out of this situation, but Mu Nuan responded almost instantly, ¡°FATHER, FATHER! He is trying to steal the quintessential spear arts!¡±


    The eruption of commotion in the room managed to wake up the groom. Upon waking he looked at the scene with glassy eyes. His slow comprehension meant that he would most likely never discover that he would wear a green hat for the rest of his life. Yi Cheng was the second one to react and made a run for the door. As he slipped into the hallway, he started to run towards the main hall, hoping he could manage to win valuable time in the crowd of people before slipping out of the mansion entirely.


    The Mu clan master shouted loudly, his voice echoing through large parts of the mansion, ¡°THIEF! THIEF! YI CHENG HAS STOLEN THE QUINTESSENTIAL SPEAR ARTS!¡±


    No one in the main hall had heard, but several guards that were stationed in the nearby hallways, had started to chase after Yi Cheng. Luckily enough the handsome actor managed to reach the main hall which was a massive drunken revelry, allowing him to shake of his pursuers.


    Upon reaching the courtyard, Yi Cheng hurried towards the stable, knowing the three-tailed horse of the troupe should be there. When he entered he quickly found the magical beast and mounted it.


    Several guards had run towards the main gates of the estate, ordering the gatekeepers to close the gate as soon as possible. The young actor realised he would soon be trapped in the estate, ordering the three-tailed horse to speed towards the gate in a full gallop.


    Before the gatekeepers could succeed in closing the heavy metal gates the three-tailed horse had brought Yi Cheng outside of the Futou family grounds.


    In the twilight Yi Cheng hurried towards the park. The wisest thing would be to leave the city immediately before the city guard closed it off hermetically, but Yi Cheng had no intention of breaking his promise with the little green spirit. His life was in shambles, but he couldn¡¯t imagine himself breaking his promise to the little creature.

 Chapter 3 - Celestial Wood Fairy

    Chapter 3 ¨C Celestial Wood Fairy


    Before sneaking into the park Yi Cheng was smart enough to send the three-tailed horse in a completely different direction. The beast was clever enough to find its way back home by itself to the Golden Melody Troupe at a later point of time. If he had kept the magical creature with him the city guard would have found him much more easily.


    When he was certain there was no one near the giant tree he charged across the field of grass and the pond, climbing the tree with a devilish abandon, praying no one would notice.


    It was the hour of the rat (11pm-01am) when he finally felt confident enough to pull out his dizi. Before he could start playing he was interrupted by the green light charging out of the tree. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were thinking your music woke me up,¡± said the green spirit with a snicker. ¡°I do admit your understanding of melody, harmony and rhytm is quite decent, but that was definitely not what woke me up.¡± ¡°What succeeded in waking you up then?¡± asked Yi Cheng inquisitively.


    The little creature let out a hearty laugh before replying, ¡°A celestial fairy only wakes up when their destined partner appears. I could never imagine that my fated one would be so pathetically weak however. Gong De Tian* is stingy as ever with her blessings!¡± Yi Cheng had trouble comprehending the scope of things the celestial fairy was saying to him. He knew that beyond the realm of mortals and immortals the celestial realm existed. She couldn¡¯t possibly mean that she came from the same realm such as supreme celestial beings like The Three Pure Ones*, right?


    Before he could speak out the issues troubling his mind the fairy interjected, ¡°I am Izel, a celestial wood fairy. Fate has delivered you to me. Therefore I will not resist.¡± The clueless actor thought to himself, ¡°Resist? What does she mean! What could she possibly mean?¡± While Yi Cheng struggled to think of things that Izel could mean with her words the little celestial fairy got more and more impatient as a blush started to appear on her cheeks. After a minute had passed the trembling little fairy couldn¡¯t hold her tongue any longer, ¡°Do I really need to spell it out? I¡­ I¡­ I will allow you to form a blood contract with me,¡± said the fairy with a quivering voice.


    Even though Yi Cheng had almost no knowledge of magical creatures he knew the importance of blood contracts. There were three manners to become the master of a magical creature. One was too tame a creature over an extended period of time until the creature had become docile and condoned its master or masters, the second was to enslave the creature with certain magical items, and the third was to form a blood contract. A blood contract meant that both the master and the creature willingly agreed to form a master-servant relationship. It was a bond that could never be broken unless either the master or the creature died. There were numerous other benefits to a blood contract, but Yi Cheng had no knowledge of these.


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    The young actor didn¡¯t hesitate at all as he quickly bit his thumb. Drops of blood flowed out of the minor wound as he extended his bloody hand towards the celestial wood fairy to form a contract. Izel noticed Yi Cheng¡¯s actions and shook violently before erupting loudly, ¡°You¡­ YOU UTTER FOOL!¡± After venting her frustration Izel explained herself, ¡°Fairies are made up entirely of their element. Only once in our lives do we bleed.¡± She paused before continuing her explanation, ¡°Only when¡­ when¡­¡± taking a deep breath before exclaiming, ¡°losing our maidenhead!¡±


    Yi Cheng had reached a point where he could no longer be surprised by the things the celestial fairy said to him. ¡°You are barely five cun (inch) tall. I am almost six chi (feet) in length. How could we possibly engage in any of the nine positions?¡± asked the handsome young actor as he pondered about the feasibility of such a coupling.


    Izel closed her eyes and clapped her hands once. In less than a breath Yi Cheng realized that his surroundings had changed drastically. Everywhere he looked around him there was blue silk, enveloping him entirely. Upon closer inspection he discovered that he was no longer wearing his robes, in fact he was completely naked! Before his nakedness could embarrass him, Izel appeared before him. She was no longer a tiny maiden barely larger than his hand, but a fully grown girl, only slightly shorter than himself.


    When he saw Izel standing before him Yi Cheng realized that the world did not turn blue, he had shrunk and was currently trapped in one of the folds of his own robe! The flying fairy landed quietly in front of him, the bright green light she usually emanated had been dimmed completely, allowing him to gaze at her naked features more easily.


    If it weren¡¯t for the now visible yet translucent wings Izel could have been mistaken for nothing more than a heaven defying beauty, but with those wings no one would dare to deny that she was indeed a magical creature.


    Yi Cheng gulped as Izel moved closer towards him. He was hardly shy, but he had never been shrunk before. How could he possibly treat this celestial fairy as a regular girl? When Izel let her eyes linger over his jade stalk she huffed, ¡°One maiden is not enough for you? Why do the heavens send me such a womanizer?¡±


    This time it was the young actor who interjected, ¡°I do admit, I have some minor flaws,¡± before pushing his lips against hers, hoping that an overbearing attitude would work well on such a proud celestial creature.


    The fairy tried to resist before caving in, knowing fully well that resisting ones fate would rarely bring good fortune. Once the first hurdle had been conquered, Yi Cheng¡¯s experience took over. Between the creases of his blue silk robes they repeatedly practiced the nine positions and experimented with many others until the sun rose during the hour of the rabbit (05-07am).


    <hr />


    * Gong De Tian = Goddess of Luck.


    * The Three Pure Ones = The Three Heavens and the deities that rule them.

 Chapter 4 - Farewell Golden Melody Troupe

    Chapter 4 ¨C Farewell Golden Melody Troupe


    When the sun rose Yi Cheng snapped out of his post-coitus bliss, remembering that he was most likely a wanted criminal after the events that happened at the Futou family estate. How could he possibly escape from the city as this point? The city guard would most certainly have closed off all the gates by now.


    Izel noticed the change in Yi Cheng and humorously said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are worried your rising dragon will remain shorter than a cun (inch) for the rest of your life?¡± After explaining everything that had happened the previous day to Izel she sulkily said, ¡°Ch¡¯uang Mu* has certainly blessed your life, you fiend!¡±


    Yi Cheng understood that a proud creature such as Izel wouldn¡¯t approve of the loose sexual morals that most entertainers had in this minor world, but was convinced that discussing his escape from Green Tree City was far more urgent than bickering about things of little importance. ¡°I suggest we delay our discussion on moral principles until we have successfully escaped from the mess I got us caught in!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! My powers are still recovering after that long slumber. Your plan will have to rely on your own capabilities,¡± said Izel indifferently. Yi Cheng thought deeply on the matter, to the point where his head started to hurt, before stating, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything. I require aid in this matter.¡±


    ¡°What?!? No plan? No ideas? Nothing?!?¡± Izel started to curse the heavens for pairing her with someone this foolish.


    ¡°No point thinking about it anymore. I will return to the Golden Melody Troupe. All my possessions are there as well. I can¡¯t leave those behind either.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your troupe was allowed to keep camp in the courtyard of the city lord mansion?¡± asked Izel. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where the troupe should still be,¡± answered Yi Cheng.


    ¡°You are asking to get caught!¡±


    ¡°How long will I remain this size?¡± asked Yi Cheng, ignoring Izel¡¯s opinion of his plan.


    Izel sighed deeply before answering her blood master, ¡°Because I was not contracted when casting this spell it should stop working once you leave this tree.¡±


    ¡°I need to scale this tree as a little person?¡±


    ¡°Getting down is not something you should worry about. You should focus on the real problems.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How do you suggest we get down?¡±


    Izel flashed a mischievous grin as her wings spread. Without warning she charged at Cheng with considerable speed. Pushing him further and further into the fabric of his robes. It didn¡¯t take long until the two of them had crossed the edge of the branch.


    Even though Cheng was smaller than most cats and didn¡¯t weigh very much, it was enough to let the robes slip slowly of the branch. Once it left the branch there was no returning. The robes with Cheng stuck in them entered a free fall down the tree. Cheng screamed as he plummeted towards the bottom of the tree, but before he could truly experience the feeling of freefall the robe already made contact with the pond. The fall did not take more than eight seconds.


    When Cheng got dunked into the water, he desperately tried to hold his breath, his fear of breaking his bones upon landing quickly being replaced with the fear of drowning while attempting to escape from his robes.


    His fears were ungrounded. A few seconds after hitting the water the magic of the shrinking spell wore off. Cheng returned to his original size almost instantly. The first thing Cheng noticed was Izel laughing loudly as she floated a bu (pace/5 feet) in front of him. Cheng quickly stood up, reaching for his thoroughly soaked robe and started wading towards the shore. ¡°Ha.. I¡¯ll remember that look on your face. Truly a dragon amongst men! Ah ha ha.¡±


    After getting out of the pond Cheng hurried to put his robes on, hoping to regain some of his dignity. He looked at himself, his wet clothing would surely draw the attention of everyone, before returning to the troupe he would have to find something less conspicuous.


    Escaping from the park was fairly easy. Many of the guards which usually patrolled the city had been ordered to search for Yi Cheng outside of the city, but it was still too dangerous to return to the Golden Melody Troupe in his own clothing.


    In the commoners district Cheng didn¡¯t need to search long for a new outfit. There were several laundry lines hanging between houses. By pushing a cart beneath them Cheng was able to pluck a new outfit from the line. In exchange for the clothing he took he left his own silk robes behind. If they sold the robes, their profit would be enough to feed several families for a year.


    Dressed in rough, cheap linen clothing it became much harder to recognize the young actor who usually wore extravagant silk robes that he could proudly display like a peacock. To decrease the chance of detection even further he used a piece of string to tie his long black hair into a ponytail. If he didn¡¯t let any of the city guards look at his face he would surely be mistaken for the most common of commoners.


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    Cheng managed to reach the City Lord Mansion without any difficulty, but entering the courtyard would not be that simple. He needed to come up with some good excuse to gain access to such a place. The Golden Melody Troupe was only allowed to stay there since the city lord of Thundercloud City was their primary benefactor. If it wasn¡¯t for this fact, the entire troupe would have probably been arrested after the events of the previous day. The difference in status between the city lord of Thundercloud City and the city lord of Red Tree City was insurmountable. Thundercloud City was the capital of one of the twenty-eight provinces while Red Tree City wasn¡¯t even the main city in the county. Therefore it was highly unlikely that the city lord of Red Tree City would harm anyone not directly involved.


    Half a day passed without a change, Cheng was still eyeing the main gate of the city lord mansion in the hope of an opportunity. Izel who had followed him through the city couldn¡¯t hold her tongue any longer, ¡°Staring at that gate won¡¯t open it.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± responded Cheng bitterly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try one of the other gates?¡±


    When Izel mentioned different gates Cheng realized how stupid he had been.


    After encircling the City Lord Mansion twice Cheng chose to approach the servants entrance at the back of the estate. The guard who stood watch at this door wasn¡¯t the brightest and could easily be tricked into believing a story of Cheng¡¯s choosing. The young actor felt somewhat proud that he could so easily come up with a plausible lie that allowed him entry into what should have been the most heavily guarded estate in the city.


    Now that he had gained access to the estate it was relatively easy to slip into the camp of The Golden Melody troupe. The city lord had send several guards to keep a close watch over the camp, but the guards preferred to play dice instead. They rarely paid any attention to the things that happened in the camp. What were the odds that Yi Cheng would show up here? If he was smart he would be a thousand li away by now.


    Cheng snuck into his living wagon. After closing the door he realized he wasn¡¯t alone. Sleeping on top of his bed was Liling Gong. He quietly approached her, placing his hand on top of her mouth and whispered, ¡°Ssshh! It¡¯s me.¡±


    Liling Gong woke abruptly when a hand was placed on her mouth. She wanted to scream out in surprise, but managed to subdue the urge upon realizing who had placed the hand on her lips.She gently brushed Cheng¡¯s hand away from her mouth as she rose up.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t necessary you know.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk it,¡± said Cheng bluntly, ¡°there are guards outside.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Cheng waited a few seconds before replying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to mock me as usual?¡±


    Liling Gong shook her head as tears started welling up in the corners of her eye, ¡°There is a price on your head! How could I possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Liling,¡± said Cheng as he put an arm around her, slowly pulling the girl¡¯s head towards his shoulder.


    As Liling Gong quietly sobbed Cheng soothed her by stroking his hand through her long flowing hair. When the tears stopped flowing he finally said something again, ¡°I can¡¯t stay.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°What? Off course I¡¯ll help you. What do I need to do?¡± asked Liling resolutely.


    ¡°After I escape from this city I need you to take this wagon to Thundercloud City. Mother should be able to watch over it until I can reclaim it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? No smuggling you out? No goodbye kiss? You really are incorrigible!¡± said Liling as disappointment dripped off her face, ¡°It took us two and a half years to get here. When are you planning to return?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t return to the troupe.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path,¡± said Yi Cheng remembering the words spoken by Buddha. After a long pause Cheng said, ¡°I must go and search for my dao.¡±


    At this point Izel opened the door and flew in, ¡°The guards are coming!¡±


    Before Liling could panic from either Izel¡¯s appearance or the notice she gave Cheng grabbed Liling. He opened his closet and pushed Liling inside. With the large amount of silk robes, other luxurious clothing articles and accessories it was simply impossible for him to fit inside, but a maiden could.


    Cheng quickly rushed to the door, hoping he could still escape from the approaching guards. As he opened it, he realized this would no longer be possible. Before him stood eight armed guards, several of them with their swords already drawn.


    <hr />


    * Ch''uang Mu = Goddess of Beds and everything that happens in them.

 Chapter 5 - Unlikely Friends

    Chapter 5 ¨C Unlikely friends.


    Yi Cheng did not resist, it would have been pointless. His skills in arms were nonexistent. Two of the guards quickly slammed him against the floor while a third grabbed his arms and pulled them together behind his back. A fourth quickly put him in irons.


    While being dragged along by two of the guards Cheng noticed that one of the guards entered his living wagon. Cheng prayed that Liling Gong would not be found and consequently labeled as his accomplice.


    They quickly led him towards the dungeons, located somewhere below the city lord mansion. Several guards headed in another direction, most likely keen to report that Yi Cheng had been captured.


    When they had arrived at the cellblock two of the guards searched him thoroughly, but didn¡¯t find what they were looking for. ¡°Search his wagon again,¡± said the guard officer. One of the guards nodded before leaving the cellblock.


    The words horrified Cheng. Liling Gong would surely have been found if they had thoroughly searched his wagon already. He could only hope that the guard had been negligent during the first search.


    One of the guards removed his irons. A second later the two guards holding him shoved him face-first into a cell. Cheng pulled himself of the ground. His body was bruised and sore, but he knew he was lucky that the guards had not been more excessive.


    The guards left the cellblock, leaving Yi Cheng and the other prisoners behind. When Cheng looked around he realized that most of the eight cells were empty. Beside him there were only two other prisoners. Both of them could not be older than twenty but the differences between the two were like heaven and earth. One was short, the other a giant, one was fat, the other skinny, one was tanned, the other pale, there were truly countless differences.


    After confirming that the guards had truly left the short fat prisoner opened his mouth, ¡°What gang are you from?¡±


    ¡°I am not in a gang,¡± responded Cheng.


    ¡°You must have done something incredibly stupid,¡± said the tall skinny man.


    ¡°Why tha-¡°


    ¡°Because regular crooks don¡¯t end up here,¡± said the short fat man before Cheng could finish his question.


    ¡°Swindlers like you are pretty common Zokor.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T CALL ME ZOKOR,¡± shouted the short fat youth angrily, ¡°My name is Jia-long*, White Paper Fan* of The Five Rivers Gang. Do you hear me calling you sunflower?¡±


    The tall skinny gang member resisted his laughter as Jia-long mentioned his name. ¡°You truly look like a¡­. Ahh! I can¡¯t say it,¡± he paused, ¡°Dragon.¡± He burst into a loud, tear jerking guffaw after the word escaped his mouth.


    Jia-long pretended to stay calm but the irritation was clearly visible on his face. He turned towards Cheng, ¡°Ignore that fool over there. Zhuang Guo is just a Red Pole* of a gang not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°I am Yi Cheng.¡±


    ¡°The actor?¡± asked Jia-long in obvious surprise.


    ¡°The very same.¡±


    ¡°You really must have done something stupid,¡± said Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°Does stealing the manual of the Quintessential Spear Arts in front of the Mu clan master qualify as foolish?¡±


    ¡°Exceptionally so,¡± answered Jia-Long.


    ¡°How did you even get close enough to steal it? I heard the only copy was held by that spear expert who almost reached the martial doyen level,¡± voiced Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°It is complicated.¡±


    ¡°Stealing is pretty straight forward. You want something, you take it. How can it be complicated?¡± asked Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°It was gifted to me,¡± Cheng paused, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    Jia-long let out a hearty chuckle, ¡°You actors are really something. Next you might have us believe the young mistress of the Mu clan gave it to you for ¡®services¡¯ rendered.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, right?¡± asked Jia-long in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, it is. It most definitely is,¡± replied Cheng in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t,¡± exclaimed Zhuang Guo, ¡°You definitely slipped your jade stalk into her fragrant mouse. Yes, you did.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± asked Jia-Long still in disbelief, ¡°You might be the most audacious person I have ever met.¡±


    ¡°I am not confirming anything. These are just your delusions,¡± said Cheng coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t tell the guards,¡± said Zhuang Guo, ¡°Our tongues are tied.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.As the last word escaped from Zhuang Guo¡¯s lips the door to the cell block opened. Two guards came through the door, followed by the city lord.


    ¡°Yi Cheng,¡± said the city lord solemnly, ¡°I do not know why you thought it wise to steal such a precious manual in front of several witnesses.¡± He paused, ¡°But crying over spilled milk is pointless. I am here to inform you that you will be beheaded at noon in three days¡¯ time.¡±


    Cheng gulped audibly as he heard his sentence, he had been expecting it to come, but now that it had reached him, he was still shaken. He took a deep breath before replying, ¡°A man¡¯s life is but fifty years. It is but a dream ¨C an illusion in the great order of things. None given life in this world can escape destruction. So my life has come to an end, but the end of everything is only the beginning of everything.¡±


    The city lord was surprised that Yi Cheng could respond so eloquently in this hopeless situation, thinking it was truly a shame for such a promising young actor to meet his end this soon. A smile appeared on his lips as he left through the door. Yi Cheng¡¯s ¡®last words¡¯ had been truly received by him.


    Two days passed rapidly. Under normal circumstances friendship would rarely form within the course of just a few days, but with the knowledge that there would be no opportunities in the future the three wrongdoers became friends. Even Jia-long and Zhuang Guo seemed to get along better.


    At the start of the third night Cheng woke up suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching the cellblock. As he squint his eyes Cheng noticed that Jia-long was awake as well.


    The door of the cellblock opened and a guard holding a torch came inside. He was quickly followed by five other men. From their clothing and arms it was quite obvious that they were not part of the guards. ¡°Quick, open his cell already,¡± said one of the men.


    The guard moved towards Jia-long¡¯s cell. Inserting the key into the rusty lock and turning it around. One of the unidentified men quickly opened the door.


    As Jia-long exited his cell he said, ¡°Free them too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the guard stammered, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal!¡±


    ¡°Just do it,¡± ordered Jia-long.


    Half a minute later Yi Cheng and Zhuang Guo were outside of their cells as well. Both of them understood what was happening, but they were hesitant to believe it.


    The prison break had been carefully planned. Once the escapees left the City Lord Mansion through one of the servant¡¯s entrances they were soon greeted by the sight of seven horses. The men had been wise enough to take a spare with them, but they still came one horse short.


    Jia-long quickly solved the issue, ¡°Yi Cheng, I¡¯ll join you. I am a poor rider anyhow.¡±


    Cheng quickly mounted a horse and helped Jia-long get up as well. The rest of the men followed suit and the entire group quickly left the vicinity of the City Lord Mansion. Their escape would most likely not be noticed before the hour of the rabbit (05-07am) when the guards came to give them their breakfast.


    Yi Cheng worried about two things, Izel and the city gates. A few minutes later he discovered that the gates would not be a problem. They weren¡¯t heading for the gates; they were going to the harbor. His second worry was dispelled when he caught a glimpse of a green light following behind them.


    The group of men traversed the city rapidly, quickly encroaching upon the harbor area. The harbor was busier than most areas at night. "Dismount. We will walk the rest," said Jia-long. The other men quickly followed the orders of the fat youth. Cheng assumed that Jia-long held a relatively high position in The Five Rivers Gang.


    When they dismounted their horses a few boys between the ages of ten and fourteen ran over, taking the horses with them. Jia-long led everyone towards the docks, he clearly knew where they had to go.


    The captain of the junk saw his passengers coming close and ordered his men to prepare for departure.  When the group of criminals boarded the ship it was ready to depart immediately. Jia-long looked back at the dock before ordering, "Take us home captain."


    It was the first time Yi Cheng had set foot on a ship. He would have loved to stay on deck, but hiding in the cargo hold with the Jia-long, Zhuang Guo and the five men which freed them was a much wiser decision.


    <hr />


    * Jia-long ¨C Chinese name meaning ¡°Looks like a dragon¡±


    * White Paper Fan ¨C Administrator of a Triad.


    * Red Pole ¨C Enforcer of a Triad.

 Chapter 6 - A Lovers Quarrel

    Chapter 6 ¨C A Lover''s Quarrel


    In the hold of the junk Yi Cheng wished to learn the names of his saviors. Four of them were Blue Lanterns* and told him that he shouldn¡¯t bother remembering their names until they became Soldiers of the gang. The fifth man, who was obviously in charge of them, introduced himself as Fan Yu, Red Pole of The Five Rivers Gang.


    They chatted about a wide variety of topics, ranging from their favorite flowers to shamelessly exaggerated tales of battle and fantastical training methods. Cheng knew that most of what the men said was half true at best, but he still wholeheartedly asked for more details.


    During the lengthy discussions Yi Cheng learned a few things that eased his mind a little. The first was that The Five Rivers Gang was definitely a criminal organization, but the focus of the gang was on prostitution, gambling, smuggling, information brokering, theft, protection fees and black spice*. The Five Rivers Gang rarely committed acts of murder. Cheng had been worried that he would be forced to join a gang of robbers and murderers.


    The second important thing he learned was that the news of his theft and escape from prison would most likely not be spread by the authorities of Green Tree City. Jia-long had ensured him that the fear of reprisal by higher placed officials would far outweigh the desire to share information of a few escaped convicts with the rest of the empire.


    The third and most important thing he learned was that The Five Rivers Gang took great effort to train their members. Two martial adepts trained the new recruits in the basics of martial qi cultivation while other fighters taught the recruits the basics of combat. If a fighter succeeded in becoming a martial initiate his status would rise almost as drastically as his power would.


    A regular fighter might be able to fight two men simultaneously; he might be able to break a brick with his bare hands. A martial initiate was capable of fighting five men at the same time and could split trees. The difference in strength between the two was obvious.


    Yi Cheng was almost hoping that he could join the gang now.


    The hatch of the hold opened, the sudden beam of light blinding everyone who had looked up in response. The captain of the ship put his head through the opening, ¡°It¡¯s safe to come topside now.¡±


    Jia-long was the first to go through the hatch, followed shortly by Fan Yu. Cheng motioned to Zhuang Guo that he could go next. After the tall skinny man had gone up it was Yi Cheng¡¯s turn. When Cheng climbed out of the hold he was blinded by the daylight. No accidents happened since two crewmembers of the junk helped everyone climbing out onto their feet.


    Once Cheng¡¯s eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight he walked towards the portside of the ship without realizing it, stopping only when he bumped into the railing. His attention focused entirely on the surroundings.


    ¡°I would stop there,¡± said the bosun, ¡°Unless you are planning to swim the rest of the way.¡±


    Yi Cheng broke out of his trance, realizing that he had come awfully close to taking a dip in the river.


    ¡°Where are we now?¡± Cheng asked as he continued to soak in his surroundings.


    ¡°In the middle of the river,¡± answered Jia-long wittily.


    ¡°Does it have a name?¡± asked Cheng seriously, ignoring the clever comment made by Jia-long.


    ¡°No official one. Who would bother naming such a little stream?¡± answered Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°But it¡¯s at least a li wide,¡± exclaimed Yi Cheng.


    ¡°We are currently on a tributary flow of Cloud Break River,¡± said the captain, ¡°The main stem is twelve li wide at its thinnest part and nineteen at its widest. This little stream barely qualifies as a river.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Finally realizing how impressive our Five River Gang is?¡± boasted Jia-long.


    ¡°I do admit that I sorely underestimated the scope of it.¡±


    ¡°Our branch controls large parts along Cloud Break River,¡± said Jia-long proudly.


    ¡°The Five River Gang is still second-rate compared to The Great River Cartel,¡± said Zhuang Guo while smirking.


    ¡°I am already starting to regret letting you out of that cell,¡± responded Jia-long.


    ¡°What gang do you belong to Zhuang Guo?¡± asked Cheng.


    ¡°I am part of The Three Tigers,¡± answered Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you speak about it before?¡±


    ¡°Since it is a gang smaller than your average family,¡± said Jia-long while gloating.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Well¡­ I like it. So fuck you!¡± shouted Zhuang Guo angrily. His skin was very thin on this particular subject.


    The bickering continued, but eventually the conversation turned pleasant again.


    Through his many questions Yi Cheng slowly realized that the world he had stepped in was far grander than he had thought or could have imagined. Those two and a half years travelling between Thundercloud City and Green Tree City, spending time in all cities along the way, had shown him something of the world which could barely be called a glimpse.


    The hours passed swiftly. The sun was already dipping behind the horizon, but some daylight still lingered in the air. The captain ordered the crew to lower the sails. After the sails had been lowered and the speed of the ship had decreased enough the anchor was dropped.


    With exception of one crew member who had to keep watch everyone went below deck, eager to crawl into their hammocks. Yi Cheng remained topside as well. He had felt Izel¡¯s presence all day, but assumed that she wasn¡¯t willing to reveal herself in front of other people.


    Cheng¡¯s premonition turned out to be correct. Once the watch keeper moved away from Yi Cheng a bright green light appeared in front of the young actor. When the bright light dimmed Cheng noticed that the fairy was no longer naked. His poor quality linens truly paled in comparison to her regal ensemble.


    ¡°I almost thought that you abandoned me,¡± said Cheng lightheartedly.


    ¡°I had all reason to,¡± responded the little fairy, ¡°but a blood contract is permanent.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know what it entails a lot better than I do. Could you explain it to me?¡± asked Cheng hopefully.


    ¡°I could, but I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Cheng in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you discover it for yourself once my powers return.¡±


    ¡°When will that be?¡±


    ¡°A month or so.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me about yourself?¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want to know?¡± responded Izel, a tiny smirk lingering on her lips.


    ¡°Why are you acting so aloof?¡± asked Yi Cheng boldly. He had hoped that Izel would be more forthcoming in their interactions. Fate had put them on each other¡¯s path and their union had bound them in a pact of blood which could not be broken. Answering a few questions should not be difficult, right?


    ¡°Why? I¡¯ll tell you why,¡± said Izel, her cheeks flushing and her eyes sparkling with righteousness, ¡°I waited countless millennia in that tree, praying someone would appear. Preferably someone with strength and potential, but even someone weak would do. I waited and waited. Then the heavens finally send me someone. And it turns out to be a lecherous, incorrigible idiot. His good looks and glib tongue his only qualities.¡±


    Yi Cheng listened to Izel¡¯s tirade from start to finish, not interrupting the fairy at any point. After she had vented her cropped up feelings Cheng extended his hand, gently placing his index finger under Izel¡¯s chin, ¡°Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. Our song will dazzle the heavens itself. We start off on the wrong foot, but you have a lifetime to change my tune.¡±


    Izel registered the first part of Cheng¡¯s speech, wondering what he meant. She wasn¡¯t sure, but the words changed her opinion of him for the better if ever so slightly. When she registered the latter half of his speech in her brain, she stammered, ¡°You f-fiend! See what I¡¯ll do to you.¡±


    To emphasize her statement she threw a tome towards his face. Cheng didn¡¯t protect his face since the book wasn¡¯t even a cun (inch) in size. When it hit him he regretted it. The tome crashed into his face with the same force a regular sized book would have.


    After the tome hit his cheek, it dropped on deck. As it made contact with the wooden planks of the junk, it instantly grew in size. Yi Cheng picked it up as his other hand reached for his now bruised cheek. While he soothingly rubbed his cheek he realized that he was holding the manual of the Quintessential Spear Arts.


    Cheng wanted to thank Izel for safekeeping the valuable training manual but the fairy was nowhere to be found. She had left in search of solitude. The actor could still feel her presence so he wasn¡¯t too worried about the situation.


    As a yawn escaped from his lips he realized this was as good a time as any to find his hammock.


    <hr />


    * Blue Lantern ¨C Uninitiated Member of a Triad.


    * Black Spice ¨C Name for Opium.

 Chapter 7 - The Price of Freedom

    <hr />


    [Warning] Minor sexual imagery.


    <hr />


    Chapter 7 - The Price of Freedom


    Three days later, at noon, the junk arrived at a fork in the river.


    The northern branch of the river seemed to stretch far beyond the horizon, no bends in it that are worth mentioning. The southern branch of the river curved behind a steep cliff side. ¡°Finally,¡± said Jia-long cheerfully.


    Yi Cheng heard what Jia-long had said and asked, ¡°We have reached our destination?¡±


    ¡°Another thirty minutes or so,¡± responded the captain, ¡°You should be able to see it soon enough.¡±


    The helmsman steered the junk towards the southern branch of the river. Once the ship passed the bend in the river their destination became visible.


    Three li ahead of them was a humungous stone dam, carved into the dam were the heads of four dragons, their mouths serving as spillways. The dam itself was not enough to shock Yi Cheng, he had seen ancient dams like this one before, what truly amazed Cheng was that right beneath the dam there was a city build on stilts.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the many dragon dams,¡± said Jia-long, ¡°As for the village. We like to call it Dragon Spit.¡±


    Yi Cheng wondered why anyone would nickname their town in such a way. Before he could ask about it he remembered something far more urgent. ¡°Once we arrive. What will happen?¡±


    Jia-long laughed as he answered, ¡°That oaf over there will be returned to his gang after they pay for our expenses. I will speak to the Deputy Mountain Master* on your behalf. No need to worry, all should be fine.¡±


    With Jia-long¡¯s assurance Yi Cheng felt some of his worries disappear.


    At the edges of the city there were countless places to moor, but one dock stood out from the others. It was at least thirty bu (pace) wide and at the end of it there was a four tier pagoda.


    The crew of the junk moored the vessel at the dock. After a gangway was placed Jia-long led Zhuang Guo and Yi Cheng towards the pagoda. Fan Yu and the Blue Lanterns remained behind to help the crew with unloading.


    As they entered the pagoda they ran into a bony old man, who wore his regalia like a weapon. Hatred and spite for the world and everyone in it flickering in his distrusting eyes.


    ¡°Incense Master? How¡­ What-what happened to senior Snoring Ox?¡± asked Jia-long in obvious surprise after noticing that Dong Wen was wearing the insignia of an Incense Master*.


    ¡°He went to meet Qin-Guang-Wang* three weeks ago,¡± said Dong Wen in obvious delight.


    ¡°Senior is dead?¡± asked Jia-long. He already knew the answer, but his heart refused to believe it.


    ¡°As dead as it gets,¡± answered the old man. Dong Wen then looked at Zhuang Guo and Yi Cheng standing behind Jia-long. He had no particular opinion of Zhuang Guo, but he instantly disliked Yi Cheng. The old man hated many things, but he hated young beautiful things more than anything. ¡°Who are they?¡± he asked demandingly.


    ¡°I am taking them to see the Deputy Mountain Master,¡± answered Jia-long. He knew that it would be a disaster for Yi Cheng if the old man got involved. That was an outcome that he wanted to avoid by any means.


    Dong Wen immediately caught wind of Jia-long¡¯s eagerness to leave. If the fat youth wished to escape it was highly likely that he had enough seniority to decide in the matter.


    ¡°Why are you taking them to meet the Deputy Mountain Master?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop wasting my time and answer me,¡± said Dong Wen, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lie to me. It won¡¯t matter one bit that your father is the treasurer if you do.¡±


    ¡°We are going to meet the venerable Deputy Mountain Master to discuss payment for the freedom we are currently enjoying,¡± said Yi Cheng clearly.


    The nasty old man finally understood the situation completely. ¡°With my authority as Incense Master I will determine the price of your freedom,¡± said Dong Wen.


    Jia-long no longer had any right to interfere in the matter. Dong Wen was his superior and Jia-long had to respect his decisions. He could only hope that Dong Wen would be magnanimous.


    ¡°You will both work for our Five Rivers Gang until you have earned your full weight in gold,¡± said Dong Wen, realizing that his demand was simply unreasonable. It was not a fair deal, it was a king¡¯s ransom.


    ¡°Yes honorable Incense Master,¡± said Jia-long in defeat.


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    ¡°Good. An oath will be required.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary senior?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Dong Wen smugly.


    ¡°Do we get any say in this at all?¡± asked Zhuang Guo angrily.


    ¡°If you wish to test the quality of our nooses, do tell,¡± answered Dong Wen, his eyes twinkling with self-importance, ¡°I do enjoy a good hanging.¡±


    After Zhuang Guo and Yi Cheng took their oaths, with the heavens as their witness, Dong Wen took his leave. After condemning the two men to a lifetime of service he was momentarily satisfied. Now he had ample time to make Yi Cheng¡¯s life more miserable.


    ¡°I am sorry guys,¡± said Jia-long dejectedly, ¡°I had no clue that self-righteous bastard would be here today. If only Snoring Ox was still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother. It is only our weight in gold,¡± responded Yi Cheng, ¡°How long could it possibly take?¡± After the words left his lips a bitter laugh followed, Cheng knew perfectly well what an insurmountable task this would be.


    ¡°Normally recruits have to sleep together in that house over there,¡± said Jia-long as he pointed at a large house in the distance, ¡°but I will make sure that you sleep elsewhere tonight.¡±


    A few hours later the three men were seated inside a private room in the Red Pearl Teahouse. Each of them was served by three attractive young women dressed in fine clothing. In the corner of the room there was a slightly older woman playing a zither.


    The girls were extremely interested in Yi Cheng. This was the first time in their lives that they could entertain such a talented and devilishly handsome young man. If they were honest, his beauty would easily outshine their own.


    Yi Cheng had understood the meaning of Jia-long¡¯s previous words long before they entered the what he was correctly assuming to be a brothel. He wasn¡¯t planning to sleep with any of the girls here, assuming that Izel would most likely be angered by it. Yet he couldn¡¯t simply refuse coming here, it would be discourteous to Jia-long who had invited them.


    Wine and conversation flowed like water as the hours flew by. Even Yi Cheng who was used to drinking started to get drunker and drunker. At some point Jia-long decided to retire, taking two of the girls with him. Zhuang Guo followed him shortly after, taking only one girl with him. Leaving Yi Cheng behind in the room with six inebriated girls and the woman playing the zither.


    At some point the woman playing the zither left the room quietly, Yi Cheng failed to notice it. His stomach and bloodstream were full of alcohol, his attention focused on the six girls in various states of undress. His plans of sleeping by himself were quickly discarded.


    Eventually the six girls dragged the young actor with them, leading him towards a room with a sufficiently large enough bed. Before the group had even reached the room Yi Cheng was already naked. The girls were somewhat jealous of his flawless skin, but the thought of getting paid to sleep with this gorgeous creature was comforting enough.


    After Yi Cheng was thrown onto the bed, one of the girls took his slumbering dragon into her mouth. It was to no avail. The moment the handsome youth came to rest on the bed he instantly fell asleep, leaving behind six sorely disappointed girls.


    Cheng woke up during the hour of the rabbit (05-07am). His head was pounding, his mouth was dry and he fiercely hated the bright light that was entering his eyes. After his brain caught up with his eyes, he realized that the bright light wasn¡¯t coming from outside. Izel was floating in front of him, holding the regularly sized manual of the Quintessential Spear Arts.


    ¡°You lost this,¡± said Izel coldly, ¡°again.¡±


    She dropped the book, it fell between his legs, missing his little brother by a few cun. Yi Cheng scanned his surroundings, realizing that he was still in the brothel, trapped between the bodies of six naked girls.


    Yi Cheng wanted to say that he was planning to sleep by himself, that he didn¡¯t have sex with any of these girls, but realized that would just add insult to injury. He looked Izel directly in the eyes and said, ¡°Sorry. It seems I only succeed in disappointing you.¡±


    The little fairy ignored his apology, indifferently saying. ¡°I came here to tell you that Martial Qi training is starting in thirty minutes.¡±


    <hr />


    * Deputy Mountain Master - Second-in-Command of a Triad.


    * Incense Master ¨C Ceremonies Officer of a Triad.


    * Qin-Guang-Wang - Ruler of the First Court of Hell.

 Chapter 8 - First Impressions

    Chapter 8 - First Impressions


    Yi Cheng quickly slipped out of the bed, leaving the six highly willing girls behind. Outside of the bed he started searching for his clothes, but he failed to find anything.


    Waiting another week to start his training was not an option that Cheng was willing to consider. He had waited many years for a chance to start cultivating, how could it possibly be delayed due to a night filled with booze and whores?


    The young actor decided to pick up a silk robe without much frills, slipping into it with a certain degree of shame. He didn¡¯t wish to borrow women¡¯s clothing, but necessity knows no law.


    He hastily hurried towards Jia-long¡¯s house, hoping that he would not draw too much attention to himself. But a young man dressed in a colorful robe which obviously belonged to a prostitute was an uncommon sight, even in a town of outlaws such as Dragon Spit.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± asked Qiang Mei as she watched Yi Cheng run through the streets in his embarrassing outfit, a smile adorning her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s most likely Yi Cheng,¡± answered someone in the group of men accompanying her.


    ¡°The actor?¡± asked Qiang mei.


    ¡°Could be, but why would he join a gang?¡±


    ¡°Oh well. I can find out later,¡± said Qiang Mei, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t keep my students waiting.¡±


    Jia-long was baffled when his friend showed up at his door wearing a woman¡¯s robe, but he understood the actor¡¯s predicament after a short explanation. He quickly asked a servant to find more suitable clothing.


    The servant returned with a knee-length hemp tunic and a simple woolen vest to wear on top of it. They were obviously hand-me-downs that even the servant wouldn¡¯t wear if he could help it. ¡°I am sorry master, but this all I could find.¡±


    ¡°You would dress a friend of mine in rags?¡± asked Jia-long in a stern voice.


    ¡°They will do just fine brother,¡± interjected Yi Cheng, ¡°I can¡¯t expect silks or battle armor to miraculously appear out of nothing. I should hurry and put them on.¡±


    After changing into the old cloths that even a poor man would be hesitant to wear Yi Cheng thanked his friend for his hospitality and the clothing before hurrying towards the training grounds.


    Once he arrived at the back of a large crowd he was fairly certain that he had reached his destination. While catching his breath he looked around. Not too far in front of him there was a large empty square visible, the ground covered with sand instead of wooden planks like the rest of the city. He had no clue why no one entered the training grounds yet, but he held his tongue and waited.


    Four minutes later the sound of a loud gong resonated through every cell in his body. Once his body stopped vibrating he realized that most of the crowd had already entered the training grounds. He quickly followed them, excitement welling up inside of him.


    If it had been the army, silence and neatly lined up soldiers would have been the next step, but these training grounds were inside of a city run by a gang. Naturally this meant that the grounds were filled with laughter, idle chatter and gossip.


    Once the sound of the gong reverberated through everyone again it became silent immediately.


    In front of the crowd appeared four rugged looking men, the youngest was no younger than thirty-three and the oldest no older than forty-five. The oldest amongst the bunch, a bald bulky man carrying a large axe on his back, spoke up, ¡°Stop wasting time. Assume the Qi Establishment Stance.¡±


    Yi Cheng had heard of the Qi Establishment Stance, but he didn¡¯t know how to assume it. He looked around him and saw everyone taking the exact same stance. Legs spread apart, both knees bend as far as you would during a squat, both hands closed into fists, wrists crossing in front of the chest. This hand gesture was also known as the strength gesture or the diamond mudra* to Buddhists.


    After seeing other people take the Qi Establishment Stance he was entirely confident in his own capability to follow their example. During his acting career he had performed many intricate plays with challenging choreographies. His skill in copying other people was outstanding.


    Before he could assume the stance a woman appeared before him. She looked like a sixteen year old maiden, but Cheng¡¯s intuition told him that she was at least nineteen years of age. She had a fair complexion, lively brown eyes, rosebud lips and neatly-combed brown hair, partly bound in a ponytail. She was wearing a tunic and skirt made of sturdy leather and soft silk. Over the clothing she wore pieces of armor, covering her vitals.


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    While Yi Cheng was still looking at her, she moved closer.  She placed her hands on the insides of his thighs, pushing them down. After correcting his knees, she gave a soft kick to his right feet, moving it into position. After that she moved behind him, placing her hands on his lower back, pushing it forward. When she moved to stand in front of him again, he felt his ass cheek getting pinched.


    ¡°Did she just pinch my ass?¡± thought Yi Cheng as he made fists out of his hands.


    The girl took hold of his wrists and moved them until they formed the proper gesture. After taking a final look at her work, she beamed proudly, ¡°You owe me ten silvers Timid Tiger.¡±


    ¡°I thought the lessons were free,¡± said Yi Cheng.


    The girl snickered after the actor spoke, ¡°You¡¯re cute.¡±


    The youngest of the four rugged men, the one carrying two double-edged straight swords, threw the girl a stack of coins, ¡°Double or nothing. I say he can¡¯t hold that stance for more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Your wife will be angry at you again tonight,¡± said the young woman.


    ¡°Why that?¡± asked Timid Tiger.


    ¡°Since you are just begging me to take your money,¡± said the armored beauty matter-of-factly . While the rest of the rugged men laughed heartily at the statement the woman leaned in towards Yi Cheng, whispering him, ¡°If I win, I¡¯ll let you wear my clothes.¡±


    Yi Cheng wanted to know why people were betting on his training, but what he truly wished to know was why this girl thought he would want to wear her clothes.


    After five minutes Cheng had trouble maintaining his stance. The young actor did not have a poor physical condition, but he had never trained his body through usual training methods. He mostly stayed in shape through walks, hikes and through dancing both vertically and horizontally.


    As Cheng¡¯s legs were starting to cave in, Timid Tiger said, ¡°Told you so. Not even ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t won yet,¡± answered the girl.


    The nine minute mark had just passed when the young actor threw in the towel, collapsing onto the sand, heaving.


    ¡°Hah! You owe me twenty silvers Qiang Mei,¡± shouted Timid Tiger loudly.


    Qiang Mei opened a small pouch and withdrew a handful of coins, tossing them towards the sword-wielding warrior. He caught most of them, but he had to pick up a few from the sand, ¡°Thanks dear, my wife will be most pleased.¡±


    The other weapon wielding warriors who had laughed at Timid Tiger previously now laughed with him. Qiang Mei ignored them, walking towards Yi Cheng. She put an arm around his shoulder, ¡°You are pathetically weak, but at least you¡¯re cute.¡±


    Yi Cheng was in no state to protest, but he managed to say a few words through his ragged breathing nonetheless, ¡°One step at a time.¡±


    Qiang Mei knew the proverb and smiled at his words, she stood up before saying, ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll whip you into shape soon enough.¡±


    The majority of the people on the training grounds were still maintaining their Qi Establishment Stance, but almost all of the remaining ones were now struggling to do so.


    After forty minutes there wasn¡¯t anyone left standing on the training grounds. Yi Cheng didn¡¯t understand this, surely people should be able to hold a stance so similar to a squat much longer than forty minutes?


    He asked a man sitting a few paces away to explain why no one was capable of holding out longer than forty minutes. The man laughed and asked a question in response, ¡°Did you even try to visualize the mantra?¡±


    ¡°What mantra?¡± asked Yi Cheng honestly.


    The man started laughing, ¡°So you collapsed in less than ten minutes¡­ without using the mantra?¡±


    Yi Cheng was getting tired of being called weak on every occasion, but he calmed his mind and asked again, ¡°What mantra?¡±


    ¡°Path and purpose, here united,¡± answered the man once he stopped laughing.


    ¡°Thanks," said Cheng, failing to understand how a single sentence could possibly make a difference.


    Cheng was somewhat angered that he had wasted part of his day on something which had obviously been useless, but he soothed himself with the knowledge that the next time he would not be wasting his time.


    After the training had officially ended Cheng noticed that Jia-long was waiting for him at the edge of the training grounds. He quickly walked over to him.


    ¡°Good news brother,¡± said Jia-long, ¡°I found you a house.¡±


    <hr />


    * Mudra ¨C Hand Seals in Sanskrit.

 Chapter 9 - A Fairys Guidance

    Chapter 9 ¨C A Fairy¡¯s Guidance


    Yi Cheng was pleasantly surprised by the news that his friend brought him. He would not have enjoyed sleeping between at least a hundred recruits that he did not know.


    The little house paled in comparison if you compared it to Jia-long¡¯s mansion, but the house was at least twice as big as his living wagon. Upon entering Cheng discovered that beside a large bed there was no other furniture.


    ¡°I am sorry, but you will have to gather the rest on your own,¡± said Jia-long somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Brother, could I possibly get a loan?¡± asked Cheng hopefully.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I would like to¡­ but,¡± said Jia-long, hesitant to answer.


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s orders prevent me from doing so.¡±


    ¡°I guess he told you to stop spending money on a debauchee or something similar?¡± asked Cheng as he walked further into the wooden house.


    ¡°How did you know? You almost used his exact words!¡± Jia-long blurted out.


    ¡°Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living,¡± answered Cheng, fully aware of the reputation actors had in this world. A good actor might wear fine silks, eat gourmet food and socialize with the higher social circles, but they had no status themselves that was worth speaking off.


    ¡°It is alright brother. After I memorize the contents I will find a way to sell the Quintessential Spear Arts,¡±  Yi Cheng said matter-of-factly.


    Jia-long couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard, ¡°Ehhh¡­¡±


    ¡°I might not be able to pay off my debt entirely, but it should make a good dent, I think,¡± said Cheng while laughing jovially.


    ¡°Let me talk to father again,¡± said Jia-long.


    ¡°No need brother,¡± said Cheng, ¡°No friend of mine will need to beg on my behalf.¡±


    Jia-long didn¡¯t press the issue further. After saying their goodbyes he left the little house that he had arranged for his friend. As he walked towards his own mansion he tried making guesses on the true value of the Quintessential Spear Arts.


    Cheng let himself fall back onto his only piece of furniture, lying with his legs and arms spread wide, one knee up in the air. He reached for the manual containing the Quintessential Spear Arts and started reading.


    After two hours of intensive study he put the tome to rest. While lying on top of the bed, he drifted to sleep. When he woke twenty minutes later, he noticed that Izel was sleeping on a pillow not far from his.


    He was still hoping that his contracted fairy would become more accommodating instead of aloof and proud. While gazing at the sleeping fairy, he thought back on all the things that happened in the last two weeks, realizing that the little creature¡¯s patience had been tried and tested again and again. When he had said that their tale would impress the world, he meant it, now he just had to figure out how to do it.


    For now he just absorbed the contents of the Quintessential Spear Arts manual, page after page. Eventually the sun went down and the young actor, aspiring expert, fell asleep shortly after.


    After waking up in the morning Yi Cheng had trouble getting out of bed due to the aching muscles in his thighs. He looked around, but Izel was nowhere to be found.


    Jia-long had told him that basic rations were supplied for free near the training grounds, but if he desired more luxurious foods or drinks that he would have to pay for them. Since he had not even a single copper written to his name, the choice was easy. He headed towards the training grounds in search of breakfast.


    The rations consisted of cooked rice and tofu, a commoner¡¯s meal. If Cheng wanted fruit, meat or vegetables he would have to start earning money.


    After he finished his meal he headed to the training grounds. Today the martial initiates would teach in the use of weapons. Jia-long had told Cheng that there were teachers for the sword, axe, bow, staff, spear and unarmed combat.


    Timid Tiger taught in swordplay, switching between double-edged straight swords and sabers as he pleased. While the remaining three of the rugged men, all four confirmed to be martial initiates, respectively taught in the ways of the axe, bow and staff. The teachers for unarmed martial arts and the spear were not yet martial initiates, but their level of skill in their respective arts was nothing to sneeze at.


    After testing the waters in all of the disciplines that were taught over the course of a few days, he realized his aptitude for the sword, axe and bow were abysmal. His proficiency in unarmed combat was the best while his potential in the spear and staff would be decent if he trained his body more rigorously.


    The Five Rivers Gang provided classes for a myriad of other things as well, such as: reading, basic arithmetic, book-keeping, first aid and many more. Most of them were useless to Yi Cheng, but he did request training in first aid, forgery and basic survival skills. First aid and basic survival were free, but forgery would cost him fifty silvers, something which he couldn¡¯t afford for now.


    Somewhat satisfied Yi Cheng returned to his house after a busy week of training. Most days he would come home to an empty house, but today Izel was clearly waiting for him.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it Izel?¡±


    ¡°I have been watching you all week now,¡± said the fairy.


    ¡°Liked what you saw?¡± Cheng joked.


    ¡°No. Your lack of knowledge is painful to watch,¡± answered the fairy coldly.


    Izel¡¯s words hurt more than Cheng had expected them to.


    ¡°But¡­ I do believe you are trying to improve,¡± said Izel approvingly. ¡°Therefore I will tell you of other paths, before you bind yourself to one that leads nowhere,¡± Izel declared proudly.


    ¡°Other paths?¡±


    ¡°I will show you,¡± said the celestial fairy, lightly tapping on the actor¡¯s forehead.


    Due to Cheng¡¯s restless character he immediately wished to ask questions, but before he had the chance to do so information started flooding into his mind. As the stream of information continued, his world started to spin. It felt as if his brain was being scrambled.


    The little fairy removed her finger from his head and the seemingly endless stream of knowledge stopped at once, the pounding in Cheng¡¯s head remained.


    ¡°You should try sleeping,¡± said Izel.


    Yi Cheng was absolutely certain that sleeping would be impossible as long as that vicious giant rampaged in his head, but he lay down on the bed nonetheless.


    The headache didn¡¯t disappear, but eventually the tired actor fell asleep. During his slumber the information solidified in Cheng¡¯s mind. He would wake up with many new valuable insights and important knowledge.


    It was midmorning when Yi Cheng woke up, his head still felt like an axe was planted in it. If he ever felt like this in the past, he would have waited until Liling would bring him eggs, rice, sausages and fruit juice, the perfect cure for a hangover. This time, no breakfast was brought. Food would have to wait until lunch since the free rations were only distributed at set times.


    As time passed the pain between his ears slowly diminished, allowing him to put his brain to work again.


    The first thing he did was compile a list of the things he had learned:


    The body always absorbs elemental energy. Through special techniques you can influence the absorption speed. Without these techniques the chances of becoming an elementalist are non-existent.


    Martial Qi should simply be called Qi or life force. The best known way of cultivating it is through combat and training, which is why it is often called Martial Qi. Other methods of cultivation are meditation, losing oneself in their art or craft, enlightenment and through the Joining of the Essences*.


    Mantras are words of power, copying them from others can lead to quick results, but the power gained is incomparable to mantras you receive when rising to the next level of Qi cultivation through your own understandings.


    Mastery of a weapon, martial art or other talent is essential if you wish to become a supreme expert. Most choose to master a weapon or martial art, since those have offensive power even before imbuing them with elemental energy or qi. Yet there are a multitude of experts who used their unique arts such as calligraphy, puppetry, acupuncture or even zhezhi* to etch their names in history.


    Qi is the indomitable will, elemental energy is the unbridled force and mastery of your art is the hand which guides. All three are equally important.


    There was a lot more information squeezed into the actor¡¯s pounding brain, but these pieces were by far the most important. He now possessed a much better understanding of what he had to do.


    Cheng¡¯s first priority was finding a technique which would allow him to gather elemental energy more swiftly. His second priority was to make a decision on which of his talents he would cultivate. His third priority was to train the general quality of his body and mind through exercise and meditation. Cheng was getting excited just thinking about these things, his eyes dancing with excitement.


    ¡°You should forget about Elemental Gathering Techniques for now,¡± said Izel, correctly guessing Cheng¡¯s intent. ¡°Once my powers return in two weeks¡¯ time, you will automatically obtain one.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks? Not three?¡± asked Cheng, clearly remembering that the fairy had told him he would have to wait at least a month.


    ¡°The large quantities of water energy in this area make it easier to create wood energy.¡±


    ¡°Really? How does that work?¡±


    ¡°I could use my information transfer technique again if you want,¡± answered Izel, her lush lips transforming slowly into a mischievous grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Izel said, laughing heartily.


    <hr />


    * Joining of the Essences ¨C Taoist sexual practices.


    * Zhezhi ¨C The art of paper folding that originated from China.

 Chapter 10 - A Fair Offer

    Author''s Note: I was unhappy with a few paragraphs which made my protagonist look like a penny-pincher. Altered them slightly.


    <hr />


    [Warning] This chapter contains minor sexual content near the end.


    <hr />


    Chapter 10 ¨C A Fair Offer


    The following days Cheng¡äs mind was occupied with just one thing. Which of his talents should he cultivate? His potential in the spear and staff was decent, his skill in unarmed martial arts was basic, but could be easily cultivated. Music, dance or acting were options, but he had no idea how to turn any of those into a weapon.


    Since he couldn¡¯t reach a decision, he wanted to talk with his friends to distract his mind. Jia-long wasn¡¯t an option. The administrator¡¯s absence meant that his work had been piling up ever since he got caught in Green Tree City. His fat friend¡¯s near future was in ledgers, scrolls and letters. Cheng did not want to trouble him with his own issues. So he left for Zhuang Guo.


    Unlike Cheng the skinny tall man had not been sitting idle the last few days. Zhuang Guo had found himself a job in the most popular gambling house in the city. The owner¡¯s choice of location, right next to Red Pearl Teahouse was well-picked.


    The streets were mostly empty, during daytime people were either learning, working, training or sleeping. He did notice the occasional group of children, running wildly through the streets or playing games such as Honor, Catching the Dragon¡¯s Tail and Forcing the City Gates.


    It didn¡¯t take Cheng long to reach the gambling house. Beside Cheng there were few people inside. There was one group of old men playing Mahjong, a minimal staff and a prostitute who most likely worked next door. The actor imagined the large empty establishment would look quite different at night.


    ¡°Yi Cheng, over here,¡± said someone, the voice coming from the direction of the working girl. As Cheng walked over, he noticed that it had been Zhuang Guo who called him over. His friend was currently kneeling in front of the girl. His dexterous fingers working hard to restore a minor tear in the simple yet elegant robes the courtesan was wearing.


    ¡°There, all done,¡± said Zhuang proudly, the fabric of the robes slowly sliding out of his hand. He quickly stood up, walking towards Cheng to greet him. ¡°Do you recall White Plum?¡±


    ¡°How could I forget,¡± said Cheng, showing a genuine smile to both his friend and the girl.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the men talk,¡± said the courtesan, preparing to leave. As she was leaving, she suddenly stopped as if she had forgotten something. She quickly turned around, rushing towards Zhuang Guo, placing a quick peck on his lips. As the girl left through the front door, she left behind a blushing Zhuang Guo.


    ¡°You work quick,¡± said Cheng, stifling a laugh.


    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± said Zhuang, ¡°I recall her saying, that six flowers were left unfertilized.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist,¡± said Cheng, punching his tall skinny friend in the side with virtually no force behind it, laughing jovially.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am serious about her though. It just seems right,¡± said Zhuang, his face a bag of mixed emotions. A few seconds later his face returned to normal, he asked, ¡°Got any plan to earn some real money yet?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± said Cheng matter-of-factly as his left hand moved to scratch himself in the neck.


    At this time the door opened, letting beams of natural light enter the gambling house. Cheng and Zhuang both turned their heads to see who would enter. Their faces became sour when they saw it was Dong Wen.


    The miserable old man approached them. ¡°Qiang Mei isn¡¯t here?¡± asked the Incense Master, his voice full of contempt, clearly not interested in an answer. ¡°Those brats clearly told me she was searching for¡­¡± said Dong Wen to himself. Without saying anything else the old man left.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± asked Cheng.


    ¡°No clue, but the Mountain Master¡¯s* daughter sure ain¡¯t searching for me,¡± said Zhuang.


    ¡°Mountain Master¡¯s daughter?¡± said Cheng, doubting what he had just heard, ¡°That cheeky brat?¡±


    ¡°There is only one Qiang Mei in Dragon Spit,¡± Zhuang said, ¡°And she is quite popular too.¡±


    ¡°But she is crazy,¡± said Cheng somewhat suprised, remembering his interactions with the girl.


    ¡±Blessed beauty, untouched maiden, beloved daughter of the Mountain Master and¡­ a Martial Adept,¡± said Zhuang, summing up the girl''s good points that everyone in Dragon Spit would have knowledge of.


    ¡°That girl, a Martial Adept? You are joking right?¡±


    Zhuang shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t repeat your mistakes brother.¡±


    ¡°What mistakes?¡± asked Cheng, slightly offended.


    ¡°Deflowering girls you shouldn¡¯t,¡± answered Zhuang deadpan.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After twenty minutes of bickering, healthy discussion and small talk the two friends said their goodbyes. They had agreed that Cheng would look for opportunities when he went to sell the Quintessential Spear Arts. Until the actor discovered something lucrative, Zhuang Guo would remain in Dragon Spit.


    Cheng¡¯s next stop was a general store. It didn¡¯t take him long to find one. He entered the store. The shopkeeper raised his head from behind the counter, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Do you sell flutes?¡± asked Cheng.


    ¡°I got a bird bone gudi* and a bamboo dizi*,¡± said the shopkeeper, showing a smile. Musical instruments were items that rarely sold so he was keen on clearing them from his inventory.


    ¡°I would like to try them,¡± said Cheng.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± said the shopkeeper, handing Cheng a handsomely carved gudi and a rather crude dizi.


    The young actor played on both flutes, testing the pitch, tone color and the dynamic range of the instruments. Once he concluded his tests he asked, ¡°How much for the dizi?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The shopkeeper was somewhat disappointed, the gudi was twice as valuable as the dizi, but he offered a fair price to Yi Cheng nonetheless, ¡°Twenty-six coppers.¡±


    Cheng knew the shopkeeper¡¯s offer was a fair one, but Zhuang Guo had only been able to borrow him fifty-one coppers. He wasn¡¯t willing to spend more than half of his fortune in one go. ¡°Can¡¯t you drop the price a little? To say¡­¡± said Cheng, pausing, ¡°thirteen coppers.¡±


    ¡°Half?¡± said the shopkeeper in disbelief. He wondered where this youth gathered the courage to ask for such an outrageous discount. ¡°Twenty-five coppers,¡± said the somewhat irritated vendor.


    ¡°How about fifteen?¡± said Cheng, shamelessly.


    The seller was shocked. Normally he would put his products away and refuse to do business with such audacious customers, but music instruments rarely sold. And he had been so foolish to buy several of them in the past. If he could get rid of even one, it was a golden opportunity in his eyes.


    Cheng put his acting experience to use and convinced the shopkeeper to give him a minor discount, allowing both parties to leave somewhat satisfied from the deal. The thirty-one coppers left in Cheng''s pocket were not enough to satisfy his epicurean tastes, the lavish meal he had been hoping on, would have to be postponed.


    After acquiring his instrument, he returned to his house. He opened the door and immediately noticed that something was amiss. Lying on top of his bed, facing away from him, was Qiang Mei. He was surprised that she didn¡¯t even turn her head around as he entered. ¡°Why are you here?¡± said Cheng, undecorated.


    Qiang Mei finally turned her head around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°I wondered why you didn¡¯t show up to any of the trainings anymore,¡± said Mei, abruptly turning her head back around. She flipped the page of the book in front of her, her gaze once again fixed in front of her.


    Cheng couldn¡¯t see what was laid down in front of Qiang Mei, but he had clearly heard the flipping of a page. He moved closer to his bed, noticing a thick manual in front of the girl.


    ¡°Is that my¡­¡± said Cheng, quickly lifting the pillow which was used to hide the Quintessential Spear Arts, discovering it was no longer there. As he properly inspected the tome in front of Qiang Mei, he confirmed his suspicion. ¡°It is,¡± he said, somewhat dissatisfied.


    ¡°I was only reading it,¡± said Qiang Mei in her own defense.


    Cheng snatched the manual from the bed, closing it. He shot a  glare towards the youthful maiden. ¡°The value of manuals such as these drop sharply in value if everyone was at liberty to read them,¡± said Cheng indignantly.


    ¡°Stingy!¡± said Mei jokingly,  knowing that he was right.


    ¡°I am going to put it up for auction,¡± said Cheng, his clutch on the tome tight as ever.


    ¡°In Dragon Spit?¡± asked Mei, dumbfounded. She rose up, sitting on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Cheng.


    ¡°I could make some introductions,¡± said Mei casually.


    ¡°And what would that cost me?¡± said Cheng pragmatically as his brow furrowed.


    ¡°Not much. Just let me finish reading it,¡± said Mei hopefully, biting gently on her lower lip.


    ¡°That is asking too much,¡± said Cheng without reserve. The actor was known to be generous during his time in the Golden Melody Troupe, but the manual was his only valuable possession. Without it, paying for his freedom would be a pipedream. He couldn''t be open-handed under these circumstances.


    Mei quickly removed her tunic, showing off a considerable amount of smooth pinkish skin. Her breast bindings followed, revealing a modest pair of perky breasts. She loosened her ponytail and shook her head, making her hair fall down around her naked shoulders. She said, ¡°I could sweeten the deal a bit.¡±


    There were many good reasons why Cheng shouldn¡¯t accept this offer, but none of those mattered to Cheng¡¯s jade stalk, which quickly grew erect. With Mei¡¯s hand rubbing against it, resistance became pointless.


    Clothes were quickly shed, foreplay was ignored and the couple immediately engaged in The Turning Dragon. The actor quickly concluded that she was not a virgin, he didn''t mind at all, but he was curious who would dare to lay his hands on the daughter of the Mountain Master. Beside him, who would be that rash?


    When Cheng tried to flip Mei onto her belly to practice The Tiger¡¯s Tread, she resisted, desiring to remain face-to-face. Cheng moved on towards The Monkey¡¯s Attack instead. As he raised her legs, he noticed a combination of fresh and old bruises on her lower back. He wondered who would be able to bruise a Martial Adept, but didn''t think further on it.


    Several positions later Mei came, Cheng joined her immediately. While pleasure surged through his body, two sentences echoed in Cheng¡¯s mind, ¡°Path and purpose, here united.¡± Followed immediately by, ¡°Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, all must be tasted.¡±


    Cheng barely noticed anything when the first sentence echoed through his brain, but a strong bittersweet feeling surged through his being as the second sentence did. As suddenly as the feeling appeared it disappeared. The actor could once again focus wholly on the lovely girl beneath him.


    When their sexual activities ceased, both of them were lying on their back, utterly spent. ¡°When do we leave?¡± asked Cheng.


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    <hr />


    * Mountain Master ¨C Leader of a Triad.


    * Gudi ¨C Chinese bone flute.


    * Dizi ¨C Chinese transverse flute.

 Chapter 11 - The Union of Breaths

    Chapter 11 - The Union of Breaths


    Cheng wondered why Mei was in such a hurry, but made no objections. Informing his friends wouldn¡¯t take long and other preparations were unnecessary if Mei was coming along.


    Mei left the bed, picking up her tunic and skirt. ¡°Meet me at the north docks at the hour of the rat (11pm-01pm),¡± said Mei. Cheng noticed that she moved in a way that didn¡¯t allow him to look at her back. He wanted to ask her about the bruises he had seen, but he held his tongue. She clearly wasn¡¯t willing to talk about the matter.


    Once the maiden was fully clothed, Cheng slipped into his cheap but clean pants. He opened the door for her. When she moved past him, she stopped. She rose onto her toes, kissing his lips, feeling the tenderness of his lips against her own. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± asked Cheng, a slightly smug look adorning his face.


    ¡°Yes. I would like to know that as well,¡± interjected Dong Wen. The old man had clearly been waiting for Qiang Mei outside Cheng¡¯s house.


    Dong Wen came closer towards them, his squinty eyes inspecting both of them. Cheng¡¯s could feel the man¡¯s ire as his eyes ran over Cheng¡¯s half naked body. Mei¡¯s disheveled hair and flushed cheeks didn¡¯t go unnoticed either.


    ¡°Your father is waiting for you in his chambers,¡± said Dong Wen to Qiang Mei, complying with the order the Mountain Master had given him earlier today. He directed his gaze at Cheng, an ill-natured grin appearing on his lips, ¡°The Mountain Master will hear of this.¡±


    Mei left abruptly. Dong Wen wanted to harass the beautiful young man further, but his urge to tell the gang leader what had transpired at Cheng¡¯s house was even stronger. Dong Wen left, leaving behind a worried youth.


    Cheng cursed himself for thinking with his dick yet again.


    There was still a few hours remaining before his appointment at the north docks. Cheng headed over to Jia-long, but he failed to find his friend. Since time was a luxury he didn¡¯t have, a note would have to suffice. He left a message with Jia-long¡¯s housemaid before returning home.


    Cheng considered playing his bamboo flute, but quickly came to the conclusion that he currently lacked the concentration required. He remembered from Izel¡¯s information transfer that most meditation techniques would help him focus and quiet his mind. Meditation had been an unfamiliar concept for the restless young actor until now. He sat down in the Lotus Position on top of his bed, his hands forming the Gesture of Wisdom.


    Meditation quickly calmed his troubled mind, directing his awareness inward. He was awake, but was aware of nothing except awareness itself. In this meditative state clear images of techniques appeared in Cheng¡¯s consciousness. These techniques were not his own, but they belonged to the Martial Adept, Qiang Mei.


    All of these techniques were on a level of comprehension that Cheng should not have been able to understand. Mei was a martial genius, she had worked on her martial arts since birth. How could an actor, who spend his life in comfort, ever compare?


    Yet all her techniques were effortlessly absorbed into Cheng¡¯s very being. As long as he possessed the physical capability to perform a technique, he would be able to perform it perfectly, without any further practice.


    Once he snapped out of trance, Cheng looked at his own hands in disbelief. He felt something he had never felt before, something he had desired for years, something that had always been out of reach, he felt power, real power.


    He deeply desired to put his strength to the test, but when he realized that his room was already shrouded in darkness, he panicked. Mei told him to meet her at the hour of the rat. Was he already running late?


    Cheng grabbed the Quintessential Spear Arts, wrapping it in a piece of cloth. He headed straight for the designated meeting spot. Once he arrived at the north docks, he didn¡¯t see Mei.


    He did see a ship, practically ready to leave. Cheng asked a member of the crew for the time. He had run late, but none of them had seen a girl matching Mei¡¯s description. The actor was somewhat surprised that they didn¡¯t know who Qiang Mei was, but he guessed that these men possibly belonged to a different branch of the Five Rivers Gang.


    A few moments after midnight Mei showed up, carrying two sizeable ditty bags and a spear on her back. She ignored Cheng¡¯s presence entirely and hurried onto the ship. After she briefly flashed an item to the captain, she motioned for the young man to come onboard.


    It seemed that Cheng¡¯s departure from Dragon Spit would be just as sudden as his departure from Green Tree City. When Mei demanded that he joined her below deck, he experienced a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Unlike the junk, this ship had several huts for personal use. Mei quickly claimed the captain¡¯s hut, by far the largest, as her own. After dropping her luggage on the wooden floor, she pulled Cheng inside, closing the door with a kick. Behind closed doors she wrapped her arms around him tightly, leaning her head against his chest, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Cheng was utterly confused, she had thanked him twice today, but for what? This was business, right?


    After breaking the hug, Mei looked at Cheng, extended her arm, one open hand waiting. Cheng understood what she wanted, he handed her the piece of cloth holding the training manual.


    Mei lit a few more candles, draped herself on the bed and started reading immediately. There was plenty of time for her to finish the book several times during the journey, since the time needed to travel between large cities were counted not in days, but weeks, maybe even months. Yet Cheng understood her desire for powerful techniques now that he had a small taste of power himself.


    He left the cabin, searching the ship for a secluded spot. Once he found a suitable location in the cargo hold, he quietly called for Izel. Before he could call her name a third time, the fairy appeared before Cheng.


    ¡°What is it?¡± said Izel coolly, regretting her words as soon as they left her mouth. The fairy still detested Cheng¡¯s loose morals, but had been hoping to thaw the relationship between them nevertheless.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it,¡± Cheng said cheerfully. His delight so tangible that it could be tasted.


    ¡°Explain what?¡± asked Izel, wondering why her master was so pleased.


    Cheng told her what had happened. Izel listened to the entire tale with ever increasing disbelief. Once the story was finished, she remained silent, thinking deeply.


    ¡°Does she know?¡± was the first thing Izel asked.


    ¡°No, I only¡ª¡°


    ¡°Never, never speak of this again,¡± interrupted Izel, her face contorted with fear and dismay. Cheng didn¡¯t understand her worries and concerns, he wanted to know why this was such a grave matter. Before he could voice his opinion, Izel pushed her finger against his forehead.


    ¡°No. Not that again!¡± said Cheng, vividly remembering the throbbing headache.


    Compared to the huge amount of knowledge that was transferred previously, the tidbit of information this time was hardly worth mentioning.


    The White Peony Constitution refers to a body that cannot accumulate  Qi through combat, meditation, enlightenment or immersion in arts. It can only be obtained through The Union of Breaths. An act that allows the harmonization of yin and yang between two people through sex. During mutual orgasm the owner of this constitution will merge their partner¡¯s techniques, mantras and bloodline into their own being. The amount of Qi obtained through the Union of Breaths will depend on the qualitative level of their partner¡¯s Qi. For a period of time after The Union of Breaths has taken place the partner will experience increased Qi accumulation.


    Izel only needed the time of a single breath to transfer this information into Cheng¡¯s brain. Cheng was happy to discover that he had escaped the ordeal with only a slight notion of discomfort between his temples.


    Once the actor¡¯s grey matter processed this information he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Was this a blessing or a curse? Could he achieve his dreams of greatness or would he be doomed to mediocrity?


    ¡°Izel, is this good or bad?¡± asked Cheng, needing an answer to his doubts.


    ¡°That depends.¡±


    ¡°Depends?¡± said Cheng, ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°Fooling everyone,¡± said Izel solemnly.


    Cheng still had questions that needed answers, but those would have to wait. Izel¡¯s intuition had told her that someone was coming, she immediately hid herself.


    When a crewmember entered the hold, the man was somewhat surprised to see Cheng standing in a corner. The man didn¡¯t ask any questions, quickly searching for the item that his superior had send him for. Once he had found it, he left as quickly as he appeared.


    Cheng believed that Izel would return, but she didn¡¯t. Eventually he returned to the captain¡¯s cabin. Cheng hoped that he could at least convince Mei to put the Quintessential Spear Arts to the side for a short while. His hopes disintegrated when he saw how enraptured Mei was in the tome. Accumulating Qi would have to wait a bit longer.

 Dropped Until Further Notice

    Author''s Note:


    Hello there. Thank you for reading this far. I am dropping this novel for now for the reasons below, all of which are my own responsibility:


    - Not happy with the title.


    - Dislike the actor background I gave Yi Cheng, I feel it doesn''t really add to the story.


    - My protagonist feels a bit dull right now.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it- Introduced Izel too soon.


    - Too much sex in rapid succession.


    - I feel I revealed too little of my created world over the last 11 chapters.


    - Quite occupied with my studies.


    - Myriad of tiny other things.


    On a more positive note. I haven''t abandoned this project entirely. It will be rewritten.