ã€ŠTales of the Teal Mountain Sectã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    ¡°Of all the sects that dotted the southern continent of Karano, the Teal Mountain Sect had the distinction of being considered by many to be one of the best middle sized ones around. Founded in the last quarter of the Age of Drought by their first patriarch, The Strongest Brain, the sect had begun its existence as a body tempering sect with an emphasis on earth-based techniques. They were originally known as the Heavenly Stone Body Sect, but that name would soon change after a shocking discovery. While it is still a subject of debate as to whether the discovery of the veins of uniquely teal jade under the sect''s first daochang was mere fortune, or if the founder had chosen the location because of the stone¡¯s presence, the qi-rich stone fueled both the sect¡¯s signature techniques and the first feud for their land.¡±

    ¡°The teal jade was jadeite of a remarkably pure quality which, as many of you know, is highly sought after by craftsmen for its superior ability in holding spells for powerful amulets and spatial rings. The fact that the mountain had only been under the Teal Mountain Sect¡¯s stewardship for a mere half century prior to the jade¡¯s discovery, compounded by the resource shortages endemic of the Age of Drought, lead a loose coalition of nearby sects to attempt to seize the stone for themselves.¡±

    ¡°Numbering a mere 14 students and 3 instructors at this time, the Teal Mountain Sect was thoroughly outnumbered by seven sects standing against them. However, in an act of uncommon solidarity among cultivators at the time, they were aided in their time of need by a trio of neighboring sects they had aided in the past: the Profound Hammers Sect, the Clear Pill Alchemists, and the Ancient¡¯s Bones Mystics. They were also assisted by a local branch of the Li family, who still retains close ties with the sect to this day."

    "By taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, they were able to buy time for The Strongest Brain to set a grand formation, one that threw the invaders back with great force and thunder. Across several further skirmishes the bonds of companionship grew among these unlikely allies, and by the end of their ordeal they were sworn brothers. They unified their sects with sworn oaths under the tree now known as the Founder¡¯s Willow, and declared their new name to the heavens above. Yes, it was at this moment that they became known as the Teal Mountain Sect.¡±

    ¡°It is to be noted here that recently discovered records indicate that Senior Xiao Gang of the Profound Hammers Sect petitioned that ¡®The Profound Sect of Clear Ancient Teal Jade¡¯ be chosen as the sect¡¯s title; a motion that was struck down by the representatives of all the other sects, including his own.¡±

    ¡°In the decades that followed, the Teal Mountain Sect slowly grew and expanded through the diligence of its disciples and founders alike. Throughout the remainder of the Age of Drought it served as a refuge for loose cultivators, small schools, and unaffiliated craftsmen seeking refuge from the constant conflicts that plagued the era. Many of these newcomers would end up officially joining the sect, bringing with them new techniques from all across the continent, and in several cases, across the Great Sea. This stew pot of different teachings and ideas lead the sect to develop a strong emphasis on broad study compared to its contemporaries, and is why it still boasts one of the most diverse libraries among sects of its size.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Their plentiful veins of their signature teal jade served two purposes in these early days, as it was both a source of strength and a valuable commodity.¡±

    ¡°While initially traded as raw material, the sect would eventually begin to sell their signature stone primarily as finished works, preferring to entice artisans and artificers alike to their sect with the temptation of being able to work with this rare material. While the novelty of such materials has declined in our present era of stability, with the stabilization of the heavens causing the maturation of more and more heavenly treasures, at least two of the current heads of the Enchanter¡¯s Department are believed to have joined the sect during this time period.¡±

    ¡°The sect¡¯s core body cultivation techniques also make use of their signature material. The Teal Jade Body technique utilizes large blocks of teal jade to aid disciples in developing the ability to sense qi. In later stages of cultivation it is also used to clear meridians and refine their blood vessels. Teal nephrite, the ore¡¯s lesser known cousin, is also heavily used by the sect, as its weight and resilience make for excellent training implements. Many disciples share unfond memories of strengthening their fists against boulders of the stuff, but its effect on bone and muscle strengthening is undeniable.¡±

    ¡°During the founding of the Xan Empire the sect took a neutral stance, choosing to distance themselves from the conflict. While the topic of joining either side of the conflict was hotly contested by many members, the elders of the sect held firm in their belief that the sect existed to resist conflict rather than to seek it out. Following the Empire¡¯s formation, the Teal Mountain Sect would remain an independent entity until little over a century ago, when their forty year negotiations with the Empire over retained autonomy reached an amicable conclusion.¡±

    ¡°Presently, the Teal Mountain Sect is made up of seven great mountains, three lesser mountains, a minor range of large hills, the Twelve Li River, 1000 li of farmland, half of Peach Valley, and a bit of beach. Now, does anyone have any questions?¡±

    The guide looked expectantly around at his group of applicants, many of whom had begun to gaze around distractedly after the middle of his routine. Clapping his hands sharply, he imbued just a bit of the sect¡¯s palm technique to give the sound the piercing ring of struck jade, snapping the lollygaggers to attention.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± he coughed, ¡°now if you¡¯ll all form a line, this junior will be guiding the way to our position at the practice field. From there we¡¯ll be distributing your test uniforms and registering personal belongings before the opening ceremony. Now, follow me.¡±

    As the applicants began to form up behind him, and the inevitable squabbling about order began, Yeung Lin stared off into the sky and sighed. The sounds of progressively louder name dropping aside, it was a mostly peaceful day in the sect. He just hoped that it wouldn¡¯t take too long to stop the brawl this year. He didn¡¯t want to miss out on the opening ceremony baos a third year in a row.

 Chapter 2

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    Chao Ren took a step towards the back to solidify that he wasn¡¯t going to get involved in hierarchy fight for line supremacy, and then several more to join up with the half of the group that seemed content to spectate.  As he had so many times in the past, he thanked his lineage for sparing him from this conflict.  As a middle son of a middle branch of a middle family, nobody was relying on him to maintain the family¡¯s reputation.

    In a way it was a very freeing existence.  Unlike the one possessed by the fellow in the yellow robe, who was currently trying to push a blue haired rival out of the line.  It took Ren a few seconds to place the crane crest. Yes, he must be from the T¡­

    ¡°Who are you to place yourself before the Zhao family?¡±, the lad that soon declared himself as Zhao Lan snapped as he attempted another shove.

    Ah, that was it.  The Zhao family.

    They¡¯d been making waves lately with their newly developed fire talismans, which had propelled them from countryside nobodies to a name known up and down the coastal cities.  Their strength was still dubious though, as most of their success was owed to the direct actions of their current patriarch, and they were desperate to produce an heir capable of proving that his talent wasn¡¯t generational.  They could have done a better job preparing this one though, as Ren had finally recognized the young man that he was currently attempting to push around.

    One always had to beware of bigger fish, after all, though Ren would sooner slit his owns wrists than call him one aloud.

    ¡°You presume too much,¡± the Bailong heir said, as he slapped the approaching wrist aside. ¡°It would seem that even a frog trapped in a well would know more of the sky than you.¡±

    ¡°Pah, who are you to claim that you deserve to stand before me?¡± Zhao Lan spat, one drop coming suicidally close to actually making contact. ¡°Do you really think your family possesses the prestige to be placed before my Zhao family?¡±

    ¡°If your family was twice as renowned as it is, you might have had the chance to be invited to the least of my family¡¯s banquets,¡± the young dragon snorted, knocking Lan aside with a contemptuous flick. ¡°But I suppose that¡¯s to be expected from a bumpkin such as yourself.  So quick to mistake money for class.¡±

    Despite being at the same early stage of the Qi Gathering stage as the rest of the applicants, Lan was barely able to resist the force, stumbling backwards a good four feet before he was able to catch his balance.  The physique of a dragon wasn¡¯t to be underestimated, Ren thought to himself, even if they didn¡¯t truly begin growing into their power until well past the Qi Refining stage.

    Ren reckoned Bailong Shen was cultivating a body technique, likely a potent family technique, and that he was currently somewhere in the middle of the Body Tempering stage.  Zhao Yan, on the other hand, seemed to have been under the misassumption that his peers had all been focused solely cultivating their qi to reach this stage in the tests.  It might have one been born of arrogance, but Ren supposed that given his family¡¯s focus on a more scholarly aspect of cultivation it might have just been the product of his environment.

    After all, what benefits did a stronger body offer a talisman master, especially ones that made their fortune selling their craft?  The ability to better lift all those heavy pieces of paper?  More qi, on the other hand, meant more production, more powerful wares, and the ability to more directly explore the arcane mysteries that infused the paper they inked.  It was likely that Yan was also cultivating his mental strength, the often underestimated third pillar of cultivation, but at this point there was little it could do to help him.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Ah, Shen, I see that you have somehow managed to grow more imperiously impetuous since we last met,¡± another youth in a red robe said, unsleeving a fan.  ¡°But then again, it¡¯s about what one would expect from a snake with delusions of grandeur.¡±  He opened it with a quick snap, red chrysanthemums and peonies undulating as he gently fanned himself.

    ¡°Lee Han,¡± he breathed, eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡¯d assumed that you¡¯d kept quiet because you remembered the way our last encounter ended.¡±

    ¡°Only a fool would expect such a dubious fluke shake my resolve,¡± Lee Han laughed back. ¡°My dao heart remains firm.¡±

    ¡°So quite unlike your leg then?¡±

    ¡°I could say the same about your wrist.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the best you can do, I can see why you think you could have won.¡±

    ¡°Only a loach like you would cling to a single victory like-¡±

    ¡°And only a stray cat would claim that refusing to change its stripes made it more like a tiger,¡± Shen interrupted, ¡°and yet here you are.¡±

    Lee Han snapped his fan shut at this remark, his face moving a shade closer to the flowers that decorated it.  ¡°You dare!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do dare,¡± Shen replied, azure silk flowing as his stance slowly shifted, his right palm rising in front of him in a taunt that seemed ready to change into a fighting stance.  ¡°So, do you want to continue sparring with words, or perhaps you¡¯d like to give your fists a chance to lose.¡±

    Lee Han growled at this, ears flattening as he tossed aside his fan and lunged at Bailong Shen.  The latter laughed, catching his hands as the two began trying to outmuscle the other.  Things only devolved from there, as Zhao Yan tackled Shen from the back, and three tumbled into another group of arguing applicants, all of whom immediately took great offense with the interruption.

    And that, Ren thought to himself, as the rest of the applicants began to egg the combatants on, was why having no expectations was so great.

    Aside from avoiding scandal and diplomatic incident, the only thing that he needed to do was diligently cultivate to the best of his ability.  After all, he was just one of many members of his clan training with the sect.  His family was always in need of more cultivators, so there would always be a role waiting for him should he, no, once he reached the beyond the Qi Refining stage.  And should he reach even further beyond, past the Golden Core stage?  Well, those thoughts of influence and status could wait for once he broke through.  Then, he¡¯d have a few centuries to think it over.

    At the moment, he was content to take his time and enjoy the fact that he had little to lose, and everything to gain.  That, and maybe the sight of Bailong Shen and Lee Han trying to grab at each other in midair.  The cultivator guiding them seemed to have tired of their struggle and had trapped the squabbling lot in translucent jade bubbles.  Ren hadn¡¯t seen the man deploy any sort of artifact, so unless his sleeves were concealing it, that placed him solidly in the Golden Core stage.

    That was quite a bit higher than what he¡¯d been expecting from the guide, though given that half the group seemed to be some flavor noble, it had probably been in the sect¡¯s best interest to do so.  A Qi Refining disciple might have had the strength to subdue a pair of combatants, but would have been unable to neutralize this many without someone getting hurt.  And given how temperamental clans tended to get when their kids were involved¡­ Well, Ren wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be the poor messenger that had to bear that news.

    ¡°Children, I would like to remind you that this isn¡¯t your yard,¡± Yeung Lin said calmly, barely needing to raise his voice over the silent yells of the bubbled boys.  ¡°The Teal Mountain Sect takes its application test quite seriously, and while it is not so rigid as to punish a single act of youthful¡­ enthusiasm, it would do you well to not confuse leniency with passivity.  Should you fail to heed this warning-¡± With a short clap of his hands, he cracked the jade bubbles open, sending their contents spilling onto the ground like flailing yolks.

    ¡°You won¡¯t like the consequences.¡± He ended the threat blandly, turning to start leading the way again.  ¡°Now, we don¡¯t want to be late to register, so we¡¯ll have to walk briskly.  Try to keep the person in front of you in sight, and avoid walking more than two wide.  We don¡¯t want to crowd the paths.¡±

    That last part came off a bit odd to Ren, as the garden path they were currently standing on was wider than some rooms he¡¯d been in.  Though, he reasoned as he formed up towards the back of the line, they probably weren¡¯t all going to be this wide.  The rest of the recent rivals reluctantly spaced themselves out, doing their best to avoid getting too close to each other.

    As the group set off, at a pace that was definitely closer to a jog than a walk, Lee Han went sprinting back to retrieve his fan.

 Chapter 3

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    The garden of the Teal Mountain Sect was rather nice, even if it was being taken in in such a fleeting fashion. Smooth stone pavers wound wide paths around trees and ponds, separating the plethora of species brought to the sect by its many members over the centuries. They were a tapestry of tales, each having been added for a reason that mattered to their respective tender.

    Some, like the grove of ironwoods being hit by a group of enthusiastic disciples, were cultivation aids. The tree¡¯s strong bark, already akin to its namesake metal, would only grow tougher over the years in the face of such constant tempering, resulting in a training companion that could keep up with the immense lifespan of a cultivator. The largest of the trees loomed over the rest of the grove, its thirty foot diameter mere inches away from pushing the path aside, its scarred bark a testament to millennia of endurance.

    Others were more exotic, with far more unclear purposes.

    Metal trees of winding copper and ruby berries, that slowly moved their burnished leaves to better catch the sun. Immense lotuses wider than a man, with a rainbow of winding veins emerging from their ivory blooms. A pair of floating birds¡¯ nests, held up by a tree that was only visible in the reflection of a nearby pond. There was even a patch of black sand, where a set of paired pear trees made of living flame bore fruits of perfectly clear water, golden seeds glistening within.

    As Ren watched a disciple in heavily padded clothes used a glowing spear to prune one of the trees, the fruit and branch somehow holding their form even after they were separated. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what it would be used for. Was it a pill ingredient? Or was it some sort of condensed source of water qi? Or, after watching the disciple take a hearty bite out of it, what would it even taste like?

    And then there were those that, like Founder¡¯s Willow, that were purely aesthetic. Many cultivators maintained hobbies on the long road of immortality and gardening, with its long growth periods, was almost perfectly made for beings who could blink months away. Some of the maintained gardens were immaculately maintained things; perfectly identical flowers spaced at exacting intervals, each the precise shade needed to best complement its companions. Trees, slowly shaped over the decades to form aesthetically pleasing patterns, their shadows casting pleasing images over empty groves of perfectly identical grass.

    Ren also spotted a few sections that looked quite overgrown, with grass almost as tall as he was, and smatterings of plants in various stages of fighting for survival. He wondered what led them to being in this state. Were they flights of fancy perhaps? The whim of a cultivator who decided to try his hand at something for a few years before just giving up? Or were their owners simply preoccupied with closed door cultivation, and would one day return to set things right again.

    Then again, maybe some were just the way their owners liked them, he thought as he saw one of the rougher looking sections being enthusiastically watered by a burly disciple. The man¡¯s green robe was marked with the white cuffed sleeves of an inner disciple, which explained why the disciples carefully pruning solar oranges in the neighboring section were limiting themselves to just shooting him glares rather than rushing over to forcibly trim back the ramshackle roughage.

    Even with their quick pace, which picked up midways through, it still took the applicants a good half an hour to exit the garden. As they wove their way through the sect, Ren swore to himself that he was going to be more diligent in cultivating his body. And his movement techniques. And his qi. Oh ancestors, why were there so many stairs in this sect.

    * * *

    At the head of the group, Yeung Lin kept walking at his usual pace. Behind him, the applicants struggled along with him, in various stages of exhaustion. He didn¡¯t need to look back to know this, as with his level of cultivation such a simple observance was well within his abilities.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As cultivator in the Golden Core stage of qi cultivation, it would be the simplest thing for him to simply reach out and feel them with his qi sense. Inexperienced as they were, the applicants would be unable to feel the ephemeral touch of his qi against theirs. Such an overt probing would typically be seen as bad manners among peers, but with such a vast difference in skill it was unlikely to ever be discovered.

    As a cultivator in the Body Moulding stage of body cultivation, he could also use his enhanced senses to keep track of their position. He simply needed to increase the potency of his senses. Hearing, smell, instincts; focusing even the slightest bit would allow him to sense every labored step and obvious breath of his charges. The sect¡¯s sprawling design did much to encourage its members to achieve a certain level of physicality, and he found that showing new members that reality as early as possible was best.

    And lastly, as a cultivator of the Mind Coalescing stage of mental cultivation, he could always just keep track of them by feeling the presence of their consciousnesses around him. With his mind¡¯s eye he could see the wisps of the soul, those exudences that life produced from its myriad feelings. All but two of the youth were open books, their inner emotions on full display, even if he could see most of them just as plainly with his normal eyes.

    Yeung Lin¡¯s prowess in cultivating the three pillars of cultivation was a source of pride for him, as it was rare for a cultivator to reach the third stage of each, much less before their first millennia. While most focused on cultivating their strengths, he remained a pure generalist. After all, a strong foundation was built on even ground.

    Thanks to this mentality he had been able to overcome several of the stumbling blocks that had plagued his peers, a direct result of the wider understanding of cultivation his chosen path granted him. Said understanding was also what had allowed him to develop the technique he was using to observe the applicants: his ¡®Eyes on the Back of His Head¡¯ technique.

    While a Body Reshaping cultivator could simply grow a second set of eyes on the back of their skull, Lin had been able to produce a similar effect a stage early after experimenting with combinations of mental and qi sensing techniques for a few decades. He¡¯d originally developed it to get back at some friends that had enjoyed sneaking up on him a little too much, but he¡¯d quickly realized that there were far more practical applications to being able to expand his field of vision in any direction. While it would take at least another few decades to refine it into the quality where it could be considered a true teachable technique, it served as an affirmation that his cultivation as on the right path.

    So, it was good to see that some of the applicants had already begun to expand their horizons in similar ways. The Bailong boy he had expected; the family had always set high expectations for their members, even ones that were applying to sects far below their status. The other he hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d have to go through the applicant list again to confirm their identity, as he¡¯s just skimmed the pages marked important, but if they made it through the tests they would definitely be someone worth watching.

    Stopping in front of the nephrite pedestal of the statue of Lee Taijin carving his first floating mountain, Yeung Lin stopped to check his timepiece as he waited for the applicants to catch up to him. They were such handy little things, these new clockwork devices. It had only been a century or four since their invention, and they¡¯d already gone from being the size of a large man to the size of said large man¡¯s hand.

    All the alchemists swore by them, and he could see the appeal. They kept far more accurate time than the old water clocks and incense sticks.  Most importantly, they synchronized with each other incredibly easily. Which is how he knew that even if it took the husky young heir of the Min family another 3 minutes to reach them, they would still be able to enter the hall 5 minutes ahead of schedule. He was proud of the boy. They usually had one or two applicants get lost and drop out each year, but he''d managed to keep up.

    ¡°Well then,¡± he announced, projecting his voice so that the straggler could clearly hear him, ¡°we have arrived at our destination. Behind me is a statue of our illustrious founder, Lee Taijin, the Strongest Brain. It is a common practice for disciples to rub his feet for good luck before exams and missions. To your right is storage pagoda number five and the general assembly hall, where we will be holding the opening ceremony. And to your left is the skydock. Should you fail the application exam, the boat to take you back to Red River City is docked in berth four.¡±

    Yeung Lin paused to put his timepiece back in his storage ring, before remembering he had one last thing he was supposed to say. ¡°There is also a skiff to take you to the sect¡¯s entrance every other hour if you were accompanied to the sect. And now that you are all here, let us proceed.¡±

    Without another word, he turned and began walking towards their destination, this time at a pace slow enough that the applicants were easily able to keep up. As they passed the statue he watched out of the back of his head as many of them reached out to rub the statues, some far more vigorously than others. He chuckled to himself. No matter the age, kids never changed.

    Not that luck would help them much with this year¡¯s test.

 Chapter 4

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    Against Chao Ren¡¯s expectations, their taskmaster of a guide lead them to the storage pagoda rather than the assembly building. It was a good deal smaller than most of the pagodas he¡¯d seen, standing a mere six tiers tall rather than the dozens story monoliths that other sects boasted.

    Its curved roofs were tiled with unadorned shingles, a rough red that blended into its tan walls. A nondescript wooden sign with the character ¡®five¡¯ hung over the entrance, which didn¡¯t even seem to have a door. The most remarkable thing about it was the lack of the dark teal stone that had seemed ubiquitous with the sect¡¯s architecture.

    It contrast, the assembly hall next door was covered with the stuff. From the tall pillars flanking its entranceway to the elaborately carved reliefs on its wall, it seemed designed to show off as much of the sect¡¯s mineral wealth as possible.

    Its walls were pale white marble, shot with thin veins of blue crystal, and the sign that announced its purpose was about as tall as Chao Ren was and covered in gold. A small group of disciples was milling about in front of the building, but his group was through the entrance of the pagoda before he could get a good look at what they were doing.

    Inside, they were greeted by instructor, flanked on either side by a pair of disciples. His robe, dyed the sect¡¯s signature shade of bright jade teal, was trimmed with white to mark him as a senior instructor and embroidered with thinly lined mountains.

    The disciples¡¯ robes, on the other hand, were a dull nephrite green and bereft of any sort of embroidery, though the one on the left had a small jade ring hanging in a tassel on his belt.

    Yeung Lin gave the man a respectful bow. ¡°Greetings Senior Instructor.¡±

    ¡°Greetings junior. And welcome applicants!¡± the instructor announced, a smile creasing the faint wrinkles of his face all the way to his salt and pepper sideburns. He was well built, in the way that many body cultivators were, with wide shoulders, calloused hands and muscles that ridged his robes when he moved his arms. His facial hair was trimmed in a neat goatee, and when he turned to take an object from the disciple behind him, Ren saw that he wore his hair back in a small bun.

    ¡°I am Senior Instructor Lan Han. You may refer to me as Senior Instructor, or Senior Instructor Lan. Before you proceed to the assembly and the exam, you will be leaving all personal belongings in the storage pagoda, to prevent any cheating or outside interference. This is a standard testing measure, and one that we enforce every exam.¡± The last line was accompanied by a sharp look, which silenced any objections in their cribs.

    ¡°Behind me you will find changing stalls,¡± the Senior Instructor gestured at a series of temporary cloth stalls set up in the lobby behind him, ¡°in which you will each find a wooden box.¡±

    ¡°Inside each box is a uniform,¡± which he tossed out of the box he had taken from his disciple. The clothes fell into shape next to him, as if an invisible person had somehow stepped into them midair. It tied its belt, straightened its sleeves, and stood at attention next to the man.

    ¡°You will also find one enchanted wooden lock, and one seal marker.¡± He produced a square wooden padlock covered in delicate characters, and a similarly decorated wooden slip on a corded necklace. ¡°Once you have changed into your uniform, you will place your other clothing, jewelry, sentimental items, and other possessions into the box and lock it with this lock. Do NOT close the lock while the seal marker is inside of the box. The locks were made to only be unlocked by their corresponding marker, and their creator does not appreciate having to come down from his mountain to deal with your foolishness should you lock yours inside.¡±

    ¡°We do not have any spare boxes should you lock only some of your possessions in the box with your marker, so any other belongings you own will go in the general basket to be claimed at the end of the exam.¡± At this he gestured to a basket by the back corner of the room, which already seemed to have a few robes and a bracelet in it. ¡°All belongings must be placed into your box before you leave. Any items that you attempt to retain WILL be confiscated.¡±

    ¡°Your box will be returned to you at the end of the exam. Do NOT lose your seal marker. Aside from being the only thing that can open your box, it is also your proof of ownership. You will notice that one corner has an edge to it. This is to draw the blood needed to bind you to the seal. Simply cut the edge of your finger like so, drip a drop of blood into the center symbol, and it will be bound to you and only you.¡±

    He demonstrated the action with the seal in his hands, though rather than place his blood into the seal, he held up his thumb to the applicants as the emerald drop that emerged drew itself back into his flesh before closing the wound behind it.

    ¡°The edge is enchanted to only open wounds for a short time, so you do not need to worry about bandaging your cuts. Your markers are NOT, however, enchanted to remain in your possession. So, I repeat: DO NOT LOSE THEM. Once you have secured your box, you will give it to one of my assistants, who will place it in the one of storage pagoda¡¯s vaults until the end of the exam period.¡±

    ¡°We have been informed of any seals, medicine, or cultivation essential supplements ahead of time, so if you have one or more of them, we will need to verify their authenticity with you before you proceed to the exam. Are there any questions?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    There was silence as Lan Han finished his speech, before the boy to the right of Chao Ren awkwardly raised his hand.

    ¡°Instructor Lan Han-¡± he began, before being swiftly corrected.

    ¡°Senior Instructor Lan Han!¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Senior Instructor Lan Han. My ring is of extreme sentimental importance to me and my clan. It my mother gave it to me on her deathbed, and she made me swear that I would never take it off, save to pass it on to my own child. I ca-¡±

    ¡°There are no exceptions to this rule,¡± the Senior Instructor cut in again. ¡°If you wish to keep your ring on, you may do so at the docks. Are there any other questions.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a part of our bloodline inheritance, and conta-¡±

    ¡°If you want to cultivate your family¡¯s style, do it with your family. If you want to learn the ways of the Teal Mountain Sect, you must follow them. And one of our ways is to follow the rules. If you are worried that someone will steal your family secrets: don¡¯t. The boxes are quite secure, and you hardly have the most interesting family here.¡± His eyes flicked subtly over at Bailong Shen who, to his credit, seemed to remain nonplussed by the attention.

    ¡°If you still insist on keeping your ring, you may leave.¡±

    ¡°B-¡±

    Senior Instructor Lan gestured towards the exit. The youth twisted at his ring, clearly caught between the weights of opposing responsibilities. Finally, after four long moments, he clenched his fist, and without another word, stormed out of the pagoda. Chao Ren heard him cursing faintly under his breath as he stomped from his peers to the piers, as a faint breeze blew out the entrance. Abruptly, there was the sound of tripping, and the cursing briefly grew louder before fading into the distance.

    ¡°Now,¡± Senior Instructor Lan Han said, clapping his hand, ¡°get to it. There are another nine groups after yours, so make it quick.¡± He passed the box he was holding to the uniform, which promptly handed it to one of the disciples.

    Chao Ren felt a wave of warmth suddenly wash over his body, and the sweat from the long run up the mountain suddenly evaporated out from under his armpits. He tingled at the familiar sensation of a cleansing charm, albeit far more thorough than the ones his father used to perform on him. Even the dirt under his nails was gone, and his skin felt sensitive to the touch.

    He made his way over to the changing stalls, the assistants and the uniform guiding the applicants along to speed up the process. Closing the curtains behind him, he quickly opened the box and blooded the seal marker before putting it around his neck. That crucial step accomplished, he quickly stripped out of his clothes. Robe, belt, shoes, and undergarments all went into the box.

    He hesitated a moment before depositing his lucky red socks. They had gotten him through several difficult situations during the previous sections, but at this stage he couldn¡¯t afford to let them disqualify him. He carefully rolled each of them up before placing them inside the box with a soft apology.

    His ring, amber necklace, knife, emergency talisman and brush set followed, each carefully placed atop his clothes so that he would be able to tell if they were missing when he got it back. He trusted the sect, but one could never be too careful.

    Satisfied, he quickly dressed himself in the orange test uniform. The cotton undergarments were of a good quality, as they didn¡¯t feel too stuffy, but he was disappointed to find that he had been given straw sandals instead of a pair of socks and shoes. There was also an extra bit of thin white cloth in the box, which he realized was a hair tie after a moment of contemplation. As he wore his hair short, Ren simply shoved it into his pocket before closing the box.

    Locking the box turned out to be the hard part, as he realized that he had left the lock at the bottom of the box, under all his carefully stacked clothes. After a few frantic moments digging through them, and a few careful moments refolding them, he had the box locked and gave it to the disciple with the tassel.

    After watching to ensure that it was added to the pile of boxes in the back of the room, he made his way back to the entrance, where the rest of the applicants were waiting. Some were making small talk, while the rest chose to stand silently, waiting for the last few to finish changing.

    Chao Ren chose to join the silent standing contingent, though he placed himself close to one of the talking groups to overhear what they were discussing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Tang Jin bowed out because of his ring.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Zhao Lan replied, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what he was thinking.¡±

    ¡°After going through the first three stages of the exam too, no less,¡± a third applicant added. ¡°Surely his filial piety was misweighed, for him to choose to keep his ring out of diligence towards his mother rather than remove it to honor the sacrifices that the rest of his family made to put him here.¡±

    ¡°Now, now, who are we to speak on another¡¯s private circumstances?¡± another disciple asked. ¡°After all, it can hardly be said that every one of us paid for our spots just as dearly as our peers.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Zhao Lan hissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Min Huan meant no disrespect,¡± the first speaker broke in, and Chao Ren had to stop himself from doing a double take as he realized that it was Bailong Shen. ¡°He was simply pointing out that there are some among us whose families have simply given more of what they have to be here.¡±

    ¡°Your family might have the largess to let you simply try again another year, but for others it has taken their family years of saving to afford their children that same attempt. I am glad to see that you were able to keep up with us during the run, Min Huan. It would have been a shame if you had gotten lost and missed the exam.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your concern,¡± Min Huan laughed back, ¡°I was unable to sleep last night from nerves, and my attempt to calm myself with body cultivation left me far from well rested.¡±

    He pulled back his sleeve as he said this, flexing the thick muscles beneath. ¡°I was able to make good progress in my study of the Boulder Shifting Manual though. The rocks get lighter every day.¡±

    Bailong Shen gave the proffered muscle an appreciative squeeze before nodding back at him. ¡°You certainly are. If we both pass, we should find some time to trade pointers on the subject. I find that a training partner can do wonders for body cultivation. It can be hard to judge your form when you practice alone, and you can sometimes develop bad habits while doing so.¡±

    ¡°I hope that we can,¡± Min Huan replied, patting Zhao Lan and Bailong Shen on the backs. ¡°It will be great if we can all pass together.¡±

    Zhao Lan winced, brushing the arm away before he received a second pat. ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass on my own, thanks.¡±

    Before he could say something pithy along the lines of body cultivators being muscleheads, the uniform finished placing the last box on top of the pile with a loud clatter.

 Chapter 5

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    ¡°You¡¯re all done now,¡± Senior Instructor Lan Han announced, ¡°now leave so that the next group can come in. Behind him the disciples began restock the stalls, as the uniform began to stuff itself back into the box by his feet.

    Yeung Lin gave him another courtesy bow, which the applicants hurriedly copied, and without much further ado began leading them to the assembly hall. As they left the pagoda Chao Ren saw that there were at least another three groups of applicants waiting by the door, their respective guides doing their best to herd their young charges.

    He also realized that the disciples thronging around the assembly hall had only grown in numbers, though their activity was much clearer now. The initial group seemed to have been constructing a series of wooden booths and stalls, which upon their completion, were now being surrounded by a raucous crowd. As his group approached, the crowd went silent, only to burst into even more furious motion seconds later.

    Teams of calligraphers began furiously sketching on wooden slats, and as he watched, a slat with Min Huan¡¯s face, along with the number on the back of his test uniform was passed to the adjacent stall, where it was placed at the top of a large board. The throng immediately began screaming at the booth, their intensity growing with each new name added.

    ¡°10 taels that he doesn¡¯t make it!¡±

    ¡°11 taels that he does!¡±

    ¡°He looks like a body cultivator, so he¡¯ll be fine. I heard the test favors them this year. 2 spirit stones on him passing.¡±

    ¡°Says who? Your brother? Last year you told me he said the test would be about talismans, and I lost 15 spirit stones betting on that Zhao kid! 3 spirit stones against the big guy, and 10 stones says the test isn¡¯t going to favor body cultivators!!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on, I¡¯ll match you.¡±

    The disciple at the booth calmly nodded as she took the odd wagers, exchanging each of their bets with a wooden chit as the disciple next to her jotted down the amounts. A third disciple in a white headband quickly collected the money and deposited it in the large chests behind them. The entire process was incredibly efficient, and within moments they were already taking new bets. As more names soon joined Min Huan¡¯s on the board, the shouted bets grew more specific.

    ¡°100 taels on the Bailong kid!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a poor bet, the odds are ten thousand to one that he fails.¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m also putting 1 tael on him failing!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°5 spirit stones on applicant 6, and 3 taels of spirit jade against applicant 17!¡±

    ¡°8 spirit stones that 15 makes it, and 3 that 14 fails!¡±

    ¡°Two marrow refining pills against 14!!¡±

    ¡°12 vouchers for a plate of shrimp dumplings at the Crab¡¯s Den on number 7!¡±

    ¡°My spiritual ginseng on applicant 9.¡±

    The assortment of items being wagered astounded Chao Ren, as it seemed that the brokers were willing to accept anything as payment. Well, almost everything.

    ¡°One lesson with a senior disciple that number 3 passes!¡±

    ¡°Fuck off Ying Chao! You know the rules!¡± A knuckle rapped one of the gambling booth¡¯s signs, which read ¡®no loitering: leave once your bet is taken¡¯. When Ying Chao cocked his head in bemusement, the disciple looked behind him and rapped the appropriate sign instead. ¡®Bets taken only in money and goods¡¯.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t there last time I was here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had it for a decade and a half, ever since you tried to pass rambling about the virtues of ¡®great mountains¡¯ for two sticks as a ¡®lesson¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought it was enlightening.¡±

    ¡°Cash or get out!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­ 2 taels on number 3.¡±

    ¡°Next!¡±

    Ying Chao, satisfied with his bet, began making his way over to the opposing food stalls as the betting continued.

    ¡°20 spirit stones that number 14 fails!¡±

    ¡°Do you take artifacts? Ok, three jade slips on number 5, and 2 against number 14, and also-¡±

    ¡°-3 stones against number 14! And 15 stones that-¡±

    ¡°-that 14 fails, and another 5 that he¡¯s the first to-¡°

    ¡°-and uh, let¡¯s put 3 more taels against number 14 for an even 20 spread-¡°

    ¡°5 against number 14-¡±

    ¡°-applicant 14-¡±

    ¡°Number 14¡±

    ¡°-14-¡±

    ¡°-14!¡±

    ¡°-14!!¡±

    Chao Ren shut the sounds of the betting out of his ears. He just couldn¡¯t take hearing his own number anymore. The enhanced senses that he had just been beginning to refine had let him hear almost every utterance of it, a veritable death chant praying for his failure.

    He was glad that the listening technique he was practicing was the sort that he could control. He¡¯d heard horror stories of aspiring cultivators driven mad by their newfound sensitivities, unable to stop the deluge from overflowing their minds. Still, it continued to echo inside of him.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡®14¡¯

    ¡®fourteen¡¯

    ¡®four-teen¡¯

    ¡®four¡¯

    ¡®four¡¯

    ¡®four¡¯

    Death.

    Why did it have to be that number? There were so many others it could have been! Eleven, eight, eighteen... Three even! But of course it had to be an accursed number like fourteen. Just like the day, just like the month. Four, four, four, four, four. If only he had chosen the stall to the right! Then he could be number twelve. That was an excellent number! The zodiac number! Ancestors, why did he have to leave his socks behind? But no, he was stuck here with these stupid sandals, with no socks, on this unlucky day, of this unlucky month, with this unlucky number, everyone hoping that he failed, just waiting for him to-

    ¡°-stop.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°I said ¡®can you stop that¡¯, we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Chao Ren apologized. Without realizing his feet had taken over, and they hadn¡¯t stopped until they¡¯d walked him all the way to the main hall. And into the applicant in front of him. Who was also Bailong Shen.

    When it rained, it poured.

    ¡°My sincerest apologies, senior,¡± he stammered out, ¡°this unwort-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. Is your hearing alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Chao Ren flushed with embarrassment. He was still partially suppressing his senses, wasn¡¯t he. Slowly, he loosened his mental grip, opening the dam an inch at a time. The murmur of the hall slowly filled his head, a calm creek rather than the raging flood that had overwhelmed him.

    ¡°Nervous?¡±

    ¡°Yes senior, I apologize for raising my voice like that.¡±

    ¡°Senior?¡± Shen chuckled, ¡°Senior? I doubt that the two of us are separated by more than a year or two! And we¡¯re both applicants right now, so neither of us is superior to the other.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Senior Shen.¡±

    ¡°Just Shen will do.¡±

    ¡°With respect, I could hardly show you so little deference. Would Bailong Shen suffice?¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± he sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine to be nervous. Plenty of the others are.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±

    He laughed again. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s anyone else like me here.¡±

    ¡°What about Lee Han?¡±

    ¡°Let us not talk about Lee Han.¡± Shen said firmly. ¡°Look, if you¡¯re nervous, let me teach you a technique that has helped me out in the past.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I doubt that I would be able to learn a technique of your level.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing so complicated. If you¡¯re feeling nervous, simply take a moment to focus on your qi circulation. An imbalance can cause your emotions to run out of control, especially during the Qi Gathering stage, so it helps to keep yourself centered.¡±

    Chao Ren nodded at the wisdom of the advice. Closing his eyes, he felt inwards with his limited qi sense. He breathed deep, feeling the sensation of qi, the lifeforce of the world flow into him.

    Here, so close to one of the peaks of the Teal Mountain Sect, it was much richer than it had been in the lowlands, dense to the point that he could almost feel it tickle his tongue as he drew it in. It had an indescribable flavor to it; a subtle mix of loamy grasses, clear rivers, and rough stone. Not quite a taste or a touch or a smell, but more a sensation of increased closeness the essence of the mountain. To the fundamental elements of the world.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that he hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but he pushed those thoughts of distraction aside as he focused on the feeling of the breath, on feeling the qi of the world flow through his lungs and into his dantian, the spiritual organ that was the focus of his cultivation.

    There, he felt the beginnings of disarray. Where there was supposed to be a gentle swirl of energy, there was an erratic vortex. Qi was still flowing to the rest of his body, but it was erratic, more sloshing out when it overflowed the limits of his dantian.

    How had gotten so bad? He felt like he had only lost focus for a moment or two, but those small mistakes had already compounded upon themselves without his notice.

    Letting out the breath, Ren took another one, this time focusing on how he drew it into himself. Again, he drew the qi into his dantian, but now he guided it further, reforming the calm current that it should follow. He drew the flow out through his meridians, creating a path for the rest of the turbulent qi to follow. Through his chest, out towards his arms and legs, all the way down towards the tips of his fingers and toes.

    The pressure in his core began to lessen, the qi within now spread throughout his body instead of being bottled up. As he focused on the breath, he drew it back towards his core, back into the calm, circular current. What he could hold, he let circulate. What he couldn¡¯t, he let go, breathing it out as easily he had breathed it in.

    After all, there was no shortage here. If anything, his inability to recognize his newfound embarrassment of riches had lead his body to its current state.

    Drawing in another breath, he focused on reasserting the control over his body. Qi flowed through him like blood; its path different in interval and passageway, but similar in nature and purpose. With each new breath he took, the flow grew more and more rhythmic, the cycle reasserting itself.

    Chao Ren¡¯s constitution made it easy, as he possessed a Five Elements spirit root. Rather than aligning itself with a single element or two, his body was predisposed towards balance, much like the primal elements that sprang forth from the primordial Yin and Yang when the world was new.

    Wood burned to fuel fire, which in turn burned down to nourish earth. From earth, metal was drawn and shaped, guiding water to grow wood and beginning the cycle anew. Round and round the elements spun, their minute minuet guiding the qi through his body.

    With each rotation, a fraction of the breath taken into his dantian was kept. Not in great greedy gulps but in small subtle sips. Filtered through the cycle of the five elements, it was no longer the indomitable qi of nature, but rather a soft qi of his own nature. Every breath, expanding his dantian and meridians. It felt less than a hairs breath each time, but any step forwards was a step towards the next stage of his cultivation.

    After he had grown accustomed to the sensation, Chao Ren opened his eyes, trusting that the subconscious control he had cultivated from the first steps of his Twin Minds technique would be able to carry on in his stead now that the crisis was over.

    The hall had filled while he¡¯d been preoccupied with pursuing inner peace, with the other groups filling the hall in neat rectangles. It had felt like he had only closed his eyes for a minute or two, but it had to have been at least dozens assuming they had all taken the same amount of time his had at the storage pagoda.

    Time sure passed faster while you were cultivating which, he realized with a start, was what he¡¯d been doing. He¡¯d gotten so carried away with fixing his qi circulation that he¡¯d lost track of where he was entirely.

    ¡°Did I miss-¡±

    ¡°No, just a lot of standing around while we waited for the rest of the groups to file in,¡± Bailong Shen whispered back, cutting him off again. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    Chao Ren felt his eyebrow attempt to twitch, but he caught it before its minor sedition betrayed his emotions too much. As calm as he seemed now, it wouldn¡¯t do to poke a resting dragon. Especially one that was taking such a keen interest in him.

    ¡°Yes, Bailong Shen,¡± he replied, keeping his voice calm.

    ¡°I think our guide just wanted to get here early so he could get us out of his way,¡± Shen continued, nodding his head towards one of the mezzanines at the sides of the atrium. Indeed, their guide Yeung Lin was there, sitting among a group of identically robed peers.

    A large platter of steamed bao buns was placed between them, though Ren noticed that Yeung Lin had secured a small pile of them for himself on a personal plate. As he watched, one of the adjacent guides attempted to swipe one from the plate for herself, only for Yeung Lin to smack her hand aside before returning to the conversation. Whatever it was about seemed to be of great interest to the participants, as it was accompanied by a lot of enthusiastic hand motions.

    Before he could figure out a way to subtly ask Bailong Shen if he could hear what they were talking about, a loud THUMP rang out through the hall. Abruptly, the murmur of the hall went silent, as all eyes turned towards the now filled podium at its front.

    There, an elder of the sect stood, his pale robes gently flowing to rest against his hammer arm. He spoke, with a voice that carried across the hall, clear and strong despite being spoken with no great volume.

    ¡°Welcome applicants, to the Teal Mountain Sect!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Fourteenth day of the fourth month

    The Elder of the Teal Mountain Sect was a large man. Not tall in the classical sense, but tall in a way that defied anatomy. He stood a mighty nine feet tall, towering over the line of instructors arrayed behind him. His long robes were a pale green, just a shade or two from white, and decorated with a tableau of black-stitched mountains and golden clouds.

    As Chao Ren watched, a dragon swooped between them, its passage parting the clouds as if they were mist rather than thread. The depths of its artistry were a sharp contrast to his hammer, which had a simple, unadorned wood handle and a rectangular head of a dull blue gray metal.

    His fierce eyes glinted sapphires among his craggy features, brighter than the light that reflected off the jade-like skin of his shaven scalp. No, not jade-like, Chao Ren realized with a start, it simply was jade. The sheen, the luster, the translucence; there was no mistaking it for simple imitation once he looked closely. No, this was not a man of flesh and blood, but one of living, moving stone.

    It could only mean one thing.

    The elder was a fourth stage cultivator.

    A Body Reshaping cultivator.

    The third stage of body cultivation, the Body Moulding stage, was where cultivators pushed the upper limits of what a mortal body could withstand, Body Reshaping was where they redefined them entirely. They moved beyond simple modifying themselves, instead reforging themselves into new, more ideal forms. Blood and bones, sinew and flesh, all were merely suggestions to a cultivator of this stage.

    Where weaker cultivators hardened their bones in imitation of iron, Body Reshaping cultivators remade them of steel, and then remade them again out of stronger, more esoteric metals. Chao Ren thought of the stories he¡¯d heard of cultivators of this stage. Cultivators with blazing hair, myriad arms, eyes like the night sky.

    Standing before Chao Ren was the strongest being he had ever seen, one that far eclipsed the strength of the great-uncles that led his clan. He wondered if he could ever reach that level of cultivation. To be able to reach that level of transcendent existence.

    ¡°When I first entered this sect, the illustrious founder Xiao Gang welcomed me with those very words, both the first and second times that I applied to the sect.¡± Soft gasps emerged from the applicants those words, that such a being would so openly admit to past failure. The elder laughed at their shock, a ringing laugh like the sound of struck jade.

    ¡°That reaction! That is why I always like to give this speech every year. I could live a thousand more and I don¡¯t think I would tire of the novelty. Yes, I did fail! And for many years I was haunted by it. My peers would mock me for my initial failure, and it was an inner demon that haunted my dao heart for years. But one day, I had a chance encounter with the great founder that welcomed me to the sect.¡±

    ¡°I know that it is hard to imagine, but back in the day the sect was much smaller than it is now. We only had the two mountains, and there were barely a handful of places that one could go to get a bite to eat and a warm cup of tea to drink. The restaurant no longer stands, burned down during one of the many raids we suffered during the Age of Drought, but I still remember what I was eating that night.¡±

    ¡°A plate of fire crab dumplings, a bowl of pine nuts, and a pot of plain green tea.¡±

    ¡°I was a poor disciple back then, even by the standards of the sect, but the owner always seemed to have a few of those spirit crabs that he was willing to sell for a cheap price. He was a good man.¡± A faint misty look played across the elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°I wish he had had a better death.¡±

    ¡°As I was sitting alone, at a corner table late one night, what I thought was a fellow disciple sat down across from me. The restaurant was quite full at the time, so there wasn¡¯t anything odd about such an occurrence, but what really surprised me was my new companion had the gall to ask if he could beg a dumpling or two from me, as he had forgotten his purse in his room!¡±

    ¡°Of course, I was shocked. I could barely afford this bare level of spiritual cuisine, and it had been something I had been looking forwards to for a full week.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°But then, I thought back to all the times that I myself had wished that someone would help me, and I realized that I had a chance before me to become the benefactor I had always desired. After all, it was only through the owner¡¯s generosity that I was able to eat these crabs in the first place, and it wouldn¡¯t do to repay his kindness with greed. So, after a vague promise of repayment, I offered my companion half of my dumplings and a cup of tea to warm his bones.¡±

    ¡°He took it gladly, and as we ate, we talked about the sect. My companion lamented the current state of affairs; there had been difficulties with the mines, and he had been forced to join an away force to rescue some stoneworkers that had been captured on their way to our sect. It was a hard time to be a craftsman in those days, as many sects saw them as nothing more than another resource to be hoarded.¡±

    ¡°I, for my part, lamented my difficulties cultivating. I spoke about my troubles with cultivating the Jade Bones technique, the vicious struggle for resources that being unable to contribute much to the monstrous beast hunts caused and, after I let him talk me into splurging on a bottle of cheap wine, the relentless teasing that I had endured as a result of my near failure to join the sect. How I was considered a waste, and a poor talent, and how it would have been better if the sect had dedicated its resources to raising a cultivator that could actually support the sect.¡±

    ¡°My companion listened to my woes in silence, only speaking when he asked if he could have a little more of the wine. And when I finished, he clapped me on my shoulders and spoke these words to me: ¡®Junior, the true skill of cultivation isn¡¯t talent. It¡¯s endurance. The endurance to persevere through failures.¡±

    ¡°¡¯So what if you failed once or twice?¡¯ he asked. I¡¯ve failed many more times than that, and I¡¯m likely to fail again! What matters is that despite the fact that you failed, you were able to endure and eventually succeed.¡±

    ¡°As you continue along the path of cultivation, you will face many more obstacles, and if you choose to carry a burden from each struggle you face you will be crushed by their weight. So don¡¯t. Endure through your trials, but embrace your successes. And above all, remember, that endurance is the key to cultivation.¡¯¡±

    ¡°With those words, he left, taking with him the bowl of pine nuts, and as I later noticed, the rest of the wine. It was not until the next day that I learnt who I had spent my meal with, when a letter thanking me for the dumplings flew through my window. It also contained the exact payment for half of the dumplings and half of the wine. As if the cheap bastard had only drank half of it.¡±

    The elder laughed aloud at the memory, remembering how mad he had been when he¡¯d realized that he¡¯d only been able to drink two cups of the stuff.

    It was cheap wine, brewed from mundane rice and bereft of any of the qi or spiritual ingredients that the drinks he now drank contained in abundance. But when he was young, it had warmed more than just his body. Maybe he should get a bottle of it later, for old times¡¯ sake.

    ¡°But after that, I thought back on his words, and my dao heart strengthened. His words were not a miracle pill. Indeed, it took me several more years to truly refine my resolve and slay that inner demon. But his words opened my eyes to the path of endurance, and my path towards the dao opened by it.¡±

    ¡°As I look at you now, I see several that have tried and failed before, and I commend your endurance! You have done well to make it here again, and I hope that you find the strength to endure the last test of this exam. For your last test is indeed one of endurance.¡±

    The elder waved his hand, and three manuals emerged from his spatial ring. They appeared without any light or sound, a testament to the quality of the teal jade it was crafted from. They floated in the air above him, growing in size until they were about the height of a grown man, their titles visible for all to read.

    Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Body Tempering Technique.

    Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Mind Refinement Technique.

    Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Qi Gathering Technique.

    ¡°Endurance is the heart of cultivation! You must endure against the relentless passage of time and the loss of those you love. Endure against the bottlenecks of cultivation, against the struggle to improve and the doubts it will seed in your heart. Endure against the trials and tribulations that the world will throw at you, and endure against all the odds to succeed.¡±

    ¡°So, the condition for passing the next test is simple: study these manuals and use their teachings to reach the Refining stage in any of the three pillars. You have six months to accomplish this task.¡±

    Chao Ren gasped, the sound muffled by the echoing sounds of surprise from the rest of the audience. Shock spread among the applicants like wildfire.

    ¡°Six months? That¡¯s too short!¡±

    ¡°In such a short time, with manuals that we¡¯ve never studied?¡±

    ¡°How is that fair?¡±

    ¡°Wait, is he serious?¡±

    ¡°Did they even intend on accepting anyone this year?¡±

    ¡°Is this a joke?¡±

    ¡°How can they do this to us?¡±

    The elder let the chatter build for half a stick of incense¡¯s time before raising his hand with a ringing snap of his fingers. Abruptly, the hall was silent again. Several of the applicants continued to talk, only to slowly stop once they realized that they were no longer making any sound.

    The elder continued. ¡°There is no limit to the number of applicants that may pass, so should you reach the Refining stage you will have a place in our sect. May you all find the strength to endure this trial and overcome it stronger than ever before.¡±

    Saying this, he cocked his head to the side slightly, and Chao Ren realized that someone was using a sound technique to relay him a message.

    The elder cleared his throat and added, ¡°There is also a prize for any applicant that succeeds in mastering two pillars, and a greater prize if you master all three.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Thirtieth day of the sixth month

    Bailong Shen sighed as another scream interrupted the silence of his cultivation, followed by a loud crack as someone, somewhere, tried to break a wooden wall in frustration.

    It didn¡¯t work, of course. The Teal Mountain Sect had done well to ensure that the testing rooms for the exam were strong enough to endure their applicants. It wouldn¡¯t do to keep interrupting the applicants to do repairs, as they were supposed to be cultivating in isolation. Well, semi-isolation anyways.

    In what seemed a stroke of genius compared to the sheer absurdity of their test, the Teal Mountain Sect had decided to house the applicants in groups rather than forcing them all to spend the six months in solitude.

    Which was a very good idea in Shen¡¯s eyes. Closed door cultivation was a dangerous thing, and was reserved for advanced cultivators for a reason.

    Well, reserved wasn¡¯t quite the right word for it. That would imply that lower ranked cultivators were being excluded from it, as if they wanted to do it but would face opposition if they dared to try and cut themselves off from the world to train.

    No, cultivators below the third stage refused to do it for a reason: the isolation was too much to bear.

    Like many cultivators Shen had heard the horror stories. Heard how the weight of solitude grew until it was overwhelming, compounding against any failure until it cracked the mind like an egg, driving cultivators to madness and suicide. There was a reason that mortals used it as a punishment for their worst criminals.

    Which in theory, meant that he should be thankful to have some companionship to prevent a long, slow slide into madness.

    Ah, if only that were the case¡­

    The endless scales of karma had not been kind to Bailong Sheng when deciding the four people he would be serving his time with.

    Lee Han he had expected. His rival had a way of sticking to him like a prickly chestnut, no matter how slim the odds, so he couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to feel particularly surprised when his name was announced as part of the Shen¡¯s group. What he hadn¡¯t expected was to also be matched with that loud Zhao Lan fellow, the one that had tried to push him around in the gardens.

    It had been relentless dealing with the two of them every day for the first month, their symphony of haranguing only halting once Lee Han realized that he also couldn¡¯t stand Zhao Lan¡¯s constant bragging. He¡¯d made that very clear that such provincial wealth could hardly stack up to Lee Clan¡¯s holdings, and added something snarky about how they might reach a level worth acquiring in a millennia or two.

    An excellent way to silence Zhao Lan in the short term, as he¡¯d been shocked into red-faced silence, but a poor for the long term as once Zhao Lan recovered his senses he¡¯d declared a feud against Lee Han.

    This had taken the form of constant shouting matches, five sparring matches (all lost) and a very short-lived rumor campaign.

    The last one had lasted about day before Zhao Lan gave up on it, having realized that excluding Shen there were only two other people he could complain to, and neither of them particularly cared one way or another.

    Chao Ren tended to ignore the group and would often disappear into his room for days at a time, attempting to emulate true closed door cultivation to the nearest extent he could manage. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Shen occasionally saw him exercising in the courtyard, he¡¯d have thought his junior was dead.

    And indeed, he was Shen¡¯s junior. In one of their rare interactions, he had learnt that Chao Ren was only 16 to his 21, a surprising difference given that he was a full head taller than Shen.

    After that Shen always made an effort to greet the lad and attempt to strike up a conversation when they met, if only to prevent him from falling prey to the dangerous lifestyle that he seemed intent on pursuing. The most it got him were non-comital comments about the weather, but at least it was something.

    Xia Bao, on the other hand, was always open for amicable conversation, which worked perfectly for Shen. He also was the reason that their courtyard had a small fishpond in the corner, as he had a special allowance for his diet.

    Each morning he would scoop a small net¡¯s worth of shrimp out and cook them into 8 bowls of shrimp fried rice, which he ate at different intervals throughout the day. On occasion, he¡¯d share some with the rest of the group, which they all appreciated.

    The sect had given each of them a bag filled with a couple hundred food pills, enough to last the one hundred and eighty days of the test with some to spare, but mere satiation couldn¡¯t match a real meal.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Shen had a few thoughts as to why he needed to eat so much of the stuff, but until he learnt more it would be hard to narrow down whether it was because he was a fellow yaoguai, or if he simply had some sort of unique physique or cultivation. Not all clans were as well known as the southern Lees or the Bailongs, after all, and it was bad manners to simply ask him out of the blue.

    As he lay back on the floor of his room, staring at the seamless ceiling above, Shen found his thoughts wandering to their construction. The walls of their temporary residences were some variety of northern birch, stronger than ironwood and bereft of any joints or nails.

    A mortal craftsman would have had to spend months carving such a building, assuming they could even find a sufficiently large tree, but Shen doubted that it had taken a wood cultivator more than a day or two to grow and shape the rooms.

    That was the thing about cultivation. What was an impossible task for some was often a triviality for others.

    Ask a sword cultivator, an earth cultivator, and a formation expert to make each make a shelter, and the differences would be drastic. The earth cultivator could easily raise a stone house, the sword cultivator could turn a tree to planks in minutes, and the formation expert could shape a shelter of pure force to stave off the elements.

    But depending on the knowledge each possessed, even those results would also be as different as heaven and earth.

    If the earth cultivator had a fine control of details and a knack for architecture, they might be able to craft an elegant building, but if they lacked you were more likely to end up with a stone hut comprised of three flat slabs. Similarly, depending on the formation expert¡¯s skill, you could either get a fine residence complete with furniture or a utilitarian dome that you couldn¡¯t leave without letting the rain in.

    And if you were a sword cultivator¡­ Well, there was a reason so many of them insisted that sleeping in the rain was a ¡®test of resolve¡¯.

    Yes, strength was important to cultivation, but so was the knowledge to use it properly. For example, as sturdy as this building was, Shen knew that without at least a good coat of lacquer it was unlikely to last more than a few years under the elements.

    For another, Shen knew that he wasn¡¯t going to make any progress if he didn¡¯t take a break to stretch his legs.

    Sitting up, he rolled his neck around to loosen up the stiffness that he¡¯d built from the hours he¡¯d spent in the meditative pose the Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Mind Refinement Technique called for.

    It was a good technique.

    Unlike its namesake mineral it was actually quite flexible, as its method for honing the mind was quite compatible with other techniques. As with the other two manuals, it made use of the small slab of spirit jade the sect had provided as a catalyst. When struck, the ring of the jade would resonate with the mind, calming emotions and crystalizing thoughts.

    By meditating in this state, Shen would be able to gain a better understanding of the workings of his mind, allowing him to remain calm and collected even under the most stressful of situations. Shen struck the jade one last time as he left, feeling the chime resonate with him. He was getting close to mastering the technique, he could feel it.

    Sliding his door opened, he took in a deep breath of the fresh air as the warmth of the sun wash over him. The¡­ late afternoon sun? Judging by its position, he¡¯d spent been meditating for a bit longer than he¡¯d anticipated.

    Thankfully, Xia Bao was still around. He was usually out around this time of day as he, like Shen, preferred to practice his body cultivation outdoors. Shen appreciated how it made it easier to find conversation. Knocking on doors might disturb the occupant¡¯s cultivation, and it also made him seem lonely.

    ¡°Afternoon Shen,¡± the man said with a wave, chopsticks in hand. He was standing on one leg in the middle of the courtyard, bowl of rice in hand. Shen had to applaud his dedication to efficiency, as he was the first cultivator he¡¯d met that ate this way.

    ¡°Afternoon Bao,¡± Shen replied, matching his informality.

    ¡°So you heard the latest news then, ey?¡±

    ¡°How could I not? Shen replied with a laugh. ¡°I think that¡¯s the hardest anyone¡¯s hit one of these walls in a while. The sound of the bone alone¡­¡±

    ¡°It must be some sort of qi reinforcement in the wood. There¡¯s is no other explanation for how it¡¯s this hard.¡±

    ¡°It could just be a varietal you¡¯ve never heard of. Perhaps from The Brushstroke?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be. Northern birch¡¯s a temperate species. The only things that grow in The Brushstroke are weird tropical stuff.¡±

    ¡°What about the Sword Continent?¡±

    ¡°Too cold. It¡¯s winter three seasons out of four on the blade, and the tang¡¯s barely got anything bigger than a shrub.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure that it isn¡¯t just the Northern Continent sub-species?¡±

    ¡°Nope, it would be rose pink if it was.¡±

    ¡°You really just know everything about trees, don¡¯t you,¡± Shen chuckled.

    ¡°My great grandfather was a vaunted wood cultivator,¡± Xia Bao replied, launching into a now familiar tale, ¡°He travelled all across the realm in his youth, collecting seeds from every land he visited. When I was a child he used to love telling us about all the trees he¡¯d seen. He even gave us little scrolls with pictures of them. He was an amazing calligrapher.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Shen nodded back. He couldn¡¯t really relate to that sort of familial familiarity, but it was nice to hear about it.

    ¡°Shame he stopped showing up after I turned fifteen.¡±

    Oh? He hadn¡¯t told this part of the story before. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Shen asked.

    ¡°Closed door cultivation.¡± Xia Bao replied, finishing off his bowl, ¡°He was struck by a revelation when one of my second nephews asked why he couldn¡¯t have beef and shrimp in his dumplings, and promptly secluded himself to meditate on it. Been six years since and we haven¡¯t heard so much as a peep from him¡±

    ¡°MHMM,¡± Shen nodded, more empathetically than before. Now that he could relate to. ¡°Hopefully his cultivation is progressing better than ours.¡±

    ¡°I hope,¡± Xia Bao laughed. ¡°I¡¯d love to see him some time this century.¡±

    ¡°So, seeing as you¡¯re done with your meal, would you care for a spar?¡± Shen asked, gesturing to his empty bowl. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last traded pointers, and I think I¡¯m on the verge of a breakthrough.¡±

    ¡°Aiya! You bastard, you were already stronger than me last time!¡±

    ¡°I need to avenge my pride. That leg sweep was cheating.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help that your outer balance is so much worse than your inner balance,¡± Xia Bao replied, lowering his second leg. ¡°There¡¯s more to body cultivation than those muscles you¡¯re so proud of.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Shen said, flexing into a martial salute. ¡°Get r-¡°

    ¡°BAILONG SHEN!¡± A familiar voice rang out across the courtyard, cutting off his next words.

    Ah.

    So much for his rematch.

 Chapter 8

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Thirtieth day of the sixth month

    Despite the relative volume of Lee Han¡¯s shout, it was actually quite a bit softer than Shen had been used to. Loud enough to carry across the courtyard, but too soft to be heard through any of the doors. Or at the very least, one specific door.

    Shen had to applaud his control. Two months ago, he would have simply shouted at the top of his lungs, loud enough to attract the attention of both Zhao Lan and every other applicant in a three -building radius.

    ¡°You dare to try to weasel out of our spar?¡± Lee Han demanded, striding across the grass towards Shen. ¡°I should have known that you would try something like this!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shen asked, straightening out of his stance.

    ¡°You dare lie so baldly, in front of Xia Bao? The very witness of our last great bout?¡± His sleeves flapped as he pointed at Bao, as if Shen was unaware of his presence.

    ¡°I am not denying that.¡±

    ¡°Then are you denying that you lost, in the very challenge that you proposed?¡±

    ¡°I believe that I was very clear that I conceded my defeat.¡±

    ¡°And you do recall that, upon my triumph, I claimed the right to choose the method of our next weekly match, by the accord we struck.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am aware,¡± Shen replied. He really had thought that he was making the right decision challenging Lee Han to Go. The game was one of the few comforts the sect had allowed them, aside from the mahjong set and the books on the sect¡¯s history, and he had been quite confident that he had more experience with the game.

    However, despite his brash nature, it turned out that Lee Han was quite adept at strategy when he needed to be. What he¡¯d thought would be a quick rout had turned into a grueling day-long match, ending three games into his proposed best of five. He hated that he lost, but it should have bought him another week of freedom.

    ¡°But according to our agreement, there are to be seven full days between matches. Only six have elapsed. Or do you intend to eat your chickens before they hatch?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that my eyes are stone?¡± Lee Han gasped, dramatically clutching his chest, ¡°For such a feeble lie to fool me.¡± His finger swooped to the left, pointing towards the calendar mounted from the corner of the courtyard.

    The sect had enchanted a large wooden slab to help the applicants keep track of the days. A simple seven wide grid had been carved into the thick oak, and at the dawn of each day a neat ¡®x¡¯ would scorch itself into a new box.

    Shen followed the dramatic gesture, only to realize that Han Lee was indeed correct about the day. He had been far more focused on his cultivation than he had thought. It wasn¡¯t like him to lose track of the days this badly. Maybe he was getting close to a breakthrough after all.

    ¡°Hah! Mark the date Xia Bao,¡± Lee Han crowed, a feline grin spreading along his human features, ¡°Today is the day that I finally silenced Bailong Shen!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Bao replied firmly.

    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    As Lee Han went to get a brush from his room to circle the date, Shen quickly ducked into his. He wasn¡¯t fleeing from Lee Han, but rather ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t lose to a fluke. Grabbing a food pill from his supply, he swallowed it down as he stepped back out of the room. A sensation of bitter fullness flooded his stomach, filling the hunger that he¡¯d been too distracted to feel.

    ¡°If you¡¯re quite ready, we can begin,¡± Shen announced, as the young tiger furiously ground inkstick against stone.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your gi?¡± Lee Han asked, looking up from his work.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t getting it.¡±

    ¡°Do you intend mocking the very spirit of our spar?¡±

    ¡°No, I rather intend on embracing it,¡± Shen replied smoothly, taking his place on the grass. ¡°Many consider it proper etiquette to spar bare-chested, as it shows that the participants have nothing to hide. You should embrace it as well.¡± He flexed his muscles as he said this, the coils of the azure dragon tattooed upon them undulating with the motion.

    Lee Han¡¯s tail stiffened at this, his ears flattening for just a second before he threw his inkstick aside in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll stay clothed, as is the civilized thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Today the river flows east, but who¡¯s to say that it won¡¯t flow west soon.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°That perhaps if I win, I¡¯ll have our next spar be completed in more fitting attire.¡±

    ¡°In your dreams. Maybe you should focus more on your fists than your words, lest you suffer a second defeat.¡±

    Shen smiled at those words, fist clasped in a martial salute as. ¡°Perhaps. You seem to have benefited greatly from the Teal Jade Mind Refinement Technique. I hope that you¡¯ve been just as diligent in your study of the body method.¡±

    Xia Bao held his hand between the two as Han Lee returned the salute. ¡°Remember the rules. No lethal or crippling moves, standard sparring point rules apply. The first to five points is the winner.¡±

    The two opponents bowed to each other, eyes locked as they waited for the signal to start.

    ¡°Ready, BEGIN!¡± Bao raised his hand quickly and the two combatants sprang into action.

    Lee Han started strong, coming out of the gate swinging a sweeping left kick towards Shen¡¯s ribs. It was a calculated move, designed to catch a more cautious opponent off guard by interrupting the typical probing period their slower style preferred.

    Unfortunately, it was also a move that he¡¯d already tried on Shen at the Young Generation Tournament in Black Turtle City.

    He hadn¡¯t even changed which leg he led with.

    Shen stepped into the move, ducking the sweeping blow and landing a pair of punches on his exposed side before his leg hit the ground. Lee Han lurched, barely catching his balance as Bao called out the hit.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Point Bailong Shen.¡±

    Cursing, Lee Han took up his stance again. His tail flicking as he and Shen began to circle each other again, slower this time, each attempting to feel out the other¡¯s growth.

    ¡°Still going for easy points, I see,¡± Shen taunted, his eyes carefully following Han¡¯s stance. He was definitely faster than the last time they¡¯d clashed, though how much stronger he couldn¡¯t quite tell until they traded blows in earnest. Like Shen, Han¡¯s assumed form was mostly human, the only stripes of his true nature being his tail and the rounded ears atop his head.

    In the Youth Tournament Shen had seen him shift his hands to paws to deflect sword strikes against his claws, but unless he felt like breaking the rules he¡¯d been so proud of establishing, there were low odds that he was at risk of being slashed. Lee Han was crude, brash, and impulsive, but he was also honorable.

    His tail was another story.

    Many yaoguai cultivators spent time incorporating their unique anatomy into their martial arts, and tail techniques were relatively common. Han hadn¡¯t made use of any when they last fought, but it was well within the realm of possibility that he¡¯d started to train a method in the last year. His height hadn¡¯t changed much in that time, as he was still approximately Shen¡¯s height, though his reach was slightly shorter.

    ¡°Begin,¡± Bao said, waving his hand.

    Shen made the first move this time, darting in close and feinting an obvious right towards Han¡¯s left cheek. Han was quick to react, his left hand shifting to a paw as he attempted to block it with his pad, only for the blow to never land.

    Shen had quickly transitioned into a kick, sweeping Han¡¯s legs and sending him sprawling. He quickly followed it up with a punch towards his exposed stomach, stopping his fist only moments before it made contact.

    ¡°Point Bailong Shen.¡±

    Lee Han pawed the grass in frustration, before quickly rising to his feet for another round. He brushed long orange hair back, out of his eyes, and cracked his neck as he got back into position. As he shifted his other hand, Shen found himself envying the ease that his rival flowed between his forms. Unlike Han, the only part of Shen that betrayed his true nature was his hair, which was the same azure blue as his mane. If only the damned seal was looser¡­

    Xia Bao held his hand up as the two of them faced off again, resuming the match with another cry of ¡°Start!¡±.

    Shen took the initiative once again, his fists moving in a flurry of blows as he probed Han¡¯s defenses. Han managed to stop the majority of them; blocking the punches with his pads and deflecting the rest with his furred forearms. He seemed to be absorbing the blows effortlessly, but Shen quickly realized that the surety of his defenses was a deception. A paper tiger, if you were.

    While Han¡¯s pads were able to block Shen¡¯s blows, it was only because of their thickness. Aside from that and his speed, his body cultivation was far below Shen¡¯s in terms of pure strength. The dragon on his shoulders coiled in anticipation.

    With a shout Shen hit Lee Han with everything he had, putting the full force of his cultivation behind the blow. His tattooed fist lunged forwards, dragon-headed fist breaking through Lee Han¡¯s guard and crashing into his cheek.

    ¡°Point Bailong Shen.¡±

    Han staggered back. First one step, and then three more. He shook his head drunkenly, as if he could simply dislodge the force of the blow. Shen courteously gave him a moment to catch his breath, taking the time to do the same himself.

    ¡°It would seem that your diligence in cultivating the body method is indeed lacking,¡± Shen taunted as Lee Han took up his stance for the third time. ¡°Perhaps I could give you some pointers later.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just getting warmed up,¡± Lee Han snapped back. ¡°Start the round.¡±

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    Han charged as the words left Xia Bao¡¯s lips, going for the same sweeping kick that he¡¯d opened the fight with. Shen easily saw it coming and went for the same easy duck, only for a second leg to kick him in the side of the head as he came up for his counterattack.

    The tail!

    ¡°Point Lee Han.¡±

    He took a step back to recover from the force of the blow, as Lee Han smiled crookedly. ¡°Hah! I can¡¯t believe that you fell for that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that it took you so long to remember you had it.¡± Shen shot back. ¡°Did you forget you tied it on this morning?¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    Lee Han leapt at Shen, seeking to pummel him with a returned flurry. Shen batted them, his superior strength allowing him to redirect kicks and block punches as if they were feathers. As the rain of blows continued, Han Lee seemed to get more and more winded, fury fading with each failed blow. Eventually, Shen simply caught one of his diminished punches, furry paw stuck in his iron grasp.

    He threw it back, and as Han stumbled from the force, he followed it up with a front kick to his chest, sending him to the ground.

    ¡°Point Bailong Shen.¡±

    ¡°Your martial arts have improved, but you¡¯re far weaker than I remember.¡± Shen noted as Han caught his breath. Unlike his opponent, Shen¡¯s breathing was still even, barely a drop of sweat on his body. ¡°The gap between our physiques has only grown more vast. You should have cultivated your body more diligently after all.¡±

    ¡°While one pillar may be strong, three in harmony are stronger still,¡± Lee Han replied, clicking his tongue. His eyes flashed, his pupils contracting into slits. With a mighty roar he launched himself at Shen, far faster than he¡¯d been previously.

    In a flash of crystal clarity, Shen realized what was happening. Lee Han was combining his cultivation! The click of his tongue was a mnemonic trick to trigger the Jade Mind Refinement technique, allowing him to heighten his mental state.

    With the increased level of control, he would be able to push the qi in his body to its limits, synchronizing it with his body to surpass Shen¡¯s own physique. His fist blurred, a faint mirage of orange qi slipping out as his body struggled to contain its power.

    Mind ringing with thoughts, Shen took a breath to focus himself as he asserted his own control over the Jade Mind technique.

    His thoughts crystallized, and he knew what to do.

    As Lee Han¡¯s fist approached, he exhaled. His qi surged, rushing through his meridians. He could feel its flow against his blood, the two intermingling until they were in perfect harmony.

    Yin and Yang.

    Two parts as one.

    When he lifted his leg, it moved as a true whole, fully unified in action and purpose for the first time in his life.

    With a second breath, he was behind Lee Han, his body flowing like water.

    It was surreal, as if he had finally realized how to take his first proper steps after years of doing it wrong. Raising his right hand, he brought his palm down on Han¡¯s shoulder. It was a brief tap physically, but one accompanied by a rush of qi, the energy pushing Han down with a soft phwumph of force.

    And then, just as quickly as it had come, the moment passed.

    Shen let out his second breath, feeling as if he¡¯d been holding it for hours. Sweat beaded down his back, his tattooed dragon suddenly the master of its own personal rainclouds. He sucked in a deep breath of the air, and then another, grasping for any spare qi to fill the void that had suddenly opened in him.

    In the distance, he heard Xia Bao calling out.

    ¡°Shen! Shen! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± he breathed, doing his best to keep himself up. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a little¡­ lightheaded¡­ is all¡­.¡±

    ¡°You bastard, you¡¯ve done it, haven¡¯t you,¡± Lee Han groaned from the ground. ¡°You reached the Qi Refining stage.¡±

    ¡°You all right?¡± Shen asked, reaching out a hand. He stumbled as he did, only for Bao to catch him. The tall cultivator reached down to pick Han up as well, supporting the two of them as he brought them over to the sitting room, where he deposited them on a pair of chairs.

    Shen used the short walk to catch his breath, his dantian refilling a fraction more with every inhalation. It felt easier to take the mountain¡¯s qi in, as if his body had suddenly remembered that it¡¯d known how to do so all along.

    ¡°I reached it a short while ago,¡± he said to Lee Han, once he¡¯d recovered himself a bit more. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve used it practically.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯d really thought I could beat you to it,¡± Han replied, shaking his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too far yourself. Judging by your combined technique, it seems like you¡¯re on the cusp of mastering it.¡±

    ¡°You really think so?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shen thought for a second. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve just realized; I won, didn¡¯t I.¡±

    ¡°By our accord, you have.¡±

    ¡°I think I know what I want.¡±

    ¡°Is it to force me to strip shirtless while you beat me senseless with your superior cultivation?¡± Lee Han groaned. ¡°Because if so, I think I would like to clearly concede my defeat now.¡±

    ¡°As tempting as that is, I¡¯ve got something else in mind,¡± Shen said with a smile. ¡°I challenge you to practice your cultivation with me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°If we were not rivals, I would not have had this breakthrough. There¡¯s more to cultivation than scrolls, and we can learn more together than we can apart.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? As we say in my family; a mountain cannot contain two tigers.¡±

    ¡°But what about a tiger and a dragon?¡± Shen replied, offering his hand.

    ¡°Truly?,¡± Han replied, looking at Shen incredulously. Shen firmly met his gaze, and after a long moment he grasped his hand. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re more than just a smug snake with delusions of grandeur after all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this already.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Twelfth day of the eighth month

    Chao Ren threw his copy of the Teal Jade Qi Gathering Technique manual across the room in frustration.  It hit the wall with a thump, sliding down behind his jade slab.

    With a sigh, he crossed the room and reached to fish it out.  As ever, he hated that the sect had chosen to put it so close to the wall.  His fingers had a hard time fitting behind it, especially if it landed too close to the center.

    Which it had.

    Ancestors take him now.

    Sighing again, he fetched his copy of the Teal Jade Body Tempering Technique, and after a few minutes of poking, body managed to overcome spirit, pushing it within his grasp.  Returning to his cushion, he crossed his legs as he flipped back to his most recently dogeared source of frustration.

    ¡®As you focus on your spirit jade, focus not on the qi flowing through it, but on the qi¡¯s flow through it.  While it is earth qi, it is also qi of the earth.  As the qi that flows through all things flows, so too does it flow through this jade, and it is through the moments it does you may observe a fragment of this truth.¡¯

    It was vague, full of repetition that belabored every point, and yet at the same time it was exceptionally brief on details.  Wasn¡¯t earth qi always of the earth?  And what sort of fragment of truth was he supposed to be learning?  Thinking back to the previous parts of the manual, he tried to retrace the steps.

    First, he took in a breath, qi filling his lungs.  Then, he sifted it through his dantian, the qi filtering into its component elements.

    Wood, earth, water.  They swirled around each other, mixing into his inner cycle.  It created an imbalance at first, as the excess of water sought to drown fire.  To combat this Ren forced his excess of wood to drink more deeply of it, growing it into an overabundance that soon fed fire¡¯s rapid resurgence.

    The elements once more in balance, he released his qi through his meridians, slowly guiding its flow.  It was hard work, like trying to scoop water with a sieve.  For every bit that he managed to keep control of, another slipped between his fingers.  By the end of the cycle through his body, less than half of it remained.  Frustrated, he turned his senses towards the jade slab once more.

    His ability to sense qi was one of the few things that had improved in the last four months.  The earlier sections of the manual been quite succinct in explaining how to extend his awareness of it past the limits of his body, and with only the slightest squint of his eyes he beheld the rich veins of earth qi in the translucent stone.  The manual explained that with more opaque materials and living things he would have to rely on a sense of feel to detect their qi, but spirit jade¡¯s natural transparency would make it easier for a beginner to get started.

    He stared at the patterns, memorizing them as well as he could.  After burning them into his mind, he attempted to circulate his qi again, this time trying to get it to follow a path closer to the stone¡¯s.  Again, he drew in breath, cycled it through his dantian, and drew it through his meridians.  And again, half the qi slipped out of his body.

    He tried it again.

    Then again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And again, and again and again, until he hit the ground in frustration.

    It should be working.  It felt like at least part of his circulation was firmer now, but he couldn¡¯t tell why.  Or how.  And since he couldn¡¯t tell either of those things, he definitely couldn¡¯t figure out how to apply that stability to the rest of his circulation.

    He was at a bottleneck, and he needed some sign from the heavens to help him overcome it.

    As he pondered if looking at the jade from a different angle would help him better gain new perspective, a faint sound interrupted his thoughts.  He frowned, before realizing that he was still dampening his sense of hearing.  There had been a lot more screaming lately, and he¡¯d been isolating it so that he would be interrupted less.

    As he did, the faint echo of the room returned, and he realized that the source of the sound was someone knocking on his door.  He quickly got up to get it, straightening his gi as he did.

    He slid the door open, and found Xia Tao waiting for him, bowl of shrimp fried rice in hand.

    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it goin?¡± Xia Tao asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Chao Ren replied curtly, ¡°I was just finishing a series of qi circulations.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good,¡± Xia Tao replied, ¡°so you were just about to take a rest.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Ren replied questioningly, ¡°I was just about to take a break for a stick or two before I started my next one.¡±

    ¡°A stick or two?!¡± Tao exclaimed in shock, ¡°So only a ten-minute break between sets?  Or are you from one of those areas that uses Bailong sticks.¡±

    ¡°No, my family uses proper sticks,¡± Ren clarified.  ¡°I have another nine minutes before I resume.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re interested, some of us wanted to try and get a game of mahjong together, and we need a fourth player to play a real game.¡±

    Now that was surprising, because the last he remembered all three of their remaining companions were currently locked in a strange triangle of grudges.  This seemed destined to end in disaster.  But¡­ he had just asked the heavens for a sign, and it wouldn¡¯t do to ignore opportunity when it knocked.

    ¡°I suppose I can extend my break a little bit,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Tao exclaimed, and began ushering him towards the sitting room.  Their temporary residence was essentially three rectangular sections and a gate arranged in a square around their small courtyard with a small roofed hall bordering the grass.  To avoid an inevitable conflict over the larger room that such an arrangement created, the Teal Mountain Sect had simply divided the middle building in two and made one half a communal sitting area.

    It had a pair of tables, one large and one small, five chairs and formerly five seating cushions, before the occupants had each claimed one for their rooms.  The far corner of the room contained a small bookshelf that held a series of tomes detailing the sect¡¯s history, a Go board, and apparently a set of mahjong tiles.  There was also a small ink painting of mountains on the wall facing the courtyard, which was the closest thing they had to a window.

    Well, aside from the courtyard, but there was hardly stiff competition between a static vista and the occasional cloud.

    Lee Han and Bailong Shen were waiting for them at the table, and in astonishingly good spirits with each other¡¯s company.  They seemed to be exchanging words rather than barbs, which was perplexing.  Ren could have sworn that the two of them were in a blood feud of some sort, an affliction that was typically terminal when cultivators caught it.  In fact, they seemed so engrossed in their conversation that they barely noticed him as he drew closer.

    ¡°So, he really just fell for it two times in a row?¡± Lee Han asked.

    ¡°Yeah.  After I got him with the grab the first time, he assumed that I was going for a feint the second time around,¡± Shen replied.

    ¡°And after that?¡±

    ¡°He assumed that I was intent on humiliating him in front of the entire tournament, so he actually thought that I was going for it the third time.¡±

    ¡°No!  You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°I am.  I think that by that point the pressure got to him.  After I got him with my early attack-¡°

    ¡°Which you stole!¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°I would be a poor warrior if I didn¡¯t learn from an encounter.  So, as I was saying, after I landed my early kick-¡±

    ¡°Which was my move!¡±

    ¡°You have to know that you aren¡¯t the first person to rush a round.¡±

    ¡°I was the first in the tournament¡¯s history to perform the maneuver.¡±

    ¡°It was the inaugural year!¡± Shen protested.  ¡°Look, do you want to hear the story or not?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lee Han pouted.

    ¡°So.  Thanks to landing my early kick, I was up on points.  After the second grapple, I was only one point away from sweeping the round.  He was already worried about losing given how decisively I won my previous match-¡±

    ¡°I was up three points to two before you broke my leg!¡±

    ¡°I told you, it was an accident!  And I have apologized, what, six times so far?  Anyway, he was nervous well before the round started, and when confronted with the possibility of such a humiliating defeat and the face he would lose if he was unable to score even a single point-¡±

    ¡°Especially after the semifinalist was able to score three more hits than he had!¡±

    Bailong Shen stopped and gave Lee Han a hard stare.  ¡°Do you even want me to tell the rest of this story?  Because I can stop.  If that¡¯s what you really, truly want.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine.  Go on,¡± Lee Han apologized.

    ¡°So.  As I was saying, after he realized how much face he would lose if he were to be defeated by the same move three times in a row, and how his family would react to such a disappointment, he completely took leave of his senses when I started to feint that I was going for his leg again.  He just rushed at me, wildly swinging his arms as if he could just hit me with sheer determination.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Lee Han gasped.

    ¡°Yes.  He was so blinded by fear that it was painfully easy to take a step to the side and trip him.  After that, it was just one solid blow to his chest,¡± Shen rose from his chair and demonstrated the strike, his fist twisting downwards in a finishing blow that stopped a moment before it knocked over the neatly stacked mahjong tiles.  ¡°And he was out.¡±

    ¡°Well, that explains why my mother refused to tell me how it ended,¡± Lee Han said with a chuckle.  ¡°To think that the other side of the bracket was so soft.  If I¡¯d heard how it ended, so soon after such a humiliating loss... I might have actually developed an inner demon from it.  How did they seed the bracket so badly?¡±

    ¡°Wait, did you not hear what happened in the other semifinal round?¡±

    ¡°No, my family just told me to focus on my cultivation so that I would be able to beat you when we next met.¡±

    ¡°Ah.  Well, according to rumors I heard, young master Ting Guo, heir to the Southern Crane Sword technique, was so overconfident that he was going to win that he decided to overindulge the night before.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±

    ¡°But I am!  He was so hungover that he couldn¡¯t tell his sword from his scabbard.  He even tossed the wrong one to the side after he finally managed to draw it!¡±

    Lee Han lost it at that, almost falling out of his chair from laughter.  Xia Tao took that moment to clear his throat, and the two finally noticed their presence.

    ¡°Ah, Xia Bao.  I see you managed to convince Junior Chao Ren to join us,¡± Bailong Shen said.

    Ah, Xia Bao, not Xia Tao, Chao Ren realized.  He silently thanked his ancestors that he hadn¡¯t attempted to address the man by name.  That would have been a truly embarrassing way to get acquainted with him.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!  I can¡¯t stand playing three-player,¡± Lee Han exclaimed.

    ¡°We could always ask Zhao Lan,¡± Bao said, sliding out a chair for Ren.  The other two groaned at this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke even joke about that Bao,¡± Lee Han said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind the company, but the way he loses¡­¡± Shen added.  ¡°Why, he makes Lee Han look like a sage.¡±

    ¡°Well, we have a real sage with us now!¡±  Lee Han exclaimed, patting Ren on the back.  ¡°It¡¯s almost been a month since we last saw you around.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare claim such an illustrious title for myself,¡± Ren said, shaking his head.  ¡°I am far from the knowledge and skill it entails.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, even with all that closed door-¡± Lee Han cut off as Shen kicked him under the table, just as Xia Bao arrived with several bowls.

    ¡°I made some extra fried rice.  I thought you could all use some real food for once, and the shrimp were about to overpopulate anyways."

    "Thanks!"

    "Much appreciated"

    "Thank you very much, Senior Xia Bao." Chao Ren said with as much of a bow as he could manage while seated,

    "You can just call me Bao."

    "I could hardly be so informal with a benefactor like you." Ren replied, taking in an appreciative whiff of the shrimp fried rice.  His stomach rumbled.  He hadn''t had any true food in the last 4 months, and even though he had just eaten a food pill, his body yearned for him to devour it like a python devoured a boar.

    He held himself back, focusing on slowly straightening out his chopstick position.  It''d been so long since he last used a pair that his muscle memory was a bit flabby.

    He deliberately deposited a small portion in his mouth, closing his eyes as he savored the taste.  The delicate sesame of the oil, the gentle sweetness of the shrimp, the crunch of the rice, the slight umami of the soy sauce, the...

    Well, that was actually all of the ingredients the rice seemed to have.

    All said, it was very simple fried rice.  The Sect had probably only allowed Xia Bao the basic ingredients necessary for his required meals to reduce the risk of contraband, but it tasted so good.  He bit back a tear as he bit into the plump shrimp again.  His stomach roared in frustration at this, angry to only be allowed a taste after getting so tantalizingly close to true satiation.

    He took another bite, and then more, stopping himself only after his fifth bite, when he realized that the table had gone quiet.  Alarmed, he quickly looked around to see if they were staring.

    Thankfully, the other two also seemed to be preoccupied with eating their rice, and he stifled a sigh of relief.  He hadn''t looked too desperate.

    "I got some water," Bao announced, suddenly reappearing at his side.  Ren flinched. He hadn''t even noticed that he''d left!  He''d been far too distracted by the rice.

    Bao set four full wooden cups down on the table before returning to his seat. "Solid foods can be a bit hard on your stomach if you''ve only been eating food pills.  So drink up."

    "Thank you, Senior Xia Bao," Ren said, taking an appreciative sip.

    "Just call me Bao, I''m not that much older than you."

    "With respect, Senior Xia Bao, I could hardly show you so little deference, especially after such a generous gift of your precious rice.¡±

    As he bowed his head, Shen gave Bao an ¡®I told you so¡¯ shrug as Bao tried to work out a way to get his wayward junior to lose his formalities.  ¡°Look, if you want to want to repay me for the rice, I¡¯ll take it in the form of you referring to me as Bao.¡±

    ¡°If that is your wish, Sen- Bao,¡± Ren replied, savoring another bite of rice.  It was truly generous of Xia Bao to ask so little in return for such a gift.  ¡°I really must commend your cooking.  For a dish of so few ingredients, it has quite a refined taste to it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re too kind,¡± Bao said, waving his chopstick.  ¡°As my grandfather would say: there while the simplest things are rarely found in the profound, the profound can often be found in the simplest of things.¡±

    ¡°He sounds like he was a truly a wise man,¡± Ren replied.

    ¡°That, and after cooking the same meal for four months, I was either going to get better at it or go crazy!¡± Bao laughed, depositing his chopsticks into his empty bowl.  ¡°So, do you want a little more before we start?¡±

    Chao Ren looked up from picking the last few grains of rice off the sides of his bowl.  ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly take any more of your precious rice.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, I insist.¡±  Before he could stop him, Xia Bao had slapped a fresh ladle of rice into his bowl, filling it near to the brim again.  As Chao Ren tried to protest, he cut him off by tossing the ladle into the now-empty wok with loud clatter.  ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten all I need for the day, and these two jokers already had a bowl while I was knocking on your door.  If you don¡¯t eat it, it¡¯ll go to waste.¡±

    He nodded over to their mahjong companions, who had the decency to look at least somewhat embarrassed that he¡¯d caught on to their subterfuge.

    ¡°So, how about we start to play?¡± Bailong Shen said, changing the subject with the grace of a carp climbing a waterfall.  ¡°I assume that all of you are comfortable with the standard rules and no local hands?¡±

    Three heads nodded in agreement.

    Without further ado, the dice were passed around, and each of the players rolled for dealer.  Chao Ren managed to open with an auspicious triple sixes, beating out Lee Han¡¯s impressive sixteen, and was given the small bamboo plaque that marked his new station.  The dice rolled again, the wall of tiles split, and their components distributed.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad start.  Ren had a couple of connecting bamboo tiles, a pair of both the East and West Winds, and a motley assortment of pins and characters rounded off by a single White Dragon.  After nobody revealed any flower tiles, the first move fell on him.  He decided to start with a safe discard and tossed his dragon to the center of the tile.

    Before it could even land, Bailong Shen¡¯s hand shot out.

    ¡°Kong,¡± he announced, flipping over the other three White Dragons in his hand.

    Chao Ren groaned.  And then groaned again when Shen drew one of the Four Noble Professions from the wall.  A fat red koi glistened on the Fisherman¡¯s rod as Shen placed it above his dragons and drew a second tile off the wall.  He tossed a 5-Pinyin tile to the center of the table, passing the turn back to Ren.

    ¡°Lucky lucky,¡± he said, stroking his tiles.  ¡°Looks like I¡¯m off to a promising start.¡±

    Ren drew another tile, and after giving it a second¡¯s consideration, promptly tossed his unlucky draw it into the pool.  Where Lee Han promptly called it.

    ¡°Pung,¡± he announced, revealing a pair of equally unlucky 4-Pinyin tiles.  He dropped a 9-Bamboo from his hand, which Ren glared at, as it was the only tile of the suit that wouldn¡¯t fit his hand.

    Shen then proceeded to draw a tile and drop a second 9-Bamboo, forcing the turn back to Chao Ren once again.  He drew another tile and found himself staring at another Dragon, this time in jade green.  As he placed it atop his hand with a clack, intent on considering his next action a bit more carefully, Lee Han interrupted his thoughts.

    ¡°Ah!  I just realized, we never announced the stakes, did we,¡± he noted, scratching his chin.

    ¡°I knew we¡¯d forgotten something,¡± Bao said with a snap of his fingers.  ¡°I guess I was so used to just playing with just you two guys that I assumed everyone knew them.¡±

    ¡°What are the stakes,¡± Ren asked trepidatiously.  There it was: the trap.  Lure him out with food, distract him until he lowered his guard.  His father had always warned him about this.  Told him tales of noble scions, who could spend gold and spirit stones like water, drowning those who couldn¡¯t afford their high stakes in debt when they inevitably lost.  His muscles tensed as he prepared to flee, mind already racing as it tried to figure out an excuse to leave that would anger his would-be captors as little as possible.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing too serious,¡± Shen said with a casual wave of his hand.  ¡°We don¡¯t really bet with money since it makes the game too serious.¡±

    ¡°And since the sect didn¡¯t include any point sticks,¡± Lee Han added, ¡°so it¡¯s a pain to keep track.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s a relief, Ren thought to himself.  That was good.  He only had a few spirit stones to his name, and he doubted that he could match the stakes Lee Han and Bailong Shen were accustomed to.

    ¡°No,¡± Shen said, taking a sip of water, ¡°we just play for knowledge.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Twelfth day of the eighth month

    Chao Ren froze as his mind processed Bailong Shen¡¯s words.

    Knowledge.

    How could he say something like that so casually? As if it was a lower price than simple currency?

    What would he even ask for? Family secrets? Martial techniques? The origins of their signature styles? Their cultivation methods? The cultivation strength of his clan¡¯s heads? The recipes for family pills, passed down in secret from parent to child?

    The possibilities were endlessly terrifying. With the right questions, he could do worse than bind himself in debt, he could doom his entire clan if he spilt the wrong secrets!

    Xia Bao noticed his expression as he started to rise, and tried to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ren dodged away from it, and he settled with putting it on the table before continuing his explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t play for anything big. Just small facts and tiny secrets. Nothing that would be truly painful to reveal.¡±

    ¡°Unless you count Lee Han¡¯s crush,¡± Shen said with a laugh. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that he-¡±

    ¡°You swore that you would never tell another soul!¡± Lee Han snapped.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± Shen said, holding up his hands. His gi shifted as he did, exposing a stripe of blue scales against thick muscles, and Ren realized that he¡¯d been wearing it untied the entire time. The rest of the table was properly dressed and entirely unphased, so he decided to follow their example by not commenting on it. ¡°I just wanted to help clarify that we¡¯re hardly playing for deep clan secrets.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Just as long as you remember your vow.¡±

    ¡°I will, I will.¡±

    ¡°Did¡­ did you swear an oath?¡± Chao Ren asked.

    A sworn oath between cultivators was a serious accord.

    Words were only worth the breath they were spoken with. For a mortal this was a trivial bond, for their words were nothing more than wind. But a cultivator was bound to qi, the very breath of heaven and earth, that which flowed through all things and gave them life. It was there when the primordial egg of the world was shattered, when Yin and Yang were born from it, and when the five elements were born from them in turn. It encompassed all, from the tiniest grain of sand under the foot of the smallest ant, to the largest stars that dotted the vastness of the night sky.

    And just as cultivators bound qi to them, taking it within themselves so they could learn to master its power, they were also bound by it. When they swore an oath, it truly tied them to whatever they swore it to. Their wealth, their lives, their cultivation; the weight of their words bound them to all such things more greatly than the strongest locks and chains. To break such an oath was to suffer, as it would shatter that very part of your existence like glass.

    You would be cracked, forever marred by an injury that no amount of cultivation could repair. Those that broke their oaths with reckless abandon found themselves less than shells of their former selves, becoming little more than slavering masses of what basic instincts and reflexes remained after all else that made them a person was ground to dust.

    It was a wound that few cultivators dared to risk, which was why so many made promises instead. For promises were backed by trust rather than existence, and bore none of the burdens of oaths.

    The reasons why were unclear. Some said that in the ancient times of the Primordial Era, an Immortal of Words bound the word to its purpose with its first utterance. Others claimed it was to do with the way that cultivation was so associated with will, as the act of swearing an oath was akin to setting your cultivation to the task of ensuring your compliance. And others said that it was simply the will of the heavens that oaths were to be prized above all else, that it was the way it had always been and would ever continue to be.

    Many great mystics, those great scholars of the deep truths of all existence, had dedicated epochs to plumbing these mysteries, and while Chao Ren had very little of their experience, he was certain of one thing:

    Oaths were serious business.

    ¡°Yes, I swore it on my honor,¡± Shen replied, his calm face betraying not a single hint of hesitation. ¡°Until Lee Han confesses, loses his affection, or the truth comes to light to others through actions not of my own machinations, I am bound by my honor as a cultivator not to betray his trust. Although, should he choose, he may also release me from my oath so that I can confide it to all that may hear.¡± He looked towards Lee Han, a look of mock pleading on his face. ¡°Please, may I be released from my oath?¡±

    ¡°Not even if all the stars in the sky begged me to,¡± Lee Han replied, without a second¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°So, if you want, I am willing to swear an oath on this game,¡± Shen said, raising a palm. ¡°Should you ask, I am willing to swear an oath that I will not pry into secrets of such deep and secret nature that they would do harm to you and those that you care for.¡± As he said this, a chill went down Chao Ren¡¯s spine, growing into a faint itch that spread across his skin like a wildfire.

    There was true weight to those words. He could feel it. He could feel his heart speed up, as if his body thought that simply warming itself up could combat the pressure. He took a deep breath.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Senior Bailong Shen,¡± he said, and the pressure disappeared, dissolving like mist before the sun. ¡°Your sincerity has told me all that I need.¡± And it really wouldn¡¯t do to have someone of his station bound to him by oath. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what trouble might befall him if anyone found out that he had made a member of the Bailong clan swear an oath to him, even one so minor as this.

    No, better to be safe, and avoid such a binding connection. After all, he could always decline answering the questions if they were too overbearing.

    His heart eased, he tossed the Green Dragon into the pool, and against what seemed like all odds, the turn finally passed to Xia Bao. He took a calming sip of his water, and after a couple dozen more turns, Shen took the round with a Half Suit of Characters, the North Wind and the White Dragon.

    He smiled ruefully as he revealed that he¡¯d had been waiting with two hidden pairs and the wind, having managed to draw most of what he needed. ¡°If we were playing for points, this would have been a decent payout. I suppose, since I have the first question, that I¡¯ll start with something easy. What stage is everyone at with their cultivation?¡±

    Chao Ren gasped, but the other two simply nodded.

    ¡°I figured you¡¯d go with that one again,¡± Xia Bao said with a sigh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still only at the Qi Gathering phase, but I¡¯ve been making good progress with the technique, so I think I¡¯m close to a breakthrough. You know that I broke through to the Body Refining phase last week, and I¡¯m still lost with the Teal Jade Mind Refinement Technique. I can meditate alright when I¡¯m listening to the chime, but I just can¡¯t get used to holding it in my head on my own.¡± He shuffled the tiles absently as he said this, clearly still a bit frustrated by it.

    ¡°Have you tried connecting the state with some sort of trigger?¡± Lee Han asked, ¡°I know that when I was mastering it, I found success with being able to recall the sound when I performed certain actions. After I became able to recall it on command, I then trained to be able to recall it at will without the trigger. The additional middle step makes it a lot easier to learn.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Chao Ren gasped again, this time in shock. Not only had Lee Han offered advice, it had actually been good advice. Clear, concise, and spoken from personal experience. And apparently Bao had already reached the level required to pass the exam. No wonder he was so at ease! He no longer needed to worry about letting down his clan. He began to consider the advice as Bao replied to Lee Han.

    ¡°Huh, I hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. I¡¯ll have to give it a chance. So, how¡¯s your cultivation been going?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been making good progress with my mental cultivation now that I¡¯m reached the Mind Refining stage. I read quite a bit about basic techniques to use when I reached this level, and I¡¯ve started to get the hang of one of them.¡±

    Chao Ren just gave up on gasping. Not only was Lee Han also in the Refining stage for one of his pillars, meaning that he had also passed the exam, but he had already begun to teach himself a technique of the stage? And in just 4 months too.

    ¡°Behold! The Invisible Hand!¡± Lee Han cackled, raising an eyebrow towards his bowl. His chopsticks suddenly flicked into the air, grasped by a sudden invisible force. They clicked together a few times, as if testing their own hardness, before swooping over to his bowl and picking up a mouthful of rice. They then rose, like a soaring falcon, and promptly attempted to poke the morsel into his cheek.

    As Shen and Bao laughed, Lee Han glared at the chopsticks before simply moving his head to eat the rice off them while they remained fixed in the air. All told, it was still an impressive showing. Being able to externalize a mental ability was one of the traits that defined the Mind Refinement stage, and a sign that he had truly reached the second stage of cultivation.

    ¡°How much weight can you handle with those?¡± Shen asked, eyeing the floating chopsticks.

    ¡°About four chopsticks worth at the moment,¡± Lee Han responded, having his sticks fight out a mock swordfight over the bowls. ¡°Though the real strength of the technique is not its strength, but rather its control.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re using it to eat rice with your chopsticks, rather than simply picking it up with the hands?¡± Ren asked.

    ¡°Yes! Exactly that,¡± Lee Han said, clapping him on the back with another invisible hand. ¡°See, I told you people would get it, Shen.¡±

    ¡°So, how has the rest of the rest of your cultivation been faring while you become master of the flying swords?¡± Shen fired back as he stacked his row of tiles.

    ¡°Well, you know that I¡¯m cultivating my physique as much as I¡¯m able, and I¡¯m still in the Body Tempering stage. But I think I¡¯ve getting close to the Qi Refining stage. I just need to spend a bit more time working on my volume control.¡±

    ¡°You have been getting better,¡± Bao noted, ¡°you¡¯re able to lift twice as much rice as you could when you started.¡±

    ¡°I still think they should have given us some weights,¡± Shen complained. ¡°If you weren¡¯t allowed the rice we would have nothing to use, and in a month you¡¯ll be on your last bag and we¡¯ll have nothing. Training your body against the slabs to harden yourself just isn¡¯t the same, and I don¡¯t care what the manual has to say.¡±

    ¡°Not all of us are cultivating ourselves to be as overmuscled as you are,¡± Lee Han said, poking Shen in the side, ¡°Once I hit the next stage, you¡¯ll see. Lean and efficient will triumph over your slow bulk any day of the week.¡±

    ¡°I think you are failing to properly understand the benefits of muscles,¡± Shen retorted, dramatically shrugging off his gi. Stepping over to the wok, he began to juggle it in the air, flipping it around like it weighted nothing at all.

    ¡°Behold,¡± he declared, flexing his muscles, ¡°the true majesty of body cultivation.¡± The blue dragon tattooed over his chests flowed like waves with the motion, drawn by the tidal force that was his muscles.

    ¡°Praise be to young master Bailong Shen,¡± Lee Han mock cheered, ¡°oh great master of the three pillars. We are but mere mortals before you and your mighty cultivation.¡± He sarcastically mock bowed, as Chao Ren was unable to stop himself from letting out one final gasp as he felt his soul leave his body.

    Was Lee Han implying what he thought he was implying? That Shen had truly reached the second stage of each of the three pillars? What monstrous talent that must have entailed. Was it due to the strength of the dragon blood in his veins, or was he some sort of generational genius? How was he supposed to compare to someone like that. He took another bite of his rice as his thoughts stewed, the heartwarming delicacy now a cold lump in his stomach.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± Bao said, snatching the wok back from him. ¡°I swear if you ding it up again, I¡¯m never making rice for you again.¡± Upon hearing those words, Shen surrendered the wok without hesitation.

    ¡°So, Chao Ren, how¡¯ve you been managing?¡± Bao asked as he rolled the dice to start the next round. There was a long pause as they dealt the hands, waiting for Chao Ren to speak.

    ¡°In comparison to my seniors, it would seem this junior is lacking,¡± Chao Ren eventually sighed, as it came to his turn. ¡°My physique was always lacking, so despite my efforts I am still firmly in the middle of the Body Tempering stage. My Twin Mind technique has turned out to be quite incompatible with the Teal Jade Mind Refinement technique, which means I have wasted months attempting to combine them. And of course, I have been endlessly bottlenecked in my qi cultivation, where I have been unable to decipher the instructions to even progress it.¡± He discarded the White Dragon again, watching it pass with a wry smile.

    ¡°What part of the Teal Jade technique is giving you the trouble?¡± Bao asked, as Shen discarded a 3-Bamboo. ¡°I know that I¡¯m still having troubles when I inhale the mountain¡¯s qi. There¡¯s just so much-¡±

    ¡°Chow,¡± Ren called a sequence, plucking the tile and placing it at the end of his 1-2-Bamboo wait. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to handle that part pretty well.¡±

    ¡°Pung,¡± Lee Han called, revealing a waiting pair of 3-Pinyins for his three-of-a-kind. ¡°So, is it the expansion step? I know that I¡¯ve been having a real problem with my meridians. There¡¯s only so many cycles I can do before my veins start to hurt.¡± He tossed a White Dragon as Bao nodded commiseratingly. Shen discarded an 8-Bamboo.

    ¡°Chow,¡± Ren called again, revealing that he also had a 7-9-Bamboo wait as well for another straight. ¡°That might be part of it. I have been feeling like my meridians haven¡¯t been expanding as much lately.¡±

    ¡°Pung,¡± Lee Han called, picking up his 4-Character tile and dropping a Red Dragon that passed the turn back to Shen.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Shen exclaimed, drawing the Scholar and the Painting back-to-back. In a normal game it would have been worried Ren to see him draw a Noble Profession with its corresponding Noble Art, but in this format where price of defeat was fixed, it was simply two more tiles removed from the wall. He then discarded the 5-Bamboo, which Ren promptly called.

    ¡°Chow,¡± he said, revealing a 4-6 Bamboo wait as well. ¡°If this Port Fang rules that¡¯d be extra 1 Faan for a pure-straight.¡±

    ¡°Good thing that we¡¯re not playing for cash then,¡± Lee Han said, as Ren discarded a White Dragon.

    ¡°Well, some of us are playing the game,¡± Bao complained, a bit annoyed that he hadn¡¯t had a single chance to play a tile for the last nine turns.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can play in the next one,¡± Lee Han said, patting him on the back. ¡°Jong.¡± He revealed his hand, whose winning tile was a solitary White Dragon among a mismatch of triplets and sequences. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s a good thing that we aren¡¯t playing for points. Now for my question:¡±

    He paused for dramatic effect, and Ren felt the lump in his stomach grow heavier.

    ¡°Oh, just get on with it,¡± Shen said with a glare, tossing his hand back onto the table for the next shuffle.

    ¡°Fine. My question is this: what food do you miss the most right now. That you would ask for if I said I could get you anything to eat right now.¡±

    Ah, so it was a question that was just going to make him feel miserable in a completely different way. And just after he¡¯d gotten his first taste of the stuff in months.

    ¡°You bastard,¡± Shen said, glaring at him. ¡°Here¡¯s my answer: I wish I could eat some tiger stew right now.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s just being hurtful,¡± Lee Han retorted, ¡°we both know that stuff tastes awful.¡±

    ¡°I just hate this question,¡± Shen grumbled, ¡°all it¡¯s going to do is make all of us hungry for food that we won¡¯t be able to eat for another two months.¡± Ren had to stop himself from nodding along with this, as it would betray his true emotions.

    ¡°A true cultivator should be able to control their desires,¡± Ren stated, ¡°I¡¯ve gone four months without food. I think this rice can hold me over for another two.¡±

    ¡°So, then what¡¯s your favorite food,¡± Shen demanded.

    ¡°I would have to say pork dumplings with plenty of scallions, fried in a pan and served with a small dish of red vinegar to dip them in.¡± He said it calmly, describing his usual lunch from back home.

    ¡°Damn, that sounds good,¡± Lee Han said. ¡°I¡¯d have to go with a whole braised cow myself. My family has a recipe for a special sauce that we brush on the meat as we slowly roast it for an entire day. It¡¯s so succulent and tender by the end, with just the right amount of spice.¡± He visibly salivated as he said this, and after attempting to reach into his sleeve for a fan he no longer had, settled for wiping it away with his sleeve.

    ¡°Why did you say that!¡± Shen exclaimed, ¡°you didn¡¯t even need to answer the question! You¡¯re just making the rest of us hungrier.¡±

    ¡°Now Shen,¡± Bao said, attempting another comforting hand on a shoulder, ¡°you know it¡¯s not against the rules to answer your own questions. But in the spirit of fairness, you really should answer honestly.¡±

    ¡°Bao, I don¡¯t know if I can handle another one of these answers,¡± Shen said. ¡°Can you promise me that your answer will not make me regret hearing it.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°So, what food do you miss the most?¡±

    ¡°Shrimp Fried Rice,¡± Bao replied.

    Bailong Shen screamed.

 Chapter 11

    Year 658 of the stable Era

    Twelfth day of the eighth month

    After half a stick of screaming at the sky, Shen finally turned towards Xia Bao, who had used the lull in the conversation as a chance to refill everyone¡¯s waters from the spigot. He stared at his friend, his face now as pale as the tiles in front of them, and just as green around the edges.

    ¡°How,¡± Shen began, his normally controlled composure twitching, ¡°is the one food that you miss the most shrimp fried rice?! THE ONLY THING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EATING FOR THE LAST 4 MONTHS?!!¡±

    ¡°The variety of it really,¡± Bao said calmly, taking a sip of his water. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t understand, since you only eat it occasionally, but it¡¯s actually quite miserable to eat the same thing every day with no variety. For the first two months I enjoyed experimenting with my recipe. The third month, I was able to truly refine it. But after that¡­¡± He paused, a distant look in his eye.

    ¡°I realized that I was only enjoying a single shade of what shrimp fried rice could be. Ginger, garlic, pepper, eggs, peas, fish sauce... All those different ingredients that give fried rice its myriad flavors! All outside my reach. Which isn¡¯t even touching upon the difference that different types of rice could have. Or oils¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, it feels as if I am going insane here, repeating the same action to have no true effect on the flavor, pointlessly wasting my time refining my recipe by infinitesimal degrees, while vast expanses exist to explore. The same taste, eight times a day. Over, and over¡­¡±

    The table fell silent again as they shuffled the tiles and started the next round. Chao Ren¡¯s hand was nothing too exciting, and for a stick or two the table quietly dealt tiles, the silence only being broken by infrequent calls.

    ¡°I liked the rice,¡± Lee Han suddenly said, brushing an errant lock of orange hair behind his ear. ¡°It tastes nice.¡±

    ¡°It tastes terrible!¡± Bao shouted. His face briefly reddened before he took a calming sip of his water. ¡°You don¡¯t even understand. Everything about it is terrible. The soy sauce is too salty, the oil too mild, and the rice¡­¡±

    ¡°What is wrong with the rice?¡± Chao Ren asked, unable to stop his curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s short-grain rice. Everyone knows that you never use short-grain rice for fried rice! It just doesn¡¯t fry right! It just sticks together too much, instead of being nice and crispy!¡±

    Chao Ren touched his stomach, realizing that perhaps the lumpy feeling was not entirely due to his nerves. There was something coalescing inside of him, and it was definitely not a Golden Core. Maybe eating that second bowl had been a mistake. They were quite large. How did Xia Bao manage to eat eight of these a day and still remain so slim?

    Lee Han interrupted his thought as he declared ¡°Chow.¡± He claimed the 3-Bamboo that Xia Bao had dropped, leaving himself only one tile away from victory. Ren gave the pool a hard stare as Shen dropped another 3-Bamboo, clearly playing cautious. Most of the Dragons had been discarded, he had the North Wind as his pair, and all he needed was either a 2 or 5-Character tile to finish his hand. He was very close, just so long as he didn¡¯t deal into Lee Han¡¯s wait. He discarded the 9-Character.

    ¡°Pung,¡± Shen declared, reaching for the tile.

    ¡°A-ha!¡± Xia Bao declared, stopping his hand. ¡°That¡¯s my last tile.¡± He flipped over the rest of his hand, exposing a truly distressing Thirteen Orphans hand. Composed of a single copy of each Dragon, the four Winds, and a 1 and 9 of each suit, it was one of the hardest mahjong hands to assemble, and the only one that broke conventional construction rules.

    There had only been one copy of the 9-Character tile left after Lee Han had claimed a triplet of it earlier in the game, so it had been a hellish wait for the sole remaining tile. If this had been a game for points, Ren would be thoroughly devastated to see such a hand.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Lee Han remarked, giving the hand an appreciative look. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you managed that hand. I¡¯ve never seen anyone even try to make it.¡±

    ¡°I had nine of the tiles that I needed for it in my opening hand, so I figured that I might as well take a stab at it,¡± Bao replied, laughing a little. ¡°After all, what¡¯s the point of life if you don¡¯t take a risk every now and again.¡±

    ¡°The wait was truly commendable,¡± Shen said, shuffling his half-assembled hand in. ¡°To be able to hold out for a single tile for so long.¡±

    ¡°I just had to hold out and wait,¡± Bao said. ¡°If I won, it would be a story to tell, and if I lost? I¡¯d simply have to tell another story in turn.¡±

    ¡°Well said,¡± Ren noted. It was a shame he hadn¡¯t won, but he couldn¡¯t fault Xia Bao for his play. He pushed his assembled wall towards the center of the table again, and after the rest of his companions finished theirs, Shen rolled the dice and the tiles split.

    His newest hand was certainly a collection of mahjong tiles. Two sets of connected tiles, and two pairs in the form of the East Wind and the 5-Bamboo. The rest were flotsam, unable to connect with anything else. At least this was the last hand of the round. After he lost, he could just bow out and go back to cultivating. The break had been good. It had been nice to enjoy non-pill food for a meal, and the conversation wasn¡¯t too terrible, but he couldn¡¯t afford to waste too much more time on social niceties while he still had a bottleneck to overcome.

    As he pitched a Red Dragon that Lee Han aggressively called, Bao posed his question to the group. ¡°What are you all planning to do once the exam is over? When we¡¯re all full members of the sect.¡±

    Ah yes, Chao Ren thought, rearranging his tiles. All of us. He sighed, discarding the 9-Bamboo tile.

    ¡°I plan on joining one of the martial divisions,¡± Lee Han said, glancing down at his tiles. After a second¡¯s thought, he called.

    ¡°Chow,¡± he said, plucking the tile with an invisible hand as he considered his next discard. ¡°The Lee Clan has always valued strength, and I can prove myself a worthy successor by subjugating threats and discovering spiritual treasures.¡±

    ¡°About what I¡¯d expect from you,¡± Shen said, discarding a 9-Bamboo.

    ¡°I also plan on studying alchemy,¡± Lee Han said defensively. ¡°The Invisible Hand Technique is a crucial skill for alchemists. I¡¯ve always wanted to be a more self-reliant cultivator, and learning how to make my own pills and elixirs would mean that I could make my own medicine. I want to travel the continent and be able to make full use of whatever I hunt down. To live in the wilderness and survive on my own strength.¡±

    Ren nodded at Lee Han¡¯s declaration. It was a laudable goal. To be able to survive purely off one¡¯s own cultivation, simply following one¡¯s path while relying on no other¡­ A noble pursuit of the pure path of cultivation. He wished that he could be doing that right now, instead of wasting his time with this poor hand.

    Well, if it wasn¡¯t going to win regardless, he might as well attempt to fight his fate.

    ¡°Pung,¡± he declared, snatching up the East Wind Bao had just discarded.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your goal?¡± Bao asked Shen, as he found himself up for discarding a tile.

    ¡°I plan on taking my time,¡± Shen replied, stretching his shoulders. ¡°The path of cultivation is long, so I don¡¯t plan on trying to leap up a realm too quickly. I think I¡¯ll cultivate my body, and perhaps a few peers. My upbringing didn¡¯t allow for much in the way of companionship, and I look forwards to getting to know people in contexts other than banquets, tournaments, and negotiations.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He paused a second, considering his next move. ¡°I might study a craft. My father once told me a story about how my grandfather carved a statue of an otter so realistic that it would roam around the kitchen and prepare tea. Learning something like that might be a welcome diversion for a century or two while I discover my dao.¡±

    Chao Ren immediately jumped on his tile. ¡°Chow,¡± he said, moving one set closer to a win. He¡¯d managed to draw into another full sequence in his hand, so he was only two tiles away from a win. He discarded a West Wind, which uneventfully passed.

    ¡°That is remarkably passive,¡± Lee Han said. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve become a full second stage cultivator already, you can hardly afford to become so distracted from your path.¡±

    ¡°Pung,¡± Ren called again, picking up the 5-Bamboo tile that Lee Han had discarded. Just one tile away. A single Green Dragon and he had this game.

    ¡°It¡¯s not distraction, it¡¯s discovery,¡± Shen replied. ¡°As they say, the journey is just as important as the destination.¡±

    ¡°But surely some care should be taken with method,¡± Lee Han replied. ¡°If you fail to ascend¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± Shen said, waving the worry away. ¡°If every step I take is a step in the right direction, then surely I will be following the path of my dao, regardless of how small each might be. Whether it is one walked by my predecessors or one I carve on my own is irrelevant. So long as I remain true to myself, and my conviction does not waver, I will prevail in whatever goal I pursue.¡±

    Ren nodded at these words.

    Bailong Shen had appeared to be a sleeping dragon given his generally relaxed disposition, one content to simply rest on the achievements of his family. But with these words, he had dispelled that misconception. He might not have the loud passion of cultivators like Lee Han, who shouted their determination for all to hear, but he had a hardened resolve, one ready to face all the challenges that the path to immortality contained.

    It would seem that a dragon was still a dragon, even when at rest.

    As the expectation for an answer fell towards him, Chao Ren quickly gathered his thoughts as he idly discarded another useless tile.

    ¡°Should I be accepted into the sect, my goal is to cultivate,¡± he said, catching Xia Bao¡¯s mouth open with his preemptive answer. ¡°I would seek to diligently cultivate my qi to the Golden Core stage as expediently as possible, raising my body and mind cultivation to that same stage soon after. And from there, I would seek to raise myself to the Nascent stage, first in qi, then in mind and body yet again.¡± He drew a 4-Character tile as he finished, which he tossed into the discard pile, satisfied that he had given sufficient answer.

    There was no response from the table as the round returned to him again, so he drew and discarded another 4-Character tile before Lee Han finally spoke.

    ¡°But what do you actually want to do?¡± Lee Han asked incredulously. ¡°We¡¯re all here to cultivate, but what do you want to cultivate in particular?¡±

    ¡°My qi,¡± Ren replied, confused by the question. ¡°Followed by my mind, and then my body.¡±

    ¡°But why? What¡¯s the reason for your cultivation?¡± Lee Han pestered. ¡°Surely you have a greater reason to all that than simply cultivating for cultivation¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°Why, of course I do,¡± Ren responded. ¡°My goal is to become an Immortal. To reach the final stage of cultivation and ascend to the heavens.¡±

    ¡°I think what Lee Han is trying to ask, is do you have any other goals you are trying to achieve along the path of cultivation,¡± Shen interjected, ¡°What do you want to do with your cultivation when you obtain it?¡±

    ¡°Use it to cultivate more, of course,¡± Ren said. ¡°What greater calling is there for a cultivator than to cultivate? You might as well ask a rock why it¡¯s so hard . The wind why it blows, or the river why it¡­flows¡±

    Why it flows¡­

    Why it flows¡­

    Why it flows!

    That was it.

    That was what he¡¯d been missing from his study of the Teal Jade Qi Gathering Method. He spun the tile he¡¯d drawn in his fingers, as his head was awhirl with more rapidly circulating ideas.

    He had been so focused on imitating the flow of qi in the jade that he¡¯d missed the lesson the manual had been imparting: that he was supposed to be gaining an understanding of why the jade¡¯s qi flowed the way it flowed. By simply imitating its flow, all he was doing was attempting to turn his cultivation into that of a rock¡¯s. But by observing how the qi flowed through the stone, how it followed the natural veins of qi within it, that functioned similarly to his own meridians¡­ Yes, emulation through observation was the key, rather than mere shape imitation.

    He needed to meditate on this immediately. This was a breakthrough. If he lost track of his thoughts now, when he¡¯d finally had this stroke of inspiration, he would be squandering this opportunity. Ren stood, calmly placing down his last draw with shaking fingers as he did.

    ¡°Apologies Seniors, but I have just had a stroke of inspiration. Thank you for the game. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And thank you for the rice Senior Xia Bao, it was truly delicious.¡± He bowed to his companions, before returning to his room in as dignified a manner as he could manage while containing his excitement.

    Twelve long, auspicious steps later and he was through the door. Another five steps, also auspicious, as it was five like the five elements, and he was in front of his jade.

    Yes, he could see it all so clearly now. He had had eyes, but now they could truly see. He sank into a meditative pose, cushion forgotten as he was entranced by the stone. The flow of the stone¡¯s qi was just as visible as before, but now that he knew what he was looking for he could truly understand it. Its flow was not simply contained by rigid meridians or the hardness of the stone. Nor was it simply a path worn into the stone by its nature, a winding shape of whatever path the qi had decided to follow. It was a harmony of the two, a¡­ what was the word. Ah, resonance! That was what it was, resonance.

    As the word swam to the surface of Chao Ren¡¯s mind, another idea struck him. He drew a fist back and struck the slab in turn. A clear note rang out, and as he watched, the jade¡¯s qi rippled in response. The qi in the surrounding air shivered a well, its flow changing to match that of the jade¡¯s before slowly returning to its usual chaotic flow.

    There was so much to learn here. Ren struck the jade again, watching the way that the flow of qi changed as it changed between its two states. He took a deep breath and let his own qi flow through his meridians. Not forcing it through, but simply allowing it to flow, and to resonate with himself. For his first breath he felt nothing, but by his tenth, he began to feel a faint sense of harmony. He struck the jade again, and as he watched the qi once again attune itself to the air around him, he took yet another breath, ready to try again, for as long as it would take.

    *****

    As Chao Ren sprinted off to his room to make use of his breakthrough, Bailong Shen let out a sigh. He had hoped that they would be able to break their headstrong junior out of his shell, but it would seem that the heavens themselves had made other plans. He took a long drink as he mulled his thoughts over, before turning back to find that his tablemates were going through Chao Ren¡¯s tiles in his absence.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Lee Han exclaimed, looking at the matching Green Dragon that Ren had drawn right before his departure. ¡°It would seem that the heavens truly were favoring Chao Ren today. Drawing a new source of inspiration along with his winning tile. What a lucky guy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that it took so long for him to get to that win,¡± Shen noted, absentmindedly shuffling his tiles. To an observer his hand would seem like the hand of a child who didn¡¯t know how to play the game; an utter menagerie of unassociated tiles. ¡°I thought that we agreed that we¡¯d let him win an early game to let him feel more comfortable, Lee Han.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I had to make it seem natural,¡± Lee Han snapped back, ¡°If I¡¯m down to one tile left, I can¡¯t just let my winning tile pass.¡±

    ¡°Of course you could,¡± Shen responded, ¡°you just don¡¯t call it. You just needed to hold onto your last tile until I fed into his last wait.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see you complaining to Bao,¡± Lee Han replied, pointing accusingly at their companion.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think I can find it in myself to blame him,¡± Shen said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that either of us could have resisted winning with Orphans.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry about that,¡± Bao apologized, picking a fleck of dried rice from his wok, ¡°I know that he was pretty close that hand as well.¡±

    ¡°He was pretty close most of the hands,¡± Lee Han said as he started to stack a small tower of tiles with his invisible hand. ¡°Honestly, it was all just down to luck in the end.¡±

    ¡°Or self control,¡± Shen said.

    ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± Lee Han replied. ¡°Shit.¡± The tenth tile had proved to be too much for his mental dexterity, and the whole thing came tumbling down. He brushed the tiles aside and started another stack.

    ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t,¡± Bao noted, putting his wok on the grass to dry. ¡°Do you think that he¡¯s going to be alright?¡±

    ¡°With the isolation or with the test?¡± Shen asked.

    ¡°Both, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I think our little sage can handle being alone with his cultivation,¡± Lee Han said, carefully focusing on his stacking. ¡°He¡¯s got the temperament for it. My uncle was the same way. Always more comfortable in his cave than in a conversation. Can¡¯t say much about the test part though. Inspiration like that¡¯s always a crapshoot.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Shen agreed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few tales of cultivators who found inspiration and set out to refine their art further through closed door cultivation, only to end up with something far from what they intended on achieving.¡±

    He remembered hearing about how it happened to a third uncle of his during his youth. As his mother told it, his honored uncle had entered his cave attempting to refine his Twin Long Horn Volcano Fist, and emerged a decade later with a new recipe for roasting pork skins. It was a very good recipe, but it was also a testament to the fact that even the most focused cultivator could still end up getting sidetracked. For someone of Chao Ren¡¯s age, it was unlikely that he¡¯d be able to remain focused for quite that long, but given the requirements of the test, and the time they had left¡­

    Lee Han cursed his tower¡¯s second collapse as Shen reached a conclusion. ¡°I think there¡¯s a good chance he¡¯ll succeed.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    Dawn:

    Yeung Lin woke just before the first crow of the cock.  He rose out of his meditative form, brushing aside strands of ebon hair as the first rays of the sun reached through his window and were caught in his mirror array.  His body had gotten quite used to the sun¡¯s cycle across the mountain over the last couple centuries, and he was able to reliably rise before the livestock.  Most days, these days.

    Sometimes one of the spirit beasts kept by a fellow instructor or an aspiring disciple would crow before he could rise, returning to him once again those feelings of annoyance that he experienced when they had stolen his sleep from him as a disciple.  But such an occasion was rare these days, and sometimes, almost welcome.

    Monotony was an insidious trap that many cultivators fell into over the years.

    There was a fine line between routine and stagnation, and while Yeung Lin was loathe to admit it, sometimes he looked back fondly on those reminders of his bittersweet youth.  Even if it was quite aggravating in the moment.

    He made sure that his kettle was topped off as it began to heat up, the carefully set formation of mirrors and carved statuettes having finally caught enough of the sun¡¯s rays to activate.  It had been a fun little creation, he reminisced as he changed his clothes.  He could have simply used a talisman or a spell, or even a quick application of fire qi to raise the temperature of the water, but such a brute force solution wouldn¡¯t have taught him as much as developing this little formation had.

    He had had to figure out the best way to harness the properties of heat that sunlight possessed, the proper types of stone to use to achieve the precise type of fine control he wanted to best maintain the temperature of his tea, and how to smelt the mirrors that would capture the sun¡¯s rays.  He had ended up going with bronze for those.

    Brass had proved itself to be too inefficient after it was etched with the proper inscriptions, and silver far too efficient.  It had taken him three sticks to stop it from setting his entire room ablaze, and two years before he could convince the instructor in charge of the dorm that it was safe enough for regular use.

    That said, perhaps it was time for him to look back into the use of silver mirrors in different applications of his formation.  Perhaps it had a use in heating forges, or as a defense mechanism against demonic beasts¡­  Of course, it would only work well during the day, when the sun was out, but with the right material substitutions and modifications, perhaps sufficiently bright flames would be able to stand in¡­

    Quickly, Yeung Lin called his notebook out of his storage ring.  Flipping its strained pages open, he thumbed his way to the most recently used page, where he wrote down his idea.

    -Consider applications of Tea Formation #17-221 with silver mirrors.  Smithing or beast defenses.  Addition of formation pieces to use fire instead of sun?

    He gave his notebook a measured look as he contemplated the way its spine was starting to bend.

    He might have been overdoing it with the added notes again.  The book was almost thrice it¡¯s original thickness from all the extra sheets and addendums he had been slipping into it lately, and he suspected that it was reaching its limit.  It wouldn¡¯t do to have another one burst.  It was always such a pain to restitch a book, not to say anything about the embarrassment he would suffer running around another courtyard grabbing pages before they got ruined.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    That had been perfectly fine when he was a student, but now that he was an instructor, he had a certain level of respectability to maintain.  He made another note at the end of his book.

    -Recompile notes

    Then, catching sight of the same note on the other side of the spread, he added another word.

    -Recompile notes, URGENT!

    He circled the note for emphasis.  He briefly considered writing it on the back of his hand to doubly remind himself, but decided against it at the last minute.  He had the kids today, and it wouldn¡¯t do to show them such an undignified side to himself.

    If only there was a way to allow his notebook to simply absorb new pages the same way that he absorbed qi.  The fact that he could slide notes between pages was what had first motivated him to switch from his old Endless Scroll to bound notebooks in the first place.  He might have never needed to worry about running out of room in it, but he had always hated how it was unable create more space to let him expand on ideas that needed more words.  But perhaps he could fix that.  As his kettle began to whistle, he made one last note in his notebook.

    -Notebook that can accept new pages?  Growing spine, binds to pages.  Increase durability.  Wooden spine?  Consider living wood, perhaps ivory or pewter to enhance wood qi efficiency on inlay?

    He snapped the notebook shut, or rather, gently closed it so that the spine wouldn¡¯t explode, before carefully storing it in his ring just as his kettle began to whistle.  The spoon he had linked to the formation swiftly scooped a serving of tea from a caddy into his teapot just before the kettle filled it.  The mirrors shifted as it did so, focusing the amplified rays into the Crimson Dolerite pedestal beneath it.

    It would store the excess heat for later, be it for a second pot of tea now or when the sun had set.  It would also prevent a fire, which was the safety feature that had most impressed the sect when he had developed it.  He had received quite a few Contribution Points when he had submitted the design to the sect, and he still made a tidy sum of additional income each year from its continued use.

    Straightening out his robes, he took an appreciative whiff of the aroma.

    It was oolong today.  That was nice.

    He had carved charm into the base of his tea caddies so that they would shuffle around while he was out, ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t know what sort of tea he would start the day.  It was a small trick, but a good one for ensuring that his routine remained varied.

    He waited a stick for his tea to steep, using the time to go over his schedule for the day.  Today was going to be particularly busy, as several extra tasks had aligned, but it was nothing he couldn¡¯t handle.  When his tea finished, he enjoyed three slow cups as he watched the sect come alive from his window, savoring the moment.

    General members milled around as they pulled carts of deliveries, boxed high with goods either too sensitive for spatial compression or too mundane to warrant its use.  Every now and again he spotted a disciple jogging around them, either on their way to early morning lessons or simply to refine their physiques as they enjoyed the morning air.  A few street stalls had begun to open, and the faint sounds of calls for hot tea and morning buns began to meld into the morning murmur.

    Lin had run one for a while, back when he was a disciple.  The profits had been small, but they¡¯d paid for the materials he¡¯d needed for his talisman experiments at the time.  And given him the opportunity to buy tea in large enough quantities to truly master the art of the perfect brew, at least as far as North Continental greens were concerned.

    As he poured a fourth cup, he checked his timepiece.  His internal clock had been slightly off lately, and he wanted to ensure that he wasn¡¯t running late.  It was nine seconds to twelve minutes to seven, just two seconds ahead of where he¡¯d expected, so he still had room for improvement.

    It was just enough time to finish the pot though, and as he gulped down the two cups, he called his flying sword to him from its place by his cushion.  The scabbard flew to his back, its sash neatly tying itself across his chest as his sword swooped out the window.  With a quick hand sign, he drew the last drops of tea from the cup and kettle into his mouth, enjoying one final mouthful of the tea before leaping from his balcony.  His sword caught him as fell, carrying him off to his first destination of the day.

 Chapter 13

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    7<sup>th </sup>Outer Hour:

    Yeung Lin leapt from his flying sword 300 feet above Clear Jade Mountain, the third peak to have been integrated into the Teal Mountain Sect.  He twisted in the air as he fell, burning off his momentum as he lightened his body with a subtle application of his Striding Gale Step movement technique.

    His fall slowed from a meteoric descent to a fierce tumble, and as he straightened out in anticipation of making contact with the ground, he clicked his heels together to activate the charm etched into the inner band of his anklet.  The carved characters activated without a hint of a glow, and as the tip of his toes touched the ground, the smooth stone slabs of the training field bowed beneath him.  It compressed under the force of his weight and velocity, sinking an inch or three before slowly rising back to its original shape as he took three steps forwards.

    The crowded disciples gasped at his entrance, having spotted him on his approach, a full stick later than the posted starting time.  He had learnt that arriving a bit late helped ensure that the disciples would catch sight of him as he fell.  If he was on time, they tended not to notice him until he had landed.  It was, however, odd for an instructor to be to be late to the first session of their own class, so they would always be on the lookout for a tardy teacher.

    As ever, his Stone to Pillow technique was flawless in its activation.  He had originally developed it to make long expeditions more bearable, but it had such lovely practical applications in other areas.  Sadly, few shared his vision, and technique had ended up languishing in one of the sects many libraries.  Its obscurity did make it easier to impress his students with it, however.

    They tended to associate the ease of his landing with a higher level of cultivation rather than a skilled application of technique, which would make it much easier to gain their respect.  In his early days as an instructor, this had been quite a challenge for him, as younger cultivators tended to assume that they knew better than him.  Ego and pride were the twin enemies of education, and he had found that a good show of prowess tamed them more readily than any declaration of his own accolades.

    He could, of course, have simply made the landing with force, but then repairing the field would have been a chore he¡¯d rather not task himself with.

    He raised his hand to halt the clapping of the one disciple that had decided to applaud, and began his prepared introduction as his flying sword sheathed itself on his back.  Clasping his hands, he gave a slight bow as he introduced himself.

    ¡°Greetings disciples.  I am Instructor Yeung Lin.¡±

    The disciples hastily reciprocated his gesture, left hand clasped over right, though with the appropriately deeper bows.  ¡°These disciples greet the Instructor.¡±

    ¡°I am happy to see that all eighteen of you are here on time.  That is good.  As with life, opportunities are what you make of them, and your lack of attendance at any of our sessions will be its own punishment.¡±

    ¡°The purpose of our next six months together is to improve your body cultivation.  Should you desire to neglect it, I will not stop you.  You will only be harming yourselves.  But if you wish to learn, and follow my instructions, I can guarantee that you will improve.  Now, are there any questions?¡±

    The disciples remained silent, although one or two of them still had their mouths slightly open.  After giving them another moment to respond, he resumed.  ¡°Very well.  Now, your first exercise will be to select a practice dummy and bring it to the center of the field for our next drill.¡±  He pointed to the corner of the arena, where a collection of dull blue-green stone pillars stood.  They were roughly the size of a very large man, so small to be pillars but quite large compared to some of the disciples.  They were roughly cylindrical, with a series of protruding bars at various angles and lengths.  They had many uses for sparring, and as the disciples were about to learn, handling.

    Several of the disciples groaned at the task, grumbling complaints under their breath.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°We have to move them ourselves?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they set up to begin with?¡±

    ¡°Is he really making us do his job for him?¡±

    Yeung Lin clapped his hands, silencing them once again.  ¡°As I said, the purpose of our training is to cultivte your bodies.  If you cannot handle your own tools, how can you hope to master them?¡±

    To prove his point, he walked across the field and stopped next to the largest practice dummies.  Leaning back, he loudly cracked his spine for dramatic effect (a trick he had learnt from one of his own mentors), stretched his arms, and without any further delays, deftly slung the pillar over his back.

    As the disciples watched, he walked back to the center of the training field, up the five short stairs surrounding it, gripping the dummy by a pair of protuberances.  Leaning to the side, he slowly slid it down, letting an edge come to rest against the ground before rocking it slowly into place.

    ¡°There,¡± Yeung Lin said, leaning his hand against the side of the dummy.  ¡°Now, we only have two hours together today, so get to it.¡±  The disciples quickly moved into action, jogging across the field to claim their own dummies.  He carefully watched as they each chose a dummy to use, making sure to be at the ready in case a fight broke out over a particular dummy.

    He had made sure that all save one were as close to the same size as possible, but you never knew with youngsters these days.  So many of them had so much to prove, and it often manifested in them squabbling over the smallest things.  Fortunately, the selection process was quite uneventful.  The moving process, however, was quite the opposite.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Why¡­are¡­they¡­so¡­heavy,¡± one of the more muscled disciples grunted, biceps bulging as he struggled to part the dummy from the earth.  Min Gang, Lin noted, recalling the name from his register.  He had a younger relative taking the entrance exam.  Perhaps he would see him later today.

    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re fixed to the ground,¡± a freckled female disciple with straw colored hair grunted as she tried to push her pillar to little effect. ¡°And this is all¡­ a test¡­ of our persistence.  Instructor Chun¡­ did made us do the same with those¡­stupid bottomless buckets.¡±

    ¡°No, Disciple Gao Oma, I can assure you that that is not the purpose of this lesson,¡± Yeung Lin said, stepping up to her pillar.  With a minor effort he pushed the pillar a foot to the side with a pat of his palm, before sliding it back to its original position.  ¡°The goal of this exercise is for you to move the dummy.  If it was impossible to do so, it would defeat the purpose.¡±

    The disciples looked a bit stunned by this, as none of them had detected a hint of qi when he moved the stone.  When he had been on the other side of the field it had been harder to tell if he had used any, but up close there was no doubt.  Their instructor was indeed moving the heavy stones with nothing but his body!

    ¡°Is there some secret to this?¡± Disciple Li Fen muttered, hair buns bobbing as she strained to gain leverage against her dummy¡¯s bars.  A good idea, if one poorly supported by her form.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yeung Lin replied.

    ¡°Will you tell us?¡± Min Gang asked, still straining to lift his rock.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yeung Lin replied.

    ¡°Wait, for real?¡± Another disciple, Hao Kuo, asked incredulously.  Upon hearing this, the rest of the disciples immediately stopped what they were doing to listen in, which made sense to Yeung Lin.  Many of his fellow instructors were not quite so forthcoming with their answers, which had always frustrated him as a student.

    Said frustration had shaped his own teaching style, which was why he kept his object lessons short and to the point.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yeung Lin replied. ¡°It is never the wrong choice to seek enlightenment.  If you neglect to think your approach through when solving a task, you can very easily put in twice the effort for half the results.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Chun says that only a fool seeks answers to questions rather than solve them themselves,¡± Gao Oma said, resting against her pillar.

    ¡°Instructor Chun is¡­¡± Yeung Lin caught himself before he said ¡®a crusty fossil with beliefs that should have gone extinct in the Age of Drought¡¯.  It wouldn¡¯t do to start another feud with a fellow teacher, especially one with a slight degree of seniority.  ¡°¡­a follower of a different philosophy than I.  He prefers to teach with harsh lessons, while I fail to see how such a circuitous path is the best way forwards.¡±  There, that should be a diplomatic enough.

    ¡°I would also like to note that Instructor Chun has somewhat muddled the original meaning of that proverb in his telling.  It is not ¡®fool seeks answers to questions rather than solve them themselves¡¯, but rather ¡®a scholar seeks answers, while a fool expects to be handed them¡¯.  My purpose is to teach.  If I were to simply respond ¡®figure it out on your own¡¯ to every question I was asked, I could be replaced by a wooden sign and a pile of scrolls.¡±

    There was a silence as the class let his words sink in, surprised at how nakedly backhanded they were.  Eventually, one raised her hand.

    ¡°Yes, Disciple Gao Oma?¡±

    ¡°So, what is the secret Instructor?¡± Oma asked, clearly curious to hear what it was.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite simple,¡± Yeung Lin said, standing next to another dummy.  ¡°How much do you think these dummies weight?¡±

    There was a pause as the disciples waited to see if the question was rhetorical.  When their instructor exasperatedly waved his hands in response, they quickly began to call out numbers.

    ¡°500 pounds.¡±

    ¡°800 pounds.¡±

    ¡°Half an elephant.¡±

    ¡°A ton.¡±

    ¡°700 pounds.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually correct, Disciple Li Fen,¡± Yeung Lin said with an approving nod.  ¡°These dummies do, in fact, weigh a full ton.  So quite a bit away from half of an elephant, unless it¡¯s a very small one.  No, Teal Nephrite is quite heavy for its size, and many disciples don¡¯t realize quite how much more until they try and lift a block of it themselves.¡±

    ¡°So is the lesson that we should know how much stone weights?¡± Min Gang asked, before hastily adding, ¡°Instructor Yeung?¡±

    ¡°In a way,¡± Yeung Lin replied.  ¡°The lesson here is twofold.  The first is that you should have taken a moment to analyze your task before you attempted it.  You assumed that because I was able to easily lift the stone, that you could lift it as well.  And in doing so, you underestimated them because of their appearance.  That can be quite dangerous a dangerous assumption to make when you are out in the world.  Many cultivators hide their fangs, and what appears trivial to some can very easily be a tribulation for you should you carelessly attempt to imitate them.¡±

    ¡°The other lesson is for you to understand your weakness, and through it, your goal.  By the end of our time together, you will be able to move these dummies.  Perhaps not as easily as I can, but you will be able to move them.  It will take a lot of hard work, but if you follow my lessons diligently, you will be able to move them.  Now, on to our real first exercise.¡±

    Yeung Lin stepped over to the tarp that had been set up over the equipment adjacent to the dummies.  Such cloths were commonplace around the training field, so it had gone unquestioned by the disciples.  With a flourish, he tossed it into the air, where it slowly fell before eventually landing atop the dummy in the center of the field.  Underneath were a series of stone bracers and weights, all of the same dull blue-green stone as the training dummies.

    ¡°Now, there should be enough for each of you.  The large bands go on your legs, while the slender ones go on your wrists.  We¡¯ll be starting off with a lap around the training buildings, and if we have time, I will take you through a series of exercises to do on your own.¡±

    He produced his own set of weights from his storage ring, smiling to himself as his disciples gasped at how much larger they were.  He could have chosen to bring out his set made from Black Mountain Sand, which weighed twice as much at a tenth the size, but they never got quite the same reaction.

    9<sup>th </sup>Outer Hour:

    As Yeung Lin¡¯s class collapsed to the ground, glad to finally be free from their torment, Lin walked around the field, passing each of them a gourd of water and a Body Recovery pill.  They were relatively mild, made from some herbs that he¡¯d been cultivating in his personal garden for the last decade or so, but they were potent enough to reduce the disciples¡¯ exhaustion level from limply panting on the ground to being severely winded.

    Typically, such medicine would cost a few sect merit points, but he found that providing minor support to his students helped endear him to them.  Especially after such rigorous exercise.

    ¡°You all did a good job,¡± he said, treating them to a brief round of applause.  ¡°I believe I have a good grasp of your individual levels, so next class I can start to give you more personalized instruction.  Be sure to eat a good meal to help your body recover.  Nutrition is important for your growth.¡±

    After reminding his disciples to store their equipment back where they¡¯d gotten it, he returned his sparring dummy to its place before jumping on his flying sword to set off towards Cracked Peak Mountain.  He was genuinely running late for his next class, and while he had accounted for his Body Tempering Guidance class to run a bit late, he didn¡¯t want to push his margins too much.

    Unlike his physical cultivation class, his Practical Application of Defensive Formation class was halfway through their curriculum, so he had established a slightly higher expectations for him in them.

 Chapter 14

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    9<sup>th </sup>outer hour:

    Cracked Peak Mountain was the fifth peak to have been integrated into the Teal Mountain Sect, and was in many regards one its most dangerous.  While the rest of the peaks housed civilization, in the form of training facilities, administrative buildings, businesses, and residences, Cracked Peak Mountain contained only wilderness.  Carefully cultivated wilderness, but wilderness nonetheless.

    Its fractured surface was a mosaic of different climates, ranging from thick forests and open plains to cold tundras and even a small desert.  Each area stood apart from its peers, both in appearance and distance, the deep cracks that gave the mountain its name dividing each environ into distinct plateaus.

    The Teal Mountain Sect took great effort to maintain as wide of an assortment as they could, to better prepare their disciples to be able to use their techniques no matter the circumstance.  A cultivator that could only utilize their techniques on the even surface of a dueling field was of little use to the Sect, and so the fields served as a proving ground to rehabilitate such hothouse flowers.

    Today, Yeung Lin had reserved a forested field for his Practical Application of Defensive Formations class.  The students had spent the first half of their year together leaning how to improve the efficiency and speed of their deployments, and now was the first time many of them would put their new skills to the test.

    He hoped that the ¡®many¡¯ would be fewer students than last year. He had made sure to increase the frequency with which he had given them the advice to ¡®practice deploying the techniques in spars¡¯, but he was unsure it was changing much.  Perhaps next year he should simply add it to their required workload.

    But then he would have to revise the curriculum, or it would cut too much into the time they needed for their own cultivation methods, and that always ended poorly.  Yeung Lin had found out long ago that his students were more likely to do the work he assigned them if it was in manageable quantities, and so made sure to carefully ration the assignments he gave.  If he were to add early practice spars to the curriculum ahead of the Cracked Peak lessons¡­

    His finger twitched as he resisted the urge to call forth his notebook.  He was on his flying sword.  It was neither the time nor place, and he would rather not spend another century rehabilitating his image if he hit another ferry.  Instead, he forced himself to be content with making a mental note of his revised plans for the lesson.

    He hated mental notes.  Some cultivators prided themselves on their ability to store entire libraries in their heads, but Yeung Lin had always felt that it was a wasted effort.  One could learn so much more in the time it took to commit even a small shelf to memory, and such recollections often became muddled with age.  The written word, on the other hand, was immutable, and could preserve his ideas for as long necessary.  He could also think faster without all the puffery that the average tome possessed clouding his mind.

    As he approached the mountain, he spotted the ferry his class was on bobbing its way up the clouds, having been instructed to depart on time should he run late.  It was a small, single pilot craft, with a flat bottom and pair of bright red sails sewn with silver signs of power that glowed as they caught the wind.  With a burst of qi his sword sped up, gaining on the craft until he was neck and neck with it.  Hopping onto the deck, he sheathed his sword as his disciples eagerly greeted him.

    ¡°Greetings shifu!¡±

    ¡°Good morning shifu!¡±

    ¡°Good morning class.  I trust that you are all prepared for today¡¯s lesson?¡±  Yeung asked, appraising his students as they nodded and made affirmations.  Many wore bags and satchels, slung over sides so that their contents would be within easy reach.  The few that could afford spatial pouches wore them on secured belts, and he was pleased to find that all of them had followed his advice about maintaining backup bags.  One even wore a quiver at his side, filled with carefully rolled flags.

    He was glad to see that Yifan Chang hadn¡¯t been dissuaded from practicing his family¡¯s Flowing Flood Flag Formation technique.  Flag formations could be quite difficult for second stage cultivators to learn, as in addition to their bulk components they also required far more delicate control than other techniques of their level, so his decision to carry on his family legacy despite this challenge was quite commendable.  Such resolve would be a great asset when he began to codify his Dao, so long as it didn¡¯t bend.

    ¡°Very good.  When we arrive, you will have a stick to prepare yourselves.  After this time, I will begin my pursuit.  Your goal is to evade my pursuit and survive for as long as possible.  You may use any means available to defend yourselves, short of techniques that use your lifespan.  This is a training drill, not a life or death encounter, so I will not tolerate such waste.  To ensure an accurate test of skill, I will be restricting my cultivation to that of a second stage cultivator for the first half of the exercise, and will raise it as time progresses.  Do you have any questions?¡±  Yeung Lin gave the class a moment to raise their hands before selecting a student.

    ¡°Disciple Yifan Chang.¡±

    ¡°Will there be any water sources at the arena?¡± Chang asked, adjusting the banner tied to his back.  His main techniques required a substantial supply of the stuff to unleash, and until he reached the Golden Core stage he would be quite unable to produce enough with just his qi.

    ¡°I cannot say,¡± Yueng Lin replied, treating his class to a smile. ¡°Part of this exercise is to adapt to unexpected environments; if I were to give you the lay of the land in advance, it would defeat the purpose of the exercise.  Disciple Qiai Mei."

    ¡°Will you tell us what the ¡®special prize¡¯ for being the last one to survive is?¡± she asked.  Most of the other disciples lowered their hands at this question.

    ¡°I suppose I could...¡± Yeung Lin dragged out the words, deliberately stroking his bare chin as if carefully considering whether he would answer.  He let his students hang onto his words for two, then three long moments to whet their appetites before finally answering.  The anticipation always helped whet their enthusiasm for the answer.  ¡°The winner¡¯s prize shall be lunch at The Crab¡¯s Den.  Bowl of Special Soup included.¡±

    Many of the students sighed at this, doing their best to hide that they had started as groans.  The Crab¡¯s Den, while a fine enough eating establishment, was far from the peak of spirit cuisine, much less the peak of its own peak.  Its menu had a distinct leaning, and while spirit crabs were a luxury item in many other areas, the Teal Mountains were lousy with them.  Most disciples tended to gorge themselves on the delicacy for their first decade in the Sect, turning themselves off it for the next five.

    Yeung Lin had never quite experienced this phenomenon himself, as he endeavored to keep his diet as varied as possible.  However, as he knew that few disciples had such discipline, he added his usual sweetener to the pot.  ¡°You will also the privilege of my company for the duration of the lunch, as well as my undivided attention.¡±

    That got their attention.  Private lessons were a privilege usually reserved for inner disciples and those that could afford the steep price instructors charged for their time.  After all, while an inch of time could buy an inch of spirit stones, even a ton of spirit stones could never buy another inch of time.  A chance to learn directly from a senior- well, soon to be senior instructor such as himself was a rare learning opportunity for them.

    As the disciples began to mutter amongst themselves, the ferry arrived with a light tunk against the dock.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Well, with that our time has begun,¡± Yeung Lin said, conjuring the image of a large hourglass with a quick gesture.  With a flick of his wrist, the glass flipped, the fake sand tumbling against the illusion of glass.  He drew a restraining talisman from his pocket, smoothed it out, and placed it against his chest.  ¡°Your time starts now.  If you have any other questions, you may now ask them at your own risk.¡±

    At this, the disciples scattered, leaping from the boat as they made a mad dash for the woods.  As soon as he was sure they were out of sight, Yeung Lin drew his notebook from his storage ring and began to record his ideas for a revised curriculum.   As he was halfway through figuring out which homework to cut to make room for extra practical assignments, he was interrupted by a loud cough.

    Looking up, he spotted one of the disciples piloting the ferry raising a fist to her mouth for another, looking pointedly at the timepiece in her other hand as she did.  Yeung Lin quickly put Yin and Yang together, relocating to the dock so that the two could move on to their next appointment.

    After another 7 minutes he dissolved his long-halted hourglass, trading his notebook for a long staff of lacquered polar pine with a banner-wrapped end as he began to advance down the dock.  A heavy belt soon followed, festooned with holstered spikes and pouches containing other essential formation tools.  It was only fitting that he match his students¡¯ resources, lest they blame equipment for their defeat and learn the wrong lessons.

    He was wondering what sorts of tricks his class would use when he stopped the first, a pair of nails stabbed into the pilings at the end of the dock.

    A hand¡¯s breadth long, and as wide as his smallest finger, they were engraved with thin lines of power that merged into the shape of an eye at the nail¡¯s head.  If he crossed the space between the two points, it would detect his presence.  A very simple detection array, but one well suited to the task of alerting its maker that he¡¯d begun his hunt.

    ¡°Good use of the Sentinel¡¯s Eyes Formation, Chu Min!¡± Yeung Lin called into the woods, leaning around the side of the dock.  With a flick, he dislodged the rightmost nail with his staff, careful to not bend it as he did.  While a two-point formation was relatively easy to deploy, their simplicity made it just as easy to disarm.  ¡°Next time I would recommend positioning your markers along the poles, they are too easily seen when simply lodged into the side.¡±

    ¡°Now, as for the rest of you¡­¡± his thoughts trailed off as he approached the woods, before suddenly lunging to his left, pole sweeping down to strike the grass with a sharp crack.  With a pop of qi, the concealment array broke, revealing a short disciple rubbing his knuckle.

    ¡°Now, what is it that you¡¯re always saying, Sun Xiu?  Lin asked, tapping the disciple on his head with his staff.

    ¡°That it¡¯s always darkest beneath the lighthouse,¡± his student answered ruefully, rising to his feet.  He began to gather the stakes he¡¯d planted in the ground, eight long lengths of lacquered willow painted in reds and blues.  ¡°I really thought that would work.  If I slipped your notice, I could have simply bided my time while you went after the rest of the class.  But I guess I wasn¡¯t thorough enough to fool shifu¡¯s eyes.¡±

    ¡°It was a bold move,¡± Lin responded, ¡°I must give you credit for both your ingenuity and your execution.  It was bold of you to stake everything on a single formation, especially so near to the entrance, and your control of the concealment array was exemplary for your cultivation level.  However, there was a single flaw in your plan.¡±

    ¡°And what was that, shifu,¡± Xiu asked, curious to learn his shortcoming.

    ¡°You should have set your array out of sight from the dock.  I spotted you setting your formation when I left the boat.¡±

    ¡°Aiya,¡± Xiu said, slapping his head

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lin said, ¡°one must be careful to not forget the forest for the trees.  A technique, no matter how refined, is only useful when used properly.  Meditate on this, and other methods you could have used, while you wait for the rest of your peers.  It will be good for you to exchange tales while you wait.¡±

    As his disciple returned to the dock, he turned once again to the forest, eyes sweeping for any sign of passage.  He found several more detection arrays; several more two-point arrays of varying widths, and a dozen single-point arrays.   It was a risky decision to deploy so many of the later, as they took substantially more qi to place.

    This was because they lacked the ability to establish a flow, something that even a two-point array possessed, albeit in a limited manner.  While a multi-point array could imitate a cultivator¡¯s meridians, drawing in ambient qi into the paths between points sustain itself, a single point array could only make use of the qi they were supplied with.

    Their potency was limited by both this and their craftmanship, making them ideal for quick deployment, but a poor choice for prolonged use as they would wear down with time.  While the test was too short to expose this weakness, it could result in Chu Min learning bad practices.  He made a mental note to have a talk with her about it as he knocked Wei Lu out of a tree.  His concealment formation had been far more rudimentary than Sun Xiu¡¯s, as there was a noticeable distortion when viewed from below.

    After another half an hour of hunting, he located Tongqian Mei, followed by Lee Xin barely a stick later.  Both had opted for the same method as their predecessors, though Lee Xin had included a small barrier formation to imitate the hardness of the boulder he was pretending to be.

    It was a shame that so many of his disciples were opting for concealment arrays this time around.  Perhaps he should have made the rules favor engagements over being the last survivor.  He¡¯d modelled this exercise off one that he¡¯d come across in the archives, one that had been used by a predecessor during the sect¡¯s 2188<sup>th</sup> admission test.  The method was only a century old, so it shouldn¡¯t have been that far out of date.

    Perhaps the method of winnowing simply didn¡¯t translate as well to arrays.  He¡¯d have to give it a few more years to see.  His sample size was simply too small to give up on the first try.

    Now, with two students found, that only left five out of the seven to find.  No, he thought, snapping his fingers, six out of eight to get.  Ah, that was clever.

    He continued deeper into the woods, following the trail of single-point detection arrays until he eventually came across a clearing.  There, in the center, sat Chu Min, seated in the center of a barrier.  Four stone statues were positioned around her, each bearing the likeness of cardinal beasts.

    An onyx turtle and snake to the north, white marble tiger the west, a cinnabar phoenix to the south, and a teal jade dragon to the east.  They, in turn, were surrounded by six evenly spaced jade spheres, each the size of two fists, and carved with an intricate series of glyphs.

    It was a potent twofold barrier formation, one that he assumed that she had established in parts.  The Four Guardians Cardinal Barrier had likely come first, with the secondary barrier being placed while he hunted her peers.  The characters on the spheres were designed to reinforce other formations, rather than establish their own, so it was highly unlikely that they were the source of this barrier.

    ¡°Shifu,¡± she greeted.  She gave him a bare nod, the closest as a bow that she dared without disrupting her focus.  A ten-point formation was pushing her limit, and with all the arrays she had set to gauge his approach, she needed every drop of focus she could muster.  It was far from being perfectly integrated with the land, and while she had been sure to place it at the nexus of the clearing¡¯s qi, it was far from enough to sustain itself without her direct involvement.

    ¡°I must commend you on the craftsmanship of your anchor spikes.  Their inscriptions are excellent quality, although I fear that you may have overdone it with the quantity.¡±  Yeung Lin twirled his staff as he spoke, testing the barrier with a few experimental jabs.  It withstood them without so much as a flicker.

    Gripping his staff in two hands, he channeled his qi, taking his time threading it through his arms and empowering his staff before finally driving it down in a singular slash.  The outer barrier made a sound like half-shattering glass, cracks spiderwebbing through it before the inner barrier surged forwards, golden qi interposing itself in the gaps.  As he watched, it melded with the outer barrier, until it returned to its barely translucent sheen.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Lin commended, scrutinizing the barrier for any remaining cracks.  ¡°You¡¯ve managed to assume the role of the center quite well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, shifu,¡± Min replied, doing her best not to show how much that had taken out of her.  The flow of the array was still sluggish, unable to fully sustain itself off the land¡¯s qi, and she wasn¡¯t sure how many more blows like that she could take.  She was glad for the breeze.  It was helping her keep calm.

    ¡°Well, I see that you have force handled, now, let¡¯s try something else,¡± Lin reached towards the end of his staff, loosing his banner.  With a few more twirls it was fully unwound, an azure triangle waving proudly in the breeze.  White and yellow stitched characters covered its surface, tracing spiraling patterns designed to best channel his qi.  He began to circle the barrier, the tip of his staff tracing two conjoined circles as he did.

    As Chu Min watched the hypnotizing pattern of the cloth spin round and round, he drew three anchor spikes from his belt and threw them into the ground around himself in a triangular pattern.  With the barest glow he activated their power, forming a three-point strengthening array.  With another twirl of his banner his array grew, the spinning flag becoming a fourth, focal, point of the array.

    Qi swirled, drawing up through the ground, through his body, and through the flag in turn.  With a final swish, the flag flashed from right to left, sending a gust of wind through the barrier, and the westmost jade ball bowling forwards.

    Chu Min realized what was happening too late.  As she desperately tried to form the gestures for an immobilizing charm, it had already knocked over the marble tiger.  Their anchor points disrupted, the inner and outer barriers fell, and as they did, so too did Yeung Lin¡¯s staff against Min¡¯s head.  A gentle tap, and she was out of the running before she could even finish the words needed to stop her wayward sphere.

 Chapter 15

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    10<sup>th </sup>outer hour:

    ¡°An admirable job, Disciple Chu Min,¡± Yeung Lin commended, rerolling his banner with a quick spin of his staff.  ¡°A coupled barrier was a good solution to the limitations of time, if not one without flaw.  Can you tell me what your mistake was?¡±

    ¡°It was my decision to use spheres over spikes, wasn¡¯t it shifu,¡± Chu Min answered, gathering up her fallen artifacts.  ¡°If they couldn¡¯t hold their position when you broke the barrier.  I chose them over spikes because they could be used on more terrains, but it was clearly a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Lin replied, shaking his head.  ¡°While conventional wisdom is that spheres are for sand and snow, they are fine for soil and grass.  No, the flaw in your barrier was that you did not limit on the flow of air properly.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so your attack¡­¡±

    ¡°Was a purely physical gust.  My qi moved it, and my formation guided it, but it contained not a trace of my qi,¡± Lin said.  ¡°A body cultivator could do the same with a punch, should they possess sufficient control.¡±

    ¡°So then why did you choose to deploy a formation, shifu?  Didn¡¯t you teach us that knowing when not to use a formation is one of the true skills of a formation master?¡±

    ¡°To teach you, of course,¡± Lin replied, ¡°If I used force to overcome your formations you would learn its weakness.  By using a formation, I have also taught you a new technique.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Chu Min said, nodding her head.  She wasn¡¯t quite sure what method he was describing exactly, but nodding always helped.

    ¡°It was also unwise to simply rely on your defenses to hold me off.  While a suitable option for awaiting the arrival of nearby allies, your inability to react to threats would grant your opponent too much time to find an alternative method of breaking your defenses.  Consider meditating on solutions for these flaws after you collect your things,¡± Yeung Lin said, heading deeper into the wood.  Unlike Chu Min, the remaining two students had left no formations in their wake, instead focusing on subtlety and speed to keep their distance from their pursuer.  They had done well to conceal their qi, but their practical skills were a bit lacking.

    After a bit of searching, he managed to locate a pair of footprints in the loam.  A few yards away he spotted a trace of the same loam on the side of a tree, several feet from the ground, and his pursuit began.  As he followed the trail, he felt his sense grow sharper, the first binding of his restraint having finally worn off.

    He had only one more hour to find the remaining pair, but with his senses returning it would be an easy task.  His eyes began to catch the signs of their passage with greater ease, broken branches and errant footprints sticking out with increasing clarity.  His strides grew, each bound taking him further and further as his advantages compounded.

    The two were together.  Before he hadn¡¯t been able to tell, but with his sense back to those of a cultivator at the peak of the Second stage he could now see that some of the left footprints were slightly thinner than the others.  A partnership was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one.  Prizes tended to turn cultivators against one another, so it was refreshing to see that some of his students had managed to form such a bond.

    As he began to consider the types of combined techniques they might utilize against him, he felt a twitch of qi just north of him.  It was slight, just the barest wisp of a taste of water, but he could just make it out with his limited qi sense.  Licking a finger, he held it in the air as he imbued it with a touch of qi, reciting a charm that he¡¯d learnt from an old well digger in the Silver Sands Desert.

    Like many mortal spells, it lacked the power of a cultivator¡¯s arts, but Yeung Lin always found that that limitation led to ingenuity.  With a final word of minor power, like was drawn to like, and the tip of his finger twitched slightly in a direction slightly west by northwest.  With a practiced motion he let a needle of qi follow the pull, allowing it to draw two inches closer to its destination before he caught it with his will.  The well digger had simply chased flying drops of spittle, but Lin found it much more productive to use it as a compass.

    Between his new guide and the trail, his pursuit increased in speed yet again.  He leapt between the trees, dodging the doublebacks and decoys, the undergrowth offering little more impediment than the clouds in the sky.  He knew he was close when he spotted the first array in the distance, a curved four-point variant of Sentinel¡¯s Eyes Formation.  Slipping around the far edge of the array, he ducked below a mundane tripwire as he spotted a glen ahead.  A good redundancy, even if it could have been better hidden.

    With three swift leaps he climbed one of the many trees of the grove, sharpening his vision as he took in his student¡¯s fortifications.  Yifan Chang had wasted no effort with his preparation, having deployed all seven flags of his Flowing Flood Flag Formation.  A ring of water circled the two disciples, leisurely flowing in time with Chang¡¯s flag dance.  He was conserving his energy, maintaining just enough momentum that the water could rush towards an approaching threat, but moving slowly enough to avoid exhausting himself.

    Yeung Lin was surprised to see that he had managed to find a sufficiently large water source to make use of the technique, as he was sure that this area lacked any ponds or lakes, but the five colored array at the center of the water¡¯s source answered his question.  Qiai Mei was a student specializing in the arts of the five elements and had set a twofold transmutation formation.  Earth had become metal, and in turn, water, carving a crater from the clearing with its removal.

    As he quietly cut a branch from a tree, he made a note to patch that up later.  He would have to pay a fine if the training area was too damaged, and he¡¯d rather not incur the expense.  But that was for the future, while the present called for action.  Tossing the branch into the air, he swiftly circled the clearing, keeping his cover in the bushes as the branch began its descent.  He pulled a trio of anchor spikes from his belt as he did, spacing them between the fingers of his left hand as he waited for the branch to land.

    It didn¡¯t take long for gravity to do its work, and before it could even land Yifan Chang was already reacting, his flag signaling a preemptive counterattack.  Two tendrils of water lashed out, one stabbing forwards as a thick tendril as the second slashed a thin horizonal cut designed to intercept an opponent¡¯s attempt to dodge the first.  Qiai Mei called out as he did, her senses clearly the sharper of the two, yelling a warning to her partner.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trick!¡± she cried, eyes darting around the clearing as she reached for her belt.  Her hands had barely touched the totems within when Yeung Lin struck, his staff shattering their perimeter barrier like a ripe melon.  As he closed in, reducing the distance between them at alarming speed, she desperately threw the contents at him.  Her other hand rapidly moving through the signs to activate them, qi surging, tongue dancing through the chant without skipping a beat.  ¡°Seeds of mountains grow, rise to heights unseen!¡±

    Five stones flew through the air, their inscriptions glowing a bright white as the characters of power carved upon them surged.  The ground rose to embrace them, a jagged wall of rough stone and dirt the height of three men springing up with a speed that would make even the fastest spirit bamboo envious.  It was a rough formation, born through power and inscription, bereft of any consideration towards position and alignment, but it was enough to buy seconds.

    As Yeung Lin shattered it in turn, his staff breaking the half-real defense into a shower of earth and qi, Yifan Chang turned, the ring of water surging back in a second counterattack.  The name of an attack rose from his lips as he did, water forming the rough shape of a dragon, mouth open as the waves roared onwards, intent on swallowing its foe whole.  ¡°Flowing Flood Flag Technique: Devouring Dragon!¡±

    With practiced ease Yeung Lin threw two of his grasped anchors into the ground in one motion, each a foot to the side of his shoulders.  His staff struck forward as it unfurled, flag flowing free as the character for barrier glowed faintly atop its finial.  His qi aligned across the three points of his array as a wedge of barely translucent force formed, cleaving the dragon in twain as the wave broke against it. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Yifan Chang was quick to respond.  His flag whirled as he moved through the stances of familiar forms, performing a maneuver that his family had developed long ago to counter such barriers.  Again, a technique sprang from his lips, a declaration of power to strengthen his attack.  ¡°Flowing Flood Flag Technique: Confluence Crush!¡±

    The diverged flows reconvened, forming back into a single stream behind Yeung Lin, a dozen beams of water lancing towards his back as it did.  Again though, their instructor was quick to react.  Before his words had finished leaving Chang¡¯s lips, a third anchor was already sunk into the ground, the head of the flag tipping back as it did, parallel to the new addition.  Four points, now a trapezoid, flared with power as he added to the shape of his barrier.  The water bounced off, flowing back to Yifan Chang as he reformed his ring, readying himself for a

    Qiai Mei was in awe at the ease of the transition.  The geometry of the barrier had flowed like water, an elegant melding that had maintained stability at every turn.  There had barely been any fluctuation with the addition of the new point.  It put her improvised barrier to shame, that he could retain such finesse at such speed.

    ¡°Excellent, excellent,¡± Yeung Lin applauded, catching his staff in his elbow to free his hands for clapping.  After a short round of applause, he pulled another pair of anchors from his belt, the first reinforcing the same point as his flag so that he could free it from its position without disrupting his barrier.

    ¡°A quick response to a decoy, and good use of a prepared barrier.  Your throw could use a bit of practice, but your inscriptions were excellent.  And as for you, Disciple Yifan Chang; your attacks are much more refined than when we first met, but the same cannot be said for your control.  Two large attacks, in such quick succession, must surely have taken something out of you, especially so soon after setting up such an array.  You must be more conservative with your qi.¡±

    ¡°Yes shifu,¡± Chang replied heavily, unable to hide much of the exhaustion in his voice.  The two attacks had indeed drained a large portion of his qi.  He had hoped to score a hit against their teacher by pressing him with speed, but their difference in experience was simply too great.  If he wanted to stand a chance he had to act now, before Yeung Lin¡¯s restraint loosened any further.  While he still had the advantage in power.

    ¡°Hold him off while I ready my array,¡± he whispered to Qiai Mei, his flag spinning a slow circle above his head.  She nodded in affirmation, quickly deploying another series of statuettes from her belt as the spin of his flag grew in speed.  She chanted the incantation for a barrier of force and fog as the river ringing them began to pick up in speed, matching the ever-increasing pace of the flag.

    ¡°Excellent teamwork, the two of you must have spent quite a lot of time practicing it,¡± Yeung Lin commended, tossing his last anchor into the air.  ¡°However, there are gaps between your shield and sword.¡±

    Qiai Mei activated her barrier, a curtain of fog sweeping towards their teacher as Yifan Chang¡¯s flag swooped down, forcing the last of his qi and strength into his technique as the flood surged forwards in a spiral of compressed water.  A move he had refined more than any other in his arsenal, it¡¯s invocation drawing forth it¡¯s true power.

    ¡°Flowing Flood Flag Technique: Rapid Rapids!¡±

    As the anchor landed behind Yeung Lin, completing the pentagram, he plunged the butt of his staff into the ground, chant flowing as he spoke, ¡°As all flows with yin and yang, let it turn once more, again.¡±

    Qiai Mei gasped as she heard it, desperately redirecting her qi, but it was too late.  Yeung Lin¡¯s transmutation formation had already activated, shifting the already twice-transmuted water¡¯s fragile form further along the cycle of elements.  The blast of water rippled as it changed from clear liquid to pale pink peach petals, the change spreading from the tip of the charge to the entire ring in the blink of an eye.

    As Mei began to chant the activation for her transmutation array to attempt to reverse the change, Yeung Lin spoke quickly, fingers snapping as he chanted the words to an old country charm he¡¯d learned on the Northern Continent, striking the moment her defensive barrier was down.  ¡°Pick up posts, fill in the holes, do it all as fast as moles.¡±

    Three of the posts of the transformation array popped from the ground, holes neatly filling with freshly turned soil.  Qiai Mei gaped in surprise, while Yifan Lin forced his way out of the pile of petals that were now burying him.  As Mei reached to her pouches for another set of totems, Yeung Lin¡¯s staff caught her in the side, knocking the qi from her lungs.  He tapped her forehead gently with his staff, eliminating her from the contest as Yifan Chang barreled towards him.

    With a crash their flags clashed, Lin blocking one, then two of Chang¡¯s strikes, before retaliating with a sweep towards his leg.  Yifan dodged by leaping back, banner raised as Yeung Lin spun the tip of his staff, flag billowing in his opponent¡¯s face.  As Yifan Chang traced a defensive pattern with his own, waiting for the next blow to come, Yeung Lin¡¯s fist struck him from the side.  He had dropped his flag, choosing instead to use it as a decoy for his true attack.  As Chang spun, a kick swept his legs from under him, and he went sprawling in the pile of petals.

    By the time he¡¯d recovered his senses, his teacher was on top of him, fist halted an inch from his face.

    ¡°I yield,¡± he said, raising his hands.  His shifu helped him up, handing him back his flag as he did.

    ¡°A good show until the end,¡± Yeung Lin said, clapping them both on the shoulders, ¡°though I cannot fault you for your panic towards the end.  Experience is the only true way to learn that the only preparation for the unexpected is the preparation to adapt.  Can you tell me what went wrong with your plan?¡±

    ¡°We relied too much on transmutation,¡± Qiai answered, combing petals from her hair.  Yifan plucked one from behind her ear, and she blushed a bit as she continued.  ¡°Transmuted elements become more mutable the more they¡¯re changed, and my array didn¡¯t account for fixing their state.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Yeung Lin replied, tossing her a minor Qi Recovery pill from his ring.  ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have dropped my barrier so hastily, it let you disrupt my anchors,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Very good,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What was that spell shifu,¡± Yifan Chang asked, bundling his flags, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a minor charm I learnt from a lazy farmer with a little talent for qi,¡± their teacher replied, as the two gasped.  To think that such a devastating counter was a mortal technique, rather than that of a true cultivator.  ¡°Ah, now don¡¯t make those faces.  As I¡¯ve said before, there are no weak techniques.  Any cultivator can learn this technique with ease, but few choose to do so, much less master its applications.  After all, can you truly say that you would seek out a technique for quickly removing fences?¡±

    The disciples shook their heads.

    ¡°I thought not.  I would recommend that you consult the Manual for Common Mortal Techniques and Charms in the library when you get a chance.  There are many techniques among them that you might find worth using, given the circumstances.¡±  He snapped his fingers again, and the remaining petals flew off their robes, gathering themselves up with the rest of their ilk before settling in the crater of the glen.  ¡°And failing a combat application, you will find that many make for excellent party tricks.¡±

    ¡°So as the elements dance, let them rest again anew,¡± Yeung Lin chanted, his Five Elements Transmutation formation pulsing one last time as the petals returned to their former earthy form.  Removing the restraint from his chest, he folded it up before storing it in his ring.  With a gesture, his anchors flew back to their places on his belt, and it too returned to the ring in exchange for a pair of message talismans and a pen.

    On one he wrote a quick message to the groundskeeper that he had repaired a hole in the ground, though it was currently bare, and on the other he wrote a request for the ferry to return to the training ground.  With a breath of qi, the two messages were off on their way, and his students finally asked the question they¡¯d been holding back.

    ¡°So are we the last ones shifu,¡± Yifan Chang asked expectantly.

    ¡°We must be, he removed his restraint,¡± Qiai Mei added, ¡°right, shifu?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to see,¡± Yeung Lin said with a wink, and with a sigh the two followed him back to the entrance, well used to his habit of enigmatic affectation.

    As they came in sight of the dock, they heard Sun Xiu loudly announce their presence to everyone.  ¡°Look, there¡¯s Yifan and Qiai!  Looks like teach decided to walk them back together.¡±

    ¡°Guess that means I owe you lunch,¡± Wei Lu grumbled.

    ¡°So, is Aijiao Jingyi still out there shifu? Lee Xin asked, peering into the woods.  ¡°Or is she also with you.¡±  The aforementioned student was well known by the others for her stealth techniques, as well as her propensity for sneaking up on others.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Yeung Lin said, settling down to write in his notebook.  As he recorded his notes on their performance, the students talked among themselves, excited to hear how the latest returnees had fared against him.  After three sticks the ferry finally returned, slowly bobbing down through the clouds.  Yeung Lin slid his notebook back into his storage ring.  As it landed next to the dock, he turned towards the rest of his students.

    ¡°Everyone, please give a round of applause to Disciple Aijiao Jingyi, winner of one free lunch at The Crab¡¯s Den, for her outstanding use of a confusion array.¡±  The rest of the students looked at the pair of pilots in confusion, before the array was lifted, and they were able to once again recognize the last member of their class.  There was a clamor as they all began to speak at once, some in outrage at her trickery, others in praise of her technique.  With a cough, Yeung Lin silenced them before he continued.

    ¡°Next time we perform this exercise, I will add a rule against leaving the training area, but this time it is only right that I reward such ingenuity.¡±

    ¡°When did you figure it out shifu,¡± Aijiao Jingyi asked, clearly curious at how well she¡¯d managed to fool him.

    ¡°It took a little bit of time, but once I thought of the number of students I had I was easily able to shake it,¡± he answered.  ¡°Your timing for its activation was perfect.  Matching it to the activation of my restraint, at the moment my senses would be the weakest, was an excellent touch, showing a mastery of the principles deploying such arrays.  Enough to earn another twenty minutes for your lunch.  Now, as for the rest of you¡­¡±

    The remaining students waited on his next words with bated breath.

    ¡°¡­I expect a four-page essay on what you would have done differently during this exercise by our next class.  And no extra-large characters this time, Disciple Wei Lu, or it will be SIX pages next time.¡±

    As the rest of the disciples groaned at their assignment, Yeung Lin departed on his flying sword, bound for his next class.  At the back of the class, Aijiao Jingyi quietly pumped her fist once at the back of the ferry.

 Chapter 16

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    Half past the 11<sup>th </sup>outer hour:

    ¡°So, class, it¡¯s time to review what we¡¯ve learnt today,¡± Yeung Lin said, wiping the board clean with a quick motion.  His hand began to sketch a new diagram while he turned to the class.  ¡°Can anyone tell me what the names of the three pillars of cultivation are?¡±

    A few hands went up with calls of ¡®pick me, pick me¡¯, and after a moment or two of hmmming and humming, he picked a hand from the back.

    ¡°Jin Tai!¡±

    ¡°Umm, uh, body cultivation, qi cultivation and, uh, brain cultivation!¡± Jin Tai exclaimed, triumphantly crossing his arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s close,¡± Yeung Lin said, chalk barely squeaking as he wrote the two correct answers on board.  ¡°You¡¯re just a little off on one of them.  Would you mind trying it again?¡±

    Jin Tai scrunched his brow as he furiously thought, a bead of sweat almost breaking as he wracked his brain before inspiration hit him.  ¡°Mind cultivation!¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Yeung Lin said, labelling the last pillar with a flourish.  Despite the detail of the chalk pillars, he¡¯d drawn below it, his script was simple and clean, bereft of any excessive splashes or lines.  The class tended to respond better when he added detail to his work, but he wanted to avoid making it too hard to read his characters, so this was his compromise.  ¡°Now, can anyone tell me the names of the first stages?¡±

    Again the hands went up, and again, after a moment or two of exaggerated deliberation, he selected his next student.

    ¡°Zhu Min.¡± The rest of the students lowered their hands dejectedly.

    ¡°Um, bahdy tempwing, qi gathwing, and mind wecognition!¡± Zhu Min recited, excited to have her answers ready.

    ¡°Yes, very good,¡± Yeung Lin replied, writing the names on the board.  He made sure to enunciate each name clearly as he read each aloud. ¡°The first stages of cultivation are indeed Body Tempering, Qi Gathering and Mind Recognition.  The stage you reach when you finally unlock your ability to cultivate.  When you shape your body, become able to store qi in your body, and where you become aware of the true potential of your mind.  Now, who can tell me the names of the second stages of cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Me, me!  I know¡± a voice yelled.

    ¡°Now Chu Bai, you know what the rules are about calling out,¡± Yeung Lin gently scolded.  ¡°If we all just yelled whenever we wanted, what would we have?¡±

    ¡°Chaos and disorder,¡± the class chorused.

    ¡°Very good, now, let¡¯s try that again.  Class, can anyone tell me the names of the second stage of cultivation?¡± Yeung Lin said.

    Several hands went up, and after a bit of hesitation, one more hand in the back joined them.

    ¡°Yes, Chu Bai.  What are the names of the second stage of cultivation?¡± Lin asked.

    ¡°Body Refining, Qi Refining, and Mind Refining, shifu¡± she answered, hands nervously clasped behind her back.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Lin said again, writing each name in their respective places.  ¡°Yes, to reach the second stage of cultivation one must move past simply forming each pillar, and on to refining your abilities.  Your muscles grow beyond their mortal limits.  Your mind becomes ever sharper.  And you go from simply storing qi to refining it into your own.  And what begins after this stage?¡±  He motioned for the class to answer as a group.

    ¡°Triblations!¡±

    ¡°Twibulations!¡±

    ¡°Tribulations!¡±

    ¡°Correct!  As a cultivator approaches the third stage of cultivation, they begin to truly defy the heavens.  And in their eyes such defiance is folly, and so they seek to strike us down with blows of flood, thunder, and flame.  From the third stage onwards, each ascension will be accompanied by tribulations.  Remember that class.  The higher we climb towards them, the more strongly they rebuff.¡±

    The class nodded in affirmation, each trying to imagine being the epicenter of those awe-inspiring displays that they¡¯d seen so often in the distance.  That had raised so many they knew to new heights, and taken just as many away from them forever.

    ¡°Now,¡± Lin asked, moving along to the next topic, ¡°What are the names of these stages?  Guihan Bo, what is the third stage of body cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Body Refining turns into Body Moulding!¡± the child obediently answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Yeung Lin commended, adding it to the diagram. ¡°The stage where you break your body¡¯s limits and begin to reshape it to your will.¡±  He held up his hand, each nail slowly shifting to lustrous gold before he changed them back with a snap of his fingers.  The class cheered at that, always eager to see a practical demonstration of cultivation. ¡°Now, what is the next stage of qi cultivation?  Li Lee.¡±

    The child at the back of the class looked startled at his selection, as he hadn¡¯t been raising his hand.  ¡°Um, um, um¡­ Core Formation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed!  And what does a cultivator do when they form their Core?¡±  The class was silent, a few noticeably scratching their heads as they tried to think of the answer.  Eventually, realizing that this was just going to needlessly prolong things, Yeung Lin answered it himself.

    ¡°The Core Formation stage is when a cultivator condenses their qi inside of themselves into a new form, and becomes able to start generating and forming it on their own.  It is shaped by their Dao and their cultivation method.  Some are simple, some complex, but all hold a profound meaning to their creator.¡±  His fingers danced as they conjured a cloud of glowing motes, slowly coalescing into a smooth sphere.  As the class cheered, he made its shape change, forming a simple sword, a fancy fan and then a spinning pentagram. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°The next stage of mind cultivation is the Mind Coalescing stage, when you become able to reach out to the minds of others, and to truly begin to unlock its power.¡±  He made the chalk write this answer on the board with his mind, his illusion forming glowing rays behind his head as he did.

    The latter stages of mind cultivation were always harder to explain to the youth classes, so he¡¯d learnt to simply explain them himself.  It was hard for the kids to understand the ways that a truly trained intellect could affect cultivation, so he also tended to exaggerate its appearance.

    But just a little bit.  Not enough to alter their perception of it too much.

    ¡°And after Mind Coalescing comes the Mind Materializing stage, when a cultivator can bring their very thoughts to life, in both the minds of others and the world around them,¡± Yeung Lin continued, ¡°Now, can anyone tell me the fourth stage of body cultivation?  Guihan Bo.¡±

    ¡°Body Reshaping!¡± the child excitedly answered, tail wagging as she jumped up and down.

    ¡°Very good, very good.  Yes, the Body Reshaping stage, where a cultivator truly becomes their ideal selves.  Do you all remember Elder Chou Biming?¡±

    The class nodded.  The elder had been at the opening ceremony for their school year, and his shiny jade skin had left a strong impression.  It had been so shiny and smooth.  He had also brought candy fruits, which had been yummy.

    ¡°The elder has spent centuries mastering the Teal Mountain Sect¡¯s techniques,¡± Yeung Lin continued, ¡°and as he grew closer to the Teal Jade Arts, so too did his affinity for the stone itself.  When he was a Body Moulding cultivator it is said that he changed his bones to jade, and his eyes to crystal to become closer to the truth of stone.  When his cultivation ascended, he abandoned his flesh for stone, becoming one with jade itself.  It is not often that a cultivator becomes so completely unified with their art, but¡­¡±

    He trailed off as he realized that he needed to return to the topic at hand before he forgot the forest for a tree.  This lesson was meant to be about cultivation stages, after all, and this was not the best audience to discuss the philosophies of the divergences of late-stage cultivation paths.  ¡°Now, can anyone tell me the fourth stage of qi cultivation?  How about you, Ye Kuo.¡±  Yeung Lin pointed to a boy fiddling with something in his hands as he spoke, the student glancing up at his name.

    ¡°The Nascent Soul Formation stage, shifu,¡± Ye Kuo answered, his hands stilling as he spoke, ¡°the stage where a cultivator and their qi become one.¡±

    ¡°Well spoken, Ye Kuo,¡± Yeung Lin complimented with a smile, ¡°you must have an excellent teacher.¡±  He let the class laugh at his joke before he continued.  ¡°Yes, the Nascent Soul stage is indeed when a cultivator becomes one with their qi, guided by the code of the Dao Path they have chosen to follow.  No two are quite the same, as they are shaped by the lives of their wielders, but each touches the truth of the Dao in its own profound way.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your Dao shifu?¡± an excited student asked.

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s the coolest Dao!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably just books.¡±

    ¡°Fire!  No, no, Illusions!¡±

    ¡°Expwosions!¡±

    ¡°The Divine Snake¡¯s Art of Heavenly Rains and Storms!¡±

    ¡°Formations, it has to be!  My daddy said that only formation cultivators write as much as he does!¡±

    ¡°Now, now class,¡± Yeung Lin said, waving his arms to calm them down, ¡°it¡¯s quite rude to ask a cultivator about their Dao.  It¡¯s a very personal thing, a true sliver of one¡¯s self.  Some might boast theirs to the heavens and back, but those are the exception, not the rule.  You can cause great offense if you were to ask another cultivator that, so you should never do it unless you¡¯re very close.  Do you understand?¡±  He gave the class a serious face, exaggerating the frown of his brow to a goofy degree once he realized that he¡¯d perhaps been too harsh.

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough lessons for today.  There¡¯s not quite enough time to talk about the Void Stage today, so we¡¯ll save discussion of that and the Immortal stage for next class.  But seeing as how you were all so good during your lessons, how about a little treat?¡±

    Reaching into the storage ring on his right hand, Yeung Lin produced a small sheaf of white paper, and a delicate pair of silver scissors, with shining blades and a grip adorned with delicately sculpted butterflies and flowers.  He usually preferred unadorned tools for simplicity¡¯s sake, but the children loved them, so he made an exception.  With practiced motions he folded and cut the sheets, a buzz of excitement went through the class as they watched, knowing what would come next.

    He drew his left-hand forwards dramatically with the last cut, pulling the scraps into the ring of the hand holding them as he did.  To the class as though all the excess had simply vanished, leaving nothing but a neat pile of cut shapes on his right palm.  Taking a breath, he breathed qi and life into the paper.  One by one, they began to fold in half, experimentally flapping their wings before they flew from the top and began to flutter about the classroom.  His students began to excitedly chase after them, decorum forgotten as they began to pursue the paper butterflies with youthful exuberance.

    With his older students he tended to chant his charms, so that they could learn from his example, and work to improve their speed.  With the younger ones¡­ Well, they could appreciate the wonder of cultivation better at their age, so some things were just better left unsaid.  As he stored his scissors in his ring, he felt a tug on his robe.  Looking down, he found Ye Kuo there, one hand behind his back.

    ¡°Yes, Ye Kuo?¡± Yeung Lin asked, keeping one eye on the rest of the students to ensure that they didn¡¯t bump into anything while they chased their new toys.

    ¡°Shifu, could you bring Mr. Butterfly to life again?¡± Ye Kuo asked, holding up his other hand.  In it was a familiar paper butterfly, slightly yellowed with age and decorated with crudely painted flowers and knot patterns.  He had been holding onto it for the last year, ever since his first class with his shifu, and always asked him to animate it when he did ¡®butterfly time¡¯ with the class.  The student clearly cared for the small paper insect, despite its disposable nature, always careful to protect and retrieve it after every class.

    ¡°You really care about Mr. Butterfly, don¡¯t you,¡± Yeung Lin said, taking it from his hands.  There were few creases or folds in it, a sign that he¡¯d been keeping it pressed in a book or similar object to preserve it.  ¡°Now, you know what they say about attachments and cultivation, don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Yes shifu,¡± Ye Kuo said, looking down.  ¡°Beware the ties that bind, closeness only brings the blade deeper when they snap.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yeung Lin said, looking at the paper in his hand again.  ¡°One must be careful of attachments on the road of cultivation.  Loss can lead to inner demons, so a cultivator must be careful not to become too attached to the people or things around them.¡±

    Ye Kuo looked down dejectedly.

    ¡°However, one must be careful to avoid lacking attachment as well, for without it, one may become unable to find purpose.¡±

    Ye Kuo perked up at this, to see his shifu holding a fresh piece of paper and a pen.

    ¡°Without passion, one cannot pursue the path of cultivation.  Without goals to strive towards, a desire for knowledge and the passion for life in our hearts, we are hollow.  To simply become attached for emotion¡¯s sake is a dangerous act, but to become attached because of a closeness to an art is no sin.¡±  With deft strokes Yeung Lin began to write, inscribing his characters with the intent and meaning of a technique he had learnt long ago.

    He sketched the forms to use, the hand signs to make, and the steps to use them, before drying the ink with flick of his qi and folding the paper into a tiny square.  Then, faster than any of his students could follow, he slipped it into the pocket of Ye Kuo¡¯s robe, patting it gently to let his student know it was there.

    Ye Kuo made to gasp, but managed to put his hand over his mouth before the sound escaped.  Yeung Lin nodded at his discretion, before whispering the words of his technique, softly, so that only the two of them could hear.

    ¡°To flit, To flap, with gentle wings, fly true, fly free, on breath of sky.¡±  With those last words, he breathed life and qi into the paper once again.  It fluttered through the air before seemingly recognizing its constant companion, and landing on his shoulder.  Ye Kuo cheered in excitement as it did, petting it gently as Yeung Lin spoke one last time.

    ¡°When you are alone, practice that technique.  It is a mortal technique, so you may learn it before your body becomes able to use qi.  All that stands in your way is practice and resolve.  If Mr. Butterfly means so much to you, you should have the latter in abundance, so all that remains is practice.  It may be a hard road, but taking it will teach you a valuable lesson on the path of cultivation.¡±

    Ye Kuo nodded enthusiastically, and Mr. Butterfly seemed to nod with him.  Yes, there was definitely the hint of an affinity there.

    ¡°Now go play,¡± Lin said, ruffling the top of his head, ¡°and remember to keep this our little secret.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    12<sup>th</sup> Outer Hour

    ¡°So, you just gave him your technique?¡± Lan Yun asked incredulously, watching her companion dig into his noodles.  Watching Yeung Lin eat was always an¡­ impressive sight.

    His left hand was preoccupied shoveling thick noodles into his mouth, mixing in a chopstick full on shredded beef and peppers every third bite and a bunch of vegetables every second.  His right was fiddling with a set of silver mirrors.  Three fingers glowed with thin needles of qi as he inscribed it with a delicate pattern, head glancing to the side between bites as he compared it to the other two of the set.

    A pen scribed notes of the process in his notebook, recording both the patterns and his notes with an invisible hand as he went about the process.  It looked thinner than the last time she¡¯d seen it, which was a bad sign.  It meant that he had just about finished up torturing his last one to death, and was about to cram this one full of every idea he could remember until it ¡®felt less empty¡¯.

    When he didn¡¯t respond, she asked again.  ¡°So, you just gave him your technique?¡±

    ¡°Hmmurgh, oh yes, I did,¡± Yeung Lin replied, slurping down a big bite of spiced meat.  He left a splotch of sauce on his cheek as he did, and with a sigh Yun wiped it off with her napkin.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, ¡°but you really don¡¯t need to do that anymore.  I came up with this great new trick for removing stains the other day, you just need to-¡°

    ¡°Lin, why did you give that kid your technique?¡± she asked, gripping his face between her hands.  With a bit of effort, she turned his face towards hers, his ambers eyes darting between his mirrors and notes before they finally settled on hers.

    ¡°Because it felt right, I guess,¡± he eventually answered, and she let him slip from her grasp.  With a sigh, she allowed him to continue devouring mouthfuls of noodles as he continued his explanation.  As ever, he insisted on ignoring the jade beauty in front of him in favor of nutrition and notation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve started to get a feel for it you know, when things are connected like that.  Like puzzle pieces, where you can just see that the two things are meant to fit in next to each other.¡±

    ¡°So what, you¡¯re the master of the Dao of Puzzles now?¡± she joked, nudging him with her elbow.

    ¡°No, really,¡± he replied, not missing a beat.  His fingers began to glow again as he talked, thin strands of qi cutting slivers of silver as he continued his explanation, eyes never leaving hers as he did.  His hands moved faster as he talked, slow movements speeding up into deft cuts and quick cleaves.

    ¡°I¡¯ve started to realize that everything¡¯s connected recently.  Me and you, heaven and earth and everything between, it¡¯s all one grand design.  A million spinning parts, all interconnected in ways we can¡¯t imagine, even if we had a million years.  The more I learn, the more I learn how much more there is to learn about it, as if each manual is simply a single character on the page of a book that we don¡¯t even know how to turn.¡±

    His fingers stopped, a completed mirror spinning in his hands before he drew another blank one from his storage ring and began to carve again.  ¡°Do you want all of those fire shrimp?  Cuz I¡¯ll trade you half of my noodles for some of them.¡±

    With a rueful smile Lan Yun pushed over her plate, well used to Yeung Lin¡¯s routine by now.  He¡¯d always ask to split whatever they were eating, regardless of what it was.  Another set of invisible hands deposited the uneaten half of his noodles onto her plate, just as his chopstick carefully transferred half of her shrimp to his.

    She¡¯d given up trying to get him to just get shared plates with her decades ago.  He always insisted that it was unfair because he ate too fast.  As if he didn¡¯t keep a more exacting track of what he ate than most imperial bookkeepers kept of their holdings.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you teach the kiddie class,¡± Yun said, trying some of her new food.  The noodles were delicious, the smattering of red peppers that he¡¯s garnished them with perfectly complimenting their original flavor.  ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste of your time?  You can hardly learn much teaching cultivation to sprouts too young to start doing it themselves.¡±

    ¡°I am learning though,¡± Lin replied, crunching down on the shrimp head and all.  Fire shrimp kept a buildup of excess qi between the layers of their shell, and he liked to make use of all the parts of his meal.  ¡°The untrained mind always asks the questions we¡¯re too close to see.  And if I didn¡¯t, who would?  We barely have enough instructors to manage them as is, and the unwilling volunteers are just awful with them.  Either too harsh, or so lax that they barely know more than a commoner when it comes time to truly enter the sect.  For example, just the other day¡­¡±

    The Generation Guiding Class, or kiddie class as it was more commonly known, was made up of the children of sect members.  A perk of their parents¡¯ status was a fast track to joining the sect when they came of age, and therefore capable of beginning their cultivator¡¯s journey, but preparing them for the task wasn¡¯t always easy.  Homeschooling was far too time consuming a task for most cultivators to manage in addition to their own duties, nevermind how an ill-planned curriculum was more harmful than the most poorly prepared pill.

    And thus, the Teal Mountain Sect endeavored to lighten the load while providing better training for their future members.  For common subjects, such as reading, writing, and mathematics, mortal teachers could suffice.  However, for more nuanced subjects such as history and cultivation, cultivators were required.  Lin was one of the few that volunteered, because he genuinely enjoyed helping the kids.

    It was one of the things Yun loved about him, despite how often she¡¯d poke fun at him over it.  Aside from her and Wang, the kids were some of the few people that he really opened up around, dropping the stiff instructor act to be the warm, slightly eclectic, person she knew him to be.  Even if he was more than a little dense at times.

    ¡°¡­ and that¡¯s when I got the idea to try and use silver for the new mirrors array.  That way I can make use of the amplifications properties without ruining the final result,¡± Lin finished, excitedly lining up the last of his six mirrors.  Yun nodded, having only managed to absorb a third of the specifics of what he was talking about.  The academic aspects of his ideas could be a bit much sometimes, but she always enjoyed the passion he had.  It was inspiring, in its own special way; it made you want to work harder on your own cultivation so you could share your progress with him with that same excitement.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    As Yun thought about the best way to change the topic to the recent breakthroughs she¡¯d had in her Shattering Jade Sword Technique, the doors to the cafeteria slammed open with a resounding BAM that echoed throughout the room.  The silencing arrays fought to keep the noise down, but the echo made its way through, the qi-enhanced force of the reverberations demanding it be heard.

    As Lin began to paint the inlays of his mirrors, Yun turned around to see which unlucky fool was about to become their lunchtime entertainment.  And who the brazen challenger was.  There was only one reason to make such a loud arrival to the dining hall, and it was if one was seeking to declare a public duel.  Or if a dignitary had arrived, but there wasn¡¯t one of those scheduled for another month.

    Yun wondered who it could be.  It couldn¡¯t be a regular disciple, as they lacked the strength to make the door tremble so, but was it an inner disciple or an outsider intent on pushing the limits of the sect¡¯s hospitality?

    As it turned out, it was neither, as the figure standing in the door, robes flapping in the faint breeze, was none other than Instructor Chun.

    As ever, their former mentor cut an intimidating figure.  He stood a wide seven and a half feet tall, muscles bulging beneath his robes.  Supposedly he was closing in on the peak of the Body Moulding stage, though one could never quite tell from appearance.  Bulk cost less to forge than quality, after all.  His head was shaven, all hair save for his bushy eyebrows said to have been singed off by the smithing techniques he practiced.  A glimmer of those flames flared in his eyes, as they alighted from table to table seeking out his target.

    ¡°Lin, you¡¯ll never guess who it is,¡± Yun whispered excitedly, making use of their shared mental communication technique so as to not ruin the silent anticipation of the room.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lin mumbled, dipping his brush into his paints again.

    ¡°It¡¯s Chun Kai! I haven¡¯t seen him in ages.  Wonder what poor sap angered him this time.¡±  Chun had a fierce pride, even for a cultivator.  During his time as the Junior Instructor in charge of their first body cultivation classes, he¡¯d challenged five Assistant Instructors and three Junior Instructors to duels over various slights, ranging from disagreements over methodology to taking the last tea snack.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Lin responded, a twinge of sharp annoyance accompanying his words.

    ¡°Yeah, I know.  Real blast from the past.  So, what do you think he¡¯s angry about this time?¡±  As she asked, Chun turned towards their table, eyes narrowing.  ¡°Hey, I think he¡¯s coming this way.  Wait, Lin, what did you do?¡±

    Any further response from Yeung Lin was cut off by Chun¡¯s arrival at their table, gauntleted fist slamming down with a loud crash.  Yeung Lin¡¯s chopsticks clicked against the wood, pushing his tray of paints out of the way before they could be crushed.  Chun¡¯s other palm slammed down, and this time Lin slid his mirrors out of the way with a visible hand.

    Chun glowered at him over the offense, faint wisps of steam rising from the corner of his eyes.  ¡°Yeung Lin!  You dare to make a mockery of your senior?¡±

    Instinctively, Yun adjusted the sheath at her side.  Chun had come to this challenge fully equipped for violence.  Metal gauntlets wrought from strange silvery metals covered his fist, and armored plates dully shone from between the gaps of his robes and on the tips of his shoes.  If he decided to attempt an ambush, she would be ready to support Lin.

    Lin sighed as he rose, sliding his mirrors into his pocket as he did.  ¡°I apologize, Instructor Chun Kai.  I simply assumed that a fellow man of craft would want to avoid damaging another¡¯s work in anger.  Passion, like the forge, often flares when stoked, after all.¡±  He looked up as he did, as he was just shy of being a foot and a half shorter than his new companion.

    ¡°We are no fellows, as craftsmen or instructors,¡± Chun growled.  ¡°And it is senior Chun to you.¡±

    ¡°Apologies,¡± Lin blinked, ¡°I was not aware that you had achieved the rank of Senior Instructor.  Congratulations on your appointment.¡±  Several members of the growing audience laughed softly at this as Chun¡¯s face reddened.  His stagnation at his current rank was well known to those that paid attention to sect gossip, turning the sincerity of Lin¡¯s words to salt.

    ¡°I might not be a Senior Instructor, but I am still YOUR senior, Instructor,¡± he threw back, sleeve flapping as he pointed a steel-covered finger at Yeung Lin.  ¡°And you would do well to respect your elders.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, I respect the Sect Elders from the bottom of my heart,¡± Lin responded, attempting to push the finger to the side.  When Chun resisted the motion with every fiber of his being, he simply stepped around it.  The two began to circle each other, three steps distance between them, as the rest of the dining hall began to encircle them in turn.

    ¡°However, I cannot agree with you on the use of age as a replacement for rank.  A century is far too ephemeral a thing to conflate with experience.  If continued existence so meritorious a virtue, we would all kowtow to every mountain we encountered.¡±

    ¡°So, you think you are better than me?¡± Chun snapped.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lin responded coolly, ¡°I simply believe that as we are of equal rank, we should treat each with equal courtesy.¡±

    ¡°The same courtesy you showed when you insulted me in front of my students?  When you slandered my name, and my expertise?  As if a little upstart like you wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about diligence, rushing your foundation as much as you have.  Cultivating whatever takes his fancy, rather than the true path of a true cultivator.¡±  Some of the crowd ¡®oohed¡¯ and ¡®aahed¡¯ at Chun¡¯s accusation, dozens of pairs of eyes flicking to Yeung Lin for his response.

    Lin, meanwhile, trapped a treacherous sigh in his lungs.  So that was what this was about.  Him correcting Chun¡¯s quote was just the excuse the man was using to squash a rival.  The sect had been considering opening several new Senior Instructor positions, and Chun was looking to reduce his pool of competitors.

    A public denouncement to serve as a blow to both his credentials and his face, with the threat of violence to follow if he didn¡¯t meekly accept it.  A brutish tactic, but one that had allowed Chun to slowly work his way up the ranks over the years.  And one that he couldn¡¯t allow to suceed here.  He had too many ideas that would only work if he had the resources of a Senior Instructor, and he couldn¡¯t allow them to be delayed.

    ¡°I cannot apologize for the speed of my cultivation,¡± Lin said, clasping his hands behind his back, ¡°as we each move at our own pace.  Cultivation is not a race, but a path of discovery.  What matters is not the speed at which we reach our goals, but what we learn as we do so.  I have been quite thorough in my exploration of my path, and thus have many insights to share with my students.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you would like to share the learnings of your enlightened path,¡± Chun jeered, reaching a hand into his robe.

    Yun tensed up in anticipation of a weapon, but instead Chun drew a thick coin from his pocket.  As wide as his longest finger, the thick teal jade was carved with reliefs of swirling clouds and seven tall mountains, rimmed in gold and embossed with the character for ¡®challenge¡¯ at its core.  A dueling coin, one that would clear an arena for his challenge, regardless of time of day.  A heavy thing to twirl so carelessly between his fingers, its weight one of both cost and significance.

    ¡°This senior insists that you exchange pointers with him,¡± Chun said, eyes blazing as he tossed the coin at Lin.  It spun towards him, the force of his cultivation turning it into a gold and green blur.

    With a ting Yeung Lin deflected the coin.  A chopstick guided by an invisible hand speared itself through a hole in the relief, launching it into the air with a twist.  With his other chopstick he caught the pommel of Lan Yun¡¯s sword, stopping her from drawing it in response to Chun¡¯s provocation.  As the dueling coin tumbled down, he caught it with a casual motion, like a mortal catching a coin flipped to determine who got the last dumpling.

    ¡°I would be glad to,¡± Lin said, forcing a smile.  ¡°After all, who am I to stop a scholar seeking answers, even if he foolishly thinks that they will be meekly handed to him.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    1<sup>st</sup> Inner Hour

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going through with this,¡± Lan Yun said, as Yeung Lin pulled an increasingly numerous series of items from his storage ring.  She turned away as he removed his robes to don a shirt of thin golden mail, turning back only after she heard him retie the sash of his inner robes.

    She was just in time to see his teal Instructor¡¯s robes disappear into the ring, replaced by a white robe so over-embroidered with thin golden sigils and formations that it almost appeared yellow at first glance.  He began filling its pockets with the previous robe¡¯s content, from silver mirrors to extra stone anchors.  Belts of anchor spikes and talisman pouches followed, as well as a pair of wrist sheaths of pale white leather that disappeared up his sleeves.

    Lin was checking each piece of equipment off against a list he¡¯d written on the back of his hand, the narrow patch of characters now almost completely crossed off.

    His staff was the last thing to emerge, not the simple pole of polar pine he used for training, but a heavy thing of ancient willow.  Centuries old, the pole was stained with a dark lacquer made from the heart of a monstrous python, etchings of power filled with gold and ringed with thick bands of black iron.  It was wrapped with a banner as red as the setting sun, and stitched with characters the colors of dawn.

    ¡°I have no choice,¡± Lin replied, crossing the last item off his hand.  ¡°With the selection for the next Senior Instructors so close, I must seize every opportunity to prove myself to the selection officials.  If I defeat Chun here, it will prove that there is merit to my cultivation method.  To refuse would mean my cultivation is a paper tiger.  An artful visage incapable of hunting even the smallest rabbit.¡±

    He deposited the pen into his ring, before handing it to Yun for safekeeping.  A duel between sect members was seldom to the death, but such niceties could easily slip the participants minds in the heat of the moment.  Should it take a dire turn, and the observers were too late to intervene, he would prefer that his notes, his resources, and his favorite pen were left with someone who would truly value them.

    She refused to take it at first, but after he took her hand, she reluctantly accepted.

    ¡°You better not lose,¡± Yun said, clenching the ring.  ¡°If you do, who will I enjoy my meals with?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Lin replied, leaning in to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  ¡°I could never leave one of my closest companions without anyone to share their insights with.¡±   With that, he stepped out of the waiting room, heading for his confrontation at the arena.  Yun let out a sigh of relief as he did, glad that she¡¯d been able to stop her face from matching her hair by more than half a shade.

    After a moment, he ducked his head back in.

    ¡°Oh, I think I should have some spirit stones in my ring.  Could you put half of them on me winning?  If would be a waste if I forgot to fully capitalize on this opportunity.¡±

    *          *          *

    In the arena, soon-to-be Senior Instructor Chun Kai clenched his fist as he swallowed a handful of coal and metal pellets.  His core blazed hot, the internal furnace that made up the center of his cultivation growing in intensity as he fed the flames.  His Metal Striker Arts were not so greedy as to require material fuel for each use, but for an occasion such as this?

    Well, he felt like indulging a bit.

    It would do to teach his wayward student the difference between heaven and earth.  A true cultivator was true to his path.  Refining his art over centuries, tempering it with dedication, and quenching it in the wisdom of his predecessors.  His technique, the Metal Striker Arts was such a technique.

    Passed down from master to students for millennia, it was a technique that had been shaped by generations of practitioners.  Every blow, every strike, shaping the core of the technique into a complete shape against the anvil of time and adversity, forging it into what it was, and what it could be.  It was nothing like Yeung Lin¡¯s splapdash excuse for a cultivation method, which contented itself with welding scrap together and claiming it was a blade of great renown.

    The thought of how such a mockery of cultivation had managed to take in so many of the elders caused a brief flare of anger before he calmed himself, venting the excess heat in a streaming snort.

    That wouldn¡¯t do.

    An even temper required an even temper, and he had to be sure that the beating was thorough to ensure it held.

    As he swallowed another handful of fuel, his opponent finally dared to show himself, slowly making his way onto the ring as the crowd cheered.  The Southern Peaks Gambling Hall had caught wind of their duel, and the news of the fight had spread like wildfire across the mountain.

    Despite the late notice and odd hour, the stands were half-filled with hundreds of disciples and a handful of Instructors.  The former were excitedly making bets and chattering about what techniques they might see, while the latter were calmly observing, waiting to see how their supposed peers measured against them.  Chun saw two that were in contention for the Senior Instructor position, but neither were of any concern to him.  Let them gawk all they wanted; all they would learn was their own weakness.

    Yeung Lin clasped his fist in a martial salute as he took his position, first towards the referee, and then towards his opponent.  After a moment, Chun spat a bit of coal dust to the side before responding with his own gesture, the steel on his right palm sparking against the metal of his left fist.  Mortals would commonly call such weapons brass knuckles, but his were neither brass nor common.  An inch thick and wrought from metals a mortal smith could only dream of, they allowed him to both forge steel and break bones with equal ease.

    The referee acknowledged both fighters with a nod before he spoke, the band around his neck carrying his voice across the arena through the arrays set in the stone.  ¡°Instructor Chun Kai, the Teal Mountain Sect acknowledges your challenge of Instructor Yeung Lin.  Instructor Yeung Lin, do you accept the challenge?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Yeung Lin said with a slight nod of his head.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the referee continued, ¡°And do you acknowledge the terms of the challenge?¡±

    ¡°We shall fight until either of us yields, or the loser is no longer able to fight,¡± Lin replied, and Chun nodded in agreement.

    ¡°The Teal Mountain Sect also recognizes the wager of this duel.  Should Instructor Chun Kai be victorious, Instructor Yeung Lin will acknowledge the weakness of his cultivation, and allow Instructor Chun Kai to teach his Body Tempering Guidance class in his stead.  Should Instructor Yeung Lin prevail, Instructor Chun Kai will agree to leave both he and his students alone for 30 years, as well as grant him custody of a class of his choosing, to be selected at a later date.  Should a student find themselves taking a class from both Instructors in this period of their own volition, Instructor Chun Kai shall remain an impartial instructor, and seek no personal revenge against them.  Do you agree to these terms?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Chun growled.

    ¡°I do,¡± Yeung Lin replied.

    ¡°Very well.¡±  The referee produced the dueling coin from a pocket.  ¡°When this coin strikes the ground, the duel will commence.  In the name of the Teal Mountain Sect, fight with honor, and with no techniques demonic or lethal.¡±

    With a tremendous flick, he launched the coin in the air, sending it soaring into the sky.  Yeung Lin drew his staff, giving it a quick twirl as he took a stance.  Chun replied in kind, clashing his knuckles together with a spray of sparks together as he crouched into position, left fist extended while his right waited by his chest.  The coin tumbled towards the ground as the two fighters waited in anticipation, the disciples screaming their last bets as it dove through the clouds towards the ground.

    With a soft ting it hit the smooth stone of the arena floor, the magics of its arrays carrying the sound above all others as Chun leapt forwards.  His furnace roared as he stoked the flames with qi and coal, bellows pumping as he bellowed his attack.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Quick Strike!¡±

    Steam rushed from his elbow and shoulders as he invoked his technique, sending him flying towards his opponent at blinding speed.  The first strike taught to those that walked the path of the Metal Striker Arts, but the most refined of their arsenal, and the blow best suited to close the gap on a foolish opponent ill-suited for the hardships close quarters combat.

    However, as he took his last step, the ground gave under him.  Chun¡¯s foot sank as all hardness left the stone, and Yeung Lin leaned to the left, dodging his strike by inches.  As he did, he stepped forwards and struck out with his staff, a pair of blows hitting Chun on the side, as the third snaked around to strike his left ear.  Chun raised his guard in time to block the blow, the thick wood clacking off metal as his opponent retreated from the engagement.

    Chun whirled to face Lin, hands darting forwards to deflect a spray of projectiles that his opponent was using to cover his escape.  Spikes and needles went flying to the sides, and Chun drew in another breath of qi as he charged in low to the ground, left fist scraping against the stone.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Spark Chaser!¡±

    He threw his arm up, metal scraping loose and superheating as it rose towards Lin in a wave of miniature stars.  Just as quickly as it rose, it fell, striking down towards his foe like a meteor shower.  Lin hurriedly twirled his staff to deflect it, but as he did Chun closed the gap, and he was forced to take the last of the spray on his shoulder as he caught a metal fist with his staff. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The wood held, its enchantments allowing it to bow with the blow, before flexing back into shape and launching him away from the attack.  Lin brushed his qi through it as Chun clashed his fist in frustration, checking to see how the etchings were holding together.  For the moment they were fine, but he didn¡¯t want to risk over-exerting them before Chun attempted another big move.  His robe was fine, as it was able to withstand stronger attacks head on.  He formed a few quick handsigns under his robe, before drawing a trio of talismans from his wrist sheath.

    Chun meanwhile, clashed his fist against each other as he approached his foe, sending more sparks flying as his right knuckle began to heat up.  As Lin watched, it sucked the sparks into it, growing whiter with each blow.  A simple but elegant solution to his staff.  Burn the wood, foul the enchantments.

    It would be a risky move to try and catch it on the bands.  Chun had spent more time refining his martial arts, and it was unlikely Lin could truly surpass him in that particular field.  But this fight was about more than just punches and kicks.  With a twist of his wrist he unfurled his flag, whirling it above his head as he activated his first talisman in response to Chun¡¯s next charge.

    A wall of earth rose up between them, four feet thick and as wide as the arena.  With a roar, Chun unleashed another technique.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Thousand-fold Strikes!¡±

    Ten strikes, perfected to layer even the most unruly metal, lashed out, shredding the wall like it was made of rice paper.  The stone sprayed towards Lin, only to get caught in a wall of water from his second talisman.

    With a laugh, Chun launched himself over the second wall, fist raised high as he prepared to deliver a mighty blow.  His qi surged, coalescing in preparation for his hammer strike.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Finishing Blow!¡±

    His fist descended, a hammer blow that would shatter that shoddy staff if Lin dared to block with it.

    However, instead of blocking with it, Lin danced as he twirled his flag, qi swirling into a tail formed from the debris-filled water and struck Chun from behind, knocking him out of the air.  Chun hit the ground with a crunch, the armor beneath his robes absorbing the worst of the impact.  Across from him, Lin continued to shape the water, drawing it out into a coiling snake as he clenched one last talisman between his lips.

    In the audience, Yifan Chang turned to Qiai Mei.  ¡°Wait, is that my family¡¯s technique?¡±

    Chun snorted at the obvious ploy, swallowing his last handful of metal.

    As if the Metal Striker Arts would kowtow to every water cultivator it encountered.

    No elemental technique lasted long without being able to combat its rivals, and while his technique had its roots in fire, its trunk was metal.  His qi surged as his fist superheated, and as Lin sent his snake surging forwards, Chun invoked his technique for overcoming the elements.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Quenching Strike!¡±

    The snake instantly evaporated in a blast of steam, pushing both cultivators back in an explosion of released force.   A piece of wall struck a glancing blow against Chun¡¯s chest, but he pushed forwards, long used to the harsh conditions of the forge.  Only a poor cultivator like Lin would be harmed by their own technique.  It was easy to spot Yeung Lin¡¯s banner, the bright red cloth a beacon of qi as he punched forwards.

    To his surprise, Lin let go of his staff as he struck, allowing it to go flying from the arena as he twisted to the side, spitting a talisman towards Chun as he did.  With a burst of light, the steam coalesced into thick vines, wrapping themselves around Chun¡¯s body as Lin struck him across the face, before kicking him across the arena with a qi-enhanced foot.

    With a growl, Chun focused his qi through the etchings of his armor, heating the plates to burn through his robes and the vines in an instant.  He rose, brushing off ash as his opponent drew more talismans from his sleeves.

    ¡°Pathetic,¡± he spat, full of soot and spite.  ¡°Is that all your cultivation amounts to?   A few fancy moves, but no follow through.  When you have the advantage, you must STRIKE!¡±  He drove his fists together as he said this, metal qi filling them to bursting as he maximized their properties.  Steel right met magnesium left as his technique burst forth.

    ¡°Metal Strikers Arts: FLASH!!¡±

    Light filled the arena, blinding everyone, save the technique¡¯s wielder.  Chun¡¯s mind roared with laughter as he silently approached, watching Yeung Lin bumble around the arena.  By incorporating so much of his qi into the reaction, he could blind not only sight, but qi-sense as well, cutting off that essential backup so many pale-faced cultivators relied upon!

    Lin threw his talismans wildly, and Chun dodged gouts of fire as he drew closer, readying his strike against his now desperately dodging opponent.  He threw his blow bereft of invocation, instead relying on pure technique for his power.  Lin swayed slightly to the side, but not enough to stop it from connecting with his chest and launching him across the arena.  He hit the wall with a soft fwumph.

    Chun laughed again, audibly this time, as his foe slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his eyes with a hand as he reeled from the blow.

    ¡°That¡¯s what a real technique looks like!  Just in case you want to take notes.¡±  Clashing his fists again, he began charging his right with more sparks as he readied himself to end the duel with his next blow.

    ¡°A good technique,¡± Lin replied, slapping the embers from his robe as he tried not to betray how many of his ribs were broken.  ¡°It shows a fine dedication to the fundamentals of your school, and reflects a deep understanding of metal.¡±  He shaped more hand signs beneath his robe as he drew a gong, no larger than a palm, from his belt.  ¡°I do wonder though; does its application reflect innovation or imitation.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Chun roared, charging in.  The metal around his right fist warped as he did, narrowing as he concentrated his power into a single point.  A technique designed to end a work, finishing it off with the mark of its master.  As he closed in, he shouted its name.

    ¡°Metal Striker Arts: Signature Strike!!¡±

    The characters of his name blazed in inverse towards Lin, who raised his gong to meet it, hand signs shaping themselves faster and faster as a dozen needles scattered around the arena suddenly drove themselves into the ground.  ¡°Oh, barrier, rise to height, deflect might, endure with strength!¡±

    A pure wall of force sprang into existence as the barrier aligned, dormant qi flaring as it answered the call of its maker.  The arena was rich with elemental power.  Fire, water, earth and water from Lin¡¯s talismans, and the last of the five, metal, from Chun¡¯s own attacks.  With it, Lin¡¯s array was drawn to greater heights, and Chun watched in horror as he slowed the closer he drew to Lin, the momentum of his attack being sucked out by the array around him.  By the time he was feet away it was like he was moving through a lake of thick mud, and by the time the gap was inches, he was barely moving.

    ¡°One good turn must deserve another,¡± Lin said, as they locked eyes, and with a careful swing, he hit the gong against Chun¡¯s fist.

    A deafening GONG tolled as the array released all the kinetic energy it had trapped in a wave of force.  Chun was sent flying back, crashing into the walls of the arena with a sound like thunder, cracks spreading from the point of impact.  He coughed up blood as he stood, drops raining down alongside shards of his armor.

    ¡°Do you yield?¡± Lin asked, stowing his cracked gong.  The metal had barely been able to withstand the force of the blow.  For his next one, he would have to use a stronger material.

    ¡°Never,¡± Chun said, his spit now red and black as he cleared his mouth.  ¡°I refuse to be bested by the likes of you.¡±  He drew qi into his fists again, bringing them together a second time.  ¡°Metal Striker Arts:¡±

    This time, however, Lin was ready.  As he saw Chun begin his move, his hands darted into his pockets, pulling forth his modified tea array.  Six silver mirror glinted as he channeled his qi into them, amplifying the formation he¡¯d crafted so many years ago.  They rose in the air before him, suspended by qi alone rather than wire or metal, and the audience inhaled their breaths as the light in the arena visibly dimmed.

    ¡°Flash!¡±

    The mirrors sucked the light in, the force of Chun¡¯s flare barely a candle against light of the star they were designed to face.  The light bounced between the mirrors, amplifying itself with the array¡¯s qi before flashing back at Chun in a blinding beam.  This time the arrays of the arena glowed as they absorbed the blow, catching the narrow ray of power before it could penetrate the walls and damage ancestors know what.

    Chun fell back, a hole the size of a chopstick bored clear through his left clavicle.

    ¡°Yield,¡± Lin said, firmly this time, as his mirrors spun around him.  From what he could tell, there was no severe damage to them.  The force of Chun¡¯s art had been enough light to activate them, but not enough to overtax his prototype.  He¡¯d knew that Chun wouldn¡¯t be able to resist using such an effective move a second time.  And it had provided an excellent sample, and proof that there was definitely something worth exploring with his revised mirror array.

    ¡°Pah,¡± Chun spat, rising again.  ¡°Again and again, petty trick after petty trick.  That¡¯s all your cultivation is.  Petty tricks pretending to be true power.  There¡¯s no honor, no true refinement to it.  Just an endless array of befuddlements, only good for a single surprise before it¡¯s seen through by all.  But underneath your borrowed moves, there¡¯s nothing.  No technique for you to call your own.  A paper tiger playing king of the mountain.¡±  With that he tore his left gauntlet free, ripping off bites of the metal.

    ¡°Allow this senior to show you what a true technique is, bereft of your pathetic tricks!¡± Chun declared, scraps of metal spraying from his mouth as he masticated his gauntlet.

    ¡°Pathetic tricks?¡± Lin repeated, a tic of anger passing through his face.  ¡°Pathetic tricks!?¡±  His fingers twitched as words began pouring out of him, emotion heavy with every word.

    ¡°Yes, pathetic tricks!  That¡¯s all you have.  No true path, no moves to your name.  Not even a direct disciple!  As if even the most inexperienced novice would be taken in by such petty tricks!¡±

    ¡°You dare to call my cultivation petty tricks?!¡± Yeung Lin roared, emotion surging through his veins as he spoke.  ¡°Would you also call the dance of the sun and the moon a petty trick?  The heavens above and the earth below nothing but mere trickery?  No, my cultivation is deeper than you can possibly understand, Chun Kai.  It is an ocean far deeper and far wider than the puddle you are content to splash about in.¡±

    Qi rose around Yeung Lin as he spoke, the swell of a tsunami about to crash upon the shore.  ¡°My cultivation is one of true comprehension.  To understand the world, and the ties that bind it together.  It is of no single cultivation method, for no single method understands the whole truth.  Their perspectives are myriad, like the stars in the sky, and I shall find the constellations that connect them all.¡±

    Epiphany swept through Yeung Lin, unlocking something deep inside as he finally put words to the feelings he¡¯d held for so many years.  It was more than a declaration of ideals; it was his Dao.  The code that he would pursue as a cultivator, the mantra that would bind him to the fate that he would carve for himself.  For a moment, he saw the start of his path, and how to bring all he knew together to take that first step.

    Chun¡¯s furnace blazed hotter than ever before as he swallowed the last of his gauntlet, white-blue flames pouring from his eyes.  He struck a pose as he readied himself to strike, only to cross his arms when he felt the intensity of Yeung Lin¡¯s qi, forcing all of his strength into his defense.  ¡°Metal Striker Arts: The Anvil Fears No Hamm-¡±

    Yeung Lin exhaled.  His mind stilled, his qi surged, and his body spoke, intoning the name of his cultivation¡¯s technique for the first time:

    ¡°Formless Cultivation: A Hundred Lessons, A Single Strike.¡±

    A perfect form, refined from a hundred studied manuals, each with their own insights on how to best throw a punch.  Lessons on stance, placement, rotation, and position, all crystallized into a single move that combined the best of each for the strike at hand, eschewing any inefficiency.  Ink flowed along his hand, an ancient scholar¡¯s trick for fixing mistakes and embezzling cash reshaping it into thin characters of power, strengthening his qi as it flowed through his body.

    He took a step and struck, moving no more than a foot closer to Chun.  The force of his blow, however, cared little for such petty things as distance.  The air rippled as the blow struck Chun¡¯s guard, iron hard skin cracking as it penetrated his defenses and hit his chest directly.  The qi went from his lungs as he slumped over, unable to catch himself.  The rest of the arena was still.  Not even the barest bit of debris had been touched, as there was not a hint of wasted force in the entire blow.

    The referee ran over to Chun, jade talisman in hand aglow as he checked him for signs of life.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Lin coughed out, kicking a pebble over at Chun, ¡°you¡¯ll live.  Consider that one of the learnings of my enlightened path.¡±  With that he sank into the ground, thankful that his anklet softened it as much as it did.  At least 3 of his ribs were broken, which had likely limited the power he had put into his blow.

    It was a blessing in disguise.  Had he attempted such an optimal use of his body in as exhausted of a state as he was without having to limit himself, he might have passed out himself, resulting in a win that Chun could contest.  He¡¯d used far too much qi in that first attempt.  He would have to work to increase its efficiency the next time he used it.

    As Lan Yun picked him up and handed him a recovery pill, he smiled to himself.  This had been a worthwhile experience.  He¡¯d managed to touch the border of the fourth stage, and while there was a ways to go before he could break through it, he¡¯d gained an immense insight on his Dao.  There was so much to meditate on later.

    After, of course, he finished his last duties of the day.

 Chapter 19

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fourteenth day of the tenth month

    Late Afternoon:

    ¡°Y¡¯think he¡¯s made it?¡± Xia Bao asked, taking a small sip from his cup.  He followed it up with another bite of shrimp.

    It was the last day of the exam, and he¡¯d decided to make as much of a celebration of it as he could manage.  It was nothing compared to what he would do with his fellow applicants when they got out, but for now it would have to do.  The remaining shrimp had met their end in the wok, fried in the last of his oil with the closest approximation of rice cakes he could manage with his limited tools.

    ¡°If fortune favors him, he will,¡± Bailong Shen replied, discarding a tile.  He¡¯d finished his second cup a while ago and had moved back to water.  Bao had offered him several refills, but he had refused.  Such diversions provided far more entertainment when used properly.  And properly, in this case, was allowing Zhao Lan to get as pissed as possible.

    ¡°Fuggem!¡± Zhao Lan exclaimed, knocking over another three of his tiles.  ¡°If the great Zhao Lan couldn¡¯t¡¯ve managed to reach the third stage, there¡¯s no way that nobody would be able to do it!¡±

    Han and Shen had been apprehensive about allowing Zhao Lan to join them at first.

    Two weeks from the end of the exam, he had taken full leave of his senses, alternating between running around screaming and crying in the corner of the sitting room.  He¡¯d taken a run at Lee Han, trying to force him to reveal how he¡¯d managed his breakthrough, only to be thoroughly trounced.  While they had been far from close at the beginning of the exam, the gap between the two had only widened.

    Between Han¡¯s constant practice of his Invisible Hand technique and his sparring with Bao and Shen, the difference between them was simply too great.  It had taken Han less than half a stick to lay Zhao out, followed by a full three slapping him around with unseen hands before he¡¯d retreated back to his room.

    After a week of sulking, Zhao had slowly reemerged, ignoring the other two for the most part as he alternated between sunbathing and playing Go with Bao.  He seemed to have come to terms with failing the test and was content with idling away the last of his confinement.

    Bao had considered offering him a bit of advice, but considering their different cultivation focuses, as well as the remarks Zhao kept making about his friends, he figured it would just be throwing oil on the embers of his resentment.  And so, they had whiled away their time together.  By the last day he seemed to have mellowed out enough to tolerate the other¡¯s company, and Bao had convinced them to allow him to be their fourth for mahjong.  They hadn¡¯t been able to get a full game together since Ren had retreated into his room after their last one.

    And so here he was.

    Playing mahjong with two of his sworn enemies and drinking all of Bao¡¯s rice wine.

    ¡°Heheheh, you¡¯re bleeding again,¡± Lee Han laughed, pointing at the fallen tiles.  He propped them up with a wave of his hand, flaunting his technique to all that could or rather, couldn¡¯t, see.  He was well past his fourth cup of the wine, but his raucous spirits seemed to have little to do with the stuff.

    ¡°Shuddup!¡± Zhao replied, reddening about as much as he could manage.  Which was very little, considering that he already lit up like a new year¡¯s lantern.  He desperately shielded his tiles with his hands, as if the identity of the last three made much of a difference at this stage of the game.

    Zhao Lan was astonishingly bad at holding his drink.

    Bao had barely been able to ferment it for more than a season, using a pair of empty soy sauce and oil bottles, and a careful embezzlement of rice from his daily ration.  It was weak stuff by every standard, but it had only taken a cup for Zhao to start reddening.

    ¡°I suspect he¡¯s doing better than this one,¡± Shen mused, considering the shrimp.  ¡°Our ¡®great sage¡¯ is made of harder resolve.  If he hasn¡¯t come out by now, he¡¯s either deep in a trance or he¡¯s lost track of time.¡±  He left the third possibility that came to mind unsaid.  It wasn¡¯t worth thinking about.

    ¡°Great sage, shmate shmage,¡± Zhao groused.  ¡°If all it took was locking yourself in a room to be a great cultivator, everyone would be doing it!¡±  The rest of the table ignored the ignorance of the remark, before Lee Han picked up the conversation.

    ¡°Or he¡¯s pushing to use every last second at his disposal,¡± Han pointed out, skewering a pair of shrimp with a claw.  He¡¯d been keeping his paws in their natural state more often these days, to force himself to practice his Invisible Hand for common actions.  He was still getting headaches if he moved anything too heavy, or did something too complex for too long, but hopefully that would disappear as his cultivation improved.

    ¡°You know, the same thing happened with my uncle.  He was challenged by his rival, The Roaring Fang, for my aunt¡¯s hand in marriage, and he only had three months to prepare for the duel.  He spent every day practicing his Midnight Tiger¡¯s Pounce technique¡ª¡±

    ¡°And he was so caught up in it that his father had to drag him out of his cave and tie him to a flying sword to get him to the duel on time,¡± Bao and Shen finished.

    ¡°Oh, have I told you that one before?¡± Han asked.

    ¡°Every chance you get,¡± Shen said with a sigh.

    ¡°Even the part where it turned out that¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Your aunt got tired of waiting, and beat the stripes off The Roaring Fang before your uncle got halfway there?¡± Shen answered.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a real tigress, always¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Taking what she wants, and taking care of her mate, but despite it all she still makes the most amazing egg tarts,¡± Shen said impatiently.  ¡°I swear, you need to find some more stories when we get out of here.  We¡¯ve heard that one more than twenty times now.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help that it¡¯s a great story,¡± Lee Han said defensively, ¡°besides, Zhao Lan hasn¡¯t heard it.¡±

    ¡°And he still hasn¡¯t,¡± Shen replied, pointing a thumb at Zhao.  The cultivator in question had just finished giving up trying to grasp his chopsticks, and was shoveling fried shrimp into his mouth with his bare hands.

    ¡°Hey, stop that!  It¡¯s getting on the tiles!¡± Bao exclaimed, grabbing them away from him.

    As Bao tried to wipe the grease off the tiles, Lee Han filled Shen¡¯s cup with more of the faintly soy-sauce-flavored wine and offered him a toast.

    ¡°Gan bei,¡± Shen cheered, clinking their cups together.  He took a sip of the wine, winced, and then took another.  The taste was definitely not growing on him.  But despite its incredibly distinct flavor, there was a certain indescribable quality to it that only half a year of abstinence could add.  A heady mix when combined with the anticipation of freedom.  He did hope that Chao Ren was doing alright.

    *          *          *

    Chao Ren¡¯s meridians burned as his qi surged through them.

    With each breath, it grew faster, racing through his meridians and back to his dantian.  Then from his dantian back through his meridians.

    Over, and over, and over again.

    He could feel it slipping through his grasp with each cycle, the walls of his meridians still far too sieve-like to truly keep his qi contained.  Almost a quarter of the qi was gone by his third cycle, and by the seventh, more than half.

    His inspiration had opened his eyes to the flaws of his cultivation, but even with the benefits of such insight, it still wasn¡¯t enough.

    It had been a brutal two months.

    Of studying the nature of his own qi, the way that it roiled and ebbed within himself.  A seemingly nebulous path determined by his subconscious thoughts and the quirks of his own anatomy.  It was an odd paradox.  It required rigid control, to keep his entire body in balance, but at the same time, he also had to let go, to allow his qi to follow its own course rather than force it into line.

    When he had truly made it his own, it might be possible, but as of yet that was an impossible task.  His qi might be more in harmony with his body than when he had started, but it was far from perfect.

    He took another breath to center himself, allowing fresh qi to flow through his body.

    The cycle of five elements in his dantian processed it with barely a thought, the adjustments needed to keep it stable second nature by now. And not just in the way where it was slowly slipping out of his control when he looked away.

    A jump he¡¯d made with his Twin Minds technique allowed him to keep a close eye on its state without being distracted by his own thoughts, and he was certain that it was moving properly.  It was all moving properly.  His qi, his meridians, his dantian, his body, his mind.  He was doing everything that he could.

    It.

    Just.

    Wasn¡¯t.

    Enough.

    It was like trying to sculpt a mountain.  No matter how inspired a blow he struck, how deliberately he cleaved free chunks and chiseled out imperfections, there was always too much to do.

    After another five breaths, the burning of his veins was too great to withstand, and he let himself fall onto his cushion.  His hand reached towards his pouch of food pills, intent on using another to replenish his energy.  It was a poor substitute for recovery, as the pills lacked any sort of true spirituality or healing properties, but an excellent one for sleep, which he¡¯d been delaying.

    Judging by the cycles of light and dark through his doorframe, this was the last day of the exam.

    Or the second to last.

    Either way, it was hardly the time to be stingy.

    He had had plenty more than the number of days of his ordeal thanks to the sect¡¯s generosity, and he needed every second he could get right now.  He could sleep when he made another breakthrough.  His hand, however, only found cloth, and with a start, he realized that the bag was still empty.  With a low roar of frustration, he struck the jade slab in front of him.  Over, and over, and over again.

    If he couldn¡¯t cultivate his qi anymore, he could at least use the time waiting for his meridians to recover to cultivate his body some more.  Scabs cracked against the jade with each blow, flecks of dried blood joining the growing pile of dark dust on the ground around it.

    He was making progress with his body, he was sure of it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    He could barely feel the pain of striking the stone these days, which meant that he was coming close to the breakthrough the Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Body Tempering Technique had described.

    ¡®Accept the stone, and make it your own.  With each blow, learn your weakness, and aspire towards a higher state.  Strengthen yourself against your better, and seek to surpass it.¡¯

    He was close to that state, he could feel it!

    He moved through the stances in the manual, imitating the illustrations to the best of his ability.

    Fist, fist, leg, knee, foot, palm, fist, elbow and fist.

    Fist, fist, leg, knee, foot, palm, fist, elbow and fist.

    Fist, fist, leg, knee, foot, palm, fist, fist and fist.

    Fist, fist, leg, fist, fist, fist, fist, and fist and fist and fist again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And again and again and again and again.

    He was close.

    So close.

    He just needed more time.

    Just a little more time.

    *          *          *

    As Lee Han watched Zhao Lan finish vomiting the shrimp back into their pond, the doors to their quarters began to creak with the sounds of unlatching bars.

    It was time!

    Hurriedly, Lee Han combed his fingers through his hair, only to realize that all he was just pawing at it.  He quickly changed them back to hands, sucking back his whiskers as he did, ears twitching as his form adjusted itself.  It always itched when he changed too much too quickly, but he had to at least do his best to look presentable.

    Unlike some yaoguai, he actually cared about not looking like he¡¯d just wandered out of the woods.  Appearance, while not the main arbiter of character, was still an important official.

    He leaned over to kick Shen awake, only for the dragon to rise as he drew his leg back.  Shen stretched his arms, blinking a few times as he took in the dimming light.  The lanterns hadn¡¯t lit themselves yet, so it was still the prelude to early twilight.

    ¡°Aah, I see that our freedom is at hand,¡± Shen yawned, shaking out his robes as he leapt to his feet.  He quickly crossed the cloth and tied his belt with practiced motions, as if it wasn¡¯t the first time that Han had seen him wear the damned thing properly in months.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still remember how to wear your clothes,¡± Han replied, checking his own belt as he did.

    ¡°You know what they say about old habits,¡± Shen replied with a laugh.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhao Lan?  Were some of the shrimp spoiled?¡±

    ¡°Nah, the fool just asked Bao how he made the rice wine, and he didn¡¯t like the answer he got,¡± Han said with a laugh.  He¡¯d never seen anyone sober up quite so fast, so he was thankful that Bao had done him the courtesy of whispering the information.

    ¡°I see,¡± Shen nodded.  Lee Han wasn¡¯t quite sure if his refusal to partake in more than a few cups was simply due to lofty standards or the burden of knowledge, but he didn¡¯t put it past Shen to have both.  He probably thought that anything younger than a decade was basically piss.

    As he wondered what that might mean for his wallet should he lose their bet, Xia Bao joined them in front of the door.  The tall cultivator stood with his back straight, his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for the doors to finish opening.  After a moment, Lee Han took the same pose, while Bailong Shen kept his arms crossed and his posture loose.  Lee opened his mouth to ask a question, only to quickly shut it as the sliding of the last bar ended and the door swung open.

    Their guide from the entrance ceremony flew in on a flying sword, arm draped over a jade beauty.  The two leapt from the sword together, and as it sheathed itself on the man¡¯s back, Lee Han had marvel at the audacity of the man.

    Such a bold display.

    To arrive so late with so unkempt an appearance, and with a fellow instructor no less!  He had good taste too.

    Neat, flowing hair the color of deep crimson jasper, compact muscles, and sharp eyes that glinted a faint shade of green in the light.  A capable fighter as well, judging by the worn grip of the sword at her side.  There was the faint shape of a handprint worn into the jade, a testament to decades of dedication towards the weapon.  She wore her robes neatly, in contrast to their former guide, whose were poorly tied and hung loosely.  His hair was also askew, errant strands drooping over his eyes.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± the guide said, pulling a notebook from his storage ring.  An invisible force flipped it open, as his hands were preoccupied holding onto it and his companion.  ¡°Greetings applicants of Group 45, I am Instructor Yeung Lin, your evaluator for the entrance exam.  According to this list, there should be five of you here.  Where is your last member?¡±

    Zhao Lan heaved out one last shrimp and wiped his mouth.  ¡°The ¡®great sage¡¯ is still cultivating.  Trying to break through at the last minute.¡±  The sarcasm dripped from his words alongside a dribble of bile, though the Instructor seemed to pay neither any mind.

    ¡°Strange,¡± Yeung Lin replied, expression neutral.  With a cough and a series of quick hand gestures, the door to Chao Ren¡¯s room fell off.  ¡°Disciple Chao Ren, the exam is now concluded!  Come out for the final evaluation.¡±

    Silence followed, but before Yeung Lin had to repeat himself, the sound of slow shuffling steps emerged from the room.  Their source soon followed, blinking blearily at his first sight of natural light in months.

    He looked awful.  His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were no better, knuckles little more than a collage of scabs and dried blood.  Dark bags hung from his eyes, almost black from their contrast against his pale skin.  If his state wasn¡¯t quite so dire, Lee Han would have been tempted to laugh at how much he looked like a panda.

    A gaunt, haunted looking panda.

    He listed to the side like a sinking ship, slowly navigating his way to the far end of the arranged applicants.

    ¡°Thank you.  Now, Applicant Zhao Lan, what was your progress?¡±

    ¡°Blagh,¡± Zhao Lan coughed, gnashing his teeth.  He rose to his feet as he lamented his fate.  ¡°I failed.  He knows it, he knows it, he knows it, and now you know it too!  I¡¯m untalented, and I¡¯m tired.  Just let me go home.¡±  He punctuated each statement with an accusing point, before finally letting his finger fall by his side, his head soon following.

    ¡°I see,¡± Yeung Lin replied, writing a note in his book.  ¡°Applicant Lee Han: what progress have you made?¡±

    ¡°This humble applicant has progressed to the Mind Refining stage,¡± he said, clasping his hands with a slight bow.  Zhao might be willing to burn his boat, but that didn¡¯t mean that the rest of them needed to follow his example.

    ¡°I see,¡± Yeung Lin replied, his tone just as neutral noting success as failure.  The beauty next to him brushed his hair from his eyes as he looked up at Lee Han, brush posed for further notation.  ¡°Can you demonstrate your progress?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lee Han exclaimed, stretching an invisible hand over to the mahjong table.  It was a good twenty feet away from him, so just at the far limit of his reach, but after leaning forwards a bit he was able to grab one of the closest tiles.  With great effort, he began to pull it towards him, the strain of lessening with every inch it drew closer.  Eventually, it was within the reach of his true arms, and he held it before him for five deep breaths before letting it fall to the grass.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Yeung Lin noted, returning the tile to the table with a flick of his head. ¡°You have managed to grasp the Invisible Hand quite well for a beginner.  And what of the other pillars?¡±

    ¡°This applicant regrets to inform you that while he has come close to reaching the Qi Refining stage, it has eluded him.  Similarly, my body has a long way to go before can reach the Body Refining stage.¡±

    ¡°Not quite as far as you are making it out to be,¡± Yeung Lin responded, squinting at Han.  ¡°If you stay dedicated, you will be able to reach it in due time.  Now, Applicant Xia Bao, what is your progress?¡±

    ¡°This applicant has reached the Body Refining stage, and some closeness towards the Qi and Mind Refining stages,¡± Xia Bao responded succinctly, keeping his hands clasped behind his back as he bowed towards Yeung Lin, and then his companion.

    ¡°If you would, please perform the third form of the Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Body Tempering Technique,¡± Yeung Lin said, producing a granite sphere from his storage ring.

    Xia Bao immediately began the form, stance firm as he moved through the motions of ¡®Overcoming the Mountains¡¯.  As he took the fifth step, hands pushing up towards the sky, a great force suddenly pressed down on him, pushing him into the ground.  Around him, the grass depressed, forming a shallow valley centered around him.

    It felt like the time his cousin had bet him he couldn¡¯t lift a cow.  Only, instead of losing his footing and being crushed by the weight, he was able to bear it.  As if it was simply another bundle of rice.

    Realizing the difference his breakthroughs in cultivation had made, he finished the ¡®Touching the Sky¡¯ step and moved on through the rest of the stances.  He ¡®Delved the Mines¡¯, ¡®Pushed the Boulders¡¯, and with graceful flip, ¡®Spread the Forest¡¯.  With each step the weight grew, but even when it reached its crescendo, he was still able to endure.

    In fact, he was almost disappointed when it ended.  He simply sprang up as the sphere in the Instructor¡¯s hand chimed, the tension of his resistance to the downwards force popping him up like a cork in its absence.

    ¡°Excellent progress.  We will have to fully test your physique at a later date, but that is sufficient for now,¡± Yeung Lin said, making another note.  ¡°I would recommend you remain focused on your qi cultivation.  Applicant Bailong Shen, what is your progress?¡±

    ¡°I have advanced fully to the second pillar,¡± Shen replied, tossing off his gi and belt in a single motion.  The blue dragon across his chest shimmered as he flexed his muscles, gleaming with a faint inner light as he waited in clear anticipation of the same test that Xia Bao had endured.

    Yeung Lin gave his body a thorough inspection, eyes glancing at the pearl floating above the dragon¡¯s palm.  He pulled a sheet of intricately embossed paper from between the pages of his notebook.  He blinked at it once before glancing at Shen again, then refolded the sheet and returned it to its place.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Yeung Lin said, gesturing for Shen to put his clothes back on.  ¡°Simply demonstrate your qi cultivation so that we may move on.¡±

    Shen sighed, letting out a breath of qi as he reached down to recover his clothing.  Its texture was clear to Yeung Lin¡¯s keen senses; a mix of easy pride and ozone, tinted with the warmth of ready muscles and the chill of a sudden downpour.  A soft rain though.  Not the roaring tempest of the senior loong¡¯s he¡¯d met before, but the calm clouds of a summer shower.

    A building storm perhaps?  Or simply one content to exist as it was.  Either way, it was sufficient proof.

    ¡°Congratulations on your progress, Applicant Bailong Shen,¡± Lin said, marking checks against the fourth name on his list.  ¡°Now, Disciple Chao Ren¡­¡°

    Chao Ren shuddered at the mention of his name, hands shaking in anticipation at the words to come.  No more time to push himself further, it was all he could do to stand as he met his fate.  A decade and a half of effort, all for this?

    To be sent back home?

    To have to rise above his family another year for another chance to apply to the sect?  Was this the extent of his talent?  Of the best of his branch for this generation?

    ¡°¡­have you managed to reach the Mind Refining or Body Refining stage of your cultivation?¡±

    There was a long pause.  The beauty by the Instructor¡¯s side coughed, and after a moment he repeated himself.

    ¡°Disciple Chao Ren, have you managed to reach the¡ª"

    ¡°No,¡± Chao Ren said, voice tight as he replied.  Scabs cracked as he clenched his fist, drawing a trickle of blood as he struggled to hold his composure together.  Zhao Lan laughed as the other applicants, no, former applicants, looked on in silence.

    ¡°I see.  That is slightly disappointing,¡± Yeung Lin replied, closing his notebook with a soft thumf.

    Disappointing.

    So that was it.

    That was his worth.

    And not even a true disappointment, but a pale shade of it.

    ¡°Well, that concludes the evaluation of group 45.  Disciple Xia Bao, Disciple Lee Han, Disciple Chao Ren, Disciple Bailong Shen: allow me to formally welcome you to the Teal Mountain Sect.  Applicant Zhao Lan: I wish you better luck next year, should you decide to apply again.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Chao Ren croaked, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what in the five hells are you talking about!¡± Zhao Lan shouted, mood changing faster than a heron snatching a koi.  ¡°How could you accept this failure when he has failed every test?  I don¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at such blatant disrespect towards my Zhao family!  Do you think that such insult will stand?  That the clans will allow you to spit on their faces with such blatant favoritism!?¡±

    Yeung Lin¡¯s expression barely changed as Zhao continued his tirade, allowing him to continue his ravings another half a word before raising a hand to stop him.  A slap lashed out in an instant, and Zhao hit the ground just as the grass to his right shortened by an inch.  The disciples stepped back as Yeung Lin put a hand on Lan Yun¡¯s, stopping her from taking another slash at Zhao.

    ¡°How dare you speak to an Instructor of the Teal Mountain Sect with such a tone!¡± she roared, eyes flashing.  ¡°Do you think your patriarch would laugh or cry when I send him your head?  To know that his precious descendants are such well-mannered frogs that they¡¯ll even hang themselves with their own tongues?  I should save him the dishonor of having to do it himself, you lowly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s not quite necessary,¡± Lin grunted, struggling to lower his companion¡¯s sword.  Zhao followed the wide jade blade with even wider eyes as it dipped up and down, pupils bouncing like a child¡¯s ball as he desperately crawled back from it.  ¡°Not all of the applicants might be aware of Chao Ren¡¯s circumstances.  Especially if he decided to keep his lips sealed.  So, could you¡­just¡­let¡­ this¡­go.¡±

    He coughed a red fleck onto the sword, and with some reluctance, Lan Yun withdrew her blade, wiping it clean and sheathing it in a single motion.  She glared at Zhao Lan one last time, and his head met the ground a moment later, having finally remembered how to kowtow to his betters.

    ¡°Now, Applicant Zhao Lan, you might not be aware of this, but Disciple Chao Ren actually passed the entrance test during the opening ceremony, when he converted the mountain¡¯s qi to his own to achieve the Qi Refining stage.¡±  There was a soft thump as Lin said this, and he turned to find that Chao Ren had joined Zhao Lan on the ground, face pressed into the dirt in a dead faint.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure he was aware of it either,¡± Shen said, a soft chuckle in his voice.

    ¡°Wait, why did you put him through this exam if he already passed?¡± Lee Han asked.

    ¡°The goal of the exam was to test perseverance in cultivation,¡± Yeung Lin replied calmly, ignoring the unconscious Chao Ren before him.  ¡°To this end, applicants were challenged to improve their cultivation as much as possible within a limited time.  If we were to have withdrawn him for simply meeting the minimum requirement, we would have denied him the chance to test himself against the other pillars, as well as an opportunity to earn further rewards.¡±

    ¡°With respect, Instructor Yeung Lin, it seems a bit cruel to let him think that he was going to fail,¡± Xia Bao said, crouching down by Chao Ren¡¯s side.  Carefully, he turned him over, letting the back of his head rest against the grass.

    ¡°Of course it would be,¡± Lin replied, ¡°that¡¯s why I¡­¡±  He paused for a second, as if remembering something, before quickly flipping through his notebook.  After a minute of frantic searching, he pulled a second, far more engorged, notebook from his storage ring.

    He began going through it with as much speed as he could manage without tearing the spine asunder, eyes darting over the paper as his fingers drummed the cover.  Eventually, he found the page he was looking for, and after tapping an absent checkmark, turned to the next page and pulled out an oddly folded note.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Yeung Lin said.  ¡°Oops.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fifteenth day of the tenth month

    Chao Ren dreamed that he was falling.

    He had stood atop a narrow path, barely a blade¡¯s edge of stone worn into the steep side of a mountain.

    ¡°Cross this path and be part of the sect!¡± The jade-skinned elder from the entrance ceremony had yelled, standing across that vast distance amid the tables of a lively banquet, the rest of the applicants drinking and eating their fill as they rejoiced in their success.

    He¡¯d tried his hardest to cross, he really had, but as he reached the halfway point, body leaned against the rock for support, bare toes grasping the rock with all the force he could muster, it had all collapsed.  The side of the cliff had unfolded like a book, both the rock face and the path giving way under him.

    ¡°Ah, what a pity,¡± the elder lamented, his faint words ringing like jade as the darkness engulfed Chao Ren.  ¡°I wish you better luck next year, should you decide to apply again.¡±

    He awoke with a start, arms flailing as he fell from his cushion.  His legs were still crossed in the meditative pose he must have fallen asleep in, and he flopped sideways onto the ground.  His eyes now aligned with the crack of the door, he caught sight of the faint amber light trickling in and realized the time.

    It was morning!

    Of the last day of the exam!

    He had to hurry, he only had hours left to break into the second stage.  Quickly Chao Ren rubbed the sleep from his eyes, reaching for a food pill to calm the rumbling of his stomach.  He¡¯d need every scrap of energy for the task ahead.  His hand slapped limply against empty cloth, and with a groan, he realized that he must have miscounted his supply.

    Sloppy, so sloppy!

    He¡¯d been sure that he¡¯d left just enough spare to avoid pushing himself to the brink when he¡¯d used the extra energy they supplied to skip the last two nights of sleep, but apparently he had overindulged in his delirious state.  He¡¯d have to push through if he wanted to make it.  It would be tough, but he would endure it.  Adversity was the fire of the crucible of cultivation, and hotter flames would only increase the quality of his result.

    He rose, and with three quick strides reached the jade slab of his room.  With a soft crack of his knuckles and scab he readied his fists, striking the stone again and again as he worked his way through the exercises of the Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Body Tempering Technique.  He felt his body warming as he did, muscles regaining their elasticity as they woke up.  By the end of the set he felt more awake than ever, a lightness in his step that he hadn¡¯t felt in a week.

    Perhaps falling asleep was a blessing in disguise!  He felt incredible, like a statue finally freed from a century of webs and dust.  He could do it!  He could really do it!

    His head whirled with thoughts as he hurried back to his cushion, ready to circulate his qi again.  This feeling was what he needed, he felt incredible, and he could use it to grasp his qi with even greater control.  He could break through the stage and join the Teal Mountain Sect!  To begin walking down the path of a true cultivator and to finally-

    His foot slipped on one of the pages of the manuals he had spread on the ground around his cushion.  The cover of the Teal Jade Qi Gathering Technique flashed before his eyes as he fell through the ground, falling up through the sheets of his bed.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaa!!!¡± he screamed, arms waving for a moment before he realized that he¡¯d failed to hit the ground.

    ¡°Shut the hell up you brat!¡± a voice yelled, and he felt a pillow hit his face.  ¡°Some of us have serious injuries, so let us recover in peace!  Now give me back my damn pillow!  My back¡¯s getting sore without it.¡±

    Chao Ren opened his eyes and realized that wherever he was was far brighter than his dim training room.  He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light, unused to such luminance.  It was a very bright room, open windows allowing the afternoon sun and breeze to play against its peach walls.  It was about the size of a small training hall, with five beds lined up along its length.  He was at the far end, opposite the door.

    To his left was a tasteful painting of a tiger, caught in the middle of chasing a rabbit with a willow switch.  To his right were three other patients, of what he was now realizing was a medical facility of some sort.  The furthest from him was currently glaring at him with sharp blue eyes, shaking his fist at him.

    His only fist.

    With a start Chao Ren realized that the man¡¯s left arm was missing, its sleeve hanging flatly by his side.  Hurriedly, he tossed the pillow back, lobbing it over the two patients between them, who had looked up from their game of Go.  The sailed high before it caught an exposed beam, sending it tumbling down towards the gameboard.  Chao Ren gasped in shock as it did, but a wave of a bandaged hand from one of the players stopped it midair.

    It hung there for a brief moment, like a fly caught in a spider¡¯s unseen web, before the bandaged man twirled his mitted hand, and the pillow floated past the board and nestled itself between the man and the wall.  With a grunt, he leaned forwards as he grasped the pillow, giving it a pair of rough puffs before positioning it in his preferred position.

    ¡°Leave the kid alone Gang,¡± the male player said, placing a piece with a soft click, ¡°he doesn¡¯t know any better.¡±  He was using some sort of technique to play the game, as both of his hands were bandaged like winter mittens.  They wound all the way up his arms, peeking out from between white sickbay robes, and halting at his neck.  His eyes were a striking orange, like a late dawn, and he wore his hair short, and his eyebrows even shorter.

    ¡°Shut up Li,¡± the man, Gang, growled.  Unlike Li, he was letting his gray hair grow long and shaggy, like a wild wolf.  He¡¯d also chosen to forgo an inner robe, and the tableau of scars and bandages covering his muscular body were visible for all to see.

    The marks of a cultivator.  A story of centuries of struggle scribed on sinew and skin.

    ¡°I was in the middle of the most wonderful dream, and this stinking brat ruined it.  And it¡¯s Gang Guanxia to you kid!  Or Senior Gang Guanxia for short!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you had begun cultivating a technique to sleep with your eyes open,¡± the female player noted, taking a pair of Li¡¯s pieces with a single move, ¡°much less one to talk so eloquently while doing so.¡±

    Like the others, she was also covered in bandages.  Or at least Chao Ren assumed she was, since unlike the other two her robes were actually covering the majority of her skin.  She had beautifully smooth black hair, though it was cut a good deal shorter than the typical fashion preferred by cultivators.

    ¡°Shut up Tang,¡± Gang Guanxia grumbled, snatching an orange from the basket next to his bed.  ¡°Just let me be angry damnit!¡±

    Chao Ren found himself staring at the fruit.  He hadn¡¯t had anything to eat since Xia Bao¡¯s generously donated rice so many months ago, and he had to force himself to stop salivating at the thought of how sweet and orangey the orange must taste.

    ¡°I apologize for him,¡± Tang said, turning to face Ren, ¡°he¡¯s in a bit of a mood after what the Frost Ferret did to his arm.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Senior Gang Guanxia,¡± Chao Ren said, bowing towards the man.  Despite his attitude, he was clearly a senior member of the sect who had been injured in the line of duty, and it would be best to show him the proper courtesy.  ¡°You have my deepest condolences for your loss.  To fully lose a limb to such a vile beast, in the name of the sect-¡°

    ¡°Hah!¡± Tang laughed, interrupting Chao Ren¡¯s sincere apology.  He looked up in shock.  ¡°He didn¡¯t lose his arm to the Frost Ferret, he¡¯s just annoyed that it broke his favorite prosthetic!¡±

    ¡°Shut up Tang,¡± Gang Guanxia muttered, the edge of a red peeking out from between the gaps of the bandages covering his face, ¡°you don¡¯t understand how much work I put into that thing.  It took me years to get it just right!  The perfect balance between combat power and fine control.  I spent over five hundred spirit stones on the jade alone, and the damn chisels to work it cost me an arm!¡±

    ¡°And remind me again, why you don¡¯t have your other spares?¡± Tang asked, seizing another of Li¡¯s pieces.

    ¡°Well, you know that Red Lightning Champion got shattered during that tournament,¡± Gang replied sullenly.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°And Mountain Mauler?¡± she asked.

    ¡°One of the cores broke when I was mining ore, and I can¡¯t afford a replacement,¡± he replied, pulling the skin from his orange with his teeth.

    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you afford to replace it?¡± she pried.

    ¡°Because I already had to pawn Old Faithful to replace the last core that broke.¡±

    ¡°And why did you have to pawn Old Faithful?¡±

    ¡°Because I bet all my savings on the entrance exam pool, so I could pay back Li Zhan for the chisels I broke.¡±

    ¡°You know, I think you might be just a little bit bad with money,¡± Li laughed.

    ¡°And maybe you¡¯re a little shit at keeping your eyebrows attached!¡± Gang snapped, turning over in his bed, ¡°Most alchemists have learnt how to stop burning them off by now!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an alchemist?¡±  Chao Ren asked, unable to stop himself.  He¡¯d never had a chance to meet one of the enigmatic crafters of the magical pills and elixirs that fueled cultivation.

    Like most cultivators, he¡¯d consumed his fair share, but they¡¯d always been acquired through intermediaries like markets or trader families.  He had been taught that alchemists tended to stay in their pill towers, hiding themselves from the world to keep their secrets safe.  Supposedly, it was a practice born from the Age of Drought, when their relatively weak combat abilities had led to them being treated as little more than magical cauldrons that created pills on command.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Li replied, smiling at Ren with a slight bow.  ¡°Li Peizhi, alchemist of the fourth-grade, of the Clear Pill branch of the Teal Jade Pill Tower.¡±

    ¡°This humble junior is Chao Ren,¡± he responded, ¡°applicant of the Teal Mountain Sect¡¯s admission exam.¡± He returned Li¡¯s bow with a far deeper one to show the proper deference his rank deserved.  A fourth-class alchemist was in at least the Core Formation stage, and could craft pills useful to even fourth stage cultivators.

    It wouldn¡¯t do to get on such a cultivator¡¯s bad side.

    ¡°Wait, Chao Ren?¡± Tang exclaimed, turning to face him.  Excitement glinted in her jadelike eyes.  ¡°The same Chao Ren that passed the exam during the entrance ceremony?  Applicant Fourteen?¡±

    Her words struck a chord in Ren¡¯s mind, a clear note that awoke a memory.  He was in the sect now, wasn¡¯t he?  The elder¡¯s floating head and the cliff hadn¡¯t been real, but Yeung Lin, the instructor in the courtyard, had been, hadn¡¯t he?  As his mind whirled, he grasped for something to say.

    ¡°I, um, uh¡­  Yes?¡±  He finally got the words out, the memories flooding his mind as he did.  Yes, he was.  He had done it, hadn¡¯t he!  He was a disciple now, a full member of the Teal Mountain Sect.  The memory of the last day began to overflow his mind, and Tang handed him a handkerchief to dry his eyes.  He took it gratefully, damming his eyes as he did.

    A cultivator didn¡¯t let emotions get the better of him.

    And he was a cultivator now, wasn¡¯t he?  He¡¯d reached the Qi Refining stage, transcending his mortality by a single step.  His first step towards a better future.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one that owes an apology now,¡± Tang laughed, turning back to face Gang Guanxia as she confidently placed another piece on the board. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the only bet you won for the entire exam!¡±

    ¡°Shut up Tang,¡± he grumbled back.

    ¡°I¡¯d just ignore him when he¡¯s like this,¡± Tang said, sorting her pieces from Li¡¯s as she turned back to the Go board.  ¡°By the way, the instructor that brought you in told me to tell you that he left you some stuff.  It should include a sect uniform.  We can¡¯t have disciples walking around looking like applicants now, can we.¡±

    Chao Ren looked down, realizing that he was still wearing the same uniform that he¡¯d spent the last several days of the exam in.  The sect had provided six additional sets for the applicants to wear during the exams, but in his fervor to push his cultivation forwards¡­

    He took an experimental sniff of his uniform and recoiled.  It stunk of sweat and despair, so deeply that it cut through the calming medicinal scents of the room.  He quickly shrugged the robe off, reaching for the boxes by his bed as he did.

    ¡°Press your finger against the brass plaque for the privacy screen,¡± Li said, and Ren thanked him as he put his thumb against the symbol engraved in the metal.  There was slight shock as it drew a wisp of qi from him, before the wood around his bed rose, surrounding him in lightly engraved wooden panels that touched the rafters.  He couldn¡¯t make out what the signs meant, but he assumed that they were some sort of array or formation designed to preserve some measure of dignity.

    Stepping out from his bed, he stretched his back, and then his arms, and then his legs.  He felt a bit sore, but with the power of hindsight, it was li better than he¡¯d felt during the exam.  He really had been letting himself go towards the end.  There was a small basin of clear water and a pair of towels next to his bed, and with a sigh of relief he stripped himself of the rest of his clothes, including his undergarments.

    After wetting one of the towels, he began to wipe himself clean, scouring away the weeks of filth that had accumulated on his skin.  The food pills the sect had provided might have removed his need to excrete, but they had also made his sweat slightly stickier, by a degree he hadn¡¯t noticed until it had accumulated as much as it had.

    The scabs fell from his hands when he scrubbed them, likely the work of a healing technique of some sort.  He could still remember the sensation of them cracking against the jade, the feeling of fresh blood trickling down his fists as he pushed himself against the limit of the exam¡¯s duration.  He shook his head, clearing it of such thoughts as he moved on to his armpits.  It wasn¡¯t good to dwell on such things.

    It took three passes with the moistened towel before he was able to truly feel clean, after which he resolved to better maintain himself the next time he cultivated.  There was just a certain itchiness that crept back to his mind when he thought about how his skin had felt minutes ago, and he¡¯d rather he never had to think about such a thing again.

    He considered washing his hair in the basin, but decided against it.  It was a great deal murkier than it had been when he started, and he¡¯d rather not coat his hair in all the grime he¡¯d just finished scraping from himself.  In retrospect, he should have really cleaned it first.  It had grown quite a bit over the last six months, to the point where he¡¯d been forced to use the hair tie the sect had provided to keep it from getting in the way.

    He¡¯d need to find somewhere to get it cut.

    He hated when it got in the way, and he was absolutely awful at cutting it himself.  His family still laughed about the last time he¡¯d tried when it got brought up at gatherings.

    Turning his attention over to his bedside table, he found a pair of boxes, as well as a pair of envelopes weighed down by another, far smaller box.  He recognized the bottom box as the one he¡¯d stored his belongings in prior to the entrance exam, and his hands quickly went to his chest to reassure himself that the marker for it was still around his neck.  He let out a sigh of relief when he was reassured of its presence, moving the small box to the side so that he could read the letters.  After slitting the first one open with one of his well-chewed fingernails, he began to read the contents.

    Disciple Chao Ren,

    On the behalf of the Teal Mountain Sect, I would like to congratulate you on your admittance to the Teal Mountain Sect.

    However, do not become overconfident.

    You may have achieved the Qi Refining stage, but cultivation is a long road, and you will face many obstacles.  Endeavor to achieve the Body Refining and Mind Refining stage during the remaining time of the exam.

    Do not let your diligence lapse because you have already passed.

    Similarly, do not lend the manual labelled Teal Jade Qi Gathering Technique to the other applicants, as it contains teachings for stabilizing the Qi Gathering stage and for beginning the first steps of the Qi Refining stage. It is unlikely that you will be able to complete the first step of the Qi Refining stage over the course of the exam, but it is never too early to start practicing.

    As your future Instructor, I would recommend you focus on the other two pillars more than it, but not to neglect it completely.

    -Instructor Yeung Lin

    Confused, Chao Ren opened the second letter.

    Disciple Chao Ren,

    I, Instructor Yeung Lin, apologize for the mental anguish caused to you by my actions.  In my negligence, I failed to properly inform you that you had passed the entrance exam while it was in progress.

    Please accept these thirty spirit stones as a token of my sincerity.  Also attached is the letter I neglected to give you, as proof of its existence.

    I applaud your diligence in cultivating your qi as well as you did during the exam, but I advise that you practice moderation in the future.  Persistence is a virtue, but in too great a quantity, it is also a poison.  Remain vigilant about your body¡¯s condition, and avoid risking long-term damage for short-term gains.

    Cultivation is a long road, and it will serve you well to remember that fact.

    You also neglected the cultivation of your body and mind during the exam.  I would strongly recommend that you avoid doing so in the future.  As with all things, balance is key, so please endeavor to righten your pillars in the future.

    I advise that you take your time recovering, so that you might resume your cultivation in an ideal state.  I expect my students to properly care for their bodies, and as I am now officially your Instructor, this standard is now expected of you.

    The Medical Pavillion will be able to guide you to your dorm following your release.  Your lessons will begin at the start of the eleventh month, so I recommend that you use that time to familiarize yourself with the sect.

    Do not attempt to enter closed door cultivation during this period.

    I strongly recommend attending the Newcomer¡¯s Tour on the twentieth of this month. It will help prevent you from getting lost during your first months in the sect.

    -Instructor Yeung Lin

    After reading the contents twice to reassure himself that they were real, Chao Ren turned towards his bedside table.  He opened the small box that had held down the letters and found a small pouch containing the aforementioned spirit stones.  He counted them with trembling hands, the purple stones clacking together as he did.

    They were all there.

    All thirty of them.

    He carefully returned to them to the pouch, closed it in the box, and placed it back on the table.

    He sat there, on his bed, for a long moment, unsure whether he should laugh or cry at his fate.

    On one hand, his now-mentor had apparently put him through a veritable hell through sheer negligence.  He¡¯d spent six months attempting to summit a truly insurmountable mountain, to the point that he¡¯d neglected other aspects of his cultivation.  He¡¯d pushed himself to his very limits, and almost been broken by them.  His fist clenched in anger, the phantom pain of his recent injuries causing him to wince.

    But on the other hand, his misery had been temporary.

    He had still passed, and more than doubled his spirit stones for his troubles!  From a certain perspective, it was almost as if he¡¯d been paid five stones a month to focus on cultivating.  A truly envious occupation, and one he¡¯d likely never encounter again.  He let his hand relax, the crumpled letters falling to the floor.

    And most importantly, he had endured.  He had proven that he could endure the struggles of cultivation.  That he could overcome his limits to stand as a proud member of the sect.  He opened the last of the new boxes, revealing the distinct dark green robes of the Teal Mountain Sect.

    Nephrite green.  The color of rough jade.  Of potential ready to be shaped.  He grasped the cloth reverently, feeling the realness of its soft folds in his hand.

    Yes, it had all been worth it.

    He was truly a member of the sect now.

    He was¡­ a cultivator.

 Chapter 21

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fifteenth day of the tenth month

    Thankfully, the Teal Mountain Sect had had the foresight to include a fresh pair of undergarments, and Chao Ren carefully donned them before turning to the rest of the uniform.  Undershirt, pants, sock, inner robe, inner belt, outer robe, and outer belt all followed in short order.  Chao Ren took a moment to luxuriate in the sensation of his first fresh clothes since those many months of monotonously wearing the same outfit.

    The sect had made sure that the applicant¡¯s clothes had been durable¡ªan essential trait for enduring months of intense training as easily as they had¡ªbut they hadn¡¯t put the same consideration towards comfort.  There was a certain pervasive quality to its coarseness that he was only able to recognize by its absence, and he felt himself relax just a little more now that he was rid of it.

    Glancing to the grimy uniform piled on the bed next to him, Chao Ren apprehensively turned his gaze to the box containing his belongings.

    Six months was a long time, and he remembered building up quite a sweat running around the mountains after his then-guide now-mentor.  He had taken the occasional break from his diligent cultivation to clean his uniforms at least a few times during the exam, but his former clothes hadn¡¯t shared that privilege.  He dreaded the smell they¡¯d probably acquired sitting in that enclosed box for so many months.

    But he did need his belongings.

    And so, after a long moment of hesitation, he inserted his marker into the groove in the top and flung it open.  The smell was surprising.  Pine, without even the slightest hint of sweat or other bodily odors.  He wondered if perhaps the sect had included a cleaning charm of some sort on the box, but after contemplating the symbols on its interior, another memory struck him.

    Senior Instructor Lan Han¡¯s cleansing charm!  The senior cultivator had foreseen the need to preserve their belongings in a pristine condition and had taken the appropriate actions.  He silently thanked the Senior Instructor as he traded the sect¡¯s provided socks for his lucky red pair.  They were barely visible beneath his robes, and while they might not quite conform to the sect¡¯s dress code, he felt naked without them.

    Besides, he could always plead ignorance as a new member if they were.

    He removed the rest of his belongings.  The amber-trapped cicada of his lucky necklace disappeared beneath his undershirt, while his knife and talisman found a place in the recesses of his robe.  Lastly, his storage ring¡ªa band of yellow jasper bearing the Chao Clan¡¯s mark of a morning sun cresting a hill¡ªwent on his left hand.

    By all standards it was a paltry artifact.  The space within was barely a foot on its longest side, and it had always taken intense focus for him to access anything in it while he was at the Qi Gathering stage.  It hadn¡¯t even been particularly cheap for its size, as it had cost him 126 spirit stones to buy it off of his cousin.

    But it had been a good investment for his future.

    It allowed him to store his valuables while minimizing the risk of theft or detection.  And depending on the path he chose for his cultivation, could even be used for storing vital tools or even other artifacts that he might acquire down the line.  A small spatial pouch might have been a more efficient alternative for the price, but all true cultivators owned storage rings.

    And he was a true cultivator now.

    Besides, now that he was at the Qi Refining stage, he could finally use it without breaking a sweat.

    Taking a moment to access the ring¡¯s contents, he checked that his remaining fourteen spirit stones were still in it before depositing Instructor Yeung¡¯s gift.  His brush set followed soon after, as his new robes lacked the pocket-space to hold it.  He¡¯d have to look into finding a tailor to let them out.

    He packed his dirty clothes into the box the uniform had come in, and prepared himself to leave before pressing the brass plaque.  Gang Guanxia was well and truly asleep by the time the walls receded, while Li Peizhi and Tang had started another game of Go.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Tang asked, turning to see the pair of boxes that Ren was carrying under his arms.

    ¡°Apologies senior, but as I have recovered, I thought that it would be best for me to find my dorm.¡±  He made sure to not use her name, as he was unsure of her relationship with Gang Guanxia.  They seemed close, but he was unsure if it was to the point of using each other¡¯s given names.  As Ren was barely acquainted with her himself, it would be quite an offense to presume the same familiarity. So, until he was certain whether Tang was her given or family name, he would avoid building any animosity by referring to her solely by honorific.

    Li laughed a bit at his response, but upon seeing the expression on Chao Ren¡¯s face, he quickly stopped.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re serious,¡± he said, with a look of concern.  ¡°You must be worse off than they thought if you think that you¡¯re in any condition to go anywhere.¡±

    Chao Ren cocked his head in confusion at this remark.  ¡°What do you mean, Senior Li?¡±

    ¡°You should see for yourself,¡± Li replied.  He reached into the pocket of his robe for a small palm-mirror, which he tossed to Chao Ren.  Ren dropped his boxes as he scrambled to catch it, only for his body to betray him.

    His arms were slow to rise, like he was trying to lift them with chopsticks.  His eyes couldn¡¯t follow the mirror¡¯s path, and his barely-spread fingers missed it by a li.  But before it could begin its descent and shatter, it halted in midair, caught by the same unseen force that had prevented his boxes from clattering to the ground.

    Li sighed as he gestured with his mitted hand, Ren¡¯s luggage depositing itself on his bed as the mirror turned its face towards him.

    ¡°You see?  You¡¯re really in no condition to go anywhere.  Your body¡¯s still exhausted from a lack of sleep, and your mind isn¡¯t much better.  Your meridians are strained from overuse, and you¡¯ve lost an alarming amount of weight from abusing food pills.  You do know that your body stops being able to digest them properly if you take too many at once, right?  You¡¯re lucky that you didn¡¯t ingest enough of them to cause a toxic buildup in your intestines!  Do you know how serious that can get?  You need at least another two, three days of rest to fully recover.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Chao Ren stared at his own reflection, shocked at his own appearance.  His shaggy hair aside, his cheeks were gaunt, and his eyes were dark and sunken.  His skin was also incredibly pale.  Not the prized hue of a scholar, but the near-white of the paper that one would write upon.  He looked like a hungry ghost made flesh, and the very thought of the word caused his stomach to rumble.

    So this was the skill of a fourth-grade alchemist, he thought, as he looked at Li in awe.  He was just like one of the miracle doctors in the stories his teachers had told him.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± he gasped.  ¡°So this is the skill of a fourth-grade alchemist, to be able to tell my condition at a glance!¡±

    ¡°He heard most of it from the nurses when they brought you in,¡± Tang said, cutting off Ren¡¯s praise and Li¡¯s board.

    ¡°I still had to extrapolate the complications it could have caused,¡± Li protested, frowning at her.  ¡°They would have forgotten to check his intestine if I hadn¡¯t reminded them.¡±

    ¡°You mean if the head nurse hadn¡¯t told them to,¡± Tang corrected, taking yet more of Li¡¯s pieces.

    ¡°I told them that first!¡±  he exclaimed, desperately trying to counterattack.  ¡°They just didn¡¯t want to listen to me!¡±

    As the two of them began to bicker over the order of the events, Ren took the moment to stand by the window and take in the noon sun.  He¡¯d almost forgotten what it was like to feel its warmth against his skin.  It felt like being enveloped in a warm blanket, and his complexion could certainly use it.

    It also provided an excellent view of the sect.

    In the distance, he could see the twin peaks of surrounding mountains, one covered in tan-roofed buildings, the other in massive cracks and wilderness.  It almost looked like a dropped teapot, the way that the shards of broken gray rock and green woodland stuck out against each other.  He could make out several flying ships flitting between them in the distance, their bright sails more colorful than any bird''s.

    Turning his gaze down to the mountain beneath him, he could make out several large clearings and a few clusters of buildings.  Some, he assumed, were the sect¡¯s gardens, if the clumps of brightly colored trees were any indication.  Others seemed to be for either training or recreation, though he couldn¡¯t quite make out enough of the people milling about them to tell which.  He wondered which, if any, of the buildings were his new home.  Or if it was even on this mountain at all.

    Following the faint threads of paths and stairs up the mountain, he spotted the distinct shape of the Fifth Storage Pagoda towering over the treeline next to the assembly hall.  The hall was hard to spot for a structure of its size, as its green roof blended into the surrounding vegetation surprisingly well.  As Chao Ren tried to spot where the exam had been held, his stomach rumbled, and he wondered when lunch would be.  Or if it would even be food, and not just more pills.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s real food,¡± Tang replied, and Chao Ren flinched, before whirling around to face her.  Had she read his mind?  He knew that mind cultivators could perform such a feat, but given her physique, he had assumed that she was a body cultivator.

    That had been careless.

    Too careless.

    He should have known better than to assume a cultivator¡¯s specialty based on appearance.  If she¡¯d been able to hear his thoughts this entire time, even now, then than meant¡­  Tang interrupted his thoughts before he could spiral further.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t read your mind,¡± she said, ¡°but I can read your expression.  And hear what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    ¡°You know, talking to yourself is another side effect of closed-door cultivation,¡± Li added.  ¡°You get so used to the solitude that you start to subconsciously verbalize your thoughts to have something to hear.  To keep yourself from going insane.  You should be careful about that.  Could be bad if you accidentally said something more embarrassing than that aloud.¡±

    He placed another piece on the board as he spoke, only for Tang to counter by taking more of his pieces.  He grumbled, sifting through his bowl of go stones in frustration.  ¡°Lunch should have been here by now.  I bet Old Chow¡¯s making them late by begging for extra desert again.¡±

    ¡°I just hope it¡¯s something with some real meat in it,¡± Tang said, ¡°I need something I can really sink my teeth into.¡±

    What followed was a long conversation between the Li and Tang about what they thought the day¡¯s lunch would be.  Chao Ren sat, listening, as they went through a seemingly endless lists of foods, ranging from simple dishes like fried rice to more exotic fare like stuffed duck and thrice-cooked spirit boar.  Occasionally, Ren would dare to ask a question about a particularly unique dish, but for the most part he was content to listen and learn.  Especially as the conversation turned to other, more interesting, topics.

    For one thing, he learned that all of his companions had been sharing the room for quite a while.

    Li Peizhi had been injured in a pill explosion eight months ago, when his cauldron ruptured during an attempt to refine a Threefold Marrow Refining Pill.  He¡¯d only been able to fully protect his face¡ªsupposedly because he couldn¡¯t live without his handsome looks¡ªthough even that hadn¡¯t been perfect.  Some strange quirk of the reaction that caused the accident had permanently burned his eyebrows off, and he¡¯d been trying to regrow them for months to no avail.

    Gang Guanxia and Tang¡ªHuanlu Tang it turned out¡ªhad arrived only five months ago.  The two were part of a beast hunting or subjugation group of some sort, and had almost died when their squad encountered a spirit beast far above their level.

    The average spirit beast was no threat to a cultivator of a similar stage.  Their improvised cultivation methods were often rough, lacking the knowledge to truly overcome the obstacles inherent to self-developed techniques.  However, as they got older, they became immeasurably more dangerous.  Nature was a gu jar of immeasurable size.  A crucible that refined the few that survived its trials into their most lethal and cunning forms.

    They lurked in the wilderness between civilizations and around the Immortal Scars, growing powerful off the abundance of natural qi treasures.  Some were content to simply exist as they were, forming their own domains that they rarely ventured beyond.  Others would become more curious as their awareness grew, and would seek to join sects and kingdoms, often shedding their animal forms in the process.

    But for some, the bounty of nature could never be enough.  They would turn their hungry eyes towards civilization and become demonic beasts: wild creatures that sought only to devour all that crossed their paths.  Building their cultivation on pillars of blood and slaughter.

    Because of the threat of such catastrophe, it was the responsibility of the sects to patrol the wilderness.  To put a halt to such ambitions before they could turn the fringe villages into bloody fuel for their growth.  Before their appetites grew to the point that even cities could not sate them.

    Gang and Huanlu¡¯s team had arrived to answer the reports of three missing children.  What they had found was a missing village; its fields overflowing with grain and its houses with blood.  They¡¯d been ambushed in the dead of night as they made camp, by a Frost Ferret approaching the peak of the Core Formation stage.

    The pair of cultivators on watch were the first to perish, their screams frozen in their throats by arctic fangs.  If not for their failsafe tokens alerting their allies of their deaths, they all would have shared the same grisly end.  Three of their fellow cultivators had met their end as they mounted a counterattack.  One pincushioned by icicles, another shattered like a pane of glass, and the third simply eviscerated by brutal physical strength.

    Guanxia had detonated his arm as he grappled with the beast, filling the stone with so much of his qi that the resulting explosion felled every tree in the clearing.  As the beast reeled, the remaining squad members had unleased their strongest techniques, putting everything on the line to take advantage of Guanxia¡¯s act.  And as the beast responded in kind, readying to reveal a hidden technique to turn the tide, a bell that Chao Ren hadn¡¯t noticed rang above the door.

 Chapter 22

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Fifteenth day of the tenth month

    While Chao Ren looked up in surprise and disappointment, Huanlu Tang turned to nudge Gang awake.  After more than a few sharp pokes he groaned awake, cursing the infernal bell and her insistence on excessive force.

    Moments later, the door opened, and a woman pushing a small dim sum cart entered the room.  She was dressed in a crisp, light-tan robe with crest of the Teal Mountain Sect¡ªseven overlapping mountains surrounded by a circle¡ª stitched on its breast in dark green threads.  Another woman¡ªa cultivator¡ª followed her, wearing light blue robes with white-hemmed sleeves and a multitude of pockets, pushing her own, smaller, cart.  With a start, Chao Ren realized that he¡¯d been able to tell the difference between the two without thinking.

    With his new senses he had felt the second woman¡¯s overabundance of qi, as well as the mortal server¡¯s relative lack of it.  He made sure he kept this discovery to himself as the doctor inspected each of the patients.

    With a gesture she drew the blood from Gang¡¯s bandages and stored it in a small jade vial.  She then had him lie down and, after he obliged, produced a roll of silver needles.  Without missing a beat her hand blurred, and twenty-three needles appeared across Gang¡¯s face and chest.  The man let out a loud moan of pain as a faint white mist began to seep from his body.  The doctor repeated the same procedure on Huanlu, who remained a good deal quieter than Gang as the mist began to emerge from her as well.

    As the two steamed, the doctor moved on to Li Peizhi.  She removed his bandages to check the condition of his body, and Ren almost averted his eyes when he saw the horrible burns that covered almost every inch of Li¡¯s skin.  The skin was blistered and cragged like a slab of granite, far more raw than he would have imagined such an old wound to be.  It was a miracle that the man could even move in that condition, much less act so upbeat.

    The doctor produced a bottle and, without any ceremony, upended it over him.  She clicked her tongue as she gesticulated with her free hand, and a pale blue balm quickly enveloped him, covering every inch of burnt skin.  Li grimaced in pain, though compared to the others his agony was short lived, as an expression of relief soon replaced it.  The doctor exchanged his old bandages for new, making sure they were properly tied before moving on to Chao Ren.

    ¡°Your hand,¡± she said and, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he complied with her request.

    She felt his wrist for a second or two, before methodically poking a series of acupuncture points along his palm and arm.  She repeated the process to his other arm before moving on to his chest, fingers moving as quick as a scorpion¡¯s sting and with the same gentleness.  Chao Ren winced at the force, realizing the pain that had been hiding in his sore muscles.  Afterwards, she pulled up his eyelids, and gave his pupils a close inspection before letting them go, satisfied with whatever she saw.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± she asked in a clipped tone, producing a small bamboo scroll from the side of her cart.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ren replied.

    ¡°Any strange dreams?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes?  I dreamt that the elder with the jade skin was telling me I failed, and then I fell off a cliff and, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Any burning or pained sensations from your meridians?¡± the doctor asked, cutting off his explanation as she moved on to her next question.

    ¡°Uh, no.¡±

    ¡°Circulate your qi for me.¡±  She put her hand on his chest as she said this, and after another moment¡¯s hesitation, Chao Ren took a deep breath.

    He let the heady medicinal air sit in his lungs, the clear taste of the mountain¡¯s qi a sharp contrast to the bitter, earthy tones of the medical reagents.  He went slowly at first, careful not to put too much strain on his overtaxed meridians.  He spent his first breath getting acquainted with his current state, feeling out where he was the weakest.  Then he took in a second, allowing his dantian to refine the ambient qi into his own with what was now practiced ease, before letting it flow through his meridians.

    He repeated the process three times before the doctor was satisfied.  She wrote a few more notes on her scroll, before handing him a small wooden box the size of a large chestnut.

    ¡°Take this after your meal and be sure to meditate while you consume it.  And no qi cultivation for at least an hour afterwards.  The alchemist can answer any questions.¡±  Gang¡¯s moaning intensified, and with a sigh, the doctor turned to face him.  ¡°Alright you vengeful bastard, I¡¯m getting to you.¡±

    The mist had coalesced into a pair of vague, bestial shapes the size of mastiffs.  Thick puffy tails of mist narrowed into lean muzzles, tipped with rows of narrow eyes and snarling teeth formed of tiny ice crystals.  The bestial qi of the Frost Ferret.  Its will for vengeance against its slayers manifested in its dying breath.

    The fragments roiled in on themselves, forms breaking and reforming over and over again as they tried to free themselves from their needle prison.  They keened as they struggled, a haunting sound like iron nails against a glass pane.

    The doctor produced a heavy urn from her cart, carved from dark stone and covered in yellow paper talisman marked with red characters.  Popping its cork, she clasped her hands around it, index and middle fingers extended together as she started to chant the words of an incantation.  Threads of qi began to flow towards the urn.  The keening of the frost ferrets intensified as they realized their fates, their forms bulging as they fought the force compressing them into the urn.

    The doctor¡¯s chanting grew faster and faster as bestial qi began to swirl with greater intensity, thin wisps becoming thick ropes as they were drawn in by the inexorable force of the urn.  At last, when not even the faintest trace remained in the room, she drove the cork down in a single motion, so fast that not even a wisp of the icy qi could escape. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    As she slapped a final talisman atop the urn, Chao Ren felt the temperature of the room rise.  The frosty qi had been chilling the room as it coalesced, a process so subtle that he hadn¡¯t noticed it happening until it had stopped.  As he rubbed some warmth back into his arms, the doctor began to remove the needles from Gang and Huanlu as she asked them a series of questions about their current internal states.  When she was satisfied with their answers, she gave each of them a set of tall pill bottles.

    She seemed to be a bit more courteous with the two than she had been with Ren, although he was unsure if it was due to familiarity or seniority.  As a new disciple he was currently at the bottom of the sect¡¯s internal pecking order, so it could just as easily be both.

    When she was finished, the doctor left without a single word of parting, followed shortly after by the server, who bowed to the cultivators before making her own exit.  When he turned around, Chao Ren realized that she had left a tray of food on his bed.  She must have put it there while he was distracted by the examinations.

    The tray contained a small teapot, a cup, a covered bowl, a spoon, and a pair of steamed peach buns on a small plate.  All of it, save the wooden spoon, was crafted of ceramic.  A delicate eggshell color, each painted with the same design of dark green bamboo and pale pink peach blossoms.

    As Gang and Huanlu commiserated about the pain of their procedure, Chao Ren started pouring himself his first cup of tea in months, taking his time to savor the aroma.

    It was a strong tea, jasmine to be precise, and slightly over-steeped from the time it had spent on the food cart.  He closed his eyes as he gently blew on it, making sure that he wouldn¡¯t ruin the experience by scalding his tongue.  Eventually, when he felt it was the right temperature, he took his first sip.

    The warm liquid felt wonderful on his tongue, its floral taste washing away the bitter memories of the food pills he had spent so many months consuming.  There was a touch of qi to it as well, a subtle mix of water and wood that reminded him of the sweet smell of freshly cut leaves and the crisp feel of jumping into a cool lake on a hot day.

    The warmth of the tea spread through his body as he took another sip, relaxing his sore muscles and soothing his roughened meridians.  So, this was the taste of a spiritual tea, made from plants that had grown in harmony with the qi around them.  He could finally understand why his uncles were always so excited when it was brought out at the family banquets.

    Perhaps the next time he was able to attend one, he would finally join them.  It was a privilege the family had reserved for cultivators that could truly ¡®appreciate the nuances of the qi of the tea¡¯, and now that he was a true cultivator, he could proudly take his place among them.  Sipping from the fancy jade cups, sharing stories and pats on the back.

    He made sure to pace himself through his first cup of tea, taking gentle sips rather than simply gulping it down.  When he was done, he filled it again, before turning his attention to the main course.

    Removing the bowl¡¯s cover, he was met with the rich smell of a seafood juk.  The thick rice porridge was full of thinly sliced mushroom and scallions, as well as thick, juicy chunks of spirit crab, garnished with a liberal splash of white pepper.

    It took all of Chao Ren¡¯s self-control to hold himself back from licking his lips.  He had heard that the Teal Mountain Sect was known for its spirit crab more times than he could count during both his travel to the sect and his time during the exams.  It was all that everyone would talk about when even the most tangential mention of food entered the conversation.

    ¡®You need to try the spirit crab.¡¯

    ¡®They put crab in everything over there.¡¯

    ¡®They have so much crab that it¡¯s cheaper than rice.¡¯

    ¡®Son, make sure you eat as much spirit crab as you can.¡¯

    ¡®The spirit crab at the sect is the best.¡¯

    Everyone had made such a big deal out of it that he had just assumed it was some sort of joke being played on him.  Everyone knew that spirit crab was a luxury among luxury foods.  Even normal crabs were hard to come by, worth almost their weight in gold.  Or at the very least roughly twice their weight in silver.

    And yet, here it was in front of him.

    In juk of all things.

    Juk, the most common of common dishes.

    A dish that even he knew how to prepare!

    His hand trembled in anticipation as he dipped his spoon in, making sure to get an equal portion of each ingredient.  He closed his eyes, dampening his other senses as he took his first bite.

    His first thought was that it was incredibly soft.  The meat barely offered more resistance than tofu, exploding in his mouth with a rich blend of sweetness and umami as he bit into it.  The crispness of the scallions was the perfect contrast to its texture, adding a pleasant crunch alongside the chewiness of the mushrooms.  The broth and the rice brought balance to the experience, perfectly combining each of their companions¡¯ strengths into a smooth m¨¦lange that rounded out each flavor.

    Invigorated, he dipped his spoon in for a second bite, only to realize that the rest of the room was staring at him, looks of bemusement on their faces.

    ¡°I remember my first time eating spirit cooking,¡± Li said with a smile.  ¡°It takes me back, seeing a youngster like you enjoying it so earnestly.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for the offense senior,¡± Chao Ren said, bowing his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± Li replied.  ¡°Although, if you truly want to make amends you can do away with the formalities.  It isn¡¯t right for someone as young as you to be so stiff.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best sen- I mean, brother Li,¡± Ren replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Li sighed, taking a bite of a bun.  ¡°As I was saying, it does warm my heart to see a youngster like you enjoying the food with such relish.  Back when I first joined the sect, such ingredients were far harder to come by.  The most the sect could provide us disciples with was a single spirit peach bun each solstice festival.  It took so much for them to do even that, and we would cherish every bite.  It is truly a blessing that we now live in such prosperous times, to be able to enjoy such things readily.¡±

    His eyes drifted to Chao Ren¡¯s tray as he spoke, a distant look in his eyes.  For a moment, Ren could feel the weight of ages in the man¡¯s gaze.  Beyond the youthful appearance and the casual wit lay a mind that had experienced centuries.  That had experienced many more lifetimes than Ren had yet to live.  He held out one of his buns to Li.

    ¡°Would you like one, for old time¡¯s sake?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Li protested, ¡°but if you insist, who am I to refuse such a generous gift?¡±

    He reached out his hand to take it, only for Huanlu Tang to suddenly chime in.

    ¡°I thought that you said that the sect served mooncakes at the solstice festivals.¡±

    Li froze, a guilty look on his face.

    ¡°Did I?  You know, it¡¯s been almost 800 years, and my memory isn¡¯t quite what it used to be¡­¡±

    ¡°The server already gave you an extra, you mooch!  Does your gluttony know no limit?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a timeless tradition!¡±

    ¡°A shameless tradition, maybe.¡±

    As the two began to argue, Chao Ren took a bite out of the bun.  Like the rest of the food, it was delicious.  Sticky and sweet in a way that complimented the tea well.  He hadn¡¯t realized how much he¡¯d begun to miss such things during the exam.  Food, conversation, tea...

    He had just been so busy with his cultivation that he hadn¡¯t taken the time to think about it.  Perhaps it was important to take the time to enjoy moments like this on the path of immortality.  Brief respites between steps.  He finished his bun as he contemplated this, before moving back to the juk.

    Yes, it would do him good to savor the moment.

    He¡¯d take his time to enjoy it as he used it to recover, ensuring that he was in the best condition possible before he resumed his cultivation.  He had a long way to go to reach the second pillar in body and mind, and he couldn¡¯t wait to resume his cultivation.

    He had a talent for it.  He knew that for certain now.

    He just needed a bit more time to prove that.

 Chapter 23

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Nineteenth day of the tenth month

    Noon(ish)

    Lee Han¡¯s ear flicked as he yawned, eyes blinking as he adjusted to the sun¡¯s new height.  He¡¯d only meant to close his eyes for a moment, to get in a bit of light meditation before he met up with Bao and Min Huan.  They¡¯d made plans to meet up with Shen, who they hadn¡¯t seen in almost a week.  His induction as an Inner Disciple had just finished the previous night, so now that all the boring speeches and ceremonies were out of the way, he could finally get his scaly ass around to paying off his debt.

    A month ago, the members of Exam Group 45 (excluding that asshat Zhao Lan) had made a small bet on Chao Ren.  If Han remembered right, Shen had been the one to propose the wager.

    ¡°You know, in some parts, it¡¯s considered good luck to place a bet on someone¡¯s success,¡± he had said, before proposing that each of them pick one of the three pillars.  If Chao Ren managed a break-through, those that hadn¡¯t selected the pillar it was in would have to foot the bill for a night of celebration.

    Within reason, of course.

    Lee Han had made sure to get Shen to agree to that last stipulation, since he didn¡¯t want to bankrupt himself trying to satisfy the dragon¡¯s expensive tastes.  They¡¯d pulled lots with the mahjong tiles to determine who got to pick first, and Han had immediately chosen qi when he¡¯d won.

    He had remembered Chao Ren mentioning his progress with it during the mahjong game, so it had been a prudent choice.  Shen had decided to go with his beloved body cultivation, and Bao had been stuck with mind.

    None of them had bet on failure, as it would have been unbecoming.

    And because it would have made the pool uneven.

    Presumably, if Chao Ren had managed a second breakthrough, the burden of the bill would have fallen on only one of them.  And if Ren had managed to match Shen¡¯s accomplishment, well, he supposed they would have probably just shared an ordinary celebratory dinner together.

    The thought of the night¡¯s meal whetted his appetite, and he licked his chops in anticipation.  He¡¯d taken his time to get the lay of the land, researching each restaurant through a combination of inquiry, eavesdropping and consulting their menus.  It had taken a lot of deliberation¡ªand no small amount of sampling¡ªbefore he had selected The Iron Slab for the occasion.

    According to the senior disciples he had asked, the owner¡ªFatty Li¡ªwas known for his skilled technique and generous portion sizes.  He cooked everything on his signature slab, which was as wide as 3 men and infused with his mastery of metal and flame.  The meat was sourced from one of the spirit beast hunting squads, and he worked with a cultivator from the Agriculture Division to ensure that his seasoning met his standards, which were apparently high even for a spirit chef.

    It had smelt heavenly when Han had walked by, and if the roast pork bao he¡¯d sampled was any indication, they were in for a truly delicious meal.

    Glancing up at the sky, he reckoned that it was nearing the time he said that he¡¯d meet up with his companions.  He arched his back as he stretched himself out, enjoying the feeling of fulfillment only his feline form could experience.

    There were some benefits to privacy, he thought, as he padded back to his dwelling.  Unlike the exam, where he¡¯d been unable to enjoy the occasional sunny nap in his natural form, his sect-supplied housing afforded him all the privacy he needed.  This took the form of a small garden with a reasonably tall fence, but that was all he asked for.  Just a small place to really stretch out.  To let his fur soak in the sun without a care in the world.

    It wasn¡¯t that he minded remaining in human form for so long.  It wasn¡¯t particularly painful, and he enjoyed the way it moved and felt.

    And hands, he thought, as he slid the door shut with a hind leg.

    Hands were great.

    But despite all the benefits to his cultivation, and how handy hands were, it just felt right to let his animal side out from time to time.  He made his way over to his clothes, where he rose up on his hind legs, letting his form contract from tiger to man.  Fur blurred as it faded into skin, limbs stretched, and muzzle flattened.  He stretched shoulders as he felt around himself, doing his usual check to make sure that he¡¯d done it properly.

    No whiskers, no extra fur.  Teeth all the proper lengths, and he hadn¡¯t left pads on any of his fingertips.

    As always, his ears and tail remained unchanged.

    Never forget what we are, his mother always said. A true tiger is proud, and unashamed of his stripes.

    He would need to do something about his clothes though.

    As a mere Qi Gathering cultivator, he was a long way from being able to shift his clothes along with his form.  If he changed with them on, they¡¯d either end up shredded or result in him look like some delusional nobleman¡¯s housepet.  And then there was the matter of transforming back...

    He shuddered.  Unless he wanted to end up exposing himself to an extent that would make Bailong Shen look conservative, he would continue to refrain from transforming in public.

    His uncle had taught him a secret technique for melding his clothes into his stripes that only required him to be at the middle of the Qi Refining stage, but that was years away.  He¡¯d have to make do with enchanted clothing in the meantime (the friend of many adolescent yaoguai), but it would take months before his commissioned set would be ready.

    So, mundane robes would have to do for now, he thought to himself, pulling on his pants just as he heard a knock on his door.

    He swore, rushing to pull on his inner robes as he made his way over to the door.

    ¡°Just a second!¡± he called, pulling on socks as he shoved one arm through his robe.  He¡¯d be damned if he showed up half dressed!  Unlike Shen, he had standards!  He straightened out his robes, using his Invisible Hand technique to pass himself a cup of lukewarm tea before opening his door.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Bao,¡± he said, giving his friend a nod.  ¡°Min Huan, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance again.¡±  He took a sip from his cup, making sure to finish it before transferring it to an invisible hand which, in turn, transferred it back to his table.  ¡°I apologize for the delay.  I was just enjoying a cup of tea after meditating on my current progress with the Beginner¡¯s Teal Jade Qi Gathering Technique.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The two nodded.  They¡¯d been given a two-week reprieve between the end of the exam and the start of their instruction, but it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t continue to diligently cultivate during that period.  Cultivation was a long journey, and one could hardly travel it while standing still.

    ¡°I was just talking with Huan about my progress with the method on our walk over,¡± Bao said, ¡°perhaps we could trade pointers.¡±

    The tall cultivator had decided to keep his hair long, and it rested against his tan skin in thick brown ponytail tied with a red cloth.  That was something that Han was glad he hadn¡¯t had to deal with during the exam.  Whenever he transformed himself, his hair always took on his desired length, so he¡¯d been spared from growing an unruly mop.

    Min Huan, on the other hand, had cut his hair short, clearly enjoying his reunion with sharpened blades.  He¡¯d also managed to somehow become even bulkier since Han had last seen him, which was no small feat given they had shared the same food pill diet.  He¡¯d likely made his breakthrough in body cultivation using a personal method, as the technique the Teal Mountain Sect had given them emphasized strengthening muscles over enlarging them.

    He seemed nice enough, and he was an old friend of Bao¡¯s, so Han had been fine with him joining them.  It couldn¡¯t hurt to get to know more of his fellow disciples, and besides, it wasn¡¯t like he would be footing the bill for Min¡¯s portion of the meal.

    ¡°Strange,¡± Min Huan chuckled, ¡°I remember it being more about¡ª¡±

    Bao elbowed him in the side.  ¡°You know, if you don¡¯t want to join us for dinner, you could just tell me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Min corrected.  ¡°Yes, qi cultivation.  That was most assuredly the topic of our conversation.  I was just remarking to our good friend Xia Bao that perhaps he could benefit from changing his method of conceptualization.  Instead of viewing qi as the breath of life that surrounds us all, perhaps he would be better served visualizing it as a series of bowls of shrimp fried rice.  That way he could simply¡ª¡±

    Bao cut him off with another elbow.  ¡°You know, it would a shame to keep Shen waiting.  Perhaps we should head out to meet with him.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Han said, locking his door behind him.  The engraved copper clicked together, completing a minor formation to ensure his property remained secure in his absence.

    Like most sects, the Teal Mountain Sect had strict rules against theft.  However, like most sects, he didn¡¯t put it past them having some ¡°traditions¡± that involved senior disciples harassing newcomers, and he didn¡¯t want to learn about those the hard way.

    ¡°Have either of you had lunch yet?¡± Lee Han asked, as they began making their way out of the residential courtyard (not that it really deserved the title).  It was little more than a thin strip of grass and path to line the disciple¡¯s small houses along.  No flowers, no water, and only a single tree.  And even that wasn¡¯t even supposed to be there!

    Supposedly the seed had just ended up there a decade or five ago (the guide had been woefully unsure), and by the time anyone had noticed it, it had already grown enough that the sect hadn¡¯t seen the need to bother with cutting it down.  So now it just sat there, dropping iron-hard pinecones on any disciple that strayed too close.

    Some of the disciples had taken to calling it Senior Iron Cones.  Lee Han preferred Miserable Bastard.

    ¡°I already ate,¡± Bao replied, passing the tree on the far side of the pathway, ¡°but I know I¡¯m not quite sure if Huan had anything.¡±

    ¡°I actually missed breakfast, so I could go for something light,¡± Min Huan said, patting his stomach. ¡°Did more than a few sets of weight exercises, so I¡¯ve worked up a bit of a hungering for some grub.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that a sort of regional cuisine?¡± Han asked.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Grubs.  Are they a regional dish, or is it more of a cultivation supplement?¡±  There was much between heaven and earth, after all, and what could be considered exotic to some was often mundane to others.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Bao said, realization dawning on him faster than his companion.  ¡°It¡¯s an expression.  It just means food.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Han said, retrieving his fan from his sleeve.  He tapped the end against his chin contemplatively.  He had missed it during the exams.  ¡°Why?  It is quite a peculiar term for what it describes.¡±

    Min Huan shrugged.  ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea.  People just say it.¡±

    ¡°Well, surely they say it for a reason,¡± Lee Han pressed.  ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the term simply materialized out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a hunter term,¡± Bao interjected.  ¡°The bones that make up the coast of Port Fin are full of shellfish.  Back when the city was first being settled¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Lee Han interrupted, ¡°you¡¯re from the Wailing Coast?¡±

    He had remembered Bao mentioning that he was from a port city during the exam, but the location had remained nebulous since half of them had such incredibly unimaginative names.  The mention of bones, however, had given him a flash of insight into his friend¡¯s origin.

    The Wailing Coast was a peninsula on the northern coast formed around the remains of an ancient sea beast from ancient times; either the Immortal Era, where those true gods of cultivation had shaped the world with their whims, or the mysterious Primordial Era that had preceded it.  Its corpse stretched out at least a hundred li long and three dozen wide, bones reaching for the clouds like mountains.

    Its might sought to defy even its own death, as rather than allow itself to be worn down by the centuries, the coast had formed around it instead.  Lee Han¡¯s father had taken him on a business trip there a couple of years ago, and he could still remember the feeling of awe it had filled him with.  A creature whose size could rival that of the Immortal Scars he had seen.  It was hard to imagine what cultivation such a beast had had in life, and if its kin might still lurk beneath the waves, biding their time as they waited to emerge.

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Bao replied.

    ¡°Ah, my apologies, please continue,¡± Han said, a bit embarrassed by his slip-up.  His excitement had gotten the better of him again.  He¡¯d almost managed to quash that habit, but the lackadaisical attitude of the exam had rather ruined his progress with it.  He¡¯d have to work on it again.

    Bao took it in stride, well used to his friend¡¯s brash nature by this point.

    ¡°Well, as I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted,¡± he continued, giving Han a pointed look, ¡°back when the fin was first being settled, there wasn¡¯t a lot to eat.  Without a port, there was hardly any trade, so people had to make do with what they could find.  Few fish dare to come too close to the bones, but shellfish don¡¯t seem to mind as much.   They¡¯re pretty easy to catch and¡ªaccording to my grandfather¡ªthey¡¯re all my ancestors used to eat.  Some of them look quite a bit like big bugs, especially the young ones, so that¡¯s probably where the name came from.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Lee Han replied, treating himself to a light fanning.  ¡°So, how do they taste?¡±

    ¡°Pretty alright,¡± Min Huan said with a shrug.  ¡°The big isopods are pretty mediocre, but once they get a bit of qi in them, they¡¯re pretty tasty.  The lobster¡¯s pretty good though.  They get pretty fat picking at what little meat¡¯s left on the bones, and they boil up real nice.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the what?¡± Han asked incredulously, almost tripping over a cobblestone in shock.

    ¡°Lobsters.  They¡¯re a type of shellfish with a long fat tail that fans at the end, ten thin legs, a pair of big, meaty claws, and antennae that stick out like the longest mustache you¡¯ve ever seen.  They¡¯re about this big.¡±  He held his hands about a foot apart, before expanding them a bit to indicate how big the larger ones got.

    ¡°No, I know what lobsters are,¡± Han said, ¡°what I want to know is what do you mean by ¡®the meat¡¯?  How can there still be any left on that a corpse that old?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something about the water,¡± Bao explained.  ¡°Above: nothing.  But beneath the waves?  Flesh still grows, as the bones absorb qi and try to give themselves form.  As my grandfather would say, the body remembers, even when the mind is gone.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s no concern over this?  That it won¡¯t just rise up again someday?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Min said dismissively.  ¡°Even before the bones were settled, plenty of exorcism sects spent centuries investigating it for signs of life.  Or for a spirit to tame.¡±

    ¡°And did they find it?¡± Han asked, curiosity mounting.

    ¡°Nope, nothing,¡± Min answered.  ¡°There¡¯s still a few there, trawling for scraps, but if there was anything worth finding, it¡¯s been found by now.  It was picked pretty clean by warring clans during the Age of Drought.  The cities only started to pop up once they were done scrapping over it.¡±

    ¡°Well, this has been rather illuminating,¡± Han said, snapping his fan closed as they rounded a corner.  It would make a good story to add to his supposedly meager collection, though he would have to save it for some time when he was alone with Shen.  It was bad form to tell it in front of its originators.

    As he thought about which anecdote he could use to shift the conversation to the topic of his own hometown¡¯s regional cuisine, he paused as he recognized a figure in the distance.  He did a double-take, doubting his own eyes.  He turned to Bao, who was just catching sight of the spectacle in the distance.

    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, ¡°is that Chao Ren?¡±

 Chapter 24

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Nineteenth day of the tenth month

    A bit later than noon(ish)

    It was not shaping up to be a great day for Chao Ren.

    After half a week of rest, recovery pills, and spirit food, the medical pavilion had finally approved his release.  He¡¯d gotten to know his seniors a bit better during that time, and while he was still certain that Gang still disliked him, the rest had given him some advice about what to expect as a new disciple.  From the raucous stories of past exploits and frustrated rants about early setbacks and mistakes, he¡¯d been able to glean quite a few things, but the most important was a reinforcement of a belief that he had always held close to his heart: avoid trouble.

    Family heirs, blood feuds, ancient rivalries; nothing good could come out of getting involved with such things.  It could be tempting to play the mercenary, to try and reap some benefit, but often it would lead to entanglement and the risk of becoming collateral in another¡¯s war.

    The sort of disciples that played these sorts of political games were often the sort that could afford to waste time making someone¡¯s life a living hell, often just to prove the cost of crossing them to others.  They had much more to prove to their clans and would do anything to gain face.

    And so, he¡¯d resolved to stay out of it.  To simply focus on his cultivation so that he could become strong enough to not have to get involved in such affairs.  He¡¯d avoid anyone with fancy robes, elaborate jewelry, or noticeable clan crests.  If they started a conversation with him, he¡¯d simply respond with all the dull formality he could muster.  If it looked like he would cross paths with any of them, he¡¯d cross the road instead.

    Or at least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d planned to do.

    He¡¯d gotten a bit too caught up in consulting the map the kind lady at the desk of the medical pavilion had given him when he¡¯d smelt something nice.  The familiar fragrance of fried dumplings; hot oil, pork, and garlic.  He¡¯d left before he¡¯d had a chance to share one last meal with Li, Huanlu, and Gang, so he¡¯d been curious to see what the prices were.

    Based on Li¡¯s budget advice, approximately a hundred of a new disciples¡¯ allowance of Teal Mountain Tokens¡ªthe sect¡¯s internal form of currency¡ªwas meant to go towards food, and with only eleven days left in the month, he had plenty to spare should he decide to celebrate with a plate or two of dumplings.  The medical pavilion only allowed fried food on special occasions, so he¡¯d been waiting for a chance to be reunited with his favorite meal.

    He¡¯d turned his head just in time for his twin distractions to result in his collision with a fellow disciple.  His boxes had gone flying, only their strong locks preventing their contents from joining him on the ground.  Things had only gotten worse when he¡¯d looked up to apologize, only to catch sight of a clan crest stitched against the breast of his dark-green robes: the white burst of a new moon against a pair of charcoal-gray clouds.

    His robes had the orange trim of a fellow new disciple, which meant that he had also received them less than a week ago.  If he had had them customized so quickly, it meant one of three things: either he was incredibly filial, he was incredibly important, or he had a talent for sewing.  And unfortunately, it seemed that it was not the latter.

    ¡°How dare you?¡± his companion, a weaselly-faced boy, demanded.  In some ways, it was quite amazing that his puckered expression fit the term so well, considering his companions.  A yaoguai with the furred face of an actual weasel was helping up the young master of the¡ªwell, actually, Chao Ren didn¡¯t recognize the symbol of the clan.

    He cursed himself a bit for slacking on his lessons.  He had put far too much focus into memorizing the details of the great clans that he¡¯d neglected the rest.  Ah, if only he¡¯d listened to his teachers when they¡¯d chastised him for it, telling him that he¡¯d need to know this later.

    ¡°Get off me,¡± the young master of the unknown moon-related clan said, shaking loose his companions as he straightened his robes.  He pointed at Chao Ren, sleeve flapping.  ¡°Do you know who I am?  How dare you lay hands on the heir of the Shou Clan?¡±  He snapped his fingers, and his companions chimed in.

    ¡°Great clan of the Lutai Continent!¡± the weasel-headed disciple declared.

    ¡°The illustrious young master Shou Chengtai!¡± the last of the trio of lackeys, a large mountain of a man, rumbled.  The weaselly-faced disciple joined in on the final declaration a breath too late and ended up rushing to finish in time with his companion.  In a way, it was a bit impressive that they were making the effort to coordinate with each other.

    Ren wondered if Shou Chengtai had been paying them to practice.

    ¡°Apologies, young master Shou Chengtai,¡± he said, clasping his hand as he bowed respectfully, ¡°I meant no disrespect.  I am still recovering from an injury, and in my¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath on excuses,¡± Shou interrupted.  ¡°Apologize for your insolence!¡±

    Chao Ren stared a bit, incredulously, before starting again.  ¡°Apologies, young master Shou Chengtai,¡± he repeated, adding another five degrees to his bow.  The gesture complete, he waited a breath.  When Shou Chengtai remained silent, he began to reach for his boxes.

    ¡°Is that all you have to say for yourself?¡±  Shou demanded, stepping on one of Ren¡¯s boxes.  Behind him, his entourage laughed.

    ¡°I am confused,¡± Ren replied, having retrieved his other box by this point.  ¡°Do you want a third apology?¡±

    ¡°I think that your apology is lacking a certain sincerity,¡± Shou Chengtai said, grinding his heel against the box for emphasis.  ¡°Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson on the cost of your disrespect.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I was you,¡± Ren said.

    ¡°Why?  Do you think that whatever pathetic backwater clan you hail from can stand against the great Shou Clan?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean that that box is the sect¡¯s property,¡± Ren responded, tucking the box containing his old clothes under his arm.  ¡°I don¡¯t think that they would appreciate it being damaged.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you would enjoy being responsible for its disappearance,¡± Shou replied, stepping off so that his weasel-faced lackey could hand it to him.  ¡°I¡¯m sure that the sect would love to know what you¡¯ve done with its precious¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Chao Ren interrupted, realizing what he was about to do.

    ¡°How dare you make demands of me!¡± Shou snapped, opening the box with a decisive flip.  He immediately gagged at the odor, slamming it shut as the rest of his companions caught a whiff of it.  They immediately shielded their noses from the scent, elbows clasped over nostrils as they did their best to avoid breathing in the lingering miasma.  The weasel guai, with his sensitive nose, had the worst of it, doubling over on the ground as he wheezed into his sleeve.

    ¡°What in the name of heaven IS that?¡± Shou demanded, his face slightly pale from his brief encounter with the box¡¯s content.  ¡°It smells like death warmed over.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Just a bit of dirty laundry,¡± Ren replied.  He knew firsthand just how bad his old robes smelled.

    ¡°Blackmail?  That is conduct most unbecoming for a member of the Teal Mountain Sect!  I ought to report you for such a cowardly act.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ren asked, cocking his head in confusion.  ¡°It is simply my old laundry from the exam.¡±

    ¡°Why do you even have that?¡± the weaselly-faced disciple asked.  ¡°They explained how laundry works during the tour.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the medical pavilion for the last week,¡± Chao Ren replied defensively.  And nobody told me what to do with it, so I thought it would be best if I just brought it with me.  ¡°So, if you have no further need for that¡ª¡± He reached for the box, which Shou Chengtai was more than willing to surrender.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Shou Chengtai demanded, and the large disciple clamped a hand on Chao Ren¡¯s shoulder as he started to turn to leave.  ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, seeing as I have apologized, and that you now know that I clearly need to dispose of this laundry, I don¡¯t wish to waste any more of your incredibly valuable time.¡±  He attempted to bow again, but the action proved difficult with the massive mitt grasping him by the shoulder.

    ¡°Do you think that I would allow this slight to stand? That the pride of the Shou Clan means so little?  Who do you think you are?¡± Shou asked, glaring down at Ren.

    Or at least he tried to.  Chao Ren had at least half a head of height on him, so he had to turn his gaze upwards to lock eyes with him.

    ¡°I would think that calling this a slight would be a slight exaggeration,¡± Ren said diplomatically, trying to reason his way out of the situation.  ¡°It was a simple accident, and nobody was harmed, so why can¡¯t we all just go our separate ways.  Surely you don¡¯t want to waste your day standing here, yelling at my insignificant self.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right,¡± Shou said, with a sinister smile.  ¡°All this arguing is accomplishing so little.¡±

    ¡°So, does that mean I can¡ª¡±

    ¡°It would be better to spend our time on something productive.  Like trading pointers.¡±

    Ah, there it was.  The classic words of danger that Chao Ren had been living in dread of.  The request for an impromptu spar, with no supervision or oversight.

    ¡°I would, but I doubt that I would be able to teach you anything you do not already know,¡± he protested, clutching at his chest as he did.  ¡°And my injuries¡ªmy meridians are still recovering from the exam, so I would hardly be able to offer you any insights.¡±

    ¡°Wait, a minute,¡± the weaselly-faced disciple said, a sudden realization dawning on his face.  Everyone turned to him expectantly.  ¡°I recognize you.  You¡¯re Chao Ren!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it humbles me for you to recognize my unwort¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that passed the exam before it even started!  The one that they¡¯re calling the great sage of our generation!¡±

    What? Chao Ren thought in shock.  Who is this ¡®they¡¯?  I¡¯ve never called myself that!

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± Shou said, advancing towards Ren, ¡°it looks like you¡¯ll have more than a few insights to offer.¡±  A fist lashed out at Ren¡¯s stomach, and he dropped his boxes as he raised his hands to block it.

    Shou¡¯s fist had hit like a club, and it was only the firmness of the hand on his shoulder that kept him stable.  Ren went for an elbow to the chest, intent on forcing his captor from breaking his hold on him to dodge it, but the disciple was already moving before he could make contact.  The three lackeys moved to surround him, cutting off his escape as their leader closed in, hands swaying in a strange stance.

    ¡°Wait, can¡¯t we talk this out?¡± Chao Ren protested, as he quickly evaluated his options.

    There was no way out of this situation at this point.  If he tried to run, the three of them were clearly going to box him to cut off his escape.  His opponent also seemed unwilling to settle this verbally, which meant that a physical altercation was truly the only option.  It looked as though Shou was intent on delivering this beating himself, but it would be foolish to assume that his companions would stay out of it if they thought their leader was in danger of losing.

    Most importantly, they were all of similar cultivation.

    To get this far, they had all passed the same exam, which meant that they each had at least one foot in the second stage.  He had heard that anyone who had completed all three pillars had been promoted to inner disciples, and fortunately Shou lacked the light-green robes of the station.  Which was good, but did not eliminate the possibility that he could have simply succeeded in two, giving him a sizable advantage over Ren.  Which meant that this fight would be determined by technique and tactics, rather than pure strength.

    A truly worrying prospect given their difference in numbers.

    Chao Ren took his stance, arms rising into the form his family had ingrained into him since he could walk.  Legs spread, left hand an open palm, right hand a fist¡ªthe stance of the southern-style of the Weaving Wave school.  He let out a breath, clearing his lungs in preparation of drawing in a fresh supply of qi.  After his time in the medical pavilion, his dantian was far from full, and it easily accepted the fresh qi as he began to convert it into his five-elements form.

    Shou began to circle him, and Ren began to match the motion, unwilling to let his opponent flank him.  A few disciples, drawn by the sounds of shouting, had begun to gather around them, lunches in hand as they prepared to enjoy the spectacle.

    Shou made the first move again, rushing in toward Ren before stomping his foot on the ground with a sudden shout.  Ren flinched, drawing back reflexively as he caught his breath, the cycle of his dantian stuttering at the interruption.

    Shou quickly moved in to capitalize on the opening, drawing in with a backhand strike aimed at Ren¡¯s right cheek.  He raised his fist to block the blow, grunting at the impact as he used his legs to absorb the force.  His palm rose, redirecting the follow-up blow that Shou aimed at his kidney.

    He skipped back, intent on creating more space, only to bump into the large disciple again.  The large cultivator showed no sign of giving way, and with a groan of frustration, Chao Ren sucked in a deep breath, the rich mountain qi spinning around his dantian as he brought his pillar to bear.  He might not know any technique to utilize his qi, but he knew enough about qi strengthening to make use of his new power.

    Carefully, like Huanlu had taught him.  Don¡¯t grip too tight, or it won¡¯t be able to flow.  And not too loose, lest it run rampant in his body.  He breathed out as he circulated it through his veins, his Twin Minds technique straining as it sought to balance his focus on technique against the fight at hand.

    As Shou drew in for another strike, Ren feinted with a grab from his left hand, before striking out with a sharp snap-kick to his foe¡¯s chest.  He let his qi surge through his leg as the blow connected, striking Shou in the chest with a glowing kick.  His opponent went flying, but he felt almost no resistance, as if he had kicked nothing but air.  As he tried to process that, Ren felt a sharp pain across his chin, and he took a step backwards from the force.

    Shou, meanwhile, landed lightly on his feet.  He was seemingly unaffected by Chao Ren¡¯s kick, having used the force of the blow to launch a counterattack on his foe with a rising kick.

    ¡°HAH!¡± the young master exclaimed, raising his hands to the crowd as they cheered.  ¡°It looks as though your title is as hollow as your technique oh great sage!¡±

    Chao Ren rubbed his chin, trying to regain control of his breathing as his opponent continued to showboat.  He rushed in for a counterattack while Shou was distracted, only for the young master to suddenly turn and unleash a fierce counterattack of his own, having clearly anticipated his action.  The first blow caught Ren on the side of his head, while the next four were delivered straight to his torso, a series of quick punches to his exposed belly.

    Shou¡¯s first blow was met with stiff resistance, like he was hitting a wooden board instead of flesh, but with each blow the resistance lessened, Ren¡¯s focus clearly weakening with each subsequent strike.  In his injured state he just didn¡¯t have enough qi to maintain it, and with each blow it only weakened further, a cascading failure caused each to hurt more than the last.

    With a shout, Chao Ren shoved him away, and Shou let himself move with the blow again, allowing his opponent to create a bit of space as he readied himself for his next move.  Chao Ren was clearly winded by now, his strike to his diaphragm having disrupted his ability to focus on his qi technique.

    There was a disadvantage to notoriety.

    Everyone knew of the supposed ¡°great sage¡± that had reached the Qi Refining stage during the entrance ceremony, and that he¡¯d spent the subsequent months working to further refine his technique.  A laudable pursuit, a respectable course of action for a cultivator dedicated to the path of self-improvement.  But one ill-suited for preparing one for the rigors of combat.  As a veteran of countless tournaments, Shou Chengtai knew how to use his strength.  How to target the weak points of his opponent¡¯s cultivation, and how to shatter a poorly refined technique.

    Chao Ren¡¯s qi control was weak, more accustomed to calm meditation rather than the rigors of combat.  He lacked any techniques to use his new power properly, resorting to a half-completed form of qi strengthening that perfectly complemented his half-mastered martial arts.  His mind seemed quick to react, but his body was ill-prepared to support it.  An academic who had clearly preferred to spectate tournaments rather than compete himself.

    As Chao Ren reformed his stance and began to move in for another approach, Shou leapt at him with a pair of kicks.  The first was caught by Ren¡¯s guard, while the second struck beneath it, striking at his chest yet again.  The qi left Chao Ren¡¯s lungs as he stumbled back again, and Shou followed it up with pair of open-handed chops to both of Ren¡¯s shoulders, gravity adding its force to the blow.

    Ren let go of his leg as he shouted in pain, and as Shou Chengtai landed, he thrust out his right hand, twisting around Ren¡¯s collar, trapping him with his own clothes.  He drew his opponent up, forcing him to look up at him as he raised his fist to his face.

    ¡°Pathetic,¡± he spat, as Chao Ren struggled to break free, ¡°it¡¯s time you learnt the price of crossing the Shou Clan.¡±

    Chao Ren winced as Shou drew his fist back, qi gathering around his knuckles as he prepared to deliver a finishing blow.

 Chapter 25

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Nineteenth day of the tenth month

    A bit later than noon(ish)

    Shou Chengtai¡¯s fist descended, plunging towards Chao Ren¡¯s face like a heron after a carp.  However, as it made its approach, its course began to change.  It curved to the side, barely scraping the side of Chao Ren¡¯s cheek, deflected by some sort of invisible force.

    Shou shook his arm in confusion as he looked around, attempting to break free of the sudden force that gripped it.  As abruptly as it appeared, it vanished.  His hand struck his face, carried by force intended to oppose a foe that no longer existed.

    ¡°Well now,¡± Lee Han declared, snapping open his fan, ¡°that is hardly the decorum befitting a member of the Teal Mountain Sect.¡±  He approached the combatants with a lazy stride, the crowd parting before him as Min Huan and Xia Bao encouraged them to make way.  Shou Chengtai turned to face him, hand still clenched around Chao Ren¡¯s collar as he addressed the newcomers.

    ¡°Who do you think you are to interfere with a sacred duel between cultivators?¡± he spat, his face moving several shades closer to that of Lee Han¡¯s fan.

    Inwardly, Lee Han sighed, masking any outwards sign of the emotion with a pair of quick flaps of his hand before snapping it shut, tapping it against his palm as he did.

    Normally he would be the last person to interfere with a beating like this.

    The affairs of others were for others, and it was typically a bad idea for a cultivator to go around sticking their nose into every squabble that crossed their path.  That was how you ended up attracting unnecessary feuds, like the ridiculous one he was now in with that insufferable Zhao Lan.  If a cultivator wasn¡¯t careful, they could become weighed down by such things¡ªanimosity accumulating over the centuries until it became an endless array of challenges, sabotages and duels that stole far more time than they were worth.

    But this was different.

    For one thing, there was karma between him and Chao Ren.  They¡¯d been in the same exam group (which meant that they would soon share a mentor), and he would not have won his free dinner from Shen (and Bao too, he supposed) if it were not for his actions.  True, none of them had been aware that he was betting on a sure thing at the time, but it was still an owed debt.  And besides, he reminded him of Uncle Ming.

    The two of them had the same awkward demeanor.  The same uncertainty with how to react to those around them.  The same intense focus on cultivation, and even the same way of fiddling around with whatever was at hand when the conversation shifted to them.  Lee Han had heard more than a few stories (mostly from his aunt) about the troubles Uncle Ming¡¯s demeanor had attracted in his youth.  They had stuck with him, and not in any way that would make for good small talk.

    They had been equal parts encouragement to stop being a little shit and a way to get a far younger, far more foolish Lee Han to understand why his uncle was the way he was.  That it was something he could no more change than his own stripes.  It had had a profound impact on him, and he would never be able to face himself if he just stood by and let some upstart do the same to his new junior.

    Neither his pride nor his dao heart would allow it.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize that this was still an ongoing duel,¡± Lee Han said, feigning confusion as he tapped his fan against his palm contemplatively.  ¡°I had assumed that it had been completed.  After all, given the current state of your opponent¡± ¨C he pointed his fan at Chao Ren ¨C ¡°as well as the six clear hits you managed to land, it seemed obvious that you were well past the point of completion for any standard duel.¡±

    ¡°Standard to you, perhaps,¡± Shou Chengtai replied imperiously, tossing Chao Ren to the side as he turned to confront Lee Han.  ¡°I don¡¯t know how you savages do it on the southern continent, but back in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Now, that is strange, Lee Han mused, ¡°as last I checked, we were in Karano.  I know that the Teal Mountain Sect is renowned for their flying mountains, capable of traversing great distances in a single day, but I had no idea that such travel was so inconspicuous as to slip my notice.  Otherwise, why else would someone do something so odd such as making claims of local customs in a foreign land?¡±

    ¡°You dare to interrupt me?!¡±

    ¡°I would apologize for depriving the world of the illumination you were about to provide, but as such apology would be commensurate to the knowledge stifled, it has already been delivered.¡±

    He let the crowd take a moment to digest his words, chuckles spreading through it as Shou finally deciphered them, realization reddening his face further.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Shou Chengtai hissed, full of fury as he strode towards Lee Han.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Han countered with a grin, as the crowd laughed loudly.

    ¡°My clan is the Shou Clan!¡± Shou practically shouted, ¡°Great Clan of the Lutai continent!  And I am its heir, Shou Chengtai¡ª¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Third in line to the tertiary branch of the family, eldest male heir and recent achiever of the Body Refining stage,¡± Lee Han said with a mock yawn.  ¡°That was meant to be a rhetorical question.  We all know all our peers by now¡ªafter all, fewer than thirty of us passed the exam.¡±

    ¡°And yet you still insist on interrupting me?¡±

    ¡°Even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local tiger, and your family is far from both,¡± Lee said with a sigh.  ¡°Whatever hubbub your bluster might matter for back home means little here.  So, do you want to continue to waste your breath?  Or do you want to finally use it on words worthy of your supposed lineage?¡±

    Shou simmered as these words finally sunk in, before straightening his robes with a sharp tug.  ¡°I suppose I can indulge the opinion of a lowly guai such as yourself.¡±

    Lee Han didn¡¯t even bother to suppress his laughter at this.  In his youth he might have flown into an apoplectic rage over such an insult, but he was no longer ten.  And after spending six months in close quarters with Shen?  Well, he was now used to a far higher standard of insult, and it would take a sharper tongue than this Shou Chengtai¡¯s to draw his ire.

    ¡°Aiya,¡± he said, snapping open his fan, ¡°when I suggested you use words worthy of your lineage, I didn¡¯t expect you take that as a sign to us all how cheap it truly was.¡±  He fanned himself with slow, mocking movements as he let the crowd¡¯s mirth fill the silence.

    Ah, he had missed this.  His constant spars with Shen (both physical and verbal) had been the perfect whetstone, and it felt good to put his freshly honed skills to use with an audience.  He had to admit that Shen had been right; had they not been rivals, he would have never grown to such heights.  Before Shou Chengtai could muster his wit, he pressed his advantage.

    ¡°Seeing as you are unlearned in the ways of Karano-style duels, allow me to enlighten you,¡± he said, closing his fan so it could be better used to punctuate his points.  ¡°Here, the typical duel is the first to three hits.  Should a referee be chosen, they will announce any hits, but in one¡¯s absence¡± ¨C he gestured around with his fan ¨C ¡°it is up to the participants to honorably acknowledge them.  Now, did you hit Chao Ren more than three times?¡±  The crowd proved to be more forthcoming than Shou, as a few of its members shouted out their observations before he could reply.

    ¡°Hah!  He got him far more than that many times!¡±

    ¡°At least five, by my reckoning!¡±

    ¡°Bah, it was eight!  And he didn¡¯t even set terms!¡±

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Lee Han said, rounding on Shou Chengtai.  ¡°Now, that is strange indeed.  Did you truly begin a duel without agreeing to the terms with your opponent?¡±

    ¡°It was hardly a duel,¡± Shou replied dismissively, ¡°I simply proposed that we exchange pointers, and that poor excuse of a cultivator agreed to do so, so long as I felt there was something to be gained from it.¡±

    ¡°So, you are claiming is that this was not a duel?¡± Han asked, cocking his head to the side at the boldness of the statement.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said guai,¡± Shou snapped.

    ¡°And yet you were so quick to claim that this was a sacred duel between cultivators when I interrupted your savage beating of my poor junior,¡± Han continued.  ¡°It would seem that next you would want me to believe that white is black and black is white.¡±

    ¡°He deserved it,¡± Shou shot back, sleeves flapping as he pointed an accusatory finger at Chao Ren, who was currently leaning on Min Huan for support.  ¡°Prancing around calling himself the Great Sage, as if he was so much better than the rest of us.  He needed to learn the immensity of heaven and earth, and I was more than happy to teach him that lesson.¡±

    Ah, Lee Han thought to himself, so, this is how Instructor Yeung felt.  It would seem that now he too owed Chao Ren an apology.

    He¡¯d gotten so accustomed to using his nickname for Chao ren that he¡¯d let it slip a few too many times in a few too many casual conversations.  And drunkenly, at that party celebrating their acceptance into the sect.  And at that banquet.  And that other banquet one.  And at that lunch Bao had invited him too. And perhaps a bit too proudly whenever he told that story about how much better of a roommate he had been then Zhao Lan¡­

    Adding it all up on his mental abacus, it would seem that he was responsible for a great deal of rumormongering.

    ¡°If your dao heart is so weak as to tremble at the sight of another¡¯s achievements, it is a miracle that you haven¡¯t succumbed to an inner demon by now,¡± Lee Han replied, tapping his fan against his temple.

    ¡°You dare to insult the very foundation of my cultivation?¡±

    ¡°You dare this, you dare that¡ªhow about you dare to act like you have some self-respect as a cultivator!¡± Lee Han snapped.  ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy with your own weakness, cultivate yourself to correct it!  Don¡¯t seek vengeance on a Qi Refining cultivator that has yet to learn his first technique, because he was too busy pushing his body to the Refining stage.¡±

    He snapped his fan shut a final time, levelling it at Shou Chengtai as he spat out his last words.  ¡°Or, perhaps you would dare to fight a cultivator who can match your martial prowess.  If you would dare to face the thought of a proper challenge.¡±

    Lee Han¡¯s eyes narrowed, focusing his anger on Shou Chengtai in the closest approximation of intent he could manage.  He let out his qi seep out, his emotions tinging it a dark shade of hostility.  It a far cry from true intent, that mastery of projected will, but Shou didn¡¯t know that he had his own way of faking it.

    He unleashed his Invisible Hand technique as he narrowed his eyes, focusing extra attention to the fingers, his visualization reshaping it into long, narrow nails creeping their way along Shou¡¯s spine.

    Shou flinched as they drew closer, his instincts warning him of an unseen threat.  His breath caught in his throat, as if the force of Lee Han¡¯s anger was constricting his windpipe. With visible effort, he flared his qi, a brief burst of earthy energy to shake off whatever Lee Han was doing to him.

    As the crowd began to murmur about whether they would get to witness a second fight, he reached into his spatial ring and produced a small wooden pill container.  He tossed it at Chao Ren contemptuously, only for Bao catching it before it could get close.

    ¡°I have better things to do than scrap with a stray like you,¡± Shou stated, robes billowing as he turned his back to Han.  ¡°That should be more than enough for your little friend to keep his mouth shut.  Unlike you and your ilk, the Shou Clan can easily afford such alchemical trinkets.¡±

    And with that, he left, his cronies in tow as Lee Han stared after them.  The crowd soon dispersed, realizing that they had seen all there really was to see.  A few tried to start a conversation with Lee Han, but he brushed them off as he made his way over to Bao and Min Huan, who had relocated Chao Ren to a table at a nearby dumpling restaurant.

    It was a shame about Shou Chengtai.

    So young, and already the model of a pompous paper cultivator.  Strong to the weak, and weak to the strong.  It was a pity that Shou had been so unwilling to fight, though perhaps it was his fault.

    Faking intent might have been too strong of a move.  Too much pacification, not enough provocation.  Next time something like this happened, he¡¯d have to keep that in mind.  It was always so sad to leave a good fight on the tree, unpicked.

    He would have loved to get into a good brawl.  It would have been the perfect way to work up an appetite for the night¡¯s meal.

 Chapter 26

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Nineteenth day of the tenth month

    Just after noon

    Xia Bao set Chao Ren down in a chair at Li Feng¡¯s Happy Dumpling House as Min Huan placed an order for three zhenglongs of beef and one of crab.  Bao added another two of pork and scallion dumplings to it, and the tan-uniformed server bowed as he took their lacquered tokens before quickly disappearing into the back of the restaurant.

    It was a cozy little place.  About three tables wide and four tables deep with pale oak walls, its low ceiling allowing the smell of dumplings¡ªboth steamed and fried¡ªto gently waft through uninterrupted.  It tickled the appetites of its patrons while luring more in from the street.  It was mostly full, with only two other tables unoccupied, the rest crowded by a mix of disciples and mortal workers.

    Ren seemed to be a bit dazed, possibly concussed from that blow he took on the chin.  As Huan watched for their food to arrive, he checked on his friend.

    ¡°Hey, Chao Ren?  Can y¡¯ hear me?¡±  He snapped his fingers in front of Ren¡¯s face, watching his eyes to see how well he tracked the motion.

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Ren moaned, shaking his head.  He looked like he had been kicked by an ox, but he wasn¡¯t too badly off if he was able to follow Bao¡¯s fingers after just a pair of focusing blinks.

    ¡°Can you give me a bit more than that?¡±  Bao asked.  With head injuries it was always important to make sure that nothing was too rattled.  Slurred speech was a sure sign of something wrong, and most importantly, something that would require someone with some skill to treat.  It would be a shame if Chao Ren was forced to return to the infirmary so soon after his discharge.  He¡¯d spent almost a week of their break there already.

    ¡°Ah, fine, what do you want me to say?¡± Ren replied, groaning a bit more as he massaged his temples.  ¡°And can you stop it with all the snapping?  It¡¯s really not helping my head at all.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what I was looking for,¡± Bao said with a grin, ¡°just wanted to make sure that your noggin didn¡¯t get too scrambled.  Now, what made you decide to go do something as foolish as challenging that Shou Chengtai fellow to a duel?  Everyone knows that he¡¯s been looking to pick a fight all week.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t challenge him, he challenged me,¡± Ren said, feeling his chest.  From the way he flinched, it looked like it was more than a bit bruised, but it would be hard to tell without a good look.  And a crowded restaurant was hardly the place for that.

    As he tried to gauge the exact scope of his injuries, the waiter placed a six-high stack of bamboo steamers on the table.  They added a smaller stack of sauce dishes and a pair of sauce containers, before thanking them for their patronage with another bow.  Min immediately reached for his, going for the containers with the characters for beef and shrimp seared on their sides.  He slid the remainder over to Bao, who in turn passed one to Ren.

    ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing him a sauce-dish, ¡°you said that you liked pork and scallion dumplings, right?¡±

    ¡°Thank you Seni-Bao, it seems that once again I¡¯m in your debt for the food.  I¡¯m grateful that you would remember something as inconsequential as my favorite type,¡± Ren said, surprised at suddenness of the proffered dumplings.  He actually preferred them fried, as the crunch was his favorite part.  But it seemed that this place specialized in steaming, and it would be rude to refuse such a thoughtful gift for such in minor detail.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Bao replied, pouring a liberal draft of soy sauce onto his dish before offering the container to Ren.  He politely declined, instead reaching for the other.  After a quick sniff to confirm its contents, he delicately poured a drop of the red vinegar onto his sauce-dish, where he tasted it with a chopstick to test its flavor.  He seemed to like it, as he did a second pour with far more enthusiasm.

    ¡°So,¡± Bao continued, after giving Ren a chance to enjoy the first of his dumplings, ¡°why did you get involved with someone like Shou Chengtai?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d wager that he doesn¡¯t even know who he is,¡± Han interjected, taking a break from spinning his fan to join the conversation.  ¡°Of all the places in the sect, I can¡¯t imagine that the medical pavilion is a hotbed for the latest news and rumors.¡±

    Ren nodded at that, politely keeping his mouth closed as he savored his food.

    ¡°Aiya,¡± Bao sighed, taking his first dumpling plain to better appreciate the flavor.  ¡°You really couldn¡¯t have picked a worse opponent.  Shou Chengtai¡¯s been picking fights every chance he¡¯s gotten since the exam ended.  I think he¡¯s mad that his family for sending him off to join a sect in Karano instead of a cushy sect back in Lutai, but it could also be a misplaced sense of cultivator¡¯s pride.¡±

    ¡°I told you, he picked the fight with me,¡± Ren protested, ¡°he said that he wanted me to trade pointers with him, and after I refused, he just attacked me.¡±

    ¡°Is that exactly what you said?¡±  Han asked, leaning in with interest.  ¡°Because if you refused his request, his actions would be in clear violation of the sect¡¯s rules.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I said that I would, but that I didn¡¯t think I could offer him any insights, and that I was still recovering from injuries,¡± Ren replied, after a moment of recollection.  ¡°After that, one of his companions mentioned my name, and he just attacked me.  Saying that ¡®it looks like I would be able to teach him something after all¡¯ or something to that effect.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s really your own fault then,¡± Han said, letting out a disappointed sigh, ¡°you were just asking for it at that point.¡±  When Bao and Ren looked at him in confusion, he shook out his fan as he explained himself.

    ¡°When challenged to a duel, you have to be clear in your refusal.  A noncommittal response might be good for saving face, but you have to be careful about your wording.  You said that you would accept his challenge if you had something to offer.  That¡¯s not a refusal; it¡¯s a conditional agreement.  You essentially gave him the ability to choose whether or not you¡¯d fight him, which is a foolish decision.  A better response would have been that you would have fought him if you weren¡¯t injured.  The way that you put it, you simply stated that you were recovering from an injury as a fact, which only matters in the context of a courteous conversation.¡±

    ¡°If your opponent is already ignoring courtesy, attempting to plead to common decency is a waste of breath.  With a prideful ass like him, I would have insulted his honor.  Implying that he¡¯s so pathetic as to challenge an injured opponent would have turned the tables on him quite nicely.  It would make him appear shameless if he wanted to continue to pursue the challenge, and it would allow you to save face by appearing righteous rather than cowardly.  For someone who clearly cares so much about his reputation, I¡¯d imagine that he would sooner cough up blood than willingly stain his own family¡¯s name in front of an audience.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Lee Han mentally sighed as the rest of the table, save Min Huan (who was content with enjoying his meal), looked at him with dazed expressions.  He was starting to notice that it was a trend whenever he explained things.  Was it something about his delivery?  If he was starting to bore people, perhaps he should start offering simpler advice.

    ¡°So, what did Shou Chengtai end up tossing at Ren at the end there?¡± Bao eventually asked.

    ¡°Blood and Flesh Recovery Pill,¡± Huan replied, taking a break from his meal to toss the wooden box onto the table.  He was already on his last steamer of dumplings.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Lee Han said, inspecting the container, ¡°for someone so proud of the Northern Continent¡¯s superiority, it¡¯s surprising that he¡¯s tossing around southern medicine.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Bao asked.  Aside from the name, nothing about the design¡ªa snake encircling both the fancy characters and a flowering tree¡ªstuck out to him.

    ¡°The crest¡¯s got its snake facing left, rather than right,¡± Huan replied, speaking around a mouth full of dumpling as he pointed at the animal circling the characters inlaid into the box.  ¡°The Golden Serpent Pill Pavillion¡¯s had branches on both continents for a few centuries now, so they use different markings to help them keep track of where each pill comes from.  Helps with counterfeits too.  The type and number of flowers on the tree indicate which branch, and creator¡¯s name is incorporated into the bark pattern of the knot on its trunk.¡±  He pointed to each part of the design with his chopsticks as he explained them.  ¡°Given the three hydrangeas, this one is from Jade Leaf City.¡±

    ¡°Well spoken,¡± Lee Han congratulated.  ¡°I¡¯m impressed to meet someone else so well-versed in pill markings.¡±

    ¡°I would be a poor son if I weren¡¯t!¡± Huan laughed.  ¡°My father made sure that I knew how to tell the differences between all of our goods.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re a member of that Min family,¡± Lee Han replied, eyes lighting up as his interest was piqued.  ¡°When Bao said that you were from Port Fin, he didn¡¯t mention that your Min family was the illustrious founders of the Crimson Sail Merchants.¡±

    ¡°Are there so many Min families in Port Fin that it¡¯s hard to keep track?¡± Ren asked.  His knowledge of the northern shores had always been a bit rusty, which meant that whatever he had known about the important clans in the area was completely corroded by now.

    ¡°Well, yes and no,¡± Bao explained, ¡°the Min Clan was one of the bigger clans that responsible for carving the bones and protecting the settlements back in the day.  Them, the Li Clan, and my Xia Clan formed the Three Great Protectors of the city.  But as the sea beasts were pushed back and the city expanded, a branch of the Min family broke off to pursue trade after an inheritance struggle.¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah, it was over the Thunderous Sea Splitting Bone Harpoon,¡± Huan said.  ¡°Apparently my great-great-great-granduncle got the better of my great-great-great-grandpa by convincing the council of elders to bestow it to him after the patriarch died during a heavenly tribulation.  My ancestor said that if they liked their bribes so much, he¡¯d force feed them so many that they¡¯d have to cough up the spear to him.  He stormed out on the spot to start the Crimson Sails, taking the tablecloth from the banquet hall, half the drinkware, and a single old junk as his inheritance.¡±

    ¡°And did he get the harpoon?¡± Ren asked curiously.

    ¡°Nope!  Apparently great-great-great-granduncle Cheng got eaten by a serpent or an octopus or some other sea beastie during a storm about a century later.  Took it down with him. It¡¯s probably digested in its belly by this point, if it¡¯s even alive.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t stop great-great-great-grandpa though.  He lived the rest of his life as a merchant-cultivator, fighting threats from both the high seas and the lowest underbidders!  He was one of the big reasons that Port Fin¡¯s even on the map.  He helped establish the trade routes that make it such a key stop between Karano and Lutai.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an amazing story,¡± Ren said, going a big bite out of his dumpling.  He winced as he did, the act of overextending his jaw exacerbating the pain from Shou Chengtai¡¯s kick.

    ¡°You should probably take the pill,¡± Bao said, passing him the box.  ¡°They tend to work better the sooner you take them to your injury.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait until I have it checked,¡± Ren replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to risk any unwanted effects.¡±  Li Peizhi had told him that he could always come to him for help involving pills, so long as he snuck him some sweets from outside the infirmary when he did.  A few Teal Mountain Tokens was a small price to pay to ensure that he wasn¡¯t being poisoned by a spiteful winner.¡±

    ¡°The seal¡¯s still intact,¡± Lee Han said, waving away his accidentally spoken concern as he checked the name hidden in the box¡¯s decoration, ¡°so unless Alchemist Ji Jinhua¡¯s decided to risk his sect¡¯s entire reputation on such a traceable act, you¡¯re quite safe.  And that¡¯s pretty unlikely since he¡¯s from one of their founding families.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he does good work,¡± Huan noted, ¡°his pills tend to go for five stones above the standard rate.¡±

    ¡°Huh, that much?¡± Lee Han laughed, stroking his chin, ¡°I suppose Shou Chengtai¡¯s determined to prove the old saying about a fool and their money true.  How much do you think I¡¯d be able to get from him if I challenged him to a wager to prove his strength?¡±

    ¡°Probably not much,¡± Min laughed.  ¡°Did you see how quickly he backed down when you challenged him?¡±  As the two of them began to discuss different ways they goad the Shou heir into parting from the wealth he clearly had so little attachment to, Bao turned to Chao Ren.  His young companion had been content with enjoying his dumplings in silence for most of the conversation, and as he sat, quietly turning over the dull, red pill in his fingers, Bao spoke.

    ¡°So, congratulations on passing the exam,¡± he said, refilling Ren¡¯s tea.  When the other gently tapped the table in thanks, index and middle fingers rapping out a quick three-beat, he continued.   ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve heard plenty of that by now, but I figured I should still say it now that I¡¯ve got the chance.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ren replied, ¡°you¡¯re actually the first say that to me.¡±

    ¡°Wait, truly?¡± Bao asked.

    ¡°Well, Instructor Yeung Lin wrong me a letter to that effect, but nobody has put it into words.  Spoken words, that is.  Everyone in the medical wing just treated me like any other disciple.¡±

    ¡°Damn.  So, I guess that means you haven¡¯t had a chance to celebrate yet, have you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I did get an extra sweet bun with my dinner last night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on!  That¡¯s hardly a proper celebration!¡± Bao exclaimed, clapping an arm around Ren¡¯s shoulder.  He almost fumbled his pill in surprise, barely catching it before it could slip his grip.

    ¡°Two months in your room, a week in the hospital and all you have to show for it is an extra bun and an unfortunate encounter?  That won¡¯t do at all!  You must join us for dinner tonight.  We¡¯re having a celebration at¡­ uh¡­¡±  He looked to Lee Han for assistance as he wracked his mind for the name.

    ¡°The Iron Slab,¡± Lee Han prompted.

    ¡°Yes, The Iron Slab.  It¡¯s supposed to be really known for its, uh¡­¡± Bao fumbled a second time, his recollection of Lee Han¡¯s vague explanation failing him yet again.

    ¡°It¡¯s grilled food,¡± Lee Han said with a sigh.  ¡°Look, just trust me when I say that it¡¯s going to be good, alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I will be able to attend,¡± Ren said, gesturing to the boxes stacked next to the table.  ¡°I need to be getting to the dorms to get the key to my room, and then I need to see if there¡¯s a newcomers meeting I can still attend later today.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Bao replied.  ¡°We can help you to your residence and then show you around.  Between the three of us, we¡¯ve been on enough of those dull tours that I¡¯m sure we can answer most of your questions.  And besides, dinner¡¯s on me and Shen tonight, so you don¡¯t need to worry about paying.¡±

    ¡°I really couldn¡¯t bear to impose,¡± Ren started, raising his hands in protest.

    ¡°It¡¯s no imposition at all!  We¡¯re fellow disciples now, under the same mentor.  We¡¯ll be seeing each other quite a bit from now on, so we might as well get to really know each other over a good meal.  And it¡¯s a spiritual restaurant too, so it¡¯ll be good for your recovery.¡±

    Chao Ren had to admit that Xia Bao was right about that.  His mother often said that good food was its own form of medicine, and spirit food a far more potent form of it.  In the hands of an experienced spirit chef, the qi-rich meat of a spirit beast could become as potent as any pill, and in a far more palatable form at that.  The only downside was that¡ªwith few exceptions¡ªit couldn¡¯t hold its effects for nearly as long as a pill, which was why the latter was still so valuable to cultivators.

    He grimaced a bit as he thought about the bitter taste in store for him when he took the Blood and Flesh Recovery Pill.  It might be a good idea to save a dumpling for afterwards, to help his tongue recover from the astringent taste of the medicine.

    ¡°If you put it that way, it would be rude to refuse such a generous offer from a fellow disciple,¡± Ren admitted, putting his hand over Bao¡¯s shoulder after a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°Great!¡± Bao replied.  ¡°Though we really should start moving.  Shen¡¯s induction ceremony was supposed to start around noon, so we really should start going if we don¡¯t want to keep him waiting too long.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Nineteenth day of the tenth month

    8 minutes past the 7<sup>th</sup> Inner Hour

    With a sigh, Bailong Shen poured himself yet another cup of tea as he glanced at his watch.  It was an ornate thing, a gift from his father for becoming an Inner Disciple.  Everything about it spoke to an aspect of his family¡¯s wealth, from the black turtle iron exterior inlaid with delicate gold clouds to the symbol of the Bailong Clan¡ªhis late-grandfather¡¯s roaring face¡ªcarved from a single piece of ivory from a southern stormherald.  All unique materials, each representative of a different one his family¡¯s many holdings.

    Centuries ago, when the thing that would become known as clockwork was just beginning to emerge among the mortals, one of his brothers had encountered it during a trip to a mortal city.  The reasons for the visit always seemed to change whenever he told the story, but the key parts remained constant.  He had seen promise and returned home with a clocktower in tow, presenting it and its maker to their father.  The Bailong Patriarch too had seen potential, and had assigned several of their most skilled craftsmen to study it.

    They¡¯d been too slow to get their first generation of standing clocks to market before the Silver Kun Clan, and the Lis had beaten them to crafting the first portable clocks¡ªportable without a storage ring, that is.  However, they were confident that their new generation of pocket watches would allow them to finally get one up on their age old rivals.  The longest size of his watch¡¯s octagonal form was the width of a teacup, barely two-thirds the size of its closest competitor.

    It was funny to think about the speed of his father¡¯s delivery.  For most of his fellow disciples the news of their acceptance was still pending, travelling back to the hallowed dwellings of their families by boat, foot, and flying sword.  But for the Bailong Clan, there was no excuse for a lack of promptness.

    Which was apparently not a belief shared by his companions.

    They had originally agreed to meet up with him in front of the Talisman Division¡¯s pagoda, since it was equidistant from both the general dormitory and his ceremony.  From there, it was to have been a short walk to a nearby plaza, where they could have had a comfortable lunch while determining what to do before dinner.

    However, after half an hour he had grown tired of waiting.  There was only so much pacing one could do before it became depressing, and some of the passing disciples had begun to stare.  And so, he had adjourned to a nice little tea shop just along the path between the Talisman Department and his companions¡¯ dormitory.

    According to his map it was the only path between the two points that didn¡¯t require a massive detour, which would allow him to sit in wait rather than spend hours walking in circles trying to track down his companions.  He could get out of the sun, quench his thirst with a nice pot of Five Mirages Green, and maybe allow himself a small snack to hold himself over until lunch.

    And then another hour had passed.

    He should probably be thankful that Lee Han had had the sense to send a runner.  The messenger had caught sight of Shen¡¯s distinct blue hair from the path on his way to the original meeting spot and had relayed the young tiger¡¯s message to him.

    Ran into Chao Ren.  Bringing him to dinner.  Dealing with stuff, will run late.  Don¡¯t wait up.

    Short, to the point, bereft of any formality: exactly the sort of message that Shen could appreciate.  With no other obligations to attend to before dinner, he had decided to simply enjoy the afternoon.

    He¡¯d been stuck in an endless series of tests and evaluations ever since the exam had ended to fully evaluate his worthiness as an Inner Disciple.  The sect had been extremely thorough in its evaluation of his progress, especially to ensure that it hadn¡¯t simply been the result of a prematurely broken seal.

    He had had his acupoints double and triple checked.  A master of formations had inspected the integrity of his tattoo, to properly reaffirm that his seal still held.  Test after test had pushed his body and qi to their limits, to learn in exacting detail how far his cultivation had come.  They had even forced him to try his hand at everything from alchemy and swordplay to formations and illusion techniques, to better assess if he had any extraordinary aptitudes.

    It had also barely finished in time for the initiation ceremony, which he had found amusing considering that he made up half the inductees.

    But now it was finally over.  His spot was secured, his parents placated.  He could enjoy his break, and with the sudden removal of his last social obligation, he had had the perfect chance to catch up on his personal reading.

    Five pots of tea, two bowls of roasted chestnuts, a plate of crackers, and a bowl of soup had all disappeared from the mortal plane as he had whiled away the hours.  It had all been rather enjoyable, except for his book, which had taken a rather dull turn after the author¡¯s fourth aside about spirit beast mating rituals and nesting behavior.

    It would have been far better served if it had sold itself as a manual on the subject, rather than disguising a six-year memoir of hiding in the wood spying on squirrels as a firsthand account of the Pheonix Squabble.  He had persevered though, as he was loathe to leave a book unfinished, and he had wrapped it up just in time to get to The Iron Slab a few minutes ahead of their reservation.

    Which, it had turned out, was once again far too soon.

    His new watch wasn¡¯t helping.  Its clockwork tick was a constant reminder of every second that he was being delayed, and it only seemed to slow when he opened it to check the time.

    He bet it was Lee Han¡¯s fault.

    He¡¯d probably gotten into some sort of trouble again.  He could never resist an excuse to flap his gums or that ridiculous fan of his.

    Ancestors, Shen had forgotten how much he loved that fan.

    It felt like he was trying to make up for six months of lost time, the way that he kept waving it around every chance he got.  He was probably off dragging Bao and the rest into some trouble or another.

    Shen took another glance over at his watch.  Thirteen minutes past seven.  He rubbed his temples as he poured himself another cup of tea.  His horns were itching again, and he needed something to distract himself.

    That was the other thorn in his side.

    When his damned seal had loosened upon his ascension to second-stage cultivator it was supposed to be a good thing.  He would be able to finally access his dragon form, the restrictions on his cultivation would lessen, and he would be one step closer to being free from his parent¡¯s grasp.  Instead, it had simply added another series of issues to the pile he was already dealing with.

    For one thing, he was still far from embracing his true form.

    At the moment the most he could manage was his horns, tail, and most of an arm at the same time, and even that was full of difficulties!  Lee Han made it look easy, with that slim furry tail of his.  Shen¡¯s just kept getting in the way, as its thick scaled girth seemed to attract small objects.  And that wasn¡¯t even getting into the challenges it presented when chairs were involved¡­  He took a moody sip of his tea as he thought about the pain he¡¯d experienced the last time he¡¯d accidentally sat on it.

    No, if he was going to walk around in public with that thing out, it would be after he became far more practiced with it.

    His mother had described this period as growing pains, and he could finally see why.  He felt like a child learning to walk all over again.  As far as he was aware, the Bailongs were the last loong clan to continue the practice of sealing their progeny.  It was an ancient technique that was supposed to improve cultivation, by preventing them from relying too heavily on their natural gifts during the early stages.

    A necessity from the still-recent past, when his kind had been seen in the twin lights of existential threat and coveted resource.

    As Shen considered whether he should start on a bottle of rice wine by himself, he was jolted from his study of the drinks menu seared into the wooden slabs decorating the walls by the sound of his name.

    ¡°Hey, Shen!  Aha!  There he is!¡± Lee Han¡¯s voice was audible across the din of the mostly full restaurant, loud enough to be heard by Shen, but not so loud as to disturb the other patrons.  ¡°I told you we didn¡¯t need to stop by that teashop.¡±  He had really come a long way with his voice-directing technique, although Shen was still undecided on whether that was a change for the better.

    The Iron Slab had a very folksy design, with open tables rather than the private rooms that Shen was accustomed to.  It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant experience, at least so far, but it did make him wonder if he should have changed his clothes before he arrived.  His pale green Inner Disciple robes made him stand out against the field of nephrite-green robes of the general disciples.

    ¡°I still think it was a good idea to check,¡± Bao said as they made their way over to his table.  ¡°It would have been terrible if we had left him waiting there for us.¡±

    ¡°I told you I sent a message, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lee Han replied.  ¡°Shen¡¯s smart enough to get here on time.  He wouldn¡¯t be much of an Inner Disciple if he couldn¡¯t, now would he?¡±  He held out his hand to Shen who rose to greet him properly, clasping his hand firmly before pulling him in for a hearty pat on the back.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait though Shen,¡± Lee Han apologized.  ¡°Had to deal with a bit of a situation with Chao Ren, and then we ended up helping him move into the dorms, and the paperwork was a pain and a half.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Hah!  I thought that you were running late because you dragged poor Bao into one of your street fights,¡± Shen laughed.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t for a lack of trying,¡± Lee Han grumbled, helping himself to a cup of tea.  He ended up using the last of the pot to fill it halfway, at which point he signaled the waitress.  The rest of the group took their seats as he exchanged a quick word with her; Chao Ren seating himself on Shen¡¯s left, Bao on the left of him, and Min Huan his left.  That left Lee Han on Shen¡¯s right, and as he finished placing an order for drinks the rest of the table exchanged greetings.

    Shen was pleasantly surprised with Min Huan¡¯s progress.  He had heard that Min Huan had achieved the Body Refining stage, and his physique did not disappoint.  His biceps bulged beneath his robes, which seemed barely able to contain his wide shoulders.  Any remaining roundness of his belly had also flattened, forming a thick slab of muscle.

    Shen hoped that he still remembered their prior agreement to practice their body cultivation together.  It was so hard to find a good opponent, and while Lee Han was a worthy rivel, he was far from a paragon of physicality.

    He could also help find him a tailor to assist him with his robes, as the sect¡¯s regular sizes were clearly not designed to accommodate a cultivator of his magnitude.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Shen said, giving Lee Han a nudge.  ¡°After waiting on you for so long, I at least deserve to know why.¡±

    ¡°You remember that ass from Lutai, the one who wouldn¡¯t shut up during the welcome banquet?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Shen replied, sipping his tea.  ¡°Shou Chengtai, right?  Distant heir with a chip on his shoulder because he got shipped here as part of some negotiation or another?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Min Huan said, claiming a cup from the waitress as she returned to their table.  He gave her a smile as he helped her set the bottles of rice wine around the table, which she responded to with a light laugh as she left.  Shen sighed as he waved after her.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s probably got a few decades on you, right?¡± he said, popping the seal off a bottle.  The wine inside bubbled as a faint haze emerged from its lips, a sure sign that it had been made with at least a small amount of spirit rice.  Likely a strain of Shouwei Red, judging by the smell.

    ¡°Eh, you¡¯ve gotta live a little,¡± Min replied as Shen filled each of their glasses.  ¡°How can a cultivator ever hope to defy the heavens if he¡¯s too ashamed to flirt a bit?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between defying fate and courting death,¡± Shen countered.

    ¡°I think it would be easier for a tiger to change its stripes than it would be for Huan here to become any less shameless,¡± Bao laughed.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s not saying much of anything, is it?¡± Lee Han exclaimed, his comically indignant tone provoking a round of laughter from the table.

    ¡°To living life to it¡¯s fullest!¡± Min exclaimed, raising his cup for a toast.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be out first toast,¡± Lee Han protested.  ¡°We¡¯re all gathered here for one reason, so we have to have that as our first.  To Chao Ren passing the exam in Qi!¡±  He raised his cup to the center of the table, and the rest rose to meet him, cups clinking a chorus as they cheered.

    ¡°Ganbei!¡±

    Shen followed the familiar cheer by draining his cup, enjoying the flavor of the wine as it went down.  It was good stuff, a bit strong for its quantity and containing a nice sweetness.  With his sharper senses, he had found that he could better appreciate the nuances of a drink¡¯s qi.  It had a gentle tone to it, like smoothed stones and the warmth of a harsh summer sun.

    ¡°What sort of wine is this,¡± he asked, turning to Lee Han, who was sipping his contently.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a local specialty,¡± the tiger replied, flicking his tail towards a sign on the wall.  ¡°Apparently Fatty Li¡¯s real fastidious.  Makes everything himself.  Short of growing the rice¡ªwhich I¡¯m not sure he doesn¡¯t do¡ªhe does everything himself.¡±

    ¡°So, how are we going to be deciding what we¡¯ll be getting?¡±  Bao asked, turning to consider the walls of options around him.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Lee Han said, waving away his concern.  ¡°I placed our order ahead of time so we wouldn¡¯t have to spend too long waiting around.  I got a lot, so we should be able to accommodate an extra head, though if there still isn¡¯t enough we can always order more.  I made sure to ask around too, so don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re getting the good specials.  And it¡¯s in the budget too,¡± he added, giving Shen a pointed stare.

    Shen simply shrugged as he started to pour a second round as Bao rose to offer the toast for it.

    ¡°One good cheer deserves another!  To Bailong Shen, the newest Inner Disciple to join our ranks!  May he continue to find time in his busy schedule to spend with us poor General Disciples.¡±

    The table clinked their cups once again, as Shen gave Bao a mock-glare.

    ¡°If you keep up those remarks I just might,¡± he laughed, as the waitress brough over their first dish: a plate of skewered chicken and leeks.  ¡°Not unless you can keep up the tasty bribes.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re bribing yourself now?¡± Lee Han quipped, securing a pair of skewers for himself, ¡°because last I checked¡ª¡±

    He cut off as Bao kicked him under the table, sharply reminding him that he was supposed to avoid mentioning their bet in front of Chao Ren.

    ¡°These are good,¡± Min said, chewing contemplatively as he glanced at Fatty Li tossing another round of meat onto his signature slab at the back of the restaurant.  ¡°You can really taste the flame in it.¡±

    ¡°A true spirit chef doesn¡¯t simply cook with his qi, he imbues his dishes with it,¡± Shen said, taking time to savor the component parts of the skewers.  ¡°Chef Li has done an exemplary job complimenting the natural energy of the meat with the spice of these spirit herbs and the iron of his slab.  Have another Chao Ren.  Spirit food like this is excellent for muscle recovery.¡±

    He offered the second to last skewer to the last member of their party, who had been sitting quietly by his side as the rest had made their raucous cheers.  Chao Ren took it with a quiet ¡°thanks¡±, before turning his attention back to the table.

    It was probably to be expected, Shen thought to himself.   Bao, Lee Han and himself had all become close companions during the exam, something that Chao Ren had never quite had a chance to do.  He had spent their entire time together laboring under the assumption that he was failing to make progress despite his best efforts, never knowing that he was attempting to surmount a century-long obstacle in mere months.

    And Min Huan knew Bao.  And to a surprising extent Lee Han, as the two seemed to be sucking Bao into a deep conversation about rice demand along the eastern coast.

    Chao Ren didn¡¯t have anyone.  Shen had long since put together what had likely happened between him and Shou Chengtai from the half of the story that he¡¯d heard.  It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that someone so recently released from the medical pavilion would put up a poor fight.

    As the waitress arrived again with plates of white buns and green beans, Shen weighed the benefits of attempting to jump into the rice discussion.  On one hand, he was sure he knew enough to hold his own should it turn into a debate, but on the other it seemed like Lee Han was angling to turn it into a trade negotiation with Min Huan, and he had chosen to join the Teal Mountain Sect specifically to avoid such things.

    If he was lucky, they would agree to talk it over at a later date.  But Lee Han was always quick to pounce on an opportunity, and he rarely let them slip away once he got his claws in.

    As Shen opened a fresh bottle of wine, resigning himself to at least another hour of this riveting spectacle, Chao Ren spoke again.

    ¡°Sincerely, thank you for your help.  I don¡¯t know if I would have been able to make it into the sect without your advice.¡±

    ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯  was the question Shen almost asked, before he remembered their interaction in the assembly hall.  He had given Chao Ren advice, hadn¡¯t he?  Even if it had been more reflex than anything else.

    ¡°Ah, it was nothing,¡± Shen replied.  ¡°Anyone else would have done the same.¡±

    ¡°Still, I am in your debt,¡± Chao Ren persisted, fixing Shen with a stare as heartfelt as it was misplaced.

    ¡°You should really be more careful with your words,¡± Shen said with a sigh, taking a sip from his cup before filling it again.  ¡°You use that word so lightly that it almost makes me suspect that you don¡¯t know its meaning.¡±

    ¡°With respect, should a cultivator not pay back their debts?  If something is given, should it not be returned?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only when something of true value has been given,¡± Shen snapped.  ¡°I¡¯ve seen you say the same over a bowl of rice.  If what you have been given is something truly valuable, you should seek to repay it.  But if even your supposed benefactor is asking you to consider it settled, it is better to let a sleeping dragon lie.  Return the favor in a similar form later, and without fanfare.  Don¡¯t persist with insisting that you have to repay it, as if it¡¯s some life-debt.  You would have passed with or without my advice.  And in some ways, perhaps suffered less if you had.¡±

    He stopped himself from going any further, recognizing the crestfallen look on Chao Ren¡¯s face.

    Ah, he thought to himself, I¡¯ve done it again.  He really meant that genuinely, not as some sort of ploy.  There was no guile in Chao Ren¡¯s reaction, simply the shock of someone who had just had their sincerest apology get crushed by jaded reflex.

    He was really quite bad at escaping his parents after all, wasn¡¯t he?  No more able to shed his upbringing than his own scales.  His horns began to itch again, straining against his skull as his true form surged, seeking to slip out in his lapse of control.  Shen clenched his left fist underneath the table, his nails digging into his palm as he forced himself to remain himself, to keep his horns from growing to their full meter long size.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Chao Ren said, softly, sliding his chair further from Shen.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean any offense, I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no, I should be the one to apologize,¡± Shen said, cutting off his apology.  ¡°I let my etiquette get in the way of my manners.  If you want to owe me, you may.  Just¡­ be more careful about it in the future.  There are many who would have something to gain from taking advantage of an excess of kindness.¡±

    Chao Ren sat quietly, digesting his words, before he clasped his hands in front of himself, bowing to Shen from the waist.  ¡°Thank you, Senior Bailong Shen.  I will take those words to heart.¡±

    ¡°You know, we¡¯re still fellow disciples,¡± Shen said.  ¡°I might be an Inner Disciple, but I¡¯ll still be training with you under Instructor Yeung Lin with you.  If you¡¯re going to insist on calling me anything, at least let it be brother.  I¡¯m still far to young for someone like you to be calling me senior!¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Senior Brother Bailong Shen,¡± Chao Ren replied, and Shen almost slapped him before he caught the faint smile on his face.

    ¡°Aha!  So you do have a sense of humor,¡± he exclaimed.  ¡°For a minute, I thought that you really were five manuals of manners and worry wrapped in a robe.  Here, let¡¯s drink to a new first meeting!¡±  He moved to refill Chao Ren¡¯s cup, only to discover that it was still mostly full.  ¡°Not much of a drinker, ey?¡±

    ¡°Alcohol dulls the mind,¡± Chao Ren responded wistfully, tracing his finger along the rim of his cup, ¡°that¡¯s what Great-Uncle Ten always says.  On occasion and in moderation, but never in excess.  I swore that I wouldn¡¯t touch a drop until I became a cultivator, but now that I have, it seems that I have neither the tongue nor the stomach for it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry¡± Shen said, accepting a bowl of spirit rice from the waitress.  ¡°You¡¯ve still got plenty of time to develop a taste for it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Chao Ren laughed again, a gentle chuckle that seemed to shed the last of his stiff demeanor.  ¡°After all, I¡¯m a true cultivator now!  I¡¯ve got at least another four hundred years to figure it out!¡±  He took a swig to punctuate his point, only to cough half of it back into his cup.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Shen exclaimed, clapping him on the back, ¡°although if you¡¯re going to start drinking, you need to start the right way.  Take slow sips, savor it.  It¡¯s not a race.  It¡¯s about enjoying the time and effort that went into it.¡±  He gave a pointed look over at Lee Han, who was busy drinking straight from a bottle as Min Huan pleaded for a discounted rate.

    He started to turn, likely to give Shen a piece of his mind on the proper way to enjoy alcohol, when the waitress arrived with their main course; a colossal cod, stuffed to the gills with herbs and seared to perfection.  His attention immediately turned to the massive fish, excitedly talking about the method that the chef used to prepare it as the rest of the table began to help themselves to its tender meat.

    ¡°It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it,¡± Shen said to Ren, savoring the way that the crispiness of the garlic complimented the softness of the meat.

    ¡°It really is,¡± Chao Ren replied, biting back a tear.  ¡°It really is.¡±  He stood, glass in hand as the rest of the table turned, surprised at his sudden action.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a toast as well,¡± he said, voice wavering for a second before he found his resolve, raising his cup high.  ¡°We¡¯re all going to be together for some time, as fellow disciples, and, well, that deserves a toast as well!  To new beginnings, and to our cultivation together!¡±

    For a long moment, it felt as if he was just going to remain standing alone, but then Shen stood to join him, followed by Lee Han and the rest.  Their cups clinked together again, wine splashing as they came together for what would be far from the final toast of the night.

    ¡°Ganbei!¡±

 Chapter 28

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Twentieth day of the tenth month

    The stroke of the 9<sup>th</sup>Outer Hour

    For the third time that morning, Chang Hui cursed Chao Ren. The bane of her existence. The cause of her budget imbalance. The reason for her reassignment to Sub-Assistant Branch Head of the Clear Jade Mountain Branch of the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall. That damn, stupid brat!

    She snarled at the ceiling in frustration, the short guttural sound muffled by the Suppression Array that she¡¯d had installed to ensure confidential conversations¡ªand outbursts¡ªremained confidential. She turned back towards her work¡ªan analysis of the street bets that her section of the branch had handled over the last few days¡ªwith a sigh, dipping her brushes as she dutifully recorded the quantities and results of each fight. The most recent entry was the cause for her rage¡¯s resurgence¡ªan account of Chao Ren¡¯s fight with Shou Chengtai.

    Her secretary, Li Gho, had done an excellent job with the odds. It would be unfair if she didn¡¯t give her credit for that.

    She had caught sight of the brewing fight during her lunch break and¡ªwith the diligence of a true member of the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall¡ªimmediately began setting odds for the fight. She¡¯d weighed it against Chao Ren, using the rumors of the supposed ¡°great sage¡± to lure the assembled disciples into betting on the young prodigy. 1:2.3 odds for him winning.

    Enough to make it tempting, but not enough to run the risk of exposing them to too much of a loss should he beat the odds again. There was no need for a repeat of the Entrance Exam Incident, after all.

    Ancestors, that competition had been a boondoggle from the beginning.

    The Southern Peaks Gambling Hall had put a lot of effort into making the yearly entrance exam an event worth gambling on. As the youngest of the Teal Mountain Sect¡¯s three officially recognized gambling organizations, it was in a weak position when it came to bidding on the more impressive contests held by the sect.

    Time was a powerful weapon, and both the Benevolent Jade Betting Society and the unimaginatively named Teal Jade Gambling Association wielded their seniority with deadly precision, ensuring their continued monopoly of the most lucrative sect events through sizable bids and ancient connections. Instead of engaging in a contest of coffers that it would surely lose, the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall instead made its own fortune, building events from the ground up.

    The entrance exam had been a perfect opportunity. Many of the sect¡¯s members already took time off to spectate the event; be it to support family, to scout new members for their organizations, or just to see what sort of fresh hell the sect would put the newcomers through this year. The audience was there, and given that the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall had done brisk trade handling smaller wagers for decades, so the money was as well.

    Chang Hui had been the first to propose an expansion of their activities during the event. An agreement with the sect to purchase the exclusive gambling rights. Contracts with food stalls to draw more attention. The installation of several of their members on the management committee so that they could acquire an advance list of the applicants. A full team to manage the bets.

    And it had worked!

    For two decades the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall had raked in enormous profits. The exam usually lasted somewhere between three days and a week, providing a steady source of entertainment for busy sect members. But this year, that had all crumbled.

    It had started with Elder Chou Biming taking over the test. Usually Elder Chai Angran¡ªthe fiery head of the Training Division¡ªorganized the contents of the exam while Elder Chou simply ran it. However, with the induction of a new batch of Senior Instructors on the horizon, he had been far too busy with evaluations and meetings to take care of his usual duties. This hadn¡¯t been too alarming at first, until the Elder Chou Biming had decided to keep the contents of the test a secret from everyone, setting it up entirely on his own.

    Unfortunate for the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall, but not terrible. While their usual advance information helped them set more enticing odds, they could make due with simply using safe rates for one year. And then had come the big reveal of the exam¡¯s structure: six months of closed-door cultivation. Elder Chou Biming¡¯s steadfast beliefs in steady cultivation were well known, but they had never expected that he force them onto the exam to such an extreme.

    An unwatchable spectacle over a ludicrous period. A death sentence for that year¡¯s event. There would be rounds or excitement. The single round of initial bets was to be all there would be, as nobody wanted to wait half a year to see whether their spirit stones would increase or not. Cultivators bet for the excitement, not the investment, and there was none to be found here.

    It also meant that there was a lot of money sitting stagnant. The Southern Peaks Gambling Association made its profits from the cut they took off each bet, so such a protracted pause meant that their margins were the worse for it. Nobody involved, be they gamblers or bet-makers, had made anything for six long months.

    Well, except for the few that had bet on that damned Chao Ren.

    Hui had put him down as a long bet, 1:6 odds on passing. One of the dozen younger applicants that came through every year, taking their shot at the exam the moment they met the age requirement. He hailed from some small clan in the middle of nowhere, no significant backing, and only middling performances in the previous rounds. The sort of small fry that people bet against when they were dipping their toes in, a nice safe bet so that they could work up the confidence for a bigger one down the line.

    Except that that fry had managed to climb the waterfall. Through either pure luck or generational talent, he had managed to pass the test before it had even been administered, which had resulted in the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall having to pay out on a position that they were sorely over-exposed on. Between Ying Chao¡¯s last minute bet of 1414 spirit stones and the seven other bets they¡¯d had to cover, they¡¯d taken a massive loss.

    Hui had missed her chance to transfer to the Jade Mountain Branch for that mistake, instead getting shuffled around her current branch for her lack of foresight¡ªas if she could have predicted such an unprecedented set of circumstances! They had just been looking for a scapegoat to pin it all on, and her single slip had painted a clear target on her back.

    She only had two consolations in all of this.

    The first being that that stinking brat Chao Ren had ended up getting publicly humiliated at the hands of Shou Chengtai. It would have been better if Chao Ren had put up a better fight¡ªa second round of bets would have been a more perfect payback¡ªbut Hui wasn¡¯t going to complain about the exactitude of karma¡¯s scales. She hoped that he vowed revenge on young master Shou; there was nothing like a rematch to get the crowd going and she had instructed the general members to keep an eye out for any developments between the two.

    Her second consolation was that her other plans were still proceeding smoothly. It was almost Tournament Month, and the preparations for the Clear Jade Mountain Branch¡¯s most ambitious event yet were almost complete.

    In its early years, the Teal Mountain Sect had held few tournaments. Sect relationships during the Age of Drought, unlike those of the Stable Era, were tenuous things. They usually consisted of loose promises of mutual nonaggression or improvised alliances against greater threats rather than anything approaching true diplomacy. What few tournaments it did hold were¡ªaccording to her seniors¡ªmostly to raise morale.

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    However, as the Age of Drought ran its course, inter-sect relationships improved. Handshake agreements became proper alliances, and with alliances came friendly competition. The sect¡¯s first true tournament, the Strongest Fist Tournament, had started from an argument several of the founding elders had had with the dignitaries from the Adamant Earth Sect.

    Their original rivals had been lost to time¡ªwiped out by a demonic beast assault over a millennium ago¡ªbut the inciting argument hadn¡¯t, preserved in the opening ceremony in the form of a dramatic reenactment. First a drunken challenge, then a sober declaration of rematch, and then, after five years of future challenges to settle the score, the acknowledgement that nobody quite remembered the reason for that first argument, and that the yearly fights were far too enjoyable to end.

    Truly a tale of joyous camaraderie between sects. If one ignored the ore shortage that forced the Adamant Earth Sect to drop their grudge in order to maintain trade with the Teal Mountain Sect.

    These days the Strongest Fist Tournament was the climax of Tournament Month. The other big tournaments like the Strongest Blade Tournament, the Strongest Sword Tournament, and the Intermediate Cross Sect Disciple Challenge had long since established their own order in the weeks preceding it through centuries of brutal bureaucratic struggle.

    Space, manpower, drink supply, betting stalls, line management, competitor housing, rules enforcement; all of those countless logistics and more had to be carefully accounted for to ensure that each interlocking event ran smoothly.

    Thousands attended the tournaments each year. Half from the sect itself, the others travelling many li to either compete or bear witness. The sect¡¯s management of this massive flow of cultivators was a feat to rival the most advanced formation. It was said that the Sect¡¯s master, the Strongest Brain himself, dedicated his keen intellect to the cause each year to ensure that nothing went amiss in the planning.

    Attempting to squeeze another event into the mix would be impossible. There was simply not enough space to accommodate a new entry. But that was only if one were to attempt to insert their new entry into the preexisting format.

    If one were to start their event prior to it, such as say, a day or three before the start of the festivities¡­ well, that was where Hui had smelt opportunity.

    The Spiritual Cooking Division was not a new part of the sect, but their involvement in Tournament Month had always often gone overlooked. Rather than compete openly, they held a small food stall competition. The prize¡ªwhich went to the chef that managed to sell the most dishes over the course of the event¡ªtook the form of a small plaque and a decorative apron.

    It was apparently a coveted prize among spirit chefs, but the general public was largely unaware of its significance due to the fact that they did nothing to advertise the event and that the winner was announced in a paid newsletter that was released on a bimonthly basis.

    Hui herself had only become aware of it a few decades ago, when her cousin had started to compete in it. Prior to that she, like many sect members, had always assumed that those small placards carved with the character ¡®competitor¡¯ on the side of the stalls simply meant that someone working there was participating in one of the martial events.

    She had initially approached the Spirit Cooking Division with a proposal for a new format, only to be firmly rejected. They were uninterest in change, a common failing among cultivator organizations, as they felt that shifting away from the stall format would go against the spirit of the competition.

    A lesser cultivator would have simply stopped there, accepting the futility of fighting a centuries-long routine, but Hui refused to yield to such a passive acceptance of mediocrity.

    She had personally petitioned the sect¡¯s top spirit chefs, inquiring if they were truly satisfied with the current state of affairs. Some were, but many were not. They craved the accolades the other divisions received; those of fame and recognition, of something more than an insignificant plaque that went unnoticed by most customers.

    And thus the Heavenly Wok Competition had been born.

    Hui had spent countless sleepless nights ensuring that the event would be a success. Ingredients had been secured, far in advance of any last-minute buyouts. Training fields had been systematically reserved, to ensure a place to host. The bracket carefully balanced to ensure the most interesting matches possible. She had even secured one of the sect¡¯s Jade Drifting Cloud Eyes for the occasion.

    The artifacts were a vital part of any successful tournament, as they possessed the ability to project details of the arena in enormous tapestries of light, ensuring that even the furthest seats wouldn¡¯t miss a moment of the excitement. They were also extremely expensive, to the point that even Clear Jade Mountain could afford to own eight of the things. It had taken an enormous amount of bribes and backroom deals to gain access to it, but the tastes of the Branch Head of the Formation Division were well know, and the promise of a sampling of each round¡¯s dishes had been sufficient to secure his full support.

    Yes, Hui thought to herself, hands blurring as she finished balancing her ledgers, it was all going according to plan.

    This would be her redemption. Her chance to regain her prestige within the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall. When the Heavenly Wok Competition succeeded she would have more than enough spirit stones to justify the initial investment. It would become a new institution, a yearly feature that they would have to acknowledge as hers and hers alone! Setting her brushes down, she shook out her hands as she stood, loosening the tension from her shoulders with a series of shrugs.

    Her Twin Minds Technique was a blessing when it came to finishing her increased workload, but the tradeoff of managing two brushes at once was the burden it put on her shoulders as the hours dragged on. Checking the clock on her desk, she noted that it had been just over eight hours since her last break, so it was the perfect time for another.

    She popped a Vitality Replenishment Pill into her mouth as she considered whether to get a cup of tea from the communal pot or to make one of her own. It would be quicker to just get it, but that would cut into her break, and she would rather be done with her work sooner rather than remain stuck inside all day.

    A quick check of the contents of her drawers revealed that there were still a few scoops left of that delightful black tea she¡¯d gifted the calligrapher in exchange for his work on the tournament sign, and with a few quick words and a breath of qi she set the etched kettle in the corner of her room whistling. As she let the leaves steep, Hui was once again reminded of the lamentable state of her current office.

    Part of her ¡°promotion¡± to Sub-Assistant Branch Head had been the supposed honor of an office next to the Branch Head¡¯s. A silver lining that had immediately tarnished upon learning the history of her position.

    Originally the Clear Jade Mountain Branch had had three Assistant Heads. However, following the expansion of the branch over the last several centuries and the death of third Assistant Head during a tribulation, the position had been split into four Sub-Assistant Heads to better meet the growing branches needs.

    It had not, however, been accompanied by an expansion of their base of operations. Rather than add an extra floor to their pagoda, as would have been the sensible option, they had simply carved the former Assistant Head¡¯s office into four awkward wedges and left it at that.

    Gone were the days of expansive carpet, decorative statues and shelves proudly displaying her vase collection. Hui¡¯s new reality was a kettle she could reach from her desk, a complete lack of natural light, and a wall just wide enough to hang her sword above her desk.

    She turned her attention to the blade, admiring its sheen before removing it from the wall. The Divine Silver Thunder Splitting Sword was the prize of her collection, said to be capable of cutting through even tribulation lightning in the right hands.

    Its previous owner had perished in a pillar of fire trying to ascend past the third-stage, just prior to her winning it at auction for a hefty 51,450 spirit stones. Polishing it always put her mind at ease, and as she drew her cloth over its length, removing any lingering traces of dust and oil, she let herself fall into the rhythm of the ritual.

    Back and forth.

    Back and forth.

    Small, close circles, careful to treat every inch of the blade with the utmost care.

    First a dab of cleansing agent, to remove the previous coat, followed by a careful drizzle of qi-rich oil to best bring out the luster of the metal.

    Most of a Bailong stick had passed before she finished, her tea growing cold enough that she had to reheat it before she could bear to drink it. It had lost its refined edge, the unfortunate cost of far too steep a steep, but it was nothing compared to her peace of mind.

    Yes, this was all going to work out now. Nothing could stop her return to the top. Not her rivals. Not that damn rice vendor trying to screw her on price at the last minute. Not even that damned Chao Ren or that knocking on her door or¡­

    Hui froze. She checked her clock again, reassuring herself of the time before turning to the door once again. She didn¡¯t have a meeting for another three hours, and she had instructed her secretary that she was not to be interrupted unless the situation was dire.

    In three quick steps she was at the door. The lock clicked, and she found herself face to face with Li Gho¡¯s spectacles. Time seemed to slow as she opened her mouth, uttering the words that Hui had dreaded hearing.

    ¡°Boss, we have a problem.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Twentieth day of the tenth month

    A bit before Noon

    ¡°Again.¡±

    Gao Oma sucked in another breath of qi as she forced her arms up for what felt like the thousandth time.  Her lungs burned with exertion, dantian straining from overuse.  She repositioned her feet as her sword swiveled into place, taking a quick step back before lunging forwards for another strike.

    Shoulders forwards.  Eyes ahead.  Waist low.  Front knee bent.  Back leg straight, but not too straight.  Grip firm, but not too tight.  Wrists flexible with minimal rigidity.  Blade curving to the side during the last thirteen twenty-fourths of the swing.  Putting her strength into the blow, but at the same time allowing the sword to guide her.

    ¡°Hyaah!¡± she cried, qi bursting as she committed everything to the swing.  Her blade carved a glistening arc of silver, carrying all of her seniors¡¯ advice with it.  She halted her blade at the end of its swing, holding it in the position for four long breaths before her form collapsed and she fell to her knees.

    ¡°Is¡­ is that good enough¡­senior?¡± Oma asked, turning towards her senior, taking deep breaths as she steadied herself.

    Senior Baikun Feng stood firm, dark eyes unwavering behind his glasses as he took a long moment to consider his answer.  His jian rose and fell in another repetition of the strike, before he arrived at his answer.

    It was a beautiful weapon.  A simple steel blade and a narrow copper hilt, bereft of all ornamentation, but well maintained with a level of care born from centuries of diligence.  As sharp and austere as its wielder.

    ¡°It demonstrated sufficient progress,¡± he finally said, in a voice as even as a teahouse server discussing the weather.  If you hadn¡¯t spent the last four hours with him, you would have never been able to tell that he had been the one leading her through this grueling routine, as he looked no different now than when he started.

    ¡°It was better than your 363<sup>rd</sup> swing, although your 452<sup>nd</sup> swing better captured the downwards pressure of the strike.  You are making good progress.  In another few strikes you will have it.¡±

    ¡°I-I thought that you said that we- would-would stop after we reached 500,¡± she said panting.

    ¡°I see,¡± Senior Feng replied, taking a long blink.  As ever, Gao Oma waited in the hopes that he would say something else, but his only continuance was with his routine.

    ¡°I¡­ just need a bit of a break first,¡± she eventually said, taking in a calming breath of the mountain¡¯s qi.  Her hair had come loose again, and as she brushed strands of long, straw-colored hair to the side, she glanced over at her senior again.  Not a single short black hair out of place.  Everything exactly the way it had been when they had started.

    She was jealous of his control.  She¡¯d already snapped three ribbons with imprecise releases of her qi, and she was about to run out of spares.

    ¡°I see,¡± Senior Feng replied again, timing his reply with the exhalation of the fifth step of his form.  Oma admired his focus.  It was as well-honed as his blade, straight and unwaveringly forwards, bereft of even the slightest deviation.

    It reminded her of Shifu Yeung Lin, in a way, even though the two couldn¡¯t be more different in almost every other regard.

    Sure, Shifu sometimes had that same intense focus to him, like whenever an inspiration struck him.  In those moments he¡¯d just stare into the middle distance with a smoldering intensity, before rapidly recording his thoughts into his ever-present notebook.

    But when he wasn¡¯t being struck by revelations, he was normal.  Willing to listen to a student¡¯s troubles and offer words of advice when necessary.  Her seniors in the Sword Intent Club on the other hand?  Well, normal had been the furthest thing from her mind when she thought about them.

    They certainly hadn¡¯t been what she¡¯d expected when Shifu Yeung Lin had recommended that she give the club a try.

    ¡°You have a talent for the blade,¡± he had said, as if manifesting sword intent once qualified as talent.

    And sure, Oma liked swords.  Who didn¡¯t?

    The way their blades shone, the way they cut through the air, their subtle elegance of form¡­ When one thought about cultivation, who could do so without swords coming to mind?  She¡¯d grown up on tales of swords and cultivators, listening to the tales of their adventures told by every trader and traveler to pass through her tiny village.  But her knowledge of the subject paled in comparison to her six Seniors.

    To compare her passion to theirs was to compare a spark to an inferno.  Their knowledge, a teacup to the ocean.

    Every waking moment they sought to study the blade, driven by dedication and passion that she felt unworthy of even being in the presence of.

    At first she¡¯d tried to match them, to prove that she could walk the path of the sword with them, but like chipped edge against a grindstone, she had soon been corrected of her error.

    She was a mere sword enthusiast.  The Sword Intent Club were true swordsmen.

    If there was an extra second to be found in a day, they would find a way to use it to better their understanding of the blade.  Her fascination with swords just couldn¡¯t compare, as everything they did revolved around the study of the blade.  They practically ate and breathed swords.  And she knew for a fact that if there was even the slightest chance that a technique would allow them to actually do either of those things they would try it in a heartbeat.  She was positive that some of them lived in the building, neglecting any form of lesson or instruction in favor of continued self-study.

    As Senior Feng continued his exercise, Oma dragged herself over the well-worn stone of the training ground to the bench where she¡¯d left her spatial pouch.  Anywhere else this would have been an utterly inconceivable idea, as such an action was inviting theft, but she was confident that none of her fellow seniors cared enough to bother robbing her.

    They¡¯d all inspected her sword the day that she¡¯d joined the club, and that was the only possession she owned that they were even remotely interested in.

    Senior Li Zhan had taken a seat on the bench sometime between the start and end of her training with Senior Feng.  The tall cultivator sat there in silence, sharpening his sword of the day, eyes unwavering as he moved his whetstone in smooth, even motions.  The blade gleamed a dull silver in the light of the courtyard, nebulous patterns shifting beneath the slurry of whetstone paste from the alloy of cloudsteel and Thunder Mountain silver that he used in his blades.

    His routine would never cease to amaze Oma.  While Senior Feng was dedicated to mastering his current sword, refusing to even entertain a joke that he might change it up every once in a while for variety¡¯s sake, Senior Zhan was dedicated to the creation of the perfect blade.

    As regularly as the sun followed the moon, Senior Li Zhan would arrive at the clubroom for the Sword Intent Club each morning with a newly forged blade, identical to the last in nearly every aspect.  He would spend the morning sharpening it on a series of whetstones, the afternoon practicing forms with it, and the evening sparring with the other members before retiring it to his room forever.

    Oma had never been able to get a look inside, but she imagined that it must resemble a warehouse, stacked to the brim with identical swords that would never again see the light of day.

    ¡°The new blade looks nice,¡± she said, producing a gourd of water from her pouch before opening it with her teeth.  After a long, refreshing drink and sheathing her sword, she risked another comment.  ¡°Did you make this one thicker?  I noticed that there¡¯s less space between the edge of the blade and the hilt compared to the last one.¡±

    Li Zhan brightened at her words, looking up from his work with a spark of excitement in his eye.

    ¡°You are correct.  I widened the blade a hair¡¯s breadth from yesterday¡¯s design.  I wanted to test the way that the changes to the center of gravity would effect its balance, and the length has only changed by two hairs¡¯ lengths as a result, so while the reach has indeed suffered a bit for it, I believe that the increase in the conservation of momentum will more than makes up for it.  The angle of the blade is also wider as a result, but I believe that that will only further increase the¨C¡±

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    ¡°I see,¡± Oma said, taking another sip as Senior Zhan went into an increasingly detail about how his newest composition would provide invaluable insights into perfecting his next sword, his short black ponytail bobbing excitedly as he brought up things like relative swing velocity and the trade-offs of power and reach.  He had so many reasons for why his sword was exactly the way it was, unlike Oma who simply used hers because it felt right to her.

    She liked Willow¡¯s Branch, as she¡¯d taken to calling it, because of the way its length felt in her grip.  Sure, it was a full palms length longer than most other jians, but its handle was the perfect fit for use with either one or both hands, and there was just something right about the way it felt in motion.  It was almost as if the blade had been made for her, despite it being a discounted ware that she had purchased with what little money she had managed to save up in her first year as a disciple.  It was good quality for its price, the alloy a decent enough mix, and it held her qi well.

    But it still felt foolish to compare such reasonings to Senior Zhan¡¯s detailed explanation of his blade, her mere feelings to his centuries of experience.  He knew exactly why his sword was suited for him, and the enlightenments she gleaned from his words only burned that point further into Oma¡¯s mind.

    Eventually, after five sticks of explanation, Oma mustered up the courage to ask a question when Zhan eventually stopped take a breath.  A question whose weight had only been growing inside her heart for months.

    ¡°Senior, do you think that I have what it takes to be part of the Sword Intent Club?  That I can learn to use sword intent like the rest of you?¡±

    Li Zhan thought about this question for a long moment, silent all but for the gentle sound of stone against sword.

    ¡°Are you asking me for advice?¡± he eventually asked, pausing for a moment to look at Oma.

    ¡°Well, yes, I guess,¡± she said.  ¡°You and the other seniors are so¡­so dedicated to the path of the blade.  You¡¯ve just so certain in it.  I just¡­ I just don¡¯t know if I can ever be like you.  If I can know that the path of the blade is the one meant for me.¡±

    Li Zhan considered this for a while, carefully turning the question over in his mind.

    ¡°When I was younger, a senior of mine once told me that a cultivator is shaped by fire and hammer,¡± he eventually said, resuming his work on the edge of his sword.

    Oma sat in silence trying to puzzle the cryptic advice out, before positing her interpretation.

    ¡°Do you mean that a cultivator is shaped by experience?  That right now I¡¯m still just an ingot, full of potential that just hasn¡¯t been given form?¡±

    Senior Zhan shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  My old mentor used to say it a lot, but he was mixing the words up.  That¡¯s how you forge swords, not people.  And even if you could forge a person into a sword, it makes no sense for a sword to wield another sword. They just wouldn¡¯t be swords anymore.¡±

    Then why did you tell me all of this!  Oma almost screamed, masking her frustration by furiously chugging water.  As ever, her Senior wasn¡¯t any help.  Or perhaps being so deliberately obtuse was his way of helping.  A test perhaps?  One that required her to figure out the meaning of his words on her own.

    It reminded her of Shifu Yeung Lin¡¯s words: a scholar seeks answers, a fool expects to be handed them.  But still, it was a greater fool that didn¡¯t at least attempt to learn the direction they should be going before setting off in it.  And so, after another moment to regain her composure, Oma ventured another question

    ¡°Senior, do you have any advice for how I can improve my swordsmanship?¡± Oma asked.

    ¡°You should study the blade more,¡± Zhan replied, wiping slurry off his blade before he started in on it with a finer stone.

    ¡°Yes, but what specifically?¡± she persisted.

    ¡°The things that you need to improve,¡± he said simply, as if the words contained all that she needed to know.  As if there weren¡¯t dozens of ways that her form was lacking.

    ¡°But what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that if you are inadequate in an area, you should seek to improve it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but how can I know what areas I am inadequate in if I am inadequate?¡±

    ¡°You are inadequate?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± The unexpected words hit Oma like a stab to the chest, expertly flicking past her guard and striking her in her dao heart.  Her spirit ached, the sharpness of his words reverberating through her veins as she struggled to gather her qi.

    Was she truly inadequate?

    Did she truly deserve to be here, among such dedicated cultivators, as if she was one of them?

    It was foolish, wasn¡¯t it?

    To dream that a poor hick like her could ever become a real cultivator?

    With her messy hair?

    Her ugly freckles?

    Her inadequate skills?

    That pathetic excuse for talent?

    How could she ever hope to become anything other than a second-stage failure?

    A cultivator in name only, doomed to inadequacy for centuries.

    Her meridians felt like lead as her thoughts spiraled in on themselves, drawn by the vortex within her heart.  Her breath caught in her throat, the barest wisps of qi returning with every inhalation.  As it felt like it was reaching the breaking point, that the pressure was about to crush her whole, her Senior¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts like a jian through the fog.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±  he asked, poking her cheek with a finger.

    I¡¯m¡­fine,¡± Oma said, struggling to gather her thoughts as she rightened her posture.  She hadn¡¯t noticed that she¡¯d slipped.  That her head had become buried in her hands around her knees.  She took deep, clarifying breaths as she regained her composure, following the words of her first teacher as she did.

    ¡°Careful child, don¡¯t try to bottle it up, like it¡¯s something to hoard.  Let it flow through you.  Qi is the breath of all things, and it carries all of creation within it.  When it flows through you, it carries everything that is with it as it enters, and everything that you give it as it leaves.  So breath.  Let it all flow through you, leaving nothing but yourself behind.¡±

    By her third breath she felt well enough to speak, the pain in her heart nothing but a dull throb.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± she lied, brushing herself off as she grabbed her spatial pouch.  ¡°I just think that I overexerted myself.  Probably just need to get some food in me to fix it up!¡±  She paused as she stood to leave, turning to Senior Li Zhan one more time.

    ¡°Would you like to join me for lunch Senior?¡± Oma asked, falling back onto her old failsafe, despite knowing his answer the moment the words left her lips.

    ¡°I am not hungry,¡± Li Zhan replied.

    * * *

    Li Zhan watched as his junior hurried off, clearly intent on satisfying her hunger quickly so that she could return with as little delay as possible.  She must have been in dire need of food, as she been in such a hurry that she had left her sword behind.

    Li Zhan couldn¡¯t imagine being that hungry, but then again, the only thing that he left up to his imagination was the blade.

    New forms, old forms, forms that he had tried, and forms that he had yet to make¡­  There were just so many, and there were only so many moments in each day with which to try them.

    As he thought about blades that were yet to come, he kept a firm focus on the blade at hand, carefully refining its edge until its hone matched his vision.

    Eventually it was finished, and with the barest flicker of his will he cleaned it of water and stone, his intent neatly cleaving the two apart.  The slurry fell towards the ground with barely a sound, landing in the bucket he¡¯d set aside for that very purpose.

    He noticed that it was starting to overflow as he rose, sheathing his blade.  He would have to empty it soon.

    But that was a concern for later.  He had finished his sword, and that meant that it was time to practice with it.  To get a feel for how this iteration performed compared to its predecessors.

    He did, however, feel invigorated by his conversation with his junior.  He always welcomed a chance to discuss his craft, and the others seldom asked.  His passion had been further stoked¡ªa phenomenon that most would find unbelievable¡ªso much so that he felt like breaking from his routine.  Stances could wait today.  He craved a chance to test his new sword in combat.

    Feng would be busy with his routine for another seventy-three minutes, so he made his way over to Weijian Mei, who was practicing in the corner with the orb.

    Her sharp green eyes glinted as she watched her past movements, projected in detailed relief by their jade training artifact.  She parried the light-formed mirror of herself, blade halting the barest distance from it as she recreated the recorded duel without disrupting the image.

    Li Zhan patiently waited two sticks for her to finish, giving her three short claps as she did.

    ¡°Ah, Zhan,¡± she said, turning to face him, the thirty-six inches of her jian resting lightly in her hand.  ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be practicing your sword somewhere right now?  I have the orb today.¡±

    Li Zhan shook his head as Mei took a protective step between him and the artifact.  She had been obsessed with it ever since they got it, and while he was willing to admit that the ability to observe one¡¯s actions from any angle was immensely helpful for improving one¡¯s technique, it was another thing entirely to spend hours using it to recreate duels.

    No matter how keen the swordsmanship was, the past was only useful for the experiences it taught.  Those thoughts fell aside, however, as he held up his sword, allowing his companion to inspect the blade in the light.

    ¡°It looks good,¡± Mei observed.

    Unlike him, she was content to keep using the same sword; a thirty-eight-inch long blade with minimal hilt and a thick tip, its five-inch wide blade forged from Carp Scales¡ªan alloy of lake copper, tin, and the crushed bones of its namesake fish.  It was a sturdy sword with a long history, having once been wielded by some famous swordsman, and while Mei wielded it well, it was far from perfect.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Li Zhan replied.  ¡°I was wondering if you would like to spar.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t spar until after the second Inner Hour,¡± Mei said, taken aback at her companion¡¯s sudden break from his schedule.

    ¡°I had a productive conversation with our new member that has put me in the mood for a spar.  The proper time to strike iron is when it is hot, and this is such a moment.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Mei replied, eyes shifting to the jade orb for a long moment as she considered his words.  As with most days, she had claimed the orb until early evening, and she had just managed to bring herself two degrees closer to perfecting the sixteenth stroke of the second exchange from the Duel between the Onyx Blade and Chong the Shark Dao.  It was good progress, and with only one more move to perfect before she mastered it, this unexpected change in her schedule presented the opportunity to test her new understanding.

    ¡°Very well,¡± she finally agreed, tapping the orb¡¯s iris with the tip of her sword.  Her recreation winked out of existence, and she took a stance as Zhan moved to stand across from her, his blade rising as he did.

    With a shared nod, they rushed to meet each other, sweeping through the air as their swords collided.

    Strike met parry, met counter, met counter, the sound of metal on metal rising in the air as their pace increased.  Their blades blurred, the rhythm of their clash forming a symphony of steel as they met again and again, the faintest of smiles on each of their faces.

 Chapter 30

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Twentieth day of the tenth month

    Ten minutes before the stroke of the 12<sup>th</sup> Outer Hour

    ¡°Have you secured the last of the sweets?¡± Chang Hui demanded, stacking the last of the chests crammed full of spirit stones into her spatial ring as she glanced over at her clock.  Her spectacled secretary Li Gho materialized in front of her desk, a stack of delicate red paper boxes in each hand.

    As ever, the short cultivator was the picture of grace under pressure.  Not a strand of hair in her tight braid was out of place despite the urgency of her task, the only betrayal of her exertion the fact that her glasses were a degree and a half askew.  She placed her boxes on the table on a neat stack, two wide and three tall, straightening them and then her glasses before answering the question.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Gho replied, clasping her arms behind her back as she delivered her report.  ¡°Three boxes of peach jelly tarts, two boxes of sticky buns, and one box of fruit tarts from Peach Garden Bakery.  Zhu Haoyu was amenable to the usual deal of a delay on his debt collection in exchange for preferential service, which I have reported to the Collection Department.¡±

    ¡°The mooncakes from The Rabbit¡¯s Dream have already been prepared according to your instructions, although I regret to inform you that despite my best efforts the acquisition of the plate went 10 spirit stones over the market price.  I apologize for my incompetence, and have paid the excess out of my own pocket as recompense.¡±

    ¡°Good, good,¡± Hui said, waving her apology away as she swept the sweets into her ring.  ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to find one on such short notice, so you can file for a reimbursement as an expedience cost.  Do we have confirmation on the appointments?¡±

    ¡°We were able to secure a meeting with the Heads of the Talisman, Spiritual Arts and Sword Division,¡± Li Gho replied, following Hui as she secured her sword on her back and made her way out of the narrow office.  ¡°The Martial Arts Division declined our request on the basis that they quote ¡®had even less time to deal with this than the last time you asked¡¯.  The Alchemy Division also declined, although they offered us several seats to the pill lecture as a form of apology.¡±

    ¡°How many seats?¡± Hui asked, taking the stairs three at a time as they rushed to the bottom of the pagoda.  The Alchemy Division always enjoyed their displays of magnanimity, so even their refusal was an opportunity.

    ¡°Five.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad amount.  Remind me to offer them to Den from the Cracked Peak Branch.  He was complaining that he couldn¡¯t secure a seat, and I want him to owe me for it.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Li Gho replied, blinking twice as she made a mental note of her new task.

    ¡°Any other complications?¡±  Hui asked as they reached the ground floor, arriving at the back room of the Clear Jade Mountain Branch of the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall.

    The cramped room was filled with a quiet hubbub of cultivators at work, as dozens of members rushed about retrieving payments and storing bets from the cubbies that stretched between floor to ceiling.  They¡¯d been busier than usual lately with the repayment of the Entrance Exam bets.  The boxes had had to have been pulled out of the medium-deep storage rooms, which was why the line out front had been allowed to build to such an unusual size.

    Any other time Hui would have simply reassigned members from less critical roles to deal with the extra demand, but with the Heavenly Wok Competition so soon, such personnel were few and far between.

    ¡°Guan Tie!¡± Hui snapped, grabbing the attention of the cultivator loafing around in the corner of the room.  ¡°Get over here.  We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    With a grin the spear cultivator finished the bao he had been snacking on, following it with the last of his tea.  He left the empty cup on the counter for someone else to deal with, jauntily spinning his spear onto his shoulder as he did.  It was a testament to his skill that he didn¡¯t knock even a single piece of paper askew, though a passing clerk swore as he ducked under its third revolution.

    ¡°Aye-aye boss lady,¡± the steel-haired cultivator replied, falling in behind Hui.  ¡°Just wanted to grab a bit of a bite before headin out.  Wouldn¡¯t want to have the ole stomach rumble during a meetin, now would we?¡±

    Hui sighed internally at his accent, reminding herself that the paper-member was vital for her negotiations.

    Division Heads were fickle, even by cultivator standards.

    By its very nature, a cultivation sect as large as the Teal Mountain Sect could not run smoothly without bureaucracy.  But management was a time hungry thing, shunned by most cultivators due to the fact that it gorged itself on the one resource they couldn¡¯t steal or harvest.  They were reluctant to waste valuable time that could be used training or seeking enlightenment on such a ¡°triviality¡±, despite gleefully guzzling the resources that the sect provided.

    Those that did participate in it did so for various reasons.  At the low level, positions were filled by disciples looking for some extra cash, while middle level positions were typically occupied by peaked cultivators content with riding out the rest of their long lives behind a desk rather than on the field of battle.

    But at the top?  Well, was a true nest of serpents.

    It was a position that could only be achieved with ambition, as the benefits of being a Division Head¡ªnamely the authority to manage funds and the distribution of cultivation resources¡ªfar outweighed the work involved.  While the simpleminded would see such benefits as an easy way to monopolize precious resources for oneself, the true strength of the position lay in its soft power.  The ability to court favor was a powerful thing, and no cultivator achieved the coveted seat of Division Head to the applause of empty palms.

    Only the most dedicated Elders managed to reach such a position, and they were nothing to be trifled with.

    Dealing with them required a high degree of deference.  Hui¡¯s gifts were a start, expertly chosen to appeal to each¡¯s well-known tastes, but the quality of her party was equally important so as to show the appropriate level of respect.

    This was where Guan Tie came in.

    The cocky cultivator was a well-known champion of the Teal Mountain Sect, a strong third-stage Inner Disciple that was impressively far in the Body Moulding stage for his age.  Aside from his metal hair, he also boasted an impressive collection of inter-sect tournament trophies, as well as the record for largest spirit crab caught in Lake Taiji.

    Guan Tie was a part of the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall mostly in name.  His primary purpose was public appearances, as well as the occasional collection job when a particularly powerful debtor was involved.  In exchange they provided him a generous stipend, which usually took the form of forgiven debts rather than payments.  As skilled as he was with the spear, he was a poor gambler, which had made it easy for the Hui to recruit him.

    Just so long as he kept his mouth shut during the negotiations.

    *   *   *

    After a ten-minute run the trio arrived at the Talisman Division, stopping before the tall black building known as The Inkstone to many disciples.

    As tall as a twelve-tier pagoda and thrice as wide, the building was made entirely from pure black granite, formed from a spell cast by its establishing Grand Elder centuries ago.  Its sparse exterior belied the nature of its interior, full of well decorated staircases connecting a web of lecture halls, study rooms, and research chambers that lined its open shaft.  The magic in its walls allowed light pass through them through some twist of space or light, allowing its occupants the benefits of plentiful natural light while preserving their privacy.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    They approached the building at a more conservative pace, slowing from their sprint so as to not betray their urgency.  There were eyes everywhere, and they needed to give away as little as possible.

    Li Gho announced them to the receptionists, and after an exchange of polite bows they were escorted to Xu Xianmo¡¯s office on the middle floor of the building.  The Grand Elder¡¯s design choices had been more than a little eccentric¡ªas one could easily tell from the exterior¡ªand supposedly the decision to place the enormous room in the middle of the building was to make it easier for him to walk the shortest distance possible to any other room.  As the door swung open Hui smoothed out her robes one final time.

    ¡°Chang Hui greets Elder Xu Xianmo,¡± she declared, making sure to use his preferred title as she bowed deeply from her waist.  Behind her, her companions followed suit, Li Gho making sure to keep their boxed gift perfectly flat as she did.

    ¡°Come in, come in,¡± Xu Xianmo said, waving an ink-stained sleeve at them as his brush danced across the pages before him.  Unlike his face, his long life was on display on his robes, covered as they were in centuries of blots and splotches.  The more mundane markings were content to remain still, but those left by the more fantastical of his inks gently swirled across the fabric, taking on vague animalistic forms as they gamboled around each other.

    Hui was certain that some of the marks were far older than she was, preserved only by their wearer¡¯s staunch refusal to replace anything if it hadn¡¯t been worn to shreds.  His robe aside, nothing immediately stood out about his appearance¡ªshort black hair, light scholarly skin, and slim arms.

    It was only when one looked more closely that his nature became apparent.  His skin closer to that of fine paper than that of sun-scorned skin.  His hair the color of fine soot, a deep shade of calligrapher¡¯s black that almost seemed to suck the light into it.  His eyes were fearsome things; deep, dark blots of bottomless ink, their shape barely held in place by his schlera.  Ink and paper, the core of his art, the shape of his soul painted across his physical frame in monochrome.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me finishing this up,¡± Xu Xianmo continued without looking up, his left arm performing a series of weight exercises with a large brass statue as he did.  ¡°I¡¯ve been quite busy as of late, to the point that I¡¯ve almost had to work through my breaks.¡±

    ¡°The Southern Peak Gambling Hall appreciate your willingness to meet with us on such short notice,¡± Hui replied as she approached his desk, motioning for Li Gho to present him with their gift.  She kept her eyes low as she did, respect allowing her to avoid meeting his unwavering gaze.  Dealing with a Spirit Formation cultivator never got any easier, the knowledge of his might stripping any comfort that his carefully restrained aura might have given.

    ¡°Please accept these mooncakes as a token of our gratitude.  A moment¡¯s respite should never be wasted, and what better than some good food to match good company?¡±  Li Gho held the plate out to Xu Xianmo as he finished his work, setting down his gold-banded pen before taking a bite from the fattest of the cakes.

    ¡°Ah, Lunar Duck yolk and sausage from The Rabbit¡¯s Dream,¡± he said, finishing the cake in two quick bites before reaching for a second.  ¡°You spoil me.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the best mooncakes in the sect,¡± Hui smiled back.  ¡°Or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±

    Old cultivators, for all their eccentricities, were incredibly consistent in their tastes.  Hui had learnt about Xu Xianmo¡¯s preference in snacks a century or two ago, and made sure to always include some of whichever was appropriate for the time she visited him.

    More than a few of the sect¡¯s eateries endured entirely from having caught the attention of an old monster¡¯s tastes, and Hui was sure that Xu Xianmo was unaware that his precious treats were now worth more than five times their weight in spirit stones.

    As for his other tastes¡­Well, she waited until he ate another two mooncakes to discover it himself.  It only took a moment before he did, the remaining mooncakes falling to his desk as he held up the plate with a faint sound of shock.  An array carved into the side of the desk caught the falling snacks before they could make contact with the drying ink, glowing discs forming under each of them as its occupant inspected his new prize.

    ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± Xu Xianmo asked, wiping off the last of the crumbs so that he could appreciate the details of the depiction of the sect¡¯s founder, Lee Taijin, in all of his glory.  The muscular cultivator had been depicted in the act of lifting a boulder, each bulging muscle recorded in in perfect anatomical detail.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Hui nodded.  ¡°I happened to come across it while I was at the market some time ago, and recognized this treasure under a pile of low-grade spirit herbs.  The owner was unaware of its value, so I was able to have it included in my purchase with the barest bargaining.¡±

    Li Gho¡¯s face remained expressionless as Hui spun her tale, having been the one to spend an hour and a half haggling over the plate.

    ¡°Is it for sale?¡± Xu Xianmo inquired, returning the rest of the mooncakes to the plate with a wave of his hand.  He intercepted one as they sailed by, taking a contemplative bite as he directed his full attention at Chang Hui.

    ¡°For the price I got it for?¡± Hui laughed, lying as easily as she breathed qi. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly.  Think of it as a gift between friends.  A token of the time we¡¯ve known each other.¡±

    ¡°Very well¡±, Xu Xianmo replied, licking the last of the crumbs from the plate.  He polished it with a cloth as he walked it over to his display shelf, where thirty-five other commemorative plates, each depicting the sect¡¯s founder in different poses, sat on rosewood blocks.  ¡°You know, the design of the 2700<sup>th</sup> anniversary commemorative plate was always a personal favorite of mine.  It truly captured the essence of The Strongest Brain¡¯s strength, and the dynamic nature of the pose was just extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°I always recalled it being one of the gems of your collection,¡± Hui said smoothly, giving the shelf a long look that she hoped conveyed the appropriate level of admiration.  ¡°And I must say, it is much more impressive complete.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Xu Xianmo said, a dark expression blotting the smile from his face for a fleeting moment.  ¡°It will never be incomplete again.¡±  Hui suppressed any thoughts about what had happened to the poor fool that had knocked the plate over while cleaning.  It was never good to think about such unpleasant things.  It gave her imagination too much free reign.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m sure that you didn¡¯t just come here to present me with this beautiful plate, did you?¡±  Xu Xianmo asked, picking up his brush again as he resumed his paperwork.  ¡°What do you need from me?¡±

    ¡°Well, as you might be aware, our Southern Peaks Gambling Hall is hosting a contest soon,¡± Hui said, Li Gho unfurling one of the posters for the Heavenly Wok Competition as she did.  ¡°A cooking contest, designed to show the visiting sects the prowess of our spirit chefs.¡±

    Xu Xianmo nodded slightly at this, his expression neutral.  The Cooking Division and the Talisman Divisions had no animosity between them, but Hui kept her explanation brief as she knew that he had little interest in any competition that didn¡¯t involve a brush.

    ¡°We have, however, experienced a trouble as of late.  A bit of a clump in our bristles, so to speak.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Hui braced herself for her next words, knowing that entirety of her pitch relied on her next words.

    ¡°Well, there was a bit of an accident at the Formation Division today¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, I saw it from my window,¡± Xu Xianmo laughed.  ¡°Damned fools blew up one of their training fields trying out a new attack array or something.  You should have seen the smoke.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Bright red plume, thick as their stupid pagoda,¡± Xu Xianmo continued, gesturing its approximate girth and height with his free hand as he stamped a signature.  Hui carefully let the last of his laughter fade before she continued.

    ¡°Well,¡± she said, letting a bit of the pain of the bad news seep into her voice as delivered the critical part of her pitch, ¡°unfortunately one of the items lost in the destruction was their Jade Drifting Cloud Eye.  It was being used to record the new array¡¯s performance and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Xu Xianmo replied flatly, with such a lack of enthusiasm that Hui almost winced at the sound.  ¡°So, I suppose you¡¯re here to ask if you can borrow ours for your little contest?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Hui said, attempting to appeal to his artisan sensibilities.  ¡°Without a working Eye we would be unable to project our competition.  As you know, detail is integral to such an event, and without the ability to see our chef¡¯s at work, the audience will be unable to fully appreciate their skill.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xu Xianmo muttered, looking up at the poster a second time before letting out a sigh.  ¡°Unfortunately, I will have to decline your request.  The Talisman Division has already made arrangements for our Drifting Cloud Eye that day.  The Golden Shadow Lotuses of the Tang Jin Memorial Garden are flowering that day, and an old friend requested that I be there to commemorate it with her this time.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Hui replied, decades of experience sifting any traces of disappointment from her voice.

    ¡°I do wish I could help, but my hands are quite tied in this matter.  Now, is that all, or do you have other business to discuss?¡±

    ¡°No, that was it.¡±

    Xu Xianmo didn¡¯t reply to this, his attention now fully back on his work.

    ¡°Thank you for taking the time to meet with us,¡± Hui said, motioning behind her back for her companions to turn to leave.  ¡°The Southern Peaks Gambling Hall is grateful for your consideration.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Xu Xianmo responded.  ¡°I wish you good luck on your search, for whatever that¡¯s worth.  Oh, and Guan Tie?¡±

    ¡°Yessir?¡± the tall cultivator replied, back straightening slightly at being addressed.

    ¡°Good work showing those bastards from the Circling Shoal Sect the power of the Talisman Division!  I¡¯m looking forwards to your performance in the Anything-Goes Martial Arts Tournament.¡±

    Guan Tie hastily thanked the Elder for his praise, and as the Xu Xianmo offered a few pieces of advice for how he could better refine his water arts, Hui¡¯s thoughts were already turning towards her subsequent meetings.

    For the most part this one had been a wash, and while she was quite sure that Xu Xianmo was appreciative of the plate, the favor it had bought her would have to be cashed in at a later date.  For now, the Jade Drifting Cloud Eye was the only thing that mattered, and she only had two more opportunities left to secure it.

    The success of the Heavenly Wok Competition was critical to her plans for the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall, and she couldn¡¯t afford to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.

    No matter how much she needed to beg, bow and scrape to make it happen.

 Chapter 31

    Year 658 of the Stable Era,

    Twentieth day of the tenth month

    Twenty-three minutes past the stroke of the 1<sup>st</sup> Outer Hour

    ¡°Fuck!¡±  Chang Hui swore as they entered the quiet seclusion of the jade bamboo path between the Pillbox and the Effervescent Sword Pavillion.  Few disciples took this path at this hour, allowing her outburst to fall upon only two other pairs of ears as she furiously wrung her hands in the air.  The stone leaves of the lustrous stalks chimed gently in the wind, but they did little to set her mind at ease.

    The negotiations Tong Sheyan had gone badly, at least so far as the matter of the Eye had gone.  The salubrious serpent had oozed slightly sincere sorries and sibilant sss¡¯s, her interest in expanding the Spiritual Arts Division¡¯s prestige through a similar event to the Heavenly Wok Competition as clear to Hui as the fork in her tongue.  She had secured a promise of a proper meeting to discuss the topic at a later date, but it was a cold comfort considering her current conundrum.

    She was no closer to the Eye than when she had started, and she had only a single hope to secure one before she was forced to resort to truly dire measures.

    ¡°Ya¡¯know boss, why¡¯s this Drifting Cloud Eye thingy such a big deal?¡±  Guan Tie asked, breaking the silence with his typical lack of tact.  ¡°Can¡¯t we just get another¡¯a the things?¡±

    ¡°No, we cannot!¡± Hui snapped, wheeling on the slouching spearman.  ¡°Do you even know how much a Jade Drifting Cloud Eye costs?  How precious they are?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone have one?¡± Guan replied, wrists resting on his shoulder slung spear as he held up his palms apologetically.

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t!  Not everybody is like the Martial Divisions.  There¡¯s only eight of the things on this entire peak.  Seven, now that the Formation Division fucking destroyed theirs.  The damned things cost more than a small sect made in a decade, and the Tumultuous Cloud Sect makes damned sure that the secret of their creation stays secret, so they¡¯re the only ones that can make the damned things.¡±  Hui forced herself cool off as they emerged for grove, reigning in her frustration.

    She took a seat on a bench as she waited for their next appointment, watching the disciples of the Sword Division training in the distance.  Clear Jade Mountain had an abundance of training grounds, owing to the fact that its main purpose was to house the fledgling members of the sect.  All eight of the Martial Divisions had their own territory here, ringing the peak and spaced by the various scholarly and crafting divisions.  The Sword Division was the most prestigious of them, their new pagoda a twenty-tier testament to that truth.

    Their prominence also meant that they had been entrusted with a Jade Drifting Cloud Eye by the Sect, which was precisely why Hui was meeting with them.  While the start of the Strongest Blade Tournament would cut it close with the Heavenly Wok Competition, she was old friends with Yao Minzhe, the Instructor responsible for managing the equipment.  He still owed her a few favors.

    Favors that she intended to call in if necessary.

    As she sat, Li Gho approached her with a steaming cup that she¡¯d acquired from a nearby stall, and Hui let both the tea and her thoughts steep as she planned her next move.

    A positive mindset was important here.

    Calm mind, quiet qi.  No need to give too much of the game away.

    He¡¯d know that it was important from the fact that she was suddenly dropping in on him between lessons, but the timing was imperative to avoid the possibility of any rumor of her other meetings reaching him.  Spill too many of her tiles too early, and she¡¯d be giving him far too much leverage.

    After a particularly long stick of incense, the lesson wrapped up, and Chang Hui made her approach as Yao Minzhe was sheathing his sword.

    As ever, he looked good.  He had the frame of a classical body cultivator¡ªlean, efficient muscles filling out his robe out in all the right areas.  In keeping with the fashion of the Sword Division the bright teal-jade of his Instructor¡¯s robe was embroidered with a subtle pattern of flying swords, a pale steel shade derived from a mixture of ironwood sap and xuanjun crystals.

    His obsidian smooth hair was held in a short topknot by a short gold guan decorated with a pattern of clouds and swords, the rest hanging just past his shoulder blades.  The only blemish on his otherwise perfect skin was a thin scar running from ear to chin, a trophy from a mighty spirit beast that he had hunted ages ago.

    He¡¯d been pushing the middle of the Body Moulding stage for a century or so now, delaying its further development to reinforce his other pillars.  Supposedly he was still pursuing his dao, as he claimed that he was finding enlightenment in teaching others, and seeing the enthusiasm with which he had taught the lesson, Hui was inclined to believe that it might be more than an excuse for his decision to drop out of the tournament scene.

    ¡°Ah, Sister Hui,¡± Minzhe said as she approached, offering her a polite half bow.  ¡°It¡¯s been a while.  What brings you to the Sword Division?  And in such illustrious company no less.¡±  He glared at Guan Tie at these last words, and after a moment Hui recalled that there was a slight bit of animosity between the two.

    Guan Tie had always been a prodigy within the martial divisions, and they¡¯d each done their best to court him when he¡¯d been deciding his path.  Yao Minzhe has been the first of the representatives of the Sword Division to approach him, only to be publicly rebuffed for the meager nature of his offering.

    ¡°Ya¡¯tryin¡¯ ta start somethin¡¯?¡± the tall cultivator responded, leaning in towards Minzhe as he did.  A flicker of qi ran the length of his spear, the wrappings around its blade unfolding themself around the end of the shaft.  His eyes glinted with excitement, ready to start a fight at the first sign of a probable provocation.

    ¡°There will be none of that,¡± Hui stated, stepping between the two before Minzhe could place more than the tip of his index finger on his sword.  ¡°Guan Tie, if you want to pursue a duel you may do so on your own time.  Today you represent the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall, and you would do well to remember that fact.¡±

    ¡°Brother Minzhe, I apologize for the insolence of my subordinate.  He is still getting used to his place within our organization.¡±  She returned his bow as she said this, pointedly ignoring Guan Tie¡¯s grumbling as she continued.  ¡°We are here to request the use of your Jade Drifting Cloud Eye again, assuming that you are willing to agree to our usual arrangement.¡±

    Minzhe nodded, well acquainted with the size of the bag of spirit stones their deal entailed.

    ¡°I think that the Sword Division can arrange for a loan to our longtime friend and ally,¡± he mused.  ¡°But with Tournament Month so soon¡­¡±  He let his words trail off, a well-worn tic of his that had long since worn well past Hui¡¯s ability to take it seriously.

    ¡°It would be a shame if I were so unaware of you Division¡¯s schedule,¡± Hui countered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.  ¡°Imagine if my Southern Peaks Gambling Hall had missed a beat.  All those banners, unhung.  All those promotions, unspoken.  All those seats¡­empty.  My, in my age, I worry that my mental cultivation is finally hitting a bottleneck, as I am suddenly having trouble remembering: was it three tournaments that you are hosting this year?  Or perhaps it was four?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Ah, Sister Hui, surely you jest,¡± Minzhe laughed nervously.

    ¡°Ah, but Brother Minzhe, is it not proper to exchange like for like?  Good returned with twofold interest, bad threefold, and a measure of wasted time for an equal measure taken in turn.  Now, if you¡¯re ready, perhaps we can adjourn to a more comfortable location to discuss things in detail.  As I recall you were quite proud of those new chairs of yours last we talked.  Perhaps we can appreciate them over some delightful jellied fruits you keep around.¡±

    Minzhe nodded at this, gesturing to the adjacent pagoda with a sweep of his sleeves.

    ¡°But of course.  Unfortunately, I have only the two, and I would regret inconveniencing your companions.¡±

    ¡°That would be a shame,¡± Hui agreed.  ¡°I suppose that they can wait.¡±

    She pulled a pair of thick purple spirit stones from her ring¡ªeach easily worth at least five units apiece¡ªand flicked them to Li Gho in one smooth motion.  She watched Minzhe¡¯s reaction as she did, noting the way that his eyes narrowed imperceptibly as they followed the stones¡¯ trajectory.  ¡°Go enjoy some tea.  This might take a while.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated Senior,¡± Li Gho replied, bowing deeply before grabbing Guan Tie by the butt of his spear and pulling him away, the steel-haired spearman offering only token resistance.

    Had he insisted on pursuing his grudge Hui doubted that there was much that Li Gho could do to stop him, as they were an entire stage apart, but she was well aware of his mercurial nature.  Before he had even left mortal earshot his complaints had already changed to chatter about which teashops offered the best accompaniments at this time of day.

    Shaking her head at his shameless nature, Hui drew her sword with a snap of her fingers, her Teal Jade Flying Sword Technique whisking it from place on her back in a fluid motion.  At her size its five-foot length made it a hard draw regardless of position, but her cultivation¡¯s leaning towards a hands-off approach was well suited for the task.  She delicately hopped onto her blade, following the already-airborne Yao Minzhe to his room on the fifteenth floor.

    The place hadn¡¯t changed much since she¡¯d last seen it, its ornate red wallpaper and dark wooden floors still shiny with the luster that only newness seemed to bestow.  The sole addition to the half-filled racks of swords, plain desk, and haphazardly matched rugs were the aforementioned chairs, of whom the precise nature of their exotic wood, silk cushions, and renowned artisan craftsmanship had been thoroughly seared into her mind through Minzhe¡¯s unrelenting fixation on the damned things.

    They were quite comfortable, though, Hui thought as she took a seat, even if every other aspect of their overwrought design and bright green color was completely at odds with the rest of the d¨¦cor.  The thought sent a pang of jealousy through her heart, reminding her of all her belongings currently languishing in storage, bound by her current office.  She hardened her resolve.  If she ever wanted to work her way back to an office of this size, she needed to ensure that this deal went through.

    ¡°The chairs are quite comfortable,¡± Hui remarked, giving the chartreuse cushion a pat.  ¡°The Ten-Step Venom Spider silk is as remarkable as you claimed.¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡± Minzhe replied, pulling a plate of precisely-cut cubes of jellied fruits from the icebox in the corner of his office.  ¡°It takes thirty years to produce enough silk for a single cushion, but it¡¯s all worth it for this softness.¡±

    Hui nodded, avoiding any follow-up questions.  She already knew far too much about how many spider it took to produce each cushion (two), the size of the spiders (a small goat for the males, a large cow for the females), and just about every other detail about their lifecycle, diet, natural habitat, and spiritual abilities.

    She left any comments about the species of wood remain unsaid.  It simply bore too much fruit.

    ¡°So,¡± Hui said, spearing a peach cube with a flying toothpick, ¡°let¡¯s get down to the bronze nails of this.  Your first big tournament on the twenty-ninth.  My Southern Peaks Gambling Hall is hosting a competition in seven days, and we need your Eye for it.  We¡¯re willing to pay the usual rate, plus a small bonus of thirty spirit stones as a token of our appreciation for your flexibility.¡±

    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t happen to have anything to do with the recent events at the Talisman Division, would it?¡± Minzhe mused, twirling his toothpick around his fingers.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve heard,¡± Hui sighed.

    ¡°Hard not too, considering that I was using one of the fields next to it,¡± Minzhe responded with the smug smile of a gambler confident in his hand.  ¡°Considering the circumstance, demand¡¯s about to become quite a deal fiercer.  I think that double the usual rate would be a more fitting price, considering the circumstances.¡±

    Hui visibly balked, overplaying her disappointment with the offer.  Five hundred spirit stones was no small sum, and allowing Minzhe the faintest belief that he had the leverage to demand it would only stymie the negotiations.

    ¡°Ah, Minzhe, I thought I said that we¡¯d leave our jokes on the field.  Surely our friendship is worth more than this?¡±

    ¡°You might be the first to come to me, but you¡¯ll be far from the last,¡± Minzhe chuckled, his pick orbiting him as it dove after an apricot morsel.  ¡°One must set the price according to the market, after all.¡±  It was a bold bit of graft, even by his standards, but Hui had more than a few tile up her sleeve.

    It¡¯s interesting that you should mention that,¡± Hui responded, plucking another peach from the plate.  ¡°If we¡¯re on the topic of renegotiating, perhaps we should consider other adjustments as well.  I have been meaning to go over the odds we¡¯ll be using for the next month, to be certain that our spread is balanced, of course.  With Tournament Month upon us, there is so much to consider, and it would be a shame if a few errors were to slip through the cracks.¡±

    Minzhe froze at this, his toothpick faltering in the air for the briefest of moments before resuming its orbit.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dare to what?  Ruin a friendship for the sake of a few spirit stones?  What do you take me for, a common thief?  Relationships are to be treasured at our age, and it would be a shame for either of us to allow mere wealth to come between us.  No, I am simply stating that my workload might lessen should we become unable to hold our little competition.  Allowing me the time to more properly fulfill my duties in other areas.¡±

    Minzhe clenched his fist under the desk, a gesture that Hui easily read through the slight crease of his robe.  He was an old client of the Southern Peaks Gambling Hall, and the occasional private consultant for additional research to ensure the balance of a spread.  Sure, he might occasionally be a bit wrong, and the odd pair of lopsided odds might tilt in the wrong direction, but he always made more than enough that his kickback properly balanced her books.

    He¡¯d become a bit too accustomed to that particular bit of extra revenue as of late, and it was time that she reminded him who controlled the purse.

    He grimaced, gritting his teeth for a moment before making his counteroffer.

    ¡°Four hundred.¡±

    Hui tsked in disappointment, shaking her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t very well offer more if it¡¯s destined to end up in my pocket.  My previous offer, plus a two-year hold on your interest.¡±

    A few months ago, Minzhe had lost a large sum when Guan Tie¡¯s disciple had defied the heavens by defeating his, and he¡¯d been allowed himself to become too distracted to deal with the consequences in a timely manner.

    ¡°Three hundred?¡±  he ventured shamelessly.

    ¡°Ten more, as a token of our long and continued friendship, and two tokens admittance to our competition,¡± Hui countered, relaxing her demeanor as she did.  Minzhe hummed and hawed a bit, but the fight was gone from his eyes by the time he shook her hand.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, passing him a pair of carefully marked copper tokens.  ¡°These come with priority access to any of the extra food, so be sure not to trade them off.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize that you had started providing meals at your contests,¡± Minzhe said, inspecting the tokens.  ¡°That¡¯s quite a welcome change.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hui said, cocking her head in confusion.  ¡°It¡¯s food from the contest.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The spirit chefs competing in the Heavenly Wok Competition have to prepare at least ten servings of each of their dishes, five for the panel of judges, and five for a random selection of audience members to try.  Those tokens have been enchanted to guarantee participation in at least one of the rounds.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Minzhe said, his face paling as he pushed the tokens across his desk to Hui.  ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t take these.  The Sword Division will have to decline your request to borrow our Jade Drifting Cloud Eye.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t renege on our deal,¡± Hui said, furrowing her brows.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ well, the Sword Division has a duty towards pursuing the martial path, and a cooking competition hardly follows such a noble goal.¡±

    Hui¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lent it to us for non-martial tournaments before.  Like the Go tournament.  Or the crab eating competition.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ was uh before¡ª¡±

    ¡°Before what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Minzhe¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but they won¡¯t¡ª¡± he stopped, shoving a cube of sweet strawberry into his mouth in a desperate attempt to cover up his slip, but it was too late.  Hui pounced on it like a tiger.

    ¡°Who is this they?¡±

    ¡°The¡­Division Elders?¡±

    ¡°Minzhe!¡±  Hui slammed her fist against the desk, cubes of fruit and jelly bouncing a foot in the air from the force.  ¡°What are you hiding from me.¡±