ã€ŠSky Pride [RELEASING EXTRA CHAPTERS TO CELEBRATE]ã€‹


 Chapter 1- In the Care of a Hateful God

    ¡°Where is my son? It is time for him to die.¡±

    ¡°Madam?!¡± The old nanny stood between the frail boy and his mother. Her withered hands clenched the hem of her faded dress. Screams of dying men and chopping blades filled the hallway, loud and close. ¡°He¡¯s just had one of his fits. The battle-¡±

    ¡°There is no battle.¡± The Madam¡¯s eyes were red, her pupils barely pinpricks. ¡°The Hongs managed to hire some Lay Brothers, which means someone in the Inner Court gave their approval. Our family is dead.¡±

    ¡°The guards-¡± The nanny slowly retreated towards the carved wooden bed. Madam lurched forward, the green brocade of her robe swaying madly in the yellow light of the oil lamps.

    ¡°The guards can¡¯t last one move against cultivators. Steel sabers against flying swords- what could it be but a slaughter? The Hongs are slowed only by making sure they don''t miss anyone. Time for me to do my last maternal duty.¡±

    ¡°But the Young Master is so small. He¡¯s sick. He¡¯s no danger to them!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the heir. Rip the weeds out by the roots. That¡¯s what we did to the Fengs. It¡¯s what everybody does. By the roots, so they don¡¯t grow back.¡± Madam stumbled onto the nurse, who caught her awkwardly. Not seeing the dagger Madam stabbed into her heart. Just feeling the sudden pain, then nothing.

    ¡°Rip them up by the roots. Sorry Nursie, but I always thought you were a spy. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m wrong. They wouldn¡¯t let you off anyway.¡± She giggled. ¡°Ah, if only I could see their faces after their ¡®victory.¡¯¡± She sat on the bed next to her baby. Just six years old, but he looked younger. Disease had ruined his body before he had left her womb, and he hadn''t gotten better.

    ¡°Life has been Hell for you. You should have been born into a life of comfort, and haven¡¯t known a day of it.¡± She pulled a grey pill from inside her sleeve. It reflected the light from the oil lamps with a soft metallic sheen.

    ¡°Here. Mother brought Baby a special pill. I¡¯ll break it open for you, just a little. Into your mouth, yes Baby. Just suck on it. Just suck on it, and drift off on golden waves.¡± Her soft hand stroked the boy¡¯s thin cheek. She murmured to him, half singing a prayer to ease him into the dark.

    ¡°I pray your next life will be peaceful. I pray that you will be healthy. I pray you never have another devil mother and demon father. I pray that you have no enemies. I pray-¡±

    The door exploded off its hinges and crashed into the far wall, smashing oil lamps as it fell to the floor. The lamp oil spilled over the flagstones and carpets, spreading the fire. A spray of golden darts ripped through the room, burying themselves with dull thuds into the dead nurse and into the back of Madam. She fell across her baby, a little chuff of surprise as the air was knocked out of her. Then silence- the beautiful green brocade stained and ruined with blood.

    ¡°Check them!¡±

    A rough man rushed in. The nurse was deader than dead, Madame¡¯s eyes were already glassy and-

    ¡°I found the boy!¡±

    ¡°Finish him!¡±

    ¡°His mother already did.¡± There was foam pouring from the boy¡¯s mouth. His eyes never blinked or moved, even as his mother died on top of him.

    ¡°Be sure.¡±

    The man reached out with his knife but paused, hearing a rushing sound. Madame¡¯s green brocade robe hissed into a roaring, white hot blaze. It caught on the bed sheets and raced for the heavy curtains. It wasn¡¯t alone. The man looked back over at the fire on the floor. It was spreading wildly, bolting for the silk curtains and rushing up to the roof. He followed the trails of fire to big jars up in the rafters.

    ¡°Oh you spiteful bitch. RUN!¡±

    He didn¡¯t make it to the door before the house exploded in flames.

    Nothing of the once elegant home could be salvaged after the fire. Serfs pulled the wreckage over to enormous many-legged garbage bins, which walked themselves to the dump and emptied themselves on the enormous piles. The serfs had explicit orders not to remove any bodies they might find. The Hongs felt the dump was exactly where those bones belonged.

    A boy woke up in the trash. He couldn¡¯t remember who he was or where he was, or why everything hurt. There was something round on the ground. He reached for it and saw that he only had a few fingers. He should have had more- he could see the bloody stumps where most were missing. His body was covered in blood and burns and everything was pure pain. The boy screamed. He screamed for a long time.

    Once he had screamed his throat dry, the boy firmed up his guts and crawled off. He was so thirsty, he thought he would die. He had to find water somewhere. And he did. Stagnant and filthy in the ruins of an old clay pot.

    Everything hurt. There were flies floating in that water. Bits of rotted cabbage too. It smelled diabolical. He wanted to vomit just looking at it. He hesitated, but he hadn¡¯t seen any other water. It was vomit, or drink and keep it down. The boy teetered on the edge of the choice, and forced himself to drink. It was as disgusting as he expected. He had another mouthful. Everything hurt, but he was determined to live.

    Days passed.

    The boy lay on the ground, unaware that he was dying. Everything hurt. Everything always hurt. Doing anything hurt. His head, especially, hurt. He had a headache and everything went swirly when he tried to stand. But the boy had a treasure- a little black ball of soft metal that he could lick, and once he did that everything stopped hurting. He could just float in the warm waves.

    His hand brushed idly over the trash covered ground, feeling the scraps of bone and bits of paper. His little hand swept right past the thin ring of bone that materialized right where his fingers should have been. Pinky, ring, middle, then the surviving index finger ran over the worn bone ring. The ring flipped itself onto the little finger and sank into the horribly thin flesh to merge with the bone below.

    The boy didn¡¯t notice. There wasn¡¯t much left of him to notice. He had been spending more and more time lost on the warm waves. It was so much better than feeling everything his little body usually felt, and it meant he didn¡¯t get hungry nearly so often.

    From infinite chaos was born yin and yang. From yin and yang, the three qi were born, and from the three qi was born the five elements and from thence all of creation! And who was it that ordered the undifferentiated qi? It was the Old Master! Oh Child of Destiny! You have awoken me from mine ancient- hello?

    There was an awkward pause.

    Hello? Hey Junior, can you hear me? OOOIIIII! Child of Destiny, OOOOOIIIII!

    The hallucinations had come. This one was odd, but they were always odd. The boy didn¡¯t find it too bothersome. Better than when animals hunted him in trash heaps. Or when he tried to pee, or drink water, or do anything except lie quietly amongst the rotting trash.

    There was a series of clapping sounds. They achieved nothing.

    Alright. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on here, and why my starting budget was so¡­  oh.

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    This is usually the point where I say that I¡¯ve seen worse. That always cheers people up, knowing that some other bastard suffered more. But I haven''t. Condemned by the merciless Heavens, oppressed by cruel Fate, that¡¯s normal, that¡¯s fine. Fianc¨¦ left you, your clan got exterminated, someone stole your precious whatsit- all fine. Normal, even.

    This is sick.

    This is why I got such a high exchange rate- I¡¯m going to dump everything I earned over two hundred years into this kid in a day. In ten minutes, even. I got screwed. Not as bad as this kid, but¡­

    There was an ethereal sigh.

    I¡¯ll take it as an investment. And really, what¡¯s one itsy bitsy intracranial hemorrhage? Practically nothing, amirite? Plenty left over to fix¡­ to fix¡­

    Can you please stop revealing new, horrifying, chronic conditions? You aren¡¯t supposed to have all of them.

    The boy drifted on the warm waves. He was feeling a bit nauseous now, but his magic treasure would make him feel all better again.

    Sudden shift in brain chemistry¡­ what are you licking? Hey kid, what the hell is that thing in your hand?

    The boy gave it a long, wet, lick.

    Don¡¯t you lick that! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you lick that, you naughty boy! No! Bad! Drop it! I don¡¯t care if you are six, don¡¯t eat things you find in the trash! You still aren¡¯t hearing me. DAMN IT!

    Spending my savings here on what? A heaven defying cultivation method? Bestowing Nine Dragons Meridians? A natal sword? No! I¡¯m spending it on draining some edema, coagulating the torn blancmange of your brain, knotting the macram¨¦ of your sheared axons and dendrites. Did you get your head kicked in? This wasn¡¯t a one-time thing. In addition to everything else wrong with you, you have both CTE and boxer''s dementia. Were you a shaken baby or something? You are six years old. Malnourished, under developed and six.

    This world did you dirty, kid. But you aren¡¯t alone now. Everything gets better from here, I promise.

    A particularly enlightened monk, one who had begun to cast off their mortality and truly ascend to the infinite, might have noticed filaments of dark gold winding through the boy¡¯s brain, stopping the bleeding and repairing torn membranes. It was an incredibly delicate job, equaling or exceeding the healing provided by the most powerful of spells and talismans this side of true Immortality.

    It also, gently, knocked the boy out. This next bit would be unpleasant.

    Lead poisoning and opium addiction. For at least a year or two, maybe longer, and in freakish quantities. Unreal damage. Your nerves are fried. Fried! You weren''t getting any iron to begin with, and now you are stuffed full of lead. I don¡¯t even know how you got hooked on opium.

    Golden energy traced through the neural pathways, healing what should never have been damaged, repairing what should never have been broken. If the boy had been conscious, and if the voice hadn¡¯t temporarily blocked a number of important nerves in the spinal column, he would have been in absolute agony.

    Alright. With this you are just a maimed, malnourished, underdeveloped kid with a number of chronic skin diseases, some hereditary illnesses, a weakened immune system, severe burns that are also infected, kidneys that are about boxed, you have a fungal infection in your lung, and not to put too fine a point on it but I¡¯m noticing some problems with the development of your lets just call them primary sex characteristics. Also you have myopia, you are color blind, have awful muscle tone and the bone structure of the deeply, profoundly, ugly.

    But hey, at least leukemia and pancreatic cancer are going to make sure that you don¡¯t have these problems for long.

    I fixed the epilepsy for you, along with the nerve damage and physical symptoms of addiction. So that''s something.

    You must have one Hell of a Heaven-toppling destiny for Fate to land all this on you. And I don¡¯t have nearly enough energy to fix all of this. Or even most of it. Or even just the cancer.

    The dump wasn¡¯t ever really quiet. Things shifted around, and it was a promised land for all sorts of animals. The boy was in a reasonably out of the way place, but hardly secure. There was almost nothing more the voice in the ring could do for him. There was a ghostly sigh. There was one more thing it could do- going all in on this obviously failed gamble. It teetered on the choice for a while. There was another ghostly sigh, and an electrochemical prod woke the boy up.

    Listen closely, I don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯m transmitting a set of exercises and breathing techniques to you. They won¡¯t let you cultivate, but they will let you digest the energy in your food better, fight infection better, and clean out toxins from your body. They will also keep the cancer in you from progressing¡­ much. But since you don¡¯t know what that is, don¡¯t worry about it and just practice.

    Practice every day. You will get stronger, feel better, you won¡¯t hurt as much. If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them you are imitating animals to gather their strength. That tends to stop questions. I¡¯d avoid people entirely, if possible. I¡¯ll talk to you again once you are stronger, but it won¡¯t be for years. But you will feel me. Because I am with you. You aren¡¯t alone any more. You were never trash. You will soar.

    The voice faded away, leaving only the lingering feeling of a warm hug.

    The boy tried to work up some spit. His mouth was terribly dry for some reason. Eventually, he managed a single word. ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    He lifted up his treasure to take a lick, then spat hard. For some reason, it tasted very bitter now.

    The first time the boy tried to do the exercises, he only managed the first of the ten forms. His malnourished body and withered limbs couldn¡¯t stand the new strain. He had to find some not too rotten or wormy bits of vegetables to eat and regain some of his strength. Usually, eating like this gave him horrible stomach aches if it didn¡¯t make him fountain at both ends. He didn¡¯t care. He was just that hungry.

    And then¡­ nothing bad happened. He looked around, wondering if there was something special about the vegetables. There didn¡¯t seem to be- they were just mixed in with the rest of the trash. Since he had a bit more energy, he did the exercises again. Stronger this time, but he still only managed the first form. Some kind of gunk surfaced through the pores on his skin. He ignored it. It was a bit smelly, but there wasn¡¯t much of it.

    The first time he managed a complete set of the ten forms, he could feel Grandpa hugging him. He could almost hear Grandpa whispering how happy and proud the boy made him. It was the single greatest moment of his life so far. He knew he wanted to make Grandpa proud again.

    So he kept practicing. Eating rotting garbage. Digging up grubs with his one good finger on each hand. Drinking water collected in puddles and bits of broken pottery. He learned to move low, to stay crouched in the shadows. He was too weak to fight anything bigger than a mouse, so he had to be stealthy and careful enough to find a mouse in the trash heaps.

    Sometimes, when the sun got too hot or there were dangerous animals moving around, he would crouch under a heap and look up at the blue sky. His eyes were blurry, and it was hard to make anything out too far away, but he could lose himself in that blue. Wondering what it would be like to be a bird.

    One day, he saw people that sort of looked like big versions of him close to the dump. He crept over towards them, curious. Hopeful. Maybe they could make the hurting stop. It always hurt to move. It hurts to do anything. It would be so nice if they could help.

    ¡°AHH! Unclean beast!¡± One of the big people scooped a rock off the ground and threw it hard enough to rip open the flesh on the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go away! Scram! Come on, you throw rocks too.¡±

    ¡°No need, it¡¯s run off. What do you think it was? Some kind of diseased monkey?¡±

    The boy hid under a mound of rotting rags and broken furniture, clutching the bleeding wound. He could feel something bubbling up in him. Something that made him clench his teeth and want to hurt those big people. Made him want to throw rocks at them! The loneliness howled around him, devouring him. The pain and isolation and fear all gathered to drag him into the dark.

    But then he felt Grandpa holding him, and thought he felt an old hand caressing the back of his head. He couldn¡¯t hear Grandpa¡¯s voice, but he thought he heard whispers of calm, of comfort. Promises that, one day, no one would be able to hurt him. It was okay to acknowledge the pain, but trust that one day, the pain will pass.

    Right now, everything hurts. The rock throwers hurt him very much.

    The boy broke down and cried. Every action he took had a hidden calculation- how much energy will this cost? How much pain will this cost? He put up with this life, but that too had a cost. The cold dark was always there, always pulling on him. Promising oblivion.

    Soon enough the tears ran out. Everything hurt, but he was still furiously determined to live. He wanted to make Grandpa proud. And there was something even below that thought. Some ember that refused to be extinguished by tears or put out by the cold.

    The boy patted himself off and started moving. It had been raining for most of the day for the past few days, and he had quickly figured out that the trash piles tended to collapse without warning. He didn¡¯t want to be buried alive. He would have to make a little shelter for himself out of the more solid scrap. He didn¡¯t know what Monsoons were. He just knew he wanted to live.

    This continued for the next four years. Monsoons came and went. The trash was piled up, then rotted down. But the boy remained. Still gorging on trash, feasting on mice and lizards and cockroaches, choking it all down with the naked will to live.

    As the years slipped past, the boy started to understand why Grandpa said the forms were modeled after animals. The low crouch of the Bright Eyes, the tall stretch of the Green Stripe Scaley, the little hops of Big Ears. Each movement reminded him of an animal he saw around the garbage heap. He slowly grew strong enough to hunt them.

    Missing fingers on both hands meant it was hard to grip a weapon, so he resorted to snares and traps. It took a lot of experimentation, but that was fine. He had nothing but time. Snares and traps meant he didn¡¯t have to move much. It hurt to move, so he learned to be small and still. Just another piece of trash on the heap.

    A Big Teeth Hunter came into the garbage dump as the sun set. They usually moved in packs, but this one was alone. The boy saw that it was sick, foaming at the mouth. He hid as best he could in one of his little nests, snares and traps set around him. The boy had been hunted by beasts before. And the Big Teeth Hunter, sick or not, was very good at finding prey.

    It found the boy in minutes. It jumped over the pits, broke through his snares, and was only stopped by the last-ditch scrap fence the boy raised from the ground. The beast snarled and barked, trying to bite off the hands and few remaining fingers holding up the fence. The boy knew he couldn¡¯t hold out long.

    In a fit of desperation, he shoved the fence into the beast¡¯s face, confusing it. Using the distraction, he hopped on the Big Teeth¡¯s back, slipped an arm around its neck, and choked.

    The boy had grown up starving. He was more than just small for his age- he was stunted. The Big Fangs could handle the weight. What it couldn¡¯t handle was the strength in those thin arms. Tendons like cords popped out of slim, but highly functional, muscles. All the boy had to do was hang on and squeeze. So the boy lay on the stinking, piebald grey fur, and squeezed until the animal stopped moving and the breathing stopped and he couldn¡¯t feel the blood rushing through it any more.

    He felt Grandpa hug him. Grandpa was so proud of him! The boy decided to celebrate with a meat feast.

    Ah, no, please don¡¯t. The wolf is very sick. Rabies isn¡¯t something a little exercise routine can fix.

    ¡°GRANDPA!¡±

    Hahaha, I told you I would be back. Yes, you can call me Grandpa if you like. Or Grandpa Jun. But I don¡¯t think I ever learned your name.

    The little boy nodded.

    So. What is your name?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Grandpa. Maybe ¡°Go Away?¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°That¡¯s what the people say when they see me. They yell ¡°Go Away!¡± and they throw rocks. I have to stay far away. They are good at spotting me, and are very strong.¡±

    It sounds like you don¡¯t have a name. Would you like me to give you one?

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Tian Zihao. That¡¯s a good name for my grandson. You are going to shake the world, my boy. And it starts today.¡±

 Chapter 2- Gourmet in the Garbage

    ¡°Is shaking the world a good thing Grandpa? Tian Zihao doesn¡¯t know.¡± The boy looked around trying to find Grandpa in the heaps of rags, rotting food and broken pottery. ¡°Grandpa, where are you? Tian can hear you and feel your hugs, but can¡¯t see you.¡±

    Ah, you can just call yourself ¡°I,¡± you aren¡¯t a baby any more. As for where I am, I¡¯m on your finger. Have you ever noticed a tiny ridge of bone just above the knuckle where the finger joins the palm? That bone ring is where I live. You can think of me as a sort of ghost or spirit.

    ¡°Oh! What¡¯s a ghost?¡±

    I have a feeling I¡¯m going to be answering a lot of ¡°What¡± and ¡°Why¡± questions in the near future.

    The little boy nodded.

    I promise to explain¡­ well¡­ everything I can. But I really, REALLY, don¡¯t want you to die, which means that we have to make you stronger. And healthier. The Sunnyvale Retirement Community Calisthenics Routine For Active Senior Living has kept you alive so far, but the sheer quantity of environmental toxins it¡¯s clearing out means that you have a brand new bone marrow cancer to go with the pancreatic cancer and leukemia. You have so few functioning nephrons left I can count them individually, and that fungal infection in your lungs is only biding its time, not gone. And those are just the more immediately fatal problems.

    Tian could hear Grandpa sigh. There was a squeeze on his shoulder, and he instinctively put his mutilated hand over it.

    Worse, you don¡¯t have a spirit root, dao bone, double pupils or any kind of special meridians. In fact, some of your meridians aren¡¯t just broken, they are gone entirely. Like you were born without them.

    ¡°Is that bad?¡±

    Let us say that your life is a miracle, and that luck comes in two flavors. Let¡¯s get to it, I only have a tiny bit of energy to work with here. Almost nobody comes into the dump, right?

    ¡°Yes, Grandpa. The people come and throw big buckets of garbage into the boxes at the edge of the dump, then the boxes walk in and dump themselves out.¡±

    This was a reasonably accurate description. Giant dumpsters crawled about on hundreds of tiny legs, ignoring the animal life of the dump. Life that included the newly named Tian Zihao.

    Good, good. This seems like the dumping ground for local mortals, not cultivators, so the odds of running into something really heinous should be minimal. I¡¯m afraid that given the tiny amount of energy I have saved up and your¡­ difficult¡­ starting conditions, I can only provide you another bull- another very minor method for preserving your life and strengthening your body. It can¡¯t make any really major physical changes, never mind the meridians and all that, but at least it can get you healthy-ish.

    ¡°You won¡¯t vanish again, will you Grandpa Jun?¡±

    Not this time, I think. Last time I had to immediately save your life and that was expensive. Don¡¯t worry about that for now. Let¡¯s focus on making you healthy!

    ¡°Yes, Grandpa!¡±

    This is called the GVNRRCH Municipal Sanitation-

    ¡°Grandpa? I¡¯m sorry, but there was a strange sound. I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±

    Hah. Foolish of me. This is a method used by¡­ garbage collectors? In a far, far away place? This was how they stayed healthy and strong. More stretching and breathing, but this time, we are focusing on your digestion and then the rest of your internal organs. Let¡¯s call it Gourmet. That¡¯s a nice name for it that won¡¯t get my energy stolen.

    Tian felt a finger gently tap his forehead, and he suddenly knew. There was a certain way of posing your arms, swinging them down, then up again, holding your breath for the lunge forward, three quick inhales for the leg raise and stomp. It was all there and waiting for him. He just had to practice.

    Oh you utter scumbag, it¡¯s not even a cultivation art. Tian, I guessed wrong. Your true destiny is simply outrageous, and I¡¯m getting killed for every little thing. Listen, stay away from the other humans, you hear me? Stay away! I¡¯m going quiet for a while, but I¡¯ll still be here with you. Practice well, and start with dirt under old piles. The faster you heal yourself, the faster I can talk again. You¡¯ll see. I¡¯m so proud of you, Tian. You are going to soar.

    ¡°Grandpa Jun?¡± Tian looked around then looked down at his left hand. He traced the base of his thin index finger with his thumb, not minding the ragged stumps where the other fingers should have been. He couldn¡¯t remember a time when he had them. He had Grandpa here, with him. In that little ridge of bone just above the knuckle. Grandpa Jun might not talk much, but Tian was never alone.

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    Things might hurt. He might be hungry. He might be scared. But he could always feel Grandpa Jun¡¯s warmth. And that was enough.

    He got started on the exercises. These came fairly easily. The poses weren¡¯t too strange, the breathing patterns were odd but not awful and even things like contracting certain muscles in a certain order was finicky, not hard. The only problem was, after running through a single set, his stomach growled.

    Tian took a long look at what he now knew was called a wolf, and dragged it away from his little nest in the rubbish heaps. If Grandpa said it couldn¡¯t be eaten, then it couldn¡¯t be eaten. He would bury it where other animals couldn¡¯t eat it either, and find food along the way.

    Tian didn¡¯t get far before he remembered Grandpa saying- ¡°Start with the dirt under old piles.¡± Start¡­ what? Start why? He changed his destination. He knew a great place to both bury the wolf and find old dirt.

    The trash heaps were a mix of rotting food, scraps of wood, broken pottery, bits of paper and cloth and bone. There was never anything intact. No iron pipes, no old chairs or a now unwanted book. Never any intact clothes. Only things that were ruined past any reasonable use. Now there would be a sick wolf buried under the heaps. It seemed right to Tian.

    Tian had been watching the people outside the dump his whole life. They wore things to protect their feet, and wrapped cloth around their upper body and legs. When the rain came, they covered their shoulders with capes made of straw and wore big straw hats. The animals had their coats too. Even this wolf did. So he imitated them.

    Bits of rag were knotted together with torn and mildewed blankets. Thumb and forefinger were strong enough to punch holes in the rotted cloth, and nimble enough thread broken bits of string and gardening twine through. A broken knife with barely an inch of metal still attached to the handle made an excellent fabric cutter.

    He could cover his body from the sun, and it never got very cold. Other people¡¯s worn out shoes could be repurposed into something that wasn¡¯t comfortable, but was safer than walking on the broken shards of who knows what. Broken straw hats could be patched, though not mended.

    This particular heap was a long way from where the dumpsters were filled, and they rarely added to these particular heaps. They were practically the second to last layer of trash before you reached the back of the dump. There were tall, barren hills along the back edge, but Tian stayed well away from them. He¡¯d seen people walking on the top of them occasionally, and people meant thrown rocks.

    Old dirt. This was just the spot. He found a good digging stick, and got to it. He dug deeply- he had seen the animals digging for food, and knew that they, like him, would go a very long way for a very small mouthful. Eventually the hole was deeper than he was tall. It took him a long while, but there were edible weeds that grew in the cracks of the rocks on the hillside, and grubs in the rotting food. It was enough. The big meal was coming. He tossed the wolf into the pit, then set to work building traps all around it. Animals would come following the smell. Then he would have a good meal.

    His nostrils twitched. He drew a long breath through his nose. He could smell the dead wolf, and the garbage, but there was something else. There was a hint of something delicious. He looked around, but didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. It was strongest next to the pit. He sniffed around some more, and finally looked at the dirt pile. It was very faint, but when he lifted a bit of the dirt up to his nose, there was a wonderful smell.

    Tian thought that he could eat almost anything thanks to the exercises, and it¡¯s not like he hadn¡¯t eaten dirt when there was nothing edible in the dump. He gingerly swallowed a piece. It tasted like dirt. But in that dirt was something else. It was a faint, elusive flavor, but it satisfied something in him. He contracted his stomach and flexed his muscles according to Gourmet''s cycle. The wonderful flavor intensified. He ate a bit more dirt. And a bit more.

    He still hunted the animals that came for the wolf, of course. You would die if you only ate dirt. But they had never tasted so good before. Skinned, gutted, and eaten raw with bloody hands. They were the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.

    Tian didn¡¯t know how to make fire. He didn¡¯t even remember it existed.

    A week later, Tian noticed that, for the very first time, he could pee without feeling a burning, stabbing pain running all the way up inside of him. He was bruising less easily. He wasn¡¯t tired all the time.

    Other things started smelling good, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Bits of some pots. Certain rotting fruits and vegetables moved seamlessly from nauseating to delicacies. Paper with smudged red ink was absolutely divine to suck on, provided one also kept a particular splinter of wood in your mouth.

    Some things like the potshards and rocks were simply inedible. His already weak teeth would shatter if he tried to bite them. Instead, he ground them down with rocks, mixed them with water, and drank them up out of a bit of shattered vase.

    His mother had loved that vase, once. Tian would never know.

    He noticed the way he could take deep breaths now. Every now and then he would feel something bubbling terribly in his guts and he would puke out something so vile it etched rock, but other than that, he had never felt better.

    One day, Tian managed to jump between two big heaps of garbage and landed steadily on his feet. It had been a trickly operation- he was jumping from a slippery pile of mixed garbage and landing on a slippery pile of jumbled together trash. He had to gather his strength, mentally prepare for the pain of a big motion, plan it out in his head. Then he exploded, pushing through th pain and clearing the gap. Landing like a leaping lizard.

    There was no reason for it. He just wanted to try. It wasn¡¯t often that he dared leap from the shadows, but something in him needed to know how far he had come. Here was the proof- he had come a long way. He looked up at the blue sky between the rotting piles and laughed for the sheer joy of it all.

    Good jump.

    ¡°Grandpa!¡±

    I¡¯m back. I told you it wouldn¡¯t be so long this time.

    ¡°Did I cure the whatevers?¡±

    The several types of cancer you have, note-the-present-tense? I¡¯m afraid not. But you have a big piece of your kidneys functioning again, and your cancers are in remission, both of which are huge. And did you notice the way your skin cleared up? And the way your bones are way, way less brittle?

    ¡°They are?¡±

    You bet! I won¡¯t be able to transmit anything to you for a good long while, but I can keep you company at least, and help you make the most of Gourmet. And I¡¯ll start teaching you the basics of the basics of cultivation. The stuff you have to know before all the meditation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Eh?

    ¡°Every time you try to help me, you disappear. It¡¯s okay. If Grandpa can stay with me, it¡¯s all okay. You don¡¯t need to help more.¡±

    Heh. I have a cute grandson. Cultivation is the cultivation of one¡¯s self. Your character, your wisdom, the way you exist in the world. Some parts of that will be expensive. But kid, let me teach you something that doesn¡¯t cost any energy. It¡¯s not always about you. It¡¯s definitely not about me.

    ¡°So what is it about?¡±

    Becoming strong enough to save the world. Sounds nicer than ¡°Killing God,¡± doesn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 3- Junkyard Classroom, Trash Heap Hospital

    ¡°Killing God? What¡¯s God?¡±

    God is the principle that says the world exists, life exists, the universe, the sun, moon, stars, devas and devils dancing in the infinite void, cultivators summoning the wind and rain with a flip of their hand, swords that can cut iron like mud and mud that can bring life to millions- all of that exists because someone made it exist, and it is therefore right and good if that same person gives kids cancer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Grandpa Jun sighed. Me either. Stick with saving the world. It¡¯s not much less complicated, but people tend to take it better when you say it out loud.

    ¡°And¡­ you are going to save the world?¡±

    No. You are.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    It will be hard. Very hard. But I believe in you. After all, you are used to doing very hard things.

    Tian nodded. He was used to doing very hard things. Some days, just moving was very hard. Accepting the way his burn scars would pull and tear and weep when he tried to do his exercises was hard. Feeding yourself, that was very hard. Making clothes was hard. Staying dry in the rainy season, staying cool in the hot season, all hard. Even the bugs could be hard to deal with, though he noticed they really didn¡¯t like biting him.

    ¡°Can we save the world from the dump?¡±

    Hahaha! Oh Grandson, you have so many amazing things to see and do. We won¡¯t always be in this dump. But while we are weak, it¡¯s a good place to hide out and get stronger.

    ¡°It is?¡±

    It is. You know what the scariest thing in the world is? People. They are also some of the best things, but you don¡¯t get the good without the bad. People are very scary, and right now, they are very hostile to you. That means they will attack you on sight.

    Tian nodded. They did that.

    The poor bastards think¡­ you know what? Not relevant right now. The point is that people will avoid this place and you aren¡¯t likely to suffer unreasonable accidents. The Dump is practically the safest place you could be!

    ¡°Unreasonable accidents? What does that mean?¡±

    If you jump on a pile of trash and something slips out from underneath your foot and you fall and hurt yourself, that¡¯s a reasonable accident. Sitting quietly under a pile of garbage and getting struck by some cultivator¡¯s Thousand Refinement Ten Thousand Deaths Arrow of Supreme Annihilation which he only threw into the air as a joke- that would be an unreasonable accident.

    ¡°I understand. What''s an arrow? And all that? And a cultivator?¡±

    Homeschooling was already on the to-do list. But first- games!

    ¡°Games?¡±

    Fun things you can do to make yourself stronger, faster, smarter, more agile, all that good stuff! Trace out what I tell you to draw in the dirt.

    Tian followed Grandpa Jun¡¯s instructions, and drew ten circles in the dirt. Grandpa was very particular about where they went.

    Alright, now we need to mark each circle with special signs. First go to the leftmost circle and draw a straight line up and down. Then in the next circle-

    Grandpa went through all ten. Congratulations, you have just written out the numbers one through ten. You will learn them well as we play the game.

    ¡°What¡¯s the game?¡±

    I call a number, and when I do, you jump onto that circle. Easy, right? But the trick is that we sing a song while you jump, and if you forget the song or jump into the wrong circle, you lose and we have to start over. You win if you can get to the end of the song without missing a jump.

    ¡°Is this really fun?¡±

    You bet! Let me teach you the song.

    It was a silly little song. It was only one short verse with a chorus, all about colors. Tian quickly agreed that it was a fun game, and smiled when Grandpa told him that there were more verses they could sing.

    Grandpa Jun knew lots of fun songs and games. There was the dinner game- when the two hunted for food in the trash and then Tian had to find the best not-food things to eat with it. It was a shocking feast- a thousand different flavors to try. The only time Grandpa Jin scolded Tian was when the boy wanted to eat a bit of painted wood.

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    ¡°But why Grandpa?¡±

    Because I already fixed your nervous system once, and I¡¯m damned if I¡¯m wasting my thimbleful of energy on fixing it again. No more lead in your diet, you hear me? None!

    Other than that scolding, dinners were a lot more fun and a lot more delicious. Then there was building snares and traps. Grandpa knew so many ways to build snares and traps it boggled the mind. He taught Tian how to read the faint game trails that ran through the dump. How to catch fat rats and chubby birds. Tian thought he was already a junkyard predator. Grandpa Jun showed him how to be a much better one.

    You should take pride in hunting Tian. You are pitting your whole life against your prey¡¯s. But never let them linger. See how that rat is screaming in pain? Grab a rock and bash its brains out. Safer for you, and kinder for the rat. You can¡¯t eat cruelty, but it can sure eat you.

    The games were all really fun too- games about counting, about colors, about how to read strange shapes called ¡®characters¡¯ or the stories hidden in the blurry dots of light in the night sky. After it rained, there was the fun ¡°Where does the water go?¡± investigation, trying to figure out why the puddles in the shade lasted longer than the puddles in the sun, and why some bits of pottery could hold water for days, but others absorbed it all.

    Another constant was ¡°Elbows, Knees and Toes,¡± where Tian would make dots on bits of rotting wood or piles of cloth, then hit it with his elbows, knees or¡­ not actually his toes, but his feet or his shin. Then grandpa combined that with the circle jumping game, and things got very, very complicated, but always very, very fun. He was never bored with Grandpa Jun and all his fun games. Although they did hurt.

    ¡°Grandpa, when we do these games, all the crinkly bits of skin pull. It really hurts.¡±

    I know. I¡¯m sorry about that. But you are going to learn that being able to work and fight through the pain is the greatest thing about these games. It will save your life over and over again.

    ¡°It will?¡±

    It will. And even if it hurts, aren¡¯t you still having fun?

    Tian was. And every time he traded pain for a full belly, he agreed again it was all worthwhile. Throughout it all was the breathing and stretching exercises. Those were mandatory, and nearly constant.

    A pagoda of nine million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine floors is built from the foundation up. And since I¡¯m aiming for more like nine billion or nine trillion floors, we are going to be working on your foundation for a long time.

    Tian could count up to ten. Bigger numbers required more explanations. The jumping games got more complicated and the songs got longer, stretching all the way to a hundred circles and dozens of verses. It wasn¡¯t easy to memorize so many things, so Tian had to learn tricks of memorization, mnemonics, making a jumping game in his imagination and writing a verse next to each circle.

    It was a happy year. Tian was eating well, moving like a leopard with the muscles of an anaconda. Even better than that, he was in less and less pain.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know the right words yet, Grandpa. I can¡¯t remember when things didn¡¯t hurt. And now a lot of things that used to hurt, don¡¯t hurt. I¡­ I think I¡¯m smarter now, but that hole where the pain was can¡¯t be filled with my words. I can breathe now.¡± He spread his hands helplessly.

    You have spent the last year transforming trash into medicine inside your body. That¡¯s what Gourmet is for- making you stronger is a happy side effect. Gourmet and the Calisthenics are all about taking what¡¯s toxic and refining it into tonic. Remember how I told you the dirt is filled with animals too small to see, which can promote both sickness and health?

    ¡°Yes, and they live together in groups called colonies.¡±

    Yes. It¡¯s why some of the dirt smells really good to you, and some of the dirt smells really bad. You are smelling the good animals, and eating them up. Same thing with the metals and chemicals you have been eating. The stuff isn¡¯t really digestible- zero nutritional value. But thanks to Gourmet, those chemicals can be sent to attack the diseases that were ravaging your body.

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    I told you all this before. Many times.

    ¡°I know. But it¡¯s still amazing. Grandpa?¡±

    Yes?

    ¡°You said that I can¡¯t cultivate, and the people outside the dump are way stronger than me. Why is that? Also, what is cultivation?¡±

    Grandpa Jun was quiet for a moment. Tian knew that Grandpa had to speak carefully. Sometimes he would say the wrong thing and be silent for days. It made Tian not want to ask questions, but Grandpa scolded him and told him that it was the responsibility of his elders to show how not to invite trouble with their mouths. It was the responsibility of the young to learn.

    This world has certain rules and principals it operates on. If you combine a certain mix of water, gravel and burnt sea shells, you can make iron mud. That¡¯s a rule. But you can also say it¡¯s a rule that is based on other rules. Like if you have two rocks and add another two rocks you have?

    ¡°Four rocks.¡±

    Right. So it is true to say that there are four rocks as a thing that exists in its totality- the four rocks are their own complete and unique thing, and that those four rocks are the inevitable consequence of two sets of two rocks coming together, and that those sets are, themselves, an inescapable conclusion from bringing together four individual rocks. And for that to come true, there must be one rock. And in theory, if you completely understand everything that is part of the totality of the concepts of ¡°one,¡± ¡°rock,¡± and ¡°one rock,¡± you could eventually figure out four rocks. Or any number of rocks.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ I don¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    It would be weird if you did, honestly. Look, you can eat food, and it keeps you alive. There is energy in the food that lets you do that, stuff for making muscles, blood, all that. And that¡¯s a rule, a Four Rock rule. But under that are more rules and more rules. And one of the big rules, one of those One Rock rules, is that there is an energy that fills the world. Everything touches it and is affected by it.

    Cultivation, as most people use the word, is learning how to interact with that powerful energy directly. To incorporate it into you, and use it to make yourself stronger intentionally. Most things, yourself included, are passively affected by it. How much they are affected varies wildly. Even the trash in this dump is affected by the energy.

    Tian nodded.

    So why are the people outside so much stronger than you? Do you remember I mentioned that you are missing meridians, don¡¯t have a dao bone or a spirit root or any of that? They do have ¡®em. Well, just the meridians, they don¡¯t have the other things either. Most of them. Meridians are like blood vessels that interact with the special energy and run it through your body. They are quite mystical- they are both physical and work on the level of that energy.

    Even if they can¡¯t properly cultivate, the people around you have a full set of functional meridians. They are reinforced by that energy much more than you are. For now.

    ¡°For now?¡±

    Grandpa Jun chuckled. Grandpa had a nice laugh, Tian thought, even if sometimes it sounded a little spooky.

    I have thought it through carefully. What you need isn¡¯t incremental improvements, you need a complete body reforging. Your body will be hammered out and improved over and over again. And that, unfortunately, is not something we can do in this dump. We will have to go on our first grand adventure.

    ¡°Our first grand adventure? Out of the Dump?¡±

    Exactly! You are now a boy who can survive in harsh conditions. The journey will be very dangerous- most things are going to be stronger than you, faster than you, with better senses than you. But you can survive what others cannot. You can endure. And, if I may say so myself, my Grandson is pretty darn smart! So we will survive.

    Tian started squirming. ¡°When do we go?¡±

    Hmm. It¡¯s not like we can prepare much here. We can gather a few useful things and set off tomorrow.

    Tian¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°So soon?¡±

    Is there anything here that we particularly need?

    ¡°What about all the traps, all the snares, the plants we are growing in pots?

    We will take the traps apart and leave the plants to their fate. With luck, they will thrive. If not, that was their fate. We, however, will not thrive unless we move.

    ¡°So how do we make my body better?¡±

    Remember what I said about the rules beneath the rules? And how that mysterious energy affects everything?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Well, we just need to get the right stuff, turn it into soup and add you as the final ingredient. And since we aren¡¯t trying to do anything too Heaven-defying, it won¡¯t even be suicidal!

    ¡°Err¡­ suicidal?¡±

    Power has its price, my boy. You have already paid part of it. Time to pay off the balance and take what you are owed.

 Chapter 4- First Steps on the Path

    Tian Zihao and Grandpa Jun set out from the garbage dump with a sack of whatever grubs and meat he could scrounge up, a stitched hide waterskin, and mixed feelings. This was the only home Tian knew. He didn¡¯t love it, but he knew how to live here, how to eat, how to hide from scary humans and the clumsy, crushing dumpsters.

    Outside the dump was a mystery. Cupping one corner and the back of the dump were steep hills. On the other sides were shorter, rolling little hills with clumps of trees and a well worn road winding through them.

    Tian avoided the road. He didn¡¯t have to be reminded.

    Remember, all we have done is clear up the more immediately fatal diseases. Your kidneys are working, your cancer is in remission, your MS predisposition is still just at the stage of a predisposition, I took care of the brain damage and lead poisoning years ago¡­ I still don¡¯t know how you got hooked on opium, but that¡¯s fixed too.

    And yes, you do have severe hormonal and glandular problems and if necessary I¡¯m going to help prevent puberty from kicking in until we can fix your¡­ downstairs bits, but-

    ¡°Grandpa, you are doing that thing again. I don¡¯t understand most of that.¡± Tian whispered. He had learned a long time ago that Grandpa¡¯s voice didn¡¯t startle the animals, but his voice could. Grandpa said that only Tian could hear him, but that didn¡¯t make sense to Tian. How can only one person hear a voice?

    I can¡¯t wait until you have started qi cultivation and can communicate with your mind alone. It¡¯s going to be much more convenient.

    The two were creeping between small hills, trying not to disturb the bushes as they went. It was a very different way of moving stealthily, Tian learned. Very different from the sliding heaps of the junkyard. The plants weren¡¯t anything like the ones that grew in the junkyard. These leaves were wide and thick, shiny in the moonlight.

    The shadows were deep and comfortable. That, at least, hadn¡¯t changed.

    He could hear birds calling softly in the warm, humid night. All the smells were new too.

    We are going to have to bathe you, and soon. I didn¡¯t mind in the dump because the gunk was keeping the bugs off, but as you are now, everyone and their cousin will smell you coming a mile away.

    The two climbed to the top of a hill and the world opened up in front of them.

    Above was a hazy moon, brilliant and huge. A shining ribbon of silver stretched in the distance, and little puddles of silver light were scattered around. Flecks of yellow light were scattered around too, usually in little clusters. Then the clusters clumped into bigger clusters of light, then a huge mass of firefly lights all massed together. And then, at the very edge of his blurry vision, something stretched up into the sky. Something that caught the white light of the moon and carried it back upwards again.

    Tian crouched under a broad leafed bush and drank it in. Letting the sight fill parts of him he didn¡¯t know were empty. Letting himself fall into the wonder of it all.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ what am I seeing?¡±

    The river shapes the valley, flowing long and wide, providing water for the rice paddies. See those shimmering places in the stone walls? That¡¯s trapped water, with rice growing in it. You have seen grains of rice in the dump- those little tasteless white things that look like grubs. You are going to learn to love it, believe me.

    Next to those paddies are the homes and villages of the farmers. Solid stone walls, a tile roof, a hearth with a chimney. They live comfortably in them, though they probably think themselves very poor.

    Then you can see the towns, where even more people live. There will be shops where you can buy things, amazing things. Those are the people who are even better to-do than the farmers. They might own the farms, or own the businesses that buy and sell things.

    Behind the towns is a city, filled with the wonders of civilization. I can¡¯t even describe them to you. You have to experience it for yourself. Magic and talismans and enchanted everything. Clothes woven from silkworms that grew in frost caves, or on lava, or that fed on mulberry leaves watered with spiritual spring water. Endless, endless wonders to discover.

    It must belong to the sect that rules the spiritual mountain behind it- sects often do this, as it gives them a lot of conveniences when dealing with the mortal world. The spiritual mountain behind the city is the true gem of this place. Probably of this whole region. That mountain is where the true cultivators live. It is a place of immense glory. And terror. A force that can dominate that mountain is one that could exterminate a billion mortal lives without a single regret.

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    You have so much to discover. The world has so much beauty in it. So much life and joy.

    The two watched silently. The world was¡­ just so huge. So many impossible wonders. And everything was new in Tian¡¯s eyes. He had never seen a river, or a paddy, or a stone wall. He had never seen a house. People were only seen in their ones and twos, never in their hundreds and thousands.

    ¡°This is¡­ very dangerous, isn¡¯t it? There isn¡¯t anywhere to hide here.¡±

    Yes it is, but not because there is nowhere to hide. You can¡¯t see it because it¡¯s night and your night vision is almost shot, but there are lots of places to hide. It¡¯s dangerous because you don¡¯t look like them. Your face is a different shape, your hands, the way you are dressed and how you smell- all make you seem different, and probably dangerous. So they will attack you. Even if you try to tell them you aren¡¯t dangerous, they will attack you. It¡¯s cruel. And it¡¯s very human.

    ¡°Maybe it would be better not to be a human. They are all rock throwers.¡±

    People are cruel. But a person can be kind. That kindness and warmth¡­ when you feel it, Tian, you won¡¯t be able to live without it. Just the thought of losing it will terrify you. Can you be kind, Grandson?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡±

    Think of it like when you were hunting. You killed to eat, but you didn¡¯t let them suffer in the traps, right? The pain was a bad thing, but you still had to eat. You can treat the world like that too. Just don¡¯t become someone who enjoys hurting. I¡¯ve seen how that story ends many times. Badly. Every time.

    Tian nodded. ¡°Where should we go, then?¡±

    East, to the mountains. After your first body reforging, we can see about introducing you to humanity. I¡¯ve done my best, but we are damn near a decade behind where you should be with your primary and secondary socialization. It¡¯s definitely going to impact your personality and relationships in the future. Thankfully I¡¯m not working against a lot in the moral indoctrination department, though I guess we will need to discover what local cultural mores are like.

    ¡°Grandpa, you are doing it again. Which way is East?¡±

    The direction that has the many smaller mountains, not the one big mountain.

    They walked in the moonlight, keeping to the shrubs and sparse trees. Tian found himself taking short steps. He knew he didn¡¯t have to, but he was used to navigating the trash heaps. There was plenty of room to walk boldly, but he was still taking the little tap tap tap steps of a boy who might have to jump to a nearby pile at any moment. Who rarely knew if his foot was on solid ground, and that the shadows were safer than the light.

    ¡°Grandpa, how long will it take to walk to the mountains?¡±

    Hard to say. Maybe a few weeks? It might be less with a little good fortune.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long time. I don¡¯t have enough food.¡±

    Believe me kiddo, that¡¯s going to be the least of your problems. Remember our jumping games?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Expect things to come trying to eat you. Jump out of the way, then hit them like we practiced with your elbows and knees and feet. Fresh food, delivered right to you. In the meantime, you and I will start the magical process of learning what mortal grade plants can be used for healing purposes, what¡¯s edible, and what should be avoided.

    Tian doubted that things were really coming to kill him. The largest animal he had seen was the occasional wolf, and only the sick ones would try to attack. Mostly they just stayed away. It was little ones like the rats that would come up and bite you at night. Though they didn¡¯t like the taste of him either. The gunk seemed to repel almost everything.

    They picked their way east, stopping when they found a stream. The water tasted different here- not the usual rainwater caught in broken jars and animal hide water catchers. It was brighter, fresher. It even felt different in the mouth, like it was slippery and somehow round tasting. He couldn¡¯t explain why, it just was.

    He stuck his hands in the water, letting it flow past the ragged stumps of his fingers and tickle the bone ring Grandpa Jun lived inside. Inhaling the fresh green of the world. Even in darkness, he could taste the color of it. Rich, sweet, thick with life.

    ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    Yes, Tian?

    ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±

    Between us there is no need for thanks.

    Tian laughed a little, and shook his head. It was the first time he really believed Grandpa was wrong.

    Look sharp- we are getting close to dawn. Now would be a good time to find shelter. Remember what we talked about?

    ¡°Dry, near water, with enough dead leaves or grass that I can make a pile of them as high as my knee and long enough for me to lie down on, plus more for sleeping under.¡±

    Exactly. Let¡¯s go.

    Tian set off along the bank of the stream. It was hard to see under the trees, but some light made its way through. There really wasn¡¯t much in the way of convenient caves, but he managed to find a reasonably sheltered overhang with lots of leaf litter nearby. It crackled constantly, was filled with bugs, bits poked at him, and it smelled strange. Since he had been sleeping in the dump for as long as he could remember, he rated it ¡°Quite nice.¡± He made himself a little nest, ate a little jerky, and went to sleep.

    Tian! Tian! Get up! NOW! A jolt of adrenaline launched Tian¡¯s explosive return to consciousness. He thrashed his way out of the pile of leaves, rolling on the ground.

    Something went ¡°WAO!¡± but he couldn¡¯t see what yet, his eyes still light blind. He jumped left and heard something smash into his pile of leaves. He spun, blinking furiously.

    It was big, a little smaller than a wolf but heavier, with a boxy head, pointy ears and wide paws. Paws with long claws on them. It looked at him again and screamed. ¡°WAO!¡±

    Tian slowly backed up. The beast crouched. Tian crouched too, getting low, ready to move.

    The animal screamed once more and launched itself at him, paws wide, claws coming for his face. Tian barely dodged, feeling the rough fur slide over his flank and knocking him stumbling backward. He had never seen an animal like this before. If one did come into the dump, he would have hidden and set traps for it.

    No chance of that now. It was kill or be killed. The beast sputtered and hissed, crouching again, getting ready to attack. Tian didn¡¯t wait for it. It was the mentality of a junkyard predator. Moving is dangerous. It costs pain and energy. So when you have to make a move- kill!

 Chapter 5- Child of Destiny

    Tian charged the beast, and the beast met him with a lunge. Paws spread wide, sharp claws coming for his shoulders. Tian shifted right, then countered with an elbow to the head. The elbow landed on coarse fur, making the beast snarl but seemingly doing no damage. It hopped back, then forward again, swiping with a paw. He could hardly see the paw move, but the jumping games were carved into his bones by now- he kept moving. Every time his feet touched the ground, he shifted. It was giving the animal fits.

    Tian shoved off his front foot, cutting an angle to the left, then with an explosive shove from his back foot, kicked the beast in the ribs. A big stomp of a kick. This time he felt things break, like thin branches woven inside flesh.

    The beast exploded with fury. Wide paws came smashing out, claws whipping at his face, the beast shifting even faster than Tian could manage. He could feel them raking along his flanks, trying to set themselves in his legs or guts. The boy pushed himself as hard as he could dodging, smashing out with elbows and knees, trying to get distance.

    The animal whipped a paw around and caught the loose poncho Tian wore as both shirt and jacket, ripping it half off him. Tian slipped out and flipped the cloth over the animal¡¯s head. In the moment it was blind, he darted in and got on the animal¡¯s back. He got his arm around its neck, trying to choke it out like he did the wolf back in the junkyard.

    This was no sick animal though. It rolled over, tried to twist in his arms, tried to claw at him with its hind legs and scored his thighs with long tears. The broken ribs were badly holding it back, the animal unable or unwilling to put pressure on them. And Tian was much, much stronger than he was a year ago. The python arms slowly tightened as his legs squeezed around the broken ribs. They tumbled over and over on the ground, sticks and rocks tearing them up. Tian didn¡¯t let go. He was used to fighting through the pain. The beast wasn¡¯t.

    It just took time and a furious will. When the beast hadn¡¯t twitched for a long time, Tian finally rolled off. He could withstand pain. But he was also in quite a lot of it.

    Time to teach you how to make a fire and boil water, I think. Your body resists infection extremely well at this point, but it¡¯s only a resistance, not an immunity. Let¡¯s see if some of the plants around here can be used to clean wounds and heal you faster. Good job, Tian. Very good job.

    ¡°Thank you Grandpa. What was that?¡±

    A cat.

    ¡°A what?¡±

    A cat. It¡¯s a type of animal. This one was on the bigger side of small, so locals might call it a bobcat or something. People keep smaller ones around the house to kill rodents or as a kind of animal friend. There are people who form bonds with much, much bigger ones and use them as battle companions. There are even ways to cultivate various aspects of a cat within one¡¯s self, a sort of cat-body modification, or cultivation path, or summoning an ancestral spirit. Cats are popular, is what I am trying to say.

    ¡°Oh. Can I use any of that?¡±

    Now? No. Also you can do so, so much better. I just thought you might like to know. Incidentally, grab that big leaf right there. No, the- yeah, that one. Alright, now, go over to that tree. I¡¯m seeing some promising looking moss.

    Tian was dripping blood everywhere, but there was nothing he could do about it. Grandpa Jun introduced all sorts of different plants- most useless, but some could be combined to make a blood clotting paste, or to clean a wound from infection. It was interesting, but he just wished Grandpa would stop going on and on about how terrible it all was.

    If it worked, it was good. Maybe there was a divine nine-colored sunflower or whatever out there somewhere. But for right now, he was alive. And apparently, a combination of Iron Thread Grass and Bitterwort made an adequate healing salve.

    It was a long process, but Tian wasn¡¯t bored. The dripping blood and burning pain kept him motivated. Afterwards, he would have to butcher and skin the cat, then process it. No time to tan the hide- it would have to be abandoned. It felt wrong. The hide was in perfect condition.

    Tian laughed a little, wincing. ¡°Funny. I used to be the one amazed at what people throw out, and now I¡¯m throwing out perfectly good fur and bones.¡±

    Get used to it. We can¡¯t hang around carelessly. Bigger predators will come following the smell. We don¡¯t need to hide from humans out here and can risk a fire. I¡¯ll teach you now.

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    Grandpa Jun taught Tian how to make a fire. How to make a bow drill and carefully, after many failures, nurture an ember. The tiny spark landed on some shaved wood and Tian¡¯s gentle breaths blew it into a flame. The little flame was enough to light a tiny stick, and then a few more tiny sticks. Then bigger sticks. A steady fire, burning on a flat rock. Tian stared at it for a long time, feeling the heat of it. For some reason, the fire scared him.

    You were very badly burned when we first met. You are still covered in burned skin. I don¡¯t know what happened, exactly, but you were clearly in a terrible fire. But look- this is the fire you made. You control it. You breathed life into it, and without you feeding it, it will die. And you can use it to do magical things. Grab that big green leaf and some of the bark twine.

    Tian hung the leaf over the fire and filled it with water from his water skin. Then he ground up the Iron Grass and Bitterwort between two stones, making a rough paste of it. Once the water started to bubble and steam, he added the paste to the leaf.

    You would think the leaf would burn. If there was no water in it, it would burn. But now, the water boils first, drawing the heat from the leaf. It¡¯s not magic. It¡¯s the rules. A four rock rule, and you don¡¯t even really need to understand the why behind the what. It works. And using that, you can take two things that don¡¯t do anything much individually, boil them into a thick paste, let it dry into a cake, grind that cake as smooth as you can, mix with a tiny amount of water to make another paste, smear it over the tear in your side, and then your wounds are going to heal up well. Not perfectly. But well. And once you do understand the why behind the what, you can apply that rule to thousands of other things.

    ¡°Grandpa, is this what you mean by reforging my body?¡±

    Sort of. It¡¯s what I mean by ¡°cultivation.¡±

    Tian watched the paste bubble in the leaf. Thinking about his fight with the cat. It would be great if he could just poke things to kill them. It was hard for him to hold sticks and knives, so weapons didn¡¯t do much for him. He had both his index fingers and thumbs and most of his right pinky and some of the stubs were around where the first knuckle should be, so that should be enough for a pokey-killy power. He rubbed his head. He might as well dream of being able to regrow his fingers. Maybe they would come back when he reforged his body.

    The paste was processed and allowed to cool. It stung when it went on, but then the weeping cuts stopped bleeding and the pain eased. Tian couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    And now that you have learned a little about boiling, let¡¯s teach you the old camping classic- roasting meat. You can expect to burn it, and cat meat isn¡¯t very nice, but¡­ get ready for a lot of new tastes. You are going to love it. Cooked food is a whole new world.

    Tian did burn the first few pieces, but he didn¡¯t care. The smell drilled its way into his nostrils and started hammering nerves he didn¡¯t know existed. It smelled delicious. Tian tore into it, his few good teeth ripping away the stringy flesh and his tongue delighted in the way the charred outside danced with the sour meat. Everything was new and wonderful and so, so filling. It warmed him up from the inside out, in a way that Grandpa¡¯s hugs had only ever done before.

    ¡°Grandpa, can we do this with rotten plants too?¡±

    Fresh is better. Welcome to cooking. I think you are going to love what you make. Grandpa Jun sounded like he was smiling and sad at the same time. Tian didn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°Is this also cultivation?¡±

    Yes.

    ¡°And killing the cat?¡±

    That too.

    ¡°The jumping games? Elbow, Knees and Toes?¡±

    All cultivation, as I define it. Almost nobody agrees with me, mind you. Some would even be very offended if you said it was. But to me, it¡¯s cultivation.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Because there are ten thousand paths to The Absolute, so ultimately, what is the form? It is nothing. So if the form is meaningless, then what is cultivation? It is the cultivation of one¡¯s self.

    Cultivation is understanding oneself by understanding the universe. Flying swords, demon summoning, internal and external alchemy, formation mastery, martial arts, all are simply roadside flowers. To be studied and used, but never confused for the journey itself, or the destination.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ I don¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    It would be strange if you did. But you will. Finish eating and clean up. It¡¯s time to be moving. I was hoping to move at night, but we can¡¯t stay here any longer.

    The two set out quickly. Tian was shocked at how different everything looked in the daylight. All the greens and browns blur into the shade under the wide trees, then suddenly you were blinded by the sun in a clearing, surrounded by tall, wild grasses coming up where some mighty ancient of the forest fell. Then blinded by the shadows once again as you dove back into the land between the trees.

    ¡°Maybe this is cultivation,¡± Tian thought. He hoped it was. How wonderful must cultivation be if it was like this?

    It was close to sunset when he heard a familiar ¡°WAO!¡± Far louder this time, and coming from right behind him. He didn¡¯t think. He just dove behind a tree and came up facing the noise.

    It was another cat, but twenty times the size of the bobcat. Black and green stripes, and the character for King on its forehead.

    Tiger! It¡¯s too much for you. Run!

    Tian kicked dirt in the tiger¡¯s face, spun and ran.

    The tiger roared, and he could feel the breath of it coming behind him. Tian zig-zagged between trees, trying to slow the beast¡¯s charge. No use, the tiger was even more agile than he was. There was a clearing ahead, he could smell water. Maybe the tiger would be scared of water? He got his head down and squeezed every bit of speed he could out of his body.

    The boy dashed into the sunlight and stopped sharp. There was a river- far below him. The clearing was the edge of a cliff. The tiger burst out of the forest, barely two seconds behind him. No time to think. He ran to the cliff¡¯s edge, intending to climb down.

    The rock crumbled under his feet. Tian felt the world slow down. He had lots of time to feel himself spin around, clawing at the cliff, as the Tiger slammed to a stop. Its wide paws kicked up a wave of dirt as it slid forward. And then Tian¡¯s eyes slid under the cliff¡¯s edge.

    A frantic second of scrabbling at the cliff face. Thrashing wildly in the air, clawing for a miracle. Then a brutal hit, knocking the wind out of him.

    When Tian came to, he was hanging like a towel over a little tree trunk growing out of the cliff. Something smelled amazing.

    With agonizing care, Tian climbed onto the thin tree. It was a tough, scraggly thing, twisted and gnarled by its living conditions. The smell was coming from near the roots. He climbed over and gently parted the dirt. The smell got stronger and stronger- earthy, rich, organic in a way he associated with meat more than plants. He reached into the hole and pulled out a black, rough sphere half the size of his fist. It felt alive, almost like it was throbbing in his hand.

 Chapter 6- Eating Treasure with Broken Teeth

    Stormborn Pine Truffle. A delicacy and a body refining treasure. They cannot be farmed, and only chanced upon by luck.

    Tian was balanced on a tree trunk no wider than his leg. The drop to the river below was a hundred feet or more. The climb up was not much less daunting, and besides, there was a tiger up there. He knew the tiger was still there because the big bastard kept peeking over the edge of the cliff. It could smell the truffle too.

    I bet that¡¯s why you ran into that Tiger. This isn¡¯t the right sort of environment for a tiger. It must have been driven out of its territory, smelled the truffle and guarded this place while it matured. It was probably just looking for a way to get down the cliff without dying in the process.

    ¡°Good thing it can¡¯t climb.¡±

    Oh, they can. They just don¡¯t like climbing cliffs. If you had run up a tree you would have found out really quickly why they are called the Kings of the Jungle.

    Tian shuddered. The tiger was huge. The bobcat was already a nightmare. He didn¡¯t know what to call the tiger. It was just death. He had lost his waterskin and tools too, along with his jerky. That wasn¡¯t good at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s a body refining treasure?¡±

    Oh yes. Well. ¡°Treasure¡± for you, certainly. Most cultivators at the lower stages of most cultivation methods would be quite happy to find it, but they probably wouldn¡¯t risk their life for it. The main thing is that, used properly, it¡¯s transformative. We are really going to waste great stuff here.

    ¡°What¡¯s the right way to use it?¡±

    Soft scramble three eggs with salt, white pepper and finely chopped chives. Shave the truffle paper thin over the eggs and serve immediately. Accompany the eggs with toasted, buttered sourdough bread and a bright, sweet juice like orange juice or pineapple. Share the food with your nearest and dearest friend, or, better, lover. Savor the moment intensely, excluding all other thoughts except the interplay of flavors, textures and emotions. Rejoice in life.

    Tian blinked ¡°Grandpa¡­ I don¡¯t know what any of that is.¡±

    It would be strange if you did, but I kind of wish you knew about scrambled eggs, at least. You¡¯ve certainly seen plenty of eggs.

    ¡°Sure, but what¡¯s a soft scramble?¡±

    A conversation for another, happier, time. Look over the truffle carefully. First, give it a feel. Stormborn Pine Truffle should have a faintly rough texture to it, almost like a tree bark. The exterior color is a deep brown verging on black. When it is mature, it emits a strong fragrance that smells like¡­ well like this. You will find out more things to compare it to when you are older. The flesh inside should be fish-belly white with faint stripes of yellow and green. Don¡¯t crack it open, I don¡¯t want to lose any of the potency. It¡¯s the real thing.

    Tian just nodded along, and remembered. Grandpa always did this- explaining things endlessly. He once told Tian that he wanted to teach all he could, as fast as he could, in case he had to go silent for a long time again. That was a scary thought. So Tian just nodded and listened.

    No need to worry about fancy preparations- we can¡¯t make any. So just shove it in your mouth and eat it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will all fit?¡±

    It¡¯s soft. Your teeth will bite through well enough. Just cram it all in there and do your best to chew. Make sure all the liquid runs down inside your throat. No drooling.

    The tiger at the top of the cliff saw exactly what was happening. It kept looking over and roaring, warning Tian not to eat its treasure. He could see the tiger trying to swipe at him with its huge paw, claws extended. Tian smiled up at it. The tiger was dozens of feet above him. It could roar all it liked.

    ¡°The tiger has very big teeth, and I think it has all of them. I¡¯ve got gaps in my teeth.¡±

    Yes. Another reason to reforge your body.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Grandpa. The tiger is very big, it has claws and teeth and it¡¯s strong. But I¡¯m eating the truffle. It feels¡­ good.¡±

    Heh. Keep working hard so you can be strong enough to get more treasures in the future. After all, you couldn¡¯t have found the truffle if you weren¡¯t strong enough to kill the bobcat, outrun the tiger and survive the fall.

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    Tian gave the truffle another sniff. It smelled very odd, but his mouth was watering and every scrap of him was screaming that, odd or not, it would be the tastiest thing ever to eat. Tian opened his mouth as wide as he could, stretching his jaw until the hinge ached. Then, looking the tiger dead in the eye, he crammed the truffle into his mouth, and bit down.

    The flavor nearly knocked him off the tree.

    Rich. Overwhelmingly rich. Savory. Meaty, but deeper and darker than the roasted cat meat. The juice and aroma rose up from his mouth, into his nostrils and filled his body. The juices trickling down his throat had a bitter tang, but even more savoriness to make up for it. There was a lingering scent of pine, and a whiff of char.

    All the smells and tastes whirled around like a storm in his mouth and flooded in his senses. Dizzying and bewildering and fascinating, endlessly fascinating. And somehow, it was medicine. This delicious thing was basically the same as the paste he smeared on his wounds, except for his insides.

    He chewed carefully, making sure every drop of juice went down his throat, closing his lips and teeth as soon as he could to trap every scrap of aroma inside of him.

    Hold on to the tree, Grandson! Hold on to the tree whatever happens! Stay balanced and hold on!

    ¡°This is medicine. The truffle is like the herbs, and my body is the leaf. My stomach is the water. So what¡¯s the fire boiling it all?¡± Tian thought.

    His stomach started to cramp. Stabbing pain, like needles boring out into his stomach lining, then the muscles of his abdomen. Then into the rest of his body. Needles tore his lungs with every breath and every pump of blood drove them deeper into every muscle and fiber in his body. He shivered, then convulsed. But he didn¡¯t let go of the tree. Grandpa said to hang on no matter what, and his own eyes told him to do the same. Tian hung on for dear life, even as his body tried to shake him off.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let go. I can¡¯t let go. I can¡¯t let go.¡± Tian chanted in his mind. Anything or everything else could happen, but he couldn¡¯t let go. He wouldn¡¯t die. He could get through this. He knew how to work through the pain. Willpower. As long as he had willpower, he could get through this.

    ¡°That¡¯s the fire,¡± The thought cut through the pain-fog like lightning. ¡°Everything is just separate bits without it. Everything comes together and transforms with willpower!¡±

    Even as he convulsed, even as his body shook with pain, he smiled. It was all down to willpower. And he had plenty of that. Growing up in the junkyard, eating trash, sleeping under more trash, fighting the rats and foxes that came to nibble on him while he slept- he had lots and lots of willpower. He could endure pain and loneliness. This? This was nothing.

    When the convulsing stopped and he regathered enough strength to think clearly, Tian tried to feel what had changed. And¡­ couldn¡¯t.

    Don¡¯t worry about it. You aren¡¯t seeing the difference right now, but I am. I may have underestimated the Stormborn Pine Truffle. Or overestimated your condition. Or underestimated the spitefulness of¡­ Grandpa Jun trailed off.

    Sorry, went off on a tangent there. You are much, much stronger now. It¡¯s not potent enough to regrow anything you are missing, but once you have a meal in you and a good night¡¯s sleep, three days at most, you will notice the change.

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    You are about to feel like you have way more energy, you are more coordinated, and you are going to have to rewire your brain. Oh, your eyes are probably going to feel weird for a while. Maybe a few days. But it¡¯s a good thing.

    Tian noticed that his eyes really were hurting. ¡°What¡¯s going on with my eyes?¡±

    It cured your myopia and your colorblindness. You really will see the difference.

    ¡°What do you mean colorblind? I see colors.¡±

    What color was the tiger?

    ¡°Green and black.¡±

    Boy are you in for a surprise. But actually, you will have to retrain your brain too- it wont start distinguishing the colors by itself. It¡¯s a pain, but it¡¯s doable.

    ¡°And the other stuff?¡±

    Basically your hormonal system¡­ you know when you gut an animal they have all these glands and things that I tell you not to eat and just use as bait?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    And I said that it was pretty complicated explaining what they all do?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The truffle fixed a lot of your gland stuff. So, good news, you are most of the way to a normal puberty! Still have some trouble to take care of in the trouser department and some of the chemistry is wonky, but it will all settle out. A wonderful start!

    ¡°Are glands really that important?¡±

    Yes. So much. So very, very much. There are entire cultivation arts, martial arts, magic arts, beast taming arts, alchemy arts- below a certain level of physical and spiritual evolution, your body is going to be some variation of Basic Human. So anything that lets you adjust or improve your Basic Human is going to be a very good thing. No wonder junior cultivators love these truffles so much- it¡¯s a full endocrine system tune up.

    Tian blinked at that. He didn¡¯t know what a lot of those words meant, but it sounded very good and Grandpa was very happy for him, so he wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Instead he worried about how to get down.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ can I climb up from here?¡±

    No, you absolutely cannot climb up from here. Not because you aren¡¯t strong enough, but because the tiger is waiting for you. You ate his treasure. He hates you to death and is trying to kill you.

    Ah. It seems there are consequences to enjoying someone else¡¯s treasure directly in front of them. He had to consider how to escape afterward, too.

    ¡°So I have to climb down?¡±

    Yep.

    Tian looked down at the ragged stumps of his fingers. Only his two good thumbs and index fingers were really strong. Far from enough for a climb down a cliff.

    ¡°It seems a very long way.¡±

    It is.

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    So what? Are you going to sit up here until you die? Do you think you can sleep balanced on a tree branch? Take a minute longer to recover, then get moving. You will only get weaker without food and water. Might as well start moving now.

    Tian slowly reached for the next thin rock lip, trying to get as much of a grip as his limited flesh allowed. ¡°It¡¯s even easier than climbing the trash piles. The rock doesn¡¯t slip or slide around.¡± He kept lying to himself. It was better than acknowledging his shaking hands and trembling legs. He had never been afraid of heights before, but he was pretty sure he was now. ¡°And going down is easier than going up. I don¡¯t need to see where I am going, I¡¯d just get more scared looking down.¡±

    He got a ¡°good¡± grip on it and lowered his weight. His toe found a little rounded bump sticking out of the rock face. You normally couldn¡¯t call it a place to stand, but he was prepared to love it. He could get the ball of his foot and all his toes on there. It was a great bit of rock.

    Half way down, my boy. Half way down. You have this. You are doing great! There is a beauty of a seam you can work with down and to your left. Once you get a grip there, it¡¯s easy street for almost twenty feet! And that puts you just a little bit above safe drop distance. This is going absolutely great!

    It was at this point that Tian was attacked by eagles.

 Chapter 7- Whatâ€™s Swimming?

    Tian didn¡¯t have much understanding of eagles. He had heard Grandpa use the word, but generally there wasn¡¯t anything in the dump that was worth their attention. These birds, however, felt that Tian was worth not only their attention, he was worth their interest.

    The family of eagles swooped in and ripped at him with their long claws. Wide wings the color of bronze and earth drove huge gusts of wind into his eyes. Worst of all, he didn¡¯t dare let go of the cliff. If he took even one hand off to fight, how would his remaining fingers and precariously perched toes hold on? He reached for the seam Grandpa told him about, trying to work his left hand in. An eagle clawed at his head. Tian jerked away and in that moment,

    He slipped.

    And fell.

    The eagles didn¡¯t let him off.

    They swooped in, pecking at him, trying to rip off strips of flesh or even hook his thin body with their talons. They had carried away mountain rams. What trouble could a little beast like him present?

    Quite a lot, it turned out. In the few seconds of his fall, Tian managed to get a foot up and around, whipping into one eagles¡¯ head. Another eagle had its strong talons caught by a weak hand that managed to grab it above the ankle. It was enough to yank the eagle down for a few seconds before Tian¡¯s hand slipped off. It also had the happy effect of slowing his fall. He hit the water before the eagles could regroup for another attack.

    Tian had never taken a bath before. The closest he came to completely submerging in water was monsoon season. The river was very deep, and very cold.

    He couldn¡¯t breathe. He thrashed in the water, the shock hitting his body like hammers. He waved his arms, clawing for the air, but he slid under the water. The swift river carried him forward, along the base of the cliff. His toe touched something and he kicked up, breaching the surface for one breath, then under again. The water was chaotic, dark, tossing and spinning him. He lost track of up and down.

    His back hit a rock, knocking what little breath he had out of his lungs. He scrabbled up, eyes going dim, and managed to suck in a breath of air. Then another breath. Then a wave smacked him off the slippery river-rock and back into the thrashing flood.

    The water slipped through his ruined fingers and slid around his feet. Tian could feel the weight of the water, feel the solidness of it, but when his legs kicked down, it was as though he pushed against nothing at all. Like the water was only solid enough to hurt him. To smother him. To blind him. No matter how much he thrashed, he couldn¡¯t climb out of the water.

    Fear sank its claws into him. Like the eagles, the fear had found a helpless moment and struck then. The water choked him, but the fear stuffed up his mind, muting his thoughts. Reducing him to vermin. He thrashed and scrabbled, desperate to find anything, anything. Not understanding that his panic was costing him precious heartbeats and irreplaceable oxygen.

    He came up once, twice, a third time¡­ then was under, and Tian knew in his heart that he was dead. That there was no fourth breath for him. A mad thought trickled through his terror-locked mind. ¡°If I can¡¯t go up, what happens if I go down?¡±

    Tian stopped fighting the water. He was already dead, and he wasn¡¯t hurting too badly. He could feel his lungs tightening already and his heart struggling, but he wasn¡¯t in too much pain. It was endurable. Since he was already dead, there was no need for panic. He opened his eyes properly, and looked around.

    He could see. He was shocked at how well he could see. Even with the rushing water all around him, shapes were clear and close. It was almost disorienting. He had been staring at the cliff face before, and hadn¡¯t understood what ¡°fixing his eyes¡± really meant. Apparently it meant there was a lot more going on in the world than he had realized. For example, there was that big rock coming up fast on the right.

    He tried clawing his way towards the rock, but didn¡¯t achieve anything. Tian forced himself to be still. Once there was hope, there was fear. He forced himself to be still, and waited. The rock rushed closer, and as it did, Tian¡¯s thin body drifted down towards the river bottom.

    His lungs were hurting now. Squeezed by some giant hand. His blood thundered in his ears and his newly sharp eyes were going dim again. He forced himself to be still. His toes drifted across the sandy bottom. He stretched them out. Let them drag him down. Then with the last of his strength, pushed hard for the rock!

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    His guts froze. His desperate, all out, leap barely shifted him. The water was solid, but only when it could hurt him.

    He hopped a little closer to the rock. But not close enough. His toes brushed the ground again, but it wouldn¡¯t matter. He was too far, too far and too weak. He didn¡¯t know what part of him gave him the strength to kick again. It was a weak little thing this time, barely a nudge against the sandy bottom. And to his disbelieving eyes, the blue-grey rock got closer.

    The river seemed to conspire with him this time, carrying him right to the rock. He spread his arms wide, and like a drowning lizard, climbed his way up. The river did its part, pressing him to the big rock and lifting him up. In the seconds before he started convulsing, he managed to get his head above the water and pulled in big gasping breaths. He scrambled up onto the top of the rock- barely a foot square and inches above the water, but he loved it with every scrap of his being.

    Tian didn¡¯t hear anything except the rushing river and the thunder of his own heartbeats. The gasping sound of his breath as he pulled in lungful after lungful of sweet air. He wasn¡¯t aware of anything except the visceral need to breathe for ten whole minutes.

    When he raised his eyes, he found himself sitting at the mouth of the river, where it emptied into a wide, more still expanse of water. He couldn¡¯t see the far edge of it, but what he could see was ringed with trees and narrow beaches.

    ¡°Grandpa, what is this?¡± His voice sounded wrong. He coughed. ¡°What do you call a river that¡¯s wide and still?¡±

    Depending on how big it is, and if the water is fresh? A pond or a lake. This is big enough to be a lake.

    Tian sat on the rock and watched the river spill into the lake. It had been rushing so quickly, and it calmed again so quickly. The lake was so vast, but it didn¡¯t seem big enough to hold all the water coming in from the river. Did the water evaporate, like the glazed jars with water in them back in the junkyard? Or did it sink away, like the puddles on the ground?

    He shivered. It seemed to be very cold here.

    You nearly drowned. You used all your strength and energy climbing and fighting the river, not to mention undergoing a bit of bodily reconstruction. Your body is cold because you are covered in water and no longer have the food burning inside your belly to warm you. In a manner of speaking.

    ¡°Is that how that works?¡±

    Kinda. It¡¯s complicated. What you need to know is wet equals cold and cold equals dead. So you want to go dry off as best you can and warm up. You will also need to hunt some food, or forage some, but that¡¯s nothing too terrible. Always plenty of prey near lakes and other bodies of water.

    Tian nodded, carefully remembering. Staying warm was hard in the rainy season. It must have been because he was all wet. He smiled slightly. He could make fire now. It would take time, but he could do it. Then the smile ran away from his face. There was one small but crucial problem. He was on a rock in the mouth of the river, and he couldn¡¯t swim. The shore was at least ten yards away.

    ¡°Grandpa? How am I supposed to get to shore?¡±

    Use your eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t swim with my eyeballs, Grandpa.¡±

    Not with that attitude you can¡¯t. But I mean more literally. Look around. Specifically between you and the shore.

    Tian looked down. The water was dark, but if he squinted he could just about see¡­ gravel? Little rocks and sand? He kept looking, following the line to shore. He couldn¡¯t see all the way, but it looked like it just about connected the shore to the rock.

    ¡°I can walk to shore?¡±

    It¡¯s going to be chest high on you or a little higher, I¡¯d guess. But yes. Congratulations, Tian!

    ¡°For what?¡±

    Surviving your first treasure hunt. It¡¯s a bigger deal than you might think. Go on. Nothing good on this rock. Head for the shore, and dinner.

    It turned out that it was hard to wade through chest high water, even if it was just for thirty feet. He was freezing and ravenous by the time he got to shore.

    Your luck is decent. You see that bush over there? It looks like animals eat the berries off of it. You shouldn¡¯t eat them, but you could set snares around the game trails. Might get lucky sooner rather than later.

    The forest was surprisingly full of good things. Some roots could be eaten, or leaves if they were cooked. There were reeds that could be cut down with a bit of sharp rock that would make an amazing nest to warm up in. Especially since he found a couple of big rocks to hide the nest under. He should be safe from predators this way.

    Grandpa was right about the bush too- it barely took a few hours before they found a squirrel hug dead on a snare. All that was left was gathering firewood, finding a concealed place to make the fire, and settling in for the rest of the day.

    Pile those reeds deep, Tian. Remember- knee high in a pinch, waist high is best. Remember how much the leaves crunched down when you lay on them? Then you build your nest around the pile. Grab big bunches and lean them together against the rocks, like a little wall. It won¡¯t hold up in the wind, but it¡¯s pretty still today. Just keep the fire well back.

    Tian soon had a little fire going. He had dried off after all the running around, but he had progressed from hungry to actually starving and was desperate to start roasting the things they found. He quickly skinned the squirrel with a bit of chipped rock, roughly cleaned it, rinsed it in the lake, and got it roasting. He alternated between bites of charred squirrel and foraged roots. It wasn¡¯t as delicious as the truffle, but at the moment, he could hardly imagine anything better.

    ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    Yes, Tian?

    ¡°What are we going to do once my body is all better? I know you said save the world, but¡­¡± The little boy waved his hand at the lake, and by extension the whole of existence. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure we can save me.¡±

    We will. Never doubt that. But let me ask you this. Assume you were completely healthy. You could cultivate. Your¡­ everything¡­ was fixed. You have nothing but your strong body, your good mind and me. Absolutely nothing holding you back. If you could do anything at all, have anything at all, what would you do?

 Chapter 8- Pointing A Sword At Heaven

    Tian watched the fire, bewildered. He had no idea what things he could do. Mostly he knew about the junkyard and all the problems with his body. And the forest and the river. That was about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Enough to eat. A dry place to sleep where animals can¡¯t bite me. Maybe better clothes and something to cook with? I don¡¯t think I can cook much on a leaf or on a stick. I¡¯d want to do whatever got me that.¡±

    Would you like to meet people? Live in a nice house like them?

    ¡°No. They are scary and throw rocks. I don¡¯t think I really want to be a human. Or around humans, anyway.¡±

    Good survival instinct for now, but¡­ going to have to work on that one. I guess we could start with ¡°Man is a thing to be overcome¡± and work from there. How about something a little more primal- safety. How would you like to be so strong, nobody could hurt you?

    Tian nodded. ¡°Of course that¡¯s good.¡±

    At a high level of cultivation, people don¡¯t need to eat any more. They just do it for fun. Want that?

    ¡°Not being hungry is good.¡±

    Immortality?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±

    Living forever, or so long as to make it seem like you do.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a terrible idea. Hurting forever sounds bad.¡±

    You would be healthy. No pain when you pee, no sudden shooting pain in your guts or running down the marrows of your bones.

    Tian just shook his head. He couldn¡¯t imagine it.

    I¡¯d ask about wealth, but you don¡¯t have that concept yet. Ditto lust, and man am I glad malnutrition is helping me out there. Never thought I would say that, but here we are.

    ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    You will. But for now, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t.

    Tian thought he felt a sigh.

    You are really survival oriented. Which is good, but also limiting. You need more context, more experience. More contact with other humans. Even if you don¡¯t like them.

    Tian watched the fire burn. Brown sticks turned black, then glowing red, then ashy white and stopped burning, but could still be very hot. It still scared him, but it was also beautiful. The transformation of light and shape. The crackling, rushing noise. Scary, but comforting. And you could cook food with it. He didn¡¯t ever want to lose that.

    ¡°What do you think I should do, Grandpa? Other than saving the world.¡±

    It¡¯s going to sound weird coming from an old monster like me, but I want you to find something you love, and for you to do it wholeheartedly. Even when it is boring, or frustrating, or feels like you aren¡¯t making progress. I want it to be something you can take satisfaction in. You know how everything rots in the junkyard. In the end, everything, even the pottery and metal, break down.

    ¡°Mmm hmm.¡±

    The whole world is like that. Doesn¡¯t matter if you are the Grand Immortal Whozit Reverend Master of Ten Billion Blades or whatever, in the end, even immortals die. In the end, their creations turn to dust and are forgotten. It might take longer for some than others, but in the end, everything rots.

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    So this is it. This is what there is. How you choose to spend this life should be on what brings you joy, and hopefully, what brings joy to the people around you. Nothing will make the world a better place forever, but since right now is all there is, isn¡¯t it good enough to make it better for now?

    ¡°You think I should just do whatever makes me happy?¡±

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    More than happy- you should do what gives you satisfaction. What you find meaning in. Then you will need to figure out what you have to do to support that. Raising a family might require you to study farming, or the way of money. Defending your family might require mastering the sword or spear. Healing them might require mastering medicinal arts, or creating formations, or even forging powerful artifacts.

    In every case, given the sheer unreasonableness of the world, given the absolutely unjustified and unfair things that are going to happen to you, it will require strength. Above all else, you will have to be strong. And it will mean you wind up saving the world, because the spiteful heavens will give you no peace until you do.

    Tian laughed. ¡°Grandpa, I didn¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    You understood. And you will spend the rest of your life learning how right I was.

    Tian rose with the sun, hearing the racket the birds were making to herald its light. ¡°Grandpa, where do we head now? Are we still going to the mountains?¡±

    Yes, the river didn¡¯t take us too far off course. Let¡¯s pick a few things to eat along the way, and get going.

    He was a bit fortunate- there were no random tiger attacks, bird attacks, or similar common forest mishaps. There was a wasp¡¯s nest the size of a full grown man, but he walked a very long way around that.

    Giant beehives are worth investigating, and often their honey is quite special. You will love honey when you try it- super sweet stuff. Some honey is even a rare body improving treasure. Not wasps though. They don¡¯t make honey. Wasps are strictly good at pest control, right up to the point when they become a nuisance. Stay far away if you can.

    Tian could practically feel Grandpa frown. Also hornets are murderous bastards, all of them, and will kill you if they can. And they definitely can. If you see one, stay far away from it. If you must kill one, kill it, then run far, far away. They can smell when one of their own dies, and they always take revenge.

    This was the standard for the trip. Every tree had a story, a use, a secret. The rocks all had names, the clouds could be read like the footprints of forest animals. And Grandpa Jun knew them all. He didn¡¯t insist that Tian remember everything, but every now and then he would insist that his Grandson could surely tell him four things to do with a Rono Bush, or tell which of two seemingly identical bird calls was a Green Throated Termite Terror in distress and which was a Green Throated Termite Terror faking distress and calling for reinforcements.

    Tian did pretty well on the quizzes. It was all so fascinating, he couldn¡¯t help but pay attention. It was like the world was talking to him, and Grandpa was teaching him the words. He could learn the language too. All he had to do was pay attention, and listen.

    It was the same when they stopped at night. Each campsite was chosen for a variety of reasons, but always on flat ground near water.

    Never ever pitch your tent in a hollow! You might think you are being clever, getting out of the wind, but the cold air rolls down the sides of the hollow and will freeze you. So will water. You might get away with it on a warm, clear night in a warm climate, but I sure wouldn¡¯t bet on it.

    ¡°What¡¯s a tent?¡±

    Like a portable house or shelter made out of cloth. Hmm. We have some time before sunset. I will show you how to make a lean-to shelter this time. It¡¯s a bit like a tent, as far as the shape goes.

    ¡°Grandpa? Are you going to disappear again after teaching me all these things?¡±

    These are the lowest mortal wisdoms and the wisdom of animals. So no, the energy cost is completely offset. Bit of a blindspot there. Heh heh.

    ¡°Who¡¯s blindspot? And what does ¡°offset¡± mean?¡±

    Oh look- see that plant with the spiky leaves and the bluish veins running up the stem? Grab it! It¡¯s got a TON of good nutrition. And the taste is not bad either.

    Tian had come to love staring up at the stars. He had no idea that the night sky was so beautiful, or that there were so many hidden mysteries within it. He looked into the billions of lights in the infinite void and let the wonder of it all consume him. Grandpa would stop talking at those times. Tian thought he must love the stars too.

    ¡°Grandpa? Where are we going, other than the mountains? Are we really just going to go there and look around, hoping to find something useful?¡±

    Yep.

    The rustling sounds of the night wrapped the two of them in a warm blanket of sound. Sometimes the insects were annoyingly loud, but that was alright too. You could eat them, and if they wanted to shout their location, so much the better.

    ¡°That easy?¡±

    Easy is a stretch, but yes. We are moving with nature here, not against it. This world is built around that universal energy I was talking about. It is vast, and deep, and if you fight it, it will kill you. But if you learn to move with it, learn to dance to its rhythms, it will shower blessings on you. It will lay out a clear path to power, even if it looks like there is no path at all.

    I don¡¯t know what we will find, and honestly, it hardly matters. We are building the foundation of a foundation. Hell, we¡¯re still picking the build site and shopping around for the General Contractor, and the architectural plans haven¡¯t even been approved yet. Just you watch. There will be something. The Dao will provide.

    A week and a half later, Tian was laying under a bush, staring down at a pond full of swaying lotuses.

    Lucky. Well, depending on how you define luck. These are definitely Dustless Lotuses, a Earthly Person realm plant that can grow to the Heavenly Person realm with enough time. These ones haven¡¯t quite reached that point, but are probably only a few years off.

    ¡°Why is that good?¡± Tian¡¯s voice was barely a whisper. He could see at least one large snake near the water, and was privately certain there were many more he couldn¡¯t see.

    Because if the lotuses were Heavenly Person tier, you would explode trying to eat it. Or be dissolved in the medical bath, or in a really unfortunate case, become a living seedbed for a mutant lotus.

    ¡°That snake looks poisonous, Grandpa.¡±

    The Three Venom Seven Death Adder? Yep. Super poisonous, and rarely alone. The one you can see is probably the runt of the brood, forced by the others to act as a lure for gullible predators. The others are in the pond, waiting for prey to come by.

    ¡°So how do we get the lotus?¡±

    Lotuses- plural. At least ten. You are going to need a bunch if we are going to use it as the main ingredient for our Tian Refining Soup. And that¡¯s up to you.

    Tian blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I mean it¡¯s up to you. Oh, if you can, grab a few of the adders, like a dozen or so? We can use them too.

    ¡°Grandpa, there is no way.¡±

    There is always a way. Remember this- Treasures will always seek protection from the strong. Good things will always have people eyeing them, wanting to possess them. Natural treasures will always lure in guardian beasts. These Dustless Lotuses have a symbiotic relationship with the adders- they assist one another¡¯s growth. It¡¯s going to be more or less the same no matter what treasures we find. Remember the tiger and the truffle?

    ¡°Yes, but, how am I supposed to get them?¡±

    You tell me. We have spent years training your body. You are resistant to poisons and toxins, have excellent reflexes, and a head full of mortal wisdom and earthly knowledge. The treasury of the world has opened for you, if only a hair-thin crack. So this problem is for you to solve. The truffle was unsought for good fortune. This is a fortune you will need to fight for. It¡¯s time, Grandson. Time to start your long battle, and seize your destiny!

 Chapter 9- Lotuses Root in Tragedy

    ¡°Is this a test?¡±

    Yes. But it is also completely necessary for a few other things. I¡¯ve already lowered the difficulty as much as I dare by giving you some hints. I¡¯m going to be silent now, until you are in a safe place with at least ten of the lotuses, roots included. I believe in you, Tian. I know you can do this.

    ¡°Grandpa Jun?¡±

    The clearing was full of sounds- the wind rustling the leaves, the chirping of insects and little frogs. But not a whisper from Grandpa Jun. Tian looked around, feeling lost. When Grandpa went silent in the junkyard, Tian knew how to live. There was an order and routine to everything. There really weren¡¯t any decisions to make, or none that mattered much.

    Wasn¡¯t this a little too scary? There were vipers in the junkyard. All the rats and mice made the trash heaps treasured hunting grounds for them. By and large, he stayed away. You only had to see a few mice die in terrified agony to learn snakes were nothing fun to play with.

    All the snakes in the dump looked like little babies compared to the colorful adder sprawled on the side of the pond. And this was the smallest of the bunch.

    He sighed. Snakes didn¡¯t like eating dead food either. To lure one with carrion would be hard, never mind all the snakes still in the pond. Though¡­ that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t set some traps and make some lures. It would just be a bit of a long process.

    The pond itself was the next big problem. It wasn¡¯t nearly as big as the lake he had seen, but it was still big enough to make him worried about how deep the water was. The lotuses nearest the shore were all raggedy looking. The best ones were clustered in the middle. How was he supposed to get even one of them? Let alone ten or more? A long stick wouldn¡¯t cut it.

    One problem at a time. The very first thing he needed to do was make some tools. And it all started with a stick.

    The bird screeched and flapped its wings, desperate to get free. Tian felt bad, but didn¡¯t stir. The bird had only been noisy for a minute, and the snake was already on the move. Tian had never made a snake trap before, but he thought his current plan was feasible. He¡¯d find out in a moment.

    The long adder slithered through the grass. Tian shivered. He had underestimated its size. The snake was nearly as long as Tian was tall. Its pointy head seemed particularly sinister, and the tiny scale horns over its eyes seemed to make threats all on their own.

    The colors of the snake¡¯s scales were deceptively muted. Black, gold and green¡­ his eyes watered for a moment. Was that really green? For some reason, he thought it was something else for a moment. Was this the ¡®colorblind¡¯ thing Grandpa kept going on about? In that moment of blindness, the adder reached his trap.

    Tian had woven together some thin wooden stakes, making a little fence with a single hole in it. The bird was tied to a branch in the middle of the fenced area. And just as the snake stuck it¡¯s head in-

    Tian was quite used to moving with blurry vision. He yanked the bark fiber cord and pulled the noose tight. It grabbed the snake by the neck. The cord slipped a little, then set. The snake thrashed, but Tian had him firm. The cord hauled the snake up towards the tree branch above. Tian tied the cord to a branch and dashed in with a heavy stick. He whacked the snake once, feeling it bend under his blow. Tian frowned. It didn¡¯t feel like he crushed the spine. He swung a fast backhand, and missed.

    The snake slipped out of the noose. It showed its temper the second it was free, striking fast. Needle thin fangs reached for the boy¡¯s wrist. Tian was wide open after his swing, and could only desperately leap back. The snake pressed forward, hissing furiously and darting its head at his legs. Tian kept retreating, trying to bring his heavy stick into action. Not noticing how his elusive steps followed the pattern of the jumping games Grandpa had taught him.

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    Tian thought he had the snake¡¯s timing down, and whipped forward with the stick. The snake ducked the blow, and immediately moved to bite the swinging arm. Tian yelped and jumped back, jerking his empty hand out of the way. It took him a moment to realize that he had just flung his stick yards away. His index and thumb were not enough to hold the stick through such a sudden change of direction. Not with three missing fingers on each hand.

    Tian turned and ran. No weapon, no traps? He certainly wasn¡¯t going to box a snake. He was off on his toes. He only managed three steps when some bestial instinct screamed at him to jump!

    The snake was faster than he was. It nearly had him. Those long fangs were inches from his leg this time. Tian did the only thing he could think of. Before the snake managed to set itself up again for a lunge, he grabbed it. He directly dove on the snake, grabbing just behind its head with both hands. The snake hissed furiously, lashing Tian with its tail. Tian didn¡¯t give a damn. The adder''s teeth couldn¡¯t reach him. It was free to lash him all it wanted.

    Not that he took any chances. He kept the snake¡¯s head facing away from his body, and at arm¡¯s length.

    It took him a moment to realize the problem. He had caught the snake. The very alive, very angry, very venomous snake. If he let go of the snake with one hand, the snake would escape and kill him. He, therefore, had to find a way to kill the snake without letting go of it.

    Drowning? Tian glanced over at the pond. The snake¡¯s siblings were all in there. The pond was out.

    Bash it against a rock? It seemed dangerously unreliable, but he didn¡¯t have a better idea. He looked around for a suitable braining rock, and had a small bit of good fortune. There wasn¡¯t a convenient stone, but there was a very narrow v notch in a tree. He jammed the snake¡¯s neck into the gap, and yanked down hard. Once he had it good and wedged, he ran off and found a rock. The snake wasn¡¯t dead. It was still thrashing and writhing, trying to escape. Tian raised his rock and smashed it down on the back of the snake¡¯s neck. Once, twice, three times- he kept going until the rock was covered in blood and the snake stopped moving.

    Tian looked around quickly. No more snakes. No cats sneaking up on him. He exhaled hard, inadvertently blowing all the strength out of his body. He collapsed, gasping. He could feel the snake''s fangs biting into him. They had come so close, so often, that they had pressed themselves into his mind. He had been an inch from death. Less than an inch. The fury in the adder¡¯s eyes! The hate!

    Tian shuddered. He had seen furious animals before. He had hunted for as long as he could remember. He still wasn¡¯t prepared for that degree of malice. Grandpa Jun had called it a Three Venom Seven Death Adder. Tian was prepared to believe it. It seemed like a snake that would make you die seven times before Hell was permitted to claim you.

    He was still kind of vague on what Hell was. Grandpa used the word a lot, but wouldn¡¯t explain it. ¡°Costs too much,¡± was all he would ever say. It sounded like the kind of place a horned, venom dripping adder would drag you to.

    ¡°One down. An entire pond-full to go.¡± He muttered.

    Tian calmed down and tried to think through what worked. The bird lure worked. The noose worked for a while, but the snake could slip out of it if he wasn¡¯t careful. The stick was a complete failure. Even when the snake was hanging in the air, the stick hadn¡¯t been enough to kill it. Pinning the snake worked. Beating it to death with a rock eventually worked.

    He could lure at least one snake at a time. He didn¡¯t know about luring more, but¡­ that problem could wait for now. He could fix the noose slipping problem. The cord needed to be smoother, so it could pull tighter. Maybe make it a little thicker too, just in case of accidents. He couldn¡¯t expect the snakes to stick their head into the same hole over and over again. Was there a way to make a more portable snare? Could he¡­ put the noose on a stick?

    He tried to imagine it. It kind of made sense, but it kind of didn¡¯t at the same time. How exactly would he pull the loop tight? And once he had, how would he bash the snake with a rock? He looked over at the dead snake hanging from the fork in the tree.

    Was that the answer? Just use a forked stick to pin it in place, slide his hands down, and bash with a rock. Straightforward and easy to manufacture. Just one or two slight problems. Starting with, but by no means ending with, his ability to actually pin a snake down with a stick.

    It was an interesting problem. Tian got busy. First- collect sticks. Second- experiment. Third- figure out how to run away if the hunt goes wrong. Because he got lucky last time, and he was absolutely certain he wouldn¡¯t get lucky a second time.

    Tian set the bird next to the pond, but not too close. He didn¡¯t know how the snakes hunted, but it sounded like they ambushed prey. Which, if it was him, meant hiding just at the edge of the water, waiting for something to get close. Then they explode out at maximum speed. He would have to draw them out and make them lose that first lunge advantage.

    Assuming this worked. Assuming he could do it repeatedly. Assuming there were no accidents.

    The bird fluttered helplessly, making a racket. It knew damn well there were snakes around, and it wasn¡¯t resigned to death. How could a bird understand being tied to a branch?

    Tian waited. The snakes understood birds too. The one he had snared was a little small, but even a mosquito still had meat on it. They would come. He almost didn¡¯t notice when his prey inched its way out of the water, forked tongue tasting the air.

    The adder crept closer, moving slowly, scarcely disturbing the grass as it moved. The grass near the water¡¯s edge was short here, the ground carefully chosen by Tian. The little fence was the same, the noose was modified, a new stick was selected to be the hoist. Tian didn¡¯t need the snake up high. He just needed it to not be moving around too much when he went in with the forked stick and the heavy rock.

    The snake smelled its prey, and moved to kill. It nosed through a little hole- then was suddenly choked! Yanked up off the ground by something it couldn¡¯t see or smell. The adder lashed its long tail, furious that it was attacked by things it couldn¡¯t see or understand.

    How could a snake understand the viciousness of the human heart?

 Chapter 10- Ruthless Child

    It took a lot of strength to jam the forked stick into the hard earth. Tian¡¯s fingers were thin, small, and mostly missing. What there was left had to strain as much as they could. His aim wasn¡¯t great. The fork caught the adder, but not close enough to the head. The snake was still held by the noose, but after the first try, Tian didn¡¯t feel like it was reliable. He could easily imagine it getting loose, whipping around and biting him with those long, thin fangs. Nothing for it- he would break the snake''s spine behind the fork, and work his way up to the head if he needed to.

    It was brutal, gory work. Tian didn¡¯t even frown as the crunch of vertebrae spread along the pond banks. It wasn¡¯t nearly as gorey as killing rats or foxes. Nothing to be upset about. The snake looks dead after the first bashing, but Tian didn¡¯t take a chance on it. He pulled the forked stick out of the dirt, slid it over the grass to just behind the noose, pushed the noose forward with the fork, then repeated the bone crushing operation. This time he was sure the snake was dead. A final blow to crush the head, then it was time to hang up his prey.

    Bark twine was quite simple to make, once you knew the type of tree it could be made from. Just knapp a rock until you got a sharp-enough edge, slice down the bark, scrape away the inner bark, then hammer it into fibers. Then you just started twisting. It took time, and it was boring, but Tian was used to all that. He figured he would need a lot of twine. So he had prepared a lot.

    He tied up the new snake corpse next to the old, hanging the line from a high branch. It wouldn¡¯t keep away birds or the most determined scavengers, but it was a lot better than nothing. Job done, he looked back towards the pond. Time for round Three. And a new bird. This one was exhausted, and no longer made a good lure.

    Night had fallen. Tian stopped his hunt. He had gotten ten adders over the course of the day, but he still frowned fiercely as he built his fire. He had carefully climbed a tree branch that stretched over the edge of the pond and looked in. There were, at a guess, dozens of snakes in there still. Catching them one at a time was working, but much too slowly. And even though he had gotten good at catching them, it wasn¡¯t risk free. He needed to change his strategy.

    He mulled it over for a while, poking at the newly born fire with little twigs. If he had enough snakes, should he switch over to thinking of ways to collect lotuses? He could go up on that tree branch and try to haul them up with a noose. It might be a bit fiddly, but he should be able to throw the twine out far enough to snag at least one. Just to test if the method could work.

    He ate roasted birds and some wild plants. It tasted great, the wonders of cooking still managing to transform the ordinary into the enchanting. He carefully extinguished the fire, and slept in a nest of leaves. He didn¡¯t notice he had a little smile on his face. He thought, as his exhausted body welcomed sleep, that today had been really fun.

    Morning came, and with it a fresh resolve. Tian twisted more bark together. The lotuses were far away from the branch he would be climbing out on, and he had to make sure the loop was big enough to fit over the leaves. Preparations done, he climbed onto the branch, and tossed his noose out.

    He missed. He missed the second time too. The third time he got a bit of the loop on the leaves, but not around them. Fourth try was a miss again¡­ It took twelve tries before he finally got the loop around the lotus.

    He could see the snakes swimming around. They had clearly been irritated by the slapping and dragging of the rope in the water.

    Tian started hauling. The noose tightened, and soon the whole plant started lifting up. Tian frowned. It was heavier than he expected. Worse, he could feel it was attached to something at the bottom of the pond. ¡°Don¡¯t lotuses float? What¡¯s holding it down there?¡±

    He kept a steady pull on the line, leaning back to lift with his back and waist as well as his arms. Tian¡¯s  hands might be weak. The rest of him wasn¡¯t. He felt something tear and he jerked backward, clenching his legs around the branch to stop what would have been a lot worse than a nasty fall. The Lotus came up out of the pond, trailing a seemingly endless root behind it. Tian estimated that it was at least six feet long, and the bottom of it was torn off. It must extend even further under the water.

    The water under the lotus started churning. Adders leapt up and sank their fangs into the lotus, not letting go for an instant. Others bit into the snakes biting into the lotus. Tian stifled a yelp and froze for a moment. There was no way he could haul up live adders. On the other hand, it had taken a damned long time to make this rope. He agonized about the decision for a second, then threw the rope into the water.

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    He watched the snakes below, feeling more than a bit moody. It gave him a degree of vindictive satisfaction to watch the snakes biting each other. It seemed to only be happening in the area immediately around the ripped up lotus. Tian suddenly regretted being so decisive about throwing the whole rope away. It would be interesting to see what would happen if he launched the lotus into a different part of the pond.

    A strange look stole across Tian¡¯s face. It would be interesting to see that. Very interesting indeed.

    It took hours to make another rope. Tian was hungry by the end of it, but ignored it. Partially because he was more used to being hungry than being full, and partially because he was dying to know if his guess was right. He climbed back up onto the branch, and tried to snag the next closest lotus. It took a frustrating fifteen tries, but he eventually snagged it. A happy side effect of his struggle was that all the snakes in the area were well and truly furious.

    Tian hauled the lotus up as quickly as he dared. He felt the roots snag, then tear. This time, he simply let himself lie back on the branch, yanking the rope a few extra feet above the water in a fraction of a second. He didn¡¯t stop hauling even for a second, trying to pull the lotus up before any snakes could make a move. A few did try to jump for it and missed. And then they turned on each other.

    Tian brought the flower and roots up onto his branch. He figured the roots were probably the most crucial part of this, since they were the only ones that got really damaged. Still. Nothing wrong with experimenting. He had brought up a sharp rock this time for the sole purpose of cutting everything into chunks. Once the chunks were bruised and bashed against the tree branch, he threw them into the pond. He used the whole lotus, making sure he scattered everything as widely as he could.

    The lotus smelled amazing. He was really tempted to just eat some of it. But he persevered. Snake meat tasted good too, and was quite filling.

    He didn¡¯t have to wait long to see the results. The water quickly started churning, the snakes twisting around each other, biting each other. Clearly feeling that it was ¡°You die or I die!¡± with no other alternatives allowed. It was utter chaos for ten minutes, and then slowly settled down. Tian smiled. He still had his rope. He patiently fished up another lotus, then did it all over again. By the third time, there was no more thrashing in the pond.

    Tian was cautious, naturally. Still. Waste not want not. He fished out as many snake corpses as he could find, hanging them high in the trees. Birds were already a problem, but it wasn¡¯t too bad yet. He was very careful wading into the pond, repeatedly brainwashing himself that his breathing techniques could turn poison into medicine, so he would surely be fine if he was bitten by a snake. Fortunately, it never came to the test. He carefully retrieved twenty lotuses, roots intact, from the pond, as well as forty snakes.

    ¡°Is that enough, Grandpa?¡±

    More than enough. Thanks to your clever thinking, this place is now considered ¡°safe,¡± for a given value of safe. Well done! Very, very well done! Good discipline, good using your head. Both cautious and willing to take risks at the crucial moment. You really make this old man feel gratified, and that his time teaching you wasn¡¯t wasted. I¡¯m proud of you, Tian.

    Tian felt Grandpa hug him, and it was all worth it. Everything was worth it. Hearing how happy and proud he was, feeling his approval, it was all absolutely worth it.

    Because you did so well, we can REALLY cook on your first reforging. Which, unfortunately, to maximize my energy efficiency-

    ¡°You have mentioned energy a few times Grandpa-¡±

    If I explain it, the energy costs would bankrupt me for the next few centuries. Just¡­ think of it like food. You need a certain amount of food to have the energy to hunt or hike through the forest, right? Well I need ¡®food¡¯ too. And I can¡¯t explain how I get it or how I use it, but I can tell you that the more I help you, the more ¡°food¡± I consume. Which is why I find ways to help you help yourself.

    Tian heard Grandpa laugh. His laugh was usually quite nice, but every now and then, Tian thought it was a bit creepy. This was one of those times.

    Speaking of food, it¡¯s time to cook Tian Soup. Dig a hole, good Grandson. Dig a nice big hole you can lie down in, with plenty of extra space around the sides. We will be butchering the snakes and we need to make sure their blood winds up in the pit. Be sure and save the gallbladders. I¡¯ll show you what those are. Not strictly necessary for the soup, but a wonderful strengthening medicine in its own right. We will need the snake venom too, the flesh, the bones, practically everything.

    ¡°And the lotus roots?¡±

    The whole lotus will be used.

    ¡°So how do we put it all together?¡±

    Tian Soup is an interesting dish. No two are ever cooked exactly alike, and quite often it comes down to how the chef is feeling and what ingredients are available. You have made all sorts of medicines and things on this trip. You even ate a body refining treasure. And you know some excellent, if basic, breathing exercises. Put them together how you please.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±

    Figure it out, Tian. Really. This is going to be for the best. But be prepared. If you are doing it right, it¡¯s going to hurt. Really hurt. Maybe the worst pain you have ever felt. Not forever, but it won¡¯t be over quickly either. So you have a choice- Tian? Tian. Where are you going? Are you¡­  you are already digging. Why are you already digging?

    ¡°I need to do this to get stronger right? It¡¯s the only way to see the world, to eat cooked food, and to be safe from cats and rock throwers?¡± Tian didn¡¯t stop his digging stick moving for even a second.

    I mean¡­ not the only way, strictly speaking, but as a practical matter, yes.

    ¡°So the choice is hurt and get stronger, or hurt and die as another piece of trash in the dump. Maybe I die either way in the end, but I¡¯d much rather be strong than trash. So what¡¯s pain compared to that?¡±

 Chapter 11- Lotus Above, Snake Below

    ¡°Grandpa? What¡¯s soup?¡± Tian was throwing up big clods of clay-heavy dirt as he dug his ¡®soup pot.¡¯

    What¡¯s soup?

    ¡°You keep saying we are making Tian soup, but I don¡¯t know what soup is.¡±

    Good question- you take liquid, usually water or water with flavors dissolved in it, and mix it with other food. Usually by heating it and cooking the flavors together, but not always.

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m turning into a liquid?¡±

    That would be one way to do it, but I wouldn¡¯t take it too literally. And by literally, I mean, it¡¯s a figure of speech. You do need to get your whole body, and I do mean whole body, covered.

    ¡°Covered by¡­¡±

    Whatever you make your soup into.

    ¡°Which should be made from the snakes and lotuses?¡±

    Yep.

    ¡°And you¡­¡±

    Nope. Up to you. Figure something out.

    Tian snorted, but kept digging.

    ¡°Can you tell me about the adder venom? Why is it called ¡°Three poisons seven deaths?¡±

    Mostly because it sounds scary as Hell, and forensic pathology isn¡¯t really a thing here.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±

    Alright, alright. Basically this snake venom really is damned nasty. It¡¯s blood poison, in that it stops wounds from healing and kills off a load of blood cells at the same time. What¡¯s really brutal, though, are the cyanotoxin and nerve toxin elements. Basically it fries your nervous system while sending you into organ failure. Imagine drowning while feeling like all your organs are exploding and your blood is on fire.

    Tian could, in fact, imagine it. He had experienced that in the past. He shuddered. Kept digging. Shuddered again. ¡°You mentioned the snake¡¯s gallbladder?¡±

    Grab one and cut it open- I¡¯ll show you. Start from just above the tip of the tail and start peeling the skin off.

    A few messy minutes later- Yes, you have your finger on it now. That tiny thing. It has a few uses. Properly prepared, it helps improve vision and correct minor vision ailments. It helps clear out coughs by making it easier to spit out mucus. But what we are really interested in are the last two effects- its impact on male vigor, and its ability to clear meridians.

    ¡°Male vigor? What does vigor mean?¡±

    Tian, when you were in the womb, something very bad happened to you. I don¡¯t know if it was from the moment of conception or later, but you were born sterile. Unable to have children of your own. You would probably never develop normally even if you survived long enough to hit puberty due to glandular problems and¡­ other stuff. It¡¯s a mess down there, Tian. On the off chance you lived to adulthood, the Heavens assuredly did not want you to breed. So anything we can do to help you rebuild all that is a very, very good thing.

    Related to that- you know the situation with your meridians. Normally they aren¡¯t something that can be regrown, but if your body was in a special state, who knows what might be possible? So the gallbladders are useful, if you want to use them in your soup.

    ¡°And the lotuses? What makes them special?¡±

    Oh a lot of things.

    There were digging noises, and not much else. The dirt was heavy, and progress was slow.

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    ¡°Could you explain more?¡±

    Not really. Lotus lore, even mortal tier information, is expensive. And Dustless Lotuses are Earthly Person tier, with a possibility to grow to Heavenly Person Tier. Very expensive indeed. And not worth it because we can deduce things from looking at the pond. For example, it looks like lotuses are snobs.

    ¡°What? What is a snob?¡±

    They look down on other plants. They are the symbols of purity, which is another way of saying isolation and separateness. They crowd out other plants around them. They do provide an environment for other animals and insects, but they are always floating in solitary splendor, on a platform of their own creation. Alone, untouched by the muck around them. Rooted in the world, but floating above it.

    ¡°Flowers on top, snakes underneath.¡±

    Heh. That¡¯s one way to look at it.

    Tian hopped down in the hole. He could lie down in it pretty well. Then frowned. He had dug it fairly close to the pond, and there was water pooling in the bottom already. Then he smiled. One less thing to figure out- how to get water in the hole.

    Snakes below, lotus above. He looked out over the pond. There really were only lotus flowers in there. He didn¡¯t see any fishes or frogs. Just lots and lots of snakes. But the snakes wouldn¡¯t be there if there wasn¡¯t food. Tian thought about what Grandpa had said, trying to work everything out.

    The snakes and the lotuses were a team. The snakes ate the birds and insects that came for the lotuses. Then the lotuses grew in the water and dirt fertilized by the snakes. Protected from predators that would eat them. It must have been what made the snakes go crazy and attack each other- the juice from the flowers was a signal to kill everything that moved.

    But how did he get from looking at the pond to Tian Soup and a new, stronger, body?

    Maybe Grandpa had been giving him instructions this whole time. Stretching and breathing to keep healthy was the start, but it was Gourmet that made medicine. Then the poison, destroying the blood, nerves and organs. Exactly what Gourmet thrived on- poison into medicine.

    The gallbladders could probably just be eaten, they were tiny enough that he could eat them by the handful. But how to use the lotuses and snake meat? What use was the meat, other than as food? And¡­ and grandpa didn¡¯t say anything about what lotuses were good for, only what they were. Purity. Snobs. Rooted in the muck but apart from it. What can we ¡®deduce¡¯ from looking at the pond?

    The bit of the lotus above the water was the smallest piece of it. The roots were quite thick and long. Many times bigger than the flowers and the leaves. It was floating in the water, yes, but it wasn¡¯t really detached from anything- it was rooted in dirt, the same as any other plant.

    Grandpa had always said that his body was broken. So it would be like a thrown away rag in the dump- he would rip it apart and make something new from it. His organs didn¡¯t work well? Other than the ones the truffle fixed up, maybe. So there was no harm in destroying them for a bit. If his body was going to be remade, it would be better if they were destroyed.

    Then there was the snake meat and bones, as well as the lotuses. Obviously the roots and leaves and flesh had to be mashed together and mixed with the muddy water in the ¡®soup pot.¡¯ Then he would jump in and coat himself in the mix. He would keep the snake heads and use them to bite himself as soon as he did that, then swallow the gallbladders and eat the lotus flowers. And while he was doing all that, he had to run Gourmet.

    It was probably going to hurt a lot, but once he ate everything and could just focus on Gourmet, it would be a lot easier. Probably.

    It was going to be a lot of work to mash everything down into a paste. He¡¯d need some rocks and big sticks. Tian looked at the sky. There was a good bit of daylight left. Plenty of time to make everything.

    While he was bashing everything apart, he discovered that some of the lotuses had tough pods with seeds in them. Tian thought quickly- seeds were what made baby plants. And Grandpa had mentioned his ability to make babies a lot. More than seemed reasonable. Tian supposed it must be important, but he didn¡¯t get it. Still. Lotuses had a lot of seeds and seeds made babies so maybe he needed to get the seeds into him?

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat them with the gallbladders.¡± He nodded decisively. He had no idea how any of this was going to work, so maybe that would work.

    He made neat piles on the side of the now partially flooded hole. One was a heap of gallbladders and lotus seeds. The next was the snake heads, carefully opened with a stick where needed. Then a bit of a hollowed out rotten log lined with flat stones, holding the hideous mash of snake flesh and lotus root. Then a pile of the lotus flowers.

    ¡°Right. Time to cook.¡± He carefully tipped the mass of meat and plant into the muddy water, then stirred it with a long stick. It didn¡¯t take long to turn the ¡®soup pot¡¯ into a reasonable portrayal of Hell. He stripped off what few rags he had on him and after a long moment of hesitation, hopped in. Even for a junkyard rat, this was disgusting. But Grandpa said it needed to touch all of him, so he lay in the muck and ducked his face under the surface. He used his hands to get every single nook and cranny thoroughly covered. He even pushed a bit up his nostrils, into his ears and, with an iron will and an adamantium stomach, ate some of it.

    The mix was getting warmer, he noticed. Not steaming, but warmer. He could feel it starting to prickle on his skin, the combination of snake meat and lotus root apparently doing something together that they didn¡¯t do apart. Tian hesitated about what to grab next, but opted for the gallbladders and lotus seeds.

    No need to think too much, he just started choking the nasty things down. He¡¯d chew a couple of times, just to get them going more easily, and then he shoved in the next metallic tasting, wood tasting handful of nastiness.

    ¡°This is going to hurt.¡± Tian was feeling giddy, lost in the insanity of what he was going to do next. He grabbed an adder head, and jammed the fangs down on his left leg. Another adder bite on his right leg. Then his right and left arms. He reached for another and couldn¡¯t. The venom had kicked in.

    His hands spasmed. His lungs locked up as his nerves turned into fire. He could feel his blood clump and die, his heart desperately trying to pump the dead blood around his body, trying to get it out of his body. His stomach cramped, trying to void everything he had ever eaten. Every inch of his intestines were knotting and melting. Everything was melting.

    The pain of dying tissue made his vision fade, going white as the nerves in his eyes were burned away with everything else. He felt his bladder go. He saw the skin around the snake bites rotting in seconds, as black blood poured out of him. Everything was pouring out of him. The muscles he had worked so hard for were wasting into nothing.

    Grandpa Jun hadn¡¯t understated how much it would hurt. The failure was in Tian¡¯s imagination. He thought he had experienced as much pain as there was. He was wrong. This was beyond what he had suffered before. Beyond being hungry. Beyond living with perpetual burns and tearing scars. Beyond his kidneys feeling punched or stabbed six times a day. He didn¡¯t have words for it. He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it. He fixated on his plan. Pain couldn¡¯t be allowed to stop him!

    ¡°I have to get the last thing. I have to get the lotus flower!¡± Tian pushed as hard as he could. Drove every scrap of himself, every scrap of will into stretching out and grabbing the beautiful flowers. Then convulsing hands crushed the petals and dripped the juice into wide open eyes. Burning? Beyond burning. Corroding, like worms of acid burrowing in through his pupil. Like maggots of suffering bursting from the wet sack of his eyeball.

    The pain had now reached every part of him. Tian forced the mass of crushed petals into his mouth and let himself collapse back into the soup. Eyes wide open.

 Chapter 12- Dustless Physique

    ¡°I have to use Gourmet. I can¡¯t do the body movements. I don¡¯t know if I can even breathe. But I have to use it anyway.¡± Tian tried to force his body into motion by sheer force of will. It didn¡¯t work. The venom of the Three Poisons Seven Deaths Adder was not so merciful.

    Tian had carefully manufactured his own destruction, setting the remains of the snakes and the lotuses against each other within his fragile body. The seeds and gallbladders were both potent tonics, but when consumed together, their effects were magnified. Both the good, and the bad. The same was true of the mash of snake meat and lotus root, or the lotus flowers he poured onto and into himself. And circulating all through him was the dreadful venom.

    His body was breaking down. It was dying- not in bits and pieces, but comprehensively. Every nerve, every blood vessel, every organ. His bone marrow turned urine yellow, then brown, then black and liquid. His bones, supposedly strengthened by years of using Gourmet and the calisthenics, began to crack and flake. Even the lingering strength of the Stormborne Pine Truffle seemed to sublimate into the Tian Soup.

    Perched at the far end of all this destruction was the remains of Tian¡¯s brain, desperately trying to use Gourmet. Trying to turn carnage into creation. He could feel his mind going hazy. The forces battled within him, the necessary destruction was occurring, but the last step couldn¡¯t be reached. It wasn¡¯t working!

    Through the pain and rigid thinking, a memory wormed its way in. It was when he was clinging onto the tree as the Truffle strengthened him. He had the herbs, the water, and the cooking vessel. But the fire? That was his will. That was his determination. Tian tried to scream through a ruined throat and force his body to move.

    He might as well have tried to pick up the sky. He could be as willful as he wanted, but there was nowhere for his ruined fingers to get a grip. Tian refused to care about that. He demanded that his lungs breathe. Demanded that his limbs move. That the destroyed nerves once again spark with life and command his flesh. Tian strained against his corpse-body, furiously bashing it with his will. He would live. He would live!

    Tiptoes on the razor''s edge, swaying and getting a clear view of the heavens above and the abyss below. Tian threw all his determination upward. To soar.

    Had Tian asked, Grandpa Jun might have told him that Stormborne Truffle can be grated over certain soups, resulting in remarkable transformations.

    It started with his brain. His brain had been patched up by Grandpa years ago, but it was still in rough shape. Now? Each little cluster of light, each intersection of axions and dendrites, each fold of the brain and twist of nerves was remade with spooling threads of vital energy. And this time, made right. Then the organs grew back, glands reforming, lymph nodes smoothing and refilling. The nerves stretched outwards and down as the spinal column reformed. His heart rebuilt itself. His lungs grew and filled his chest.

    On and on the rebuilding went. From his very core to his outermost skin. The disgusting muck seemed to boil around him, clearing at visible speed. Even the mud settled out and down, quickly leaving an ugly boy floating naked in the puddle. But his transformation was far from complete.

    Inside of him, invisible networks of meridians and acupoints formed. Twelve major meridians ran up and down his body, twining through his organs, then spreading through the rest of his body. You could see, with very special eyes, that some of the meridians struggled to form. As though some intangible force was keeping them suppressed. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the medicine bath from doing its job. When the Governing and Conception vessels finally formed, there was a burst of lotus fragrance, with something meaty underneath. And very, very faintly, if you had the most exquisite of divine hearing arts, you might catch the sound of a distant bell.

    The moment is now! Here, good grandson, before you draw your first breath, cultivate this! AHAHAAHAHA! FUCK YOU, YOU RAT BASTARD! DIDN¡¯T SEE THAT ONE COMING DID YOU?!

    Tian felt Grandpa tap him on the forehead, and as the information rushed in, he thought he could feel Grandpa shouting at the sky. But that was soon brushed away by the images rushing through his mind.

    It was a way of breathing without breathing, using your pores to supplement your lungs and draw in ¡®undifferentiated¡¯ Qi. Tian didn¡¯t know why it was so important, but he trusted Grandpa so he tried it. Breathe through his pores? It sounded patently impossible but he visualized energy flowing through his body just the way the pictures showed.

    Something changed on his skin. It was suddenly sensitive to every movement of the water, every vibration sensed through the earth. And at the ragged edge of his endurance, he felt a wisp of cold air enter his body through his skin. It was pulled into his meridians and cycled through his body as the art taught.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    It was a brand new body. Its heart hadn¡¯t had its first beat. And it was already getting stronger. Much, much stronger.

    Biology, at this level of cultivation, could be deferred but not denied. His heart started pumping, and Tian sat up in a spray of crystal clear water. His breaths were deep and gasping, his lungs working like bellows.

    Ahahahaha! Oh well done. Well done! Three cheers for my grandson! Three cheers for his Dustless Physique! Three cheers for his Natal Qi reinforced meridians and Daitians! Three cheers for his python muscles and lotus breath. Three cheers for his Stormborne Endocrine system and his fully revitalized body! Three cheers for the generations he will father on this earth, and three cheers for the heavens he will pierce!

    Tian looked around and then shut his eyes hard. He covered his ears too, trying to limit the sounds. There was suddenly so much information pouring in. His brain was hammered with signals he didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Grandpa?!¡± His own voice was deafening, bouncing off his bones and rattling his head.

    Easy, easy. You are okay. For the very first time in your life, you are okay.

    ¡°Light. Noise!¡± He tried to quiet his voice, but it still sounded deafening.

    Easy, easy, now. Really, you are okay. Remember the calisthenics routine? Let''s do it together now. Up, up, up on your toes and stretch like you were grabbing the sun. Carry the sun to the right as it sets, down through the House of the Dead, then Up again with the dawn on the left and put it back in the sky. Breathing, one, two, three. Yes, just like that.

    Grandpa Jun led Tian through the routine, the familiar movements and steady breathing comforting him. It had never been so easy. His body moved and nothing hurt. He twisted, and no tendon pulled him, stabbed at him, made him flinch. He could tell all the burns were gone. All the kinks in his bones had smoothed. The knots in his muscles had untangled. He didn¡¯t know about his organs, but nothing hurt. Nothing. He flexed his fingers. Still missing, but more of them had grown back, maybe?

    He was¡­ better. Much, much better. He was barely warmed up after a full set.

    Now, about what your eyes and ears are sending you. Remember the people on the edge of the dump?

    ¡°The rock throwers!¡±

    Err. Yes. Them. Well, you wondered how they could always see you? It¡¯s because of this. Your body now has meridians. OH DOES IT HAVE MERIDIANS! AAAH HAHAHAHA!

    Grandpa Jun really sounded creepy sometimes. ¡°It must be hard, being a ghost,¡± Tian thought.

    *Cough.* Ahem. Your body is now let''s-just-call-it enriched with vital energy. Vital energy is related to qi but not quite the same, you will learn about this later. Everybody¡¯s body has vital energy in it unless their meridian network is broken. Vital energy reinforces your muscles, your organs, glands, senses, brain, everything. For most people, more than ninety nine percent of people, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s a passive thing that just happens. It doesn''t get much better or worse until your body starts breaking down and you die.

    The other fraction of one percent are cultivators. People who bring in more vital energy into their body and run it through their meridians and flesh using special breathing and meditation techniques. Eventually transforming that vital energy into qi and¡­ other things. Not everybody can do it. Most can¡¯t, in fact. You need an extra something. A special physique, meridians that absorb the world¡¯s undifferentiated qi at a certain rate above normal, a spirit dozens of times more powerful than normal, SOMETHING.

    ¡°My meridians are better, so¡­ I¡¯m hearing and seeing more? Because I¡¯m a cultivator now?¡±

    Oh you managed more than that. You gave yourself a Physique AND natal qi reinforced meridians. And dantians too, but that¡¯s a conversation for a much later day. MoohoohahahaHAAA-

    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy but the laughing is getting¡­ are you okay?¡±

    Oh, I¡¯m sorry Tian. I have a lot of resentment built up and today you helped me vent some of it. Right now, we just screwed over someone I really don¡¯t like, and that makes me very happy. The short answer is that your brain and nerves and organs have been damaged your whole life, so you have no idea what the normal human baseline is like.

    You got a dose of the good stuff on the qi and vital energy front, which does, technically, kind of, make you a cultivator as the locals would define the term. Let me explain some things very simply, and you can slowly experience them for yourself.

    Meridians- you have them now. A bare hint of python essence and a touch of lotus spirit went into their creation. Individually, both are quite common elements to a physique. Having both together is not unique, but certainly quite rare. It makes your meridians very resilient, while being very responsive to qi. They even have a slight filtration effect, keeping out more of the mortal air than most meridians do. But, because I¡¯m a sneaky old man and my grandson is very smart, very brave and very tough, at the crucial moment you learned the absolute worst breathing technique I know that doesn¡¯t have negative side effects.

    ¡°And that''s¡­ good? Somehow?¡±

    Energy cost, remember? Everything costs me insane amounts. Hell, making you practice a technique intended for prison laborers should earn me energy, not cost me a fortune. That technique is practically crippled. Don¡¯t be fooled by the breathing-through-your-pores thing, at your level, that¡¯s not a sign of quality. It¡¯s a sign of ¡°There is no way you are going to get enough qi with just your lungs.¡± BUT.

    If you have never used your meridians before. If you have never taken a single breath of the mortal air. And if you then cultivate, creating a qi vacuum inside your body and drawing in qi from the air through your pores, what you will get is some extra pure qi reinforcing your meridians and baptising your dantians.

    Natal qi is the stuff that babies are supposed to have in the womb. A sort of near-immortal qi that you lose as you scream and breathe for the first time. Having natal qi as a cultivator means that your meridians will draw in more pure vital energy and qi from now on, and will actively resist contamination by mortal qi. Qi and vital energy are different things, but you do have both. Actually, everyone has three types of energy in them but I REALLY don¡¯t want to get into that for now. Just¡­ this is a good thing. Be happy.

    Breakthroughs will be easier, spells will be more powerful, and best of all, body refinement will be way, way better. And we aren¡¯t remotely done cultivating your body.

    But, uh, don¡¯t bother cultivating using what I just taught you. Ever. It¡¯s absolute trash. So much so that it would actually slow down your future developments if you started practicing it now. So¡­ please forget it immediately.

    ¡°What about the energy you spent? Isn¡¯t that a waste?¡±

    Oh Tian, you are going to be reaping the benefits of today for the rest of your life. The natal qi alone would make you a favored son of any house this side of the Imperial Palace. And because of your ruthlessness towards yourself, you forged your own Dustless Physique. Natal qi, and a body that resists being tainted by the mortal world? I told you the first day we met. You are going to soar. You are going to pierce the heavens themselves.

 Chapter 13- Wolf Child Eyes The Sheep

    ¡°So what do we do now, Grandpa?¡± Tian had climbed out of the pit, but was still moving very slowly. He tried to keep his eyes open, but anything more than a little sliver of light was overwhelming. The same with the noise- his fingers were practically glued to his ears.

    He was naked, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to that. His clothes had never been much more than rags, and modesty wasn¡¯t a word he was familiar with. The weather was generally hot, rainy, or hot and rainy. ¡°Cold weather¡± was barely an abstract concept.

    Mmm. I¡¯m thinking you should join that sect. Whichever one it is that rules the big spiritual mountain overlooking the dump.

    Tian blinked at that. ¡°What¡¯s a sect?¡±

    I¡¯m calling it a sect- it might be a temple or monastery or some other name for the same thing. Basically an organization that is built around a religious principle which they adhere to with varying degrees of seriousness. It ranges from ¡°Be filial and other than that, go nuts¡± to ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t cultivate to Sainthood is a scrub.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa, I didn¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    It¡¯s a head scratcher for me too. Think of it as a kind of school, business and religious organization all rolled into one.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what any of those things are either.¡±

    I know. It¡¯s a big part of why I want you to join. It¡¯s time to get a grip on how to live with other humans.

    ¡°Rock throwers are bad.¡±

    Yes, but it¡¯s more complicated than that. Everything is. Would it make you feel a little better to know I¡¯m going to use it as a way to get lots more energy and finesse you some opportunities you wouldn¡¯t have otherwise? Sects are great for that- opportunities around every corner. Some offered to you, others you need to create. But they are definitely there.

    ¡°I guess that sounds good?¡±

    For example, any random cultivation method an orthodox sect offers you is going to be, approximately, two hojillion times better than the crap one I plonked in your memories. Reason enough to go, right there.

    ¡°Well. That sounds good I guess?¡±

    You want to get stronger, they provide means to get stronger. Listen, four key elements are required for cultivation: Land, Law, Money, People. If any of them are lacking, you can forget cultivating to immortality.

    ¡°What are those things?¡± Tian was pretty hungry, but he was afraid to eat anything. Given the way his other senses had improved, the smell and taste of roast snake might just kill him with pleasure.

    Land- you need a place that is rich in pure qi for cultivation. Mountains attract a lot of it. Special cultivation grounds with special types of qi are excellent resources, but generally you want pure qi. This is the simplest requirement to understand and the hardest to acquire. Good cultivation lands have people or guardians, always. There is a tiny, tiny chance of finding an undefended hidden cultivation spot, but it is always somewhere awful. At the bottom of a deep ocean trench, for example, or a hollow geode floating in magma. Something like that.

    Law- another way to talk about cultivation techniques. Cultivation techniques let you gather vital energy and qi and pile it up in your body to make you stronger and live longer. It does other stuff too, but focus on that for now. Think of it like eating magic air. In fact, let''s compare it to hunting.

    Right now you have a cultivation technique where after hunting for a night you catch a mosquito. A normal technique would have you hunt for an hour and catch a squirrel. A good method has you hunting for a minute and catching a fat rabbit. Some cultivation laws can give you special abilities too. Things like the ability to transform into an animal, to command flying swords, to run along rooftops and up walls as though you were weightless. To crush mountains with a pat of your hand. To rip open space with a thought. Normal meditation stuff.

    ¡°I thought you said there were a lot of ways to cultivate?¡±

    Tons. But qi cultivation through meditation is the most common way around here, and theoretically it provides a direct-ish path to the pinnacle. Set that aside for now, and let''s move on to money.

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    ¡°It¡¯s the thing you give people to get stuff, right?¡± Tian was hazy on the concept.

    Yes, it¡¯s basically a way to keep track of time and labor, with a bunch of other things built into it. But mainly time and labor. Let¡¯s take Tian Soup as an example. You kludged together a medicinal bath with some stuff you found in the wild. It took you a couple of weeks, all told, to get everything you needed, you had to risk your life repeatedly, you suffered unimaginable pain, and you still needed some good luck in the form of finding everything. The end product wound up working quite well for you, but you couldn¡¯t say you got the full medicinal benefit out of all your ingredients.

    ¡°I¡­ okay?¡±

    Or you could find an alchemist, pharmacist, doctor, or even an experienced senior with a medicinal bath recipe and exchange some¡­ I don¡¯t know, spirit stones, celestial gold, sword marks, whatever they call the local currency, and have them put together a recipe for you. Someone else gets paid to gather the ingredients, to process them, to make sure you have a safe place for your bath. Then with the time you saved, you can do something else. Cultivate, forge a new weapon, study a new combat technique, whatever.

    ¡°I guess I can understand that.¡± Tian didn¡¯t really, but he sort of got the idea. That was the problem with Grandpa¡¯s explanations. Once he explained something, you would have a dozen more questions. What was a pharmacist? Or an alchemist?

    Which brings us to comrades. It doesn¡¯t matter if you have two armfuls of treasury bills if you can¡¯t spend them anywhere. That means you need reliable people around you. People who will do what they promise. People who will protect you from rock throwers, and even help you throw rocks at other people. They can be people who you work for, who work for you, comrades by your side. A partner or partners who can accompany you on your journey through life. Teachers. Family. Pets, even. With good people, your cultivation journey will be much smoother, much safer, and infinitely more enjoyable.

    ¡°I can understand what you are saying, but I can¡¯t really understand.¡± Tian waved his hands helplessly. How could he? He had done everything for himself for as long as he could remember.

    Aren¡¯t you and I people together?

    Tian got very quiet for a while. Grandpa Jun chuckled and continued. That¡¯s for later. Let''s start with teaching you the difference between red and green, as well as how to pay attention to some sounds and let your hindbrain manage the rest.

    They spent the rest of the day by the pond. Tian had to relearn how to use his body. Everything was unfamiliar, largely because they didn¡¯t hurt. When they played Elbows, Knees and Toes, he could kick over his head now. He could twist his body so flexibly, he worried he was missing bones. Each breath he pulled in seemed to be four times the size of what he used to manage, and every exhale left his mouth like a javelin. And for some reason, smelled like lotuses.

    The calisthenics and Gourmet were not neglected either, though they didn¡¯t seem to be much help. It was more the sheer joy that came from being able to do them effortlessly. To reach a degree of perfection in his form that was impossible before. To stretch his body to the utmost limit of his reach, not the limit of burnt skin or short tendons.

    The jumping games had become effortless too, his balance and accuracy reaching unprecedented heights. He pushed faster and faster, the little songs racing from his lips as his feet drew illusory paths over the dirt. Grandpa laughed and laughed.

    How would you like to combine a jumping game with Elbows, Knees and Toes?

    ¡°Can we? That sounds fun.¡±

    Oh yes we can! Come, make the marks where I tell you. This is going to be really interesting.

    Grandpa Jun started marking out a much bigger set of circles and points, many of them up on trees or on branches stretching out over the pond. The game had suddenly become intensely three dimensional.

    ¡°Grandpa, do you really think this is possible? Those are way too high!¡±

    Give it a try. Really push yourself.

    Tian jumped up, aiming a kick at a branch ten feet above him. He spun in the air, bringing his leg up high, and his heel came down like a falling ax. The branch snapped in half. Tian landed on his ass in shock.

    ¡°How?¡±

    You are a lot stronger now. A LOT stronger. Welcome to your new body, Tian. I think you are going to love it.

    When Tian jumped up, kicked off one tree branch, flew across a five foot gap to another tree, kneed that tree in its stupid tree face, then did a backflip on the way back to a light, perfectly steady landing, he agreed. He really did love his new body.

    The trek back from the mountain foothills was quite a bit shorter than the trip out. He was a lot faster, and no longer had to travel at night. The food situation remained crazy. He had to forage vegetables and greens, but meat delivered itself directly to him. Whether he wanted it or not.

    ¡°How come we keep getting attacked?¡± Tian lashed out against a screeching baboon. The baboon wasn¡¯t anything nice- nearly the same size as Tian, but with brutal teeth and long claws. It was quite happy ripping open whatever part of Tian it could reach, which made kicking it an unpleasantly exciting thing to try. Punching it was worse. Despite that, Tian was clearly stronger and faster than the baboon. He was confident he would win this fight, even if he had to pay a small price to do it. But since it was obvious to him, it should have been obvious to the baboon.

    The baboon screeched at Tian, its lips pulling back from its long canines. With an explosive leap, it jumped at his face with outstretched arms. Tian jumped wildly to the side, then once the baboon had just passed him, snapped backward with his elbow. The blow lacked refinement, but it had plenty of power. Ribs broke. The baboon screamed as it fell, and before it could rise, a tough little foot stomped down and broke its ankle. After that came the killing. Once his bloody hands dropped the rock on the ground, Tian collapsed.

    He had gotten lucky. A couple of scrapes, but no real harm was done. He was just exhausted by the effort.

    Grab the baboon and run! Hell, leave the baboon, just get your head down and run! NOW!

    Tian was on his feet with an explosive jolt and ran as fast as he could.

    Keep the sun at your back. Just run. Don¡¯t worry about anything else, just run and keep running. You may be running for an hour or more!

    ¡°Why, Grandpa?¡± Tian asked. He couldn¡¯t spend more than a breath for questions.

    Baboons live in tribes, and they kill anyone who kills one of them. Baboons hold grudges forever. The baboon you killed screamed a lot before it died, so there were definitely more on the way, and probably not far away. Did you see the nose on that bastard? They have your scent now. So unless you want to test how you would do against two hundred furious baboons-

    Tian got his head down and ran east. Two hundred baboons? No chance. He really liked his wonderful new body, and planned to keep it in one piece for a while. Having more people around to fight the baboons did sound good. And someone who could bring him roast meat. And if this is how strong he was without really cultivating, cultivation must be amazing. He would be a source of endless beatings for baboons, cats and rock throwers alike. Land, law, money, people. He was starting to see the value. He¡¯d just have to go get them.

 Chapter 14- Dressing Human

    That night, snugly tucked into a shallow cave and roasting a brace of rabbits over the fire, Tian repeated his question. ¡°Really, Grandpa. Why do we keep getting attacked? Even the rabbits attacked us.¡±

    It¡¯s an¡­ unexpected side effect of combining the Stormborne Truffle and Dustless Lotus in the context of a body reconstruction. Basically, you smell amazing. To herbivores you smell like a delicious fresh flower or fruit, and to carnivores, well, they can¡¯t really distinguish between a truffle and meat. And other things that truffles smell like. So pretty much everything is coming to check out what smells so good. And eat it. If you are lucky.

    ¡°What was that you said?¡±

    What?

    ¡°You said something.¡±

    I say a lot of things. Your rabbit is going to burn, by the way.

    Tian yelped and lifted the stick off the fire. ¡°How long is this going to last for? I can¡¯t go around getting attacked by animals all the time.¡±

    Never seen someone complain about free food so much before. And I don¡¯t think it will last forever. As you cultivate and progress your body will keep developing. It will undergo more refinements. You will lose the smell gradually. It might even go away on its own after a while, as the energy from the bath fades away.

    Tian nodded thoughtfully, and wondered about what they would do next. He still had a vague sense of the junkyard being ¡®home,¡¯ but it was already a faint feeling and fading fast. After just two weeks, he was already convinced that the forests were better. He could use fires, since he didn¡¯t have to hide from human eyes here. There was way more, and better, food. Plus unlimited building materials in the form of strong trees, leaves, vine, bark, clay¡­ the forest was a treasure trove! It would be easy as anything to live through the wet season here.

    Comparatively. He vividly remembered being buried for three days after a garbage pile slid over where he was sleeping. He lost more than a layer of skin crawling out of that. He nearly drowned. Never again. A reminder that even the discarded trash of the human world was enough to kill him. And would kill him. Not because they hated him specifically, it¡¯s just how humans were. Rock throwers.

    Tian ripped a bit of meat off the rabbit. It was wonderfully savory. He was so hungry, he¡¯d have no problem eating both rabbits. It was a wonderful night. Not too hot, not too cold, the bugs weren¡¯t bothering him, he had a full belly and somewhere comfortable and dry to sleep. Grandpa was here with him. What could be better than this?

    ¡°Grandpa? Do we really need to go to the sect? My body is fixed now, right? So even if it¡¯s a really bad cultivation method-¡±

    Don¡¯t even joke. No, if you really want to feel strong and see the world, you need cultivation. If you want to make sure the rock throwers can¡¯t hurt you- cultivation. This world needs saving, Tian. The Mad God needs killing. You have been lucky so far, and you are strong for a mortal, but sooner or later, the heavens will send something you cannot escape. So. You know. Cultivation.

    ¡°How do we get into the sect then? Without the humans killing us?¡±

    We will find out the specifics once we get to the foot of the mountain. But generally? Step one, figure out how locals dress, step two, steal you some clothes, step three, you observe local customs enough that you don¡¯t come off as a demon possessing a corpse, which all things considered is a little too close to the truth for comfort, and, four, probably join some kind of criminal organization long enough to build up familiarity with the area and secure some kind of foothold in the city.

    ¡°I feel like there was a lot going on in that answer, Grandpa.¡±

    That¡¯s because you are a very smart boy. Tian felt grandpa tousling his hair, even though his long black hair didn¡¯t so much as twitch.

    ¡°What¡¯s a criminal organization?¡±

    I¡¯m going to have to explain laws to you, aren¡¯t I?

    ¡°You said laws are a cultivation method, right?¡±

    Yes. But also, in this specific case, no. But also kind of yes. New rule- the correct answer to any and every question is ¡®it¡¯s complicated.¡¯ Let''s get into it.

    It was a really good night.

    A few days later, he reached the edge of the forest. His body had filled out remarkably thanks to all the meat he was eating. He was laying in the dirt, looking across rice paddies to some small huts.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°These are farmers?¡±

    Yep. Peasants. Serfs, maybe.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    A peasant has a right to use a bit of land and, after paying the rent and any taxes, they can keep the profits. In theory, they can leave their plot of land. Peasants often dream of their kids leaving the land and working in town or something. A serf doesn¡¯t have the right to dream. They are a fixture of the land, and essentially property. Not quite outright slaves, but it¡¯s often a distinction without a difference.

    ¡°Grandpa, I didn¡¯t understand any of that.¡±

    Lucky you. Just hang out here and watch. We won¡¯t be stealing clothes from them. They won¡¯t have anything to spare.

    Tian spent the day at the border of the woods, just watching the family below. It was utterly alien- five people, all working together. Nobody throwing rocks. They did mysterious things in the rice paddies, chased ducks around, they were even talking to each other. Some were small, just a little bigger than him, while others were what Tian thought of as ¡°full sized.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this,¡± Tian muttered.

    I know. But you have time.

    Two months after Tian left the forest, he queued up outside the door of the town¡¯s only temple.

    The town was called West Town. He had overheard that there were quite a lot of towns scattered around the mountain. West Town town was clean, with paved roads and small houses. Whitewashed plaster walls, terracotta tile roofs, long gutters next to the paved streets to carry the monsoon water to the reservoirs and paddies outside of town.

    Tian was pretty shocked the first time he saw people riding horses. How could that work? A human and an animal working together, touching each other? One not eating the other? He got used to it eventually. He crouched in a dark corner and watched a man beat his horse with a whippy stick. The way humans ¡®worked¡¯ with other species was to beat them into submission.

    It was an ugly feeling, only made worse when he hid behind a parked wagon and watched a beautifully dressed man die because another beautifully dressed man glared at them and tore a little piece of paper. The man who died didn¡¯t leave an intact corpse. His head quite literally fell off.

    Cultivators, Tian. Grandpa isn¡¯t pushing you to do this for no reason. That guy, the killer? Isn¡¯t even a cultivator. He just bought a charm or a talisman paper from someone. Probably a defective product. A real one would require strong vital energy or qi to activate, and be much more powerful.

    The people wore linen trousers and long tunics, without much distinction between the genders. Women tended to carry a short, curved knife on a rope around their necks. Men carried a longer knife tucked into a waist sash. Men wore their hair long and up, women kept it short and shaved intricate patterns into the stubble. Tian was relieved he had long hair. All he had to do was figure out how men twisted it around and pinned it in place. He didn¡¯t quite manage it.

    The food was good. Tian noticed that straight away. The food in the town was really good. The vegetables tasted better, the meat tasted better than what he hunted, and Grandpa had been right about rice- rice was bland but delicious at the same time. You put some meat or vegetables on top of the rice and every bite became amazing.

    Feeding himself meant learning how to steal. West Town wasn¡¯t very big. New faces were spotted and distrusted immediately. Still, Tian was small for his age and very patient. If he couldn¡¯t hide behind a corner, he would hide on a roof, or in a rafter, or under a garbage pile.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for the occasional half a cabbage to vanish, or a few scoops of rice to disappear from the back of an inn. Money was a little harder to come by, but once he discovered the joy of stealing from public bathhouses, he was able to gather a few coppers. Not that he spent them. He didn¡¯t want to talk to rock throwers.

    Tian still looked like a homeless kid dressed in rags, but at least he had rags. Tian considered that solid progress. Grandpa had insisted he also steal soap, which he reluctantly used. It¡¯s not like he liked being dirty. It was just his normal state of being. So why worry?

    People are a lot nicer to clean kids than dirty ones, and cuter kids have the most leeway. You don¡¯t know how to be cute, so you will just have to be clean.

    Tian didn¡¯t argue. Grandpa was clearly right- he saw parents forcibly scrubbing yelling kids all the time.

    The whole town was run by the Temple. This was, Tian learned, merely a local temple, affiliated with the monastery up on the mountain. That being said, the degree of actual management by the Temple itself seemed light. He never saw anyone affiliated with the Temple, at any rate. It didn¡¯t bother the townsfolk. They were proud to have a Temple in town.

    Cultivators, again. If you know that the people who control your town could exterminate an army with a raised eyebrow, stop floods with a flick of a hand and cure pestilence with a hum, you too would be very loyal. Being a mortal is hard. Damned hard. And only getting harder.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that, Grandpa?¡±

    Short answer? Mad God. Slightly longer answer? Leaving aside your feelings about humans, would you say this is a nice place to live? For them, anyway?

    Tian shrugged and nodded. It was nicer than the villages, and the villages were nicer than the dump, so if you were willing to live with other humans, it was a good place.

    This place is run by what would be called¡­ I don¡¯t know, righteous cultivators? Orthodox? Saint Path? Something like that. They usually frame themselves with something pretty broad and positive sounding. That way, if you are against them, you are automatically the bad guy.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    They think in oppositional dualities a lot. Hot-cold, man-woman, day-night, that kind of thing. And they have a good reason to. You will learn about this very, very quickly in the Sect. Anyway, if they are good, then the other side must be bad. There is no third option. They probably aren¡¯t quite that rigid in practice, but I guarantee it¡¯s how their instincts work.

    Since there are ¡®good¡¯ orthodox cultivators here, then the bad ones must be around too.

    Tian lived in the town for two months, studying the locals. Trying to learn their rock thrower ways. Even in town, they threw rocks at him. Not all the time, but more than once. With Grandpa¡¯s strong encouragement, and the comfort of the stolen food, he endured.

    The local Temple opened its doors once every four months to let people come and test themselves, to see if they had any fate with cultivation. The requirements were that low. If they had any fate with cultivation whatsoever, they could apply to join the Temple. If not, oh well. Such is life.

    Parents usually brought their kids here when they were ten. It was, apparently, a good age to start cultivating or learning a trade. Nobody really expected their kids to be cultivators, but wouldn¡¯t they be fools if they didn¡¯t at least check?

    Fortunately for the parents, it was free. Once someone cultivated immortality, even their chickens and dogs would ascend, probably. Parents could expect at least a hundred years of good health and easy living, right? It kept the kids out of their hair for the morning, and they usually came back more willing to help out with the family businesses. That¡¯s good. And besides, it was free! Free!

    Tian tried to figure a way to break in, but Grandpa loudly explained why that was both stupid and suicidal. Having no other option, he lined up with the other kids at the very last moment. The other kids gave him plenty of room. Nobody wanted to be near the homeless kid. Their parents had warned them about it repeatedly. Being a bum was contagious.

    A heavy bronze bell was struck nine times, and the wooden gate of the Temple opened. Tian smiled a little. Time to see what this cultivation thing was all about.

 Chapter 15- At the Foot of an Endless Mountain

    The Temple was laid out in a series of long buildings. Black tiled roofs, polished wooden beams between plaster walls, long porches stretching out into graveled courtyards. A few old trees dotted the temple, offering shade and sweet smelling flowers to the nervous kids. The kids were marched into a small courtyard with a bronze bell as tall as an adult standing in it. There was a skinny old man with a long white beard leaning on a giant padded club, smiling gently at the kids.

    ¡°Welcome, children. I¡¯m Senior Brother Fu, and I¡¯m overseeing today¡¯s testing. It¡¯s a simple test. One at a time, you use this striker and give the bell a whack. Just once. Don¡¯t worry about how loud a sound you make. So long as you put your backs into it, the bell will ring. It won¡¯t sound very loud for anyone, even if you have fate with cultivation.¡±

    The soft smile widened a little. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like this is the moment that decides your fate. Such matters were decided before you were even born. Treat it as the chance to mark your entrance to adulthood. Once you strike that bell, you are saying you are ready to take on responsibilities. Ready to start helping your families. Take it from this old man- a mortal life has its charms and its advantages.¡±

    The kids did as instructed. They walked up, grabbed the club, and whacked the bell. There was a muffled doooong, barely loud enough to reach the edges of the courtyard. Then Brother Fu nodded at them and sent them to wait on the far side of the yard. The bell was covered with pictures of clouds with things that looked like a cross between a snake and a lizard poking in and out of them. The snakes had weird heads with long horns. Tian didn¡¯t know what they were supposed to be.

    Eventually it was Tian¡¯s turn. He had tried to be as unnoticable as possible, skulking along at the back of the line. Being alone in the middle of open space with all these eyes on him¡­ his body tightened up. His eyes darted from side to side as he tried to think which way to run if he needed to. The elderly cultivator who called himself Fu frowned briefly, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Tian picked up the club. It felt solid. His hands couldn¡¯t grip well with only one good finger and thumb each, but a big heavy club was reassuring. He put his back into it, and swung at the bronze bell.

    AAANG! The bell shook, sounding like the cry of some ancient beast. Brother Fu¡¯s eyes shot open.

    ¡°The first in ten years to sound the Dragon Calling Bell. What¡¯s your name, child?¡±

    ¡°I am Tian Zihao.¡±

    The elder seemed to choke on that for a moment, then settled down. ¡°Your parents had a sense of humor. Well, maybe their good wishes worked. Come stand next to me. We still have to let the others ring the bell.¡±

    The rest of the children tried and failed. A few of them cried. All of them seemed to be glaring at Tian, either openly or secretly. Brother Fu sent them off with a few kind words and ushered Tian into a small hall. It was quite bare- polished wooden floors, warm wooden walls, and a single statue at one end. The statue was of a serene looking man with a long mustache extending one hand towards the viewer. He seemed stern, but welcoming.

    ¡°That is Elder Rui Yanzi, the current elder in charge of the Outer Court of Ancient Crane Mountain. We keep a statue up of the elder, just in case he visits and the current generation of Lay Brothers haven¡¯t been alive long enough to recognize him. Not that it¡¯s ever been needed, he comes by every decade or two. How much do you know about us? I know you aren¡¯t a local kid.¡± Brother Fu sat down on a little cushion, and gestured for Tian to do the same.

    ¡°Nothing at all.¡±

    ¡°Nothing?¡± Brother Fu¡¯s eyes opened in shock. ¡°We are the preeminent sect for at least fifty thousand miles in every direction! Two million miles if you are headed south!¡±

    ¡°I never knew my parents and grew up in the forest. Some wandering beggars and passing hermits taught me a few things and looked after me from time to time, but mostly I don¡¯t know anything about anything.¡± Tian repeated the story he and Grandpa had worked out. Tian felt that it was basically the truth anyhow.

    ¡°Good heavens.¡± Brother Fu looked away, lost in thought for a moment, before looking back quickly at Tian. ¡°They didn¡¯t¡­ do anything to you, did they? Because I can promise you, Ancient Crane Mountain will hunt them to the ends of the world if need be. You need never fear them! Ever!¡±

    ¡°No? I don¡¯t think so?¡± Tian shifted around. It didn¡¯t feel good, sitting and answering questions. He couldn¡¯t help but feel seen under Brother Fu¡¯s ancient eyes. ¡°There were some people who would see me and throw rocks and yell "Go Away.¡±¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Good! That¡¯s good.¡± Brother Fu patted his chest. Then quickly corrected himself. ¡°Not good that they threw rocks. That¡¯s bad.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Rock Throwers are bad.¡± Tian thought of the horse being beaten, and how it screamed.

    Brother Fu seemed to hear something in Tian¡¯s voice because he quickly changed the topic. ¡°So¡­ We are a monastery which carries on the teachings of the Ancient Crane Immortal. What those teachings are, you would slowly learn while you study here. You don¡¯t have to join us just because you rang the Dragon Calling Bell, but you are very welcome if you do want to join. We would do some more testing to figure out your aptitude, but regardless, you would start here in the Outer Court and work your way up once you progress to the Heavenly Person realm.¡±

    Tian nodded. ¡°I want to join your Monastery.¡±

    Brother Fu chuckled. ¡°Welcome, then. I look forward to calling you Junior Brother Tian. It will take a few minutes to get the testing apparatus set up. In the meantime, enjoy.¡±

    He slapped his hand on the floor, and a hidden panel jumped two feet into the air. Brother Fu set it to one side, and pulled out a tea set. The tea was warm, and remarkably fragrant. Tian drank it gingerly, not noticing Brother Fu¡¯s thoughtful eyes.

    Tian didn¡¯t want to be tested. He didn¡¯t mind before, but now he could firmly say that he did not, in fact, want to be tested. He was fine being unknown potential. It seemed a relaxing thing to be.

    ¡°Now, I know the needles look intimidating, but don¡¯t worry! They are very sharp. Very, very sharp. Just¡­ unfathomably sharp. You won¡¯t feel a thing, as long as you don¡¯t wiggle. So don¡¯t wiggle, no matter what you feel. The needles breaking off inside of you would hurt a million times worse.¡± The lay brother in charge of the testing device smiled encouragingly.

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be intimidated. We have all been through this, and see- we all lived!¡± Senior Brother Fu smiled.

    ¡°Yes. Yes I¡­¡± Tian frowned. ¡°Did you just say that all the brothers here are the survivors of the test?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Ha. Ha. Do it.¡± Brother Fu chopped his hand, and the brother in charge of the test slapped a talisman on the eight limbed brass and iron device. The limbs shot forward and down, like spider legs piercing a particularly small frog.

    Tian was staying very still. The eight limbs were tipped by long silver needles, and they were, in fact, quite painless going in. He was glad that he got naked for the test. He would hate for them to miss.

    ¡°Alright, testing starts now. And¡­ Tian?¡± The test operator caught his eyes.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Remember that you won¡¯t die.¡±

    The needles seemed to be poked in at random points on his torso and head. He really had no idea what the fuss was about. Then he felt his organs convulse. Things were going on inside of him that he couldn¡¯t put words to. Burning, freezing, shredding, petrifying, even a sense that something was growing someplace there really wasn¡¯t room for anything to grow.

    ¡°Lungs- modest metal, minor wood presence. Liver- Powerful wood. Heart- modest fire. Stomach- Modest earth, minor wood. Kidneys- Oof! Powerful wood, significant water. Pineal gland and brain¡­ Excellent. Spine Bone Rating¡­ between High Tiger and Low Dragon! It seems we have a small dragon in our little pond.¡±

    The brother running the test sounded cheerful about it. Tian supposed that whatever a dragon was, it was a good thing.

    ¡°Good job holding still, Tian.¡± Brother Fu smiled. ¡°Now, I know this is the absolute last thing you want to do right now, but- you see that pinwheel coming down in front of your mouth? I need you to take the deepest breath you can through your nose then blow out through your mouth as long and hard as you can. There is a special prize if you can make it light up with your breath, so blow hard!¡±

    A pinwheel with a crystal in the middle of it extended down from the top of the machine. Tian did his best not to cry as he breathed in. It felt like his lungs were full of sharp metal splinters. He breathed in as much as he could, puckered his lips, and blew. The pinwheel spun, quickly picking up speed until it was an almost invisible whirr of blades. The crystal in the middle started gently glowing, with a faint picture of a lotus emerging on it.

    ¡°Inhale like a snake, exhale like an arrow, Lotus Breath throughout. Oh good job, little Brother! And not a hint of murderous aura. Which I would hope there wouldn¡¯t be, but there has been before. One last test. This won¡¯t hurt but it will feel¡­ odd. Don¡¯t wiggle.¡± The test operator smiled.

    There was the strangest sensation, as though a cold wind was blowing through his veins while tiny ants were crawling around inside of him. He barely controlled the flinch.

    The arms pulled up and away. ¡°And we are done!¡± The brother operating the device leaned over and conferred with Brother Fu. They then turned to Tian and smiled.

    ¡°Excellent news, Tian. Your body is very suitable for cultivation, particularly the wood and water elements. You seem to have some relation to lotuses, which is a fine thing, and your meridians are exceptionally pure and smooth. Provided you make good use of your opportunities, it is entirely possible for you to reach the Inner Court and be promoted to True Disciple by the time you are thirty!¡±

    The two saw how lost he looked, and laughed. They lead him outside. Strong looking Brothers wearing uniform blue robes and white trousers were drifting about, moving across the gravel and up over the walls like clouds.

    Many of the Lay Brothers were sparring, hands and feet moving like lightning, their clashes booming like thunder. Others were standing rigid, two fingers raised in front of their noses, commanding small swords to fly about. As they passed, everyone stopped and nodded politely. Some made meaningful eye contact with Brother Fu and the Brother who operated the testing device.

    ¡°Does thirty years old seem very far away? Are you perhaps wondering why we are all so friendly, despite how vicious you know people are?¡± Brother Fu asked.

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°Because everyone in this Temple, regardless of how old they look, is actually at least one hundred years old. Many of us are nearing our second century. I¡¯m the oldest, and I¡¯m a little more than two hundred. The last child who rang the Dragon Calling Bell was an utter genius and is already practicing in the Inner Court.¡±

    Brother Fu¡¯s smile was mild and benevolent. The brother who ran the testing machine was showing a much less enlightened leer of satisfaction.

    ¡°He is earning us great merits as he wins tournaments, completes sect missions, and generally acts like a credit to Ancient Crane Mountain and our West Town Outer Court. Merits which directly improve the benefits we receive from the Monastery. And he was just the latest in a long, long line of disciples we managed to get promoted.¡± Brother Fu chuckled, stroking his long mustache.

    Tian nodded again, clearly bewildered. The brother who ran the machine butted in.

    ¡°We¡¯re farmers, little brother. And our best cash crop is promising juniors. Get ready, kiddo. You are going to be one hell of a cultivator!¡±

 Front page of Rising Stars in Six Days! So have evidence of my dark history...

    Last night before I went to bed, I saw we hit the front page Rising stars. That''s rising stars in six days. I can''t even... That''s mind-blowing to me. That''s just incredible. I want to thank you all so much for your continuing support, and I hope to have you as readers for a long time to come. Right now is the biggest growth period of the story, so anything you can do to spread the word and tell your friends is going to be a big help in making it a success. I really mean that. The fact that we have come so far so fast is really down to you. Let me give you an excellent example.

    My Patreons already know this, but for those of you who are new (heh. new. on a week old story.) my original cover was some particularly sloppy AI slop. My current cover was put together by one of my wonderful patreons, who whishes to remain nameless. BUT I KNOW WHO SHE IS! And she is awesome. But why did she feel so moved that she volunteered to make me a new cover?

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    She saw what I paid for. It turns out that I, unknowingly, offended some terrible cosmic power. My curse? An inability to make or buy good covers. Dear readers, wouldn''t you be moved to pity if you saw... THIS?!

    Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a picture I paid an actual artist to make. Admittedly, I didn''t pay him much.

    And then a different Patreon hits me with this gem-

    I mean... Jesus. Yeah. That''s a bit better.

    Really. Thank you all so much for your support. It''s what makes the stories possible.

    Warby

 Chapter 16- A Touch of Death

    The West Town Temple had five hundred and twenty Senior Lay Brothers at the peak of the Earthly Person realm. Apparently that was the way it was organized- you were a novice until you had cultivated to the first level of the Earthly Person Realm, and then you were promoted to Lay Brother. You were a lay brother until you reached the Heavenly Person Realm and became a True Disciple. Most people just left out the word ¡®Lay.¡¯ It got redundant fast.

    Tian was, of course, the Little Brother or Junior Brother. Or more often, just Junior or Tian. He was the only person in the temple still in the double digits, age wise, so it seemed fair to him. Plus everyone was much taller than he was. It was reasonable to call him little.

    He was expected to refer to everyone as Senior Brother, or if they were friendly, Brother and their family name. It seemed odd to refer to people so much older as brothers, but there was a very simple logic to it. As far as the Sect was concerned, they were all the same generation of disciple.

    Want a higher status? No problem! Just become a True Disciple and enter the Inner Court. Your generation would advance, making you a ¡°Martial Uncle¡± or ¡°Martial Aunt¡±. What¡¯s more, you would have the possibility of earning the rank of an Elder. And Elders could cover half the sky with one hand, entrusted by the sect with heavy responsibility.

    He learned a lot. Especially since his seniors were terrible gossips.

    Tian was quite capable of sitting very quietly and very still, preferably behind rocks, pillars or in dark corners. Sometimes lying on the roofs or on rafters, if practical. It was easy to ignore him during the heat of practice as one might ignore a sleeping cat next to a sandbag.

    A senior brother would wander over to chat with the senior brother Tian was watching. They would share the latest news from around the Temple and the town. And a mysterious world slowly emerged.

    It didn¡¯t take long for word to get around about the new, and only, Novice. He might be a bit ugly, and it was a bit disgusting looking at his hands, but he was even tempered, ignorant as a newborn duck, and listened closely when you told him things. It was hard to dislike him, even if their aesthetics rebelled against the idea of a mutilated cultivator.

    Blindness, perhaps, could be accepted when matched with playing a zither or cultivation of a sublime medicinal art. A one-armed swordsman could find favor. A mute diviner would have a queue of clients stretching around the metaphorical block!

    An ugly kid missing most of his fingers? Pity shaded into contempt, moderated by the sheer age of the senior brothers and the fact that the boy was simply likeable, in his idiotic way. He should have been ignored, or quietly bullied. And yet, somehow, he was capable of driving the Brothers tasked with his education into a state of nervous exhaustion.

    ¡°Senior Brother, what is a contract?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, why do we need vital energy to do things?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, what is better, young cabbage or old cabbage?¡±

    Senior Brother, why is it a problem if you slept with your brother¡¯s wife?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, what is a wife?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, do we need to polish the tops of the beams holding up the roofs that much? I keep finding other senior brothers up there all the time.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother¡­¡±

    Still, it was a temple full of old foxes, and they quickly found ways to manage him. First was that, unless he had a question, Tian absolutely would not approach someone. Not a single person had a casual chat with Tian. As long as you distracted him with a task, he wouldn¡¯t ask awkward questions. He was happy to work, though it was a little awkward watching him puzzle out things. He tended to worry at problems, crouching in a shady corner and frowning as he thought them over.

    And his puzzling would often lead to more difficult questions.

    ¡°Senior Brother Jing¡­ I keep hearing about vital energy, spiritual energy and qi, and apparently I have all three already, but I need to gather vital energy and turn it into the qi I already have¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°Good question. This is quite a deep subject, and I don¡¯t think anyone in the Outer Court is a real expert, let alone in our West Town Temple. But I can explain the basics.¡± This from a senior brother who looked like he beat tigers to death with other tigers. Quite soft spoken despite the large scar running from his hairline to his chin.

    ¡°Qi touches everything, is in everything, passes through everything. It is one thing, qi, but it¡¯s also a lot of things. That is, there are lots of different types of qi. You could think of it as a type of energy that fills the world. Anyway. The world is filled with chaotic qi. That sounds scary, but it¡¯s not. It just means it¡¯s not been filtered out and separated into more immediately useful sorts of energy. Imagine you were cutting apart an animal for meat while saving the hide, the bones, the claws and teeth, draining the blood for eating later- you get it.¡±

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°So inside your body there are three elixir fields, also known as the dantians. Each has its own name and function, but right now, we are concerned with the lower dantian. One isn¡¯t better than the others, and low-middle-high just points to where they are in the body. As Earthly Person Cultivators, we can¡¯t really make use of the middle and high dantian beyond what our bodies do naturally. And they do operate naturally, since the day you were born. So don¡¯t worry about them. You will naturally learn about the other dantians when it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Senior Brother.¡±

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    The brother tapped Tian¡¯s belly a couple of fingers below his belly button. ¡°This is where it is. Draw a line two or three fingers below the naval inward, and up from the very middle of your crotch. Where those lines intersect is your lower dantian. Also known as the golden furnace.¡±

    The senior brother rubbed the back of his wide head looking a little awkward.

    ¡°You will have to ask Brother Wong or Senior Brother Fu for all the details, but¡­ The lowest Dantian takes chaotic qi and transforms it into vital energy in your body. It¡¯s the home of your vital essence, and the qi you inherited from your parents. Ah¡­ sometimes called natal or pre-heaven qi.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­?¡±

    ¡°So what is vital energy, and how is it different from qi generally? It¡¯s the energy your body uses to get stronger. It¡¯s what it uses to stay healthy. It is literally the source of physical power, sexual potency¡­ don¡¯t worry about what that is for now¡­ and it warms and nourishes the meridians and the organs for the whole rest of the body.¡±

    The big man moved his hands awkwardly, trying to explain simply something he had understood intuitively for a hundred and fifty years.

    ¡°All the qi that are transformed and refined by the middle and upper dantian have their origin here. When we talk about arts, we are talking about ways to harness that vital energy and divert it to another purpose than nourishing the body and the qi. Fighting, usually. It¡¯s also why cultivation arts are insanely precious.¡±

    His big eyes looked inquisitively at Tian.

    ¡°Because the other arts spend energy, but cultivation gathers energy.¡± Tian smiled. He had put it together, and felt very satisfied.

    ¡°Very good, junior! Now just spend the next century or two filling in the details.¡± The big man chuckled, rubbed the back of his head and strolled away. It looked like he was taking normal steps, but Tian noticed he was moving as fast as a diving bird.

    The second trick the brothers found to distract Tian was that Tian enjoyed martial arts a lot. They were the only thing that saw him voluntarily leave his dark corners. Unfortunately, the arts favored by the Temple were sword arts and fist arts. How do you teach those to a kid missing most of his fingers?

    ¡°Palm arts are the most suitable for you. Tricky to master, of course, but quite powerful. However, to truly make use of them you need to be able to circulate your vital energy and, frankly, have a significant degree of compatibility with yin qi. Which we generally don¡¯t test for.¡± One of the senior brothers said.

    ¡°Apparently you have to check some organ functions that are a pain to spot. Beyond my knowledge. Anyhow. You are still a mortal. Cultivate to the fourth level of Earthly Person cultivation, and then we can get you started on the Thunderous Palm Technique. Eh¡­ at Level Thee we can pair you with a weapon art so you won¡¯t be completely helpless.¡±

    ¡°Brother, how many levels are there in the Earthly realm?¡± Tian asked. He had heard people talking about different cultivation levels, but he didn¡¯t know how it worked. It sounded like the first proper cultivator ¡®realm¡¯ was ¡®earthly¡¯ but he didn¡¯t know what those terms ment. Or ¡®level,¡¯ for that matter.

    ¡°Nine, but functionally ten.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more polite to say ¡°Pardon?¡± if you don¡¯t understand something.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Wait, do you not understand¡­ you know what? I¡¯m going to ignore that. The reason we say ¡®functionally ten¡¯ is because after Earthly cultivation, or Earthly Person Realm more formally, is Heavenly Person Realm. Sometimes we call it a stage, but it¡¯s all the same thing. To reach the Heavenly Person Realm, you need to create a single breath of immortal qi. You will learn more about how that works later. For now, you just need to know that the key issue is a single question- what exactly is immortal qi?¡±

    Tian blinked at the senior. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Me either.¡± The senior Brother shook his head. ¡°I wish to hell I did. We all do. Basically every Brother still in the Temple is Level Ten. You can cultivate steadily, and even if you aren¡¯t very talented, you will eventually reach the peak of Level Nine. You can purify your vital energy, strengthen your meridians, hone your cultivation art to a fine point¡­ but it won¡¯t get you across the line into the Heavenly Person Realm.¡±

    The Senior Brother looked tired.

    ¡°You have to understand something of immortality. You need to have that spark of enlightenment to evolve the fire in your middle dantian, and convert vital energy into immortal qi. And that¡¯s the tenth level. Standing on the precipice of immortality, desperately trying to see through the mists.¡±

    ¡°That sounds incredible.¡± Tian stared at the senior brother, his eyes wide.

    ¡°It is. It is also a tragedy.¡± The senior brother shook his head. ¡°It is a test of fate- how can one demand a revelation? It can only be chanced upon, not sought.¡±

    Tian nodded seriously. Then waited.

    ¡°So¡­ what is a palm art?¡± Tian brought the conversation back to where it started, unable to endure the silence and the senior brother staring deeply into the sky with his hands clasped behind his back.

    ¡°What it sounds like- striking with the palm. What is sometimes called soft, or internal, martial arts. Your fighting with elbows and knees would be called a hard or external martial art- something to tear muscles and smash bones. Internal martial arts destroys organs. But obviously the range is much shorter, the useful target areas are much smaller, and developing the penetrating force that makes the arts effective requires vigorous vital energy or qi. Not very popular when fighting on the Southern Border, but quite popular amongst the people of the rivers and lakes.¡±

    The senior brother could tell that Tian wasn¡¯t following. The senior brother walked over to a wooden post wrapped in thick leather.

    ¡°Now, I can kick this thing in half, but I wont for the purposes of demonstration. Just¡­ this is hard martial arts-¡± He gave the post a kick that was so loud, the sound bounced off the white plastered walls of the courtyard. ¡°And this is soft martial arts.¡± He slapped the post, but the sound was muffled. Tian reckoned he could have made a way louder slap.

    ¡°Did you see?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother. I watched closely.¡±

    ¡°You watched, but didn¡¯t see. Give the post a kick.¡±

    Tian took a little hopping step towards the post and then spun around, his heel coming up over his head to lash into the leather pad.

    The whole top of the waist thick wooden post went flying and landed in a cloud of splinters.

    ¡°I. Um. I didn¡¯t mean to do that?¡± Tian shrank back.

    The senior brother roared with laughter. ¡°No, but I did! The yin arts destroy from within, yang from without. But even within a yin art are yang principles like the penetrating force, and within yang arts are yin principles like relaxation. Masculine and feminine in balance; all creation and destruction arising from this principle.¡±

    ¡°Which is which?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Yin and yang, which is which?¡± Tian asked.

    ¡°Yin is the feminine principle, yang the masculine one.¡±

    Tian looked at the exploded stake. ¡°I can see why you keep women away from the Monastery.¡±

    ¡°What? We don¡¯t. They have a convent on the other side of West Town, but it¡¯s still part of the Monastery. We just run the town administration here because the mortals get weird if the women run it.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Scared of mummy?¡± The big man grinned.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Mummy? Your mother?¡±

    Tian shrugged.

    ¡°Tian, do you not know your mother?¡±

    ¡°I do not.¡±

    ¡°Your father?¡±

    ¡°Not him either.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡± The senior brother''s voice trailed off, looking awkward. ¡°Well. In a way, a fairly horrible way, you could view your misfortune as a blessing.¡±

    Tian forcefully controlled the urge to say ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    The senior brother¡¯s face twisted into a bitter smile. ¡°Seventy years is a respectable mortal life. Eighty with good food and good fortune. The most blessed might barely see one hundred, though they won¡¯t be much more alive than dead. And you will live, unless you die from accident or violence, at least two hundred years. You have a strong wood affinity, right? So even without breaking through to Heavenly Person realm, you could live to two hundred and twenty without too much trouble. You could bury your great, great grandchildren in that time, never mind your parents.¡±

    The senior brother looked down at the shattered stump. ¡°That, too, is yin. And from that yin, I was born, as were my siblings and many, many other things. Nevermind. You will slowly learn all this. Go see Senior Brother Fu. He has something for you. Something very good.¡±

 Chapter 17- A Tree to Fill The Sky

    Brother Fu kept a small courtyard in one of the back corners of the Temple. It was cozy, with raked gravel surrounded by short, wide canopied trees, a tiny pond and a bird bath. The house itself was unpainted wood, weathered by sun and rain and topped with the same black tiles every other building in the temple used. It had just two rooms, from what Tian could see.

    The main room had a small bookshelf, a little table, and a few cushions on the floor. The only decoration was a picture of a Crane leaping out of a pond and flying into the heavens. There seemed to be nothing else. It was all the luxury its owner desired.

    The two sat on cushions in the main room, and Tian listened attentively.

    ¡°I promised you a prize if you could light up the crystal when you took your aptitude test. And here it is.¡± Brother Fu patted a small booklet, the spine stitched together, and the covers made out of thick paper. ¡°Our Ancient Crane Monastery has a few core texts that belong to the orthodox lineage of¡­ you don¡¯t know what I am talking about.¡±

    ¡°No, Brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°We have a lot of cultivation methods, a few that we really approve of, but not all of them are good for everyone.¡±

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°The one I picked out for you is a less popular one, but still considered orthodox- that is, still recognized as part of the essential traditions of the and I have lost you again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good one.¡± Brother Fu smiled softly as he stroked his beard. ¡°This is important, so just remember what I¡¯m saying even if you don¡¯t understand it right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°Your first step towards immortality is to enter the earthly realm through the mortal gate. Basically, you were a mortal, now you are starting to become something else. Not really an immortal, but expect to be called that. You are cultivating immortality, you see?¡±

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°The Earthly Realm is the broad cultivation realm everyone in the Outer Court, which is made up of the various town temples and convents, are in. We cultivate vital energy, which strengthens the body as well as other useful things. But everybody is a little different, and different people favor different elements. You therefore need a cultivation art that suits you.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense Senior Brother. The complication is this- Cultivating vital energy never stops being important, even when you become a Heavenly Person Realm Cultivator. You would need a qi cultivating art that works well with your vital energy cultivating art. One of the reasons sects like our Ancient Crane Monastery exist is because we have very well established legacies of cultivation arts. Arts suitable for all sorts of people, at every stage of their development.

    ¡°So this is an art that is good for me and has a good next¡­ thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. Can you read it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Senior Brother Fu.¡± His little hands opened the booklet Brother Fu handed him, the stumps of bitten away fingers pressing the thick paper flat.

    Advent of Spring- Five Seasons First Law

    The tree knows the sun and the moon, the earth and the heavens, and the changing of the seasons. It is of the wood element, rooted in earth, filled with water, reaching for fire and sharpened by gold. All elements can be found within it.

    Within you is the tree, you are the tree, you are becoming the tree, the tree that connects the earth and the heavens, the mortal and the immortal, growing in accordance with nature. The tree digs mightily through the earth and reaches effortlessly for the sky. The winds and rain only strengthen the tree, the tree does not fear them.

    The tree grows in primordial chaos, bringing order and blessings to the world. Sap does not remain still in the tree, so let your breath be ceaseless as well. The tree is the seed sprouting, the branches spreading, the first leaf accepting the heaven¡¯s blessings. Above all, remember that a tree is Wood and Wood is the transformation of yin Water into yang growth!

    ¡°Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Junior?¡±

    ¡°I think the person who wrote this was kicked in the head. Brother Fu, are you alright? Are you choking, Brother Fu?¡±

    Senior Brother Fu banged on the floor, causing his teapot and cups to pop up. He viciously poured himself a cup and slammed it back without the faintest hint of immortal detachment. It took a second, slower cup to steady him enough to look at Tian.

    ¡°Boy, I dare you to say that around some of the other Senior Brothers. An Inner Sect disciple might just slap you dead on the spot. I might just slap you dead on the spot! Kicked in the head? Kicked in the head?!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what I said that was wrong. He says I¡¯m a tree, and that there is a tree growing in me. There isn¡¯t though. I would know. I don¡¯t have leaves. Or roots. See- I have most of my toes.¡± He lifted a foot, only to have it shoved back down again.

    ¡°Metaphors just don¡¯t reach you, huh?¡± Brother Fu didn¡¯t quite snarl.

    ¡°Metaphors are lies, right? I think I remember- they are lies people tell to make a point.¡±

    That one was a three-cup job, with a refill of the leaves and the water, heated with a firm slap.

    ¡°You know, I am now fully convinced you were educated by bums in the jungle. I knew you were feral, but the jungle-bum thing was still a question. Lies? LIES?! Metaphors point to the truth! They are meant to help you see the truth.¡±

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    ¡°But they aren¡¯t the truth themselves, right Brother Fu? And if they aren¡¯t the truth, then aren¡¯t they lies?¡± Tian tilted his head, blinking.

    Brother Fu gave him a hard look, then glared down into his roughly glazed tea cup. ¡°Tea leaves in the shape of clouds, trouble is certain. Naturally, naturally. Ancestors give me strength.¡± He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then refocused on Tian.

    ¡°The author of the Advent of Spring- who was the venerable Myriad Blessings Child and the first disciple of the Ancient Crane herself, by the way- did not believe that the readers of the cultivation art were trees. He did not expect an actual tree to grow in you. He did not expect your blood to be replaced by sap, that you would sprout roots, or have your skin turn into bark.¡±

    Tian started to ask a question, and was ruthlessly ignored.

    ¡°What he did expect was a bit of imagination. He expected the reader to take the tree as a model and grow. He wanted people who cultivated his art to reach for the truth beyond the physical and the mundane. Encouraging them to engage with the art and study one of the core forces of the universe, so that they would have an easier time cultivating the wisp of immortality they would need to reach the Heavenly Person stage. Not to mention all the other benefits this art provides you.¡±

    ¡°A tree, Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°The Wood principle of the five elements in the form of, yes, a tree. Starting as the tiniest seed, and eventually, hopefully, one day, growing into a divine tree. A tree so big it unites the whole cosmos!¡±

    Tian looked down at the manual. His hands shook. ¡°This can give me cosmos tree powers?¡±

    Brother Fu nearly spilled his tea. ¡°Of course not! It¡¯s a foundational art suitable for anyone with a particularly strong wood essence in their body. It will help you gather your vital energy, refine your physique, extend your life and¡­ Tian, there are a few reasons I asked my master to get this for you.¡±

    ¡°What are they, Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°In addition to being a truly excellent foundational art, it has two particular characteristics. The first is that it is very stable. It¡¯s not a fast method, nor a slow one. So long as you aren¡¯t using another art, you can run it all the time. Just learn the breathing pattern. Likewise, the vital energy and qi it refines is very calm. The second reason is that it is, unquestionably, the best cultivation method below the Heavenly Person Level for healing oneself. Cultivate it well, and your fingers will grow back.¡±

    Tian jolted at that, immediately looking down at his hands. His index fingers and thumbs were the only complete fingers, Everything else was missing at least the first, and sometimes the second, knuckle. Not tidy cuts- even now, even after some healing during his body reforging, it was clear that his fingers had been chewed off.

    ¡°I wonder what that will be like. It will be easier to hold a spear, for sure. And tying knots. It was hard to weave fences with just four fingers, but you have to or the little ones would come and eat you while you sleep.¡± Tian¡¯s voice sounded a bit absent.

    ¡°Do you¡­ not remember how it happened?¡± Brother Fu¡¯s voice was soft.

    ¡°No. I was six when I woke up. I was told I was six, anyway. I don¡¯t remember what happened before then.¡±

    Brother Fu sighed and let it go.

    ¡°You did well, little Tian. Incredibly well. You survived and didn¡¯t lose your human heart. Read the manual again, then start trying to feel your vital energy. I will help you cycle it the first few times, just so you learn what it should feel like. Try to memorize it quickly- it¡¯s only being loaned to you for a month.¡±

    Tian obediently did just that. A half hour later-

    ¡°Fast! It¡¯s circulating too fast, Brother Fu! The qi is pouring in much, much too fast. I¡¯m going to burst!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s slow. That¡¯s a nice, steady pace you have there. Don¡¯t worry, your body is processing it all just fine. Feel that qi making its way into the Golden Furnace dantian down by your guts? It¡¯s all working well. Nicely pure qi too. You won¡¯t have so many impurities to clear out when you reach Heavenly Person stage. Makes the breakthrough easier. Lucky you.¡±

    Brother Fu hesitated a moment. ¡°That leads me to a point. No, keep cycling your vital energy. One of the virtues of the Advent of Spring art is that it is steady. Just breathe and cycle, and listen carefully. We need to talk about pills and natural treasures.¡±

    The old man sounded dead serious. ¡°Don¡¯t take any for as long as you can. Your pure qi and low bodily impurities are your greatest capital right now, because your only real goal is breaking through to the Heavenly Person stage and getting promoted to the Inner Court. Any pill that you could get in our little place would ultimately harm you. Don¡¯t let a desire for a momentary surge of power distract you from your ultimate goal- transformation of your mortal qi and flesh into immortal qi and heavenly body.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what those things are.¡±

    ¡°I know some of them, Brother Fu.¡±

    Time seemed to come a bit unstuck in the Temple. He had lessons with Brother Fu almost every day. The two would sit in the elders¡¯ little courtyard and learn about the world from books. Mostly about how to live with other people. When Tian asked when they would study cultivation, Brother Fu would just smile and say they were.

    Brother Fu was always like that. He occasionally lost his temper, got frustrated or irritated, but he usually was like his pond- calm, and soothing to be around. Tian slowly got comfortable sitting a little closer to the old man, or even joining him at his little table.

    Some days, Tian couldn¡¯t stand sitting out in the open and would lean up against the wall. Brother Fu never mentioned it, or seemed bothered by it. He just patiently sat behind his little table or out on the stones next to the pond, and told Tian about great heroes who wandered the countryside, righting wrongs, making friends and deadly enemies, and always confronting the evil Heretical cultivators wherever they were found.

    They sounded completely impossible, until Brother Fu gently pointed out that Three Nights Hwang from the story was actually Senior Brother Hwang, previously most remarkable for his incredibly thin, ratty looking beard. The ¡°Five Blades of the Green Valley¡± could generally be found loafing by the practice fields, and ¡°Poetry Saint Zhu¡± was the fussy looking little man who liked to sit in tree branches and write with a long brush.

    They weren¡¯t myths. They were his brothers.

    Tian often thought about his first meal at the temple when he looked at those senior brothers. Everybody washed up together, then trooped into the dining room in a neat line. They sat according to seniority and some rules that Tian didn¡¯t know. The big rules that were explained to him were this- there was no speaking during dinner, you drank only warm water and ate only from your bowl. Above all, you didn¡¯t ever touch the food with anything other than chopsticks or a spoon.

    Tian sat where he was told. Mortal servants came in and laid out huge buckets of rice on the tables, platters of steamed or roasted vegetables, and even some savory smelling meat. Pitchers of water were laid out, and every place had its own chopsticks and spoon. Everybody sat. Tian wanted to dive on the food at once, but not a single person made a move, and he wasn¡¯t daring enough to try and snatch food from them.

    Brother Fu said a short prayer, sat, and picked up his chopsticks. He picked some long beans fried with spicy peppers from a bowl, and put them in his bowl before contentedly crunching on one. Then everyone else dove in like they hadn¡¯t eaten in three years.

    Tian managed to use the paddle to put some rice in his bowl, but was stuck on what to do next. He had seen people using chopsticks in town, but only his index finger and thumb were long enough to hold a stick. His middle finger was too short. The bottom stick just fell off. He tried holding both sticks in his fist and using them as a scoop, but he barely snagged a single grain.

    The brother next to him patted him on the shoulder and pointed to Tian¡¯s spoon. Tian nodded and grabbed it. When he looked back at his bowl, it had mysteriously filled with steaming vegetables and fatty meat. The Lay Brothers all looked at him, and grinned.

    Meals were a major part of every day, and soon became one of Tian¡¯s favorite things. Meals were not simply offered, they were mandatory. The silence became comfortable. No one looked unhappy and everyone could fill their bowls with as much of the amazing food on the table as they wanted.

    The Senior Brothers liked to flick their food around- stealing from each other¡¯s bowl or delivering a particularly juicy morsel to a friend. Nobody stole his food. He didn¡¯t know how he would act if they did. Instead, they competed to see who could steal a juicy piece of meat from a Brother, and immediately flick it across the room and make it land in Tian¡¯s bowl. The Senior Brothers never missed. Tian ate until he thought he would be sick.

    Tian got a little room of his own. The bed was so comfortable he wanted to cry every time he lay down. It was so comfortable, he couldn¡¯t sleep in it. He slept on the floor, under the bed. The rooms had roofs that kept the water out, and walls that kept predators out. There weren¡¯t even gaps in the walls for the little rats and foxes that wanted to eat his fingers and toes and cheeks and tongue.

    He was safe, and fed, and, to his surprise, happy. Even if the Senior Brothers insisted on calling his wonderful room a cell. Apparently, all the Lay Brothers lived in cells. Just one more thing he learned at the Temple.

    It was three months before he tried to sleep on the bed. He couldn¡¯t manage it. The anxiety kept him up. The floor under the bed wasn¡¯t bad at all, really, especially once he folded a blanket under him.

    Grandpa kept quiet almost all the time. Too many sharp ears, he said. Not safe for Tian to talk to him, which meant that it wasn¡¯t safe for him to talk to Tian. That was alright, Tian could still feel Grandpa¡¯s hugs

    One ordinary day, Tian was sitting on a rock, watching the sky. He imagined what it would be like to drift between the clouds. To explore them, like they were the huge jungle trees, or the paths between garbage heaps. He felt the Advent of Spring reaching up towards the sun as he cycled his breath and suddenly he was the span connecting earth and sky.

    Tian reached up, pulling that intangible earthly energy upwards as his breath pulled the sky down. The qi sank through him, all the way to the root of him, the lower dantian. The golden furnace warmed the cool air, letting it rise again as vital energy. He could feel it warming his body, nourishing his flesh and bones. He could feel it brightening his eyes and softening his skin.

    It was a miracle. It was cultivation. Tian stretched the broken twigs of his hands up into the sky, and lost himself in the wonder of it all.

 Chapter 18- The Dreadfulness of a Vine

    Tian was a little disappointed to receive merely a pat on the back and an ¡°Attaboy,¡± after his breakthrough. Nobody was interested in making a fuss. He got the distinct impression that his brothers would be equally impressed if he fell off a log. He sulked about that for a bit, but quickly got over it.

    Cultivation felt good. Cultivating helped Tian calm the anxiety he would feel, often for no reason that he could explain. Perhaps it was all the open spaces, or knowing that people were watching him. Cultivation calmed him. Tian felt more balanced, somehow. And the changes to his body! It was like every breath nourished his flesh. He didn¡¯t know he was starving until he learned how to eat qi. He loved the feeling.

    Even sweeter- cultivation was easy. It was so, so easy! You just had to breathe a certain way and send the energy moving around you in a fixed pattern. No problem at all; everything flowed smoothly.

    Not everyone was so fortunate. His senior brothers often described cultivation as leading a herd of horses into a barn by yourself. Doable with skill and effort, but exhausting and dangerous. Pills could rapidly speed things up, Tian heard. They were also impossibly hard to come by, at least here in the Outer Court. He didn¡¯t worry about it. He didn¡¯t have any money anyway. Besides- he liked cultivating. Why would he want to skip past something he enjoyed?

    A little before the one year anniversary of his arrival at the Temple, he proudly reported to Senior Brother Fu that he had reached level three.

    ¡°A bit ahead of schedule, but that¡¯s great. You have worked hard. Ready to learn your first combat art?¡±

    ¡°Very ready, Senior Brother. Though I did wonder if I could get other abilities as well.¡±

    ¡°LIke what?¡±

    ¡°Weaving a hut from saplings with a spell, that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°When you are old enough to go adventuring, you will have opportunities to earn a storage ring. Just keep a tent in there.¡±

    ¡°Tents break. I might lose my ring. My own power is¡­ my own.¡± Tian struggled to put it into words, but Brother Fu understood.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not something that can be achieved with vital energy, but there are other utility arts that you can use. They will be available in the scripture library, but not for free. Now that you have lived under our roof for a year, eating our rice and receiving our teachings, it¡¯s about time you contributed.¡±

    Tian nodded. That made sense. ¡°How can I help?¡±

    ¡°Beat the absolute piss out of a girl.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Tian turned and started walking off, only to get his collar snagged by a laughing Brother Fu.

    ¡°A specific girl. And please don¡¯t beat her until she actually pees, the Convent would burn our little Temple to the ground if you did. I suddenly had this image of you walking around the street asking girls if they needed to pee.¡±

    Tian firmly shook his head. ¡°I would never!¡±

    ¡°Oh no?¡±

    ¡°No. Rock Throwers cannot be trusted. They might hide the truth. I would beat them first, pour water down their throat, wait, then beat again.¡± Tian nodded virtuously.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the feral response I should have expected. I have been meaning to ask, what is it with you and people throwing rocks? It¡¯s not a nice thing, but I don¡¯t think you can classify the whole town as ¡°rock throwers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the town.¡±

    Brother Fu waited. And waited. Eventually, he asked- ¡°So who is a rock thrower?¡±

    ¡°Anyone who might throw a rock at me. Which is everybody who isn¡¯t a Senior Brother.¡± Tian didn¡¯t notice the emphasis he put on the words ¡°Senior Brother.¡± Brother Fu did.

    ¡°Is that something that happened a lot?¡± Brother Fu chuckled.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The smile drained away from the old man¡¯s face.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong, I suppose. Even within the Outer Court, and certainly within the greater Monastery, there are rock throwers. The person I want you to fight hopefully isn¡¯t one of them. It¡¯s a friendly spar between the brothers here and the sisters in the Convent. We are brothers and sisters, after all. One day soon, you will have to trust your back to a sister as you fight against the heretics and demons. Safe chances to spar and make friends are rare.¡±

    ¡°Make friends?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing, little Tian. It might even be the best thing. And to that end, we are going to introduce you to a kid about your age over at the Convent. And just as her seniors and your seniors are sparring, you are going to square off with her too. Do well, and there will be rewards. More techniques, access to special places, good stuff. You don¡¯t have to win- you can show off your abilities without winning. But everyone likes a winner, and losing is habit forming. Win.¡±

    Tian nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to learn the Temple¡¯s traditions of beating women. Brother Fu, you are choking again. Brother Fu, should I slap your teapot? Brother Fu? Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°In the Earthly stage, you can send your vital energy through your body and through specially prepared tools. There are pretty much every sort of combat treasure you can imagine, from swords, to spears, blow darts, fans, daggers, tridents, staves, glaives, chakram, claws, armored gloves¡­ it goes on and on. And naturally, there are accompanying combat arts for each of them.¡±

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    The brother in charge of the armory was sloppy, with a little paunch on him. He was the first person in the Temple Tian had seen with stubble on his chin. He sprawled in a big bamboo chair, seemingly uninterested in anything but the scroll in front of him and the calabash of wine by his side. Tian didn¡¯t believe it- he could see the viper in his eyes.

    ¡°Your first training weapon is loaned to you until you can pay it off doing missions. The corresponding combat art is a benefit provided by the Monastery, but don¡¯t be fooled. You will be paying for that too, in the end.¡±

    Tian nodded. That all made sense to him. He was still pretty vague on money, but it made sense that you had to work to get things.

    ¡°Let me guess- flying sword?¡± The sloppy man smiled.

    Tian shook his head.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s a classic for a reason. Elegant, masculine, versatile, provides all the benefits of both ranged and melee weaponry, and you can train it all the way to the highest of heavens. Most people can¡¯t wait to get their hands on a flying sword. Or are you a spear man? Fiery yang energy ready to explode outward, dominating the battlefield?¡±

    Tian held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m Level Three, so I can¡¯t make the sword fly. I can¡¯t hold the hilt strongly either. Same with spears and daggers and all that.¡±

    The sloppy man sniggered. ¡°Maybe a blow dart or something? Hidden needle art?¡± He waved Tian into the building. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything except the weapon you choose. Take a good look around before you pick. You will recognize pretty much everything in there. At some point, someone in this Temple got bored enough to practice it on the martial field.¡±

    Tian walked into the storehouse. It was well lit, but otherwise it could have been almost any other hall in the Temple. Polished wood floors, warm wooden walls, with red pillars holding up a high tile roof. Along the length of it were tables and racks, displaying the stored weapons and the little pamphlets describing the accompanying combat arts. Tian was surprised to see it all laid out like this, without even so much as a watchful dog guarding it.

    Then he remembered the brother outside, who was a peak Level Nine. In this Temple full of old men who were also at peak Level Nine. In fact, the only person here who wasn¡¯t at the very precipice of immortality was him.

    They probably wished someone would try something. The Brothers, Tian had noticed, loved fighting. The most popular two locations in the Temple were the Mission Hall and the martial arts practice courtyards.

    He walked along the shelves and tables, smelling the lightly oiled steel and warm wood. The swords and sabers were simple but highly functional. You could imagine the sound as they cut the wind and sliced flesh. Like awful beasts slumbering- the weapons just wanted to be woken and allowed to feast.

    ¡°Not for me.¡± Tian shook his head and walked past without much regret. He knew himself. The Brothers who used swords and sabers were tall and strong. Always charging forward in their spars, hacking directly at the enemy and seeing nothing else around them. It didn¡¯t appeal.

    You could only use a sword as a sword. You could only use a saber as a saber. A staff was more flexible, almost infinitely so, but it also relied on grip strength. That also ruled out every other polearm. The flying needles were ignored without a second glance. They were only good for delivering poison, and Tian didn¡¯t rate poison as something very useful.

    That left a few options. Bows- out. Daggers, both flying and otherwise- possible, but again, too limited. He finally landed on the rope dart.

    The yellow rope was about ten feet long, and the heavy steel dart was about five inches tip to tail. There was a red tassel, a brilliant puff of string fibers tied just behind the dart. He looked at the combat art that came with the rope dart, and quickly nodded. It was all about improving the control of the rope, letting the user manipulate it like another limb. It didn¡¯t do much to improve the lethality of the dart, but Tian wasn¡¯t fussed about that. He could think of plenty of ways to kill someone with a rope dart.

    He picked up the hank and walked to the front door. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°A strange choice, for your first weapon. A bad one, actually. The demands a rope dart places on you are more than merely physical, and the physical requirements are very strict already. Why this one?¡±

    Tian let the rope lie loose in his left hand and started spinning the dart with his right. He threw it out, letting it snap like a biting adder. He caught the rope with his elbow, shifting his body and making the heavy iron dart whip over the dry earth with a threatening hum. He was clumsy, in the sloppy man¡¯s eyes. He was clearly experimenting, trying to figure out how his seniors made the head dance and spin.

    The guard scratched the stubble on his chin, letting his eyes narrow before relaxing. ¡°How many times have you used the rope dart before?¡±

    ¡°This is my first time, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°You picked it because it puts no real requirements on your ability to grab.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I wanted a weapon that could do the grabbing for me.¡±

    The guard snorted and a thin book appeared with a wave of his hands. Tian¡¯s eyes widened. This must be the storage ring that Brother Fu mentioned. It seemed incredibly magical.

    ¡°This is the Snake Head Vine Body art. I¡¯ll let you guess why it¡¯s called that. Return it when you have memorized it or two weeks have passed, whichever comes first. If you have questions, ask your senior brothers around the practice field. At this point, we have all learned it.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows this art?¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows all the combat arts in the Temple. They are cheap to borrow, and the years are long. You don¡¯t know it yet.¡±

    ¡°Know what, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°The horror of a long life. I can feel Senior Brother Fu glaring at me through the walls. Scram. Go study and kick that little missy¡¯s ass at the spar. I can¡¯t abide people who act arrogant because of their connections. Go.¡±

    Tian studied. The book was mercifully short on words and packed with pictures. Each page was filled with tricks, each with accompanying diagrams. It was quite important to follow the diagrams carefully at the beginning, the book explained, as failure to do so may result in the always embarrassing ¡°stabbing yourself in the face¡± scenario. What made the art instantly attractive to Tian was that it came with its own qi diagram, and that diagram suddenly gave Tian a hand he could trust.

    He imagined his vital energy like one of the long roots of the lotus, or like a jungle vine, or even like one of the adders. It stretched along the rope easily, filling all the twists. It really was some kind of special rope- Snake Head Vine Body didn¡¯t work when he tried it on the laundry line. And once he could reliably control his rope, he used it constantly. From that moment on, nobody in the Temple ever saw Tian parted from the rope dart. He would tie it around his waist like a belt, or over his shoulder like a sash, or make a hank out of it and tuck it inside his robe.

    ¡°Little Brother Tian, do you love the rope dart that much?¡± One senior brother asked.

    ¡°Yes. It is the best for me. Not for everyone, but definitely for me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Tian smiled and whipped the rope off his waist. The dart flew out and snipped a ripe mango from a tree. A slight shift brought the rope over to the falling fruit, and a flex of his qi made the rope loop around it, becoming tacky to the touch. A little hook with his elbow, and it all came flying back towards him. He snagged the fruit in flight, as the rest of the rope whipped around his waist once more. The dart was neatly caught by a seemingly careless loop left in the wrapping process.

    ¡°It would be hard for me to climb that tree, Senior Brother. But now I don¡¯t have to. And if I did have to, I have a rope that would let me climb wherever I wanted. If I was chased off a cliff by a tiger again, I could throw the dart into a crack in the cliff face, and get down safely. Even if there were eagles attacking again, I would be safe. It¡¯s a snare, it¡¯s a hunting spear, I could even use it to keep the reeds up when I need to make a shelter. A rope dart is perfect for me.¡±

    The senior brother looked a bit boggled by all that, but eventually decided to just laugh. ¡°Well I see you have clearly thought it through! I¡¯m glad that it works for you.¡± He shook his head and started to walk off before stopping. The beefy man slowly looked back over his shoulder. ¡°Wait. What do you mean again?¡±

    ¡°Want a mango, Senior? It¡¯s very good.¡±

    The Senior Brothers were good sparring partners, but they did have a tendency to gossip, and not worry about including Tian in their gossip. This meant that he was frequently bewildered. For example, why did everyone start laughing when Brother Wu had a fateful encounter with a jade beauty, only to learn that she was a practitioner of the legendary Sunflower Manual? Were some women made of stone? Did Brother Wu have a thing for green women?

    More worrying were questions like- What was the significance of Brother Tai being sent to patrol the Southern Border? Why did it make everyone grim, and start muttering about reaching out to old comrades? For that matter, what even was a ¡°Southern Border?¡±

    Sometimes, the brothers went out at night and came back with cold faces and murmurs of ¡°To the uncaring Heavens, human life is no more than straw dogs and clay oxen.¡± He didn¡¯t want to ask what that meant.

    He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise when he saw the returning Brothers. His mostly amiable big brothers were clearly not kind people all the time. They, too, were predators. Senior Brother Fu had warned him indirectly. Everyone likes a winner, and losing is habit forming. He believed that.

    Right now, he was under their protection, and had nothing anyone wanted. But as soon as he started doing missions, he would have things. He would become fat meat. Predators got to keep their food when other predators didn¡¯t dare come and take it. If he didn¡¯t keep his things, he would become thin, and thin was a short step from dead.

    Tian started spending the entirety of his day out on the practice fields, only stopping for his time with Brother Fu and meals. He sparred as much as he could without injury, trusting that the senior brothers would know how to check their attacks. Spears, swords, sabers, flying daggers, staffs, halberds, meteor hammers, even people with rope darts. The hidden needles gave him fits, as did the barehanded fighters. Both for the same reason- they could ignore the rope or control it unless he was very careful.

    He learned very well all the lessons his seniors taught. And if they had the uncanny sense that he was studying them and not just their techniques¡­ well. What harm could an eleven year old boy be?

    Brother Fu sent the word down barely two months after he got his rope dart. The ¡°friendly sparring session¡± would be held in three days at the Convent. Tian just nodded. He was quite ready to prove he could keep what he killed. Looking forward to it, even.

 Chapter 19- A Rock Thrower Called Hong

    The procession from the Temple to the Convent followed strict rules. As soon as the sky started shading towards dawn, a mortal servant was sent out with a bell. Tian could hear it as it passed out into West Town. There was a certain cadence to it- three rings, then two, then three, then four, then three and the pattern repeated.

    He was required to bathe, and put on a clean robe, clean pants and new shoes. His long black hair was carefully folded, twisted and pinned in place with a wooden pin shaped like a dragon. His rope dart was formed into a hank, and tucked into his robe.

    Just before noon, the Lay Brothers formed a procession. Senior Brother Fu stood at the very front, Tian at the very end. Arranged outside of the Temple were mortals dressed in gaudy silks and bright chainmail. Tall spears with red tassels, carried by strong, scarred men, formed up as the procession left the Temple gate. A stern man and woman walked ahead of the Lay Brothers, ringing their own bells. His bell was deep and sonorous, hers high and bright. The two tones contrasted and harmonized as they walked. Drummer boys took up the time, beating steadily on the warmed goat hides.

    As the procession walked out into West Town, the Townsfolk came out and prostrated themselves. Whole families, from the eldest and most sickly, to little babies that should have been on their mother¡¯s hip, all knelt on the paving stones and bare dirt, their heads pressed to the ground. Some, the most finely dressed or heavily armed, took a single knee and clasped their hands in front of their faces, eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

    Tian thought they were afraid. They smelled like fear, envy and perhaps even hate. But above all, fear. He could see some kids his age. Were they the ones who struck the Dragon Calling Bell with him? He couldn¡¯t tell. Probably some of them. But so what? He didn¡¯t know them. Their faces were already fading from his memory. In another year, their faces would be forgotten entirely. In sixty years, they would be feeding the worms. But Tian would be here.

    For the first time, Tian truly appreciated the gulf between mortal and immortal. Immortals weren¡¯t simply older, or stronger. They were above the masses. It was the gap between Earthly Person and Heavenly Person- a single thought, a single breath, a single glance from fate, and one was lifted over the other. The two were as far apart as Heaven and Earth.

    He wasn¡¯t someone who had to hide anymore. Not a single one of them would dare throw a rock now. They couldn¡¯t hurt him even if they did. He was someone that the townsfolk couldn¡¯t even look at. He didn¡¯t have words for the feeling. Like his chest was expanding and he was rising up to the sky. That he already was the sky, looking down on everything.

    Grandpa¡¯s hand pressed gently on his shoulder. Remember, thou art mortal. At least for now. Don¡¯t look at the townsfolk, look at your Senior Brothers. That¡¯s who you should measure yourself against.

    Tian felt heart settle down and his feet pressed more firmly on the ground. He looked at his senior¡¯s backs. They didn¡¯t look much different. Maybe they were standing a little straighter and moving with firmer steps, but not much changed.

    They must have done this more than a hundred times, even if they only did it once a year. This wasn¡¯t worth being proud of. They were all at the peak of Level Nine, the so-called Tenth Level. Waiting for that first breath of immortality. Trying to understand what their predecessors were talking about in all those cultivation manuals when they spoke about being trees, or mountains, or the ocean.

    The bells and drums lead them on, through the town, past the farms on the outskirts. No farmers in sight. No chickens or ducks or buffaloes. Nobody working in the fields, or kneeling by the paddies.

    Empty and still, except for the insects buzzing and the wild birds landing to feast on the little eels that lived in the ponds. All that stinking humanity just vanished, and they took their livestock with them.

    It seemed that the villagers weren¡¯t even worthy of entering into the sight of the Immortals.

    They walked to a little hill overlooking the river, about a mile from town. The Convent looked similar to the Temple- white plastered walls wrapping around courtyards with black tile roofs. The paths were flagstones set in gravel, and they tended to paint their pillars red too. If there was a particular difference, it was that they had more places to sit. Tian noticed it immediately. Lots of little benches and clusters of stools under trees or lining courtyards.

    The procession ended at a large square covered in gray flagstones. The Lay Sisters of the Convent were waiting for them.

    The Sisters had the same robes that the Brothers wore, and the same leggings. The main difference, to Tian¡¯s eyes, was the hair. Men wore their hair long and twisted and pinned with wooden pins. The women had their hair cropped close, with patterns and shapes carefully shaved around their skull. One might have a flower blooming on the back of her head, another would cover their scalp with repeating geometric patterns, yet another might have waves crashing against her temples.

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    ¡°They must help each other,¡± Tian thought. ¡°There is no way they could do that for themselves.¡± He remembered the Senior Brother who came by that morning to help him pin up his hair. He thought it was just because he was new.

    ¡°Brother Fu, welcome back.¡±

    ¡°Sister Bai, it¡¯s good to be back.¡± The two lead their delegations in bowing towards the other side.

    ¡°Usual rules?¡± Senior Sister Bai asked.

    ¡°Naturally. And since we both have cute little juniors this year-¡±

    ¡°It feels quite fated, doesn''t it? Little Hong just broke through to Level Three the other day. But she can hold back against your junior.¡±

    Brother Fu laughed. ¡°It really is fated. Our little Tian just broke through to Level Three as well. It¡¯s true that fists and feet don¡¯t have eyes, and injuries are normal in a spar. That being said, we should probably make their weapons safe before turning them loose.¡±

    Sister Bai started to roll her eyes, but seemed to catch a hint of something in Brother Bai¡¯s face. She barely raised half an eyebrow and nodded.

    ¡°Alright, nobody here is a junior except for the kids. Line up and pair off, and don¡¯t shame your homes.¡± Sister Bai waved at the crowd, and Brother Fu did the same.

    ¡°Scram, the lot of you.¡±

    Nobody moved on either side.

    Sister Bai and Brother Fu shared a long suffering look.

    ¡°Or you can stay and watch kids almost two centuries your junior squabble with toys you were bored of decades ago.¡± Brother Fu blessed the assembled Lay Brothers and Sisters with a very genuine ¡®smile.¡¯

    He got a lot of grins back. He snorted at them and turned towards Tian.

    ¡°Tian Zihao, come forth.¡± Tian stepped forward.

    ¡°Hong Liren, come forth.¡± Sister Bai called, and a girl walked out of the line across from Tian.

    Hong Liren was a head taller than Tian. Her hair was trimmed into a sea of flames, which fit the strands of red hair mixed in with the black. Tian wasn¡¯t very clear on what counted as pretty, but she probably was. More than that, she looked hostile. Her fist clenched firmly around a spear. She seemed eager to use it.

    Tian bowed. He had been told repeatedly that he must bow when he met someone, that it was terribly rude not to. Hong Liren didn¡¯t return his bow.

    ¡°Aunty, can I blind him? His dog eyes violated me. He is one of those toads you mentioned, hungering for swan meat.¡±

    Tian blinked and looked over at Brother Fu, who was apparently finding the clouds very interesting.

    ¡°Senior Brother, is it conforming to the martial virtues to beat up the mentally ill? Is the girl I¡¯m supposed to fight hiding behind the idiot?¡±

    The clouds were just downright fascinating today. So much so that Brother Fu¡¯s shoulders were shaking with emotion. Sister Bai apparently saw the same things that Brother Fu did. Neither spoke.

    Tian looked at the girl. She had her spear in both hands now, though not pointed at him. Tian pulled out his rope dart. She covered her mouth and laughed.

    ¡°A rope dart? You mean to duel with that toy? Are you a street performer? A money that dances for crusts of bread and rotten fruit?¡±

    ¡°I have lived on moldy bread and rotten fruit.¡± Tian nodded. ¡°Rice and fresh vegetables are better. I¡¯ve never seen a monkey dance, though. Do we just fight, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Fight? Do you think you are worthy to fight me?¡±

    Tian thought about it seriously, his one good finger scratching his chin. Hong Liren visibly recoiled at the sight of his hands.

    ¡°No, absolutely not. A mutilated monkey is not worthy to fight me. Take yourself to the dump and kill yourself. It¡¯s what you deserve. Go, or I¡¯ll stone you till you do.¡± She spat.

    ¡°NO KILLING!¡± Brother Fu yelled.

    ¡°Oh calm down you old- NO!¡±

    Tian threw the metal dart at Hong¡¯s eye. Hong whipped her spear up and blocked as she stepped to the side, seemingly welcoming the way the rope wrapped around her spear. She pulled it back, and yanked the smaller Tian towards her thrusting spearhead.

    Tian fell forward, but as he did, he yanked the rope taut and stepped down on it. The spear point drove into the flagstones, the recoil nearly knocking it out of Hong¡¯s hands. Tian stepped on the spear and with a jump, whipped his foot towards the tall girl¡¯s head. She ducked his foot and twisted to the side as Tian landed. Hong smashed his flank with the shaft of her spear, knocking half his breath away. Tian caught the shaft with his arm and rushed in, sliding up the spear and going for another jumping kick at her head.

    Hong wasn¡¯t pedantic- she dropped the spear and fast as a plunging hawk, grabbed his leg in her strong hand. Whip quick, she yanked him even further upward before smashing him down towards the stones.

    Tian wasn¡¯t any slower than Hong. Before he touched the ground, he contracted and twisted his body like a writhing snake. Tian drove his heel into Hong¡¯s temple, causing the girl¡¯s eyes to lose their focus for a moment. The other end of the rope dart danced with his qi, snaking around Hong¡¯s neck as he broke loose of her hold.

    Hong was still moving towards the ground, but Tian used her arm as a pivot and swung around to her back, wrapping his legs around her waist. The spear flew up, now wrapped by the rope dart like a boa choking a goat. Its shaft smacked Hong in the belly as Tian looped his ankles over the hardwood. Then he pressed his knees to the small of her back, tightened his grip on the rope around the girl¡¯s neck, and leaned back hard.

    It took a long time to say, but happened faster than a spark flying off a flint.

    Brother Fu rushed in and slapped Tian¡¯s hands away from the rope. Sister Bai yanked the rope off Hong¡¯s neck and poured a potion down her throat.

    ¡°She¡¯s alright. Badly bruised and she got her bell rung, but she¡¯ll live. What kind of feral animal are you raising, Mad Dog Fu?!¡±

    ¡°Funny you should say feral. He actually is. That move isn¡¯t in Snake Head Vine Body.¡±

    ¡°No, I imagine Venerable Eight Arms probably didn¡¯t think it necessary to choke someone, break their neck AND break their spine at the same time, all while acting like the floor is on fire!¡± Senior Sister Bai snarled as she ran her fingers around Hong¡¯s neck and along her back.

    Tian walked over and looked down at the girl. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused. He stared directly into them. ¡°I¡¯m worthy. The better question is, are you worthy to fight me?¡±

    He tidied up and put away his rope dart. ¡°Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Tian?¡±

    ¡°What does ¡°worthy¡± mean? Also, if she is so brain damaged that she thought she was a swan fighting a toad, should she really be let out of the house?¡±

 Chapter 20- The Delicate Art of Enmity

    The Senior Brothers and Sisters moved faster than Tian¡¯s eyes could follow. Swords flew, driven by the vital energy and iron will of the cultivators. Spears stabbed like lightning and smashed like thunder. Maces, brutal and efficient, staff arts capable of healing the world and saber play eager to end it.

    ¡°The ability to cultivate runs in families. It does not, however, reach everyone in a family. It¡¯s normal for generations to pass between people who have the gift. The more advanced a cultivator is, the more likely they are to pass on the ability to cultivate but the less likely they are to conceive. Or want to conceive.¡± Brother Fu was sitting with Tian on stools near the fighting square. Tian didn¡¯t know why the Senior Brother was going on about this, but he still listened attentively.

    ¡°So what generally happens is that someone at the Heavenly Person stage of cultivation has a child, but that child is unable to cultivate. Now, that child can live in the Inner Court, known as Mountain Gate City to the mortals, but if they have children and none of those children are cultivators, they have to go out to the towns. Each generation removed from a cultivator is afforded fewer and fewer special privileges by the Monastery. They must rely on their own achievements in the secular world if they wish to prosper.¡±

    ¡°Secular?¡±

    Brother Fu tapped the ground with his foot. ¡°Concerned with mortal things, tied to the mortal world. It is nothing unusual for the seniors up on the mountain to spend a century or two in meditation. Two hundred years, and a mortal dynasty- don¡¯t worry about what a dynasty is.¡± Brother Fu intercepted the question, and rubbed the spot between his eyebrows.

    ¡°Mortals just don¡¯t exist on our timescale, and the more advanced the cultivator is, the bigger the gap becomes. Generally, their parents or grandparents set them up with a Landholding Estate out in the villages so their meals are more or less guaranteed, then lets them fade from memory. Until one of them can make it back to the Inner Court, and the connection is renewed¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Tian nodded.

    ¡°So what can you figure out from what I just told you?¡±

    ¡°Hong Liran is from one of those cultivator families, and one that just got kicked out of the Inner Court. But she can cultivate, so once she cultivates to the Heavenly Person Level, they can go back. She thinks she is better than everyone here, because her family is properly a city family, above the townsfolk.¡± Tian said.

    It was like the puzzles Grandpa would make for him- ¡°What animal made this paw print? Which way did it go? How long ago was it? Is it worth chasing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. It also means that she does have support in the Inner Court, which counts for a very great deal here in the Outer Court. A bunch of our brothers helped arrange the Hong¡¯s Estate basically for free- the weight of that support is that powerful. It¡¯s why she addresses Skull Crushing Devil Bai as ¡°Auntie¡± instead of ¡°Senior Sister.¡± She is, and this is complicated but just accept it for now, she is part of the same lineage of teachers that Hong¡¯s grandmother is part of. Devil Bai is technically Hong¡¯s Martial Aunt, even if her cultivation doesn¡¯t entitle her to that honorific.¡±

    Tian watched the Senior Brothers and Sisters go back and forth across the stones, none disturbing the others, though their attention was completely devoted to their partners. It was beautiful. A mad chaos of weapons and martial arts, and beautiful.

    The longer Tian watched, the more he became certain he was missing something. The brothers and sisters both used live weapons for their spars, sharp edges gleaming, heavy staffs and maces shattering the ground, each punch and kick making ripping and snapping noises as they tore through the air. That they never touched each other was a testament to their skill, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t all that was happening.

    He just wasn¡¯t sure what was.

    There was something in how they moved, each having some unique rhythm or principle to their choices. There was a sister who favored a hatchet in each hand, one blocked, the other attacked. She would strike high then low, pressing to the right before whipping back around to strike at the left, and always trying to find a blind spot.

    There was another sister who favored a saber, and she planted herself firmly and struck heavily. There was a charm to that too- a straightforward oppression, forcing her opponent to shift away rather than try and parry. And every time they retreated, she would advance. Step. Step. Step. Chop. Chop. Chop.

    Brother Meng was a boxer, and a good one from what Tian could see. He would move from stillness to an explosion of hands and feet then back to stillness without any apparent transition. He gave the sister sparring him fits with his apparent overreaches, only to find him completely recovered by the time she brought her sword into play.

    There was something hidden there, some meaning. Tian was getting pretty curious about what it might be.

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    ¡°There was another thing I was hoping you would get from my explanation.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°The polite way to say that would be ¡®What is that, Senior Brother Fu?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Okay, Senior Brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°I swear I will teach you to speak like a human before you get to the Inner Court. What I am trying to tell you, Little Tian, is that it would be strongly in your best interests to turn enmity into friendship and a grudge into friendly rivalry, because if she really, truly, hates you, people I couldn¡¯t last a single move against might kill you. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t even reach such an exalted existence. People trying to curry favor with the servants of such a person would do it for free and on their own initiative.¡±

    He¡¯s telling you the absolute truth. Grandpa Jun¡¯s voice was soft. Tian thought he sounded¡­ eager?

    ¡°I should set fire to something, distract the Senior Sisters and kill her when nobody''s looking?¡±

    Absolutely not.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Brother Fu covered the boy¡¯s mouth with his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say such a thing. I mean go apologize, or at least say something to patch things up with her.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I did anything worth apologizing for.¡± Tain shook his head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t. So what? Sometimes you have to apologize anyway.¡±

    Tian thought that sounded wrong, but couldn¡¯t explain why. So he just nodded and got to his feet.

    ¡°No killing! Or crippling! No violence generally, in fact. Friendship, or at least a friendly rivalry.¡±

    ¡°I remember, Senior Brother Fu.¡± The old man seemed stressed. Tian guessed that he probably shouldn¡¯t ask what, exactly, ¡®friendship¡¯ meant, or for that matter, what a ¡®friendly rivalry¡¯ was. The Senior Brother was a long way from his tea set, after all.

    Tian walked over to where Hong was sitting with Senior Sister Bai. Bai was about to snarl something at him, but Brother Fu caught her eye. She snorted and left the two juniors to sort things out.

    ¡°Old Thing Fu, come over here and let your Grandmother, I, tidy you up. I¡¯ll beat that dust right off you.¡± A long staff made of some ink-black metal appeared in her hands.

    ¡°Ah, Fairy Bai, your delicate voice can enchant the crows and inflame the hearts of slaughtered hogs everywhere. Same as it ever was. Let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t tune you up.¡± Brother Fu rubbed together two wide knives, grinning happily.

    The two juniors watched their teachers go at each other like they wanted each other¡¯s lives.

    ¡°I¡¯m Tian Zihao. I¡¯m eleven years old. I never knew my parents and grew up in the forest.¡± Tian said, then looked over at Hong. ¡°I told Brother Fu that I don¡¯t remember what happened to my fingers, but I¡¯m pretty sure they were chewed off by rats.¡±

    Hong flinched and recoiled.

    ¡°And for as long as I can remember, every time I tried to get close to another person, they threw rocks at me.¡±

    The girl¡¯s face twisted, emotions warring across her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to be friends, whatever that is.¡± Tian shrugged. Hong laughed once at that, an ugly, barking sound. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a friendly rivalry is either. But if you want to fight, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll fight you. If you think you should have won, then come and beat me. Just remember, though, it¡¯s only worth anything if you beat me. Otherwise it¡¯s someone else that¡¯s strong, and you are the prey they are fattening up.¡±

    She squawked at that. ¡°Fat Prey? Fat?! ME?¡±

    ¡°Brother Fu said that talents earn merits for their teachers and families, which gets them more food and more advantages. We are being raised so that we can feed our seniors later.¡± Tian spread his hands. ¡°What would you call it?¡±

    ¡°Being filial? Doing what we should? Were you really raised in the jungle?¡±

    Tian stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡°filial¡± means. Can you eat it?¡±

    Hong hesitated. ¡°Kind of.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t think we have it over at the Temple.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ believe you do. Do you know why our seniors are choking?¡±

    ¡°No, but I was worried this would happen. Senior Brother Fu is a long way from his tea. Does Senior Sister Bai have a tea pot? Or I can make a cauldron from a leaf and boil some other leaves to make a tea. I wouldn¡¯t want Senior Brother Fu to die.¡±

    ¡°Oh look, you do have it.¡± Hong slid him a look.

    ¡°No, the tea set is under the floor in the Temple.¡± Tian shook his head firmly. ¡°I only brought my rope dart.¡±

    ¡°The choking is getting worse. Maybe I should get Aunty Bai¡¯s tea set. Hers is under the floor in the Convent.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll set the fires, you steal the goods, and we will meet back here and¡­ why are you choking, Sister Hong? Is it a plague?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God. I nearly got murdered by an idiot.¡±

    ¡°No, you nearly got murdered by me. I had to fight with someone who thinks she is a swan. You are a girl. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Probably? PROBABLY?¡±

    ¡°How would I know? Anyone can cut their hair, right? But you don¡¯t have feathers or a beak or webbed toes so-¡± Tian was firm, having both facts and logic on his side. Then hesitated, as he realized he overstepped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just assumed. Do you have webbed toes?¡±

    ¡°Surnamed Tian you really are a first rate idiot!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m an upper second talent, Idiot Surnamed Hong. Maybe before you try and fight again, you could fix your brain. I recommend dissolving your body with venom and making Hong Soup, then rebuilding yourself. It works really well.¡± Tian nodded encouragingly. ¡°Then you can learn how to fight. Won¡¯t that be nice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°Not with that brain you won¡¯t. Focus on getting well first.¡± He tried to calm her down by making calming gestures with his hands.

    She yanked out her spear. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s fight another hundred rounds. If you win, I¡¯ll write my name backwards!¡±

    The hand gestures were worthless. He would have to escape.

    ¡°Can you even write it forwards now? Why would you want to write it backwards? You are a weird probably-girl.¡± Tian backed away, clutching his rope dart. ¡°Go. Shoo. Back to your cell. I don¡¯t have food. Go.¡±

    ¡°Food? You are the guest here, Surnamed Tian. Let me feed you something!¡± Hong¡¯s spear stabbed forward, forcing Tian to dodge.

    ¡°Senior Brother Fu! She¡¯s gone violent again, Senior Brother Fu! Someone needs to fetch her medicine.¡± He ran backwards, dodging between his seniors with their strangely red faces. He wasn¡¯t allowed to fight, so he could only run. He set off for the exit at a dead sprint, the spear of Hong Liren close behind him.

 Chapter 21- â€œYou Made Us Wait, Junior Brother!â€

    Nobody talked about that year¡¯s spar. At least, not where Tian could hear it. Brother Fu did start assigning him big stacks of books to read, but they were all very silly. Two months after the spar, Tian finally broke down and started asking the real questions.

    ¡°Senior Brother Fu, it says here that I should cultivate the sage within and the monarch without.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Quite a famous verse, yes. An excellent teaching on how to cultivate good moral character and ethical behavior.¡±

    ¡°Without what?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah! It means outside. Be a sage on the inside but act like a monarch on the outside. Referring to personality, not geography.¡±

    Tian nodded, then dove into the pile, pulling out another volume. He quickly flipped through, checked his recollection and nodded, slapping it shut. He stood sharply and walked towards the door. Brother Fu snagged his collar.

    ¡°Where are you off to?¡±

    ¡°I was going to burn down the villages, steal their crops and confine their women in my harem. Which, I guess, means my cell? I think it will be pretty crowded. How do you fit them all, Brother Fu? I assume they''re in the other room.¡±

    Tian was having his lesson in Brother Fu¡¯s little courtyard. The elder¡¯s house only had two rooms, so it was a reasonable guess. Tian spent a lot of time here, but had never seen the inner room.

    ¡°Cultivate the qualities of a just and wise monarch, such as judiciousness, reserve and dignity. Not the kingdom founding First Generation monarch who, yes, regrettably, often allows many deplorable acts in their hunger for the throne.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Tian nodded. A little bird landed on the ornamental tree and sang, notes tripping cheerfully across the little pond. ¡°So¡­ are they shrunk through cultivator magic, or is the room bigger than it looks or something?¡±

    ¡°There are no women in my house. No women in the Temple except when they visit for the spars.¡± Brother Fu sighed.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not like a monarch at all. All these guys have at least five concubines, whatever they are, and one had three thousand women trapped in his cell.¡± Tian patted the books firmly.

    ¡°You know what? Don¡¯t act like a monarch. Forget the monarch. I don¡¯t know why that line is even in there. Focus on the sage. Calm. Charitable. Humble. Studious.¡± Brother Fu looked like he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.

    Tian nodded. ¡°I know what those words mean.¡±

    ¡°Good! Good.¡± Brother Fu coughed.

    ¡°Shall I fetch your tea, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°What? No no, I¡¯m fine thank you. I used to drink tea recreationally, you know. Still do, on occasion. Even when I am just thirsty.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not that impressive. Changing topic, how are you progressing towards Level Four?¡±

    Tian rested his hand on his stomach, then on his tailbone. ¡°I¡¯d say¡­ three more months? It¡¯s going really slowly!¡±

    ¡°You are on the quick side of average, actually. The first three levels are nothing. The time spent cultivating each level will only increase, but after level four, it¡¯s more important that you go out and start experiencing more things.¡±

    ¡°Why is that, Senior Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°Because the entire Earthly Person realm is also nothing. What matters is breaking through to Heavenly Person. Based on my experience raising many juniors to the Heavenly Person realm, doing more, experiencing more and understanding more are all crucial to finding that spark of immortality. I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll keep saying it- everyone understands immortality differently. What one person understands won¡¯t help another cross the threshold. Even if they find what sounds like the same thing, their understanding of it will be different.¡±

    ¡°Have you not experienced enough, Senior Brother?¡± Tian¡¯s voice was soft. There was sadness in Brother Fu¡¯s eyes, and he didn¡¯t like seeing the old man sad. It hurt something in him that he didn¡¯t have words for.

    ¡°I ask myself that question often. Usually as I watch the sun set.¡± The old man flicked away the emotion with his fingers. ¡°Focus on the books. Learn everything you can, because once you are Level Four, we are going to start sending you on missions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. They sound very interesting. Ah. Very interesting Senior Brother Fu.¡±

    The old man smiled and nodded slightly. ¡°Some are, some are. Some are tedious and depressing. Can¡¯t begin to describe how tedious grain inventory is, but someone¡¯s got to do it.¡±

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    ¡°Do they?¡±

    ¡°Do you like eating rice, Little Brother?¡±

    ¡°I do, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Did you know that rice is a grain?¡±

    ¡°I did, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Are grain inventories boring, but absolutely necessary to making sure we have enough rice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing yes, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Good guess. Although generally that kind of inventory is left to mortal servants, like the cooking and laundry. Periodically, someone needs to go check they aren¡¯t skimming. Grab that pile of books over there and scram. Please try to learn the right lessons from history.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Junior Brother? He asked, knowing damn well what the question will be and regretting many of his life choices up to this point.¡±

    ¡°What are the right lessons to learn from history?¡±

    ¡°Good question. Figure it out.¡±

    Tian was usually quite obedient to Brother Fu. This was an exception. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a right lesson to learn from history. These people are rock throwers and liars. Once you realize the horse guy who killed a million other guys did it with the power of friendship, we just have to agree there is no lesson to learn here.¡±

    Tian was talking to his rope dart. Also Grandpa Jun, but he didn¡¯t look quite so crazy this way. Hopefully.

    The power of friendship and a keen understanding of what we would now term total war. He was shockingly adaptable too. Let me tell you a secret- the way to learn ¡°the right lessons from history¡± is to decide what you want to be true, then find evidence in the historical record to back up your opinion. Doesn''t matter what that opinion is, there will be something, somewhere, that justifies it. Step three is ignoring all the counter arguments and evidence that doesn¡¯t support your point. Highly effective.

    Tian sighed. ¡°It would be nice if there was some big truth to discover.¡±

    There is. There absolutely is! Huge! Monumental! Grandpa Jun was laughing one of his not very nice laughs.

    ¡°He probably means there are loads of them, but it¡¯s up to me to decide what counts as a big truth.¡± Tian thought. He cast the idle thought away.

    Advent of Spring, his cultivation art, was running pretty much all the time. Brother Fu hadn¡¯t lied. It was immensely steady. He could keep it going doing almost anything other than sparring. However, the rate of drawing in qi that had seemed so fast to start with now felt like a mere trickle. The amount coming in hadn¡¯t reduced. It had significantly increased. But the available space for it to fill had grown far, far more quickly.

    He hadn¡¯t understood why Senior Brother Fu made such a big point about staying away from pills and natural treasures. He understood now. To have enjoyed explosive growth and then see the growth rate slow to a crawl was beyond frustrating. It was maddening.

    I told you all the way back in the forest- Cultivation isn¡¯t about qi or a breathing pattern or beast souls or any of that. It¡¯s about cultivating yourself. Learning real patience when you are just eleven years old? What a blessing. What a lifetime blessing.

    Tian didn¡¯t see it that way. Since there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it, he got out his rope dart and started practicing. He¡¯d be Level Four soon enough, and that meant getting a palm art, going on missions, and generally spreading his wings. He couldn¡¯t wait.

    He was feeling trapped in the Temple. It wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been. He was more comfortable moving through the big open spaces and being around so many humans. But more comfortable wasn¡¯t the same as comfortable.

    He had to wait, though, three more long months. Five months for a single level. And the gap between Level Four and Five felt even bigger. Once he reported his new level to Senior Brother Fu, he ran off to find the brother in charge of the weapons pavilion. The sloppy fellow was still sprawled in his bamboo chair, sipping from a calabash and reading a scroll.

    ¡°Thunderous Palm Technique please, Senior Brother!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see what other palm arts are available?¡±

    ¡°Are they better than the Thunderous Palm Technique?¡±

    ¡°No, but a rope dart is a damn-fool weapon and you made it work at least once so I thought I¡¯d ask.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stick with Thunderous Palm, thank you Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Here. Fun little thing. And I¡¯m told it¡¯s quite a good foundation for Heavenly Person level palm arts.

    ¡°Senior Brother, you know palm arts too?¡±

    ¡°We all do. Most don¡¯t bother practicing them, but we do know it. Some of the heretics specialize in them, the nasty bastards. You see anyone with a black hand or finger, you watch out! Poison palm technique or poison finger technique, and they don¡¯t actually require using a poison, just vital energy.¡±

    The senior shook a finger at Tian, who didn¡¯t take it personally. The brothers were all like this, reminding him about this danger or that hazard in the field. The heretics came up a lot, but Tian still wasn¡¯t clear about who or what they were.

    ¡°You are going to start doing missions in a couple of weeks, and that means the freebies are stopping. Everything is going to seem crazy expensive to start with. But you know what? Soon it¡¯s all going to seem reasonable, and in a few years, downright cheap. By the time you reach your first century, it¡¯ll feel practically free.¡± The sloppy brother refreshed his voice with a long pull of wine from the calabash.

    ¡°Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Everyone and everything under the Heavenly Person level is a fart in the wind. Everyone is an ant, and these are the palm arts of ants. I once saw an Inner Court disciple slap the soul out of someone. I mean that literally- he gathered his immortal qi on his palm in some abstruse way, and laid his whole hand across that boy¡¯s face. Spun him six times in the air before his feet touched the floor again.

    The senior brother sounded wistful. ¡°When that boy finally managed to open his eyes, he saw that Senior crushing the ghost that had been possessing him. Tore a ghost apart with his bare hands. Then the True Disciple tidied his robe, confirmed the mission was complete, then hit a bar for wine and whores.¡±

    The Senior Brother looked envious. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even afford to smell the wine in that shop, and he was downing it like it was water. Never got a sniff of the whores either. Comparison is torture. Scram. Learn well, or that little girl Hong will chase you around again.¡±

    ¡°I know what wine is, but what¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°And I feel Brother Fu¡¯s death glare again. Scram!¡±

    Thunderous Palm Art

    Yin and Yang, eternal and inseparable, all creation and destruction arising from them. There is no birth from pure yin, no growth from pure yang. Palm arts are yin, penetrating force is yang, yet it brings decay and death which are yin. Your palm lands like thunder and is yang, yet the silence of your blow is yin. The Thunderous Palm Art contains yin and yang, and therefore the whole world may be derived from it.

    First, follow the diagram for strengthening your hands and wrists. It¡¯s called a soft art, but don¡¯t be fooled- early on, it is easy to break your wrists if you don¡¯t strengthen them first¡­

    Tian devoured the booklet, reading and rereading it. Committing every word, every picture, every smudge and fleck of flydirt to memory. At long last! At long last! He remembered the mad wolf that he strangled. He had to choke it to death with his elbow locked around his throat because that was the only way he could do enough damage. His hands were worthless, and his kicks weren¡¯t working.

    Or the tiger he had to run from. One shot to the chest or head with the Thunderous Palm Art and those organs would have exploded. He might have missed out on the Stormborne Truffle, but, on the other hand, he might have also missed out on nearly drowning.

    His hands wouldn¡¯t be a liability any more. He had a weapon he could use effortlessly, a palm art that sounded utterly lethal, and a cultivation art that ran virtually every waking second. It was even healing his fingers, although he hadn¡¯t seen evidence of that yet. By any measure, he was becoming strong.

    Tian took a deep breath and started practicing the energy patterns shown in the manual. He didn¡¯t even stand, just focused on learning the patterns. It would come.

    Two weeks later, Tian walked to the front gate of the Temple. He was, he believed, about twelve years old. He had his rope dart, a few fasting pills, and brand new shoes. Three senior brothers hopped over the wall and joined him.

    ¡°You made us wait, Junior Brother.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Do better in the future. Now- ready to stake your life for money?¡±

    Tian smiled. Ready? He couldn¡¯t wait!

 Chapter 22- Silently Taking a Life

    ¡°Introductions first. You are Junior Brother Tian. We are your senior brothers Fan, Tang and Su.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Senior Brothers. This is my first mission, so please look out for me.¡± Tian bowed with his hands clasped. His seniors nodded back, laughing.

    ¡°Naturally, naturally. Now, did you go to the mission hall to get a copy of the mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother Fan.¡± San was the eldest, Tian judged, as he had done almost all the talking. A lean man with high cheekbones who carried a saber on his hip. Tian knew he had a storage ring- all the senior brothers did. Yet he still chose to carry his saber.

    Brother Tang had a cold face and sharply upswept eyebrows. He carried a sword on his back. It was surely a flying sword, so he was unlikely to draw it by hand, but¡­ again, another senior brother who chose to wear their weapon.

    As for Senior Brother Su, he just smiled. He seemed to always smile. Tian had the distinct impression that almost nothing could persuade Brother Su not to smile. But he didn¡¯t have his weapon displayed, which made Tian take a particular note of him. Based on the other two seniors, that meant the weapon was hidden, not missing.

    Tian handed Senior Brother Fan the slip with both hands. Fan took it casually, glanced at it, and then it flickered out of existence. Tian assumed it had been absorbed by the ring.

    ¡°Go to Shallow River Village and slay the demon. Except it¡¯s not a demon, just some overgrown animal. Maybe a demonized animal if a Heretic has been messing around near there, but there would be way more casualties if that was the case. Pay- three spirit stones, five merit points. Your seniors will be taking the spirit stones, but you can have all five merit points. Since you are just starting out, you need all the points you can get.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I still owe ten points for my rope dart.¡± Tian frowned. This really was his senior brothers looking out for him, and it still would take two or more missions just to break even.

    ¡°God, remember those weapons we got starting out?¡± Fan looked over at Tang and shuddered theatrically. Tang shook his head and looked away. Apparently the memory was unbearable.

    ¡°There is nothing left in the Outer Court that we can buy with merit points that we want, need, or are bored enough to be curious about. On the other hand, we can go to Mountain Gate City, and there are lots of good things there. But they all cost spirit stones. You see?¡± Brother Su explained. His voice was a touch deep, and very smooth.

    Tian nodded rapidly.

    ¡°Good. This mission is just nice for your level. Let¡¯s not waste the Mission Hall¡¯s good intentions and go get this critter. Here, put this on. You will have to tie it up a bit, I¡¯m afraid. Nothing even close to your size in the store room.¡±

    Brother Fan tossed him an enormous dusty black robe and a big straw hat. The hat was shaped a bit like a stool- just a solid cylinder over his head, with a few holes for his eyes. To his immense surprise, it was light, breathable and didn¡¯t impede his vision or hearing at all.

    ¡°Specially prepared hats. Don¡¯t ask me how they do it because I don¡¯t know. The robes, however, are heavy cotton and if you don¡¯t hate it already, you soon will. Here, I¡¯ll help you tie up your sleeves. Just wear it over your normal uniform.¡± Brother Sui was already moving his hands, clearly expecting this problem.

    ¡°We are disguising ourselves as ascetic monks. There are thousands of these bastards running around, and a sizable fraction of them are Earthly tier cultivators in disguise. Stops the mortals from freaking out seeing immortals, or worse, forgetting their proper piety. It also keeps the monks safe, because every now and then some freak decides to kill a monk and just explodes for no reason.¡± Sui¡¯s smile seemed to become extra gentle.

    The party set off. Shallow River Village was only sixty miles away- not far even for Tian, let alone his seniors. Tian hadn¡¯t learned a body lightening art, but he still ate up the miles with ease.

    The countryside looked different to Tian, but he struggled to understand why. The paddies seemed unchanged- their stone walls and sluice gates controlling the life giving water. The rice stalks were green and tender, rising up to dance in the faint breeze. Peasants did some kind of peasant thing in the fields. Weeding, maybe. Tian knew nothing about farming, and wasn¡¯t much interested in learning.

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    They didn¡¯t look at him. He was hiding from them still, but he was hiding right out in the open. And the reason he was hiding had changed. This time, he was hiding so that he didn¡¯t hurt them.

    Which led back to their disguises, and the Seniors flat out refusal to spend even one extra minute on this apparently routine job. The Seniors wanted to move faster. Much, much faster. But doing so would make their disguises pointless. A monk running down the road faster than the best racehorses was a dead giveaway. So they came up with a little trick. It was called ¡°Strolling,¡± and it was sheer torture.

    There was really nothing more to it than walking quickly, then returning seamlessly to a slow pace. The trick was that you could only walk quickly when no one was looking. A ¡°simple¡± art, one that a mortal could master. Theoretically. Tian challenged any mortal in the world to notice when a peasant two hundred yards away and behind the rushing immortal in question turned to look at them.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon for you to manage that, of course, so you just focus on Brother Fan¡¯s back. Match his speed. How easy is that?¡±

    Tian was starting to believe that Brother Su couldn¡¯t be trusted. Senior Brother Tang never said anything at all. It made him much more reliable.

    The sensation of trying to stop and start seamlessly, going from twenty miles an hour down to four, then back up again, with no hint as to how long they walked at what speed¡­ torture. Sheer physical and mental torture, slowly breaking down his joy as strolling along the wide dirt road and admiring the green paddies, tasting the humid, sweet air and watching the broad winged herons heave themselves up into the sky.

    It was a painful journey, but it only took a day. They got to Shallow River Village after sunset. The Senior Brothers looking fresh and relaxed, Tian looking like he had been beaten with hammers.

    Sometimes, Brother Fan slowed down faster than Tian could respond, so he slammed into his senior brother¡¯s rock hard back. Tian wondered if his brother was doing it on purpose, but all the other brothers stopped at the same time, so¡­ probably not?

    Shallow River Village was a collection of shacks, with a courtyard overseeing them up on a small hill. The Courtyard belonged to a prominent family- it was the so-called Landholding Estate that Senior Brother Fu had mentioned before. The village, the fields, and even the peasants, were all the ¡®property¡¯ of the estate. Strictly speaking, everything belonged to the Monastery. Even more strictly speaking, the Emperor is far away and high above, disinterested in the injustices suffered by ants.

    ¡°Alright, we are hunting a low grade river ¡®demon.¡¯ It hides in shady parts of the river bank and hauls people into the water and drowns them. Then eats them. Pretty standard behavior for a few spirits, but given the lack of spirituality in the area and the fact it is targeting mortals, it is most likely a mutated frog or gecko or something.¡± Senior Brother Fan kept his voice down. The Mortals had petitioned for the Temple to resolve their problem, but it was best to remain unnoticed until the job was complete.

    ¡°Junior Brother, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but you haven¡¯t learned any sensory arts, right?¡±

    ¡°Sensory arts? What are they, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Seems I¡¯m right. Go to the Technique Pavilion after the mission. You can''t afford to borrow any right now, but you can at least see what they have. Basically, it¡¯s arts that improve your awareness of the world around you, helping you find hidden threats and treasures. Very useful stuff, and if you practice diligently, it will lay a foundation for developing your divine sense at the Heavenly Person stage.¡±

    Tian nodded and thought things through for a bit. ¡°I¡¯m going to be bait, aren¡¯t I, Senior Brother Fan?¡±

    ¡°You are, Junior Brother. You are.¡±

    Tian walked along the river bank, looking down. Partially hoping to see the demon, but mostly hoping to see a fat fish or some edible herbs. He didn¡¯t have any confidence in spotting an ambush predator on its own ground, even with his improved night vision. After all, it was only ¡®improved¡¯ to the level of an ordinary person.

    He stopped suddenly, and stooped, carefully picking three leaves off a small plant, leaving two to let it keep growing. He smiled and carefully put them in a pocket inside his robe. The local villagers would have combed this riverbank a dozen times a day, but the use of this plant was a bit obscure, and needed a few other ingredients. He still remembered Grandpa Jun¡¯s lessons from the jungle.

    Tian kept patrolling and kept hunting. He stooped to harvest some wild watercress, when he felt a sudden thrill of danger coming from behind him. He leapt forward, tumbling out of the way. Something long and sharp jabbed through the air where he had just been.

    Tian came up with the rope dart out. With a sharp twist, he sent the dart smacking into the water. It hit something! Tian frowned. It hit, but the feeling on the dart wasn¡¯t right. It seemed to have bounced off something, not sunk in.

    ¡°Ah. Maybe that¡¯s why people coat it in poison.¡± Tian thought. Then some hideous thing twice his size exploded from the water, and he didn¡¯t have the time to think of anything much anymore.

    The creature jumped onto the shore, almost on top of Tian. A blunt head lunged forward, long tongue stabbing forward like a spear. Tian whipped his dart forward, letting it tangle with the tongue. The tongue recoiled, fast, so fast he could hardly react. But the training on the road wasn¡¯t for nothing. As soon as he felt the pull on his rope, Tian jumped up. It was only a small jump, but the power of the pull was extraordinary.

    Tian flew up towards the great beast¡¯s face, focusing all his attention. He had managed to adjust the angle enough to avoid the mouth, slamming into the slippery forehead of the creature. It smelled of river water and something else, something he had never smelled before. Spicy, and a little unpleasant but not terribly so. He didn¡¯t have time to think. He dug his foot into the slippery skin as best he could, took a hopping step upward, and slapped his hand down between the animal¡¯s eyes.

    Tiny threads of qi extended from his hand, piercing through the thick, rubbery membrane of the animal¡¯s skin. They drilled through the bones of the skull, vibrating as they went. Finally, they pierced the brain. The vibrations sped up dreadfully, the ultrasonic ripples spreading through the medium of brain fluid and soft tissue. The interior of the skull was turned to chaotic pulp in an instant. As though a thunderclap had exploded between the demon¡¯s ears.

    There was barely a soft, wet pap sound as a little palm struck. The sound hardly made it across the stream, lost in the rushing, shallow waters.

    The animal collapsed. Tian landed next to it. He looked at his ruined hands. The gnawed upon fingers had always been a proof of weakness to him. Even after he rebuilt his body, he couldn¡¯t escape the label of ¡®weak.¡¯

    This was the first time he had to make a move in a life or death fight since he began cultivating. With one move, he could kill a demon twice his size. Cultivation gave him this. This was the strength that came from constantly practicing. Constantly moving forward. Constantly cultivating himself. Tian clenched his hands and looked up at the moon. It seemed very bright tonight.

    Which made it quite embarrassing that he didn¡¯t see the second demon come out of the water.

 Chapter 23- Mission Demon

    The tongue shot out of the water silently, grabbing his leg and yanking him down towards the stream. Tian tried to spin and attack with his rope dart, but he couldn¡¯t get any leverage, everything was wrong and he was going into the beast¡¯s mouth far too fast.

    Out of desperation, he slapped both hands against the ground and pushed himself vertical just in time to slam into the beast¡¯s nose. One of his legs was still sticking forward, down the monsters throat, and he could feel the mouth closing. He slapped out once, then a second time, felt something break as the mouth closed. Slapped a third time. A fourth. The tongue was still pulling on his leg. A fifth time, aiming for the same spot. Nothing.

    He grabbed the rope dart and whipped it into the beast¡¯s eye. It screamed and let go. Tian fell hard, whatever was already broken got broken worse. He yanked back the dart, spun it over his head and launched it at the demon¡¯s one good eye. It tried to lurch out of the way, but the dart curved impossibly through the air and tore open a corner of it.

    Blind demon. Broken Tian. He didn¡¯t like those odds. But his senior brothers were around somewhere, and they hadn¡¯t intervened yet. This was still winnable. And his senior brothers wouldn¡¯t always be there. He had fought sick and wounded more times than he had fought healthy. He bit his lip hard. ¡°Just another hunt,¡± he thought, ¡°Same as it ever was.¡±

    He almost believed it.

    Tian quickly looked around. There was a tree back a little way from the stream. He snagged a branch with the rope and hauled himself up. The demon heard him moving and pounced, tongue shooting forward again. It came close enough to ruffle the folds of his robe- but it missed. And then Tian was up on the tree branch, clinging like a snake.

    ¡°I could drop onto its back. I must not have been reaching anything vital when I used Thunderous Palm before. If I was on the beast¡¯s back, I¡¯d be sure to kill it.¡± Tian thought.

    Pain urged him to think a second time. There was a bad throbbing in his knee and hip, and one of his ribs felt the way it used to, when they broke easily. So at least cracked, and maybe broken. Perhaps even worse than that- he was low on qi. He had used Thunderous Palm six times in less than two minutes, five of them in less than thirty seconds. Now, it was trying to help heal him. Dropping on the frog would, best case, aggravate the wounds.

    The demon hopped around, roaring and hissing. Something moved in the bushes, and it spun, launching its tongue. It came back with a branch.

    ¡°So¡­ this is a dumb idea. But maybe not that dumb.¡± Tian grinned as he thought. Nobody would mistake it for a happy emotion. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than me and heavier, but maybe I can use that.¡± He started spinning the dart above his head and shook the tree branch.

    The demon shifted with a quick hop and launched its tongue at the rustling leaves. Tian whipped the dart down into the Frog¡¯s mouth. It made an unholy yell as it retracted its tongue. Tian made sure it snagged a bit of the rope as it pulled back. Then he rolled off the tree branch. The rope now made a basic pulley, and yanked the demon, and its tongue, upward as Tian slid down the rope.

    What happened next involved a very delicate bit of painful hopping and keeping the rope taught. He had to keep it wrapped around his body to maintain enough grip on it, and enough qi running through it to make it stick to the tree when the demon pulled. The demon was bucking hard. This did bad things to Tian¡¯s broken bones. But he had a demon to kill, and it was pinned in place.

    He limped over, found what he thought might be the demon¡¯s ear, and slapped it. The ruined eyes went glassy, but he wasn¡¯t sure the beast was dead. He pulled together the dregs of energy he had left and hit it again. The beast collapsed in on itself. No sign of a pulse or breath. Dead.

    ¡°Senior Brothers, if there is a third demon, I must ask you to kill it. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No no, you did quite well. There are only two demons here.¡± His senior brothers emerged on the river bank like they had stepped out of a fold in space. He knew they hadn¡¯t, they had been hiding nearby. But they were very good at hiding. The way they appeared was downright eerie. Brother Fan sounded mild as bean milk.

    ¡°I seem to remember the mission order only saying one demon, Senior Brother.¡± Tian did not sound mild. He was doing his best, but his best wasn¡¯t great.

    ¡°The mortals reported one demon, so that¡¯s what the Mission Hall posted. You will learn that this is the norm for missions. Just wait until you reach the true battlefield! Almost no mission is as tidy as the mission order makes them sound.¡± Brother Fan shrugged casually, though Tian could see him taking careful note of the state of his junior. ¡°Brother Tang, if you would?¡±

    The silent Senior Brother walked up to Tian and waved for him to lie down. Surprisingly gentle hands ran over his broken bones. Brother Tang caught Tian¡¯s eyes. Tian took a deep breath and nodded. There was a sharp pain at his knee, followed by a wave of cold, then a subtle warming. It still hurt, but not as badly.

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    The hip was more involved to reset, and the pain could be reasonably described as ¡°agonizing.¡± The rib, however, only got a glance and a head shake.

    ¡°He could reset the dislocated bones, but the broken rib is on you, I¡¯m afraid. We will take it slowly on the way back. Incidentally, that healing art he used costs seventy merit points in the Scripture Pavilion.¡±

    ¡°Seven times what it costs for my rope dart and Snake Head Vine Body?¡±

    Brother Fan gave Tian a pointed look. Tian hastily tacked on ¡°Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Brother Fu instructed us to keep on top of you about etiquette. Vitally important, as people will absolutely kill you for trivial offenses. I saw a life and death grudge form over a failure to offer a greeting, and a multigenerational clan vendetta broke out over a refusal to drink a toast. Etiquette matters.¡± Brother Su lost his trademark smile.

    ¡°It sounds like etiquette is less important than not being near the kicked-in-the-head, Senior Brother.¡±

    Brother Su jolted at that, then started laughing. It was a merry laugh, but Brother Fan and Brother Tang looked grim.

    ¡°Tian, Junior Brother Tian, Little Tian- we are the crazy ones. When you have lost everything except obsession and pride, you don¡¯t let a single goddamn thing slide. Forgiveness and tolerance are only for the weak or the transcendently strong. Understand?¡±

    ¡°No, Senior Brother. But I think I will learn.¡±

    That got a chuckle from Brother Fan. ¡°You will learn. Let¡¯s spend the night here, and head out in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Senior Brother. I could use the rest.¡±

    The next morning, the senior brothers were amused to watch Tian hack open the frog demons and, by dint of bloody excavation work and some bark twine, he wrapped the two brains in a skin parcel. ¡°Would you like me to put your trophy in my storage ring?¡± Brother Su sounded like he was choking down a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m afraid both of the brains are pretty addled from your palm arts. The ring will preserve what¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°That is very kind of you, Brother Su, thank you!¡± Tian clasped his fist in his hand and bowed, just like he practiced with Brother Fu.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Medicine.¡±

    The return trip to the Temple passed in silence and curious looks.

    Alright, good first mission! Now we can really start cooking! Grandpa Jun sounded very eager. Tian could imagine him rubbing his hands together and grinning.

    ¡°My rib is broken, Grandpa. I nearly died.¡±

    Close only counts in horseshoes and¡­ Look, the important thing is that you didn¡¯t die. In fact, you downright impressed your senior brothers. That¡¯s big. That means they will cut you loose from the supervised work sooner rather than later.

    ¡°Is that a good thing? Knowing I have backup is pretty comforting.¡±

    Far too comforting! We are in energy gathering mode. Full speed ahead. You have been doing a good job so far, but we can take this so much further. Push yourself. Learn new things. Truly master what you have learned so far. Make friends. Make enemies. The important thing is that you are out and stirring around.

    ¡°Why is that, Grandpa?¡±

    Tian had been strongly opposed to the entire concept of baths. ¡°NO TIAN SOUP!¡± he had shouted at a perplexed Senior Brother. Grandpa Jun managed to get him to soak when he pointed out that the tubs were big enough for a malnourished child to fully submerge himself in, and a kid talking to himself underwater was perfectly normal and not kicked-in-the-head behavior. Tian was still skeptical of the benefits of bathing, but was willing to scrub weekly with only a few strong hints from his elders.

    Because the more you stir around trying new stuff, going to new places and seeing new things, the more opportunities there will be to utilize your golden finger. A finger you most surely do have. And that means improving your foundation. I told you ages ago that we would be working on your foundation for a long time. Well, right now that kid Fu is kind of right about your qualifications. Based on their so-so testing apparatus, you really are a second rate talent. Don¡¯t feel too bad, that still makes you better than billions of other people. But we ain¡¯t here for second rate.

    ¡°I knew that testing device was bad!¡± Tian decided to ignore the ¡°Golden Finger¡± nonsense. Grandpa¡­ well, Grandpa could be a little odd at times.

    Yeah, it basically ignored your Yin organs, which is a bit of a damn oversight. It¡¯s a paired system, yin and yang organs working together, arranged according to the five elements and regulating the biochemical operation of your body as well as the development and flow of your qi through the meridian network, which also operates in yin-yang pairs. Or at least that¡¯s how they reckon it around here, and hell, it works okay. The thing is, though, even if it did account for everything, it wouldn¡¯t push you into the upper tier.

    ¡°Do I really want to be in that tier? It sounds like a lot of trouble.¡± Tian¡¯s voice came out as a load of blurbles, but Grandpa understood.

    You one hundred percent do, because the difference in treatment is insane. The opportunities you get, training you get, equipment, resources, spells, cultivation areas, comrades, food, every single thing that you may come to define as good, the first class talents get the best of it. The top second class talents get the best of the rest, and after that? Grandpa¡¯s voice trailed off.

    Tian thought about the townsfolk, and the villagers, and the peasants who worked for the landed estates. ¡°Serfs,¡± whatever they were.

    ¡°Can you be an immortal and a serf?¡±

    Hehehe. That¡¯s my smart grandson. Yes, you can. Functionally, if not literally. It all is quite logical- the sect has to spend resources to raise disciples and those disciples minimize the expense by doing missions. The more missions you complete, the more ¡®merit¡¯ you acquire with the Monastery. You are earning, rather than costing, resources, you see? And the faster you grow, and the more powerful you are, the more they believe their resources have been well invested. That means you will earn them a bigger profit in the future.

    ¡°But the weaker talents cost more to improve and produce less. So people will invest less in them. They will get treated worse and worse until they get thrown into the dump.¡±

    And the powerful people demand more of them every step of the way down. Signing away your soul is not a metaphor around here.

    Tian let a few bubbles out and watched them rise through the bath water. There was a little wooden duck floating in the tub. He didn¡¯t know why, but he was told it was mandatory by his senior brothers. Probably a cultivator thing.

    ¡°I should go sign up for more missions.¡±

    I¡¯d do that. And hey. It¡¯ll be fun!

 Chapter 24- A Child Doing Wetwork

    ¡°You want to do more missions, but on your own?¡± Brother Fu put down his brush. He had just written the character for ¡®knife¡¯ and Tian found it spooky. Who goes around writing ¡®knife?¡¯ Especially when there was a small heap of discarded previous attempts. A whole pile of ¡®knives.¡¯

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I don¡¯t like owing merit points, and want to pay them back as soon as I can. Also,¡± Tian had to pause and grope for the words he was looking for ¡°You all scare me.¡±

    Brother Fu went still. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Is there anything in particular that scares you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m scared that I will be eaten alive. Either when I break through and go to Mountain Gate City, or if I don¡¯t and remain here with the Senior Brothers.¡±

    Brother Fu sagged. ¡°We aren¡¯t actually cannibals, you know.¡± Tian noticed that Brother Fu wasn¡¯t meeting his eyes.

    ¡°I know what happens to small, weak things once they get a little fat, Senior Brother. The little bones go crunch, crunch, crunch.¡± Tian nodded firmly. ¡°I need to get stronger. That means taking more risks and keeping more of the rewards.¡±

    Brother Fu laughed a little helplessly. ¡°You really are destined for the Inner Court. You are right on track with where you should be on your cultivation, and you can cultivate while you move around, so strictly speaking, doing missions won¡¯t delay your cultivation much.¡±

    The old man stroked his beard. He glanced out into the courtyard and smiled. Tian looked over- small birds had gathered in the parasol tree and were squabbling with each other. They were making a cheerful racket.

    ¡°Five missions. You do five more missions with your Senior Brothers, just so they can show you the ropes. Show you the kinds of jobs we do. If they are satisfied you can carry out your duties, I¡¯ll turn you loose¡­ on appropriate missions provided by the Mission Hall. Also, ignore any mission mentioning the Southern Border. That¡¯s for Senior Brothers only.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Senior Brother!¡± Tian bowed just how Brother Fu had shown him. Brother Fu smiled slightly and waved him out.

    ¡°Senior Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Little Tian?¡±

    ¡°If there are any other characters you need to practice, I can show you how to write them. I know the three hundred basic characters pretty well, and there is plenty of dirt on the ground to practice with. You don¡¯t need to spend all your money on paper and ink and brushes.¡± He pounded his little fist into his palm. ¡°AH! Would you like me to steal some paper for you on my next mission?¡±

    ¡°Tian?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother Fu?¡±

    ¡°Scram, before you find the things I¡¯m holding for you flying at your face faster than you can blink.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother Fu.¡±

    Tian walked off shaking his head. His Senior Brother was very kind, but much too shy. Being unable to write well wasn¡¯t a shame, so long as you were trying to get better. And the Senior Brother could read just fine. He sighed a big sigh. This must be what the seniors called ¡®vanity.¡¯ He would have to carefully watch out for it in the future.

    The first job was hunting a dangerous wild dog that had taken over a pack. The second job was harvesting an obscene number of purple bamboo poles. It took weeks. The third job, however, was to kill a heretic. Twelve was, the Brothers all agreed, a little old to join their war on evil cultivators, but not too old. There were always more villains to kill.

    ¡°Alright, Junior Brother. I¡¯m going to wait here, cultivate, maybe eat a little something. Try to scream if you die so I know to avenge you.¡± Brother Su patted Tian on the shoulder. ¡°An insect like Wang shouldn¡¯t require a Level Nine like me to intervene, so if you do die, it¡¯s best you die quickly and reincarnate. Just think- in eighteen years, you could be a good man!¡±

    The warm afternoon sun seemed to add a halo of light to the beaming Brother Su. The senior brother had located a nice flat rock to sit on, and had already laid out some snacks. There was even a broad-leafed tree for shade.

    Behind Tian was a steep hill with a narrow cave entrance. Something foul had happened inside the cave, the stench clawing its way out and fouling the forest air. Tian could see stains of blood and feces smearing the entrance.

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    ¡°Thank you for your good wishes, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°In all seriousness, Bloody Cleaver Wang deserves a brutal end. Your first human killing will be a righteous act. This is your first time killing a human, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. I had wondered after your spar with the Hong girl. If it helps, think of it as putting down a sick, dangerous animal. He¡¯s not human anymore. He is a heretic. He deserves death. Killing him will save hundreds or thousands of others. You are a good person for killing him.¡± Brother Su smiled and encouraged Tian, then waved him towards the cave.

    Tian had never killed someone before. He had certainly thought about it a lot. The thought didn¡¯t particularly bother him. He had been hunting for as long as he could remember. The brutality went bone deep.

    Everyone wound up in the dump in the end. He needed to kill this man in order to get stronger, and Grandpa Jun had been loudly enthusiastic about doing this mission. So that was that.

    He crept around the entrance of the cave, crawling in from the side. He had hunted enough to know not to silhouette himself against the light. Wang seemed to be using this part of the cave as a combination latrine and dumping ground. Mostly eaten corpses were scattered around. What remained was too putrid for all but the insects and most determined carrion eaters. Tian didn¡¯t examine them closely. He had seen enough bodies in the dump.

    The ground was smoother than he expected. Litter was scattered around, but the stone was worn flat. It trailed downward slightly, extending into the hill. It got cold. A damp chill. Pitch dark too. Tian didn¡¯t bring a torch. He just followed the smell. As nasty as the rotting meat was, there was a worse stench ahead. There were a few bends in the cave, but the path never split. He found Bloody Cleaver Wang quickly.

    The lamp light was a warm yellow, burning with a faint bitter stench. It wasn¡¯t terribly bright, but it did the job well enough. You could see the large hook hanging from the ceiling, the skinny man hanging from the hook, his still living eyes watching his blood and spinal fluid filling the deep lines carved into the floor.

    The cages holding naked men and women were tidily stacked against one wall, a small bed was pushed against the opposite wall. There was a small chest, a wok and fire pit- the few necessary creature comforts, Tian supposed, for a man like Bloody Cleaver Wang.

    His target was sitting in a lotus position directly under the dying man. Tian could see wisps of faint red qi rising from the blood and being drawn in through Wang¡¯s nose. Turbid, almost black, air shot out.

    Tian¡¯s first instinct was to attack, but would a wanted man like Wang truly leave his cave so undefended? Tian didn¡¯t believe so. Tian wouldn¡¯t be this careless, and all he ever expected in the junkyard was an attack from vermin or scavengers. There wasn¡¯t even a door on the chamber, or a fence, or anything. It was hard to see clearly lying on the ground, but it looked like the cages were only held shut with a simple peg. But despite what they were seeing, not a single prisoner tried to escape.

    He carefully re-examined the end of the cave. The blood groves didn¡¯t cover the whole floor. At most, it was six feet across in a room that was closer to fifty feet wide. The lantern was on top of the chest, the bed was just a cot with nothing hidden under it, the cooking set up, likewise, didn¡¯t have any suspicious points. He examined the prisoners and didn¡¯t see anything there either. If one of them was something nasty in disguise, it was too good for him to see through.

    If it wasn¡¯t something he could see in the chamber, that meant it was something outside the chamber or against the wall closest to him. Tian carefully looked over the floor, but there were no suspicious patches of mud or piles of stones. Slowly, gingerly, he tested the floor with his fingertips. All smooth stone. Whatever the defense was, it was in the chamber.

    Tian took another careful look at Wang. Tian had read that cultivators could sense when people were looking at them, and were sensitive to murderous intent. He sort of believed it. He could certainly tell when he was being watched by townsfolk or animals, though his Senior Brothers managed to escape detection.

    The heretical cultivator had his hands formed into a peculiar shape, his legs were folded up in a surprisingly formal lotus position, his clothes were the cheapest sort of linen cloth, his shoes were ragged, his hair spilled loose and messy over his shoulders. Wang had a little tube sticking out of his mouth, a thin bone barely the length of a finger. Hollow. One notch in it. A whistle?

    If there was a whistle, what would he be calling? Where could it be hiding? He could see into most of the chamber, but not directly above the door or on either side of it. So that¡¯s where ¡°it¡± was, assuming the whistle itself wasn¡¯t some sort of attacking device itself. But Wang was a Earthly cultivator of around the same level as Tian. Tian was pretty confident that he had never seen or heard of someone using sound based attacks before. So it probably wasn¡¯t that.

    Above the door or next to the door. Something living? A talisman, or some kind of explosive¡­ something? Acid? Probably not just that, because otherwise someone with a flying sword could stand out in the hallway and kill him without ever putting themselves at risk. Bloody Cleaver Wang would need something that could kill the problem the second he sensed murderous intent.

    He crept a little closer, keeping his breath still as possible. Making sure the prisoners didn¡¯t spot him. Near the entrance to the chamber he discovered a pile of dead insects. It was a neat little heap. Gold and black striped shells, vicious ripping mandibles at the head and a inch long stinger coming out of the rear. The whole insect was almost as long as Tian¡¯s palm.

    Hornets. Which meant there was a hornet¡¯s nest above the door. Since the people inside weren¡¯t dead or screaming, the hornets must be specially bred and controlled by Wang. Which would explain the whistle. It would only take a single breath to launch a fatal attack- one that couldn¡¯t be escaped in the empty tunnel.

    Tian thought it through carefully. The smartest thing to do was go back up the tunnel and ask Brother Su for his help, or at the very least his advice. But that was expensive. Tian was coming to understand just why his senior brothers called him an investment. He didn¡¯t want to be even more obliged to any of them. Besides, admitting he couldn¡¯t solve this problem would be a sort of loss, and losing was habit forming. And losers would be eaten in the end. One way or another.

    So. With the few small items he had, plus his rope dart, palm art and cultivation method, how should he solve this problem? How should he kill Bloody Cleaver Wang? Destroy the nest and hope the hornets would go mad? It seemed a bit of a risk, but not an impossible one. He had a long rope. He could swing the dart around inside the door and trust that he would hit something. The hornets should go after the people they saw, not someone they couldn¡¯t.

    Might be a bit hard on the mortals in the cages, but they weren¡¯t part of the mission anyhow. He paused a moment, stuck on that thought. Trapped in cages. They were trapped, like the animals he snared. A snare wasn¡¯t usually immediately fatal. It was normal for animals to struggle for a while before strangling to death. He had seen it many times. They were scared. In pain. They knew death was coming, and they were helpless to stop it.

    You don¡¯t leave an animal in pain. Especially if it¡¯s your prey. You make it quick. That¡¯s best for them, and best for you. Grandpa Jun had said it over and over. Tian agreed. Killing was necessary. Cruelty wasn¡¯t. But charging into the room and attacking Wang directly was likely suicidal, and then the people in the cages would die anyway. But this was the moment Wang was most vulnerable. A big enough distraction and he would likely go into qi divergence, crippling him.

    What should he do?

 Chapter 25- Brutal Methods of the Righteous

    ¡°What if¡­ What if¡­¡± The thoughts spun and spun in Tian¡¯s mind. He knew he couldn¡¯t wait forever- the time left was dripping from the veins of the hanging man in thin streams. Wang wasn¡¯t known as the bloody cleaver for no reason. The cuts were exquisitely made, ensuring that the blood and spinal fluid would seep out at a steady, but inescapably terminal, pace. Tian thought the hanging man was likely already dead.

    So. One less person to worry about.

    Was he just overthinking this? No, it involved his life. He should be cautious. And speaking of life- murderous intent. If it did what it said, then if Tian wasn¡¯t trying to kill, or even hurt, Wang, the ambush should be much harder to spot, right? Everybody was frustratingly vague when they used the term.

    He reckoned he could take Wang, but he didn¡¯t want to try it if there was a hornet¡¯s nest ambushing him from behind. So he needed to get that whistle out of the picture. And the whistle was just a bit of bone. He didn¡¯t want to do anything to Wang. He just wanted to get rid of a bit of bone. Lots and lots of bones around, knocking another one onto the floor surely wasn¡¯t a problem.

    Tian had a stealthy look around for a rock. There were surprisingly few options, and the one he found was heavier than he wanted. The rock was long, lumpy and about the size of his foot. Tian didn¡¯t know the word ¡°aerodynamic¡± but he was quite certain this thing wouldn¡¯t fly very well. On the other hand, it was available, which made it the best rock.

    Tie a hornet corpse to it? No, that would be a step too far and dangerous to boot. He might sting himself. He was overthinking. Tian crept as close as he could. He wrapped what fingers he had around the rock and firmed his grip as best he could. He leaned back, then whipped his whole body around as though he were launching his rope dart.

    For all that he despised rock throwers, throwing things was always a useful hunting method. His aim, at this range, was quite decent. It helped that the rock was bigger than Wang¡¯s mouth. The brutal man barely got his eyes open before the whistle, and many of his teeth, were smashed directly into his throat.

    Tian chased after the rock as fast as he could. He whipped the dart over his head and smashed it down as soon as he got in range. Bloody Cleaver Wang was aptly named, however. Even with a mouth full of broken teeth, he dodged to the side and yanked out a cleaver from the sash around his waist.

    ¡°I can hear him breathe. He is wheezing and choking, but I¡¯d swear I was still hearing a faint whistling too,¡± Tian thought.

    Tian flicked the rope up, then stepped on it. The dart had been rising gently now whipped up and to the side as the momentum was forced to change. Wang managed to get his cleaver up and chopped the dart to the side. His eyes focused on Tian. Narrow eyes, Tian noticed, and bloodshot. He tried to snarl something, but it came out as a wheeze and a tumble of bloody teeth.

    Wang was adaptable. He expressed himself through the language of violence. He rushed Tian, slicing the cleaver wildly as he came. Tian skipped back, hooked his elbow under the rope and twisted his waist, yanking the dart back with brutal momentum.

    Wang wasn¡¯t a rookie, and the pain was only making him fight nastier. Instead of jumping to the side, he took a sharp step forward at an angle, closing the distance. There wasn¡¯t a line of attack for Tian to counter with. The rope dart simply couldn¡¯t be redirected fast enough. The heretic, on the other hand, had a clean shot.

    Wang chopped out with his cleaver, like a beast trying to drag a long claw through Tian¡¯s throat. It might have caught him, but something twisted in the man¡¯s arm, a visible knot of muscle that slowed the cut a fraction. Qi deviation? Tian didn¡¯t know. He just capitalized on it.

    Tian hopped forward, just like in the old jumping games. The rope wrapped around him like a coiling snake as the dart went past, then with a shimmy of his shoulders and a roll of his hips, it struck like a viper at the older man. Wang hacked at the incoming dart again, but this time, Tian wasn¡¯t going for the quick-kill. He gave the rope a little flick and watched the head snake around Wang¡¯s arm.

    Wang gave him a bloody, toothless grin. Then yanked the rope back as he stomped out a heavy kick. Tian tried to use his smaller side to slide under it, but the older man smoothly switched into a heel drop, looking to crack the boy¡¯s skull open like a coconut. Tian got most of his head out of the way, but the heel dragged along the side of his face, scraping a bloody trail down to his neck before landing on his collarbone with a vicious crack!

    Tian¡¯s face went white. He had been in a lot of pain in his life, but the last year had been a peaceful dream. That crack of bone woke him up. Wang grinned, the blood drooling over his chest. He raised his cleaver.

    Tian raised his hand too. He couldn¡¯t get any weight behind the blow, but then, palm arts never were about muscle. His vital energy penetrated up and through some particularly fragile flesh between the heretic¡¯s legs. ¡°Rupture¡± was another word that Tian didn¡¯t know. He just thought that, based on what he was feeling, everything his palm covered was a bloody pulp.

    Tian never forgot that keening whistle. A sound of pain, incomprehension, and the desperate frustration of not being able to express the soul-deep suffering. The cleaver clattered to the ground. Tian wasn¡¯t polite. He scooped it up, spun, hopped up high enough to have a good angle, and hacked the back of Wang¡¯s neck open. The head flopped forward, attached by the throat and veins at the front of the neck. The muscles contracting and spasming, making the collapsing Wang look like he was readying himself for prayer.

    Perhaps he was.

    Tian stood over Bloody Cleaver Wang until his heart stopped. Tian knew exactly when it was. He could watch the veins and arteries flex with each weakening pulse. When Wang was all the way dead, he hacked off the head and tied the long hair to his belt. He looked above the door. A Hornet¡¯s nest as big as he was. He didn¡¯t know how long he had before they started to get active.

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    Tian, mindful of the repeated advice from both Grandpa and his senior brothers, quickly checked Wang for any storage devices. No such luck. Just an ordinary pouch with four spirit stones and a few odds and ends. Mostly odds- bits of bone with dense writing, vials of some sticky, nearly black liquid, bits of broken silver. He quickly searched the rest of Wang¡¯s possessions, and found only a change of clothes. Nothing worth saving. Not even a bar of soap.

    He zipped over to the cages, and checked them for traps. Nothing, but the people inside had dead eyes. Whatever human spark was supposed to be in them was gone. Like all thought had been beaten out of them. Tian shook his head. They would move, or they would die when the hornets started moving. Which, with his luck, would be any second now.

    Tian yanked them out of their cages, shocked at how easy he could haul around the much larger, heavier peasants. Cultivation had done a lot for his strength. He hadn''t really noticed around all the senior brothers.

    The peasants seemed numb- Tian had never seen anyone so¡­ he didn¡¯t have the words for this either. Even animals were more alert than this. Animals would see the bodies, smell the blood. They would be hungry or scared or angry. These peasants just stood there.

    Tian started shoving them towards the exit. He didn¡¯t want to yell, just in case that was the final thing that set off the hornets. The peasants would only take one or two steps, then stop. Eventually, he used his rope dart to tie them together and simply yanked them towards the door. It worked well enough- they shambled for the exit. Painfully slowly, but they went.

    He was met outside by Brother Su standing next to a shallow pit. It wasn¡¯t long enough for an adult body.

    ¡°Oh, good. I wasn¡¯t sure what you would choose in the end. And you even got everyone out. Not a single casualty. Very well done. How¡¯s your collar bone?¡±

    ¡°Broken, Senior Brother.¡± Tian was quite still. He knew he couldn¡¯t beat Brother Su in a fight, but he¡¯d try if he had to.

    ¡°I know that. I mean the pain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hurt worse, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Brother Su smiled. Tian felt a flutter of icy fingers run up his spine. It was Brother Su¡¯s normal smile. His eyes crinkled, his cheeks pulled back- it looked completely sincere. Tian didn¡¯t trust it. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t know that kind of pain.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that, Brother Su.¡±

    ¡°I know. We all know. You hide it, most of the time, but we can all see it plain as day.¡±

    ¡°Brother Su?¡± Tian¡¯s voice was quite soft, and his knuckles white on the rope.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite glad I won¡¯t have to fill the grave, of course.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, I really don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°You are a feral wildling. You grew up with only the barest interaction with adults, and the people you did have contact with were¡­ not good role models. You were beaten and hurt by the ordinary people you did meet. You are vindictive, but patient. You aren¡¯t a genius, but you enjoy training. You study everything you are given seriously, but generally mimic behavior without understanding it.¡± Brother Su¡¯s smile never shifted. ¡°You are a nightmare in the making. But you still have your human heart. There is reason to hope.¡±

    Tian just waited.

    ¡°See- it¡¯s that shit. You decided that either I was going to explain everything and we would all go home, or I would try to kill you and you would do your best to wound me and escape. You already decided that you can¡¯t kill me or outrun me, so you figured that would be your best option if this went violent.¡±

    Tian¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but he stayed silent. He might need every breath in a moment.

    ¡°This? The grave, this conversation? Have you ever thought about why Ancient Crane Monastery calls themselves members of the righteous faction? I¡¯ll give you a clue- It¡¯s also why your senior brothers don¡¯t turn into people like Bloody Cleaver Wang.¡±

    Tian was thinking very quickly. Brother Su continued.

    ¡°We take responsibility for each other. Part of that responsibility is educating our juniors and ourselves. We, most particularly, study moral education and the law. It¡¯s quite simple. As you get older and more powerful, you lose empathy. And at the end of that road lies demons in human skin.¡± Su¡¯s smile had more than a hint of the infernal to it, Tian thought. Not that he would know.

    ¡°So we cultivate rules that don¡¯t rely on our remembering to be empathetic, and we cultivate hearts that nurture what empathy we do have. Most people don¡¯t start from quite as low a point as you, obviously, but everyone gets ¡®it.¡¯ That spark of human caring. And if they don¡¯t get ¡®it?¡¯ Well. Then their brothers and sisters have an obligation. They made the monster strong. Now they have to slay it. That¡¯s the law. And that law means, as a practical matter, killing you if you can¡¯t learn to be a decent human being.¡±

    ¡°Have I?¡±

    ¡°Have I learned to be a decent human being Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Have I learned to be a decent human being Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Senior Brother Su¡¯s smile shifted a little, and Tian thought there was a hint of laughter in it. ¡°But something in you gets ¡®it.¡¯ You saved everyone, even though running away or triggering the hornet¡¯s nest would have been, arguably, a safer course for you. Though I must inform you that no, you would not have outrun the hornets, and yes, I would have let you die in agony as their venom melted your flesh from your bones. Hence the grave.¡±

    Tian went still again.

    ¡°You saved the people, even though it wasn¡¯t the job. It¡¯s the job before the job. A heretical cultivator puts the whole world on an altar to their ambition and SETS THAT FUCKER ON FIRE AS A SACRIFICE TO THEIR OWN ETERNAL GLORY!¡± Su roared. ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHY THERE STILL IS A WORLD? MORAL EDUCATION AND THE LAW!¡±

    The old man, who looked no more than forty, suddenly calmed down and laughed quietly.

    ¡°And you can¡¯t teach that to someone who can¡¯t comprehend the idea of risking themselves for a stranger. Who has no instinct whatsoever for empathy. There was a real question about whether you were a high functioning psychopath or something. But you aren¡¯t. So we don¡¯t have to make any really ugly decisions. Which makes us all happy.¡±

    ¡°This was a test, Senior Brother Su?¡±

    ¡°Your whole life is a test. It was yesterday, it is today, and will be again tomorrow. The good news is that if you fail, you can come back in a few years and try again in a new life. That¡¯s what living as a cultivator is, Brother. Endless challenges, endlessly overcome. The first and greatest of which is yourself. I think you are going to thrive.¡±

 Alright, this momentum is crazy. We gotta keep it going. More chaps coming this weekend

    By the time most of you see this, Sky Pride will have cracked 2,600 followers. Despite a couple of .5 star ratings, the rating is still holding at a very respectable 4.85 stars, and is currently ranked #25 overall. Which is, to be clear, phenomenal. I had no expectation of staying in the top ten. The churn there is crazy. You know what else is crazy? This momentum. This momentum is nuts, and I want to keep it going. So I''m putting up another five chapters this weekend. Three Saturday, two Sunday. Patreon will remain up to fifteen chapters ahead, which means my Patreon stockpile is getting a lot thinner than I''d like. Fortunately, Vol. 2 is well underway, so no danger of running out in the immediate future.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I don''t know if it''s possible, but I really hope we can crack 3,000 followers before coming off Rising Stars. It would mean the world to me if you spread the word and let people know about Sky Pride. This is the period where the audience for the book grows the fastest, and the higher we fly now, the further we will get.

    This is all incredibly exciting. I am really looking forward to sharing this story with you all. Thank you for being such amazing readers.

    Warby

 Chapter 26- Moral Development

    Senior Brother Su pressed his palms flat together, like a spearhead parallel to his heart. ¡°AWAKEN!¡± He roared loud enough to make Tian stumble backwards and shake his head to clear the ringing.

    The peasants jolted from their stupor. It all got very messy. Tian didn¡¯t know what to do with screaming, weeping adults. There were a lot of them too. Fortunately, Brother Sun did know. It started with a loud clap. ¡°Attention!¡± There was a charm to his voice. Tian didn¡¯t know how the Senior Brother did it, but the tone and vibrations of his voice seemed to grab the panicking mortals like fish hooks, yanking their eyes over to him. Silencing them, if only for a moment.

    ¡°I am surnamed Su, a Lay Brother of the Temple of the Ancient Crane in West Town. You were kidnapped by a heretical cultivator known as Bloody Cleaver Wang. Wang was killed by us. You were rescued by us. You do not owe us any additional sums or services for your rescue. You must, however, leave this place. You will find a village if you follow this trail. Leave now, so that we may purify the evil in this place.¡±

    To Tian¡¯s quiet amazement, that was enough. Something in the voice and manner compelled unquestioning obedience in the peasants. They ran up the road as fast as they could. Senior Brother Su watched them go, then turned to Tian.

    ¡°And that¡¯s that. I¡¯ll take a quick run through to kill those hornets and tidy up anything valuable you might have missed. After that, you will join me in cleaning up.¡±

    ¡°We are going to¡­ clean? Why?¡± Tian hastily added ¡°Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Do you want this cave haunted by malevolent ghosts and infernal imps?¡±

    ¡°I do not, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Then we must clean. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not as complicated as you think.¡±

    Soon, Tian was called into the bloody chamber. There was a scorch mark above the door where the huge nest had been. ¡°Broke bastard. You got his pouch?¡±

    Tian handed it over. Su looked through it, scoffed and tossed it back. ¡°I¡¯ll take one crystal for accompanying you on the mission and for equipment costs. The rest is for you. He really didn¡¯t have anything. I checked his whistle.¡±

    Tian noticed that Wang now had several more holes in him than he had previously.

    ¡°It¡¯s well made, but it¡¯s just a bone whistle tuned for insect command. Utterly mundane. As for the cleavers- just well made steel. Not even a hidden manual or cryptic treasure to his name. Honestly, he¡¯s a disgrace to heretic cultivators everywhere.¡±

    I agree. Utterly disappointing, though you have learned a lot. Grandpa Jun made being disappointing sound like the most profound moral failure imaginable.

    Tian didn¡¯t really know what to say to all that. Brothers Su¡¯s usual smile returned, a little wider this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You will see what I mean eventually. Now. Speaking of seeing. You see all this ritual furniture? The chains, the carved pattern in the floor, the special human kennels? It¡¯s all got to go. Both to prevent yin spirits from emerging, and to prevent some desperate peasant from copying this in the hopes of becoming immortal.¡±

    Tian nodded. This was a sort of bath, after all. Bathing in the blood of another to seize immortality made a certain degree of sense. Not a very big degree, because if it worked, everyone would be doing it. But a degree.

    ¡°Not that it ever bloody works. Get it? Bloody?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, Brother Su, I¡¯m not really in the mood to laugh right now.¡±

    ¡°No, I suppose you aren¡¯t, Junior. You get used to it. Remarkably quickly. Shockingly quickly. It all just becomes a chore. Here, let me show you how we destroy all this.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t complicated. Everything was ripped out of the walls and tossed into a heap in the middle of the room. Unpleasant work for a boy with a broken collar bone. Brother Su scattered a few big pinches of an orange powder over everything, and put another pinch in his hands.

    ¡°You will have noticed how your cultivation method talks about breath a lot. You have probably felt qi coming in like wisps of cold, dense air.¡± Senior Brother Su looked over at Tian.  ¡°Because at our level, the Earthly Person level, that¡¯s essentially what qi is. Energy dense air. And we don¡¯t have a good way to project it out of our bodies. Just not enough density of energy, and until we can transform it to Immortal qi, it just sublimates back into the atmosphere when it leaves our bodies. Yet another reason we mainly use vital energy for our arts.¡±

    Tian nodded. That matched what he had been told. It also explained why most of the martial arts used in the Temple relied on weapons. Even something like his Thunder Palm required physical contact, and the penetrating force had terribly short range.

    ¡°Flying swords are specially designed tools, and can really only ¡°fly¡± short distances once you reach Level Nine. You dodged an arrow there- they are the most expensive tools in the Temple armory for that exact reason. Two hundred merit points.¡±

    Tian winced. His rope dart only cost ten.

    ¡°So. How do we ignite this Steel Burning Powder then? Normal flames won¡¯t even warm it up.¡± Brother Su looked at Tian expectantly.

    Tian thought quickly. When Grandpa asked him questions like this, the clue was usually in the conversation they just had. Fire won¡¯t do it, can¡¯t make qi light it because qi turns back into air when it leaves the body, qi actually is cold air at their level¡­ and fires need to breathe. He remembered Grandpa saying that. Fire is like an animal- feed it and let it breathe and it will grow.

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    Could two cold things make a hot thing?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this sounds stupid, Senior Brother, but do you blow on it? Somehow?¡±

    ¡°Not stupid at all, Junior. Exactly right. Good to see you were paying attention. The key is to intentionally exhale a qi-rich breath. The qi mixes back with the normal air almost instantly, but for just long enough, you can have a little pocket of more concentrated qi air. It takes a bit of practice, but it¡¯s not a secret art or something. I¡¯ve put the powder in my fist with a little hollow area around it. Just a quick puff-¡±

    Bright white flames shot out of his fist and Brother Su quickly flung the lit powder onto the trash heap. The rest ignited quickly, and soon the whole heap of wood, metal, bone and blood was burning. The temperature in the cave rose from cool to unbearably hot in seconds.

    ¡°Out- this is too hot for you. It¡¯s uncomfortable for me too!¡±

    When they were outside again, Brother Su continued his lesson. As though he hadn¡¯t just set a place of human butchery on fire.

    ¡°Specially refined metals, I¡¯m told. The Steel Burning Powder, I mean. Never had any interest in being an alchemist or refiner myself. Basically, it¡¯s the old five element progression. Qi is notionally not elemental at all, but to the extent that it is, it is air aligned. And air, as you well know, is a subset of wood.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never understood that, actually.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never understood that actually Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Senior Brother Su.¡±

    ¡°Keep on it, you are getting better. I don¡¯t understand it either, but it is plainly true. It¡¯s a cycle- Earth generates Gold, which generates Water, which generates Wood which generates Fire. And fire, once exhausted, returns to ash and dirt. Earth, in other words.¡±

    Brother Su squatted down and drew a pentagram in the dirt, marking each angle with a character and connecting them clockwise with arrows. It made sense. He then put smaller arrows connecting different symbols, generally also going clockwise but skipping a stop. Water to fire, fire to gold, gold to wood, wood to earth, earth back to water. The cycle of elemental generation and restraint. Simple, yet according to the books Brother Fu had forced on Tian, infinitely complex in their permutations.

    ¡°If all five elements were present and in balance, it would be stable. But water is missing when we blow on the Steel Burning Powder. By adding qi to the specially refined metal, we trigger a cycle of generation without water¡¯s restraint on the fire. We need to provide the Wood, that is the Air, that is the Qi, to make up for the absence of Water to generate it. And since the Fire element is being fed unrestrainedly, it sets the powder on fire. And the powder is made to burn very, very hot and refine ordinary materials within it down to earth.¡±

    Tian smiled a little at that. It made sense. Something about how tidy it was appealed to him. It was like he could control it now that he understood it, and that made it good. Somehow. Even if people spent thousands of years learning to really control the five elements and really understanding them. At least this little bit of foundational knowledge was safely locked away inside of him.

    A five-rock rule, maybe. Like what Grandpa taught him in the junkyard. And once he understood it, he could use it to understand other things. Do more things. Tian felt a sudden stab of gratitude towards both Senior Brother Su and Senior Brother Fu. This must be why they kept trying to teach him things. So he could go further and do more. Then the gratitude drained away, as fast as it came.

    ¡°Senior Brother, did¡­ Senior Brother Fu¡­¡±

    ¡°You have it backwards.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°You think this was a test that was set up by me or Brother Fu. It wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s a high risk, high stress situation that had a high likelihood of revealing any hidden character defects or flaws, but we¡¯d never rely on a one-off high stakes test like that to determine whether someone lives or dies. Well. Almost never. Not with a freaking kid, at any rate. Although, and I need you to understand this, if you had done something to get those people killed, I absolutely would have let you die of your own foolishness. There is a difference between summary execution and refusing to rescue, even if the result is the same.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That''s good to know, Senior Brother.¡±

    Brother Su sighed. ¡°Rules to govern a group. They are the only way anything gets done, and in a moral system, they are the greatest protection of the weak. Our rules require a certain level of moral behavior, and it¡¯s strictly enforced. You''re not alone anymore, Junior Brother. You haven¡¯t been for a while now. Time to learn to live in society.¡±\

    On his way back, Tian stopped off in the bushes and picked a big handful of berries. Instead of eating them, he carefully wrapped them up in a fold of cloth and stowed them inside his robe.

    ¡°Goosefancy Berries, Junior Brother? They are edible, but don¡¯t taste very good.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I know. It¡¯s for a gift.¡±

    ¡°EH? YOU? Who? Who are you giving a gift to?¡± Brother Su jumped in front of him, looking alarmingly interested.

    ¡°A sick person, Senior Brother. I¡¯m trying to live in society.¡±

    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Tian felt that he had assembled enough medicine. He borrowed some paper, ink and a brush from his disbelieving senior brothers, and set out to write a letter.

    <blockquote>

    Dear Sister Hong,

    This is my first letter. I am Tian Zihao. I don¡¯t know when my birthday is, but I think I¡¯m twelve. I think you are also twelve. Do you know your birthday? I know the next spar is coming up, and I am worried that your head is too sick to fight well. Sick people should stay in bed. But your seniors probably won¡¯t let you stay in bed, so I will make you better.

    I am sending you medicine. What you do is you mash up the frog brains and berries and leaves in a big pot or a hole in the ground, then you fill it with water, then you stick your head into it and boil it all so the medicine can get in and fix your brain. You boil it with willpower. That is how medicine works. If you want webbed toes so that you can be more like a swan, maybe you could boil your feet too. It might work.

    Don¡¯t let them trick you with pills. Pills are full of impurities like metal, and you can¡¯t eat metal, or we would eat our woks. Do not eat a wok, no matter how sick your brain is. You can¡¯t eat woks. You will break your teeth, and broken teeth hurt really, really bad.

    Please write me back. I have never gotten a letter before. If you don¡¯t know the three hundred characters, that¡¯s okay, I think a lot of our seniors don¡¯t either. I see them practicing sometimes, and their handwriting is very messy. Just do your best.

    Tian Zihao

    </blockquote>

 Chapter 27- Picking Poison

    The competition had been fierce to deliver the goods. Tian had posted the delivery job with one merit point and one spirit crystal, reckoning it was fair enough to carry a few items and a bit of paper across town. What he hadn¡¯t expected was a dozen senior brothers swooping in to snatch the job, resulting in an all out brawl in the Mission Hall. It was highly instructive, Tian felt. He thought he was pretty decent at fighting. His senior brothers showed him that he still had a long way to go.

    The brother who did a perfect horizontal split to punch two brothers in the crotch simultaneously was impressive, but Tian was more moved by the brother who kept jumping up and kicking off walls to land brutal headshots on anyone who looked like they were going to grab the letter. Then, of course, people came to find out what the noise was about and pretty soon there was a general, if surprisingly bloodless, riot. Even Senior Brother Fu turned up with a long stick.

    Tian thought he was just there to keep things under control. What he actually did was use his stick to trip people and make them headbut each other. It was quite beautiful. Just a little poke and a senior brother with the back of a bear and the waist of a tiger would fall into the embrace of a graceful swordsman. And then their heads would smash together.

    Brother Fu never seemed to get tired of it. Neither did Tian. ¡°Get Old Mustache!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Senior Brother Old Mustache, ah no, Senior Brother Xue. Manners, little Tian, manners!¡± Brother Fu skillfully snagged a stool and flicked it across the floor. Brother Xue, who did indeed have a fine long mustache, managed to hop over the stool¡­ but fell victim to the brother flying off the walls. Their faces connected with a thunk of martial passion that brought tears to the eyes.

    ¡°YAY Senior Brother Fu!¡±

    ¡°Decorum, Junior Brother, decorum in all things.¡± Brother Fu¡¯s staff darted into the melee like a striking heron, cracking an ankle and a knee with a single blow which resulted in the rare three-face mashup.

    ¡°I am learning, Senior Brother Fu!¡±

    Twenty minutes later, Brother Fu and Tian were the only two left standing in the hall. Brother Fu shook his head sadly. ¡°You gossipy old men! If you are so bored, go to the Southern Border and take some heads. Hell, go back to the secular world and take some wives! I think some of you could really accomplish something as farmers. Some of you. Not all of you are good enough to be peasants. But some of you could really make something of yourselves, instead of being a pack of nosy reprobates who like nothing more than making me sweat.¡±

    Brother Fu shook his head with deep regret. ¡°Alas, it seems none of you are in good shape at the moment. So I am taking this mission.¡±

    Senior Brother Fu, demonstrating the grace and poise of the most senior member of the West Town Temple, deployed an exquisite light body technique. His soft shoes barely tapped on the red faces of his suddenly roaring brothers as he dashed to the desk and snatched up the letter and parcel. A light tap of his toes, and he leapt from the desk out a high window and was gone.

    Tian didn¡¯t know a light body technique. He did his best to emulate his elder and slipped away at speed. He¡¯d snagged a long term mission during the melee, the only one not restricted to the senior brothers, so really, there was no sense in hanging around.

    ___________________________________________________________________

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Little Brother Tian! You finally took the mission. Did you send the letter? What happened when she got it? Tell me everything!¡± The senior brother smelled faintly of herbs. Tian noticed immediately, as the old man crowded him as soon as he stepped into the medicine workshop.

    ¡°There was a bit of an argument in the mission hall about who got to do it, and eventually Senior Brother Fu took the delivery mission himself. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened yet. Why is everyone so interested?¡±

    ¡°Why is everyone so interested, Senior Brother Wong. And the clue is in the question. Our cute little junior writing his very first letter to the Hong Clan¡¯s little princess? Sending her cough a thoughtful gift? We have brothers rushing in from a thousand miles away to see how this plays out.¡±

    The senior brothers, Tian remembered, had been stuck at the peak of Level Nine for a very, very long time, and were very, very bored. He was starting to regret telling his seniors what he was doing. They kept asking why he wanted paper and writing brushes and ink when he had to be forced to read under threat of banishment from the martial practice courtyards. He quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°I understand you are looking for help in the workshop, senior?¡±

    ¡°Yes indeed. I had heard for a while now you had an interest in herbs and medicine, so I thought I would put something up.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My body was much worse than this before, but some of the seniors I met gave me some advice on making medicine, and it really helped,¡± Tian said. Grandpa Jun always said to tell the truth whenever he could. Just don¡¯t say too much of it.

    ¡°Mmm. Fortunate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was lucky to meet them.¡±

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    ¡°No, I meant that it¡¯s fortunate you didn¡¯t die. Look around the workshop. Don¡¯t touch anything, don¡¯t sniff anything, above all don¡¯t eat anything. Just walk around and look.¡±

    The workshop was a modest sized building in the southern end of the Temple complex. High ceilings and whitewashed plaster walls, with large windows covered in elegant wooden lattices and translucent paper for plenty of light but no drafts. There was a large iron stove in the back, and a few work tables up front. There was a special room for drying herbs, strong strings stretching from wall to wall with dangling bunches of fragrant plants hanging from them. But what they seemed to have the most of was cabinets full of drawers.

    The cabinets were polished wood, the drawers and corners softly rounded by years of frequent use. Each drawer was about as wide as Tian¡¯s hand, and had a large paper card glued to it. On the card was a name, followed by a string of symbols and characters. Each was carefully color coded.

    ¡°Marsh Yarrow Root- Yin, Water, Dog¡­ and I don¡¯t know what the little pictures are.¡± Tian slowly read aloud. ¡°Senior brother, I know what the words mean but not when they are in this order.¡±

    ¡°I would have been shocked if you did! It takes quite a bit of memorization to get the whole thing down but once you have a basic pool of knowledge, you can start making deductions about herbs you don¡¯t recognize. You can figure out how different herbs will interact, and most importantly- how they interact with the body.¡±

    ¡°This is a herb for dogs?¡±

    ¡°It was harvested in the year of the dog. Well. A year of the dog. Some of the other symbols indicate when in the sixty-four year cycle it was harvested.¡±

    ¡°Dogs get a year? What other animals get years? Sixty-four year cycle?¡± Tian had seen a few dogs. He gave them space, and they let him be. Not things he wanted to fight with if he could avoid it.

    ¡°In the books you were assigned you should have read something like- ¡°In the beginning there was just primordial chaos which was nothing, but also everything. From that perfect chaos came yin and yang, which contain the supreme principles of generation and destruction. Their interaction gave birth to the five elements, which created all of existence.¡±¡±

    ¡°I think I saw something like that.¡± Tian nodded. Senior Brother Wong was smiling like someone who had carefully laid a trap.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. Every teaching from every ancestor confirms it, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, you can prove it in your daily life. For example, medicine. However, just because a fact is true doesn¡¯t make it useful.¡±

    Tian nodded even more strongly at that. His struggles with learning anything useful from history completely convinced him.

    ¡°Everything is built off of that principle of yin and yang and the five elements, from the fate of immortal dynasties to which way a peasant¡¯s shit lands in the ditch. And when I say everything I do mean everything. For example, the moving stars or what some call planets. There are five of them, each aligned with an element, AND they have divination significance AND they are connected to two organs in the human body, one yin and one yang, which means they ALSO impact pairs of specific meridians which means that they ALSO impact specific medicinal interactions depending to their degree of influence in the current sky as well as the birth chart of the patient.¡±

    Tian stared at Brother Wong. He slowly blinked, and started subtly edging towards the door.

    ¡°In practice, you just need to know that Oil of Clove is a decent analgesic if someone¡¯s got a toothache, but if you want the disease cured, you are going to need to drill the tooth and apply a compound of Casi Root, Oil of Clove, Powdered Bergin and a tiny bit of rendered tallow from a yellow female dog. Apply to the drilled tooth, make sure the cavity is completely packed without any gaps or voids, try to reshape the tooth as best you can to fix the bite, then solidify the compound with an application of vital energy.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Sorry! Eh, Senior Brother Wong?¡±

    ¡°¡®Pardon¡¯ is the word you are looking for, Junior Brother.¡±

    ¡°No, I know the word pardon, Senior Brother. I just can¡¯t keep up with your explanation. The two examples seem completely unrelated.¡±

    Brother Wong smiled thinly. He was a thin sort of person, so the smile gave Tian the feeling of looking at a spearpoint.

    ¡°Correct, yet incorrect. One is theory, trying to deduce the totality of something from the highest principles and working downwards. The other is empirical practice- knowing that Iron Thread Grass can be turned into a hemostatic compound with minimal processing, for example, or that someone¡¯s old grandad has a bad heart but manages to keep on going because of the strong cinnamon tea they drink every night. You might not know why it works, but you have seen that it does work.¡±

    ¡°And from that, you start asking why it works.¡± Tian nodded.

    ¡°Most don¡¯t, actually. But yes, those who have moved the art of medicine forward do ask the ¡°why¡± questions, as well as the tricky ¡°how¡± questions. Which brings us back to the drawer labels.¡±

    ¡°They say what the herb inside is, as well as a bunch of those high level principles.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Because most of the time, I know I¡¯ll want that swamp yarrow root to cool the excess yang and Gold qi in white thistle based compounds. But if I need to compound something from scratch, to formulate a unique remedy, I don¡¯t want to be digging through my manuals for hours trying to cross-check every last detail. I can walk through the shelves and put together a formula which balances all the relevant elements on the cards.¡±

    ¡°And the mission you posted- working as a herb boy, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°You are going to help me gather herbs, Junior Brother, and then you are going to learn how to process them. I heard Brother Fu had to thicken his face and beg his master to provide you a copy of Advent of Spring. That¡¯s as pure a wood aligned art as there is. You will find that working with herbs comes quite quickly and easily to you.¡±

    Tian was quite sure he had stepped into a trap now, but still wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was.

    ¡°You will be able to earn merits, learn herbology, learn how to harvest herbs, and you will even learn a little about being an apothecary. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I promise it won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡±

 Chapter 28- Embracing the Wild Sky

    ¡°Blackwater Willow is an excellent source for Earthly tier medicines. Why is that, Junior Brother?¡± Senior Brother Wong was reclining on a blanket, happily eating a small bowl of lychees. There was a calabash of peach blossom tea by his hand, and a small selection of nuts. He had picked the perfect spot where he was shaded by the willow but not laying directly on roots.

    ¡°Because it produces many good things, and it regrows quickly, Senior Brother.¡± Tian¡¯s voice came as a muffled grunt. In a wonderful demonstration of the infinite complexity of yin and yang, he was simultaneously hot and freezing. The sun was brutal and scorched his head, but the waist deep pond was cold enough to make him shiver. It was certainly the coldest thing he had ever felt.

    ¡°Exactly. And what are those things?¡±

    ¡°Erm. Well. The roots, obviously.¡±

    ¡°All the roots, Junior Brother Tian?¡±

    ¡°The wet roots of the Blackwater Willow are Yin water herbs, Senior Brother Wong.¡±

    ¡°Better. And what else?¡±

    ¡°The bark is Yin, wood herb, good for pain. The leaves are Yin, wood, and can be added to hair medicine.¡±

    ¡°Shampoo. Not exactly medicine, but related. You can also harvest the whips to make baskets and things, but that¡¯s not really relevant. Willow wood can also be used to craft magical tools, but the Blackwater Willow is simply too low-level an existence to justify the effort. Maybe for some evil or heretical arts.¡±

    Tian kept trying to dig underwater, straining to clear out as much dirt as he could from around the roots. In a moment, he was going to have to duck under the water and saw the root off. It was the only way he would have any chance of harvesting it.

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother Wong.¡±

    Harvesting the bark had been easy- barely three minutes of work with a curved knife to cut away big pieces. You just had to make sure you didn¡¯t take too much, and then apply the protective paste to the exposed wood afterward. No sense in letting the tree pick up a disease or get infested with insects.

    It wasn¡¯t easy trying to shovel and saw underwater with only your index finger and thumb intact, but he managed. One key was that the saw was actually a sharp bit of chain with ring handles on either end. Tian didn¡¯t understand how it was made, but there were teeth pointing out of the chain. You looped it under or over whatever you wanted cut, and pulled back and forth. The chain just ripped through wood. He¡¯d never seen anything like it.

    ¡°Brother Wong?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Junior?¡±

    ¡°Could I make a rope dart with this chain?¡±

    ¡°Many have. This exact type of saw is a little too rigid- you see how the rivets are attached? But variations on this do exist.¡±

    Tian kept scraping, forcing the shovel into the furiously resisting dirt.

    ¡°Although once your fingers regrow, you are probably going to want to change to a different weapon.¡±

    ¡°Why is that, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Because sooner or later you are going to start fighting people or demons who are wearing armor or have hardened their skin somehow, and the maximum amount of force you can transmit through your dart is limited. It¡¯s going to bounce off of them, is what I am saying.¡±

    ¡°A sword would bounce off too, wouldn¡¯t it, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you are much more likely to force the blade between a gap in their armor to make the kill. Also, there are zero legendary rope darts, and uncountable legendary swords, sabers, spears, staves, maces, halberds and even axes.¡±

    He¡¯s right, you know. Grandpa Jun sounded like he was grinning. And he hasn¡¯t even mentioned bows, knives or needles. There are legendary cauldrons, furnaces, hammers, even stamps, stele and tablets, but not a single legendary rope dart.

    Tian grunted and kept working. It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to dedicate his life to the rope dart. He just felt a lot of fondness for it. It made him strong enough to protect himself, and that counted for a lot.

    ¡°I always favored a pike myself. Hint hint.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a pike a long spear? Does he think I should take up long spears?¡± Tian wondered.

    There was a sudden feeling of movement in the water. Tian jumped straight up, tucking his knees up all the way to his chin. A bright flash of silver speckles passed underneath him, brilliant against the murky green water of the pond. Tian slashed down with the chain but it sprayed the water without coming near to the fish.

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    Tian came down with a splash and started wading for the shore. Brother Wong shook his head and pointed back at the pond. ¡°Don¡¯t run away from lunch, Junior. Those are good eating. If a little aggressive.¡±

    What followed was a chaotic mess. The fish blended perfectly with the water plants and attacked explosively. It had figured out that Tian was about the same size as it, and clearly liked its odds. Tian figured out other things. Things that did not spark joy. Things like ¡°The water slows the thrown dart to the point of uselessness after a couple of feet¡± and ¡°The water stops both the rope and chain when it comes slashing down.¡±

    He also learned that fish that size are extraordinarily strong and slippery. Trying to grab it just wasn¡¯t going to happen. By painful process of elimination, Tian figured out a plan. First, he stood in the most shallow water the fish was willing to swim in. Then, he crouched low, with his head just above the surface of the water. Then he waited, dart in hand.

    It was impossible to detect the fish¡¯s movements until it was almost on top of him. It was a pure test of reflex and awareness. Tian¡¯s reflexes were decent, but his awareness? That was very good indeed.

    The fish darted for his leg in a flash of silver in twisting green waters. The dart stabbed in, catching the pike in the gills, letting the big fish¡¯s own momentum drive the metal spike all the way up to Tian¡¯s knuckles.  He lifted the fish up by the spike just a little, enough to let him duck under and get a shoulder under it. Then with an explosive push, he launched the big fish clean out of the pond!

    Onto Brother Wong¡¯s blanket.

    ¡°OI! Junior!¡± Brother Wong kicked the fish onto the grass, the rope dart trailing behind it.

    ¡°Sorry Senior Brother! I don¡¯t know how to aim a fish!¡± Tian yanked the dart out and flicked the gore off.

    The fish at issue was thrashing and bucking wildly on the grass, silently fighting against the air. Tian didn¡¯t quite know how to finish it off. He knew it was drowning, though, and that was a horrible way to die. He was still holding the dart, so he didn¡¯t slap his forehead. Instead, he spun the rope dart a couple of times to build momentum, then smashed the dart down on the fish¡¯s head. He managed to kill it in one blow, tearing the back of the fishes¡¯ head open and dumping the brain onto the grass.

    ¡°I¡­ got stronger.¡± Tian couldn¡¯t hide the surprise in his voice.

    ¡°You are Level Four. Many times stronger than even a strong mortal.¡± Brother Wong rolled his eyes. ¡°Jump.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Jump. As hard as you can. Straight up.¡±

    Tian shrugged, crouched down, and jumped.

    There was a coiling of strength, starting from his toes, filling the arch of his feet and fortifying his ankles. His slender calves swelled and the sharp lines of the muscles suddenly appeared, as though carved from ironwood. Then his thighs tightened, filled, tendons stretched bowstring-taut. His back, his waist, his glutes, tight as he could.

    With a swing of his arms all that energy exploded upward and he was rising high over Brother Wong¡¯s head, high enough that he was worried about the landing. He reached the apogee of his leap and hung in the air for a long moment. Tian lost himself in the wild blue of the sky. An eagle turned high above, and for just a second, Tian thought of it as a brother. Then he landed, absorbing the shock without the faintest hint of pain.

    Brother Wong didn¡¯t say anything. His smile looked a little sad, and a little wistful.

    Between the dead fish and the eagle. Tian stood still, still lost in the wonder of it all. The life and joy of it, the terror of going from the garbage dump to the endless heavens. Knowing that one day, he would be up that high, never returning to the earth. Unless there was something down there he wanted, of course.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wong, I think that eagle wants our fish. It¡¯s getting a lot bigger.¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡± Wong turned and looked up. A red tasseled spear appeared in his hands. ¡°That¡¯s not an eagle. Run Tian! Run back to the Temple! I¡¯ll try to slow it down!¡±

    ¡°Brother Wong?¡±

    ¡°RUN!¡±

    Tian turned and ran. They were only half a day from West Town at a casual ¡°stroll.¡± If he didn¡¯t give a damn about mortals seeing him, he could run back in two hours. Brother Wong¡¯s face looked white, and there was something dreadful in his eyes. Something Tian had never seen before. He got his head down and ran.

    He hadn¡¯t made it very far before the bird struck.

    There was a scream. A hawk, a falcon, he didn¡¯t know, the scream of a predatory bird announcing its kill before the blood sprayed. Then Tian was hit by what felt like a board the size of his body. It smacked him through the air then dragged him tumbling through the dirt. Rocks tore up his skin, smashed off his head and hands and knees. Something in his brain felt wrong. He puked, still tumbling, the vomit spraying everywhere and still carried away by the wind.

    It was just the wind, driven by mighty wings.

    Tian came to a stop against the shredded remains of a tree. His back pressed painfully into the smoking wood, broken ribs jabbing his lungs. A hawk twice as big as Brother Wong had landed on the fish and was tearing into it. Brother Wong was bleeding badly, battered, bruised, but he still held on to his spear. He kept the spearpoint aimed at the hawk as he retreated back towards Tian.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful bird,¡± Tian thought. ¡°Shiny gold feathers mixed in with the brown. And those yellow eyes are amazing. Huge.¡± His thoughts were vague, blurred like his vision. The bird didn¡¯t seem to share the sentiment, or maybe it just thought Wong was still too close to its food. Tian saw it flap a wing towards them and then-

    A ripple moved through the air. A glassy, almost invisible wave of pressure. It smashed the Senior Brother off his feet and drove him tumbling backward. It hit Tian like a wide hammer, falling across his whole body. Blood gushed into his mouth and poured down his robe. His eyes were dim and fading.

    ¡°Heavenly Person realm. The bird is using qi externally. It¡¯s a Heavenly Person¡­ bird. Hah.¡±

    Hang on, Tian! Don¡¯t give up! Keep breathing, you aren¡¯t out of it yet!¡±

    ¡°Heavenly Person realm, Grandpa. No chance. No chance.¡± Tian¡¯s voice was lost in the bubble of his blood and the wheezing, tiny breaths that were all he could manage.

    Cycle your cultivation art! It can help keep you alive. Now, now, now!

    Tian tried to smile, and sluggishly prodded the vital energy inside him to move. The notion of deep, meditative breaths under the circumstances sounded crazy. Verdant Spring might be steady, but nothing was this steady. Grandpa Jun was rarely wrong. Tian tried his best.

    Brother Wong wasn¡¯t getting up. The bird was ripping enormous strips of meat from the fish and swallowing them whole. Would it still be hungry after it finished the fish? Tian thought that he wasn¡¯t much bigger than the fish. Brother Wong, skinny as he was, must be packed with qi. Better eating than the fish for sure.

    There was a soft crack like distant thunder. Then like lightning from a clear sky, an arrow struck.

 Chapter 29- The Difference Between Heaven and Earth

    The arrow fell with a whistle and landed with a sharp crack! It bit into the raptor¡¯s back, drilling towards its heart. It must have caught on a bone, because the bird screamed and tried to limp into the sky.

    ¡°Tch!¡± A second arrow pierced the bird¡¯s neck. It fell limply on the ground. Tian saw that it was dead before it touched dirt.

    A woman flew in on a sword, bow in hand.

    Tian had never seen someone from the Inner Court. Outer Court disciples wore robes of light blue silk and white linen trousers with soft black shoes. The robe was tied shut with a white belt, and that was that. The lay brothers wore their hair long and pinned with carved wood, the lay sisters cropped their hair short and neatly shaved patterns into the sides and back. Tian had always thought they were the most splendidly dressed people in the world. Even the soldiers in the town couldn¡¯t compare.

    The True Disciple from the Inner Court blew all that away like dandelion fluff in a hurricane. Her hair was different from the lay sisters- she let her hair grow long, but sharply cropped the sides of her head. It gave her a wild, savage look, despite her beautiful robes. The robes were also blue silk, but they shimmered like light hitting a bird wing. Dustless, immaculate, her white silk trousers didn¡¯t have a single crease or blemish. The shoes were unstained by the red dust of the world.

    Senior Brother Fu had teased Senior Sister Bai, calling her a fairy. Tian could see it now. Descending from the heavens on her flying sword, long bow in hand and robes fluttering around her, this Heavenly Person from the Inner Court was nothing less than an immortal fairy.

    The fairy descended to the grass with a featherlight step. Tian couldn¡¯t make out much anymore, blood was starting to fill his eyes. The last thing he saw was the True Disciple frowning, like there was something she couldn¡¯t quite remember.

    ¡°Drink, just a little. Come on. Head back. Do I really have to touch you? Eeh, maybe if I just¡­ nudge your forehead with the bottle a bit¡­ nice.¡±

    Tian felt something trickle into his mouth. He tasted spicy, warming heat, bitter herbs, and the smell of something strange. The warmth built and banked until it was a raging fire in his throat. He coughed, spilling blood over his chest.

    ¡°Lucky I¡¯m quick. Okay, now drink a big mouthful. It¡¯s that or die, so let''s not waste time.¡±

    Tian drank. This time he managed not to cough. He could feel warmth radiating out from his belly, stretching into his body. Tian knew this feeling. It was when his body was being magically healed. It only lasted for a few seconds this time. He pushed Advent of Spring as hard as he could, trying to stretch the healing out. There were an awful lot of things broken in him.

    He could hear loud coughing. ¡°That¡¯s it Junior. Drink up. A bit more. Alright. I¡¯m going to check on your junior now. Hey kid, can you talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Martial Aunt, I can talk. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Wipe the blood out of your eyes.¡± Tian obeyed. They were still sticky, but he was able to open them enough to see his savior.

    ¡°Mmm. I don¡¯t recognize you, but you are using Advent of Spring. I recognize the wood qi movement. You don¡¯t resemble any Inner Court Disciples I know. How did you get that art?¡±

    ¡°My Senior Brother Fu gave it to me, Martial Aunt.¡±

    ¡°Fu?¡± She frowned. ¡°What temple?¡±

    ¡°West Town, Martial Aunt.¡±

    ¡°Old guy? About so tall, always looks like he¡¯s about to fall over and die?¡±

    ¡°Everyone in our Temple is old, Senior, except me. Senior Brother Fu is the oldest. And he is about that tall.¡±

    ¡°I vaguely remember seeing someone like him around.¡± She looked away and muttered to herself ¡°Where the hell did he get the merit points from? And how did he even borrow it?¡±

    The senior sister shook her head and looked back at Tian. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave the wine jug with you. I broke a healing pill into it, so if you and your senior brother over there take little sips and share it, the medicinal power won¡¯t overwhelm you. You should even have plenty left over after you heal. Consider it my compensation for letting the Dawnlight Hawk nearly kill you.¡±

    The True Disciple walked over to the corpse and waved a hand over it, collecting the hawk into her storage ring. The sword reappeared, and with an effortless hop, she was floating on it. Without another word, she vanished into the sky.

    Tian took another small sip of the wine. Lots more to heal, but he thought he could move now. He tried to stand. His legs gave out before he was halfway up. He crawled over to Brother Wong instead.

    ¡°Here, Senior Brother. Drink up. I don¡¯t  know how much is too much, so you will have to let me know.¡± Tian let it trickle into his mouth. After just a few seconds, Brother Wong turned his head away. Tian drank another tiny sip. The stuff was powerful. He thought he was more than half way better already.

    ¡°Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.¡±

    Tian didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to that. The hawk had come like a sudden storm, and like a storm, they could only try and run from it. Can¡¯t fight it, so hide from it. And when they couldn¡¯t hide, they could only endure it. They lived. It sucked. Not much else to say. But Brother Wong looked really upset.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Brother Wong. We lived.¡± Tian tried to pat the old man¡¯s shoulder. It felt awkward.

    ¡°Level One. That hawk was fucking Level One!¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ it could use qi outside the body so¡­¡±

    ¡°Level One of the Heavenly Person stage! Idiot!¡±

    Tian nodded. That made more sense.

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    ¡°I¡¯m at the peak of the Earthly realm. The very, very peak. And I couldn¡¯t last one move. Not one move.¡±

    Tian was really lost now. Of course he couldn¡¯t last one move. It was like asking a toddler to fight an adult.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, Senior Brother, you are the very first person to put their body between me and death. So. You know. Thank you.¡±

    Brother Wong laughed, covering his eyes with his arm. Even Tian knew that wasn¡¯t a happy laugh. It was a miserable, broken noise. ¡°You are welcome. You are very welcome. It would have been okay if I died protecting you. It would have been completely fine. A good death. Just leaving a little earlier rather than later. In eighteen years, I¡¯ll be a good man once more. Maybe a man with better fortune.¡±

    Tian knelt next to his senior brother, and had another tiny swig. ¡°Brother Fu said I needed to see more, do more, understand more, in order to cross over the barrier between the Earthly and Heavenly realms. Brother Wong, have you not seen enough yet?¡±

    ¡°Too much. I have seen far too much. Give me another swig of that medicinal wine.¡± He drank a little and kept talking. ¡°Did you know that I have personally exterminated the bloodlines of no less than thirty families? Mostly on the Southern Border, or when a village fell into heresy and madness. Mostly. Men, women.¡± There was a long pause. ¡°Children. Didn¡¯t matter. You have to sever the thread of fate completely. That¡¯s what everyone said. It¡¯s what they still say. Compassion for your enemy is cruelty to yourself. Don¡¯t let them become pestilences on the world. Tear them all up by the roots, lest one escape, grow, and take revenge.¡±

    Tian waited, but Brother Wong didn¡¯t continue.

    ¡°I guess you feel it wasn¡¯t worth it?¡±

    ¡°Some who were with me on those jobs ascended. Others are dead. I, and many others, haven¡¯t budged an inch in either direction. It¡¯s just ¡®fate.¡¯ Where are the heavens? Where is the justice? For me or for them.¡±

    ¡°Maybe high up on the mountain? The heavens are the skies, so something that sticks into the sky would be a good place to look.¡±

    ¡°Drink up. Heal up. You have a lot to learn. You poor bastard.¡±

    Tian drank, and thought about the Mad God Grandpa Jun wanted to kill.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    They limped back into the temple. Tian left the wine with Brother Wang. Brother Wang didn¡¯t say anything about it, so Tian figured he approved. Tian tried to read. His eyes slid off the page. For some reason he just couldn¡¯t focus.

    Shock. You have been living with pain and near death for so long, you don¡¯t recognize it when it comes to visit you again. Right now you feel numb, but Tian, you nearly died today. It¡¯s normal not to be okay afterward.

    Tian got permission to skip dinner that night. He hated going to bed hungry, now that he had gotten used to a full belly. He just didn¡¯t feel like eating. Brother Wong had exterminated entire families, only most of which were heretics. Some of the senior brothers had helped the Hong family ¡®acquire¡¯ a landed estate. For an orthodox faction, it felt rather¡­ evil.

    For the first time in months, he slept under the bed. The next morning, he went looking for Brother Fu.

    ¡°Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes Tian?¡±

    The old man was sitting in his courtyard, enjoying his tea. There was a small parrot hopping around his ornamental tree, and the wind was fresh and sweet. Tian stood by the gate, in the shadow of the gatepost.

    ¡°How can an animal be at the Heavenly Person stage if they can¡¯t cultivate?¡±

    ¡°Who says they can¡¯t? They just do it totally differently than humans do.¡± Brother Fu smiled. ¡°They inherit strong bloodlines or are born in areas of particularly dense qi. Sometimes, oftentimes, they eat some rare magical treasure or herbs. Then they follow their instinct and figure out how to grow. Mostly by eating things with lots of qi and vital energy. Some are born at the Heavenly Person level or higher. That hawk almost certainly was. Dawnlight Hawks are usually three times that size. Must have been a juvenile.¡±

    Brother Fu took a sip of his tea, then set the cup down. ¡°But you didn¡¯t come about the bird. You came about the Inner Court senior, and what that little idiot Wong said. He told me everything as soon as he dropped you off.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I am¡­ confused. Especially since Senior Brother Su made such a big point about the law and moral education. It sounded important. Something I should care about.¡±

    Brother Fu laughed, but he didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°It¡¯s important. Critical. I wish Wong kept his big mouth shut. You have spent your whole life learning about the cruelty of the world. It was, and is, important you learn the other things too. Decency and ethical behavior must be taught, so that your heart can move with the great dao. The ugliness of human weakness¡­ you don¡¯t need to be reminded of. Not yet.¡±

    Tian stood in the lovely little courtyard and waited. Sooner or later, someone would tell him something, or they would tell him to go away. Which was also telling him something.

    ¡°Tian, how old do I look? I know you don¡¯t really know people, but guess.¡±

    ¡°About like one of the younger seniors in the villages. I think someone told me they lived about seventy years, so¡­ sixty? Late fifties?¡±

    ¡°Sixties is probably more right. Maybe a vigorous seventy. Tian you are probably twelve. You look younger, but¡­ twelve. I¡¯m two hundred and seven years old. That senior you met from the Inner Court? I don¡¯t know her honorable name, but she could be anywhere from forty to six hundred years old.¡±

    Tian nodded. And waited.

    ¡°There are roughly eighteen thousand cultivators who worship the Ancient Crane and owe their allegiance to the Monastery. I have no idea how many mortals exist in the Broad Sky Kingdom. Several hundred million at least. Probably less than a billion, it¡¯s not a particularly big country. All of them are under the protection of the Monastery. We don¡¯t manage those other mortals the way we do the local villages, of course. They are a proper kingdom, with their own bureaucracies and laws. And you have no idea what I am talking about.¡±

    ¡°I have some idea, Senior Brother. I did read those books you gave me.¡±

    ¡°I know you did. Despite everything, you are a good boy. Tian, in all those books, what did large groups of people, successful people, have? What was the single, inescapable requirement to be a lasting power?¡±

    Tian nodded, getting it now. ¡°Laws.¡±

    ¡°Laws, ethics, traditions, but most of all laws. Laws are what let large groups do great things. They provide organization, direction, and most of all, security. The promise is that as long as you obey the law, the law will protect you. Obey, and everybody prospers. Fair to everyone.¡± Brother Fu took a breath and pressed on.

    ¡°The Monastery is the head of quite a large group of people. It has strict laws, and enforces them strictly. But here¡¯s the thing. As you get older, you start seeing the limitations of the law. Because nothing is perfectly fair, and for that matter, fairness is often a matter of perspective. You see the flaws or you just stop caring about them. You become so emotionally exhausted by life, the thought of keeping a rule for the sake of keeping a rule is absurd.

    Brother Fu sighed, thin fingers and boney knuckles trying to draw some warmth from the teacup.

    ¡°As you get more powerful, there are fewer people capable of enforcing the law on you. The question ¡°Who¡¯s going to stop me?¡± starts coming up a lot. And a lot of others don¡¯t see the harm in looking the other way, especially when saying ¡®no¡¯ to the powerful makes your life so much harder. And shorter. The law matters, but the law is enforced by people.

    Fu looked across the pond. Tian wondered what he was seeing.

    ¡°And some people, despite everything, despite definitely knowing better, are rock throwers. And some people, most people, don¡¯t want rocks thrown at them. So they go along with the rock throwers, in the hopes that things will be better for them. It¡¯s not right. It is very human. And no matter what we tell ourselves, or how we separate ourselves from the mortal masses, we are very, very human.¡±

    Tian looked up at the mountain full of ancient cultivators, following its slope until it was lost in the clouds. ¡°Who¡¯s going to stop me?¡± seemed pretty relevant already. There was the wolf, and the tiger, the rock throwers, Bloody Cleaver Wang, the hawk, his own body. Tian decided the answer would be ¡°Nobody.¡±

 Chapter 30- The Lay Sisters Promise They Will Be Gentle

    Brother Fu wasn¡¯t subtle in the aftermath of the hawk attack. He handed Tian a head-sized stack of books on how to conduct oneself as a gentleman (which also happened to double as a library of ethics), then invited Wong around to discuss the dao. Their conversation resulted in a dust plume visible over the walls of Brother Fu¡¯s courtyard.

    Once the dust settled and Brother Wong¡¯s limp healed, Tian was off to study medicine under Wong once more. Studying ethics and medicine were to be his routine. He could cultivate as he studied. During his free time, and even during his not-so-free time, Tian practiced martial arts.

    Slipping away to take missions on his own? Sorry. Simply not possible just now. Perhaps later. Possibly much, much later.

    Grandpa Jun took the news with all the grace of a boy watching dad eat his candy, but eventually settled down. It seemed there were still lots of benefits to be had in the Temple. Tian didn¡¯t know how Grandpa calculated these things, but every so often a senior brother would make a casual observation and Tian would hear Grandpa¡¯s not-so-nice laugh.

    Despite the workload, his time spent practicing martial arts actually increased. One of his senior brothers explained the trick of constant martial training. Martial arts can be broken into four parts- conditioning the body, training the technique, forging the will, unifying the breath.

    It was quite separate from cultivation, though cultivation was the bedrock upon which the temple of martial arts was built. One could become a supreme immortal and never practice martial arts a day in their life.

    It was just really damned unlikely.

    Cultivators got out in the world. They went on adventures. They beheaded demons and slaughtered devils. Those jade white hands were moisturised and protected from the sun by endless coats of red blood.

    One could become a zither immortal or a painting immortal or a farming immortal. Theoretically. There were those in the Monastery who had managed it.

    The senior brother looked inquisitively at Tian. ¡°Does that sound like something you would be interested in?¡±

    Tian thought it over. Medicine Immortal sounded pretty great, but based on his current experience with harvesting even Earthly grade herbs¡­

    ¡°Please, Senior Brother, say more about learning martial arts.¡±

    The first part was straightforward, but not simple. Put the body under increasing stress without injury and allow enough time to rest and recover. ¡°Pardon, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Pick up heavy things, then put them down again, then pick them up again. Stretch. Jump. Run as fast as you can. Then rest. Eat plenty, sleep a lot. Don¡¯t be one of those guys who thinks meditation can replace sleep. Maybe at the Heavenly Person level, but not now.¡± A thick finger wagged at him.

    ¡°When your body reaches a certain level, you can start incorporating your training into your ordinary life. Reading while doing a one-finger handstand, for example, or only traveling by jumping from tree to tree at the speed of a racing horse. Nothing high stress, but enough to keep your body learning.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±

    Technique was harder. His main weapon was a rope dart, and his only fighting manual was Snake Head Vine Body. He was therefore to carry the rope dart everywhere and use it for everything. Tian nodded obediently. He was already doing that. The senior brother also recommended intense and repeated sparring with as many different weapons as possible.

    ¡°Remember, you can practice by yourself until every move flows like water, but it¡¯s all nonsense until it¡¯s been tested in a spar. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡± Tian smiled. He liked sparring.

    ¡°Sparring will help you forge your will. You have a head start over most kids, hell, most adults, when it comes to your will. Don¡¯t be arrogant- hone it. Every time you are bored with something, or frustrated, or exhausted, tell yourself it¡¯s a chance to hone your will. Every extra ounce of effort is a victory over your weakness. Teach your body that pain is simply information, and once you understand the message, you can ignore it if it repeats.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know how to do that, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t believe you. Last thing is unifying your breath. Basically, incorporate how you breathe into every action. Make every breath intentional and make sure it supports your actions. It¡¯s a bit advanced, but since you are cultivating as we speak, I think you can figure it out reasonably quickly. Try to spar while keeping your cultivation up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Everything else is refinement. Practice this for a decade or two, and you might just learn how to fight!¡± The senior brother started to laugh, then stopped suddenly and gave Tian a hard look.

    ¡°Practice like your life depends on it. The Outer Court has been slaughtering heretics like we were reaping rice, but there are more of them every year. A good brother of mine passed word that the situation on the Southern Border is so bad, the blood hardly has time to dry on the sand. I wish you had ten years to practice this, but, Tian¡­ you might not even have one. I pray you have at least one more peaceful year.¡±

    Tian didn¡¯t think it would take that long to get good. He had a secret weapon. Grandpa Jun.

    God, I love having all these cute little kids around. They give you enough information to let me get away with providing ¡®minor corrections¡¯ rather than actually ¡®teaching¡¯ you anything new and expensive. Now that baldy here has filled you in, let me explain to you the wonders of resistance training, timed rest and a little something called cardio. Then we can really get cooking!

    ¡°And the other stuff?¡± Tian tried to keep his voice from leaving his mouth. It sounded very weird, like an odd whisper, but he reckoned if he did it quite far from anyone, no one would notice.

    All true, if incomplete. Well, I don¡¯t know about the heretic situation, but I believe it. File under ¡°Saving the World/Killing the Mad God. He was one hundred percent correct on the sparring though. No sparring means you are working on a mediocre dance performance, not learning to fight. One other thing- you have paid off your Rope Dart, so it¡¯s time to think about where to invest next. Some new arts would be one idea. Have a look at what¡¯s available. Move around. Or you can just find something good if you stay alert.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Grandpa was sparing with the heavy hints. Tian was a bit vague on how everything worked on Grandpa¡¯s end, and Grandpa refused to explain. If he was saying it this plainly, then it was probably vital and urgent.

    Tian ran off to the scripture pavilion. It was situated next to the armory, as one might need a new weapons art to go with their new weapon. It was a single large room with rows of bookshelves lit by high windows and shielded oil lamps. Tian quickly found two arts that seemed to fit the bill- a light body art called Drifting Cloud Steps and a sensory art called Seven Orifice Refinement. Which sounded pretty nasty, but the description was great.

    Total cost¡­ he nearly fainted. One hundred and ten merit points. The missions usually available to him provided merit points in the single digits. Often in the low single digits. And mysteriously, no new missions had been released for the now full time herb boy.

    He shook his head and raced off to study medicine. That paid a merit point a day. Which was criminally low on the one hand, and on the other, he was being paid to study something that would usually require him to spend a fortune to learn. He kept his mouth shut and appreciated the care of his seniors.

    And quietly tried to find faster ways to earn merits, of course. But he truly was thankful. He hadn¡¯t noticed that he was keeping out of the shadows, and letting his brothers stand close to him.

    He kept busy. It wasn¡¯t too many months later when he received a letter. ¡°TO THE ONE SURNAMED TIAN¡± was written on the envelope. The handwriting was very good, Tian thought. Almost as good as his. All of his senior brothers seemed to vanish when the delivery arrived. Tian carefully opened it in his cell anyway.

    <blockquote>

    Brother Tian,

    They made me write ¡®brother,¡¯ this is my fifth time writing this letter. They made me write that too. But I¡¯m writing the rest of this. You are an idiot. You are the biggest dumbest idiot in the whole world. I don¡¯t have a sick brain, YOU have a sick brain. WHO SENDS FROG BRAINS BY MAIL!!!! YOU DUMMY!!!!

    Auntie Bai says the best way to communicate is by violence. They are making me write this bit again. She says that the best way to communicate is by saying what you mean, but in a way that doesn¡¯t create hard feelings and that¡¯s why courtesy is important because one day I may blind some toad and it turns out he was the grandson or nephew of someone actually important and then I might get in trouble. So, since you don¡¯t have a background, and since you like fighting, I¡¯m going to plainly say what I mean by beating the shoes off of you.

    Do you understand shoes? Do you know you should wear them and not eat them? Do you understand being beaten so bad, your shoes go flying off? I haven¡¯t managed to do it yet, but I am going to. I sent a mouth guard with this letter. Use it. Because your face is so ugly already, if you lose your teeth and get even uglier, you would make everyone around you blind. They will call you Uggo Tian. Tian the Ugly Smelly Stupid Person That Blinds People Because He Is So Ugly And Stupid. I won¡¯t take the blame for making the world an uglier place.

    Beating you soon,

    Hong Liren

    </blockquote>

    Tian looked at the mouth guard. It was a sort of U shape, made of soft, squishy material. He gave it a sniff. Based on his limited medical knowledge¡­ he wasn¡¯t going to stick it in his mouth. That just seemed really dumb.

    ¡°What a rude letter. She must not have used the medicine. I¡¯ll have to find some other way to help her.¡±

    He read the letter a second time.

    ¡°Maybe if you hit someone hard enough, it can fix the brain. But not too hard, of course.¡± Tian nodded strongly. ¡°I am learning medicine. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get it right after a few tries.¡±

    He paused and thought it through again.

    ¡°No more than five-ish tries. If, by the tenth kick to the head, her brain isn¡¯t working again, I will definitely stop and try something else. That¡¯s for safety.¡±

    Just to be on the safe side, though, he intensified his sparring practice. The senior brothers were weirdly enthusiastic. Usually, he had to chase after them to spar, but now they couldn¡¯t wait to volunteer. Especially the spear users.

    ¡ª-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The visit from the Lay Sisters was only a month away. Even Brother Wong got in on the training. He forced Tian to search for herbs hidden in a field of tall grass, and while Tian searched, Brother Wong stabbed at him with his spear. Tian got very used to dodging.

    ¡°A spear is the king of the battlefield, the halberd is the overlord. The masses darken the sky with waves of crossbows, but a single hunting bow can shoot down nine suns! A sword is the gentleman of weapons, while the saber is the butcher. An axe can split open the world, and a staff can heal it once more. But what is a rope dart?¡±

    Brother Wong seemed to have eyes scattered everywhere in the field, including on his spear. No matter how desperately Tian moved, it seemed to track him like a snake. The tip might be wrapped with cotton, but it still hurt. And he still had to fill his basket with Blue Reedy Sweetgrass. Properly harvested, or it didn¡¯t count.

    ¡°BROTHER WONG! BROTHER WONG! BROTHER TANG NEEDS YOU!¡± A senior brother rushed in, a cloud of dust blowing up around him.

    ¡°Follow as fast as you can Tian!¡±

    Wong and the senior brother ran almost faster than Tian¡¯s eyes could follow. He tightened the herb basket on his back and started running after them. He remembered brother Tang- the silent swordsman who accompanied him on his first mission and healed his broken leg. The brother seemed cool and aloof, but Tian had seen the care in his eyes. He just hadn¡¯t recognized it at the time.

    The medical hut was a mess. Dried plants were shoved onto shelves and desks, with the big table brushed clear. The handsome swordsman thrashed, naked, pinned to the table by two brothers. There was a leather wrapped stick jammed between his teeth, and a yellow paper charm pasted to his forehead. Brother Wong was swearing and trying to drive silver needles into acupoints.

    ¡°Hold him still, damn you. Tang! Tang, you sonofabitch bite that stick and HOLD. FUCKING. STILL!¡±

    The swordsman was crying. Tian could see the tears falling. He couldn¡¯t imagine where Brother Tang found the strength to hold still, but he managed it for just a moment. Wong drove the needle in, then blew powder into his patient¡¯s face. Brother Tang took a strong whiff, convulsed once, and went still.

    For a long moment, Tian thought he had died. Wong knew better.

    ¡°Blue Gaderoma. NOW!¡±

    Tian ran and grabbed the rubbery fungus from the drawer and handed it to Brother Wong. Brother Wong crushed it while channeling some art through his hands. Blue watery fluid poured down onto the bare chest of Brother Tang. Tian hadn¡¯t noticed before. His chest was a black and purple mass of sores and tumors. Bulbs of flesh swelled and split as he watched.

    The blue water poured on it and it burned like acid. Smoke rose, stinking like a fire in an old latrine. With a choking horror, Tian saw the mass of sickness trying to spread, to move through the body and avoid the medicine. It shifted a bit, then stopped, trapped by Brother Wong¡¯s acupuncture.

    ¡°White metal salve and aged goldenrod. Tighten up! Brother Tang needs you!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother Wong!¡± Tian was running as he answered.

    ¡°I fucking hate heretics.¡± Wong muttered. ¡°I hate curses, and plague arts and all their bullshit.¡± His hands jabbed in long needles slowly, immensely carefully. He was sweating. ¡°This is their path to immortality. This. Fuck the Heavens. Fuck Fate. It shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡±

    Brother Wong grabbed a cloth and wiped the tears off Tang¡¯s face, and the vomit from around his mouth. ¡°Fuck ¡®em all. I¡¯ll fight them to the end!¡±

 Chapter 31- The Sound of an Oncoming Storm [Special Note At The End!]

    Brother Tang lived. His body was ruined, but his cultivation was intact. He wouldn¡¯t be leaving the Temple for many years, if he ever left it again. Tian never got the whole story. It was just ¡°Heretics.¡± And that was that. Tian found himself drifting back into the shadows. His brothers pulled him out again. If he was scared, he should get stronger. If he wanted to get stronger, fight!

    Tian decided he was around thirteen a little before the sparring session with the Convent. He might still be twelve. It was hard to say for sure. But he felt thirteen, and who could say he was wrong? He understood from his mandatory reading that most people had a specific birthday, but since nobody he ever spoke to gave the vaguest damn about birthdays for any reason other than divination, he decided he didn¡¯t care either. Two days before the spar, he examined his growth.

    He had started growing a little taller. He was covered in lean muscle. He learned a lot. His rope dart moved like it was a part of him. His palm arts had reached a certain standard and fluidity. Good enough to have the Senior Brothers acknowledge them as ¡°Recognizably a palm art.¡± Tian was confident in saying that he was dangerous as all hell. Then he remembered Brother Tang still had to be fed his meals because he couldn¡¯t use his arms yet. It checked his confidence, but didn¡¯t extinguish it.

    Everything was stronger than him in the junkyard and in the jungle. Everything was stronger than him in the Temple too. But he was getting stronger. The things that once threatened him now couldn¡¯t last a single move against him. The heretics would be no different. It would just take time.

    His body was pure- free of pill toxins or the residues of strange natural treasures. Aside from the fact that he still smelled faintly of truffle and lotuses, all the evidence of his youthful adventures had completely integrated with his body. His meridians were strong and flexible. He thought his fingers were growing back a little bit, maybe. He was definitely a bit more handsome.

    The results of his constant effort were showing, and very satisfactory. Especially since he secretly broke through to Level Five an hour ago.

    Level Four had been an utter grind to get through. Almost a full year to complete a single level? Madness. Unendurable! But what could he do? It¡¯s just how things were. Senior Brother Fu kept reassuring him that he was on the fast side of average. Tian hoped he was right.

    Other people cultivated many times more quickly than he could in a single cultivation session, but they could only meditate sitting still in a quiet room, and even with everything going perfectly, they might only manage it for a few hours.

    Advent of Spring was steady and constant. Others were faster in bursts, but Tian could, and did, go all day.

    ¡°I must keep my new level a secret, at least until after I spar with Hong. I should act like a Senior Brother and teach that little menace *cough* that mentally ill Sister how to live like a human. And maybe fix her brain. The ¡°knee to the head¡± plan doesn¡¯t have many examples in the books, but the idea is good, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Tian wiggled his feet in his soft slip on shoes. They were light, reasonably comfortable, and while they might wear out quickly, they were apparently very cheap to make. On the other hand, they couldn¡¯t keep a single drop of water out.

    ¡°They should make sturdier shoes. Maybe out of thicker cloth, or leather or something. The books mention boots but I¡¯ve never seen them.¡± He shook his head and refocused. ¡°Sneaky sneaky. I¡¯m just an innocent little Level Four Brother. Merely Level Four.¡±

    He carefully controlled his pace and walked out of the dormitory and towards the dining hall. He carefully looked innocent and young.

    ¡°Oh, congratulations on making Level Five, Little Tian!¡±

    ¡°Just in time! Good job, Junior!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Old Dong, Check out Little Tian! He grew into a slightly bigger ant overnight!¡±

    ¡°What are you all- Oh, not bad! Level Five eh? You might just be qualified to fight a rabbit now. Not a hare, don¡¯t let your new level go to your head. But a nice little rabbit should be alright.¡±

    ¡°Brother He, shame on you! Don¡¯t feel pressured, Little Tian. You are doing very well, and shouldn¡¯t be at all embarrassed about starting with a mouse.¡±

    ¡°Or a vole!¡±

    ¡°Earthworm?¡±

    ¡°Pill bug.¡±

    ¡°Flea-sized vole.¡±

    ¡°Brother Kang, this isn¡¯t the first time you have brought up voles recently. Is there something¡­?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Ha. Ha. Yes. God yes. Bring strong wine and I¡¯ll tell you tonight. Better make it two big jars. The endless dark of their bulging eyes haunts me even now.¡±

    Tian felt a cool hand settle on his shoulder. ¡°Your first mistake,¡± said Senior Brother Fu ¡°was dreaming that you could hide your level in this den of old foxes. Your second mistake was looking like you were trying to hide something, making sure they all scrutinized you extra carefully. Your third mistake was continuing to run your cultivation art like you normally do. The qi draw is dramatically different. You might as well have hung a banner and lit fireworks.¡±

    Tian sighed. So much for his ambush idea.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too down. Learning and growing is a good and natural thing, and concealing your level from those at a higher level is actually quite difficult to do without special means. The greater the difference in level, the greater the difficulty. Hiding from a Heavenly Person is flat out impossible.¡±

    ¡°So ambushes are impossible?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not, or at least not within the same realm. I did say there were special means to achieve it, but don¡¯t look in the library, they aren¡¯t in there. Mostly they are bloody, heretical and cruel, and the ones that aren¡¯t require highly complex medicine. Generally not worth the effort. The second way to ambush is to let your true level be deceptive.¡±

    Brother Fu looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Tian thought for a moment, then guessed.

    ¡°If you are able to fight above your level?¡±

    ¡°Or imply that your combat ability is weaker than your level suggests, yes. It¡¯s why heretical cultivators can be such a nightmare for orthodox sects. They are used to fighting at a disadvantage and above their level. Their aggression and bloodlust make up for defects in their training methods and arts. They spend considerably more time fighting than we do, so their skills are tested in real combat. Evil cultivators who survive their first few decades are monsters of battle. It¡¯s why we try so hard to kill them young.¡±

    Tian looked around the Temple at the Senior Brothers. Many of them were scarred, all of them seemed ready to fight if a leaf fell the wrong way or if a statue looked at them funny.

    ¡°I think our Temple likes fighting too.¡±

    Brother Fu chuckled.

    ¡°These kids are just a bit energetic. We are a pretty peaceful bunch. The Convent is the real fighting pit. Those Sisters wake up and choose violence every day. It is their true faith that someone, somewhere, needs a serious beating and the Sisters of the West Town Convent are called to administer that beating. Let me tell you a valuable truth, little Tian, and you would do well to carve this into your heart.¡±

    Brother Fu leaned down and looked Tian directly in the eyes. ¡°Organizations reflect their leaders, and a retainer is the true mirror of their lord. If you want to know how the boss is, don¡¯t study him, study his people. Leaders cultivate reserve and spend a lot of energy concealing their true thoughts and motives. But the organization itself cannot hide, or not nearly so well. And the Senior Sister for the Convent is that old demon Bai.¡±

    Tian nodded firmly, repeating Senior Brother Fu¡¯s words in his head. He also quietly circled the words ¡°peaceful bunch¡± and connected it to all the missions in the mission hall with orders like ¡°Exterminate all,¡± or ¡°Suppress the,¡± or even ¡°Wash the mountain in blood.¡±

    The missions were always displayed, and he was often tempted by the rich rewards promised. He was bluntly told to forget it. Level Nine only. Cute little juniors need not apply.

    Tian looked at the amiable Senior Brother Fu and nodded. The organization really did reflect the leader. ¡°Senior, what kind of tea do you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? All sorts I suppose. There is no first place in tea or literature, no second place in martial arts. What I want to drink in the spring might not be the same as what I want to drink in the fall, and a rainy day calls for different tea than a dry one. And tea doesn¡¯t come just from tea trees. There are herbal teas, fruit teas, spiced teas, teas made with milk or honey or butter additions. How it¡¯s steeped changes the tea, what water is used changes it, how the water enters and leaves the pot changes it, the shape and material of the cup changes it, even how many times the leaves are brewed. Some leaves can only be brewed once, but others are best in the third brew, or the fifth, or even the tenth. Each sip of tea is meaningful and special, so how could I pick a favorite?¡±

    Tian rocked back, blown away by the sudden burst of enthusiasm.

    ¡°Little Tian, did you want to learn about tea?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I¡¯m already learning about herb gathering and medicine, so it seemed a reasonable thing to study. I already know how to make some medicinal teas.¡±

    ¡°Good, good, good! I always knew Little Tian was a sensible one. Not like that hooligan Hong girl!¡± Brother Fu stroked his long, wispy beard. ¡°We will start your journey into tea after the sparring session. Speaking of which, are you confident?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although I am worried.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Your percussive theory of brain repair has been tried before, and not without a few successes. However, there have been far more failures. Just keep kicking and be sure to make the next one better than the last. Every minute of every day is a learning experience, Junior Brother, if you have the right mindset.¡±

    They walked into the dining hall, where the Brothers waited in front of big bowls full of rice and vegetables. There was meat too, and sweet freshwater fish simply roasted with salt. But the Brothers favored rice and vegetables in enormous quantities. Flesh was to be battled over and savored as a garnish on your food. All that muscle took energy to drive, after all, and you needed a bit of richness or how could you feel full? In the Earthly Realm, cultivation alone could not suffice. Once Senior Brother Fu sat and picked up his chopsticks, everybody dug in.

    No one spoke. After more than a hundred years of brotherhood, what still needed to be said with words? The dining room was filled with happy noises, with people working their chopsticks, snagging a tasty piece off someone else¡¯s bowl, flicking a portion to someone who missed out on their favorite nibble, and generally putting on a show that would make jugglers weep with envy. Tian looked at it and engraved the scene in his heart. When the meal ended, Brother Fu stood but did not dismiss everyone.

    ¡°Alright you layabouts! We have the Sisters coming over the day after tomorrow, so I trust that you have all been tidying up. What you didn¡¯t know, however, is that Elder Rui Yanzi is coming to inspect. So I want everything immaculate, and everything that you ¡°just borrowed for a bit¡± back in place. I¡¯ve never failed an audit, and by Heaven this won¡¯t be the first time!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡± Everyone chorused.

    ¡°On a related note, the order came down. It¡¯s what we were all expecting. All missions are canceled. Everyone out in the field is to be recalled to the Temple at once.¡±

    The warm air turned very cold.

    ¡°Is the situation on the Southern Border that bad, Senior Brother?¡± One of the eldest Brothers stood and asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed. I was simply given the military order to assemble all the Brothers in this temple and stand ready for mobilization. And my West Town Temple shall perfectly comply.¡±

    There was something to the way Brother Fu said ¡®military order.¡¯ Tian wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, but he could see faint tremors run through the Senior Brothers. They pulled themselves together quickly, but he still saw it.

    ¡°Dismissed. Oh, Tian? Don¡¯t worry too much. I wasn¡¯t speaking nonsense earlier. One thing you will learn is that the worse the situation seems, the more important a good cup of tea becomes. I won¡¯t be able to teach you everything I know about tea, but I can set you on the right track. I will show you the heart of tea in a cup raised with blood soaked hands.¡±

 Chapter 32- The Weight of the Word â€œBrotherâ€

    Tian scrubbed the flagstone pathways with some senior brothers. Years ago, maybe two centuries ago or more, the then most Senior Brother and Sister had a huge argument which devolved into calling each other sloppy and messy and the kind of person that lived in a pig pen. Therefore, the annual exchanges between the Temple and the Convent had become cleaning competitions as well as martial arts conferences. Or so the story went.

    Tian thought that was the only possible explanation for his brothers picking up thousand pound statues and scrubbing the underside of the base after washing the whole rest of the statue. Or brothers using flying dagger arts to perfectly prune the flowering trees and shrubs.

    One brother who had mastered a turtle breathing art slowly bounced around the bottom of the ponds, carefully raking and making sure that there were no accumulations of unsightly dead leaves or twigs. He even shined the ornamental fish.

    All pathways were brushed, mopped, and gently polished. Any faded walls were replastered and freshly painted. Wood was oiled and rubbed to a rich luster. Even the latrines were carefully covered with layers of cedar chips and buried, with fresh pits dug for the occasion. Sweet, spicy incense was burned, smells that lingered on wood and in the clothes of the Brothers, adding a touch of the holy to everything.

    The exchanges only happened once a year. While the Brothers might, and often did, see the Sisters when both were out on missions, the big gatherings were special.

    ¡°It¡¯s a way to keep our bonds alive. Even if we fight, we care about each other, you know? The whole ¡®men in one complex, women in another¡¯ thing is something that only happens in the Outer Court. Inner Court? There are separate quarters for men and women, but everyone is mixing together. If they are lovers or dao companions, they might even share a courtyard or something.¡± A Senior Brother explained.

    ¡°Dao companions?¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Think of it like being married, but instead of worrying about continuing a blood lineage, you are focused on journeying to immortality together. Two people who love each other so totally and completely, their path to eternity is inseparable. Without the other, immortality would only be a curse.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand.¡± Tian thought he kind of got it, but only in the way he could imagine the snow he read about in books.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not common, or necessarily a good thing. Though those love birds would tell you otherwise. Those bastards just love feeding us single dogs.¡± The Senior Brother gave a flagstone a particularly vicious scrub with his brush.

    Tian nodded and scrubbed. A little later, he asked ¡°Senior Brother? What is the Southern Border?¡±

    ¡°Nobody explained it to you yet? Hah. That¡¯s Senior Brother Fu for you. He just wants you studying and building your character for now. And martial arts and other useful skills, because the world is not a nice place.¡±

    Tian didn¡¯t have to look down at his hands to be reminded of that.

    ¡°The Southern Border is the border between the land controlled by Ancient Crane Mountain and the Redstone Wastes. The Wasteland is a sort of desert. There are patches of scrubby grass that grow there, but you can¡¯t farm. Not enough water. There are places where lava bubbled up from underground and spread for hundreds of miles. The sand in those places is all black. The wind blows hard through the wastes, sometimes freezing cold, sometimes blazing hot and always carrying dust.¡±

    The Senior Brother¡¯s eyes seemed to go far away.

    ¡°And not just any dust. It¡¯s stone dust that gets in your eyes and ears and slowly destroys them. Even gets in your lungs and shreds them too. Even the qi is somewhat toxic. You need special equipment to stay there very long.¡±

    ¡°And the people? I know that there are suppression missions issued for the border, and hunting missions and stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Heretical cultivators.¡±

    ¡°Are there really so many of them?¡± Tian had only seen Bloody Cleaver Wang, and his impression of heretical cultivators was that they were insane. Not organized, or powerful enough to threaten the Monastery. Clearly he was wrong.

    ¡°Yes. Plenty of mortals, from emperors to peasants, aren¡¯t content to just accept the fate they were born with. They do something about it. Make a pact with demons, or bind spirits to their souls, or use the tormented ghosts of their victims to fuel their growth. Blood baptism is a very popular method, even though it almost never works.¡±

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    ¡°And they all live in the Wasteland?¡±

    ¡°More like they are forced out of all the good places to live by orthodox cultivator sects, which means that a lot of them wind up in the Redstone Waste. There is basically nothing in the wastelands. They have to get creative if they want to continue cultivating. But they are mostly ignorant thugs and villains who stumbled on an evil legacy. They aren¡¯t very creative.¡±

    The Brother looked faintly sick.

    ¡°Demon summoning, both internal and external. Necromancy. Body modifications of the crudest type. All of which requires sacrifice. And they wouldn¡¯t be heretical cultivators if self sacrifice was part of their nature.¡±

    ¡°They raid our territory.¡±

    ¡°More or less constantly. We go and suppress them, but there are always more coming in from somewhere or other. The lands our Ancient Crane Monastery controls might seem huge to you, but the Wasteland is ten times the size. There is no way we could take it over and effectively control it, never mind what other sects would say.¡±

    Tian scrubbed quietly and thought over what the Senior brother had said. The books he read were mostly focused on mortal struggles or the behavior of orthodox cultivators. He really didn¡¯t know anything about demons.

    ¡°I know heretics are strong because they spend more time in life and death fights, but I guess I still don¡¯t see why everyone is so grim?¡±

    ¡°Demon summoners, necromancers, ghost binders, gu breeders, poison masters, plague gods- are these cultivation paths giving you any clues?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± It started clicking.

    ¡°Mmm. The Temple won¡¯t be this full when we return. It won¡¯t be this full again for decades. Maybe it will be empty for a time. It¡¯s happened before.¡± The old man sighed.

    ¡°I know you have been training hard, little Tian, but if an Elder is watching tomorrow, you best go all out. Don¡¯t kill that Hong girl, but short of death, show absolutely every scrap of improvement. If he is happy with what he sees, he might give you a reward. And that reward might just save your life.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother. I will do exactly that.¡±

    That evening, Tian practiced his martial arts on the practice field after dinner. His Thunderous Palm moved smoothly through the air, sliding silently before striking swiftly, landing softly, destroying the interior totally without disturbing the exterior. High, low, advance and retreat. Always moving, but never disturbed. It was a martial art that unified contradictions. There really was enough there to study for a lifetime.

    ¡°With this palm, I¡¯m going to kill a heretic.¡± He slapped out.

    ¡°I will stand between Brother Wong and the hawk this time.¡± He swept his hands down and around, blocking the enemy¡¯s spears and striking back.

    ¡°I will protect Senior Brother Kang, who always puts a fatty bit of meat in my bowl. And Brother Su, who always takes time to explain things, even if he¡¯s in a rush.¡± His movements sped up. He started incorporating the Elbow, Knees and Toes game with his palm strikes, moving around the practice dummies faster and faster.

    ¡°I will kill the demons who threaten Brother Bo, who grumbles and complains and teases but guards the armory and library every day and tells me all kinds of stories.¡±

    Tian didn¡¯t really know what a demon looked like. He imagined some terrible combination of a human, a tiger and a hawk. He pushed himself as hard as he could. The Eternal Spring Art churned, letting him burn qi endlessly. He strained to strike faster, harder, more silently. To make the penetrating force dig deeper, vibrate more strongly, become more lethal.

    ¡°I will protect Brother Fu.¡± He imagined the demon coming for Brother Fu, and for a moment, Tian went insane. When the red mist cleared, every wooden post on the field was shattered into dust. Tian knelt on the ground and hugged himself hard as the night got darker. Then he got a broom and started sweeping. He made a mess after everyone worked hard to clean up. He would put it right before he slept.

    The next morning, Tian put on his new clothes and a fresh pair of shoes. He was half tempted to roll in the dirt before pulling on his clothes, but all the Brothers went off to the baths together first thing in the morning, and he was a Brother too. So he cleaned himself with soap and rinsed well with pure water and dressed in creaseless robes.

    His Brothers joked that he smelled good to make up for his face. It sounded mean, but when a senior brother with scars covering his face, arms and chest promised him that one day, he could grow up to be ¡°nearly as pretty as me,¡± he understood why they were saying it.

    These were his Brothers. They were preparing him to fight the rock throwers outside the Temple.

    When everyone was dressed, he helped a senior with the careful twists and folds of the formal hair bun, carefully sliding in the wooden dragon pin at the end. He had learned how over the last year. When he sat and let Brother Wong do his hair, he felt like crying. Today, he will do his very best.

    Brother Fu lined them up to receive the Sisters, who marched into the Temple with every bit the pomp and ceremony that the Brothers had visited the Convent with. They too were immaculately scrubbed, in dustless robes and carefully groomed hair. The patterns and pictures were razor sharp, the bright white scalp almost blinding against the inky black hair.

    They did look beautiful, Tian realized. And very fierce. And they were his sisters. He understood that now, in a way that he hadn¡¯t last year. Hong Liren might be brain damaged, but she was a sister too. They would fight, but soon it would be the two of them against the heretics and the demons. He found her in the line. She gave him a look that promised death. He wasn¡¯t very good at reading people, but he thought there was something else in the look. Something haunted.

    He wondered what she saw when she looked at him.

    ¡°Sister Bai, welcome back.¡±

    ¡°Brother Fu, it¡¯s good to be back.¡± The two old monsters exchanged bows, with an ease that Tian hadn¡¯t noticed before. Senior Brother Fu never seemed to have a kind word for Senior Sister Bai, but the truth was in their bows.

    Sister Bai shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to suggest that we let our juniors spar before the kids have their fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And we should wait for my Master too.¡±

    ¡°No need. I am here.¡± Elder Rui Yanzi, a True Disciple of the Inner Court descended on a flying sword. His beautiful robes shimmered in the sun, adding elegance to his steady, distinguished face. Tian recognized him from the statue in the reception hall. The Elder hadn¡¯t aged a day since it was carved centuries ago.

    The Brothers and Sisters bowed as one, loudly declaring ¡°We greet the honorable Elder.¡±

    ¡°Rise. I¡¯m inspecting the entire Outer Court before the deployment. I expect each and every one of you will show me your best. Disciple Fu, you and I will be going over the ledgers afterward. Junior Bai, I trust you brought your ledgers as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good. You will join us then. After the spars. I see we have a couple of junior juniors this year. Good. Very good! Both Level Five too. You have been training them well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Elder, for your kind words!¡± Brother Fu and Sister Bai bowed in unison.

    ¡°If they perform well in the spars, I will reward them. Enough with the formalities. Begin!¡±

 Chapter 33- Partially Grown Immortals

    Hong Liren was even taller than she was before. Tian had grown a few inches in the last year, and felt that he was shooting up. Hong Liren still managed to expand her vertical lead. She was starting to change, growing into a more adult face. Tian scratched his chin. Was he also growing into a more adult face?

    Hong Liren bowed. He returned the bow immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t bow last time. That was wrong of me. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t pretend that I forgot but¡­ it seems a bit stupid to hold that grudge today.¡± Tian half smiled. She half smiled back.

    ¡°True. Though you still are a first rate idiot.¡±

    ¡°Did you ask a sister who knows medicine about my gift? It really would work. Really. You could be better in no time.¡±

    ¡°Oh I know all about your recipe.¡± She swung her spear around. ¡°Did you wash your feet?¡±

    ¡°When you don¡¯t have webbed toes, they are easy to clean.¡± He started spinning his rope dart.

    Their seniors had carefully padded their weapons, so neither felt like holding back. So neither did.

    Tian struck first. With a spin and a twist, the dart struck like a snake. Once again, Tian aimed for Hong¡¯s eye. She flicked the head to one side this time, but didn¡¯t let the rope wrap. She rushed in instead, her own spear aimed at Tian¡¯s forehead. Tian smoothly pulled the rope back as he stepped to the side. The heavy dart silently struck at the back of Hong¡¯s head. At the last instant, she ducked into a low crouch, then exploded forward in a lunge.

    The spear closed the distance, drilling at Tian¡¯s heart. He spun to the side, hooking the rope and trying to catch the spear in its coils. Hong didn¡¯t give him the opportunity, recovering from her lunge as quickly as it had exploded out.

    It was only the first probing exchange, but it already had their seniors nodding internally. Tian and Hong had both been working hard. Hong moved like a dancing flame and exploded like a jar full of oil under a roof. Tian seemed to always be in two or more places at once, striking fiercely but flexibly. Both clearly determined to prove they had grown further than the other.

    Tian caught the returning dart with his front foot. He hopped on his back foot and spun, sending the dart out with a whistle and crack that promised broken bones and blood on the flagstones. Hong refused to let him keep his distance, diving in towards the rope and spinning her spear to knock it out of the way.

    Tain smiled. ¡°Got her.¡± He flexed his will to bind the rope around the spear- but the spear was gone. Once again, she had retracted it before he could bind it. Worse, she had slapped the dart onto the dirt. Tian tried to recover his dart, but Hong neatly stepped on it. Her grin was downright filthy as she steadily advanced up the rope, planting one foot after the other, spear tip pointed at his eyebrows.

    Tian rushed in this time, willingly moving into the spear¡¯s range. Hong flicked a quick lunge at his brows, but it was Tian¡¯s turn to duck. His weak hands were enough to hold him up as he whipped a brutal heel at Hong¡¯s ankle. The kick connected, knocking her front foot out of place. Tian smoothly transitioned to a rising palm, but Hong fell back, coming down in a one leg squat, her spear hammering down on Tian. Tian dove to the side and rolled behind Hong, palms flashing towards the back of her head.

    Hong didn¡¯t wait around for him- she dove forward and rolled along the rope, keeping it pinned. Tian rushed forward, palms slapping out. Hong got her spear up, whipping the butt and head at him, happy to beat him at close range. Missing that he had hooked his feet into the rope, and that he was now standing on the end closest to the dart.

    Hong Liren made the spear dance in her hands. The red tassel below the spear head fluttered like a spirit of fire, blinding Tian, making him lose sight of where the spear was actually pointed. The shaft flexed and twisted, coming at endless angles. Tian countered with furious palm blows, and when the chance came, he hooked his arm around the spear shaft and sent an open palm smash at her nose.

    ¡°NAIVE!¡± Hong roared as she dropped back on her rear leg, ready to lunge, the spear yanked from his grip by her full weight. Tian was wide open to her counter.

    ¡°Who is?¡± The heavy dart thudded against Hong¡¯s chest.

    There was silence in the square. Hong recovered her stance.

    ¡°The palm strike was a feint, blinding me to the dart you kicked up with your feet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sister Hong.¡±

    He could see the fury in her eyes, but he didn¡¯t think she was mad at him. It was something else. He didn¡¯t know what. He bowed.

    ¡°Thank you for the spar. Next year, I hope we can spar again.¡±

    Their eyes met. Tian wondered what she saw in his face. She breathed out an explosive breath. ¡°Thank you for the spar. I learned a lot. Next year, I¡¯ll beat you for sure.¡±

    The juniors returned to their respective sides. Nobody said anything, but Tian got a lot of approving glances and hidden smiles. He thought his heart would burst with pride.

    ¡°That Hong girl is making excellent progress in the Fiery Spirit Spear Art, and this Tian boy seems born for Snake Head Vine Body. Both cultivated well, both in excellent physical condition, and both have honest hearts. Good, good, good! You two have really repaid my faith in you.¡± Elder Rui nodded approvingly, and favored Brother Fu and Sister Bai with a faint smile.

    ¡°Elder overpraises me. This junior merely did as she should.¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to Master¡¯s guidance.¡± Sister Bai and Brother Hong bowed deeply to the smiling Elder Rui. The elder ran his long fingers through his white beard with obvious pleasure.

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    ¡°It is your own hard work. I am strict with punishments, but equally strict in giving rewards. We will talk after I review your books. As for the Juniors- Hong Liren, Tian Zihao, come before me.¡±

    The two walked over and bowed.

    ¡°Rise. I expect that you both know you will be headed to the Southern Border soon? You will. You will be facing bloody combat too. Junior Hong, I know your grandmother will have sent you a storage ring and probably filled it with life saving medicines. But there isn¡¯t a single talisman in there.¡±

    ¡°Senior is wise!¡± Hong bowed again. Tian could see, even from the corner of her eye, that she was spooked.

    ¡°Hahaha! If I didn¡¯t know what Sister Hong was like by now, these last four centuries really would be wasted. Here- Three Gold Sword talismans. Each has the strength of a single full force blow from a Level Two Heavenly Person. Use them well.¡±

    ¡°This little girl obeys and thanks the Elder for the gift!¡±

    ¡°As for you, Junior Tian. I will give you a storage ring and a few healing medicines. You would be issued this anyway, but the merit points would normally be deducted from your battlefield earnings. The balance doesn¡¯t equal three Gold Sword talismans, though, and you did win the bout. I could give you a medicine that would heal your hands. Would you like that?¡±

    Tian felt his body jolt. He clenched his ruined fists, his mouth opening without having to think, ready to bash his head into the dirt in gratitude. But he stopped without speaking. Something tickled at the back of his brain. Some remnant of the junkyard and the jungle. The faint feeling of a fat rat moving just where you couldn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°This junior would like that very much. But respectfully, it is not what this Junior needs.¡±

    ¡°Oh no? What do you need?¡± The Elder¡¯s voice was very flat. Not hostile, but not giving any hint as to his true thoughts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at the leader, they cultivate reserve and practice hiding their thoughts. Look at the organization.¡± That¡¯s what Brother Fu had said. Tian believed him utterly. So he gambled on what he saw.

    ¡°If it pleases the Elder, a light body art or perception art.¡±

    Elder Rui gave Tian a deep look. ¡°My disciple really looked after you.¡±

    Tian nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

    ¡°Do you know how he got that Advent of Spring art you practice?¡±

    ¡°I do not, Elder.¡±

    ¡°He begged me to get it for you. He¡¯s not qualified to borrow it himself. It¡¯s a technique reserved for the Inner Court, to replace their Vital Energy cultivation art with a higher grade technique. Something we do to reward, and encourage, loyalty. My disciple traded twenty years of accumulated merits for it. You are twelve, or perhaps thirteen. So twice your lifetime of constant work, managing this Temple and staking his life on the battlefield.¡±

    Tian could only bow deeper, engraving every word on his bones.

    ¡°Here. Don¡¯t disappoint his hopes for you. Or my own.¡± Elder Rui tossed Tian a thin black ring.

    Tian caught the ring. It weighed nothing. The weight of it drove him to his knees. He didn¡¯t know when his eyes turned blurry.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I swear I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good boy. Go back to your brothers now. It is their turn to take the field. You are both dismissed.¡±

    Tian struggled to watch the bouts. The Brothers came out roaring, fighting like tigers and dragons. The Sisters were initially overwhelmed, but quickly recovered and retaliated, moving like lions and phoenixes. Tian blinked away his tears, trying to appreciate what he was seeing.

    The brothers and sisters moved with absolute control over their bodies. They were displaying what he was taught- conditioning the body, training the technique, forging the will, unifying the breath. Each move was an expression of the cultivator, because each move was perfectly aligned with a century or more of dedicated training and experience.

    ¡°Do you see Junior Brother Shangun? His East Wandering Sword Technique is on the verge of reaching mastery. You can see the essence of gold peeking through in his movements. Gold, as you know, stands for metal more broadly. Fitting for a swordmaster. Junior Sister Tsu should be an inspiration to you. Her meteor hammer shares a lot of similarities with your rope dart, and her mastery of Crashing Waves, Endless Storms lends the essence of water to every move. Fighting her is like fighting the angry ocean.¡±

    Brother Fu had come up behind him at some point. Tian never noticed.

    ¡°Snake Head Vine Body is, of course, a wood aligned art. You don¡¯t have only wood in you, nobody is just one thing, but you do lean towards it. So Advent of Spring and Snake Head Vine Body truly are well paired. As is the Thunderous Palm technique. That¡¯s a yin yang technique rather than belonging to one of the five elements. But-¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Tian?¡±

    Tian looked up at him, eyes burning, but his mouth locked up. Brother Fu sighed.

    ¡°What do you want me to say? I was a feral child too, but there was no Senior Brother Fu for me. I slaughtered in eight directions, accumulating debts and grudges, leaving a broad trail of corpses behind me. After sixty years of slaughter, I was no closer to immortality than I was at forty. Nor when I reached one hundred. So I started cultivating my heart and my Temple. Sister Bai and I were always like peas in a pod on the battlefield. We had the same thoughts. And fortunately, it was about that time the Elder took me as an in-name disciple.¡±

    Brother Fu kept his eyes on the spar. His face was still as an ancient well, his demeanor steady as an old dog.

    ¡°At my age, what can my merits buy me? I¡¯d rather invest in a promising junior. I saw you were like me, but you kept your human heart. I saw it as soon as you picked up the striker and rang the Dragon Calling Bell. So why not sweep your path to immortality?¡±

    Tian knew that if he tried to hug Brother Fu, the old man would refuse and shove him away. Propriety. Reserve. Dignity. At the moment, Tian supremely didn¡¯t care about any of those things. But he knew Brother Fu did. Tian stood still and carefully watched every moment of the spar, feeling the warmth of Brother Fu behind him.

    When the spar was done, Elder Rui nodded approvingly at the Brothers and Sisters. ¡°You really give this old man face. If only all the Temples and Convents trained so diligently and so well, I¡¯d have nothing to worry about. Did you know that the West Town Outer Court has an extra fifty parts of merit points earned per year compared to other towns? I get complaints.¡±

    The Elder grinned. ¡°And every time they complain, I slam my ledgers on the table and make the whiners read them with me. If people are unhappy, they should go out and earn more. Better still, send more disciples to the Inner Court! That¡¯s how the West Town Outer Court earned its prosperity. Diligent training, hard work, and unity. None of those pathetic games of status and profit other Temples and Convents seem to delight in. UNITY!¡±

    He drew a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll say it plain for the kids. Black Iron Gorge has finally made its move. Demons, gu, sorcerers, every horror of the wasteland is streaming north. Other sects will be joining our Ancient Crane Mountain, but our battlefront is so wide, you may well never see them. The main body of our force will be the True Disciples of the Inner Court. Forty, fully forty Direct Disciples from the Monastery are descending to oversee various sections, and a Daoist Master has already descended to take charge of the overall situation.

    His brothers didn¡¯t look particularly happy to hear that. Tian could hear the creak of their tendons as fists clenched.

    ¡°The Outer Sect has the honor of being the vanguard. It will require the full strength, loyalty and discipline of each of you to win the day. We will leave for the Southern Border in a week. Make use of every second. I will be counting on all of you.¡±

 Chapter 34- A Boy Goes to War

    Tian was in better control of his emotions by the time the Sisters left the Temple. He went directly to his cozy cell with its rat-proof walls and rain-proof roof and the bed that had a mattress stuffed with cotton and a blanket with no holes in it. Where nothing smelled rotten or sick. Where he was safe, warm, and clean. Where he first met people that wanted him. That went out of their way for him. Sacrificed for him.

    He lost it again for a while. Eventually, he sat back up on the bed and looked at the ring Elder Rui gave him.

    Tian circulated his vital energy through his hand and was startled to realize he could sense the contents of the ring. He couldn¡¯t see them, exactly, but he could roughly make out what they were. There were a few small bottles, a few bags and quite a bit of neatly folded cloth. Camping supplies, he guessed. But most precious of all were two slender books.

    He flexed his will, and the books appeared in his hand. It felt as magical as he always thought it looked. Both books were ratty and worn, far from the immaculate copies in the Temple library.

    ¡°Light Body, Heavy Hands. Well that¡¯s not a subtle name.¡± Tian smiled. He thought his voice sounded a little muffled. Seems he was still choked up. He looked at the other volume before opening the first. ¡°Counter-Jumper. What does that even mean?¡±

    He opened the second book first, just to see what the preamble said.

    What are the three horrors of cultivation? Losing it, failing to progress it, and being killed along the way to the peak. I don¡¯t have some special way of dealing with the first two, but I can teach you how to deal with the last one. You spot the trouble first. You figure out who¡¯s trying to get the jump on you, then you get the jump on them. Nothing is so deadly as ambushing an ambusher, and nothing so satisfying as swapping glasses with a poisoner. Just remember- your whole body is covered with keenly sensitive nerves, and what¡¯s more, you have at least some sensitivity to qi. Time to make use of everything you¡¯ve got.

    That sounded promising. It didn¡¯t have quite the¡­ refined tone he was used to in cultivation manuals. Not quite so full of complicated ideas. But that was more of a positive than a negative for Tian. He opened the other manual.

    The faster you move, the harder you hit. The lighter you are, the less force you need to move around. Of course, it¡¯s a trade off. You have to be moving really fast to match the force of a fat bastard taking his shot. So what¡¯s the solution? Be able to change your weight¡­ kind of. You are cheating with vital energy, letting it do some of the pushing against gravity for you. You race forward way faster than they expect, then cancel the art and thump the prick. Then activate it again and dodge around. When you see your next opening, stop and thump ¡®em again. Do it right and you only have to thump ¡®em once. Or stab ¡®em. And if the bastards are too much to deal with, just run away. Not like the little shits can catch up with you.

    ¡°Well that lacks reserve and propriety.¡± Tian muttered. He flipped through both books. The elder hadn¡¯t said anything about returning them. He must have looted them on a battlefield. Tian wasn¡¯t quite sure how to feel about that, but eventually just shrugged. Everyone below the Heavenly Person Level is an ant, and they practice the arts of ants. Elder Rui might have taken them off any random body and just held on to them. The Elder must have thought they were a good fit for him. Tian smiled. The Elder had been managing the Outer Court for centuries. He was probably right.

    There were still a few hours until dinner. He got to memorizing the books. It was something he worked on with Grandpa Jun all the way back in the Junkyard. Mnemonics, memory palaces, linking ideas to a story, visualization- all sorts of tricks and techniques to remember something quickly. Learning it was something else. That took a lot more work. But committing something to memory was relatively easy for him. He carefully read every word and examined every diagram. Over and over. Locking down each brushstroke and each character.

    He wouldn¡¯t let down Brother Fu or Elder Rui. He didn¡¯t want to let down Grandpa Jun or himself either.

    He walked to dinner in an odd mood, almost floating. He put the rope dart in his storage ring, then tried to throw it from the ring. It just fell in his hand. He also noticed that the rope dart could be in or out, but you couldn¡¯t have the dart trailing the rope out of the ring. It was all or nothing. One of the senior brothers spotted what he was up to and nudged him.

    ¡°Trying to make your hidden weapon even more hidden?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Everybody gets the same idea when they first get a storage ring. Guys who like throwing knives are an absolute pain in the ass for this. The knives just drop into their hands, so they can throw a whole stack of them really fast. Archers too. For everyone else, it¡¯s just a convenience. One less thing to carry, you know? A lot less things to carry.¡±

    ¡°But I notice most of the Senior Brothers do carry their weapons on them, not in their rings.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I do that when I¡¯m out of the Temple. It¡¯s¡­ well. You grew up in the jungle. Do you plan on putting your rope dart in the ring? Technically it would be safer. Much less chance it would be lost or stolen.¡±

    Tian thought about it for half a second before he started violently shaking his head.

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the reason right there. We just don¡¯t feel safe without feeling the sword or saber on us all the time. And for most of us, our weapons are practically another limb. Hell, most of us use our sabers more than we use our-¡±

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    ¡°Brains, Junior Brother Meng?¡± Brother Fu appeared like a ghost in the twilight.

    ¡°Them too, Senior Brother.¡± The senior brother grinned, unrepentant. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both at dinner.¡±

    ¡°If his dinner tonight is more than bean sprouts over rice with no chilli sauce, I¡¯ll consider myself a failure in this life.¡± Brother Fu grumbled.

    ¡°I know what he was going to say, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°I know you know. Decorum, Tian. Propriety and manners. They do matter. They let people get along with each other in ways that don¡¯t have to involve violence. And it doesn¡¯t always mean acting like a stuck up prig either. A beggar¡¯s camp will have its etiquette, as will warriors gathered around a fire, or fishermen gathering on a beach to discuss their catch. Know how to speak and act, and you will find roads open for you wherever you travel. Remain ignorant, and live in a world full of walls.¡±

    They walked slowly together.

    ¡°Is it really the right time to worry about decorum, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The military has its own etiquette, and while you aren''t going to be part of an army, technically, the difference matters less than you would think. A lack of etiquette is equivalent to a lack of discipline, which would have terrible consequences. Really. Starting with you getting flogged, and ending with you starting a mutiny that ultimately results in every person in the Broad Sky Kingdom living a life of unspeakable horror and humiliation before they are ultimately murdered and their souls plunged into endless torment.¡±

    Tian stopped and gave Brother Fu a look.

    ¡°An extreme outcome, but not unprecedented. Take another look at the story of General Lu in Records of Three Emperors.¡±

    ¡°Brother Fu? Everybody looked tense when Elder Rui said we would be the vanguard. But the Vanguard General is always described as a very honorable, heroic person in the books. So, why?¡±

    ¡°Because, Tian, the general is the hero of the story. He bravely charged forward, in the best armor money could buy, swinging the best weapon and on the back of the best horse, surrounded by the best guards.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Tian couldn¡¯t really imagine what Brother Fu was describing.

    ¡°The General makes it out alive, most of the time, even though he¡¯s in the thick of the fighting. But his lesser soldiers are slaughtered. We are the lesser soldiers, Tian. Shoved out in front to absorb the enemy''s arrows, clear traps, find ambushes, do battle with their scouts, patrol our lines, secure lines of communication and resupply, provide diversions and generally do the most fatal work.¡±

    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t go.¡± Tian said.

    ¡°We absolutely must go. Because as unfair as that all sounds, it is actually the correct decision. Completely correct. It is actually the safest path for us as well as everyone else. Leaving aside all questions of morality, which I absolutely do not.¡±

    Tian shook his head. He just didn¡¯t understand. Brother Fu sighed, and they walked to dinner in silence.

    Dinner that night was more subdued than usual. Nevertheless, despite making a furious effort to secure first chicken, then bean curd, then finally cucumber, Brother Meng¡¯s dinner consisted of cold rice, bean sprouts, and not a drop of chili sauce.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    Yes, Tian?

    ¡°Is this what it feels like to have a dad?¡±

    Only if you are very lucky. Go to sleep. You will need your rest.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    There was nothing else to do but study, train, and eat. Brother Wong crammed every scrap of medicinal knowledge he could into Tian¡¯s head. Knowledge was free. Supplies had to be finessed. ¡°I can¡¯t give you herbs, as they cost merit points. However, unrelated, we are going to be picking quite a lot of wild herbs the next few days. And for your job, you will only have to submit three of each.¡±

    On the practice field- ¡°Is this your new light body art? I¡¯m not familiar with it, but it¡¯s a bit similar to my ¡®Big Dipper Steps.¡¯ Let me give you some pointers.¡± ¡°Poetry Saint¡± Zhu drifted down from a tree, landing softly on the earth. And ever after, Tian seemed to see his Senior Brother writing his poems in the trees, shifting from place to place. Demonstrating his light body art.

    ¡°Ah, practicing sensory arts? It¡¯s easiest to start with just one or two senses. Most would say your eyes or ears, but take it from an old bandit hunter- skin vibration sensitivity. You won¡¯t believe the information your body is ignoring right now. Come, come, Junior. I¡¯m an old hand at this.¡± Old brother Three Nights dragged him over to a pond, demonstrating just how he caught Blossom Cutter Zheng when three armies of mortals had failed.

    ¡°Oh, Junior Brother Tian, I was looking for you! You let that Hong girl tread all over your rope. Let me show you how to manage these little- Ah, no Senior Brother, I was going to help him with Snake Head Vine Body! I don¡¯t need to spar. Really. Really!¡± One of the Blades of the Green Valley, heroic and broad shouldered in his sect uniform, was dragged away by the ear for a ¡®Counseling Session¡¯ with Brother Fu. Who tipped a more sensible Blade a nod, and let him handle the teaching.

    The brothers helped him. These legends of the rivers and lakes opened their treasuries of experience to him, and encouraged him to take greedily. They withheld nothing, and Tian strained every trick of memorization he had trying to keep it all in his head.

    He got tips about what to pack (everything) and what to leave (heirs if possible, a letter conveying his will if not.) The storage ring was a godsend for that, but he really didn¡¯t have much to pack in the first place.

    He spent his few spirit crystals on things like food, water, two stout camp knives, a spare rope dart (cruelly expensive though it was) extra rope, extra warm clothing, extra medicine, firewood that could burn for hours in any conditions, needle and thread, and at the universal urging of his senior brothers, he packed an enormous stack of books. He was even strong armed into buying loads of candy and strong liquor.

    ¡°You will need to make friends. Food and drink are good, strong liquor is best. I¡¯d send you off with cards and dice, but I know you don¡¯t know how to play with either, and Brother Fu will ¡®counsel¡¯ me into a hole in the ground if I teach you,¡± A particularly scarred, brutal looking brother explained.

    Over and over and over they made him learn what to say and do in different scenarios. He was no good at thinking up things on the spot, so he memorized sayings and expressions. He learned the If-Then. He learned when to give, and how to receive. Tian couldn¡¯t understand the why behind the what. They were all brothers and sisters. Why play these games? But his brothers were rarely wrong, and they seemed desperately serious. He learned.

    Most precious of all was the tea set gifted to him by Brother Fu. Despite having endless things to do, Brother Fu always set aside half an hour in the afternoon to teach Tian the art of tea.

 Chapter 35- First Journey Through the Sky

    ¡°Senior Brother¡­ was I secretly kicked in the head?¡±

    ¡°Nope. That¡¯s real.¡±

    The West Town Outer Court had assembled in a field outside the town. Their duties had been assumed by mortal servants overseen by the disabled and seniors who had stepped back from the front lines in the Inner Court. Every fit Earthly Realm lay brother and sister had left. No exceptions.

    Tian knew he would never forget brother Tang¡¯s face, wrapped in a blanket and sitting immobile in a wicker chair, watching his brothers march out the gate.

    The West Town branch of the Outer Court was headed for the Southern Border. And they were going on a flying ship.

    ¡°It¡¯s the size of¡­ of¡­¡±

    ¡°Hush, Junior.¡±

    Tian shut up, his eyes riveted on the boat. It was shaped like one of the river boats he saw polling its way up and down the long river that wrapped around the mountain. Just vastly, impossibly longer.

    ¡°I can run pretty fast now,¡± Tian thought, ¡°But it would still take me at least twenty minutes to go end to end. At least twenty. Thirty?¡±

    The number kept revising upwards as the boat got closer. It was huge on a scale Tian¡¯s mind simply didn¡¯t operate on. He could understand the river being big or the mountain being big, but a human construction like the boat didn¡¯t seem to fit in his mind. It just kept going and going.

    ¡°It¡¯s not built for humans. It¡¯s too big. It¡¯s just too big.¡± He thought. ¡°There is no way it could land without crushing hundreds of farms.¡±

    Someone up there agreed with him. Smaller boats fell like pollen, drifting downward towards the waiting cultivators scattered around the base of the mountain. One of them landed feather-light in front of the West Town. It was a flat bottomed skiff with a flat deck and a little covered area seemingly made out of a forest¡¯s worth of woven bamboo splits. The prow of the ship gently fell forward, turning into an enormous ramp, wide enough for the waiting cultivators to march aboard in rows ten across.

    ¡°Even their little boats are bigger than the entire Temple complex.¡± Tian thought. ¡°Who could build on that scale? How does it fly without wings? Hell, how does it fly without making a sound?¡±

    ¡°West Town Outer Court reporting! All disciples are present and accounted for. We await your command!¡±

    Brother Fu¡¯s voice roared out. There was the sound of clashing blades in there, and an old dog ready to show the young pups why it still ruled the pack.

    ACKNOWLEDGED. BOARD THE DINGHY AND AWAIT FURTHER ORDERS.

    It was a man¡¯s voice, but Tian would swear his ears didn¡¯t hear it. The voice just appeared in his head without bothering with such petty methods.

    ¡°WEST TOWN! BY RANKS! FORWARD MARCH!¡±

    ¡°March?¡± Tian wondered what marching was. Like the annual procession? He decided to just do what his brothers did. They seemed to know what was happening.

    They marched up the ramp and into the hold of the dinghy. The interior was mostly empty, at least where they were standing. After everyone was on board, the prow closed up again and Tian felt a gentle pressure on the soles of his feet. ¡°Are we flying?¡± He muttered.

    The brother next to him glared and put a finger to his lip. Then nodded. Then glared again and repeated the gesture. Tian nodded obediently.

    The pressure continued for a few minutes, then stopped. The ramp lowered again.

    DISEMBARK. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE STEWARDS.

    ¡°WEST TOWN! REVERSE DIRECTION.¡± Everybody spun around. Tian kept up. The forced ¡®stroll¡¯ practice made his reflexes very sharp. ¡°WEST TOWN! FORWARD MARCH!¡±

    They marched out onto an enormous deck. The roof above was almost lost in darkness, with a few floating lights flooding the floor below. There were little roads marked with white paint, others with green or red or blue.

    ¡°Welcome aboard the Summer Torrent! Your journey to the Southern Border will take thirty six hours. You will follow the blue path and only the blue path to your berth. Do not stop at any point along the way! Do not talk to anyone. Do not slow down. We have another town coming on board in ninety seconds, so I want you off my deck in thirty! Now, MARCH!¡±

    Tian didn¡¯t recognize the cultivator talking, but he recognized an Inner Court uniform, so he marched. Brother Fu and Sister Bai led them down the blue path, never varying their pace. Even when it looked like there was another town¡¯s worth of Outer Court members blocking the hall, they kept the pace. The others cleared the hall exactly four seconds before the front row reached them, entering into their own berth.

    Tian hadn¡¯t really considered what it would be like shifting eighteen thousand people in a hurry. He¡¯d never had to organize a group of any size. It was almost as amazing as the ship itself.

    Their berth was nothing more than another big room, though smaller than the one they had landed in. Brother Fu and Sister Bai quickly had the Temple and Covenant split up and spread out evenly. When the room was divided to their satisfaction, complete with aisles to walk up and down and determining the location of the privies, they instructed everyone to sit. The noise was remarkable, echoing off the walls and ceilings.

    Sister Bai cleared her throat. ¡°Alright, for those of you who haven¡¯t traveled by sky barge before, both of you,¡± That got a small laugh. ¡°Let me explain what¡¯s going to happen here. You are going to sit right where you are. If you want to sleep, pull out a blanket, bundle up and sleep. You want to eat, eat dry rations. Better still, eat a fasting pill. There is a reason they are the only ¡®pill¡¯ available in the Outer Court. All they do is provide enough nutrition to keep a Earthly Realm cultivator going for a week. Key point- if you don¡¯t eat, you don¡¯t excrete. So do drink a lot of water, because any toxins you accumulate in your body will be flushed out through your urine.¡±

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    She pointed dramatically towards the privy. ¡°Enjoy clean bathrooms while you still can. You won¡¯t have them long. Other than that, you can talk quietly with your neighbors, but don¡¯t wander around. Better still, just settle in for a long cultivation session. Right, that¡¯s it. Enjoy.¡±

    Tian immediately followed Sister Bai¡¯s advice and ate a fasting pill. He¡¯d never used them before, but he¡¯d wondered about them since his first mission. The feeling was a little uncomfortable, but not terrible. He suddenly felt like eating even one more bite of food would make him sick.

    ¡°You probably have a ton of questions.¡± Senior Brother Meng leaned over and said in a low voice. ¡°I doubt anyone can answer all of them, but go ahead and ask.¡±

    ¡°What is a sky barge? HOW is a sky barge?¡± Tian blurted, trying to keep his voice low as he could manage.

    ¡°Good question. It¡¯s exactly what it looks like- a giant flying boat. They are called barges because most of them are pleasure craft for seniors at or above the Core Disciple level. Don¡¯t ask me what the Direct Disciples of the Daoist Masters get up to. I¡¯ve been in the temple a long, long time and the number of Direct Disciples I have been within two hundred miles of is two. And I¡¯m guessing about both of them. Sky barges are for Elders we aren¡¯t even qualified to know about, let alone learn the names of. Summer Torrent is a little different. She¡¯s a real working ship, and is many, many times bigger than an ordinary sky barge. She does heavy cargo missions between sects. I believe it¡¯s owned outright by our Ancient Crane Sect, but I can¡¯t swear to that.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but it¡¯s so big! How could we have built something this big? How could it fly around and we never see it?¡±

    ¡°First, I didn¡¯t say we built it, I said we own it. It was built by the Divine Shaper Sect, who make most flying barges. Second¡­ Junior Brother, do you really think this is a creation at merely the Heavenly Person Realm? If the captain so wished, you could be standing on top of it and never notice. Although, in fact, it never lands. They just shift stuff around in those dinghies.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were realms above Heavenly Person!¡± Tian whispered vehemently.

    ¡°Yeah. Because they aren¡¯t relevant to us. At all.¡± Brother Meng shrugged. ¡°Think of it like the Mountain. You can see our town, and you can see Mountain Gate City, but once you get a certain distance up the side of the mountain, everything is hidden by clouds. The higher you go, the further you can see.¡±

    Tian remembered how high up the Summer Torrent was when he first spotted it. He couldn¡¯t imagine the view from up there. He smiled thinking about it. One day, he would be strong enough to fly that high all on his own.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ¡°WELCOME TO FORWARD CAMP REDKNIFE!¡± The Inner Court cultivator bellowed. He hadn¡¯t bothered to introduce himself. ¡°Members of the Outer Court will bunk with their Towns until given further orders. Our Base is home to five Towns, so get to know each other. ON YOUR OWN TIME! Each Town has been allocated quarters. There is also a Mission Hall and Quartermaster¡¯s Warehouse, as well as some crafting rooms. When you are not given a military command, you may undertake missions to acquire Military Merits. Those Merit Points can be exchanged here on base! Right, you all know this stuff. Anyone holding a Blade token- stick around. The rest of you- dismissed!¡±

    Tian did not, in fact, know all this stuff. What he did know was that it hurt to breathe. The wasteland was accurately named. Fine sand and dust was constantly blowing, rapidly making your eyes water, then go blind. Filling your ears, and nose, and shredding your lips as you desperately kept your mouth closed. And with every sip of air, stone particles shredded your throat and lungs. Every cultivator wore special headgear to keep the dust off, but Tian wasn¡¯t very used to it. He hadn¡¯t quite sealed everything up right, and was paying for his inexperience.

    It was brutally hot, but it was a dry heat. It really didn¡¯t make standing out in the sun with his whole body covered in loose cloth and his head wrapped and tied with scarves and goggles any better.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get indoors.¡± Brother Meng nudged Tian.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t missed this place at all. Redknife. I¡¯ve been here before.¡± One of the Sisters said. ¡°We should be near the Black Sand Desert. Which means demons, slaughter fiends and cursemancers.¡±

    ¡°Still take them over Gu.¡± One of the brothers aimed for optimism and kind of hit it. ¡°Hate Gu.¡±

    Tian tried to remember what Gu were. The books were a little contradictory- they were both curses and insects, if he understood properly. Which he probably didn¡¯t. Apparently, their methods of cultivation and control were extremely unpleasant, even for heretical cultivators. Something about turning living people into insect breeding grounds, birthing and feeding generations of insects while not being permitted to die as the victim¡¯s pain and horror was also part of the breeding and rearing process¡­

    Tian agreed with his Senior Brother. Demons sounded awful, but he, too, would take them over Gu.

    They marched into barracks- essentially rows of bunk beds running the length of a long, windowless stone building. It was dimly lit inside, but that didn¡¯t bother anyone. They were all cultivators. The Brothers and Sisters were separated into different rooms once again, but he was told they were identical in every way.

    ¡°Is there a dining room?¡± Tian asked.

    ¡°They call it a mess hall, but yes.¡± Tian was bunked above Senior Brother Su. He was sure it was not an accident. ¡°You can think of it as a sort of miniature Temple. The way the Sect runs large scale combat deployments is pretty straightforward- the base is either Up or Down. If it is Up, then we are where the battle line is, or supporting the battle line near us. We will be directly issued mandatory missions by the Sect, and discipline will be very strict. If the base is Down, then the battle lines are somewhere else. That doesn¡¯t mean we stop fighting. It just means that you can go to the mission hall and pick the kind of fighting you will be doing. Right now, the base is Up.¡±

    Tian nodded. ¡°Why not just issue mandatory missions all the time? It sounded like the fighting is pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°Because we are cultivators.¡±

    ¡°Pardon, Senior Brother?¡±

    Brother Su smiled a little at that. ¡°Little Tian, our West Town is almost unique in how unified we are. Everywhere else? One cultivator is a menace, two an argument, three a conspiracy and four a war. If we didn¡¯t have the opportunity to go adventuring, there would be a mutiny in a month.¡±

    Tian recoiled. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really. Just you wait. You are in for one hell of a shock. You don¡¯t know it now, but Level Nine, or worse, Level Ten, is an entirely new life. One spent amongst the rivers and lakes, letting your life ride on a blade¡¯s edge and a beauty¡¯s smile. But you know what? I have a sneaking suspicion that the boy who wanted to run away and do solo missions before he was thirteen will fit in just fine.¡±

    Tian grinned. He did like the sound of going on adventures like his senior brothers. Then frowned, because they obviously would need him here on the battlefield. It would be scumbag behavior to send them out to fight heretics while he was running around having fun. He quickly looked around.

    ¡°Where is Brother Fu? I don¡¯t think he came with us to the barracks.

    ¡°Blade Token. It¡¯s not a seniority thing, it¡¯s a capability and mindset thing. And a loyalty thing. Not every Outer Court has someone capable of holding our Ancient Crane Mountain¡¯s Blade Token.¡±

    Tian¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°A loyalty thing?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Brother Su¡¯s smile was almost blinding, then suddenly vanished. ¡°Just remember. You are in a war zone now. There is not a single thing outside the walls of this barrack that doesn¡¯t want to kill you. Notice I said barrack, not base.

 Chapter 36- First Combat Patrol

    Tian was out on patrol with nine of the senior brothers. It sounded somewhat casual- patrol. Like he was just walking around on a tidy path with his battle hardened seniors. Those same seniors quickly set him straight. Before they left the base, they carefully checked him over. His protective clothing was carefully examined, with serious care taken to make sure everything fit and nothing chafed.

    It was explained to Tian simply but directly- the protective gear worked as one system. Everything needed to be properly layered and connected for the system to work. If the system didn¡¯t fit properly, it wouldn¡¯t work. If it didn¡¯t work, he would die. Quickly or slowly, he would die.

    The bases were covered in a spell array that made conditions bearable inside. Outside of the base, the stone dust air of the Wasteland would rub away his skin, then his muscle, then his organs. He would go blind. His lungs would shred into pulp. It wasn¡¯t a fast process, but it was incredibly difficult and time consuming to heal. The first and most inescapable enemy of any cultivator in the Wastes was the Waste itself. And it only needed to win once.

    ¡°Grandpa, could I manage it with Gourmet?¡± Tian was getting good at subvocalizing, but he still kept his questions for times when he was as alone as he could be.

    It might let your lungs survive a bit longer, but everything else? It would be no help. Advent of Spring is your best friend there. The wood qi helps break down the stone qi in the dust and it promotes healing. But don¡¯t get too happy. Try to feel the qi in the air.

    Tian half closed his eyes, trying to execute Counter-Jumper to better understand what was going on around him. There was air, and earth, and- ¡°Fire?¡±

    Based on what we heard, we are near a big lava field. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s hot, it¡¯s a place where lava flowed out onto the surface and hardened into basalt. The wind and flying sand erodes it, and the dust blows into the air. That basalt still has traces of fire poison in it, a sort of destructive, difficult to process fire qi. It can build up in your meridians and literally burn you out. So be very, very careful how you cultivate, and when you do cultivate, do your best to keep the fire qi out of your body.

    The cultivators were covered quite literally from head to toe. Their gloves cinched down over the sleeves of their protective robes, their headgear sealed to their underrobe with a simple charm, but still layered with a protective scarf. The face mask was made of fine silk processed to provide both filtration and breathability by crafters in the Inner Court. The mask covered the eyes, but was practically transparent. Tian couldn¡¯t explain it, but then, he knew nothing about crafting.

    A hood went over everything, carefully cinched down to press against the scarf and sealed to the face mask. Not an inch of skin was exposed anywhere. It made fighting more than a little exciting. Each team member had emergency patching kits with them. A tear wouldn¡¯t be instantly fatal, but it was going to be a long war. It would be wise to avoid damage as long as they possibly could.

    So a patrol was not ¡°merely¡± a walk with seniors. Each team member had a specific direction to look in. Everyone had jobs to fill. Tian was in the middle, but he had his own quadrant to keep an eye on. He was running Counter-Jumper constantly.

    He realized quite quickly why his seniors had insisted he learn how to ¡®stroll.¡¯ Far easier to practice your alertness and bodily control on peasants than on the battlefield, but the skills were highly transferable.

    Everyone else was doing roughly the same. The heretical cultivators were fighting in the same environment as the orthodox cultivators. It¡¯s why they favored demon summoning, curses and other sorcerous arts. Anything that let them stay behind cover and far away from the fighting was a good thing.

    Tian had long noticed that his seniors almost exclusively used flying swords or flying sabers. More than a few used bows, carrying sabers on their hips as backup. Even the ones that favored staves used very long ones that hit like a collapsing mountain. They were also firm believers in not getting into melee in an environment that could kill you.

    Tian didn¡¯t know where his rope dart landed in that mix. For the first time, he had one of the shortest range weapons. Since it was still the basic weapon he was issued at Level Three, it was also by far the weakest.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. No better option was available. He would just have to earn military merits and get one made. Given his level, he couldn¡¯t use a powerfully enchanted weapon anyway. It wouldn¡¯t be too expensive. Hopefully.

    The squad moved out onto the black sand desert. Patches of solid basalt spread out on the surface like fungus slowly eating a fallen log. The earth itself was riddled with shallow caves and hidden channels barely a few feet deep. The sheer emptiness became oppressive. The back of their brains whispered that the emptiness was a lie, and that enemies were hidden just a step away. They would never know they were surrounded until it was too late.

    Not without reason.

    Tian looked carefully at his patch of basalt. It was still and dead. He moved his eyes away for a moment, attracted by a rock. There was a flicker of something in the corner of his eye. Before he even saw what it was, his hands were moving, sending the rope dart forward. A scorpion, nearly as big as him, soft black and perfectly blended with the rocks. ¡°ENEMY!¡±

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    ¡°CONTACT FRONT LEFT!

    ¡°CONTACT FRONT RIGHT!¡±

    ¡°CONTACT REAR!¡±

    Tian watched his dart bounce off the shell of the scorpion. The scorpion didn¡¯t even hiss, it¡¯s six eyes fixed on him as it rushed in. Pincers as long as his arms reached for him. The sharp hook of the tail up high, coiled, ready to drill down into him, burn him from the inside out with venom. Tian yanked the dart back and spun it quickly around his neck, flicking it out to catch the hook.

    The scorpion hissed and rushed in close. The stinger shot forward and down almost faster than Tian¡¯s eyes could follow, like it was trying to pierce the top of his head as the claws closed in on either side of him. Tian saw how the scorpion got low at the front as it raised its hind legs to strike, bowing its whole body. He passed the rope behind his back, and hopped backwards.

    It worked, but not quite as well as he hoped. The scorpion was very stable, its front legs spread wide and the brutal claws pressed against the ground, keeping it from flipping over. There was a momentary stalemate. Tian felt the tension on the line. The stinger was fast, but not very strong. With an acrobatic flip in the air, he brought his foot up, over his head and down on the rope, shortening the line.

    Something snapped. And then the scorpion screamed.

    The stinger didn¡¯t fall off, but the hook had lost its rigidity. It swayed as the scorpion rushed forward to tear its mutilater apart with its claws. Tian rushed forward too, and to the side. Light Body was still at a very crude, very basic level, but he could manage a bit of extra speed. It let him avoid the lunge. With a sharp tug and another twist over the rope, he launched himself onto the scorpion¡¯s back. He had noticed there was a limit to how far down the stinger could stab. Crouching on top of the scorpion was, oddly enough, one of the safer places to be. He didn¡¯t linger. He just started smashing out Thunderous palms, hoping to find the brain of the scorpion somewhere under the armor.

    The penetrating force from the palm must have reached something. The scorpion started spasming, legs jerking, broken tail thrashing. It bucked once, hard enough to launch Tian ten feet away. It was dead by the time his feet touched the ground.

    He was the last one fighting. Tian flexed Snake Head Vine Body and the rope loosened around the scorpion. He made a tidy hank as he rejoined his brothers.

    ¡°We will debrief when we return. Don¡¯t bother harvesting anything from these scorpions, even their venom isn¡¯t worth much. Roughly low-grade Earthly tier.¡± There had been seven others, each killed with a single sword blow to the face. The senior brothers were already back to watching for enemies.

    Tian bowed silently, appreciating what they had done for him. He returned to the line and the patrol continued.

    They had only gone another four miles when they were attacked by a bird big enough to carry Tian away, inky black with burning eyes and a screech that pierced the ears and rattled the soul. It could endure the three arrows that pierced it as it approached, but not the saber that rose to decapitate it. The two crossed so fast, Tian missed the moment the blade struck. The horrible bird was diving at them, then it was falling in two parts. Less than two seconds had passed since the bird plunged out of the clouds.

    ¡°Is that a Demon, Senior Brother Tan?¡±

    ¡°No, but related. Debrief after. Eyes out.¡±

    They went another ten miles before they ran into a swarm of thick shelled beetles. Tian was in his element there, the whipping dart made a wonderful hammer and the long rope let him sweep the beetles into easily choppable heaps. Unlike the bird or the scorpions, the beetles were swept up into a storage ring without comment.

    They did a forty mile loop. Barely half a day¡¯s walk for cultivators. Tian couldn¡¯t remember the last time he was so tired. It was the constant anxiety, punctuated by terror and all out fighting. He ate like a starving wolf at dinner, inhaling the buns and vegetables like they were air, and barely noticing the rich soup filled with chunks of fish.

    Once dinner was finished, one of the brothers sat down with him. ¡°Alright, ask.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a debriefing?¡± It was the first thing that popped into Tian¡¯s head. He had never heard the word before.

    ¡°What¡¯s a debriefing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Good. You have almost made it a complete habit. You are doing very well on the bowing too.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°A debriefing is, technically, an interrogation after a mission to get any useful information. The word ¡®interrogation¡¯ puts people off, but it just means asking questions.¡±

    ¡°The scorpions were low-grade Earthly Realm animals?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They are absolutely everywhere in the wastes. They aren¡¯t literally the bottom of the food chain, but they are way, way, way down there.

    ¡°The bird, Senior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Not a demon but demonized. Probably an ordinary crow or something that spent too much time near devilish energy, or ate something it really shouldn¡¯t have. Less common than the scorpions, still quite common and since they tend to be completely insane, they are easy to manage.¡±

    ¡°And the beetles?¡±

    ¡°Those are a little more interesting. Still fairly common, but always in high demand regardless. You can process their shells to make a really pretty blue dye. That¡¯s what I hear, anyway. There is a standing bounty for them posted by the crafters.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ do they also kill people? I am pretty sure they were trying to kill me, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°You are made of meat, which means food, which means yes, they are trying to kill you. Little Bro, how many plants did you see today?¡±

    ¡°None, I think.¡±

    ¡°Correct. There is lichen hidden here and there, and a few plants that rise just barely above ground. In well protected places, you sometimes find some kind of fungus, or very tough patches of grass. There is more water than you would think, but it¡¯s all bitter, brackish stuff. You have to process it thoroughly before you could drink it, and by the time you did, something would have found you and killed you. Most of the place is brutal, empty desert, filled with the shredding stone wind.¡±

    ¡°So the only food is other animals. Except for whatever eats the lichen, I suppose.¡± Tian shook his head.

    ¡°Yep. And the heretical cultivators not only live there, they grow powerful.¡± The senior brother patted Tian on the shoulder. ¡°You did well. Get some sleep. I guarantee today was the easiest day you will ever have in the wasteland.¡±