Rosie Mason
The path to Shenzhou has been brutal. I traveled with a few friends to reach a remote place called Yunxi Village, located within the Mountain Island Sect. I have always been fascinated by the concept of cultivation here in Shenzhou. It is so different from what we know in the Western world. Back home, we rely on magical potions and archetypes, but it seems every region outside the West has its own unique magical traditions. In Shenzhou, it is Qui and cultivation.
I can't help but wonder if I have Qui within me as well. From what I have heard, the only way to awaken it is by learning the scriptures taught in the local schools. But those teachings are reserved for the community alone. That means the only path forward is to reach Yunxi Village, earn their trust, and maybe, just maybe, learn how to awaken my own Qui.
…
Rosie Mason
Harris Carter, my friend, stumbled upon something strange. It looks like a broken object, the length of a stick but as thick as an oak tree. It is white and covered in dirt. I can even smell alcohol for some reason. What is this thing? We plan to take it with us to the village and ask what in the world we have found. We discovered it right next to a hidden cave entrance, so it must be worth something. I am very curious right now.
…
Alfred Hall
We have reached Yunxi Village. They confirmed that what we brought is likely a Qui Fragment. They do not yet know what type of Qui it is and will need to inspect it further. If it really is a Qui Fragment, I believe the four of us should each receive a share.
It was very heavy, and Benjamin struggled the most. That is because he is the largest and strongest among us, so he was the one who carried it all the way to the village. Perhaps he deserves a larger share for his effort.
…
Rosie Mason
Emperor Guo De told us that what we brought is called Jade Qui. It is supposed to be one of the rarer types and contains a tremendous amount of Qui. But I am confused. I always thought Qui was something inside us, a power that slumbers deep within. How can it form into a rocky boulder? Did it leak out of someone? There are so many questions swirling in my head.
Guo De kept saying something that sounded like "Yue Qui" or maybe "Yu Qui." Moon? Jade? I cannot tell. My Chinese is still embarrassingly poor, and every word seems to blur together. I have picked up some Chinese from travelers back home who traded stories of Qui for tales of Western magic, but there is still so much I do not understand. I worry I might have completely misunderstood what Emperor Guo De was trying to tell me.
…
Guo De
These foreigners can barely speak Chinese. What is even more interesting is that they found a very large piece of the Moon Servant Qui Fragment, one of the biggest discovered so far. It was located in Cave Inos. Emperor Ju Chen has already sent out an official statement requesting that every village hand over any fragments they find. I will certainly comply.
However, I worry that these foreigners might misunderstand and try to keep the Qui for themselves. It is difficult to communicate everything clearly with them, even though they seem eager to learn.
…
Rosie Mason
Emperor Guo De told me that I need to go to Mountain Island Village, or as he called it, Shan Dao Cun. I think I understood him correctly, but I keep second-guessing myself. Maybe he gave me important instructions that I completely missed.
Mountain Island Village is about twelve miles from here, and most of the journey is uphill. That is a long way, and the climb is going to be exhausting. Please do not tell me we have to carry the Jade Fragment with us… or Moon Fragment… or whatever it actually is. At this point, I am not sure if I am carrying a treasure or a giant misunderstanding.
…
Rosie Mason
We began walking toward Mountain Island Village with three elders and the emperor himself. This is such a drag. Why are these villages so far apart? Back in Mindale, we never had villages spread out like this; they were always close together and connected. Huff… whatever. Hopefully, this journey will be worth it. I have heard good things about the emperor of Mountain Island Village.
…
Rosie Mason
A few hours have passed now, and I feel completely exhausted. The crescent moon hangs high in the sky, and it makes me want to stop and admire it. However, Guo De insists that we keep moving without rest. I asked him how long the journey would take, and he said it might be half a day. That is insane. Walking nonstop for half a day cannot be good for our bodies. Screw this the reward better be worth it.…
…
Harris Carter
I have studied the history of Shenzhou carefully. We are now in the era of the Hanlong Dynasty, which means the land is ruled by Emperor Han Yang. I believe his reign began only a few years ago, and I do not see it ending anytime soon. Here in Shenzhou, villages are common, and sects are formed by groups of these villages. Each sect usually has ten to twenty villages, and there is often one emperor who leads the sect and guides the others, though he does not have complete control over every village's affairs.
The village we traveled to, Yunxi Village, belongs to the Mountain Sect led by Emperor Ju Chen. Ju Chen was born into a wealthy family and is related to Zheng Wei, the founder of the sect along with Mountain Island Village.
I think I finally understand what Qui is. Back in the year 763, during the Wuhan Empire, a woman named Cui Yu discovered a scripture containing powerful martial arts techniques. She learned that by performing these techniques with perfect precision, a person could awaken a hidden power sleeping inside them. But the power was unstable and dangerous. One wrong move could lead to instant death. Cui Yu worked to refine the technique so it could be used safely.
She combined the martial arts with a method called Perpetual Meditation, created by Xiang Jiang. This meditation's goal was to help a person gain complete control over their mind and emotions, maintaining perfect stability. By merging martial arts with Perpetual Meditation, Cui Yu created the Eternal Qui Awakening. Anyone who wants to learn Qui must first master the Eternal Qui Awakening. Once they have that foundation, they can train with other techniques developed by Cui Yu's peers, such as the Sevenfold Breathing Technique, which improves the flow of Qui through focused breathing, or the Whispering Steps, which guides Qui into the limbs while moving silently and quickly.
Another important technique is the Heartstill Gaze. This method allows a cultivator to control their emotions, preventing Qui from becoming wild and unstable during moments of fear or rage. Each of these techniques builds upon the Eternal Qui Awakening, forming a complete path to safely and effectively control Qui.
I must admit, I lied a little. I did not learn all this before coming here. I can actually speak Chinese fluently. I read the scriptures in Yunxi Village and found them fascinating, so I decided to write them down. Now I wonder what secrets Mountain Island Village will reveal to us.