Greedy Justice (I)
Calm returned once more to Lonesome Peak.
I'm actually considering the name change, as it could hardly be called 'Lonesome' anymore. I mean, yeah, compared to other peaks, it still is, but there are 6 of us now, which is enough to start a cult!
... I mean, I won't. But I could. But I won't. Well, it really is couldn't.
Long Tao locked himself up in his room, seemingly struggling to comprehend the art.
Elder Qin delivered a first batch of cultivation resources that were all funneled into Xi Zhao, who in turn started cultivating like mad.
Dai Xiu was also busy cultivating, as I instructed her to just do that for now.
And the remaining three of us... well, here we are, busy under the clouded sun, building materials strewn about.
"And what is this?" Light asked, pointing at a bucket.
"It's a bucket."
"Yes, but what is it for?"
"... for storing water."
"Ah. And this?"
"It's a rope."
"What is it for?"
"... for tying things."
"And what are you doing now?"
Okay, yeah, she's definitely a kid. Relentless, like a fly in midsummer, always just... buzzing around. Hua and I busied ourselves with construction as I arrived this morning with a new batch of materials necessary.
As for what we were doing right now? Digging, mostly, and laying down the foundation. It was going to be relatively shallow, as the plan was simple: these 'houses' weren't permanent but just temporary lodging. I'd actually planned on starting the construction of the main palace shortly after the competition's end, but with the war looming... I decided to wait.
If we win--no, once we win, there's gonna be a huge influx of materials, and if it's true that I'll be treated as a hero, maybe I won't even have to lift a finger, and the sect will build me whatever the hell I want built? That's the dream.
"Preparing a foundation."
"Why?"
"Otherwise, any stronger winds could knock the building to the ground."
"Why not just use arrays to stabilize them, then?"
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"Because they cost money."
"So, you're a cheapskate?"
"..." you know, I can kind of see why this guy who's just barely holding back from belting out a laugh is pretending to be mute. I couldn't not answer, and it honestly didn't even have anything to do with her identity; had I not known, she'd only seem like an averagely curious six-year-old girl with slightly special-looking hair and eyes. "Where'd you learn that word?"
"My mother used to call my father that. She said it's a bad thing."
"It's not a bad thing... always," I defended myself vehemently. "These will be temporary shelters, so instead of wasting Spirit Stones on them, it's better to use the stones for cultivation."
"Oh. I don't have any stones for cultivation."
"... did Sect Master not give you any?"
"He said you would."
"..." and I'm the cheapskate? Yeah, right. I gritted my teeth, took out a pouch, and tossed it over toward her. It had a hundred mid-grade Stones, which honestly barely made a dent in my savings, but I still feared it wouldn't last for too long. "Let me know when you're through with them."
"Okay," she put them away... but she didn't go away. Instead, she crouched, pinned her elbows into her knees, her palms out against the sides of her face, and she just... stared at us.
Yeah, one thing a guy doing construction always needs is an audience. How else would he be motivated?
I started to sweat relatively soon as the early day broke into midday and the sun surged toward the zenith. Strangely, the word here for it was the same--a star they called sun. There was also the same moon, which they called, well, moon. There were quite a few overlaps that you'd think would be at least marginally different, but, alas, I thank the lord every day for that being the case, as it was much easier for me to learn.
About an hour or so later, I was done; I was chugging water by a barrel and hadn't actually peed even once because of how much I was sweating. Look, I've been mostly making arts for the sake of my disciples, but I now have to make a few for my own sake.
One: art to blocking this freakin' heat (and eventual cold).
Two: art that passively increased my stamina immensely.
Three: art that made it so that I don't have to go to the bathroom anymore.
Four: art that--
--long story short, I couldn't actually create any of them. Not that I didn't have enough points or anything like that, but rather that there were no options to select that would allow me those things. For the blocking of the elements specifically, the system was quite brutal, replying with the soul-burning:
[Body Qi Control is considered a basic Qi function every Foundation Establishment cultivator can do without any special art]
... yeah, of all the things that cut deep, that cuteth the deepest.
"Master," Xi Zhao spoke up as we were all chewing the delicious rice. Honestly, at this point it feels like I'm eating paper... "I've, uh, I've heard some rumors..."
"What rumors?"
"About our sect."
"Really? You heard rumors about our sect whilst being in said sect?"
"Hm?" You know, I was wrong. This one cuteth the deepest.
"Never mind. What did you hear?"
"That, uh, that we might be going to war with the Fire Sun Sect..."
"Oh?" I arched my brows slightly, looking over at his squirming figure. How did the rumor spread? Well, it was leaked intentionally, of course.
Unless someone in that Elder's meeting was a complete moron of cosmic proportions, kids would have never found out. And Xi Zhao has only been down the mountain once in the recent days to finish up whatever unfinished business he had.
So, they must have leaked it intentionally.
I mean, it made sense; rather than outright declaring it to a bunch of kids just barely getting their feet wet with the world of cultivation, disseminate the few pieces of info slowly. The Fire Sun Sect is attacking our disciples, killing a few of them even, bullying us, giving us no choice...
There's a preamble to everything, and this was ours, I suppose.
"Are you scared?" I asked.
"No, of course not! I will fight for our sect even if it costs me my life!" There's something adorable yet cosmically horrifying about seeing a 14-year-old boy so boldly proclaim something like that. There wasn't an ounce of fear on his face or in his eyes, and he genuinely believed it.
But... what was I to say? He would have to go out and fight, ultimately. Perhaps, for better or worse, his zeal was but a requirement. The only thing I can do--
"Elder Lu, get out right now! We have a score to settle!!"
... oh, for the love of God, what the hell is it now?!
Greedy Justice (II)
The man who so boldly called me out stood centered at the peak, facing the entrance of my house, escorted by a pair of mean-mugging kids. His face was... vaguely familiar--no, wait, isn't that the guy who contradicted Elder Qin and spoke up for wartime efforts?
... Hey, why the hell are you here, man?
"E-eh? Elder Zhang...?" Xi Zhao's voice jostled a distant memory, though it took me a moment to capture its exact location--Elder Zhang... Xi Zhao's former Master.
Oh.
Really? You came here to shout wildly because I stole some random disciple that you probably completely forgot about?
"... Elder Zhang," I greeted with a smile, ignoring the optics. "Why are you here? Shouting like it would be a sin to remain unheard?"
"You know damn well why, filthy vermin," he scoffed, his voice a growl. There was something distinctly unpleasant about the man, but it could be that he seemed entirely determined to make a mess of things. "How dare you steal a disciple of mine?"
"Disciple of yours? Who?" I pretended to be a fool.
"Who?! Hah! Shameless bastard! Who else but that boy beside you!?"
"Oh, him?" I eyed the old thing and silently smiled. "Uh, it could be, I suppose. What is your disciple's name, Elder Zhang?"
"H-huh?"
"It could be that they simply look similar," I said. "And have wholly different names. So, what is the name of yours?"
"What is the name of yours?"
"Nuh-uh. I asked first."
"... are you playing with me right now, Elder Lu? What? Do you think because you won a few bets and reared a few faint cubs that you suddenly have a voice that matters? Do you believe anything would come of me wringing your neck right here and now?"
"Well, for starters," I said. "Elder Qin would probably behead you, at the very least."
"Ha ha ha, you think that old stooge would stand up for you?! It seems you truly have gotten bold! But I am not without mercy--I did not come here for your life, but for justice."
"Really? Justice? And how much will this justice cost me?"
"I am not an unreasonable man," which he most decidedly was. "Just 15,000 mid-grade Stones will do."
"..." Well, would you look at that? Haah.
He didn't even ask for his disciple back. Rather, he didn't even look at the kid, not once. More than his demanding all my money, his complete disregard of the kid pissed me off more. I would actually feel legitimately guilty if it turned out that he came to get the kid back or at least ensure that the kid was doing fine. I would have even given him some Spirit Stones as a recompense.
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But to think he couldn't even pretend, not for a moment...
"Why'd you bring those two here? As an audience?"
"Are you unwilling to pay?"
"Hmm, so that's it," I shrugged, pulling back and patting Xi Zhao's shoulder, smiling. "Don't be afraid of anything. Go out and show the world who you are."
"M-Master...?" The boy looked at me rather confused, guilt looming in his gaze.
"Let us dispense with nonsense, Elder Zhang," I said dismissively. "You have two kids there, both at the Fifth Stage of the Qi Condensation. How about one last gamble?"
"Oh? What'd you have in mind?" Wow. Unrestrained, unconcealed greed. Something is... off with this guy.
[--do you wish to spend 60 Creation Points to take a partial look at Elder Zhang's window?]
60 points?
Hm?
Isn't that a bit too much?
... and yet, spend I must. The system was clearly hinting that this wouldn't be an ordinary window.
[Creator's Eyes Used]
[Target: Elder Zhang (Taoi Su)]
[Age: 266]
[Current Realm: mid-Revolving Core]
[Cultivation Method: Spirit Sword Harmony (False); Hellfire Sun Mantra, Sixth Form]
[Martial Arts: Spirit Sword Wheel (False), Tri-Sword Concealment (False)..., Hellfire Palm (middle-Earth), Raging Inferno Annihilation (peak-Earth), ???]
[Artifacts: Fiery Plume (low-Sky tier), ???]
[Talent: Peak-Earth]
[...]
[Traits]
[Violent (Epic) -- prone to outbursts of violence, exaggerated by the instability of the cultivation method]
[Fire-Touched (Rare) -- partly shed plumes of fire reside within the spirit veins]
[Hardened (Rare) -- extremely resilient to mental and physical pain due to specialized training when he was a child]
[... other Traits are not visible]
[...]
[Assessing suitability]
[...]
[Special Spirit Root discovered: Fire Root (Common)]
[Recommended: due to the special Spirit Root, inclination toward the fire element is central to the cultivation path. Target's innate and exacerbated violent nature, however, necessitates a milder cultivation method than their current one, namely one with opposing, counteractive force of Yin]
[Final assessment: due to limited talent and advanced age, unlikely to progress much further; there is too much undue scarring due to the overly aggressive cultivation method. The host should not involve himself]
Huh.
What a twist! I think?
I was under no illusion that there weren't any spies in the sect, but, Jesus, this guy is like second only to Elder Qin in terms of importance (at least as far as Elders in charge of daily tasks go).
Isn't it also kind of funny that he came to pick a fight with the one guy in the sect that could nail him as a traitor? Nah, there's no way in hell the Spirit Sage bastard doesn't know. He's hidden himself so deep that it was probably like looking at a mirror. Well, whatever; it's a nice card to have in my back pocket, but I'll keep it there for now.
If I just willy-nilly throw out an accusation like, 'Hey, one of the Sect's most respected and beloved Elders is actually a spy for our rival sect; oh? Who said that? Yes, Lu Qi, the microcosm of goodness!'... yeah, not gonna happen.
"What? Did you suddenly get scared?" He legitimately did seem to panic a bit when I didn't respond for a while. Yeah, this was the plan all the while; he knew I wouldn't just hand over almost all of my wealth, so he came to pry it open with a bet.
"Your two kids versus Xi Zhao," I said. "Two against one. If they win, you can have every last Spirit Stone in my possession. If I win... yes, your monthly stipend will go to me for ten years, and you'll let me into your peak's treasury so I can take half of it. What say you?"
"..." Look, go bold and go crazy when betting. Why? Precisely because the other guy will think you're doing it out of fear and to get him to back off. So, in their mindset, they grow bolder and think I'm bluffing... but I'm not. "Hah! Fine, you have yourself a bet! You two, you heard the Elder. He thinks you can't even defeat a small kid. Isn't that just embarrassing?"
"Master...?" On the other hand, Xi Zhao did appear a bit nervous--not in the 'gosh, I might lose this fight' nervous. He'd also broken through into the Fifth Stage, and considering he had Sword Qi, even if those two were legitimately at the peak of Qi Condensation, they still might not have won, but more that I'd bet all my wealth on him.
"I already told you," I smiled. "Just go out and have fun. If you just so happen to chop a limb or two--no, no, they're just kids. Khm. Try not to chop anything. Maybe, uh, a few lacerations here and there. Like on the forehead--scalp bleeds a lot, and it looks scary, but it's not really that harmful. Not too deep! Don't crack their skulls or anything."
... yes. I heard myself just fine. Though I wish I didn't...
Greedy Justice (III)
Everyone slowly emerged from wherever they were hiding, joining me as the audience. Dai Xiu seemed a bit concerned, but others... yeah, they were here just for a good show.
"When you're plundering his treasury," Long Tao chimed in from the side. "Look and see if he has Silver-Tipped Viper's glands."
"Sure. Anything else?"
"Maybe a bit--"
"--I was being sarcastic."
"Tsk."
Ignoring the click of the tongue, the strange look on Light's face, and Hua's barely veiled snickering, I focused back on Xi Zhao, who stepped forth and faced the two other ones. They were on the older side of things, closer to twenty than Xi Zhao's age, and looked the part, too.
One had already grown a beard--well, calling it a beard was a bit too much. It's like how high schoolers back on Earth grow 'beards'. It's like someone grabbed a fistful of pubes and threw it at their glue-addled face, seeing what sticks.
Anyway, I had nothing against them, even as they taunted and snickered and spat and insulted me--okay, I started having some things against them, but, ultimately, they were just kids following the whim of their greedy Master.
Who looked as gleeful as one could get--eyes wide, lips curled into a sneer, shoulders relaxed, arms locked behind his back... He looked so assured you'd think the fight was between an MMA fighter in his peak and a coughing baby. Well, I'm sure that's how he saw it.
"Begin," I gently called out as they got into position, and the two immediately coordinated an attack together.
They were still smart about it, driving from the flanks at Xi Zhao, who didn't even draw out his sword; well, he did lift it up, but with the scabbard still on, as he didn't want to hurt them too much.
... hey. Why aren't those two using the sword? Did that bastard teach them some Fire Sun martial arts? Does he really think everyone here is stupid enough not to notice it?!
Anyway, it didn't matter.
A leg came flying toward Xi Zhao's head as he ducked underneath, blitzing forward and using the dull hilt to gently strike at the boy's jaw. The latter yelped in pain and staggered backwards while Xi Zhao spun in place and easily blocked the other incoming kick.
Deflecting it, he broke a few feet of distance, letting them gather their bearings and attack him again.
... smart. I couldn't help but smile. Look at that little bastard. Hah! All this while I just thought he was an enthusiastic kid and not much else, but... he's a devious little bastard. Beating them with ease would be one thing, but it would also cut off all our future paths; tsk, look at him, pretending to stagger, to be hit, to struggle.
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He even did actually take a few hits just to bruise himself. All the while, however, he inflicted more and more damage, drawing blood more than once.
"He's learned well," I heard Long Tao mumble.
"You taught him?"
"Yes."
"Good job."
"He he."
"He he."
"He he he he."
Khm.
Dai Xiu and Light looked at us oddly, Hua seemed to nod in silent acknowledgement, and the battle just about ended.
Xi Zhao appeared short of breath and as though he was barely hanging on, but the other two were just a tad worse off. Just then, he went in for a 'kill', stabbing one of the boys with a scabbard directly toward his ribcage as the sound of a cracked bone mingled with a howl of pain, and immediately seeming to use the last bout of his energy to strike the other at the right forearm, also happening to crack yet another bone.
He retreated immediately after, seeming a moment away from collapsing, but the other two had collapsed, lying flat on the ground, crying in pain.
That relaxed demeanor Elder Zhang came with? Yeah, that shit was gone. He was confused, befuddled, angry, incensed, and whatever other fancy word for 'pissed off' I forgot about.
"Good job, Xi Zhao," I praised, putting on a shocked expression. "That was quite close."
"Indeed, Master! I have barely not embarrassed you..."
"Oh, you could never embarrass me. But you shouldn't train for a little while after and instead use the time to recover."
"Of course, Master," our convo was obviously spoken at full volume, and I must say... he, too, was starting to scare the shit out of me. Was he really fourteen?
"Okay, go inside and have your Senior Brother help bandage you up..."
"Yes, Master!"
Others dispersed too, leaving me by my lonesome. Ah! Lonesome Peak! Rather appropriate, isn't it?
"I've been lucky, Elder Zhang," I must have added more fuel to the fire because I genuinely felt the air around us heat up. He seemed an inch away from losing it, so I backed away; all else aside, the man in front of me was a whole major realm stronger and could probably incinerate me within a second. While he would be punished, why the hell do I care? I'd be dead! And I very much like being alive.
"You. Indeed. Have. Been," he squeezed every word as though he was struggling with a thousand demons within, gnashing his teeth until they were clattering like wind chimes... except not pleasant at all. "Good. Good. Very good, Lu Qi. I will remember this."
"Khm. Yes. About the bet..."
"What bet?"
"... hm?"
"I would never bet with a vermin like you."
"Hoh. Is that so?"
"If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open," he said, taking out a sword, jumping on it, and flying off.
Alright.
Cool.
No biggie.
...
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Jesus, dude, at least take the kids back with you! What the hell is your problem?!
Ah, this pisses me off. So, so, so much money... and he thinks he can walk back on the bet? He thinks he can screw me over? Ha Ha. Alright. Okay. Pretend your pretending, you old bag of skin.
"He refused to pay?" Long Tao emerged from the seeming nowhere, startling me 'till I nearly screamed. Hm? Did he already learn the art?
"Hm. Don't worry about it. I'll make him pay. Oh, will I make him pay."
"... as much as I love this oddly vengeful side of yours," he said. "Don't worry about it."
"Hm?"
"Before going out to visit the place my father told me about," he said. "Maybe I accidentally get lost at, I want to say, Verdant Arch Peak? And in being lost, I desperately try to get back on the road and accidentally sweep up a few things..."
"..." You know, I realized something. This world is changing me. "Before you leave, swing by so I can give you the spatial satchel."
"With all the stones in?"
"You know, maybe if you get lost, just stay lost?"
"Ah, I would never, Master. I love it here far too much."
"Tsk. Did you bandage Xi Zhao?"
"Bandage what?" he shrugged. "That kid's a natural actor. I can't wait to take him out so we can swindle--I mean, so we can have fun adventuring together."
... will it be considered stealing? I mean, we did bet. Inasmuch as gambling is a good thing, me taking what belongs to me is too, right? Haah. I just hope he doesn't blow up my entire mountain once he finds only dust and weeds in his treasury, 'cause I have a feeling Long Tao isn't leaving anything behind...
Songs of Prelude (I)
"I lost again," Elder Qin sighed, his eyebrows pressed together in thought as to how he lost so quickly.
I'll give you an answer--he sucks. Oh my God, he sucks so bad. He's worse than the kids I used to play with back in elementary school! I mean, fine, maybe the chess theory isn't as developed in this world as it was back on Earth (I do not question how we happen to have the same game; I feel it is better for my sanity), but geez-Louise, it has to be better than this!
I refuse to believe that someone like Elder Qin would be considered an 'expert' at chess. No, I will never believe it.
"I just got lucky," I said... again... believing it less and less each time.
"You sound less enthused each new time you say it," Even he noticed it, and I could only sheepishly smile.
"No, no, I truly did get... lucky... haaah..."
"..." His eyebrows winced for a moment before settling back into place. This was the sixth day in a row that he'd swung by to 'play chess' and just so happen to also check upon Xi Zhao and offer some advice.
I didn't really mind--Xi Zhao was still practicing the sect's method and arts, as I haven't yet made one for him, and between Elder Qin and me... yeah, it was obvious who was better equipped to teach the kid.
As for why I haven't made anything for the kid yet? Cost. I could feasibly create a perfectly tailored attacking art, but I'm still waiting a bit to see if I get any other 'freebie' rewards. Cultivation method is likely out of the question for the time being, as he'll simply have to suffer with his current one for a while; restarting his entire cultivation by now is a bit too late, and I'll simply eventually use Creation Points to upgrade the sect's main cultivation method, saving everyone from a whole lot of headaches.
So, Elder Qin swung by to 'play chess,' though he spent most of the time here advising the kid, and I got to just do nothing.
"I've heard that Elder Zhang came to seek a bit of trouble," he suddenly brought it up. I did consider complaining to him about the whole ordeal, but if I did, it would get in the way of Long Tao robbing the living hell out of him.
"Just a small scuffle." I said.
"I was surprised."
"Hm?"
"That you didn't come crying for justice."
"..." It was time for my eyebrows to wince. Just? Maybe. Benevolent? Sure. But this guy was as petty and as grudge-bearing as they come, I tell you. "When have I ever?"
"Will you be alright?" he asked, seemingly out of genuine concern. It felt... strange. After all, though Elder Qin had never been outwardly hostile toward Lu Qi, unlike most others, he was extremely indifferent. The relatively sudden change was a bit... unsettling.
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"Just keep an eye out in case he decides to torch my mountain," I shrugged.
"Why would he torch it?"
"Maybe he'll be really cold."
"..."
"There's an old saying," I said. "The child not embraced by its village will burn it down to feel its warmth."
"Hm, fascinating," Elder Qin. "Except Elder Zhang isn't a child, this isn't a village, and cultivators don't feel seasonal cold."
"... I heard Xi Zhao has a few questions to ask you. Why don't you go and do something you actually can?"
"Being a gleeful winner is unbecoming, Elder Lu," he said, standing up.
"Then let me be unbecoming."
I followed him out as I actually liked listening in to the lesson, and Elder Qin didn't seem to mind. I--well, Lu Qi, really--don't have any meaningful understanding of the sect's cultivation method or its arts. Lu Qi learned the bare minimum and forgot even that; after all, most of the time he cultivated, it was actually Spirit Sage directly guiding the Qi the way it's supposed to go.
The level of care he showed to Lu Qi when the latter was young was quite... touching, honestly, which made it that much more baffling that he hadn't come here in over fifteen years.
"So, if I move it like this...?"
"Yes. And then you can spin counterclockwise to gather momentum."
"Ah! It will also make it easier to dissipate the excess Qi through my soles!"
"Exactly! Ho ho, I must say, you are quite clever; I almost want to thieve you away."
"A-ah. Uh, forgive me, Elder Qin, but I cannot abandon my Master!"
"... didn't you already do it once?"
"That was that; this is this! Elder Lu is the greatest man in the world, and I will never abandon him!" Hey.
Hey, hey, hey.
Look at that old geezer giving me a stink eye, wondering just how I managed to manipulate the kid. Except, I really didn't! How the hell was I supposed to know that my offhand advice, done in pure desperation for Creation Points, would somehow inspire the kid to undergo Enlightenment, grasp Sword Qi, and basically become one of the most talented kids in the entire sect overnight?!
If I had that kind of clairvoyance as my talent, you think I'd be so cautiously nervous about everything I do?!
Thankfully, Xi Zhao was remaining silent about the whole ordeal. I told him to not disclose my 'fixed' version of the art, and, true to his promise, he didn't.
I don't think the sect would really do anything to me if they found out, but once it was out... I could no longer be low-key. Even now I wasn't, what with my disciples deciding to put on the showtime show in front of everyone, but at least most of the attention is bound to them, and everyone just legitimately assumes I lucked out.
If they learned that I managed to fix one of the sect's arts?
Yikes.
I'd never live a day of peace ever again!
"Master," Long Tao, like a ghost, appeared beside me. Sadly, I'm used to it by now; he would appear and disappear quite often these past few days, probably practicing. He'd mastered it just this morning--or, at least, gained initial mastery of it. How do I know? Because the system informed me and gave me 100 Creation Points as a reward.
"You've gained mastery in it?"
"Indeed. It took longer than I thought it would."
"Did you say something?"
"I said--no, I didn't say anything," There was the unspoken 'hear no evil, see no evil' paradigm between us. He didn't say outrageous stuff like, 'I managed to gain initial mastery in this art that no other human within ten thousand miles could, and it took 12 days instead of 3', and I didn't question just how it was that his father seemed to know and have everything. "I'll leave tonight."
"When will you be back?" I asked. Right now, it wouldn't be impossible to 'hide' that he was gone for a few days; Elder Qin would probably let it slide on principle, but if somebody came swinging by and demanding a duel...
Well, we have Xi Zhao to buy us time.
I've instituted a simple rule: if you want to challenge Long Tao or Dai Xiu, defeat Xi Zhao first. You can imagine how the first few challenges went.
"I'm not sure. Fifteen days, at most. Southwest of here are the so-called Desolate Cliffs. My father mentioned something about them."
"... stay safe." I said.
"You too," he replied with a faint grin, disappearing yet again.
Haah. Is this how it felt for my mom and dad to send me off to college?
... yeah, probably not. I'm not anxious that something will happen to him--I'm anxious that he will happen to the world.
Songs of Prelude (II)
Elder Zhang carefully unfurled the small parchment that was tied to a Firebird. It was eight familiar symbols that he memorized before burning the paper and killing the bird, swallowing its corpse in one go, and processing it into small bits of Fire Qi.
He carefully looked around before sighing and retreating toward the Verdant Arch Peak. These past few days, he'd experienced a gnawing feeling in his chest any time he went out to receive instructions. It was a familiar feeling, the one he'd experienced a thousand times before in his life--it was his instincts telling him that something was off.
It was just that... for the life of him, he could not figure out what. He thought somebody had discovered his true self, but if they had, he would have definitely been captured or killed by now. Which led him to believe it was perhaps simply a byproduct of his general anxiety: the two sects would soon declare a war on each other, and though, on the surface, it would be a Competition War, it was just a distraction...
... distraction that would allow him to sneak in elite members of the Fire Sun Sect and raze the Spirit Sword Sect to the ground in the absence of its most senior figures. He had been working toward this goal for over a hundred and fifty years, seeking holes in the sect-wide formations, passages and paths they could take not to alert Spirit Sage, and ways and means in which to do the most damage in the least amount of time.
And now, finally, it was all ready.
Yes, that was it--he concluded. The ending of his lifetime-long pursuit was just at the horizon, fast approaching, and he was simply... anxious, excitedly so.
On his way back, he glided over the befouled Lonesome Peak, his mood immediately souring further; he had to do six circulations of Qi to calm himself down, an inch away from storming up the mountain and causing chaos.
But he couldn't; not yet.
However hateful that vermin was, he was not worth potentially exposing himself after over a century of careful planning. Once the Spirit Sword Sect was ashes and dust, and Lu Qi had nowhere to go... there would be plenty of time to quell the ravaging fire in his heart.
For today, however, he merely passed through and on toward the peak. On his way, countless disciples greeted him, but he ignored them all; it wasn't strange. After all, he had over three hundred disciples, officially, and could not be bothered with remembering them all.
Besides, the vast majority of them were loyal to the Spirit Sword Sect. To him, they were worthless.
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The few that he cared for... they all welcomed him as he landed on the peak. Four in total, three boys and a girl. Three of them were Core Disciples and one was an Inner Disciple, and they were all loyal to him and not the sect.
He'd taught them a few Fire Sun Mantras in secret and spared no expense in helping them become stronger, and it had paid dividends as they were all counted on to achieve victories in the war... which they would never do.
"Everything is almost ready," he said, cutting through the surrounding pavilions and pagodas and moving toward the treasury. "Have you all learned your assignments?"
"Yes, Master!" they responded as a choir before the oldest of them spoke further. "Draw out the fights and inevitably surrender. Maintain a facade until the sect's interrupted on their way back."
"Good, good," Elder Zhang grinned as they reached the deepest ends of the peak where the treasury was located. Even with having a spatial ring, space therein was ultimately limited; he only carried the most essential things, storing all others within the luxurious pagoda, enriched with over twelve defensive arrays. Even Spirit Sage himself would struggle to break through immediately.
He used the three keys to selectively unlock the arrays and pushed open the doors, tossing an array of fiery Qi toward the hanging torches. They caught fire quickly and illuminated the vast hall full of treasures and riches, amassed wealth that would make other Elders green with envy--was. It was all gone.
**
"WHO THE HELL WAS IT??!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Whelp, there go my eardrums.
I quickly used Qi to subdue the pain and calm my raging heart.
The bastard actually did it. Oh my God. Why did I agree to this?! Won't he suspect it was me immediately?! After all, he stiffed me not a week ago, and now all his wealth was gone!
Aah, I can only hope Elder Qin shows up on time to protect me...
I left the house and raced down the mountain, as I imagine every other Elder is currently doing the same thing. Regardless, I have to at least put up a front.
Even before I fully descended, I noticed something... strange.
One of the peaks was on fire.
As in, everything was burning.
Trees, buildings, even paved roads. It was all on fire.
And there was a ring of lights above it currently engaged in a battle. Because of how far away I was, and because staring at it for too long made my eyes prickly, I couldn't actually discern directly what was happening but could make a fair few assumptions.
System had already alluded to the fact that Elder Zhang wasn't exactly in full control of his emotions; take that with the anxiety of the upcoming war, me sort of spitting in his face, and suddenly realizing everything he owned was gone... yeah, I can imagine he just completely lost it and went belly-up.
Other Elders must have noticed the strange arts he was using and probably recognized them, and now... well, now they were beating the shit out of each other.
I purposefully slowed down because--well, let's be honest, I did not belong there. The only thing I could achieve by going there is dying. And die in a rather painful way at that.
By the time I descended all the way to the valley, it had all quieted down. I waited for a little while for the bell to ring and all Elders to be summoned... yet, it never came. Hubbub between disciples was going strong, and everyone was wondering what was happening, but it was strangely quiet for over an hour before one piece of news was disseminated:
An alchemical cauldron accidentally exploded and set fire to the Verdant Peak; there were some injured, but no casualties.
... hm?
What?
Anyone actually buying this crap--no, wait, they are. Everyone who heard the news just knowingly nodded and went their way. Really? Are exploding cauldrons setting mountains on fire such a common occurrence that nobody bats an eye?!
Yeah.
I should never try becoming an alchemist...
Songs of Prelude (III)
It truly ended with the proclamation that the cauldron exploded.
Look, I may be a bit stupid, and I may not have a working knowledge of this world, but I know for a fact that wasn't a cauldron exploding. Not unless you think Elder Zhang was a cauldron. And even if the man carried a bit of a belly, it wasn't--look, the point is, the sect was hiding what transpired.
Why?
The first clue came the day later, when the Declaration of War was officially sent out to the Fire Sun Sect.
The entire sect was abuzz with the news, and practically everyone forgot about the exploding cauldron... but I didn't. I tried poking and prodding around for some info when Elder Qin came for his daily visit, but he didn't actually divulge anything, just reiterating that it was a cauldron.
Okay.
Let's get my facts in order before I start drawing my theories.
One: The system confirmed that Elder Zhang is a traitor.
Two: it also confirmed that his temper was extremely unstable and that his cultivation method was worsening his condition.
Three: Long Tao left the peak two days ago, and yesterday somebody screamed very loudly, 'WHO THE HELL WAS IT?' before the entire mountain caught fire.
Four: It was definitely Elder Zhang losing his shit, revealing himself as a spy, and likely being at least fought if not killed by the other Elders of the sect.
Five: For some reason, rather than revealing Elder Zhang's involvement, they kept it a secret and immediately sent a declaration--
Ah. Right.
Maybe they learned something from Elder Zhang? Or one of his disciples? Which compelled them to issue the declaration immediately while hiding Elder Zhang's betrayal? Maybe it was to keep the Fire Sun Sect believing they had their 'trump card' still?
I don't know.
Honestly, it's just guesswork. It might be that they just didn't want to worsen the sect's morale by letting everyone know one of the most important and senior members of the sect was actually a traitorous bastard.
... in fact, knowing this place, that might as well have been it. But no, wait--why would Elder Qin hide it from me? Tsk. This whole thing stinks.
Nonetheless, I actually feel a bit relieved--I was worried about how to handle the whole 'Elder Zhang' business. I had to expose him before the competition, but the big question was 'How'.
My plan was actually rather similar to how it played out: just piss him off so much that he loses his shit and starts using Fire Sun Sect arts, all whilst praying Elder Qin would save me from certain fiery death.
Anyway, that was dealt with, as were most other immediate things.
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Hua had brought back more servants to finalize the buildings, Xi Zhao was cultivating regularly and getting daily guidance from Elder Qin, and Dai Xiu was also busy with breaking through--having reached the sixth stage just three days ago, actually. Long Tao was long gone--he he--and that only left one kid on the block: Light.
If I could meet with the Spirit Sage one-on-one, I was about 3% confident in subtly slipping in that Light would find the Antechamber extremely useful. 97% chance that I'd be killed on the spot, however.
She would eventually gain an entry to it, no doubt, but there was a minimum age limit of 11. Long Tao knew that, yet he still brought it up, which means that it would be vastly more beneficial for her to enter it as early as possible.
So...
How the heck do I sneak a 6-year-old girl into a secret underground area?
Wait, no, that sounded wrong.
Hmm.
Maybe I can create a cloaking art for her, too?
Okay, let's actually test this real quick, if I can use some of her 'rareness' as a restriction.
[Restriction, Bane of Blood: -80,000 CP (Inaccessible)]
[Restriction, Star Devourer Physique: -4,000 CP (Inacessible)]
[Restriction, Demonic Bloodline: -20-1,000,000 CP (Partly Accessible)]
... huh.
Let me actually see if something can be made...
So, I followed the same route I did with Long Tao but ran into a bit of an... issue, you could say. It was actually possible to get the 400-point deduction and use just 100 Creation Points to practically replicate the same cloaking art I made for Long Tao (well, like, 92% the same), but it would cost me... 100,000 high-grade Spirit Stones.
That's right.
It's pay-to-win time.
Just when I thought I was rich and a tycoon, here comes the system to just shatter my dreams.
I'm pretty sure the entire Spirit Sword Sect had like 10 high-grade Spirit Stones, and they were considered as treasures on the same level as peak-Earth martial arts.
In fact, I could only afford to shave off, like, 80 points, and that would cost me my entire wealth.
Life is sort of like a bat.
If you don't know what the hell you're doing, don't go stepping into the batter's box for the first time in your life in a desperate attempt to impress a girl, only to get a fastball chucked at you so quickly you panic, yell, and fall back while everyone laughs.
Happened to my friend Timmy.
There's really only one thing I can do...
"Elder Qin," I said as we started our game of chess.
"Hm?"
"If you win, I will give you whatever you want. If I win, could you arrange for one of the kids to go into Antechamber..."
"..."
"Better yet, maybe give me a token that will allow me to reward my very talented kids with going there?"
"Did you fall on your head recently?"
"I may have."
"Haah. Don't worry about it," Elder Qin said. "I will arrange it for Xi Zhao myself. However, his heart is still turbulent, and he isn't ready."
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I didn't mean him, though."
"Who did you mean? That servant?"
"Ah? No, no, not him either..."
"You want the other two to go again?"
"Not that either."
"Then who--you want to send a six-year-old girl into that place?" He growled with legitimate anger in his voice, a small tendril of Qi pressure accidentally escaping him and causing no small amount of hurt. Jesus. I really don't want to piss him off... but... aah, looks like I'm about to piss him off...
"Yes," I mustered as much confidence and courage as I could to utter the singular word, enduring his stern gaze.
"Why?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why can't you tell me?"
"I can't tell you why I can't tell you."
"... I've overlooked many things, Elder Lu."
"Which I am eternally grateful for."
"And what do you hope to achieve by sending a six-year-old orphan to face her demons?"
"..." Well, I'm hoping to not have a future Demon Emperor slowly grow in my shade. Honestly, it wasn't even because I thought she'd be inherently evil--it was mostly because of how the world would look at her. She'd be eternally persecuted, whether she did anything wrong or not.
If there was a chance, however slim, to prevent that and simply have her have an ordinary life (well, as ordinary of a life as someone who'll eventually become super strong can have), then... well, I have to do something, right?
"You can't tell me."
"I swear," I muttered. "On everything. I would never, ever mean harm to her or any of the kids here. I'd sooner die."
Though the latter words were meant to reassure, honestly... they scared me. Because, as I was saying them, I realized... I believed them. If there was an attack right now, I am more than certain I'd step out and try and protect them to my last breath.
... hey.
Jake, buddy, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS?!
END OF VOLUME I -- Nestled in the Mountains
A Little Respite
"I'll think about it." Those were Elder Qin's parting words as he left, rather grim-faced, leaving me wondering whether I'd made the right decision.
It was one thing to fight for my disciples, but, technically speaking, that girl wasn't actually a disciple--she was a burden. No, wait, she's a guest. Yes, a guest. Big distinction there.
And she was a planted guest at that, the Sect Master's thinly veiled attempt to figure out what the hell is happening on the Lonesome Peak.
So... why the hell am I going out of my way to help her?!
Haah. It's such a burden being a good guy.
Khm.
Speaking of being a good guy, it was time for my monthly quest--I'd already decided to not recruit any more disciples as my wealth reserves don't seem capable of even supporting the ones that I've got, the 'Epic' quest of Dai Xiu reaching the Foundation Establishment was still some ways off, and so that left the last one...
This time around, the RNG landed on the 'Use Creation Points to upgrade a Mortal-Tier art into an Earth-tier one', with the solid reward of... 30 points.
I'm actually wondering what the profit margin will be--maybe 5 or 10 points? It, solidly, isn't even worth the trip down the mountain, but as I'm quite bored and with nothing better to do, I decided to go visit the dear library. I hadn't been in a while, actually (well, two weeks or so 'a while'), and I figured I'd actually have to teach my disciples some of the Sect's own manuals. Otherwise, won't there be too many questions?
The atmosphere in the sect had turned strange ever since the declaration of war; there were far fewer kids going in and out past the gates, the marketplace had ballooned in scope as everyone tried whatever they could to get stronger, and the sect had already internally announced that they'd spare no expenses--so long as the kids earned them.
Well, nothing to do with me.
I ignored everything and beelined for the library; I was usually ignored for the most part, especially after my repeated visits, but this time... not so much.
"Elder Lu, welcome!"
Hm?
Why is he smiling? Why is he being so polite and nice? Did he hit his head?
"Khm, yes, hello."
"Do you need any help finding a book? Just a few days ago, we got a new batch of Darkcliff Tales. I hadn't read them yet, but, according to some others, they are quite good." Yes, he most definitely hit his head. The very same Deacon who never so much as glanced at me was now going out of his way to be nice. There's only one explanation.
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"Some other time. Uhm, save them for me, if possible."
"Of course. Anything you need, Elder Lu!"
"..."
Alright, that creepy encounter aside, I entered the library and ignored the many strange gazes as I headed over to the most accessible section of the entire building--its Mortal-tier Arts. There were literally hundreds of books littered across over a dozen or so bookshelves.
Mortal-tier arts were... well, to be honest, most of them were utterly useless. As an example, there's this art that I randomly picked up called 'Heaven-Defying Kick'. It has two forms: the pre-action, which is just a pose with slightly parted feet pointing in the opposite direction, and the kick, which is just your most basic roundhouse kick.
No, really.
That's it. That's the entire 'art'. And it is not an exception, I'll tell you that much. Most of these are exactly the same; it's not until you get to the peak of Mortal-tier arts that you find some that incorporate the Qi at least a little bit.
This is also one of the primary reasons for the discrepancy when kids fight--if you only know how to flail your limbs and not much else, you practically stand no chance against those kids who've learned Earth-tier arts that deeply incorporate Qi.
The art that Xi Zhao studied and that I 'fixed' is actually an exception, as it's part of a manual with a far higher grade. In a way, the kid was both lucky and unlucky, but it was not my place to judge.
I wasn't going to take any low-level garbage and waste points upgrading it, so I perused countless tomes for over half an hour looking for the perfect one. I endured the gazes, the chatter, and the hubbub of why an Elder was reading through Mortal-tier arts, but it wasn't easy. More than once I wanted to shout, 'Don't you have a war to train for?!' but I held back.
Eventually, I managed to find my golden crown--Rippling Kick. A simple name for a simple art. It, too, only had two forms--the pose and the strike—but the strike portion was vastly more complicated than almost all others within the rank.
It actively infused Qi through specific pathways within the meridians of the foot, and the end result was that it would create a 'rippling' and 'staggered' sort of damage; if the kick landed, it would reverberate at least a few times, sending shockwaves into the victim's body.
It was already peak-Mortal-tier art, and upgrading it to Earth-tier was as simple as clicking a button, spending 15 Creation Points, and, voilà, I have gained an Intermediate understanding of the upgraded art.
It went from having 2 forms to 5; the upgraded version had a variety both in the direction of kicks as well as Qi pathways. Its Qi use was vastly more optimized, and it could actually break through minor barriers now.
Though it isn't exactly an earth-shattering upgrade (he he), it went from theoretically useful to occasionally useful. I netted 15 extra points and gained an art that I can teach the kids (will I, though? maybe Dai Xiu, as she uses her body to fight rather than a sword), and only lost a little bit of dignity.
On my way out, the head-damaged Deacon interrupted me again, smiling as widely as I came.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Elder Lu?"
"Uh, no luck today," I shrugged it off. "I will come back a bit later for the Darkcliff Tales."
"Of course! I have already reserved the finest copies for you!"
"... hm. Okay."
It's really sad--just a few weeks ago, this guy was completely normal, nothing wrong with him, and here he was, broken just a short while later. Life comes at you fast, and nobody knows that better than I do, so I sympathize. But I really wish he'd stop.
I didn't hurry back toward the peak, instead visiting a restaurant and eating a hearty meal. Yes, it is better than plain rice, but honestly... not by much. It's mostly that they toss in a few pieces of meat (which are borderline inedible without me using Qi to dice the meat up a bit), and the broth isn't boiled water.
Ultimately, though, cultivators viewed food (and nutrition in general) as something to overcome rather than indulge in--the only thing they wanted to eat were precious herbs and Qi-enriched meat.
Me? Nah.
Even if the day comes when I can beat back the hunger by licking my lips, I will be eating. Food is a pleasure, and one day when I rule this world, everyone will understand it as such.
... Wait a second.
Did I just think 'when I rule this world'?
Hmm.
Maybe I damaged my head, too?
Long Tao's Fun Adventure (I)
Desolate Cliffs truly lived up to their name, Long Tao mused ever so briefly.
Jagged rock arose in conjoined spires, jutting out against the flats beneath it. It was a rather sharp and brutal change of terrain, one without any prior indications. Which meant that it likely wasn't wholly natural.
Long Tao himself had a hand in creating some of the world's most famous vistas back in the day, as every cultivator dreamed of carving the world in ways even nature itself could not. Pride of the beast, as it went.
He closed his eyes for a moment and stretched out his Divine Sense, latching onto the faint, familiar trace further to the south, inside the cliffs. For the past six months, he delved deep into his memories trying to figure out whether he knew any tombs or hidden realms located in this place, and he actually knew precisely seven--six of which were some ways off from the Spirit Sword Sect, and one of which was practically at its doorstep.
After all, it took him less than a week to reach here, and though he did rush a bit, it wasn't by much.
He slowly headed in the direction, taking in the sights--not that there was much to take in. A stretch of flat with an occasional tree or a natural protrusion too small to be called a hill, not a village in sight. The completely inhospitable terrain with no nearby sources of water meant that not only were there no people here, there weren't even any animals sans an occasional bird hawking from the sky.
He began to hum lowly as he crossed the few hundred yards of distance, coming upon the tall cliff directly, less than ten feet between them. The rock appeared aged and weathered, dry and full of cracks, but he wasn't really looking at its surface--but rather the bounding array beneath it.
It was quite... complex. Seventeen laws intersected with the classical 'Six-Circle Formation', resulting in a complex array that very few could understand. Even he frowned, realizing... it would take some time. A few days, at least.
From his memories, however, this shouldn't have been the case--rather, nothing about the surrounding space matched his memories. This place should have been a natural jungle of tall, purple-leafed oaks, and at its heart should have been a swamp that held a chipped piece of a Dragon Bone.
Whatever happened here in the past ten thousand years actually changed his outlook toward this area ever so slightly.
In his musing, he silently rolled his eyes and glanced back; they were still hiding. Well, hiding was a strong word--they were using basic Qi cloaking and some finely colored cloaks to blend in with the rocks, but they were so bad at it he wanted to cry. They'd been following him ever since he left the sect--per his choice, as he stopped using the cloaking art when he spotted them--and though he could have shaken them with ease, he was actually quite curious as to who they were and why they were following him.
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The simplest of answers is that they are members of the Fire Sun Sect, and they are here to kill him.
But why were they still hiding? There wasn't a soul anywhere beside them for miles on end, and he still wore the garments of the Outer Disciple, the most basic one at that. He limited his realm to the Second Stage (mostly to just scare off animals and insects and not be annoyed by them), and all of them were at least at the Sixth Stage, with two of them even being at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He considered waltzing over and just exposing them but stopped; maybe they had no intention of attacking him? Maybe they were just curious why he came here? Whatever the reason, it was actually bothersome as he couldn't start deciphering the array with them around.
It was the sort of formation that required his full focus, as one mistake could trigger one of its undoubtedly deadly traps, and heaven-defiant though he was in many ways, he was not that heaven-defiant.
So, he decided to camp for the night and wait. Maybe they were so cowardly they felt compelled to attack during the night?
It turned out that was precisely it.
As soon as midnight arrived, he saw them take the cloaks off and stop hiding. There were seven of them in total--four kids in their late teens, two in their twenties to thirties, and one old stooge that was at the mid-Foundation Establishment.
He'd praise them for using a lion to hunt down a rabbit if he wasn't beyond embarrassed on their behalf.
"Who are you?" Long Tao asked, figuring they'd be rather chatty--and he was quickly proven right.
"Little lamb, you should come with us," the eldest of them said. "Our Sect Master would like to ask you a few questions."
"... and if I don't?"
"I don't recommend that. The only reason you're still alive is because we're benevolent."
He'd forgotten, briefly, the reality of this world; spending time with his strange Master had ever so slightly dulled his skepticism. But a week on the outside and he was reminded that the world was as cruel as it was vast.
"Why the hell did you even follow me?" Long Tao asked, quite curious. "I'm clearly just an Outer Disciple, and even if you wanted to rob me, it's not like I have anything on me. So what? Are you so desperate for merit that you'll claim, 'Hey, guys, look, we caught a really, really important Disciple!'?"
"I don't like your tone," the eldest said yet again, his voice turning cold. "Zhue, go and teach the brat a lesson."
"Yes, Master!"
At least they sent out the weakest of the bunch, Long Tao mused, as he watched the kid take his sweet time crossing the distance. Long Tao himself remained unmoved, far more concerned with how long it will take him to decipher the array than the heap of nameless thugs in front of him.
As the boy crossed the last few feet of distance, fingers curled into a fist, Long Tao snapped himself back to reality and gently poured a touch of Qi into the satchel hanging around his waist.
A silver flash of light swooped upward in a beautiful arc, drawing a fading crimson trail in its wake at the same time that a head flew upward, eyes still full of derision, lips curled up into a sneer.
Both the head and the body fell down at the same time, as though in cahoots, the thudding sound like a crash of the mountains. It took the six others a moment for their minds to catch up to reality, but by the time they did, Long Tao was already in front of them.
He executed three rapid slashes in succession, each arced ever so differently, and four more heads flew from the necks--all from the kids at the Qi Condensation Realm.
Without stopping, Long Tao poured slightly more Qi into his feet as he turned into a fading phantom, tendrils of milky-white smoke rippling sideways from his silhouette. He himself appeared behind the weaker remaining one, stabbing in a singular motion and easily piercing through the man's heart, killing him on the spot.
Though the Foundation Establishment Realm meant the severing of the mortal, it was only so in thought; bodies were still very much made of flesh and bones and were as easy to kill as the mortals if aimed correctly.
"That only leaves you," Long Tao mumbled, his lips craning up into a smile.
"A-a-a, A DEVIL!!!" Was he? Hardly. He'd met a devil before--and the creature was far kinder and more forgiving than he ever was.
A Boy's Struggles (I)
So, with a lot of sudden free time on my hands, I decided to make something for my very new disciple, Xi Zhao.
Namely, I decided to dabble a bit in the Weapon Arts, as I haven't created a single one yet. At the same time, I also decided to splurge and make a movement art. All else aside, the most important thing in the world is surviving--I'd already given them a defensive art (which, I feel, will become obsolete within literally a year at this pace...), and now it was time for a movement art.
Long Tao, naturally, didn't need it--he probably had something Immortal or another, or more likely several anothers, that he could pull out at any given time. The other two, though? Well, they seemed a bit more dependent on me.
At the same time, though, I gotta admit... these kids are scary. Dai Xiu was already at the sixth stage of the Qi Condensation, while Xi Zhao had actually entered the fifth. Even Elder Qin was beyond flabbergasted at the sheer speed and couldn't quite understand it, and to be frank... neither can I.
Maybe I can justify it for Long Tao and Dai Xiu--the former was a reincarnated immortal; it'd be a travesty if he was slower at cultivating than some backwater children, and the latter had a special physique and a cultivation method practically tailored for that specific physique. And, you know, she chugged Spirit Stones like freakin' candy.
No, seriously, with the two thousand I left in the satchel for Long Tao and some other miscellaneous expenses here and there, and her gobbling up the rest, I've actually fallen down to just 6,000 mid-grade Spirit Stones. Practically over half my wealth just went 'poof' into thin air.
So, for those two, I could kind of understand it; Xi Zhao, though? He was befuddling.
Or, well, maybe not. His reassessed talent was peak-Sky, and it perfectly matched Dai Xiu's talent. And even if his physique wasn't as 'good' and his method not as tailored, it was still unique. Not to mention, he didn't reset his cultivation but simply added on top of it.
All the same, it was sort of silently understood between both Elder Qin and me that Xi Zhao's actual realm should never be revealed.
I wonder what his reaction would be to knowing Dai Xiu's and especially Long Tao's realm? Would he have a brain aneurysm or kill us all from fear of us being the devils or something?
Anyway, it wasn't important.
What was important were the two arts. I had a remnant freebie still, 'Low Temporal Resonance' imbuement, which actually cost 200 points to integrate. And I tested it--it did not count toward the totality of points at the creation window.
It seems that this will be the way for me to 'cross-realm', as it were--pray that the rewards contain freebies that I can stitch to push my arts a bit further than they should go.
In fairness to the system, I can already reasonably create arts that even the sect elders would drool over. Alas, a man's greed knows no bounds, and I am a man indeed...
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The dull details of the setup aside, I finally remembered to name the art I created. The first one was Xi Zhou's sword art--it not only had the freebie 'Low Temporal Resonance', but as one of the restrictions I added 'Must Use Sword Qi', which chipped off a neat 150 points.
Another issue presented itself, however--it, too, had a cooldown. It wasn't as outrageous as Dai Xiu's physique, but I would still have to wait at least 6 months before I could re-utilize it.
I don't quite know why or even if it's permanent. Maybe the system is using me as a conduit, and because this body is so putrid and rancid it's actually hilarious, if it tries to use restrictions too frequently, it'll break? Hey, as good an explanation as any.
So, the two arts I made--Time-Cutting Sword and Endless Shadow Steps. And yes, I am very proud of those names.
[Time-Cutting Sword]
[Type: Weapon Art]
[Rank: peak-Sky Tier]
[Host Comprehension: None (fails to meet minimum requirements)]
[...]
[A strike of acceleration and deceleration, morphing its many forms into an illusionary facade. Due to the art's innate, if very basic, connection to the Temporal Laws, it allows the wielders to change the strike's course mid-outcome. Consumes inordinate amounts of both Qi and Sword Qi. Due to its innate limitation, only those capable of utilizing Sword Qi may learn it]
[...]
[Creation Points Value: 450(100) / 100]
[Comprehension Difficulty: Difficult]
[...]
[Creation Bonus: 4% Body Purification Progress]
...
[Endless Shadow Steps]
[Type: Movement Art]
[Rank: mid-Earth Tier]
[Host Comprehension: Intermediate]
[...]
[Wielder may select to leave behind Qi and shadow-imprinted footsteps in their wake; they can then shuffle to those positions near-instantaneously within range. Each subsequent shuffle consumes thrice as much Qi as the previous one]
[...]
[Creation Points Value: 100/100]
[Comprehension Difficulty: Intermediate]
[...]
[Creation Bonus: 1% Body Purification Progress]
[Total Body Purification Progress: 19/100%]
I snuck out behind the mountain to test my new art, and I gotta tell you, I'm about to weep. All this time in this world, I hadn't really played much with Qi despite temptations; I simply didn't trust any of Lu Qi's knowledge on the matter. What if I made a mistake? Or, worse yet, made an already made one even worse? So, I mostly just abstained, only ever trying to cultivate a few times, realizing quickly it wasn't going to happen.
However, finally being able to execute something so clearly fantastical was...
Aah, seriously, I could weep.
Just as its description laid out, it allowed me to basically teleport backward to any of the designated spots within about 40 yards, give or take. Now, as far as cultivator fights go, 40 yards is... well, nothing. But as far as I'm concerned? Yeah. It's unmatched.
The only sad part is that I was practically on my ass, sweating bullets, after executing it just thrice. A lesson learned, or, well, re-learned really, as I should have expected Lu Qi's snail-like Qi to just barely be capable of this much.
After recovering a bit, I returned and found Xi Zhao, who was practicing one of the sect's more well-guarded arts that Elder Qin taught him, Spirit Quelling Sword. Don't let the name fool you; it was 'only' early-tier Earth art, though it did go rather well with the kid's cultivation method.
"Master!" He stopped as soon as he saw me and walked over. I gotta admit, of my three disciples, I might actually like him the most. Long Tao is out of the running immediately, Dai Xiu is a bit... too attached, and he, well, he's respectful but still maintains distance. Maybe he could mentor the girl?
"How is your progress?"
"Steady," he replied. "I'm confident in gaining minor mastery within a month!"
"Good," I nodded, reaching into my robes and taking out the tome. "What about this one?"
"Hm?" he took the stack of papers and started reading through it. At first, he appeared at most slightly interested, but as the pages turned... well, there was that feverish yearning that I'd occasionally see a glimpse of within the eyes of these kids. "Master, this..."
"It's yours. So long as you don't tell Elder Qin about it."
"I would never," he swore sternly, tucking away the tome into his robes. "Uhm..."
"What is it?"
"Could I make you some tea, Master? I would like to talk to you about something..."
... huh.
That doesn't sound good.
A Boy's Struggles (II)
Xi Zhao was actually rather skillful, as it turned out, at making tea. In fact, he was even better than Dai Xiu.
However, there was still only so much he could do with so few utensils and the cheap-ish Mildew Qi Tea we've still been drinking. Even as we sat down, however, and as I started taking sips, he remained silent. It was as though he was battling something inside of himself, resolving it only after almost ten minutes.
"Master," he said. "I beseech you: could you please send someone to check on my family?" Hm? Honestly, I expected something a whole lot worse, like, 'Hey, Master, I offended an Elder, and he's on his way to kick your ass'.
"Are you worried about them?"
"I was born in the small town south of the Sect," he said. "Called Sunlight Town. My great-grandfather arrived at the city and established a small tailoring shop, and it survives to this day. Rather, thanks largely to my mother, we have managed to even make a name for ourselves--the official Outer Disciple robes of our Sect were actually commissioned to my family."
"Oh? Really?" Does that mean he's got a rich family? Rather than being happy, I'm actually starting to worry...
"Just before I left for the Sect, we bought a small plot on the nearby hillside where Mother wanted to move the workshop, making it bigger in the process. She told me she'd send a letter once the workshop was complete and that, at the time, I should invite my Master for the grand opening.
"This was, uh, while I was still... struggling. We exchanged letters twice a month or so the first few years I spent in the Sect. I, uhm... I may have told them things that weren't true. I just didn't want to disappoint them." He hung his head low and clenched his fingers into a fist. "When they learned I just barely qualified to enter the Sect, they were all so happy for me. Even Uncle Ran came down from the mountains to celebrate with us."
"..." I listened patiently, sipping tea.
"However, in the past year, something has been... off. I only received two letters, neither of which were sent by my mother but rather our steward. He mostly just wrote that everyone still has high hopes for me and can't wait to see me, but when I pressed for details in my letter, he never answered. I'm... worried about them, but I'm not allowed to leave the mountain just yet."
"... what do you imagine could have happened if it did?"
"I'm not sure. Father took great care in establishing good relationships with other owners in the town and even the traveling merchants. All I know is that my mother would not stop writing me for no reason. I know that it's too much to ask, and that I'd only become your Disciple recently, and that I should be doing everything in my power to live up to your expectations, but..."
"I'll send someone," I said. Ultimately, so long as it wasn't me needing to descend the mountain and fix the problem, it could probably be arranged through Elder Qin.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"R-really?!" He finally looked up, his eyes teary. Sometimes--not often, but sometimes, I... forget. I forget that they are all just kids at the end of the day. Sure, they may be capable of lifting boulders and tossing them at each other, but save for the couple of old monsters living among them, the rest are just children caught in the winding winds of reality.
"Of course," I smiled gently. "You should write them another letter, too. If you'd like, we can also include some Spirit Stones."
"N-no, a letter is enough," he quickly said. "Nobody else in my family has any talent for cultivation. I fear that if it is learned they are in possession of Spirit Stones, some rogue cultivators might disregard the morality of an Immortal and attack them. Thank you, Master! I swear that I will pay the favor back a hundredfold!"
He quickly got up and left before I could stop him, leaving me only to sigh in silence and solace. I glanced sideways, where I saw Light peeking from the rear, her expression curious and eyes wide. She'd become a bit of my... shadow, you could say, in the recent few days. She followed me practically everywhere, though I actually didn't know whether she reported it to the Sect Master or not.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop on others' conversations," I said as she slowly stepped out and faced me; her face was guilt-addled, shoulders slouched, and eyes darting all around--all telltale signs of someone 'caught' doing a bad thing. It's not a nice thing to think, but she reminded me of Loki, this golden retriever I had as a boy. He'd occasionally dig around mom's garden, and she would catch him, and he'd do the exact same pose as she did--except, you know, with his canine limbs.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"It's okay. I'm sure Xi Zhao wouldn't get mad."
"... are you?"
"Hm?"
"Mad."
"Me? Ha ha, no, not at all. Rather, if you're going to be mischievous, I'd rather you do it here rather than elsewhere."
"... will his mom and dad be okay?" She scurried over and sat opposite me, seeming worried--more so than even Xi Zhao.
"Of course," I lied--I didn't know whether they were okay or not, but what was I to say? She was six, and even if she was some super-duper inheritor of Demonic this or that, none of it truly mattered. She was only a girl just barely tipping her toes in the sea of life. "Are you worried?"
"Hm. I don't want him to lose his mom and dad."
"... what was your dad like?" I asked. In part it was because I was curious what a 'Demonic God' was like, but in part it was because it felt like she wanted to talk about it.
"Silly." she said, her dour expression shifting over into a loving smile.
"Yeah?"
"We played together a lot. Mom would yell at him because he'd let me stay up late. And he would make these silly faces, he he, and she would forgive him."
I took a sip of tea, mostly trying to buy myself some time. God, what am I even supposed to say here? Tell her that he sounds like a swell guy? Tell her how sorry I am? Tell her that everything's gonna be a-okay?
"You miss him," I ultimately stated the most obvious thing in the universe, not knowing what else to say.
"Yes," she fought back a cry, biting her lips and lowering her head. Maybe... that's it? Maybe she just needed to cry?
"It's alright to cry, you know?"
"N-no," she shook her head. "I'm a Dem--I'm a big girl, and big girls don't cry!"
"Who told you that?"
"E-eh?"
"I've known plenty of big girls who cried," I said. "And you know what else?"
"W-what?"
"Plenty of big boys, too."
"R-really?!"
"Really. We all cry occasionally."
"... e-even, even you?"
"Oh God, especially me, ha ha," I said. "This one time, I was watching a mov--khm, I mean, I was reading this book. It was about this dog and an old man and their life together. The dog used to, uh, he used to run out to the edge of the village to welcome the man from work every day. Sun, rain, snow—it didn't matter. But then, one day, the old man died. Despite that, the dog kept showing up at the village's entrance every day, all the same. Always just... waiting. And waiting. And waiting."
"..."
"Bawled my eyes out at that one," I said, smiling lightly and glancing down at her. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks; maybe my story was that moving? No, it can't be that. "So, if you want to cry, cry. And if anyone ever makes fun of you? Just tell me. I may not be able to beat them up, but I'll cry right by your side so they make fun of me instead, okay?"