"A soul binding contract?"
Ying Yue nodded her head as she brought her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her shins, her eyes were still staring off into the distance "It's a terrible thing." She said, "You are made to swear several binding oaths while a brand is inscribed using your own vital essence. A secret ritual is held and then you are branded with the Lightning Sect's symbol. The brand causes primal essence chains to spread throughout your body and soul. Any disobedience or failure can cause these chains to crush you from the inside."
"Vital essence is tied directly to your life force right? Why would anyone accept something like that?"
"Accept chains instead of a cage?" Ying Yue seemed to shrink ever so slightly at Eric's question. He realized belatedly that it was insensitive of him to ask, but wasn't given a chance to recover as she resumed talking, "This place is a pen for livestock, Eric. We live meaningless existences every day. We all descend from mighty warriors. Cultivators that dominated our side of Mount Qixuan with dignity and strength. And what do we have to show for it? Farmers? Miners? Shepards? Woodsmen? Our population rivals mortal cities and yet we're all 'cultivators'. What a joke. The path of cultivation is one of conflict. Of adversity and struggle. And we have none of that. Our cultivation technique inheritance is watered down so badly that anyone of at least low grade talent can use it and at least reach the Flesh Training stage before they turn thirty. Just in time to ensure a strong enough body that can perform hard labor for even longer. So, when one of us cattle discovers that we have a chance to climb up and actually become something greater. To live longer. To pursue the ends of cultivation... Almost anything is acceptable."
Ying Yue's eyes were glistening in the moonlight at this point. "The same went for me, back then. The inspectors tested me, I was brought to the Lightning Sect, and I accepted the contract, fully confident that I would be able to reach the Houtian stage and break the chains with my own power." She lowered her chin and rested her forehead on her knees. Her voice was barely a whisper in the cool night's breeze, "I was so close too. I found a cultivation technique that matched my ice attribute and broke through every stage of cultivation without trouble. I was even next in line to join the inner court. All I had to do was reach the Houtian stage before my twenty-fifth birthday..."
Eric could see the tears running down the sides of her face as they began soaking her robes.
'...'
After a minute or so, Ying Yue gathered the strength to press on and said, "I was right there. My foundation was firm, my mind was clear and I had even taken a pill that cost me a year's worth of resources in order to ensure my breakthrough... and I still failed." She raised her head to look at the moon with her tear streaked face, anger causing her to speak through clenched teeth, "The chains blocked me at the last breath, and my body froze from the backlash. My dantain barely moves enough to keep me alive and I constantly drain the primal essence within a ten meter radius around me at all times..."
"So how were you able to care for me without draining me remotely?"
Ying Yue shrugged her shoulders, "You were not a cultivator yet and had therefore not accepted any primal essence into your body. Mortals ironically have nothing to fear from me in that regard. Contact is another story altogether. I haven't felt the touch of another in three years. It has made finding a partner almost impossible, not to mention my appearance."
"I don't see what's wrong with your appearance."
Ying Yue smiled through the tears, "You would, if you had seen me before. I had more suitors than I could care for, and had even received poems from a few inner court disciples. But this?" She gestured dismissively towards herself, "This curse of mine forced me to be average at best."
"The standards of beauty around here are ridiculous."
"It's one of the reasons many women and men pursue cultivation beyond the strength training realm. Cultivating removes your impurities, highlights your most attractive traits, prolongs your youth and brings all eyes your way. Though looks are not what I care about. I don't actually think I look ugly. It's not the beauty or the attention that I miss... it's the fact that it's not ME in the mirror. I lost my potential, my strength, and my identity, all in one day. This face is a reminder of that loss."
"I see... So this contract."
"Never accept it." Ying Yue finally turned to face him. A look of worry and determination burrowed itself within his eyes through her gaze, "You obviously have potential. An unprecedented amount. I had actually hoped you would fail the chief's impossible task. But you not only rose up to the challenge, you demolished it. I know you said you wanted to be a cultivator, and I should have told you the whole truth and warned you-"
"It's fine Yue'er"
Eric reached his hand out to stroke a stray hair out of her face as he looked at her. The gesture surprising her yet again when he showed no negative setback for making contact with her.
"You didn't know me well enough and we had barely spoke then. Hell, you barely know me now. We're only now reuniting after three weeks, there's been more time apart than together. So let's not let these usless things tarnish our friendship."
Ying Yue finally recovered from her shock and nodded. "Mm. Okay. I will try not to make things awkward anymore."
Eric smiled widely.
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
Ying Yue's eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline before she realized that Eric had already started running away.
"Why you!" She took off after him, their yells and laughter spreading throughout the night.
...