"These tests are designed to test your intelligence, as well as the limits of your soul. Not passing does not mean you will die or be punished. However, those that fail to pass all three will not receive a final reward. They will also be removed from the Tower." Morning Dew was very clear about how each test was to be conducted,
'How is he going to test the heart and soul?' Khan Ni's mind spun out trying to guess the tests before they started, she didn't care about rewards but tests of the soul were known to have a serious price for failure. Casually accepting the consequences after they happened would be a drastic problem, the incoming test made her nervous and Khan Ni wanted to ask questions.
Morning Dew stopped her spinning with his next sentence, "The cancellation of a test will stop your progress where you are. To leave, just call out for me and I will stop the test immediately. There is no shame in failure, only self-reflection." Finishing his instructions, the Tower Spirit found his spot on the Lotus Pad and cast his eyes on the surveillance globes in front of him. The globes showed the progress of the participants.
He was pacing from nervousness, Morning Dew had been sitting for years, waiting and now a group of children were somehow making their way through the tower. He was amazed at their temperament but there were still tests ahead.
"Enter." Morning Dew was slightly disappointed in his previous owners, in his opinion, they weren't trying as hard as these new fledglings.
A passageway led to the next testing ground. There, there was a ghostly man sitting down at a desk.
He looked up at the group. The Man, if it could be called one, had no distinguishing features. "I ask the questions. Each of you a different one. Answer Honestly or return from where you've come."
"You!" Pointing to Cheng Yu, the faceless man asked, "What's your name?"
"Yu, How did you know?" Cheng Yu answered quickly.
"PASS" ...
Confused, everyone was looking and waiting for a question to follow.
"Pass?" Cheng Yu sat down and waited for the next test.. he didn't know why he passed, but he took it the win regardless.
"Next!" the Faceless Clerk called out.
Refusing to take second place behind his brother, Cheng Mu walked up.
"Why do you want to surpass your Brother?" The Faceless Clerk wrote down a few words on a piece of paper that vanished when he stopped writing.
Mu thought about it for a minute and answered "Because if I can beat him, I can protect him when he can't."
"PASS!" He gave the other brother a quick pass. The group felt that the test was silly, the entire group was wondering what the issue was. The tests were just too uncharacteristic, none of them expected the challenge to be so pitiful.
"Next!" The Clerk didn't seem to care about the response, it was unnerving everyone in the room.
It was Khan Ni's turn, she hesitated.
Walking up to the desk she heard what the faceless man had to ask, "Why seek revenge when you know it will change who you are inside?"
"Because I must thrive, not exist." Khan Ni spoke from the heart, but it wasn't the truth. "Rather, I must not allow such a thing to happen, again." Finally speaking the truth, she stepped back and could only wait on his reply.
"Hmm, Although you were hesitant you brought yourself to tell the truth." He slammed his fist on the desk, "PASS!" The desk's vibration echoed in the testing area.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief but it was Wu Hai's turn. Each of them knew it would be best if they decided to remain quiet.
Standing before the desk, the faceless clerk seemed to stare at Zao Wu Hai, the blur across his face didn't move. "Why seek the tower, when you have so much in your grasp?"
"Whatever you think I know, you're mistaken. I come seeking truth, adventure and not much more. Rewards are always welcome but to expect such a thing? I don't know what else to say on this matter."
"Very well, PASS." The Faceless Spirit Clerk's face came into focus as he vanished.
Morning Dew repeated the clerks reluctant response. "Very well!" He heaved a heavy sigh while looking at the group. They were giving each other pats on the back. Coughing lightly he continued, "You're not done with evaluation. The Tower will ultimately give you your reward but it will all depend on you to determine." Having too much to say, he stayed his voice. There was no point in giving the answers away.
Suddenly a final passage opened to the top floor.
"Well done, Well Done!" The Monk sat on a Lotus, he was already in front of them and laughing like an idiot. His figure had dematerialized behind them just a moment ago.
"As you can guess and as I've stated, I am the spirit of this Pagoda. What you saw earlier are merely incarnations with purpose." 'Cough Cough,' Morning Dew pretended to clear his throat then continued. "Don't read into it too much, its a simple function."
The Tower Spirit seemed nervous, his responses were less then genuine to the discerning ear. "So, explain. What is it that brings you here today? Your rewards are the following. For your self sacrifice, I bestow these." Taking out a pair of capes specially made for Qilinkin, Morning Dew passed them to the Cheng Brothers. "These cloaks are among the peak of lower tiered items, they raise the physical strength by a half a fold. You will not be disappointed."
Cheng Mu replied after taking the cloaks and said "Okay, so where is our reward?"
Morning Dew dropped his jaw, he had seen some greed before in his life but this guy was a little shameless.
"You'll have to reward me how you have said, although we love the capes, thank you for your gift.. the reward is something we both need." Cheng Yu backed his brother up.
'Cough Cough' "Can you give me a little face please, I will reward you. Since you're not satisfied thus far.." Gritting his teeth, Morning Dew broke the conversation with another question. "What sort of reward would each of you like?"
Closing their eyes, each brother thought for a moment and then said "Women!" .., "Booze."
Both Wu Hai and Khan Ni were thinking about their desired reward when Morning Dew Cut into the Twin's conversation. "Very well, Here. " Tossing a gourd to each of them, he said, "These makes Wine.. Endlessly. Enjoy."
Snapping to attention the Brothers were extremely happy with their reward, they popped the cork from the end of the bottles and took a smell, the drinks were exquisite.
Licking his paw and cleaning his arm, Morning Dew looked a lot less professional than when he discussed Khan Ni's reward. "What do you want? Don't go nuts, I liked those Gourds." His entire attitude changed and he felt slighted. Morning Dew's true nature was coming out because of the team's lack of decorum.
"I want a World Tree Seed." Khan Ni was not going to back down but she had to ask, even if there was the smallest chance that she would receive it.
Cringing at his pockets being pilfered, Morning Dew was starting to regret passing these adventurers in his trial. "I cannot, These trees." Holding the illusion of a seed in his palm, the size of a small child's head, he continued, "These Great Beings can only be given live over thousands of years. The last Great World Tree was burned from war, small people do small minded things. Unprotected, the effort is meaningless. You bare the scars of such ordeals, the Elves are progeny of the World Tree. Would you have history repeat itself?"
Trusting the wise words, she tried a different question, "Do you have a Bow made from the Previous World Tree? I would gladly take something of that sort."
"I have weapons, allow me to give you this." He pulled a bow from the wall, it floated toward her. "The Bow of Cenetra, if you can settle for it. It is not made of the World Tree, It's magic is quite strong, if you add some energy It will fire a strong arrow for as far as you can see. As long as you can see the target, you will definitely hit your mark. It's strung with the sinew from a hybrid beast that had good reflexes. I know Elves despise weapons made from the essence and parts of creatures but this one was not a kind being. His only redeeming qualities were made into several weapons." Having said a mouthful Morning Dew walked up to Zao Wu Hai.
Morning Dew was dreading it, he couldn't fathom how the kid managed to get out of the illusion so quickly. "And you, I have many words for you. We must sit alone, I already know your requests." Waving his hand, the others were sent to the lobby floor below.
"And here I thought it would be another thousand years before someone passed." His posture shifted, Morning Dew cracked his illusory knuckles and arched his back at the same time. "What you ask.. it is a great deal to give. To give you the truth, would be a shift in the balance of power. You do not know the measure of these things called destiny or fate and I cannot reveal them." The Monk looked at Wu Hai confidently, knowing he would still choose something outrageous.
"The Truth is subjective. Come back to ask these questions when you are stronger, more able." The Tower Spirit waved his hand, both of them flashed to a stairwell that led to a balcony. Overlooking the ground outside of the Tower, Wu Hai could see flocks of birds and herds of Beasts moving along the River nearby.
Wu Hai wondered if there was a better way, "When will you know that I've become stronger? How would you be certain I even survive to ask?
"This..." Morning Dew was hesitant. "Very well, I will remain with you until then. I've come into contact with your soul, I know of your intent and worth. I had intended to give you all a full series of tests but your early breakout from the illusions broke any hope of that, as you've noticed, the tests were becoming easier for your group and that's not particularly challenging, is it. Your reward shall be this Pagoda, don't make me regret it. It can house your belongings and pack into your pocket. This tower can shrink and enlarge but it takes time to Master, even at full power the resizing took my previous Master an hour. You must shrink it if you want to take it with you, use this token."
He pulled a small wooden token from the air and held it up. "I suspect that your quest will result in the relocation of this Tower regardless, so there is no harm in passing it's control to you. If you die, I will just wait again. Perhaps fate will bring me another chance, should you fail." Morning Dew turned his nose away, annoyed and then he started laughing excessively, he floated the small token to Wu Hai. "Hold this and think, shrink or grow. "
"You can't be serious? I get.. the Pagoda? Who gets a Castle?" Shocked and excited that he'll get the answer he wanted eventually, Wu Hai accepted the token into his spacial ring. It was a huge reward, something he definitely didn't earn but welcomed. 'Why though? Why give me control? It doesn't make sense. Maybe it's another test?' He was about to ask about the reasons but then he remembered Morning Dew's reason for not answering.
'What a pain in the ass.' Wu Hai fiddled with the ring on his finger.
"Rest. Join your companions, then leave and grow. I have nothing to do so I will be here until you need me. You can teleport your way around the Pagoda with that Token." Morning Dew finally stopped talking and waved his hand at Wu Hai, sending him to the lobby instantly.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
Arriving at a conclusion that they could all do without another run through a Trial or Testing. The group was a little disappointed, the challenges were a joke.
Yelling, they called Morning Dew out.
"Can you people not be So demanding!" An image of Morning Dew appeared, he looked like he was previously busy and lost in thought, frustrated and annoyed. "I'm busy, come back later." Waving his hand again the group was sent out of the Pagoda without another word.
Wu Hai wasn't sure what would happen with the Pagoda when he was done shrinking it. It took him a whole hour to reduce its size but it went into a storage ring without any issues.
Calling for Darkwing, the Jiao was already leading the way back to Khan Ni. It was not apparent why the Jiao decided to follow her but its affection for her was clear. The Cheng brothers were somewhat glad that the Tolos had run off. The Twins could fly and after the ordeal in the Tower, they didn't feel the need to bring extra baggage with them anymore.
"I don't know about all of you but I'm not satisfied. I still don't know what the compass is for, and it's already pointing another direction. See!" Wu Hai discussed the situation with the group and then mounted Darkwing, he pointed in the right direction.
"Lets go. We don't have long until night and I'd really appreciate some distance from this spot. Something is off about that Tower Spirit, I can't put my finger on it. It felt like he was lying about something." Khan Ni wrapped her legs around the saddle and turned the Jiao.
"At least we don't have to look for a place to sleep." Wu Hai patted his hand and shook his head, the tests were just too easy and Khan Ni's assessment of the situation was very close to what he had felt himself.
Plugging up their gourds after a quick celebratory chug, the Twins joined Wu Hai and Khan Ni in the sky. They started moving east.