On a serene peak, away from the noises of the world, a master meditated peacefully.
He sat in a cross legged fashion, called Lotus Position, on a white cushion. The area he meditated in was semi open, a room with walls but no ceiling.
Even the cushion he sat upon looked nothing like ordinary. To the keen eye, one could notice fine strands of qi being swept towards it and directly absorbed by the cultivator afterwards.
One would think it was an insane amount to take in. But in truth, this much energy was nothing compared to what the master of this peak needed to absorb each to complete his daily training.
During this time of day, when the sun was at its zenith, the abundance of energy which the master cultivated was enormous. Only at this specific hour of each day, could he cultivate the special technique which required of him this unique energy.
Footsteps resounded in his ears. Even though normal cultivators would have found it difficult to detect the presence, the meditating man had no such problem. He knew exactly when the person stepped inside his peak and who it was too.
Awaiting his arrival to his doors, he continued to meditate. The way to this place took about a double-hour, which was roughly 2 hours, therefore the master would benefit from this time to carry on with his training.
After the double-hour had elapsed, the visitor had arrived. He did not need to knock as the master had already anticipated it and invited him in.
"Brother Tian Mie*!" he shouted from beyond a door. "Please, come in!"
The one named Tian Mie entered the area where his host was. A table was set up in the middle of a flowery courtyard where countless herbs and fragrances were grown. There was a small fountain in the back and a flat platform made of jade on which a guqin was set up.
The seven stringed instrument played by itself in a slow melodious music, perfect for a few cups of wine and a good conversation.
"Brother Xing Chen! How pleasant to see you again."
Tian Mie stepped inside the courtyard and made his way to the table. Gudu Xing Chen stood up, slightly bowed while cupping his fist in salute. It was a common way of greetings among martial artists. Tian Mie returned the salute.
"Please, have a seat brother."
"Gladly" the visitor sat. "What type of wine do you offer me?"
Xing Chen grimaced. This was the highlight of his hospitality.
Wine was a sacred liquid designed to show off your appreciation to whoever it was offered to. Although both men did not need to comply with such restrictions due to their brotherly bond, this was still a matter of pride.
His wine had to be absolutely exquisite.
"Have a taste and tell me yourself!" Xing Chen poured him a cup of the alcohol.
Before even tasting it, Tian Mie noticed the spike within the fragrance. That alone relieved his senses and relaxed his muscles.
He took a small sip.
"Gold-Fire Wine!" he wiped his droopy lips and gulped down the rest of it immediately.
Tian Mie's meridians, the veins which act as pathways for the circulation of qi, opened up and were filled with a fiery energy. The burning did not hurt, it in fact quickened the traveling of his qi, causing Tian Mie to exert over activeness.
"This is very delicious and beneficial brother. Where did you get it from?"
"Ha, I cannot tell or else I fear all the Mortal Realm will have Gold-Fire wine dusting in their homes."
"Very funny…" Tian Mie frowned, knowing Xing Chen had just made fun of his loose tongue. "What have you been up to these days?"
He noticed that Xing Chen had used his non-dominant arm to pour both of them more wine. It was weird considering the other hand was tugged deep inside his robe, as if he was hiding it.
Tian Mie ignored it for now.
"Still meditating. I've made no progress and I received no insights" Xing Chen took a sip and made an awkward expression. "I fear the next realm is still far from my understanding."
"But that is not what you wish to speak about, right?"
Tian Mie knew something else was troubling his brother's mind. Other than the arm he was hiding, he could notice Xing Chen's worrisome expression.
"What I am about to tell you, is something you must perform a Heavenly Oath's Will for me to trust you with it" Xing Chen lowered his head, shadowed by concern. "If you vow not to say a word of what is discussed here, then I will tell you!"
The room turned gloomy.
Whatever he was about to tell him, Tian Mie acknowledged the seriousness of it. If he wanted to hear what Xing Chen had to say, he had to make the oath. But once he did so, he could not go back on the terms or punishment from the heavens would befall him.
"I, Tian Mie, swears to the Will of the Heavenly Dao that I will not disclose a word of what is said here. If I do, then may the heaven's thunders strike me to death!"
Once the Heavenly Dao's Will is used, the foundation of a martial artist will be shaken. If one does break the oath, then the martial artist will be inflicted with qi deviation caused by Internal Demons.
Although it will not be like a thunderstorm, but in the future it will become extremely difficult for the oath breaker to make progress in cultivation. Therefore, none would irrationally adhere or rush to perform the oath.
"Very good. I shall tell you now."
Xing Chen got up from his seat. With his free hand, he untied the knot on his robe and dropped it to the floor. His other arm was wrapped in bandages. He pulled on the ribbons, loosened and then removed them.
What Tian Mie saw shocked him and forced his jaw open.
"What happened to your arm, brother?"
He got up from his seat and approached him. That kind of wound was unlike any he had ever seen.
From the shoulder and below, his arm looked like it was charred and black, but there were no burned tissue on its surface. Almost as if his blood had turned dark and discoloured his whole limb.
Even more, it was hanging limply with no amount of force to hold it up. In short, it was as if he was crippled.
"Is it healing?" he asked sympathetically, aware of his inability to help him.
Xing Chen dismissed the question with a shake of his saddened head. He sat back down and placed his injured arm on top of the table.
He reached for the wine and poured himself a lot this time. His face was shifting between a sorrowful and neutral demeanour with every sip he took.
"Have you heard of the blood spear?" he reinitiated the conversation after minutes of silence.
"You mean the one that fell from the sky and blew apart the midwife's house?"
"That one indeed."
"Don't tell me that this is what caused brother's injury…"
Tian Mie was indeed afraid. After hearing the rumours, he himself went to have a look but was denied the pleasure by a force sent there to investigate. To a certain point, he even thought of having a go at touching it and perhaps even acquiring it.
For a clearer picture, he and Xing Chen were not so distanced in terms of cultivation and strength. His brother suffering such a wound would have meant the same for him too.
"Tell me more of the spear."
"It was covered in blood—"
"I know that!" Tian Mie interrupted.
"But not any blood" Xing Chen clenched his fist, "From what I could understand after touching it, the blood is old. Not old as in has been on the spear for too long, but as in old in itself."
Tian Mie adjusted his seat and stopped drinking, making sure to listen carefully. He wouldn't want to miss details of someone who had a first-hand experience…even if it was at the cost of his whole arm.
"I could tell with my eyes that the blood belonged to a being that has lived for many thousands of years."
"Like a cultivator?"
"Maybe. All I can say is that it was an ancient being."
"And your injury?" Tian Mie was building up the questions to his comfort, making sure he was well-informed of the whole situation.
"The spear cut off the qi to my arm and drained the blood from it. I've been trying for days, but the wound would not heal and both flows are still blocked."
The two masters shrivelled at the mention of this. An artefact that was able to cut off the flow of both qi and blood was indeed frightening.
If no man could pull this spear out successfully, then naturally it would bring much attraction and curious travellers. Many would pay to glimpse at such a treasure.
Other than that obvious factor, Tian Mie couldn't help but feel that information was still withheld from him. Something else happened that night and he could see it in his brother's eyes clearly. He wouldn't be this calm about his hand becoming useless if that were not the case.
He was correct. Without the need for an invitation, Xing Chen spilled the rest of what he encountered on that eventful day.
"But that was not the only bizarre thing that happened to me…" he began again, seeing that his guest was impatient for the whole thing. "Can you believe someone was able to force me out from investigating their talent?"
"Someone was able to prevent brother's visual technique? Was it a foreign master? Or a solitary cultivator?"
Xing Chen laughed wholeheartedly and his mood changed drastically. He poured another round of wine and raised his glass.
"No" he eyed his brother brazenly. "It was a new-born baby."
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*Check the very first chapters at the very beginning for the Index*