"Shu He…" The old man rambled and murmured to himself for a whole minute as the atmosphere in the room crept closer and closer to a frosty chill, the three disciples watched Jin Nianzu in silence while their faces were plastered with worry, even Yun Jiang seemed to be unable to speak as if he wasn't expecting such a reaction from his teacher.
Suddenly he stood up from his bed and turned towards Shu He before steadily striding forwards, each step echoing deep within their minds as they nervously awaited his next actions, Shu He felt the hairs on his neck stand up on ends as he fought the urge to back away, the he had to keep fighting the odd attraction he felt towards the senior in front of him, it was like he would be willing to forgive every action if he gave in to it.
Then Jin Nianzu placed both his hands on Shu He's shoulder's making the young man flinch lightly as they stared into each-other's eyes, yet Shu He couldn't tell what the man was thinking, his gaze felt unfocused yet unfathomable, like he was looking at a world beyond.
"You did well" And then the old man spoke, the words he uttered destroying the tense atmosphere that clad the room as Shu He had a hard time believing his ears, his eyes widening slightly as his lips moved.
"Pardon?" He asked in doubt.
"Heh, did I scare you?" The old man scoffed slightly as he patted Shu He on the shoulders before releasing him and turning back, he walked over to an old wooden rocking chair and carefully sitting down in it "Seems you didn't warn them, at least you have some manners Yun Jiang".
"You told me not to after all" Yun Jiang sighed as he crossed his arms, his relief was visible on his face. He turned to Shu He and Bai Lian who shot him a questioning look "Sorry, teacher likes to see how people he meets react to him, if I told you it would ruin the effect".
"Effect?" Shu He frowned "That… sensation, you mean? What is that?" he hadn't felt anything like it before, it wasn't even a technique since he felt absolutely no signs of one being used, no Qi flow or anything.
"That…" Yun Jiang looked at his teacher awkwardly, he seemed to be seeking permission for something. Jin Nianzu picked up a pipe and poured some powder in to the head before placing it in to his mouth and snapping his fingers causing a spark to light the powder, he took a deep huff before exhaling and glancing toward his student "I'll explain, it's the least I can do for two such guests" he took another huff of the pipe, each huff seemed to make his darkened eyes a spec brighter "I wasn't expecting the first guests to be people like you, life truly has some present surprises".
"What do you mean?" Shu He was still confused, why did this old man seem so amicable to him?
Jin Nianzu hit the pipe against a bowl as ashes were added to the already growing pile before he used it to point at Bai Lian "The little gem of the Bai Clan, a surprising talent yet one who holds a deep, smouldering grudge" he spoke calmly yet Bai Lian visible flinched like a cat that had its tail stood on.
Then his pipe went on to point at the little duck that was listlessly looking around like it was uninvolved "An odd little spirit animal" he said, to which Little Xue looked at him and frowned as much as a duck could in protest of being called odd.
And finally he pointed to Shu He.
"An anomaly, but one which wiped away a stain from the Jin clan's filthy, festering body" his words turned harsh, the last few filled with vitriol that made one want to imagine just what happened for him to have such feelings.
"…You're talking about Jin Bao?" Shu He asked. "Yes" The old man gave a straight reply "That boy was an embodiment of the cancer that festers within the Jin clan, they have nothing lefts of their proud history; Just a shell of their former selves" he slammed the pipe against the bowl "That's why you did 'well', you dragged him out into the sun so it could be witnessed by everyone, it doesn't matter why you did it".
"…" Shu He couldn't find the words to speak, he felt conflicted, his bout and killing of Jin Bao wasn't anything deep, they coincidentally became matched in the tournament, and Shu He linked him to his own grudge, pushing himself past his limit to see it through.
He did nothing to be praised about, he didn't even know much about the Jin Clan at that point.
"What do you know?!" Suddenly Bai Lian's voice burst into the conversation, it sounded rather course like she was struggling to breath, Shu He glanced over and couldn't help but need to take a second glance, that Bai Lian that always seem calm and composed was glaring at Jin Nianzu, a chilling aura steadily crept from her body freezing the floor beneath her feet as her long white hair became dishevelled.
He hadn't seen her like this before so he took a step back in surprise, before he stopped and retook that step, he could feel a deep anger and resentment hidden behind her expression, but that wasn't directed at anyone here.
"There's no need to become worked up young lady, I'm not an enemy, just someone who likes to keep track of certain things" the old man gestured towards Shu He and Yun Jiang behind him "Are you sure you want to show such a side to these two?".
Her eyes darted to Shu He, looking between the two of them like her mind was in a state of panic before the frost began to recede and she 'fell', bundling herself up slightly "I…" her voice cracked as the words she wanted to speak got stuck in her throat.
Her mind was dyed red, those words had set her off, she struggled to hold it down, that feeling that she always supresses, she didn't want others to see her like that, she was the innocent second daughter of the Bai Clan's patriarch, she wanted to be seen that way because that's what everyone else expected.
So she couldn't…
She then felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, a kind, careful sensation that felt alien, yet ever so familiar, she looked up and saw Shu He awkwardly smiling, his confusion and doubt were clearly on show behind that smile, yet his clear consideration were as well.
"It's okay" Shu He muttered, trying his best to comfort her.
He didn't know why she was set off like that, it was clear there was something deep, some sort of trauma or event that scarred her heart, but he didn't know what it was or how he could help it; The only thing he knew was that he didn't enjoy seeing her like this.
Bai Lian slowly stood up under the watch of the other's before she bowed lightly "…Sorry" she managed to mutter. Jin Nianzu shook his head lightly "Think nothing of it, I understand why you act as such, but you should be careful who you direct your intent toward in the future… others may no be so lenient" he wanted with a grim flash in his eyes. "Now then" he leaned back in his chair "I was going to explain to you about that 'sensation', wasn't I?" a cloud of smoke wafted like a lingering question in the air, Shu He's ears immediately perked up as to not miss a single word.
"The basics of Intent… well I'm sure you already know that, Intent is a formless power with many forms depending on the Dao and the cultivator, even if two cultivators share a Dao their Intent may be entirely different, the Dao are limitless after all, even if we label a path that path may contain a myriad more".
"For me… I was a sculptor that was at the bottom of the Jin clan, a clan that deeply valued combat abilities, I didn't even inherit the bloodline element of Wind, I was the trashiest trash to exist, yet I enjoyed sculpting, so I kept doing so alone while also desiring recognition, wanting to be known as one of the clan's greats one day".
"And then, I learned intent at a record-breaking age, barely in my 30's I imbued my sculpture with my intent, allowing others to understand the true beauty of them… yet what did the clan tell me?".
The rhetorical question left the audience of two plus a duck in silence, they could all guess what came next.
"Trash, useless, waste of talent, a disgrace".
"I received no praise, instead the distain I received was only increased, I thought that once I achieved intent I would become a centre piece, an important person… so what did I do then? Did I leave the clan to be recognised elsewhere? Did I seek revenge on those that wronged me?"
A look of disgust grew on Jin Nianzu's face, except that disgust was only directed towards himself.
"I did the stupidest thing I ever could have, I wanted their recognition, I wanted their attention, I wanted to mean something to them…. So I changed myself".
"I sculpted myself".
The words rung deep into the heart of Shu He, the idea of changing oneself was one thing, but to sculpt implied you cut away the imperfections to create an image you desire, yet as he looked at the old man all he saw was a decrepit figure, so that could only mean…
"What… what was it that you sculpted?" he gulped as he asked.
"In all honesty? I'm not clear myself… to this day, I haven't been able to replicate the effects… that's why I've been stuck with the results since then… when I sat down that day the only thing I wanted to do was change myself, so whether it was my body, mind, or even soul, I gave them all up to my knife and began cutting… maybe it was my very existence I cut that day, a mistake caused by the heavens to punish me for my foolishness" he sighed a sigh that contained all the regrets of his life.
"After that day, I became a centrepiece of the clan, no it was more like an idol, a figurehead, no matter who saw me they came to like me, came to love me like I was the most important thing in their life, at first I loved it, I thought I had achieved the greatest thing I could ever do… but then I realised my mistake".
"They didn't love me, they loved my sculpture, they worshipped me like a deity, but do the worshippers really care about the words of their deity? No, they only care about their feelings that they can project on to a wordless figure".
"It was then that I witnessed the darkest side of the clan, the genocide that took place between branch families, the ugly depths of the struggle for power, the greed of those at the top that ate up those below… as I was dragged about as the idol, used in politics between interfamily wars and offered as a prize I grew sick, I escaped with great difficulty".
"That is what that 'sensation' you felt was, it is a result of a mistake I made and one I'll forever live with… though I have managed to suppress it to a degree, if a competent person is given foreknowledge about it they can resist it, but if I expose unknowing people to it for long periods it will be dangerous" he emptied the ash in to the bowl and left he pipe upside down "Does that explanation satisfy you two?".
"…More than so. Is this why you are barely ever seen, why you remain in these hobbles?" Shu He looked around the room, it was clear just how much time the old man spent here, he now understood why.
"Of course that's a part of it… but I'm also tired of humans, when you interact with so many people in your life you eventually learn to let go of the desire to interact with them, it's like your mind is telling you it's had its fill of its lifetime." His eyes were filled with the vastitudes of time as he spoke, his voice reminiscent of the sand of time.
"Enough about this, my secret is my reward for your actions against the Jin scion… now tell me, what is it you have sook me out for? I assume it is to craft something. Let me tell you first, I will not craft a weapon for you".
"Don't worry Teacher, the one who crafts Shu He's weapons is me" Yun Jiang said with pride to which the elder merely grunted as he rolled his eyes before looking back at Shu He "So?".
"Little Xue, come here" Shu He said before the little duck plodded over from the side, placing itself in front of Shu He "This little one is my companion, I've come to request a set of clothing made from Memory Thread".