Chapter 27 - 2-10 Beware Of Chicken

Chapter 2: Rice Farming 101

I jolted awake to Big D's furious battle cry, and the angry sqwalling of a fox. I had a shovel in my hand and was out the door as fast as I could into the extremely pleasant night.

Big D was flapping around the fox's head, kicking at it furiously. He was too young for his spurs to deal any damage, but he was trying his little heart out.

I was transfixed for a moment, as David challenged Goliath.

Until the fox managed to hit him with it's paw, and knocked him down and away. His footing was fouled. His fate was sealed. The Fox pounced, It's razor sharp teeth going for the kill, to end my little warrior.

Oh? You dare trespass into this Daddy's domain?!

….I can't believe I just thought that. I snort to myself.

The fox's teeth clamped down on iron instead of flesh, and it looked up, shocked at the intervention.

It was then the fox realised it fucked up.

My shovel whirled, and with a klang! The fox died.

I looked to my little warrior. He had managed to get to his feet, and was glaring as hatefully as he could at the fox's corpse. I gave him a once over, and he was fine, as were my girls. Just a fright.

I didn't blame the fox, it was his nature. I hoped he didn't blame me for braining him with a shovel in retaliation.

And then selling his fur, because I'm totally going to do that. And I think you can eat fox.

/////////

You can, in fact eat fox. wouldn't recommend it. Tastes like ass.

//////////

Growing rice properly involves a bit more than just chucking your seed into the ground and hoping for the best. I had witnessed the cultivation method of the farmers from the village, and they were a bit… lacking.

For example, the first thing you do is soak it in a 1/16 ratio of salted water. The rice seed with the greatest amount of endosperm, and therefore the best chance of a yield will sink to the bottom of your barrel, while the rest will float to the top.

Then, after soaking, you plant the desirable seeds in wide buckets for the first part of their life as they sprout.

Then, finally, you transplant them to your paddies. I always found it rather strange that rice does better when you rip it out of the soil and stuff it somewhere else than leaving it be.

The funny thing is that I learned most of this from reading a manga. Thanks, Shizuko. Cheating using techniques from the 1860s when I was in a mid-to pre-thousands world, like all true Isekai heroes!

Except guns would be pretty much useless, and I had no desire to conquer the world. Eh, rice is more important than that stuff anyways.

But enough about that. I was currently on the "sprouting" stage. The paddies themselves were under way, carved into the side of one of the hills in the terraced style, and fed by one of the small rivers, for when it finally came time to flood them.

Cultivator strength and endurance always did turn tasks that should have taken months or years into matters of mere days.

Though sometimes I had a sneaking suspicion that my "zen" modes lasted for longer than I thought they did. I was always super hungry when they stopped, and occasionally Big D was giving me the gimlet eye when I got back home.

Cultivation be whack, yo.

I grunted, as I finished examining the terrace wall for any potential defects. It looked pretty good, but just in case, I pushed some more of my qi into it, lending my spirit to help reinforce the wall, and strengthen the grass' roots to keep everything steady.

The masters at the sects would probably have an aneurysm about how much qi I was "wasting", but I didn't see it as a waste. It was a resource. If you got it, use it. Besides, it didn't take that long for it to come back. At the start of the next day I was normally feeling fresh as a daisy. Maybe if I was a better cultivator, or had bigger reserves, it might take longer, but I didn't know, and didn't care.

Yawning, I wandered back to my little house, Big D greeting me with his signature screech.

"You tell em, Big D." I scratched his head affectionately. His defeat hadn't made him nervous, so that was good. He was still a little ball of piss and vinegar.

My Lowly Spiritual Herbs were growing in their buckets beside my sprouting rice. The spirit herbs needed qi to grow properly, and I figured, why not just juice the rice too? Can't be any harm.

I had also repotted the strange root I had found. I couldn't just run off to the archive, so this was the only way I had to store it, and It had some qi to it. So It got a dousing too.

I carefully infused my spirit into the water, and then picked up my watering can and got to work, with Big D sitting on my shoulder, occasionally hopping off to snap up a bug that dared try to assault my little grow operation.

Good Boy. More spirit greens for you after dinner.

/////

And so things went. I had to brain a few more foxes and a starving looking wolf, but otherwise, things were largely peaceful.

Chop wood.

Break rock.

Plant crop.

Nurture with qi.

Eat food.

Sleep.

Months pass.

I love it here.

/////////

The Great Master had given him the name Bi De. He knew not what it meant, but he knew the name was his. He knew it was powerful.

But he was not.

Awareness was a fickle thing. It came and it went. But he knew during those times. He thought. And he was elevated above those who were beneath him. During the night, his senses were sharper, to better alert the Great Master to interlopers, those of red fur and sharp teeth.

But every time he failed in something he knew was his duty, to defend the females, he knew great shame. His Great Master nurtured him without reservation anyways, treating him like a favoured son, and not the shameful thing he was.

He was weak. He had to grow in strength, and fulfill his destiny!

He rode upon the Great Master's shoulder while he infused their food with his very essence, and struck from above upon the base creatures that dared to sup off his powerful essence.

He stood the night watch while the Great Master slept. He guarded the home while the Great Master completed his great wonders, commanding the land and taming the forest.

He watched, as the Great Master moved in the morning, his body flowing with wondrous skill.

And so he sought to improve himself. He ran through the Great Master's Lands. He jumped over the hills, and onto the giant branches of trees. He shoved his body against the Great Pots of Growth, until he could finally move them.

And now, he stood upon the Great Pillars of The Fa Ram (another name with a surely sublime meaning), and gave it his all to imitate the Great Master, to have some pale imitation of his sublime skill.

His body soared through the air. His legs lashed out with strength unknown to his lesser kin. He danced as the Great Master danced. He did breath, as the Great Master drew breath.

Something swirled around him.

Within him.

/////////

I smiled at Big D as he hopped and kicked along my fence.

Cute little guy.

Chapter 3: Beneath the Crescent Moon

Bi De knew fury. One of the red ones had vexed his Great Master. It had nearly slain one of the Great Master's flocks, somehow managing to sneak past him. He barely sound the alarm in time, his voice berating the foul interloper.

But this red one, this vile beast, was skilled. It danced around his blows, and even, horror of horrors, evaded the Great Master's mighty spur, the one that he used to tame the earth. In all other cases, his iron spur had been a command of death. With a single contemptuous blow, he smote all others.

But not for this one.

At first, he was stunned nearly to the point of spitting blood. Why did his Great Master not pursue? He could have easily slain the interloper, this demon, if he directed his full and terrible wrath against it.

He did not understand, but he knew his Great Master had wisdom that far eclipsed his.

Thrice, the foulspawn did attempt to take what was rightfully the Great Master's. Thrice, did the Great Master's mighty blow miss.

He even gave it a name from the very pits of hell: Basi Bu Shi. Bi De shuddered whenever he heard it. His Great Master's words of power contained both virtuous and fell wisdom.

But now, he understood. He had figured out the conundrum his Great Master had set before him. His Great Master had once more bought out his mobile coop. He remembered vaguely, before he was enlightened, travelling to these blessed lands upon the mighty fortress from the…. other place that was more hazy.

Some of his master's supplies had run low. He wished to return to the other place, so that the people there may give tribute to his glory.

But to travel outwards, he would have to leave his home. With only Bi De as it's guardian.

And he was not strong enough. His weakness was preventing the master from living how he wished. It was unacceptable.

He had been issued a challenge, in Basi Bu Shi's continued existence. A mighty task to prove his worth against the wicked.

And so he redoubled his efforts. His kicks took on new energy. His dance, new grace. He would slay this mighty enemy, and earn his Great Master's trust.

The Great Pillars of The Fa Ram called.

/////////

Well, just a bit more till I head back to Verdant Hill. I'd have to take the chickens along with me, so they didn't all get eaten. I should probably finally deal with Basil Brush. I was being kind of lazy about it, just chasing him off and hoping he would get the message, but he was becoming persistent.

I squinted at Big D as I finished dressing the fox pelt.

Was…. Was my fucking chicken doing a training montage?

I watched his incredibly crisp kicks for a little longer.

I shook my head. Nah, I had spent too long alone. Humanising him a bit too much. Or its just cultivator world bullshit.

Alright, tomorrow I'll hunt Basil down.

Heheheh. Boom Boom.

////////

Tonight, he would slay wicked Basi Bu Shi.

Tonight, it would be either glory--or his death. Either were acceptable. If he fell in this battle, it merely proved that he was unworthy of his Great Master's continued sufferance.

He went into the night, hopping from tree to tree in silence. And there, he found his quarry.

The beast was arrogant. It stalked, but did not realise others could stalk it.

In silence, Bi De descended, and he struck. His legs lashed with great strength, and his enemy snarled in pain.

He struck again to press his advantage, but Basi Bu Shi was worthy of his master's ire, the lithe creature shooting away, but with a deep scar in it's flesh that leaked blood.

Bi De saw it, in his mortal enemy's eyes. The spark of awareness. The spark of fury.

This one… this one knew too.

His foe did not run. It knew he had not called his Great Master. It knew it could lay him low here.

Their silent dance began.

His legs and spurs cut through the night air, as he flipped and dashed around his enemy's razor teeth and tearing claws.

It tried to strike him with it's limbs, to foul his footing and drive him to the earth, but he had grown wise to these beast's tricks, dodging them when he could, and accepting the blow to gain distance when he couldn't.

The two whirls of red chased each other through the trees, bouncing off trees, and leaving scratches in the forest floor.

Bi De felt triumph. He was equally matched with this one-- nay, he dared think himself it's superior. It's nose was slashed open, one of it's ears a ragged mass.His spurs ran crimson.

But the wicked one could have tricks too. It raised it's limb, as to strike another blow, sending his wings snapping out to redirect hit momentum.

He saw the gleam of satisfaction too late.

The paw slammed down instead, launching the wicked one forwards, and the vile Basi Bu Shi became a streamer of red, trailing behind an open maw.

Teeth crashed down upon his wing. The wicked one shook it's head savagely, and then threw him across the clearing, to slam into a tree.

It was pain like no other. He nearly cried out, he nearly summoned his Great Master, but he refused to. This was his test, and he refused to fail.

He staggered to get up, his legs shaking with the effort. But it was for nought.

Basi Bu Shi drove him to the earth with his mighty paw. He laughed over besting the Great Master's disciple. He savoured his victory.

Bi De knew only shame, as he lied there, pinned to the base earth. He could not return his Great Master's Blessings. He could not ever repay him. All he could do is stare up at the night sky in torment.

The enormous crescent moon loomed in his vision. It was his favourite phase of the celestial object, and he always contemplated it when it showed its most perfect form. It looked somewhat like his master's mighty spur-- or his own useless, weak ones.

Ah, how he wished for a mighty weapon to slay the wicked.

The Crescent Moon loomed.

Bi De, in his last moments, contemplated the lunar glory.

Bi De, in his last moments, understood.

He guided his energy and intent true. Blades of light, pure as the moon above, sprung from his limbs.

[Rising of the Crescent Moon]

His body sprung from it's prone position and he rose as surely as the moon. The wicked could not contain him with it's paltry strength. The blade struck true, gouging out one of the foulspawn's eyes as he flipped in the air.

The enemy shrieked in pain, its very soul burned by the righteous, heavenly blades he now bore.

He hung there a moment, under the moon's celestial light, gazing down upon his enemy.

All things that rise, fall.

[Descending Lunar Fangs]

It was inevitable, as true as the sun, the moon, and the stars set, so too did he once more descend to the base earth, carrying the weight and glory of heaven with him.

Both of his glimmering spurs buried themselves in the neck of the red one. This unsightly Basi Bu Shi.

[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]

His legs split apart, once more throwing him into a flip, the white energy forming a ring-like afterimage around him, and parting his mortal enemy's head from it's shoulders.

He landed gracefully once more upon the earth.

His enemy's head thumped to the ground behind him.

He.. he had done it. Bi De had completed his master's task.

He roared his victory to the heavens.

His Great Master burst into the clearing upon hearing his cry, fury in his eyes at those who would dare attempt to harm his disciple.

//////////

I stumbled to a stop, after once again being called out of bed. The small clearing was cut up from something, and there was Big D, looking pleased as punch, standing on the savaged and beheaded form of Basil Brush.

What the fuck?

/////////

His Great Master, as always, lavished affection upon him. His broken wing was bandaged. His messed feathers combed, and his wattles rubbed in a most pleasing way.

He was delivered back to the coop, and fed full sprigs of Heavenly Herbs. His Great Master Commanded him to replenish, and enjoy himself.

He was a good disciple of his Great Master. He had passed his test, and was now to be granted guardianship of The Great Fa Ram, trusted to hold faith for his Lord while he braved the world.

Chapter 4: Nothing But a Hound Dog

There were many ways Meiling expected her day to go. Watching over the children, collecting herbs, making medicine, tending to whoever got hurt.

She was not expecting… this.

She was reading a medical scroll when the scent came to her, seemingly carried on the breeze. The boy. He had the stench of qi about him, thicker and headier than she had ever smelled before. He was even more powerful than last time she had laid eyes on him, when he had shared a meal with her father in good spirits, after asking about how they grew their rice.

When the children's ball struck the tall, broad-shouldered boy pulling a loaded wagon with more ease than an ox, her heart had leapt to her throat. Mud now coated his clothes. All knew that cultivators did not suffer such things. She still remembered many years ago, when she and her father had travelled to the city, and the contemptuous ease with which a cultivator had slain a beggar child for having the gall to get in his way.

When little Xian had rushed to retrieve his ball, she rushed with him, desperate to beg for her little brother's life.

Instead, the young man had started laughing.

He gave back their ball… and then joined the children in the mud pit.

Now, the cultivator, for that is only what the young man could be, cackled as he danced through the mud, dodging the children of the village throwing themselves at him in an attempt to knock him into the wallow with grace and skill. He gently diverted them into the muck with wet splats, or picked them up and carried them around the pit, tickling all the while.

He had steadily drawn an audience, and more children. At first, the adults too were weary, but now most had wandered off, or sat around the edges and smiled at the silly boy and the kids.

"Haha! You're a thousand years too early to defeat me!" He laughed at them, hands on his hips. "My chicken is mightier than all of you!"

The children shreiked in outrage, and her dear little brother turned to her.

"Meimei! Meimei! Help us Big sister Meimei!" he pleaded.

And sealed her doom.

Not in the traditional sense of a girl being doomed by a cultivator, for she was no beauty, thin and freckly as she was.

Instead, a massive, gleeful grin spread across the cultivator's face, and he approached her.

"Oho?" he asked, leering down at her, "Another challenger?"

"So what if I am?" She demanded of him, unable to back down under the pleading gazes of the children.

He scooped her up, one hand going under her legs, and the other cradling her back. There was no effort to his movement, it was if she weighed nothing at all.

She flushed, as she was bought into strong, firm arms… and then the boy unceremoniously jumped into the mud pit with her held securely in his arms.

In her clean clothes. After she had just had a bath yesterday.

She had no idea what "Ca Wa Bun Ga" meant, but as she felt the mud slop into her clothes, she saw red.

"You wretched, pig-headed shitmonkey!" she howled, ignoring the fact that she was surrounded by children, and launched herself at the boy who was laughing so hard he had doubled over. Her tackle shoved him over backwards, and into the mud fully. The adults, including her own father, found the entire thing hilarious.

The children cheered for their champion, and the boy dashed around the mud pit, and she threw herself after him.

/////

"Meiling the hellion!" her father teased her as she prepared dinner. She stuck her nose up in the air contemptuously, and refused to rise to the ribbing.

They were to have dinner with that bastard, and she was mightily displeased. Well, most of the village was going to be having dinner with him, but they, as the chiefs of this small village, would have to have that bastard in their home.

At least that bastard had provided two deer and several rabbits for them.

Gods, she hated the cultivator and his strong arms and his chiseled jaw….

Geh! No! She shook her head to clear away the treacherous images her mind provided for her.

And nobody believed her that he was powerful, either. "Sure your nose isn't off, Meimei?" They had asked, for no cultivator got into a mud fight with children, or went and made friends with peasants.

Even she was starting to doubt herself, but her ability to smell qi had never steered her wrong before.

He would expose his wicked nature soon enough.

The rest of the preparation was fortunately uneventful. There were tables set up in the middle of the village, and a great amount of food would be there for everyone to enjoy. They too would be setting out on their visit to Verdant Hill, that they did once every two months.

Meiling kept a close eye on him, but the cultivator spent most of the time playing go with the men, and losing spectacularly.

She had felt uneasy when her best friend, Meihua, had bought them tea. Meihua was everything she wasn't. She was the classical beauty, with flawless pale skin and full red lips. The few times they went to Verdant Hill, men stopped and stared, struck dumb by her lovliness. She had received marriage proposals from over fifty men, but was determined to marry the clerk Tingfeng.

Surely, the cultivator would accost her. In all the stories, they were as beasts upon beautiful women!

"Oh? You're getting married soon? Congratulations! Wait-- here. I don't know If I can make the wedding, but thats no excuse not to give a gift!"

Instead, he gave Meihua the most vibrant fox pelt she had ever seen, congratulated her on her upcoming marriage--

And then turned back to the Go table, laughing as he lost again.

…..maybe her nose was playing tricks on her.

/////////

Man, that Meimei girl was glaring really hard at me, like an offended cat. It was pretty cute, the way her freckly nose scrunched up.

The look on her face was hilarious when I dumped her in the mud, though.

Totally worth it.

////////

It was the dead of night when she woke up, drenched in cold sweat.

There was something out there. It stunk of blood and death. Of hate and malice. The terror was nearly overwhelming, sending shakes down her back as the wicked qi invaded the village.

And then, it was suppressed. The cultivator's qi shoved the bestial qi backwards, repelling the blood and rot with the scent of freshly tilled soil and harvested rice. The fear and dread was repulsed.

The cultivator rose from his room, and went to confront the beast.

Meiling, her legs shaking, followed.

She had to know.

/////////

I woke up with an itching feeling crawling down my spine. I could feel some sort of predator nearby, but without Big D to sound the alarm, I hadn't acted. Groggily, I rolled myself off the futon and stretched.

Eh, might as well take care of it. I grabbed my shovel from my possessions, and wandered out of the house. The fires were still smouldering a little, and I smiled at them. Today had been fun. Childish as hell, but fun. And those dumplings Meimei made were really good.

Though when I told her that, she scrunched up her nose at me. That girl was too fun to tease.

I ambled into the forest, following my gut feeling, until I found the wolf.

Oh, man, hes a biggun, isn't he? Needs his toenails trimmed too.

It snarled, and pounced.

///////////////

She followed the cultivator through the winding forest, the scent of blood battling against the smell of earth. She could barely hear, for how hard her heart was pounding, but the cultivator didn't seem to notice her foot falls.

At last they came to the source of the horrific qi, and her blood turned to ice.

A Reaper Wolf. The Reaper Wolf, The Wicked Blade. It had been around these parts for nearly three hundred years, and had even killed a cultivator!

What was it doing here?! Were they all to die tonight?

She cowered behind the tree, and prayed for Jin's soul, to face such a monster.

The Reaper Wolf moved faster than her eyes could see, pouncing on him in a storm of bladed claws.

The shovel met it. Klang! It went, striking the fell beast in the center of the head, and slaying it

She gaped stupidly at the scene. The cultivator yawned. "Bad Dog." he muttered, and rubbed at his eye.

He took no blood, nor it's teeth, nor the Wicked Blade's core. Instead, his shovel went to work, digging a hole big enough for the beast, and burying it in moments.

"No hard feelings, buddy?" he muttered to the soil, and pressed some of his qi into it. She thought she could hear a wail for a brief moment in her head, and then the lingering scent of blood vanished.

She was still standing there in shock when he started walking back to the village. The cultivator squinted at her crouched form.

"Need a ride back?" he asked her, and her mouth moved before she thought it through..

"The last time you gave me a ride you threw me into a mud pit." She said, sounding more annoyed than she felt.

Jin chuffed in amusement, and then gestured forwards.

"Well come on, dangerous wildlife out here." he said. "You can make me some dumplings again, as thanks for escorting you home."

She scoffed as if she found the idea distasteful, much to Jin's amusement, and stood on shaking legs as they left.

She turned one last time to look at the overturned dirt.

There were grass shoots growing out of it.

Her father was waiting for them, when they got back to her house, worried about her safety and virtue. "What happened?" he asked. "All of the animals kicked up such a fuss!"

"Eh, just a wolf." Jin said sounding unconcerned.

"Yeah," Meiling agreed, "Just a wolf, father."

Just a wolf indeed.

Chapter 5: Verdant Hill

Jin surely could have left first thing in the morning, and left them all in the dust on their way to the city.

Instead, he was helping stack some of the crates of mushrooms with her little brother clinging to his back like a monkey. Meihua's father had even given him an ox to borrow for their trip to the town, instead of him carrying his own load, as thanks for his help which sped the preparations considerably.

And now her father was giving her pointed looks, and smirking when he caught her looking at Jin.

He hadn't believed that they had just found and chased off a wolf. He thought they had snuck off to do...other things. Like kissing in the moonlight, or something equally ridiculous. It didn't help that he had just completely ignored her when she told him her actual name, and just continued to call her Meimei.

She snorted, and buried her face back into the medical scroll. As if any man would want to do that with bony, freckly Meiling.

She saw, out of the corner of her eye, a wagon start to tip, as it's wheel got stuck in a hole.

Jin lifted it out one-handed, without breaking stride, and winked when he caught her looking.

She scowled and looked away, hits of red blossoming on her cheeks.

Bastard.

///////

For two days had the Great Master been gone, and for two days had Bi De kept the Great Master's coop. None had so far dared to challenge him, no more of Basi Bu Shi's ilk slunk around in the shadows. In his beak he held a twig that was split many times to form bristles, and swept away the dirt that threatened to invade where it wasn't wanted. Soon, he would be able to use his wings for this, but not yet. His Great Master's medicines were most potent, turning what should have been a life ending injury into a mere inconvenience. Loath as he was to have consumed such rare reagents, his Great Master's beneficence was impossible to refuse.

He stalked among his master's crops, and tried to empower them as his Great Master did. His efforts were laughable compared to his Great Master, and only revealed the truly vast gulf between them. On the first day, merely tending to the herb pots sent him to the ground, gasping and dizzy from exertion, with barely enough strength to sup upon the lesser beasts that came to try and eat them. His master could work the entirety of The Great Fa Ram without breaking sweat. Truly, his Great Master's power was beyond his current comprehension.

He stalked back to his own pavilion, in the place with all the females. They were… disappointing to him in some ways. They held not the same spark as he, despite being in the Great Master's presence, and occasionally consuming some bit of Heavenly Herb.

He wondered why, yet could not come up with a satisfactory answer. It was beyond his current comprehension.

He shook himself, and attended once more to Great Fa Ram.

////////

Verdant Hill crested the horizon. It was a town of about two thousand people, on top of a hill. Unlike Meimei's little village of about 50, Verdant Hill had some impressive walls to it, and a palace looking administrative building in the center of it.

The people of our little caravan were surprised that we made such great speed. Normally they arrived late on the second day, but this time we got into Verdant Hill early in the morning of the second day. The distance itself wasn't too far, but, you had to cross an extremely hilly section to actually get here. Though to call them merely hills was a disservice, they were damn near mountains, and the carts had to travel single file.

The geography here was really weird. Lots of potholes on the road too. I may have to fix that, if only for my sake.

Our party was Meimei, her little brother, Xian, her father, who was also named Xian, The getting married girl (Meihua), her dad (Yao Che), and two more young men (Gou Ren and Yun Ren), who were supposed to help unload the mushrooms, and other goods.

The guards seemed to know Meimei's father, and so waved us in without any trouble, and I bowed to Yao Che in thanks for letting me borrow the ox...even though I hadn't actually needed it.

It was the thought that counted, and I greatly appreciated his generosity. We all agreed to meet up at the inn later. We would be staying the light at least, and maybe another night too. We all departed after stabling the animals, and locking away our carts. Meimei was instructed to bring a bottle of what I assumed was alcohol to "Brother Bao" by her father, while the rest went off to sell mushrooms at the exchange.

Well, first things first. Time to (hopefully) find out what the weird root was. It was still back at the farm, but I had drawn a fairly good rendition of it.

I could feel Meimei's eyes on me, as I set off. We were heading in the same direction.

"You headed to the Archives too?" I asked her, and after she looked at me suspiciously for a moment, nodded.

There was a pause, as we walked, until Meimei spoke.

"What are you looking for at the Archives? I may be able to help you find it." she offered.

"Trying to get out of making dumplings for me by doing me a different favour, Meimei?" I teased. The girl rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was amused, while I chuckled. "I take it you're familiar with the Archives then?"

"Father used to be an Imperial clerk, before he had to go back to the village and take up grandfather's place when he passed. I spent most of my childhood in the Archives." She replied, and once more had her "watching cat look" on her face, gauging my reaction.

"Great!" I replied, and she looked shocked at my statement, "I don't know what exactly I'm looking for, but I sketched it down. A root of some kind, wanted to know what it was."

I took out the picture, and the notes I had made, and handed it over to Meimei.

She recovered quickly though, and accepted my drawing as we reached the Archives. It wasn't particularly large, but His Imperial Majesty had decreed that every town and city have one, along with a collection of standardized books and scrolls, and some more local knowledge. It also had land and tax records, and everything else an archive should have.

"Well… come on then, I know the First Archivist, so we can start with him." Meimei muttered, looking at my drawing. "I'm not supposed to be able to look at the advanced scrolls, now that father isn't part of the Imperial clerks anymore… but Uncle Bao lets me anyways."

"Ah, Lady Hong Meiling, she with friends in high places." I said, putting on my most "courtly" voice, and Meimei actually laughed out loud, smiling brightly, before she realised what she was doing, and her smile dimmed.

She kept a cute little smirk though.

We ascended the stairs, the guards once more just waving Meimei through, and giving me an odd look, but then just shrugging and resuming their watch with bored expressions.

"Uncle!" Meimei called, and we were rewarded with a happy gasp.

Uncle Bao was.. Well, bao shaped. A very rotund, balding man, but he looked jolly, with many smile lines on his face.

"Mei'er! Daughter of my Brother Xian! It's so good to see you again!" he exclaimed, and waddled around his desk so he could embrace Meimei, who contrary to my expectations seemed happy with the treatment.

"It's good to see you too uncle. Father sends his regards, and prays that you meet him at the usual place."

Bao beamed at her, accepting the alcohol jug. "I shan't miss it, Mei'er!"

He then turned to me, his eyes suddenly piercing. "And who does stand before me here?" he demanded of me.

I smiled at him, and made the proper gesture of courtesy. Thank god for Jin's memories, otherwise I would have fucked up which hand went where.

"This one's name is Jin Rou. I greet you, and hope that you have good health, First Archivist." I replied.

"Hes a friend of our family, uncle." Mei whispered to him. "Father trusts him."

The piercing quality suddenly went away, and Bao's smile came back.

"Well, for my Brother to trust you with his daughter, you must be a man of virtue!" Meimei's face went red, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm guessing you want to use the archives, Mei'er? You know I can't let you into the advanced scrolls. But I'll be here in the back room if you need me, and I'll be joining your father tonight! Mark my words well!"

Bao winked at her, and then waddled away. Meimei picked up a key he put on the desk.

"To the archives?" she asked.

The guards ignored us as we walked up, and opened the locked door.

We grabbed the first of the scrolls on herbs, and sat down to read.

///////

Jin was strange, Meiling thought, as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. Not even "strange for a cultivator", but just strange. A lot of men had grimaced when they found out that she could read the Courtly Characters, or scoffed when they heard about her time in the Archives. Useless for a woman, they said.

Never mind that she was the best at making medicine within 50 li. Never mind she knew how to cure the shaking fevers, how to set broken bones, and how to drain a cut to stave off infection. And she knew how to cook and clean and mend so she knew her womanly duties. She had taken care of her household ever since her mother's passing.

But the archives just sealed the deal.

They saw gloomy Meiling. An impudent woman with a tongue like a knife, spitting poison at their "good sons."

Jin had looked impressed. Happy even. And had willingly sat down with her amongst the mass of scrolls, as they got to work.

And now they were sitting shoulder to shoulder.

He smelled of earth and the harvest.

Her face flushed. She redoubled her concentration on the scrolls.

////////

I yawned and stretched. It was starting to get dark out, and today had been a bust so far. Nothing that looked even remotely like what I had, and we had gone through most of the scrolls on herbs.

"C'mon, Meimei, we'll look again tomorrow. I've got some stuff to do in the morning first though. Gotta sell my furs, and pick up some more supplies."

Meimei yawned too. She seemed annoyed that we hadn't found anything., but nodded.

We started putting the scrolls away, when something caught my eye. A scroll Jin had read before. Contemplations of the Flamebud, it was titled.

It was a tale of two men.

They each find a Pearlescent Flamebud. It has taken a thousand years for it to bloom, to gather it's power for the sole act of reproducing, spreading it's pollen on the aetheric currents.

One of the men, upon finding this flower, cackles with joy. He tears it out of the ground, root and all. He shoves it into a spirit furnace, and burns away everything of the flower he deems superfluous, concentrating a sole aspect of it's essence. He then consumes this pill, greedily devouring it's essence to slightly improve his fire resistance.

The other man, upon finding the flower, is struck with it's beauty. He contemplates the flower, the way it delicately draws in energy. They way it's life disperses on the currents of the world, traveling far and wide to find a partner. He observes the cycle of it's life, and when it finally withers, and begins storing energy to make it's seeds... He thanks the flower for it's wonderous life, and leaves, gaining little from the encounter.

Obviously, this wasn't the way it was really told, lots more flowery language, and to cultivators, the moral of the story was basically "YEAH, SNORT THAT MAGIC FLAME FLOWER, THE OTHER GUY IS DUMB AND WEAK"

Jin Rou had agreed with that interpretation.

My only thought after remembering the story was "maybe all those contemplation guys actually ascend, while you're all stuck here."

I shook my head, and finished putting away the scrolls. Meimei returned the key to the Archivist, and we wandered back through the pleasant night to the inn, and returned together, just as her father was about to go out.

A massive, shit eating grin spread across his face.

"Did you two have a good day together?" he questioned in a leading voice, just loud enough for the rest of the people of their village to hear, and Meimei flushed crimson.

Chapter 6: "Young Master", Type 19

While a lot of stuff wouldn't look out of place in ancient china, the exchange was not one of those features. Or at least I thought it looked strange. A building where all the merchants gathered, like some kind of ancient mall? I was expecting a marketplace the last time I came here, not… this.

But I guess faster travel in the form of Artifacts, and communication in transmission stones could make something like this possible.

Shaking my head, I went about my business. First, was Tan Gong's Heavenly Furs. Which was a super fucking pretentious name for a dude who dealt in mortal furs. But it was none of my business. There was a small line of people selling things. Some people got shouted out of the line for poor quality, while some completed their transactions quickly.

The man sitting behind the booth and wearing a uniform met me with a frown on his face.

"Ugh. Another dirt farmer. Yes, yes, boy. Make it quick. I'm sure you think your pelts are worthy to be purchased by our Heavenly Furs company but we have exacting standards--my word!"

I had, naturally, ignored his speechifying, and bought out the pelts. His eyes bugged out, and he swallowed.

Hey, xianxia tropes are in fine form today. Now hes apologising for being hasty and wringing his hands, and calling me "Good Sir". I guess this is the part where I should start face slapping him, but I really don't care.

Whatever dude, you're practically drooling over my stuff, you want to buy it or not?

Of course, I was actually keeping my mouth shut with a small smile on my face, and nodding along appropriately. There was nothing to be gained from insulting some rando dude manning a counter--

And now hes bought his manager out. Who is also calling me Good Sir. And making noises of wanting me to have a contract to supply them.

I declined as politely as I could, and just sold them the pelts.

"If you ever have any other furs to sell, please think kindly of our Heavenly Furs company!" The men both said and bowed.

Of course I'm going to "think kindly" of you, you're the only gig in town.

The man who bought my planks of wood was considerably more polite. An Ren was a good bloke.

I then went to shop for my own supplies. More sesame oil, sesame seeds, I found a guy with some wheat, which was a major boon. Ah, bread, how I've missed you. Wouldn't be able to plant it now, because fall was going to start soon, but Other than that, a bunch more veggie seeds, some more barrels, and a few more chickens, and a lovely set of cast iron pans.

I briefly debated getting a pig or a cow, but decided against it for now. Gotta establish the farm a bit better I think.

I'd probably be meeting up with Meimei soon, so we could go through the last of the herb guides. Today was a good day.

My back itched a little bit, as I stepped into the town again. I scratched it absentmindedly.

/////////

Meiling had been having a good day.

Emphasis on "Had".

It had started out well enough. Jin had some business to take care of, so she had invited Meihua out into the town. They had walked together, arm and arm, and had enjoyed the city together. Meihua had even bought her a lovely new hairpin, and now, they were sitting down to have tea together.

But her sister in all but blood uttered foul betrayal.

"So, when is Jin marrying you?" She asked conversationally, just as Meiling had taken a sip from her tea.

She choked as it went down the way, and started coughing.

"Wha-Uh? Not- Maybe-Nev-- Meihua!" She gasped, and her friend laughed merrily, the sound like tinkling chimes.

She glared at her friend. "Not you too," she whined, "I'm getting enough of that from father! We haven't done anything either, so wipe that knowing look off your face, you vile woman!"

"Oh, but you snuck out in the night with him~"

"Meihua, please." She begged, her face red.

"Allright, I'll stop. All attack, no defense with you. You do like him though, don't you?"

Short, brown hair. Vibrant green eyes. That stupid grin.

Her lips quirked up into an almost smile.

"Oh, dear," Meihua said, looking at her fondly, "You are smitten, Meimei. Almost as bad as I am for my darling~"

"Shaddup." she grumbled, and drained the rest of her tea. Meihua giggled again, but obligingly finished up as well, and needled her no further.

"Come on, I can't deal with you anymore," Meiling said acidly, but Meihua just smiled knowingly, "Lets get you to your darling--"

There was an acrid tang on the wind, that was sliding under the smell of earth that she had gotten used to. Blood and Oil. An insidious, slimy thing, full of ill intent.

Qi.

Her head whipped sound, and she saw the man. Dressed in fine clothes, with two men standing on either side of him. His head started turning in her direction, and she looked away.

"Meihua. This way." Meihua noticed her discomfort, and obliged her. They exited the small outdoor seating area swiftly, Meiling practically dragging her friend behind her through an alley on the way to the palace.

"Meimei, whats going--"

"Qi. Cultivator. I know you think my nose is off on Jin, but please, trust me on this."

Meihua sighed. "All right. But I think you've read too many stories. Would someone dare do something like that?"

Meiling grimaced. And kept walking to the palace.

"I hope we never find out."

///////

Meimei was looking off when we met up, all tense angry. I asked her what was wrong, but got a snapped "nothing" and decided to leave it.

The next few hours passed in silence, but we didn't find anything on my root. I wasn't bothered, and the hours of reading had bled some of the tension out of Meimei's shoulders.

"....it wasn't nothing."

I gestured for her to continue.

"I can smell qi."

Huh, so thats how she followed me.

"...and theres a cultivator in Verdant hill. He smells like oil and blood. He had nasty eyes too."

Well, thats not good.

"I'm probably just being paranoid… but I'm worried about Meihua. Shes in the palace right now, so there should be no problems.. But…"

What? Sure, Meihua was kind of pretty, but some douche just going full young master on her?

Meimei looked stressed and worried.

"C'mon" I said, after we put the scrolls back away. "Lets go pick up Meihua and ...Tingfeng? We'll have dinner together."

"....Fine." she muttered, still looking stressed. That wouldn't do.

"My Lady Hong Meiling, would you do me the honour of dining with me tonight?"

Her lips quirked up this time, and she gave me a halfhearted glare.

"Of course. Jin Rou, I would be honoured to dine with you." Ouch, I could feel the sarcasm.

It didn't take long to reach the palace. Meihua seemed delighted to see us, and immediately clasped arms with Meimei, while I nodded at Tingfeng.

We set off for dinner.

///////

"And then she called me, what was it again? A "wretched, pig-headed shitmonkey?" It was great!"

I slung my arm around Meimei's shoulders and pulled her close while Tingfeng howled with laughter. Meimei rammed her elbow ineffectually into my side, so red I thought she might have a stroke.

"Ah, I remember when she called me a worthless slug sniffing around a lotus flower! She was right, back then, and those words gave me the strength to earn my position, if only to prove her harsh words wrong."

Tingfeng grinned at Meimei, walking with Meihua arm in arm back to the inn. Meimei had given up trying to escape, and was now just glaring half-heartedly at me.

She suddenly froze, and paled. My back itched.

Three men suddenly appeared in front of us, looking for trouble.

...were we getting mugged?

The leader, in silks, smiled. "I am Zang Li of the Shrouded Mountain sect. You girl, be honoured. I shall allow you to warm my bed tonight."

I frowned. Something didn't feel right.

"Do his lackeys have qi?" I whispered to Meimei. She sniffed, and nodded. I could feel how tense she was where my hand was on her arm.

"Not much, compared to you." she bit back tersely.

Well, that settled it then. If they had less than me, they were definitely not part of the Shrouded Mountain.

I took my arm off Meimei.

"No, she won't be doing that." I said simply.

"You dare oppose the Shrouded Mountain sect?" The cultivator sneered.

I scoffed. "You aren't Shrouded Mountain. And I doubt they'll be happy about you taking their name, buddy."

The cultivator glared, and he snapped his fingers. His buddies drew swords and jumped at me, but hell, even I was more than a match for them. They were certainly slower than that big wolf I brained for Meiling. Poor thing had the mange or something, and it was still better than these guys..

I gave both of them a good smack, and then started towards fuckboy playing at being a young master. Qi exploded around him.

I paused, a bit worried at his development.

"You bastard, you're courting death--!" He roared." Behold the technique that slew a cultivator in the profound realm! My ultimate spear!"

"Heaven Piercing Lance!"

Oh shit he was fast-- I didn't have time to block, and gathered my qi in defense for the first time in months.

He hit me in the chest--

And his fingers bent backwards. Like the wrong way backwards.

He fell back and started screaming.

The fuck?

….how much of a shitter can you be?!

I gave him a good smack for being an idiot, then gathered them all up, and took them to jail. Tingfeng came with me.

I hope I can convince the captain of the guard to just say I was a wandering cultivator. I don't want any douche nozzles to come try and find me in case he had friends.

//////

Meiling stared around the street. Grass and flowers had grown up from around every stone. The trees, preparing for the fall, had all grown blossoms. The wooden buildings closest to the impact point had started growing branches, with tiny leaves poking off them.

"....Told you my nose hadn't gone off." Meiling said, feeling a bit faint.

Chapter 7: Country Roads

"It was an honour meeting you, Brother Jin," Tingfeng said, clasping his hands before him. "I pray that you will do us the honour of attending our marriage after the harvest."

I made the appropriate gestures too. "I won't miss it, Brother Tingfeng." I said, and really I meant it. Meihua and Tingfeng were good people. "But are you sure about these?"

By these, I meant the two young pigs I had been gifted. I was planning to build some more things first, but one does not refuse generosity lightly. Eh, at least I found the music shop while he was haggling with the person who sold him the cows. A pipa was kind of like a banjo, right?

"Brother Jin, for what you did for us, I would buy you a thousand more, and it still would not be enough repayment."

I sighed internally. Well, Alright then. I hope Tingfeng doesn't beggar himself by repaying everybody as extravagantly as he says he would. Even after I said he didn't need to do anything for me. Fake boy was in prison, and shackled with about ten "spirit restrainers" some kind of qi suppression artifact that only worked if people were weak enough. Personally, I thought it was a bit overkill for such weak people, but eh, better safe than sorry.

We were in quite good spirits as we set out, back along the road to Meimei's village. Xian jr was all over my back again, telling me to show him how I defeated the badguy, and I obligingly showed him several kung-fu moves I remembered from badly translated movies. He laughed at my "Hooah!"s, "Whatcha!"s and little flips.

////////

It was a beautiful night. The moon was bright and full, and Lightbugs danced in the air, for what would likely be one of the last times before fall truly set in. If she was a poet, she might have been inspired. As it was, she was just content with what she could see. They were camped at the foot of one of the hills, and Jin had climbed higher up it to get a better view..

"Meimei…" her father ventured, and she looked at him, absentmindedly stirring the stew she was cooking for their dinner.

"Yes, father?" She asked.

"I wanted to apologize to you, daughter. I did not take your words with the consideration they were due, and have shamed myself." He bowed his head slightly to her in regret.

While a part of her was hurt that nobody had believed her, the other part spoke that what she had said had been similarly unbelievable. Jin certainly did not act like any other cultivator she had heard of. "I forgive you, father."

"....It wasn't a wolf that night, was it?" He asked after a moment.

"It was the Wicked Blade."

Her father paled, and then let out a shaky laugh.

"Well, we are truly blessed by heaven, then." He decided.

They sat in companionable silence, until the stew was done. Meiling scooped up two bowls full, and turned to her father.

"I'll take this to Jin." She said, "He isn't too far."

Her father nodded, but spoke up when she started to walk away.

"Meimei… should this be what you desire, go with my blessing."

Her face tinted red. "We've only known each other for five days, father." She objected, but her heart wasn't in it.

The trek up the hill was relatively easy, even with the trees and rocks, and holding two bowls of stew. She filled her nose, and her ears, until she found him. He was sitting on a large rock, instrument in hand.

He had his tongue stuck out in concentration, as he tried to play a tune she had never heard before on a pipa. He was holding it too far over, to the side over his knee, rather than upright, and kept hitting bum notes, or messing up the chords.

"Jin, I bought you dinner." She said quietly. He started, and then put his instrument to the side. And hopped off the rock.

"Thank, you, Meiling." He said earnestly, reaching out to take the bowl from her, when he paused, and glanced back up at the rock.

"...want to come top with me?" he asked after a moment, seeming bashful. His face was a little red from embarrassment.

"I'd love to." She replied, and he was once more his more sure self. He scooped her up, cradling her against his chest, and jumped. He alighted on the rock with far more gentleness than she expected.

The view from the top of the rock was spectacular. It was placed just so that it was in a gap in the trees, allowing one to see out across the rest of the hills, illuminated by the full moon.

They sat in companionable silence on the rock, eating their dinner, and taking in the view. She was rather gratified by the small sounds of enjoyment coming from as he ate.

"What song were you trying to play? I've never heard it before." She finally asked, and his face flushed fully this time.

"Its a song I heard in my...childhood." he explained. "Its sung in a language not of this continent."

"Truly? I thought there was only one language men spoke." Meiling sounded intrigued, but she supposed it made sense.

"Mmm. The man who taught me it was from somewhere very, very far away."

There was a cool breeze through the trees, and Meiling leaned up against him. Jin's arm settled around her waist, and pulled her slightly closer.

"Sing it for me?" she asked.

"I'm not a very good singer," he demurred.

"Can't be any worse than your pipa playing." she teased.

Jin laughed. "Alright, alright. Its your ears on the line here, anyway."

"Almost heaven, West Virginia…"

His voice wasn't beautiful, or particularly grand. It did nto stir the soul, or cause the land around him to weep. But it was nice enough.

Meiling closed her eyes and relaxed, her fingers entwining with the hand on her stomach.

She didn't know when she went from leaning on him, to in his lap.

She also didn't know who started kissing who, but she realised her father was onto something.

Kissing under the moonlight was very nice.

The knowing grins they got when they returned were embarrassing, though. And Meihua wanted all the details.

///////

I was finally alone again, on my way back to my farm. I would have been home last night, but Meimei insisted that she make me the dumplings she had promised me.

Let me tell you, angry cat Meimei was cute as hell. Meimei in an apron, smiling and serving me a home cooked meal did things for me. Mmm.

I think I'm going to marry that girl. Only known her for a few days? Well, this could end in glory or tears, but damn it, I'm gonna go for it.

But my farm is not yet ready for another person let alone kids. I've got work to do.

I felt a fire in my gut, and I lifted. The cart came off the ground, as I just started carrying it. The chickens squalled, Chunky and Peppa oinked in shock, but the miles disappeared under my feet.

///////

Bi De's eyes snapped open. His Great Master's presence was near.

He swept off the Great Pillars of the Fa Ram. He checked the coop, to find it spotless. He plucked the few interloping parasites from the Heavenly Herbs. He arranged the seeds he had collected that felt slightly of Qi upon the table for further perusal. He hoped his tribute would be well received, as repayment for his Great Master's generosity.

He arranged the corpses of the Wicked ones on Great Pillars, so that his master may see his kills. A small, long member of Basi Bu Shi's ilk. Another was a beast that shared the same form as him, but far less noble, with a hooked beak, and grasping talons.

Now he stood, a sentinel at the entrance of the Fa Ram. His females were arranged behind him, clucking and wandering as was their wont.

His Great Master crested the horizon, moving at speed.

Bi De swept into a bow, kowtowing before his Lord, as was only proper.

His Great Master scratched his wattles in greeting, and took a deep breath of this Blessed Land's air.

"Lets get to work." He said, and brought his disciple up to rest upon his broad shoulders.

Chapter 8: Experimental Procedure

Bi De's Great Master was a generous Lord. He had praised him greatly for his contributions to the Great Fa Ram. The slain enemies were sown back into the earth. His seeds were put away for safekeeping, for there was something known as "winter" on the horizon, and they would be unable to be grown. For his diligence, Bi De was awarded a prize directly from His Great Master's hand.

The Pelt of Basi Bu Shi, fashioned into a powerful artifact. It increased his nobility and majesty tenfold, and kept the rain off his feathers. It even imparted a portion of the beast's sublime speed unto him.

It was most pleasing to his females.

The Great Master had also bought along new females, and two new potential disciples, or so he assumed. Chun Ke and Pi Pa were odd, hairless things that rooted around and squealed most displeasingly.

But the Great Master fed them his leftovers, and threw them the dried out nubs of Heavenly Herbs, so he stayed his spurs, and watched to see if they were worthy of ascending past their base forms.

His Lord had also redoubled his own efforts, and once more Bi De watched in awe. Trees fell, one after another, and were transformed into logs and planks. The rice was swiftly reaped, and then set out to dry, the fat heads of the foodstuff looking unbelievably tempting.

But now, The Great Master was acting with his overwhelming wisdom again, and he was lost.

His master built great fires, and did place selected stone within them. The fires burned hotter than any before, and when the great master was done, they were white and brittle. From there, he made them into power, and added water, clay, and rocks to produce an odd sludge, which he moulded and poured into the shapes he desired.

The next day, when he examined them, he was enlightened.

His Great Master had made liquid stone. Truly, his Great Master's intellect surpassed all others!

////////

I breathe out.

Even with qi, my concrete was shit. I would need to do some more testing with ratios. I know mostly how this is supposed to work, so if I keep trucking at it, I'll probably succeed eventually.

Until then, it looks like we're starting with stone. I'm going to try and get the new house finished before the snow hits.... But that probably not happening. I know these things always take longer than you think they will, and I've worked on a couple of houses in the Before. Foundation is a definite, though.

I sigh contentedly, and sit down, putting my feet into the water of the stream. Big D joins me, and shouts "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

"You tell 'em, Big D." I mutter, and start scratching my guard chicken's head. Like a guard dog, but meaner.

The thought takes me. I grin, get up, and get a plank of wood, a chisel, and some ash.

Heh. Hehheh. This is going to confuse visitors so much.

I place my work proudly on the Fence's gate, and then go for dinner.

Fish tonight, from the river, with Spirit Herb and asparagus.

Delicious. Peppa and Chunky get the leftovers.

I crawl into bed feeling that good kind of exhausted, and breathe in contentedly.

////////

"As quoted by witnesses, the travelling cultivator declared that it was impossible for such weak cultivators to be a part of the mighty Shrouded Mountain sect, much less a Young Master of it."

Jian Li Wei's face was stony as he studied the mortal before him. His rage was a quiet thing, gently bubbling beneath the surface.

To be called upon by mortals, claiming that they had captured someone with the gall to declare that they were a part of his sect?

He glared at Third Brother Zeng's youngest, Zang Li, chained as he was in suppression seals. He would say nothing for now. To lose the Shrouded Mountain Sect face like this, this little brat dared?

At least he had the sense to keep his damn fool mouth shut, and not compound his failures.

"We thank the Verdant Hill for so swiftly informing us of this egregious plot against our Shrouded Mountain sect." He said, lying through his teeth. "We shall take these...imposters elsewhere."

The mortal bowed his head. "We release them to you, then."

Li Wei gave the pathetic boy a once over as he was unchained from the suppression seals. His lightning qi was intact. The Wandering Expert who had defeated him had shown remarkable restraint.

They departed.

"Before you even open your mouth, you brat, I will not be fighting your battles for you. You have shamed yourself." Li Wei snarled at the boy. Zang Li looked appropriately contrite, if slightly ill. It severed the little bastard right. "Get revenge on your own, or look away from this matter, on your own. Either way, you will be returning to the Shrouded Mountain."

"I apologise, Uncle." The little shit mumbled.

Internally, Lu Ban was sweating, and concentrating his hardest on stabilising his technique while the expert carried him like a sack, purposefully making the journey uncomfortable. It had been hard enough under the suppression seals, but he was a dragon destined for the heavens.

On a cursory glance, his qi was that of lightning.

Underneath, oil and blood bubbled.

He let out a breath. The Twilight Cuckoo's Triumph settled.

His plan was at fruition, though faster than he thought would happen. Now, he would have the resources of the Shrouded Mountain, as he originally intended when he slew the young master and devoured him. He might have gotten a bit carried away while stabilising his technique, feasting upon his lessers, but now...

Lu Ban swore, in the safety of his own mind, that he would slaughter all those who stood before him.

This "Jin" would pay dearly for his near exposure.

Chapter 9: Title Drop

Rice. The staple of the world. White rice is delicious. But like all grains, it is a supreme amount of effort. After you husk it, then you have to pound it even more to get the bran and germ off.

White rice also has a lack of several important vitamins. With removing the hull of the rice, you rid it of vitamin B1, essential to the process of the human body. And then, with a lack of B1, you get beriberi. Shortness of breath, swollen legs, nerve damage. And finally, death.

Nasty way to go, if you ask me.

So well I was perfectly capable of swiftly husking and polishing my rice, I kept myself back, and decided only to do half white and half brown.

Even with my cultivator enhanced constitution, fully harvesting my rice was a lot of work. Threshing, husking, polishing… I was two days in already, and still had a lot to go. But then again, my yields had vastly exceeded my expectations. I had half an acre of rice on the hill. I was about half done, and had already filled fourty-two 40 kilogram bags, the standard measure here. I would need to make more just to hold my stuff!

Truthfully, I didn't know how much I would need for the winter, so better too much than too little, but Jesus.

Still, nothing was wasted. The husks and the stalks I would turn into fertilizer, or occasionally kindling. I was actually looking forward to winter. From Jin's memories, it was significantly milder than the ones I was used to. But then again, I'm used to -20 celsius, with dips down into the -40s, and massive amounts of snowfall. It even ended before April! Wonder of wonders!

Oh, man, I was going to build the biggest snowman ever! It would be The General That Commands The Winter, Bane of Cultivators everywhere!

Heheheh.

I just hoped one of my carrots would be big enough for a truly giant schnoz. You can't have a snowman without a carrot.

I breathe in, and then out.

The sounds of the farm washed over me. The oinks of Peppa and Chunky, the clucks of the hens, the chirps of the newly hatched chicks. The little ones had come into the world just last week, and already they were making nuisances of themselves, and running Big D ragged making sure none of them died.

Ah, This is the life.

/////

"Brother Jin certainly lives far enough away." Gou Ren complained as they walked with their few tools towards where Jin had said his home was. His thick eyebrows were drawn down in annoyance, and his scowl nearly reached his bushy sideburns. "And does he even need help with his harvest? Hes only been there seven months, he can't have too much to bring in."

Gou Ren had been grumbling about the walk since they started-- but Gou Ren always grumbled, so it was just something everybody in Hong Yaowu put up with. He always ended up doing what he was tasked with, though, so it was tolerated by most.

"Ah, but brother, if he is already done, then all we've done is take a walk, and then enjoyed another's hospitality." Yun Ren said cheerfully, ever the pragmatist. His eyes were locked in his perpertual squint, and his ponytial bounched with each step. He was slightly shorter than his younger brother, but Gou Ren was one of the taller men in the village."Besides. We need to escort our flower here, and keep her purity safe, as our illustrious chief has commanded."

"Meiling? A flower?" Gou Ren scoffed with a teasing grin, retreading an old game between them, "The only plant she resembles is a bunch of thistles. If you embraced her, you'd only get pricked."

Meiling scowled. "I'll remember that remark the next time you beg me to cure your ills, Little Gou. I seem to remember somebody moaning in their bed roll over a stomach ache, and begging me to save them from death-- when it turned out to be a build up of gas."

Gou Ren's face flushed while his brother started laughing. "Hey! You said you wouldn't tell anybody about that!"

"Oh, did I?" Meiling pretended to ponder, "I remember no such promise, after all, I'm just a bunch of thistles, poking people~"

Yun Ren pretended to sigh and shook his head. "You should know better than to go to a battle of wits when you're unarmed, brother."

Gou Ren spluttered at his brother's betrayal, while Meiling and Yun Ren shared a smile. He huffed, and started walking faster.

Meiling was certain they were close, because she had started to smell the faint scent of earth and the harvest. It was an invigorating smell, full of life, and had none of the faint acrid tang most qi had.

"Ah, I think I see a fence!" Gou Ren declared, and indeed, they were swiftly approaching a barrier at the end of the road. "I think we're here."

It was a sturdy fence, at the bottom of a hill, composed of large logs, stripped of their branches and driven into the earth, and then cross-hatched with planks.

Meiling looked bemused at the sign hung prominently beside the open gate.

""Beware of Chicken?"" Yun Ren asked. "Am I reading that right?" He asked Meiling, and she nodded.

Both brothers laughed. "Brother Jin has an odd sense of humor," Gou Ren declared, "Why would anyone fear a chicken?"

Something thumped to the ground in front of them.

It was a hawk's head, it's eyes plucked out.

They looked from the hawk's head, back up to the top of the fence. A magnificent rooster, wearing a fox fur vest, cocked it's head to the side and stared at them.

The brothers yelped.

Meiling gaped. It was half hidden by the scent of earth, but the rooster smelled like… the moon!? How was the moon even a smell?

The Chicken seemed to decide something, and hopped down from the fence to land in the middle of the gate.

Then it swept into a graceful bow, it's wings splaying out to the sides. It stayed that way, and was watching them.

Meiling realised what it was looking for.

"Yun Ren, Gou Ren, bow." She muttered to them, and dipped into a bow of greeting.

"What, to the chicken?!" Gou Ren asked.

"It's a Spirit Beast. Bow."

They bowed.

The Rooster stood once more, satisfied and nodding it's head. Then it walked to the side of the fence, and held its wing out, to beckon them in.

Gou Ren looked at it warily.

"Who is afraid of a chicken." Yun Ren mocked him as they walked onto the land.

"Shut up." Gou Ren hissed.

It bowed once more, once they were inside the fence, a quick dip of it's head, and then walked in front of them, as they walked up the small hill.

And that was where the real surprise lay.

"Gods above, this was all forest and stone last year! Some of the rocks were bigger than a house!" Yun Ren gasped.

They gazed upon gentle, rolling hills and fields, flush with verdant grass. A river wound it's way down a hill filled with terraced rice paddies, some with still drying rice in it. It would not look out of place in a land that had been cultivated for decades, not mere months.

A small house, and a larger storage shed sat on top of the hill, along with another smaller fence. Chickens clucked, pigs oinked, and they could hear the steady pounding of a person husking rice.

Meiling took in the air. It was heavenly. It was clean and pure, mixed with something lightly spiced and fiery, and the everpresent smell of life.

"Look at that rice," Gou Ren muttered. "I've never seen that much rice in one field before, and it's only half done. What kind of man is Brother Jin, to do all of this himself?!"

Their musings were interrupted by the chicken letting out a mighty cry.

The pounding stopped, and Jin's voice came from within the house, speaking in another language, the one he had told Meiling about.

"You tell 'em Bi De!"

The chicken crowed again, and Jin stepped out.

Meiling stared. His shirt was off, exposing tanned, rippling muscles slick with sweat. Jin's look of contentment changed to happiness. A bright grin overtook his face.

"Meimei! Brother Yun Ren, Brother Gou Ren! Welcome to the Fa Ram!"

"Brother Jin! We've come to see if you needed help with the harvest!" Yun Ren called.

Jin looked surprised, and then genuinely grateful.

Meiling Stared.

Gou Ren poked her in the back, and she jolted. "Stop drooling, Meimei." he scolded, amused. Red crawled up her face.

Jin laughed. "I wouldn't say no to some help, but what about your own harvest?"

Gou Ren shrugged. "They'll be fine, I reckon, or else Elder Hong wouldn't have sent us."

"Well, if you're sure, I should be done in a day or two at this rate." A day or two?! Meiling thought incredulously. "I was planning on heading up to the village anyways after I was finished, so I didn't miss Meihua's wedding.".

"Well, then, we're at your disposal, Brother Jin." Yun Ren declared.

Jin shook his head. "You've just arrived! Its not much, but I'll give you the grand tour!"

And so they trekked over the land, looking closer at his rice paddies, the stones carefully arranged by size, and a gravel pit, and the beginnings of a bridge over the river. While they walked, they regaled each other with stories of their time apart: a mere month, but there were some things to talk about.

Even if some of it was needling each other.

"A thistle, huh?" Jin asked with a smile. "I can see it. Medicinal. Tough enough to grow anywhere. And really, they are truly beautiful flowers, the same colour as her eyes."

The Brothers looked at each other in shock, while Meiling covered her face with her hands, such was her embarrassment.

Yun Ren gasped exaggeratedly, and clasped his hands in respect. "Brother Jin, Your skill with complements humbles this Yun Ren"

"Brother Jin, Your Tongue is silver and quick! Teach this unworthy Gou Ren your ways!" The other brother jokingly demanded.

They laughed as they continued walking, wandering down the small river.

"What about that? Brother Jin, are you raising another house?" Yun Ren asked, pointing to slabs of stone, and planks of wood over the first, smaller river.

At this, Jin flushed.

"...place isn't big enough for more than one person." he muttered, and his eyes flicked to Meiling, before darting away again.

Meiling swallowed thickly, her heart pounding in her chest. Building a house for a family.

"Yeah, building a house! Anyway! Here are the Lowly Spiritual Herbs--" He said, starting up his tour again.

Meiling forced herself into motion, following along behind Jin, and out of the extremely pleasant images his words had conjuered. She hoped when she lived here that the spirit herbs would be a bit further away from the house, though. They smelled rather overwhelmingly of fire and cinders.

Then she realised what she was thinking, and pinched her leg. When I live here?!

//////

Jin was tireless. He did not even work at the speed beyond that of a highly skilled mortal, its just that he kept working. His hands moved at the same speed. His breathing was steady and even, and the work that needed to be done just disappeared.

Meiling weaved more bags to pack away the rice in, while Gou Ren transported the dried rice to him, and Yun Ren helped harvest vegetables.

And then, Jin made for them dinner. Strips of chicken filled with Spiritual herbs, squash, mushrooms and some spices, then crusted in leftover rice, and fried until crispy. It was served with baked carrots, radish, and freshly harvested rice.

It was the most delicious meal any of them had ever eaten.

////////

When those that shared the form of his Great Master had come, Bi De knew he was vindicated. None of them had the power and Majesty of his Lord. They were inferiors, and obviously here to give tribute.

Still, there was no reason to be rude. He knew that guests were to be respected and cared for, unless they did something obscene They arrived at the opening to the Pillars, as was proper, and they exchanged proper courtesies, so they were allowed upon his Great Master's Blessed Land.

They were similarly appropriate with their awe, for the Great Master was peerless upon this earth. And he was vindicated too, in having given them face by bowing to them, for his master bowed to them too. If he had not, he would have been greatly shamed. To not have the Disciple bow to honoured guests of his Great Master was utterly unforgivable.

With his Great Master, they too toiled in the land. They were utterly inferior to his Great Master, of course, but they worked with skill, and heeded his Lord's words well.

They were worthy of respect, in that regard.

And then, as the time for the evening meal come, the Great Master took the plumpest of the females, one from the beginning, and slew her, as he slew the other birds that flew and sup on.

Bi De was shocked. His master had slain one of his own! Such a thing was beyond his comprehension.

He was shaken greatly by the act, so greatly, that he fled to the Great Pillars of the Fa Ram to contemplate this development. Would he be next?

He contemplated deeply the reasons for his Great Master to consume one of the Females, and found that such a thing was not as shocking as he first believed.

They were all his Great Master's. They lived upon his Blessed Land, they supped upon his benevolence. But the Female had made no use of his master's overwhelming generosity. She had grown fat, and had some amount of qi, but was not as he was. She had not ascended. She was as the interlopers he supped on, that ate of his master's essence.

This was merely the Great Master's essence returning to him, to once more nourish the new generation. Those who possessed skill, and the luck of the heavens, would ascend as he had. Those that did not would return to the Great Master.

Bi De nodded to himself, satisfied with his understanding. He would not be callously killed by his Lord.

He returned to His Great Master, and was given his measure of Heavenly Herbs, and he had affection lavished upon him, as all the other nights.

Then, his master vacated his home, and gave his female guest great face by allowing her to lie in his bed , while he went to lie under a storage area, and the other males lied upon bed rolls outside.

Bi De prepared himself to assume the night watch, when the female stole out of the house, and towards his master. At first, he thought treachery, for only wicked beasts slunk around at night.

He followed her, and his Heavenly blades formed when she approached his Great Master's prone form.

She woke him gently, and then slipped into his bedroll.

Bi De's blades guttered out, as he comprehended the circumstances. She was not just A female, she was The Great Master's female.

This had been a night of many revelations. Though he hoped Chun Ke and Pi Pa would not ascend, and instead be eaten. They were most annoying creatures.

//////

"Jin."

I awoke.

"Meime-?"

A finger to silence me followed by soft lips on mine.

Her warmth beside me.

"Only for a little." She whispered.

Our lips met again.

It wasn't for a little. I woke up to a shock of green tinted hair, and a warmth on my chest. Meimei was beside me, asleep and at peace.

I hoped to wake up to that face again.

Chapter 10: Lift Together

The day was done. They all sat, exhausted, against the wall of Jin's hut. Even tireless Jin had started to falter. But now, they sat together, hot and sweaty. Yun Ren and Gou Ren were down to their loincloths, slumped to the side and greedily drinking water. Even Meiling was stripped to the waist, with only her dudou preserving her modesty, groaning at the state of her sore fingers and back. Even Big D had been enlisted, carrying Meiling's completed baskets to Jin, and getting more fibers so that she could weave.

But they were done. True to Jin's words, at the end of the second day, the last of the rice was harvested.

83 40-kilo bags of rice. An extraordinary number, for the small amount of land that Jin had put to plough.

Yun Ren sighed with contentment after he finished his drink, running his hands through his matted sweaty hair, and grinned at the vessel. A bamboo tube, with a groove cut in it, so that a lid could be screwed on. Meiling was having trouble opening hers, her red, overworked fingers shaking and slipping, until Jin reached over and opened it for her.

"Brother Jin, this is quite the vessel. It's certainly easier to work with in the fields." He said, and made to hand the empty thing to Jin, who shook his head.

"Keep it, Brother Yun Ren. They're easy enough to make. I actually broke a couple gourds when I first started, and spilled a lot of water. These were more durable, and easier to clean."

Gou Ren moaned, pushing himself up into a seated position. "Brother Jin, you worked us like oxen," He complained, but looked with pride upon the many baskets, "But to see the work done is always a pleasure."

"It is, isn't it?" Jin asked with a soft smile. They sat in companionable silence, the cool breeze a balm upon their sweaty bodies.

Eventually, Jin got up and stretched. "Come on, let's get cleaned up, and then I'll start dinner. We're having crayfish tonight."

The river was still warm at this time of year, and with the small bar of soap that Jin had, the dirt and grime was washed from their bodies. It told of their exhaustion that the normally quarrelsome brothers did not even try to dunk each other once, nor attempt to start any splash war.

Instead, Yun Ren simply handed his brother a comb. Grumbling Gou Ren dutifully brushed first his elder brother's hair, and then Meiling's while Jin prepared for them a meal.

First, he dredged up the baskets along the river. Then, Jin split the crayfish in two, removing it's gut, and then in his wok, added peppercorns and oil, as well as leek, ginger, and garlic. He fried it until the crayfish was red, and then served it over rice.

Big D dined on the leftover crayfish.

This time, everybody camped out in Jin's little house. Meiling did not even offer a token attempt at subtlety, simply pulling Jin into the bed with her, much to the brother's amusement.

"Oh no, brother! We must act to preserve Brother Jin's purity!" Yun Ren japed. "No wonder Elder Hong sent us along, his daughter is a lusty beast!"

Gou Ren snorted, and looked at them with tired eyes. "I think hes fine. Shes already asleep."

Yun Ren barked out another laugh. "Indeed," he said, and sat down. He had a considering look on his face.

"Brother Jin?"

"Yes, Brother Yun Ren?"

"Take good care of our Meiling, yeah?"

Jin nodded, and pulled Meiling closer to his body.

"To the best of my ability."

///////

"Mph. Gou Ren, you lout, off." Meiling woke to the sounds of and annoyed Yun Ren, Gou Ren having rolled over onto him in the night.

It was still the early hours of the morning. Meiling sat up and yawned, stretching to get the kinks out of her back.

There were none. In fact, she felt great, despite the work she had done. Her muscles were still sore, but there was none of the outright pain that she was expecting. Jin was still asleep beside her, as was Gou Ren, but Yun Ren was already sitting up, looking annoyed at his brother.

"Good morning." Meiling whispered to him, and got a muttered greeting in return.

"Start the fire, I'll get the eggs?" Meiling whispered, and Yun Ren nodded, holding a hand to his arm and stretching.

He paused, and then stretched his arm further back. He looked content, and then got up to grab the wood, while Meiling went to the coops. On the way out of the house, she noticed Bi De, the spirit beast, on one of the fence posts. He turned to her, in the light of the pre-dawn, and bowed.

Meiling returned the greeting. The chicken nodded, satisfied, and then, to her surprise, hopped onto her shoulder with a light step, like he did with Jin. Her hand came up, and she stroked his magnificent chest feathers to approving clucking sounds.

Gathering the eggs was easy. Bi De simply squawked, and the hens moved aside obligingly. Yun Ren had the fire started when she got back, and the first light of dawn creased the horizon. Bi De lept from Meiling's shoulder, back onto the fence posts, and greeted the morning.

Jin thanked them both, as they cooked breakfast, and Jin went off to start loading his cart for the trip back to Hong Yaowu.

For breakfast was eggs and leftover rice, shared in good company.

////////

Meiling held on for dear life as the cart careened down the road. Beside her, Yun Ren prayed.

"Honoured ancestors, preserve your unworthy son, for he is a fool of great proportions.."

Gou Ren, naturally, was howling with laughter at their predicament.

It had started after they had loaded the cart, with a full forty bags of rice being loaded and strapped down. The cart was most certainly overloaded, the frame bending, but not breaking under the immense weight. Gou Ren had praised the craftsmanship, but Meiling noticed the truth. It had Jin's qi in it.

They were ready to go back home. Jin bid goodbye to his spirit beast, who bowed low to him in supplication, and took up his vigil on the fence of the farm.

The Xong brothers looked worried about the load, and were gauging how they could help push it, when Jin lifted the front of the cart with ease, and without a hint of effort, began to walk with it.

They looked at eachother, and shrugged.

The pace was pleasant, and the weather mild as they set off, but it was already nearing noon.

"Tomorrow evening I'd reckon," Gou Ren said, looking up at the sky. "Maybe a bit longer, my legs are still sore."

Meiling agreed. The pain was coming back, though it still wasn't that bad.

Jin gestured to the cart. "Hop on, I'll get us there by tonight."

It was quite rude, for them to sit, and have Jin cart them around like he was their lesser, but he was insistent.

So they got onto the cart, on top of the bags, and Jin bid them to hold on.

And then he started running.

Which led them here. Hanging onto a cart of rice, while Jin ran as fast as a horse.

"Brother Jin, can you go any faster?!" Gou Ren asked excitedly.

"DON'T YOU DARE, JIN ROU!" Meiling screeched, top preoccupied with holding on to slap the idiot for his idea.

Yun Ren just kept praying.

Jin was right. They reached Hong Yaowu by nightfall.

Meiling and Yun Ren were pale, while Gou Ren wanted to hook up the hogs to a wagon to recreate the experience.

///////

One of the scout-searchers had returned. It stunk-smelled of joy musk.

"Yes-yes. We have scent-smelled it. The fine-good qi, and tasty-delicious food."

Lord-Master was intrigued. These lands were bad-poor. They had been defeated-crushed and driven out of their First-original nest-warrens, in the lands of much-plenty. Many-Many of their number-count had perished, and they were all that were left-remained.

To find-locate a new place of qi? They would need it to grow-restore their numbers.

"Good-Good. Find-Locate the Land's guardian, and seek-know it's Might-strength."

"Yes, Yes, Lord-Master. I hear and obey!" Its servant scurried off.

The Lord-Master nodded, and turned to one of it's other servants.

"Wake-Rouse the Nest-Warren. We go-move tonight."