Book 2: Chapter 17: The Student Becomes the Master
"So… these are the pills you say?" Granny Lang said, picking up one of the Qi crystals as she inspected it. "Sure, doesn't look it to me. Though its definitely got Qi in it."
"Yup, that's the Qi crystal. I'd expected it to be like ice, but it's more like rock candy, except not sweet. I made a batch with some sugar too, which seems to crystalise the liquid Qi faster, but also drops the purity a good bit," I said, popping one of the Qi crystals on my mouth. The crystal fizzled, melting as it fizzed into nearly pure Qi that rushed through my body all at once, giving me a brief Qi high.
"Almost too much like a drug now," I murmured, as Granny stood around, still holding the Qi crystal as she shone it against the sunlight coming in through the window. Yin stood behind Granny, and I handed her one of the sugar Qi crystals as well. I almost felt like a grandma handing out candy. I'd have to keep this entire batch hidden from all my spirit, or they may very well become true addicts.
"C-can I eat this?" she asked, looking down at the Qi crystal in her hand.
"Yup, it's sweet, and not really harmful in anyway. Should be like a fizzy sweet if anything," I said.
Yin nodded, before slowly putting the Qi crystal on her tongue. A moment later he eyes widened and I smiled. "S-sweet! Too sweet," she said, as the Qi crystal melted in her mouth.
"This boy uses sugar like its sand. First that cake thing for Zhang, and now this. You've got a problem, boy," the granny said with a snort.
I ignored her comments on my totally non-existent sugar addiction, looking at her. "So, what do you say?"
"It's got promise, I'll admit," the granny said, popping the crystal into her mouth. "Better than any Qi gathering pill I've ever seen, that's for sure."
A grin spread on my face at the granny's words.
"But. There seems to be frost Qi mixed in with this. Will be annoying to clear for anyone who doesn't use a rare Qi like that," she added.
I nodded. "It's the first batch, I hardly expected it to be perfect. I'll be trying to find alternate cooling methods and refining my current one. But even so, it works! I'd been worried because the logic was very simple. Qi can inhabit, solids, and liquids. So surely, it could be evaporated and then condensed? So I thought of using that to just take out as much pure Qi as I could, and it worked!" I exclaimed, feeling my excitement giving my shivers. I felt like I could run a marathon right now.
"Calm down boy. There's no saying a mortal can even make it. Sure, in theory, but theory isn't reality," the Granny said.
I nodded. "I'm aware. I'll work on refining the process, but this precisely why I asked for your help," I said, setting the tray full of Qi crystals down, before I picked up the scroll I'd created for the granny, and presented it to the old woman.
"This has the creation procedures, the logic on how it works, and what methods I used for my process. I've got a slightly adjusted version for mortals too."
Granny took the scroll, unfurling it, as she began to go through the process. I watched her read in silence, waiting for her to respond.
I tapped my foot, feeling jittery as the granny read through, redoing certain sections as I studied her expression carefully.
"Hmm. This is pretty… strange. But I think I understand how you're working this. Have you tried mixing the water you get into a new batch of spirit herbs and crushing them with that. Then you've got a new paste and can redo the cooling once again. Repeat that couple of times, till you know at which point you can't do it anymore, and then freeze?" the granny said.
I grabbed the scroll, reading through my notes, as I tried to picture the changes. "That's… brilliant. I should be able to shoot up the purity to 80-90% at a minimal increase in processing time. Let's say if I do it in three iterations. Instead of new herbs, if I get a press, I can probably even take the first and second batch, press tell till all liquid has been drained and then reuse the same herbs too," I said, going over the design and mechanics in my head.
"Grind the herbs, get water. Squeeze, boil again, and then you have pure Qi crystals," the granny said, looking at me.
I nodded. "If I get multiple villagers, this could be an assembly line. Get herbs, grind them in fixed batch sized based on the capacity of the boiler. Run the iteration. White that's happening, grind the next batch. The herbs come out, get squeezed, and put in again, before being sent to the cooling area. By then, more herbs have been crushed and are ready for processing," I said, imagining an almost factory like setting. If I had modern industries present here, the process could likely be automated completely, creating Qi crystals en masse.
Quickly, I began to gather my thoughts. "Alright, we need to get more frost lilies, create a cooling chamber, better tools for the distillation chamber, an entirely new boiler instead of a cauldron, all of which will need to have tests run for it. Which will need people, and engineers. The current version is far too inefficient compared to what it could be," I said, frowning.
"But it's good enough for the lord, no?" The Granny said.
"It should be," I replied. "But I need someone who isn't a cultivator to make this for it to really be viable."
"Guess that's what she's here for, eh?" Granny Lang said, glancing at Yin.
The girl straightened her posture upon being mentioned. "I-I'll do my best," Yin replied, glancing nervously around.
"Relax, it's going to be alright. No explosions this time either, and I'll be here to guide you," I said to Yin, before I folded the scroll in my hand, and gave it to Granny.
"I'll be relying on you to create a written version of this that I can present to the Lord," I told Granny Lang.
"Tch, you sure love to make this old woman work, don't you? That old bastard sure dumped a lazy apprentice on me," the granny grumbled.
"It's because you're just that amazing," I said with a laugh.
"Enough flattery. I'll do it. But understand that something like this will not go unnoticed in the empire for long child. You're starting something big here. Now that this exists in the world, just the idea that mortals can do Alchemy? It's… not going to be taken kindly by the halls."
"I always knew there would be resistance granny. But that only means that the cause is worth fighting for. This is knowledge with the power to the change the world. I'm not going to sit on it, because I was too afraid. But I also won't just jump into the fire. It's why I'm handing this over to the Lord. And in return, I obtain his power and protection. This is far from the end of everything that I want to do," I said.
The granny looked into my eyes, holding her gaze for a moment. Slowly, she closed her eyes, the wrinkles on her face turning deeper, as she sighed. "Always remember, it's not just your life you're responsible for."
I nodded at the old granny's words, as she walked out of the chamber.
I understood her warning. I'd thought over it a thousand times by now. Change, something on the scale I wanted to bring? It caused revolutions. And revolutions were bloody things, even more so in a world where people could punch through mountains.
Taking a deep breath, I set the thought aside. What will happen, will happen. I do not intend to stop walking my path, even if the end goal meant conflict. All I could do was obtain power and ensure my loved ones did not come to harm, as I did.
I felt something in my chest, like a wall breaking. Briefly, I remembered the words from the Lord's son about integrating my two different paths, but I didn't linger on the moment.
"Alright, Yin, let's get you started on some basics," I said, turning towards the girl.
"Y-yes!" she exclaimed, standing stiffly, and I smiled.
"I'm not going to drill you, it's okay to relax a bit," I said, before thinking for a moment before I switched to English.
"What do you know about Distillation?"
"Uhm.. I… remember my grandfather talking about it. Among the many other things. But... I don't really remember," Yin replied, her English a lot slower and carefully spoken compared to me.
"That's fine. In simple terms, it's a method to separate substances. In our case, we want the Qi present in the spirit herbs, without the roots, leaves, and everything else present in the herbs. So we use water to dissolve the Qi, and extract it in a purer form, by boiling the spirit herbs mixed into water, and then cooling the Qi vapour carried by the steam in a different chamber. With me so far?"
"I-I think so," Yin replied.
"Good. It's a simple process. The most important thing you need to watch for is the fire. Flames are the first, and foremost important part of alchemy. It's the fire that gives energy and breaks down the herbs. Since you are not a cultivator, you won't be able to control flames with your Qi like I can. Which will make this process a lot harder for you than it was for me. But you've got spirit stones, which can still allow you to control the intensity by placing in different amount of Qi crystals."
"G-got it," Yin replied, back to the Azure-Jade script, and I smiled, switching back as well.
"Alright, I'm here for any questions, but I think the best method to learn is by practice. You ready?"
"I…" Yin trailed off, her eyes darting around. She let out an 'eep' before taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."
"Good, then the cauldron is all yours," I said, stepping back.
Slowly, hesitantly, Yin walked up the cauldron, standing around for a moment. Seconds passed in silence, and I raised my eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Yin turned around, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "How… do I light the fire?"
Memories of me asking nearly identical words to the Old Man when I'd started returned to me, making me laugh.
That seemed to embarrass Yin further as her blush deepened. I wanted to clarify, but her expression only made my laughter worse.
Reigning my amusement, in I replied. "Just put a spirit crystal in and it'll work."
Yin nodded through her blush, adding the spirit crystal as the flames erupted underneath the cauldron.
I watched Yin work, feeling a strange sensation. The Path of selling drugs was still a long one, yet I felt satisfied at the progress I'd made as I walked on it.
Book 2: Chapter 18: Mortal Alchemist
Yin watched the flames burning underneath the cauldron, as she carefully held the spirit herbs in her hand. The flames were light now, simmering beneath the cauldron as she threw in spirit stones to adjust their intensity whenever they started to dim. Trying to focus, she listened to Lu Jie talk.
"Qi gathering pills. The most basic pills that we know of, and the first one I'd learned to make. The ingredients are simple, needing just spirit grass. Technically, all pills are just variations of Qi gathering pills, as any you may eat will provide you with Qi. What we're making is a step above, a Qi crystal. It uses more water, to dilute and pull out the Qi from the crushed herbs into a solution and then evaporate it in vapours that we condense and crystalize," Lu Jie said, standing behind her.
"The first step is simple. Fill half of the cauldron with water," he said, and Yin nodded.
Taking the jug full of water from what looked to be a water spirit stone, she poured it into the cauldron. The water sloshed around, as the fire flickered beneath the cauldron, and she stepped back, waiting for further instructions.
"Now, as the water heats, grind the spirit herbs into a paste and then put it into the cauldron."
Yin nodded, going to the mortal and pestle she'd set nearby. Carefully taking a few strands of spirit grass, she began to crush the herbs, feeling as if she could breathe a little easier, the more she did.
A while later, a thick green paste remained in front of her, filled with crushed spirit grass. Taking the herbs, she went to the cauldron, and began to put all the spirit grass inside.
"The flame is dimming," Lu Jie said, and Yin noticed he was right.
Quickly, she picked up a spirit stone nearby, tossing it in, before she realised her mistake. The flames erupted as they ate the spirit stone, and Yin jumped back with a yelp.
Lu Jie grabbed her by the shoulders as she almost fell, spilling the spirit grass paste on the ground. Feeling embarrassed, she looked up at the boy's smiling face, and dipped her head. "I-I'm sorry."
"it's alright. Just focus on finishing the job," Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded, walking back to the cauldron as she put the last of the spirit herbs inside.
The herbs mingled within the water, mixing as a green tinge began to spread in the liquid inside the cauldron.
"Normally I'd stir and cycle the Qi, but you may have to use a ladle," Lu Jie said.
Yin nodded. Looking around a table, she found a wooden spoon and used it to stir the mixture around. The process felt oddly reminiscent of cooking to her, and the thought made her smile.
"What is it?" Lu Jie asked.
"I just thought… this felt like cooking," Yin said.
Lu Jie burst into laughter at her words, as if something greatly amused him. Yin stared at the boy, unsure if she'd said something stupid. She had to have, right? Comparing Alchemy of all things to something as meagre as cooking, it would only make sense for him to laugh at her foolishness.
"Apologies. I wasn't thinking. There's no way alchemy can be like something so mundane," Yin said, averting her eyes.
"Oh, no you're right. It is like cooking. It's just… it reminded me of something. A show I'd watched a while back on cooking crystals," Lu Jie said, snickering to himself before he looked up at her and spoke in a strange voice. "Yin, we need to cook our product!"
This time, Yin decided it was not her but him who was strange.
"Ah, I hate that no one here will understand that reference," Lu Jie said, wiping tears off his eyes as his laughter settled down. "Anyway, I think you can stop stirring now. Put the lid I'd made on top of the cauldron," Lu Jie said.
Yin did as she was told, picking up the rather odd contraption with a pipe hanging on top of the cauldron lid, leading to an oddly cold to touch thinner pipe that tilted downwards, and set it upon the cauldron.
"Alright, now throw in two spirit stones. If that's not enough, then throw in one more. But you'll have to do this by feel and experience. We want to boil the water but not so much that the Qi breaks away from the water vapours," Lu Jie said.
Nodding, Yin setup the lid. Taking the collection bowl and setting it below the pipe, she stepped back before carefully tossing a spirit stone beneath the cauldron. Flames erupted forth, with a searing intensity and Yin had to take a step back from the rising wave of as she closed her eyes.
A moment later, focusing her resolve, she stood, watching, waiting, as the fire continued to burn underneath the cauldron. Her eyes remained on the cauldron as she tossed another spirit stone, increasing the heat. The heat burned her skin slightly now, as the cauldron continued to hiss.
Waiting a few more moments, she watched the flames with a careful eye, trying to focus all her attention on the cauldron. On every flicker of the fire, and the hiss of sound that came from within. Minutes passed by, and as the flames began to settle, Yin threw in the last spirit stone, as the fire erupted forth one last time.
Standing, she watched with a racing heart, as the cauldron continued to boil. Then, she saw the first drop drip from the pipe and into the bowl below. Her heart jumped with elation as she watched, and slowly but surely, more and more droplets followed.
Within a few minutes, the bowl was half filled with little droplets as the flames beneath the cauldron began to settle down.
"Tap the ending bit of the pipe to get any more drops inside, and then quickly transfer it to the cooling tray," Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded.
Walking to the cauldron, she shook off the remaining few droplets, and took the bowl, before bringing it to the cooing tray set aside. A chill crawled on her skin near the area, the frost flowers turning the air a freezing cold. Carefully, Yin poured the Qi water onto the tray, spreading it evenly, before she stepped back.
"And now we wait," Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded. She felt her heart racing, as she watched the liquid. Time passed agonisingly slowly, as she started at the water, unsure of whether anything was changing.
Then, she saw a shift, as a cracking noise came. She moved closer, and gently touched the liquid, finding the surface cold and hard.
A green smooth slab was in front of her. Taking a spoon, she cracked a corner with a strike, as it shattered, and took a small piece. Slowly, she put it in her mouth, as the crystal began to melt slowly. It was cold and… watery.
"Yeah, unfortunately that's just ice," Lu Jie said, patting Yin's shoulder. "But hey, you did better than I would've. This isn't easy to do without any Qi sense, and you'll have to practice and find the right balance in all the steps."
Yin nodded, understand his words. Yet despite everything, she could not help but feel disappointed at the result. How foolish of her. To think she would manage to do the task of cultivators so easily, and within a single attempt.
"I-I'll do better next time," she told Lu Jie, turning around to look up into his eyes, as she firmed her resolve. She would not be disheartened easily. She knew this would be tough, and she intended to stick to it.
"I know you will," the boy said with a smile, before his gaze went to the crystals. Picking one up, he put one in his mouth and chewed as the crystal cracked. Quietly, he hummed to himself. Silently, he pressed a palm against the slab which shattered with a quiet crackle in thousands of tiny pieces.
Yin watched the boy in confusion, as he swept through the ice, picking and separating pieces and parts one by one, as he sorted through the shattered crystals. At last, he picked one tiny grain, before putting it in his mouth. Nodding, he picked another, and handed it to Yin.
Looking down, Yin stared at the little crystal in confusion, before looking up at Lu Jie. "Umm… what is this for?" she asked.
"Eat that and you'll see," Lu Jie said.
Yin hesitantly put the crystal on her tongue, and for a moment almost didn't feel it touch as it fizzled away. Moments later, she felt a familiar warmth flow through her body, almost imperceptible this time, but definitely there.
Yin's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Lu Jie.
"It's imperfect, but it seems you didn't completely fail my dear student," Lu Jie said, and Yin stared at the boy, unbelieving.
"I… did it?" she asked, unsure if she'd heard him right. Yet the words that came next, shook her far more.
"Yes, you did, Yin. Congratulations, you can officially call yourself an Alchemist now Yin. Perhaps the first Mortal Alchemist ever."
Yin looked down at her hands, and then at the tray behind her. She had done it. So simply, so abruptly that none of this felt real to her. But she'd done it. She'd just done Alchemy.
Book 2: Chapter 19: Spirit Anchor
It'd been three days since I'd taught Yin, and the girl had been making steady progress. She hadn't made any proper crystals so far, but she was getting the hang of the process so it was only a matter of time. A part of me felt slightly relieved at the lack of instant success on her part. If she'd managed to do it immediately, my self-esteem may not have survived the blow.
I walked around my home, inspecting the perimeter of my garden. My home was one of the larger ones in Taizhou, with a structure not unlike the rest given it had been made with my model. There was a good bit of space up front where the land had been ploughed and tilled by oxen carts with the help of the farmers, but nothing grew in the soil besides the scant few weeds here and there.
The area behind was a pond for Sheldon to play around in. It'd sort of become the new hangout spot for the village children to play with my spirits, and sometimes even Nyan, who mostly seemed to enjoy the attention.
Behind my home, a bit further the forest began, with the Qi vein close by. It made this an ideal spot for growing spirit herbs with the above normal Qi filling the air around me. I walked around inside my fence, running my hand along the wood, as I hummed in thought. There was a decent amount of space beyond the fence, and around the pond, and I mentally began to arrange the layout for the spirit herbs.
"Where should I put this brother Jie?" Zhang asked.
I turned around and saw the boy carrying the potted plant I'd asked him to bring out. A spear was strapped to his back, something I hadn't seen him be without ever since his oath to me. His cultivation was progressing quite steadily as well, already a good way through the first realm. I wasn't surprised, he'd reached the third realm once before, so it shouldn't take him long to attain it again.
"Just leave it near the entrance. I'm still trying to arrange everything," I said, and the boy nodded, carrying the pot away.
I turned back to face my garden and began to make sections.
There were a few things I knew I needed. One section for frost lilies, which was crucial. Another for fire spirit herbs for my drugnades and explosives, then one for earth, one for lighting for labby, and another for water. But the problem was, having this many spirit herbs in open areas next to each other would cause their Qi to mix, which would lead to problems. It was part of why spirit herb gardens had to be so regulated, and carefully arranged to not disturb the cycle of Qi.
Closing my eyes, I tapped my feet, before coming up with an experimental arrangement for the moment. I'd try and keep opposing Qi types as far away as possible, while keeping similar ones close by. So fire and lighting would be together and away from frost and water, earth I suspected could go anywhere, and would work with most others as an intermediate section.
Deciding, I walked up to where Zhang and Cao Chen stood, with my spirit garden now in little pots. The plants had wilted quite a bit without my spirit anchor, making for a rather pitiful sight now.
"Alright, I think I've got an idea for the moment. Just follow along with me," I said, as I began to pick up the spirit herbs. Guiding Cao Chen and Zhang, I demarked section, separating them before I began to plant the various herbs in different areas.
Zhang and Cao Chen followed me, as we took each spirit herb from its pot, before carefully planting them in their areas and repeating the process. It was a simple task, and almost meditative in some way. I would dig the soil with my hand, creating a gentle hole before lowering the herbs and filling the area up again. Then I did it again. And again.
A rhythm began to develop, flowing into me as I continued. I continued planting the herbs, sensing the Qi that flowed into all three of us, and back, following the earth and the ground beneath.
Before I realised it, we'd planted everything that had been in my garden. I stood, watching the little herbs. They were small, weak, fragile things set in little segments. Silently, I glanced towards Zhang, and then back.
The boys nodded at me, and I sent a call to Sheldon.
The turtle arrived moments later from his pond, carrying Twilight on his back. The little plant spirit chimed as I picked her up. Silverlight too, appeared onto Zhang's shoulders with an exclamatory chime.
"Can you sense anything here Zhang?" I asked the boy.
Zhang looked around at the garden, looking at the spirit herbs all around him in silence. Slowly, he turned back to me and shook his head. "I'm afraid not, brother Jie. It looks like a regular garden."
"Well, me neither. Guess it'll take more than that to figure your core out huh?" I said, before turning towards Twilight.
"Are you ready?" I asked the little vampire spirit.
"Ready!" she exclaimed.
Seeing no reason to delay, I sat down on the dirt, crossing my legs. Silently, I gave my finger to twilight, as she bit it, drinking my blood with a pleased chime. I had not had to feed her since my breakthrough, but that seemed to have not lessened her love for my blood whatsoever.
"Alright, let's do this then," I said, closing my eyes before I reached out to the world around me.
My senses expanded, taking in the land. Twilight's spirit mingled with mine, as our bond grew closer, and I heard the whispers of the grass. They sang, of life, of death, of the breath of the air and the warmth of the earth.
I sensed the death that lurked within the soil, of insects and creates, plants and animals alike. The earth consumed it all, and from it rose life. I felt the Chi in my core swirl, taking in the cultivation of Heaven and Earth, as life and death alike flowed into me.
I guided my senses, reaching out to the spirit herbs that were planted nearby. They hummed with Qi, glowing brightly against the rest, let theirs was a sadder song. Cut off from earth, they had been separated from the source of life itself, and so now they withered.
Silently I reached out and began to gather the ties. One herb at first, connected into the cycle of the world, then another, and then one more. Little streams of Qi and Gu connected to me, with my spirit at its centre, as the roots began to spread through the land. I felt the Chi in my core pulsate and vibrate with energy as the last of the spirit herbs joined me, as the spirit herb garden formed once more.
Yet. Something was missing. An incompletion that I sensed within the flow.
"Lines. Divided!" I heard Twilight's voice in my head, as I noticed the source of the problem. The separate areas I had formed within the soil for my spirit herbs was not natural, it was… human, simplified order to please.
I could sense the cycle flow and then crash into the separate walls, breaking apart. Each segment of the herb cut the other, as a chaotic array spread around the garden.
I let out a breath, before slowly taking another.
My awareness spread out, out from beyond my body, and to my home, it spanned the land, the breadth of my garden and more. For a moment, I was the land my friends stood on, the home my spirits resided in, and the soil the herbs grew from.
Then, it grew beyond.
I felt my awareness spread out, spanning the village that had harboured me. Uncountable strands and cycles of life ran through the earth, each little plant, each spirit herb, the beasts, the air, the grass, the swirling Qi in nature, flowing in seemingly random chaos. Every creature was part of an unseen connecting that tied all living things together. I sensed it all as an extension of my being, like threads I could touch.
And so I began to weave.
I touched upon the grass, the cycles of Qi, the little critters, and the people, starting with life and ending in death, and then once again, I let the cycle of life and Qi connect to my spirit. The Qi stirred at my awareness, as the roots of my spirit tree began to spread out beyond me, and into the place of my home.
The land beneath me stirred. It was death, the start and end of all things. I sensed the Gu rise from within, flowing into the soil as the decay began to grow, turning the soil fertile. Then, came Qi, as the first buds sprouted from within.
The cycle spread, and the cycle grew, as the Qi of the village flowed from all around me.
I sensed Twilight, glowing vibrantly, as the tree within my spirit stirred. It grew, rising higher, as a new lead bud through. I felt the tree spread it roots, into the land beneath me, and into the people that were around me. Little buds sprouted in cores, anchoring them to me. And me to this land.
To my home.
A pulse of Qi travelled fort as I opened my eyes, feeling rejuvenated. What had once been a barren garden now brimmed with buds and plants all around. I looked around, and saw my friends, and even some of the villagers standing nearby. My spirits stood nearby as well, watching.
Yet, what surprised me the most were the spirit beasts. Little creatures, from foxes, to deers, to birds now stood near the fence of my garden, looking at me. Each one had Qi present in its core, a wild spirit beast.
I stood up, my eyes widening in surprise when suddenly, all the creatures bowed their head to me.
"What's… going on?" I murmured around for answers.
"Come! To become part of our home!" Twilight said, chiming loudly.
"They have?"
"Chii!"
***
Darkness stirred, Miasma flooding the cavernous walls. The creature awoke, as the memories of battle resurfaced. Ah… he had survived. Though his brothers had not been so fortunate.
How long had it been? He could not recall. He was hurt, still. Gu flowed through his body, lighting in dark flames that rippled along his fur.
Pain. Far too long. He wished to rest. Yet hunger pushed him to move.
Death lingered beyond, and the creature could sense it too. He had known all along that it would die one day. He did not fear it. But nonetheless, he would fight.
The creature sniffed as flames flowed around its body. It was not yet the day of the solstice. Why had he awakened now? The creature could not tell, and so it closed its eyes, and began to listen.
"Home."
Something called. Not like him, or his brothers. It came from above the ground. From where he had lost his brothers. Yet… it did not reject him. Not like them.
The creature sat in silence, thinking. A home, the voice had said. A home…
Silently, the beast rose, dark flames flowing around its body as it walked towards the voice.
Book 2: Chapter 20: Spirit Anchor - II
It took me a moment to think again. My thoughts came slow, distracted, a powerful rush within my dantian still swirled as I sensed the little sapling of unity stir. Anchoring myself to my thoughts, one at a time, I picked up Twilight in my hands.
"What do they mean by being part of home?"
"Have come! To be safe! Heals!" Twilight twirled in my hand, her hands dancing around in jittery excitement.
"The garden heals?" I asked, looking around in surprise, as the spirit plant nodded her head.
"Heals. Protects. It is home."
The word caught my ear. Home. There was something about it that felt… different. A concept kept within what she meant to be a home. And whatever that was, these creatures wished to be a part of it.
My eyes drifted across the village. People had begun to gather, watching the many spirit beasts heading my way. I saw many children looking this way in fascination, as their parents held them firmly. Both afraid, yet unwilling to miss a mystical sight.
I almost sighed. My Disney princess powers seemed to only grow with time.
"Did not think about what you were doing once more did you boy?" Granny Lang said, walking into through the fence, as she entered my garden.
I scratched my head, smiling awkwardly at the old woman. "I just wanted to make a spirit herb garden."
Granny Lang shook her head, taking a look around. "I suppose that's what you did end up with," she replied. "I've seen something like this before. In a sect, a treasured place created by a powerful cultivator. It was a place of healing, a place of life, brimming with Qi. The sect used it to bolster the cultivation of its core disciples, letting them grow at rapid speeds."
"All I really need from this place is spirit herbs," I replied.
I took a second look at the spirit animals that had gathered. Little creatures still moved around and were coming in this direction, but of those that had arrived, the first one in my sight was the beautiful, almost ethereal deer.
The majestic stag stood with its head high and chest puffed out. Its eyes held a glimmer that betrayed the intelligence in them. Qi swirled around its antlers, a light shimmer to them. I could sense the creature near the peak of the fourth realm. Higher than almost any other creature I'd seen here besides Sheldon. The longer I lingered upon them, the more I could feel a breeze stir around me, rustling.
I looked at beautiful creature, as it looked back at me. It was waiting. They all were.
I moved on, watching the fox next, in the midst of the third realm. Three tails shuffled around behind it as it lay down and yawned. It seemed as if it had already made itself comfortable here.
A bird caught my eye next, resplendent blue feathers flaring out. I could not tell what kind of bird it was, but I could sense it's Qi, at the beginning of the third realm.
There were quite a few other creatures, yet it were these three that drew my eyes. They stood above the rest, with a presence to them that the other spirit beasts did not possess.
Perhaps growing impatient, the deer stomped a foot, stepping towards me.
"Bad deer! Bad! Step back!"
The words echoed out, as I saw the little green diamond on Twilight's head flare. The deer froze, before taking a step back. The creature seemed surprised and lifted a leg to move forward again when Twilight shouted once more.
"Stay!"
The deer froze mid step, staying where it was. Yet, it wasn't just the deer. Every spirit beast nearby had frozen in place, not moving an inch.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Twilight asked, blinking her beady eyes at me.
"Stop the spirits," I said, glancing at the spirits still frozen in place.
Twilight looked at the spirits, before turning back to face me. "Asked!"
I noticed the glowing light coming from the green diamond on her forehead, just beneath her petals. Her body had grown as well, going from a doll to a more humanoid figure. Clearly, something had changed with Twilight as I had formed the anchor. Perhaps a remnant of something from Ki had awakened, and the method with which Ki had understood languages even from earth.
"Can you ask what they want?"
Twilight nodded, as she began to talk to the spirits. The creatures, now seemingly free from her words breathed freely. The deer stepped forward, this time more calmly, and dipped its head.
"Want to stay. To rest. To be allowed within this land."
"And what will they give in return?" I glanced at the deer as I spoke.
The majestic sag raised its head, turning towards the other beasts, who all erupted in a cacophony of noises.
"Will protect home. Will show treasures of the forest. Will follow Master."
I looked at the gathering of spirit beasts, creatures of the wild, all here to take part in what I had created.
This was a boon, and one I'd sorely been in need of. With the spirit beasts, I had an impromptu army to fight with against the demonic beasts as winter closed in upon us.
"Very well. I allow you entry in this land, so long as you do not harm any resident of this village, and do not take from it without giving in return," I said, as the Chi in my dantian rose, spreading out the spirits.
As one, the creatures bowed, as the bond was formed.
Roots spread from within my spirit, touching there's. This wasn't a bond, like the one I shared with Labby, Sheldon and Twilight. It was different, weaker, like a mutual oath.
Twilight chimed, as the creatures began to scatter. Some remained, resting in the garden, while others returned to the forest.
I spotted the village head watching from a distance, and talking to the villagers, and realised I'd need to explain all of this to them as well. But before I had a moment to breathe and figure something out, a loud crack echoed behind me.
I turned, and saw Yin standing in the doorframe. Her face was flushed, and covered in sweat as wisps of Qi rose from around her body.
"I-I did it," she said through gasps for air. The girl didn't seem to notice the lush garden in front of her, or the spirit beasts as she looked into my eyes, a proud smile lingering upon her face.
"I made the Qi crystals."
Book 2: Chapter 21: Drug Testing
Yin steps were rushed, clicking against the wooden floor as she led the way to the lab. Her eyes darted back towards me, before rushing ahead, trying to sneak glances. I considered trying to smile to reassure her, but something told me that'd only make her more nervous. So I followed with a blank expression, maintaining a figure of seriousness.
Opening the gate to the lab, I already felt the swirl of Qi filling the inside of the chamber. The counter had batches and bowls filled to the brim with shimmering crystals, labelled from one to eleven respectively. All of them were failed results, not able to bind Qi for whatever reason or mistake made in the creation process.
"I-it took me a while. I kept the failed ones because I thought I could see where I went wrong with them," Yin said, leading up to the cauldron. I noted the little imprints of the Qi from my spirits, present within the chambers as well.
"Don't give them too many crystals. Labby once stole some and she continued to spark like an overcharged battery for an hour," I replied nonchalantly.
"I-I didn't… that is…" the girl's cheeks took a rose tinge upon being caught so easily. Failing to find words, Yin merely returned a nod, and I smiled.
My eyes scanned the counters, before noting the little torn clothes with dashes of blood on them that'd been thrown in a corner. I looked at Yin hands, and noticed little bandages that the girl hid underneath her sleeves. Burn marks, and little cuts likely from the sharp crystals themselves.
I didn't comment on it. I suspect pointing it out would only make her feel more embarrassed. But I took note of it nonetheless. This wasn't a whim or a random flight of fancy, and it pleased me to have judged her correctly.
Yin picked up a bowl, the label on it reading twelve, as she brought it to me. Pieces of Qi crystals clinked within the bowl, reflecting the light coming from the windows. I took a sniff, and felt my mind clearing as the Qi coming from the bowl flowed into my dantian, before being turned to Chi.
"I think… this is it. I can't find any mistakes in it. O-of course someone like me could never judge something like this, and I didn't mean to say that I could but—"
I patted Yin on the head, pausing her nervous breakdown. The action was surprising enough to break her train of thought, as she simply stared at me.
"Umm… What… what are you doing?" she asked.
"Calming you down," I said, as I took the bowl of Qi crystals from her hand. Picking a crystal, I ate it, letting the Qi dissolve in my mouth. A wave of energy surged within me, and I nodded.
I could sense Yin staring at me in anticipation, but I did not respond. Walking to the section where I'd run the purity experiment, I took water from a jug filled with water spirit stones, filling it in two different bowls.
Picking my own bowl of Qi crystals, that'd been kept carefully for Yin to reference, I set it on the weighing scale, followed by Yin's bowl. I raised an eyebrow, noticing Yin's bowl to be heavier. The crystals in my bowl were also smoother than I remembered.
I turned towards Yin, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to these?"
"Oh, umm. The crystals evaporated over time. It happens even faster if you leave them in the sun," Yin replied.
I took note, fascinated. But it made sense as well. There was Qi coming out of these crystals at all points, so slowly but surely, they would lose form and mass, as more and more Qi left them.
"So we can't store them for too long or they'll just vanish huh?" I said, before taking out a few crystals form both bowls. "Make four containers and separate them equally. Leave one from each bowl outside, and one more in a shelf, or somewhere inside. We'll take notes on how long each one lasts."
Yin nodded, taking the crystals and putting them aside to be separated.
I moved on from the task, returning to my bowls of water. Taking the two batches of Qi crystals, I let them mix into the bowl. Sending a pulse of Qi dissolved the crystals, as a green tinge spread through the water. I guided the Qi, letting it mix thoroughly.
Once satisfied, I took the bowls, putting them into my cauldron. With a flick of my wrist, flames erupted underneath as the water began to boil. I poured my Qi directly into the cauldron as well, as thick streams of steam flew out the from underneath the cauldron lid.
Yin stood behind me, watching nervously, as I waited for the water to boil. Once done, I opened the lid, taking the powdery green residue left at the bottom of the cauldron and carefully crapped it onto a porcelain plate.
Once done, I repeated the process with the other bowl. After having both samples, I went back to my counter, and carefully put one bowl on the weighing scale, balancing it with an empty porcelain plate. As the scale stabilised, I made use of my super-human sight and senses, to sense the difference between the weight.
I repeated the process a few times, measuring the two Qi residue plates against each other, and then with empty plates. There was no good way to measure any of this accurately so far with me, but this was just another one of the things I intended to ask the Lord to create.
After I had the numbers down, I did some maths, taking the results before I began to do the calculation.
I could see Yin fidgeting, as she watched me work. Little murmured, and whispers echoing on the wind, and the quiet, but ever-present thud of her racing heart.
Results:
Qi Crystals (Lu Jie):
Qi value: 180-200 cycles.
Qi purity: 60-80%* (Approx)
Qi Crystal (Yin):
Qi value: 160-180 cycles.
Qi purity: 50-60%* (Approx)"
"Yup, definitely Qi crystals. Pretty good ones too. Not quite what I can make, but better than most Qi gathering pills," I replied, turning back towards Yin.
"Please forgive me! I'll do better. I'm sorry for wasting your time," Yin replied bowing her head deeply.
I scratched my head, not sure of how to respond. "I think you didn't hear me, Yin. These are Qi crystals. You did it," I said once more.
Slowly, the girl raised her head, looking at me as if I was insane. "I… did it?" she asked.
"You did it," I replied, nodding.
"I… but I thought…" the girl trailed off, just staring at my face, and then back at the Qi crystals. "I… thought that- it just, even when you taught me, this didn't feel real. But to have created… I should be happy but I can barely feel anything," Yin said.
For a moment, I could almost imagine steam coming out of her ears as her mind short circuited.
"But… I did it didn't I? Presumptuous though it may be, yet I cannot help but wonder just what else I could create. What else I could learn? Different sorts of pills, different kinds of Alchemy," the girl said, her voice shaking from anticipation.
The words pierced me far more deeply than I suspected Yin had realised. That feeling, the wonder, that sensation of endless possibilities, and the ability to create something new. That is what had set me down this path of uncovering the truth of this world. And today, I felt like I had finally, truly shared that with someone else.
I walked up to Yin, patting her shoulder, as I smiled. "Welcome to the Path of Science, Yin."
Yin looked up at me, her eyes still blank, as if the words could not reach her. A moment later, she nodded, bowing her head. "I-I'm grateful to have a teacher like you. I'll do my best, from now on and more so, and learn even faster. So please, keep teaching me."
I noticed her hands clutching her cloth, and I had to wonder just what led her to have such a timid personality. "Oh if you think this was the end then you're sorely mistaken. I'm doing to make you work your ass off," I replied with an evil chuckle, and saw the tension in Yin's shoulder's dissolve.
"I'll not disappoint!" she exclaimed, in perhaps the loudest I had ever heard her.
"Good, now go rest. And get some balm from the granny for your hands. They are an alchemist's tool, so you best take good care of them. And go get some sleep, when was the last time you slept?" I asked, Yin.
The girl dazed out, raising a finger and then another. "Umm… I think…"
I shook my head at her response. "That's answer enough. Go and rest, you'll have time to learn later," I said, pushing Yin out of the lab's doors, and not closing them until I knew she was on her way back home.
After Yin had left, I returned to the bowl of Qi crystals she had made, and looked at them. Alchemy done by mortal, made real by the work of her grandfather and the knowledge of another world.
I stood upon the precipice of change, of something new starting in this world. The dream I had seen that day, when the Old Man had cured me from my spar, and shown me the possibilities, now felt real, as they rested in the form of a crystal in my palm.
I cleared my head, resolving myself for the talk with the Lord.
Picking up the crystals Yin had made, I frowned briefly as I felt the weight of the crystals to be less than what I'd left. Did I drop a few? I glanced around briefly, but didn't find anything, and shrugged.
Taking the crystals in a pouch that I carefully tied at my waist, I turned around and made my way out.
It was time to visit the Lord.
***
The shadows grew longer as the setting sun peeked in through the cracks within the stone walls. Zu Ri kneeled in front of the elder, the darkness hiding the man's expression from her sight.
"What have you brought to us, Shadow?"
Zu Ri raised her hand, presenting a shard of crystal to the man. Elder Yan observed, before picking up the crystal. Zu Ri waited silently, as the elder inspected the crystal.
"A rock of nearly pure Qi. Why have you brought this to us?"
"It is a kind of pill, Master. One the demon has created, and is now teaching mortals how to. The rock can be eaten and would provide Qi to those that do," Zu Ri said, her eyes set upon the ground beneath her.
Elder Yan snorted. "Nonsense. No mortal could ever even fathom to create alchemy. The boy is foolish beyond belief, if he thinks he could teach one."
"That crystal was made by a mortal from his village," Zu Ri said.
The silence grew deeper alongside the shadows, as the sun began to set upon the horizon. A crack came from above, as Elder Yan shattered the crystal, its Qi flowing outwards into the world.
"Send a scroll to the Alchemy Halls," Elder Yan said, as he turned around. "Invite an Elder. Let them know, we have something of dire importance to discuss."
Zu Ri nodded, bowing her head. Her heart beat with trepidation and fear of what was to come, but she would not falter. The longer her mistress stayed besides the boy's side, the more danger she would be in. And she couldn't let that happen. Zu Ri stepped back, melding into the shadows as she continued on her to complete her task.
No matter what, she would protect Yan Yun. Even from herself.
Book 2: Chapter 22: Phoenix and Ash
Lei took in a breath, letting the Qi flow into his dantian. A gentle breeze stirred around him, as the warm energy filled his abdomen. The energy swirled, as Lei pushed it to become a part of his dantian. Yet, no matter what, it would seep out, fading into the world, leaving nary a wisp within him.
Hours had passed, as Lei had meditated, trying to gather Qi. He took another breath, pulling in further, as the Qi began to cycle itself, before slowly seeping out, as barely any remained. His legs were entwined as he sat cross legged on the mat underneath him, the imprints of the jute leaving markings on his skin. The sensation left a numbness he could barely recall from when he had been a young child.
It was not something he had ever had to experience as a cultivator, along the many little pains in life. Things that had come back to face him.
Lei let out a breath, trying not to be disheartened. His dantian had supposedly healed, Elder Yan had done at least that much for him, yet somehow, he had been left unable to cultivate. Other elders had looked at his dantian, finding nothing wrong with it, yet no matter how hard he tried, he failed to progress his cultivation.
Finding himself unable to make any progress today either, Lei stood up, letting the numbness shake off from his feet and body. In a couple of steps, he found his bed, and sat upon it, letting the sunlight peering in through the window warm his body.
His room had few things, a simple bed, a table, and some scrolls that were kept upon the table, alongside simple pills. Though he was still an inner discipline, in stature, Lei had been reduced to nothing more than an outer disciple. Or perhaps even worse.
He pulled the sleeve on his arms, hiding the bandages that covered them, along with the rest of his body. Ever since his defeat in a single blow in the tournament, Lei had been on the receiving end of many an invitations to spars, with disciples asking him to share some pointers.
The thought made Lei clench his fist, yet, ultimately the anger was consumed too. This was all of his own doing, wasn't it? His predicament had only gotten worse when a disciple had tried to do the same with his brother Li, and had almost died, and nearly crippled in the spar. None were courageous enough to challenge Li again, and so, as a form of twisted revenge, they targeted him instead.
Lei's hand brushed against the scar against his chest, a slight tremble in his hand at the memory. Not all disciples were kind enough to invite him to a spar overseen by others, and perhaps even an Elder.
Some of them had ambushed him, grabbed him by the arms and legs, as he'd screamed, first in anger, and then, in fear. He had begged. Begged. But the disciples did not show him any mercy. Just like he never had.
Lying, bloodied, beaten and humiliated more so than he had ever been, Lei had briefly wondered if it would be nice he died from these injuries. Could he ever truly show his face to his sect again? If outer sect disciples had left him like this… what worth did he have left?
But like a coward, he lacked the courage to even make the choice. And so he had crawled, till someone had found him, and brought him back to his chamber. It hadn't been till the next day, that Lei had opened his eyes.
A kind old man had helped him heal, taking care of his injuries. Lei had not paid the man any attention at first, but then, he had begun talking about Lu Jie. Lei closed his eyes, reminiscing the conversation.
"This reminds me of the spar Lu Jie had with your brother," the old man spoke, as he gently rubbed his balm on the injuries.
Lei looked at the old man, eyes widened in surprise. He recalled seeing Lu Jie with him a few times, now that he looked more closely. Lei tried to pull back his arm, to move away, yet his injuries kept him in place.
"Oh, don't move in such a rush. Your wounds will open again," the old man said, pressing his palm against Lei's chest. Qi flowed into him, and he felt his heart settle down. Lei's eyes widened at the technique, far too complicated for something to be done by a simple alchemist, yet his thoughts were slow now, detached, and he couldn't linger upon them.
"Why?" Lei asked, as the old man continued to work on his wounds. "Why did you save me?"
His voice was raspy, broken and hoarse, as Lei watched the old man work.
"I had found you unconscious within the sect on my walk to gather some herbs. And I couldn't very well leave a disciple in that condition," the old man replied in a matter of fact manner, binding his wounds in bandages.
"I don't understand… do you not hate me?" Lei asked, finding his voice cracking.
"All children have their paths. Some have kinder ones, others do not. But ultimately, the heavens are fair, though mysterious in their workings. I do not hate you for your actions. I pity, that there was no one who told you of your mistakes before it had come to this."
Lei felt his heart shake. The words were like knives to his gut. He was… pitied? Pitied to not have been guided?
It denied his entire world, of everything he had once been, and understood the world to be. Anger surged in his body, as the Qi from the pill rose. He pushed himself aside, crawling out of the bed he lay on, as he stumbled onto his feet somehow.
"I'm leaving," Lei barked, limping through the agonising pain as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Eyes lingered on him, pity, scorn, surprise, mockery, yet none reached Lei. He limped through the sect's chambers, making his way inside, till he was upon his brother's chamber.
Lightning crackled inside, intense enough to blind. Li stood upon stumps of bamboo, powerful arcs curving around his body. Charred marks covered the chamber, the smell of burnt wood and smoke tingling Lei's nose.
Lei looked at his brother, the scar on the left half of his face covering a majority of his features, and making the boy look angrier than he had ever seemed. The healing arts had grown his hair back, yet for whatever reason, the boy had insisted on keeping the scar.
"Why're you disturbing me during my training?" Li asked, lightning crackling around him. His brother had grown, entering the fourth realm soon after the tournament's end.
"Brother I—" the words remained stuck in Lei's mouth. He stood silently, feeling crushed under his own shame.
Finally, his brother Li turned to look at him, and frowned. "Who did that?" he asked, a deep frown set on his face.
Lei clutched at his robes, as tears blurred his sight. He bit his tongue to hold them back, feeling the iron taste of his blood in his mouth.
"Disciples… they ambushed me…" he blurted out, struggling to look up at his brother.
"Who were they?" Li asked.
"The boy… who'd lost to you, and others with him…" Lei said, averting his gaze.
Silence remained, at Li's gaze lingered on him.
"You should rest, brother. I'll train you later," Li said, turning back towards his training.
Lei stood, watching the lightning surging around his brother, like wings of power and fury that lifted him up into the skies, and struck down with the wrath of the heavens.
Words rested in his mouth, to ask for help, to cry, to share the pain, yet none of it he could give voice to. He had lost his cultivation his worth. No longer, were the two of them equal. While his brother rose with wings of thunder in his rage, he was left as mere ash in his wake.
Lei closed his eyes, trying to gather the courage to speak when—
The door slammed open as Lei opened his eyes, breaking out his thoughts.
Li stood at the door, the scar on his face now creased against a deep frown. The boy slammed the door behind him, walking in, as a tingling sensation ran through the air, as if ready to burst into a crackle of lighting.
"What's wrong, brother?" Lei asked, trying to put the memories he'd been lingering on out of his mind.
Li did not respond, slamming his hand against the door, as a bolt of lighting pulsed throughout. He growled, like a wild animal read to tear into a prey.
Lei watched his brother, the anger in him only seeming to grow with each passing day. He barely recognised the boy anymore, seeing him less and less often as all his time was dedicated to cultivation and training.
After a moment, Li hissed, vibrating with fury. "Elder Yan is about to capture the demon. They had been spying on him, and seem to have found something."
"Isn't that a good thing? The boy gets is punished, and your name is cleared, as you become the champion who stood against the demon," Lei said.
"No!" Li spat, a lighting crackling around him. "I would be no hero. I would be the fool who got crushed by the demon, and humiliated in front of the entire sect. No, I cannot let this happen. I need to fight him again, and crush him so utterly that he has to beg for mercy in front of the entire sect, no, the entire empire and the jade court itself. Only then will my name and honour return to me. Only then can I bear to be free of this wretched scar," Li said, his fingers brushing the side of his face, as the boy brimmed with anger.
"But… what do you intent to do about it? You can't stop Elder Yan."
Li grew quieter at Lei's words, his frown growing deeper. "Our dear traitorous Yan Yun is with the demon isn't she? Tell her that Elder Yan is spying on her, and they're out to get her lover boy. I'm sure she'll come running back to stop Elder Yan," Li said.
"Tell Yan Yun? I—" Lei shrunk under his brother's glare, as lighting crackled within the chamber.
"Are you trying to tell me you won't do it?" Li asked, his voice growing quieter, the edge of a threat present within it.
"No… brother," Lei replied.
"Then go, and don't waste my time. I can't risk the demon being captured so easily. Not until I have had the chance to regain my lost face and honour," Li spoke, his voice bellowing with an overwhelming power that pushed on Lei.
For a brief moment, Lei found himself being reminded of Elder Yan at the oppressive present emanating from his brother. Nodding, Lei stood and walked out of the chamber.
A jumble of emotions swirled in his chest, as he walked with heavy steps.
Book 2: Chapter 23: Training Lessons
Guo Ru stood amidst a field, feeling the cold breeze of autumn brush against his skin. There were two others who stood beside him, backs straight and eyes set forward. Guo Ru recognised them to be the miners who'd gotten stuck inside the Qi vein alongside him. They'd all volunteered to be here today.
Wooden spears, and some bows were on the ground in front of them, alongside a poorly made man from hay and sticks. He noted some boulders with giant gashes cut into them nearby as well, but he could not think of any use for them.
Ru set his eyes forwards at the boy who'd gathered them all here. Zhang, he recalled his name to be. A cultivator, one of the ones who'd arrived here a few months ago with the old alchemist lady. Guo Ru had been part of the celebration for the boy's recovery as he became a cultivator again. He didn't quite understand how that worked, or how one even became a cultivator again, but his father had attended, and asked him to go, and thus he had.
Things had begun changing since they had arrived, all the more so since the boy who'd saved his life, Lu Jie had arrived.
Guo Ru still did not know what to think of any of them, the cultivators, or the changes they brought. The sect had cut off protection with winter so close by, but his father had decided to place their trust in the cultivators, yet Guo Ru couldn't help but think if they shouldn't just return to the sect.
Afterall, what could a few rogue cultivators do?
The cultivator turned, a spear in his hand, with a cloth tied near the base of its blade on the shaft that fluttered in the wind. The boy turned to face the three of them, a commanding aura present around him that naturally made Ru pay more attention to him.
"Do you know why we're here today?" Zhang asked, raising an eyebrow.
None of the other two miners replied, and after a few moments passed, Ru raised his hand.
"Yes, Ru?"
"To learn how to fight?" he tried, glancing at the other miners first. What else would they use all the wooden spears for?
Zhang shook his head. "You're not wrong. But you're not right either. We're here to learn how to protect, first and foremost."
Guo Ru looked at the boy with a blank look. "Is there a difference?" he asked.
"There's a big difference," Zhang said, tapping the butt of his spear against the ground. The grass around him pulsed outwards as a wave of something passed beneath the surface.
"To learn how to fight, you only need to be aware of yourself, and your enemy. The only goal you have is to kill," Zhang said, glancing at all of them one at a time. "But to protect, you must be aware of your allies, your teammates, and your goal is to protect."
Guo Ru nodded, though he was still unsure of the difference between the two.
"I know it's hard to understand, but when you fight, knowing what you are aiming for is crucial. It'll make more sense as you train," Zhang said.
"Will we be fighting the demonic beasts ourselves?" one of the miners asked.
"You may have to. The sect has withdrawn its protection and thus, you will not have the wards and the cultivators to protect you this time around. We will fight too, and you won't merely be left to fend by yourself, but you too must learn how to defend yourself, and protect those that cannot protect themselves," Zhang said.
Guo Ru gulped, thinking of having to fight the beasts of the solstice. Would be even last a minute? These were demonic beasts that could tear through people like ants. What difference would a mortal's resistance make?
"I see your apprehension. And if you wish to withdraw now, I will allow it," Zhang said, looking at all of them once.
Guo Ru looked around, trying to see whether any of the other miners made a move. He stood frozen in spot, wondering if any of this was worth it, when Zhang spoke again.
"But I would ask you to think about your family. Your brothers, your sisters. Think about where they would go, and who they would rely on, if the beasts attacked, and there weren't enough people to fight."
His little sister Yin's face came to Guo Ru's mind. Her enthusiasm to help in any way she could, and put in effort in her own way. She'd gone to learn alchemy of all things, and Ru spotted her returning late in the night, looking dazed and exhausted. Could he truly be a coward now?
"I'll fight," he said, stepping forward. The other miners, looking at him, before they followed along as well.
"I will fight too."
"We will fight."
Zhang nodded, a pleased expression upon his face. "Very well, in that case, each of you pick up a spear."
Guo Ru looked at the wooden weapon on the ground and picked it up. He was surprised by the lightness of the weapon, wood thought it may have been.
"What you are holding, is made from Qi-enforced wood. What that means is that this spear will not break easily, and can even cut, despite its wooden edge."
Guo Ru swung the spear around a few times, feeling the weapon for himself.
Zhang walked up to him as he did, before grasping his hand, and Guo Ru looked at the boy in surprise.
"Hold it like this," he said, adjusting his fingers to wrap tightly around the shaft, as he position both his hands above and below each other. The boy then raised his arms, bending them at an angle holding the weapon diagonally.
"Spears are a weapon meant to hunt. It is an ideal weapon against beasts, which is what our opponents are," Zhang said, swinging his spear once. He stepped forward, thrusting his spear out towards Guo Ru. The boy froze in place, shutting his eyes close, as the weapon hovered inches from his temple.
"The spear has range, and it is simple to use. It'll teach you how to get rid of poor habits before you move on to build the correct ones," Zhang said, pulling back his spear.
"The first lesson, is to never close your eyes. Never flinch when an enemy makes a move, always keep your eyes on what your enemy is doing, and where they intend to attack," Zhang said, stepping back.
"I will thrust this towards you three times. Do not flinch, and if you can, try and block my attack," Zhang said, raising his spear.
Guo Ru stood, holding his spear awkwardly as Zhang moved towards him. "Just remember to keep your eyes open," the boy said, before he rushed forward. The spear moved like a serpent striking upon its prey through the bushes. It was fast, and vicious, moving towards Guo Ru's throat as if to shatter it.
The boy held his position, keeping his eyes open as the weapon stopped short of his skin by a hair's width. Gulping he looked at Zhang, sweat dripping down his neck.
Zhang stepped back, and then nodded. This time, the spear swung diagonally, aiming for his shoulders. The attack was fast once again, but less so and Guo Ru had enough time to step back.
The spear stopped before it touched his shoulder, but he'd reacted! He had reacted to a cultivator's attack!
In his elation, Guo Ru's attention lapsed as the weapon swung. He had no time to see, only the sensation of something moving rustling against his skin, as an electrifying shock ran up his spine. He stumbled back, raising his spear to block the attack.
Zhang's spear struck with a cracking noise as Ru's spear flew across the field. The boy fell onto the ground, looking at the spear directed towards him.
"Good instincts. I was not going to stop that time. But you lost focus. Never lose focus, or you will die," Zhang said, and Guo Ru nodded.
"Good, now I'll teach you the stances," Zhang said, offering a hand to Ru as he pulled the boy up.
Guo Ru panted, yet he felt a strange sensation of fulfilment. He nodded, looking at Zhang, before he bowed.
Zhang smiled, before he moved on to the other miners, repeating the same exercises. Guo Ru watched them try and adapt as the boy mixed up his strikes, coming up with feints and jabs where none of them would expect.
When he was done, the two miners were sweaty, their chest moving visibly within three strikes from the boy.
"Now that the lesson has been learned correctly, it is time to gain the ability to actually defend yourself," Zhang said, standing in front of them.
"The key to using a weapon, is in understand how to move. It is, in many ways, like a dance, refined of any unnecessities, and reduced purely to that which shall hurt, or protect."
Zhang said, as the boy took a stance. He held the spear with both hands, standing with his chest tilted slightly sideways. "There are many ways to hold a spear, but this is one of the most basic methods. The motion is simple, where you step ahead, and thrust your spear to attack. And step back, and let the enemy's weapon glance off yours to deflect. Those are the only two options. Never try to hold or push using the edge, the spear is a weapon of dexterity, and not brute strength."
Guo Ru nodded, before mimicking the stance Zhang had demonstrated for them. The boy walked up to him, pushing his ankles further, and adjusting his shoulders to correct his stance. Once done, he moved on to the other miners.
"Now practice that thrust as many times as you can. Once you cannot go anymore, we'll learn how to deflect."
"Is… that all?" Guo Ru asked, looking at Zhang.
"Practice is the only road to mastery. The more you practice, the more you will improve. And when honed to enough skill, this wooden blade can cut through even solid rock," Zhang said, his eyes drifting towards the giant boulder cut through in sections. "Though I have not perfected it yet."
Guo Ru's jaw dropped as he stared. There was no way right? He did not believe even cultivators could cut rock with a wooden blade. Yet… the boy claimed to have done just that.
"Could… I see it?" Guo Ru asked.
"Well, it is not perfected yet, as I have mentioned. It is also not a technique I can teach you, since it requires Qi. Brother Jie had once mentioned to me of a blade that could cut through solid objects like rocks, or even metals, but would leave flesh unharmed. It was used for medicine in his hometown, to create moulds for broken bones and then cut them. The blade would vibrate at rapid speeds as it slashed through," Zhang said, stepping up to a boulder, that rose up to his chest height.
"I had been thinking about it for a long time. And now that I could finally cultivate once more… I had been trying to perfect it. I do not have its full grasp just yet but… I have named this art, the Merciful Blade."
Guo Ru watched with bated breath, as Zhang raised his spear. The weapon shivered in his hand, vibrating faster and faster before Guo Ru could not even see it moving, as the spear appeared to be completely still.
Zhang stood in front of the rock, eyes closed, as he took a long breath in. And then, with a powerful exhale, he struck.
The spear carved through the rock like water, travelling nearly all the way through before it stopped. Guo Ru stared at the cut, so precise and sharp the rock remained intact where it had been, despite being nearly split in half.
"Almost," Zhang said, taking the spear out of the boulder.
Guo Ru continued to stare, his heart racing. Wasn't… this boy supposed to be weak? He knew he had to cultivate all over from the start, and someone had told him he was even weaker than the tiny turtle that the kids loved to play with.
If… this was weak… then how powerful was everyone else?
Gulping, Guo Ru looked at Zhang, before he could not hold the question any longer. "I-is Lu Jie stronger than you?" he asked.
Zhang looked at him, before bursting out in laughter at the question. "Brother Jie may not look it, but he is far more powerful than me. The notion to compare us is… amusing. But, it is my oath to be his weapon, so I wish to one day catch up to him."
Guo Ru's heart began to race at the thought. Far stronger than Zhang? Though it had been months as they had lived together with these cultivators, Guo Ru had never had the chance to properly grasp the true depths of their monstrous strength.
If he could learn from masters like these, perhaps even he would be fight against the demonic beasts as well.
"I-I'll work hard!" Guo Ru exclaimed, bowing his head. Raising his spear, he took the stance he'd been taught and began to swing.
He could not waste a chance like this. Not in a million years.
Book 2: Chapter 24: Superpowered Children
After Yin's Qi crystals had been a success, and I'd forbidden her from the lab to catch up on sleep, I'd sent a letter to the lord, telling him about my progress. I'd soon received a reply, marking today as the day of our visit. With such a short deadline, there had been a lot of things for me to manage, as I'd had Yin recreate the crystal once again after she'd rested, to see how reliably she could do so. The results had been satisfactory, and despite her nervousness, the newest batch of Qi crystals were even better than the one she'd created before.
The time besides that had been spent coming up with a general model for the drug-nade vr 3.0. One which I had dubbed spirit-bomb, replacing a lot of the components inside it to create a spirit stone triggered explosive that could be used by anyone. The only real problem was figuring out the formation arts, and talismans that would be needed to create this, which is what I intended to rely on the lord with.
Alongside the grenades, I'd also studied the gun I'd received from Yin's grandfather's things. The idea for both of them had been simple, the only issues being creating springs, and other such things with precision which would likely require a cultivator blacksmith to create.
The spirit animals were also another problem, with so many of them coming to sleep or rest in the garden. All of them had taken on the habit to bring something in return, from little nuts, to spirit stones, Qi filled rocks, and sometimes dead insects and rats, as the fox far too often liked to do. The spirit beast seemed to be intentionally aggravating Labby, who'd taken to zapping the little critter with lighting whenever she saw it.
With so much to do, and so little time, I had not had the time to sleep whatsoever. I vaguely tried to recall the last time I had slept at all, and failed to think of an answer. Not even once since I had made the spirit anchor at least. Anytime I felt tired, which, even that had become a rare occurence, meditating for five minutes or so seemed to be enough to top up my stamina and recharge me again.
I'd also noticed a general increase in my strength and the amount of Chi in my core since the spirit anchor had been formed, but I couldn't really
Yet, despite all the work I had, and everything I needed to do, my biggest problem was somehow a tiny little spirit plant.
"Stop!" Twilight said, freezing a small rabbit in place as it was digging through the ground. The little plant spirit giggled, the sound like chiming bells, as she watched the bunny run off in confusion.
Twilight had taken to abusing her powers for her entertainment. She'd stop and sometimes move animals, just to see them freeze up and become confused. It was like a child being given a superpower, and allowed to run wild with it. Even worse, her ability worked on cultivators, and she'd at times tried to interrupt Zhang and the others with it too. Thankfully it didn't seem to work on mortals, or things would've been a mess.
I sighed, about to tell off Twilight when a stream of water splashed her, drenching her completely. Twilight shouted, as Sheldon continued to spray her with water.
"Sto—" she tried, but the water threw her off again.
I smiled, feeling glad that I'd asked Sheldon to look after the plant spirit. Sheldon was strong enough that Twilight struggled to interrupt him, and he was adept enough to not allow her the chance too often.
I left Twilight to Sheldon for the moment, as I continued to circle my garden, trying my best to think. The autumn winds were growing colder, as the trees had begun shedding their leaves. It made my spirit anchor strike out even more, full with its lush greenery amidst the autumn landscape.
The cold was also a remind that winter was just around the corner, ready to whisper in our ears. Within a week or two, the temperatures would begin to drop rapidly, and I wanted to get a certain few things in order before that time came.
As I walked around my home, taking the cool breeze in, and the smell of all the spirit herbs, I sensed a familiar presence walking towards me.
I turned towards Yin, who walked out of the back entrance of my lab, looking at me with a surprised expression.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No… umm. I was going to find you actually, and then I saw you here and got surprised," Yin looked down at the ground for a brief moment, as if to shy away from my sight.
I waited for the girl to speak up on her own, and after a few minutes of gathering her thoughts she looked back up at me again.
"I've managed to make another batch of Qi crystals, and I just wanted you to look at them."
I felt a bit surprised. She could've just as easily sent to call someone, as she typically did in regards to the Qi crystals. Deciding to leave the topic be, I nodded, walking through Yin to my lab from its back door.
Walking in, I noted the tray full of green crystals, Qi flowing out of them and filling the room. Picking one up, I looked at it, before eating the Qi crystals. The Qi flowed into my dantian, before being cycled around, as I felt the tingling rush from it in my throat.
"Looks good. Was that all you needed?"
Yin looked at me, before glancing back. "Yes," she replied in a quiet murmur.
I looked at the girl for a brief moment, before nodding, as I began to make my way out. Walking up the door, I looked back, and decided I was far too impatient to try and wait her out.
"You know, If you have something to say, you should look the person you're talking to in the eye and say it. It's rude not to," I said, slight annoyance mixed in my voice.
"Oh- I- Apologies. I just…" Yin trailed off, looking at me as she waved her hands around in a fluster.
"It's fine. But I was hoping with how frequently we're working together, we'd have grown more comfortable with talking to each other. I… did share something very close to me about my past with you, and so did you. Maybe I was wrong but I felt like I had a connection with you."
Yin looked up at me, her eyes wide in surprise. "M-me too!" she said, her voice coming out louder than I'd expected. "Me too… I just. It's such a presumptuous request, and you're… you seem at the center of so many things. I just… how could someone like me…"
"Hey. I feel offended that you think I'd care about something like that. If you have something to say, feel free to say it."
Yin looked at me, glancing down once more, before she caught herself. Clenching her fist, she nodded. "I want to go with you. T-to the Lord's place."
A moment of silence descended, before I chuckled. "That's it? Holy crap, I thought it was something huge."
"You don't mind?"
"Mind? I've already asked the Lord to let you come with me. You, Zhang, Yan Yun, Labby. All of us. I'd asked Granny and Su Lin too but they said no. I think I just forgot to tell you, for which I'm sorry. There's been a lot on my mind recently."
"Ah…" Yin exclaimed, staring at me. A slightly blush rose on her cheeks, as she bowed. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. But I'll suggest getting ready, we should be heading out pretty soon," I told Yin who nodded, ready to go back.
As I was talking, I'd failed to notice a tiny little spirit plant peeking though who decided now was the time to jump in.
"Stop!"
Yin stumbled, freezing in place. "Ahh… Twilight! Please don't do that… my body froze and I almost fell…"
Twilight giggled, and I decided it was time for disciplining. Walking quickly, I grabbed the little spirit who tried to run away from me. Raising Twilight, I raised her to my eye level, her read beady eyes glistening in the light.
"What did I tell you Twilight?" I told the little spirit.
"Chi…" she let out a quiet whine, lowering her flowery head.
"What do we say when we do something wrong?" I asked Twilight.
"Sorry," Twilight said, and I nodded.
"I-it's okay. She was just playing," Yin tried.
"No, she needs to be taught. I let Labby run around and she got hurt because of that. I'm not repeating the same mistakes with Twilight," I said, before I put Twilight on the ground.
"Now behave, or I won't give you any blood or spirit herbs."
Tiny tears gathered in Twilight's eyes, but I knew fake crying when I knew it. Steeling my resolve, I just stared at her, and slowly she nodded.
I saw Yin looked at me for a moment, before she dipped her head and decided to walk out. I sighed, feeling like a mean tyrant, but I knew I had to keep my spirits in check. Even if it meant scolding them or punishing them sometimes.
Slowly, I turned around, ready to turn back around when I realised something.
"Twilight. Has your words been effective on Yin all this time?" I asked.
"Chii!" she replied, nodding.
"Huh," I murmured, looking at the door from where Yin had left from. "Strange."
I put the thought out of my mind. There was a lot to be done.