Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 1
-330 Years ago in the past from Fairy Lin's perspective-
I stood in midair above the sect and glared at the Four Arts Peak Master, Clean Brushstroke. The urge to kill her and her peak elders practically overwhelmed me, but my willpower was greater. Besides, nothing good would come from their deaths. It wouldn't stop my anger or bring the long-dead back.
She concealed her rage with her fan, but her eyes told me that if I hadn't been a realm above her, she would have ripped my face off.
"It's your fault my Four Arts Peak is in decline!"
I scoffed. "My fault? Because I showed your peak's disciples how to enjoy themselves while walking along their own path?"
"A lot of good that did them! None of them made it past Golden Core! Now all of those geniuses are dead or too old to keep cultivating."
"Did you even give them a chance?! I was only gone fifty years and from what I heard, you forced everyone to play the music you wanted, throwing anyone who practiced the Dao of Rock in the Five Senses Deprivation Caves for a decade. Do you think that helped them with their cultivation?"
If I'd known about it, I would have stopped them. But I hadn't suspected that they would try this bullshit the second I went into seclusion. I had put a stop to them using those caves for punishment before. I thought I'd taken care of it, but it looked like I'd have to cut them out of the mountain myself to prevent their use again.
Her sharp gaze could have cut an immortal tool. "Your so-called music is beyond primitive and has no place in our sect! It is filled with seduction, rage, and temptation. Its insidiousness coerced our disciples down a dark path that was a step away from the demonic."
I sighed. It seemed like even in this universe, rock couldn't escape being used to incite a moral panic. "Ridiculous!" I turned to leave, flicking my sleeve. "You do what you want. I'll teach new disciples about rock."
"You can't!"
I looked back with a grin. "You can't stop me!" Muahaha! "And when they discover the unique properties of the Dao of Rock, they will enjoy walking down that path."
She glared. "That music can melt your listener's face off! It's evil!"
I winced, remembering how Peak Master Clean Brushstroke's face had temporarily melted off while listening to a song heavily inspired by the fastest DragonForce song I'd taught. But I fixed it!
"That was one time, and Fairy Winter Medley was very apologetic."
She crossed her arms and smiled with vehemence. "Anyway. I can't stop you, but the new Sect Leader can. You're banned from playing rock music in the sect. And you're never allowed to set foot on Four Arts Peak again!"
These sneaky motherfuckers had prepared all of this while I was gone!
But I was their elder and basically a sect ancestor at the Immortal Ascension stage. I would have a word with our new sect leader.
"Also, Senior Blissful Jujube, and Senior Bloodsword agreed with this," she taunted.
I once again resisted the urge to slap her down.
There was no way I would take her word for it. I sent the idiotic shit donkey a secret sound transmission asking him about it.
"Oh." He casually sent back, like I'd distracted him from something important. "I didn't realize that was your pet project."
Ugh. I loathed this guy.
"Little Jujube was upset that this was causing a rift in the four arts disciples, so I backed up her decision." That damned chuuni continued rambling on. I didn't care. Even this much contact was more than I wanted.
For the first time in centuries, I felt a wave of pure mental exhaustion. It was so tiring living in this fucked up world and now I couldn't enjoy my favorite genre because of all these ignorant shitheads with sticks up their asses.
Frankly, they didn't deserve the honor of listening to rock. And all the students who did had either died or were too traumatized.
I think it was time I focused on ascending. The immortal realm had to be better. At the very least, I could finally get away from that wife-collecting asshole and his harem of dumbasses.
***
-Fairy Lin's Present-
A light breeze blew past me, bringing over the medicinal scent from my spiritual herb garden. The spirit of the space flew around my head in his gold dragon form.
"Just wait until you see my master's disguise! It's so impressive you'll be speechless."
"He sure is taking his time, though." I crossed my arms and glared at the small palace by Fairy Lake.
"That—that's only because he wanted to double-check everything."
Well, I had requested that he create a face he could remember and keep using. This was much harder than picking random features and a test of how well he had mastered the technique.
He transformed into his human form and sat on the roof of the space's gazebo. "That disguise technique is very advanced."
I nodded at the understatement.
The technique we'd learned was incredible. Not only could the cultivator use it to change how they looked physically, they could also disguise their energy. So, I could, for instance, make my sword Qi feel like a sharp musical Qi attack. Something that was very important to my plans.
After cultivating with our backs together for four days, Little Spring and I reached the peak of Foundation Establishment — my limit for using a Sword Master technique called Any Object is My Sword. This was the same technique Salamander used to train us a couple of years ago.
To hide my identity on this continent, I needed a secret way to defend myself since I wasn't confident about my four arts. I had only learned them as a fun hobby back when I was an Immortal Bone Creation expert. I had never used it in a fight.
My current self-defense plan was to cut any enemies down with sword Qi while playing a guitar spiritual tool I threw together. As the Mother of Rock in this world, I had forged so many instruments in my past life that I could create a guitar while I slept.
My new instrument was an eclectic battle guitar made from durable but light spiritual metals that I'd been collecting. I had added a series of simple enchantments to amplify the sound — so I didn't have to use an amp — as well as create different illusion effects.
In my previous life, I was the only person who knew about the music from my past-past life. I had worked tirelessly to recreate the instruments using the spiritual materials and advanced forging processes I'd developed over centuries. Then I mass-produced them to spread the Dao of Rock to any of the adorable four arts cultivators who were interested.
Of course, how could I have possibly known that spreading my favorite music around would make the elders of the Four Arts Peak loathe me? Saying that I was corrupting their youth with my strange, unnatural songs when they could learn perfected music that had been passed down for generations.
As if teaching young cultivators how to play Black Magic Woman, and Taylor Swift's Shake it Off, was worse than literally teaching them demonic arts.
Well, that last one was technically a pop song, but it was too fun and addictive not to create a rock cover for it.
Those kids who learned the music of my past-past life took the mundane songs I taught and made them their own. They blended the new sounds with the classic zither songs they loved and created various subgenres. One of my favorites, I named Zither Punk.
They had walked their own path, and it had been beautiful and creative.
Those old fools hadn't understood the music and loathed it. They got together to ban it, which stifled their student's love for music, and led to a decline in their cultivation speed. Instead of rightfully blaming themselves for harming their disciples, they blamed me for introducing the new genre of music in the first place. The stuck-up fuckers.
But that was an old tragedy. Now that I was halfway around the world and a lifetime away, I could do what I wanted with my knowledge and corrupt… teach whoever was interested.
Muahahahaha!
Well, as long as it was within the short time I'd be on this continent.
I was getting ready to leave the space but had to check Little Spring's disguise first. Since I was still waiting for the kid, I teleported Ghosty's soul gem necklace to me.
It would be good to see the poor guy come out of his coma today.
After trying to communicate with him for a few minutes, I accepted the fact that he would need more time. If he wasn't talking to me in a month, I'd have to start searching this new continent for plants that could heal the soul.
Actually, I knew some excellent soul-healing music that might work better. I just hadn't been strong enough to play those songs until I reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. But for them to be effective on someone in his realm, I needed a full band to accompany me. Which was another reason to teach the Dao of Rock while I was here. The only issue would be finding talented musicians, who also had the right realm, and convincing them to join my band.
I moved his gem back to his room, where I'd set up a spirit-gathering formation to improve his recovery.
Little Spring suddenly appeared in front of me, looking exactly like he had an hour ago when he left, only he was holding Xiao Bai.
I crossed my arms and waited.
He grinned, and his appearance began to morph. He stayed the same height — something I requested from him since I didn't want the technique to affect his natural growth. However, his features became a little more mature and sharper, as if he'd lost some baby fat. His nose changed shape, becoming straighter, his eyes tilted up at the corners and turned blue. The most noticeable change was his hair. It grew longer, wavy, and faded into a bluish-green.
But the difference was in more than in his face and hair. The internal energy I sensed from him turned sharper and wild, like a rogue cultivator's. If I hadn't seen it for myself, even I would have been positive that he was a 12-year-old stranger.
Then he changed back into his normal appearance before putting on his disguise again.
"Good job! The hair color is a bit unusual, but it's fine."
This was the power of a transcendent disguise technique.
I'd already used it to change my own appearance. After dealing with such disrespect at the Alchemy Convention, I was tired of being treated like a child due to my physical age. Since I was taller than some adult women, I merely made myself look around 17-18, morphed my facial features so I no longer resembled myself, and had my internal energy take on a more vague and mysterious feeling, the way rogue four arts cultivators usually felt. I had also changed my hair color to a distracting red because, often, the best way to hide was in plain sight.
"Have you decided on your backstory?"
He lifted Xiao Bai up, who let out a happy bark. "Since you'll be a rogue four arts cultivator, I decided a rogue beast tamer suits me best."
He then went on to describe his persona's fake history which was filled with drama and reminded me of his past. At least it would be easy for him to remember.
"Are you going to carry Xiao Bai everywhere? Aren't you worried he'll get hurt? He's just a mundane puppy." I narrowed my eyes at the adorable white dog. "Though he is definitely not normal."
"Don't worry. I'll protect him and if things look bad, I can send him into the space."
I nodded. Well, maybe it would be good for the puppy to spend some time outside.
"I'll leave first. Wait for an hour before leaving, then meet me by the Alchemists' Guild."
"Yes, Sister Lin!" He grabbed my sleeve. "Before you go, shouldn't we decide on new names?"
"Excellent idea!"
His smile was so large and bright that I had the urge to block my view of his face with my palm. Apparently, this little protagonist had a goddamn adorable halo, even in disguise. "While we're in this part of the world, you should call yourself Verdant Spring." Named after his hair color.
He frowned. "Isn't that a bit too much like my original name?"
"You won't be recognized." If Meng Hao could become Hao Meng and not get caught, this much of a change was fine. "The hard part will be coming up with a name for me."
"How about Fairy Linlin?"
Using the Lin from 'continuous heavy rain' instead of the Lin from 'woods forest'?
"Alright. I'll go with that."
It wasn't like I'd have to use that pseudonym for very long.
The smile on his face grew larger. The kid looked too happy about giving me a name. Actually, he was probably just excited about going undercover while on a foreign continent. Kids loved spy nonsense.
"Stay safe. And remember to not get into any trouble while we're separated."
He nodded and hugged Xiao Bai closer.
I turned to the spirit of the space. "Is it clear outside?"
He tilted his head, grinned, then nodded.
"Then it's time for me to make an entrance!"
***
The first thing I noticed when I exited the space was that I was higher than I thought I would be. From this vantage point, I had a good view of the small city we were in that seemed to be inhabited by cultivators more than mundane humans. From the salty breeze, I could tell that we were near an ocean or sea.
Actually, the ground under my feet felt a lot like a person's steady shoulders.
"Get off me!" a woman shrieked below me.
I grimaced.
That goddamn lying dragon! He said it was clear.
Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 2
I hopped off the woman's head. She was also in Foundation Establishment but wore purple robes that were much more sophisticated than what I was currently wearing. I had to admit that the clothes in this part of the world were very pretty. It made me wonder if the Manhua version of the original story had suddenly switched artists at one point.
"I demand an apology!"
Ah, this classic situation. "I think you should demand your apology from the teleportation array. It's the reason I appeared on top of your head."
She stared at me, mouth slightly open.
Of course, she couldn't say anything. I was right, after all. Well, as far as she knew. I was certain the platform had safety enchantments like that.
"Then I demand you pay to clean my dress!"
"My feet are less dirty than your head. But if you'd like your clothes cleaned..."
With a hand gesture, I used the cleaning technique on her. Her hair turned from dark brown to violet and her tan skin tone became paler, like my technique had peeled off a layer of her skin. As if she'd previously concealed them with makeup, a few freckles showed up on her cheeks. Either that or she was more dirty than I'd suspected. Oh. Shit. If I wanted to remain hidden, I should curb my instincts to clean everything around me. Looks could change, but getting rid of unconscious habits was difficult.
Then again, I couldn't stop using it altogether. Maybe I just needed to get more specific with how I used it to hide the fact that I was me. Really narrow it down. I might even be able to improve the technique!
The woman's eyes burned with fury. Her face turned red, and a vein bulged on her forehead.
She must be another strange person who couldn't appreciate cleanliness. Or was it my cleaning technique that was too powerful? But Little Spring only complained about it a little, and I used it on him all the time, so it was probably fine.
"You ruined everything!"
What did I ruin exactly? A bad dye job and a terrible tan?
She tried to pressure me with her energy, but I was at the peak of my realm while she was only in the middle.
She must have been overwhelmed with anger because she pulled out a whip without caring about our power difference and cracked the tip toward my heart. Her Qi extended beyond the weapon in a violet beam. I casually sidestepped it. The energy flew into the side of a Qi Condensation pedestrian's side, causing him to collapse.
Ah, shit. I hadn't meant for that to happen. I hoped he hadn't died.
Apparently, she had no conscience because she ignored the guy she could have slaughtered and kept attacking me, aiming for my head, heart, or dantian. She wasn't even trying to find out my weak points. Fortunately, the crowd scattered after that poor man fell, making it easier for me to choose locations to dodge to where more bystanders wouldn't get hit.
As I sidestepped another of her attacks, I brought my guitar out from the space and wrapped the strap around my neck. This would be a good test of my combination of Four Arts and Sword Qi.
She looked at my instrument and sneered. "What is that? Some kind of poor imitation of a pipa?"
"Only if you believe that all stringed instruments are poor imitations of each other."
She sent a whip strike toward my new guitar. To avoid more unintended casualties, I plucked a chord and used Any Object is My Sword to slice apart the energy from her whip attack with my sword Qi. The energies perfectly canceled each other out just as I'd planned.
"Shouldn't we move off the teleportation platform if we're going to fight?"
She must not have given a fuck because she kept trying to whip me like I'd murdered her family or something. One strike even passed by my cheek.
"How about you calm down and I can play you a little Stairway?" Technically, it was a song inspired by the infamous rock song and arranged by the clever Fairy Winter Medley.
The original had lyrics that spoke of the duality of words which helped make it the perfect base for a song that confused the listener down to their soul. It really snuck up on a person if they weren't careful.
I canceled out another few attacks. Then I inserted my spiritual energy into my instrument in a certain pattern and started playing the first chords, then, as I continued the song, I sent several blades of sword Qi at her obvious weak points. Her eyes widened, and she pulled out a jade gourd. Instead of my sword Qi slicing her in half, the gourd cracked. Her face paled. Then her free hand began to form incantation gestures. I wasn't sure what technique she was about to use, but I had a feeling it would be big and destructive, so I increased the intensity of the song. Her hand began to move slower.
I shot ten small blades of sword Qi at her, expecting her to dodge most of them. All ten of my blades hit her in vital spots and she collapsed, very dead.
Oh, shit. She'd been so confused by my music that she didn't even bother to dodge.
I'd really sent her to heaven.
I mean, she was trying to kill me over some clothes I cleaned for her, so I didn't feel too bad, but I hadn't intended to kill her outright. This combination of Rock and sword Qi was unexpectedly too powerful. Or, the people on this continent were weak.
I also didn't feel great about this situation because the original version of that song was written in the 1970s, coming out of the anti-war movement. I was pretty positive Mr. Plant would be appalled if he saw how I'd used a song inspired by his original. Fortunately, he didn't exist in this violence-fucked universe. People here had to fight to survive. Peace could only exist here if you were strong to demand it.
I would still use this combination again. But it needed a name. Maybe Sharp Metal? No. I could come up with something better. It was missing something important. Like my name.
Whatever. I'd figure it out later.
I played the song to a close and realized that everyone who hadn't fled was staring at me in a daze.
I looked down at the violet-haired woman. I hoped she hadn't been too important in this area. The last thing I needed was a whole clan after my ass. Of course, there was no sense in letting her things go to waste. Just like I always did with people who tried to kill me, I grabbed her spatial ring off her finger and stashed her storage bag in the space.
What luck. I needed a new ring since I couldn't use my original one in this disguise. Earlier I moved everything in my ring to a bunch of the cheap bags I'd looted off all those assassins that attacked me.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't paid for a storage bag since I time-traveled.
I put her body in her old ring. It would be unsanitary to just let it decompose in the middle of a city. I could bury her later.
As for the guy she injured, his friends or family were already helping him. I tossed them a pill bottle with a healing dan inside. They nodded to me as I passed and quickly fed him the pill.
Fortunately, he hadn't died. I would have felt like an asshole if he had. Frankly, I should have stopped the attack instead of dodging it since I wasn't the kind of person who would kill bystanders if they got in my way like some Xianxia protagonists.
As I walked through the crowd, they started to wake up from their haze. I noticed that two of them were young cultivators from the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect. They had stood in the shade of a tree where they could watch the teleportation platform. Likely for Little Spring and I.
When I saw the tall one lean over to the short guy I used the disguise technique, and adjusted my hearing to focus on their location.
"Did you see that?!"
I heard them clearly! The ability to adjust my body like this was incredible. I really could have used this in my past life for so many things.
"Of course, I did."
"That cultivator just now was so powerful. Do you think she's with a sect?"
"She felt more like a rogue cultivator. And she's not someone we're searching for."
Muahahaha!
It was good to see my disguise was effective.
"That violet-haired girl looked like that malicious Ninth Plum Blossom we needed to watch out for. We'll need to report her death to the sect."
Ah! So she'd used cosmetics and dyes to change her appearance instead of a technique. Plum Blossom must have been hiding for some reason. She might have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for her own pride and bad temper. Also, my cleaning technique.
***
I entered the small city's Alchemists' Guild with no issue. The place had an old and rundown interior so I resisted the urge to scour everything in sight with my cleaning technique. I was pretty proud of my success.
It had no customers, so I was able to speak with the desk clerk immediately. I placed a jade pill bottle on the counter. "I'd like to exchange these for spirit stones."
The clerk examined the pills. Since I had purposefully made these to be of a slightly lesser quality. I expected that they wouldn't be too out of place in this backwater city. I could always use more low and mid-tier spirit stones.
The clerk opened the pill bottle and his eyes bulged. He placed the stopper back in.
What? Had I underestimated how Podunk this place was?
"May I see your guild token?"
Oh, right. I tossed the jade token onto the counter.
"No wonder these pills are so excellent. You're a master alchemist."
Apparently, I'd overestimated this area. I could work with that.
As he set the spirit stones on the counter, I said, "I also need access to your Immediate Message Wall."
He paused, then looked sheepish. "That is a bit difficult."
Oh, fuck. "Is it broken?" Maybe I could fix it in exchange for sending a few messages for free.
"No. Of course not. It's just..." He glanced in the corner where the security guard stood, doing her best impression of a wall. Then he leaned in closer. "The thing is, it will cost you at least a high-tier spirit stone."
What was this nonsense?! I mean, I knew it was expensive, but I thought it would still be in the mid-tier spirit stone range. Once I returned to my continent, I needed to find that Daoist Black Jade I made a deal with years ago and have him speed up his release of those information request tablets.
"Fine. I need to use it no matter what. Take me to it."
He tapped his chin. "Well, even if the cost isn't an issue, there is another problem."
"And that is?"
"The wall isn't…" he pointed to the floor, "here."
Was this fucker serious? "The Immediate Message Wall that is used to communicate between guild locations isn't in the guild building?"
He grimaced. "The owner of this branch is actually the city lord. He's a powerful alchemist and an unbelievably impressive beast tamer."
"That still doesn't excuse the fact that the wall isn't here."
"It was stolen a few years back. After that incident, he put it inside his very secure palace."
Frankly, that sounded suspicious and controlling as fuck. Even if it was safer there, he should have instead made the guild itself safe. And clean. The place looked too poor for an Alchemists' Guild. If I compared it to the one in Verdant Hidden Cavern City where the Vine Plague happened, this place looked even worse. I didn't know this could happen in a city this size.
It was possible that he was stealing from the guild. Either that or this place was so shitty that it wasn't worth keeping up.
"Then how am I supposed to access the wall? Send a message to the City Lord through you?"
The security guard spoke up. "I'll take your request to Lord Bountiful Tenacity. Please wait here, Master Alchemist?"
"Linlin."
She bowed to me and left the guild. The clerk looked instantly relieved.
"Is the city lord a very controlling person?"
He smiled awkwardly. "He is a wonderful man."
I leaned in. "I would believe you, but you made it a bit too obvious that you feel apprehensive with that guard around." I mean, even I could see he was uncomfortable and while I was a genius, I didn't always pick up on social cues. At least, according to the brat. I was positive I picked up on them pretty well when I was paying attention.
If the city lord was a reprehensible fucker, I needed to know before I came into contact with him. ::Come on, tell me the gossip. Just between you and me.::
His eyes sparkled. ::The thing is, people call him Lord Bountiful Avarice behind his back because of how he always gets what he wants. And he always wants more.::
::Has he been skimming off the top?::
His eyes bulged. ::From here? No! No, of course not.::
::But he did something, right?::
He hesitated. ::Well, it's not like it's a secret. He instituted a 15% tax on all pills sold through the guild. Which he can do as the city lord and owner.::
::Let me guess, people decided that they would rather deal with the unorthodox sect than a place where they'd be taxed unfairly.::
He winced. ::Business has been declining since the new tax began, but we're still the Alchemists' Guild. We trade in quality pills that even the unorthodox sect can't match. Besides, they mostly sell poisons and antidotes.::
Little Spring's voice interrupted what I was going to say next.
::Sister Lin! I'm just outside.::
::Good. I want you to pick up some supplies for me at the local Smithy and the Formation Guild. While you're there, talk to the people nearby and listen in on any local gossip about the city lord.:: Being an adorable kid, he should be able to get more out of strangers than I could. His protagonist halo also might help.
::Of course! Just send me a list.::
Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 3
While I waited in the guild's main room with the bored clerk, I mentally reviewed some of the songs I'd memorized that could be useful. Of course, there were only so many I could play. Much like with my other disciplines, I was held back due to my realm. My internal Qi's quality and amount just wasn't enough to fuel the effects of the more powerful songs.
Frankly, knowing stronger techniques but being unable to use them was frustrating as fuck.
::Sister Lin!:: Little Spring interrupted my thoughts with his telepathic transmission. ::This area doesn't have a lot of the things you want. And what they do have isn't at the usual quality.::
::That's to be expected. Pick up whatever you can. See if there are any local high-quality substitutes.::
He went silent, so I reviewed another song. When I reached the chorus he said, ::So far I'm hearing mixed rumors about Lord Bountiful.::
::Anything interesting?::
::Well, most people are saying that he's been protecting the city insanely well. Even though he's only at Golden Core, he's able to use all of his tamed beasts and expensive spiritual tools to fend off a Nascent Soul cultivator. He's powerful.::
::That's only to be expected of a city lord in an area close to an Unorthodox sect.::
::But there are also a lot of people who complain to me in private."
I narrowed my eyes.
The clerk at the front counter nervously pulled out a jade slip and went through the motions of taking inventory.
::They don't say anything specific, but they're all warning me to not get involved with him. But if I do, to never cross him.::
He was probably a man who did not take betrayal well and made contracts that were disadvantageous. But I wouldn't know for sure until I spoke with him myself.
::In that case, I'll meet with him alone.::
There was a long pause, during which the clerk held up a pill bottle long enough to count it four times. He glanced at me, winced, and moved onto the next bottle.
Little Spring said, ::Is that really a good idea?::
::Why wouldn't it be?::
::You should take me with you so I can smooth things over if you say something strange.::
::Nonsense! Why would I say something weird? Just who do you think I am?::
::Sister Lin!::
::That's right.::
::That's why I'm worried.::
This brat! I was an adult, damn it!
I scowled.
The guild clerk jerked and took a few swift shuffling steps toward the back of the guild.
::I need you to remain hidden and be my secret back up. Can I count on you to do that?::
::You want me to fight by your side if things get tricky?::
::It won't come to that.::
::But if your situation gets dangerous—::
::I'll enter the space and exit it where you are::
::Promise?::
I glared. Was this kid doubting my life preservation skills still? Sure, I'd miscalculated during the convention… Fine. Whatever! His doubt might be deserved. But only a little!
For some reason, the clerk started taking inventory faster, then slipped and fell. I caught him with my spiritual energy and put him on his feet.
::I'm not going to risk my life by doing something stupid, again.::
I glowered. "Slow down if you don't want to get hurt!"
He straightened and bowed. "Yes, Master Alchemist!"
The way this clerk was acting made me wonder if I'd developed some kind of supervisor energy from all that time working with Early Rise Swift Brush.
***
After an hour, the security guard finally returned. "The City Lord will see you now."
She led me through various beautiful but run-down streets. Well, aside from that alleyway where a fight broke out over some minor cultivation treasure. That place looked ugly.
It actually didn't take long until we were walking up a hill near the ocean where a massive palace wall seemed to look down on the people below. Considering the short time it took us to get here, the guard must have waited a long time to see the City Lord on my behalf.
The palace had a red gate flanked by traditional lion-dog statues. A quick scan with my divine sense revealed that they were actually high-quality defensive tools.
The gate opened as we neared it. As soon as I stepped through, I noticed the back of a Golden Core cultivator quietly confronting a bodyguard over something. He had a large frame, black hair, and wore white robes covered in embroidered golden peacock feathers. He paused in his argument and turned to face me. I bowed.
"Master Alchemist Linlin greets the City Lord." Fuck, that sounded awkward. Whatever. It wasn't like I would see this guy again after today.
His lips turned up into a large smile, and he opened his arms wide and welcoming. "Greetings, Master Alchemist! It's always a delight to have a fellow guild member visit my humble palace."
Humble my ass. I could see the various arrays surrounding the vast palace grounds, and my divine sense picked up the rare and strong spiritual woods that went into each building's exterior. Although I'd seen locations that were more opulent, the subtle treasures on display showed off this man's wealth. Especially considering how backwater this area was.
Since I couldn't go to a city lord's house without bringing a gift, I handed him a pill bottle with some of my better generic healing pills. "A gift, for my first," and hopefully last, "visit."
He opened it up and lifted the bottle toward his nose. His eyes brightened. "Ah, useful. And the quality is beyond excellent. You're a very skilled alchemist." His dark gray eyes focused on my face. "And, perhaps, a very lost one?"
"Not lost, exactly. But certainly farther from home than I'd like. I need your guild's Immediate Message Wall for a reason."
"Right, about that... To use it, I require one high-tier spirit stone." He held up a finger.
I frowned.
He splayed his hands out as if saying that it couldn't be helped. "It may seem like a steep price, but it's paying for the wall's protection and operation. This area of the world is practically lawless with that unruly unorthodox sect right there." He gestured in the ocean's opposite direction, toward three small mountain peaks that jutted out from a mostly flat land like three fingers.
I grudgingly took out a high-tier spirit stone and handed it over to him.
His wide smile made his eyes turn to slits. "A pleasure doing business with you. Now, since it's on the way, why don't I introduce you to my pets?"
"I'm good. Spiritual Beasts despise me to the point of trying to kill me on sight."
He waved his hand. "Nonsense. Mine are so well trained that even if they hate you, they won't attack."
I grinned. "I bet you that high-tier spirit stone that they will."
He eyed me up and down. "Look at your confidence! Who would dare take that bet? Fine, I'll take you around them."
He led me over to the side, near a short cliff overlooking a salty lagoon. Suddenly, bursts of sword Qi shot out from the water far below and aimed toward me.
The security guard parried the blows before they even came close.
I took out my guitar and stepped closer to the cliff's edge. "What was that?"
He frowned. "This is the direction with my fewest beasts, but I do have a few aquatic pets. It seems they do hate you. Far more than I considered. Or their training has been a bit too lax these past few days. But, worry not. I'll work with them tonight, so this never happens again."
I stared into the dark salty waters and expanded my divine sense. These pets were really shark spiritual beasts, but their noses were long and pointed like a swordfish.
"I'm sure you noticed it by now, but I bred these sharks to develop swords on their snouts and trained them in the way of the sword. Now they can produce their own sword Qi."
The fuck?! Did this guy just say that he made frickin' sharks with sword Qi coming out of their noses? Who was he? Xianxia's Dr. Evil?
I glanced toward him and saw him smiling widely at the dark water.
Then again, maybe he was merely a weird, unscrupulous rich man, who was into rare and strange spiritual beasts.
***
He brought me to a small room where a massive slab of black jade was erected haphazardly. It had dust covering it and cobwebs connecting it to the wall as if no one had used it for years.
I frowned.
"My people haven't gotten around to installing it and I keep wondering if I should move it back to the guild. But it still works."
Sure, but that was no excuse to let it get into this condition.
I cast the cleaning technique and scoured the entire room, including Lord Bountiful Tenacity.
"Ah!" His smile widened genuinely. "How refreshing."
Well, that was a new response. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad, after all.
"Your technique is the strongest I've ever come across. I quite like it." He walked over to the now spotless wall and placed a mid-tier spirit stone on its surface. The stone sunk into the jade as if it were made of water. He then repeated the process a few dozen more times.
The wall started to glow with energy, showing that it was ready to use.
From a groove at the bottom of the black jade, he picked up a long white writing stick. "To use it, just infuse this with your spiritual energy and write on the board."
I reached out for the stick. He hid it behind his back with a grin.
Was this a test? Fine. He wasn't getting between me and my sect.
I used Impossible Leap to step behind him, but he turned to face my new location and held up a finger.
Oh. This guy wasn't half bad for a city lord of some backwater.
"Patience. I have more to explain."
I crossed my arms and jumped back to my place in front of the wall. "Go ahead."
"These walls are connected to the main branch on the continent. Your message will go through there, so you have to specify which guild branch you're trying to reach in your first sentence. Your messages will then be routed through there, so be aware that what you write here is not private at all."
Damn, this spiritual tool technology was so old school. I'd almost completely forgotten how it worked.
"I assume that I also have a limited amount of characters before it stops working altogether."
He grinned. "I'm starting to appreciate your intellect, Master Alchemist."
I placed my hands behind my back. "Well, I am a genius."
He handed me the writing tool. "Then I leave you to it."
***
"Martial Aunt Lin! Are you and Martial Uncle safe?"
After eventually connecting to the correct guild and getting them to bring Unyielding Firestorm over, then going through a bunch of hoops to confirm his identity, I finally had my first message from him. Of course, to get to this point, I spent a good half hour making sure the wall hadn't been tampered with. Surprisingly, it was in acceptable shape.
"We're as safe as we can be. The city we are in is near the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect."
"That's too far away." I could practically feel Unyielding's frown through his calligraphy. "I don't have access to all the sect's resources, so I can't send help."
"I realize that. Can you check if there are any of our Immortal Bone Creation or Immortal Ascension sect ancestors in the area?"
"It will take me a while, but I'll do what I can."
Let's see. There were two major issues I needed him to solve for me.
I started writing. "First, I understand that continuing to take care of all the paperwork without me will be difficult. I suggest adding a dozen or so new clerks. Teaching them will slow down your work initially, but you'll speed up later. Have Early Rise Swift Brush teach them about the Dao of Paperwork."
"Don't worry, Martial Aunt. I'll figure out the paperwork issue! You just focus on staying safe. No matter what, we'll eventually get you home."
I grinned. This martial nephew of mine was making me miss the sect already.
"Next, Clear Eyes Mad Tongue is going on a mission next week. I want you to hire two Alchemists' Guild guards to go with him. They're named Red Three and Red Seven. You've met them before."
"I remember. I'll hire them if I can find them. If not, then I'll send others with him."
"Make sure they're at Golden Core!"
"Yes, Aunt Lin. Though I don't think he'll be happy about it."
He probably wouldn't. But I'd rather have him angry with me and alive than dead.
We sent a few more messages back and forth, discussing topics he needed information on that weren't sensitive before he had to leave.
Then I sent one last message, this time to the Alchemists' Guild headquarters on this continent.
"Requesting to assist in a major endeavor in exchange for a teleportation for two to the Indomitable Will Sect."
I waited for a while. A good ten minutes passed before words appeared on the wall again. "We have nothing for you. But City Lord Bountiful Tenacity might. Speak to him about the details."
Well, fuck.
"You are a valued alchemist, and the guild wishes you luck in your endeavors."
Uh-huh.
Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 4
When I stepped out of the building, Lord Bountiful finished speaking with an aide. The young man bowed, took a jade slip from the city lord, and ran off. He turned around and smiled at me. "Did you talk about everything you needed to?"
"I did."
"Then perhaps, before you go, I could interest you in seeing my Red-Feathered King Hawk? He's beautiful and a perfect hunter."
"Spiritual beasts hate me, remember? Even your sharks tried to stab me."
He waved off my concern. "Those sharks obviously aren't trained enough. My hawk, on the other hand, is perfectly obedient. You'll see."
I shook my head. "I don't want to risk injuring one of your precious beasts, since we may end up working together."
"Aren't you a bit overconfident?"
I smirked and put my hands behind my back like the master I was.
He grinned. "Very well, Master Alchemist, tell me how you wish to work with me."
"Teleportation to the other side of the world is expensive, even if it's just for two people. The guild doesn't have any task for me that is worth that much, but—"
"You were told to talk to me?"
I liked working with smart people.
Or had he been eavesdropping on my conversation? I narrowed my eyes at him. Thankfully, I hadn't talked about anything sensitive since I suspected someone might listen in.
He held up his hands. "Look at that face! No need to be so suspicious. I guessed. You see, I happen to have a very difficult task, but I'm not sure you'll be able to pull it off."
"Try me."
"Ah, I do like your confidence!" He stroked his chin. Then he eyed me up and down as if considering if I could even pull this task off. "The guild asked me to keep my eye on this one particular situation for the past couple of decades. Things have finally come to a head."
"And you need someone reliable to bring things to a close?"
He tapped his bottom lip and hesitated. "It just so happens to be lunchtime for my pets and I have to feed them myself. Why don't we walk while we talk?"
This felt like another test. But I couldn't let this chance escape me.
We didn't walk too far, just around the corner. There was a field spread out before us where black cages, each the size of a building, held a variety of spiritual beasts. Lord Bountiful took out haunches of meat and used his spiritual energy to send them inside.
"You see, if I want my spiritual beasts to serve me well, I need to feed them myself, so I always come here to give my new pets lunch at this time."
I stepped a little too close to one cage and the massive spiritual tiger rammed against the side. The whole thing rattled precariously. I pulled out my battle guitar and blocked an oncoming claw before taking several steps back.
Even though there were bars between us, I didn't trust their craftsmanship. It growled and clawed, trying to get at me again. I played a few lines of a calming rock ballad loosely inspired by "Dream On" by Aerosmith. It huffed and went back to eating. Of course, it still glared at me.
I missed Xiao Bai already.
Lord Bountiful grinned. Wait. Was this his test? He knew beasts hated me, so he had to make sure I could handle them?
"Careful there. As you can see, these ones aren't fully trained yet." He sent a massive chunk of red meat to a black bear spiritual beast and it started to tear into it.
"You were going to tell me about the task?"
"Well, the unorthodox sect is in the area." He sent a whole massive silvery fish out. It landed with a squelch inside the cage of a golden eagle spiritual beast with several blue spots. The eagle screeched and jumped on the fish before jerking its head from side to side to pull away pieces of meat. This guy was just going at his own pace, wasn't he?
"Due to sightings of demonic sect members being spotted in this area, the Alchemists' Guild suspects that they're working with demonic cultivators. But they don't have any proof."
"From what I know, they loathe the Demonic cult more than us Orthodox cultivators do."
He frowned and threw a piece of haunch at the cage of a wolf. It slammed into the bars, causing the whole cage to move several feet. The meat practically exploded.
"That's just their face!" He glared and flared his spiritual energy with his frustration. The wolf cowered. "This sect is walking a gray line. Everyone knows it, but the Alchemists' Guild refuses to do anything about them unless I provide proof."
"This sounds like a mission that could take decades."
"One month."
I raised a brow at him.
"You wanted a task that is worth a teleport for two to the other side of the world. You'll have to do ten years' worth of work in one month."
That was actually not unexpected. Shockingly fair, really.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Join the sect. Spy on them for me for one month until just after the Sect's Founding Day Festival, and find definitive proof that they're working with demonic cultivators."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "This all sounds impossible."
He shrugged. "Tell you what, Master Alchemist. I'll give you three key pieces of information that will help you succeed if you agree to try."
I needed that teleport, plus I felt no remorse about trying to take down the sect of that asshole Noxious Fangstrike. As far as I was concerned, I was getting a good deal from this. Just imagining his face as the Alchemists' Guild righteously destroyed his sect. Muahahaha!
"Let's sign a contract!"
He grinned and sent a haunch into a lion's cage.
***
It took us a good thirty minutes to iron out everything, but once we were done, I wrote up a contract on a jade slip. Once I handed it to him, Lord Bountiful casually signed it and made a copy for his own records.
"Excellent. I very much hope you succeed. That sect has been a thorn in my side for decades. Though I think the worst part about them is that they always take the best pets for themselves."
"By the way, what are the key pieces of information?"
He grinned at me slyly. "You're so different from the last spy I hired for this mission."
"Oh. Does this mean I have competition?"
"Well, you would have, except I heard — Ninth Plum Blossom, I believe her name was — was very easily killed at the teleportation platform today by a mysterious and powerful cultivator."
That was the woman I accidentally ended. "Oh, her… I overestimated my opponent." If she hadn't tried to kill me, I would have apologized.
He grinned, then laughed. "I knew that was you! I am so glad things worked out."
Man. This guy felt zero sadness for his dead spy.
"For the past couple of decades, I've been hiring spies from the various shadow organizations in the area. So far, none have been able to find anything. And all of them ended up dead in that sect. I'm glad that I'm finally working with someone competent."
"Lord Bountiful Tenacity. The information?"
"Right!" He took out a jade slip and tossed it to me. "This contains a list of rumors circulating the area. Essentially, they say that a master in a demonic sect has found a cure for the side effects of the unorthodox cultivators' manuscript. The one that makes them grow ears, horns, and tails."
I quickly looked them over and he was right. "Likely untrue. Would they be that stupid to believe something like that?"
"Ah, but here's the thing: those unorthodox cultivators are desperate. Their sect keeps declining, which brings me to my next piece of information. The Unorthodox sect has the Scroll of 10,000 Evil Souls."
"That sounds like a spiritual tool a demonic cultivator would create."
"It was. But the Irrepressible Beast Blood sect took it when they killed the original owner. And they supposedly locked it in a box that can only be opened by a certain clan."
"Which clan?"
"The Golden Sound Clan. They were, in fact, raided by the demonic cultivators after that rumor started circulating. There is no telling if anyone from that family is left. But if they are, they're probably slaves to the demonic sect."
"While interesting," and a bit depressing, "that doesn't seem like this information will help me gain proof that the Irrepressible Beast Blood sect is working with demonic cultivators."
"True, but there is a rumor that the Unorthodox sect will trade the scroll for the cure. And that the trade will happen at the founding day festival."
That was a serious accusation. One that was plausible.
If this sect was working with the demonic cult, I wanted to take it down just as much as Lord Bountiful.
"And what's the last bit of information?"
He started walking toward his palace's gate. "First, let's keep moving. Now that you've agreed, there is no time to waste."
This fucker. He wasn't in a hurry when he was feeding his pets.
Whatever. I was pretty sure this last piece of information would be key and it was easier to be patient and wait until he was ready than try to force it out of him.
He grinned down at me. "The last piece of information I have is that the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect takes in new disciples from the rogue cultivator population once every five years."
"Is the reason you're telling me that because it's happening soon?"
"This afternoon. If you go now, you'll be able to make it."
My eyes widened as we reached the gate. "Say that sooner!"
"Goodbye and good luck, Master Alchemist."
The asshole chuckled as I hurriedly pulled out a cheap ass sword I'd taken off of Ninth Plum Blossom. I used the flying sword controlling technique available at Foundation Establishment to speedily make my way toward the sect.
Apparently, Lord Bountiful hadn't been finished because he sent me a secret sound transmission. "By the way. If you bring me the Scroll of 10,000 Evil Souls, even without the proof of misconduct, I will pay for your teleportation, even if the guild won't."
I didn't know much about this guy, but I imagined it would take him 30 years to save up that many spirit stones. It was an option I'd keep in mind if I became desperate. But I wasn't sure I should trust him enough to trade a spiritual weapon like that, even for a trip home.
***
I had almost forgotten to tell the kid what was going on, but once I caught him up with everything that happened, he rushed towards the sect on his own flying sword, one I found in one of the bags an assassin had on him.
I arrived first to find a large crowd of rogue cultivators surrounding a small arena with a stone slab floor. Inside were a bunch of alchemists haphazardly attempting to enter the sect by proving their worth as poisoners.
Damn. It would be a piece of cake for me to enter by using alchemy. Then again, Noxious was familiar with my methods. He might spot me if I entered as a poison master.
I landed beside a friendly-looking rogue cultivator. He was tall, thin, and had pale yellow hair. His smile reached his eyes. "Little Fairy, I haven't seen you with the rogue cultivators before. I'm Gold String Delicate Touch."
Oh good, a talkative guy I could coerce some information from. I shrugged. "You can call me Fairy Linlin. I'm not from around here and only just found out that these trials were happening today."
He sighed and shook his head. "Unlucky."
"What?" I crossed my arms.
He nodded toward the panel of judges. "The cultivators hosting this year are impatient to get it done. And it seems like they're looking for an excuse to not accept anyone new."
"How do I enter?"
His mouth opened. "You came here without even knowing that?"
I shrugged. "It was a very last-minute decision."
"Well, they are doing different tests for various disciplines. Once they announce the next one, you just go up on stage and participate."
I frowned. "That sounds so chaotic."
He grinned. "This is an unorthodox sect. Of course, that doesn't mean it's easy to enter." He gestured to the arena floor. "Look. They've already finished the trials for Puppeteers and Poison Body Cultivators without gaining a new disciple. Right now they're in the middle of a test for Poisoners."
Fuck. "What's left?"
He held up three fingers and pointed to each one as he said. "Dread Painters, Beast Blood Contractors, and Demonic Musicians."
They might call them Demonic Musicians, but they technically had nothing to do with the demonic cult. In fact, there were plenty of things called demonic that weren't evil.
I relayed this information to Little Spring, who landed on the opposite side of the arena.
::Don't worry about me, sister Lin! I'll try out for the Beast Blood Contractors. That sounds like it's a kind of beast taming, right?::
::Probably. I'm not overly familiar with this sect. Most of these unorthodox sects were obliterated within three centuries after I first came to this world in my past life.::
::Well, if I don't pass, I can always practice in the space.::
::Actually, it would be better that way. I might not be able to save you if you become corrupted by these unorthodox methods.::
::Still, I think you could use my help. Infiltrating a hostile sect like this can't be easy.::
I grinned. ::I bet you that it will be.::
He frowned and his brow furrowed with worry. ::But, Sister Lin, you're not always observant, and you still get distracted by your thoughts sometimes.::
::I do not.:: This brat! I crossed my arms.
::...:: He sent me a telepathic pause that spoke volumes.
I scowled. ::Fine! Enter if you can.::
::Yes, Sister Lin!:: he said happily.
Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 5
The poisoners' trial ended. None of the rogue cultivators managed to create something good enough for the Golden Core judge.
After that, they held a test for Dread Painters. There were only four rogue cultivators who used this unusual cultivation method. They were given twenty minutes to paint a masterpiece that created an illusion of terror in the viewer. It was an interesting, if unorthodox, path toward painting.
One painted a tree that almost seemed to reach out to grab the viewer's soul but fell short.
Gold String Delicate Touch pointed to the middle painter, who had started with a decent-looking tiger. As he added detail, the painting, that should have appeared to claw at whoever glanced at it, instead it just looked like it was about to cry.
"Poor guy failed at the last moment. No one is scared of a sad tiger."
The last painter drenched the paper in ink and then tried unsuccessfully to lift some of it using balled pieces of paper. I wasn't sure what they were trying to do, but I had a feeling that they were just desperate to enter the sect and trying everything they could to get in.
Of course, none of the paintings impressed the sour-faced judge.
Once that trial ended, it was time for the Beast Blood Contractors. Technically, none of these rogues had the unorthodox sect's cultivation method yet, so they were trying out to eventually become a Beast Blood Contractor. Whatever that meant.
There were around twenty rogue cultivators stepping onto the stage for this trial. Fortunately, most of them had spiritual tools that could store their beasts, so I wasn't getting randomly mauled.
Little Spring was the last one to go up, but no one paid any attention to him. Since he stood between two massive men and their oversized beasts as he nervously clutched Xiao Bai, it was easy to see how he could disappear in the crowd. He was also the youngest cultivator there.
Of course, he must have used the disguise technique to hide his cultivation, since he was the only one at the peak. Everyone else was either at the bottom or the middle of Foundation Establishment.
But he'd only recently reached that level, so this trial would be good practice for him.
The unorthodox judge stepped forward. He looked down at everyone with a sneer. Considering that rogue cultivators didn't have a sect they could rely on and rarely had seniors that were willing to help, they tended to be the least powerful cultivators for their realm. Of course, the ones who survived managed to form tricks and habits that made them hard as hell to kill despite their relative weakness.
"It's getting late and we still have the Demonic Musician trial so, how about we do this — you all fight each other and the last one left standing will get to join the sect."
The other judges looked at him like they couldn't believe what he was doing. He shrugged and whispered something to them.
It was probably something like, 'If a rogue can defeat 20 of their peers, then they deserve to be in the sect.' Which was fair.
Since I didn't feel like getting attacked by a bunch of spiritual beasts, I stepped onto my flying sword and flew way the fuck back.
Gold String Delicate Touch followed me. When I glanced at him, he grinned. "I don't want to get blood on my clothes."
I nodded. That was fair. With all the beasts and cultivators participating, the fight looked like it might need a splash zone. And I didn't trust this unorthodox sect to set up a proper shield since they had no reason to care about these rogue cultivators.
"Since you haven't gone up, I assume you're also here for the Demonic Musician trial?"
"You caught me. What instrument do you play?"
"Zither. I had been a four arts cultivator for years but..." He shrugged, obviously not wanting to talk about his past.
Huh. I might have some competition here after all if this guy had been classically trained. "Then, we'll be competing in the next trial."
"Maybe."
A few more beast tamers brought out their beasts. Some had a kind of boar spiritual beast with large tusks and spines along its back that must have been popular in the local area. Two had large bird-type beasts — one hawk and one eagle — that glared at me like they were itching to get away from their masters to attack me.
A very muscular guy had a massive Red Fire Ape. He glared at everyone around him, and a few of the weaker beasts backed up.
Several more brought out snake-type beasts that ranged from white, red-eyed snakes to black serpents with diamond patterns. They towered above their partners and flicked their red tongues.
Then there was Little Spring with his tiny white puppy looking like he would be blown away by a light breeze.
I was suddenly very worried about the kid. Obviously, he could take out one or two of these guys, but twenty, plus their beasts? That would be between forty and a hundred Foundation Establishment-level experts. Even protagonists had their limits.
::If you think you can't handle it, just quit and hide in the space.::
He scowled but didn't look for me.
Apparently, everyone else ignored him as a threat as well, since they all started fighting each other.
The whole scene was brutal, with claws and fangs ripping and tearing. Blood spilled from wounds and several coughed up mouthfuls of it. All those powers getting thrown about caused dust to rise. The trial started to look like a cartoon brawl, where everything was hidden by a dirt cloud with arms and animal parts randomly sticking out as it moved across the arena.
As the fight went on, many chose to bow out, preferring life over entering the sect.
Eventually, everyone aside from three people had left: Muscular Fire Ape Guy, Boar Girl, and Little Spring.
Muscular Guy pointed his spear at Boar Girl and spat a mouthful of blood. She smirked back and sent a spiritual fist at him. He slashed at it with a yell. Meanwhile, their beasts butted heads. The ape picked up the boar and threw it at its tamer, who had sidestepped her enemy's fire blast. With wide eyes, she jumped away from the incoming beast.
The red ape ran after his foe and spat out a massive flame at it, cooking it alive. The whole area ended up smelling like bad bacon.
The woman screamed, tears trailing down her face. As Muscular Guy approached her while readying another attack, she rushed out of the circle, giving up her chance to join the sect.
Shockingly, everyone had ignored Little Spring this entire time. I mean, I know he appeared weak, but it was almost like he'd set up an obfuscation formation or something. Oh! He probably used the disguise technique to hide his presence. No wonder he looked so confident! He was waiting to fight the most worthy enemy.
The Muscular Guy lifted a fist into the air and shouted in triumph. The audience pointed to Little Spring.
"There's still someone left," a girl in the crowd helpfully yelled.
He turned towards Little Spring, who held his puppy in one arm and a sword in another.
The man chuckled, then said in a loud voice, "What's your name, brat?"
I couldn't hear the kid, but from his lips, I figured he said something like, 'Verdant Spring. And this is Xiao Bai. And you, fellow Daoist?'
Muscular Guy smirked and pounded his chest. "I'm Li Huo. I don't feel like killing a child today, so how about you step out of the arena so I don't have to dirty my hands more?"
Little Spring shook his head and took an awkward fighting stance while still holding onto the puppy. Xiao Bai's tongue lolled and his tail wagged with excitement. I could see the collar of defensive talismans around the dog's neck from here.
Li Huo scowled at them, then gestured for his beast to attack. It loped forward on its knuckles and short legs.
"BORK!" Xiao Bai's bark echoed throughout the arena. The ape must have stepped on something gross because it slipped, overcorrected, wildly flung its arms out, and fell onto its back.
Frankly, if I didn't know that the puppy was completely mundane, I would believe that its bark caused the beast to freeze in fear, then stumble. But it was most definitely a normal dog. I'd checked! Multiple times!
Ah, fuck. In my haste to prepare, I'd forgotten to tell the kid to avoid showing off our sect's sword style. It would be pretty obvious where we came from once he used it. Fortunately, he was a step ahead of me. Before I could send him a warning, I noticed that his stance was now reminiscent of a drunkard.
Little Spring darted over to the downed ape. He blocked its flaming breath with a simple but awkward-looking slash of his blade, as if he'd done it on accident. Then he appeared to overextend himself and fall. He caught himself by using his hilt to strike the Red Fire Ape's temple — its weak point. He'd put in so much strength that he'd knocked it out completely. His attack had also cut a path through the grime beyond the ape's head, showing just how much power he'd used. The brat made it look mundane, but these were still attacks at the peak of Foundation Establishment. If the beast's hard skull hadn't been in the way, he could have torn up the arena floor.
Next, he darted over to Li Huo.
The beast tamer pulled out a spear spirit weapon and swung it at Little Spring's head. The kid jerked to the side like a drunkard about to fall on his face, avoiding the attack. Then, in an equally awkward form, he stabbed toward the man's thigh, using just the strength from his body cultivation.
Li Huo must have assumed that he has superior muscles and form because he blocked with his spear, only to get thrown back several feet. His eyes grew wide.
Wait a second, I recognized those movements! This was the awkward fighting style of Drunken Edge. I guess the kid must have spent more time with that sword cultivator than I suspected when he went to practice with Clear Eyes Mad Tongue.
Little Spring and Li Huo exchanged a few more blows.
The earlier fights must have worn Muscular Guy out. His movements slowed down while the kid sped up, despite his technique that made him look like he was a wasted college student on spring break.
The spear came at Little Spring's head. He dodged to the side, the blade just barely missed cutting his face. The power of that blow cut a path through the blood left on the arena floor, showing how dangerous it would have been if it hit.
He threw Xiao Bai up into the air, came around like he was about to slash the man's shoulder, and instead punched his diaphragm. This attack used both his body cultivation and the Foundation Establishment version of the muscle enhancement technique, so when it hit, it caused Li Huo to breathe out and his eyes to bulge like he was a goldfish. I was pretty sure he wasn't expecting that potshot.
The brat bent backward and gently caught the puppy with one hand. Then he fell onto his back, just barely missing the spear thrust from Li Huo.
A few chuckles spread through the crowd. Muscular Guy's face turned red, and a vein bulged on his forehead.
The kid was absolutely using this guy to practice on. He also looked like he was making a fool out of him.
The spear tip jabbed toward the kid's heart, but he casually blocked it with one foot. Oh! He was wearing the shoes from his armor set. Then he kicked the spear with his other foot, forcing Li Huo to lift his arms high into the air and take a few steps backward. Little Spring jumped to his feet and sent a slash of sword Qi toward the man's chest. He wasn't able to block in time and it created a deep wound. He threw up three mouthfuls of blood.
Several people in the crowd whispered something about him being a genius.
Li Huo must have been beyond pissed off because he took out a healing dan and a red pill and ate them. His cultivation, which had been in the middle of Foundation Establishment, suddenly reached the peak.
Ah, shit. He was using one of those forbidden medicines that were so popular in Xianxia. Getting into the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect must be very important to this guy or he wouldn't risk hurting his body and cultivation just to win against Little Spring.
He pulled out two more red apes. These were low rank 2 — so weak they could only be used as a distraction. Finally, he formed a series of hand seals, and his spear burst into flames. Even I felt the heat of that fire. The brat had to feel scorched, being so close to it.
Both beasts charged at Little Spring, loping forward.
The kid frowned and looked like he was about to send Xiao Bai back into the space when the puppy jumped out of his hold.
He reached out. "Xiao Bai! No!"
"BORK!"
The apes slipped on small pools of something gross left over from the brawl and landed face-first on the disgusting arena floor.
I narrowed my eyes at the very normal, mundane dog.
Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (Part 6
Little Spring picked up Xiao Bai. He sent an exasperated look at the puppy and I could have sworn he said, 'You're as bad as my older martial sister,' but that couldn't be right. I was obviously significantly better than Xiao Bai. At least, when it came to assessing danger. However, if we were talking about adorableness, the white puppy was obviously king. He even had the kid beat.
The first knocked-down ape slowly started to get up by pushing against the stone floor. Little Spring jumped onto its shoulders and slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of its head. The ape let out one last belch of fire, which bounced back into its face, right before it passed out.
I winced. Poor ape probably didn't have any hair on its face anymore.
The other beast had stood up while Little Spring took out its buddy. Once it witnessed the kid's skill, tears gathered at the corners of its eyes as if it realized that it couldn't beat him. Also, that charging at him was a bad idea. It circled around into a flanking position with its master.
Li Huo thrust his flaming spear toward the kid's chest. Little Spring blocked it with his sword while keeping Xiao Bai behind him. The power of the attack sent him back several feet. However, that had less to do with strength and more to do with the slippery substances coating the floor, which the spear's fire was quickly drying out.
The ape behind him made a grab at Xiao Bai, but the dog growled at it.
With its eyes wide and limbs stiff, the fire ape jerked backward.
I chuckled and leaned toward Gold String Delicate Touch. "What a weak beast. Scared of a mundane puppy."
He nodded. "Agreed."
Little Spring seemed to stumble to block another spear thrust while waving his sword awkwardly. His staggering movements left a trail of sword Qi in the shape of a lotus flower.
This brat was too damn smart. How did he come up with this? While this did absolutely nothing to empower the sword Qi, it did have a very cool effect worthy of an ultimate technique of a rogue cultivator. It was also a great way to hide our origins.
Still, a simple ten cuts would be more powerful.
Once the kid was done drawing the small lotus, he slashed at it. It zipped toward Li Huo while increasing to the size of a man. The muscular guy must have been terrified of the attack and unable to dodge since he pulled out another, much weaker ape and used it as a shield. As soon as the sword Qi hit it, the beast died instantly.
Fuck! Was this asshole evil? Who did shit like that?
Little Spring glared at the larger man with his brow furrowed.
Even the Ape behind Little Spring opened its mouth in shock.
Li Huo screamed at Little Spring, as if the asshole had the right to be offended after what he'd just done to his own spirit beast. Then he sent a series of flaming slashes toward his face, forming a flaming ape with his movements.
The kid took this seriously because he stepped forward, took out two talismans, and used them to block the attack. Then he darted toward the muscular guy.
Li Huo thrust his spear forward. At the last moment, Little Spring stumbled to the side, then used the momentum of his awkward dodge to kick up. He struck the man's chin, causing him to fall backward and crack his skull on the stone.
I thought he would get up again but, apparently, the kid's awkward-looking kick had been so strong it had knocked the guy out.
His body cultivation, once again, proved its worth.
The last ape, thoroughly terrified at this point, sat on the ground and raised its arms up in the surrender pose.
The crowd cheered.
Xiao Bai wagged his tail and licked Little Spring's face.
The kid grinned at his puppy and hugged him tighter.
Of course, this all just made me realize that I really should give him more advanced techniques. I'd been so focused on teaching him how to fight with a sword and craft cool shit that I'd forgotten to teach him things like Star Edged Dragon technique, or the Explosive Wolf technique. The last one being a prerequisite for the Puppies and Pineapples technique that I wanted to forget even existed.
Maybe I should start by introducing him to the Starfield Shield. It took some time to complete, so it wasn't good to use last second, but if prepared in advance, it could even block a single Golden Core's strike.
The judge of the event stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest. "Welcome to the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect! What's your name?"
The kid bowed. "This one is, Tamer Verdant Spring."
The judge grinned. "Out of everyone here, you tried your hardest to keep the fire apes alive. Having respect for all beasts is an important aspect of our cultivation techniques. You can't become a Beast Blood Contractor without it."
The hell? Then why the bullshit with… Oh! This was a test. If the winner had disregarded the lives of the beasts in order to win, then they'd have a reason to kick them out.
Still, this seemed a little too kind for an unorthodox sect. Hell, even some righteous sects weren't known for being respectful towards their spirit beasts. But I wouldn't trust this unorthodox sect to hold true to this stance until I saw them for myself.
Little Spring secretly kicked Li Huo's head before saying, "I agree, Senior. Only idiot tamers would use their beasts as if their lives were worth a fraction of their own."
The judge smiled widely. "Welcome to the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect, Contractor Verdant Spring."
As I watched Little Spring walk over to where the judges were standing, I couldn't help thinking that a Xianxia could never be complete without a 'Main Character infiltrates Rival Sect' arc.
::Good job,:: I said to the kid.
While he didn't turn to me, I saw a smile cross his face.
***
After some outer sect disciples finished cleaning up the small arena, a Golden Core demonic musician stepped onto the stone floor. She wore elegant flower hair pins and beautiful rose-patterned robes in red and gold. The way she held herself told me that she was a confident master, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Those of you who wish to become demonic musicians step forward." She had a musical voice that reverberated strongly through the arena.
By this point, the crowd had thinned significantly, but there were still a few people left who wanted to watch the fun.
Only four people, including myself and Musician Gold String Delicate Touch, flew over and landed in front of the judge.
"So few," the judge commented. She shook her head. "Hopefully, at least one of you is good enough to become a disciple in our sect. We need more good demonic musicians."
My guess was that, even if the sect was in decline, they didn't compromise on whatever each department was looking for. It seemed like the demonic musician department always lacked bodies and was recruiting heavily today. That didn't mean it would be easy to get in.
In fact, my skills in this area might not be what they're looking for. I'd have to try my best.
"I'm Pearlescent Rose, your judge today." She pointed to a male cultivator on the opposite side of the line I stood in. "You first. What's your name?"
"This one is Azure Serenade, Senior," the young man in blue robes said.
"Alright, pretend that I have a rage hidden deep inside me. It's so great that it's starting to affect my cultivation. Play me something that irritates it and makes me want to kill you, but prevents me from doing so."
"Does it have to be spiritual, or can it be mundane?"
She frowned at him, a vein bulged on her forehead. "What do you think?"
He nodded, pulled out a blue jade flute, and started playing something sharp and arrhythmic in a disgusting way that really did make me want to kill him to get him to stop.
Fairy Pearlescent grabbed his flute and crushed it with her spiritual energy. "You think you're so smart, do you?"
He looked devastated. "You didn't say anything about it being good."
"You should have realized that I wouldn't want something that hurt my ears." With a wave of her sleeve, he was sent flying toward the edge of the arena. He landed on his face. Once he stood up, showing that he wasn't injured, she turned to us and glared. "Don't make the same mistake as him."
She pointed to Gold String Delicate Touch. "I'm irritated. Play something that soothes my soul."
He nodded and brought out a gold zither spiritual tool from the storage bag on his hip. Since he wasn't in a fight, he'd set it up on a stand. Then he rested his long fingers against the strings. His eyes closed for a moment, then he started to play.
Instead of beginning with a calming note progression, he chose something beautiful, but fast-paced that echoed and acknowledged the judge's irritation. It was also fun. Then the melody shifted. It became enlightened in an almost grand way before turning into a soft, happy, and calming song.
This was a song I'd never heard before. Frankly, I was positive he'd made it up on the spot.
Fuck. I wasn't sure I could do that. This guy was a true musician and composer. He was not someone who dabbled with the Four Arts like I did.
I wanted him for my band. No, I needed him to learn rock. Of course, I wouldn't force anyone to learn it. Rock was the music of rebels, those who questioned society or The Man, and those who wanted to feel deep human emotions. It wasn't a genre that anyone who didn't like it should be forced to play. That would go against everything Rock stood for.
Of course, the genre was so new that people needed to be exposed to it first before they could know if they enjoyed it.
The judge smiled delicately. "I apologize. I forgot to ask for your name."
"This one is, Gold String Delicate Touch."
"It suits you." She gestured to where Little Spring stood. "Welcome to the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect."
His bottom lip trembled, and he nodded. "Thank you." He walked over to the side as if he were walking on air.
::Congratulations.:: I sent to him.
Our eyes met. ::Good luck Fairy Linlin! I'm looking forward to your performance.::
I smirked. ::Pay close attention. It will be something you've never heard before.::
Pearlescent Rose pointed to the girl beside me. "What's your name?"
She lifted her chin arrogantly and said, "Treasured Morning Dew."
The judge chuckled knowingly and placed her hands behind her back like a master. "Oh, I've heard of you. And where you used to work. The rumors say that you were very popular."
She blushed but smiled confidently. "There are rumors that the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect doesn't care about its disciples' backgrounds."
Pearlescent Rose grinned and her amusement reached her eyes. "We don't. Not unless you're a demonic cultivator. Then we'll just kill you here." She paused and pulled out a fan to cool herself down. After pausing to think, she closed it and pointed to the girl. "I'm not interested in women, but can you still make me want to seduce you, even for a moment?"
Treasured Morning Dew smiled. "You're making this too easy."
"I'd say it's entirely too hard."
"Then give me a handicap and don't look at me. Only listen to my music and voice."
Pearlescent Rose stared at the girl as if weighing her, then smiled before turning around. "Fair enough."
Oh, shit! This was gonna be fun.
Could the woman who probably sold her skills and not her body seduce the judge who wasn't interested, with just her spiritual melody?
If I was talking in generalities, the sexuality of women tended to be more fluid. So this wasn't entirely impossible — especially considering this was spiritual music and if it only needed to be for a brief moment.
Where was a bag of melon seeds when I needed one?
Treasured Morning Dew brought out her black zither and rested her pale, delicate fingers against it. Slowly she plucked a string, then another. Her voice echoed through the arena like a beautiful bird's song, longing to be with its lover.
She was playing a classic romantic spiritual song that, if I remember correctly, many women in this era absolutely loved. Actually, I'd seen a girl swoon over it in a teahouse once.
While Treasured Morning Dew played well, I didn't really care for it myself. I'd much rather listen to that Delilah song. Or was it Hey There, Cthulhu? It had been so long that I couldn't recall the original.
When the song finished, the judge sighed in appreciation. She turned around. "What an excellent performance. I can see why you were so popular."
Treasured Morning Dew smiled and winked.
The judge grimaced and pointed her fan at her. "That said, I didn't feel like trying to seduce you."
Her eyes opened wide, and she grabbed onto Pearlescent Rose's sleeve with both hands.
"Give me another chance! I know I can get it right."
She shook her head. "I'm looking for something in particular. Even if you hadn't succeeded, I would have been able to tell if you had it. While you're good, you won't succeed at becoming a demonic musician."
Treasured Morning Dew's face turned red.
The judge patted her hands, then leaned in. I could just barely make out what she said. "You should hide your past and enter the Harmonious Sound Sect. They'll definitely take you in. Your playing style would work with their strict techniques."
She swallowed, and her eyes sparkled. "Thank you, Senior Pearlescent Rose."
Then she walked to the side of the arena floor where Azure Serenade waited.
The judge's dark eyes turned to me.
I grinned. "Greetings, Senior. I'm Fairy Linlin. And after listening to my rock music, your life will never be the same."
She blinked and a slow smile appeared on her face. "Interesting. So, can your 'rock music' take a rage hidden deep within a cultivator's heart and ease it?"
I pulled out my battle guitar with a grin and played a power chord that echoed through the arena. "Actually, that's its specialty."
She pointed her fan toward my instrument. "Then play for me."