The past few days, sleeping felt like drowning. Xin went to sleep on time, slept even longer than usually, and then woke up devastated anyway.
It was hard to keep focus during the lectures, with the looming threat of Xuanwu clan hanging upon their business, and the agitation he felt due to their insane plan preparations gave him a headache.
Feng Chonglin will remove the alchemist's sister. It was hard for Xin to come to terms with, especially after Lei already ruthlessly robbed her not so long ago. Still, he used the same logic he blamed Lei for not so long ago - she was a known scammer, she casually beat up the mortals in her district and she used to sell drugs. Not the worst collateral damage, all things considered.
Lei forged the necessary documents. After consulting the lawyers, it appeared that unless the ownership is proven, the goods would only be confiscated for a two-days expertise, at most. Xin enjoyed the fact that there were some legal protections in this city, preventing the abuse of power and undue trial. The biggest driver behind them weren't the honest citizens, or well-intentioned bureaucrats, or even the enlightened nobles. It was the merchant guild, a criminal syndicate in all but name.
Once Xin realised this, he started thinking of politics in shades of grey, rather than black and white. Still, the sheer brutality of Clay Nest politics was a tough pill to swallow, Tealstone was relatively civil and peaceful in comparison.
Another thing that had to be taken care of was hiring uncle Ti, obviously. Lei promised to take care of it. There was still a question of intel leaking, timings and payment nuances, all the little details to prevent the hiring from being traced back to them. Leveraging their "good" relationship, Lei would hire uncle Ti to kill the inspector, with Feng Chonglin trying to set up a tet-a-tet meeting with him in a lone alley.
For some reason, Xin couldn't stop visualising the inspector's dog being killed by a fire path technique. He pitied the dog more than he pitied the alchemist's sister. His family owned a dog, too. Xin remembered when their family bought a small hound puppy, and how happy everyone looked, despite the occasional bickering and mom's nagging. Then mother left, and it was just him, the dog and his father. It was called Claw, gods, how fast it was!
Still, this breed didn't leave very long, and by seventh year, it could barely move its back legs. So father put it down. Not long after, he himself died.
Breathe in. Out. Focus. Into the study hall.
**
Evening, the Appendix back alleys.
"You wanted to meet discreetly? You could just visit my house at night." - Uncle Ti asked Wu Lei.
"I feel safer doing it this way. Frankly, I am kind of nervous to even offer this, uncle Ti."
"Oh! Relax, I am a tough nut, think you can shock me?" - He boasted.
"I... need to hire you. For a dirty one."
"How dirty are we speaking?"
"Eighty spirit stones dirty. And eternal gratitude. Which means favours in the future."
"Holy shit, that's a lot of money. What do you have in mind?"
Lei could see his eyes shine, even in the dark.
"There is a hit. It will be brought to you on a platter. Except it's a cultivator."
"I have my guesses, but keep going."
"Inspector Xiu Ge. He's got to go. He pissed off too many people."
"Shit." - Uncle Ti took out a narcotic herb and started chewing on it. "Saw him hassle you, won't it be too obvious?"
"We'll plant a misleading story. You'll also be safe if you do everything according to plan, without deviations. You can count on me."
Uncle Ti still looked hesitant.
"He's from the city guard. Foundation stage, yes, but still, it's not about just the stage, but also about depth. Think he could be dealt with? Oh, and where did you get such money?"
"The money is a joint effort. He pissed too many people off. He has a metal nature, and is naturally vulnerable to fire, so I was asked to find a hitman of this element. I decided to recommend you, you seem reliable, and I heard about your exploits in the slums. Still, he is more of an animal path user, his elemental foundation is very basic. But you could exploit it."
"How so?"
"He always goes around with his hound. If he is without his dog, you could best him. If he has his dog, you could kill it first. It's just an average dog, you could kill it in one technique. But their minds are linked, if it faints, he does, too. If it dies, he'll be staggered and in pain, letting you finish him off rather quickly."
"What about his dao shards?"
"We have only confirmed one. Attention dao shard, it's strong and it will be hard to sneak up on him. But you won't be sneaking up, we'll send you as a package courier. Don't let him talk, he might have an intimidating or similar will impacting techniques. Attack him as soon as there is an opening."
"Thanks for the advice, I'll strike as soon as I can. And I also have my own methods against mind affecting techniques, don't worry."
Lei felt like he knew what he meant. Fire path had a lot of morale elevating techniques, this could be it.
"Sure. Do you agree to this gig?"
"The pay sounds fine. Fighting an equal, with an element of surprise, knowing his weakness - also fine. How will you ensure my safety?"
"You'll have him in a remote location, we'll give you the tunnel map to memorise, so that you can retreat safely, and you have our guarantees that he works alone. Thing is, he is playing against the Xuanwu clan as well. I'll explain the whole situation once this shit is dealt with, but for now, we are trying to prevent intel leaks. This operation is a part of a bigger process."
"How big are we speaking?"
"City wide. A wide-scale purge is coming. He's not the only one who's got to go. Still, with this money, you'll be able to do whatever you want, no matter the outcome of the big game."
"Right, I'd rather be in trouble with a ton of spirit stones than be in trouble with none. If things go sour, I could fuck off to another city."
"We'll give you instant poison to kill the dog as swiftly as possible, and fire qi intensity alchemy as well."
"The poison will be nice, my sister will take care of the alchemy."
"The details are not to be shared with anyone. Even her. It's an order from above."
"I still can get her to cook some shit up for me, for a gig. Right?"
Lei shrugged in response.
"Uncle Ti, await your signal."
"And the payment?"
"Feng Chonglin will deliver a third to your house the night of operation, two thirds
after it's done. Can he deliver it to your sister, to free you up?"
"I'd want more upfront... Fine, it works. Good night, Lei."
"I'll ask about it, but no promises. Good night, uncle Ti."- They both went different ways, vanishing into the dark.
Meanwhile, in the Elements Pavilion.
"Master, please put a militiaman seal on this mannequin." - Xin asked, bowing politely. An unfamiliar instructor smiled.
"How about a veteran seal? I feel like you could manage it."
"You think so? I never tried. Let's do this." - Xin felt a tingle in his chest. The totem was happy. He could not directly communicate with it, no matter how hard he tried. He meditated, trying to focus on the totem's aspects, changed his diet to accommodate totem bonding, and tried to act in a certain manner. Still, he was yet to channel at least a minor aspect so far.
The instructor took a paper seal with a "veteran" hieroglyph out of his handbag, and stuck it on the mannequin's spine.
The mannequin stood up and entered a training circle, bowing to Xin.
"It will attack when you bow, or when you attack yourself. Sure you don't need a walled circle?"
"Yes." - Xin gripped his glaive, adjusted his helmet and shoulderguard, and stepped into a circle.
"Mannequin or human physique?"
"Human." - Xin observed the creature. It had beady eyes, made out of regular looking stones.
By picking the "human" option Xin made sure it would react to injuries as if it was human. If it was a normal mannequin, it would be more durable, and he'd have to break it to defeat it. Still, armed with a wooden club and a shield, reinforced by qi from the elemental well, and controlled by a veteran level seal, this would be a serious opponent.
I am still a mortal, Xin thought. Limited. I've got to develop. He bowed.
The mannequin instantly rushed him, its jerky, rigid movements creating an eerie feeling in Xin's heart.
An overhead club swing! The opponent indeed acted like a veteran. It knew that a counterattack was possible, but didn't hesitate taking the initiative. Xin jumped back, trying to use his somewhat superior agility to his advantage, but the opponent's shield prevented him from having a meaningful attack angle, and he decided to not commit to hard, poking carefully.
Xin slashed at the creature's legs, but it lowered its shield and rushed him. Xin jumped back, it felt like he was retreating, not luring his opponent in.
A wide club swing! Predictable, but Xin still had to give up a lot of space to mitigate it. And his tempo was non-existent now, he gave up the initiative to a wooden mannequin! Felt humiliating.
A shield bash! Xin blocked it with his ankle, and used the energy of being pushed back to deliver a side kick counterattack to the opponent's gut.
This won him enough space and tempo to deliver his own swing. He raised his glaive and delivered a swift diagonal downswing forcing the mannequin into a shield block.
Another opportunity! This time, Xin switched the grip of his glaive, grabbing it closer to the edge and raising it almost akin to an axe.
Woodcutter's Downswing!
Xin injected his glaive with wood qi, and there was also some metal qi resonance in his blade.
Crack! The opponent's shield was made of wood, and was split in half. He couldn't channel the energy as effectively as he would if he attacked with his palm (In hand to hand combat, he already mastered this technique), but he achieved what he wanted.
The mannequin tried to counter-attack, but Xin delivered two more Woodcutter's Downswings, forcing it to retreat. The first hit a hand, and the follow-up attack landed at its clavicle.
The mannequin shrieked, signalling that it was mortally wounded. It had a deep "collarbone" wound, leaking plant juice, and had its hand cut off.
Xin bowed and left the circle to catch a breath. I got its hand cut off, but that's because its wrist is quite thin. This attack loses a lot of its power when delivered in side swings, as opposed to being dropped vertically.
"Nice job, student. This new technique of yours is very strong. But don't be fooled by it, you had an elemental advantage over the mannequin and its shield. And we used the human settings, an actual advanced mannequin like that, armed with iron weapons and fighting with an advanced seal would wipe the floor with you. You should also consider that an informed opponent will be aware of the downswinging attacks. That's the weakness of this technique, right?"
"Correct, master. Still, I wasn't even injured. I consider it a success."
"You should learn to beat such opponents without struggling, it gave you a hard time. Whatever, I'm closing the hall for tonight, please go rest."
"Thank you, master."
Well, at least I can reliably dispatch mortal-level enemies now, that's already something.
Xin went into a canteen, where he dined with Rui Ming instead of Lei, like he usually did. He wondered, is uncle Ti going to accept? His plan sounded brilliant on paper, but there were often complications emerging in execution.
"Brother Xin, have you finally read the Five Treatises? What do you think?"
"It's great. The poetry has layers to it, and the cultivation advice is quite subtle. I like Tempest, except he is a bit one-dimensional. There is no conflict about him, no struggle, no growth. He's just too cool. Maybe once I am done with the second half I'll change my mind. He is badass and insightful, but this work feels like a post-factum fiction based on real events."
"Huh, can't you accept that the Tempest is just that talented?" - Xin was the first person in this sect that Rui Ming could discuss this book with, and he was eager to hear what he thought, but Xin was being a snob!
"Look, I get it. He is a great swordsman. But self-taught? Learned through fighting for his life? And the women are all over him, too. Feels like he cut a lot of stuff out to make himself look cooler. And it also feels like he downplays the contributions of his travelling partners."
"I've never seen them complain about this in their own works. If he stole their achievements, they would have saved something."
"Well, he was a rank four, after all, and they never went above rank three. And it wouldn't be polite to criticise your partner and master after he died, tarnishing his legacy."
"Right, I get it. Maybe the Tempest I adore and the actual Tempest are different people. But I will still strive to overcome him!"
Xin was moved. Rui Ming didn't argue, and changed his viewpoint due to his arguments? His determination was also endearing, he wasn't a childish dreamer, he was putting in work to back his words up.
"You... agree? What fly bit you, Ming?"
"Look, there is a difference between being stubborn and being stupid. Tempest was a person, and he might have wanted to be remembered in a positive light. If one day I find out things didn't go as they did in the Treatises, I'll accept it. It's painful, being disillusioned, but once you digest it, it's like seeing the clouds spread, opening the view to the sun. And they call me Windsplitter. Naturally, I enjoy it."
Xin was amused. This guy couldn't have a relaxed discussion. Every time he opened his mouth, it was to argue, to boast, to philosophise or to make a motivational speech. He was like Lei, but with less angst.
"Beaten a veteran mannequin today. Human mode."
"I've beaten a non-human mode master mannequin. Got injured, almost triggered a formation, but landed a nice qi infused neck cut. Disrupted its internal root tendon, that's its weak spot."
Shit. Is he lying? That thing is a monster. How could a mortal level cultivator fight it? Rui Ming can already fight some rank ones, just like Yao Nang! No, he is stronger.
"Rui Ming, I have to tell you something..." - Xin was nervous. It's been weeks since he found out, but he was anxious to tell him.
Rui Ming stared at him intensely.
"So, your breakthrough. I think someone just blocked the heavenly qi from flowing properly. It's not your mistake." - He spoke quietly.
"What are you saying? Can you prove it?" - Ming froze in astonishment.
"If you don't believe me, leave the sect and try starting a breakthrough. You'll exhaust yourself, and you won't be able to attempt it again for some time once you interrupt it, but you'll feel the heavenly qi pretty clearly."
"How... how did you reach this conclusion?"
"I took your description to an independent expert, and did some personal research, too. He said your technique is fine. Didn't praise it, but said your idea is correct. It works. We don't know about the execution, but you couldn't blunder it so badly that heavenly qi wouldn't even start flowing."
"But... Huang Lingbo said that my whirlwind idea is nonsense, and I should have used a water path swirl."
"To tempt you closer to the water path. This idea works. You are talented, they want you to fit the Five Elements Transition formation when you are stronger."
As a wind path user, Rui Ming wouldn't be able to be a pillar in the sect's main formation. The sect masters were confident that he'll reach rank two, Xin suspected, and wanted him to become a water path master. This was also why Xin and Lei were recommended against cultivating conflicting elements.
Other than being less convenient, it also made them weaker as formation auxiliaries, and the sect would rather they stuck to one element. In this context, Xin actually managing to get the teachers to share dual path wisdom was even more impressive.
"I... believe you. Screw it! I'll take an extended leave, I can afford it. I'll go loan some money and attempt another breakthrough, this time in closed cultivation."
"Where?" - Xin was amazed at how quickly Rui Ming made this decision.
"Last Gale cliffs. I'll claim one of the peaks and break through."
"Those are outlaw territories, there are dangerous flying beasts there, too. Rogue cultivators roam those lands, and I heard the winds can get strong enough to blow a person away. Are you sure? You are still a mortal, outmatched by almost everything there."
"Good. This will inspire me. I'll return stronger. If someone in the sect is hindering my development, I truly have no other choice."
Xin came up with several different choices, but kept them to himself.
Rui Ming finished his food, stood up and said:
"I'll make the preparations immediately. You aren't the only one who knows how to survive the wilderness. By dawn, I'll already be gone. I won't forget you and your help when I break through, brother Xin. You can count on me."
"Yes, 'master'. Good luck."
Xin couldn't help but admire this man.