The change of cities promoted positive changes in the Brotherhood and their capacity of helping the community around them. These were the thoughts of one of the 'numberless' Brothers in the Brotherhood.

The New Age brought new ways to invest their resources. Especially in their long planning.

This was something that Zeno Angelus had foretold. The Brotherhood 'Seed' is now a 'Tree'. And must act and think in the scale of time that a tree exists.


Even if, to the (truly) powerful cultivators, they are barely older than children (seeds).

Speaking of children. The change of cities for the headquarters caused a change in the informal and (and unspoken) 'ranking' in the Brotherhood 'numberless'.

The 'favor' in their 'ranks' comes from how useful one can be for the community. But especially the 'mortal' children. So, the more a Brother can contribute the higher they move in the 'rank'. Some of them could even get a number and/or a Title!

Sure, we are all treated very well. We all can talk to the Builder as equals. But the quota of time of work you can operate on. The resources that are put under you. In These matters, there MUST be a disparity among Brothers.

It was for the children's sake after all.

They need to maximize their successes to help as many kids as possible!

For example, They would not put the Builder to do useless things. Or try new things that another member already can do reasonably well. Well unless the Builder wants to do that anyway.

Still among the numberless. Toymakers rule supreme! People who even if they are numberless have a (good) title! And even more impressive quotas of work to do, a big crew of assistants (crew of Brothers) and a huge number of resources put under them.

People like 'The Dollmaker', or 'the Wood Horse Crafter', 'Toy Weapon Maker', and 'ruling' above all of them all is 'The Toymaker'. A generalist of terrific acumen and even more scary determination! They said he is among the members of the Brotherhood that can work even while Sleeping!

Others can still have an impact like the Brothers that focus on cooking some kind of food or crafters that make tools and things for everyday life. For example, 'Cake Cooker' Brother, 'Feast Maker' Brother, and 'Pretty Dresses Maker' Brother are some of the many numberless Brothers that rise above!

Still for him, one of the 'seasonal workers'. A Brother that has an irregular quota of work. Which is a topic that brings great shame to themselves. but that is true.

Not only that but his work usually requires barely little in resources, and that has most of his work not being visible (in general). Well people like him will be the last in any circle of equals in The Brotherhood.

You see, He, a numberless and untitled Brother, makes ice. and That is useless among the Brotherhood.

So, when the times come to decide who is allowed to stock material inside their headquarters he is among the last. Since they use runes to make the kids' rooms as comfortable as possible (so no need of ice) and the old generations endure the hot days without a single gram of ice. It is a matter of Pride to them. It is also a matter of making logistics to be even cheaper!


But this City changed things! They can now trust that material outside of 'The Eternal Building' will last. And not fear that some of the multiple groups of cultivators and/or factions in the city will either destroy it, steal it or worse taint it! Like they did in Sunnydale! plus they have a bigger market here!

Speaking of Sunnydale, Cursed be the Mayor (lower rank) minions! Cursed be the Butcher Girls! Cursed be the Bone Boy's fangirls! Cursed be the bloody red rats! And especially Damn be those (others) failed experiments! Just because you failed to fulfill the Matriarch's vision is no reason to lash out. much less destroys his stock of ice outside the eternal building! which they did.

Every! single! time!

Still, his mind had lost focus for a moment. He is now in Pleuron. And like the Great Spirit insists on saying. This place is better than Sunnydale (outside the sewers that is).

So, he, who wished to be called 'Icemaker', has a big plan to change things for himself here!

Allowing him to make new things! Get HUGE quotas of work. to work ALL DAY! EVERY DAY! FOREVER!

It all started after he gathered new knowledge which was eased by so many specialists to talk or pay for lessons! People that know the high-end arts of making ice. Like the Ice Cave Maidens.

What was even better was that, inside the Fortress City of Pleuron, the maidens have little care for the commercial market. So long the market in question is one for the Mortals and Aspirants Golden Devils that is.

You see, you usually don't spend evil stones (spirit stones) on (mortal) high-quality ice! much less walk from the Ice Caves to a Devil Fortress City to sell mortal rank ice or Aspirant rank ice.

But Icemaker was different. He could get the help of his Brothers to look for the cheapest way to make ice (of good quality). And then studied a lot of the many means to make ice and with that, he learned new tricks!

Like The cheapest way to make Aspirants Ranked Level Ice! And he makes it even cheaper by using his (tiny) quota of adjustments that he can ask for the Great Spirit of this Fortress City.

Blessed by Pleuron! Blessed by the vision of the Second Builder in making that Alliance!

Hell, he, Icemaker, even invested time in learning how to use one of those 'standard arrays' of the (Great) Abel Angelus! Since those are easy to understand even by someone like him.

All the work he did in the last winter, the tons of ice moved, the spirit beasts he had to face and kill, the best (mortal) grade trees he searched and cut to make the sawdust needed to make the ice last. The work he did to dig a truly huge ice room. The literal liters of his blood he bled to power and fuel the runes that he crafted outside the room (to not contaminate the ice). And finally, the begging he has done to have the Spirit of the City to make some adjustments to improve the ice room.

It was all worth it in the end.

Since The Children were running to his shop after all.

"Ice Cream!" the one that (hopefully) will be named 'Icemaker' loudly (and happily) announced.

"Ice cream!" many young voices yelled back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Seeing all those children eating those desserts. Was worth all the work that Icemaker did.

Not for the increased quota of work. Not for the resources that are now being invested in his work. Not even for the greater prestige that he now has. or money.

After all the ice cream was free so he was losing money here.

All those smiles of The Children were all the rewards that The Icemaker wanted.

Well…

…he also wished that his son lived long enough to witness this day. And eat one of his creations. Still, these smiles were the reason he WILL help the Brotherhood vision become true or certainly die trying.

A Desert where all 'Mortals' are Cultivators!

They will certainly die trying to make this Impossible Dream become true. But that is a Death that Icemaker is perfectly ok with.

Let the Trial Come!

xxxxxxx

Word count: 1276 words.

@Swordomatic, @Alectai, @Quest, @TehChron, @Insane-Not-Crazy, @Humbaba, @ReaderOfFate, @Kaboomatic, @no.

Another omake for our pile this one for the Builder. Please^^.

"Ninth Heavenstage in only twenty years, huh? I have a feeling I'm going to be bragging about having trained you in a long time."

"You already brag about having trained me. I'm not sure why, I haven't done anything particularly special."

"Haven't done anything special. Ha! You tricked a blood sect cultivator four stages above you to jump off a cliff for an empty box!"

"And they never found the body. He's probably still out there, somewhere."

"You need to learn how to lighten up and take a complement."

Honestly, Flavius felt like it was Captain Narses who needed to learn to stop overreacting. The moment he had mentioned reaching ninth heavenstage to his mentor, the Captain had dragged him out to a bar and started bragging about having trained 'the Flavius Eirenikos' to anyone who would listen, and a few who wouldn't. The whole thing was a bit embarrassing.

"I can take a compliment, but I prefer to do so for things worthy of complimenting. Truthfully, I'm not even sure why Ninth Heavenstage is worth celebrating."

The Captain sighed, looking down ruefully into his mug of beer. "Honestly, Flavius, sometimes I wonder if you ever pay attention to anything but that damn mountain."

Now Flavius was frowning, "I assure you I pay attention, that's why I know you're exaggerating. You said it yourself, I fooled a ninth Heavenstage cultivator off a cliff with an empty box while in my fifth. And I did that after leading him on a wild chase for what must have been at least an hour. He was stronger than me, and faster as well, but he lacked… refinement, I suppose."

"You say you pay attention to more than just the mountain and then you go and bring it up! Besides, that lack of refinement is just because he was blood path. If anything, between you and most Golden Devils at 9th Heavenstage, it's you who is lacking refinement, though I imagine it's not as much of a gap as it could be given you practice twenty four seven."

"Ahh, I actually find that I see better results if I take four hours of the day to rest and relax."

"You're just proving my point."

Flavius didn't know what point the Captain was making exactly, but he wisely chose not to comment on that. The man had finished his mug some time in their last set of exchanges, and was now looking at the thing like it had personally betrayed the Golden Devils to blood sect bandits. Better to allow his ire to remain at the lack of beer.

"Do you even know what percent of cultivators get to ninth heavenstage?"

Flavius opened his mouth to respond, but Captain Narses kept going before he could get a word in edgewise.

"Ten percent. Ten percent! And do you know how old the average cultivator is when they reach that point? One hundred and forty years old! That's one hundred years older than you, if I recall. You're prodigal, and that's considering how many prodigies we've had lately."

Flavius actually turned to the Captain in surprise. Truth be told, he didn't know those statistics. He knew not everyone worked as hard as him, but even so. A hundred and forty years to reach ninth heavenstage? It sounded almost ridiculous. Though it did explain why none of the others who he had trained with in Captain Narses' lessons wanted to spar with him anymore.

"I suppose I didn't realize it was so difficult. Not that it's easy for me, exactly, but I've never reached a point I couldn't surpass by simply working harder."

"Well, I suppose you're what they mean about people who work hard and were born with natural talent."

He waved the bartender over to refill his mug before continuing, "So while we're on the subject, I've been meaning to ask. What is your plan going forward? Going to go for tenth Heavenstage? Maybe even eleventh?"

"Well I always assumed I was going to go for 13th Heavenstage. Isn't anything else a waste?"

"You know, somehow I knew you were going to say that. Do you even know how many people alive in the clan have even reached that far?"

Flavius frowned, counting on his fingers. Of course everyone knew the Single Pillar Kings, and he was pretty sure he'd heard of two others, so… "Eight?"

The Captain paused from breaking into his tirade. "Yes, that's right, actually. Eight in the entire clan. And that's utterly freakish, totally unprecedented in history. And you know the price of that is extremely heavy too. Not just in terms of the materials involved, but also in lost fighting power in the immediate. The clan is on the upswing right now, but we need people who can fight. The time spent trying to reach and then ascend at the thirteenth heavenstage is time not spent at foundation establishment or even core formation."

Flavius took some time to take it in, and really mull over what the Captain had said. It was objectively true, and he knew it to some extent of course. Still, when laid out like that it was clear how serious it was. Honestly, from what Flavius had heard himself, the tribulation alone was truly a terror. And yet despite all that…

"I suppose even if it's almost impossible I'd rather try and fail than not try at all. I lived almost twenty years before ever really setting foot on the mountain, but that whole time it was like I was starving. It was only when I started to climb that I really felt alive. That moment of exhilaration, when I ate for the first time in a week and knew I would live was incomparable. Even defeating Man Eater was hollow in comparison. It took everything I had and a great deal of luck besides, and all I accomplished in the end was managing to run away. It didn't feel like victory, it felt like seeing just how much further I have to climb."

He paused for a moment, taking a long pull from his mug just to have the time to reorder his thoughts. He expected the Captain to speak up, but his mentor was oddly silent. Eventually, Flavius spoke again.

"Part of me is happy about that, though. The same part of me that hears everything you just said and gets excited. The higher the mountain, the further I have to climb, the more time I have where I feel alive. I think if I ever reached the peak I'd just start to starve again, you know?"

There was a long moment of silence before the Captain spoke. "You talk about that damn mountain way too much, but if anyone could do it, I think it'd be you. Just don't forget about us little guys while you're reaching for the summit."

Flavius smiled, "Don't worry, Captain, I won't forget you. After all, you're the one who trained the Flavius Eirenikos, right?"

His mentor laughed, "You're damn right! And we've known each other for twenty years at this point, you can call me Patroclus."

Qinglong Shu SS6 - The Training

Each breath was akin to filling her lungs with needles. Each miniscule movement of her body was akin to setting her muscles on fire. Lei Feng's sword felt like a ton of steel in her grip. Yet she kept it in her grasp nevertheless. Even if she were to die, even if she were to perish, she'd never let go of her blade. Not only because it was a matter of pride…but also because if she ever let go she got punished for it by her teacher.

"If you let go of your weapon, you let go of life."

Feng never knew how many times she had to drop down and give Shu fifty, but she figured she should feel grateful for being pushed to her limits repeatedly. Compared to before her apprenticeship, her stamina leapt beyond the boundaries of her previous weak self. Of course it was hard to feel grateful with blood dripping down on the sand, her wounds torturing her soul like nothing else before. Though it was a natural result from what Shu affectionately called 'group beatings'. In normal terms, it'd be referred to group sparring sessions, in which she and her fellow students and the shitter Qiao would work together to take on their superior opponent, Qinglong Shu. Obviously it was just as Shu described it as. Kicks, punches, that staff, she used everything to beat the crap out of all of them with next to no mercy. But this time, there was a difference. A small one.

The sound of flesh being torn away sounded in the air.

"Fuck!" Qiao shouted, hissing as he instinctively covered his bitten arm as Shu jumped backwards. He paled a bit, not from the bloodlust but just from the sight of the Azure Dragon chewing his flesh before spitting it out to the side, just in time to sway back, dodging a straight punch from her right. Bo's eyes widened and he quickly bent his arm with gritted teeth, avoiding the teeth trap as Shu snapped her head upwards.

Qinglong Shu restricted her moves, her attacks specifically, entirely on biting. Sure, she still used her arms and legs to defend and parry, but the main damage tool? Her teeth. Her very, very sharp teeth and her very, very strong jaw to boot. Feng had no idea how anyone could ever find a liking to chomping people's biceps off, but apparently their teacher found that liking and decided to keep it as a pet. Obviously the teeth were sturdier and sharper than her blade, which already had pieces of it chipped off. Then she looked at her own bite marks, wincing before she looked up…just in time to yelp and jump to the side for a donkey roll. The javelin that was Shu missed her mark, biting air, before she rolled on the ground…and jumped straight at Feng again like a chasing death worm.

It was like fighting a savage Spirit Beast, which was ironic, given the actual Spirit Beast at their side having just as many problems as they did.

Gezu rushed in, twirling her glaive made of ice and aiming at Shu midjump. But in response, the Azure Dragon just twisted her head and chomped down on the blade, just hard enough to get a grip on it, but soft enough not to break it. She allowed herself to stop, pushing her feet into the ground. Then she bit down and crushed the ice blade…then the shaft…then all of it, until her mouth was filled with crunchy water. Gezi stared at the small stump she was left with before pouting as she channeled her Ice Qi once more, attempting to create a new weapon.

"No fair!"

In response to that completely justified exclamation, she earned herself a face full of mouth water, blinding her. She stumbled backwards, while her mother picked another target, snapping her head towards Bo. The nephew's eyes widened before moving his center of gravity to his left, bending his knees to dodge.

"Oh fu-"

His jump was cut short, as a jaw tugged him back. Then he was flipped upside down when Shu rose to her feet, his left leg in her mouth. She grinned and spun, swinging Bo and using him to bat bullets away.

"Ow, you bitch!"

"Why'd you let her grab you?!"

"Because it's so much fuuuuuuuu-"

"Gah!"

Mind you, this was technically the easiest fight they ever had. Feng ducked under the Bo-Chaku and jabbed forward, stabbing Shu in her heel. She hissed, her foot rising in response, only for her to be knocked off balance by a bullet. That was followed up by an ice hammer into her back, sending her flying with Bo. Landing hits here and there, more often than before due to her own restrictions. She only had one mouth and her handicap to only guard with her limbs meant she had to actively hold herself back from actually lashing out with her hands and feet.

Nevertheless, only because it was the easiest fight didn't make it actually easy. Especially considering-

Feng backed away from a downwards swing of Shu, smashing Bo face first into the sand. But then she stumbled against someone, before rudely being shoved away.

"Get the fuck out of my line!"

She snarled at the hell demon fuck, before slapping his head upside down.

"You move your ass first!"

In response, the bastard actually shot at her, putting a hole into her shoulder. She hissed before shanking him in the thigh. Then they smashed their foreheads into each other, teeth barred.

"You wanna go, you sword shitter?!"

"Anytime, you gun freak!"

"Help me, you chucklefucks!" Bo yelled, being used as a meatshield by Shu's teeth. Gezi frowned deeply as she tried to aim with her spear, but always having to abort her attack as Bo's body got in the way.

"I'm trying, nephew!"

"I ain't your damn n-SHIIIIT!"

Bo's body was thrown. Gezi was not prepared for that and crashed down into the ground with him. Shu then backflipped onto the quarreling students, who could only blink owlishly before they could even let out a scream of fear as Shu's teeth cut their foreheads open as they swayed backwards. Of course being off balance like that left their legs wide open, causign them to receive bite sized pieces being ripped off. The two fell down on the ground as well, in agony, while Shu chewed and raised her hands to make a sign.

The time out sign.


The students thus didn't bother to get up, instead lying on the ground, resting up with heavy, hyperventilating breath, grabbing their medicine and downing it. Their flesh began to close up somewhat, to stop the bleeding, something very important for Feng specifically, as she was already pale as snow. At the same time, Shu was cross legged already, writing stuff out for herself. After all, this was both a lesson for them as it was for her too. It wasn't just their teacher trying to show off her superiority by restricting her actions. Instead, it was a process. A process to learn. Analyzing all the moves she used, effective or ineffective. It was respectable almost, that dedication to improvement.

Only she would still chew on the flesh of her students as she was writing down notes, comparing and figuring out when biting was a practical move to make instead of just kicking or punching. Naturally, eventually, there was nothing left to chew, so just like always, she spat it to the side, without even looking up from her notes she was writing. They all frowned as one. They shouldn't feel this way, but seeing their flesh and blood being spat out on the sand felt vaguely insulting.

"Got something good out of this?"

"Yup, yup. Incorporating it into my movements should be done by tomorrow or so."

Except Gezi, their eyebrows twitched. They literally started this day with the bite sparring. It took most people months or even years to enhance and expand their arsenal as a martial artist. Of course this was Qinglong Heavens Damned Shu, whose second name might as well be 'Adaptation' when it came to unarmed martial arts. Gezi on the other hand just clapped happily, like a good child. For that, she got a hair ruffle from her mother. Rolling her shoulders, Shu licked her lips as she stared at the group.

"As for you…" She pointed at Gezi first, looking at the part of the stomach she bit out.

"Your ice is getting that stronger consistency. Hitting the books work. I still say spreading out your focus on all those weapons is bad for you in the short term…but long term wise, such variations of taste will explode. Keep up the good work."

Gezi giggled, a small blush of delight in her eyes. Shu then pointed at Bo.

"You got the opposite problem. Meat ain't tough enough yet. Think more of storms, of hurricanes that crush all. Soft to dodge is good and all, but you need that edge, that bone to make the meat more tasty."

"Uhhh-"

"As for you two," Shu said with a flat tone. "Good spice, Qiao, but like Bo, you gotta be tougher to chew. Blood is important as seasoning in your case, so lean into that, it'd make the bitter taste of your bullets work better. Feng, your meat toughened up nicely, but you gotta be more patient, let it stew a bit more. Only because a weakness opens up doesn't mean you can dive right in. Timing is important for a good meal."

The two of them nodded slowly, a disgusted expression on their faces. Then Shu clapped her hands together.

"As for teamwork…awful. It's making me puke. You got better, but that only ups you from inedible to cold and raw. Not to mention the clash of taste. Common sense would dictate you will never make it as a main dish, much less a desert."

"All of you taste so different, it's really clashing." Shu smiled slightly. "And yet…I can tell there's harmony in them, despite everything. Once the spice of Qiao's fire syncs up with the freezing cold of Gezi…ones Bo fans the winds of ice and flames…once Feng dances through the elements, the gaps of weaknesses used to her advantage…" Shu let out a wistful sigh. "The moment it all clicks for you…I can't wait to see it."

Silence reigned between them. The expectations, the belief, it filled Feng's heart with warmth. She knew she made the right decision to follow this stranger, to be someone more than a failure. However…

"...This would be real heartwarming if you didn't chew us a minute ago."

"Or talked about us as if we were some premium steaks."

"Instead it's just damn creepy."

"I don't get it, what's wrong?" Gezi asked Bo, Feng and Qiao, tilting her head at their disgusted expressions. They ignored her, causing her to cross her arms with narrowed eyes. Meanwhile Feng shuddered. Seriously, did she have to do this review while sounding like a damn gourmand?! No wonder some people started to wonder if she was actually Blood Path, if this was how she talked sometimes! Instead of reflecting on their words however, their teacher shrugged casually, a smirk on her face.

"Good. It's meant to be- Just don't be overtaken by your fear and you'll kick my ass soon enough."

…It'd be easier not to respect her if she wasn't so good and caring. Alas, this was the person they all choose to follow. With a slight smile on their faces, they got back up their feet and bowed as one.

"One more time!"

Shu smirked at that before cracking her fingers, rolling her shoulders as she leaned forward.

"Sure. But this time I'm hitting back properly."

Their smiles wavered. That did nothing to make their teacher show any mercy.
///
2038 Words

He fell. It had been a split second decision, between killing the infuriating Golden Devil and getting his hands on the ten leaf fire bloom lotus of purity. He'd wanted so badly to sink his claws and teeth into the lesser cultivator, to tear him to shreds for thinking her could get one up on Man Eater. But Man Eater hadn't survived this long by choosing anger over practicality. Using the lotus, he would gain the power to face even heavenly tribulation. After he was beyond the qi gathering stage, Man Eater could always hunt down that Golden Devil and make him suffer.

So he had leapt for his prize instead. Only, now that he was plummeting towards the ground, he was starting to regret that decision. He had been forced to leap away from the cliff face to snag his prize, which meant he couldn't do anything to slow or stop his free fall. Man Eater assumed the Crouching Leopard stance as he watched the trees below grow closer, but he knew it wouldn't be much help. Even if he managed to survive the fall, it was really going to hurt.

Man Eater had been right. It really hurt. He suspected he had survived only because the tree branches had broken his fall somewhat, but he was also pretty sure that had come at the cost of at least one broken rib. And his legs… he was a blood path cultivator who regularly hunted and ate other humans raw, but even he couldn't bare to look at his legs without feeling sick. Suffice to say, they were still attached, but he wasn't exactly going to be walking on them in his current state.

But he had the lotus. It was beginning to feel more like a consolation prize to this whole humiliating ordeal, but it was still quite the consolation. With trembling hands, he reached for the top of the box, and as gently as he could he opened it to reveal the treasure inside.

Only, there was nothing there. Sure the thing was lined in a beautiful blue velvet, but it held no lotus! He turned it over in his hands, shaking it as if the lotus were simply stuck somehow. But nothing came out. It was an empty box.

He had jumped off a cliff for an empty box. Been tricked into jumping off a cliff by some lesser golden devil cultivator for an empty box. Kept himself from killing that cultivator to avoid destroying and empty box!

Man Eater roared in anger and pain and humiliation, but there was nothing around but trees and animals to hear it.

A lesser cultivator, perhaps, would have accepted death. Man Eater had seen it happen before. When he leapt from the shadows to pin a man to the floor, claws aimed for their neck. He had seen men hold him back for moments, and then, as if realizing the end was inevitable, simply stop fighting. Such cultivators were truly weak, and would never have amounted to anything even if he hadn't slain them. There was nothing Man Eater hated more than that weakness.

He refused to accept death, and when that option was off the table, only one other possibility lied open. He had not lost any limbs, and so even his extensive injuries could be healed with a great enough feast. But for that he needed access to spirit beasts, and powerful ones as well. Unfortunately, he only knew of one place on this mountain certain to have strong enough spirit beasts, and it was at the top of the cliff he had just jumped off.

Excruciatingly, Man Eater began to pull himself to the base. Every movement was agony, and without his legs he had to resort to crawling. Yet, inch by bloody inch, he made his way. And once he reached it, there was no where to go but up.

Man Eater's claws could carve through stone, but doing so wasn't as easy as he'd made it seem earlier. Certainly not when he had two mangled legs and a broken rib. Climbing with this method was even harder. He had to drive his clawed hand into solid stone with all his strength, pulling himself up. Then, he had to pull out one of his hands, leaving himself hanging from the cliff face with only a single point of contact, and repeat the process. Over and over and over again. And of course, if he fell he would almost certainly be dead.

But of course, that last bit wouldn't matter if he simply never fell.

Man Eater didn't know how long it took him to climb to the top of the cliff. The sun was still in the sky, at least, so it could not have been more than a few hours. Still, it had felt like an eternity. He had never been in more pain than he was in this moment. Every movement burned, and it was getting harder to breathe as well. That was probably the broken rib. And when he reached the top, he found that there were scavengers feeding on his kill.

Truthfully, this did not surprise Man Eater. He himself was not above scavenging, after all, and he was a greater predator than anything on this mountain. Indeed, it presented something of an opportunity. The massive spirit vulture probably wouldn't taste very good, but its vital forces and its beast core would prove enough to jumpstart his recovery. It was just a matter of catching the giant bird, and surviving the process.

First, he had to suppress his presence. This, at least, he was very good at. Man Eater had always considered himself something of an ambush predator, after all. He, admittedly, had grown somewhat complacent in this. He liked to allow his presence to terrify his prey before eating them. Not only did it make tracking them easier, but the meat was sweetened by the fear. In this case, though, drawing the spirit vulture's attention would just see him killed.

Then, he began to creep forwards. He could normally have tread through this forest without making a sound purely on physical skill, but at the moment he couldn't exactly tread at all. Instead, he turned to his qi. Muffling the noise his movement made was a minor external use of qi, though one that could be deceptively difficult. If Man Eater's focus lapsed for even a moment the effect would end, which was made rather worse by the fact that it was taking a considerable amount of effort to not cry out in pain with every shift of his body.

Even so, he crept forward. After a moment's contemplation, he directed himself towards a nearby tree. Man Eater would only have one shot at slaying the Spirit Vulture, and so he would need to strike for its vulnerable neck. For that, he needed height, which in turn meant more climbing. Yet the trees were not so unforgiving as stone, and he had far more experience in climbing them. It was almost comforting, in a way. As he made his way along a thick tree branch, he could not help but think back to how he had started his journey. His very first kill had been made in much the same way, hiding in a tree, preparing to leap down on a man clueless to his presence. Of course he'd barely possessed any qi at the time, and had been armed with a vicious knife. Still, perhaps there was a silver lining in being forced back to the basics.

Naturally, that was when everything went wrong. His momentary reminiscence was enough of a distraction that, when combined with suppressing his pain and silencing his movements, he did not notice the subtle weakness of the tree limb. At least, not until it cracked, and Man Eater found himself falling once more.

He landed painfully, but not on the ground. Instead, he found himself situated on the side of the massive bird he was hunting. It let out a gargling shriek of shock, stumbling from the weight that had just dropped onto it, disrupting its meal. It was all Man Eater could do to dig in his claws and hold on, and the bird flapped its wings in anger, spinning to try in vain to remove the presence from its back. With grit teeth, Man Eater began climbing yet again, this time up the back of a very angry giant bird.

Man Eater could actually feel the vibrations of the massive creature's squawking as he pulled his way up its feathered form. One would expect even a bird this large to have a cry that sounded like, well, a bird, but instead it was more like two boulders scraping together.

It was strange what one noticed when fighting for his life.

Seemingly having given up on pecking at its own back, the vulture began to stumble backwards. It would have been peculiar if Man Eater had not found himself in somewhat similar situations (minus the broken legs) in the past, and so he braced himself just moments before he found himself slammed into a nearby tree. Yet he didn't let go. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even as the bird stumbled forwards again, he managed to hoist himself up, and wrap his arms around its neck.

Now the bird's flapping took on an even more desperate color. The vulture actually began to gain height, even with the extra weight around its neck. That was a problem. Man Eater wasn't exactly enthusiastic about taking yet another fall today.

With a roar, he pulled back with all his strength. He felt resistance as the bird's neck was pulled straight back, but with a mighty heave he broke through it. An awful snapping sound and the thud of a body hitting the floor heralded his victory. He was panting, bloodied, and felt like he'd broken a second rib, but Man Eater had won. And from there, he had nothing to do but feast.

Man Eater had bet everything on reaching this point for a relatively simple reason. By feeding on this spirit beast, and the remains of the tiger he had previously killed, he could fuel his natural healing, accomplishing years of healing in moments. Unfortunately, that still meant his body needed to be in the proper state to heal correctly. If his bones healed while out of place, they would remain that way, leaving him crippled. Which meant he needed to fix his legs.

Years ago, before he had begun his journey as a cultivator, Man Eater had been trained as a doctor. His parents had cared for all the sick and injured in the town he came from, and it was expected he would carry on the family business. Yet, when he cared for his patients, he found that there was something outsides his ministrations and medicines that decided who lived and who died. It was some sort of unmeasurable will to live that some possessed and others did not. It had been that revelation that first spurred him towards the path that left him here now. Perhaps more importantly, however, he had found that his medical knowledge was just as if not more useful for killing as it was for healing. Whereas others of the blood path feasted without a care in the world, Man Eater had been sure to study his kills, learning how their bodies worked, and how they fit together. It was that knowledge which would save him now.

Fixing his shattered legs was a nauseating task. To see himself reduced to such a state was disturbing to say the least, and each shift he had to make was an agony greater than everything else he had felt that day. Yet, with the power of two spirit beasts flowing through him, and an unbreakable will, he slowly set about the process of reassembling his shattered bones.

It would be a long few hours.

It was night by the time he had recovered enough to walk. It was not a perfect fix, but it was enough to move at his full speed with only moderate pain. He would have to find more prey elsewhere to return to full form. And indeed the emphasis was on elsewhere.

Earlier, during his fight with the Golden Devil, he had managed to consume some of his foe's blood. With that, it was a simple technique to track his prey, gaining a rough idea of where the Golden Devil was in relation to Man Eater. Usually, he used this technique to hunt down his targets more effectively, but in this case it proved as something of a warning system. He could tell, based on what direction the Golden Devil had went, that he had gone back to Chengshipolis instead of continuing on to catch up with the trade caravan. That meant his current location would soon be swarming with Golden Devil cultivators, likely strong enough that he wouldn't be able to kill them all. Considering how he'd been duped by a simple fifth heavenstage cultivator… well, this whole experience had been something of a wake up call for the blood path cultivator.

So Man Eater fled, for now. He would train and grow stronger, gorge himself on the flesh of worthy prey, and prove that his will to survive was stronger than any other. And then, when that Golden Devil began to dismiss their encounter as nothing more than a distant memory, when he felt himself totally safe and secure, Man Eater would strike. And he would not be defeated again.

Gabriel Pompeius

Gabriel Pompeius is yet another youth from a minor family lineage linked to the Imperial Optimatoi since the Sea-Conquering Army. In short, another rank and file clan cultivator. And yet. When he first unlocked his cultivation, he collapsed quite suddenly, and remained unconscious for half an hour.

Upon recovery, he claimed to have a vision of something he called the Sephirot. His articulation of the vision, what the Sephirot was, was garbled and it appeared he was not entirely sure of it himself, beyond the claim that it was the key to a "True Heaven," something beyond the false one that oppressed the Imperial Optimatoi and upheld an oppressive, broken order.

While his wild story has drawn some askance glances, Gabriel is determined to find his way to the Sephirot, the way the esteemed Rina Callista unlocked the Single Pillar King path. He's convinced it will involve purification of his body, soul, Dao, and perfection of his Pillars to unheard of levels.

Turn 15: Gabriel grew at a surprising rate, reaching the Tenth Heavenstage in less than 15 years. He also met and befriended fellow Good Seeds Iskander Pallikari (a fellow legionnaire in the 518th), and Cerina Polya (who'd demonstrated great interest in his omen-seeking). Gabriel also picked up a repeated motif: the number 10 is somehow important to the Sephirot. However, the meaning of the next major sign - the image of a tree strongly reminiscent of the great tree at the Colossus Pass - still eluded him.

Appearance: Medium height, olive-skinned, clean-shaven, short brown hair, dark blue eyes.

Overall High Concept: Visionary, someone trying to draw meaning from all his experiences, possibly seeing omens or symbols where there are none. Just to be clear cosmology-wise, whether or not the Sephirot or equivalent in this setting - exists is of course Occipital's prerogative. Perhaps Gabriel got a distorted vision of something or he's chasing a delusion altogether.

---

Current Status as of Turn 17: 55 years old, 10th Heavenstage (182 cultivation years)
Total Impact: 7

The Kingdom Truth: Malkuth (7)

Gabriel discovered this truth in the Yuan Secret Realm. His body has been reforged and purified to receive the Light of Heaven, and in turn, release it into this False Heaven's Creation. Gabriel's inner, mental world is easier to emanate into the outer, physical world. Techniques are more qi-efficient and easier to perform, enchanted items are easier to construct, and, though this is of no use to him yet, one day the same will be true of any abilities which use Dao or Law. All mystical things flow more elegantly - for Gabriel draws them from a better Foundation than this or any Sea.

Life-Saving Treasures: 1
Lifespan Enhancement: None
Special Treasures: None
Cool Thing: Qlippoth. Though Gabriel does not yet realize it, his delving into what he calls the Sephirot has severed himself from Fate. Divinations against him return nonsense results, and he has a degree of protection from heavenly curses.
Cultivation Goal: Reach and breakthrough at 13th Heavenstage Orthodox, then...
Dao(s): Omens

Arts & Techniques:

• Ten-Channel Distillation Art: A Spiritual Qi cultivation method that, through breathing ten times in one second, maximizes qi intake and empowers the user physically and spiritually. Or it manifests ten chambers in your lungs to break it down in one breath. The records are confusing. The records promise it will make you 'one of the finest soldiers in humanity's army,' whatever that means. Cultivating with it causes excruciating pain in ten places on the body. (Note: This is the surviving fragment of a fragment of a SCA cultivation method - but nobody recognizes it as such - and it's so painful because it was designed for a Living Sea.)
• Reliable Firecracker Technique: A gesture manifests a burst of sound and light that can blind and deafen foes.
• Banshee's Screech Technique: Channeled through a finger, this generates a pulse that vibrates into the target's inner ear, disorienting them and undermining their balance.
• Legionnaire's Ward Technique: A general defensive technique that is used to disrupt and counter the techniques of others.

Total Word Count: ~35,800 words.

Turn 15: ~3,650 words
Omake #1 - Show Me a Sign [~1,200 words]
Omake #2 - Junior, the Fire of Your Ambition Must Consume All (Ferenike Collab) [~2,500/2 = 1,250 words]
Omake #3 - Noodles and Omens [~1,200 words]

Turn 16: ~28,750 words
Omake #4 - The Mysteries of the Flow [~1,400 words]
Omake #5 - Side Story - Bloody Plains [~1,100 words]
Omake #6 - Lines and Circles (Cerina Polya Collab) [~7,500/2 = 3,750 words]
Omake #7 - Shifting Currents (Iskander Pallikari Collab) [~3,800/2 = 1,900 words]
Omake #8 - A Cool Head Each Day Keeps The Building Fight Away [~1,700 words]
Omake #9 - Pompeius Family History (Part One) [~2,300 words]
Omake #10 - Pompeius Family History (Part Two) [~2,600 words]
Omake #11 - Pompeius Family History (Part Three) [~2,600 words]
Omake #12 - Pompeius Family History (Part Four) [~1,400 words]
Omake #13 - Honing the Blade (Iskander Pallikari Collab) [~9,400/2 = 4,700 words]
Omake #14 - Interlude: Blessed Child (Feng Umai 1) [~3,000 words]
Omake #15 - Interlude: Bloody Child (Feng Umai 2) [~2,300 words]

Turn 17: ~3,400 words
Omake #16 - Seeking Enlightenment, Part 1 (Iskander Pallikari Collab) [~6,800/2 = 3,400 words]

Flavius threw forward a series of swift jabs, each one deflected by his mentor. Captain Narses, or rather, Patroclus, as the man now insisted Flavius call him, was mid-foundation establishment. Of course, Patroclus called himself a thoroughly mediocre talent, better suited for training new generations than having resources wasted on his advancement, but he still had over a hundred years of experience on Flavius, and was much more advanced in his cultivation. It would be fully impossible for Flavius to beat him in a spar. But then, that wasn't the point of this contest.

"Your form is solid, but you're still too predictable. Where is the heaven defying talent I know you possess?"

Flavius threw forward a kick, forcing Patroclus back, before lunging in to bring him to the ground. But his mentor simply steadied his stance, such that hitting him was like running into a brick wall. Then the Captain grabbed Flavius, lifting him up with such force as to break his grip before slamming him down onto the ground. Flavius felt the wind driven out of him, but kicked forward with both of his feet to ward off Patroclus long enough to jump back up to a stand.

"You've won against opponents far stronger than you before. Can you not do so again, while I'm holding back?"

Now it was Patroclus' turn to go on the offensive, and it was everything Flavius could do to weather the storm. He dodged what he could, but the punches were so fast it proved almost impossible to evade them. Most, then, he blocked, and though he took no significant blows, Flavius knew his arms would be bruised the next day.

Even so, he found time to talk during the blistering assault, "I would not call surviving a beat down winning. I had every advantage and even then without some luck I surely would have died."

The assault let up for a moment, and Flavius prepared to seize the momentum again only to have the wind knocked out of him once more, this time from Patroclus tackling him to the ground. "Then you need to get better! If you're planning to pursue thirteenth heavenstage, you'll remain constantly weaker than your peers. You'll be at risk of death from anyone who decided not to take risks on the insane and entered foundation building straight from ninth heavenstage!"

Flavius twisted, wrapping his own arms around Patroclus' torso in an attempt to reverse the grapple, but it was no use. He gave it his best, of course, but after a few more moments of struggle Flavius was totally pinned. He gave a defeated sigh, "I believe it has only been nine minutes, which means you win."

Immediately, the Captain let up, standing to his feet before helping Flavius up as well. "You are improving, but not fast enough. If you cannot even hold out for ten minutes while I'm holding back, how will you survive the real thing?"

"I believe avoiding such a conflict would be the better part of valor, though if it were inevitable I would try to manipulate my enemy using what I know of their true objectives to hopefully survive and prevent them from achieving their goal."

It was an answer equal parts humble and arrogant. It was also entirely informed by past experience. Flavius' confidence in his ability to manipulate his opponents wasn't misplaced, for all it seemed at odds with his personality. Patroclus couldn't help but wonder how someone seemingly so guileless in his personal life could be so effective in deceiving his enemies.

Even so, there was a major flaw in such a plan, "And what will you do if their true objective is simply to kill you?"

"Well then I would try to escape. If it came to a fight I would probably die, but I'd try to take my foe with me if possible."

Immediately, Patroclus' eyes narrowed, "You know this clan can't survive its members going out and dying gloriously. It's a waste of resources! Rather than dying to take down your opponent, simply defeat them and then live!"

Flavius took a step back, "It's not like I want to die! If I can live, of course I'll live! But I know—"

"There's no ifs, ands, or buts allowed! Do you have any idea how many students I— the clan has lost because they decided to go out in a blaze of glory? Too many!"

Flavius felt frozen in place. He'd never seen his mentor, no, Patroclus break down like this. He couldn't help but wonder how long this has been eating at him, and what finally pushed him over the edge. It took a few moments for Flavius to push his thoughts into order, before he could respond.

"I can't reach the top of the mountain if I die. I can't ascend above heaven itself if I die. I promise you this: if by leg is broken in a fight I will limp back to safety. If both my legs are broken I will crawl. If my legs and arms are broken I will pull myself with my chin. I do not want to die, Patroclus. That's why I asked you to help me prepare to face stronger foes. But we both know I can't promise my survival."

Patroclus sighed, before dropping down to sit in the training field. Flavius tentatively followed his lead. Finally, his mentor spoke.

"I think you will be my greatest student, if you survive to get to that point. I just wish I could guarantee that you would. You're right, of course, it's impossible to be certain that you will survive, and I can't ask you to tell me you will. Honestly, I'm setting a bad example as your mentor, getting so emotional."

"No, no, I understand. We've known each other for twenty years after all. I can't imagine what it's like to train so many, only to lose them in all this war. It's the least I can do to listen."

They sat in companionable silence for some time, before Patroclus unclipped something from his side and held it out for Flavius. It was a silk rope, died a dull red color and otherwise totally unremarkable.

"I want you to have this."

Flavius reached out and took it, examining the object curiously, "Thank you for the… rope?"

"It's not just a rope! Honestly, juniors these days, don't even recognize a life saving treasure when they see one."

Immediately, Flavius thrust the the rope back towards Patroclus, "I can't take this. I don't want you to die either, you know."

But Patroclus refused to take it back, "I've been alive far longer than you, do you really think I only have one life saving treasure? Besides, I barely even leave the Dawn Fortress these days. More valuable training new legionaries than going out and fighting, I suppose. It'll never see use with me."

Reluctantly, Flavius stopped trying to give the rope back, and moved to tie it around his own waist, "How does it work?"

"Well, I've never used it, obviously, but as I understand it should drag you far away from combat if you're about to face death. It'll burn itself up in the process, of course, but better it than you."

"I— I don't know what to say."

"How about, 'thank you, great mentor, for this incredible gift you have bestowed upon me. I am forever in your debt.'"

Immediately, Flavius kowtowed himself before Patroclus, "Thank you, great mentor, for this incredible gift you have bestowed upon me. I am forever in your debt."

"I wasn't being serious! You don't owe me anything, Flavius, just do your best to stay alive. That's all I ask."

"Alright, I'll do my best."

They sat there for some more time, before Flavius spoke up again, "I don't want to spoil the mood, but we reserved this training field for another hour. Should we get back to it?"

Patroclus let out a bark of laughter, "You and your training. Honestly, I don't know why I'm even worried, even if you died you'd just get up four hours later to start practicing your forms or something."

Even so, he stood up, offering Flavius a hand. "You've had some rest, let's see if you can last ten minutes this time."

The Builder checked the new equipment once more.

In front of him was a leather mask that had a tube in the month part, said tube that ended in a giant bronze tank that was full of air that was very rich in QI.

This will be part of new gear that could change the way the Brotherhood can fight and help in the trial. And will be part of the tools for any group his family will send to other Good Seeds.

But not even knowing that this is an invention of Abel Angelus could make the Builder(s) happy with these results. Its very existence shows the disparity that makes his First Brother call spirit stones 'evil'.

[The only sin we can throw at the new gears comes from us being too successful in training new cultivators, still, those that use our methods still have paths outside serving the clan] said the First Builder.

To that, the Second Builder was in full agreement. The future of any of the new cultivators is their own! or this is how it should be.

"Still, what annoys me the most is how few choices exist for all those young men and women that decide to use the 'Builder Breathing Method' outside our group".

The breathing method was one of the ways one can go all the way to 4th heavenstage in the desert. And until that point, only talent, compatibility, and luck would tell how fast you move and/or if you can reach said 4th heavenstage using their methods.

Then they are Stuck. Trapped, and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

The Second Builder inherited the talent of his First Brother. His spark. With that, His family and allies can ask for any clarification/insight from him or use the Clan Board to get the latest version of 'The Builder Breathing Method' and all the variations they made.

And still, their people and allies get Stuck. Trapped, and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

And both the Brotherhood and himself truly tried to make as many variations as possible and ways for anyone, Devil or not, to use the Breathing Method.

But people still get Stuck. Trapped, and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

Tools like this breathing mask helped a lot, and treasures like the Ghoststone could help. Since said stone allows someone the aid and points of view/wisdom of hundreds of ghosts (or more). Treasures like the amulet of True Will could help by allowing someone to literally cultivate in their sleep so long they trusted the Will. Or have he/she/it/they to show ways to improve to new users cultivation's path.

But everyone else was still getting Stuck. Trapped, and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

This century of work allows the Brotherhood to learn a lot, their failures and success allow the new generation an easier path. Abel's Computer shows predictions that make the journey of many juniors. Their first steps in cultivation. a bit easier. And the sheer amount of knowledge they got from the Clan improved the entire process that the Brotherhood have.

But everyone else was still getting Stuck. Trapped, and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

The best way one can use 'The Builder: Breathing Method' is to cultivate until you are struck and move to a place with more Qi. Either a Devil City, the Mountains, the Plains, or a secret realm (if they are mad enough to do so).

And the Brotherhood certainly cultivated in all of these places to find paths to the next generations. So basically get stuck again and move to an even better location. Was all the 'wisdom' they can truly share.


But that just makes the cultivators get stuck in different ways. Trapped in different ways and forced to make different (and hard) choices to improve even further beyond the 4th heavenstage.

They will need to pay, fight, or bow to have access to these new lands.

Case in point Pleuron. A Devil Fortress that has the same amount of Qi in the air as that of the plains in some areas. Since 'rightful' cultivators need that to trade in the desert. Without losing their cultivation that is.

Here one can pay to be allowed inside said Fortress or bend the knees for the Devils to get the necessary support to continue in their cultivation.

In the Mountains, one can risk death by breathing in areas full of stronger spirit beasts or they can bend the knees to get inside a good location under a sect/clan territory.

And the whole war in the Plains is a thought exercise of factions trying to get better and better locations and more subordinates. Made real while they are also fighting a truly horrific war. All of them fought for the Qi of the land and other resources. while cannibals are eating their 'mortals'.

And even in the Plains people are also getting Stuck. Trapped. And forced to make some Hard choices. Since they will not be members of the 'core circle' of said factions. They will be the minions of the 'true scions'. They should (truly) be very thankful if they don't get crippled in some way while serving the 'rightful'.

All the above are some of the main reasons that the Brotherhood would do anything to protect and help Abel Angelus. Because that Scion of the Angelus can make tools that require no QI or use very little of the precious resource. And still, allow a 'mortal' to face a (very weak) cultivator in some area. Like the bike speed vs a (weak) qi gathering cultivator trying to eat them.

Some of Abel's creations can even store Qi like this breathing mask/tank allowing a Man/Devil to change their own Destiny.

But even with that, they are still Stuck. Trapped and forced to make some Hard Choices.

Many don't have the crafting skills of the Brotherhood after all. Or access to the Board of the Clan. So, they will need to pay, steal, murder, or use other means to learn of wonderful inventions like these ones. Much less get one of those on their hands.

Other factions like the Tree clan and those mad 'scientists' in the Plains show that the knowledge/skill needed to bypass some of these trials is not a problem that is stuck only the Devils. These factions also hold those 'secrets' so close to their chests. And demand such horrible costs even to the smallest of tools.

And the world is full of paths that both Builders would refuse to believe are necessary for the next generation like the blood path or some of the most demonic rituals that exist.

Well, there is always the Goodstone to transfer power. But that can only trade to one person per elder. And that requires the death of said older Brother, the aid of his Disk Will. And requires that said heir is compatible with the power/path of his elder.

So, they are still Trapped and Forced to Make Hard Choices.

Still, a trapped path or not is still better than remaining a 'mortal'. Since they can at very last give people a fighting chance to fight 'fate'.

Maybe if someone in the Brotherhood survives the next Trial, they will find a better way than what both Builders can think.

Maybe some of the next Builders will get the spark needed to make a flame big enough to guide all the people in the desert to a better future.

Or they will die trying, and even after that, they will continue to fight until they Break.

He knows because he will do exactly that until even his will is dust. Even knowing that the Brotherhood's Dream is truly impossible.

Still, there are always new things to be tried to improve their methods. And there is always something that is just a bit short of impossible to be reached!

Old Gold Knows that Pleuron's offer of cultivation chambers was truly a magnificent blessing. One they did not expect. Much less that Pleuron's Qi would become so pure in said rooms.

Seems to be Cheap too! That is always very important!

So, until their dying days, they will continue to go further beyond! to give the next generation a better future!

xxxxxx

Word Count: 1387 words

@Swordomatic, @Alectai, @Quest, @TehChron, @Insane-Not-Crazy, @Humbaba, @ReaderOfFate, @Kaboomatic, @no.

Another omake to be threadmarked for the Builder if you guys don't mind^^.

A hot bath wasn't something Shu was used to having these days. The last time she could remember was when she still lived in the Plains, back when she was but a child. Out in the desert, water was usually a sparse thing, especially with where her village was located. So to have the opportunity for a warm dip? Well, who was she to deny her senior Katha? An invitation was an invitation after all. Not to mention, if the hype around the hot spring was up to par, she could certainly use it herself. Her wounds were seriously starting to get tedious to deal with. Nothing crippling, nothing life threatening, but bleeding all over the place was just unsanitary. Shu slowly lowered herself into the steaming water, groaning as the water hit her skin and her wounds. But once the initial burn, the initial pain subsided, she closed her eyes and relaxed with a quiet moan.

She genuinely didn't know how stressed she was once she got this change of scenery. After the Secret Realm she was coiled up like a pressed together metal spring. That last sparring lesson with Elder Lang was just another reminder that she truly needed to unwind, to leave to a new place and see something else, something new. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings. The steam gave the area quite the mysterious feeling. The rock formations were quite nice to look at, as was Katha and her curv-

"Agh!"

She shot up, shocked that there was another person in here. Then she blushed before lowering herself into the water until only her face from the nose up was above surface level. Right, this was an open place, so another person being here wasn't that strange. Damn, she was really out of it if she didn't notice her. Blowing bubbles, she hoped that Katha did not notice anything and they'd both just relax in silence.

As it turned out, Katha did notice, for all that she's been leaning back against the edge of the hot spring and letting the water soak through her. It was nice and toasty, and she had reached a rare state of oneness with the rest of the hot spring. It left her uniquely serene, yet aware of her surroundings. Thankfully for Shu, this also meant Katha did not much care to point it out.

"Glad you could make it, Shu," Katha sighed instead, and as Shu waded her way next to her she squinted open her good eye. "Any trouble finding the place?"

"Well, it was okay, I guess."

"Good, good…"

They soaked in silence together for a while, Katha happily, Shu awkwardly. Katha let out another sigh, a long deep exhale that intermingled with the steam. She fully unwound with the experience of a seasoned spa-goer, while Shu remained tense and coiled up.

"...Sooooo, how's Mimi and her lil' brother doing?" Shu asked, scratching her right cheek.

"Hm? Oh, they're… Okay?" Katha rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "Marlissa's been putting Mia through remedial classes and stuff, for all the things she missed. Alistair's still… Well, you know." Another exhale, this one hard enough to press into the water's surface somewhat. It rebounded shortly, splashing against her chest. "He'll wake up, sooner or later. he has to."

Quickly, Katha racked her brain for a different topic. She really, really didn't want to talk about her family right now. Left on its own, it'll eventually spiral towards the house drama and the other elders and what's going to happen and ugh what a pain. Shu wouldn't mean to, but that's just how these topics just kept drifting.

A thought occurred, then, snagging onto the folds of her brain. Katha closed her good eye once more, happy to bask in the heat.

"So," she mentioned idly, "Do you know Chang? He seemed to know you."

"Geh." Here she wanted to know how Mia and the other one were acclimating to everything. Maybe even find out how their parents reacted to someone having raised one of their kids for like ten years. Perhaps figure out if anything changed with Alistair after that on field budget healing she did. Shu exhaled as she rubbed the water against her wound, whistling for a moment as she saw the wounds actually closing a bit. "Yeah, we are familiar…well, we beat each other's skulls in on the regular." Shu paused before pointing at Katha. "I'm winning by the way, just so you know." She tilted her head at the Theodoros. "Why, did he try to fuck you or beat you? That's his usual go to response with women."

For someone that chased after death as he seemed to be, he was somehow very much alive despite his misogyny. Either that or he was blessed with pissing off weak women who couldn't hold a candle to him.

"...Funny you should ask." The silver-streaked redhead looked down at the spring water, stained slightly red by the salts of the Oasis, and frowned at her own reflection. "I think… I think he considers me a friend. Well, as much as he thinks anyone is his friend. I think you're also his friend? I don't know. He's weird. Chang is weird." Her frown leveled off into a half-lidded, exhausted gaze. "And very rude. And very misogynistic. Didn't try to fuck me, though, thank my Ancestors. I only had to threaten to beat his ass once."

"Huh. Weird. I'd thought he'd be more persistent with you," Shu muttered before leaning back her head with a sigh. "Friend, hm? Well, I always felt we had that weird connection to each other, but I figured it'd be one sided. Wouldn't be the first time. I mean, I don't even know that much about him outside of his fighting skills." She blinked before turning to Katha with a frown. "...do you know something about him?"

"Yeah, kinda. I complained about my family, he complained about his family, I got mad, he laughed. We had a nice heart to heart." At that, Katha sighed contentedly once more. "Honestly, it was pretty nice. When he's being only like, one quarter Chang, he's actually pretty introspective. Fun to vent to, even, and I cannot believe I just admitted that about the guy. But yeah… Yeah, it was a good talk." Then, Katha smiled. "He even told me about his sister. Why'd you ask?"

Shu felt her eyebrow twitch. She took a deep breath before exhaling.

"Well, goodie for you, it took me fighting him several times until he opened up on that." She pressed her lips together. "Then again, I never asked up until that point, so I guess that one is on me…"

She sighed once more, slumping down. And wasn't that the story of her life. Her usual vibrant curious energy was dulled, even a blind person could tell.

And the senior not far from her was only half-blind. "Still feeling down?" She asked. "Was killing Ming everything you could have asked for?"

Shu flinched at the mention of her aunt's name. She hissed, her hands clenched into fists underneath the water. She remembered the taste of her shoulder, the pathetic twitching of her dying breath…and how hollowed out Shu felt at the time. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she forced herself to relax before a wry, weak excuse of a smile appeared on her face.

"It should have, shouldn't it? Got the treasures back, redeemed the clan, mission successful. I should be immensely satisfied." She raised her hand up at the air, staring at the back of her palm. "Instead I'm just tired and somewhat disgusted…Is that what it's like to be on the Single Pillar path, I wonder? This…single-minded obsession I had, discarding everything just for one goal? Will I ever feel this tired again? Or worse, will I not?" Shu was rambling at this point, so she slapped her cheeks lightly. "...All of this just burned me out instead of filling me with satisfaction. And…I don't think I want or should go down the path of King…"

An ugly scoff escaped her.

"Not that I'm suited for it anyway for a whole different reason. I mean, I killed Ming. I don't have anything else left." She turned to Katha with a self depreciating smirk. "I had a training session with Elder Lang recently. You know what he said?"

'You became weaker.'

It certainly made her the butt of the joke for a while for everyone who heard him say that, for it wasn't exactly that private. It was ludicrous if one thought about it. Shu jumped up from the tenth stage to the twelfth. The mere thought of her having grown weaker was stupid. And yet…

"I agree with him. I just…don't know what to do now, besides doing my duty." Shu let out a tired laugh. "No passion, no strength, haha…"

Katha nodded, her eyes still shut. She could not admit to understand what Shu was going through, because she has resolved not to walk the Single Pillar for different reasons. And she had not become as consumed by revenge as Shu had been, because she had not been as wronged as Shu had been. Imperator's sake, her mother was only dead, not murdered. She had no one to blame for her mother's death but circumstance - though pragmatically it was also because, well, what was she going to do with Old Gold? Kill him? When he probably didn't intend on killing a talent, either?

Katha had nobody to blame, so she blamed herself. So did Rathos, and it shaped them for the rest of their lives. So how do you try to empathize with someone who had someone to blame, and now feels empty because they finished what they started? Not just because revenge feels empty, but because now life was so much larger than they once thought it could be?

"Well, you helped raise Mia for a couple years - which, by the way, I and her parents are still really appreciative of, and Marlissa does want to reward you for it if you're ever up for it - and she seems to have nothing but nice things to say about you. She says you're really strong and she actually seems to care about what you might think about anything, which is a lot more than can be said about most people." Reflecting, Katha scoffed. "Heck, she's grown, and her rebellious phase is showing up. She doesn't bother listening to her mother half the time these days, unless Marlissa threatens violence. And you can't raise a kid with just violence alone, because that's just… Mm, I'm getting off track.

"Point is, Shu, for all that you seem really down about having nothing left after killing Ming, but I'm not sure that's the case. I mean… you have her, kinda. Little shit she is, Mia has… could have a good head on her shoulders, someday. She's sharp enough to get it eventually, provided we can just beat some sense into her." As she thought more about her niece, Katha raised her arms over her head and grasped her head. "Fuck's sake, she tried to open an ancestral crypt before I left. Do you know how disrespectful that is? She thought there might be weapons inside! Why would there be weapons inside a crypt?!"

Shu blinked for a moment before turning her head away to hide a sniff. Honestly, she was never quite sure if she and Mia ever truly bonded. The only way they ever really 'conversed' was during training and Mia was hella obsessed with that. No interest in books, or any other hobbies. So to hear she was actually a good influence…and to receive such gratitude from everyone else, it was…heavy to say the least. Clearing her throat, she laughed a bit.

"Sounds like her. When I told her about why I was in that Secret Realm, the first thing she asked was if she could get the White Tiger artifact." She twirled her hand playfully. "Suffice to say, it took weeks until she stopped trying to filch it from me." Putting her arms back on the rocky surface, Shu tilted her head. "Honestly, one way to get her to do what I want was to not talk back at all. Kinda weird all things considered, but this girl actually craves interaction. So if you just keep blocking her while being silent, that really tears at her nerves."

Well, it was either that or the repeated failures of actually stealing from Shu. But the girl was like a cat sometimes, so the Qinglong was relatively sure about her silent treatment tactic.

"Oh, another thing that could work would be to connect why something is wrong on a personal level. Mia stopped trying to steal from me after I revealed what the Four Treasures actually meant to me." Shu looked up at the sky, a wistful smile on her face. "Sure was surprising seeing that expression on her face. Usually was used to feral and pouty."


She then pressed her lips together as a thought came to her. Those years with Mia…Shu could say with confidence that she wasn't in that slump of hers at the time. Ergo…She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Since she has grown weaker personally, and lost her drive, maybe she should switch tracks?

"...how hard do you think it is to find some students?" Teaching would show her an entirely new perspective on things. After all, knowing how to do something and knowing how to teach that something were two different things. It might even help her break out of that 'bottleneck' of hers. "You don't happen to search for a teacher on a more permanent basis for Mia, right?"

"...Well, about that. I am supposed to be her teacher. Because, you know, Iron Blood and whatnot." Katha looked at Shu, then shrugged. "But I'd like if you could give her a pointer or two sometime, though. She's a sassy little shit, but she's still just a girl. She wants people to like her, have friends, and be happy.

"As for students of your own, though… I mean, come on. You're one of the Clan's finest. Just put the word out, wander in some villages, spend time with some kids. They'll be fighting for your attention soon enough." Then, something caught her eye, and she nodded. "You understand, right?"

"...right." Shu nodded slowly. She did have the DI at her back, right? So getting some ins other cultivators didn't have shouldn't be that difficult. Once that door was opened, she could show off her actual skill, skill that wasn't exactly famous due to lack of exposure. Secret Realms weren't exactly sources of epics, since there wasn't someone to confirm her stories. Then she smiled slightly. "Guess I'll take you up on that offer another day. Gotta have something to show if I meet Mimi again, right? Haven't had much opportunity to travel around." Shu shrugged playfully. "'sides, teasing her a bit by staying away should be cute. What are the odds she'd actually ask for me if I don't immediately visit her?"

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2625 Words

Another collab with @Swordomatic, another thanks from me.

Another day, another spa collab. This one is shorter for various reasons, and can be considered the epilogue for our previous one.

As agreed, I'll be giving ON full wordcount for this one, so Shu will now be at a nice even 160k.

Flavius had a problem. He was hanging off the top of a building, holding onto the edge with just a single pinky. His body was coaxed with sweat as he desperately tried to pull himself to the top. Lesser men would faint from fear just from looking down at this height, for if they fell they would surely die. Indeed, even Flavius, who was at the ninth heavenstage of cultivation, would suffer immensely from the fall.

None of that was Flavius' problem. Flavius' problem was the woman looking down at him, even as he slowly, painstakingly pulled himself over the edge. She glared at him and wrinkled her nose, as if seeing a particularly nasty piece of garbage. Or, more likely, smelling the stink of a man who had spent the day repeatedly climbing up and down a building using only his pinkies.

"You can't keep training here, people are trying to work! Just use the training ground like everyone else!"

That was, unfortunately, no longer possible. There were quite a few training grounds in the Dawn Fortress, as befitting the center of the Golden Devil Clan, but most of them didn't have what Flavius needed for training. Specifically, tall structures with relatively sheer faces he could climb. Such things weren't particularly useful in training for combat, and even in the mountains there were walkable trails connecting anywhere someone would need to go. That didn't mean there were no training grounds of the type Flavius preferred, but there was a problem with those that did too.

"All those training grounds banned me for spending too much time in them!"

Banned was perhaps a strong word. Certainly the training grounds were used to passionate cultivators training for days on end, but especially for those grounds with specialized equipment it was expected that no one would try to monopolize them. It was also now an official rule that no one could rent out a training ground indefinitely with the intention of establishing residence there. Considering they'd named that the Eirenikos Rule, well, he'd gotten the hint. Flavius decided to spend some time training elsewhere, and then perhaps return when tempers cooled, though with less frequency.

Honestly though, it was really much more efficient to simply sleep on the training field than to go back and forth from his official residence every day.

"That doesn't mean you can become my problem! Now get out of here before I have to levy a fine! And go take a bath, you stink!"

There was really no good response to that. Unfortunately for the both of them, there was no way to leave the roof from the outside except by climbing down, which Flavius had just been forbidden from doing. Thus, in a manner similar to saying goodbye to a friend only to find you are both walking in the same direction, the woman was forced to walk him out of building. It was a long and tense walk down many flights of stairs, and at the end of it he did not so much leave with dignity as flee from the building.

Once he was safely out of sight, Flavius took the opportunity to surreptitiously sniff the air. He wrinkled his nose. Perhaps it was time to take a bath, and then considering he was taking a break anyways, perhaps he would visit a friend.

"The great Flavius Eirenikos defeated by an angry bureaucrat! I never thought I'd see the day! Ahh, I will be telling this story for weeks to come."

Flavius immediately regretted trying to explain his woes to his friend. He had known Gaius Wu since basic training, and always known him to be far more outgoing and jovial. Still, he wished the man would sympathize with his plight a little more.

"I don't think there's a rooftop in the Dawn Fortress I haven't been shouted off of, I'm really running out of options here. I could try for the training grounds again I suppose, they never officially banned me."

"And you want them to make it official? I'm pretty sure if you show your face at The Tower within the next year Keeper Valloti will throw you off it personally."

Flavius sighed, looking down at his half-eaten salad, "Well then what am I supposed to do? If I try to climb the Impenetrable Peaks I'll definitely just die."

"You could just take a break from climbing?"

Flavius gave his friend a look of shock and betrayal, "You know I can't stop training!"

"I didn't say stop training all together! Just cultivate and practice in a way that doesn't involve pulling yourself up and down giant rocks. No one would care if you stuck to non-specialized training grounds. You spend half your time escorting caravans through the mountains anyways, you can just climb there."

Flavius opened his mouth to respond, but Gaius cut him off, "Though honestly, it wouldn't be so bad for you to take a break."

Once again, Flavius tried to speak, and again he was interrupted, "'Actually I find taking four hours a day off is better for long term gains,' I know, but that's not taking a break. When's the last time you gave yourself a day off?"

Finally, Flavius was allowed to speak, "Well you know I took a whole week off twenty years ago when I first attempted to climb the mountain."

"Almost dying of dehydration and then fighting a spirit animal without weapons or cultivation does not count as a break, and I know for a fact you started training during that trip too."

"Well then, when I was fifteen I got sick—"

"I'm going to cut you off right there. Getting sick doesn't count as taking a break."

Flavius paused for a moment, thinking. Finally, he responded, with far less confidence, "When I was a child I would play with the other children of my village after my chores were done for the day?"

"So you're telling me the last time you had a break was when you child? You never once slacked off, took a day off for some holiday, snuck away to fool around with a woman, or anything?"

"Well I prefer men, but no."

Gaius paused for a moment, seemingly thrown off track by the sudden revelation, "You know, that actually explains some things. Have you ever snuck away to fool around with a man?"

"Well… no."

"Then my point stands! You need to take a break."

"And do… what, exactly?"

"Well I dunno, what do you like to do besides training all the time?"

Flavius opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Yet, the silence was rather telling in its own right.

"So the bottom line is, you've spent twenty years of your life doing nothing but training and are only now realizing that other people have hobbies?"

"Well, of course I knew other people have hobbies. I just sort of figured training was mine."

"And now you've realized there's more to life than constant practice and came to me for help in figuring out what else you enjoy doing?"

"Well, not exactly. See, I figure you've been here way longer than me, and you know Keeper Valloti given that you train a lot of the new cultivators on training grounds she maintains, so I was actually wondering if you could maybe put in a good word with her for me so I could go back to using the training fields."

Flavius spoke the whole thing in a single breath, so fast it was practically impossible to make out. Yet Patroclus Narses simply sighed, "You do realize I already had to talk her out of banning you outright."

Flavius' face took on a pensive cast, "I didn't know that, no. Thank you for doing it though."

"It wasn't like I had to beg or anything, I just explained that being able to climb is important for your Dao. Frankly, if you had a little more tact and a little less single-mindedness you wouldn't have this problem. You're far from the craziest cultivator in the Golden Devils, you just pissed off the wrong person."

It wasn't as easy as just saying he would change, though Flavius knew Patroclus was probably right. It wasn't like he tried to upset people after all. In fact, Flavius was pretty sure they just felt shamed by his work ethic and took it out on him instead of improving themselves. Still, he was self-aware enough to know that saying such things to his mentor probably wouldn't go well.

"Does that mean you can get me full access back?"

Patroclus sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Yes, but only if you make yourself scarce for a bit. Your birthday is coming up, right? Go take some jobs escorting caravans through the Colossus Footstep Pass, and give yourself some time off to visit your village to celebrate. Make yourself scarce for a month or two and I'll take care of it."

Flavius' face lit up, "Thank you so much. I'll find a way to repay you!"

"Don't thank me yet, I'm sure you'll have to spend some time begging Keeper Valloti for forgiveness after you return. But maybe try to find some sort of hobby while you're gone? Just think of it as picking up a new kind of training."

Flavius nodded resolutely. He would put four, no, six hours every day into finding the best hobby possible.

"Somehow, I feel like you got the wrong idea from that, but as long as you'll give it a try."

Flavius wouldn't just try. He would succeed, or die trying. He would find a hobby, make his mentor proud, and when he got back, he'd train harder than ever!

What came after was dickering. Kleisthenes traded this and that, knowing that ultimately she could walk away - and the Yuan Patriarch could not. They could negotiate now in full faith, knowing that the Yuan would only be weaker with each passing year and the Clan could impose more and more stringent terms as time went on - or the Yuan could bow now.

The first thing she demanded was formal vassalage. There were other ideas, but vassalage and coin together would be sufficient. To soften the blow, she allowed the Yuan to be called to war only in their homelands, and that the Clan must formally pay a fee reasonable to both sides if they wished to raise the Yuan troops outside of Yuan territory. Still, the tributes demanded were not small - enough to destroy the ability of the Yuan to improve themselves, and would not see them ever recovered to their full strength.

To her, that was an advantage. Weakening your disloyal vassals was useful, and she had no time to make the Yuan loyal. Take their coin, weaken the troops, prevent their cultivators from being tempered by war, and the greenhouse flowers would never seek to smash the glass that so lovingly encircled them. She also gave up enough of the Blood of Bronze for the Yuan to raise two full Legions, loyal to the Yuan and not the Clan.

She had smirked at that, and had given the Patriarch everything he wanted. Oh, it would disadvantage her some in that the Yuan had amazingly solid defensive legions, making it harder to negotiate, but if they grew enough they would suffer from the Hunters as well, either becoming allies of necessity or being destroyed in the place of the Clan. Either were acceptable.

She had also committed the Mobile Legions to the north immediately, moving as many troops as possible from Clan territory to all manner of possible defensive lines. The Yuan were not united, and she understood the desire of the Patriarch to properly consolidate his authority without spending loyal lives.

That had put paid to the question of vassalage, which had been easily done. After all, while the documents were all nice and legal, rebellion was ever a possibility. Still, she hoped the web of benefits and disadvantages she had woven around the Yuan would hold them for a few centuries at least - the Patriarch in particular was bound to enforce this deal with his life, as was she, but only for two hundred years. Such artifacts were expensive, and the Clan had few enough remaining. Within two centuries, she thought, they should have either won enough for it not to matter for the Yuan to rebel, or they would have lost so badly that any rebellion would be a foregone conclusion.

The second thing she had negotiated was a majority of the Man-As-Mountain Array. The Patriarch had demanded a huge payment for this, but it would be worth it. There were two Secret Realms capable of helping the Chosen rise up, and if she could close off both, they could hopefully find a counter to those damnable Heaven-sent children - or at least start killing them. It would mean a huge amount of growth for the Clan, and she had paid for it in spades.

Wealth to be sent from the Clan now, along with a promise that they would not force the Yuan Patriarch to work on the defense of his own lands. That alone was a massive concession, but even that hadn't swayed him. She had promised him a seat on the inner Council, a Yuan representative who would be privy to almost any secrets within the Clan. Dangerous, and in all honesty she had not wanted to give it, but he had insisted and had offered no alternative. She had pushed him on it, though, making him concede several beast-lands where his best hunters trained, making them cede possession to her own Legions and training them completely for the style of beast-hunting one did in the mountains.

It was, she thought, a gamble. All the wealth of the Yuan, all the growth of the Yuan, but she had not tied them to the Clan permanently. It was a simple advantage-taking, hoping that their resources would push the Clan far enough that by the time the Yuan tried to shake off their shackles they would be too weak to be able to - or the Clan too strong.

Still.

To conquer another power like this with mere words was not unheard of, but it was a thing the Clan had rarely done.

There would be a triumph for her at the Dawn Fortress, no doubt. Sheng Yu would appreciate having an entirely new war to plan for on the fly, she knew he loved that.

In the hours after the negotiation she sat by herself, thinking about what was to come. The war, and the possible war to come with all other comers, no matter who they were. She wondered how Manuel was faring in the Colossus Footsteps Path. If things worked out there... well,

"Euphrosyne, I think you might have been able to do this, too. Better than me, probably. Still, you gave your life so we could be here, I suppose. Winning, for the first time in millennia. If the old man had died, that would've been the end for us."

She frowned, and shrugged.

"Well, we'll see how he goes. Another Nascent, soon. I'll lay this one - and every one he kills from now on - at your feet. Killed by Manuel who was saved by Euphrosyne, so it's really her kill."

She stood awkwardly for a bit.

"I've never been good at these conversations anyway. I'll talk to you again when I head back to the family graveyard. It's been too long since I've seen you and Hektor in person."