History's Most Mediocre Cultivator (Xianxia Quest)

Governor Lee glanced out the window as his carriage plodded along the road towards his youngest great-grandson's manse. The wind whistled as it bent acre after acre of rice stalks, leaving rippling waves of green in its wake. Farmers hunched over the rice paddies with only their bamboo hats to shield them from the sun as they tended the crops. It was a view that had always filled him with pride, for these rice paddies were emblematic of the peace and prosperity of the Four Rivers province. In part that was due to the richness of the land and its relative safety in the interior of the Empire, but it was also due to the excellent stewardship of his clan. But for the last few decades that pride was marred by a small but constant sense of unease.

Lee had lived for 812 years, and ruled the province as a violet cultivator for over 500 of those years, but in that time he had not had a single descendant reach the same level of cultivation. Lee had perhaps a century or two left in him if the Empire remained at peace, and he had no illusions that he could reach white in that time. When he was gone, who would take his place? Many of his descendants had already passed away, either in war or simply due to time and a lack of sufficient cultivation. His eldest great-grandson was set to inherit, but Zihao was still only a blue cultivator, and unlikely to reach violet before he too passed. Meanwhile, many other clans had violet or even white cultivators among their ranks, and would see the small but rich Four Rivers province as easy pickings. At best, Lee's clan and their territory might end up subordinate to one of those powerful clans. At worst, one of his clan's rivals might petition the Emperor, claiming that his clan had grown weak and unfit to protect their lands. His descendants could be stripped of their titles, reduced to mere commoners. The Hou clan in particular might do so out of spite. Old Hou Jie had never gotten over losing out on the affections of Lee's wife.

Lee's musings were brought to a halt as the carriage finally stopped in front of his grandson's residence, a modest four-walled compound with a swallow-tailed roof and a simple red and blue color scheme, though surrounded by a garden with well-maintained shrubs and blooming cherry blossom trees. He could have arrived earlier if he'd come by flight, but he preferred taking in the countryside the slow way rather than zooming past it in an instant. After so many years, rushing to do anything felt rather pointless. Lee took his time getting up, stretching his arms back and yawning before composing himself, straightening his back. His manservant, Hu, held the door open for him with a bow as he stepped out of the carriage.

Jun, his great-grandson, was waiting for him at the entrance alongside two guardsmen, and bowed deeply upon seeing Lee. After the customary greetings ('How are you and your wife?' 'Have you eaten yet?'), Jun led him inside to the room where his wife, Xiuying, was resting on a cot, holding her newborn son. She gazed at the boy with an expression that showed relief, exhaustion, and pride in equal measure.

"Honored elder, thank you for coming to see my son." Xiuying said as he stepped inside the room. She turned as if to get up, but Lee held up a hand.

"Rest. Even the Emperor would not expect a mother to give him a formal greeting right after labor." Lee said, chuckling at the thought of it. He doubted the Emperor ever bothered to check up on his wives after they delivered. He was a cold man, that one, not that Lee would ever dare to say so out loud.

Xiuying nodded her assent and relaxed back into the bed. After a pause, she finally asked the question he was waiting for.

"Honored elder, will my son grow to be strong?" Xiuying asked, her tone neutral, but the slight crinkling of her brow betrayed her concern.

Lee turned his Ghost Eyes toward the baby, focusing on the small aura of qi that his body was already producing. The baby was swaddled tightly in a blanket and seemed to have woken up during the adults' conversation. By some miracle of the heavens, he had not yet started crying. He simply watched, his eyes flickering from one person to the next with surprising intelligence for his age. Sadly, his qi was not so promising. His aura was a very light pink, the color of peonies, and supposedly the color of compassion, though Lee never put much stock in the supposed meanings of aura birth colors. He found that people tended to interpret them to fit whatever preconceived notions they already had of the subject in question. More importantly, the baby's aura was not particularly strong even for a newborn. Lee thought of how to word this politely.

"He will be as strong as his father. He seems to be a very healthy child," Lee finally said after a long pause. Xiuying winced for a brief moment before smoothing her features over. Jun was, after all, still only a green-level cultivator, and at best would only reach blue near the very end of his lifetime.

"Thank you, great-grandfather." Jun cut in quickly, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder, perhaps to prevent her from reacting undiplomatically.

Lee nodded. "I am confident that he will be a reliable clan member in time. There is a place for everyone under the sun, from the ant to the lion."

Still, despite his words, Lee felt quite disappointed during his travels back to the ancestral clan manse. The clan didn't need yet another mediocre cultivator, and the boy's potential looked most mediocre indeed. Zihao would be having a child soon as well, but Lee had little hope that they would be talented enough to save their clan.

"Tell me, is this family cursed?" he mused aloud as he gazed at the stars in the heavens.


You have been born.

Base stats at birth:
Talent – 4
Qi: 1/1 (inaccessible)
HP: 1/1
Diplomacy – 1/10 (you are not able to talk, but fairly cute and friendly for a newborn)
Knowledge – 0/10
Deception – 0/10
Intelligence – 9/10
Perception – 1
Martial – 0
Strength – 0
Defense – 0
Flexibility – 0
Balance – 0
Speed – 0
Stealth – 0
Stamina – 0

What is your name? Choose a male Chinese name, family name first and given name second.

[X][Name] Write-in

In your early childhood, you got along better with:

[X][Childhood Friend] Xiaoli, the clan heir's daughter, just three months younger than you.
[X][Childhood Friend] Suyin, the daughter of one of your father's friends.

In your early childhood, you showed an interest in:

[X][Interest] Talking people's ears off – Additional 2 diplomacy
[X][Interest] Asking the adults lots of questions – Additional 2 knowledge
[X][Interest] Taking sweets from the kitchen covertly – Additional 1 deception, 1 stealth
[X][Interest] Running around in the gardens – Additional 1 speed, 1 stamina
[X][Interest] Playing games with other boys – Additional 1 diplomacy, 1 strength

Shaohuo grew up quickly, as children tend to do. His parents told him that even as a toddler he preferred being outdoors whenever possible. At times he drove the servants to tears as they spent hours following him while he ran about, trying to keeping him from killing himself by falling into the river or dislodging heavy objects that the adults kept on shelves frustratingly high out of his reach.

Those days as an only child ended quickly, as Meiling was born a few months before Shaohuo turned five.

"You're going to be a big brother soon. Make sure you take care of your little brother or sister, okay?" Mother had told him a few months before Meiling was born.

"I want a little brother." Shaohuo said, his tone brooking no argument. Mother chuckled and reached an arm out to ruffle his hair, not bothering to leave the rocking chair. Her belly was quite big at that point, and Shaohuo was even able to feel the baby's kicks every now and then.

"We'll see about that, little one." Mother said.

Sadly, instead of a little brother Shaohuo ended up with Meiling. At first he tried playing with her, curious what all the fuss the adults made over her was about. But she was just an ugly little pink thing and didn't do anything other than cry when he tried to pick her up. And even when she didn't cry, the adults would stop him and take her away to fuss over again if he tried to go anywhere with her. Shaohuo didn't understand what the adults found so interesting about her, when she couldn't even talk or walk like he could. Still, he came to grow a bit fonder of Meiling by the time he turned seven, as she learned to walk and say a few words. He was able to play with her by then, though she had an annoying tendency to follow him around, and she still couldn't say his name right, just calling him "Shao." Despite this progress, he preferred playing games outdoors with the other boys.

---

He mainly played with Chin, Fang, and Daquan, whose fathers worked for his father. Their fathers were busy on most days with work, leaving the kids to their own devices. Shaohuo skinned his knees more than a few times during their games of tag, and his mother would scold him if he got mud on his clothes. Neither stopped him, though, and more than the competition of the games, he liked playing with the other boys and pushing his body to its limits. The daughter of one of his fathers' friends, Suyin, also joined them for hide and seek or catch, but often sat out of the rougher games. She was okay, but a real girly-girl, preferring to collect flowers or play with her dolls. She didn't talk much either, and was really shy, especially around strangers, and he suspected she intentionally kept her brown bangs like that to cover her eyes. She was good company though, and the only other kid who could really challenge him at chess. Father didn't count because he cheated (at least, that was the story Shaohuo was sticking with).

Though he wouldn't call her a friend, Shaohuo also played with Xiaoli pretty often. Father often told him that they first met at one of the main family's parties when they were three, and the first thing Xiaoli did was knock him over and make him cry, which Father always laughed at for some reason. Shaohuo didn't remember it, but he believed it. As far back as he could remember, she acted like a perfect little angel in front of the adults, with good manners and polite greetings and everything. But the moment their backs were turned, she became a demon.

---

One such day when he was eight, his father woke him up early in the morning to take him along on a visit to the main family's house near the province's capital. The carriage ride was long and boring, but Shaohuo was mostly pleased since he rarely got to leave home, even if it did mean he'd have to play with Xiaoli.

Finally they arrived and were ushered through the main gates of the clan's family compound by the servants. As he and his father stepped out of the carriage, he saw that Xiaoli was already there in front of the entrance next to her father. Her wavy, auburn hair, universal in their family, had grown past her shoulders since they last met and blew in the wind.

"Welcome, Jun. I am glad to see you made it here safely," Xiaoli's father said with a wide grin and an outstretched hand.

"I'm glad to see you as well, cousin. How have your wife and Xiaoli been?" Father said. Shaohuo stopped paying attention to the rest of the conversation, gulping as he noticed what Xiaoli was doing.

She was smiling at him in a way that the adults probably thought was charming and nice, but that Shaohuo knew meant she was up to no good. As soon as her father invited them in, Xiaoli rushed forward, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along behind her.

"I have this really good idea you're going to help me with," she said as she dragged him along toward her room. It was a girly room with lots of toys and dolls and even a small silver mirror on her desk. She was truly well-spoiled.

Xiaoli's grip finally loosened and Shaohuo took the opportunity to yank his hand free.

"I don't wanna," he said, pouting. Xiaoli grinned, her angelic features twisting with evil glee.

"I'll tell my dad you're being mean to me," Xiaoli singsonged, "'I just wanted to play, but Shaohuo said I was ugly and smelly. Why is he so mean, daddy?'" She slouched over the back of her desk chair as if so despondent she didn't have the energy to get up.

"Okay, okay." Shaohuo said, sighing. Even Father would believe Xiaoli over him.

"Good," Xiaoli said, nodding proudly as though the world's natural order had been restored. "Now, here's how we're going to get to the sweets…"

The plan was typical of Xiaoli, as she would distract the servants while Shaohuo was the one who would get his hands dirty.

Of course, when they inevitably got caught, he ended up taking the blame as the one doing the actual thieving, and Father scolded him for being a bad influence on Xiaoli. In the end, Shaohuo wasn't allowed to go outside for an entire five days. His only consolation was that the egg tarts were delicious.

---

The year he turned ten marked the beginning of his studies. His tutor was good at teaching, but a bit strict for Shaohuo's taste, requiring him to memorize everything he learned word for word. History was fairly interesting, but Shaohuo struggled to pay attention during classical literature, etiquette, and philosophy. He could only hear about filial piety so many times before it just became background noise, and he seriously hoped that when he grew up and became a cultivator it wouldn't be as boring as his tutor's droning about self-realization and ascending to the Heavens.

On the plus side, the tutor had taught him how to read, allowing Shaohuo to learn about more interesting things on his own when he had the opportunity. Father's library was small, but when they visited Xiaoli he was able to read from the clan's main library, with dozens of rows of books collected over thousands of years. Xiaoli read alongside him, though she tended to prefer romance novels and the classical epic sagas, and interrupted his reading often to talk or criticize his taste in books. Still, he appreciated the company, not that he would tell her since she would never let him hear the end of it.

---

Base stats at age 10:
Talent – 4
Qi: 1/1 (inaccessible)
HP: 1/1 > 5/5 (+4 from growth)
Diplomacy – 1/10 > 4/10 (+2 from growth, +1 from personal action)
Knowledge – 0/10 > 3/10 (+2 from growth, + 1 from education)
Deception – 0/10 > 1/10 (+1 from growth)
Intelligence – 9/10
Perception – 1 > 4 (+3 from growth)
Martial – 0 > 1 (+1 from growth and play)
Strength – 0 > 3 (+2 from growth, +1 from personal action)
Defense – 0 > 2 (+2 from growth)
Flexibility – 0 > 2 (+2 from growth)
Balance – 0 > 2 (+2 from growth)
Speed – 0 > 2 (+2 from growth)
Stealth – 0 > 2 (+2 from growth)
Stamina – 0 > 3 (+3 from growth)

---

What does Shaohuo read about in his free time?

[X][Reading] More History – the origin of The Empire and the intrigue that occurs behind the scenes (+1 knowledge, +1 deception)

[X][Reading] Romance novels – while Shaohuo was skeptical of their trustworthiness, perhaps these novels would give him a better understanding of girls' mindsets and how people of other social classes live (+1 diplomacy, +1 knowledge)

[X][Reading] Natural philosophy – the leading theories on why the world works the way it does, as well as some of the quirks of nature such as the few spirit-beasts capable of cultivation (+2 knowledge)

[X][Reading] Just a little bit of everything – Shaohuo had a lot of questions, but he also wanted to spend more of his free time playing and exploring outdoors (+1 knowledge, +1 strength)

Father has promised to teach Shaohuo how to fight once he is a few years older, both with his fists and with a single weapon of his choice. Which weapon does Shaohuo learn to use?

[X][Weapon] Sword

[X][Weapon] Bow

[X][Weapon] Spear

[X][Weapon] Write-in

Shaohuo's life became quite a bit busier once his education started, but he still has some time to spend with his friends and relatives before he becomes a cultivator. Who does he spend time building trust with and getting to know better? Pick three.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Mother – obviously, you know Mother well, and you get along well too, seeing as she dotes on you almost as much as on Meiling. Still, you don't know much about her past. Perhaps you should change that? Though who she was might not be as important as who she is now.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Father – you do spend some time with Father with him taking you to meet his friends, clan members, and your future subordinates. You will also be spending time training with him from time to time. He has promised that one day when you have cultivated sufficiently he will also spend time teaching you to govern. But outside of duty, you could still get to know him better as a person.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Meiling – Shaohuo's sister is quite young still at the age of 3, verging on 4, and by the time Shaohuo leaves home to become a cultivator she will only be 11. This is an impressionable age for her, though.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Xiaoli – you play with Xiaoli often and get along fairly well despite her mischief. But you could learn more about what her life is like when you're not there, and what her future goals are, aside from becoming the future clan heir of course.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Honored Elder Li Lee – the clan patriarch is kind, but distant. There is a mutual affection bonding over New Year's gifts and he gives you sweets whenever he visits. He always seems busy though and you know little about him and have spent little time with him in the past. He doesn't seem to find you as promising a future cultivator as Xiaoli, but perhaps he could still clear his schedule to spend time with his great-great-grandson every now and again.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Suyin – the daughter of one of your father's closest friends and a minor noble in her own right, Suyin is good company and an intelligent conversationalist. She is likely to become a cultivator at around the same time as you and Father keeps teasing you about getting married to her in the future, something about uniting his family with his blood brother's.

[X][Cultivating Relationships] Chin, Fang, and Daquan – they are commoners, but they are good friends, and those are rare to find. As the sons of bureaucrats they are fairly well-educated, and Father has suggested that in the future you might want to hire them as advisors you can trust.