A writhing knot of spectral flesh exploded violently, dissolving into the cool night air with little more than a chorus of wails. It was but one of many, dozens like it shredded by silver edged shadows that flitted through the night barely visible to the eye.
This was, Sima Jiao mused irritably, incredibly tedious. The new basin crawled with malevolent life, and due to the multitude of shadows in the tumble of broken trees, buildings and earth, he was all too aware of each and every one of them, possessed corpses, wailing spirits, knots of diseased flesh flowering and sprouting from wood rotted into a liquid slurry.
Disgusting and unpleasant, a lesser man might have retched. Not Elder Jiao of course, though it was a title that both amused and irritated him. Right now it leaned more toward irritation. A moment of will focused a fraction of awareness to the top of broken building, and a his body reformed, coalescing from the darkness, loud eye searing yellow bleeding out of the shadows as he grew something solid to anchor his spirit once more.
He was rather proud of this robe, with its glittering psychedelic purple embroidery patterns, and not just because he was certain it had made the old goat at the meeting flinch. Not physically of course, but he had a sense for that kind of thing. "This is utterly beneath me," the grey toned man said with an air of long suffering. "Really, being sent to do disciple work. This is insulting."
"The core disciples are all deployed dear, you know that," he didn't bother with anything so plebian as turning his head toward the soft, musical voice of Xin, there wasn't much point, pretending at physical limitations was rather pointless when they were alone. He could see her slowly coalescing a body from moonbeams and starlight regardless of which way his physical eyes faced. "Besides, you were not doing anything important, my lazy husband." His wife formed her avatar seated on a weathered beam that stuck from the ground like an exposed bone, wearing a simple gown a shimmering liquid night, glittering with stars.
He took a moment to admire her pale, bare feet, idly kicking beneath the hem even as hundreds more of the plagued abominations were torn apart by blade and shadow in a widening ring. It did not stop him from letting out an aggrieved sigh at her cruel words. Beautiful as Xin might be, she could be so cruel and lacking in understanding at times. "I was in fact quite busy," he responded with great dignity, crossing his arms over his still chest. "I will have you know that I was nearing a breakthrough on a very important…"
"You were playing with that old chariot again," she replied, an amused note in her voice as her pale blue lips quirked upward, and her bright red eyes crinkled in amusement. "I do not see, why, it is not as if you even need such things," she added lightly, her qi coiled and mixed with his, the equivalent of a teasing caress. "You've forgotten your hands again dear."
Sima Jiao glanced down at the empty end of his sleeve and grimaced, a quick flick of his qi resolving the issue. Even if it was unnecessary, it was a poor idea to forget such things too often. "I would not expect a woman to understand a man's needs in such things," he replied aloud, idly directing the placement of the formation anchors on newly cleared land. "That I do not need it is not the point. It is a classic, made by Grandmaster…"
"Yes, yes," she interrupted again with a dismissive wave, drawing a dour look and a weighty shift in qi from her companion. Xin did so enjoy needling him when they were alone, he would have to get her back for that later. "Should we not focus on the task at hand? You can get back to your tinkering more quickly that way."
"Something so trivial is hardly worth focusing on," he dismissed. It could have been far worse he supposed, but that it had happened at all was grating. "That musclebrained lump certainly has much to answer for though," he grumbled, resuming speaking aloud. "We were told the eradication of the Thunder Crow tribe was complete, and yet here we are dealing with a vengeful apprentice."
"I am sure Sir Zhou's subordinates are receiving very firm reprimands," Xin mused. "Still, it is hardly their fault entirely. We both know that this is… unusual, yes? In the space between eyeblinks, Xin was beside him, entangling her fingers with his as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
There did remain some advantages to physicality, Jiao mused. "Yes, I suppose so," he replied, the majority of his attention still spread through the newly formed basin, exterminating the plague mutated spirits and fauna. It was a little irritating that the barbarian child had been slain by an arrow, death imprints pulled from a bow were less clear than those of a blade. "Gnawing Ones, hm," it had been clear enough to see pale, long faced figures loping in the dark, and a great deal of teeth, flesh and spirit offered in return for the tools of vengeance.
"Not the first we've heard such things," Xin noted aloud, unnecessarily, but it did help to vocalize things at times. That was the entire point of such puppet play after all.
"Of course we have," Jiao replied with a touch of arrogance as the formation stones activated, and the spirits of the land shrieked as qi began to drain from them like water from a holed barrel, plants withered and died, and rot became dust. Someone else, Ying perhaps, would have to restore the growth. "Our histories contain all that there is," he continued without missing a beat. "It is still troubling to find yet another foe, where once there were only the hysterical accounts of those delving far too deeply under the earth," he grumbled. "Perhaps this is the one that will see us stop squabbling like children," he mused.
"Unlikely," Xin replied with an amused laugh. "What would humans be if they did not squabble and fight over every little thing."
"The men of the empire are cut from a finer cloth," Sima Jiao replied with theatrical pride. He knew his wife could sense his true feelings on the matter though, regardless of whatever foolishness flowed from his lips. He had retired for many very good reasons after all. He was past the point of foolish pride
"Of course dear," she replied, rising on her toes to press a cold kiss to his similarly unheated cheek, more amusing puppet play to go along with the far more intimate twining of their spirits. "Did you notice? The one who uncovered this was that little girl from the test."
"Was it now?" He replied, amused. "And I thought it the half fox."
"It was both I suppose," Xin mused. "Still, even if my sister has been grumbling, I think she is doing well."
"Please do not tell me you are feeling… motherly again," Jiao said in mock horror, finally deigning to turn his head and look at his wife directly. "The last thing our peaceful retirement needs is the involvement of more children."
She pursed her lips, red eyes twinkling dangerously as she frowned at him. "It would not be an issue if someone would get me with child," she replied dangerously. "My sisters talk you know… perhaps I should consider their advice."
"Unnecessary, completely so," the Elder reassured the irate spirit, a tingle of genuine concern through the core of his being. "Perhaps in a few decades," he added placatingly as the wails of damned spirits rose around them. "We should allow things to settle first after all, one way or another."
"Perhaps," Xin mused, seeming willing to drop the subject, much to his relief. "In any case, I will allow you to finish your work dear. I will be out with several of the other ladies of the mountain tonight, since you have such an important project in the workshop."
Perhaps his relief had come too soon, Sima Jiao mused as the woman at his side dissolved into starlight. He would have to be a bit wary for the next few nights.
Well, he supposed retirement would be boring if it were entirely without conflict. At least he could be reasonably certain of finishing the inscriptions on the rims before Xin returned with ideas. He swore that ice spirit on the peak was a bad influence on her, and so was that wretched ape of Su's. He couldn't imagine how interacting with the creature's spawn made her want one of her own.
Well, for now, he needed to finish up with this nonsense he supposed. The greater concerns had already been reported after all, and were certainly not his problem any longer.
AN: Since there was a tie, I simply went with the scene that came more easily to me. I suppose I might do a Xiulan one too later, if I have the time. I'll be locking the vote as well. Tally please?
