Firstly, if you have questions about Good Seeds and the like please read here. If that doesn't answer your question please ping me in thread, or on Discord.
If you write a new Good Seed, or write an omake, please update the spreadsheet if you have access.
If you do not have access, please ping a collaborator (Swordomatic, Alectai, Quest, TehChron, Insane-Not-Crazy, Humbaba, ReaderOfFate, Kaboomatic, no., BungieONI) letting them know what you want and they will update the spreadsheet here. To gain access, you will need a gmail account of some kind. Throwaway emails are fine (I'm using one for the spreadsheet), but to gain access it's as simple as sending me either your email via PM, via DM in Discord, or just in Discord's #spreadsheet-requests channel.
This is mandatory. If a Good Seed does not record their omake by pinging collabs (or just requesting access and editing things themselves - this is the preferred option), I won't give out awards. If a new Good Seed is not recorded here, they won't advance. By doing this it makes the whole thing manageable for me - it's gotten pretty unwieldy!
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Omake Writer Instructions:
There are four fields you need to fill out.
Omake Link, which is just a link to your first omake for the turn. This makes it easier for me to read them as I do the update - without this it's tough to know off the bat which omake were written this turn, and to properly
Requested Bonus, which is your requested bonus for your omake. You can leave it up to me if you like. You can see more info in the Good Seed infopost here.
Cultivation Aims. For those following unorthodox paths - higher than 9th Heavenstage or later than 7th Dao Pillar paths. Please put in what you are aiming for before you break through. I have left it as 'default'. If you do not edit it, I'll go with that.
Turn Notes - Do you want to do something specific? Enter a Secret Realm? Help the Clan out in some way? If you have something specific you want to accomplish on this turn, put it in turn notes so I can adjust your Fate around it.
All other fields are for QM use to record character information to properly run the flow of the game.
Family Talk
"Hey Zeno. I want to show you something!" Abel tugs on Zeno's arm.
Zeno turns around and finally stops looking at the paperwork arrayed like a mountain on his work desk. "Oh, our young array engineer finally shows himself at home! Good to see you!
Abel makes a face at array engineer. Yes he does them, but only when his mundane craft isn't good enough and he has to patch over the holes.
"Oh, don´t give me such a face. You know that your legate won't name you anything else, because whatever you do is easier to file for under array stuff than anything else."
"Well what I am going to show has just about no array work at all! And it is awesome!"
"I am sure it will be, but I need to know how much space you need to show it to me. WE just cleared out the sparring room of the rubble caused by your mother sparring with Xia and I don't feel like lugging marble for many li again."
Abel answers, "Well it can work at short range. But the really impressive part is using it over more than 10 li. I have it set up on the wall."
"Our courtyard wall?" Zeno asks.
"No the city wall. Of course they aren't going to let me set up long range weapon tests in the middle of the city. "
"Oh, that makes much more sense. Though, I want to know how you got that through the local town office." Zeno starts walking.
Abel leads him through and towards the city gate. "I just bribed the gate guard. They are really bored. And since I am a Golden Devil they figured it was fine."
"Congratulations legionnaire, I may not be your legate, but you just earned yourself latrine duty for the next month!" Zeno exclaims with too much cheer.
"But they are allowed to bring up guests for any reason! There aren't even any rules broken."
"Sure there is, You were supposed to ask the official channels first, instead of doing it without asking. You could have upset the local Feng Shui, if you weren't careful! Now show it to me so you and your newly bribed friends can start cleaning the latrines earlier."
Abel huffs, but is still excited to show off. Jumping up the stairs. Zeno follows him with a single easy jump up the wall.
Abel points at his construction on the top of the wall. Bronze mirrors catch the sunlight redirecting it into glass magnifying glasses. All of the concentrated beams are currently just pointing at a rocks giving them slight burns.
"The mirrors catch the sunlight. Then it concentrates the sunlight." Zeno observes carefully behind him.
Abel takes out some far more sturdy look mirrors and carefully puts each under the lens pointing them outside of the city wall. There is a mechanism that clips onto these all the new mirrors."
Abel hands Zeno a hand telescope. "Not sure if you need it, but 10 li that way is a rock painted red that I am using as my target." Abel points to the south of the city.
"First, good idea, but you need a better telescope that can look beyond a dune for future missions. It works for now, but not for campaigning. Got it?" Zeno gets his own telescope out of robes
"Noo, look beyond a dune?" Zenos telescope parts then shift into one tower with a lense on top.
"Do you see the difference? Yours is just a straight line of sight. Mine allows me to look, while I am in cover." Zeno holds it closer to Abel so he can observe it more closely.
"Useful. Is it some sort of dimensional bag to hold that in?"
"Funny that you ask, but no. I just walk with it everywhere and people start to think I possess such a treasure. I`ll show you how to do that later."
Abel continues, "I look forward to it. Well anyway you see that red rock?"
Zeno looks through your telescope. "Yeah, the painting is slowly burning off."
Abel makes some adjustments to the mirrors. Now the paint is no longer slowly burning off. The rock is actually melting a bit.
"Ah, it can melt normal rock sediments. What are the uses you had intended for it? Surely not mining?"
Abel thinks about that. "Well I have been using it to melt sand to get more glass, but no I don't think it's really up to mining."
"No, I just wanted a way to be able to apply way more power than my meager qi reserves would allow me especially at a distance. Thought it might be useful during the trials. Those tokens are fragile and this is a literal light speed attack."
"In theory yes, but not practically I am afraid. If we made so many of our brothers and sisters lug this huge amount of mirrors around they wouldn't be very mobile and that's not even entertaining how much easier it would make them to locate once they find out that our juniors are using them en masse."
"I don't need to be near the mirror to adjust them" Abel holds up the rods he is using. "This can be as long as needed." He looks a little embarrassed "By putting a little qi into the mirrors I can calculate the angles near instantly. For quick adjustment"
"Your rod can reach mirrors in a 10 li radius, or if you stretch it 100 li? Our clan holdings are thousands of li apart. It would take the average mortal years to go from one part to another."
"I was thinking more about fortress defense. For the second stage of the trials. The longer rods are just so I am not easy to aim at"
"Ok, that makes them slightly more viable, but the core problem remains. Your construction is fragile. Once the besieging enemy notices the glare, and they will, they will shut it down with sheer mass of enemies or any other method. Even you can bend normal bronze. What do you think the geniuses from heaven can do easily?"
"I can't bend bronze at 10 Li."
"They don´t need to. Any proper sieging army has many Foundation and Core experts to ruin the walls with and distance is just a number for cultivators anyway. Unless you can somehow mount it on your back and run with it, you will have to content yourself with knowing these mirrors will only be a minor nuisance. Though you could use it behind enemy lines as a way to distract the enemy should you ever go undercover." Zeno pats Abel on the shoulder.
@Alectai, @TehChron, @Humbaba, @ReaderOfFate A collaboration with Juugo -Zeno. Also if you could indicate that Abel Angelus 11 is non-canon in the threadmark that would be nice.
While the cake sets properly in the ice cavern under the mansion, I take a rare moment to perform maintenance on my spear. My thoughts while doing so, slip once more unto my family situation.
Time while caring for a child flows stranger than on missions I notice again and again. Not even a year ago Georgy just one day decided to head towards the dawn fortress to get himself enlisted. So close to the trials, his journey will be perilous. I can only hope his weak cultivation will make him undesirable by these karma hunters.
Zeno, on the other hand, will finally return home. He couldn´t remain for long last time, sadly, but his messages tell me how much he misses home. At least in that regard I didn´t fail him.
Enough dark thoughts for now. As I put the washcloth into a hamper for cleaning by the servants, I take the time to personally clean the guest room before preparing tea.
Cleaning the sheets is a simple affair, once you learn to weave qi to make the accumulated dust stop sticking onto the fabric. Then you just lift the bed up and the dust can fall into a simple pile of folded duvets you wish to take with you. This is a special guest we are receiving after all. We can´t offer her the usual covers, this princess of Shen requires the special covers, to make a point of course.
Georgy, lovable husband of mine, would trust heaven to uphold a Dao oath, but I am not so easily impressed by this vassal of Jingshen. It would be right up that old, shrivelled date to manipulate his vassals into spying for his own ends. And if I can´t make sure that Zeno… they are here!
The bed is quickly put back into its place, the sheets properly covering the bed. As I rush to the door, Mia opens the door, the duvets I leave to her, before I can take it out of its hinges in excitement.
--
As Xia walks slightly behind me up the last step, we finally see each other again. "I am back."
"Ha, that you are dear. Oh, it's so good to see you!" Her hug is comforting as always.
Stiffening slightly in my arms. "What do I feel there? Is that an amulet around your neck?"
"Well, yes. We stole this amulet of identification from the Jingshen. I take the out of the collar so she can take a closer look.
"What else can it do? Summon Mercenaries for the Jingshen to fight their battles for them, or does it simply tally their current spirit stones?"
With Xia behind me completely forgotten by mother, I step aside and simple include "It doubles as a portable qi battery in a pinch."
Oh, that is a wonderful find, dear, but where are my manners!?" Mother steps beside me.
With a bow she says. "I am the matriarch of the house, Iulia Angelus. If I may, it´s a pleasure to make your acquaintance eighth princess of Shen. Please, look behind my rudeness just now."
"You honour me lady Angelus, but I am a mere bastard of house Shen. The title of princess was given to me as a formality for a situation that will never happen. Besides that, there is nothing to forgive. I would not deny any mother time to greet their son."
"You two allied for the mission then?
I slip my arms around her demure shoulders. "Jup, that and the trials to fulfil her end of the deal as my Dao protector. Xia was a great help in undermining the Jingshen information network by getting us access to people mere merchants would never have had access too."
"Sounds like a great success then!" Accompanying her excited clap, she gives us her brightest smile, which doesn´t reach her ears. She bids us into the sitting room.
While Mia hands out tea and the two women beside me enjoy their small talk, my thoughts drift towards the past. The sitting room looks more regal than I remembered. Mother really outdid herself. The couches are made of finest goat hide, treated in koi blood and our family's finest mental intrusion arrays carved into them. That must have taken months to do it properly.
The table, made of the reddish-brown 1000-year oak, is one of the few things we managed to transport with us from the mountain in my great-grandfather's times. Come to think of it, most of the stuff we managed to transport have some of the most intricate arrays I have ever seen.
"Zeno, what do you think?" oh, mother holds up her cup. I may not have listened, but mother thankfully is a creature of habit.
"The black-honey tea is great, thanks." Xia can subtly search for difference in qi all she likes. Mother always serves this simple tea for people we identify as close allies. We don´t need to impress them, since our actions speak for us.
"Ha, I knew you would notice without looking!"
"Well, I did learn from the best!"
"Oh, shush, you!" She claps her hands in front of her, breaking the trance of the moment. "It´s high time we head to bed. Even cultivators need some proper rest every now and then!
"Certainly, Lady Angelus. The road we travelled was a long one."
"The last stretch was a fast one, huh? Xia simply blushes.
"Great, then let me show you our newly refurbished thermal baths. You will love it, I am sure!"
With the ladies leaving for the baths, I am left alone for a few moments, tea in hand. Mother knows of Xias' Dao oath through our correspondence on the way back. Surely her own Dao of [Love] would have shown her the truthfulness of that oath? Then why is she reacting so tense? What does she hope to protect me from?
--
As I leave my room, carefully ignoring the small mountain of paperwork and letters, I make my way towards Xia's room for her stay here. Entering her room seems to be another matter entirely, since Mia is standing in the doorway, fretting over Xia.
"Are you sure milady? I can assure you they won´t begrudge you sleeping a few hours more." The woman seeking nobility on her path stands before the portal with an unusually haggard expression, her eyes barely lifting.
"I suppose wishing a good morning would be ill-timed?" Maybe she`ll talk about her problems on her own. Who knows?
Gently lowering Mias hands trying to groom her nest of bed-hair, she says, "It´s nothing, Captain Zeno, just a bad dream."
"Lord Angelus I-" So, this is that serious then, if gentle Mia asserts her will. "Speak, Mia." Which she promptly does with a straightened back. "I have never seen such lacklustre hair, not even in that travelling barbarian, seeking the trash of all things. Please, Lady Xia really needs some sleep! She is not of the bronze and could suffer qi deviation easily if her appointed rest phases are disturbed like this."
"R-really, this is nothing. I am sure many cultivators have bad dreams and th-" Fool. "Shush/Shush" Mias and I's finger finally stopped her digging her own mental grave. The correct mindset is everything when under mental attack after all.
"Do you know what caused this? Have the arrays been damaged?" Before the second syllable leaves my mouth, we head back into Xia's room, locking the door and Mia erects privacy arrays she has stored in her sleeves for these situations. Xia standing still in quiet horror.
"No on both accounts, sir." Learning this I reach for my connection to the arrays, desperate hope flowing within. As the room alights, we see numerous arrays carved over every single surface in the room.
A first sweep of my qi senses indicates every array are where they should be and show me Xias building ball of worry in her dantian. "Is everything alright?" the girl beneath the mask of nobility shining through. Thankfully, Mia is already assuaging her fears, before she can mentally spiral down further.
By the second sweep I take close hard look on the particulars of the room's walls, noting no inconsistencies or array blemishes. I can find nothing that would indicate heavens direct influence of odds. As I search for problems, Mia explains the importance of my search, while Xia sips on calming draught.
The third sweep shows no different result. All is as it should be and that´s the problem. We had to rebuild the whole manor after the Blood brutes attack, which just means no visitor could have changed our mental states through objects. The amulet I wear can´t be it either, I checked. Before I know it, I pace in the room.
"Mia, did the décor in the room change recently?" A thoughtful face greets me as I look behind me.
"We did not have any great changes in the room, since it got destroyed by the last attack. Apart from the covers, of course. Lady Angelus personally changed them just today."
Wha did I miss? My senses focus on the sheets and pore over every single array glyph like the morticians treat the dead. I search for any blemish, while making sure no part is besmirched with worldly dirt.
"There is a single strand of heavenly qi interwoven between two glyphs. Why is there heavenly qi, Mia and why are we currently not suffering under the wrath of Heaven via lightning?!"
She cheered. "Oh, It´s safe. Your mother got that strand as a reward for participating in your fathers dream trial, because she was willing to wait until he could kiss her as her equal! How romantic!"
"This influence on your esteemed mother should be easily solved then, right Captain?" Xia reasserts herself.
"Not as easy as you would think Xia. I may have spoken about his qualities, but not his whereabouts." Taking her confused look as a sign, I continue.
"It´s a sore topic for us all, but father is no longer in this world."
"If he`s dead. Then why is this still a problem? Is she somehow resistant to the effects of Dao oaths?"
"On the contrary. We are the Golden Devils, and we feel the effects of Heaven more keenly than anyone else in the region. Please excuse my lack of care in my phrasing. He isn´t dead, just not in the physical realm and he can´t get back to us."
"Oh, that´s certainly understandable." Her eyes widen as realization sets in.
"I reckon, wherever she has included this strand of heavenly qi, she is an unwilling servant of Heaven and can´t acknowledge the effects of a Dao Oath as some sort of restriction, while she waits for father. It would certainly explain why she hasn't done many missions in the last few decades."
Xia questions my logic. "That assumes she can´t trust your judgement on security matters as her own son. Why?"
"I can only guess. Maybe the qi amplifies her Dao effects and our clan's bad karma works badly with that? We can´t exactly ask her that. It would tip her off."
"Well spoken, Captain. What must be done to save your mother?"
"I am glad to know your help, friend." I haven't seen her that intense, since my ascension to Foundation Establishment.
"The items seem to be the key to mothers mental state. We need to know what items she has imbued with this qi. Mia?"
"Oh, err, not much? I-I mean she has used this qi sparingly, the little I was allowed to know. She used most of these for her big sewing needles, so they wouldn´t break whenever she got excited."
"Anything else?" As she cowers before me, I realize my rudeness and step back. "N-no milord. She used the rest for these sheets. She celebrated that moment openly."
"Thank you for your help Mia." My hands clasp her shoulders. "I need you to get me these needles then. Can you do that for me?"
"Y-Yes of course. Right away, Sir!"
"Good and please call for mother. Tell her we would like to begin the day with her and spar together." Mia quickly excuses herself to begin her task.
I take the covers and hand them to Xia. "You on the other hand are the perfect lightning rod for Heaven."
"I am?" try to keep up, will you?
"It´s simple really, since father can´t kiss the qi out of her. We must do it the old-fashioned way. You destroy the qi implements in your fight with her and make her acknowledge the gravity of our Dao oath. Since the will of Heaven trumps everything under it, the qi strand should be nullified as a result and mother should come back to us." To underscore my point, I gesticulate with my hands as is necessary.
"What if I can´t do that and we destroy nothing?" I look at her.
"...don´t be shy with your sword qi.
---
"So, how would you like to begin our spar for today? Me against Lady Xia, to shake off the last sleep sand in her eyes?"
Zeno quickly interjects. "I agree in principle, but wouldn't that be too simple for you? You are a small realm above her."
"True, but it should be more equal with a handicap then. What do you suggest?"
"Lady Angelus, would you be amenable to try fighting with unusual weaponry? I sorely lack lessons in that regard." Oh, I can give you lessons on unusual weapons all right.
"Certainly. What do you suggest?"
Zeno holds up two bundles of cloth with a metallic pointy end. "These quickly assembled spears should suffice, right?"
I take the offered weapon. "Of course, dear. You are so reliable!"
The bitch chuckles at that. "On my word, I can certainly attest to that!" her spear ready for battle.
"For what little worth the word of an Oath-breaker has." I mutter under my breath.
"Would you dare imply I, eighth princess of the Shen kingdom would betray my Dao oath and avoid the obvious consequences?" Apparently not quiet enough for her.
"What? No, I would never? It´s just so convenient for you that my son came into your kingdom just at the right time!"
"A mother's gift your son may be, but not heavens gift for this turtle world, honored matriarch." That conniving bitch spat viciously.
"You dare?" There is nothing else but this bitch to be set right, so Zeno doesn't fall away like my dear.
The butch rebukes with an arrogant tranquillity. "There is nothing to be dared. You up jumped barbarians have been hounded by heaven for millennia and as promised I intend to profit for it by using it as a whetstone for my Dao so my people may prosper through my rule."
"Says the broodling of Shen who will never reach her throne, royal splits or no!" Ha, that incens- urk. Before I know it, I make a new imprint on the costly manor wall. That´s it, you´ll be begging for your mother you blue blooded bitch!
With the pathetic spear in my left hand I charge, intent on skewering her. Since she sidesteps into my guard, I punish that by lowering my own posture and kick her shins. That forces her to step back. Now for the thrust into her open-. Dust? She carved the marble with sword qi!
I can´t see her, but that means she can´t as well. Realizing this I rip some cloth away from this heap of scrap and array, to confuse the enemies' sight for a moment, while I lower my qi and hide behind a pillar.
It doesn´t work for long. She jumps at me, spear falling from on high. Since I can´t cycle my qi fast enough to dodge. I will beat her in pure strength.
Qi is cycled into spear and cloth, both shining brightly with heavenly qi by sheer power shoved roughly into this unprepared vessel.
With the spear breaking in my hands the qi lashes back at me, my meridians getting tested by the power. A light wound. Something else broke, but that´s unimportant. This fight isn´t over!
With the spears and their cloth both ruined, we raise our fists. Her shut right eye, already healing, glaring right at me with that arrogant pity.
"SILENCE!" a sudden voice pulls us out of our reverie and chains made from dreaming wood stop us, the manor walls glowing by Zenos command as patriarch. Prismatic dust falling from the ceiling.
Why am I not punching the false whore? Oh, my dear son is saying something I should listen.
"Stop fighting, now!" Why is my own son growling at me? The face of the conniving bitch with a shut right eye doesn´t tell us anything, but my sons face does. Zeno looks displeased, no betrayed.
"Please, stop fighting." he pleads.
"As you wish. /Ok." I never want to see that face on my son ever again. I wanted to say that, but Zeno enforced his will through the arrays, and we could not talk. Even though he suppresses my qi right now, I can´t help but be proud. He suppresses two superior experts without a cultivation advantage.
The feeling of elation doesn´t last, since I am ordered into closed- door cultivation for a week. Zeno really doesn´t want to talk to me. Why?
The week of silence was horrible. My healing meridians the only thing to observe while I sat in my room, alone.
It took a week of enforced silence until Zeno talked to me again. The conversation afterwards was…good. We made sure to emphasize training against such pervasive influences in the future. I can´t afford to be caught like that again and for that I need power. Not by trying to cheat Heaven this time and amplifying my Dao though. The Shadow of Heaven clearly didn´t protect me from the side-effects, since the influence itself wasn´t bad, just too much for me.
In the same conversation we talked about our own preparations for the trials ahead. Since my freshly healed meridians could echo in the liminal plane and lure in the wrong type of creatures, it´s up to Zeno alone to prepare the clans' signature in the liminal. I don´t envy his work, but his adventure at the dreaming Mount Tai prepared him well for such a hunt. We may not be able to slay the great beasts lurking there but obfuscating the Clans' Good Seeds from being directly jumped at in their dreams should be possible. As a silver lining for Zeno personally, he will learn the basics of portals for sure.
Getting back to my own preparations, I should really start moving again, huh. I may not have the talent to break towards 8th pillar, but that doesn´t mean I should languish at home. Maybe lady Xinya has a good mission to get me back into form again?
______
Omake for turn 10 @Mochinator , @Humbaba A life-saving-treasure as a reward please.
words: 3160
AN: Now you see why they needed new marble for the sparring room.
"Congratulations legionnaire, I may not be your legate, but you just earned yourself latrine duty for the next month!" Zeno exclaims with too much cheer.
latrine duty
I actually don't mind latrine duty. Of course I will make sure to complain about it somewhere Zeno can hear, but what a lot of legate including Zeno it seems don't realize is that latrine duty can cover a very wide range of tasks. And no sanitation master worth his bronze is going to waste someone that can craft disease purification arrays on shoveling shit.
I dislike most arrays. Generally when I use them I feel like I am failing, falling short of the standard the platonic ideal of perfect craftsmanship. Disease purification arrays are an exception though. There is something about their pure efficiency that speaks to me at a deep level. You see Disease purification arrays at least the sort used in latrines are modified life stealer arrays. They power themselves by stealing the life out of all the microorganisms in the shit. The downside being that they will burn themselves out if they don't get a steady supply of new shit, but who would bother making a Disease purification array if they didn't already have a surplus of shit readily available?.
Aristophanes Sarantapechos was not a happy person.
For decades now, his family has been in a state of decline. His great-aunt, the great Stratopedarches had gone from the greatest hope of the clan to become its second Nascent Soul and the peerless paragon of his family to a tragic casualty during the previous Trials, leaving her twin as the last Sarantapechos in any great position. One of his older cousins, previously the rising star born to greatness and true command had been crippled before perishing in ignominy. Another cousin of his that had been hopefully held in similar esteem had recently died on a fool's crusade to find the truth. The entire Sarantapechos line was struck into despondence.
And as one of the latest Junior Aspirants in a long line of family disappointments, Aristophanes felt the weight of countless elders' eyes on his back.
The scion frowned as he passed countless fellow soldiers across the verdant greenlands of the Dawn Fortress, noting that many of which were truly Bronze-blooded much like he was, as was right and proper, yet an increasing number of those who bore the armor wore the appearance of outsiders--barbarians. This was a consequence of the devastation wrought by the previous Trials, he'd been told by his grim-faced father. For the Golden Devils ever were a practical people when it came to survival.
Of course, he shared in his father's opinion that it could only be foolishness to trust so easily in outsiders who could never understand their plight--but really, the trouble came from elsewhere. For who were the greatest hopes of the Clan at the moment? Yes, there were fellow scions of storied lines in the Callistos and the Myias, but the rest? A child of traitors bonded to a beast? A halfling turned walking foilage? A peasant barbarian turned phoenix-blooded hero? An outsider from the same Sea as those of the Trials?!
No wonder the barbarians were increasing in number.
Once again, Aristophanes remembered the long lectures of his father on the prestige of his line. Once again, Aristophanes cursed his luckless cousins' names. So deep in his frustration was the Sarantapechos scion that his feet took him closer to his destination with little conscious thought. Even as his assigned bunk and some well-earned rest drew ever closer, he paid little mind to his surroundings. His fellow soldiers may as well have been non-entities, and the foliage around him a green blur--so engrossed he was in his misaimed anger. And he may very well have ended up standing in front of his cot, bemused at how entranced he was by his own emotions, had it not entered his trained ears--a sound very much out of place for where he was.
The sound of oil splashing onto a cast-iron surface.
Aristophanes shook himself out of his musing before blinking rapidly at his surroundings. Had he accidentally ended up at one of the many Legion cafeterias? A quick look around him gave him his answer--he was in a patch of land right outside one of the small "towns" that made up the many Legion outposts within the fortress, meant for gathering soldiers like him. It was supposed to be just an empty field...and across him was a girl holding a wok over an open fire.
He blinked again.
Yes, that was definitely a girl--and a fellow Junior Aspirant from the feel of things--heating oil in a humongous wok over an open fire, even wearing a fraying apron over her sooty armor. Her turtle-blooded features were tensed in concentration as she shook the bowl-like pan to and fro. Beside her were sacks of varying sizes, several of which lay open. Cooking utensils and bowls of ingredients that he couldn't quite see from the distance lay on a foldable steel table standing beside her. On her other side was a wooden stand carrying stacks of wooden bowls and spoons.
His first thought was that this was so against regulation that it wasn't even funny.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Aristophanes yelled in imitation of the commanding tone of his father as he stomped towards the stand. At his words, the barbarian girl looked up from what she was doing and, seeing him, suddenly beamed the smile of a dutiful younger sister.
"Wow, you're pretty early. I've just barely started cooking, y'know?" The girl cheerfully stated, as though this was all perfectly normal. He felt his face beginning to redden. "Least' you didn't catch me while I was still cutting things up. You'll have to wait til' I'm done, though the first batch shouldn't take longer than around ten minutes from now."
"No, I--" He shook his head. "Even as an outsider Aspirant you should have very well been taught about the finer points of our shared duties--"
"Oh, you're someone new," the girl interrupted to his growing ire. "Well, I have been granted official permission for any culinary activities by the Master of Disciples--"
"You dare boldly lie to a member of our Clan!" He bellowed, his Qi flaring with his raised voice even as his fists clenched. "You dare spit on the kindness that we show your kind with such a foolish falsehood? Only an idiot would believe that you've been granted official leave for something as inconsequential as cookery. I will have a word with your leading officer, and I swear he will have you whipped to teach you responsibility and discipline in kind."
"Are you done?" The girl asked, face having suddenly gone flat even as she poured whatever ingredients she'd probably stolen from somewhere into her wok. "Because great heavens above, you might be contender for Clan member with the sharpest, pointiest, gnarled and crooked stick furthest up his fucking asshole to the point that I can see it sticking out of your throat and nearly pushing out of your mouth."
What. "What--"
"Are you here to eat?" she asked.
"No, but--"
"Are you going to continue lecturing me, despite what I said?"
"Yes, but--"
"Then fuck off."
And so the girl continued to cook.
...
......huh.
Aristophanes would admit to anyone who asked him later on that he had been completely taken aback. His interaction with who he would learn was an ex-Simmering Soup Sect disciple flew in the face of pretty much everything he had been taught about military etiquette and formal respect to the point that he had been rooted to the spot for a good couple of minutes. He was as still as a statue. In the midst of his shock, the only things that kept him firmly in the moment was the sizzling of the food in the girl's wok, and the increasingly pleasant scent of cooking food that began to waft through the air.
Slowly, steadily, the scion of Bronze eventually found himself able to speak.
"Are you completely insane?"
"...this is the sixteenth time I've been asked that since I've gotten here, and I'm really starting to wonder why," the girl spoke back after a frustrated groan. "Is it really that hard to believe what I said? I know she's nuts, but do you people just not respect your Master of Disciples that much?"
Yes. "No, but to take you at simply at your word is impossible," Aristophanes told her remarkably politely for someone who had been yelling at the top of his lungs more than a few minutes ago.
She sighed. "Look in the front pocket of my pack--it's leaning against the stand."
For some reason, he found himself doing so. A very sizable sack had a small pocket on its front, and in it contained--
To Whomever or Whichever It May Concern:
I, Destasia Duca, appointed Chartoularios Tou Kanikleiou by the Archgetes of the Golden Devil Clan--
"What the hell."
"And that's the seventh time I've heard that exact same reaction," the girl grumbled. "Honestly, what is everyone's fucking problem? Or well, her problem, since I swear I've heard some wild shit about that woman from all sorts of places..."
"You got official leave," Aristophanes said, dumbfounded. "For cooking."
"No fucking shit I did, tell me something new."
"But......for cooking?"
"And what the fuck is wrong with the culinary arts, copper-ass?" The girl glowered at him. "You idiots barely have any respect for anything that doesn't involve stabbing things, poisoning things, or whatever the verb-word for array is, I swear. By the heavens, I'm going to fucking show you all...speaking of which, you're in the way."
"Huh?"
"Get your shiny, metallic asshole out of the way, you dimwit. Look behind you."
He did so, and gasped.
Before him was a line of frowning fellow Devils in armor, some carrying their own bowls and spoons, others even carrying their own stools. Farther away, a group of enterprising Aspirants had even set up their own picnic tables in wait of the meal to come.
"Wha--"
"Cadoc!" the girl said with a grin, suddenly looking like the kindly young sister she had appeared as before turning into...whatever in heaven's name that had been. The first in line, a stern-faced yet still smiling older Aspirant stepped forward, his own bowl in hand. "Good to see you again! Let me get you some of this right away."
"Thank goodness, I'm starving," the soldier replied in a gravelly tone. "Could really use a meal after the day I've had. What're you serving today?"
"After all the rice leftover from yesterday, fried rice!" the girl said with good cheer.
Fried rice? In the hell that was the Organ Meat Desert, rice could only truly be grown in one place--which is to say, within the confines of the Dawn Fortress itself. Specifically, Multi-Headed White Rice--though low quality, it could be grown reasonably quickly and in bulk to serve as rations for many men indeed. As the girl began to serve person after person, Aristophanes scanned the ingredients she'd been using and that he'd been ignoring, to find that he recognized all of them.
"Low Copper Carrots, Simple Jade Peas, Gravel Chicken eggs, even our Auroch Sausages..." the scion mumbled under his breath. "These were all taken from one of our storerooms!"
"Indeed, Aspirant Sarantapechos."
By instinct, Aristophanes immediately stood at attention. "Centurion!" he yelled, recognizing one of the men in charge of training him and many others standing in front of him, amusement written all over his face. "I'm sorry, I was on my way to my bunk when--"
"I can piece it together, I believe. Been picking on Aspirant Yang, here?"
"Uh..."
Turning, the Centurion nodded at the girl. "Fangxun, pass me a bowl."
"Of course, sir!" she responded with real warmth.
"Right. Here, Aristophanes." To his complete bewilderment, the Centurion passed him a spoon. "Take a bite from my bowl, and then you'll begin to understand why so much importance has been placed on Aspirant Fangxu Yang here."
Aristophanes took it, scooping up some of the dish wordlessly, and stared at what was in his hand. He had to admit that it smelled heavenly, but looked like a completely ordinary example of sausage-laden turtle world-style fried rice. "Sir, I..."
"Aspirant."
He took a bite, and was completely blown away. He was reminded of a gourmet dish served at one of his father's birthday banquets, so full of taste compared to ordinary boring and bland rice, the perfect side dish to any viand yet completely worthy of standing on its own with the rich, savory flavor...
...that he almost missed the dribble of Qi replenishing his exhausted meridians, so worn after training.
"What? My Qi--but how--"
"You lot seriously misuse what good ingredients you all have," he heard the Aspirant chef mutter in response.
"Yes, Aristophanes," the Centurion said. "Do you now understand why Aspirant Yang has been allowed to practice her unique form of culinary cultivation?"
For the second time that day, he found himself speechless. "I-I..."
"Perhaps you need more time to let it sink in," the Centurion grumbled with a snort. "Aspirant Yang?"
The chef looked up from where she was in the middle of serving yet another soldier. "Yes, Centurion?"
"If I remember right, Aspirant Sarantapechos ate immediately after training and before he departed for some rest," the man said with utter solemnity. "In light of his lapse in discipline, I shall assign him to your command for the duration of your current cultivation period."
"What?!"
"Meanwhile, I shall be enjoying my dinner. Good tidings, Aspirants." And with that, the Centurion walked away, bowl in hand.
"Alright, copper-ass..." Aristophanes felt a chill run up his spine as his fellow Aspirant fixed with a look that would give nightmares to any fool who dared cross her path. "First, you'll help me serve these to everyone in line, so grab an apron. Then we'll see just how shittily you imbeciles teach your people how to chop vegetables when it comes to a timespan of under twenty seconds..."
Little did he know, but Aristophanes Sarantapechos had only learned the first of many lessons--yet this little shard of understanding was no less important for those following the culinary arts.
For here was the First Rule of the Kitchen:
In the kitchen, only the head Chef was King. Forget this fact at your own risk, scion of Bronze. Your fate could turn most dire.
---
Word Count: 2,211
Hotheaded conservative aristocratic scion, meet frustrated pottymouth. The results are a little silly, as you can see.
He's going to end up her sous chef whether he likes it or not. Sure sucks to be him. Better than being on the opposite end of her meat cleaver, though--I'm sure he'd agree.
(This omake serves as a better introduction to the character of Yang Fangxu. I hope you enjoyed it!)
Anyone but us. Because the Altar Lord's values and ideals, the things that drive every single thing he has ever done, state plainly and inarguably: "The Optimatoi are more important and more necessary than the Blood Path."
Him attacking us would be like Manuel deciding to slaughter the Good Seeds. Completely insane, completely counter to everything he believes in, only possible if some external force reached into his skull and rewrote the contents.
The Altar Lord's life has been spent in pursuit of a weapon that can strike the Heavens. He and his Sect have become incapable of being that weapon. The Optimatoi, as the only alternative in the entirety of this universe, are now the only thing that the Altar Lord gives a single fuck about, because if his Sect can't smash the Celestial Machine, then somebody else has to. If the Optimatoi fail, then there will be only the will of Heaven, forever and ever, tyranny without end.
Don't think this turned out that great. Hopefully, it's still fairly readable.
Xiao Yingzi 15
[Turn 9]
[In and Out]
One never imagines dirty or contaminated water to be reflective, Elder Teleos mused as Xiao Yingzi knelt in front of the Obsidian Oasis. She looked around for a moment to ensure that no one had spotted her and then took a moment to relax. She was still breathing heavily due to running her and she needed to tidy herself before she could proceed with the next part of the plan. It is strangely comforting that such short-term exploitation can result in such beauty.
You consider the resources focused towards the drill to be a short-term thought process? Xiao Yingzi asked, as she redid her hair. She needed to look like she belonged and while her unbronzed skin helped, the rest she needed to work on herself. I imagineif the Jingshen do manage to get a third Nascent Soul, it would be worth any potential future loss.
Perhaps, He agreed, then he sighed. I wish we had more of a full picture. As it is, it seems like a sign of desperation but we can't truly know with the information that we have access to.
It is something I am familiar with. Xiao Yingzi replied with a degree of amusement. She felt a sense of exasperation from the Elder. She glanced at the spear, which was incredibly obviously a golden devil artifact. I'll have to hide you away for the operation. Will you be alright in my storage ring?
I never enjoy that feeling, but if it is needed. He gave a dramatic sigh of resigned acceptance. While it isn't the level of perception I have gotten used to, at the very least I will still be able to communicate with you.
Xiao Yingzi nodded. I understand. She couldn't draw upon the spear's empowering wisdom either when it was sealing in her storage ring, making the act uncomfortable for her as well. She balanced the spear on her open hand and watched it twist into the ring upon it.
She knelt there for a moment even after she was done, extending her senses to take stock of the area. The others have begun preparing for their own infiltration and I can feel the presence of about four guards in my way? I'm certain there would be more inside.
So you are proceeding with that plan then? He asked her, his mental voice strangely distant when coming from the storage ring. I have to admit while I have little expertise in infiltration, I find myself enjoying the one you have come up with.
Xiao Yingzi stood up from the oasis and brushed herself off. It is to a degree uncertain, to be honest. But it's the best way I can think of to get inside the mine. Even if it fails, I should be able to act as a distraction.
I just love the plan. The Elder replied. Please give me commentary if you can. Xiao Yingzi smiled and began to walk like she was supposed to be here, even though she wasn't.
I'm approaching the first guard. She said, to the Elder's glee. When the man saw her, she gave him a nod and just kept walking. He hesitated but then shrugged and went on with his duties. And he let me pass. The next guard stopped her but after she confidently introduced herself with a false identity, he shrugged and let her be.
The third guard wasn't patrolling but instead making his way to the entrance, just like she was. The man had a tired look on his face and tensed when he saw her and didn't recognise her.If she remembered their duties correctly… "Disposal Duty?" Xiao Yingzi asked, giving him a nod, and he relaxed.
"Yeah," He replied with an exasperated sigh. "The rest are still dumping things away. I'm on the shift for the third tunnel so I needed to come back. What about you?"
"Drill Repair." She answered with a matching sigh. "Jin had a run in with some golden devil bandits yesterday and now I need to come and take a look at it instead of him."
The guard frowned. "Is he okay?"
She nodded. "I heard he broke a leg but it was nothing permanent. He's even something of a hero back at the fort."
The guard breathed with relief. "That's good. That's good." He replied, smiling at her. "Everyone loved Jin. But I guess you wouldn't since now you have to pick up his pieces?"
Xiao Yingzi groaned. "Ugh. You have no idea what it's like being pulled from one project and dropped into another. I'll have to figure out everything from his notes."
The man nodded in understanding and clapped her back. "If it's any consolation, I'll be rooting for you." He told her, giving her a bright smile. As he said that, they'd reached up to the entrance to the Jingshen Spirit Stone Mine. The guard at the gate gave them both a look, spotted her companion and then nodded to let them pass.
"Thanks, man." She replied as he moved into the mine and then rounded the corner. There she realised that the one mine shaft had been drilled into several different paths and she had no idea which one to go to. "Which one are you?"
"That one," The guard said, pointing. "Good luck!"
She waved him off with a smile. "Same to you, man." As he disappeared into the tunnel, she stopped and considered which way to go.
This wasn't an obstacle I expected. The Elder admitted to Xiao Yingzi, when she explained the situation and asked him for advice.. Couldn't you just ask someone?
She stopped and turned back to the guard at the entrance. "How can I get to the drill?"
The guard gave her a confused look. "Who are you actually?"
Xiao Yingzi glanced at the rising sun with a frown. "Are we really doing this? It's already getting late, and I really need to get to the drill for it's emergency repairs."
The guard blinked. "Where's Jin?"
"Hurt in a bandit attack." She replied with exasperation. "Now, will you tell me the way or do I need to find someone higher up?"
His eyes widened at her unspoken threat. "Then there's no time to stand here arguing." The guard said, hurriedly explaining the path to take."Keep on going and you'll get to it."
Xiao Yingzi nodded. "I let the elder know that you were helpful." She replied, as she passed him and the guard sighed in relief.
He didn't even question me. Xiao Yingzi replied to the elder as she followed the guard's instructions. His response was a moment of quiet before uncontrolled laughter. The sheer audacity! I love it.
Once she began to hear the sound of the drill, Xiao Yingzi waited a few minutes to make sure that no one was following her and then she moved closer. The temperature inside the mine rose several degrees, as she got closer to the whirring sound of the shrill. She continued forward until she came to a long chamber with the drill at the end.
This part of the mine had obviously been just dug by it, making it narrow and very cramped, with barely enough room to move. There were several warriors of the Foundation Establishment but luckily no Core, as her intelligence had suggested. Quietly, so as to not give any warning she summoned her spear.
Unfortunately, that's when one of the men at the drill decided to look up and straight at her. He frowned and looked at her without comprehending the situation. "Wait a minute, you're not supposed to be in here."
Xiao Yingzi put her spear to the side and began to charge it with lightning. "I am." She pointed at another man. "Ask that guy. He was the one who let me in." Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to confuse them, instead they moved towards her as soon as she began charging her spear.For a moment she considered moving forward with her attack but seeing the pace of the fighters and their relative strengths, Xiao Yingzi realised that it was time to run.
She stabbed the ground with her spear sending sparks rippling across the ground. The moment of hesitation was enough for her to turn and run. She could sense them chasing after her and she made a beeline for the entrance. As she jumped out, she gave a wave to the guard outside whose eyes widened in realization.
As they turned to anger, she grinned to egg him on. Several of the guards chased after her and as they did, Xiao Yingzi felt her seniors begin to take advantage of the disadvantage for their own attempts. It was sad that she couldn't have been the one to win glory, but this would work just as well.
Drawing upon her spear's mastery of her body, she pushed her body beyond its limits. Lightning straked across her body and she heard the elder grin in her mind as she rushed forward, leaving the pursing guards behind.
Wei Feng 18 - Folk Tale - The tale of the Jade Beauty and the Boy with a hole in his heart
The tale of the Jade Beauty and the Boy with a hole in his heart
=
Once upon a time, in a village far away, there lived a little girl.
She was fair of face, and strong of mind.
She had the grace of a dancer, and the wit of a philosopher.
She was blessed by the heavens with astonishing talent and beauty.
Soon enough, her talent was recognised by a wandering cultivator, who knew the girl to have been blessed.
He took her away to the land of immortals, where she grew up strong and powerful and beautiful as the dawn. Many sought her attention, but she refused them all. For her heart had been captivated long ago by a little village boy. One day, she knew, it was their destiny to meet again.
=
Once upon a time, a little boy was born with a hole in his heart. A tiny, tiny hole, almost un-noticeable.
He grew up with a loving family and made many friends among the village children. Among them was a girl, fair of face and strong of wit. As they grew, he fell in love with the girl, and desired with all his heart to have her.
Yet the girl was blessed by the heavens. And when she was found by a wandering cultivator and taken away to the lands of the immortals a pit opened up in the boy's heart.
He lived, adrift and mourning for the life he had dreamed of, until one day he found a peculiar ring. This ring was haunted by a powerful spirit, who offered the boy a way to become an immortal cultivator and see all his dreams come true, if only the boy would help the spirit free itself.
Almost without thought, the boy agreed, and the spirit began to teach him. The boy grew in power swiftly, able to match those who had trained for years in the space of months. But he knew if he wanted to achieve his goal and find the girl he could not languish here.
The boy took all his savings and set off for the Immortal world.
Upon the road, he met an injured man on the side of the road. Without thought, the boy offered his help, but the man was really a powerful bandit. He struck out at the boy and when all was said and done, the boy was left for dead on the side of the road, with nothing but the clothes on his back.
And the hole in the boy's heart grew a little wider.
Many months later, the boy came to the gates of the sect where the girl had gone. Many sought to enter this mighty place, yet few succeeded. But the boy was brave and skilled, and though he had not trained for so long as many he managed to pass the tests and be admitted.
There, he finally saw the girl again, though only from afar. For though he had passed the gates he was still of lowly status, and the girl was a great treasure of the sect. And his heart was gladdened and began to warm again.
But another saw the boy's interest. A young master of the sect, who believed that the girl should be his alone. The young master arranged to train with the boy, and under the guise of a match beat him within an inch of his life, crippling the boy's progress.
And the hole in the boy's heart grew a little wider.
But the spirit of the ring was knowledgeable and powerful, and with its help the boy recovered, determined to grow stronger and avenge himself and see the girl again. He recovered and trained for many months, and finally he cornered his adversary and avenged himself.
But the young master's father was a man of great importance and arrogance. When he discovered what had happened to his son, he grew wroth. He sent the girl away to another sect and enacted his own revenge upon the boy.
The boy, realising that his beloved was gone and that he could not hope to stand up to the father, fled. Yet his enemy never gave up and hounded the boy day and night. The boy could sleep no where in safety, every friend he made betrayed him or died.
And the hole in the boy's heart grew.
Finally, the boy came to a valley of secrets. In it he found great treasures which raised his strength immensely. With these treasures he finally struck down the father and all who had followed him. All the friends who had betrayed him he slew in the name of the friends that had preferred to die.
And the hole in the boy's heart grew.
Many years passed, and the boy faced many more trials, growing in strength all the while. Until finally he met the girl once more. The girl was still strong and brave and witty. As strong as he. And for a time, the boy was happy.
But then once more he looked at the world, and his jaded eyes saw threats and terrors all about him. So once more he sought power from the wise spirit.
The spirit though, had grown weary. It had brought the boy great power, yet the bargain was unfulfilled.
"Have I not given you all the dreams you sought? Give me my freedom, see our bargain done, and I will once more aid your growth."
But the spirits words angered the man. His dreams were not fulfilled. He was still too weak, for it was possible he could still be defeated. In his rage, the man conceived of a new plan. If the spirit would not aid him then he would take the spirits power for himself.
He wove a great ritual, telling the spirit all the while that he was working to free it. And so he did. The ritual enacted, the ring broke and the spirit was freed. But the man had perverted the ritual, the freed spirit was instead damaged and broken down and finally consumed wholesale by the man.
And the hole in his heart was a yawning chasm swallowing all that it could.
Seeing what he had done, the girl grew afraid. She begged him to stop, but the hole in the man's heart was too wide. He would not stop until he could fight all the world if he must. He possessed the girl now, and he would allow nothing to take her from him.
Long years passed, and the man grew stronger, and crueller. He weaved great rituals, and even when the heavens turned against him and rained great lightning upon him, he was unmoved.
Stronger and stronger he grew, until the pursuit of greater strength became all that defined him. He became a monster, that lived in a tomb and could only stand the touch of light for instants in a day.
The girl grew old, her skin lost its shine, and the man grew disgusted by her appearance. His love turned to dust, for her aging showed that she was weak.
Yet still, he would not let her go. For she was his, and he would allow no other to take what was his.
Some say that the monster still lives, slumbering in his tomb beneath the great empty desert. His hunger so great that it drains the very lifeforce from anyone who enters his territory.
Some say too that the girl too still lives, growing more aged, yet the monster grew so strong that he would not allow even death to take her. They say her calls still sing out, warning travellers away from the territory that she is forever trapped in.
Jin Muyi:_________________________________君子一言 [A Gentleman's Word]_________________________
As i made my way towards the small home i shared with Qing Yun and Gui Hua, i found myself confronted with the fact that for the first time in a long while i was not needed by the Clan.
Even when i first joined the Clan, there was always a crisis to do. Ranging from the first Cannibal War i was involved in to the Devil Bees invasion and then the brutal war to the knife that was the Trial, i spent my years as a Qi Condensation cultivator plunging into conflict after conflict, battle after battle where both my Dao and body was forged by the anvil of war.
After the trial, the Clan was so lacking in manpower that we few Foundation Establishment Cultivators found ourselves tasked with the duties of our seniors. Leading Legions and missions to stabilize the Clan lands and it's vassals before we were hit by the 2nd Cannibal war. And now after my last mission, it's all over. The cannibals are no longer a power in the Desert, the Jingshen are unlikely to resort to open war at this moment and the new lands have been brought to peace under the boots of the Clan's Legions.
And so i find myself a soldier without a mission and a warrior without a battle, the only instructions being to cultivate for the Trials. To ensure that the results of the next trial were better then the one before.
It is Peace for a time and as i see the way my daughter's face lights up at my presence and as i feel her arms around me. It is something i think i can learn to love.
Living with my daughter without a deadline of when we must part is a interesting experience. She had always been the perfect daughter for me. Polite, understanding and more then glad to spend her time with me during the few furloughs i took in the years before.
Now after a year or so of me remaining at home with her, she seems to have finally realized that like what i promised, i was here for a long time. She started to throw tantrums, act out and misbehave exactly like how kids should be according to my comrades when i asked. Yet, i can't shake the doubt that she was going through the motions of what a Kid should be instead of what she truly felt.
When i confronted her with that, i saw my polite, understanding and inhuman daughter appear once more. It's hard sometimes to remember that despite her body and mind being stuck at a young age, she has lived for almost a 100 years as well and sometimes? Things stick and life experiences tell.
We agreed in the end that what i want was my daughter to be able to be her true self, that i want to know who my daughter is over what who the Clan think's Jin Muyi's daughter should be. I think i shocked her with that since she burst into tears before giving me a brief hug and running off to Qing Yun who has been serving the role of both playmate and Nanny to her since we got back from the Front.
Things very easily fell into a routine between the 3 of us. For me the day starts with looking deep into myself to truly comprehend the Dao i choose to walk as well as work on improving my control over the Darkness something that sometimes fails and ensures that we now have a verdant lush grove of emerald vines and bamboo stalks on our estate. Gui Hua in turn has her own studies to work on as well as her own training in the Saber Art her mother left for her whereas Qing Yun enjoyed his leisure by exploring and hunting the lands around us from dawn to dusk.
It is among this homely atmosphere that i truly learned how little i knew my daughter. Her favorite foods, her hobbies and even the effort she puts into her training were all revealed to me for the first time. And after some assurance that i truly wanted to, she started coming to me for help with her studies and Martial training until without realizing our two different schedules merged into one.
And as Gui Hua started to study and train within the lush grove created by the Darkness, i found to my surprise that her presence provided great aid in my cultivation. It revealed to me the underlying core of my Dao, of why i Duel.
I found that there is a quiet joy in teaching my daughter. The joy i feel when i see her successfully demonstrate a move thanks to my teaching is only eclipsed by the joy bought by her shy thanks or the awe in which she looks at me when i demonstrate the move to her.
I find myself intentionally browsing the Clan library for manuals for Saber Arts, of the philosophy behind the weapon and even the history of the Seven Saber Palace to be better able to assist Gui Hua in her studies of the Ghost Painting Saber Art.
It is a experience that is new to me. My mastery of my Ji came via combat, the philosophy and little tricks behind my understanding of it was all done through personal experience. But now in teaching my daughter, i learn a thousand different philosophies behind the Saber, a myriad of tricks ranging from the dirty to the surprising, a distillation of the words and styles of countless Saber styles.
And i realize to my pleasant surprise that the consumption of such knowledge left it's mark on me. I find myself using the blades of my Ji more then the Tip, the blades starting to take on a curved exterior when i bring it forth. Even without a fight, i can tell that my skill with polearms has increased from where it was before.
I feel proud of my daughter. It took me till now to realize that she had been doing her best to aid me in preparing for the Trials. Her constant requests for my help with the Ghost Painting Saber Art was for me to gradually pick up some of the moves and philosophy behind a Nascent Soul level Saber manual and work it into my own purely my own.
This was something i should perhaps have noticed sooner considering that most of the Moves she asked for my help with were about the Intent and Spiritual Understanding needed to draw forth lifelike plants with the Saber Art.
If it wasn't for the Saber Intent and Spiritual Understanding temporarily bursting forth through one of my katas today, i would have probably not realized her plan. However, now that i know, i can state without hesitation that the Saber Intent and Spiritual Understanding i picked up lands a certain lethality and finality to my strikes.
I no longer truly sleep. Ever since my integration with the Darkness, all my "sleep" does is give over control to the Darkness for it to work on gathering the Qi needed to keep our body running. I myself remain conscious within the Darkness and can feel the Qi in the air being drawn in to nourish our body, it is in fact a calming sensation that aids me greatly during my ruminations on my Dao.
As such, it was a great surprise to me that i had a Dream. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it selected Memories or a Vision Of What Might Be, for i recognize the images within it to be scenes that i saw during the last trial. The burning homes of the few Clan Cultivators that choose to live alone, bodies lying in the dirt as if they were refuse, the clinical way each Clan member was dispatched regardless of their cultivation levels.
The small mountain of bones that were all that was left of our Kin when we answered a call for aid, the smoke smell of burning ashes that coated everything during that year and beneath them all were the flashes of Gui Hua being in that position. Her favorite Qilin doll left mockingly on a mountain of bones, the burnt ruins of our small home, her small body lying discarded on the ground as if it was just some TRASH.
I knew that these scenes were not true, that Gui Hua was right now sleeping peacefully in her room, that Qing Yun would have died before he let anything happen to her. But yet, i feel my control over the Darkness slipping, my agitation feeding into it so that the air hisses with the sound of lashing vines and the trees in my emerald grove start growing thorns that were sharp and wickedly curved.
And as i force myself to full consciousness and once more regain control over the Darkness, and as i move to calm my panicking daughter down from the pressure of my Qi as it continues to thrum with my anger, i feel a pang of muted terror in my heart that tells me now I truly understand what the Trial is to the Clan.
[][][]
Ever since that night where she found herself forced awake by the anger in Father's Qi, Gui Hua noticed a difference in their daily routine. While things remain the same with Father working on his Dao while she did her schoolwork, there was a sense of intensity whenever he worked on his katas, even the Saber moves he demonstrated for her all now contained a vicious twist that would kill or disemboweled a unwary foe.
Even as she watched Father move through his katas in a slow unhurried fashion, she could see that he had given up on the artistry of his strokes. Moves that could have come straight out of the Training manuals now took on a vicious twist as Father made full use of his inhuman nature to make them land at impossible angles that would have broken the wrists of any other cultivator who attempted to replicate them. She could tell that the pride in his skill with the Ji had been traded for improved efficiency in killing as the polearm in Father's hands shift mid moves between the stab of a spear to the slash of a glaive and then to a sudden yank that would have beheaded any unwary foe the scythe blade that appeared midway.
She knew that Father didn't need to sleep, but he used to pretend to do so just so that she could feel normal about his inhuman nature. However, after whatever happened That Night, he no longer attempted to do so. Instead, after bidding her good night, Father and Uncle QIng Yun would launched into duels with each other, a series of non-stop duels till the Sun rose once more.
Once out of curiosity, she got one of her little ghosts to spy on them throughout the night and the report it brought back was puzzling. According to it, no two duels were the same. In one duel, Father and Uncle Qing Yun clashed with each other with Fist against Claw, in another they stood at a distance and traded Qi blasts and Lightning Roars, and in yet another they dueled with her Father's Ji clashing against her Uncle's horns. They were all Duels but none of them were the same and they ranged from physical crashes to esoteric attempts to trap each other in labyrinths of their own creation.
And as the time passed, Gui Hua found that her Father's presence had changed. Sometimes when his focus on his Qi faltered, any statement from him appeared to come in the form of a challenge that rang with a sort of Impact hinting that if accepted would be enforced till the Challenge was met and completed. While watching Uncle Qing Yun agree to yet another Duel for the victory prize of extra meat from the loser's Dinner, Gui Hua realized with a start that It was as if her Father through his Dao was offering the other party only visions of victory with his Challenge Offers while insidiously downplaying their fears before then enforcing the agreed upon terms and conditions when the Duel was accepted.
If her Father was a rusty and chipped blade with a worn handle when he came back home from the Wars a decade ago, he was now a polished and sharpened blade with a elaborate hilt. The decade of rest with her had appeared to have allowed him to both recover and polish himself, to give the blade the full servicing it needed to regain it's ability to cut.
That gave her mixed feelings. The decade she spent with Father was something new to her as well, Father wasn't Jin Muyi the Devouring Willow Of the Golden Devils that songs and tales mentioned. Father was a horrible Cook, a lousy teacher in anything beyond Fighting or Cultivating, a kind person who react to her little pranks with a quirked eyebrow. But as she watched him re-hone himself and as she felt him put on the layers and layers of Jin Muyi, she couldn't help but mourn that Father was once more being subsumed by the Duty focused Jin Muyi that was all the world saw and who was all she knew of in the years before.
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I am a fool. I was so focused about preparing for the trials, so obsessed about being able to Gui Hua safe that i forgot to consider how all my actions appear to someone who doesn't know my thoughts. I am thankful that Qing Yun is around to make up for my lackings as a father. It was he who pointed out to me that Gui Hua had returned back to her polite, quiet behavior instead of the bright and intelligent person i knew she was, It was he who pointed out that i only confided in him my fears and my reasons for working so hard and it was he who pointed out that perhaps i could treat her like the intelligent person she was by explaining my actions.
And as i see the tears flow from her eyes and the relief on her face once i explained to her my actions and more importantly who i'm doing this for, i feel once more the fool for not seeing how badly hurt she was by my actions as well as for not taking the time before to understand who she truly is. I am indeed a poor father if all my daughter knows of me is from the troubadour tales and the brief visits between the wars.
Though there are still preparations i need to make for the Trials, i have decided that i have wasted enough time. I will bring Gui Hua with me and show her who her Father is and what drives him. If this trial is to be my last, i would leave her with fond memories of the time we spent together as a family.
My first order of business was to bring Gui Hua along with me when i head towards my Legion Encampment. Despite what i had planned to do, my Legion and my position as Legate still represents a side of me that she had no knowledge of. I must confess that despite the trepidation of what her reaction to them might be, her reaction to me in my Dress Armor did make me smile. Even though she did followed up with "Shiny" and many other jokes about disposing of all our mirrors and puns about my "shining" reputation.
Qing Yun's continued refusal to put on the Dress Armor made specifically for him did not help matters, nor did his constant horrible attempts at humor via staring at me and then intentionally walking into a nearby tree or rock to the sound of my daughter's laughter.
Gui Hua's gasp of amazement as we walked through the open gate and past the yellow sandstone walls of the Legion Encampment sent a pang of pride tingling through me. Even for someone like me who had build the Legion to it's current point, what was presented upon stepping past the gate was a site to behold. Being the Legion that pioneered the Mounted Infantry concept, the first thing that could be seen was the menagerie of Spirit Beasts roaming the camp clad in Gravebronze barding.
While most of the Spirit Beast used in the Legion were the common Pangolin Horses that could be found throughout the entire desert, the regimen of Qi exercises, Qi enhanced fodder and the Spirit Bond ritual that was my legacy from my Father's line had turned them into aggressive muscular behemoths that more then fulfill their roles as Chargers.
In addition to them, some of the other legionaries had their own Spirit Beasts that benefited greatly from the same regimen allowing these Spirit Beast become exemplars of their species. In fact with the refinement the Clan did on the Secret Arts so that the Spirit Beasts nurtured by them are better able to support the Clan's formations, the Arts used by my Legion were more like the Original Art left to my family then the bastardized one they were using before my former clan got destroyed.
Gently nudging Gui Hua from her stunned state, i took the liberty to introduce her to selected legionaries and their Spirit Beasts partners. A more discerning eye would have noticed that strangely all of the Spirit Beasts introduced to Gui Hua were suspiciously fluffy as well as possessing a good enough nature to let my daughter hug and tug their fur and manes. While Qing Yun could very well "persuade" some of the more recalcitrant Spirit Beasts to play nice for Gui Hua, i saw no need to damage my relationship with my legionaries considering what i was going to do would likely leave a bad enough impression on them.
It took me some time to convince Gui Hua we should continue the tour, but eventually i succeeded with Qing Yun's aid via his sacrifice of allowing her to braid his mane. Now seated on Qing Yun, i escorted her past the drilling grounds where sections of the newer recruits were practicing the Kataphraktoi Formation to achieve the precise controlled state that i demanded from my men.
As we watched, the men moved in a simple three beat drill drummed out by the Company's Centurion.
- First Beat, Move together at the Canter and call up the Formation
- Second Beat, Work together with their Spirit Beasts and their fellows to regulate the formation's power
- Third Beat, Charge the target ensuring that most of the Formation's Qi is concentrated on the Lance while the Spirit Beast provide the Qi for the Speed that makes the formation so devastating.
It might seemed simple, but regulating and assigning juggling the Qi flows of a Formation wasn't a easy task. Casting the Formation a beat too fast or a beat too slow could cause the ratio to be off and the Formation to lack the punch that made the Legion's words of "We Ride" such a implicit threat.
My familiarity with the Kataphraktoi Formation allowed me to see the flaws of the troops before us, but to Gui Hua they must have been a incredible spectacle of Golden Calvary charging on sunkissed sands to hit the prepared target with a crack of lighting and thunder.
I noticed that we had been supported when the Centurion's drumming suddenly changed from the Three Beat of Charge to the more impressive Six Beat of Skirmish. Before our very eyes, the legionaries rearranged themselves from a line to a column as they activated the Kataphraktoi Formation in turns as they used the Lance Charge to cover a surprising distance before firing a Qi arrow with a Parthian shot with the remainder of the Formation's Qi and falling to the back of the column.
It was a very flashy maneuver that used the Charge aspect of the Kataphraktoi to allow for sudden changes of direction as the Legion chip away at the foe with their arrows. It was also a maneuver that we only managed to use once during the early stages of the 2nd Cannibal war where we had to lure a group towards the prepared battlefield.
Them doing it now left me feeling a surge of pride because nothing better summed up the élan of the current Legion then that maneuver and it's sheer disregard of how dangerous performing it on the battlefield is. It was in a way a salute to me and the acknowledgement of my efforts in reforming the Legion to what it is now. Before i took over the 99th and turned them into the 1st Mobile Infantry, the 99th were an auxiliary legion.
It was a legion consisting of Spirit Beast Cultivators whose main role was to serve as the couriers and messengers between Legions on the field and for information deemed to sensitive to be handled in any way beyond that of physical means. When i took over the legion and with the permission given by the Elder Council, i was able to put the Arts of my Father's Clan to good use and built what is essentially a Rapid Response force from Cultivators who thought that all they could serve the Clan with was as auxiliaries.
In a way, i gave them their pride back as Spirit Beast Cultivators. I showed them that there was way for them to serve the Clan in a fashion similar to their peers in the other Combat Focused Legions and gave them the Arts to do so. And now, on what is about to be the greatest trial for the Legion, a challenge that when overcome would earn them the Battle Honors that would allow them to be enshrine into Clan History as a full-fledged Combat Legion, I was going to resign as Legate. Something that would revoke the 1st MI's status as a Legion until another Legate can be found before the Trials, in essence pushing their Trial by Fire back by another century.
I'll count it as a miracle if none of the men attempt to stab me before i leave the Legion's Encampment.
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Gui Hua could hear the shouts even from the Legion's Stables where Father had left her at.
"Commander, you can't do this!"
"Sir, we've been preparing for this for the past 20 years! Hell, this was the goal you gave to us when you were introduced as our Legate!"
"None of the Men will accept this. How do you think they will react when they're told that all their training is for naught and that the Legion will be split-up?"
While she knew that Father would be more then glad to inform her of what the argument between him and his officers were about, curiosity compelled her to get the information now. Sneaking closer towards the building with a golden roof that Father informed her was the Legion's Headquarters, she made her way towards the raised voices taking care to ensure she remained unseen as she called upon one of her little ghosts to assist her in her attempts at spying on Father.
"...I understand you made a vow sir, but you can do so much more as a Legate! With you leading our Legion we would be able to pounce on the Invaders and flee before some of their stronger Cultivators appear to face us. Mathematically speaking, we'll save more of the Clan by acting in this fashion compared to your attempt to recreate the Miracle At Pleuron on your lonesome!"
" Alexios- No, Tribunus Alexios. I agree with the points you raised. They're all points that have occurred to me before i made my decision. Yes, while i can achieve more for the Clan by acting in that fashion, it won't change the fact that such hit-and-run Tactics come at a price. And unlike the more conventional tactics, the butcher bill for it will fall not on the Legion that is no longer there, but on the populace that the Legion has abandoned.
I saw that with my own two eyes during the last trial. The ruined homes and the mutilated corpses dotting our lands due to the fits of pique from the invaders after a detachment got away from them. Aye, it was a price that needed to be paid last Trial for us to stand a chance, but not This Trial. Not after all we done as a Clan for the past century!
We stung them hard last trial with what happened at Pleuron. To them we're their inferiors and they need to CRUSH us overwhelmingly in the upcoming Trial to ensure the Status Quo to them remains the same. Giving them the chance to do by using myself as bait? That's a small price to pay. My Dao is well-suited to delaying actions and buying time for the Clan, not to mention the potential value of my head to them. Every Invader that stops to fight me is one more that isn't besieging our walls or hunting our people."
The cold and calm way Father planned for his death reminded her once again that there was a kernel of truth in all the tales of Jin Muyi and his focus on duty. Gui Hua knew that Father didn't intend to die, especially not after their heart-to-heart talk. But the way he was presenting his argument to his officers had a ring of truth to it, that some part of him had calculated what he was proposing with the exact same odds and found the numbers that came up to be good.
Returning her attention back to the argument, Gui Hua said a word that would have disappointed Father if he heard it as she found herself once more tuning it midway through an argument.
"... doesn't need to be Pleuron! If you're insistent on doing this, the Clan has many Cities where funds have been invested in their defenses. Surely it will aid your plan if the Cities involved are well-defended instead of the backwater that Pleuron is now?
The last time it was involved in a war was the last Trial! No new funds have been allocated to rebuild the ones last from the last trial, most of the key industries within the City from the last trial have long been moved to the newer cities, you're the one that told us how important it is that the new cities are protected during the 2nd Cannibal war! That they're our new manufacturing hubs and provide the Clan with the resources needed to maintain our war machine. "
" Yes..You are of course right in your analysis of the situation. But i would still have to do it at Pleuron. Did you know? I wasn't the only cultivator tasked to delay the Invaders from getting to Pleuron, I was only a freshly ascended Foundation Building Cultivator after all. No, there was a group of cultivators who volunteered to delay the invaders, i just tagged along with them because i thought that was where my death could do the most good for the Clan.
Do you know the one thing they all had in common? They all had kin at Pleuron. Pleuron was their home, their city where their ancestors were laid to rest and where their children dream of a brighter future. The last words on their lips was Pleuron Stands. It was all that mattered to them and with those words they did great things. It was both a vow and a promise, that those of us standing will ensure Pleuron Stands for their own kin and for the kin of those who have already paid the blood price for the city.
Now a hundred years later, that vow still holds true for me. I may be the last member left of our forlorn hope, but as long as i live i will ensure that Pleuron Stands in honor of them who gave their everything for it, in accordance with the vow we all swore."
" I disagree with your plan sir. It lacks the application of any of the the tactical and strategic assessments you've been drumming into us from Day One. You let that all fall to side to keep a vow that only you remember. I don't know if you genuinely believe your motivations behind your plan are what you told us or if you have a death wish. Which ever it is, i hope you survive your folly."
" Thank you Tribunus Alexios. I've submitted my resignation notice to the Elders and have strongly recommended you for my position. I do hope you get the role Alexios, you have the ability to lead the Legion well. But do work on your Cultivation as well, you know that it's a key factor in deciding the choosing of a new Legate. I hope to see you all again after the Trial. "
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Honored Council Members,
I write to you to submit my resignation from the position of Legate to the 1st Mobile Infantry Legion. It has been a great honor to lead the 1st Mobile Infantry over the past 80 years especially since I have been shown great trust in being made Legate despite only being a Foundation Building Cultivator. The support and resources given to me by the Council to refine my Father's Arts for the Legion has been greatly appreciated and I hope the Legion's achievements so far have been worth the Council's investment.
Over the past 80 years, the 1st Mobile Infantry have grown beyond their roots as couriers and messengers from the 99th Auxiliaries into a Combat Legion of in their own right. Their lists of battle honors so far include participating in the 2nd Cannibal War as well as serving as a Rapid Response Force to raids and inclusions from our hostile neighbors and I am sure that if given the chance to do so, they would be able to do the same in the upcoming Trial.
Unfortunately, they will have to do so without me and is in part why I am submitting my resignation as Legate. I recall my experiences during the last Trial and the sheer butchery done to our Clan by the Invaders as a result of our strategy in consolidating the Clan's talents into detachments for Hit-and-run strikes. While i know that it is an acceptable price to pay to ensure the future of our Clan, my recent experience acting as a Father to my daughter has given me new thought.
Now when i think of the upcoming Trial and the 1st Mobile Infantry doing the same acts as before, what comes to my mind is my daughter suffering the repercussions, my daughter paying the blood price for my acts. As such, i can no longer be part of such tactics where our dependents pay the price for our actions, instead i would prefer that the actions taken by the Invaders falls on me, a Cultivator of the Clan who has a decent shot against them.
I've checked our records and i noticed that the best thing any of the Clan can do is cost the Invaders time. Time spent dealing with a stubborn Clan Cultivator is time not spent hunting down one who cannot face them. As such, i plan to re-enact my stand at Pleuron once more. With my Cultivation level and the aid of my Dao, i believe i can buy time by forcing the Invaders to duel me to be able to pass.
And while i do not wish to toot my own horn, i believe that news of my deeds last trial should have been brought back by the Invaders of the last trial who survived. I intent to leverage my reputation as a prize by exposing my location to the Invaders when they arrive. My presence should draw upon the kin and juniors of those slain by me last trial as well as those who seek to earn a reputation by taking me head. My body would also allow me to face them without the need of any logistical support and i would be able to buy time as long as i win.
The time i buy can hopefully help in ensuring more members of our Clan reach a safe location and allow for more defenses to be put up. I apologize for going against the Clan's Operating Procedure during the Trials, but I find myself compelled to act in this manner with or without the Council's approval. This is the only way i can live as Gui Hua's Father, the only way i can answer to the clansmen who died so that i could live last trial and the only way I can ensure Pleuron remains Standing.
The fault of this lies all on me and the 1st Mobile Infantry remains as loyal to the Council as any other Combat Legion. I sincerely plead that the Council allows the Legion to remain and earn their Battle Honors in the Trial. They are more then ready to take their place on the Clan Rolls. In addition, I nominate Tribunus Alexios of the 1st Mobile Infantry to take my role as it's Legate. While his cultivation might be lacking, he has a solid understanding of the tactics used by the Legion and would be more then able to use them against the Invaders.
With deepest apologies, Jin Muyi - Renegade.
When i told Gui Hua where i was planning to go, she insisted on coming along. Considering her affinity with the Dead, i had no worries about her being disrespectful to the Honored Dead. My main worry was if the the Clan Catacombs and the millennia of Yin Qi from the dead would to overpower her sensitive Qi sense and hurt her with the backlash . But part of the agreement we had was that i had to trust her to know her own limits and treat her as the young but intelligent girl she is.
This however, lead to me learning something new about my daughter. She doesn't have a set of white robes. That admittedly might not sound like something important for someone raised in the Clan, but the roots of my Father's Clan are rooted deep in me and like other cultivators of the Third Sea, White is the color for mourning. Wearing white robes upon visiting a grave allows us to both pay our respects and mourn for the departed.
Gui Hua by virtue of being born to two Third Sea Cultivators had the same cultural roots, yet when i asked her about her lack of such robes her answer was a surprising one. Due to her innate nature and close ties with the Dead, she didn't see the need to mourn the departed. For her, most of them were just a thought away and even the remnant Qi from those long gone was enough to give her a impression of the Dead in question and thus judge them based on that, so why mourn?
I found myself unable to answer her question, and allowed her to wear she thought was suitable to visit the Dead. In the end, wearing White Robes was for my own Third World Sensibilities which in turn might not be what the Honored Dead are expecting.
Walking through the entrance to the Catacombs was an experience. Unlike what one might be expecting, the Catacombs contained a sea of clansmen entering and leaving without pause. With the trials coming up once more, many other clansmen like me are making their way into it to pay their respects to the comrades who fell last trial. I'm sure that the one thought in common between all of us was that of if this trial would be our turn? If a century hence it would be the kin and juniors accompanying us today would would be paying their respects?
None know how deep the Catacombs are nor how space within it is handled, all that is known is that there is a classification system based on the conflicts the Clan was involved in, with the Honored Dead for that conflict being sequestered away in their own tombs. Considering the fallout from the last trial, the tomb the transportation array bought us to was incredibly big consisting of multiple sub-wings that split the dead by the battles that lead to their deaths, laying them to rest with their comrades in battle.
Ushering Gui Hua away from the Array, i led her towards a sub-wing bustling with visitors all paying their respects to the heroes who died at Pleuron. They who gave their lives for the Thirteenth to pull off the Hail Mary that wrote them into legend. And then i led her past the sub-wing and into a little alcove next to it. Gui Hua's puzzled face made me chuckle as i ushered her into the alcove.
The difference between the sub-wing and the alcove were night and day. While the memorial to those who died at Pleuron were brightly lit with candles and contained offerings of jugs of wine, Perfume scents and fine silk the alcove contained naught but dust trekked in by the visitors to the tomb. Handing Gui Hua a dust cloth, i worked with her to clean the alcove, removing the smudges, dirt and dust that were sullying the memorial to my comrades.
As my fingers brush over the names on the memorial, i find to my mild sorrow that nothing had changed. There was no spark of recognition, no flash of a face or snippets of a voice that pop up in my head about the people behind the names. It was one of my greatest regret, the inability to pair the names of these clansmen who had gave their lives in the same sacrificial manner as I did to keep Pleuron Standing, the only difference between us was that I came back.
Oh, I came back with a cost. The cost of no longer being human, the inability to enjoy any human sensations beyond taste and most importantly the blurred memories of what happened before i pierced my chest with my Ji. The shocking aspects of what i saw remain such as the devastation wrecked by the Invaders, but my comrades remain a indistinct blur who my only memories of were of them dying with the words Pleuron Stands on their lips.
One of the more peaceful moments that i was able to recall was a conversation where i mentioned i knew Magnus and was then buried by claims of lying and to prove myself innocent by bring a jug of his famed wine for all of us to share. That fell by the wayside as our numbers dwindled and as we got more and more desperate in stopping the invaders and buying time for the Clan. When the Trial ended, i was recovering from my wounds and then tasked with duties from the Clan, and now standing before them with the promised jug so close to the Trial once more, i couldn't help but wonder if any of them had pictured us sharing the wine in this fashion?
Perhaps they did, there had always been a sense of grimness to the memories, a fatalistic approach in how they shared their stories with each other as if to ensure that those of us who survive would remember their words and convey it to their kin. Alas, that i was the only survivor and that the best i could do was bring this jug of wine for them.
Most of the deaths had been gruesome affairs, i had memories of some of them using themselves to bait the invaders into traps before activating a sacrificial array that rip all within it the shreds. One of them who had a voice burdened with age had even use his knowledge of arrays to disrupt a ritual the Invaders were using to take out one of their more prominent trackers. Even those who did not dabble in the more esoteric arts made sure to sell their life dearly by first blowing themselves up by agitating their Qi but later changing to grappling the Invaders so that my Ji could pierce through and kill them, using themselves as living restraints all with the shout of Pleuron Stands on their dying lips.
Their sheer recklessness and willingness to sacrifice themselves to take out just one more Invader was a big factor in our ability to stall the Invaders. Not only did it ensure that the Invaders had split into small groups to prevent large numbers from dying at once, it allowed for us to stall them further by just leaving one cultivator behind as the rearguard. The time they needed to take-down someone on a last stand was time we used to flee ahead and prepare the next ambush. And while I never saw any of those who volunteered to stay behind, i knew what the last words on their lips was and that their deaths would have been horrible.
Now thinking back on their actions with my new perspective, i could see the motivations behind their actions. That it was for their Families that compelled them to go to such extents and not their loyalty to the Clan like what i thought before. A light tug on my robes broke me from my dark thoughts, looking at Gui Hua's worried face made me force a slight smile on mine as i handed over joss sticks for her to use as she paid her respects to them.
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Gui Hua could tell that Father was just putting on the smile to reassure her, but to ensure he stopped thinking about whatever put that dark look on his face, she pretended to be fooled as she accepted the offered joss sticks and lit them up. With the aid of her innate body, she conveyed her emotions to the remnant Qi that were all that was left of Father's comrades as she bowed to them. Her respect for them and their deeds, Her sympathy at what they gave up to keep their Kin safe and a promise to visit and ensure their alcove never falls back into the state it was before.
In the interval between her bow and her getting back upright, she felt their response resonate through her. Gratefulness for being remembered, Sorrow at what they lost, Pride at what they achieved, laughter that Father actually brought the wine.
Backing away from the small altar that had been setup, Gui Hua made sure to remain within the alcove and thus within earshot as Father took her place. She watched as Father popped open the Jar of wine he was carrying and poured it's contents into a cup which he threw down his throat. Filling it to the brim again, Father saluted the memorial with it before splashing it's contents in a horizontal arc before the names of his comrades, offering the wine that he had promised them. The heady smell of the wine containing within a spicy tang and fruity aroma that marked it as one of Uncle Magnus' famed Poisonous Fruit Wines.
"How was it? Like I promised, here is a jar of Magnus' famed wine. He gave it to me freshly brewed just before the last trial started and i had it maturing till now. I thought it would be appropriate for us to share a drink before the next trial, a toast to the Clan's upcoming triumph against the Invaders and a toast to you all who gave your lives for the last one.
I'm not sure if you all were aware, but i got most of the force pursuing us in the last trial. They let their guard down seeing that i was the only one left and forgot the lessons you lot taught them about how a Golden Devil with nothing to lose is a dangerous thing. I channeled my everything in my Ji and got it to expand into a forest aimed at them before they could react. You think they would have remembered how lethal my Ji was and our disregard towards our own lives as long as we could kill them considering the number of them that died to you lot grappling them so i can pierce you both.
I never really knew why you all were willing to go to such extends to ensure Pleuron Stands before, but i think i know now. That little one paying her respects is my daughter, Jin Gui Hua. She came as a surprise to me as well, i only knew of her after recovering from my wounds from the last trial. Even then duties to the Clan have taken me far from her for most of the past century, it was only within the past twenty years that i was truly able to be a Family with her.
And i think i get it now. The thought of losing her to the Invaders, of her encountering what we saw as we rode to stop the Invaders during the last trials fills me with dread. If I needed to pay the ultimate price to keep her safe? I would without a doubt. Considering the tales you all told me about Pleuron and it's ties to your families, I can now understand why you all were so desperate and so willing to use your lives to stall them. It's about a century to late, but as a Father, I salute you all once more for what you did to keep your families safe!"
It had been the first time she heard Father outright proclaim his love for her and what he would do to keep her safe. Gui Hua watched with a red face as Father threw back another cup of wine before once again splashing another dram of wine as a salute to the dead.
" The Clan has been doing well this past century, the cannibals are gone and we managed to take substantial portions of their land. Their focus on the Blood Path ensures that the natural resources of the land remain untouched and thus ripe for our clan to expand to. But our manpower is still recovering from the last trials the and wars we were involved in after it, so not all of our cities would be defended with a Legion.
Unfortunately, Pleuron isn't one of the selected cities. Most of the key industries within it have long been spread out among the new cities and even it's position as a trading hub has started to fall since merchants can now cut through former Cannibal lands. Sad to say, i'm unable to confirm if all of your relatives have made it out of Pleuron for brighter horizons, nor can i find out if any of them feel as strongly as Pleuron as you all did. My recovery from the last trial wasn't perfect and i have issues with the memories of the trial, but some of the strongest memories that remain are the last stands with the word Pleuron Stands as a battle-cry.
I'm the last surviving member of our little suicide squad. All i can do for the upcoming trial is to ensure Pleuron Stands, and if i need to do so in the footsteps that you all have walked before me? I'll do it willingly for my daughter like how you all did for your kin. But I'll win. I'll make sure i win so decisively that Pleuron turns into a symbol of fear to the Invaders. And the next time i visit you guys, it's not just wine i'll bring but also the blood of the Invaders who dared to threaten our kin. Farewell for now, I'll leave the jar here. Enjoy the wine. "
With those words, Gui Hua observed as Father placed the cup and open jar of wine before the small altar, allowing the smell emitting from it to spread and give the alcove a new and pleasant fragrance. And as she walked away from the alcove, a breeze blew where there should be none and her ear seemed to hear the sounds of laughter and the clinking of cups. The last thing she heard before the transportation array took her away from the tomb was the sounds of toasts proclaiming Pleuron Stands, a little fact that put a smile on her lips.
It wasn't easy saying farewell to Gui Hua. I could see that she tried to remain stoic for my sake, but there were tears welling in her eyes and the hug she gave me was the strongest one yet. With the trials being what they were, there was no way i was going to allow her to remain anywhere near the vicinity of Pleuron or even any of the newer cities.
Although it was unlikely that she would be attacked by the Invaders since she hasn't been able to cultivate, their cruelty was known and i had no idea if my reputation and what i planned to do would paint a target on her. Disobeying the Council and resigning from my position as Legate meant that Gui Hua wasn't able to stay with the families of the other Legates, but i had enough favors to ensure that space would be made for her in the Clan's Headquarters which had never been breached.
In addition, i asked Qing Yun to accompany and guard her throughout the Trial. With what i had planned, having him with me would only be more disadvantageous since the main gist of my plan required me to stall for as much time as i could via one on one duels.
And as we reached the fork where we had to part, i gave Gui Hua one last hug and my solemn promise to return to her before entrusting her to Qing Yun and watching as they made their way away from me and towards safety.
Now that Gui Hua had been safely sent away, i allowed my full war-form to show. The armor provided to me by the clan had always been more ceremonial then practical and with my resignation, it had been returned to the Clan Stores as well. Loosing the reins on the Darkness allowed it to writhe freely beneath my skin, and a slight push allowed me to force it out and around my body, allowing me to be clad with what appears to be an armor made out of vines and leaves.
To my surprise, instead of the usual green the War-form appear in shades of Blood Red. The choice of Blood Red and what it implies shook me for a moment. The Darkness always had a close bond to me, but i had not expected it to be intelligent enough to understand the repercussions of my plan. That I would be involved in nonstop fights that would lead to blood being shed and where the image of strength and appearing as unwounded was important.
It is chilling to wonder if the Darkness would ever grow intelligent enough to take control over Me, to become Jin Muyi and banish me to take it's place in the recesses of our mind. We have been so entwined since my recovery that i cannot differentiate between the Darkness and I or if "I" even exist beyond the last thoughts of Xiao Yi as he laid dying among the vines.
As i moved along the Scorpion road i spot the signs of the Clan preparing for the trials. Convoys of wagon heavily laden with resources being driven to the cities to reinforce the defensive arrays, Engineers setting up small fortress and way-posts where the Legion and the Headhunting squads can rest and re-provision throughout the Trial period.
Clansmen marching in cohort after cohort as they head towards where the Clan needed them the most. The jerky way some of the Clansmen moved caught my eye and a quick brush of my Qi sense told me i was correct. The Clansmen in question all their years on their face and all appeared to be recently ascended in the 10th Stage of Qi Condensation, so recent that they haven't regain fine control over their new strength and reflexes before being mustered out to do their duty.
I knew from bitter experience that most of them won't make it through the trial. These were the Cultivators who were unable to ascend to Foundation Building, who felt that the best way they could assist the Clan was to force themselves into the 10th Heavenstage and use themselves as shields for the more talented juniors. Even if they survived, their actions of forcing themselves to the 10th had a price to pay in terms of lifespan and i knew none who managed to survive more then 10 years past the trial.
I find myself approaching familial grounds. Without noticing, i have entered the areas where we set up ambushes for the Invaders in an attempt to slow them down during the last trial and walking upon the lands once more, the memories of the sacrifice of my comrades flares up in my head.
Over there one of us bought a day by causing a bridge collapse. There we laid a trap that took out their scouts before they could report back. In those woods we snuck up and slit the throats of their sentries with the aid of a poison that put the camp to sleep. One of us gave their life to turn that river into a flood that washed away the invader's supplies.
Everything just so that one little bit of time could be bought repeatedly though a thousand and one desperate ambushes. And yet now a hundred years later, who remembers the sacrifices and blood split but me? Even then, with my memories being what they are, there are likely more moments that i forgot about. All I could do is pour a jar of wine on these sites in memory of my dead comrades and their last stands.
It is appropriate that the place where i choose to enact my plan was the same as the place where i made my stand last Trial. The advantages of the place remains the same, it's far enough from Pleuron and it blocks of an entire approach to the City. In a fit of black humor, i find myself toasting the me from a century ago with my last jar of wine.
The ice cold wine reminded me of the ice cold feeling of my Ji sliding between my ribs and spicy kick of the poison in the wine brought me back once more to the excruciating pain of the Darkness growing within and then out of me as they strove to consume the Invaders.
The ringing of the bells broke me from my mood and back into the now. It signified to all of us that the Trials had begun, to run, to hide and to followed the plan refined from past experiences to survive the Trial.
For me however, it meant that the time was now. It was time for me to enact my plan and fufil my vows to Gui Hua, to the slain i was unable to protect, to my comrades who died and to myself to prove that this time would be different. A deep breath to finish off the last of the wine, i let the jar fall out of my hands as i flare my Qi so that it shone like a beacon to all, doing my best to ensure that it drowned out the faint Qi dots that were the other clansmen so that all that could be sensed was Me and my Qi.
I laced it with as much of myself as I could. My Cultivation Level, my achievements, my deeds as well as the impression that i am waiting to face any who dare to face me. Anyone of the invaders willing to face me to avenge their siblings and seniors that i slew in the last trial.
[][][]
All it took was the time needed for the empty jar to fall from Muyi's hand and shatter on the ground for the challenge to be answered. Flare after flare of Qi shone as one after another the Invaders appeared around Muyi in response to his challenge. They stood before him clad in attires ranging from the strange to the outrageous, wielding nothing but their fists to the most elaborate of weapons. But yet, as the crowd grew and grew, none seemed to be willing to make the first move in accepting his challenge.
Taking the imitative, Muyi allowed the little trick with his Dao that he practiced against QIng Yun to take effect as he called out to the crowd.
" Is there none of you willing to face me? I who have slain your fellows a century ago, does the spirits of your slain families nor seniors cry out for vengeance? Here, I am making no attempts to run, to hide and challenging one of you to take my head. Is there no one bold enough to do so?"
As his Dao laced voice worked it's magic on the crowd promising them victory and showing them visions of returning home as heroes, Muyi watched as a noticeable shudder ran through the crowd. They were very much on the breaking point and one more push should be all that was needed.
" I see there are none bold enough to face me as I am. In this case, I'm willing to let each member i'm facing pick if we're fighting close, at a distance or with our bare fists. Is this enough of a concession to make you all find your courage? "
This time Muyi's voice rang out with contempt, treating the watching crowd as if they were juniors who needed to be coaxed with handicaps before they were willing to participate in a training spar against a senior. An attempt in stoking their pride and driving them into a rage to accept the duel with him, making it a matter of pride for them to crush him over seeking out the rest of the Golden Devils.
The effects of this was even more pronounced, he could feel the stares of the crowd intensified as if they were attempting to rip and tear him into shreds with their eyes. He watched as the crowd broke into murmurs as what seemed to be an argument on who would face him broke out among some of the more agitated looking invaders.
And as the murmurs came to a halt and the first challenger stepped forward to face him, as the rest of the crowd formed a circle around him without attempting to leave, and as he felt the bloodlust from the other invaders, Muyi knew that the first part of his plan had succeeded.
He had drew the Invaders in and challenged them successfully, now all he needed to do was win. Win and keep winning. The more victories he could earn before he fell, the more time he could buy the Clan, the more he could stall this group of invaders and prevent them from attacking the other Golden Devils, the more unlikely the massacres and slaughters of the past trials would be committed.
Drawing his Blood Qi Cannon with his left hand and holding a portion of the Darkness in his right as it took the shape of a Kwandao, Muyi readied himself for what would be the first of the many many duels needed to achieve his goal.
Whew, that took a while. the Title is based on the following chinese saying: 君子一言, 驷马难追 (jūnzǐ yī yán, sìmǎ nán zhuī) which means once a gentleman gives his word, not even four horses can catch it/make him take it back. I used the first portion because it can also be interpreted as a Gentlemen giving his word which itself can be used with " A Gentleman's word is his bond "
This is my attempt at a Wuxia influenced Omake, namely Jet Li's Hero where the colors of each portion of the film were a way of presenting different truths of the same event. Similarly, the Heroforge images used and the color in them are meant to convey the different interpretations of the " vow/word" in question and how they all lead him to make a Stand at Pleuron
Green = Is Muyi's vow to Gui Hua as a Father to keep her safe, to prevent what he saw last trial from affecting her
Yellow = Is about Muyi's vow as a Legate of the Clan to the Slain populace of the last trial, to ensure that what happens to them will not happen again
White = Is about Muyi's vow to his departed comrades to ensure that their sacrifices and the price they paid to keep Pleuron Standing persists, even if he has to do it all on his own.
Red = Is beyond leading to the Duel, also about Muyi's vow to himself that this time, he'll do better then the last.
It might not have been conveyed well, but i tried my best. @Humbaba Threadmark please.
Maria
Bonus: Cultivation boost
Fate: Maria spent her time on the Fearless Line boldly, and found herself outmatched several times. Despite her cultivation, the sheer numbers and boldness of the Blood Path cultivators overwhelmed her many times, and she found herself struggling to command as effectively as she might have liked. With this, she took a trip to the Qiguai Secret Realm. Unlucky at first, she fell into the sky-sea, nearly drowning. At the edge of the Secret Realm itself, she was hunted for months by a tribe of Spirit Fish who sought to eat her, slipping from air bubble to air bubble, and ended up taking refuge in a cave. In there she found the Clone-Splitting Competition Art (+16 Impact). Only usable by those who have two minds in one body, it splits the two personalities into one body each, both dependent on the other. When one clone is killed, the personality returns to the other body, and the clone can be remade. Only by slaying both clones within a short period of time can the user be truly slain. It has some weaknesses - when one clone is slain the other is debilitated for a period of nearly half an hour. However, when the dominant split personality allows the subordinate out, it strengthens - thus why it is called the Competition Art. The two personalities constantly contest for dominance, and the Art enables this contest. Both bodies are as powerful as the original that had been split, and a new clone can be generated in a matter of half an hour, making the user a truly fearsome and nigh-unkillable foe. With this, Maria returned to the Fearless Line, throwing 'herself' into impossible battles that should have crippled her, saving three large caravans of refugees. Unfortunately, her early use of the Art was incomplete, and she nearly died after her third split. Only the use of a treasure preserved her life, and the strain the Art had put on her body would take her decades to recover from before she could regain her full faculties.
Impact: 16 (+16)
Cultivation: 10th Heavenstage
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 162 (+10)
Health: Healthy --> Dead --> LST Interrupt --> Badly Wounded --> Wounded
Theoron Strophios
Bonus: Impact
Fate: Theoron was sent to the Fearless Line along with so many others, preventing raiders from getting through. He made fast friends with a Strength Purity cultivator, Xi Li. Li died a month after meeting him, and left Theoron his Detection Bell (+1 Impact), a useful artifact that helped him detect raiders passing by. With this he was able to save the third refugee caravan from raiders, saving another thousand lives.
Impact: 3 (+1)
Cultivation: 10th Heavenstage (3 turns to FB)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 111 (+0)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Amaranth Castellanos
Bonus: Tribulation Boost
Fate: Amaranth had a rather ordinary time at the Fearless Line, if it could be called that. Whether other men fought great battles, he was put in the rear-guard, and found himself stoically cleaning up the messes of others. Several attacks by genius talents from the Saber Palace left a great rent in their lines, and he was consequently forced to rescue mortals who should've been safeguarded many times, taking blows and moving out of position to do so. While he survived without incident, there were many close calls, and despite his work he was constantly taunted by the Saber Palace talents for not fighting in the front-line.
Impact: 8 (+0)
Cultivation: 12th Heavenstage
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 269 (+19)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Fierce Fang
Bonus: Lifespan treasure
Fate: Fierce Fang spent time raising his chicken. It grew and grew, and it was when a small caravan of mortals from the north fled south that Fang went to oppose several Blood Path cultivators who sought to consume them. Pinned down by one, he feared he would be slain, but from behind came a mighty spur and the first cultivator was tripped. With this advantage, Fang was able to slay them both and save hundreds of mortals. It goes to show that one should always beware the chicken.
Impact: 4 (+0)
Cultivation: 12th Heavenstage (14 turns to FB)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 221 (+0)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Demetrius Ceres
Bonus: Tribulation Boost
Fate: When word came that Sha Yu had been overrun, Demetrius took his axe north and began killing as many raiders as he could. The people of Sha Yu were fleeing desperately, those who remained, and Demetrius was there to aid them. He hacked off the heads of seven Blood Path cultivators, and traded them on his return for a Blood Burst Pendant (+1 Impact), an item that could excite and enrage the blood, bringing out a temporary boost to strength in battle that would need to be repaid later through much rest.
Impact: 8 (+1)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 1-Pillar (Early)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 100 (+0)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Wei Feng
Bonus: Tribulation treasure
Fate: Wei Feng was once named the Phoenix, and it was here that his regenerative abilities came into play most fiercely. Along the Fearless Line he was known for taking the most missions, sallying out again and again and again to rescue caravans of mortals fleeing from the north. Sha Yu fell, and the effort the Strength Purity Sect put in allowing the mortals to retreat was immense. Former caravans and raiders being killed, the last retreating caravan from Sha Yu held almost fifteen thousand mortals. With Fierce Fang, Amaranth, Theoren, and countless other cultivators rescuing caravans as they fled, Wei Feng was able to hold off a Foundation Establishment Blood Path cultivator for nearly three hours, rising again and again to the immense frustration of the other man. Itchy Fang, as he was known, killed hundreds of mortals as Wei Feng constantly fought him, eventually focusing on Wei Feng himself in pure fury. Wei Feng held long enough for a Foundation Expert of their own to engage him, and the last mortals from Sha Yu were saved. While the city fell, few enough lives were lost. On his retreat, he broke through to Foundation Establishment himself, and returned to the now enemy-held territory of Sha Yu. There he found Itchy Fang, and exacted revenge for killing those under his care.
Impact: 15 (+0)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 1-Pillar (Early)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 100 (+0)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Carvos
Bonus: LST
Fate: Carvos went north, and found himself at first relegated to a role in the back lines. Beaten several times for attempting to get to the front lines, his centurion made it clear he'd only be allowed to go fight if he were able to rise into the 7th Heavenstage. A ridiculous goal, but Carvos set about it with focus never-before seen from him, and in a matter of a few years reached the 7th Heavenstage. As he reached the Fearless Line, the fight was nearly over, but he still managed to find a few likely fights, accidentally saving fifty or sixty mortals after trying to punch a Cannibal in the 9th Heavenstage. Somehow he escaped, and made his way back to the Fearless Line.
Impact: 0 (+0)
Cultivation: 7th Heavenstage
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 53 (+32)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
Ninth Prince
Bonus: LST
Fate: The Ninth Prince was, at the last, holding He Jian. One of the last in, admittedly, but the very last out. He and his Legion fought like madmen, covering the retreat of every other Foundation cultivator and mortal they could, setting up traps and poisons and retreating only when badly wounded, allowing the city the time it needed to move south. Most of the mortals had gone when Sha Yu fell, but there were plenty left, and many Qi Condensation cultivators who would be mere prey if their retreat was not covered. He was left in the city by himself at the end, overlooking the Ten Viper Venom Array, a collaboration between the Clan's Array-Engineers and his own Spirit Beasts. He triggered it, and would have been desperately wounded without the use of a treasure. Clouds of Qi-infused poison burst out, killing thousands of Blood Path cultivators, and tens of Foundation Experts. He Jian and the area surrounding it would be impassable for weeks, and the Strength Purity Sect had won a much-needed reprieve.
Impact: 18 (+0)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 3-Pillar (Mid)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 163 (+16)
Health: Healthy --> Badly Wounded --> LST Interrupt --> Lightly Wounded --> Healthy
Aristoteles Kalokagathos
Bonus: LST
Fate: Aristoteles at first went to the Qiguai Secret Realm, and had the most perfunctory encounter anyone must have ever had there. Flung in, he landed atop a small hill storing a number of powerful ancient pills, two of which boosted his cultivation massively (+60 years). On stealing them, the hill exploded with energy, throwing him right back out the front door of the Qiguai Realm. He returned to the Song Empire. During his time there he was a butcher among butchers near He Jian City. When the fall of Sha Yu came, He Jian anchored the retreat for the entire force stationed north of the Fearless Line - holding it for sufficient time would be key to ensuring the Fearless Line could serve as a second line of defense.
Impact: 5 (+0)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 4-Pillar
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 184 (+60)
Health: Healthy --> Lightly Wounded --> Crippled --> LST Interrupt --> Wounded --> Lightly Wounded
Rina Callista
Bonus: LST
Fate: Rina Callista strove mightly at the Song Empire, fighting equals, throwing back armies with her Legion and her Dao. Many deeds did she accomplish there, and during the Battle of Three Cores at He Jian City she flung back two for a time, leaving the Altar Elders frustrated and wary of her. This bought days and helped buy weeks later on. When Rina went to Sha Yu, of course, she inadvertently brought about its fall...
Impact: 12 (+0)
Cultivation: Single Pillar 2 of ??
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 333 (+0)
Health: Healthy --> Badly Wounded --> Lightly Wounded -- Healthy
----------------
The Fearless Line held quite well, and all the caravans of mortals that could have been expected to be saved were saved. A Moderate Success - there were still many wins we might have had in terms of defeating our enemies, but saving mortal lives is quite excellent.
As for the north, we had a Bare Success. We held the cities as long as they reasonably could be held, ensured evacuations to the south proceeded well, and ultimately managed to not lose too many troops to the madness that followed. The Song Empire lines are now ground down to the Fearless Line, and if it falls, so much for the remainder of the Song Empire. We are drawing up plans to relocate troops much further south to the next plausible defensive line, as the Fearless Line is unlikely to hold indefinitely.
Ninth Prince
Bonus: LST
Fate: The Ninth Prince was, at the last, holding He Jian. One of the last in, admittedly, but the very last out. He and his Legion fought like madmen, covering the retreat of every other Foundation cultivator and mortal they could, setting up traps and poisons and retreating only when badly wounded, allowing the city the time it needed to move south. Most of the mortals had gone when Sha Yu fell, but there were plenty left, and many Qi Condensation cultivators who would be mere prey if their retreat was not covered. He was left in the city by himself at the end, overlooking the Ten Viper Venom Array, a collaboration between the Clan's Array-Engineers and his own Spirit Beasts. He triggered it, and would have been desperately wounded without the use of a treasure. Clouds of Qi-infused poison burst out, killing thousands of Blood Path cultivators, and tens of Foundation Experts. He Jian and the area surrounding it would be impassable for weeks, and the Strength Purity Sect had won a much-needed reprieve.
Impact: 18 (+0)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 3-Pillar (Mid)
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 163 (+16)
Health: Healthy --> Badly Wounded --> LST Interrupt --> Lightly Wounded --> Healthy
He raged, and screamed, and killed one of the Qi Condensation serving boys he had stolen from a raid south. The lad's eyes simply froze over and he collapsed, the mere emanations of Kinslaughterer's soul enough to end him entirely.
Who the fuck did Altar Lord think he was? Telling him to not kill the enemies of his Lord? The pathetic, insolent, worthless insects who chose to climb up the path his Lord had left and refused to follow his will?
Kinslaughterer calmed himself, throwing the corpse of the boy through the wall, shattering several houses. Perhaps some other ants died - it was not really his concern. Was that how Altar Lord felt about him?
He screamed in rage.
No.
He wasn't one of the ants. Altar Lord couldn't tell him what to do, couldn't prevent him from doing what he must. What his Lord demanded.
Oh, he knew Altar Lord was filth. He didn't care about the will of his Lord, didn't care for divine and endless Consumption. For a path to the truth that came through consuming all that was, to consume the world itself and thus gain the divine ability to consume the cosmos, to become one with everything by making it part of you. Only endless consumption would see you rise beyond the ability to consume, to become a serpent ever-consuming its own tail. To rise and become the universe itself, consuming yourself forever in ecstatic divine agony.
Altar Lord muttered about Heaven, and about Fate, and about other irrelevant things.
He didn't care about the path to divinity that had been laid out in front of all of them, and yet the Altar still chose him! It was infuriating. Obscene. Disgusting.
He prowled through one of the broken houses, seeing one of his granddaughters there. Hunger rose within him, and he clawed at her, tearing at her flesh, gnawing on it and gulping it down. The glorious satisfaction of consuming your kin, of consuming something so close to oneself was the nearest thing to that divine agony he could get.
Three great-granddaughters.
He looked them over, huddled together and crying in terror.
Weak.
Not worth the devouring.
He glared down at them.
"Grow up. Consume. Become strong. Devour me if you can."
He felt a pulse of desire at those words. Becoming part of his own family's rise to divinity? The truth of all things was that being devoured and devouring were both of worth, and if his own kin could rise above him into godhood, he would slide down their gullet in joy and appreciation.
He flew up, and away.
He knew now what he had to do. The Altar had not recognised him because it did not see him as truly worthy. How could he be seen as worthy when he allowed the unworthy to live? Vile creatures that were like parasites, sitting in the gut of the truth, worming away at the path his Lord had left for him and all others who had eyes.
"Lixin..."
He heard the voice come from below, a scream of rage as he flew. One of his great-granddaughters, vowing revenge. Foolish. There was no revenge, merely growth. If she could consume him then she deserved to. In time she might understand. To use his old name... even more foolish. There was no Hu Lixin, there was only Kinslaughterer. The one who consumed or was eaten, the devourer of his own flesh.
South. He could feel the pulses of their Dao, the impressions on the world they left. The lies they spread, the untruths that besmirched his Lord.
No longer.
He flew, and landed.
A forest clearing, with a small fire and a band of Heavenly Time cultivators. Three Core Formation elders sitting about the fire. He ignored them, striding towards the handsome young man.
The young man rose, and stood in front of him.
"Senior, this Wei An-"
Kinslaughterer struck.
With a single blow, he tore off the boy's legs. Another blow sent the Core Formation elders flying, weakened but otherwise fine.
Wei An screamed, and reached for a pendulum.
Foolishness.
Kinslaughterer simply exerted his will. There was no motion from Wei An's hands, and the raw power of Kinslaughterer's soul prevented any true Dao effects taking place. He tore off an arm, then another. He gnawed on them, finding them unsatisfactory. Oh, there were emanations of time and the like, and he was sure he would gain some mystical understanding of concepts he barely cared about, but he was more concerned with the terrified look on the boy's face.
"Senior, please, if this Wei An has offended you, I-"
A finger sharpened itself and excised his lips and tongue, Kinslaughterer gulping them down in a few more bites.
"Creatures like you who follow the Single Path and yet besmirch my Lord's name by disdaining his True Path need to die."
A single swift elbow, and Wei An's skull simply gave way.
A few more bites and he was done.
There.
Not enough warning for the other one. They would not suspect it, anyhow. Striking juniors like this was rare, and so while protections existed, they would not long stop a Nascent Soul in the fullness of his fury.
He could feel her, though it was a difficult thing. He suspected other Nascent Souls could not detect one another as he could, though the detection was only truly of use when he got close. He knew Altar Lord often felt like he was in many places - probably a measure to prevent him from being able to detect and betray his pathetic leader.
There was... a city there. He couldn't recall its name. The girl was somewhere within, towards the centre. Ants beneath him, scurrying about behind their little walls. Roofs of red and blue all across the city, a tower in the centre for one reason or another.
A range of arrays had been set up, protecting the city from even Core Formation assaulters.
Nothing to him. He brought down a hand, and a line of force was brought into being. The walls cracked and broke, and houses shattered. Roofs collapsed, and cultivators died, many, many, many. He felt nothing. They were nothing to him. Who cared for killing?
He flew down. The girl was there, in the centre of the city. Near a fountain of some sort.
He spoke. The Golden Devils had bought his Lord the room to open the Path, and so they were worthy of notice. It would not spare the girl, but he would explain himself. Make her see why she needed to die.
"You. Scion of Callista. Know that you have walked a path you are unworthy for. You tread the path of my Lord, and yet disdain his Truth. For this, the penalty is death."
With that, he struck.
Not a full-force blow, merely enough to separate her legs from his body. Enough to make his displeasure clear before killing her. She needed to suffer for what she had done, for the Truth she had besmirched. The filth she had tracked into the Divine Path.
He watched idly, and as the blow came from afar, she blocked it somehow. Some item? Some technique? No matter. It was only the lightest of blows.
This time, he resolved, he would strike to kill.
He brought his hand down, and-
A voice echoed out, another Nascent Soul standing in the sky but a few li from him, a ripple of force from her blocking his blow.
"Naughty, naughty."
He snarled.
"Scarletglyph. Leave the girl. Flee. For this I will spare you. She must die."
Amaranth Castellanos
Bonus: Tribulation Boost
Fate: Amaranth had a rather ordinary time at the Fearless Line, if it could be called that. Whether other men fought great battles, he was put in the rear-guard, and found himself stoically cleaning up the messes of others. Several attacks by genius talents from the Saber Palace left a great rent in their lines, and he was consequently forced to rescue mortals who should've been safeguarded many times, taking blows and moving out of position to do so. While he survived without incident, there were many close calls, and despite his work he was constantly taunted by the Saber Palace talents for not fighting in the front-line.
Impact: 8 (+0)
Cultivation: 12th Heavenstage
Cultivation Year-Equivalent: 269 (+19)
Health: Healthy --> Healthy
No shame in saving mortals in the background. Clan needs people there as well in order for things to run, after all, and to those mortals, this may as well have been the most important part.
As for being mocked by the Saber Palace's talents... Well, there's gonna be a really fun look in their faces when Amaranth comes back with his Single Pillar in Turn 11, lemme tell ya.
Just gotta hope that I get at least 19 more cultivation years in Turn 10.
"RIGHT I HAVE HAD IT Y-Y-YOU FUCKING BATTLE JUNKIE BATSHIT INSANE MORONIC GORILLA!" Hera roared into Carvos's face as she held him by the collar of his now freshly bloodstained clothes from the monster he had just slain. Carvos just grinned through the tirade of the part cursing part scolding he was receiving. This was the same old song and dance that he went through whenever he skipped out on meditation. Who wanted that boring thing when there were strong opponents nearby?
"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!" yelled Hera, shaking him like a dog with its favourite toy. Carvos merely chuckled, sending the short woman on an even more heated bout of yelling. This amused Carvos even further, which enraged Hera even further, making Carvos grin even harder.
Suddenly the tirade stopped, but Hera had clearly not finished. There was a look on her face that made Carvos nervous and he did not like feeling nervous; he had never felt this much trepidation before.
"Well then," said Hera in the sweetest possible voice " Since you you have no patience and talking is not getting things done, I will have to use more severe methods to drive the point through your thick skull"
With that, Carvos felt a sudden blow to his head, then nothing.
He awoke to the sound of water steadily dripping into a pool. Light from above was the second thing to greet him as his eyes snapped open. Sitting up quickly, Carvos looked around and he seemed to be in a moderately large cave. Each and every surface was unnaturally smooth. Looking up confirmed what he had begun to suspect. The hole that appeared to be the only entrance was just as smooth. There was a piece of folded paper attached to a stick that had been driven into the cave floor.
Without much to do and since there was what clearly was a letter that would explain his situation, Carvos walked over to the piece of paper and snatched the letter from the stick, which collapsed into ash. Carvos opened the letter and read it.
To the battle mad moron,
If you are reading this then you know you are in a cave unless you are blind and a moron.
You will remain here until YOU LEARN TO MEDITATE. Until you learn, the Way of Battle is confiscated, as it's clearly the only thing you value and I am not having you hack your way out of that cave. I will be seeing you in a month.
So sit down and learn to meditate or you will be stuck in there for a good long while.
P.S FUCK YOU
Carvos immediately after reading this crushed the letter, his teeth grinding in fury. That short Hera was going to pay for stealing his axe. He was going to get out of this cave and get his axe back. Then he would challenge her to a duel and have a great fight. With that, he walked over to one of the cave walls and began to pound on the cave wall. The rock did not crack under his blow, but Carvos was undeterred. Instead, he merely redoubled his efforts ignoring the pain that he was inflicting on his fists just like he had with every injury in the past.
This continued until Carvos passed out from exhaustion. His only progress was the size of the bloodstain on the cavern's wall. This became part of Carvos's routine; he would punch the wall in an attempt to break it with little to no success. Eventually he got bored of punching the wall and began to loiter around, sometimes laying down doing nothing. More often than not he paced back and forth as the hunger began to gnaw at his stomach. He never became thirsty because of a moderately sized pool but every time he saw his reflection he saw someone strong and couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to fight himself. It started as a minor thought but grew with time as he had not had a fight in a long while and he was the only strong thing around. He would spend so much time glaring into his own reflection not knowing he was pouring his Qi and sheer desire to fight something strong into the water of the pool. So when he awakened from another day of glaring he found himself beside the pool glaring back.
Not even pausing to question how the other him came to be or why it was so. Corvus simply attacked, eyes wide, voice howling like a mad feral dog. His doppelganger happily mirrored the original and both smashed into each other with bone-crushing force. Blows were rapidly traded but every blow that was thrown by Carvos was countered perfectly by the doppelganger. Who stuck in turn only to be deflected and countered in turn by Carvos.
Both combatants at the same time decided to grapple each other, muscles strained and bulged. Growls and snarls exited clenched grinning mouths. But none could gain an advantage and a part of Carvos understood that could only be described as his well honed killer instinct screamed at him to stop being aggressive and do something different. So Carvos, ever one to trust his instincts, did. Clamping his fingers as tight as he could, he fell backward, dragging his surprised opponent with him.
At the same moment, as his back hit the cave floor, Carvos drew both of his legs in and kicked out. Both feet slammed into the Doppelganger's stomach sending it into the roof, winding the grinning thing with a loud "OOF", before falling towards the cave floor stunned. But Carvos was not done just yet. As the doppelganger was about the ground, Carvos punched it dead on the sternum, sending it smashing into the cave wall at high speed crumpling to the floor. Then slowly, the doppelganger dissolved into a puddle of water.
A feeling of disappointment swept over Carvos that it had to end, and he wished he could do it again. Suddenly there was a splash and he turned to see another doppelganger climbing out of the pool. With a savage grin he charged, and the doppelganger did the same as the second fight against himself began.
Hera arrived at the hole she threw the battle junkie into. This month had been the best. No more stopping the moron's endless fights, no more endless stupidity, no stress and the feeling of grey hairs developing. Sadly it had to end, since as a centurion she had responsibilities. Especially for this lunatic, who she hoped at least would do as he was told and by some miracle actually meditate for once. Her reverie was broken by the sounds of combat. Her blood ran cold. The lunatic had done something. As sure as the sun rose, he had found a way to fight.
Quickly jumping down the hole Hera was expecting to see the battle junkie fighting some underground monster or a blood path cultivator. Instead when she landed on the cave floor she beheld the sight of multiple Carvos fighting each other. While many others that had been defeated were slowly dissolving into water that was flowing back to the cave's pool. Atop a pile of dissolving body bloodied but fighting with incredible skill was the original Carvos. Hera knew how her charge fought all fury, enthusiasm and endless aggression but she could not believe the lunatic before her was the same person.
The way he fought was still aggressive but now it was more controlled with feints, dodges and biomechanically correct grapples. His opposing copies were fighting with nearly as much skill as the original who was only just keeping pace with them.
"H-h-how has this happened? I thought I stopped him from seeking a fight so he could finally meditate." Hera whispered to herself oblivious to the chaos around
"I guess the fight will come to him if he's denied it," she said before giggling to herself. The laugh sounded unhinged.
What do I do with all of these morons? I suppose I will have to manage them all," she thought then she giggled again at that idea.
Suddenly she felt light-headed and weak at the knees. Then the ground rushed up to meet her. And for the first time in her life, Hera fainted from shock.
@ReaderOfFate here's the omake I'm putting a note here for the Gm that for My Turn 10 bonus I would like A LSt so can challenge the Qiguai secret realm and hope I can find something good will have to go he'll the the leather for omakes
I left this quest for a while but I re-read and got interested and though- I'm going to omake a bit here. My old character has been very boring and doing nothing in particular, but I can establish them and join this cool wild good seed thing properly again!
Then I noticed my good seed is dead in the most recent good seed report.
.................Oh well? I guess? Lol. I have other writing projects that probably need more love anyway, but it still stings a bit under the bemusement. He survived without me writing any omakes for a hundred years, and then dies on a mission soon after.
...An epitaph, I guess.
I have accomplished little of note in my lifetime. I spent much of my life simply cultivating and doing paperwork. But let it be known at least that I rose above my origins, yet remembered them. To all who read this grave and my memoirs, should anyone have a reason to read the memoirs of a lowly and insignificant cultivator such as myself, seek justice over cruelty and understanding over hate. And remember the mortals.
I doubt it. If there's one thing the quest's world-building has impressed upon me, it's that these people are hellishly difficult to put down once they reach a certain power level.
I doubt it. If there's one thing the quest's world-building has impressed upon me, it's that these people are hellishly difficult to put down once they reach a certain power level.
He dies one way or another. Either he dies in the attack or Alter lord feeds him to one of his kin. That way he gets to kill him and still have a nascent soul to boss around.
