Title: The Elders March. Part 1.
Alternative Title: The Great Grandparents Gait. Cough. I mean March.
author notes: 'simple' missions? what are those? they only know plus ultra missions
(POV of the second builder)
Looking around him, 'so it begins' he thought. All in his generation with the blood to the last 'mortal' member, that are alive, will be part of this mission. And most of the 'mortals' second generation too. Only some brothers, cultivators, that do not have the bronze blood and follow other (smarter) paths to power than most of the brotherhood are staying. To guard and teach the third generation. And what ever group the fifth brother hides from the 'normal' official papers. They of course hide nothing from the clan. That would be crazy.
In the privacy of his mind the second brother thought loud 'we are still failing our family'.
[We can only offer them a better path that the one we went and use this greater than our foundation to convince more brothers to move to a better path] thought back Xi-Wang, the first builder, using their connection that they have with the amulet of true will.
The second builder still had a bitter taste in his mouth from the decision of so many of the second generation to stop using the stones that they had paid so much sweat and blood to gain. Because they desire to do what they did. To raise brothers that could not advance without their full help and help the juniors just like they did.
'You… I mean, we were right about one thing; those stones are evil and connected to the cursed heaven!' even without using them they curse all they touch!
[And yet, we continue to challenge the heavens, I am the living proof] thought back the first brother. While the second builder was still digesting his words the former leader of brotherhood continues.
[All our brothers with the blood are stronger now, we won victory after victory and benefic after benefic. Even this terrible war that we are sending our family can be a blessing]
[Also, not only we succeed in creating the 'big brother/sister system' for those with higher talent while reducing the friction in the family, but also created a precedent for the brothers of lesser talent that decide to use the evil stone path, plus we truly jumpstart so many little ones. I hope they never fall to mortals' diseases or from disasters that can only kill mortals] Finish the first brother. On this, both men agree on, that kind of pain of death by complete mundane problems that could be avoid so easily if the person in question was even the weakest of the cultivators with the blood of bronze and its legendary constitution, so many in the brotherhood cannot let go of memories of those they lost for deaths like those ones, just like the second and first builders could not. From their significant others death. The second brother thought that he still the one that had suffered less from the two, since his daughter is still alive and had become the fourth 'brother' of the next generation.
That last thought was also what made the second brother return to the present, which is probably why his brother was directing him to remember those memories. The 'desire/hope' of having as many cultivators as possible in his family to avoid mortal trials and surpass mortal lifespan that still burn extremely bright in the five sworn brothers.
Nodding to himself, the second brother start to move and carefully watch the final preparations while his direct 'subordinates brothers' follow him. His original one in the form of 11
th brother (Yu), and now he has the 6
th (Jingguo) and 7
th brothers (Hou). And he needs to stop using those names even in his mind. Because these fools continue the, cursed, tradition of stopping using their names until they become a foundation establish expert. Or until their death.
He watches and see a long line of carts, modify bikes, palanquins, and even big trunks being used to transport their resources and their people. So that they can rest, train and craft in the march; they will not disappoint either the clan or Senior Diomedes, the logistic train will continue, their intelligence reports will continue and so will their operations to gather resources even in an urban environment…and collect personal. There are less talent younglings that are not 'perfect' enough for the big clans. Hell, there actually good seed that had not got the spark/fuel to grown. That they will find and take as their own beloved children.
With renewed determination, He start to marches to the front, looking in the eyes of each of his brothers, even allowing the amulet of true will to see the light of the day to help his brothers know that. Yes, they are being still being watch by the 'founder'. And that they still have the support of the first brother.
He looks at the brothers that have the 'spark' need to cultivate already burning, looking at 100
th (Qiang), 25
th (Tang), 33
rd (Yang), 34
th (Yin), 20
th (master Duyi), bull two, and so many others.
"You will the core of the anvil which will protect our brothers from breaking" getting affirmation nods from each.
Xxx
(Madness level: low)
Luó Quian, soldier and elite guard, is having a great day, while having to endure so many horrible devils passing without killing them and getting his just reward from the heaven was particularly painful. But he had to admit that watching the old, living, trash that the devils allow to exist and even more trashy old people that clearly tried and failed to become body cultivators walk was extremely funny. And these animal at last know their place.
Just look at some of these mortal 'elders' pulling a cart together with a horse, one of them is so red that will probably have a heat attack before the day is over. In fact. Let make that a reality.
The great soldier send his Qi over the old man. The effect was instantaneous that creature hold its hand to the area of his chest where his (black) heart is located. White foam is being form in its mouth and that thing fall to the floor while having its whole body shaking.
A (relative) younger male trash cultivator run and started breathing on the trash mortal mouth and trying to ?punch? The heart to working once more while even more trashy cultivators approach. They put their hands on the fallen chest and start to send more Qi. Ha! This is a waste effort. This is even better, maybe they will make the mortal explode.
The soldier moves closer to see the scene.
No!
This should not be possible!
The mortal is mortal no longer, it had raised itself. With disgusting black tears and disgusting black tar instead of normal sweat. Its ?kin? starting hugging and kissing the fellow trash.
The new cultivator raises his arms and give a weak (compare to the guard) yell, "
One for ALL"
And from the line of old devils cultivators and from the devil mortals an answer comes that shake the earth "
ALL for One" while many rushing to hug it. While the 'new' cultivator gives small excuses, like begging the other mortals to meditate at this instant. Because it could not handle the attention.
Later, the soldier would admit, in his mind, that he got no one to cheer him when he became a first heavenstage so long ago.
Xxx
(Madness level: low?)
The young master watch with distaste the golden devils, no, the green to golden giant rats leaving the sewer below his mighty family. So, he throws at them a bag of spirit stones. The oldest one with a freak wild beard catch that and start to kowtow to him with the rest following his example. At last, these giant rats know their places.
His distaste grown when he notices that one of the old men had a grey-white rat on his neck and did not care. The rat was also trying to kowtow to him.
"You will have the contract to fix that route" he comments showing an immense amount of distaste in his face to admit that they have done better than the trash that his mighty family usually use to repair their sewer. None of them had died which is a first for example. They also were faster and cheaper too.
"Leave my sight" he commands and was immediately obeyed they jump to the sides, to move away from his vision, and start running while yelling "yes, master". At last, they know their place.
Xxx
(Madness level: low to average)
Legionary Ernoldus look at the weird logistic team that work to one of the new 13 or are the new 14? Never mind, he watched them bring another chest full of coins, a bag of spirit stones and even more food. For some reason he though he heard paper on paper. But he had seen none of that passing with the crazy and nice old people. So that probably is just the wind moving on their clothes or some weird art effect happening.
Xxx
(Madness level: average?)
The nameless One.
He succeeds in entering the line of the weird men and women of green and gold skill (and hair). And was about to get a horrible looking soup. One that smell like Earth and grass for some reason. But he was really he was hungry.
The fat old lady looks at him and pass the spoon to an old man.
Shit.
He tried to run but was captured by a really strong old man, the people outside watch with cold eyes while he begs for his life.
Then a delicious smell of meat, which was even cooked! got to his nose, in the hands of the fat old lady.
"Eat sonny" she said, he of course will not eat poisoned- "Now!" said the scary old man holding him. So, he, of course, started to eat.
The evil man starts lowing his head until his neck and head touch the crown of his head. So, it true golden devils are cannibals.
[It is not] Said a strong voice in head. That had scared him. That was almost enough to make it drop the meat or waste it. Almost.
[You are with your family now, son] the voice said, with a warm feeling coming from somewhere.
"Chew the food more" the muscular elder said while moving him to his knee and once more dropping his head into the nameless one head. And then the warn feeling returned, it feels like the feeling that he got when he found a silver coin (a once in a lifetime lucky event) together when the feeling of a full belly (an also very rare occasion).
When he finished, another feeling appeared added to a memory together with a WILL that were all throw/send at his head. Before he could even process those the nice old lady spoke.
"Breath sonny" said the old woman,
"Breath!" demand the scary man.
"Grandson, just breath" said the voice in his head.
And the nameless one did so, swallow more air that he ever had, moving muscles that he did not know that ever had to help with act of breathing. Another kind of nice feeling come from that. But it was incomplete.
and was just the first of many breathes.
These feelings, he hungers for more.
Xxx
(Madness level: ???)
Hao Yu put the cloak closer to his body that a crazy, mortal, lady gifted to him. It was warm.
He looks at this march. and did not think that these crazy elders should walk in the night. Much less one as cold and as dark as this one was.
Seriously just look at this woman that need some kind walk devise to even balance herself and that was still walking. Like she did in the entire day and way pass midnight. Just like yesterday.
Meanwhile some other crazy men and women are even now making the finest road he ever saw. And they, too, did not stop just change who is working day in and night out. When they sleep, they move to sleep on moving carts, even the animals were move to sleep on moving carts. And they all continue to march. Is enough to make these mortals reach the miles per day of low cultivators by sheer determination and ?smart? use of animals. And even with this. They continue to go beyond what was normal, Scenes like this crazy lady pulling a cart with the rest of the old ladies, and then trading place with another crazy lady to rest. That new crazy lady was the one that give him candy every time he passes close by.
It got the point he felt bad enough that yesterday he starts to help moving that cart full of old ladies. Which some 'young master' really did not like. And had beat him.
Well fuck them! he will help once more!
After doing so the old ladies made a circle around him to hide something and show a trunk with enough spirit stones to raise him by a heavenstage. What?!?
Xxx
(Madness level: ???)
Centurion Praesentinus Diogenus is having another headache. He finally passed the more important papers and reports. With this place of those Old Gold damned blacksmiths causing so much paperwork to try to delay them. He finally got to his hand in the 'second builder'. Had a really 'enlightening' talk. Well at last was a short one.
So, the papers he found with the bags with spirit stones and other things. Which was, by the way, a bizarre thing to witness. Someone should tell these crazy old men and women how a logistic train work, which was, well…
To Be a train that bring resources of their lands and, at very most, help with hunting, papers work, intel, etc. And not to go so beyond their duties to gain gold and spirit stones even inside a hostile city.
These guys are trying to get good will of the 'natives' (these are OUR LANDS), collecting intel. Making paths in places that no cultivator of importance would care. Hell, their intelligence report had multiple versions. Some short ones with only had the essential parts to big books that had some shiny pearls among a lot of less important information.
But the effect of morale of his troops that was the most bizarre part. They are acting his men were their own beloved grandsons/granddaughters! And this was how they act to everyone single one of his soldiers. These crazy old people were wasting their own salary of spirit stones to either booster his troops grown or buying stuff for them. And this was when they just don't waste their own salaries buying material to make for the legionaries 'homemade' presents. Hell, he is sure there was a cape made with their platina and, willing give, blood. Of hundreds of old men and women. Just to give a soldier a better cape.
They also causing his soldiers to become workaholic. With some bizarre training, competitions (to be the 'best grandson') and sharing of information that is beyond even the normal, not crazy, legionaries.
Centurion Praesentinus Diogenus was sure this trip will show him even more madness. And the other centurions will be pissed at him. Because he was eating 'homemade' warm food, drinking tea and alcohol (which was 'homemade' ?!?) and even sitting in a room instead of tent. Because these crazy old ones build a house to him at each stop. That they then sell. To only then give that money to him too.
Yeah, this is the good kind of headache.
xxx
word count: 2671 (counting everything)
author note: well this it^^, rise my crazy old people. Go plus ultra
@Alectai,
@TehChron,
@Humbaba here is another omake^^.
