That day was a day worthy of celebrations. She remembered it clearly. One of her cousins celebrated their fiftieth birthday, a milestone for their alliance. Drinks were raised and laughs were shared as the four clans had gathered for this specific event, as Li planned to go out in the world, just like many other Cultivators of his level and age. Of course, for young Shu it went over her head. She was just glad to play underneath the massive tree, her favorite due to the many colors the leaves had and the many branches she could climb on, inside the Four Beast Alliance garden, giggling as a young woman caught her and began to tickle her.
"Seriously, Xiu, if you keep this up, she's gonna be tuckered out before the night even began!"
The heir of the Baihu chuckled as she ruffled Shu's hair and tilted her head ever so slightly, causing her long white strands to shift against her robes.
"Are you jealous little Shu likes me more, Brother Fei?"
The red haired young man scoffed playfully, waving his hand dismissively.
"Please, we all know I'm her favorite!" The heir of the Zhuque announced proudly and pinched Shu's cheeks. In delight the young girl was being used for a tug of war, only for the young adults to yelp in pain when their heads were whacked with an unfolded fan. Everyone turned to the elderly woman, wrinkles in her face and greyed hair as she sighed in exasperation.
"Honestly, this happens every time we gather like this. You'd think you would grow up eventually."
"Come now, grandmother, one is only at that age once."
The head of the Xuanwu clan gave the black haired youth a flat look before pointing her fan at him too.
"It's Elder Yan to you! And the same goes to you too, Yi!"
Shu giggled at their antics. They always acted like they were fighting but she knew they all loved each other! Big Sis Xiu with her usual stoic face melting when coddling her, Big Bro Fei doing funny faces and telling cool stories from his travels and then there was Big Bro Yi who always taught her the difficult stuff in a cool way! Then there was granny, who acted rough but always sneaked candy to her! Her joy was infectious as any frustration at the elderly woman disappeared as she adjusted the young girl's clothes. Once cleaned up, Shu took up a stance and puffed out her chest with pride.
"Fight!"
The adults laughed at her, causing her to pout. She would show them, she got much better than last time! This time she would land a good blow and make them all gape in awe! She crossed her arms when Brother Fei ruffled her hair again.
"Not now, your cousin is the star of the show. Tomorrow when you eat your veggies."
She made a face, making the crowd laugh even louder. Veggies wouldn't make her stronger, she ate them all the time since its her favorite anyway! Fortunately her antics got her some free sweets so she decided to be patient. Nibbling on her treats, she saw some of the guards shift in the background, causing her to tilt her head. Did something happen outside? Following her gaze, granny narrowed her eyes before she shot up, body stiff like a rock. The people around her, namely the heirs, noticed her reaction with worry.
"Elder?"
Yan didn't respond at first. Then she turned to Xiu and the others and nodded stiffly as she kept a tight grip on her fan.
"...Something is wrong."
Almost immediately the heirs sans Shu reached for their weapons. The Tiger's Teeth Blade in Xiu's hand, the Vermillion Arrow of Fei and the Obsidian Glaive of Yi. Shu tilted her head, no idea what was going on when her ears twitched.
"What's that weird noise, big sis?"
It sounded like distant yells. But why would there be yelling? Then there was this weird squelching noise coupled with…
"Isn't that…?!"
"Metal…?"
As shock took over the juniors, the Elder immediately took command. She sent a nod at the other adults, long sobered up as they took up their weapons.
"Xiu, take Shu. Let's go."
Shu whimpered. She didn't like this. This atmosphere was weird. Everyone should be happy but they weren't!
"But I'm not tire-"
Before she could finish the sentence, she brightened up when she saw her parents arrive. But her smile faltered when she saw how tense they seemed, how fake their smiles seemed. Her mother, more beautiful than anyone with her long shiny hair, gave her a light kiss on the cheek before hugging her, her voice soft.
"Be a good girl for now, okay?"
Shu sniffed. She didn't want to go. But... but she was a good girl. So she would listen.
"Okay, momma."
Her father, with the funny mustache he always wore, pressed his forehead against his wive's, his grp tightening on his own sword.
"I'll get them out of here, my love."
"Be swift."
Then they ran, faster than Shu ever experienced. She clung to her Big sis tightly, eyes clenched shut. This was scary, too scary. She wanted to ask what was going on, but then she flinched when the screams sounded. So loud, so filled with anger, hatred. She didn't want to listen but the words forced their way into her mind.
"Die, you accursed traitors!"
"You filthy demons, how dare you?!"
"The Seven Divine Saber Palace demands retribution!"
She didn't need to see to know that the last sentence shocked everyone. Fei growled as they came to a stop before pressing a certain tile on the floor, causing the ground to open up.
"Why are they attacking us?!"
"Wonder later!" Granny barked before taking the lead as she descended. The rest followed... but not everyone. Shu was the only one to notice, as she looked over Xiu's shoulder
"D-daddy? Big bro Yi?"
Immediately the small group turned around to see the two men standing their ground instead of following them.
"Someone has to hold them off. You all know that," her father said in a somber tone. Immediately Shu struggled, trying to pry herself off Xiu, but the young woman, despite her own shock, kept a tight hold on her.
"No, I don't wanna leave you! L-Let me go!"
Gently, he walked up to her and kissed her forehead, warmth radiating from his eyes.
"You are this generation's jewels. Live well, my daughter. Know that you will always be my pride and joy."
Tears ran down her face and Shu shook her head furiously. At the same time, Yi raised his hand when the Elder was about to join their ranks.
"Grandmother, you go with them."
Naturally, it enraged the old woman, veins popping up as she snarled.
"I'm an old timer! You fool, you-"
"Stay here or else it'll be too obvious who escaped." He laughed lightly and gestured at his fellow heirs. "Besides, these youngsters need some old timer to reign them in."
"Damn it... ! Damn it all!!!" With fist tightened so hard that blood was drawn, Fei led the charge, swiftly followed by Xiu, even as Shu screamed for her father, her mother, everyone that was left behind. The Elder exhaled before snapping her fan open and pointed at them.
"You better kick their unruly butts!"
Thus, the four escaped, one of many with the various escape routes available in this estate. Yi exhaled before moving forward with his glaive, alongside the father who was content with the knowledge his daughter would escape.
"...It has been an honor, senior brother."
"Hmph. Say that after we make them regret ever attacking us."
"Hear, hear."
Thus, they joined the bloodshed, facing the wrath of the Righteous despite being Righteous themselves.
____
There were several meeting points in case of such a disaster, given the many underground tunnels they had. With the Elder having caught up, she led them to the furthest point possible, something that the other heirs objected to as Shu cried her throat hoarse. Yet the old woman didn't answer, instead following her instincts as a long living weakling compared to the rest of the realm. Coming to a stop, she exhaled before pushing a boulder away. They were in reach of the mountain range, emerging from a hill. Shu felt some relief, seeing a few cultivators and servants already there, waiting for them. She sniffed, wiping her red eyes. But just as she tried to put on a smile to make her family worry less...
"Well, well, well, guess the information was correct after all."
Everyone's heads snapped up, to the top of the hill. As young as Shu was, even she realized who those people were.
Demonic Sect. Leering down at them, radiating bloodlust that made the young girl curl up in on herself. With their weapons drawn, looking for easy prey, Fei immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow. The leader scoffed only to be surprised by the arrow exploding into smoke. Coughing sounded in the area as the survivors immediately ran as fast as they could, cultivators picking up the mortal servants.
"How did they-?!"
Before Xiu could finish her question, it was silenced by a sudden water blast shooting out of the Elder's fan, causing the Demons to curse their names as they got held off by the fluids.
"Questions later, keep running!" She met Shu's gaze and nodded with a wry smile. "Don't watch and cover your ears, it'll be over before you know it!"
Shu nodded, shaking violently. But she couldn't help it. One last look, past the hill. One last look before she clenched her eyes shut. She wished she didn't do so at the time. But it was a mistake that would never be forgotten.
The last thing she saw was the beloved grounds of the Four Beast Alliance burning beneath the starless night sky, as Righteous and Righteous fought against each other, while Demons approached them from the shadows.
____
Twenty. A mere twenty managed to escape, a number that included the mortal retainers they had in the estate to serve them drinks. They could barely qualify as a caravan guard with their level and numbers of cultivators, the strongest of them being an old woman that was reaching the limits of her age and talent. It was a wonder so many survived, as they utilized every single trick up their sleeves and beyond to keep on running. One would say they were skilled enough at escape but most of them knew the only reason they survived was because the riches and secrets in the estate caught the enemy's fancy more than some lousy remnants.
Catching their breath near one of the many pathways that connected to the mountains that separated the Verdant South and the desert of demons, they were still in shock, despite the days that have passed. Fei snarled, his bow long broken, as he punched the wall next to him, cracking it with ease.
"Why did all of this happen…?!"
The Elder put her pipe to her mouth only to frown as it had nothing to burn. Pocketing it, she had a calculating look as she took a deep breath.
"Some sort of Demon Altar subordinate tricked us and the Divine Seven Saber. I don't know how, but they did. Throw us as bait and then swoop in when everyone got distracted in the area."
Xiu gently patted Shu's head on her lap, her eyes just as red as the young girl's. Looking up, she frowned deeply at the idea.
"How are you so sure?"
"I lived very long. You recognize things." The Elder grit her teeth in frustration. "Question is, how were we framed? In what way?"
Who betrayed us, was the question unasked.
No answers came. Shu hiccuped and hugged herself. She didn't understand this. Who would be so cruel to force friends to kill each other? Who would be so evil to take advantage of such a thing?
"...What now?" One of the servants muttered. Everyone turned to the Elder, who bit her lip. The fate of the last remnants of an alliance rested on her shoulder. Salvation needed to be found.
"I'd like to say go to our benefactors and explain ourselves... but they won't believe us. We have no evidence. Whatever provoked them must have been damning enough."
She licked her lips as she spoke out her thoughts, trying to come up with an idea.
"The Righteous believe our clan to be with the Demonic sects. Most Demonic sects would devour us." She lowered her head. "By all means... we are out of options. The Heavens have abandoned us."
"No way... "
Shu tried to hold back her tears but they flowed anyway. Xiu tried to hush her, trying to keep her calm, but it failed due to her own glistening eyes. Then the Elder raised her head, looking at the mountain range before exhaling slowly.
"....The Golden Devil Clan."
Eyes went wide. And naturally, objections were sounded.
"What?! Are you serious?! You just said-"
"Most. I said most." The Elder rubbed her temples. "Believe me, for all their bad reputation, they are the only ones we could trust right now." She clicked her tongue in irritation before standing up from the rock she was sitting on. "If the enemy of an enemy is our ally... they are the most suited."
Shu didn't like the sound of that. She heard the stories. Of demons so alien they put other demons in shame. The thought... scared her. And yet, even a young mind as hers recognized they needed to find some place of safety. Someone to trust.
"But would they accept us?" Someone muttered. The Elder laughed dryly, shaking her head.
"We will try or die trying." She turned to the young girl before smiling gently at her. "It's going to be alright, Shu. You'll be alright."
"Y-You mean we, right?"
Nobody corrected her. They all had that same weird smile after a moment of confusion. Shu decided to let it rest, as their tortuous journey only began. Not due to any more losses but due to the sheer anxiety of gaining any losses. They moved so slow. So carefully. Jumped at every shadow, took every precaution they could feasibly take. Even weak beasts would only be taken on with every single warrior. Then there was the desert.
The heat. The sand. Shu was both glad and shamed that she had to be carried. It was agonizing, as their throats went dry, their skin blisters. But eventually... they reached it. The grand gates of their salvation. The guards quickly confronted them and Shu shivered. They looked...unnatural. Something in her screamed that those people were wrong in some way. But she tried to bite her instincts down. It was rude, she didn't even know them.
Then it happened. All the money they had. The weapons that weren't broken. And then... all of them, except Shu, went down on their knees and offered their own lives.
"This is all we have." The Elder, never meant to show weakness, pleaded with all her heart. "Please. I beg of you... !"
"Accept this child into your ranks! Raise her and train her as if she was one of your own!"
A shock went down Shu's spine. She ignored the looks she received from the Golden Devil guards. All she felt was betrayal. Was she being handed over like this? No, not handed over. She remembered the words of her father.
A jewel. Or rather one last hope. It was then, her heart realized it.
The Elder. Big bro and sis. The servants. They all gave up in order for her to thrive. Their hopes and dreams and even freedom. Never before had the young girl felt so offended in her life. The guards already began to inform their superiors, discussing it amongst themselves. Meanwhile, the Elder, or rather former Elder, seemed to recognize the expression Shu held.
"The Four Beast Alliance is gone." She started gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "There is no need for you to fall into the shadows of history with us. You are so much worth than t-"
Something in Shu snapped. She slapped the arm away, an action only possible due to the suddenness of it.
"No."
"Shu-"
"No! I won't leave you behind!" Shu screamed. Tears welled up as she stomped the ground. "I'm not that important! You take everything back! Just ask for a home!
"Shu, you are still young. You have your whole life ahead of you," Xiu tried to explain, but Shu wouldn't have it.
"And you don't?!"
Suddenly, Fei grabbed her shoulders, frustration escaping him in form of a growl.
"Listen! I know this is difficult to understand! But our failure to protect our legacy shouldn't mean you get to lose everything too! You are our genius! You deserve a chance to use it, instead of it being smothered!"
"Please... Let something from the Four Beast Alliance flourish."
The Elder sounded so weak. So old. Shu looked around. Both mortals and cultivators nodded, in complete agreement. Shu didn't get it. How was she worthy of such sacrifice? Why did they believe her to be such an unparalleled genius? She didn't understand... but she did get that they really wanted this. And she didn't want them to be sad.
"Fine…I'll join if they let me…" Her head snapped up before they could be fully relieved however. "But I won't just forget you! No matter what! I'll drag you up myself if I have to!"
____
Blinking with a loud yawn, the young woman cracked her neck before smaking her lips a few times, scratching her messy hair.
"Sheesh, been a while since I had that dream... " Clapping her cheeks, she groaned a bit before putting on a small smile. "Up and about, Shu."
She washed her face and cleaned herself up before putting on her ropes. Staring at the mirror, she smiled slightly.
Six years. Six years of an entirely new life. Now she was stronger, older, wiser. Well, at least a little bit. She did her stretches, slowly going through the forms of the Golden Devil Clan, which at this point were instinct, thanks to the drills in her first years. She frowned a bit, getting lost in memories. To say it took some time to get used to was....an understatement. This wasn't merely the difference between seperate clans, or Righteous and Demonic. It felt like being in an entirely different world.
First there was the general clan system. Of assigned group training, of contribution points. All those regulations and rules and traditions she didn't have to deal with in her early life. Back then it was simply family sharing with family whenever they could. However, at least in that regard, she wasn't too ignorant. She quickly adapted to the concept of all that.
What threw her off the loop were the specific... quirks of said systems due to the Golden Devil Clan itself as a foreign existence.
The mandatory training with spear and shield, two things she never really could jive with. The Blood of Bronze, a weird Qi Element everyone was meant to possess in order to maximize the usage of those formations of theirs. Then there were the little things. Some people having those weird names like Manuel or Grecos. The skin color and some terms that just didn't feel right. Then there was the fact they were Demonic by nature and used techniques she still felt squeamish about. She shuddered at the thought of the many poisons around her, of the Demonic Tunes that could play with her mind. It certainly didn't help she didn't feel like she belonged. She noticed the stares back. The feeling of alienation was….mutual. At least in her head. She walked outside, in the sun, and noticed some people whisper. Maybe it wasn't even about her. But she thought it did. She certainly would have done it in their position. Some outsider who wasn't born in their ways, acting like she belonged all high and mighty.
She slapped her cheeks. Damn it, what she thought was borderline traitorous! So what if they had some weird quirks that went against everything she learned in her childhood? She spent enough years here, she needed to get her big girl pants on! With a grin, she stretched her arms. So what if she was the outsider, she just had to grit her teeth and push through! She didn't do all this work for contribution points to not use them properly!
Time to bug some fellow demonic cultivators for their knowledge! The Golden Devil training was helpful and all but she needed some refinement for her roots after all! Not to mention it had been a while since she last got to throw some proper hands instead of doing the Clan's training!
______
Some might wonder why she went for the element that literally burned hers in a sense. Well, one needed to face tribulations if they wanted to advance, so why not? Of course when she heard who actually volunteered, her enthusiasm took a small blow. Just a little bit. Not that she had any doubts about qualifications, no way.
Someone reaching the fabled thirteenth stage and then going even beyond it, something that was almost unheard of, would be a great source of knowledge. Not many tried to go for the Single Pillar approach, from what little she understood. One could only imagine what powers he had. Sure, she heard of them, but to feel his presence like this was... eye opening. It was worthy of her complete respect. That wasn't even counting that he was one of the Indomitable Thirteen! How lucky was that, to get pointers from him?! Really, she should consider herself lucky someone like the great Amaranth decided to offer her points for the element of fire. However... then there were the other things...
How he was more or less a Blood Cannibal practitioner. Or at least close enough without being struck down by the rest of the clan. The idea of consuming blood was heretical to her to say the least. And yet... he had strength. Experience. Knowledge. Also some really rad fire limbs, that just screamed 'I have mastered Fire Qi, kneel before me' sooooo in the end... she decided to eat up her doubts, her worries and instead decided to use this for all its worth and embrace the chance and the excitement! Which led her to the now. She gulped, trying to remain calm as she knelt in front of him, feeling his power without him even needing to exert his authority and presence. With a deep breath, she pressed her head against the floor.
"This Junior Sister is honored to receive pointers!"
Her senior nodded at her with a small smile before crossing his arms.
"So, you wanted to learn about Fire Qi?"
"Hm! I got my own ideas, but widening my horizons is always good, right?"
He chuckled at her excited tone and crossed his arm, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Guess I'll get started with how I use it." He raised his finger, demonstrating his burning limb. Shu stared at it in awe, feeling wonder at how it shifted from just the slightest gust. "Fire consumes. Now that's a simple thing, but sometimes people miss the simple things." "It eats and eats, destroys and destroys, until nothing is left when it isn't stopped."
Shu nodded. That made sense and fit what she thought of it, in terms of martial arts at its core. Aggressive, always moving, always dealing damage. Fire didn't retreat, it moved forward and burned away the enemy. However, then her senior shook his head for a moment.
"That's what most people think with fire. But, they would be wrong. Not nothing is left. Something is always left. And all that destruction? Not inherently bad."
She tilted her head at that. That didn't sound right. But when she thought about it... She flinched at the memory of the burning of her home. How one day she returned to it, finding burned remnants. It hurt to think about it but he was right... there was no nothing.
"To put it into perspective, my fighting style consists of using my opponent's Qi as fuel for my own attacks. My own fire. That fire grows, able to consume even more and hit even harder. An escalating cycle."
Her eyes widened. Fuel. Right, fire couldn't come from nothing. In another word, momentum, if she were to apply it to herself. Just attacking non stop and stacking up damage like fire stacked up burns wasn't enough. One hit led to another. Fire was connected with the rest of the fire. So if she were to punch, the counterforce she would experience from hitting the body could be used to send over to the next punch, over and over, in theory. However, the way he described it made her frown.
"That sounds like... "
"Like Blood Consumption?" She lowered her head in shame but he waved her off, as if he heard that comparison more than enough. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure is. But there's a difference. For one, I don't store nearly as much, most of it basically just goes through my body and then gets shot out again. As for the rest, that gets refined by my Constitution, so it doesn't hit me with the Curse." His other hand briefly flashed grey in demonstration. He laughed a bit at himself. "Extremely inefficient though, if you think about it."
Then why did he use it like that, she was about to ask but stayed her tongue. Not her Cultivation to criticize. Besides, if it worked in combat, who was she to judge?
"Anyway, not that extreme out in nature, but the ashes left behind feed the soil. It frees up space for new things to grow."
Fire that led to restoration. She remembered that concept in her old lessons. She pressed her lips together. The grass grew over the burned remains, seemingly stronger than ever. She looked down at her hands. So if she were to use Wood Qi, switch to Fire Qi and use that as fuel and then go back to Wood Qi... in theory...
She was snapped out of her thoughts when her senior snapped his fingers at her.
"Enthusiasm is great and all, but better not get too into it. Experimentation can lead to terrible mistakes."
She blushed and nodded, giggling awkwardly. Right, first test it out safely before going at a Spirit Beast and then die because she burned herself inside out by not cycling her Qi fast and properly enough.
"I guess what I'm saying is that Fire is the enemy of stagnation. Destruction, sure, but it runs deeper than that. Guess it doesn't make much sense compared to traditional interpretations."
At that, Shu had to frown. Did he actually think that or was it some subtle way to guide her? Because his perspective on fire... it was interesting. Usually what she internalized was what her big bro had explained to her. Fire was inconsistent. Tricky to predict, due to outside influences, as it flickers and distorts one's vision. However, it was dangerous nonetheless, building up burns and going out of control when not careful. So there were some similarities here. Sure, at first glance, Amaranth seemed to be using fire way more like a blunt club to the bag of tricks Big Bro had, but in the end, it was still fire, wasn't it? Maybe Amaranth didn't realize how neatly it fit in the Wuxing system she learned? She shook her head. Nah, no way, if a junior like her thought of it, surely he did ages ago.
Anyway, this was certainly enlightening. And by all means, she should be satisfied with this. He did what he was paid for, in terms of points. However... she shifted in her seating position, piled up energy pushing her to move and do something shameless.
"Hm, hm." She cleared her throat with a cough. "Err, if it isn't too much... can this Junior Sister ask for a spar?"
When she received a nod in return she had to hold herself back from jumping up and down with glee. She was going to get her teeth kicked out, but they still had hours on the clock! With that in mind, as terrifying as this was, she leaned forward, rolled her shoulders and spread her arms out with a grin, right arm in front, hands formed into fists.
Alright. Fire consumed. Grew stronger and consumed more. Rinse repeat. Time to test that with her strikes! With that in mind, she shot forward, aiming low with a right straight.
______
After the rather enlightening experience that was the 'Fire Lesson' as she coined it, she decided to go to her 'designated' Wood teacher next, after getting the dents and bruises out of her body. In terms of Wuxing, it was a bit nonsensical, as wood fed fire, which meant it would be going in reverse of the traditional cycle, but to be honest? This felt more appropriate for some reason. Maybe her body yearned for her natural element more. Maybe she was trying to pull off something new or find some new insight by not following the regular paths of the Five Elements. Either way, this was the direction she decided on and she moved on with gusto. Gusto that quickly disappeared when she actually met her next teacher.
There were many things she had to get used to in the Golden Devil Sect. Formations. Bronze Blood. Arrays. The names. Techniques normally forbidden in Righteous Sects. But all that, she got used to and or could accept. Not always smoothly, some social whoopsies happened here and there, but she liked to say that at the age of sixteen she managed to get acclimated with her fellow cultivators.
Of course that did not prepare her for her senior that volunteered to help her with Wood Qi. Not at all. She heard stories. Of one of the Indomitable Thirteen, that became a monster but was a hero to the end before dying. She didn't disbelieve the stories but... well...
Let's say hearing and seeing were two completely different things, Shu thought as she bit her lip, trying to hide her nervousness and internal freak out at the person in front of her. Supposedly some sort of offspring of the hero Jin Muyi, he (was it he, what pronouns did trees use?!) he was understandably freaky in her eyes. Where skin was supposed to be, bronze or not, there was hard wood, shifting and pulsating in a way that wood should never do. Tree branches grew out of him, vines for a beard. Not to mention the horns. Why. Why the horns. Weren't the branches enough for the 'monster' look. Was it offending to think that? Still, a senior was a senior and just from looking, even as a junior of juniors, Shu could sense the mastery of Wood Qi cycling through his meridians. Which meant she had to put on her A-Game in terms of social skills! Easier said than done as her body only twitched as she bit her lips, while having a single mantra repeatedly said in her head.
Don'tsayanythingstupiddon'tsayanythingstu-
"This Sapling Sister greets the Tree Brother!"
Her smile twitched as her eyes were empty while bowing with her fist pressed against her palm. Ah. ...She was the worst.
"Yes, yes, I greet you too." The tree man said almost dismissively, waving his hand before handing out a piece of paper. "Sign this waiver."
Shu blinked and looked down at it. Tilting her head, she began to read it out loud.
"I, Qinglong Shu, do not hold Auspicious Nine accountable for any injuries, deaths or any other sort of mutilation and mutation that may happen during this... ses...sion... " She trailed off, feeling herself pale. "Err, this Senior isn't trying to hurt me, right?"
She received a scoff in return.
"Of course not, it's all for the sake of progress."
Shu nodded slowly. By all means she should've felt more suspicious. But then she shook her head. The Golden Devil Clan was very insistent on cooperation, so there was no way she was going to get betrayed, right? So in the end, she took a deep breath and signed it.
"...Okay."
"Splendid."
Taking the paper away from her, he cleared his wood throat.
"Definitions are important in any sort of science, so let us begin there." He pointed at her. "Wood Qi. You are aware of its healing and growth properties, correct?"
"Ye-"
"Good, that makes this easier," he said, speaking over her. "Most people do not properly understand what it means however. They just think of a flower or a tree growing. But, there is more to it."
She blinked in confusion. What more could there be? A tree grew and could heal people in terms of herbs. Simple enough, wasn't it?
"Many would say that wood is weak in terms of defense. But did you ever see what a tree can withstand? Pah!" As if offended personally, he twirled his hand in demonstration. "Wood can bend. Wood can be broken. However, there is always something left that could be used. So yes, maybe it is not as sturdy as metal. However, even when it is damaged, it is still functional, unlike a broken blade. A handle for a sword. The tip of a spear. Or just saw dust that serves to allow new shoots to appear."
Huh, that was... actually kinda like the Fire Lesson. There was always something left that could be used for something else later. Only in this case it was, well, different. She couldn't really explain it, but there was this connection she just felt was right. Hah, it really made her all fuzzy inside. Actually, she was in fact sweating. Whew, was it just her or did it get hot in her?"
"Soooo, Wood is surprisingly flexible?"
"Indeed! For it can grow from even the most broken state!"
The world began to spin, her interest and enthusiasm fading to dizziness. She touched her forehead, feeling it heat up as she blinked frantically.
"S-Senior Brother, I... I feel weird... " She muttered, gritting her teeth as she tried to check her meridians to see what was wrong. To her shock, she felt foreign Qi in it. Before she could warn her senior that an infiltrator was on the premises, he waved her off once more.
"It is the poison I put into you, don't worry about it. Now where was-"
"POISON?!"
The tree man blinked at her scream, looking at her as if she was the weird one with the outraged expression and heavy breath.
"Yes, how else am I supposed to stimulate your Wood Qi to heal and regrow your channels? Try to keep up. Anyway, one of the appli-"
"You poisoned me!" She shouted again, feeling utterly betrayed. Wrath caused her red eyes to change for but an instance. With an azure glow her pupils became slits, only to return to normal, still angry but human at least. Ignorant to that, Shu seethe with a singular question.Who would intentionally hurt someone like that for no good reason?! Stimulation wasn't good enough! But her rage was but a drop of rain to Auspicious Nine, who only raised his eyebrow, utterly unimpressed.
"If you are so keen on interrupting me, I can just stop. The waiver clearly stated what I was going to do."
"No it didn't!" She shouted, only to get the paper thrown at her face.
"Read further."
She looked down with a deep frown, intent on proving him wrong, speedreading past the lines she read.
"...this session due to poison techniques." She paused, before feeling a blush creep up on her. Damn it, granny even told her to always read everything before committing! She cleared her throat and looked away as she handed the waiver back. "Oh."
"Yes. Oh."
She bristled up. That didn't change the fact he was willing to poison a junior! A junior like her! It was... it was... She blinked as she flexed her fingers. It wasn't actually so bad now that her Qi was stimulated to get to work. She pressed her lips together. This still felt wrong. Something that shouldn't be done. But in the end... she wanted new experiences. New perspectives. And she was still an ignorant junior. So in the end she lowered her head with closed eyes.
"Please continue."
With a scoff, Auspicious Nine continued on.
"As you may know, Wood Qi at its mastery can also affect the soul, bypassing things like those Tokens during the Trials." He pointed at her, a glint in his eyes. "Do you know why that is?"
"Noooo?" She said, while her mind heated up at the mere thought. Why was that? She knew it was a thing but she could never wrap her head around it. Advanced stuff like that always went above her. In response to her response, the tree man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch, what misfortune." An evil laugh escaped him, one that only belonged to a maniac, as he raised his finger at the heavens. "Very well, allow me to share my thesis with you!"
Aaaand then the Tree Man stopped making sense. Oh, he was still using words from her language, but all combined they made no sense. That wasn't even counting for the made up words he was using. Something about nature and souls being intertwined, about branches and metaphors. All she could do was smile and nod occasionally while trying to get the damn poison out of her system. Fortunately enough she managed to do that just as the senior was done with his... ramblings.
"And that is why I believe Wood Qi affects the soul that much!"
"Very... enlightening." Her fingers twitched on her lap, intent to get some movement after what her body went through. She'd regret it, but damn it, she wanted to get one good punch in his face! "Can I ask for a sparring match?"
"No time for that, I have some experiments to check on!"
And then he was gone. She frowned deeply before sighing. Fine, shadow sparring it was. Standing up, she began to stretch before starting to modify her Wood Style, while at the same time thinking about the lesson.
Okay. So Tree Man. Weird. But she could get used to it, if one looked past the... quirks. Only had to keep in mind to ask more questions before signing off anything. She shuddered, feeling the phantom pain in her body. Ugh, at least now she got a taste of poison and could say for sure that she did not like it. At all. She took a deep breath. Alright, at least done with that she was going to be ready for anything in her next lessons!
It was only way later on that a chill went down her spine as a simple question cropped up.
When was she poisoned during that lesson?
______
A Metal Man. Because of course, after a tree man, a person made of metal was the next thing on the agenda. She shouldn't have been surprised, in this loon house of a clan but here she was, surprised. She grew up, yet she still couldn't see the peak of the heavens with all their strange strangeness in this strange realm. At least this time she had a way better grip on her composure, her smile still in place. Well, maybe it was more because she was legitimately getting pointers from one of the Indomitable Thirteen! Not an offspring, but an actual real deal! Not only that, she heard how nice and fun the Cultivator was, so this had to be one of the better deals in terms of social situations she managed to get herself into! Weird body or not, after the last two, this was going to be a breeze! Well, not training wise, she was certain she's gonna wish for death by the end of this, but hey, wasn't that the cultivator's life in a nutshell?
"This Junior Sister is honored to be in the presence of a hero! Please treat me well!"
The Ninth Prince looked down at the kid who was pressing her head against the ground and was kneeling, and shrugged. At the very least this wasn't a marriage proposal, so she was doing better than most of the young women who knelt in front of him.
"So, you want to learn about metal, huh?" Well, alright, the Ninth Prince would oblige. "Alright, I'll oblige. Here, girly, walk with me."
The Ninth Prince started walking. Shu blinked before clearing her throat and quickly following him. He glanced back at her, to make sure she was actually still there so that he wouldn't talk at the air.
"So, the first thing you need to know about metal is that it isn't like the other elements. Think of it as…" the Ninth Prince paused for a moment, trying to find a proper metaphor. "...People. Yeah, let's go with that. Each element has its own quirks, its own personality really."
Shu nodded a few times, humming with interest. Indeed, elements were often used as a way to describe people. Archetypes were a thing after all and they had their foundation there.
"But while fire is hot tempered and excitable, a real party animal, and wood is more reserved but will still fuck you up if you fuck with it, metal is…" The Ninth Prince sighed.
"Well, there's no other way to put it, metal is a bitch."
She felt her smile strain at the words. She tilted her head, blinking slowly. Uh, what? Did she hear that wrong? Because the closest thing to a metal Qi aligned person she could think of was Big Sis. And Big Sis was so far removed from being a bitch, she might as well be in another world. Then again, she was very stubborn when it came to her research... She looked down at the ground. Huh. The more you know?
"Hey kiddo," The Ninth Prince whirled around, facing towards Qinglong Shu. "You ever meet someone who's absolutely impossible to please but still hangs around with you? A complete bastard who also has a secret soft spot?"
Shu grimaced at the mere thought. Ugh, thankfully no. Just imagining if she were close or heaven forbid friends with an asshole like that made her sick. Before she could open her mouth however, the Ninth Prince moved on with his words.
"Yeah, I've heard them called something weird, Tsundare or some shit like that." The Ninth Prince coughed. "Anyways, that isn't important. What's important is that's how metal acts, cold and standoffish unless you manage to work your way into its heart."
Okay. She somewhat followed that. Not too sure about the metaphor or how it applied to actual techniques, but stubbornness had its own place. Or rather, if she understood him right, simple at first, more complex hidden beneath? Huh, she could think of some ideas that could work like that...
"And in our case, we have an inroad. Specifically, the blood of bronze and all its variations. Metal loves the Devils, and the Blood lets us manipulate it with ease. If you ever get your infusion, if you choose to join the bloodline, then you're set. It'll obey your commands as long as you show it the slightest bit of care."
Scratching her arm, she pressed her lips together. Well, she did get the bit of blood when she joined the clan. Was basically necessary in some regard to fit in best with the techniques. Not that she had an official clan or something to fall back on. Either way, it was good to know that the knowledge she would gain with the regular 'lessons' could be applied to metal itself. Though the fact that Bronze was so cooperative was a bit weird. Elements, Qi, was supposed to be difficult to control, relatively speaking, at least to her. It should never be too easy in her mind. Shaking her head, she sharpened her ears once more.
"But I know what you're thinking. 'Oh, Mr Ninth Prince sir, that's very cool and your explanation was the best thing I ever heard, but what exactly can I do with metal once I have the bronze?'. Well, don't worry kid, because the Ninth Prince has the answer to all of your questions."
With that, the Ninth Prince pulled out an enormous polished board, propping it up on a wooden stand and grabbing a metal pen from somewhere. Shu tried to suppress her awe and tried to focus instead. "Now, listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. Metal can do everything. It's the most versatile of the five elements, in no small part because there's so many different types of metal. Bronze and Steel are about as tough as Earth, amazing for defense and endurance, though they do make you a bit slow. Iron is the attacker's metal, it hits about as hard as Fire and if you mix in a little bit of lead poisoning, it bites like Fire too. You can use basically any metal you want to mimic Wood, controlling the battlefield is damn easy if you have a solid ore deposit beneath your feet, and poison is the easiest thing in the world to mimic with any mildly toxic metal. And, if you want to copy Water, Quicksilver or Mercury or whatever you call it flows damn well, and it's toxic as fuck too."
At this point, Shu regretted not having taken any notes. Still, she was confident in her memory, so instead she mentally imprinted his words and planned to read up on the various metals in the future. It would require to shape the metal before a fight, as 'mid forging' as she would call it now sounded unwise. But this lesson certainly explained why metal was both considered versatile yet Qi for specialists! Most would never bother to reforge their metal, instead focusing on one of the thousand metals out there! Hah, this was great!
The Ninth Prince stopped there for a moment, studying Qinglong Shu intently, like a predator mentally dissecting its prey. A shiver went down her spine, her excitement turning frail. Then, he smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Oh… So that's your game. Well, if you want to go the Five Element route, then things change. See, in that case, you don't use Metal to copy the other elements, you use it to support those elements. Add iron's bite to your Fire, supplement your Earth's defense with veins of ore, put in any sort of metal you want to your Wood techniques, mix quicksilver with Water. The other elements are going to have their own specialties, and Metal's a generalist, it does anything you want as long as you speak to it right. Don't use it to beat the others at their own game, that'll never work. Use metal as your core, as the foundation on which you build everything else, have it work in the background and add its own little twists and supplements to your more flashy techniques."
She almost jumped back. How in the... no, a Senior Brother was wise beyond her years. Maybe she made it too obvious what she desired, to become the last living legacy of the Four Beast Alliance. It was insightful, his words, but it still scared her how easy he dissected her. And the way he looked at her...
"Elements are like the Dao, and there's certainly hundreds of Elemental Daos, it's all very personal. No two people are going to use Metal the exact same way. If you want my opinion on what you should use it for, Metal is the silent partner, the enhancer, the fuser. It won't do much on its own, you'll always have better options, but when you pair it up with another Element, that's where it shines."
"Well, hopefully that helps. It's all I have for you anyways." With that, the Ninth Prince simply dematerialized. He was still a ghost after all.
Shu actually jumped this time, not aware of that fact at all. What? How?! Why?! She looked around frantically. Did she have a fever dream?! Did this actually happen?! She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her heart down. Okay. Nevermind that. High level of cultivation nonsense. Just... accept it like that and... move on. Just take his words to heart. Simple as that.
As she walked a bit faster than normally, trying to escape the potential of getting haunted by more ghosts, she licked her lips in excitement. She always thought of metal as an end product, but to consider it as the general foundation of things... well, it went against her idea of the Earth as a center, but that was why she was doing this. To compare notes and enhance her own Foundation.
______
When she found out who her next teacher would be, she genuinely wondered if she was going to die.
The Ninth Prince. Amaranth Castellanos. Technically not Auspicious Nine but he was an offspring so technically counted. And now...Minervina freaking Barda. So many related or flat out part of the Indomitable Thirteen giving her the time of the day. Quite frankly it felt like a prophecy of her impending doom. That the heavens were not so subtly telling her "you'll need it". Of course she got past that panic eventually and wondered about another thing entirely.
"Are you going to poison me?"
Okay, maybe she was still stuck at wondering if she was going to die. Maybe it was rude to ask that of another of the Indomitable Thirteen, but after that experience with Mr. "Lemme Just Casually Poison You" Tree Man, she wasn't taking any chances. She tried to remain respectful, bowing and what not, but she couldn't help but sweat nervously as she glanced around. This place certainly lived up to the name of 'laboratory', especially to someone that made a poison in Foundation Establishment that killed a freaking Core Formation Elder. She had no idea what half of the stuff was that was around her and quite frankly, she was too afraid to ask. The hero merely raised an eyebrow at her before shaking her head.
"Not unless an accident happens." She gestured to one side. "I do need a second pair of hands. Just be careful and you'll be fine."
Shu looked at where she twirled her hand and bit her lip. Okay. Raw ingredients. She could do that. Was just like cooking. If cutting it wrong or breathing accidentally could melt you inside out. With a deep breath she took the knife and glanced at her latest teacher.
"A-Alright, but fair warning, first time I am doing this, hahaha."
"Don't worry, Emilia will watch over you."
Shu blinked at that. Wait, she didn't see another person in here. She tilted her head with the knife in her hand.
"Who?"
Then she felt it. The shifting noise in the background. The looming shadow. And of course the trademark sound of hissing. Slowly, ever so slowly she turned around and pressed her lips together, trying to choke back the scream that was formed. Giant death snake made out of venom! Was the great senior in cahoots with the evil tree scientist?! Nervously laughing she sweated as she backed away slowly while the massive snake just stared at her, flicking the tongue while tilting its head.
"Uhh... hello, Miss Nood- I mean Serpent!"
The giant noodle wiggled in response. Was that a sign of approval or a sign of hunger? She didn't know. Then she felt a shiver down her spine when the snake glanced at her hand. She looked down and realized she was holding an ingredient. It probably wasn't that dangerous given that Shu didn't die yet. Anyway she slowly moved her hand to the side. The snake slowly followed it, not blinking a single time. Shu moved her hand back. So did the snake. A chuckle broke the stalemate causing Shu to drop it by accident. With speed beyond her sight, Emilia snapped forward, unhinged her jaw and swallowed the damn thing whole.
Shu let out a whimper.
"Don't feed her too much, she'll get fat."
In response the snake almost seemed to pout as she lowered her head. It was almost cute, if it weren't a giant serpent made of death.
"N-Noted."
"Well then, I guess I can start the lesson while we work. Try to keep up."
With that her senior moved and it took all of Shu's skills to keep up through this death trap maze. Who needed this much crap in a single room anyway?! She could barely breathe in it, much less walk! Many times she had to push her flexibility to the limits in not knocking things over or cause things to explode. Doing splits, rolling due to stumbling, heck once she had to do a leap to dodge a tilting shelf. Of course she didn't always succeed, with Emilia preemptively eating what was knocked off or about to get touched by Shu. As if that weren't enough, Minervina moved way too fast and smooth while talking at the same time! Seriously she thought this was gonna be purely theoretical for once but apparently every cultivator had a way to push the body! She bit her lip, trying to increase her focus. C'mon, this Senior volunteered to teach her so she had to absorb everything like her life depended on it! Slowly but surely she was getting used to the cramped space.
"Many struggle to understand the potency of Water as an element. It lacks the vicious dominance of Fire, the sturdy reliability of Earth or the tenacity of Wood. I have seen men who are proclaimed as 'wise' scoff and point to the endless desert dunes that surround us. 'Where is your Water? In this land, it has no power over us!'"
"Those who make such statements are incapable of seeing what's in front of their own eyes." With a swift, careful motion, the older woman cut into the meat of her forearm. Shu winced but before she could question the action, she saw something curious. Blood flowed, though it's darker and more sluggish than you would normally expect. "Water is the foundational element. The one from which all life springs. Without it, we wither and die. Too much and we drown. Balance, precise careful balance, is the key to understanding a Water Dao." She moved away without a word, clearly expecting her disciple to follow as she continues her lecture. Shu held back a growl of annoyance and picked up the pace, at least now only hitting stuff every four movements she did. Minervina approached a large stone vat, lifting up its heavy lid to unleash a column of shimmering purple vapours. She sniffed. "Needs another few weeks. And more White Tailed Salamander shavings. Make yourself useful child!" Shu yelped at the shout and was quickly put to work grinding up the palm sized scales of some giant lizard, as the heretic continued her lecture, completely ignoring the junior's noises of disgust as she cut and massaged the scales.
"If Water is the foundational element of life, then it follows that by controlling it, the Cultivator can control that life. This is the heart of many techniques and styles which are considered Demonic outside Golden Devil territory. Arts that control or weaponise blood, either those of the user or an opponent, techniques that befuddle or hypnotise by altering body chemistry, martial styles that reverse the flow of an opponent's blood and cause his heart to burst after even the smallest strike. All these are rooted in a mastery of Water Qi."
Shu grimaced as she was pushed to the next ingredients, with the snake acting as a guide even if she seemed to salivate. Blood techniques…already her mind came up with applications of it on herself, the mind of a martial artist shining through. Increasing blood flow, use it to harden the skin and muscles inbetween. But instinctively she threw those ideas aside. They were too close to...to those people that destroyed her home. She understood the uses of such techniques and how it would be helpful especially as someone weaker but… as if reading her mind, Minervina shifted the direction of her lecture.
"Of course, those of your heritage might still have reservations about such techniques. Well, it's worth noting that Water has any number of more conventional uses. It's an element of transformation and transmutation, constantly changing its form." She demonstrates with a gesture and a flicker of will, causing the putrid contents of the vat to freeze. "This makes it incredibly useful for alchemy, but also martial techniques designed to redirect force or obscure the senses." A haze of mist gathers around her palm and flows in the direction of a huge black iron cauldron across the room. "More than any other element such techniques rely strongly on motive forces. Water is strongest when it's flowing." To illustrate her point, she conjures a shimmering sword of spirit steel from a small pouch by her side. With a simple gesture she directs the flying sword at the cauldron with the force and power of a thunderbolt. It happens too fast for a Qi Condensation disciple to really comprehend, but the results are clear enough. A crash loud enough to wake the dead, a broken spirit sword half buried into array enforced wall behind the cauldron, which was entirely intact.
Shu had to pick up her jaw from the floor. Huh, that was... very in depth. And freaking amazing. Shu couldn't help but smile giddily. Now that was some great teaching! She couldn't see a thing but the result was already very enlightening! And...kinda connected to previous elements.
Flow. Momentum. Use previous or the next energy and compile it. For all that the elements were different…there were so many similarities. That sure was handy, she thought gleefully, leaning back as she wanted to rest her arms on a table.
Which consequently caused a wet squelch noise. Shu's smile froze. Emilia froze, in the middle of swallowing more ingredients. They both slowly turned their heads while Minervina ignored them. Raising her hand, Shu stared at the green liquid covering her limb.
... She wasn't supposed to touch that, was she? As if reading her mind, the giant serpent slowly nodded. Shu nodded back slowly. Welp. On cue, she felt her body no longer responding to her mind as it fell down, face first, onto the ground and began to twitch violently. As her very blood hurt, Minervina glanced down at her, adjusting her clothes as if she was starting to leave. Blinking at the junior on the ground she let out a sigh before reaching into her pockets. Then, kneeling down, she pressed something into Shu's mouth before patting her hair.
"Here you go, you'll feel better in a couple minutes. I have to leave for now."
She didn't know if she was blushing due to embarrassment or the poison but at least she felt her mouth moving according to her will.
"T-This Junior thanks the Senior Sister... "
"No need to thank me." The hero stood up and casually waved back at Shu. "Got to look out for hard working juniors. Emilia, close the door when she is ready to leave."
Shu, despite the burning in her meridians, had a goofy smile. She really was blessed to be in such a nice clan! Mad Tree Man Scientist excluded! She'd be even happier once she could do more than twitch on the ground, as her mind was burning up with ideas to use for her Water Style. She looked at the massive venom entity. The two stared at each other for a while, silently.
"...Soooo, interested in my thoughts on Water based martial arts?"
All she got back was the flicking of the snake tongue, but Shu decided to take that as a yes.
________
Okay, downside, she sorta felt like dying, both mentally and physically despite the breaks. Upside? Earth lessons, weeeee! By all means, finding a teacher for that one was the hardest for her. Not for a lack of choice however. In the desert, Earth and Fire were the most common affinities, Earth slightly moreso, as one would expect of a place filled with sand. Shu considered several renowned masters of Earth techniques, but when it came to those whose attention she currently had a shot of catching, her attention wandered to one Gaius Antonius. She's heard stories about how Gaius invented his own defensive technique, then used it to revolutionize subterranean travel at a level even an Elder would find impressive. Clearly, this guy must be the foremost expert of that element in his generation. And only the best could live up to Shu's expectations due to her upbringing's bias. Earth Qi was after all the Qi of the center, the Qi of the leader, the Supreme, the apex of the Four Guardian Beasts! Thus she didn't miss a beat trying to find the genius of geniuses!
Following Amaranth's directions, Shu found herself at the old Theodoroi Estate, where Gaius was staying for the time-being, furthering his education on military tactics. Carefully entering the premises, she spotted him rather quickly after someone pointed him out. She gulped when she saw him in the middle of mediation. Sharp features, lean, hair in a ponytail and most importantly a hell of an aura. That had to be him! Just as she was about to get his attention, he opened his eyes and looked at her, seemingly surprised. Shu cleared her throat before bowing with respect.
"This Junior is called Xinglong Shu!" She laughed awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head. "I would've asked for an appointment but it was difficult to get ahold of you."
"How can I help you?" He asked after processing her words, tilting his head with a raised eyebrow. Well then here went nothing.
"As shameless as it is, this Junior requests pointers regarding Earth Qi!"
He leaned back as if in shock. Mentally Shu panicked. Oh no was she too shameless?! Was he going to beat her up as punish-
"There must be a misunderstanding. I am no expert of the Earth."
…
…
What.
"What?"
Forgetting all manners, Shu openly gaped a bit as she stared at her senior with disbelief. Said senior cleared his throat as if embarrassed.
"I developed my Earth-Gliding in a freak accident, after I fell into the Five Elements Fountain and it synchronized with my Aegis, which I'd been using at the time. So yes, while I am flattered, I am in no way the genius or expert people claim me to be."
Shu held her hand up. Holdupholdupholdup. Was this man serious?! Did he actually believe the words coming out of his mouth or were they part of some elaborate joke?! Looking closer at his face she realized that no, he indeed thought he wasn't actually hot shit. Well screw manners then, she had some convincing to do!
"B-but Senior Brother Antonius, clearly anyone who can utilize Earth to such a degree must at least have a very high affinity for it!"
"You're right. My Earth affinity is quite high." He nodded at her words. "Partially because that fountain skewed ME further toward Earth. Nowadays, I'm above average at all elements and great at Earth. But I lack enthusiasm for elemental techniques." He let out a deep sigh and gave her a pointed look. "It's best to seek uncompromising supremacy than to specialize too far into any one area. The worst thing one can have is blind spots; a Golden Devil ought to be unconquerable and impregnable, stubbornly defying all who would see them destroyed. When a Devil takes victory, it must be an inevitable occurrence, as their superior mastery defangs any and all tricks and gimmicks that are brought before them."
Shu blinked as the man more or less ranted at her before biting her lip and grimacing a bit. Okay was he actually trying to convince her that he wasn't suited or was the lesson already starting? Ignoring the fact that she was in fact not trying to specialize, unless one counted her preference for unarmed combat, his words were...very Earth-y. Like a lot. The radiated stubbornness and what was more stubborn than the center of everything? Still she had the feeling this was only going to get worse if she pointed that out so he could keep his delusions about his own talent for now. Instead she could go for another angle instead.
"Very well, I can see you feel quite strongly about this. Then this Junior Sister will no longer ask about Earth Qi guidance." She smiled ever so slightly. "So instead would this Senior be willing to teach the Earth Gliding technique?"
Humming in thought, uncertainty marred his expression.
"Such a thing would be difficult; I've never taught Earth-Gliding to anyone because it isn't a technique I developed properly. Instead it's more like a latent ability which was unexpectedly gifted to me." Smacking his lips he frowned. "Thus, I'm not confident in my ability to properly codify its principles."
Shu lowered her head. But before her hope for some training vanished she heard him sigh and then the shifting of cloth. Looking back up he was fully clothed again, crossing his arms.
"If you can learn the barebones of the True Aegis, I suppose you can bootstrap that into the barebones of Earth Gliding."
Yes! Shu was about to raise her fists in celebration when he raised his hand, stopping her before she got too excited.
"Only problem is, that would take years for a First Heavenstage, given how little qi you can store at a time, and I don't have the time for it right now either way. Instead we have to do something simpler."
She flinched. Crap. But...well, she should be happy to get some help from this. Anything was better than nothing. The path of cultivation was long after all. With a nod she decided to do whatever he demanded.
Of course that determination wavered but did not crumble when he began to put her through the wringer. To put it in his words...the higher her physical baseline the better it was for physical techniques in the future.
So here they were, doing the most blunt, simple, painful, straightforward, practical and earth-y thing they could do.
Shu getting pounded by a senior way older than herself, also known as the brute force method. Her bones creaked and maybe even broke, her muscles bled, but she grit her teeth through it.
When she healed up, her body would be as sturdy as the Earth that held up of existence itself!
___
"Aaaand that's all the pointers!" Giggling, Shu pointed at the bandages that covered her face and sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "Amazing, isn't it?"
The houses the remnants lived in were rather humble, a far cry from the center that was the living quarters of the cultivators. Her fellow heirs, or rather former, as much as the thought stung, shared the biggest house with granny, but it was still a far cry from their former glory. Her big sis shared a look with the big bro. It was one that forced a smile, yet there were a lot of doubts. Shu couldn't exactly blame them. Hunted down or not, at their core they were still Righteous, so hearing about all the things Demonic Clans were apparently allowed to do was weird to say the least.
"Amazing is one way to phrase it."
"Freaky more like it."
"Brother!"
"What, we all think that! She got poisoned twice! Twice! And not a single one of them had a normal name to boot!"
Shu giggled. She was glad she could pronounce them right at the time. But couldn't help but look at their hair with worry. She'd liked to say that she was just seeing things, but if there was anything Qinglong members had, it was their sight. And right now, she could see the gray strands here and there. Their cultivation stalled, especially with the lack of resources. They were given a token of gifts for their servitude, doing scouting and research missions. But compared to the actual cultivators, they just didn't have enough worth to the Golden Devil Clan. And then there was granny, chuckling lightly as she leaned back in the bed. A bed she hasn't left for months at this point.
"Well, one must keep an open mind if the heavens are your enemy." She looked so terribly exhausted before crossing her arms, authority still radiating from her despite the alliance being officially disbanded. "Now what are you doing here?"
Shu mirrored her frown before pointing at herself as she tilted her head.
"Uh, vacation day? We got those?"
"No. I meant, why do you keep coming here?" She gestured at the table with a glare. "With these treasures?"
Turning her head, Shu looked at all the items she brought with her. Then she scratched the back of her hair, humming in confusion.
"They aren't exactly treasures. Kinda cheap actually, compared to what other stuff costs in terms of contri-"
"You could use the time and resources to grow instead!"
She felt a migraine grow in her head. Covering her eyes with a deep breath, she ran her hand down her face before pressing her lips together with a frown. Every damn time. At first she was patient. Well, at first she was hurt, but after that she was patient. But now? Now she was just done with the old woman trying to out stubborn her, Qinglong Shu!
"Granny, we're not doing this again."
"Pah, I do this as often as need to-Agh!"
Coughing violently, the three former heirs immediately rushed to her side. Preparing medicine and massaging her back, Shu bit her lip with worry.
"Granny, you aren't the youngest anymore, remain calm," Fei muttered. Yet she wouldn't have it, shaking her head as she looked at Shu with glistening eyes.
"Why won't you understand... We can't keep up. You are just wasting your time."
Shu giggled before leaning back, crossing her arms. Raising an eyebrow, she hit her chest a few times with a determined nod.
"Family is never a waste of time. You know that."
The three flinched. Then they shared the smile and the mood lifted in the room. Granny scoffed, shaking her head as she looked away.
"Tch. Pulling the family card is dirty... "
"I'm Demonic now, remember? We are dirty like that, hahaha!" She put her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest. "Now eat those pills and cultivate! If I come back and find out you threw them away or they are gathering dust, I'll give you guys some pointers instead!"
Many hours were spent, just catching up. How Fei still managed to find some time to do some adventuring in a sense, scouting out certain spots. How Xiu found some time to do some research and cataloging their alliance's knowledge, with the help of granny. Many hours spent doing something most would call a waste of time. After all, every minute and second counted when one wanted to reach the Heavens and overthrow it. But... Shu giggled as she walked out, the sky already dark.
There was a reason the Four Beast Alliance focused on the Earth instead. Ascending was meaningless if one was alone. What was the point ifone forgot their roots? She glanced to the side, looking at the surviving mortals that followed them. Growing old faster than most, she felt an ache in her heart. Soon enough, those people would be gone in a blink of an eye, while she, ideally, would be unchanged. A part of her wanted to ignore them, to diminish the pain... but that would be admitting defeat. And again, the Earth was more important than the Heavens. So she bowed at them as well, ignoring their shock and outrage.
"Ren, make sure they do their cultivation stuff. And... thanks for everything you're doing. I mean it."
The impromptu leader of the mortals stammered as she frantically shook his head, his grey beard moving with it.
"I-I am merely a recordkeeper! I-"
"And you're keeping our records. That's important. You're making sure nobody forgets you and me." Shu nodded at him and closed his hand over the bag of money with a gentle smile. "Get yourself and your kids something nice."
"I couldn't possibly-"
"Cultivator, remember? Money isn't that important."
She waved him off, walking away, ignoring his thanks as he bowed deeply. Good that he didn't know that she did in fact need money, but hey, the amount she gave away wouldn't have gotten her anything anyway. Better to do some good with it instead of some miniscule progress on her cultivation. Still, she had to make up for today by working harder the next days until the next visit. After all... it wasn't over. Many would like to say that, even her own people. That the Four Beast Alliance was done and gone. But she knew better. Knew that whoever attacked them didn't erase them. No, instead, it was worse. A burning fire lit up in her heart and she took deep breaths, in order to calm the rage that the Qinglong Clan was famous for. But it was a difficult endeavor. After all...
They stole from them. Stole what their ancestors created, what their ancestor's descendents spent so much time to improve, evolve, to imbue them with knowledge. Nobody knew what those treasures were completely capable of. It was knowledge lost to time. But even as the memories were gone, the meaning remained. To entrust all the world had to offer to the next generation, until a true center could be reached, an Earth that surpassed the Heavens.
And now they are gone. Sullied more likely. Used for nefarious means and spitting on the intentions of the past. She clenched her fists.
She'll get the treasures back. The Vermillion Bird, the White Tiger, the Black Turtle and the Azure Dragon. The weapons and armors holding all of the knowledge their alliance has gathered over the course of centuries, sealed and only unlockable by the most talented and worthy of their blood. She has to find them, find where they went, as they were gone from the vault of their clan, together with everything else. No forced entry either. Which mean only one thing, one mission she had to fulfill as the last hope of the alliance.
She bit her lip, drawing blood as she looked up at the heavens. In order to put the dead to rest. In order to put the living to rest. In order to find out who betrayed them.
In order to finally accept she was worthy of the sacrifices made for her.
She will find the traitor of their clan and put him or her down before returning what was theirs. She licked her lips.
Maybe she was rushing it too much. Maybe it was the height of foolishness. But the thought entered her mind and damn it she wasn't talented enough to cost by the good will of her seniors.
The Qiguai Clan Doorway sounded terrifying beyond belief and if she had a choice she wouldn't go there...but she didn't have a choice did she?
Her unknown enemy had a headstart of who knows how long. She needed to be faster or else she'd never stand a chance when she finally found the damn traitor and everyone else involved in this mess. Not to mention…
Her lips quivered at the thought. She still didn't want to accept it. But...If she was going to be the last big Cultivator of the Four Beast Alliance then she could be nothing more than the very best.
Nothing more than a king, no matter how unlikely or how hard it was going to be to gather the Four Guardians within her. She blinked and tilted her head. Wait, what was the Golden Devil name for them instead? Ol...olu...Olimi Stones…? She clicked her tongue in annoyance and shook her head. Screw it, she was going for an Unorthodox Single pillar and that was it! No matter how long it takes her to figure out her Dao!
///
So that was a big boi.
Many thanks to the people helping me in this by throwing in their beef in terms of philosophy.
Not sure if this is how it works but I'm going for life saving treasure for omake reward. Gonna need it for secret realm
