We probably aren't. Multiple bureaucrats visited the village and noted it down on their maps, and between these events time passed outside. It's honestly more likely that we will lose valuable quest time by getting stuck for months instead of profiting from this.
The Path Unending (A Cultivation Quest)
- Thread starter Vesvius
- Start date
- Original
-
- Tags
- original xianxia cultivation quest
We probably aren't. Multiple bureaucrats visited the village and noted it down on their maps, and between these events time passed outside. It's honestly more likely that we will lose valuable quest time by getting stuck for months instead of profiting from this.
What I'm finding interesting is that, while the vote opened and closed already with our decision locked in, we haven't seen the next update. Theoretically it should just be what we've seen already, cut and paste with our next choice locked. Makes me wonder how far we're going to get into the loop before we can start to make ripples.
- Location
- USA
I assume Ves is going to start timeskipping a bit. It's possible the loot vote will be a decision point, but personally I suspect the next meaningful vote will either be the merchant's cart or what we do in the village.
Given we reset after the village vote (and right as Zhi heard grass rustling behind him), I'm guessing we're going to get to the village vote and get a chance to change our decision.
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CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I think that the right choice might actually be those coins that we all ignored since we're rich now. I thought it was a silly throwaway option at first, but looking back at it...
They're ancient. They could be a way for us to actually interact with the people here since they might be from the same time period.
- Location
- United States of America
So, the evidence indicates that the Crab is not originally part of the time loop. The crab acts differently from all the villagers and even acts differently than the cow next to the merchant's cart.
It doesn't seem to follow the same script as everyone and after its defeat by Zhuan Kun, it leaves for a journey of its own. Assuming that it is in the loop, given the chapter, the crab seems to be a relatively recent addition.
This begs the question of how it collected the different items in its lair. Are items separate from the time loop? Is that how the Crab is able to collect things within its den? Given how the Grannies are beating a perfectly clean carpet, it does seem that items do not necessarily repeat the loop in the same way as people/animals do.
If the carpet is repeating the loop with grannies, then it should be dirty every time the loop repeats. But it isn't. This leads me to my first conjecture.
Items do not loop. If something breaks in the loop, then it will be broken in subsequent loops until a person within the loop fixes it or replaces it.
We might get confirmation or refutation of this theory next update depending on how well stocked the Crab's lair is. Is it mostly empty with only a few things, given that Zhuan Kun and Kong Zhi looted it last loop, or will everything still be there.
It doesn't seem to follow the same script as everyone and after its defeat by Zhuan Kun, it leaves for a journey of its own. Assuming that it is in the loop, given the chapter, the crab seems to be a relatively recent addition.
This begs the question of how it collected the different items in its lair. Are items separate from the time loop? Is that how the Crab is able to collect things within its den? Given how the Grannies are beating a perfectly clean carpet, it does seem that items do not necessarily repeat the loop in the same way as people/animals do.
If the carpet is repeating the loop with grannies, then it should be dirty every time the loop repeats. But it isn't. This leads me to my first conjecture.
Items do not loop. If something breaks in the loop, then it will be broken in subsequent loops until a person within the loop fixes it or replaces it.
We might get confirmation or refutation of this theory next update depending on how well stocked the Crab's lair is. Is it mostly empty with only a few things, given that Zhuan Kun and Kong Zhi looted it last loop, or will everything still be there.
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
My first thought? This isn't a village. This is some enormous organism playacting at being a village. It's not reacting to us because it's not smart enough to adapt its pantomime to account for outside factors - or at least, it's very slow to engage with unfamiliar 'performances'. The vague reactions to Clerk Ni's behavior might indicate that the organism is starting to take notice.
Having read the rest of the update, time loop and all... if I had to guess, we're dealing with the aftermath of a Time Artist attempting to escape the Symphony-in-Rags. To quote a description I once heard as a child for a black hole, it's like someone dug a hole, jumped in, and then pulled the hole in after them. We're now trapped in this loop because the strand of our timeline has gotten sucked into the gravity well of this temporal black hole, and we can't escape.
If I had to guess, we've now entered a period of orbital decay. We'll loop a few more times, but each loop will pull us closer to the event horizon, and once we drift past it...
That's what happened to the merchant. That's what happens to everyone who enters this village, except for the poor bastards who got stuck there when time was bent in on itself. External factors are eventually destroyed - maybe digested to help maintain the effect, maybe just deleted as extraneous data.
If we're really unlucky, then the abnormal qualities of the villagers might indicate... well, there are these things in the SCP lore called the pattern screamers.
One of the hallmarks of their involvement is the idea of reality within a given area being suddenly annihilated, so quickly that the minds inside the affected area linger on in a ghostlike state. You're dead, and everything around you has been obliterated, but your mind continues to fabricate data, continues chugging along the habitual grooves of thought for lack of anything else to do - because even the phenomena that normally enforce ideas like "you stop thinking when your brain is destroyed" have been wiped away.
Wile E. Coyote has already run off the cliff, but he hasn't looked down yet, so you get this queasy, uncanny knockoff of normalcy.
Ex-people go about their daily routines. The sun rises and sets because enough ex-people remember that the sun rises and sets. Imaginary doorways lead to the expected rooms because that's what the ex-people remember - but as time passes, things start to slip through the cracks. You don't really remember every last detail of your bedroom, after all. The world is bigger than the contents of your own head, but now the world's gone away, and all that's left is this nuclear blast shadow that still thinks it's a person.
At some point, Wile E. Coyote will look down, and when he does, that's the end of it.
All the ex-people vanish in a puff of logic, and what's left is a kind of existential mirage, an impressionist painting of what used to be there stretched over the gaping chasm of nothing that actually is there now. Anyone that crosses into the nothingness suffers the same fate: instant death, followed by a short fever-dream twilight before reality fully catches up.
Wile E. Coyote has already run off the cliff, but he hasn't looked down yet, so you get this queasy, uncanny knockoff of normalcy.
Ex-people go about their daily routines. The sun rises and sets because enough ex-people remember that the sun rises and sets. Imaginary doorways lead to the expected rooms because that's what the ex-people remember - but as time passes, things start to slip through the cracks. You don't really remember every last detail of your bedroom, after all. The world is bigger than the contents of your own head, but now the world's gone away, and all that's left is this nuclear blast shadow that still thinks it's a person.
At some point, Wile E. Coyote will look down, and when he does, that's the end of it.
All the ex-people vanish in a puff of logic, and what's left is a kind of existential mirage, an impressionist painting of what used to be there stretched over the gaping chasm of nothing that actually is there now. Anyone that crosses into the nothingness suffers the same fate: instant death, followed by a short fever-dream twilight before reality fully catches up.
It's obviously not that dire here, since the quest is still going. However, I'm suspecting that the time loop here is one that's being maintained by the villagers' best efforts to play along. They beat the rugs, even though no dust comes out of them, because if they don't beat the rugs, then more important things might start to break down. The kids frame their actions as a game of pretend because they were playing a game of pretend when this first happened, and now that's the rut they have to stay in.
The loop restarted because we distorted the shape of events. By changing the activity of one of the kids from "playing make-believe" to "running away from an Artist", we endangered the stability of this pocket of contorted time, and that triggered a response. Maybe being booted back to the start of the day was the result of us getting ejected, like an immune response - or maybe the Time Artist responsible for this (or whatever's left of them) took notice of us throwing off the rhythm of their temporal panic room, and this was their best attempt to resolve the situation.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Next time we just have to be really on the ball and vote before the vote closes.
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
I think the answer to this mystery is obvious.
We clearly underestimated that crab and it has placed us all into this collective illusion. Truly, a formidable foe. No doubt Zhuan Kun will relish the chance of pitting his might against such a cunning opponent!
We clearly underestimated that crab and it has placed us all into this collective illusion. Truly, a formidable foe. No doubt Zhuan Kun will relish the chance of pitting his might against such a cunning opponent!
ITS HERE FOLKS,
WE HAVE TO FIND
STEIN'S GATE🤯
WE HAVE TO FIND
STEIN'S GATE🤯
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
[] Unleash the Loamwalker. Let Quishu blaze a path of destruction out of this timeloop, and may the Heavens have mercy on whomever stands in her way.
Honestly Im not sure of the above solution...
Elder Siani might not rate us suitable with working with temporal anomalies in the future unless we solve this one without brute force means. 🤔
WAIT. If we do some crafting during timeloops, are the ingredients and materials restored once the loop resets!?
IS THIS THE CRAFTING VERSION OF THE HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER!? DOESNT MATTER IF CLERK NI GETS PISSED AT US FOR SHIRKING OUR DUTY, IT'LL ALL JUST RESET ANYWAY.
] Unleash the Loamwalker. Let Quishu blaze a path of destruction out of this timeloop, and may the Heavens have mercy on whomever stands in her way.Honestly Im not sure of the above solution...
Elder Siani might not rate us suitable with working with temporal anomalies in the future unless we solve this one without brute force means. 🤔
WAIT. If we do some crafting during timeloops, are the ingredients and materials restored once the loop resets!?
IS THIS THE CRAFTING VERSION OF THE HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER!? DOESNT MATTER IF CLERK NI GETS PISSED AT US FOR SHIRKING OUR DUTY, IT'LL ALL JUST RESET ANYWAY.
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Plinni
A mysterious and charasmatic banyanya
- Location
- Pargon Pargon Pargon
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ground hog day for cultivators wasnt the birthday gift i was expecting, but it's the one you've decided to give me. Thank you Ves.
267. A Guiding Light
Vesvius
The Wicked God
A/N: A big thanks to the 34 people who have pledged to me on Patreon! If you'd like to join them, you can do so here. Or, if you'd like to support me without the monthly commitment, you can buy me a cup of Ko-Fi here.
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The crab stands frozen in place for a long moment, one claw outstretched as it beckons us closer. When we all simply stare at it with varying degrees of surprise and exasperation on our faces, it changes tactics. Its other claw rises and its stance shifts in a fluid gesture. Its carapace seems to bristle with barely restrained energy. Only the crab's raw discipline keeps it from unleashing its bestial fury.
It practically vibrates in place from its sheer need for combat. But the only true motion that it makes is in its claws, which begin to sway back and forth like leaves in the wind. It is a dam about to burst, a wave poised to break upon the shore, raw energy just waiting to be used. It wants to exchange pointers, and it will not be denied.
There is only one possible answer that can be given to such a challenge.
I look to our noble companion. "Zhuan Kun?" I ask, bemusement clear in my voice. "Would you care to exchange pointers with this… determined warrior?"
To no one's surprise, it is as if Zhuan Kun was only waiting for the request to be made. "Of course," he says promptly, sliding from his mount's saddle. "Please be patient. This may take longer than usual. It has been over two years since the last time I faced a similar foe; I will have to relearn how to properly read their body language."
As we all struggle to decide how to react to that statement, the noble turns to face the crab directly. "And you!" he intones, staring at the crustacean's beady eyestalks. "I hope you can present a greater challenge than your predecessor, else you will find this a short bout!"
Bubbles froth at the crab's mouth as its eyes lock squarely on to Zhuan Kun. The noble and the crab stare each other down for an endless moment- before they both move. A crash reverberates through the world like a gong has been struck a mighty blow as Zhuan Kun's fist collides with the crab's claw. Daiyu's hair streams backwards as wind erupts from the blow, sending a concussive burst cascading across the road and into the sea.
The two combatants have not taken their eyes off of each other. Nor do they move; they simply stand, fist and claw outstretched, as they get each other's measure. Finally, the noble honors the crab with a shallow nod, one which the crab dips its whole body to echo.
With the sound of skittering feet and a cloud of sand, the battle is rejoined. As the exchange of pointers unfolds, Daiyu turns to me, expression carefully blank. "Was I perhaps mishearing things, or did Zhuan Kun imply that this is not the first crab he has done battle with?"
I turn to her, deadpan. "He did, yes," I agree. "Is… that unusual?"
Daiyu studies me carefully, amethyst eyes narrow as she scans my face. "Zhi," she says, voice measured and calm. "Have you fought a crab before?"
I cock my head to the side, bemusement on my face as memories of the bone-white shell of the Winter Crab flash before my eyes. "I… yes, I have. Fa and I found a Vestige that wore the guise of one when we were seeking the keys to a…" I trail off as Daiyu's expression grows more and more incredulous. "...what? It was a simple Vestige crab! It was so mundane that I nearly forgot that we fought it!!"
"Mundane?! How many vestiges do you think…" Daiyu's brow furrows and she reaches up, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closes her eyes. She sits motionless for a long moment. The only sounds are those of Zhuan Kun's fierce combat as he barks pointers to the crab even as he sends it skipping across the sand like a rock across a pond.
Eventually, Daiyu opens her eyes once more. They flick from me to Zhuan Kun to Clerk Ni, who has dismissed this entire scene from his mind as he returns to his maps, before finally turning to the heavens above. She stares up at the sky as if pondering the deep fundamental nature of the universe, mouth moving soundlessly until finally, she slumps. "Of course," she says, voice painfully neutral. "You fought a crab vestige. It hardly bears mentioning.."
She turns a blank face back to the fight. I follow her gaze just in time to see Zhuan Kun bob to the side, emulating the crab's scuttling movement, before leaping into the air. For a fraction of an instant it seems as if he may never descend, and instead spend the rest of his life silhouetted against the horizon. But he falls as fast as he rose, landing squarely on the crab's outstretched claw and perching atop it like a bird upon a branch.
The crustacean doesn't seem to know what to do with the noble standing on top of its primary weapon. It shakes its claw violently, trying to send Zhuan Kun flying into the air, only for the noble to easily keep his balance. As the claw swings, Zhuan Kun sways with it, twisting until he is standing on his hands with his feet straight up in the air.
Ancestors above, I swear the crab's eyestalks widen in fury. It lets out a gurgling war cry and raises its claw, ready to hammer it and Zhuan Kun into the sand below.
But that's exactly what Zhuan Kun was waiting for.
The noble moves so quickly that I only realize what he did after the fight was already over. He hooks his fingers around the craw and drops, using the crab itself as the center of his rotation as he flips underneath the claw like an ape swinging from a tree. Zhuan Kun's feet rise in a powerful kick- and the sound of cracking chitin is his reward.
The crab stumbles back from Zhuan Kun, claws raised in a desperate defense as it struggles to find its bearings. But the noble makes no move to press his advantage. Instead he crosses his arms and gives the crab one sharp nod. "Acceptable," he declares.
The crab staggers to its… does it have feet? Even Quishu has her strange pads, but the crab has only sharp pointed legs that dig into the earth as it pulls itself back up. As it returns to a vertical base, it turns its dazed gaze back to Zhuan Kun, who takes the attention as an opportunity to analyze the spar. "Your bodily strength is most impressive for a creature of your advancement," he says. "And your speed is adequate. Your troubles do not lie in your physical capabilities."
There is a moment of silence broken only by a faint mumble from Daiyu. If I strain my ears, I can just barely make out her murmur of, "...did I become the ordinary one? How did this happen? Is this…"
Zhuan Kun either cannot hear Daiyu, does not care for her dazed mumbles, or both. "Your greatest flaw is your flexibility," he states to the crab.
In answer, the shelled warrior lifts one claw and lightly knocks on its own carapace. Zhuan Kun shakes his head. "No, not like that. Your body's ability to maneuver is at the upper end of what one could expect from a warrior of your build. I speak of your mental flexibility. Tell me, before today, when was the last time you fought a foe that truly challenged you?"
The crab is silent save for a froth of bubbles spouting from its maw. Zhuan Kun nods as if he has been answered. "Exactly," he says. "You have gone so long between challenges that you have allowed your ways of thinking to stagnate. Predictability has crept into your movements, and you act according to a routine that only you follow."
"If you take one thing from this exchange, let it be this," Zhuan Kun declares. "Test yourself. Find a challenge beyond you and test yourself against it until either it yields or your body breaks- and such challenges will not find you here on your beach. If you truly wish to become the best version of yourself, you will need to leave and seek out situations that truly test you."
The noble's latest opponent seems to mull over his words. It stands frozen in place for a dozen heartbeats before lifting its claw and staring down at it, looking for all the world as if it has never truly seen its own limb before. Suddenly, it is in motion, scuttling away from Zhuan Kun and back towards the beach.
As the sound of a dozen footsteps fades in the distance, Clerk Ni lets his map roll up with the sound of fluttering paper. "Are we finished with this latest escapade?" he sighs. "Or can we-"
The Clerk's words die as Zhuan Kun raises a hand. "We are not finished yet," the noble answers simply.
Sure enough, the scuttling sound returns, and the crab races back towards us as quickly as its too-many legs can carry it. This time, though, it is not clad only in its carapace. A small bundle of weathered, checkered cloth hangs from its back, carrying what one can only assume are the essentials that all crabs must have when beginning a martial pilgrimage. It skids to a halt in front of Zhuan Kun, a fresh froth already building at its maw.
The crab lets out an odd, throaty noise that makes Clerk Ni shiver and sends the hair on my neck standing straight up. Zhuan Kun shows no reaction. Instead, the noble reaches up and strokes its chin. "Oh?" he asks, voice contemplative. "That is bold of you, shelled one. I don't hate it."
Another series of those horrible throaty noises echo from the crab's carapace. It ends by pointing its claw at Zhuan Kun once again, jagged edges quivering as it stares down the superior foe. The crab holds its pose just long enough for a wave to crash to shore behind it before turning and scuttling away into the grasses of the White Daylight Fields.
Zhuan Kun stares after it. "...a noble resolve," he eventually states to the open air. "I will remember you, warrior. May you prove a more worthy foe in our next encounter." His words hang heavy over the road, and his eyes never stray from the trail of broken grass the crab has left in its wake. If anyone were to come down the road, they would wonder if Zhuan Kun were real or a masterfully crafted sculpture of a warrior pondering his future battles.
He stares after the crab for several minutes, and likely would for several more if he were not interrupted by Daiyu throwing her hands up and yelling "What just happened here?!" to the sky.
Thankfully, the noble takes no issue with Daiyu's lack of decorum. "Our martial rival has taken my advice," he states instead, answering as if Daiyu's question was an earnest request for information instead of the rather rude exclamation it truly was. "It has gone to seek greater challenges in the White Daylight Fields and beyond. Perhaps, with the favor of the heavens, it will grow to have power equaling its spirit. I wish it that good fortune."
Daiyu's mouth moves soundlessly and she slowly turns to look at me. I cannot say I am sure why she seems so incredulous; it all seems fairly self-evident. Whatever she sees in my face just has her eyes grow even wider, and she turns to the Clerk. There, at least, she finds a kindred spirit.
"Oh," Zhuan Kun adds, shaking his head as if just remembering something. "Our martial rival also was in possession of a small reserve of items gifted to it by the sea. We are welcome to take our pick from what it has left behind in its den; it deemed anything that remained unnecessary for the journey ahead."
I had not thought it possible for Daiyu's eyes to grow any wider. I was wrong.
"Zhuan Kun," she murmurs, voice painfully level. "How do you… did… did you understand the crab? Was it speaking in some language only comprehensible by…" She waves her hand at the torn up sand where Zhuan Kun and the crab did battle, as if encompassing the entire exchange.
The noble only crosses his arms and frowns at Daiyu. "Why would it have needed to speak?" he asks, seeming for all the world to be honestly curious. "True warriors can communicate with only their fists."
Daiyu just stares at Zhuan Kun- before slumping in her saddle. "I… don't know what I even expected," she mumbles. "Let's… let's just go search the crab's stuff."
She turns Sunswift to follow Zhuan Kun, who has already begun marching towards the beach where he will doubtlessly lead us right to the crab's den. Before she can move too far, I guide Quishu after her with my knees, one hand leading Zhuan Kun's mare and the other sliding into Daiyu's.
My partner slows a hair and glances over at me. I meet her weary look with a smile. "Come now, Daiyu," I say, squeezing her hand gently. "Perhaps the crab may not have been the most… traditional of disciples, but even you must admit that it had spirit. Perhaps when it returns to challenge Zhuan Kun, you can exchange pointers with it yourself."
Her grip tightens on mine even as she shakes her head. "Do not even start with me now, Kong Zhi," she grumbles.
"Daiyu," I chide her, unconsciously leaning over slightly to let my shoulder brush against hers. "I will admit, perhaps Brother Crab may not be the most traditional of sparring partners. But does it truly surprise you that we would encounter such an opponent? It is not even among the ten most unusual things I've encountered since coming to the Heart."
Daiyu rolls her eyes, but a small smile grows on her face. "That surprises me less than it should," she muses.
I shake my head. "Come now, are you truly telling me that Brother Crab is the most outlandish encounter you've had in your life?" I ask with a chuckle. "I've not traveled the same tunnels you have. Yet I would hazard a guess that if you came across it back at the sect, you would have already seen three things, each more unbelievable than the last, that would have banished it from your thoughts utterly."
There's a moment's pause as a half-remembered line from a certain play goes through my mind. "And if your own journey through the tunnels has truly been so bereft of extraordinary sights, I could assist you in finding some. With instructions. And a map. And perhaps they will pass-"
There is a slight pressure on my cheek as Daiyu presses a kiss against it. She leans back, a broad genuine smile on her face as she flushes. I chuckle, the sound more a reflex than anything else as I meet Daiyu's eyes. "What was that for?" I cannot help but ask.
Daiyu's answer is a slight shrug. "I wanted to, and I could, so I did," is her answer before she arches an eyebrow. "Unless you have some objection?"
My hurried denials fill the air, joining Daiyu's laughter as we follow after Zhuan Kun. Sure enough, the noble leads us unerringly towards a small burrow dug in the side of a dune. Were it not for the hundreds of large, crab-shaped footprints dotting the sand around it, it could almost be inconspicuous. As it is now, though, it is clear that this is the crab's den that Zhuan Kun spoke of.
The noble marches directly towards the hole and hops in without pause. I trade a glance with Daiyu who reaches out and takes the reins for both Quishu and Zhuan Kun's mount. "I've no need to see Brother Crab's home," she says with a chuckle. "You go ahead. I'll stay here and mind the beasts."
Beneath me, Quishu lets out a soft bray of displeasure, if one unaccompanied by her usual attempted mauling. I idly scratch her between the horns and hop down. "She seems mostly calm," I tell Daiyu as I move towards the burrow. "Though I'm not sure how she'll tolerate sand, so stay vigilant."
Daiyu nods and I turn towards the burrow. As I move into the hole, I hear Daiyu saying, "You seem oddly at peace with this detour, Clerk. Have you no objections?"
"If I did, would it matter?" Clerk Ni answers. Despite his words, his tone is practically chipper. "Besides, this is actually on the way to our next stop."
"Really?" Daiyu asks. "I consulted the maps before we left the Summit. Is the next village not a few hours further south?"
"That is what I thought as well!" the Clerk answers, brightening even further. "But upon closer study of this census from two decades past, you can see-" The rest of his words are cut off as I reach the burrow and duck into it, joining Zhuan Kun as he surveys the crab's home.
It is… it is certainly the Crab's home.
I had expected nothing much. Perhaps the crab's burrow would be a small hole dug into the sand, or at best the entrance to a hidden cave. Instead, what I find is a large, circular chamber painstaking dug into the shifting sands. The ground has been trampled so thoroughly that it's been packed into near stone, and the walls are supported by roughly cut pieces of driftwood and large shells scavenged from the tides.
Zhuan Kun nods approvingly as he looks around the mostly barren burrow. "Its home is suitably austere," he intones. "Truly, it focused on nothing but improving itself. That warrior is one for others to pattern themselves after. Perhaps it truly will return to challenge me again."
I can only nod as I turn my focus to the small collection of belongings dotting the sandy floor. The crab did seem to live a life akin to a monks, with very little in the way of material possessions to disturb its focus. Still, there are a few things that catch the eye- and while I've no desire to fill the Estate with clutter, I can certainly take at least one thing.
As Zhuan Kun surveys the crab's earthly possessions, I move past him towards a small stack of driftwood bundled up near the wall of sand. Just the presence of such a bundle raises… questions. Did the crab go out and scavenge driftwood regularly, or did it just grab more whenever it happened upon some? It bundled the driftwood together with a thick leather thong; where did the leather come from? Did the crab find it somewhere or is it also a tanner? And why did it bind the driftwood together in the first place? Was it to make it easier to move or simply to keep its home uncluttered?
All those questions and more race through my mind, but I push them aside. They may be worthy of consideration when my mind needs something to occupy it, but I've quite enough going on right now without wondering what kind of animal a crab would even make leather out of.
I heft the bundle of driftwood up and inspect it carefully. Some pieces are too short for the crab's likely intended purposes, while others are gnarled and weathered to the point where they're as structurally sound as dry straw. But each piece has a small trace of anam in it from its exposure to the salt and surf. They would be most useful in adding just a trace of anam to a greater work, or could serve as the basis to a lesser one should I start another small project.
The aspect itself is a difficult one to comprehend. My face twists into a deep scowl as I sweep in the driftwood with my Sixth Sense. There are notes of earth in the aspect, certainly enough to serve as the anam's basis, but water and wind have come to dwell within the driftwood in equal amounts. There is surprisingly little wood; any trace of the forests these branches came from has long since been ground away. What remains is something rough yet nourishing, solid yet biddable, hard as stone but breakable if hit with any suitable force.
Something tickles at the back of my mind as I consider the aspect. I've not felt its like before, but something about it seems oddly familiar. Did… did someone back at the Heart use this aspect regularly? It certainly isn't in Fa's or Nokai's repertoires, but thinking of Xu Yun's face feels a bit more accurate. Not only him; it also seems similar to some things I've felt from Ming Hui's cooking. What aspect could Ming Hui and Xu Yun have in common? One is a sailor, the other a chef. The two paths have little in-
I pause as I stare down at the wood, realization hitting me. Is this… is this salt aspected? Interesting. What applications could that have? It could have a preservative effect that pairs with wood or life- or maybe it could enhance something else like salt enhances a dishes flavor? Perhaps I should pick Ming Hui's brain for other uses before I use the driftwood.
Acquired: Brother Crab's Driftwood (Salt 9)!
Regardless, it is more than tempting enough to join my collection of materials. I pull it into the Estate and turn to Zhuan Kun, who is contemplating the molts the crab left behind. He stares at the enormous shells and shakes his head before turning back to me. A note of satisfaction enters his voice as he says, "If our martial rival continues to eschew transformation, by the time they have discovered themselves, they will be worthy of another fight."
I glance from Zhuan Kun to the shells then back to the noble. Ancestors above, he seems honestly excited by the prospect of fighting Brother Crab once they've grown- and Brother Crab is already quite large enough!
The noble does not wait for a response, thankfully. Instead he turns to the rest of the Crab's belongings. "When next it returns," Zhuan Kun says as he begins taking everything into his own stasis ring. "It will doubtless enjoy seeing what it once cherished- either to regain it, or to marvel at how it has outgrown such things. Regardless, they will be returned to it when we next meet."
A snort of amusement pulls itself from my nose and I shake my head. "Just like the school signs will be returned to their disciples? Like how the Warden's Key will be returned to the Resolute March?" I tease, turning back towards the burrow's exit.
Perhaps I am imagining it, but I swear there's the ghost of an honest, actual smile on Zhuan Kun's face as he falls into step beside me. "Exactly," is his answer, and together the two of us pull ourselves free from the crab's home.
Our return isn't noticed right away. Daiyu is with the Clerk, leaning over to get a better look at his maps. Clerk Ni is in the middle of the most animated explanation I've ever seen him give, and Daiyu is nodding along with an interest that is only, at most, half feigned.
I move towards them and reclaim Quishu's reins. The loamwalker bites at my head, but her eternal bloodthirst is at least partially sated for now. The attempt is half hearted at best. I bat her fanged maw to the side and turn to Daiyu. "Dare I ask what has you so interested in the maps?" I ask.
"I am not that invested," comes Daiyu's automatic answer, but the way her eyes are still trained on Clerk Ni's scrolls. "It is simply… it is frustrating! That's all!"
On my other side, Zhuan Kun regains his own mount and hops into the mare's saddle. I follow suit and swing easily into my normal position atop Quishu before staring blankly down at my partner. "You may have to give me more information," I say dryly. "What, precisely, is frustrating?"
Daiyu pauses, clearly going through her last words once again. Her cheeks flush and she shakes her head. When she speaks, it is with the casual air of a cat who has just fallen on its face and is trying desperately to pretend it never happened. "The maps are giving us conflicting information," she answers primly. "And each new one we consult is further muddying the waters."
Clerk Ni grumbles something that does not sound flattering about the mapmakers as he takes to his own mount, and Daiyu is quick to follow suit. She lets Sunswift fall behind to ride alongside me as she continues. "Look at this," she says, brandishing another map. I take it and glance down as Daiyu begins pointing at specific places on it. "Here is Jingyi's Summit. Judging from our travel time and speed, that would put us around… here." Her finger jabs at a spot halfway down the coast between the Summit and Twelve Fields."
"Our next destination is out here," Daiyu continues, tapping one finger against a small point in the coast. If I squint, I can see the shadow of what might be a small dot, one that could easily be a scribe's error or simply ink soaking through from other papers. "It is a small village that hasn't been visited in at least a dozen traditional testing cycles, and certainly not during the Grand Examination. And ancestors above, it seems that no one can decide on what it's called!"
Another map joins the first, this one labeled. "This one has it called Shoalwater," she states, glaring at the map as if it has done her a personal wrong. "Yet this one-" a third map joins the first two. "-dubs it Yuanzhi. And this one-" another map is thrown on the pile. "-names it Shulin's Wake! No two maps have the same name for it!"
From his position up front, near the Clerk, Zhuan Kun turns to glance back at us. "Answering such a question is a simple matter," he states. "All relevant details about every settlement are recorded in the archives of the major cities. Consulting the most recent map from Jingyi's Summit should be all you need to end your confusion."
"I've tried that!" comes Daiyu's quick response. "You need to have a word with your record keeper, because the village is not even on your maps!"
A deep scowl steals its way across the noble's face. "All records are kept and recorded by agents of His Imperial Glory with minimal oversight by any of the governing households," Zhuan Kun answers as if by rote. "Regardless, the record keepers our household supports are held to the necessary standard. If they do not have records of a village, that village does not exist."
Beside Zhuan Kun, Clerk Ni lets out a chuckle, a broad smile on his face. "Then I will speak with my superiors when I return to the central bureaucracy," he says through his laughter. "For that is where I found records of this nameless place. Between the archivists your family supports and the ones that serve His Imperial Glory directly, I know which ones I would place my trust in."
Still, Zhuan Kun is not deterred. "All records and census data are held to scrupulous standards and are subject to frequent independent review. If the Summit does not have records of a village at the location you speak of, it is not there."
"We will see soon enough," Clerk Ni answers, his smile undiminished. "For we should reach the village with an unclear name before the sun begins to set. If it is not there, then your archivists have the right of the matter."
Zhuan Kun is far from convinced. His ire is well and truly roused by the aspersions cast upon the archivists of Jingyi's Summit, and he makes his feelings known as we resume our ride along the coast. For his part, Clerk Ni seems more than happy to prod at the noble, always responding to Zhuan Kun's blunt declarations with sly nudges and the occasional jibe. Both of them seemingly quiet down after a few stern words from Daiyu- but they are back at it within the hour, much to her frustration.
For my part, I simply ride behind them, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary. There could be no better moment for a threat to make itself known than now, while we're distracted. But the only threat that makes an appearance is Quishu, who snaps at a passing rabbit. She finds only air, though, and the rabbit vanishes into the rusting grass.
The course Clerk Ni sets us on is one that I doubt any normal map would show. We move steadily down the coast before turning slightly, cutting back inland as the ground beneath us begins to rise is gentle hills and slopes. The grass thickens into some semblance of White Daylight Fields' splendor, rustling with life that makes Quishu perk up with excitement. Trees sprout around us in a small copse that almost seems quaint after our time in the Forest of Hill, and the noontime sun glistens off the Emberflow Abyss as we peak at it through the grove.
Soon, the rising and falling of hills becomes simply rising. We set a slow yet steady pace up a gradual incline as songbirds almost seem to mock Quishu with their merriment. Before long, we are looking down off of a small cliff at the Abyss, enjoying a new breeze that stirs the trees and carries the soothing scent of the coming rain. Hopefully, if there is no village at our destination, there will at least be something to shelter the Clerk and horses beneath.
I pause as a new thought occurs to me. How will Quishu deal with a storm? So far, the weather has been remarkably calm for early spring, and I've yet to witness the loamwalker in anything worse than a slight drizzle. It could prove… no, it will be fine. Loamwalkers were born to walk the Trackless Marsh, after all. They've surely dealt with more than some rain.
I'm pulled from my contemplations by a victorious "Ha!" ripping itself from Clerk Ni's throat. The bureaucrat seems beyond pleased with himself. He gestures at the ground before us and looks over at Zhuan Kun, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. "If there is no village here, how do you explain so many tracks?"
The Clerk is not wrong. I follow his gaze to the grass before us, which has been broken and trampled beyond anything the native wildlife can account for. Thin lines that can only have come from wagon wheels have been cut in the grass, and the footsteps of at least a dozen men or beasts have beaten the rest flat.
Zhuan Kun stares at the obvious traces of civilization as if they have done him a personal wrong. But he bites his tongue and instead guides his mount forward, eyes narrowed as he studies the path that shouldn't exist. Clerk Ni follows him, humming a jaunty tune all the while.
But Zhuan Kun cannot ignore the next sign of civilization. It is so subtle that at first, we almost miss it. The grass near the beaten path is simply shorter than it should be. As we move further along the path, patches of the ground have been denuded of green entirely, leaving dark patches of barren dirt. Eventually, we follow the curve of the cliff and turn, coming across an area the size of a small building.
We also find the culprit.
A lone ox stands placidly at the edge of the barren patch. It bows its head to the grass and rips out another mouthful, chewing it in the slow, lazy manner only worn by the most bored of cattle. When it finishes its bite it bends to take another, repeating the process as it stares over the cliff and towards the horizon.
Our mounts slow as we near the beast. I look around for its master or the rest of its herd, yet find nothing. Curiously, I extend my Sixth Sense. We've just encountered Brother Crab, after all. A powerful Spirit Ox akin to the old Earthroot Ox that inspired my Blooming Spear is not out of the question. Yet to my Sixth Sense, it is just a simple ox, no more powerful than some of our mounts- and far less powerful than certain, ravenous others.
A noise from Daiyu draws me out of my contemplation. She's looking beyond the Ox towards a small knot of trees. A merchant's cart sits beneath the tangled boughs. Its yoke is empty and the driver's seat bereft of anything that might steer it.
This is no burned out husk. At a glance, it seems the perfect picture of an average merchant's cart. Pennants and brightly colored streamers hang from its railings. Its bed is laden with goods and packages of all shapes and sizes. A small wooden board dangles from one side bearing a list of prices in coin and trade alike. Were it in any of the villages we've traveled through or on the street corner of any city in the Empire, I doubt I would think twice about it.
But it is not. It is alone and untouched in the middle of a small grove of trees. Not a single scorch mark decorates its sides. Not a hole nor an arrow mars its wood. It does not even look to have crashed into a tree. It is as if it was simply rolling along before deciding to come to a slow, gradual halt.
I glance towards my companions, all of whom are scanning the woods with keen eyes. Even Clerk Ni's mirth fades as it's buried beneath confusion. "Bandits?" he asks, but even he doesn't sound like he's convinced.
Daiyu shakes her head. "It… no, the cart is in far too good of a condition- and besides, nothing's been taken. What kind of bandits would stop a cart peacefully then not take anything? It is more likely that the merchant broke a wheel and went to the village for a new one."
"But the wheels are in perfect condition," I'm compelled to answer. "It could be an axle… but then the cart would likely still be in the middle of the path rather than off to the side."
My partner nods her agreement. "And there would be some splinters of the broken one at the very least. Could…" She trails off, searching for another reason for this odd sight but finding nothing.
"Could the ox have fought the reins and broke free?" Clerk Ni guesses. "And the merchant had to leave to find help pushing his cart?"
All four of us turn our attention back to the ox. It stares back at us placidly, never ceasing its grazing for an instant. Quishu lets out a loud braying noise, and though our mounts jerk their head in surprise, the ox doesn't react at all.
"That does not seem likely," Zhuan Kun replies. "The ox does not seem overburdened with spirit." Despite his words, he does not take his eyes from the beast. Daiyu turns her focus back to the cart. Clerk Ni glances at the path, his eyes following it as it winds up through the hills. I lean over to soothe Quishu.
The ox just stares blankly at us all. And chews.
I ignore it and hop off of Quishu's back. A flick of my wrist sends her reins to Daiyu, who
takes them reflexively. She arches an eyebrow and glances from me to the innocuous cart. "Taking a closer look?" she asks.
A nod is my response. "It will just be a quick one," I assure her as I take a step towards the cart. "This entire scene is quite odd at the very least. If there is one thing I've learned from my duties, it is that oddities must be investigated lest they conceal something more sinister behind their strangeness."
Daiyu looks like she has a dozen things she'd like to say to that, but she decides to hold her tongue. Instead, she guides Sunswift and Quishu over to our other companions and glances at Zhuan Kun. A murmured word has the noble vaulting off his own steed and moving towards me until he's practically in my shadow. "Mei Daiyu does not wish for you to be unguarded while you investigate, and I agree," Zhuan Kun says, voice low as his eyes scan the trees for threats. "Perform your investigation. Our honored sister will ensure that the Clerk is protected, and I will ensure that you are protected."
The ghost of a smile tugs at my lips. Clearly, Daiyu and Zhuan Kun both remember my last investigation and how a ravenous Vestige seeking to devour me was the least of our problems. "You have my thanks," I answer. "We will only be a moment, so you need not be on guard for long. Still, I am about to turn off my senses, so your vigilance is very much appreciated."
Zhuan Kun cocks his head to the side consideringly. "You plan to use your technique to enhance your Sixth Sense?" he muses. "Logical. That technique seems most flexible. I still find myself intrigued by it. If there is any way you could teach it to me or inscribe it on a token, I would be most grateful."
I let out a low breath as we reach the cart, preparing to step into the Garden. "I will have to speak with my family," I answer absently. "For it was from their archives that I learned it. Though I find myself surprised that you are interested. I was sure your own Path would have similar techniques."
"It does," comes Zhuan Kun's prompt answer. "If all I wished for was to hone my senses, I have many options. But yours deadens your other senses completely. It would make blind sparring far more engaging."
A chuckle escapes me. Of course, Zhuan Kun wants the Stallion's Garden so that he may train more efficiently. That is perhaps the least surprising thing I've ever heard. But I push all thoughts of Zhuan Kun's training aside, along with any other errant ones that invade my mind. Right now, I don't need distractions or amusement. I need to focus, lest something squirm from the shadows of this normal looking cart and leap at my face.
Another long breath escapes me and I close my eyes, stepping into the Stallion's Garden. The world falls away, leaving me swimming in an empty void devoid of light, sound, taste, and even awareness of my own body. My mind pushes out into sheer, undiluted emptiness, and my Sixth Sense rushes out to search the void.
The difficult part of using the Stallion's Garden to enhance my Sixth Sense is not finding anam. With nothing else to distract me, I can feel even the slightest anam signatures, ones that I wouldn't even know were there if I had even one sense left open. The difficult part is filtering what I sense and discarding useless information in the heartbeat I have before the technique becomes too exhausting to maintain.
As always, my own anam signature is the first thing I ignore. Then I push aside the steady, rock-solid sensation at my back that is Zhuan Kun. The warm, ephemeral feeling of Daiyu is next to go, as are the faint notes of life that make up the mounts and Clerk Ni. The forest around us is exuding a good amount of Wood, and the Emberflow Abyss has no shortage of Water anam. Those too are ignored, as is the faint, ever present swirl of Wind.
I redouble my focus, trying to direct my Sixth Sense at the area right before me where the cart was when I could still see. Sure enough, there are some lingering notes of wood unlike those from the forest, likely coming from the cart itself. Aside from a few traces of beast near the yoke, the cart is otherwise inconsequential. Nothing in or on it registers on my sixth sense to any great degree, with the most potent anam being no stronger than a shirt someone was particularly proud of weaving.
With the cart inspected, I turn my focus to the rest of the clearing, tracing the hint of beast from the cart back to the ox itself. Under more strenuous scrutiny, the beast reveals itself as… well, simply a beast. Nothing about its own anam signature shows it to be anything but a particularly well fed ox. Quishu is a stronger source of beast anam than the ox, and it is only barely more powerful than the horses.
My attention wanders from the ox and to the rest of the clearing. I allow the signatures I've ignored back into my attention and scan the area as a whole. Nothing seems strange at all, even to my enhanced Sixth Sense. The ambient anam is… well, upon closer inspection, it does seem a bit more active than usual. But that is hardly proof of anything. For all we know, it could mean that there have been more animals in the woods lately, increasing the quality of the local life anam.
With an effort of will, I release my hold on the Garden. My senses rush back to me in a flood and I take a step back, almost overwhelmed by the taste of my own tongue. Zhuan Kun stiffens at my sudden motion and glances around. "Did you discover something?" he asks.
I cough once and shake my head. "No," I answer as I regain control of myself. "The ambient anam is slightly more intense than I would expect, but that could be caused by anything. I will have to try another technique."
Zhuan Kun nods sharply and returns his focus to our surroundings. As for me, I let out a low breath, fighting the urge to spit, and call upon my anam once more. The Stallion's Enclosed Garden may be a potent tool, but it is no longer my only technique capable of revealing secrets about the world around us. My eyes fall closed, and when they open, I look to the Twilight Horizon.
Color and vibrancy seem to leach from the world around me. It is not at all like the Stallion's Garden. I can still see, smell, and hear. Everything just seems so much further away than it once was. Shining sapphire light traces everything within my sight while everything else seems faded, distant, and muffled. Every time something moves, the Horizon's light moves just a fraction of a moment before, filling the space before its source can cross the same distance.
It is not that light that I look to. There is nothing before me that will answer my questions. Instead, I cast my eyes to the heavens, gazing at the twinkling pinpricks of light hiding behind the noon-tide sky. Even though I cannot see them, my soul screams that they still shine. Even though the burning aura of the sun, I seek the wisdom of the Stars, bidding them to guide me and show me what they've borne witness to.
The Astral Paragon's crown jewel burns through me, reflecting the light of the veiled cosmos. The celestial bodies bear witness to the technique's power. The stars burn in their constellations, content in their heavenly alignment. This I know as surely as I know my own name. But no unearthly guidance fills my limbs, no sudden insights seep into my brains.
Yet the longer I stare into the heavens, my eyes full of stars, the stranger things begin to feel. There is something is wrong with the stars. I am no scholar to have memorized the movements of the heavens, but there is a small itching sensation in the back of my mind that murmurs that the stars are… that they are not where they are supposed to be.
The itching becomes more intense, growing into a curdling nausea that grips my stomach in iron talons. The Twilight Horizon gazes past the light of the sun and into the heavens and I fight to compare what I see with what I know of the stars above. At first it is almost a calm, casual thing as I force myself to remain calm, but as the nausea grows, so too does my worry. Within moments, my eyes flick frantically from star to star, desperate to see what the Horizon is trying to show me.
"Kong Zhi?" Zhuan Kun's voice is distant, as if coming from the end of a long tunnel. "Kong Zhi? What do you see?" But I can't muster the energy I would need to answer him. The world flashes an ethereal blue and I cannot look away. Am I still staring at the stars? Or are they staring into me?
Images flash before me, disjointed yet crisp. A winding road. A picturesque village. Children, playing- running. Bone deep exhaustion the likes of which I can barely comprehend-
-the earth rushes up and I collide with it, tumbling head over heels as the Twilight Horizon breaks. I roll back several feet, narrowly missing the ox before rising once more with an almost drunken sway in my step. "W-wha?" I manage to grunt out.
Zhuan Kun stands next to my previous spot, one hand outstretched. "Ah, good," he says, voice businesslike. "You've returned to yourself. What did you discover?"
Rapid footsteps echo through the forest as Daiyu rushes to my side. There is no trace of Zhuan Kun's calm demeanor on her face. She seems worried and not quite panicked, but not far from it either. "Zhi!" she gasps, concern clear on her face. "Are you well? What happened? You were staring at the sky for nearly ten minutes before Zhuan Kun took action!"
"I… I don't know," I answer honestly, a hand going to my temples. A thousand images etched in ethereal starlight, none coherent, play in my mind. Images of a place I've never been, and a surety that no… I have been there before. We all have.
I wrack my memory for any trace of that village in my visions not born from the Horizon, and find nothing. Yet the sick sensation in my stomach barely lessens. My body…
…my body agrees with my spirit. Which means that it is my mind that is wrong.
Yet as I look at my companions, the words… they fail to form. There are too many to speak and they all collide with each other, becoming naught but a ball of nonsense behind my teeth. No matter how I try to cudgel my brain to explain what I've just beheld, it simply doesn't come. I've no choice but to let out a low breath and shake my head.
"I… the Twilight Horizon showed me… something," I mutter. "But I'm not sure exactly what it was."
"Then ponder it on the road!" comes Clerk Ni's impatient voice. The bureaucrat is staring at the heavens himself, only his gaze is on the position of the sun. "Daylight is wasting. If we want to make good time to Twelve Fields, we cannot afford any further delays!" He turns his pony away from us and back towards the trail, clearly intent on leaving with or without us.
Zhuan Kun and Daiyu trade a look before turning back to me. "He's right," Daiyu murmurs. "Not about needing to leave quickly, I couldn't care less about that. But consider what you saw on the road. Meditate on it. It will doubtless make sense after a while."
The noble nods along with her words and together, we retake our mounts and hasten them after Clerk Ni. But even as we catch up with the bureaucrat, the visions do not fade from my memory. They lose none of their clarity. I pour over them again and again, yet they seem no more coherent than they did when they were burned into my mind.
The Twilight Horizon clearly wanted to show me something. All I need to do is figure out what.
The Twilight Horizon has unleashed a horde of thoughts and memories of a village Kong Zhi has never been to in such detail that it feels as if he walked its streets just yesterday. They are confused and distorted, yet potent. How does Kong Zhi allow them to guide his actions?
NOTE: the primary votes will be counted together, with any sub votes calculated after. Fifty people voting for one option with fifty different subvotes still counts as fifty people voting for that one option.
[] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[] (Write-In which villager)
[] The visions are clear in one regard: this village is dangerous, even if how it is is confusing. Kong Zhi will approach Clerk Ni and ask him to wait outside the village as we investigate it to better secure his safety.
[] It seems like in the visions, Kong Zhi was wandering freely through the village. Perhaps that was a mistake. He will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
-[] (Write-In which role)
[] (Write-In)
> This beast wishes to receive pointers? Then pointers it will receive!
>> Zhuan Kun will teach this crab its place.
>> Zhuan Kun will teach this crab its place.
The crab stands frozen in place for a long moment, one claw outstretched as it beckons us closer. When we all simply stare at it with varying degrees of surprise and exasperation on our faces, it changes tactics. Its other claw rises and its stance shifts in a fluid gesture. Its carapace seems to bristle with barely restrained energy. Only the crab's raw discipline keeps it from unleashing its bestial fury.
It practically vibrates in place from its sheer need for combat. But the only true motion that it makes is in its claws, which begin to sway back and forth like leaves in the wind. It is a dam about to burst, a wave poised to break upon the shore, raw energy just waiting to be used. It wants to exchange pointers, and it will not be denied.
There is only one possible answer that can be given to such a challenge.
I look to our noble companion. "Zhuan Kun?" I ask, bemusement clear in my voice. "Would you care to exchange pointers with this… determined warrior?"
To no one's surprise, it is as if Zhuan Kun was only waiting for the request to be made. "Of course," he says promptly, sliding from his mount's saddle. "Please be patient. This may take longer than usual. It has been over two years since the last time I faced a similar foe; I will have to relearn how to properly read their body language."
As we all struggle to decide how to react to that statement, the noble turns to face the crab directly. "And you!" he intones, staring at the crustacean's beady eyestalks. "I hope you can present a greater challenge than your predecessor, else you will find this a short bout!"
Bubbles froth at the crab's mouth as its eyes lock squarely on to Zhuan Kun. The noble and the crab stare each other down for an endless moment- before they both move. A crash reverberates through the world like a gong has been struck a mighty blow as Zhuan Kun's fist collides with the crab's claw. Daiyu's hair streams backwards as wind erupts from the blow, sending a concussive burst cascading across the road and into the sea.
The two combatants have not taken their eyes off of each other. Nor do they move; they simply stand, fist and claw outstretched, as they get each other's measure. Finally, the noble honors the crab with a shallow nod, one which the crab dips its whole body to echo.
With the sound of skittering feet and a cloud of sand, the battle is rejoined. As the exchange of pointers unfolds, Daiyu turns to me, expression carefully blank. "Was I perhaps mishearing things, or did Zhuan Kun imply that this is not the first crab he has done battle with?"
I turn to her, deadpan. "He did, yes," I agree. "Is… that unusual?"
Daiyu studies me carefully, amethyst eyes narrow as she scans my face. "Zhi," she says, voice measured and calm. "Have you fought a crab before?"
I cock my head to the side, bemusement on my face as memories of the bone-white shell of the Winter Crab flash before my eyes. "I… yes, I have. Fa and I found a Vestige that wore the guise of one when we were seeking the keys to a…" I trail off as Daiyu's expression grows more and more incredulous. "...what? It was a simple Vestige crab! It was so mundane that I nearly forgot that we fought it!!"
"Mundane?! How many vestiges do you think…" Daiyu's brow furrows and she reaches up, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closes her eyes. She sits motionless for a long moment. The only sounds are those of Zhuan Kun's fierce combat as he barks pointers to the crab even as he sends it skipping across the sand like a rock across a pond.
Eventually, Daiyu opens her eyes once more. They flick from me to Zhuan Kun to Clerk Ni, who has dismissed this entire scene from his mind as he returns to his maps, before finally turning to the heavens above. She stares up at the sky as if pondering the deep fundamental nature of the universe, mouth moving soundlessly until finally, she slumps. "Of course," she says, voice painfully neutral. "You fought a crab vestige. It hardly bears mentioning.."
She turns a blank face back to the fight. I follow her gaze just in time to see Zhuan Kun bob to the side, emulating the crab's scuttling movement, before leaping into the air. For a fraction of an instant it seems as if he may never descend, and instead spend the rest of his life silhouetted against the horizon. But he falls as fast as he rose, landing squarely on the crab's outstretched claw and perching atop it like a bird upon a branch.
The crustacean doesn't seem to know what to do with the noble standing on top of its primary weapon. It shakes its claw violently, trying to send Zhuan Kun flying into the air, only for the noble to easily keep his balance. As the claw swings, Zhuan Kun sways with it, twisting until he is standing on his hands with his feet straight up in the air.
Ancestors above, I swear the crab's eyestalks widen in fury. It lets out a gurgling war cry and raises its claw, ready to hammer it and Zhuan Kun into the sand below.
But that's exactly what Zhuan Kun was waiting for.
The noble moves so quickly that I only realize what he did after the fight was already over. He hooks his fingers around the craw and drops, using the crab itself as the center of his rotation as he flips underneath the claw like an ape swinging from a tree. Zhuan Kun's feet rise in a powerful kick- and the sound of cracking chitin is his reward.
The crab stumbles back from Zhuan Kun, claws raised in a desperate defense as it struggles to find its bearings. But the noble makes no move to press his advantage. Instead he crosses his arms and gives the crab one sharp nod. "Acceptable," he declares.
The crab staggers to its… does it have feet? Even Quishu has her strange pads, but the crab has only sharp pointed legs that dig into the earth as it pulls itself back up. As it returns to a vertical base, it turns its dazed gaze back to Zhuan Kun, who takes the attention as an opportunity to analyze the spar. "Your bodily strength is most impressive for a creature of your advancement," he says. "And your speed is adequate. Your troubles do not lie in your physical capabilities."
There is a moment of silence broken only by a faint mumble from Daiyu. If I strain my ears, I can just barely make out her murmur of, "...did I become the ordinary one? How did this happen? Is this…"
Zhuan Kun either cannot hear Daiyu, does not care for her dazed mumbles, or both. "Your greatest flaw is your flexibility," he states to the crab.
In answer, the shelled warrior lifts one claw and lightly knocks on its own carapace. Zhuan Kun shakes his head. "No, not like that. Your body's ability to maneuver is at the upper end of what one could expect from a warrior of your build. I speak of your mental flexibility. Tell me, before today, when was the last time you fought a foe that truly challenged you?"
The crab is silent save for a froth of bubbles spouting from its maw. Zhuan Kun nods as if he has been answered. "Exactly," he says. "You have gone so long between challenges that you have allowed your ways of thinking to stagnate. Predictability has crept into your movements, and you act according to a routine that only you follow."
"If you take one thing from this exchange, let it be this," Zhuan Kun declares. "Test yourself. Find a challenge beyond you and test yourself against it until either it yields or your body breaks- and such challenges will not find you here on your beach. If you truly wish to become the best version of yourself, you will need to leave and seek out situations that truly test you."
The noble's latest opponent seems to mull over his words. It stands frozen in place for a dozen heartbeats before lifting its claw and staring down at it, looking for all the world as if it has never truly seen its own limb before. Suddenly, it is in motion, scuttling away from Zhuan Kun and back towards the beach.
As the sound of a dozen footsteps fades in the distance, Clerk Ni lets his map roll up with the sound of fluttering paper. "Are we finished with this latest escapade?" he sighs. "Or can we-"
The Clerk's words die as Zhuan Kun raises a hand. "We are not finished yet," the noble answers simply.
Sure enough, the scuttling sound returns, and the crab races back towards us as quickly as its too-many legs can carry it. This time, though, it is not clad only in its carapace. A small bundle of weathered, checkered cloth hangs from its back, carrying what one can only assume are the essentials that all crabs must have when beginning a martial pilgrimage. It skids to a halt in front of Zhuan Kun, a fresh froth already building at its maw.
The crab lets out an odd, throaty noise that makes Clerk Ni shiver and sends the hair on my neck standing straight up. Zhuan Kun shows no reaction. Instead, the noble reaches up and strokes its chin. "Oh?" he asks, voice contemplative. "That is bold of you, shelled one. I don't hate it."
Another series of those horrible throaty noises echo from the crab's carapace. It ends by pointing its claw at Zhuan Kun once again, jagged edges quivering as it stares down the superior foe. The crab holds its pose just long enough for a wave to crash to shore behind it before turning and scuttling away into the grasses of the White Daylight Fields.
Zhuan Kun stares after it. "...a noble resolve," he eventually states to the open air. "I will remember you, warrior. May you prove a more worthy foe in our next encounter." His words hang heavy over the road, and his eyes never stray from the trail of broken grass the crab has left in its wake. If anyone were to come down the road, they would wonder if Zhuan Kun were real or a masterfully crafted sculpture of a warrior pondering his future battles.
He stares after the crab for several minutes, and likely would for several more if he were not interrupted by Daiyu throwing her hands up and yelling "What just happened here?!" to the sky.
Thankfully, the noble takes no issue with Daiyu's lack of decorum. "Our martial rival has taken my advice," he states instead, answering as if Daiyu's question was an earnest request for information instead of the rather rude exclamation it truly was. "It has gone to seek greater challenges in the White Daylight Fields and beyond. Perhaps, with the favor of the heavens, it will grow to have power equaling its spirit. I wish it that good fortune."
Daiyu's mouth moves soundlessly and she slowly turns to look at me. I cannot say I am sure why she seems so incredulous; it all seems fairly self-evident. Whatever she sees in my face just has her eyes grow even wider, and she turns to the Clerk. There, at least, she finds a kindred spirit.
"Oh," Zhuan Kun adds, shaking his head as if just remembering something. "Our martial rival also was in possession of a small reserve of items gifted to it by the sea. We are welcome to take our pick from what it has left behind in its den; it deemed anything that remained unnecessary for the journey ahead."
I had not thought it possible for Daiyu's eyes to grow any wider. I was wrong.
"Zhuan Kun," she murmurs, voice painfully level. "How do you… did… did you understand the crab? Was it speaking in some language only comprehensible by…" She waves her hand at the torn up sand where Zhuan Kun and the crab did battle, as if encompassing the entire exchange.
The noble only crosses his arms and frowns at Daiyu. "Why would it have needed to speak?" he asks, seeming for all the world to be honestly curious. "True warriors can communicate with only their fists."
Daiyu just stares at Zhuan Kun- before slumping in her saddle. "I… don't know what I even expected," she mumbles. "Let's… let's just go search the crab's stuff."
She turns Sunswift to follow Zhuan Kun, who has already begun marching towards the beach where he will doubtlessly lead us right to the crab's den. Before she can move too far, I guide Quishu after her with my knees, one hand leading Zhuan Kun's mare and the other sliding into Daiyu's.
My partner slows a hair and glances over at me. I meet her weary look with a smile. "Come now, Daiyu," I say, squeezing her hand gently. "Perhaps the crab may not have been the most… traditional of disciples, but even you must admit that it had spirit. Perhaps when it returns to challenge Zhuan Kun, you can exchange pointers with it yourself."
Her grip tightens on mine even as she shakes her head. "Do not even start with me now, Kong Zhi," she grumbles.
"Daiyu," I chide her, unconsciously leaning over slightly to let my shoulder brush against hers. "I will admit, perhaps Brother Crab may not be the most traditional of sparring partners. But does it truly surprise you that we would encounter such an opponent? It is not even among the ten most unusual things I've encountered since coming to the Heart."
Daiyu rolls her eyes, but a small smile grows on her face. "That surprises me less than it should," she muses.
I shake my head. "Come now, are you truly telling me that Brother Crab is the most outlandish encounter you've had in your life?" I ask with a chuckle. "I've not traveled the same tunnels you have. Yet I would hazard a guess that if you came across it back at the sect, you would have already seen three things, each more unbelievable than the last, that would have banished it from your thoughts utterly."
There's a moment's pause as a half-remembered line from a certain play goes through my mind. "And if your own journey through the tunnels has truly been so bereft of extraordinary sights, I could assist you in finding some. With instructions. And a map. And perhaps they will pass-"
There is a slight pressure on my cheek as Daiyu presses a kiss against it. She leans back, a broad genuine smile on her face as she flushes. I chuckle, the sound more a reflex than anything else as I meet Daiyu's eyes. "What was that for?" I cannot help but ask.
Daiyu's answer is a slight shrug. "I wanted to, and I could, so I did," is her answer before she arches an eyebrow. "Unless you have some objection?"
My hurried denials fill the air, joining Daiyu's laughter as we follow after Zhuan Kun. Sure enough, the noble leads us unerringly towards a small burrow dug in the side of a dune. Were it not for the hundreds of large, crab-shaped footprints dotting the sand around it, it could almost be inconspicuous. As it is now, though, it is clear that this is the crab's den that Zhuan Kun spoke of.
The noble marches directly towards the hole and hops in without pause. I trade a glance with Daiyu who reaches out and takes the reins for both Quishu and Zhuan Kun's mount. "I've no need to see Brother Crab's home," she says with a chuckle. "You go ahead. I'll stay here and mind the beasts."
Beneath me, Quishu lets out a soft bray of displeasure, if one unaccompanied by her usual attempted mauling. I idly scratch her between the horns and hop down. "She seems mostly calm," I tell Daiyu as I move towards the burrow. "Though I'm not sure how she'll tolerate sand, so stay vigilant."
Daiyu nods and I turn towards the burrow. As I move into the hole, I hear Daiyu saying, "You seem oddly at peace with this detour, Clerk. Have you no objections?"
"If I did, would it matter?" Clerk Ni answers. Despite his words, his tone is practically chipper. "Besides, this is actually on the way to our next stop."
"Really?" Daiyu asks. "I consulted the maps before we left the Summit. Is the next village not a few hours further south?"
"That is what I thought as well!" the Clerk answers, brightening even further. "But upon closer study of this census from two decades past, you can see-" The rest of his words are cut off as I reach the burrow and duck into it, joining Zhuan Kun as he surveys the crab's home.
It is… it is certainly the Crab's home.
I had expected nothing much. Perhaps the crab's burrow would be a small hole dug into the sand, or at best the entrance to a hidden cave. Instead, what I find is a large, circular chamber painstaking dug into the shifting sands. The ground has been trampled so thoroughly that it's been packed into near stone, and the walls are supported by roughly cut pieces of driftwood and large shells scavenged from the tides.
Zhuan Kun nods approvingly as he looks around the mostly barren burrow. "Its home is suitably austere," he intones. "Truly, it focused on nothing but improving itself. That warrior is one for others to pattern themselves after. Perhaps it truly will return to challenge me again."
I can only nod as I turn my focus to the small collection of belongings dotting the sandy floor. The crab did seem to live a life akin to a monks, with very little in the way of material possessions to disturb its focus. Still, there are a few things that catch the eye- and while I've no desire to fill the Estate with clutter, I can certainly take at least one thing.
As Zhuan Kun surveys the crab's earthly possessions, I move past him towards a small stack of driftwood bundled up near the wall of sand. Just the presence of such a bundle raises… questions. Did the crab go out and scavenge driftwood regularly, or did it just grab more whenever it happened upon some? It bundled the driftwood together with a thick leather thong; where did the leather come from? Did the crab find it somewhere or is it also a tanner? And why did it bind the driftwood together in the first place? Was it to make it easier to move or simply to keep its home uncluttered?
All those questions and more race through my mind, but I push them aside. They may be worthy of consideration when my mind needs something to occupy it, but I've quite enough going on right now without wondering what kind of animal a crab would even make leather out of.
I heft the bundle of driftwood up and inspect it carefully. Some pieces are too short for the crab's likely intended purposes, while others are gnarled and weathered to the point where they're as structurally sound as dry straw. But each piece has a small trace of anam in it from its exposure to the salt and surf. They would be most useful in adding just a trace of anam to a greater work, or could serve as the basis to a lesser one should I start another small project.
The aspect itself is a difficult one to comprehend. My face twists into a deep scowl as I sweep in the driftwood with my Sixth Sense. There are notes of earth in the aspect, certainly enough to serve as the anam's basis, but water and wind have come to dwell within the driftwood in equal amounts. There is surprisingly little wood; any trace of the forests these branches came from has long since been ground away. What remains is something rough yet nourishing, solid yet biddable, hard as stone but breakable if hit with any suitable force.
Something tickles at the back of my mind as I consider the aspect. I've not felt its like before, but something about it seems oddly familiar. Did… did someone back at the Heart use this aspect regularly? It certainly isn't in Fa's or Nokai's repertoires, but thinking of Xu Yun's face feels a bit more accurate. Not only him; it also seems similar to some things I've felt from Ming Hui's cooking. What aspect could Ming Hui and Xu Yun have in common? One is a sailor, the other a chef. The two paths have little in-
I pause as I stare down at the wood, realization hitting me. Is this… is this salt aspected? Interesting. What applications could that have? It could have a preservative effect that pairs with wood or life- or maybe it could enhance something else like salt enhances a dishes flavor? Perhaps I should pick Ming Hui's brain for other uses before I use the driftwood.
Acquired: Brother Crab's Driftwood (Salt 9)!
Regardless, it is more than tempting enough to join my collection of materials. I pull it into the Estate and turn to Zhuan Kun, who is contemplating the molts the crab left behind. He stares at the enormous shells and shakes his head before turning back to me. A note of satisfaction enters his voice as he says, "If our martial rival continues to eschew transformation, by the time they have discovered themselves, they will be worthy of another fight."
I glance from Zhuan Kun to the shells then back to the noble. Ancestors above, he seems honestly excited by the prospect of fighting Brother Crab once they've grown- and Brother Crab is already quite large enough!
The noble does not wait for a response, thankfully. Instead he turns to the rest of the Crab's belongings. "When next it returns," Zhuan Kun says as he begins taking everything into his own stasis ring. "It will doubtless enjoy seeing what it once cherished- either to regain it, or to marvel at how it has outgrown such things. Regardless, they will be returned to it when we next meet."
A snort of amusement pulls itself from my nose and I shake my head. "Just like the school signs will be returned to their disciples? Like how the Warden's Key will be returned to the Resolute March?" I tease, turning back towards the burrow's exit.
Perhaps I am imagining it, but I swear there's the ghost of an honest, actual smile on Zhuan Kun's face as he falls into step beside me. "Exactly," is his answer, and together the two of us pull ourselves free from the crab's home.
Our return isn't noticed right away. Daiyu is with the Clerk, leaning over to get a better look at his maps. Clerk Ni is in the middle of the most animated explanation I've ever seen him give, and Daiyu is nodding along with an interest that is only, at most, half feigned.
I move towards them and reclaim Quishu's reins. The loamwalker bites at my head, but her eternal bloodthirst is at least partially sated for now. The attempt is half hearted at best. I bat her fanged maw to the side and turn to Daiyu. "Dare I ask what has you so interested in the maps?" I ask.
"I am not that invested," comes Daiyu's automatic answer, but the way her eyes are still trained on Clerk Ni's scrolls. "It is simply… it is frustrating! That's all!"
On my other side, Zhuan Kun regains his own mount and hops into the mare's saddle. I follow suit and swing easily into my normal position atop Quishu before staring blankly down at my partner. "You may have to give me more information," I say dryly. "What, precisely, is frustrating?"
Daiyu pauses, clearly going through her last words once again. Her cheeks flush and she shakes her head. When she speaks, it is with the casual air of a cat who has just fallen on its face and is trying desperately to pretend it never happened. "The maps are giving us conflicting information," she answers primly. "And each new one we consult is further muddying the waters."
Clerk Ni grumbles something that does not sound flattering about the mapmakers as he takes to his own mount, and Daiyu is quick to follow suit. She lets Sunswift fall behind to ride alongside me as she continues. "Look at this," she says, brandishing another map. I take it and glance down as Daiyu begins pointing at specific places on it. "Here is Jingyi's Summit. Judging from our travel time and speed, that would put us around… here." Her finger jabs at a spot halfway down the coast between the Summit and Twelve Fields."
"Our next destination is out here," Daiyu continues, tapping one finger against a small point in the coast. If I squint, I can see the shadow of what might be a small dot, one that could easily be a scribe's error or simply ink soaking through from other papers. "It is a small village that hasn't been visited in at least a dozen traditional testing cycles, and certainly not during the Grand Examination. And ancestors above, it seems that no one can decide on what it's called!"
Another map joins the first, this one labeled. "This one has it called Shoalwater," she states, glaring at the map as if it has done her a personal wrong. "Yet this one-" a third map joins the first two. "-dubs it Yuanzhi. And this one-" another map is thrown on the pile. "-names it Shulin's Wake! No two maps have the same name for it!"
From his position up front, near the Clerk, Zhuan Kun turns to glance back at us. "Answering such a question is a simple matter," he states. "All relevant details about every settlement are recorded in the archives of the major cities. Consulting the most recent map from Jingyi's Summit should be all you need to end your confusion."
"I've tried that!" comes Daiyu's quick response. "You need to have a word with your record keeper, because the village is not even on your maps!"
A deep scowl steals its way across the noble's face. "All records are kept and recorded by agents of His Imperial Glory with minimal oversight by any of the governing households," Zhuan Kun answers as if by rote. "Regardless, the record keepers our household supports are held to the necessary standard. If they do not have records of a village, that village does not exist."
Beside Zhuan Kun, Clerk Ni lets out a chuckle, a broad smile on his face. "Then I will speak with my superiors when I return to the central bureaucracy," he says through his laughter. "For that is where I found records of this nameless place. Between the archivists your family supports and the ones that serve His Imperial Glory directly, I know which ones I would place my trust in."
Still, Zhuan Kun is not deterred. "All records and census data are held to scrupulous standards and are subject to frequent independent review. If the Summit does not have records of a village at the location you speak of, it is not there."
"We will see soon enough," Clerk Ni answers, his smile undiminished. "For we should reach the village with an unclear name before the sun begins to set. If it is not there, then your archivists have the right of the matter."
Zhuan Kun is far from convinced. His ire is well and truly roused by the aspersions cast upon the archivists of Jingyi's Summit, and he makes his feelings known as we resume our ride along the coast. For his part, Clerk Ni seems more than happy to prod at the noble, always responding to Zhuan Kun's blunt declarations with sly nudges and the occasional jibe. Both of them seemingly quiet down after a few stern words from Daiyu- but they are back at it within the hour, much to her frustration.
For my part, I simply ride behind them, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary. There could be no better moment for a threat to make itself known than now, while we're distracted. But the only threat that makes an appearance is Quishu, who snaps at a passing rabbit. She finds only air, though, and the rabbit vanishes into the rusting grass.
The course Clerk Ni sets us on is one that I doubt any normal map would show. We move steadily down the coast before turning slightly, cutting back inland as the ground beneath us begins to rise is gentle hills and slopes. The grass thickens into some semblance of White Daylight Fields' splendor, rustling with life that makes Quishu perk up with excitement. Trees sprout around us in a small copse that almost seems quaint after our time in the Forest of Hill, and the noontime sun glistens off the Emberflow Abyss as we peak at it through the grove.
Soon, the rising and falling of hills becomes simply rising. We set a slow yet steady pace up a gradual incline as songbirds almost seem to mock Quishu with their merriment. Before long, we are looking down off of a small cliff at the Abyss, enjoying a new breeze that stirs the trees and carries the soothing scent of the coming rain. Hopefully, if there is no village at our destination, there will at least be something to shelter the Clerk and horses beneath.
I pause as a new thought occurs to me. How will Quishu deal with a storm? So far, the weather has been remarkably calm for early spring, and I've yet to witness the loamwalker in anything worse than a slight drizzle. It could prove… no, it will be fine. Loamwalkers were born to walk the Trackless Marsh, after all. They've surely dealt with more than some rain.
I'm pulled from my contemplations by a victorious "Ha!" ripping itself from Clerk Ni's throat. The bureaucrat seems beyond pleased with himself. He gestures at the ground before us and looks over at Zhuan Kun, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. "If there is no village here, how do you explain so many tracks?"
The Clerk is not wrong. I follow his gaze to the grass before us, which has been broken and trampled beyond anything the native wildlife can account for. Thin lines that can only have come from wagon wheels have been cut in the grass, and the footsteps of at least a dozen men or beasts have beaten the rest flat.
Zhuan Kun stares at the obvious traces of civilization as if they have done him a personal wrong. But he bites his tongue and instead guides his mount forward, eyes narrowed as he studies the path that shouldn't exist. Clerk Ni follows him, humming a jaunty tune all the while.
But Zhuan Kun cannot ignore the next sign of civilization. It is so subtle that at first, we almost miss it. The grass near the beaten path is simply shorter than it should be. As we move further along the path, patches of the ground have been denuded of green entirely, leaving dark patches of barren dirt. Eventually, we follow the curve of the cliff and turn, coming across an area the size of a small building.
We also find the culprit.
A lone ox stands placidly at the edge of the barren patch. It bows its head to the grass and rips out another mouthful, chewing it in the slow, lazy manner only worn by the most bored of cattle. When it finishes its bite it bends to take another, repeating the process as it stares over the cliff and towards the horizon.
Our mounts slow as we near the beast. I look around for its master or the rest of its herd, yet find nothing. Curiously, I extend my Sixth Sense. We've just encountered Brother Crab, after all. A powerful Spirit Ox akin to the old Earthroot Ox that inspired my Blooming Spear is not out of the question. Yet to my Sixth Sense, it is just a simple ox, no more powerful than some of our mounts- and far less powerful than certain, ravenous others.
A noise from Daiyu draws me out of my contemplation. She's looking beyond the Ox towards a small knot of trees. A merchant's cart sits beneath the tangled boughs. Its yoke is empty and the driver's seat bereft of anything that might steer it.
This is no burned out husk. At a glance, it seems the perfect picture of an average merchant's cart. Pennants and brightly colored streamers hang from its railings. Its bed is laden with goods and packages of all shapes and sizes. A small wooden board dangles from one side bearing a list of prices in coin and trade alike. Were it in any of the villages we've traveled through or on the street corner of any city in the Empire, I doubt I would think twice about it.
But it is not. It is alone and untouched in the middle of a small grove of trees. Not a single scorch mark decorates its sides. Not a hole nor an arrow mars its wood. It does not even look to have crashed into a tree. It is as if it was simply rolling along before deciding to come to a slow, gradual halt.
I glance towards my companions, all of whom are scanning the woods with keen eyes. Even Clerk Ni's mirth fades as it's buried beneath confusion. "Bandits?" he asks, but even he doesn't sound like he's convinced.
Daiyu shakes her head. "It… no, the cart is in far too good of a condition- and besides, nothing's been taken. What kind of bandits would stop a cart peacefully then not take anything? It is more likely that the merchant broke a wheel and went to the village for a new one."
"But the wheels are in perfect condition," I'm compelled to answer. "It could be an axle… but then the cart would likely still be in the middle of the path rather than off to the side."
My partner nods her agreement. "And there would be some splinters of the broken one at the very least. Could…" She trails off, searching for another reason for this odd sight but finding nothing.
"Could the ox have fought the reins and broke free?" Clerk Ni guesses. "And the merchant had to leave to find help pushing his cart?"
All four of us turn our attention back to the ox. It stares back at us placidly, never ceasing its grazing for an instant. Quishu lets out a loud braying noise, and though our mounts jerk their head in surprise, the ox doesn't react at all.
"That does not seem likely," Zhuan Kun replies. "The ox does not seem overburdened with spirit." Despite his words, he does not take his eyes from the beast. Daiyu turns her focus back to the cart. Clerk Ni glances at the path, his eyes following it as it winds up through the hills. I lean over to soothe Quishu.
The ox just stares blankly at us all. And chews.
I ignore it and hop off of Quishu's back. A flick of my wrist sends her reins to Daiyu, who
takes them reflexively. She arches an eyebrow and glances from me to the innocuous cart. "Taking a closer look?" she asks.
A nod is my response. "It will just be a quick one," I assure her as I take a step towards the cart. "This entire scene is quite odd at the very least. If there is one thing I've learned from my duties, it is that oddities must be investigated lest they conceal something more sinister behind their strangeness."
Daiyu looks like she has a dozen things she'd like to say to that, but she decides to hold her tongue. Instead, she guides Sunswift and Quishu over to our other companions and glances at Zhuan Kun. A murmured word has the noble vaulting off his own steed and moving towards me until he's practically in my shadow. "Mei Daiyu does not wish for you to be unguarded while you investigate, and I agree," Zhuan Kun says, voice low as his eyes scan the trees for threats. "Perform your investigation. Our honored sister will ensure that the Clerk is protected, and I will ensure that you are protected."
The ghost of a smile tugs at my lips. Clearly, Daiyu and Zhuan Kun both remember my last investigation and how a ravenous Vestige seeking to devour me was the least of our problems. "You have my thanks," I answer. "We will only be a moment, so you need not be on guard for long. Still, I am about to turn off my senses, so your vigilance is very much appreciated."
Zhuan Kun cocks his head to the side consideringly. "You plan to use your technique to enhance your Sixth Sense?" he muses. "Logical. That technique seems most flexible. I still find myself intrigued by it. If there is any way you could teach it to me or inscribe it on a token, I would be most grateful."
I let out a low breath as we reach the cart, preparing to step into the Garden. "I will have to speak with my family," I answer absently. "For it was from their archives that I learned it. Though I find myself surprised that you are interested. I was sure your own Path would have similar techniques."
"It does," comes Zhuan Kun's prompt answer. "If all I wished for was to hone my senses, I have many options. But yours deadens your other senses completely. It would make blind sparring far more engaging."
A chuckle escapes me. Of course, Zhuan Kun wants the Stallion's Garden so that he may train more efficiently. That is perhaps the least surprising thing I've ever heard. But I push all thoughts of Zhuan Kun's training aside, along with any other errant ones that invade my mind. Right now, I don't need distractions or amusement. I need to focus, lest something squirm from the shadows of this normal looking cart and leap at my face.
Another long breath escapes me and I close my eyes, stepping into the Stallion's Garden. The world falls away, leaving me swimming in an empty void devoid of light, sound, taste, and even awareness of my own body. My mind pushes out into sheer, undiluted emptiness, and my Sixth Sense rushes out to search the void.
The difficult part of using the Stallion's Garden to enhance my Sixth Sense is not finding anam. With nothing else to distract me, I can feel even the slightest anam signatures, ones that I wouldn't even know were there if I had even one sense left open. The difficult part is filtering what I sense and discarding useless information in the heartbeat I have before the technique becomes too exhausting to maintain.
As always, my own anam signature is the first thing I ignore. Then I push aside the steady, rock-solid sensation at my back that is Zhuan Kun. The warm, ephemeral feeling of Daiyu is next to go, as are the faint notes of life that make up the mounts and Clerk Ni. The forest around us is exuding a good amount of Wood, and the Emberflow Abyss has no shortage of Water anam. Those too are ignored, as is the faint, ever present swirl of Wind.
I redouble my focus, trying to direct my Sixth Sense at the area right before me where the cart was when I could still see. Sure enough, there are some lingering notes of wood unlike those from the forest, likely coming from the cart itself. Aside from a few traces of beast near the yoke, the cart is otherwise inconsequential. Nothing in or on it registers on my sixth sense to any great degree, with the most potent anam being no stronger than a shirt someone was particularly proud of weaving.
With the cart inspected, I turn my focus to the rest of the clearing, tracing the hint of beast from the cart back to the ox itself. Under more strenuous scrutiny, the beast reveals itself as… well, simply a beast. Nothing about its own anam signature shows it to be anything but a particularly well fed ox. Quishu is a stronger source of beast anam than the ox, and it is only barely more powerful than the horses.
My attention wanders from the ox and to the rest of the clearing. I allow the signatures I've ignored back into my attention and scan the area as a whole. Nothing seems strange at all, even to my enhanced Sixth Sense. The ambient anam is… well, upon closer inspection, it does seem a bit more active than usual. But that is hardly proof of anything. For all we know, it could mean that there have been more animals in the woods lately, increasing the quality of the local life anam.
With an effort of will, I release my hold on the Garden. My senses rush back to me in a flood and I take a step back, almost overwhelmed by the taste of my own tongue. Zhuan Kun stiffens at my sudden motion and glances around. "Did you discover something?" he asks.
I cough once and shake my head. "No," I answer as I regain control of myself. "The ambient anam is slightly more intense than I would expect, but that could be caused by anything. I will have to try another technique."
Zhuan Kun nods sharply and returns his focus to our surroundings. As for me, I let out a low breath, fighting the urge to spit, and call upon my anam once more. The Stallion's Enclosed Garden may be a potent tool, but it is no longer my only technique capable of revealing secrets about the world around us. My eyes fall closed, and when they open, I look to the Twilight Horizon.
Color and vibrancy seem to leach from the world around me. It is not at all like the Stallion's Garden. I can still see, smell, and hear. Everything just seems so much further away than it once was. Shining sapphire light traces everything within my sight while everything else seems faded, distant, and muffled. Every time something moves, the Horizon's light moves just a fraction of a moment before, filling the space before its source can cross the same distance.
It is not that light that I look to. There is nothing before me that will answer my questions. Instead, I cast my eyes to the heavens, gazing at the twinkling pinpricks of light hiding behind the noon-tide sky. Even though I cannot see them, my soul screams that they still shine. Even though the burning aura of the sun, I seek the wisdom of the Stars, bidding them to guide me and show me what they've borne witness to.
The Astral Paragon's crown jewel burns through me, reflecting the light of the veiled cosmos. The celestial bodies bear witness to the technique's power. The stars burn in their constellations, content in their heavenly alignment. This I know as surely as I know my own name. But no unearthly guidance fills my limbs, no sudden insights seep into my brains.
Yet the longer I stare into the heavens, my eyes full of stars, the stranger things begin to feel. There is something is wrong with the stars. I am no scholar to have memorized the movements of the heavens, but there is a small itching sensation in the back of my mind that murmurs that the stars are… that they are not where they are supposed to be.
The itching becomes more intense, growing into a curdling nausea that grips my stomach in iron talons. The Twilight Horizon gazes past the light of the sun and into the heavens and I fight to compare what I see with what I know of the stars above. At first it is almost a calm, casual thing as I force myself to remain calm, but as the nausea grows, so too does my worry. Within moments, my eyes flick frantically from star to star, desperate to see what the Horizon is trying to show me.
"Kong Zhi?" Zhuan Kun's voice is distant, as if coming from the end of a long tunnel. "Kong Zhi? What do you see?" But I can't muster the energy I would need to answer him. The world flashes an ethereal blue and I cannot look away. Am I still staring at the stars? Or are they staring into me?
Images flash before me, disjointed yet crisp. A winding road. A picturesque village. Children, playing- running. Bone deep exhaustion the likes of which I can barely comprehend-
-the earth rushes up and I collide with it, tumbling head over heels as the Twilight Horizon breaks. I roll back several feet, narrowly missing the ox before rising once more with an almost drunken sway in my step. "W-wha?" I manage to grunt out.
Zhuan Kun stands next to my previous spot, one hand outstretched. "Ah, good," he says, voice businesslike. "You've returned to yourself. What did you discover?"
Rapid footsteps echo through the forest as Daiyu rushes to my side. There is no trace of Zhuan Kun's calm demeanor on her face. She seems worried and not quite panicked, but not far from it either. "Zhi!" she gasps, concern clear on her face. "Are you well? What happened? You were staring at the sky for nearly ten minutes before Zhuan Kun took action!"
"I… I don't know," I answer honestly, a hand going to my temples. A thousand images etched in ethereal starlight, none coherent, play in my mind. Images of a place I've never been, and a surety that no… I have been there before. We all have.
I wrack my memory for any trace of that village in my visions not born from the Horizon, and find nothing. Yet the sick sensation in my stomach barely lessens. My body…
…my body agrees with my spirit. Which means that it is my mind that is wrong.
Yet as I look at my companions, the words… they fail to form. There are too many to speak and they all collide with each other, becoming naught but a ball of nonsense behind my teeth. No matter how I try to cudgel my brain to explain what I've just beheld, it simply doesn't come. I've no choice but to let out a low breath and shake my head.
"I… the Twilight Horizon showed me… something," I mutter. "But I'm not sure exactly what it was."
"Then ponder it on the road!" comes Clerk Ni's impatient voice. The bureaucrat is staring at the heavens himself, only his gaze is on the position of the sun. "Daylight is wasting. If we want to make good time to Twelve Fields, we cannot afford any further delays!" He turns his pony away from us and back towards the trail, clearly intent on leaving with or without us.
Zhuan Kun and Daiyu trade a look before turning back to me. "He's right," Daiyu murmurs. "Not about needing to leave quickly, I couldn't care less about that. But consider what you saw on the road. Meditate on it. It will doubtless make sense after a while."
The noble nods along with her words and together, we retake our mounts and hasten them after Clerk Ni. But even as we catch up with the bureaucrat, the visions do not fade from my memory. They lose none of their clarity. I pour over them again and again, yet they seem no more coherent than they did when they were burned into my mind.
The Twilight Horizon clearly wanted to show me something. All I need to do is figure out what.
The Twilight Horizon has unleashed a horde of thoughts and memories of a village Kong Zhi has never been to in such detail that it feels as if he walked its streets just yesterday. They are confused and distorted, yet potent. How does Kong Zhi allow them to guide his actions?
NOTE: the primary votes will be counted together, with any sub votes calculated after. Fifty people voting for one option with fifty different subvotes still counts as fifty people voting for that one option.
[] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[] (Write-In which villager)
[] The visions are clear in one regard: this village is dangerous, even if how it is is confusing. Kong Zhi will approach Clerk Ni and ask him to wait outside the village as we investigate it to better secure his safety.
[] It seems like in the visions, Kong Zhi was wandering freely through the village. Perhaps that was a mistake. He will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
-[] (Write-In which role)
[] (Write-In)
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Clearly we must find the groundhog causing all this.
- Location
- Washington
Hahaha
Ya no I want no part in walking into a goddamn time loop exploring around and poking it fine but walking into it hell no.
Ya no I want no part in walking into a goddamn time loop exploring around and poking it fine but walking into it hell no.
Doesn't Daiyu also have the star technique, shouldn't we have her use it?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I mean, if any place qualifies to be a place where we could find a Time aspected Natural Treasure (Or another site that follows us around, or follows us home and fuses with the Moment to give it more capacity), it's be a spot in time that keeps repeating over and over.
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] One of the children. The one that seemed to be in charge of the pack.
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.
-[X] One of the children. The one that seemed to be in charge of the pack.
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.
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I'm thinking we grab a villager and question them. All we need is Zhi to get a hint that this is related to Time Fuckery and our options expand immensely. Probably the Woman Weaving on the Loom.
Her Zhi has full reason to question on whether anything strange is happening, given her ridiculous skill at weaving that approaches the skill of Papa Kong, an advanced Teacher level cultivator.
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
Her Zhi has full reason to question on whether anything strange is happening, given her ridiculous skill at weaving that approaches the skill of Papa Kong, an advanced Teacher level cultivator.
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
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Vesvius
The Wicked God
The ambient anam is a bit riled up. All Zhi can tell for now.